Podcastery

Listen here: https://toe.prx.org/2014/07/recent-relevant-random/

Prepare to have the pants charmed right off yourselves!

This is a little late, but was aired for Mothers’ Day. So beautiful and funny--”all the feels” as they say. Listen while sipping a fruity tea from your most delicate tea cup. Use a saucer as well, if at all possible. And eat fresh berries, plain, with your fingers.

Please enjoy this episode with crispy potato wedges sprinkled with sea salt, black pepper, and malt vinegar, á la Baltimore harbor french fry haven, Thrashers and some sour mint lemonade: Equal parts lemon juice and warm water, dissolve as much honey as you fancy, add lots of ice and fresh mint.

The segment at the beginning of this episode, when they are interviewing Ta-Nehisi Coates, https://twitter.com/tanehisicoates , who has great things to say about the endemic problem that the Baltimore riots reflect back to us. Skewing the whole conversation toward police issues only, he says, is like starting a history of WWII with an account of D-Day. 

When I listened to the original Spanish language version of the story (with English subtitles--I’m dumb at Spanish), the complexity deepened for me. It was hard to imagine the situation for some of the women who dated the musicians and didn’t know they had chosen to give themselves HIV. One lady ended up contracting the virus that way, and had to go to jail for 3 years AND was forced to have an abortion as a means of controlling HIV in Cuba. She talked a little about the mixed feelings of pride in the frikis’ independence and charisma, but also their selfishness. It’s so interesting!

This was my favorite RadioLab I’ve ever heard. I’m actually not always a huge fan. I know it’s a sin to say that, but it’s how I feel. BUT this episode was absolutely amazing. It’s a revolution story.

I was so shocked listening to this while I was shopping that I started wandering in circles without realizing it. The main guy, Papo la Bala, sounds like such an interesting person–so defiant. I can’t help feeling like these guys were really brave, even though it’s horrible. It made me feel like I really take for granted the ability to express whatever version of culture or art I want, here in the US. Punk music is all about resistance. So maybe it’s response to “socialism or death” is kind of poetic even as it’s grotesque.

The “Friki” episode of Radio Lab about the punk scene in Cuba--it is astonishing. I implore you to listen while sipping strong ginger ale (shave raw ginger into regular ginger ale! It’s amazing! Add cayenne pepper and a little apple cider vinegar if you’re feeling bold and experimental. And fry up some plantains! It’s super easy. They’re also cheap. Just slice them slightly diagonally and fry them in coconut oil. Eat with sour cream.

Link to listen to Los Frikis