Contemplating Life with Chris Young
"Contemplating Life" is a podcast by author, assistive technology developer, and disability advocate Chris Young. Each week we will explore a variety of topics including disability, religion, politics, entertainment, and whatever else I can think of. Please support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/contemplatinglife
Episodes
In this episode, I am beginning a series that could possibly be the last of this podcast. It might not be. But it’s a series I need to get finished in case this is the last.
Unless I pull off a minor logistical miracle sometime in the foreseeable future, I will be leaving the house that I have lived in since I was a few weeks shy of my fourth birthday. I will be moving into a skilled nursing facility where I hope to live out my days...
In this episode, we review the last four films in this year’s survey of the Oscar-nominated Best Pictures. We will recap all of the winners versus my picks.
Links of Interest
“What Dreams May Come” (Act III, Scene I) “Hamlet”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_Dreams_May_Come
“Train Dreams” (2025 film): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Train_Dreams_(film)
“Marty Supreme” (2025 film): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marty_S...
In this episode, we continue our look at Oscar-nominated films. In this episode, I explore four films so bizarre that they left me asking, “What the hell was that?”
Links of Interest
SNL sketch from 1979 “What the hell is that?” on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU_Gd623HJo
“The Secret Agent” (2025): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_Agent_(2025_film)
“One Battle After Another” (2025): https://en.wikipedia.org/...
Contemplating Life – Episode 110 – “The Cost of Revenge”
In this episode, I recount a harrowing experience with a health scare last week and an incident that angered me so much that I indulged the darkest parts of my personality to plot a revenge that I never intended to deliver, but simply crafted to give me peace of mind. What that plot told me about myself was quite revealing. Trigger Warning: This episode contains misogynistic a...
In this episode, we continue our look at Oscar-nominated films. We will discuss three nominated films and a bonus film about men who have devoted their lives to show business. As they age, they look back at the sacrifices they had to make to fulfill their dreams.
Links of Interest
“Song Sung Blue” (2025): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Song_Sung_Blue_(2025_film)
“Song Sung Blue” (2008 documentary) Wikipedia article: https://en....
It’s time for my annual review of the 10 Best Picture Oscar-nominated films. In this episode, we review three nominated horror films: Frankenstein, Weapons, and Sinners. I’m not going to be able to finish all of these reviews by the March 15 Oscar ceremony, but even if I can’t get them recorded, I will write the scripts and post them on the podcast website and on Patreon. Post comments and tell me what you thought of these films.
Li...
In this episode, I combine my exploration of religion and entertainment as I discuss recurring religious themes in literature, movies, and television. I also explore ways in which authors can portray people of faith in a positive light. This material is based on a lecture I gave in my writing seminar under our mentor, award-winning science fiction author David Gerrold.
Links of Interest for this episode
“The Red Badge of Courage” (18...
In my last episode, I confessed that I had misidentified which translation of the Bible I was using. In this episode, I take a deep dive into various translations to figure out how I got confused about which version I was using.
Links of Interest for this episode
Handout materials for this lesson: https://www.patreon.com/posts/notes-for-106-in-149707860
Dating the Bible on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dating_the_Bible
Bibli...
This is the fourth and final part of my very brief overview of the Old Testament. We continue with our look at Old Testament prophets and how to connect their stories to our present-day experiences.
Links of Interest for this episode
Handout materials for this lesson: https://www.patreon.com/file?h=143872709&m=566923521
New American Bible at the Vatican website: https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0839/_INDEX.HTM
This is the third part of my very brief overview of the Old Testament. Recall that we said last time that the New Testament refers to the Hebrew Scriptures as “The law and the prophets.” In this episode, we examine the role of a prophet. This is an attempt to make the Old Testament applicable to our everyday lives.
Links of Interest for this episode
Handout materials for this lesson: https://www.patreon.com/file?h=143872709&m=...
In this episode, I continue a multi-part series based on my 30 years of teaching the Catholic faith in my local parish’s inquiry program. This is the second part of my very brief overview of the Old Testament. We examine the differences between Catholic and Protestant versions of the Old Testament and the reasons behind those differences. We also discuss the role of a covenant ratified through sacrifice and Old Testament law.
Links ...
After taking a break from his podcast and throwing in a couple of one-off episodes, I continue a multi-part series based on my 30 years of teaching the Catholic faith in my local parish’s inquiry program. In this episode, we begin our brief overview of the Old Testament.
Links of Interest for this episode
Handout materials for this lesson: https://www.patreon.com/posts/handout-material-143872709?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_s...
In this episode, we look at the recent controversies surrounding the Indiana University student paper, the Indiana Daily Student, which was forced to shut down its print edition in favor of the online version. Then we take a broader look at the shift from print to digital media.
Links of Interest for this episode
Indiana Daily Student online edition: https://www.idsnews.com/
Indiana Daily Student on Wikipedia: https://en.wi...
In this episode, I bemoan the lack of new or innovative content on broadcast TV based on the offerings of this new fall season. We also take a statistical look at the recent Emmy awards and notice that the few broadcast and basic cable shows nominated did not earn any wins. AppleTV+ and other streaming services dominated the landscape. Although all of my podcasts are listenable, this one includes charts and spreadsheets that you ma...
While proofreading my previous episode, I realized the theological point I was making was also a commentary on the political divisiveness we find in our country today. Here are my thoughts regarding ways that the teachings of St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians delivered a poignant message that is applicable to our secular society today. You don’t have to be a Christian to appreciate the wisdom of his message.
Links...
In this episode, I depart from my original plans to continue turning my old Scripture lessons into podcast episodes. I’ve been going through old audiocassettes and downloading them to my computer, and I found some long-lost lectures that were key to my faith journey as a foundation of the lessons taught in the Catholic Church for 30 years. I hope to return to presenting more of those lessons and upcoming episodes soon.
Links of Inte...
This episode is the final installment in a four-part series on Catholic Tradition. When I used to teach this lesson, it included a tour of the church. While I can’t do that with you physically, I want to try to cover the same material with you. We'll discuss in more detail what you can expect to find in a Catholic Church, including an overview of the items the priest uses during Mass, as well as a discussion of priestly vestmen...
This is a supplement to Episode 97.. It is from a video of an encounter I had with Catholic theologian Dr. Ernie Collamati. It discusses how to deal with our conscience when it differs from the official teaching of the Catholic Church. Here’s that exchange.
Links of interest
Dr. Ernie Collamati at Saint Regis College: https://www.regiscollege.edu/about-regis/find-us/faculty-and-staff-directory/ernest-collamati
Episode 97
In this episode, I present material based on the second lesson I taught in my local Catholic parish inquiry program for 30 years. I’m not here to convert anyone. I’m just sharing my stories. In this episode, we take a deep dive into the most important Catholic tradition – the celebration of our Sunday liturgy, the Mass.
Links of Interest for this episode
Handout materials for this lesson: https://www.patreon.com/posts/130708591
In this episode, I present material based on the second lesson I taught in my local Catholic parish inquiry program for 30 years. I’m not here to convert anyone. I’m just sharing my stories. In this episode, we continue to explore the connection between Scripture and tradition. We will then take a deeper dive into Catholic traditions as they relate to the Sacraments.
Links of Interest for this episode
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