The Devil's Advocate Podcast with Nick Stach

This week, the discussion turns to the dark side of the internet: incels. What are they? What are they doing? What does it all mean?

Ken's book report: The Irishman (2019)

Nick's book report: PBS Eons on YouTube

Life in Japan: Duty and harmony in the workplace (Nick); Gender disparity of treatment in the workplace (Ken)

Links:

- Japanese women step up against discrimination with #KuToo, a campaign against high-heels in the workplace | The Independent

- Japan 'glasses ban' for women at work sparks backlash | BBC

- Incel | Wikipedia

- Our incel problem by Zack Beauchamp | Vox

- Life expectancy in the US keeps going down, and a new study says America's worsening inequality could be to blame by Aylin Woodward | Business Insider

- After another K-pop death, spotlight turns to difficulties faced by industry's 'perfect' stars by Jake Kwon | CNN

Deinstitutionalisation | Wikipedia

Inside the Dutch 'dementia village' that offers beer, bingo, and top-notch healthcare by Chris Weller | Business Insider

Nick and Ken give religion our good, bad, and ugly treatment.

Topics:

- Our new mission statement: "To entertain and intellectually discuss various issues with the idea of enlightening and making people more aware of stuff."

- Life in Japan

- Nick: increased ethnic diversity in sports in Japan

- Ken: the importance of conscientiousness in Japan

- Book report: Books by Amy Morin

- Erratum: Randomness vs. Chaos

- Religion: the good, the bad, and the ugly

Links:

Televangelists: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

This week, Nick and Ken discuss happiness and how to get more of it in your life.

Topics:

- Internet cafés in Tokyo—the good, the bad, and the ugly

- Casual porn consumption and tolerance of tattoos in Japan

- Hacking joy: happiness as a commodity

- Experiences over things

- Change your surroundings (e.g., travel, more color)

- Having children (or pets) to improve overall happiness

- Get involved in the community

Links:

Food stalls (yatai) in Fukuoka

Becoming Wise | TED Radio Hour

Norway - Is It The Perfect Economy? | Economics Explained

9 Lessons From the World's Blue Zones on Living a Long, Healthy Life

Follow-up episode of our discussion about drugs and legalization schemes that have been tried elsewhere, including Portugal and Colorado.

Topics:

- Persistence hunting of young children (a short discussion of Nick's return to running, and the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall)

- The benefits and scalability of drug legalization

Links:

- Born to Run by Christopher McDougall

- Adolf Hitler showing symptoms of amphetamine use at Olympics

- Here’s What a Legal Market for Cocaine Could Look Like by Troy Farah

- Legal Status of Cocaine | Wikipedia

- An Economic and Moral Case for Legalizing Cocaine and Heroin by Jeffrey Miron

- Portugal’s radical drugs policy is working. Why hasn’t the world copied it? by Susana Ferreira

This week, Nick and Ken talk about drugs and the value of different approaches to control drugs on a national level.

"A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing." —Oscar Wilde

Topics:

- Where should we draw the line on drug legalization? Just marijuana, or is cocaine and methamphetamine OK, too?

- The consequences of prohibition vs. regulation of drugs

- Alcoholism as an allergy, according to Alcoholics Anonymous