THEM'S THE RULES

One of the most controversial topics over the past few years has been immigration. The U.S immigration system is riddled with complexities, biases, blind spots, confusing criteria, and conflicts of morality. Rather than just sharing dull facts and figures, which don’t shed any light on the lived experience of what it is like to navigate this overwhelming system, we thought it best to humanize the topic. As an immigrant himself, today’s guest, Javier S., has in-depth knowledge on what it takes to immigrate to the United States. In this episode, we hear about Javier’s journey, the different times he has lived in the U.S, and the various visas he has held. Each visa comes with strict criteria, and many have limits, which Javier has experienced all too well. We also talk about hiring a lawyer to help you with your immigration process, the uncertainties that immigrants faced during the Trump era, and the intersection of immigration and identity. Tune in to hear it all!

Key Points From This Episode:

• What research into the topic of immigration revealed to Bronwen. 
• Insights into a very recent change in the “immigration rulebook.” 
• Javier’s take on the label “illegal alien” and why it is such a complicated term. 
• The story of how Javier came to the U.S. and the complexity of gaining citizenship. 
• Some of the notable immigration policies that have been implemented since the U.S independence from Britain. 
• A look at the H1B Visa Javier got when he came back to the U.S and the caveats that come with it. 
• Some of the limitations that come with the U.S student visa. 
• Facts and figures about the Immigration and Nationality Act. 
• The difference between family and work-based immigration. 
• The long wait times that are synonymous with family-based sponsorship visas. 
• Details about the O-1 visa and the criteria. 
• Why the visa process is so dehumanizing, according to Javier. 
• What the term ‘anchor baby’ means, and the U.S’s unique birthright citizenship process. 
• Although the U.S immigration system is tough, it is still easier than in a lot of other countries. 
• The uncertainties that immigrants faced during the Trump administration. 
• There are so many subjectivities in the immigration process. 
• Why Javier decided to hire a lawyer to guide him through the immigration process. 
• The crossroads Javier faced deciding to pursue his relationship or his visa. 
• Immigration also calls your identity into question. 
• It is so important to humanize the issues in the immigration system going forward.  

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Them's the Rules

Check out the Them's the Rules website!

Today, we are talking feng shui and its perplexing rulebook of metaphysical measurements, methods, and machinations. Is feng shui just a fancy Chinese system used by western hipsters to make you feel dumb? No, but you would be forgiven for thinking that. Based on western tendencies to commodify objects, practices, and philosophies from other cultures and misuse or misrepresent their purpose, we’re all pretty misinformed about what feng shui actually is. The internet, with its DIYs and clickbait, spins this ancient Chinese practice as either magic or superstition, which it is not, or a kind of interior design, which it also is not. In this episode, Bronwen dives into what feng shui actually means, how to maximize your access to beneficial chi and disperse negative chi in your home, and the basics of some of the various traditional schools of feng shui and how the western world has appropriated and bastardized elements of this ancient spiritual practice.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Feng shui, meaning ‘wind’ and ‘water’, conveys a sense of invisible, flowing energy.
• How feng shui has been used in architecture for thousands of years in China.
• Learn about good chi and bad chi using the well-known yin yang symbol.
• Some of the things that can cause negative chi in your home, including geopathic stress.
• How to maximize your access to beneficial chi and disperse negative chi using feng shui.
• The basics of some of the various schools of feng shui, starting with the compass school.
• Find out how Donald Trump, of all people, first brought feng shui to the US.
• How the western interior design world appropriated and bastardized feng shui practice.
• Why decluttering and feng shui are not synonymous.
• Modern interpretations, like “wallet feng shui” or “fashion feng shui”, that have nothing to do with the traditional practice of feng shui.
• Bronwen shares a tip: be wary of useless commercial feng shui items.
• The five natural elements that feng shui relies on; fire, earth, metal, water, and wood.
• How the bagua energy map helps you enhance favorable flows of chi in your home.
• The symbolic significance of the bedroom, office, and kitchen in your home.
• How furniture with rounded edges can help with the flow of chi in your home. 
• The importance of keeping areas of work and rest separate, being intentional about color palette, and keeping your windows uncovered.
• Feng shui rules for your kitchen, which is said to represent health, wealth, and abundance.
• How a wrongly positioned toilet can cause infertility and other feng shui rules for bathrooms.
• Why your front door and your back door should never be aligned.
• Learn about auspicious directions according to what is know as your kua number.
• How to deflect bad chi using mirrors, sound, and the presence of living things.
• Find out how feng shui consultant Kartar Diamond uses feng shui to predict crime.
• The surprising fact that feng shui has been outlawed in China since the mid-20th century.
• At its core, feng shui is simply a lens through which to reflect on yourself and your home.
• Why feng shui might be more beneficial than ever during the pandemic, when the concept of ‘home’ has faced a crisis of identity.

Links:

Feng Shui Nexus

Traditional Feng Shui Solutions by Kartar Diamond

Them’s the Rules on Twitter

Show Website 

Coming at you from the forward operating base that is her home office, Bronwen is joined today by the highly decorated Major General Allen Harrell. Now retired, he is an experienced commander, officer of intelligence, skilled infantryman, field artillerist, disposer of explosive ordinances, trained parachutist, and US Army Ranger School alum or, as Bronwen knows him best, her Uncle Allen. In the US Army, following the rules can be a matter of life and death, though some may strike the average civilian as downright arbitrary. The rules and regulations that soldiers follow are laid out in more than 100,000 Army documents that include everything from how to organize a pickup game of basketball to how to stay alive. Join us for a surface-scratching chat on a few rules of military life, including why soldiers should never walk on the grass, the origins of the buzz cut, and who the Jody is in what is known as a “Jody call,” as well as the requirement to follow orders cheerfully, why Allen ate rather than drank his coffee rations at Ranger School, and whether or not there is such a thing a silent Velcro. Tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Find out what the term “self-licking ice cream cone” means.
• An introduction to Allen Harrell and his career trajectory in the military.
• Allen explains the significance of the salute; rendering mutual respect between soldiers.
• Why soldiers shouldn’t walk while talking on a cellphone and never walk on the grass.
• Some unique punishments doled out by superior officers for small infractions.
• Hear about some of the ways that Allen has pranked rookie officers.
• The origins of the buzz cut and other military appearance regulations.
• Why the Army is so strict with uniformity in what outwardly appear to be minor details.
• How this uniformity has carried over into Allen’s daily life now that he is retired.
• Learn what a “Jody call” is and what the character of Jody represents.
• Discover the different types of bugle calls on an Army base.
• Behaving in a manner unbecoming of “an officer and a gentlemen” according to the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
• Allen explains why the soldier’s handbook necessitates following orders “cheerfully.”
• Why Allen ate his coffee rations while he was at the US Army Ranger School.
• Hear about the first time he jumped out of a helicopter.
• Rule number one in the 28 Rules of Ranging: don’t forget nothing!
• Where the element of surprise fits into MOOSEMUSS, a military acronym for the nine principles of war.
• Allen responds to some fascinating trivia, including whether or not silent Velcro exists.
• Why a chihuahua will not follow Allen’s orders.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Allen Harrell on LinkedIn

US Army Rangers

Them’s the Rules on Twitter

Check out the Them's the Rules website!

Major General (Retired) Allen Harrell is a retired member of the U.S. Army.  The contents of the podcast are based on his own personal experiences and the views expressed are not intended to reflect the official position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Army."

The “five-second rule” of food hygiene states that any food dropped on the floor is still safe to eat, provided that it is picked up within five seconds. Maybe you’re thinking that this common piece of playground wisdom is just a silly line of inquiry, but food safety is a major health burden in the United States. And this is a rule that people actually follow so, from a public health standpoint, it is important to know whether or not it holds any truth! In today’s episode, dedicated to all her fellow germaphobes out there, Bronwen looks at what the science has to say on the matter, whether the length of time, the wetness of the foodstuff dropped, and the nature of the floor surface influence the outcome, and contemplates what this rule says about our human nature. Tune in for a slightly icky but thoroughly illuminating investigation into the five-second rule and find out why you should definitely think twice before eating off the floor!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Hear the statistics about food-borne illness in the US, according the the CDC.
• Learn more about the simple or single-celled microorganisms known as bacteria.
• The difference between harmful bacteria and good bacteria, which we need to survive.
• Some fast, fun, and freaky facts about bacteria, including how much bacteria is on your desk.
• The relationship between saying “five-second rule” out loud and its effectiveness.
• The origins of the rule, which trace back to Genghis Khan in the 14th century.
• How the much-loved Julia Child perpetuated the idea that food that looks okay is okay to eat.
• What science has to say about the five-second rule, according to a University of Illinois study.
• A study by Clemson University that concluded that length of time does, in fact, matter.
• The Connecticut College finding that the five-second rule was more like the 30-second rule.
• How a Rutgers University study debunked the five-second rule, also highlighting the relevance of the structure of the floor surface.
• What influences the microbiological composition of your floors and why you should never eat off the sidewalk.
• What food psychologist, Thomas Shipley, has to say about your ability to assess food risk.
• Find out why it’s known as the five-second rule, not the seven or 15-second rule.
• Discover why beer pong is so disgusting, thanks to the authors of Did You Just Eat That?
• Why the five-second rule isn’t bound by the constraints of practicality or public interest.
• What it has to say about human desire and the reckless pursuit of something forbidden.
• Examining the five-second rule through the lens of the law of scarcity and human psychology.
• Hear which US politician would eat a chip off the floor and why floors that look clean aren’t necessarily clean.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

‘If You Drop It, Should You Eat It? Scientists Weigh In on the 5-Second Rule’

‘Residence time and food contact time effects on transfer of Salmonella Typhimurium from tile, wood and carpet: testing the five-second rule’

‘Longer Contact Times Increase Cross-Contamination of Enterobacter aerogenes from Surfaces to Food’

Did You Just Eat That?

Them’s the Rules on Twitter

As open conversations around the topic of mental health become less stigmatized, it is also important to hear therapists’ points of view. In today’s episode, Madeline, Bronwen’s close friend who happens to be a therapist-in-training, joins us to talk about ethics and therapy. We hear about how Madeline’s own experience being in a treatment facility for an eating disorder inspired her to become a therapist. We then get into some of the ethics in the space, like having dual relationships, confidentiality, and boundaries. While some of these areas, like confidentiality, have more concrete rules than others, there are still so many gray areas that can be subjectively interpreted. Madeline talks about the value of having an experienced supervisor and mentors to help you navigate these ethical conundrums. Our conversation also covers topics like boundaries, physical touch, along with guidelines on what to do if you are starting therapy. This was a great conversation that only scratched the surface of this fascinating topic, so tune in to hear it all!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Elements of Madeline’s treatment experience which led her to become a therapist herself.
• Madeline's experience giving online therapy, and the challenges, particularly with eating disorders.
• The fear that many therapists feel around the myriad of rules and ethics in the field.
• What a dual relationship is and why it is a big no-no in therapy.
• How therapists, who are in rural areas with high chances of dual relationships, can deal with this issue.
• Some of the things that therapists are not supposed to do.
• While confidentiality is central to therapy, there are some instances when it has to be broken.
• The importance of having a supervisor or mentor to navigate the ethical challenges.
• A look at the Tarasoff Case and the implications of this ruling.
• What boundaries mean in the context of therapy.
• Sometimes, the relationship with the therapist, rather than the intervention, is what sparks change.
• It is important to understand that all clients are different and have different needs.
• The rules around physical touch in therapeutic relationships and the importance of consent.
• Touch can be healing for people with trauma.
• Physical touch is also very culturally specific and related to the context.
• Pointers around what you should and should not do when you go to a therapist.
• The different levels of ethics in therapy and how they apply to clients not being able to pay.
• Differentiating between abandonment and termination.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

The Body Keeps Score

Them’s the Rules

Check out the Them's the Rules Website!

Although none of us want to think about being kidnapped, it is a more common crime than many people realize. So, what can you do if you get kidnapped? In today’s episode, Bronwen shares some top tips on how you can be as safe as possible, along with how you can return safely if you have been kidnapped. Before this, however, we hear about the different types of kidnapping and the related motivations. In certain situations, like when you are traveling, you might be more susceptible to being kidnapped, so it is important to be extra cautious in those instances. Also, if you have children, you must teach them some fundamental rules about how they can stay out of harm’s way. Unfortunately, kidnapping is not something that can just be prevented by following a set of guidelines, but arming yourself with knowledge can drastically increase your chances of staying safe should it happen to you! Tune in to hear it all.   

Key Points From This Episode:

• Hear about Reddit and how it works. 
• Kidnapping is a bigger issue than most of us probably realize; some statistics to illustrate the problem. 
• Some of the different types of kidnapping and their related motivations. 
• Child abduction: one of the most common types of kidnapping, motivations, and tips on avoiding it. 
• Different types of kidnapping that can happen when you travel abroad. 
• What kidnap for ransom is, where it’s most common, and the motivations behind it. 
• A good example of why you should never cry wolf. 
• Tiger kidnapping; the two-part crime that was popularized in Northern Ireland. 
• Insights into kidnap & ransom insurance and how it works. 
• Where express kidnapping is most common, the underlying motivations, and how to avoid it. 
• Why political and ideological kidnapping is one of the most dangerous kinds of kidnapping. 
• What virtual kidnapping, a relatively new type of kidnapping, is. 
• A look into bride kidnapping and what it entails. 
• Top tips on how to ensure you are safe when you are traveling abroad. 
• Society is quick to blame the victim, particularly if you are a woman. 
• Some tips on how to survive a kidnapping, if it ever happens to you. 
• How to practice screaming, a good tactic to scare your would-be kidnappers. 
• What parents can teach their children to make sure they understand kidnapping. 
• Other rules and pro tips that will help you if you have been kidnapped.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

reddit

Evil Genius

‘What happened to Sarah Everard?’

Them’s the Rules

Check out the Them's the Rules website!

Weather modification might sound like a superpower a fictitious character may wield, but that is far from the case. Altering the weather is very much a human activity that has been used in a variety of ways. In today’s episode, we dive into weather modification and warfare, a topic Bronwen came across through lucky happenstance and fiber optic internet. We hear about The Geneva Conventions and the specific article that stipulates conditions around weather modification. The U.S. used weather modification during the Vietnam War, and we find out more about this and the surrounding debates. The weather has been controlled for other reasons, and Bronwen shed light on some of the legislation in the U.S that outlines this act. These alterations or manipulations are incredibly contentious, and there are people with very strong opinions on both sides. Tune in to hear about what some of these are!

Key Points From This Episode:

• An overview of The Geneva Conventions.
• Honing in on Article 35 of The Geneva Conventions and the rules it’s comprised of.
• The definition of weather modification and some of the most common forms it takes.
• Protocols that protect the weather during times of warfare.
• Weather modification was used by the U.S during the Vietnam War through Operation Popeye.
• Insights into how Operation Popeye worked and how it used cloud seeding.
• Debates around Operation Popeye; what those who were for and against it said.
• A brief history of the act of enhancing precipitation starting from the 1830s.
• When it became clear that there was a need for comprehensive weather modification rules.
• Some questions related to cloud ownership.
• Details into some of the lawsuits that led to the U.S. creating modification rules.
• A look at the consequences of weather misconduct.
• Weather is not just a local phenomenon; it’s an interrelated system that affects everyone.
• Insights into Colorado's Weather Modification Program, the first of its kind in the U.S.
• China's cloud seeding experiment and the damage it caused.
• What rain theft is and examples of how and where it has happened.
• A fascinating study that looked at the role that weather plays in warfare as a force multiplier.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

'Rainmaking Is  A Weapon Used by the U.S'

James Espy

Weather Modification Association

Weather as a Force Multiplier: Owning the Weather in 2025 

Chemtrails: Aerosol and Electromagnetic Weapons in the Age of Nuclear War

Them’s the Rules



Check out the Them's the Rules website!

The majority of conversations in Western culture start with, “Hello, how are you?” which is more often than not followed by, “Fine thanks and you?” Did you know that this pleasantry we so regularly exchange is called a phatic expression? These expressions are unwritten rules in our society which make social interactions easier, maintain communication, and actually serve to uphold our social reality. Although they are seemingly innocuous strings of words, phatic expressions can become points of contention due to intergenerational changes to the rules, or variations between phatic expressions used in different countries around the world. If you (like many others) think that the French are rude, you may just not understand “bonjour culture,” interrupting is not a universally impolite action, and some people consider, “No problem,” a dismissive statement. You’ll also hear about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our interactions, and how robots are taking on more and more human qualities. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Sidewalk psychology differs from state to state, and country and country.
• Adjusting to a move away from Southern hospitality. 
• Possible factors which influence what is known as the “Seattle Freeze.”
• How Nordic communities view small talk.
• The experience of saying goodbye in the Midwest. 
• Power that lies in eye-contact, or a lack thereof. 
• What we can quickly learn from following the unwritten rule of greeting. 
• The definition of phatic expression. 
• Examples of phatic expressions which we commonly use. 
• Benefits of phatic expressions.
• How rules around phatic expressions have changed over time. 
• Making use of phatic expressions through social media. 
• What social reality is, and how it is upheld by phatic expressions.
• Types of phatic expressions that exist in other cultures.
• Ways that the COVID-19 pandemic has altered our use of phatic expressions. 
• The artifice of hiring people as greeters.
• Other unwritten rules which govern our interactions with people, and how these are being transferred to robots. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

The Bonjour Effect

Them’s the Rule on Twitter

Twiplomacy

Check out the Them's the Rules website!

Welcome to the first episode of Them’s the Rules, a show that reasons you have to know the rules in order to break them. In this episode, Bronwen sheds light on Oregon’s very specific gas pumping laws. As one of only two states in the country that does not allow people to pump their own gas, Oregonians are in a very unique position. We hear about some of the reasons behind the law and find out the reaction when these laws have been altered. Bronwen also talks about twiplomacy, explaining what the concept is and how it affects all of us, even if we are not Twitter users. We find out about some of the rules around world leaders using Twitter and some proposed amendments that are in the pipeline. Tune in to hear this and more!.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Details into Oregon’s gas-pumping rule and the reasoning behind it. 
• Seventeen reasons the state of Oregon has cited as to why Oregonians shouldn’t pump their own gas. 
• What the legal ramifications for pumping your own gas in Oregon are. 
• The reactions to the law that allowed those in rural Oregon to pump their own gas. 
• An unspoken rule about tipping Oregon fuel pump attendants. 
• The review Twitter is currently undertaking regarding world leaders using the platform. 
• Debates around political leaders on social media and different thinking on the topic. 
• Twiplomacy: what it is, what the drivers are, and where it’s headed. 
• When the current Twitter rules for world leaders were implemented and what does and doesn’t violate them. 
• If you have an opinion about world leaders on Twitter, share it! 
• Why banning Donald Trump was not a violation of the First Amendment. 
• What the new rule will aim to do and how it will be enforced. 
• The criteria laid out around whether a tweet is of public interest. 
• When the survey on Twitter was available.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Them’s the Rule on Twitter

Twiplomacy



Click here for the Them's the Rules website!