In this solo pod, I give a brief history of free speech and make the case for its importance in the rise of Western civilization.

Blog: whatslacking.wordpress.com

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In part two of our conversation, Henry discusses video games as escapism but also as important didactic tool; choosing health, longevity and fitness after being obese; blogs and useful information; having to stop being a wine aficionado to stay as sharp as possible during medical school and jujutsu competitions; Fight Club and movies that are better than their source books; sequels and their usual disappointment; learning to play the guitar by obsessively listening to Interpol...Enjoy!

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Henry Duran is a medical doctor from San Bernardino, CA. We discussed his long journey and inspiration to become a doctor, health, nutrition and longevity, his passion for jujutsu, marrying a fellow doctor and expecting his first child, first names and assimilation, his immigrant parents, his father's hardness, getting along with him as an adult, hating his high school experience, moving from community college to the University of California, learning how to be a college student, the role of grit, hard work, diligence and maturity in professional success, centrism, MLK jr. and political moderation, and appreciating religion for its historical, anthropological and architectural significance...Enjoy!

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In part two of our conversation, Elsa and I discuss Puerto Rico's colonial status, bilingual education on the island, how she became fluent in English, neither party offering solutions she's comfortable with, the transitional phase in our politics, optimism in the face of tremendous change, societal collapse, problems with Puerto Rico's electrical grid and infrastructure, proxemics, Madame Bovary and Lake on Fire, French experimental pop, Alice Coltrane, and the takeover of popular Latin music by reggaeton...Enjoy!

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Elsa Figueroa is a digital marketer, translator, writer and belly dancer from San Juan, Puerto Rico. We talk about her journey from Puerto Rico to Oakland and back, hobbies versus passions, writing and dancing as a beautiful struggle, her love of stories and reading, equality of outcome vs. equality of opportunity vs. equality of permission, writing as a passion and not a job, Substack, audience capture, patronage, artists and the business of art, the importance of of financial stability for having children, her chaotic childhood, and bargain hunting for school books with her father...Enjoy!

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Malik Bennett is a teacher and coach from Philadelphia. We talk about family life, his love of sports, the existence of good and evil, his dislike for Donald trump, how he became a teacher, Slam! by Walter Dean Myers, Spike Lee's Malcolm X, Adam Sandler's Billy madison and Cam'ron. Enjoy!

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In this solo pod, I examine our modern crisis of meaning after the decline of religion and grand political narratives. I evaluate responses like spiritual practices and virtue ethics before arguing that we should embrace rather than lament modernity. By recommitting to classical liberalism and Enlightenment values, and appreciating the unprecedented freedoms and material progress we've made, we can find personal and collective meaning from a position of rational optimism.

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Apple: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whatslacking-podcast/id1197837203