Linguist Nick Enfield joins us to discuss ways that humans collaborate during a conversation, from turn-taking with split-second timing to using continuers to encourage a speaker. He also explains how filler words like "um" and "uh" can serve as traffic signals and how a listener can help or derail a storyteller. We also discuss how nuances of conversation reveal relationships and the subtleties of the communication taking place under the surface. Finally, Nick elaborates on how language can be ...
Jul 28, 2020•1 hr 2 min
Maxwell's semi-autobiographical novel is told in three parts from the perspective of two young sons and a husband who lose their mother and wife to the 1918 Spanish flu. It's a moving work, full of vignettes of the objects and home that make up a domestic life in the Midwest, and heart-wrenching in its eventual portrayal of loss from an epidemic. Here, we shed the tears so you don't have to and explore the the parallels to today's moment, as well as examine Maxwell's life and career as a longtim...
Jul 26, 2020•38 min
Extolled by management societies and consultants, Taylor's Principles of Scientific Management, published in 1911, laid the groundwork for a clear demarcation between labor and management: management was for planning, guiding, and measuring, and labor was for moving stuff around and doing as it was told. Controversy still rages over the genius or evil of this approach and what it has meant for a capitalist system. We look at Taylor's life and his work's impact and consider what bearing it has on...
Jul 24, 2020•27 min
When McDonalds posted a sample budget to demonstrate to employees how they could live on minimum wage (including a second job), it triggered a hostile reaction from media, comedians, and everyday people. Here, we take a look at the estimated expenses, and consider how realistic they are, especially in light of comments on social media from workers around the country. We review briefly the intention of minimum wage (though more of that will come in future episodes). Finally, we consider the strug...
Jul 21, 2020•18 min
Bulgakov's science fiction novella, The Fatal Eggs, set in 1928 post-revolutionary Soviet Union, is an absurdist satirical tale of dead chickens, monstrous frogs, bureaucratic bungling, and a miraculous red ray of life. Bulgakov struggled in obscurity, and many of his works were banned because of "ideological nonconformity," but he has now been recognized as an outstanding Russian writer of the 20th century. His humor, insights, and cleverness are on full display here, along with notable contemp...
Jul 19, 2020•29 min
Studs Terkel was a Chicago broadcaster, author, and actor, whose oral histories came to represent the voice of Americans during the 20th century. His book, Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do, was celebrated as a masterpiece of American thought and feeling and a presentation of real people. Despite being published in 1974, its stories, a few of which we read, still seem relevant today and worth considering in light of the current disengagement and...
Jul 17, 2020•28 min
When you start adding things up, it's not looking very good for baseball right now. Sports journalist Andrew Pridgeon and I talk about the truncated 2020 season, the coronavirus risk to the players and their families, attitude of the owners and commissioner, the unrelenting blackout policies, cost of viewing packages, and number of big names dropping out. And that's just this year. What about the aging fans, lack of support for the minor leagues, professionalization of youth baseball, and endles...
Jul 14, 2020•1 hr 3 min
Computer scientist Brian Kernighan joins us to talk about Dennis Ritchie, creator of the C programming language and co-developer of the Unix operating system along with Ken Thompson. Ritchie never sought the limelight, but his impact on the computer world is still visible everywhere from a multitude of operating systems to programming languages, search engines, car engines, and websites. Brian takes us through what made Ritchie's work novel, profound, inspiring, and long lasting. In a wide-rangi...
Jul 10, 2020•59 min
Commercial real estate broker Scot Ginsburg of the prestigious tenant rep firm Hughes Marino joins us to talk about what is happening and is likely to happen with office space. Are we going back to the office? Will available sublease space skyrocket? How will landlords react to a potential economic downturn? Scot shares what indicators are appearing on the horizon in California and elsewhere. He also discusses how office layouts may change and what attributes are always popular. Finally, he offe...
Jul 07, 2020•51 min
Published in 1982 and set in 1996, The White Plague, written by Frank Herbert, the acclaimed author of Dune, describes the unleashing of a female-specific virus created by a bioterrorist (before the word was even known) seeking horrific revenge for the murder of his family. Whew. The book is a pretty hard read, but you can appreciate it with this episode and save a lot of time. Thoughts? Comments? Potshots? Contact the show at: https://www.discreetguide.com/ Follow or like us on podomatic.com (i...
Jul 05, 2020•38 min
From disasters with ice cream and cheese sauce to exploding milkshakes and smoothies, to garbage and blueberries ending up where they shouldn't, and inevitable Ranch dressing nightmares, work catastrophes can be really funny when they are on someone else's watch. We recount and make some observations about training and management, though mostly we just laugh. A good time-for-a-break episode. Related episodes: IT Screwups: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/deardiscreetguide/episodes/2020-01-07T1...
Jul 03, 2020•24 min
Behavioral scientist Natasha Ouslis explains how diversity training can backfire, as well as irritate and shame your employees. Implicit bias testing and training focused on the individual are especially flawed. Instead, companies can take positive steps to improve their workplaces by targeting negative behaviors and procedures that restrict access and opportunity. She outlines the components of an effective diversity action plan which will have better results and save money. A must-listen episo...
Jun 30, 2020•1 hr 2 min
Joanna Ross's science fiction book The Female Man published in 1975 is still hailed as one of the most influential feminist books. It concerns four women in four different worlds, one of which is "utopian" because all the men have been killed. Another is dystopian because men and women are engaged in a literal battle of the sexes. Many find the book's criticisms of patriarchy still highly relevant; others think it's drivel. We try to make fun of just the parts that merit it and educate you so yo...
Jun 28, 2020•1 hr
Pop music aficionado Dan Stalcup joins us to talk about Adam Schlesinger, musician, singer-songwriter, producer, who passed away on April 1st from COVID-19. The list of Adam's contributions seems to surpass what one man could create: co-founder of the bands Fountains of Wayne, Ivy, and Tinted Windows, writer of Crybaby, Josie & the Pussycats, and for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend along with dozens of shows, as well as a multitude of songs covered by other artists. We discuss his versatility, his humor...
Jun 26, 2020•48 min
For a change of pace, we talk about a different working species today—dogs! We introduce four avalanche dogs, three from Mammoth Mountain and one from June Mountain, as profiled in the book Working Dogs of the Eastern Sierra. We discuss breeding, puppy assessment, training, personality, and the zest that they bring to their work. We also review the origin of Eastside K-9, the nonprofit that provides medical care and insurance for the dogs. We finish with some information about the Eastern Sierra...
Jun 23, 2020•34 min
We discuss Mary Shelley's life and her 1826 dystopian novel set in 2073 after a plague has wiped out everyone but one. Shelley's turbulent life had tragic elements of love betrayed, financial woes, and the loss of children and lovers. She used all of it in her writing along with explorations of the Romantic era and individualism. We also take a peek at a feminist literary analysis of the opening scene of The Last Man. A retrospective episode of the tribulations from 200 years ago. A link to the ...
Jun 21, 2020•30 min
USD econ prof Ryan Ratcliff joins us to talk about unemployment, its various measures, and the shape of the potential recovery (is it a V, a U, a swoosh, or none of the above?). He explains the ripple effect of a recession, why the stock market seems out of sync, and why economists fight. He also offers some career advice for aspiring economists and various jobs they could hold. Finally, he explains why economics is not like physics. An entertaining and enlightening episode. Follow Ryan on Linke...
Jun 19, 2020•1 hr 1 min
Attorney Lisa Bildy joins us to talk about the freedoms that are put at risk by mandatory diversity statements that are growing in popularity from law societies to universities to other employers. With a nod at the history of totalitarianism, she explains how these nice-sounding initiatives actually work to undermine real diversity and how they threaten the foundations of our democracies. As an example of a practical way to defeat one such initiative, she recounts how she and other attorneys suc...
Jun 16, 2020•1 hr
This gothic short story spawned a bunch of fictional viruses from Earth Abides to the Stand and the Red Plague. It concerns Prince Prospero who welds himself into his castle with 1,000 of his best mates to party and wait out the disease. On the night of a masquerade ball, as the huge ebony clock tolls midnight, an uninvited guest appears, ending the party. We also consider the first Gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto, by Wallace Walpole, as well as a quick review of Poe's life and his poem, The...
Jun 14, 2020•24 min
Boston band Ward Hayden and the Outliers, formerly Girls Guns and Glory, join us for a candid conversation about what it takes to sustain a hard-working touring band for 15 years. We talk about the band's work ethic, day jobs, staying healthy on the road, the forced intimacy of touring, the relationships that grow out of creating music together, and the experience that they hope to offer their fans. They also discuss the business of running a band: managing rock and roll gigs in Norway, learning...
Jun 12, 2020•1 hr 9 min
Under attack? Or feel like you are? These specific, practical tactics allow you to respond powerfully but with dignity, and to model good behavior so we can disarm bullies and engage in productive dialogue. Times may have gotten uglier, especially online, but good can come from conflict if we utilize the longstanding tools of effective argument, debate, and discourse. Don't let fear of difficult conversations keep you from engaging, at a time when we need cool heads and reasonable voices. Here i...
Jun 09, 2020•40 min
A survivor in 2073 looks back at a plague that killed off most of humanity in 2013. He describes to his great grandchildren what the world was like then with wireless communication, monorail transportation, over population, inequities, and how civilization collapsed under the terror of an uncontrolled pandemic. London wrote this in 1910 (!). We also take a brief look at his career and work. A literary pandemic Sunday episode. Read the story: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/21970/21970-h/21970-h....
Jun 07, 2020•24 min
Former attorney and pilot R.D. Kardon joins us to talk about her novel Flygirl in which she describes the obstacles that lie in the path of an ambitious female pilot, particularly twenty years ago when R.D. herself was rising through the ranks. We talk about gender and racial bias, and R.D.'s cat weighs in about hate. A timely episode about the career damage and personal hurt inflicted by discrimination. R.D.'s website: https://www.rdkardonauthor.com/ Where to buy the book: https://www.amazon.co...
Jun 05, 2020•42 min
Music publicist Howard Bloom joins us to talk about his new book Einstein, Michael Jackson and Me: A Search for Soul in the Power Pits of Rock and Roll, a free-wheeling romp through the music scene of the 70s and 80s. Bloom discusses his marketing strategy of delving into a musician's story to understand their drive and who they speak for. He talks PMRC's attempted censorship, John Mellencamp, Michael Jackson, long hours, and how his disciplined approach eventually made him the most successful p...
Jun 02, 2020•58 min
Science fiction readers have long been electrified by Stewart's 1949 novel Earth Abides, a post-apocalyptic story of a small community near Berkeley after most of humanity is killed by disease. Stewart was a diverse writer with a strong interest in history, name, place, and the environment, but this thoughtful novel is his most famous work and inspired Stephen King's The Stand, various musical efforts, and the video game The Last of Us. An exploration of what is civilization with some surprising...
May 31, 2020•28 min
Recent episodes about entrepreneurship have reminded me of this phase of my teenage life when I was trying to make enough money to get back to college so I took any kind of odd job I could get, from dishwashing to housecleaning to detassling corn and even some jobs that lack description. A funny personal episode about my own dirty jobs. Got a dirty job? Contact the show at: https://www.discreetguide.com/ Follow or like us on podomatic.com (it raises our visibility :) https://www.podomatic.com/po...
May 29, 2020•21 min
TV producer, Dave Barsky, talks about Dirty Jobs and its seven seasons featuring dangerous, bizarre, and, yes, even filthy, jobs. The show was fun and sensational, full of vicarious thrills, but also serious in its intention to honor men and women who do these behind-the-scenes jobs that require real skill and training. Some of that came from host/apprentice Mike Rowe who would argue that the US has lost its appreciation for skilled labor. The episodes of Dirty Jobs, from bat caves, sewage plant...
May 26, 2020•1 hr 5 min
In February 2020, Twitter erupted with the theory that Dean Koontz's novel Eyes of Darkness had foreshadowed the Covid-19 pandemic with its Wuhan 400 virus. We review some goofy conspiracy theories, as well as dissecting the plot of the novel (spoilers galore), and finish with a brief review of Koontz's career, his writing style, his many pen names, and his own witty comments on Twitter. A fun, short, escapist episode. The Twitter moment: https://twitter.com/NickHintonn/status/122889602798766080...
May 24, 2020•22 min
Journalist and author David Sax joins us to talk about his new book in which he researches what drives people to start up a business, from immigrants, to those who pursue a lifestyle business or carry on the family business. He debunks the myth of the Silicon Valley boy genius, along with other destructive corollaries, that failure is good, venture capital money is always good, and that bigger is always better. He sounds the alarm that there are fewer startups in every industry now and that mill...
May 22, 2020•1 hr 3 min
Tamara Jacobi, who started the Tailwind Jungle Lodge on the coast of Mexico with her parents 15 years ago, joins us to talk about her new book, "Wildpreneurs," and its practical advice about money, work, grit, and customers. Lots of stories, including jungle challenges with ants and litigious visitors, as well as the voice of experience about working on a family business and the dating life of an entrepreneur. An entertaining and not-to-be-missed episode (with the sound of jungle birds in the ba...
May 19, 2020•38 min
