Truth Island

I am joined with Daniel as he talks about his spiritual journey attending Catholic school, getting confirmed, and how he lost and then rediscovered his spirituality in the form of eastern philosophy. I then share my own personal story of growing up Reformed Jewish, attending Hebrew school, and rekindling with my own spirituality.

Some of the topics we explore are open minded religious instructions versus strict interpretation, existential religious moments, social pressure to conform, and what happens when two religions contradict one another.

This episode is the first part of a larger series in which I am joined by Roman Empire expert Brett Davidoff, as we discuss some of the parallels of ancient Rome to the United States and other historical instances of democratic decay.

In this first part we talk about the functionality of the Roman Republic and what forces lead to it's ultimate demise....

***Historical Correction***

Although the Marian reforms did in fact result in more power being laid in the hands of the commanding generals of Rome instead of the state, the mechanism through which this occurred is different from what was originally stated. The original statement that the Marian reforms resulted in the soldiers being paid directly from the generals, remains only a partial truth. The real reform was that prior to Marius, soldiers provided their own armor, horses, and lodgings allowing only middle and upper class Romans the opportunity to become soldiers. The reforms made it so the state paid for all equipment and made the job of solider a fulltime obligation. Before the reforms, the Roman army was made up of middle to upper class roman citizens who served until a given conflict ended, and then returned to civilian life. The formation of a professional army comprised mostly of the Roman poor, who served very long campaigns and survived entirely on the paychecks they received for serving (which were paid out by their generals). In addition, after Marius, soldiers received pay in the form of land grants after fulfilling the terms of their service.

I am joined once again with Gabby as she helps me examine an instance in my life where I thought I was helping someone in need...but things didn't go exactly how I imagined....

Topics include Karma: afterlife versus present, basic manners, and what exactly constitutes a good person?

I am joined once again with Kenny, as we discuss why it is, that many of our popular films and television series seem to glorify evil. Topics include, good versus evil morality, the grey area in films, biological inclinations towards evil, and the impact newer films might be having on younger audiences.

Joining me on the program is Lauren Andreu, who helps me navigate the difficult terrain of class and identity, regarding where the focus should be in order to eradicate poverty and other various forms of injustice. Some of the topics that we explore are Affirmative Action, Hiring Discrimination, Inadequately funded public institutions, class versus group policy measures, and unfair incarceration practices.

A short story about how some of the best gifts in life aren't always material.

I'm joined once again with Claire, as she helps walk me through the steps that our fictional disenchanted office worker should take in order to rebuild their self-esteem, rally people to their cause, and find purpose in the work they perform.

I am joined once again with Alexander as we discuss whether humanity has lost touch with nature. We talk about whether our relationship with nature is an adversarial one, nature as a vehicle of strengthening spirituality, our technological alienation to the great outdoors, and possible solutions.

I'm joined by Sam Belz, who helps me better understand how I can better regulate my emotions and think more critically. Some of the topics we examine are; what we feel on the inside versus how we behave in the moment, truth with love, the appropriateness of acting with rage, standing up for one's self, and much more.

I'm joined by Gabby Ianniello, as we discuss some of the reasons that most people have stopped reading, particularly books. We discuss the impact that technology, social media, and quick theatrical releases have had on our attention span and ability to think critically.