Citizens Prerogative

Citizens Prerogative

By Citizen Do GoodSociety & CultureHistory
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Citizens Prerogative episodes

  • No New Episode This Week - Feb 1 2022

    In times like these, being a citizen is a big job. Thank you for joining us to celebrate the virtues of self-rule and debate the state of our republic. Welcome to the Citizens Prerogative podcast.

     

    This is your nerdy host Michael Piscitelli and I am here to share the news that we STILL don't have a new episode for you this week. None of the behind-the-scenes, no in-front of the scenes, nor anything in-between. We PROMISE to be back soon.

     

    Instead, just this message: Please join us again next week by staying subscribed so you can receive the latest episode hot off the podcast maker.

     

    Until then, feel free to yell at us from the contact us page at citizendogood.com or on Facebook.

     

    Thank you for listening and staying subscribed.

     

    2 min
  • No New Episode This Week - Jan 25 2022

    In times like these, being a citizen is a big job. Thank you for joining us to celebrate the virtues of self-rule and debate the state of our republic. Welcome to the Citizens Prerogative podcast.

     

    This is your nerdy host Michael Piscitelli and I am here to share the news that we STILL don't have a new episode for you this week. None of the behind-the-scenes, no in-front of the scenes, nor anything in-between. We PROMISE to be back soon.

     

    Instead, just this message: Please join us again next week by staying subscribed so you can receive the latest episode hot off the podcast maker.

     

    Until then, feel free to yell at us from the contact us page at citizendogood.com or on Facebook.

     

    Thank you for listening and staying subscribed.

     

    2 min
  • No New Episode This Week - Jan 18 2022

    In times like these, being a citizen is a big job. Thank you for joining us to celebrate the virtues of self-rule and debate the state of our republic. Welcome to the Citizens Prerogative podcast.

     

    This is your nerdy host Michael Piscitelli and I am here to share the news that we don't have a new episode for you this week. None of the behind-the-scenes, no in-front of the scenes, nor anything in-between.

     

    Instead, just this message: Please join us again next week by staying subscribed so you can receive the latest episode hot off the podcast maker.

     

    Until then, feel free to yell at us from the contact us page at citizendogood.com or on Facebook.

     

    Thank you for listening and staying subscribed.

     

    2 min
  • No New Episode This Week - Jan 11 2022

    In times like these, being a citizen is a big job. Thank you for joining us to celebrate the virtues of self-rule and debate the state of our republic. Welcome to the Citizens Prerogative podcast.

     

    This is your nerdy host Michael Piscitelli and I am here to share the news that we don't have a new episode for you this week. None of the behind-the-scenes, no in-front of the scenes, nor anything in-between.

     

    Instead, just this message: Please join us again next week by staying subscribed so you can receive the latest episode hot off the podcast maker.

     

    Until then, feel free to yell at us from the contact us page at citizendogood.com or on Facebook.

     

    Thank you for listening and staying subscribed.

     

    2 min
  • No New Episode This Week - Jan 4 2022

    In times like these, being a citizen is a big job. Thank you for joining us to celebrate the virtues of self-rule and debate the state of our republic. Welcome to the Citizens Prerogative podcast.

     

    This is your nerdy host Michael Piscitelli and I am here to share the news that we don't have a new episode for you this week. None of the behind-the-scenes, no in-front of the scenes, nor anything in-between.

     

    Instead, just this message: Please join us again next week by staying subscribed so you can receive the latest episode hot off the podcast maker.

     

    Until then, feel free to yell at us from the contact us page at citizendogood.com or on Facebook.

     

    Thank you for listening and staying subscribed.

     

    2 min
  • S3 E45 Doughnut Time: Our Sustainable Responsibility
    Episode discussion topics
    • The future is barreling towards us, and for now, our way of living is highly unsustainable, so we are on the hunt for new solutions to put on the table.
  • Inspiration for this episode comes to us from Sweden, where only 1% of their trash ends up in a landfill. What are some lessons that we can learn from their example?
  • Enter microeconomic actor: ReTuna (thanks to Business Insider for covering) The world's first secondhand mall. Located next to a recycling center, the Swedish mall repurposes everything from toys to furniture and electronics.
  • As we ask ourselves what world our children deserve to inherit, we must also ask more profound questions about our consumer-driven economy. We believe the new age will have communities coming together to demand better waste management for health's sake.
  • Small business ownership presents an answer to how Americans may sustain their livelihoods and our nation. Major corporations have had ample time at the helm of capitalism, and frankly, there are no thanks due for their innovative use of more and more landfills.
  • Our age of self-rule means we can innovate and replace these dinosaurs of industry. As many have come to learn through experience, the act of scaling into a large company, one can predict the elimination of personalization and humanization for efficiency. In this area, small is more local and diverse. It also offers consumers more choices and presents us with more opportunities to attain entrepreneurship.
  • The towns and cities are much older than globalization. We believe it is entirely reasonable that the model of neighborhoods and local main streets will be the place for the future economy to thrive. With community-focused solutions such as ReTuna, we might even see a few malls come back along the way.
  • Calls to Action:
    • At the local level, we can explore recreating this model, which presents one example on the ground of circular or doughnut economics transition in action. A model where trash is turned into another person's gold, being resold in a responsible and sustainable way.
    • Start with asking your city or county representative questions about what their sustainability plans are or how they're planning to reduce carbon and methane emissions.
  • Then seek out proposals for what you think is missing and could be of benefit to your community.
  • Submit that proposal to the representative who responded to your question. 
  • Seek out local groups who are also keen on implementing new ways to solve these problems in our communities.
  • The Citizens Campaign has great resources to help people get involved in their communities in a reconstructive way. Check it out if you really want to make a difference where you live.
  • Each of us can do more to consider the end-to-end life of our purchases and put to bed the long-standing practice of allowing marketing to divorce us from the true costs of unbridled consumption.

    • Your hosts: Michael V. Piscitelli and Raymond Wong Jr.

    More info
    • We made reference to doughnut and circular economic concepts that we go into more detail here: S2 E25 | New Economics a la Doughnut.
  • We have transcripts located at the end of each podcast episode's  page on our site. Check it out, but know this: It's all AI and not us. So thank you in advance for forgiving any and all errors.
  • Please feel free to share your thoughts through our Contact Us page or like us on Facebook.
  • Disclaimer: The opinions expressed on this podcast are for listener consideration and are not necessarily those of the show or its sponsors.
    • Learn more and reach out
    • Head to Citizens Prerogative for additional information and log in or sign up to leave a comment.
  • Don't forget to join our free newsletter and get 10% off at our shop! Go the extra mile by supporting us through Patreon.
  • Please contact us with any questions or suggestions.
    • Special thanks
    • Our ongoing supporters, thank you!
  • Our sponsor CitizenDoGood.com.
  • Graphic design by SergeShop.com.
  • Intro music sampled from “Okay Class” by Ozzy Jock under creative commons license through freemusicarchive.org.
  • Other music provided royalty-free through Fesliyan Studios Inc. 
    • 30 min
  • S3 E44 As the Court Turns: The Lord‘s Court
    Episode discussion topics
    • According to the constitution, we have the right to a separation between any church and the laws of our republic. This is also intended to insulate our system of self-rule from a set of outside influences.
  • Our republic is intended to be a secular one. People should be free to practice religion, or not, without any state sponsorship of any one religion; including Protestantism, the religion of King Henry VIII, nor any other one.
  • The United States has been a historic salad of faith systems, both rich in its diversity and choices for citizens to exercise their freedom. From the U.S. Bill of Rights, Constitutional Amendment I:

    • "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

    • Take a moment to re-frame ourselves with some history, rather than this being a Christian or Judeo-Christian nation, it was Protestant to its origins. That was the Church the England that was brought over with the founders, not all of them of course.
  • Today 6 of 9 Justices identify as having Catholic roots and the other 3 are Jewish. It doesn't sound very diverse and in fact, this is a major shift away from the historically Protestant backgrounds that justices used to have. We only highlight these facts because MVP and RWJ found them interesting. This court's decisions will show how true their loyalty is to our constitution.
  • There are a number of civil liberties that are at risk given the make-up of our current courts as they are likely to perform an about-face march into the past. In reversing course, they will trample over many freedoms we enjoy today like to marry who we want or have children on our own terms. We may not be able to enjoy tomorrow, simply due to judicial reinterpretation of the constitution. Quite flippant if you ask us and will call into question, as it had happened in the past, the legitimacy of this third co-equal branch of our government.
  • This final reminder that we should be left secure in our person-hood by the state according to the U.S. Bill of Rights, Constitutional Amendment IV:

    • "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated."

    • Calls to Action:
    • Explicitly amend the constitution to remove ambiguity from women's freedoms with the Equal Rights Amendment - ERA and also everyone else's with the Equality Act. These could mitigate the court's power to alter our lives at their whim or the minority rule circles in which they exist.
  • Support congressional candidates that are open to establishing term limits on the Supreme Court, life-term appointments are too much now that we live so much longer:
    • For context average life expectancy is now closer to the 80s and back when the court was established, life expectancy was merely 38 years.
  • On top of that, we now have two of the youngest and arguably unwise appointments to the court that may serve for life, possibly 30 years or more based on average life expectancy.
  • Become more aware of your state's supreme court justices and the positions they take on specific issues and whether they align with your values.
  • Ask your U.S. Senator or House Member about unshadowing the shadow docket. We need more transparency for all federal courts, perhaps a C-SPAN for the courts?

    • Your hosts: Michael V. Piscitelli and Raymond Wong Jr.

    More info
    • We have transcripts located at the end of each podcast episode's  page on our site. Check it out, but know this: It's all AI and not us. So thank you in advance for forgiving any and all errors.
  • Please feel free to share your thoughts through our Contact Us page or like us on Facebook.
  • Disclaimer: The opinions expressed on this podcast are for listener consideration and are not necessarily those of the show or its sponsors.
    • Learn more and reach out
    • Head to Citizens Prerogative for additional information and log in or sign up to leave a comment.
  • Don't forget to join our free newsletter and get 10% off at our shop! Go the extra mile by supporting us through Patreon.
  • Please contact us with any questions or suggestions.
    • Special thanks
    • Our ongoing supporters, thank you!
  • Our sponsor CitizenDoGood.com.
  • Graphic design by SergeShop.com.
  • Intro music sampled from “Okay Class” by Ozzy Jock under creative commons license through freemusicarchive.org.
  • Other music provided royalty-free through Fesliyan Studios Inc. 
    • 31 min
  • S3 E43 Something About Stoicism
    Episode discussion topics
    • Stoicism? Really? Why you may wonder?
    • It holds valuable timeless wisdom from our ancient ancestors. Being a human is pretty much a universal struggle for all humans throughout time. Who would have thought?
  • It provides practical steps and methods for being a better, less anxious, and happier human.
  • It aims to provide tools for you to become the best version of yourself based on your own measure.
  • Practicing the methods will make you a better citizen of our republic.
  • How does self-rule translate into the economy? How do we leave behind the concrete plantation that was built by the owners of the system?
  • So what is it? A fad diet? A religion? Where did it come from? Do I need to attend a church or go to meetings?
    • According to the College of Stoic Philosophers is a complete philosophy informed by an integrated system of Logic, Physics, and Ethics.
  • The ethics part helps it feel like religion - guidance on making decisions and physics as the nexus of all things, and logic helps you in the process of considering things. It's a philosophy all about being human and more specifically about you being you and having agency in a world outside of your control.
  • During its heydays, it was a religion with ideas originating back in Greece circa Socrates. Actually, it was a lot more than what religion is today because it included other areas like cosmology, physics, psychology, and of course philosophy. We must note that much of what the Greeks taught had come from other peoples and times before them. We just don't have a lot of records today.
  • It lived on through many thousands of years from Greece to the Romans who picked it up after.
  • No church nor extraordinary socializing is required for you to study and practice this philosophy. It's practical as you are and where you are right now with whoever is normally in your life. No change, unless you seek it out.
  • The meditation, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and other mental health practices of our modern time draw from ancient stoic wisdom and you will notice more of it as you study it. But this practice is arguably beyond those in the capacity for it to affect your life in a positive way. For perspective, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is good for treating symptoms of mental health conditions (fear, anger, foreboding, self-loathing, etc.), but practicing Stoicism will help remove the disease from your life thus reducing or eliminating symptoms altogether.
  • Why is it called Stoicism? It got named from the Greek word stoa, which was a covered open area where Zeno (last name), the attributed founding father of "Stoicism", began his public lectures. Zeno was calling it something else, but the people called it based on the building, and alas we have Stoics practicing Stoicism.
  • So what's this thing all about?
    • Stoicism is a set of ancient practices born out of our ancestors' struggle with the human condition.
  • Most of all the teachings and writings have been lost to destruction, from Alexandria to the fall of Rome.
  • What we have are journals and accounts from a small number of philosophers who documented accounts of stoic thinking. They range from Greece to Rome in time and space and life experiences ranging from a former slave to an emperor and many in-between, all stoics.
  • They all struggled in ways that Stoicism helped them overcome. Our struggles are remarkably similar to theirs. This system works for our lives too.
  • There are many flavors of this thing because each of us makes it our own.
  • This is why the writings from the ancients are used as a stable foundation of reference, like a Tora, Bible, Koran, or other, for learning and growing the philosophy.
  • How might it help me better myself and my community?
    • It offers practical guidelines for you to implement in your life in your way. You do you. With practice it can become useful for anyone's situations in life, it's that's flexible.
  • It consists of concepts around how to apply a set of virtues and disciplines in making decisions about things that are under your control.
  • We learn about how they operate through understanding the wisdom we've received from the ancients, through their stories, experiences, and even their thoughts in letters and in journals.
  • A practicing stoic is always challenging themselves to be a better person to themselves and to others. The philosophy teaches that the natural and happy state for humans to be in is a cooperative one.
  • Here are some quotes from Emperor Marcus Aurelius' Meditations:
    • “The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.”
  • “Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.”
  • “Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.”
  • Some quotes from Lucius Annaeus Seneca, a Roman philosopher, statesman, orator, and tragedian, who lived during the time of Christ:
    • "Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful."
  • "As is a tale (story), so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters."
  • "Hang on to your youthful enthusiasms -- you’ll be able to use them better when you’re older."
  • "If a man knows not to which port he sails, no wind is favorable."
  • Some quotes from Epictetus, who was born as a slave to a master that allowed schooling so that when he earned his freedom, he become a philosopher:
    • "There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will."
  • "If anyone tells you that a certain person speaks ill of you, do not make excuses about what is said of you but answer, "He was ignorant of my other faults, else he would not have mentioned these alone."
  • "It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters."
  • "Any person capable of angering you becomes your master..."
  • "The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best."
  • "He who laughs at himself never runs out of things to laugh at."
  • Calls to Action:
    • Get wiser - there are a few resources you can explore on your own. This is not a complete list, just some onramps that seemed more accessible to us as we also begin our journey down this rabbit hole.
    • Stoic Coffee Break podcast and website.
  • Daily Stoic website, email, podcast, articles, and books on this and related topics.
  • An easy read and good overview on Kindle is "The Beginner's Guide to Stoicism: Tools for Emotional Resilience and Positivity" by Matthew Van Natta. It's free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers.
  • Check out these foundational documents from the ancients (translated) at Daily Stoic for 3 Must-Read Books To Get You Started. They might all be free from one e-book service or another, so look around by name.
  • Give practicing it a try! Even if at first you don't succeed, keep trying and you will succeed with time.

    • Your hosts: Michael V. Piscitelli and Raymond Wong Jr.

    More info
    • If you want to connect with others in the stoic community near you, so far the only national network we've found is The Stoic Fellowship whose mission is, "Building, Fostering, and Connecting Communities of Stoics Around the World." Otherwise, check on MeetUp.com maybe.
  • The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy is a peer-reviewed academic resource on key topics in all areas of philosophy.
  • We have transcripts located at the end of each podcast episode's  page on our site. Check it out, but know this: It's all AI and not us. So thank you in advance for forgiving any and all errors.
  • Please feel free to share your thoughts through our Contact Us page or like us on Facebook.
  • Disclaimer: The opinions expressed on this podcast are for listener consideration and are not necessarily those of the show or its sponsors.
    • Learn more and reach out
    • Head to Citizens Prerogative for additional information and log in or sign up to leave a comment.
  • Don't forget to join our free newsletter and get 10% off at our shop! Go the extra mile by supporting us through Patreon.
  • Please contact us with any questions or suggestions.
    • Special thanks
    • Our ongoing supporters, thank you!
  • Our sponsor CitizenDoGood.com.
  • Graphic design by SergeShop.com.
  • Intro music sampled from “Okay Class” by Ozzy Jock under creative commons license through freemusicarchive.org.
  • Other music provided royalty-free through Fesliyan Studios Inc. 
    • 37 min
  • No New Episode This Week - Dec 7 2021

    In times like these, being a citizen is a big job. Thank you for joining us to celebrate the virtues of self-rule and debate the state of our republic. Welcome to the Citizens Prerogative podcast.

     

    This is your nerdy host Michael Piscitelli and I am here to share the news that we don't have a new episode for you this week. None of the behind-the-scenes, no in-front of the scenes, nor anything in-between.

     

    Instead, just this message: Please join us again next week by staying subscribed so you can receive the latest episode hot off the podcast maker.

     

    Until then, feel free to yell at us from the contact us page at citizendogood.com or on Facebook.

     

    Thank you for listening and staying subscribed.

     

    2 min
  • S3 E42 Back to Blockchain
    Episode discussion topics
    • Today we nerd out and share the latest information we've been following in the growing world of blockchains and the so-called web 3.0 built upon them.
  • We review what makes up Decentralized Finance (DeFi). Essentially imagine all of the forms of finance that consumers and businesses use on a regular basis today, only with higher returns and no regulation... yet. Literally a digital wild west gold rush that's only available online.
  • What it could mean that centralized finance (NYSE in this case) is offering crypto futures starting with Bitcoin. We can imagine Ethereum (MVP promises to pronounce this correctly in the future) will be next in somewhat short order. Perhaps a more solid price floor could be established based on traditional exchange investor dollars. However, that would require some kind of faith because what we know of crypto prices is volatility.
  • What on Earth is the metaverse? Massive multiplayer online universes - think World of Warcraft, Destiny, SecondLife - with decentralized ownership and governance and possibly a lot more. Pretty much the opposite of anything that may come from the likes of Meta, a company formerly known as Facebook.
  • Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) are verifiably unique, one-of-a-kind, addresses on a blockchain. These addresses cannot be duplicated within a blockchain. The address can contain a key for many things, like digital art, contracts like property deeds, music, and other file types including programs. The blockchain can be setup to handle all the transactions for change in ownership of these unique addresses and the collection and dissemination of royalties to the creators on every re-sale.
  • Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) are an embodiment of the beloved decentralized nature of this new blockchain internet of things. These organizations are typically made up of a group of members that is determined based on ownership of crypto coins or tokens. DAOs can be formed for many reasons, some yet to be known, but so far they are mostly responsible for governing change to blockchains over time including financing and implementing upgrades. This includes voting as a community on enhancements, changes to protocols or rules, adding new features, etc.
  • Here's a Coindesk article about legislation passed in Wyoming, effective July 2021, that recognizes and provides for registering a DAO as an LLC.
  • Calls to Action:
    • The best way for many of us to learn is by doing the thing. So if you're thinking about playing with crypto, only spend money you do not need when scratching this itch. Treat it like an unregulated casino. As such, your somewhat least risky move may be to investigate reputable exchanges that service customers in your country.
    • As such, your somewhat least risky move may be to investigate reputable exchanges that service customers in your country. Most exchanges has a specific service for the United States due to increased regulatory requirements. Popular platforms include Coinbase, Kraken, Binance.us, Gemini, others.
  • However, you won't necessarily control your blockchain keys when going through an exchange. If you want to buy and hold and keep it secure, check out other hot and cold wallets for storing your own crypto keys. Here's a short article from Blockchains101.com.
  • Do your research. Some cryptos are born as scams and some become scams over time. Only you can prevent losing your money, so keep your research and your positions fresh.
  • Time will tell, but there is a real possibility that some of these cryptocurrencies will prove to be good hedges against inflation, wars, and other geopolitical happenings that impact national currencies. Web 3.0 may prove to be massively more valuable than our current version too.

    • Your hosts: Michael V. Piscitelli and Raymond Wong Jr.

    More info
    • We have transcripts located at the end of each podcast episode's  page on our site. Check it out, but know this: It's all AI and not us. So thank you in advance for forgiving any and all errors.
  • Please feel free to share your thoughts through our Contact Us page or like us on Facebook.
  • Disclaimer: The opinions expressed on this podcast are for listener consideration and are not necessarily those of the show or its sponsors.
    • Learn more and reach out
    • Head to Citizens Prerogative for additional information and log in or sign up to leave a comment.
  • Don't forget to join our free newsletter and get 10% off at our shop! Go the extra mile by supporting us through Patreon.
  • Please contact us with any questions or suggestions.
    • Special thanks
    • Our ongoing supporters, thank you!
  • Our sponsor CitizenDoGood.com.
  • Graphic design by SergeShop.com.
  • Intro music sampled from “Okay Class” by Ozzy Jock under creative commons license through freemusicarchive.org.
  • Other music provided royalty-free through Fesliyan Studios Inc. 
    • 45 min

About Citizens Prerogative

From the publisher's feed

In times like these, being a citizen of the United States is a big job. Thank you for joining us to celebrate the virtues of self-rule and debate the state of our republic. Welcome to the Citizens…