QUOTATIONS

Episode 142 - Lawrence Kushner on the Puzzle of Ourselves

Rabbi Lawrence Kushner has practiced his faith and led for decades.  He's a regular contributor on NPR and in this week's episode, we explore a pearl of his wisdom from his 1977 book Honey from the Rock.  He compares each of us to incomplete puzzles, wholly dependent on others to complete our puzzle and us theirs.  

Episode 141 - Pink Floyd on Time

Pink Floyd is one of the most recognizable and unique-sounding bands of all time.  Their music is as memorable as it is haunting.  In today's episode, we explore the lyrics to Time, a hit from their Dark Side of the Moon album of 1973.  Time is precious.  

Episode 140 - Renana Brooks on The Character Myth

Renana Brooks is a practicing Psychologist and, in 2003, penned an article in The Nation entitled The Character Myth.  In it, she describes how a fallacious outward appearance of morality and character does not necessarily indicate character beneath.  This episode serves as a caution to us to be wary of those who claim to have "strong character" without the sustained, outward manifestations of that character.  

Episode 139 - Barbara Drescher on World-View Escrow

Barbara Drescher is a cognitive psychologist and writer for Skeptic.com.  She is highly accomplished and published in her field and today's quote is all about rational behavior.  Sometimes we do stupid things, things we know better than to do, and yet we do them anyway.  Why? And more importantly HOW do we avoid doing them?  Drescher has a solution...escrow.  

Episode 138 - Brian Greene on Scientific Progress

Brian Greene is the Director of Columbia University's Center for Theoretical Physics and the Chairman of the World Science Festival.  In 2011, he published an article titled On Being a Physicist.  In it, Greene lays out how he came to love the sciences and desire to "push the rock" himself.  His words are motivating and give us meaning and purpose in our sometimes seemingly pointless and unending endeavors.  

Episode 137 - Poetry Explication #9: ”Hustlin’ and Bustlin’” by Nandini Sethi

Nandini Sethi is a poet and lead fundraiser at Justice Without Borders.  She works tirelessly to raise money to help exploited and trafficked persons get what is rightfully theirs.  Not only is poetry excellent, but her work is noble.  I can't think of a better challenge to start the new year than the one she lays out in this poem.  

Episode 136 - Bertrand Russell on Hate

Happy New Year and welcome to 2023! 

What's a better way to start the new year than another challenge from a great thinker of the last century? 

Bertrand Russell was a logician and philosopher who was known for his eloquent dissent and even suffered some jail time for his beliefs.  But still, he kept on.  He warns us this episode that hate can ruin us and the world....

Episode 135 - Frances Wright on Enquiry

Frances "Fanny" Wright was a prolific feminist and abolitionist long before it was popular to be either.  She spoke on equality and liberty in the 19th century and did so with compelling words.  Her quote today is presented in challenge to "blind faith," though she did use that exact phrase.  She implores us to question what we believe and why we believe it.  

This is not only wise, but a worthwhile way to end this year and begin a new one!

Episode 134 - Tom Stoppard on Sacred Words

Tom Stoppard is a highly acclaimed and accomplished playwriter and screenwriter.  He has even been knighted.  His expert ability to craft words on difficult topics into his plays is what makes him stand out to me.  The dramatic effect of his lines on the viewer is profound.  Today's quote is about sacred words and their power.  It strikes right at the heart of what this podcast is all about.  

Episode 133 - A Quote on a Happy Marriage

Relationships can be wonderful while also being challenging.  We get the best and the worst of a partner the more time we spend with them.  Today's quote teaches us how to have the best relationship, marriage or otherwise, that we can with one simple action.