Consider this an echo of sorts for the current episode of Dan Carlin's Common Sense podcast . Frustrated with the feeling that complaining is all we seem to be capable of contributing to the political process, as it is now, Carlin has made a call to action. I share his frustration. So-called evangelical Christian pastors calling for the internment or extermination of all non-heterosexuals? Proudly "radical" atheists suggesting that all faithful Christians are, in fact, mentally ill and may need ...
Jun 16, 2012•58 min
As a storyteller, I did something I prefer to avoid in Inappropriate Conversations #79 by not finishing a story. That was partly about running short of time. Mainly, though, it was because the story took an abrupt turn as I realized something that stopped me in my tracks. I've heard this called "epiphany" in literary criticism, where the short stories of James Joyce provide excellent examples. It also happens in real life. I'm often amazed at how even a small and simple piece of information can ...
May 23, 2012•49 min
Everything a child learns comes from information that is beyond their understanding. It's true for their first words, even from what we call "baby talk." It's certainly true for concepts related to diplomacy, economics, and music theory. I never talked down to my kids. Maybe that was good, effective parenting, and maybe it presented problems for everyone else in the family. Hard to say. It did raise questions, though, and anything that leads children to ask clarifying questions is probably great...
May 17, 2012•56 min
I was not a man when I first encountered "men's magazines" and I obtained beer and alcohol long before the legal drinking age, now or then. Were these mistakes, or just typical parts of growing up? The answers have a lot to do with age and perspective. As a parent, I have worked to provide a different experience for my children. On the other hand, it's possible that a childhood without any "mistakes" is the biggest mistake of all. Different Drummer: The Residents
May 08, 2012•1 hr
A complete system of commerce must include a final destination point for "clearance" that serves both the needs of industry and the bottom-feeder (plecostomus). I do not use that term as an insult because it describes me quite well as a loyal customer of used record stores and bookstores. Some of my most beloved rock bands and musicians were first discovered in the dollar bins or cutout racks. It is good that others' cast-offs have found a happy home. Without such a method of filtering out the u...
Apr 19, 2012•1 hr
The concept "heart" describes the deepest, most personally "real" part of ourselves. A great many people have never revealed this Self to anyone, not even a spouse or other family member. At the same time, any hope another person has for truly knowing you depends entirely on getting to "the heart of the matter" within that relationship. This is one of the great truths that Jesus came to share, and it rests at the core of what Christians mean by "having a relationship" with God. Different Drummer...
Apr 07, 2012•38 min
Ritual can be a part of authentic worship, but if that's all there is then it is almost certainly false. My faith has consistently affirmed the conviction that God is "present" within worship, not as a judgmental taskmaster but as a loving, creative force. Genuine worship changes over time, even from week to week. Rather than being regimented, if it is truly God-focused then it will reflect the Lord's mysterious ways. Anything less than a journey into this heart of wonder may be "religious" but ...
Apr 02, 2012•50 min
People choosing to take ownership of their reproduction and sexuality is not a problem society needs to solve. From the political rhetoric leading up to the 2012 presidential election in the United States, you might think "birth control" is the only topic Americans are debating. While addressing the issue without the use of profanity, I am speaking frankly and aggressively. Even the scripture I cite includes two killings (fatal smiting is the appropriate description) and sexual misconduct. Also,...
Mar 27, 2012•1 hr 2 min
I have spoken about World Storytelling Day before, years ago. This year will be very different, though. With the theme of "Trees" I'm releasing this podcast virtually unedited. I've added the theme and Different Drummer music, and that's pretty much it. If you'll pardon the slight pun, the recording of this story will have to stand on its own. Different Drummer: Imani Coppola Imani Coppola performing "I'm A Tree"
Mar 22, 2012•54 min
Many people are beginning to believe that Christianity and the electoral process are incompatible because the obvious examples from the religious right fall into fundamentalism and fail to be true to either religion or politics. For guidelines as simple and Biblical as "love your enemies" and "the kingdom of God is not of this earth," you would think that the politicians who most aggressively identify themselves as Christians must have sold their souls for votes. Worse, I wonder how much of the ...
Mar 03, 2012•48 min
Happy Valentines Day! A couple of friends help me share an epic and ancient love poem. Different Drummer: Sophie B. Hawkins Starbase 66 podcast The Greatest Events In Sporting History
Feb 11, 2012•50 min
"It's far better to say something that should not be said, than not to say something that should be said." Twenty-five years ago on February 7th at 1:37 a.m., I heard this answer to a desperate prayer. After glancing around the room to see who else had heard this, I challenged the response I'd received in a truly conversational exchange. Again, I got a direct, accurate, and life-changing answer. It was as if I drew a line in the proverbial sand, and God crossed it. I believe in answered prayer b...
Feb 05, 2012•53 min
Maybe the reason I believe the Holy Spirit has guided me, perhaps even forcefully, is that I don't have a better explanation for specific experiences that defy any other reasoning. Or maybe it's simply because it is true. Either way, for more than three decades now I have earned the title: most likely to be found on a mountaintop in Guadalajara writing the world's most profound three-word sentence. So to speak. Different Drummer: Aaron Altman Bullying in Rhode Island...
Jan 29, 2012•58 min
There is no great credit to remaining "above" the myopia of liberal v. conservative politics, if you aren't willing to stand. Too often, a so-called moderate position is simply a way of avoiding issues and not engaging. The "radical" side is pushing for change, whether it be a moderating influence on those firmly entrenched in right- or left-wing politics, or trying to lead the rest to think more critically about what each side has to say. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave us one of the best challeng...
Jan 16, 2012•1 hr
Sports commentary tends to be full of cliche. "If you're not cheating, you're not trying" is one. Another you hear often from youth coaches: "It's not about whether you win or lose, but how you play the game." Well, the positive values so often touted about sports rely on the assumption of fair play, but sporting play is too often the exception. This is true of players and fans, but evidence strongly suggests that it is equally a problem for coaches, administrators, and the media as well. Differ...
Dec 28, 2011•1 hr 4 min
As it sounds, here is an audio commentary for the classic 1964 animated Christmas special, "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer." The show is essential holiday viewing, along with a handful of other Rankin/Bass classics. Different Drummer: Jim Skafish Skafish 2006 NPR Interview
Dec 10, 2011•1 hr 7 min
Poems don't have to rhyme all the time. Formalism, whether a metrical scheme or just assonance and alliteration, can inspire creativity through adherence to the form itself. On the other hand, the most profound poetry I've ever heard or read came from more freedom to the verse. Different Drummer: Jim Carroll
Dec 03, 2011•1 hr 1 min
While recording on National Adoption Day this year, I referred back to a question I've raised in the past: whether a woman who carries an unwanted pregnancy to term and gives the child for adoption is performing a saintly act? "Heroic" is, perhaps, a better term. Different Drummer: Thomas of Aquino National Adoption Day
Nov 22, 2011•54 min
"It is time to put the protest back into Protestantism" (Diana Butler Bass). I don't have an advocacy position on the "Occupy" movements, but I believe there are plenty of things happening in our society and economy that are worth protesting. It's wrong to describe those who are loudly calling for reform "un-" ... if anything, they are taking typically Christian steps and a genuinely American approach. See the Protestant Reformation or the American Revolution for parallels. Different Drummer: Ja...
Nov 06, 2011•56 min
Most pro-life apologists have an issue with Judith Jarvis Thomson's position in "A Defense Of Abortion." Of course! They have come to opposite conclusions about one of the most divisive issues of our time. My quarrel with a number of those apologists has nothing to do with abortion rights or the lives of unborn children. No, my problem is with dishonesty, made worse since it comes from people who purport to stand up for "truth." Different Drummer: Os Guinness
Oct 26, 2011•1 hr 2 min
I can recall times in my life when I would have said that breast reduction surgery is always a bad thing. I wish I could say that I was "just a teenager" back then, which would make the thought both prurient and obvious. No, that point of view survived more than 10 years after high school. In fact, it only matured in very recent years. Different Drummer: Elisabeth Shue
Oct 10, 2011•49 min
Time to respond to feedback, formally, for the second time. The P's and Q's are your points and questions: excellent ideas for me to consider ... hopefully with adequate answers. Thanks! Different Drummer: Teri Garr Do Ask Do Tell - "Religion"
Sep 30, 2011•1 hr 1 min
Most emphasis on "the good old days" is about comparing the current state of society to a time when moral values were stronger and centered on the traditional family structure. The problem is that those longing looks to the past are full of self-deception. Even The Puritans, who are often held up as an extreme example, were not what society has said they were. Premarital pregnancy, open discussions in church meetings about sexual behavior, and even second-trimester abortion were not at all out o...
Sep 21, 2011•52 min
I shared my perspective about "9/11" on September 12, 2004, before a church congregation. I wanted to make note of three particular ideas because I could already see them fading from popular thought. Immediately following the terrorist attacks in 2001, it was easy to infer a consensus around these notions: evil exists, people are intrinsically valuable, and truth is not relative. Now, 7 years after that speech and 10 years after the attacks, it's clear that I was right to worry. We don't remembe...
Sep 05, 2011•54 min
Our goal as parents cannot be making the world safe for kids. That is irresponsible because it cannot be accomplished and won't serve them well as adults. Instead, the goal must be to keep our kids safe from the world until they have been prepared to face its challenges on their own. For many of my conservative friends, this sounds like a dangerous and radical concept. It's also true. Different Drummer: Jim Henson
Aug 30, 2011•51 min
One major generational shift from when I was growing up until now: the role of imagination in childhood. When I was young, toys didn't often come with a story. You made up the story using toys or even household objects. Now, effort is required to provide similar opportunities for our young, future storytellers. Has an entire generation of "imaginary friends" been left, abandoned and alone? Different Drummer: Jerrold Freedman Springfield (left) and Frank (right)
Aug 24, 2011•53 min
While I'm playing music on my MP3 player, it is almost always set to shuffle. I believe in variety and unexpected combinations, and radio stations have not provided that at any time in my memory. When you hear "your station for variety" or other taglines, it never refers to a combination of rock, country, jazz, classical, spoken word, and other genre. Why not? A format with that challenging combination might never lead the market, but a program like that might prove to be the second choice for a...
Aug 03, 2011•57 min
Easily the best argument against television is that it's not very good. I believe that I would only watch a couple of programs a week if it weren't for sports and the power of recording. DVR makes it possible to screen what I see. A better tool would let me replace the current TV offerings with the older programs they are referencing. Surely, all these imitators of "I Love Lucy" have some explaining to do! Different Drummer: Jay Bulworth
Jul 26, 2011•48 min
The way we use products as customers is a significant, and less acknowledged, pressure on the environment. Even merchandise that we expect to last for years has become much more disposable. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to backtrack from society's investment in lower prices, with lower quality. We need to be wary, though, of what else we're tossing out when we dispose of old and worn things. Different Drummer: Jerry Mander
Jul 20, 2011•49 min
At some point, the idea of capital punishment stopped being about protecting society through the dispensation of justice, and it started being about settling the score for crimes that offend a lot of people. The word "heinous" could almost be defined as "justification for revenge." If you take vengeance away from the death penalty, we would certainly seek such a sentence far less often. Different Drummer: Neil Peart
Jul 14, 2011•1 hr
