Sort of Sophisticated

Everyone knows Salvador Dali and his famous work, The Persistence of Memory. Well, if not, don't feel too bad. That's why you're listening to the podcast in the first place, right? It's the piece where all the clocks are melting against the backdrop of the ocean and a bunch of ants are eating the stopwatch.
He was a surrealist fo sho there are so many incredible stories about Salvador Dali and his antics, I don't even know where to ...

So, they just released the second season of Tour de France Unchained on Netflix, like last week. And here we go again, Amanda. Despite there being absolutely no evidence of doping during last year's race, I watched the whole race. I know there was no doping. The trailer teases scandals on doping that went on and has a clip of one rider being asked if they think he was doping, referring to like, one of the leaders of the race during...

Disney is releasing Inside Out 2.

The sequel to the O. G. You know the movie about Riley, our favorite 11 year old girl who moves with her parents from Minnesota, freezing cold, to San Francisco, and freaks out a little?

So they tell the story in her head about the five personified emotions, joy, sadness, anger, fear, and disgust, and how she manages her emotional responses from mission control headquarters in her brain.

So,...

So, what do the Regency years have to do with being more cultured and curious?

I thought you'd never ask. Okay, so if the fact that Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Emma were all published during the Regency era is not enough to Be fascinated with a time period, then I don't know what is.

It was a time that finally gave women voices, outside of just marrying for status, and allowed for women to finally ...

But what does gambling have to do with becoming more cultured and curious, Pete?

Not gambling, cricket. I'm going to tell you what cricket has to do with being more cultured and curious because we got to learn to appreciate varying perspectives and values. That's why. We have to want to care to learn about other countries, histories, and traditions.

We have to have at least a modicum of self awareness to know we aren't the only peo...

Real time satellite monitoring shows that so far in 2024, more than 10, 000 wildfires have ripped across over 20, 000 square kilometers of the Amazon across multiple countries. Never has this many fires burned so much of the forest this early in the year, and scientists are worried that the region is getting closer and closer to the tipping point, where widespread degradation, did I say that right?

Degradation and repeated burning ...

 So what does Ben Franklin have to do with being more cultured and curious, you ask? Um, because his life was a beacon of inspiration. As a founding father of the United States, his contributions in shaping the nation were huge people. He drafted part of the Declaration of Independence. But beyond politics, his bulbous brain and multitude of talents in science and literature and innovation make him a timeless figure worth studying.

Does it feel like every time you step into a bar or restaurant you enter a world of endless possibilities as rows of meticulously curated liquor bottles beckon to you to explore the artistry of craft cocktails? Are you overwhelmed with the sheer number of choices? Or do you embrace the thrill of discovery as you sip on beautifully crafted cocktails inspired by the latest trends and innovations in mixology?

It seems like we need to ...

 ​I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet. It was already one in the morning, the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of a half extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open.

It breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs. Who doesn't get chills whe...

The year was 2019. The horse was maximum security, and the race was the famous Kentucky Derby as the thunderous hooves pounded against the track at Churchill Downs, the crowd erupted in a deafening roar. As the horses rounded the final turn, the magnificent thoroughbred surged towards the finish line.

Maximum security pulled ahead with one massive last effort and heaved himself and his jockey across the finish line. But just as the...

 In a series of surveys we Googled to make sure we were credible, we found that 95 percent of people think they possess an appropriate amount of perspective and self awareness, but only 10 to 15 percent truly do. Other than the fact that that math doesn't make any sense at all, that's a startling statistic.

We have a massive disconnect here, people. No wonder our world is so polarized. We're just wired to operate on autopilot, unaw...