Shaping Opinion

In this episode we hear from eight people who talked with Tim to answer the question, “Where were you on 9/11?" But the real focus of this episode is on you, your experience with 9/11.  Just as importantly, even if you were too young to remember or weren’t even born yet, this episode is all about why 9/11 still matters to this day, even if you don’t realize it.

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It’s now been 21 years since the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001. Last year’s 20th anniversary activities are now behind us, and that pivotal moment in our history has returned to its trend of fading in the nation’s memory.

One thing we’ve done since the start of the Shaping Opinion podcast was to commit to doing our part to keep the memory of 9/11 alive. To remember those who died, those who survived, and those who tried to help. To remember the lessons of such a tragic event, and to teach new generations of the events and their lessons.

Let’s start this episode with a summary and a reminder of what happened that day.

On a beautiful early fall morning, 19 terrorists from the extremist group al-Qaida implemented a plan to hijack four commercial aircraft and crash those planes into strategic targets.

Those targets were the Pentagon, another site in Washington that no one would fully confirm at the time, and the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in New York City.

The hijackers boarded planes at Logan Airport in Boston, Dulles Airport just outside of Washington, D.C., and Newark Airport in New Jersey. All four flights were scheduled to go to California.

American Airlines Flight 11, left Boston with 74 passengers and a crew of 11. This included five hijackers including the leader of the operation. The plane was destined for Los Angeles, but it was the first of two planes to hit the World Trade Center towers.

A second flight with hijackers aboard left Boston a little later. This was United Flight 175. It carried 56 passengers and nine crew members. Among those passengers were five hijackers. Not long after American Flight 11 hit the World Trade Center in New York, this flight, United 175, hit the other tower. 

At 8:20 am, a third flight with hijackers aboard left Washington’s Dulles Airport.  This was American Airlines Flight 77.  The plane had 64 people on board: a crew of six plus 58 passengers, including five terrorists. The plane flew west towards California, but then after the hijackers took control, it turned around, back towards Washington and headed for its target, the U.S. Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.

By 9:45 a.m., American Flight 77 had hit the Pentagon, killing everyone on board, and causing death and destruction on the ground.

Three planes had hit their targets, while a fourth plane was in the sky with hijackers aboard.

It’s United Airlines Flight 93 that had left Newark, New Jersey bound for San Francisco. It has 33 passengers and seven crew.

The flight had been delayed 25 minutes from taking off. This gave passengers on Flight 93 time to learn what was happening and to mount their own counter attack. They did, and they foiled the hijackers’ attempt to hit a fourth target. The common assumption now is that Flight 93 was set to hit the U.S. Capitol building. Instead, Flight 93 crashed into a field in Somerset County Pennsylvania.  This happened just before 10 a.m. that morning.

Everyone on board was killed.

Less than 10 minutes later at 10:05 a.m., the south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed, onto the street below. The collapse sent a volcanic cloud of dust and debris into the sky and down every street in the vicinity.  Then at 10:28 a.m., the north tower collapsed in just the same way.

In the end, 2,996 people were counted as killed in the terrorist attacks. This included the 19 terrorist hijackers who are on those four aircraft.

The people who died in New York, Washington, D.C.,

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Pioneering neuroscientist Karl Friston joins Tim to talk about a concept he’s developed called the free-energy principle, which may hold the key to advancing the understanding human intelligence as we know it. Karl is a theoretical neuroscientist. He’s an authority on brain imaging. His work has advanced mankind’s understanding of schizophrenia, among other things. At the moment, he’s becoming better known as the originator of the free-energy principle for human action and perception. In this episode, we’ll talk with Karl about that free-energy principle, what it is, what it means and what it can mean for the future.

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I hope you have your coffee and are sitting in a comfortable place, because this conversation is going to introduce you to some entirely new thinking from one of the world’s most unique scientific thinkers, Karl Friston.

Before we get started, you need to know a little about Karl, and you will need an explanation of some of the words we will use here.

Karl Friston is a theoretical neuroscientist. As mentioned, he is an authority on brain imaging. 

1990, he invented something called statistical parametric mapping or (SPM).  invented SPM, a computational technique that helps create brain images in a consistent shape so researchers can make consistent comparisons.

He then invented Voxel-based morphometry or (VBM). An example of this is when he studied London taxi drivers to measure the rear side of the brain’s hippocampus to watch it grow as their knowledge of the streets grew.

After that, he invented something called dynamic causal modeling (DCM) for brain imaging, to determine if people who have severe brain damage or minimally conscious or vegetative.

He is one of the most frequently cited neuroscientists in the world. 

Each one of these inventions centered on schizophrenia research and theoretical studies of value-learning – formulated as the dysconnection hypothesis of schizophrenia. To try to simplify, it’s the hypothesis that when the so-called wiring in your brain isn’t all connecting properly.

Karl currently works on models of functional integration in the human brain and the principles that underlie neuronal interactions.

His main contribution to theoretical neurobiology is a free-energy principle for action and perception (active inference).  That’s what we cover in this episode.

Karl received the first Young Investigators Award in Human Brain Mapping in 1996. He was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 1999. Since then, he has received numerous other honors and recognition for his work.
Links

The Genius Neuroscientist Who Might Hold the Key to True AI, Wired
Karl Friston, The Helix Center
Karl Friston and the Free Energy Principle, ExploringYourMind.com

About this Episode’s Guest Karl Friston
Karl Friston is a theoretical neuroscientist and authority on brain imaging. He invented statistical parametric mapping (SPM), voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and dynamic causal modelling (DCM). These contributions were motivated by schizophrenia research and theoretical studies of value-learning, formulated as the dysconnection hypothesis of schizophrenia. Mathematical contributions include variational Laplacian procedures and generalized filtering for hierarchical Bayesian model inversion. Friston currently works on models of functional integration in the human brain and the principles that underlie neuronal interactions. His main contribution to theoretical neurobiology is a free-energy principle for action and perception (active inference).

Friston received the first Young Investigators Award in Human Brain Mapping (1996) and was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (1999). In 2000 he was President of the international Organization of Human Brain Mapping. In 2003 he was awarded the Minerva Golden Brain Award and was elected a Fellow of th...

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Judith Martin, better known to millions of readers as Miss Manners, joins Tim to talk about good manners, an understanding of etiquette and civility are as important as ever. Judith is an author and a syndicated columnist. In this episode, she talks about her career at the Washington Post, about how etiquette and manners in society have evolved, and about her new book called, “Minding Miss Manners: In an Era of Fake Etiquette.” This episode was first released April 27, 2020.

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In Judith Martin’s official bio, she describes herself as being a quote – “perfect lady in an imperfect society.” She’s Miss Manners, the pioneer mother of today’s civility movement. And then with her wry sense of humor, she adds, quote, “Now, if she could only persuade people to practice civility as much as they talk about it.”

Her syndicated newspaper column under the heading of Miss Manners is distributed three times a week in more than 200 newspapers in the United States and other countries. Her column has chronicled matters of manners since 1978.

She’s written several books over the years, and she has received numerous honors for her work, among them the National Humanities Medal in recognition of her contributions to society as America’s foremost etiquette columnist and author.

In these current times, you wouldn’t be faulted if you believe that the world needs a champion for better manners now more than ever. Judith Martin is that champion.
Links

Minding Miss Manners: In an Era of Fake Etiquette, Good Reads
Miss Manners, Syndicated Columns
MissManners.com
Miss Manners Archive, Washington Post
Judith Martin Books, Amazon.com

About this Episode’s Guest Judith Martin



Photo Credit: Daniel Lake


Judith Martin, aka Miss Manners, is a columnist, bestselling author of numerous books, and manners authority. Born a perfect lady in an imperfect society, Miss Manners is the pioneer mother of today’s civility movement. She lives in Washington, D.C. and Venice, Italy.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.shapingopinion.com

Author and Electoral College expert Tara Ross joins Tim to tell the story behind the Electoral College, how it governs elections and why it is still needed. Tara’s latest book is entitled, “Why We Need the Electoral College.” This episode was first released October 12, 2020.

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It’s happened five times. Five times a candidate won the presidency even though he did not win the popular vote. He won the presidency because he won the Electoral College.

If you’re wondering why the United States doesn’t just choose a president based only on the popular vote, the answer as we know it was given in 1804.

Some in congress wanted Congress to choose the president. Others wanted a democratic popular vote. And even to this day, many Americans believe that we do elect a president based on that popular vote.

The country’s leaders arrived at a compromise which created the Electoral College.

Tara Ross is a retired attorney and the author of four books on the Electoral College. While she is one of the nation’s leading experts on the Electoral College, she continues to find that most Americans remain generally confused about why it exists and what it does.
Links

Tara Ross Website
Why We Need the Electoral College, by Tara Ross (Amazon)
Presidential Election Process, USA.gov
What is the Electoral College? National Archives

About this Episode’s Guest Tara Ross
Tara Ross is nationally recognized for her expertise on the Electoral College. She is the author of Why We Need the Electoral College (2019), The Indispensable Electoral College: How the Founders’ Plan Saves Our Country from Mob Rule (2017), We Elect A President: The Story of our Electoral College (2016), and Enlightened Democracy: The Case for the Electoral College (2d ed. 2012). She is also the author of She Fought Too: Stories of Revolutionary War Heroines (2019), and a co-author of Under God: George Washington and the Question of Church and State (2008) (with Joseph C. Smith, Jr.). Her Prager University video, Do You Understand the Electoral College?, is Prager’s most-viewed video ever, with more than 60 million views.  

Tara often appears as a guest on a variety of talk shows nationwide, and she regularly addresses civic, university, and legal audiences. She’s contributed to many law reviews and newspapers, including the National Law Journal, USA Today, the Washington Examiner, The Hill, The Washington Times, and FoxNews.com.  She’s addressed audiences at institutions such as the Cooper Union, Brown University, the Dole Institute of Politics, and Mount Vernon. She’s appeared on Fox News, CSPAN, NPR, and a variety of other national and local shows.

Tara is a retired lawyer and a former Editor-in-Chief of the Texas Review of Law & Politics. She obtained her B.A. from Rice University and her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law.  She resides in Dallas with her husband and children.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.shapingopinion.com

Sharyl Attkisson joins Tim to talk about her latest book and the current state of the news media in society.  Her book, “Slanted: How the news media taught us to love censorship and hate journalism,” centers on that dynamic called “The Narrative,” which appears to drive so much news coverage we see today. Sharyl talks of her many years as a network reporter and the way the media covers news today. This encore episode was first released December 7, 2020.

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Sharyl Attkisson has been a working journalist for more than 35 years. She’s the host and managing editor of a nonpartisan Sunday morning TV program called, “Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson.”  She’s a contributor and contributor on numerous other news programs, and she’s an author.

In addition to her most recent book called “Slanted,” she wrote another best-seller called The Smear. Both books get into detail about what goes on behind the scenes in the news media. How some stories see the light of day, while others are sure never to see the light of day.

Sharyl has covered presidents. She’s won five Emmy Awards and an Edward R. Murrow Award for Investigative Reporting. She’s worked at CBS News, PBS and CNN.
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Links

Slanted: how the news media taught us to love censorship and hate journalism, by Sharyl Attkisson (Amazon)
Sharyl Attkisson Official Site
Sharyl Attkisson on Twitter
Full Measure News
Busted! After lawsuit thread the New York Times goes into full retreat, NewsThud.com
Just the News

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.shapingopinion.com

U.S. Medal of Honor awardee Sgt. Leroy Petry joins Tim to tell his Medal of Honor story, from a life and death battle in Afghanistan to the very definition of the word, “honor.” Sgt. Petry is a retired U.S. Army Ranger who is one of the few to receive the military’s highest honor, and one of the very few medal recipients who have survived to tell their own story. This episode was first released October 20, 2020.

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In April of 1862, a group of Union Soldiers in the middle of the Civil War had an assignment. They were supposed to make it across Confederate lines to steal a Confederate train car and ride it to Union lines. Along the way, they were supposed to destroy track and depots, cutting off the Confederate supply lines and transportation.

That group of Union solders was called “Andrews Raiders.”  Twenty-five men volunteered for the mission that ended in a dramatic train chase and capture by Confederate forces.

Eight of the original 25 volunteers escaped. Three were declared missing. Another eight were hanged. Among those who were executed was leader James Andrews. Another six found their way back to the Union Army as part of a prisoner exchange a year later.

That following March, the survivors met with President Lincoln who thanked them for their service and their efforts in the daring mission, and he told them they’d be the first to receive a new honor. The Medal of Honor. And with that, he had a prototype of the medal and gave it to the youngest member of the group, Private Jacob Parott.

Jacob Parott was the first in the Army to receive what is now regarded as the highest honor any member of America’s military can receive.

The Medal of Honor is the award for valor in combat for all members of the armed forces.

Since 1862, more than 3,400 such honors have been bestowed, many if not most of them, posthumously. Not many who earn such an award, live to talk about it.

Today, the Medal of Honor is awarded sparingly to service members who as the Army says are, “the bravest of the brave; and that courage must be well documented.”

Since the medal is awarded sparingly, and so many of those who receive it die in combat, there are few recipients alive today to tell their story. Retired Sgt. Leroy Petry of the U.S. Army Rangers is one of those few warriors.
The U.S. Army Ranger Creed
Recognizing that I volunteered as a Ranger, fully knowing the hazards of my chosen profession, I will always endeavor to uphold the prestige, honor, and high esprit de corps of the Rangers.

Acknowledging the fact that a Ranger is a more elite Soldier who arrives at the cutting edge of battle by land, sea, or air, I accept the fact that as a Ranger my country expects me to move further, faster and fight harder than any other Soldier.

Never shall I fail my comrades. I will always keep myself mentally alert, physically strong and morally straight and I will shoulder more than my share of the task whatever it may be, one-hundred-percent and then some.

Gallantly will I show the world that I am a specially selected and well-trained Soldier. My courtesy to superior officers, neatness of dress and care of equipment shall set the example for others to follow.

Energetically will I meet the enemies of my country. I shall defeat them on the field of battle for I am better trained and will fight with all my might. Surrender is not a Ranger word. I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy and under no circumstances will I ever embarrass my country.

Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude required to fight on to the Ranger objective and complete the mission though I be the lone survivor.

Rangers lead the way!
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Sculptor Susan Wagner joins Tim to talk about a life as an American sculptor, some of her iconic works, and the creative process.  Listen to Susan give insights into what it is about three-dimensional art, sculpture, that taps the human imagination, and draws us to it. She’ll also talk about what it means to “dance with clay.”

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If you were to travel to the Vatican in Rome, or the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, or just about any major destination in the city of Pittsburgh, you may have seen Susan Wagner’s work.

She’s a sculptor who focuses on classic depictions of famous and not so famous people.

Art draws us to it. Whether it’s a painting or a sculpture, it catches our attention and pulls us in. Whether it’s modern, abstract or classic, depending on our tastes, and maybe just the mood we’re in at the time, a certain piece of art may stop us in our tracks and make is look, and then think.

Why is that?  That’s what we’ll be talking about today with Susan.

Since this is a podcast, and you can only experience this through your ears, you cannot see everything we’ll be discussing. We’ll do our best to describe the subjects, but you can also see for yourself by visiting our episode page at ShapingOpinion.com, or go to Susan Wagner’s website at Classic-Scultpure.com.

I first met Susan recently when I was doing research for a project that I’m helping with. But I had seen her work before. If you live in Pittsburgh and travel to any of the hottest tourism destinations in the city, you’ll see several of her works.

She was commissioned to create larger than life versions of baseball greats Roberto Clemente, Bill Mazeroski and Willie Stargell. A short walk away, her sculpture of a police officer stands watch over the city at the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.

She’s created historical figures, works depicting medical pioneers, saints, and others. But my favorite one, I have to admit, is a fictional figure of a little girl in a garden at Pittsburgh’s UPMC’s Passavant Hospital. Susan Wagner titled that piece “Hope.”
Gratitude
Our thanks to Susan Wagner for her participation, and for her photography we are using to show you her work. Also, a big thank you to the BFG Cafe in the Garfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh where we did this interview.
Links

Susan Wagner's Website - Classic-Sculpture.com
New Abraham Lincoln Statue Unveiled - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Pirates Unveil Bill Mazeroski Statue - Associated Press
History Behind the Statues at PNC Park - MLB.com
New Statue Pays Tribute to Legendary Transplant Surgeon Thomas Starzl - University of Pittsburgh website

About this Episode’s Guest Susan Wagner
Photo Credit: Susan Wagner

Susan Wagner is an accomplished sculptor and painter who specializes in figurative sculptures from a few inches tall to larger than life and Fauve style paintings which emphasize painterly qualities, the imaginative use of color and simplified lines.

Her mastery of the human anatomy and her ability to capture likeness and convey emotion through both clay and canvas is evident in her sculpture and painting portfolios and truly what makes her works outstanding and unique. Susan’s art is now displayed in public forums and private households around the world ─ from her hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to the Vatican.

Susan’s art and work ethic are heavily influenced by her roots in the Pittsburgh area. Her drive to create was evident at an early age, she remembers digging the red clay from newly bulldozed ground around her home and using it to make sculptures. Growing up in working class neighborhood, Susan learned to stay grounded, be dependable, and always meet deadlines, making her an ideal artist to work with. After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh with a double major in art and anthropology, she started her own freelance business,

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.shapingopinion.com

In this episode we hear from seven people who talked with Tim to answer the question, “Tell us about your first job?”  As he’s done before, Tim set out to get the answer to the question on the streets of his hometown, Pittsburgh.  You’ll hear from Liana, Luil, Jim, Deborah, Margaret, Rishu and Benjamin. Each person was selected randomly in “man on the street” interviews, and we had no idea what they would say. The interesting thing is how much time we spent talking of the meaning and value of work. 

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This is the third episode in a row where we’ve talked to a random set of people about a simple question on a topic we know they’ve given plenty of thought to.

The topic is that first job. Your first job. What was it like? What did it mean to you? What did you learn?

As before, I took to the streets of my hometown of Pittsburgh.  And as before, the seven voices you will hear were all selected at random. I had no idea in advance that I would be speaking to them about their first jobs. And I had no idea what they might say.

As I’m finding is the case, when you do something like this, you end up talking to more people while not recording them than when they do agree to an interview.

The seven people you will hear from today are Liana, Luil, Jim, Deborah, Margaret, Rishu and Benjamin.

As before, I started each of these conversations with one simple question. This question was, Tell me about your first job.

More often than not, when we think of teenagers and their first jobs, maybe your own first job, you think of a fast food restaurant. Maybe you delivered newspapers, or were a babysitter, or cut lawns. If you live in a city or a suburban area, these of popular first jobs.

But if you live closer to the country, there’s a good chance your first job came on a farm.

Links

20 Good First Time Jobs, Indeed

The 20 Most Common First Jobs, Monster.com

In this episode we hear from seven people who talked with Tim to answer the question, “Who is your hero?”  As he’s done before, Tim set out to get the answer to the question on the streets of his hometown, Pittsburgh.  You’ll hear from Peter, Estie, Ashley, John, Erin, Mary and Ken. Each person was selected randomly in “man on the street” interviews, and we had no idea what they would say, but all of their answers came from the heart and may surprise you.

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Today we’re going to talk about heroes.  As you’ll hear, they come in all shapes and sizes.

Before we get started, let’s talk about the word “hero” and the idea of heroes in our culture.

The modern concept goes all the way back to the 14th Century in France where the word “heroe” originated in the old French language. Its root came from Latin for “heros” and the plural was “heroes.”

The word stood for a man of super-human strength or physical courage. In ancient Greece, the Greeks used the term heros to stand for someone considered a demi-god.  To be a hero was to hold the highest place in society. To be revered. To be respected and admired. To be larger than life for exhibiting acts of great bravery.

Fast-forward to today, and our culture is a lot more liberal with its use of the word “hero.” Characters in movies based on fictional comic book characters are dubbed as heroes. The actors themselves are sometimes thought of as heroes for actions that are far less than brave. Professional athletes are often put on the same pedestal. In this episode we’re not going to talk about whether that’s right or wrong. Instead, we’re just going to ask people who are their heroes.

Last week, you really liked our episode where we set out to get answers to our question about the American Dream, so we thought we’d do it again, only this time with a different question.

As before, I started each of these conversations with one simple question. This question was, Who’s your hero?

Links

* Hero - Online Etymology Dictionary

* Richard Linklater - IMDb

* Mt. Washington Overlook - Visit Pennsylvania

 

 

 

 

In this episode we hear from seven people who talked with Tim to answer the question, “What is the American Dream?"  Tim set out to get the answer to the question on the streets of his hometown, Pittsburgh.  You’ll hear from Vidya, Dwayne, Chuck, Leah, Jack, Tamara and Charlie. Each person was selected randomly in “man on the street” interviews, and we had no idea what they would say, but all of their answers were moving, thought-provoking and inspiring. Happy Independence Day!

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For thousands of years, around the world, people weren’t trusted to govern themselves. It was assumed you needed a king, a czar or a dictator to decide what’s best for you.

But in 1776, a group of brave revolutionaries came along with a different idea. They believed that common and civilized people could run their own country. That they didn’t need a king, a monarchy or a dictatorship to run their lives. They believed in freedom, and they spelled it out in the Declaration of the Independence, and the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution. They created the greatest country in the history of the world based on the principles contained in these documents.

The thinking is that all people want to be free to decide for themselves on everything from religion and work, to how they raise their families, what they could own, how they could own it and how they can craft their own lives for themselves. But it’s more than just wanting to be free. They deserve to be free.

The founders of the United States of America said it’s not the government that should have the power to grant you your fundamental rights or take them from you. Instead, your rights come from a higher source of power, that your rights and freedoms already exist.  They believed that you are born a free person. You can only lose that freedom or certain freedoms when someone else takes them from you.

These thoughts inspired a revolution. Time and again over America’s history, it has had to struggle and sometimes fight over the very issue of freedom, and many of the freedoms we now cherish. There is always someone who wants to take some freedoms away from someone else, and so it’s a struggle for a country like ours to preserve those freedoms.

But freedom has survived and thrived, and it has made many things possible for our nation, our people and our future. In the process, our nation has changed the world and advanced all humanity.

We have a term for the thing that sets America apart from all other countries. It’s just two words. When we think of what makes America the exception in all of history…we think of the American Dream.  That is the subject of this episode.

Links

* Declaration of Independence

* Constitution of the United States of America

* Revolutionary War, History

* Independence Day, National Parks Service