To understand the Muslim religion, we must understand its origins and history, so begin with the Prophet Muhammad's life and story from a historian's perspective. We watch the Muslim Caliphs guide their people into the foundations of a nation of Caliphates. After we have already gained a basic understanding of who Allah is within the Islamic faith, we begin to understand how the Five Pillars came to be by examining the Prophet Muhammad and his family. Finally, we close out this weeks' episode with understanding of the need to educate oneself on other religions and cultures, thus why we study and speak about them. We use this as a framing guide into next weeks' episode, Buddhism.  Corrections: White (enforced) oppression, a critical word left out, white people aren't oppressed. Sources: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Islam/Doctrines-of-the-Qur-an#ref69141, https://www.ancient.eu/Rashidun_Caliphate/, https://www.britannica.com/place/Caliphate/The-Abbasid-caliphate

This week we discuss both Cuban Revolutions and their American involvement. Dating back to the turn of the 20th century's "Splendid Little War" known for freeing of the Spanish but not the Americans, Teddy Roosevelt and his rough riders leading the charge at San Juan Hill. Though also leaving Cuba betrayed by their sisterly neighbor and without their independence, which in turn leaves a open door for Batista and his repressive military regime beginning in 1933, and then Castro and Communism in 1959. We discuss the relationship between the two nations and the scars left upon the little island by Americans. Sources: Degrees of Freedom: Louisiana and Cuba After Slavery by Rebecca J. Scott, Inside the Cuban Revolution: Fidel Castro and the Urban Underground by Julia E, Sweig, Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations between Washington and Havana by William M. LeoGrande and Peter Kornbluh.

In our final week of season 1 we discuss DnD. The tenants of such including how-to's, explanations of why you should play, and guidance tips and tricks from a real Dungeon Master. Thanks to our guest Dennis, who answers overall questions about the game and discusses how you can begin playing and DMing. We also examie the history and cultural impact of the game in today's zeitgeist. Thank you all for listening and I hope you are thinking about all for the exciting topics we discussed this season. See you soon. Sources and Recommendations: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Dungeons-and-Dragons

Critical Role: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpXBGqwsBkpvcYjsJBQ7LEQ and https://open.spotify.com/show/7e8zPFBpW0DtgyrrPnt0xT?si=Tjac5IaWTbqeA5gQc7zw2w

Dimension 20: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC8zWIx8aBQme-x1nX9iZ0A

Matthew Colville DMing Guide: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkVdb9Yr8fc05_VbAVfskCA

Nearing our final episode of season one, we move from a discussion of writing to the specific genres of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Please enjoy this rainy day podcast as we drift into the other realm of the magical and impossible. Don't worry, Afrofuturism comes next season.  We focus on the genres as sources for reflection and dismantlement of our own world and our history as well as a place of escape and exploration. With a look into the historical contexts and interweaving of both genres and how they change over time. Sources: Wikipedia, Lost World: Tales of the 20th and 19th centuries and https://www.britannica.com/art/science-fiction

This week we are thinking about writing and storytelling, its processes and why we do it, as well as how we do it. Including poems by Johannes Wolfgang von Goethe and Seamus Heaney, we use them as guides for poetic and narrative crafts, as we talk about how to build a poem or story from the ground up. It ties alongside with narrative and poetic concepts such as character, active versus passive, their archetypes and metaphor versus simile. We will also discuss some history of storytelling and the importance of the written word. Corrections: Omnipotent 3rd person narration is also known as 3rd person limited narration, and a note for character, a active character need to work at it to be successful, even the most proficient characters need to fail. References: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqC7IVKQPbg&list=PL1TLSKocOLTvdl54a6wgNdB8oSm-eZ7h6, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrGenUdbeP4&list=PLe23MH-NIaVV_zsRMzoluwJRwh2fQXU6L

Welcome back!! Hello to all new listeners, happy to have you here, this week we are thinking about media criticism and what it means. We discuss its structures used to help examine film and TV, like mise-en-scene and cinematography. As well as discuss some of my favorite pieces of media and what makes a great piece of media, and why you should be thinking about it. 

This week we discuss South East Asian History, through traditional historical lenses, examining their own history, culture, people and empires. As well as examinations of that location through lenses of Imperialism and Colonialism. From there, we close out this mini-series with some big questions about history and historiography, in order to understand the period of Imperialism and the study of history in general. Sources: Extra Credits History: Kingdom of Majapahit, https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/decolonization-east-asia-and-pacific, https://www.ranker.com/list/notable-and-famous-history-and-historians-quotes/reference

In this episode we are considering the contexts of modern Chinese history through the lenses of its' ancient history, noting the importance of both. We are thinking about Chinese culture, invention and religion, in world scopes, and zooming in to its' specifics, such as Chinese philosophy, the Chinese Civil War and modern Chinese history. Sources: https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Chinese_Civil_War. 

https://www.britannica.com/place/China/Attacks-on-party-members

This week we are looking at the disastrous history of Imperialism and Colonialism, thinking about its causes and its legacy. How it damaged human history and a few of the continents its touched and exploited including; Africa and America.  Also we will be discussion historical theories, concerns and effects of decolonization and war during the Cold War period and in the modern era.  Edit/Corrections: Viking Invasion to England 1066, Sources: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Western-colonialism