In this program, Jack Turney (Family Therapist) shares some of his thoughts and experiences on the subject of how our words shape our thoughts and feelings - and how our thoughts and feelings also shape our language. The conversation touches on questions about using accurate or inaccurate language, the context of our language usage and the risks of using language that reflects illusions. He speaks of "strengths based" language in therapeutic settings, and how sweeping generalizations and qualifying language influence the process. A worthwhile peek into how we think, why we think the way we do, and why that matters.
Today we welcome John Kelly, owner of Milagro Coffee y Espresso, a legendary, legacy coffee shop in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Opening for business 26 years ago, current owner John Kelly worked at Milagro for 14 years and has owned the shop for four. We explore the business in the past, (including during the Covid pandemic), business in the present, and what the future may hold. We touch on how John thinks about his relationships with his community, his customers, and his employees. While committed to offering the best coffees that can be had, he also pays keen attention to the ethics of the coffee trade and incorporates a philosophy known as the "triple bottom line" - people, planet, profit. We learn about the art and science of growing, roasting and preparing coffees from all over the world. A neat peek into the coffee business and the philosophy and thinking of owner John Kelly.
Rob Baur, co-owner of locally owned and operated Toucan Market, and much-appreciated underwriter for KTAL programming, joins us today for a wide-ranging conversation. Rob addresses the current interplay of inflation, the economy, and jobs. He makes thoughtful observations about the spirit, the thinking, and the attitudes that shape our considerations for today and tomorrow. Rob also expresses some of his perspectives on business, interpersonal communication, and parenting in a high-tech and increasingly AI driven culture. The conversation touches on questions of mental health, as well as choosing optimism or pessimism in relating to one another and our current social challenges.
Toucan Market Today's program takes shape as a conversation with Spencer Cooper. Spencer is a local small business owner, martial artist, musician, and father. We touch on parenting, fathering, religion, and education. We take a peek at considerations of gender roles in the family, in the courts and in our communities at large. We explore our political climate, our sense of community, and the presence and roles of optimism and pessimism in our contemporary culture through the eyes of Spencer and Jack, as members of a younger generation.
Our conversation today welcomes Shahid Mustafa and Tameika Hannah to talk about their new KTAL radio show, Black English Vernacular. They give us a peek into how they harness their gifts and skills in their creative process of producing a thoughtful and informative radio show. One of their objectives is to bring forward some of the perspectives of Black people that many listeners may not be aware of. The show brings focus to human history in general, and Black history that's gone unacknowledged in many of our social and academic systems. Their shows have addressed topics like cooperatives, music, literature, art, farming, community building, and our Indigenous people's history. Their recent focus has been the 50th anniversary of the birth of Hip-Hop; including its multi-dimensional influence upon American culture and cultures around the world. We talk about how cyber relationships and communication can distort our sense of reality and community, and how real-time, face to face communication with critical thinking, and genuine respect and compassion, brings us so much more opportunity for positive outcomes.
Black English Vernacular Hip-Hop Around the World Today we have a rollicking, thought-provoking romp through questions of meaning and purpose. The conversation touches on nihilism, existentialism, absurdism, religion, science, and the ultimate meaning of life. We explore the possibility of macro-meaninglessness in an indifferent universe, coupled with micro-meaningfulness - the possibility that our everyday lives are in fact very meaningful. We ponder the question of how we can wrap our heads around that seeming paradox. Perhaps, both the micro and macro in combination may reflect a more wholly accurate assessment of the human experience. Or perhaps not.
Nihilism Gill Sorg, with a background in science, chemistry, biology, ecology, ranching, teaching, and government, joins us today with a wide array of considerations. The conversation touches on largely science focused questions about human and other biology, evolution, what constitutes "Life", the origins of life on earth, and the potential for life elsewhere. Climate change, microorganisms, antibiotics, pollution, plastics, personal and global equilibrium/homeostasis, history of the geology of the earth, species diversity, fragility, and artificial intelligence, all get a little attention in this exploration about "Life".
We're joined today by intermittent co-host and always delightful guest, Keith Whelpley. Our conversation spans considerations of Artificial Intelligence, censorship, free speech, hate speech, unpopular but protected speech, and cancel culture. We touch on journalism, media. social media, human intelligence, biological non-human intelligence, and of course machine or artificial intelligence. This exploratory conversation points to the chilling adverse effects of cancel culture censorship upon our thinking, our language, or democracy, our very sense of humanity and community. We give some attention to the intersectionality of artificial intelligence and free speech, how it affects our critical and nuanced thinking, our tribal and cult thinking, and how we interpret, think, feel and speak about events past and present.
Video - "The AI Dilemma" Book - "Impromptu" on AI -Reid Hoffman and GPT4 Video - "Commonwealth Club - "The Canceling of the American Mind" Book - "The Canceling of the American Mind" - Lukianoff and Schlott Book - "Nadine Strossen - Hate: Why We Should Resist It with Free Speech Not Censorship In today's conversation, Vietnam war veteran and Zen Buddhist priest, Harvey Hilbert, shares his experience, thoughts and feelings about war. The conversation explores history, curated narratives, how we think about war, and why after thousands of years, we still do it. We touch on how the emotions of fear, hate and anger are intentionally stimulated in order to drive people to war - and why the practices of compassion, humility, and love are most often disregarded. The conversation touches on media, misuse and distortion of language. Harvey offers as a possible measure for improving the future of humanity, learning how to talk to each other and how to teach ourselves and our children to value open and respectful conversations; how to get to know and accept those who are different.
Today, guests Nia Rucker and Trisha McCaul share their observations after hosting a "Death Over Drafts" event in Las Cruces. Death Over Drafts is a setting for casual community discussion about death and dying, over beers and snacks. Held at a local brewery with about 25 people in attendance, the group conversations spanned a broad spectrum of death and dying related experiences, thoughts and feelings. Trisha and Nia offer their insights as individuals and as conveners of the event. From his vantage point as a family therapist, Jack Turney made some carefully considered inquiries and shared some relevant perspectives as well. Welcome to a fun and thoughtful conversation about how we think (or avoid thinking) about death in our culture.
Death Over Drafts Alua Arthur - TED Talk - Thinking about Death The Death Deck - A Lively Party Game |
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