Woke Points

When Henry Kissinger died, various obituaries struggled to sound respectful while recounting his long history of war crimes and dastardly deeds. Woke Points, on the other hand, will not be burdened with that struggle.

Ted and Marni are joined by Danae Hendrickson of Legacies of War to discuss the Secret War that Kissinger led in Laos and Cambodia during the (far-from-secret) war in Vietnam. Together we discuss the devastat...

Getting outdoors has never been nerdier! Atmospheric scientist and avid ultra runner Joe Boomgard-Zagrodnik joins Ted and Marni to bring a truly informed, scientific perspective on how we can conscientiously enjoy the great outdoors.

We talk climate change, optimism, microplastics and much much more. If you like Woke Points then you should love Joe BZ because he originally introduced Ted and Marni when they crewed for him ...

Some folks on the left have adopted the maxim that the "best way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." Listen in as we discuss our own reaction to that belief, and the practice of using guns to defend threatened groups from the violence of oppressors.

Marni and Ted share stories of groups in the minority who are taking up arms for their protection, and discuss our own experiences with, and feeli...

Having served five tours of duty as a Marine in Iraq and Afghanistan, Elliot Ackerman knows what he's talking about when it comes to military service.  He makes the argument that a draft could increase public engagement with the military and thus potentially reduce wars because everyone would have more skin in the game.  In this episode, Ted and Marni talk to Elliot about how his experience informs his perspective and if he se...

Ted is super Outdoorsy and Marni is more Outdoors-ish, but we both love our time in the woods, on the water, and just out in the fresh air. In this episode, we explore (see what I did there?) how to love the outdoors without destroying them. 

Resources from this episode:

• COVID spikes in Outdoor Recreation
• Outdoor Activities and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• The impact of urbanization on Austria’s carbon footprint
• Trail running ...

Most Americans pass every day blissfully unaware of the impacts our military has around the world. We are insulated by a volunteer military that carries out global campaigns while we go about our lives. On this episode, Ted and Marni discuss whether a national, inclusive draft could result in increased civic engagements and fewer wars.

Resources from this episode:

• Why Bringing Back the Draft Could Stop America’s Forever...

Chorus Foundation founder Farhad Ebrahimi is in the process of giving away all $50 million of his inherited wealth, and he'll be done by the end of this year.

Listen to this episode to learn not only why is Farhad giving away his fortune, but is encouraging others to follow his lead. Beyond his own foundation, he's part of a larger movement to work with others across society to imagine a future beyond philanthrop...

Author of multiple books on national identity and patriotism,  Duke's Noah Pickus brings his historically-informed perspective to this week's episode.

This conversation goes beyond our emotional responses to patriotism and expands into some deep topics, like the relationship between patriotism and immigration policy, and what it even means to be a citizen of a place.

Resources and recommendations from th...

When you approach a house flying an American flag, do you feel welcome? When you hear the national anthem, do your eyes well with tears of national pride? Do you bleed red, white, and blue? 

Can you answer yes to any of the questions above and still consider yourself politically progressive? 

In this episode, Ted and Marni discuss their own relationships with patriotism as well as how it seems to have been co-opte...

If you've had enough Marnsplaining, then this episode is for you! Ted and Marni welcome Kelly Hodgins to add her brilliantly informed perspective around equity in our food system.

Born and raised on farms in Canada and New Zealand, Kelly brought her interest in farming into her academic career where she focused her research on food and agriculture systems, and did a lot of public engagement on different food system is...

Season three is here, and if we say so ourselves it's a Snack! Join Ted and Marni for a conversation about how progressives sometimes focus more on elitist dietary practices over increased food access for all.

Here are some of the items we mention during the episode:

• One of our favorite TikToks about City life - thank you Jane Jacobs!
• The book that inspired that TikTok and that Marni is currently (slowly) reading.
• Do...

Season 3 starts on September 19th so now is the time to subscribe!

We have a lot of fun in store for you this season like...

• Food Politics
• Patriotism
• Philanthropy (should we abolish it?)
• and much much more!

Thank you to Inny PDX for the music!

Woke Points uses affiliate links for purchases made with the excellent Bookshop.org, so if you purchase books through these links you help sustain both our podcast *and*...

In our last bonus episode before season 3, Ted and Marni talk about Americans' relationship to international travel, our shared love for solo travel, and why wanderlust drives us both.

Thank you to Inny PDX for the music!

Woke Points uses affiliate links for purchases made with the excellent Bookshop.org, so if you purchase books through these links you help sustain both our podcast *and* independent bookstor...

Another bonus episode! Join Ted and Marni for an earnest conversation with professional Dominatrix and fetish wrestler Katarina "The Domme Kat" Pierce, and sexual health educator Momo, about the wide world of sex work. We'll get their perspective on *everything* Sex Robots too. Did we mention that Momo had a sex robots blog back in the 2000s?

Learn more about Kat via her website or Instagram, or visit her Li...

Podcaster, Political Commentator and founder of the More Freedom Foundation Rob Morris joins Ted and Marni for this bonus episode to reveal the unseen violence of US Sanctions, and we do our very best to have fun while doing it.

Check out Rob across multiple social channels:
YouTube
Twitter
Instagram, TikTok, and Threads: @morefreedomfoundation

Listen to Rob's podcast
Read Rob's Book

Just like any reputable educational institution, Woke Points works in semesters. So now's the time we sign off for Ted and Marni to take a summer break!

Now is also a great time to catch up on any episodes from Season 1 or Season 2 that you've missed.

Season 3 is coming at the end of August.

Please stay subscribed and continue to follow us to stay apprised of updates and new episodes!

University of Alabama Communications Professor and author AJ Bauer joins Ted and Marni for this week's deep dive into the history of truth and fairness in media.  By the end, we wonder, "is truth even the right goal?"

Follow AJ on Twitter, and buy his books: the acclaimed News on the Right: Studying Conservative News Cultures, and his forthcoming Making the Liberal Media.

Resources from this episode...

In this episode, Ted blows Marni's mind by explaining to her that once upon a time it was legally mandated that news outlets (at least those using terrestrial channels) present both sides of a story.  Our current Fox News vs MSNBC world seems very far from the days of the Fairness Doctrine.

While we recognize that cable news would not actually fall under the decree of the rule we discuss in this episode, we do wonder...

Have you had enough Sex Robots talk yet? Of course not! In this episode, Ted and Marni welcome Tania Leiman, Dean of Law at Flinders University, and legal scholar Madi McCarthy (no relation to Ted), both of whom have studied and written extensively about how the law handles intimate AI.

Find Tania's publications here.

Thank you to Inny PDX for the music!

Woke Points uses affiliate links for purchases...