To sum up my semester of passion blogs, I will be telling you about my favorite self-help podcasts. One of the things I have been really passionate about lately is self-help media. Whether it is self-help books, podcasts, documentaries, etc., I am enthralled by it. I have been very interested in becoming the best possible version of myself and making improvements to my life every day, so this genre really appeals to me. The podcasts I will be telling you about today are The Happiness Lab, Healthier Together, and Make Your Damn Bed.

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos is a Pushkin Industries podcast hosted by Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos. Santos has spent years researching the science of happiness and uses her findings in the podcast to help her audience achieve a better mindset about happiness. She uploads episodes every Monday and they typically range in length between 30 minutes and one hour. Some of the more recent topics she has discussed are “How to Identify Your Negative Emotions,” “How to be Angry Better,” and “How to Adopt a Growth Mindset.” The analytical approach Dr. Santos uses to dissect these topics are fascinating and I definitely recommend the podcast.

Healthier Together, hosted by Liz Moody, also discusses mindset improvements, but there is also a focus on physical health. Episodes are released every Wednesday and are approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. Moody brings in guests to talk about their experiences with the subject matter and give their professional recommendations. One of my favorite episodes was about productivity and creating a good morning routine. The guest, Chris Bailey, took the audience through his step-by-step morning routine and what he likes and doesn’t like about each thing he does. One of the things I found interesting was that he doesn’t feel like getting up early is necessarily better and makes you a more productive person. Productivity is more about what you do with the hours that you are awake than it does what time you wake up. I love this podcast because it gives real opinions and advice; it doesn’t just reinforce things that are heard every day.

Another one of my favorite podcasts is Make Your Damn Bed. This podcast is updated every morning and episodes are around five minutes long. Each episode is meant to be listened to each morning while you “make your damn bed.” The short episodes help you to build good habits while you accomplish the first task of the day. The encouraging messages help to reinforce a positive mindset and give you something to focus on as you go about your day. Episodes typically focus on growth, improving your overall well-being, and taking control of your life. These episodes are a great way to start your day and start to become a better you.

For years, one of my infatuations has been TED Talks. Every few months or so I will binge TED Talk videos on YouTube. TED Talk speakers are experts in a variety of fields, many of which I have never even considered. By watching Ted Talks on many different subjects, you can become much more well-rounded and gain a little bit of knowledge in a lot of areas. Podcast episodes are updates daily from Monday through Friday and are typically no longer than 15 minutes, so it is totally achievable to listen to them while walking to class or meetings.

Because TED Talks cover such a wide range of subjects, everyone can find one that appeals to them. For example, I listened to a TED Talk a couple of months ago about how we would be able to curate meat without actually killing animals by fostering animal’s muscle cells. Since I became a vegetarian a couple of years go because I do not agree with the animal cruelty, the prospective idea of having meat without killing animals was very interesting to me. Of course, there are issues to this idea, and it will be an expensive process at first, but the speaker did a great job of explaining the process and societal effects to an audience that had no prior knowledge.

Another interesting TED Talk I listened to recently from the TED Talk Daily podcast was entitled “How radical hospitality can change the lives of the formerly incarcerated | Reuben Jonathon Miller.” In this episode, Miller discussed the issues with the American prison system and how the rehabilitation ideology is deeply flawed and has long-lasting negative effects on former inmates. Miller recounts a time in which he followed around a formerly incarcerated man to see how hard the system has made his life post-prison. He talks about the lack of resources, communication, and opportunities for the individuals. When Miller went around with this man, he expressed such gratitude for Miller’s actions even though Miller thought that he had not done anything significant. This episode was not only a call for change, but also an informational segment.

No matter what your interests are, TED Talks Daily will have episodes that appeal to you. The episodes are scientific, sociological, technological, innovative, and more. If you are looking to learn something, I am sure that you will be able to find some in the list of episodes. It is so great that episodes come out every weekday because even if you do not like one day’s episode, you have plenty of other episodes to look through. Whichever episode you choose to listen to, you will be gaining some interesting information that you probably would not have been exposed to otherwise.

Like Sports Talk with Brodes, Real Talk, hosted by Victoria Garrick, is a podcast that I was originally introduced to via YouTube. Garrick is a former D1 volleyball player for the University of Southern California and has been very open about the effects that this environment, as well as society has had on her mental health and body-image. She even presented a TED Talk on the subject matter back in 2017.

Years ago, while Garrick while still playing for the USC women’s volleyball team, I discovered her YouTube channel. As a volleyball player myself, I was interested in her lifestyle as a student athlete, her tips on achieving greatness, and how she got to be where she is. As I continued watching her YouTube channel, her content began to shift more towards activism and gaining awareness for intuitive eating and self-confidence. She really draws on her past experiences as an NCAA athlete to fuel her passion and the information she puts out there. The true lifestyle of an NCAA athlete seems to be very hidden to the general public and so much more goes into it than is seen by the public, so her videos, and now her podcast, has been eye-opening.

Her episodes, which are upwards of an hour and uploaded every Wednesday, do a great job of drawing attention to issues that society has normalized. Garrick has gone through so many experiences as a student athlete and influencer that have shaped the way she views the world, and it is fascinating to hear her thoughts. Not only does she draw from her own experiences, but she also consults with professionals, athletes, and influencers to get their outlooks as well.

Recently she did an episode featuring Sedona Prince, University of Oregon women’s basketball player and TikTok sensation, to hear her first-hand experience on embracing her sexuality as a member of the LGBTQ+ community in the NCAA and how sexism is still very much present in the world of sports. She has also done episodes with Becca Tobin, Katie Couric, Sarah Fuller, and more notable names. With such interesting guests constantly on the podcast, there are always exciting and informative episodes.

Beyond her guests, Garrick’s personality on its own is enough to listen to the podcast. She has so much empathy and goes about her message in a very uplifting way. She does not go about shaming people for the way they look, feel, etc. Instead, she encourages you to become the best version of yourself, no matter what that looks like for you. Garrick inspires her listeners to achieve a peaceful state of mind and healthy relationship with food. It has been great to see her step into this platform over the past couple of years, and I am excited to see where she takes this next.

In the beginning of quarantine, I found myself on my couch every night from 6-7 PM watching the local and national news because it was such a critical time for our country to be in the know. As time has gone on and we have seen ourselves –somewhat—returning to normal life, I have been tuning into the news less and less, especially with moving to college. However, I still wanted to stay up to date with what was going on in our country and the world, so while I’m walking around campus, at the gym, or simply have free time, I listen to a news podcast. It was even one of my New Year’s resolutions to listen to at least one news podcast every day; I have surpassed this thus far and typically find myself listening to four or more every day. My top four recommendations are The Daily, The Journal, NPR News Now, and The NPR Politics Podcast.

The Daily is a The New York Times production, hosted by Michael Barbaro. Episodes are typically around twenty-five minutes long and are posted Monday through Friday by 6 a.m. The Daily covers some of the biggest news stories, not just from the United States, but internationally as well. Barbaro and his team find and interview plenty of qualified professionals who speak on the topics and give their educated points of view. They break down the subject matter into easily digestible information so you can get the most out of the episode. My only complaint about the podcast is that when Barbaro interviews the guest speakers, he sometimes sounds disengaged and will respond to their commentary with mumbles. Other than that, I think that this is a terrific informational podcast to listen to.

Another news podcast that I highly recommend is The Journal. The Journal is a podcast for The Wall Street Journal and it takes a business approach to current events. The hosts are Kate Linebaugh and Ryan Knutson, and I find them to be more engaging to listen to. I think that they do a better job than Barbaro of keeping the podcast lively. As a prospective business major, the information discussed is valuable in giving me a more in depth understanding of world events and how they relate to my life and future.

If you are really in a time crunch, NPR News Now is the news podcast for you. Episodes are only four minutes long and are updated every single hour, seven days a week, to give you the most recent and updated information. Because the episodes are so short, there are certainly topics that get skipped and overlooked. The lack of time also forces the podcast to skip out on critical information. However, it’s a good way to become familiar with what is going on.

The final news podcast I am going to recommend to you is The NPR Politics Podcast, which has episodes that are around 15 minutes long and are posted every weekday. The hosts give an inside look of the United States government and their affairs. They give great information about what is going on, and the relevance of it all, which is so important for young adults who are just beginning to vote.

Though I know I said Crime Junkie was the first podcast to bring me into this world, I think that my origins start more with Sports Talk with Brodes. Three years ago, before I had ever listened to a podcast on Spotify, I would go onto YouTube everyday while I was eating my post-school snack to watch his new episodes. Sports Talk with Brodes is a Philadelphia sports podcast, and if you saw my passion blogs from last semester, you know that I could talk about Philly sports all day every day.

The host of Sports Talk with Brodes, Hunter Brody is a south Jersey native and a Philadelphia sports superfan. He covers the Sixers, Eagles, Phillies, and Flyers, doing post game reactions, predictions for the season, evaluations of players and coaches, and more! As a Philadelphia sports superfan myself, it took only one video of his to completely hook me. Brodes posts a reaction to nearly every sports game, making you wait only a few hours after the completion of the game before his episode is uploaded.

Brodes puts so much enthusiasm into his videos and audios, and listeners can really see his passion. When he is amped up, he’ll be screaming, jumping around, and flailing his arms around like a crazy person. I think that this perfectly exemplifies the intense emotions of Philadelphians and how much they care about their sports.

When I started following Brodes, he had approximately five thousand subscribers on YouTube, but now he is up to nearly 20 thousand. His podcast has grown so much now that he now has his own brand – Brodes Media – where he has merchandise, blog posts, and has even hired some interns to help him grow. In the time that I have been following him, he has not only grown in terms of YouTube subscribers, but he has also reached many new career highpoints. Brodes now is a host for 97.3 ESPN on the radio and has even filled in for famous Philadelphia sports broadcaster Mike Missanelli on 97.5 The Fanatic WPEN. It makes me almost prideful that I was “ahead of the curve” with discovering him (synonymous to how people will be like “I knew this musical artist before they were mainstream) because he is moving on to such amazing things.

Nowadays, I don’t go to YouTube to see his videos, but I have shifted to the podcast version on Spotify. I have his notifications on and listen to a new episode nearly every day. His episodes, which are approximately 35 minutes long, are so refreshing and I love to hear his opinion on the status of Philadelphia players and teams. It is great to hear how much he puts into each episode, and I am excited to see all of the big things that he moves on to do.

As I solidified in the last passion blog, I am a true crime fanatic. That being said, one episode of true crime each week is not enough for me. One of the podcasts that I have recently added to my rotation is Morbid: A True Crime Podcast. It is hosted by aunt-niece duo Alaina and Ash. Each episode is around an hour and 15 minutes, and they release episodes twice a week, typically on Wednesdays and Saturdays, though they do occasionally stray from their schedule.

Alaina and Ash have much more of a casual feel to their podcast as compared to the Crime Junkie hosts. They have very quirky personalities, often go on tangents, and even refer to their viewers as “weirdos.” Morbid’s dialogue feels less scripted than Crime Junkie and they just loosely follow their notes. Also, the interaction between the two hosts appears to be more genuine than on Crime Junkie. While Ashley Flowers (the main Crime Junkie host) has made true crime her career and is therefore very knowledgeable about the ins and outs of law enforcement, homicidal techniques, etc., Alaina and Ash are just typical fans of the subject and do the podcast as more of a recreational hobby to complement their full-time jobs.

Unlike Crime Junkie, Morbid mainly focuses on true crime cases that have been solved and have a definite answer. I personally prefer this because I get my sense of closure at the end of the episode and am not left wondering about infinite possibilities. Alaina and Ash take on a wide range of cases, including typical homicidal and serial killer cases, historical cases, supernatural and spooky cases, and more. They even will occasionally do “Listener Tales,” which are episodes in which they compile true crime stories from their audience’s own experiences and share them. They do a great job of diversifying their content and delving into a little bit of everything.

They often do episodes with multiple parts that document some truly wild cases. One of my recent favorites were episodes 283 and 284, which is a two-piece sequence of information about the shocking life of Dorothea Puente, also known as Hell’s House Mother. They go so in depth about her upbringing, early life, and many of the different cons that she got away with. Another episode that I found fascinating was “Episode 282: Murder in the House of Gucci” which is the original story for the 2021 House of Gucci movie starring Lady Gaga. They truly do a great job of finding such bizarre cases and researching the small details that really give the story a full picture. They often recommend books that they used to help with their research, if you are interested in reading more about it. If you are interested in true crime, or are a fan of the Crime Junkie podcast, you should give Morbid a try!

2020 was a historical presidential campaign for many reasons, one of which being rapper and fashion designer Kanye West’s candidacy. Though many are fans of his music and clothing, he generally has a poor reputation personality-wise and has made countless controversial statements throughout the years, ranging from storming the stage during the 2009 VMA’s when Taylor Swift went to accept her award, to claiming that Bill Cosby was innocent of his convicted crimes, to saying that George Bush does not care about black people, to even alleging that slavery was a choice.

On Independence Day of 2020, Kanye announced that he would be running for president of the United States in the coming fall. Just under two weeks later, West filed his candidacy with the Federal Election Commission. He said that he would be running with Michelle Tidball, a Christian preacher from Wyoming, as his vice-president. As for Kanye’s ran as part of the “Birthday Party,” a political party that he named and created, though his views align with the Republican Party. In 2018, during Donald Trump’s presidency, Kanye met with him for a sit-down conversation. His then-wife Kim Kardashian once said that Kanye supported Trump’s personality but did not understand many of his policies. During his presidential campaign, he was endorsed by Kim Kardashian, Elon Musk, and a myriad of other celebrities.

Post-election results showed that he received 60,000 votes in the 12 states where he had ballot access and he had the fifth highest national vote count for a non-perennial presidential ticket. Though he was far from winning the election, Kanye has expressed interest in running for president again in the 2024 election.

Kanye West was not the first celebrity to run for political office, nor was he the last. One of the most notable celebrities that ran for (and held) office was former actor and bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger, who served two terms as governor of California from 2003 until 2011. There is also reality television star and businessman Donald Trump, who we all know went on to win the 2016 presidential election and lose his reelection campaign in 2020. Reality star Jim Bob Duggar, of 19 Kids and Counting recently ran for the Arkansas state senate. Despite serving one term in the Arkansas house of representatives from 1999 to 2002, he lost the 2021 senate election, coming in third in the race. Now there are talks of former Olympian and reality television star Caitlyn Jenner running for the governor of California under the campaign slogan “Caitlyn for California.”

Despite the fact that it seems celebrity figures running for political office is somewhat of a trend, I am not in support of it. I am not going to say anything conclusive and absolute, because it is always possible that there are going to be celebrities who are well-versed in public policy and government, this generally does not seem to be their area of expertise. I do not think that celebrities should run for office just for publicity and because they have the platform to do so. This feels like a mockery of our democracy and makes light of the importance of having a strong government.

Sometimes voters, especially young voters, will be drawn to these candidates because of their fame and the brand that surrounds them. Others will vote for them simply because they think it is funny and want to be able to “flex” it to others. This takes away votes from serious candidates who have dedicated their lives to studying policy and creating a better tomorrow. I would prefer for our government to be ran by people who are very knowledgeable about policy and legislation than people who only get to their position because of their popularity and celebrity status. Obviously being in good standing with the public is important for political figures, but it is equally important to balance that with being educated about what type of policies they are endorsing.

Overall, I cannot find it in myself to take Kanye’s presidential candidacy seriously, nor do I support it. If he is going into this election as a member of a political party that he just created, I do not think that it is reasonable to assume that he would be a sufficient president. I think that he is too controversial, irrational, and hot-tempered to hold this position. Especially if Kanye is going straight to running for president without establishing himself as a political figure first, I am skeptical about his commitment to the job. I think that it is completely irresponsible to vote for him simply because of his status or because it will be funny. At the end of the day, voting for joke candidates like Kanye is not funny and it takes away from genuine candidates.

It is time that we take our democracy seriously and put our energy into electing people that will do right by our country. It is so important that we become educated voters and cast our votes to select lawmakers that accurately reflect the views of constituents. In serious elections, especially elections that are as close as the 2020 election was, it is crucial that you be sincere with your vote. Using your vote on candidates that you know have no chance of winning the election really does nothing to further our democracy. If you vote for Kanye or similar candidates who have done nothing to prove themselves as legitimate candidates, I feel that you are wasting your vote and not taking our democracy seriously. Making an uneducated vote is debatably worse than not voting at all, because it gives a false perception of who our country is and what policies we stand for. If you are going to vote, make sure that you inform yourself and make your vote count.

Sources:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/kanye-west-president-campaign-trump-gop-b1978767.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54849605

https://ballotpedia.org/Kanye_West_presidential_campaign,_2020

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2021/10/30/jim-bob-duggar-runs-arkansas-state-senate-while-son-awaits-trial/6214056001/

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/08/us/politics/caitlyn-jenner-governor-california.html

Abortion has been one of the most highly debated political focuses in the United States for decades. Though Roe v. Wade (1973) protects a woman’s right to have an abortion, there have been countless attempts to create legislation to counteract this right. Many states, typically red states, have tried to enforce laws and policies that make it impossible, or at least more difficult, for women to get abortions. One of the more recent and controversial attempts to essentially reverse Roe v. Wade was The Texas Heartbeat Act.

Under The Texas Heartbeat Act, women cannot have an abortion in Texas after a heartbeat can be detected in the fetus; this usually happens at around 6 weeks, which is before most women even find out they are pregnant. What makes The Texas Heartbeat Act different from other legislation that has been attempted in the past is that it calls on citizens to report one another (for a potential payout of $10,000), rather than having government intervene. Because government is not interfering, The Texas Heartbeat Act is hard to counteract. Texas lawmakers have essentially found a loophole in the system that allows them to restrict women’s rights. Texan physicians that continue to perform these procedures will be seen as criminals rather than medical professionals and could face serious repercussions, even in cases in which it is medically necessary for the health of the mother and/or fetus.

Since this act affects women so early in their pregnancy, they are left with very few options, and they have a limited amount of time to make decisions. If they find out they are pregnant after the six-week mark, which many of them do, they either must carry the baby to term, leave Texas to get an abortion, or attempt dangerous at-home methods. The bottom line is that for the most part, women that want abortions are still going to find ways to get them, so creating such harsh restrictions to abortion laws is only putting these women at risk. If the women are really set on having an abortion, they may be forced to go to sketchy places that do not carry physicians with the proper training, equipment, sanitation measures, etc. Several things could go wrong.

This also disproportionately affects lower class individuals because they may not be able to support a pregnancy or take new measures to safely get an abortion now that their access is restricted. For people that live in the middle or lower regions of Texas, driving to another state to have an abortion performed may not be an option. This can be a long drive and some individuals may not be able to leave their job or families for a day or couple of days to get the abortion. This is furthering the disparity between socio-economic classes.

Other than leaving the state to get an abortion, more and more women are turning to “self-management” techniques to get an abortion. Some of these methods include using coat hangers or drinking cleaning product to terminate the pregnancy. Both methods are highly dangerous for the health of all individuals involved. Some families have turned to getting vasectomies earlier than expected because they are not willing to risk getting pregnant. Though they will likely be able to reverse the vasectomy later, families are worried that they are not making the right decision for them and that they are just being forced into this.

Many states have attempted to replicate this type of anti-abortion law, but none have been successful yet. Recently, Idaho rejected policies similar to those of The Texas Heartbeat Act in a 4-4 vote. Though the split vote was not enough for the act to be put in place, it is concerning to see that there are just as many lawmakers that want to restrict women’s rights as there are lawmakers that want to preserve these rights. It will be scary to see if other states are successful in replicating Texas’ restrictions on abortion. If more states were to enact similar laws, I think that women would be in danger for their health and safety.

I hope that The Texas Heartbeat Act is reversed or found to be unconstitutional for the sake of Texan women. For those who argue that these women do not need to become parents to the children they birth and that they can give them up for adoption, I would argue that abortion and adoption are not opposite courses of action for the same thing. Abortion addresses pregnancy, while adoption addresses parenthood. Pregnancy in and of itself can be draining for those who are not ready for it. For those who are not financially, mentally, or emotionally ready to be pregnant these restrictions can be terrifying and put women even more at risk. This is not even taking into consideration the flaws in our foster care system and how there are already so many children in the system that are not being properly cared for.

I think that the wellbeing of the woman should be in consideration when these laws are being created. Rather than focusing solely on the potential wellbeing of the fetus, the women who are expected to give birth should be given more concern. I think that Roe v. Wade should be valued and that policymakers should not be involved in a woman’s reproductive health. In my opinion, The Texas Heartbeat Act completely opposes the Roe v. Wade decision and makes the pregnancy progress significantly more intimidating and dangerous for women. With lawmakers discovering these loopholes in the system, it is a frightening time for women. I am nervous to see how this progresses, both in Texas and other states that are attempting to replicate these restrictions.

Sources:

• https://www.npr.org/2021/09/01/1033202132/texas-abortion-ban-what-happens-next
• https://www.texastribune.org/2021/12/16/texas-abortion-law-legal-fight/
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2022/01/31/idaho-legislators-reject-bill-copying-texas-abortion-restrictions/?sh=53f27ebb2c22
• https://abcnews.go.com/US/texas-heartbeat-act-part-wave-red-state-laws/story?id=80245484

For this semester’s civic issue blogs, I will be focusing on the broad topic of politics. Politics are more relevant than ever, and as young adults who are starting to be able to vote in elections for the first time ever, it is so important that we become educated on the world of politics. I wanted to take this opportunity to educate myself on some political topics and get a deeper understanding of my views on our government. I will be starting off my civic issues blogs by tackling the two-party system and growing divide between our nation.

The United States has essentially always been a bipartisan nation, going from the Federalists and Antifederalists, to the Federalists and Democratic Republicans, to the Democrats and Whig party, to finally the Democrats and Republicans. It seems that our country has always been set on separating the nation by putting titles on everything. Separating the nation has been a theme throughout American history, one that does not seem to be disappearing anytime soon.

I can definitely understand the nation’s interest in implementing a two-party system in our nation’s government. For those just starting to get involved in the politics, the two-party system does a good job of helping people integrate into all the ins and outs of politics. The general trends associated with democrats and republicans help people to see where they typically align on a myriad of topics. It also helps voters to have to learn less candidates’ stances. If the two-party system did not exist, there would be many more candidates running and it would be hard to keep track of each candidate’s views. Without the two-party system, people would probably get overwhelmed trying to figure out their views on the many different political topics. The two-party system does also make it easier to balance a variety of opinions. Without these clarifications, people might be all over and be unsure of how to congregate and get things done. Because of these generalizations, the two-party system also keeps super radical parties from forming because it is unlikely that they’ll gather enough support to have a significant impact on policy.

On the other hand, the two-party system has completely divided the nation. Democrats and Republicans are so polarized that it does not leave much room for those who see positives and negatives on each side. In the United States congress, pretty much every representative either identifies as a Democrat or Republican because if they were to identify as an Independent, they would not get the votes to be elected to their position. This also causes the government to ignore alternate voices. Those who fall in the Green Party or one of the other smaller parties may have some valuable ideas for the success of our nation, but they will never be taken seriously because they are not a part of the main two parties. One of my main issues with the two-party system is how pitted against one another they are. They are so set on not letting the other get their way that it is so hard to pass any policy or make any progress. Instead of working together for the benefit of the United States, they want to slander each other’s reputation and paint them out to be the bad guys.

Though I recognize the benefits of the two-party system, I still believe that it needs to go. I think that with the two-party system it just encourages mindless agreements and voting. When people go into vote, especially uneducated voters, they focus more on the party of the candidate than their actual views. They just see the D or R next to the candidate’s name and assume that their views will align with what the voter wants. Without the two-party system I think that voters would be encouraged to gain a deeper understanding of the candidates’ actual views on policy, and in turn this would allow us to have a government that better represents the views of the nation. Even beyond voting, the two-party system causes politicians to simply agree with what their party is doing rather than vote and support policies that actually reflect their views. Because they are afraid of ridicule from other party members and backlash from voters, they get much less done.

It is inevitable that there are going to be differing political opinions. In a country of 330 million, there are surely going to be a wide range of views on how the country should be run. I do not want to irradicate these differing opinions by getting rid of the two-party system. Instead, I want politicians and citizens to forgo the biases associated with political parties so they can focus on the actual policies. Without the two-party system, I think that we would be able to have a more educated government, and our representatives would be able to get more done since they would not be so deadlocked against one another. I think that getting rid of the two-party system would encourage representatives to work together for policy that will be beneficial for the country rather than just trying to stop the other party from getting any of their policies through.

As of right now, there is no indication that the two-party system is going anywhere anytime soon. I feel like the two-party system will continue to divide this country and prevent unity. Though there are some serious pros to the two-party system, in my opinion, the cons outweigh them. Irradicating the two-party system would bring us closer as a nation and help us to make more educated decisions for the future of our country.

Sources:

• https://www.britannica.com/topic/two-party-system
• https://dk.usembassy.gov/da/youth-education-da/the-american-political-system/history-of-the-democratic-and-republican-parties/
• https://futureofworking.com/9-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-the-two-party-system/

For the second semester of RCL, I have decided to change my passion blog topic from Philadelphia sports to a review of some podcasts that I listen to. I am certainly a podcast fanatic and have gotten super into them within the last couple of years, so much so that I probably listen to them more than music.

It seems fitting that I start off this sequence of blogs with the first series that got me hooked into the world of podcasts: Crime Junkie. Crime Junkie is an “Audiochuck” production, hosted by Ashley Flowers, with some commentary given by her lifelong friend, Brit. They post an episode that is around one hour long every Monday morning and typically focus on crime cases that are unknown and unsolved. With their massive following, they have raised tons of awareness and funds to help progress DNA testing and get the cases closer to being solved.

I have always been captivated by true crime, so this podcast immediately had my attention. When listening to the podcast, it is clear that a substantial amount of research has been done to give the audience an in-depth look at the case. They do a great job of citing their sources, as well as differentiating from information that is confirmed and speculated. Occasionally they will conduct interviews with people affected by the case, involved in the case, experts, etc.

Flowers does a great job of bringing attention to cases that received very little media coverage. Her and Brit appear to be making a real difference by reaching out to a larger audience that may have additional helpful information. Even in cases that have very little information present, her team does a great job of finding hidden information to give the case more context.

Another thing that I love about Crime Junkie is the conversational feel. The information is easy to digest, and when they use large legal terms, they will often clarify the meaning so you can better follow the story. Ashley Flowers is a great speaker and does a great job with inflection in her voice to keep listeners engaged. Though I love Brit and think that she is a great addition to the show, I find her comments to tacky at times. They seem a little bit planned so that they can provoke more surprising information from Flowers, rather than just a genuine reaction, but nonetheless the conversational tone is great.

One of the things that I am not fond of in the show – though certainly a personal preference – is the lack of conclusion at the end of cases. Many of these cases are ongoing or were never officially closed, so there is a lot left up to interpretation because so much is unknown. Personally, I like to hear the whole story, so not getting that sense of closure at the end of an episode can be really frustrating for me. This is part of their appeal though; they are looking to help the community by doing what they can to spread the word and see if there is any more information out there. They always include phone numbers, websites, etc. that listeners can contact to be of any assistance. Overall, this is one of my favorite podcasts, and I would recommend it to any true crime enthusiasts.