The Two Tongues Podcast

S5E8 - Resentment is a Hell of a Drug

This episode revolves around "Resentment" as a human motivation. We begin with a discussion of a debate conducted by two AI's on the topic of Capitalism vs Socialism and remark on how whinny, nit-picky and generally ungrateful the Socialist bot's arguments were. From here we move into the topic of racial violence in South Africa, apartheid and the history of Rhodesia. Here we again find ourselves discussing resentment as it pertains to social unrest and human tribalism. Next we tackle grandiose ideas, which have played out in human history such as: Manifest Destiny, the Divine Right of Kings and the Right of Conquest. And, as you probably guessed, we can't discuss the Right of Conquest without a detour into the Gaza-Israel conflict and the resentment that so often comes with Imperialism and Colonialism. And finally, we wrap with a commentary on freedom of speech, whether speech can be violence (or incite it) and the special status given to the so-called N-word.

Enjoy :) 

S5E7 - I Found My ASMR

In this episode Kyle and Chris reunite after several weeks off. They discuss Chris' family vacation to the frontier lands of West Texas and his friggin' sweet cowboy hat. They then turn to their latest YouTube rabbit-holes including what Chris calls his 'ASMR,' which turns out to be time-lapse videos of landscaping and antique restoration. What's more satisfying than a good 'before-and-after' photo? A few words on seeing Kevin Nealon doing stand-up and Chris' friend's terrarium project, which is a miniature Tolkien forest complete with hobbit-hole, etc. Then we arrive in more somber territory, discussing the decline of race relations in the U.S. and the increasing violent and resentful rhetoric that seems to rampant these days. A few examples from the news courtesy of Governor Pritzker of Illinois and a lowly high school teacher, bring us home.

Enjoy ;) 

S5E6 - A Lot Going On

In this episode Kyle and Chris return to the topic of current events. We talk about Trump's tariffs and the reactionaries in the news media. Are there chinks beginning to appear in the armor of MAGA enthusiasm? Maybe, maybe not, but according to Chris, it's too soon to tell. Are we dealing with the art of the deal through the haze of strategic uncertainty or are the markets poised to take us all down? We compare the subprime mortgage market crash of the early 2000s with what's going on today. Chris is optimistic (surprise, surprise), Kyle is more leery. Not to forget pop-culture, we also discuss the Dave Smith-Douglas Murray debate on JRE and round things off with the hits and misses of Apple TV's current line-up including: Shrinking, Severance and Ted Lasso.

Enjoy ;)

S5E5 - From Pelas to Hellas - The Creation Myths of Ancient Greece

In this episode Chris brings us Opinion Scholarship on the Creation myths of ancient Greece. We begin with an exploration of so-called "Old Europe" and a cavalcade of archeological evidence of the Great Mother Goddess religion that prevailed in the Stone Age. From there we follow Author--Robert Graves--as he reconstructs from ancient sources the oldest Creation myths of Greece; following the symbolic breadcrumbs which connect Zeus and the Olympians with the Great Mother Goddess who came before them. This takes us from Homer and the Orphics to the Bible, into Zoroastrianism and Ancient Egyptian myth, then we trip over Homer, Hesiod and Apollodorus and fall squarely into the Aryan migration theory (which we navigate tactfully). And before all is said and done, we pepper in a dash of depth psychology.

Enjoy ;)

S5E4 - Kaczynski Part 2 - An Utterly Reckless Ride into the Unknown

In this episode Chris and Kyle conclude their exploration of the infamous Ted Kaczynski manifesto titled: “Industrial Society and It’s Future.” The later section covered in this episode hinges on one existential dialectic--Technology or Freedom?  We discuss Kaczynski's opinion about the nature of freedom and how it's preservation is inconsistent with the endless advancement of technology. What will it be, Modern Man? An apocalypse Terminator-style, a voluntary species-wide self-sacrifice...or perhaps something else. Can the advance of technology provide an alternative? Might our enslaver become our savior? Or, might there be a place for two versions of society to exist alongside each other? Could Brave New World have provided the blueprint? Advanced technological utopia on one side, and "primitive" reservations on the other?

Enjoy :)

S5E3 - Kaczynski Part 1 - Madman or Coal Mine Canary

How does a child math prodigy with an Ivy League pedigree turn into a domestic terrorist? What could drive such a person to sacrifice their future? For what end? What could possibly be worth it? How about saving the world?

In this episode we discuss Ted Kaczynski aka the UNABOMER. Straight to the horses mouth, we let Ted tell his side of the story, reading through his infamous 50 page manifesto titled: “Industrial Society and It’s Future.”

Was Kaczynski a madman bent on destruction or was he something more? Was his beef with a future technological utopia or was it with the ideological left? If that question surprises you, strap in! 'cause you're in for an enlightening stroll through history, propaganda and the mind of desperate, troubled, genius.

Enjoy ;) 

S5E2 - The Search for God in Ancient Egypt

In this episode Chris brings us Opinion Scholarship on the theology of ancient Egypt. This was a fascinating exploration of Egyptian religious hymns and inscriptions which speak of the Creation of the cosmos. We encounter such gods as Ptah, Amun, Atum and Re who stand firmly in the position of Supreme Being. But, how does classical Egyptian polytheism reconcile the notion of God with the gods? Through mystical enlightenment and the notion of a sole, primordial, pre-existing Monad. A divine, conscious singularity; God with a capital 'G'. Don't believe me? Hear it from the horses mouth through the myths of Heliopolis, Thebes, Hermopolis and Memphis. Hear it from the Pyramid Text, Coffin Texts and the Book of the Dead.

Enjoy ;)

S5E1 - The Art of Shooting the Shit with Boomer Bill

In this episode we risk offense in the name of having an authentic (albeit pointless), bourbon fueled conversation. You know? Like in the old days, before politics crept into every corner of our lives. To accomplish such a feat, we bring in the old guard and talk to a real life boomer. Does Bill care about political correctness? Does he self-censor? Absolutely not. Does he say inflammatory things for comedic effect? And embellish where ever it suits him? Indeed, he does. But he winds a good yarn and has a lifetime of stories to tell, so join us for some laughs and controversy 1990s-style.

Enjoy ;)

S4E46 - Religious Suicide

Kyle and Chris wrap us season 4 with a contemplative episode. We have a strange discussion about religious sacrifice, focusing on the Christian notion that you should give yourself to God. We wonder what it means to 'give ones life to God' and contemplate suicide as an act of worship. We go from Kenosis to the Buddhist monk Luang Pho Daeng who died in the act of meditation. We sprinkle in a bit of ancient Egyptian mythology and ice the cake with discussion of demon possession and Jungian archetypes. 

Enjoy ;)

S4E45 - Gandalf the Red Part 8 - What the Darkness Comprehends

In this episode Chris brings us Opinion Scholarship on Carl Jung's infamous Red Book. We review four of Jung's visions and analyze their symbolic meaning. This takes us on an adventure through a hostile desert and, with the help of embodiments of his imagination, to the stream of the living. We follow this stream encountering symbols of God from ancient Egypt and Greece until we come at last to a great dark sea. We watch as the waters of the living dissolve into the sea, becoming one with it and we long to be one with it ourselves. 

Enjoy ;)