The Worst of All Possible Worlds

Last week, Josh got on a call with Harm Venhuizen, outgoing editor-in-chief of Calvin University's student newspaper Chimes to discuss the recent policy choices made by the school and their consequences. Links to Harm’s articles: “Calvin’s Policies Against Same Sex Marriage a Motivator in Split with Center for Social Research, Sources Say”https://calvinchimes.org/2022/03/14/calvins-policies-against-same-sex-marriage-a-motivator-in-split-with-center-for-social-research-sources-say/ "‘I’m not going to be ashamed’: Queer CSR employee quits to speak freely about split from Calvin” https://calvinchimes.org/2022/03/21/im-not-going-to-be-ashamed-queer-csr-employee-quits-to-speak-freely-about-split-from-calvin/ “‘Walking a tightrope’: Calvin’s complicated stance on LGBTQ+ issues has caused problems for decades” https://calvinchimes.org/2022/04/10/walking-a-tightrope-calvins-complicated-stance-on-lgbtq-issues-has-caused-problems-for-decades/ “Calvin denies reappointment for professor who officiated same-sex marriage” https://calvinchimes.org/2022/04/21/calvin-denies-reappointment-for-professor-who-officiated-same-sex-marriage/ TWOAPW Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll Theme by Brendan Dalton www.brendan-dalton.com https://brendandalton.bandcamp.com 

THIS IS A PREVIEW. Check out the full episode at patreon.com/worstofall The lads follow a trail of corruption and intrigue as they return to Odyssey to dig up a scoop on the greatest calamity facing the youth of today: the ethics of middle-school journalism. Topics include the true meaning of free speech, the importance of school newspaper competitions, and the right-wing radicalization of Lucy Cunningham-Schultz. Plus, an interview with Harm Venhuizen (@HarmVenhuizen), the outgoing editor-in-chief of the Calvin University student paper Chimes (@CalvinChimes), to talk ethics in collegiate journalism and beyond. Episodes covered: #143 - Muckraker #185 - A Question of Loyalty #233 - Thy Will Be Done Links to Harm’s articles: “Calvin’s Policies Against Same Sex Marriage a Motivator in Split with Center for Social Research, Sources Say”https://calvinchimes.org/2022/03/14/calvins-policies-against-same-sex-marriage-a-motivator-in-split-with-center-for-social-research-sources-say/“ ‘I’m not going to be ashamed’: Queer CSR employee quits to speak freely about split from Calvin” https://calvinchimes.org/2022/03/21/im-not-going-to-be-ashamed-queer-csr-employee-quits-to-speak-freely-about-split-from-calvin/ “‘Walking a tightrope’: Calvin’s complicated stance on LGBTQ+ issues has caused problems for decades” https://calvinchimes.org/2022/04/10/walking-a-tightrope-calvins-complicated-stance-on-lgbtq-issues-has-caused-problems-for-decades/ “Calvin denies reappointment for professor who officiated same-sex marriage” https://calvinchimes.org/2022/04/21/calvin-denies-reappointment-for-professor-who-officiated-same-sex-marriage/ TWOAPW Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll Theme by Brendan Dalton www.brendan-dalton.com https://brendandalton.bandcamp.com

You’ve probably seen a lot of clips recently of the ongoing culture war coming to a flashpoint in school board meetings across the country. To learn how the reactionary right is using these conflicts to push for increased school privatization, Josh (@boshj) sat down with Wendy Lecker and Nicole Ciullo from the Education Law Center, a Newark-based organization that defends public schools and advocates in the courts for educational equity. This forty-minute interview covers topics such as the broader context for the current curriculum battle, the history of the mechanics of school funding and segregation, and how key players including former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos continue to push for laws that would further privatize education in the United States. Plus, at the end, enjoy a teaser for a Patreon-only episode, available now, where we recap a truly unhinged “documentary” that propagandizes for all aspects of the conservative educational project. Links and additional resources: THE EDUCATION LAW CENTER advocates for school funding equity in the state of New Jersey through research and litigation. They also provide resources and assistance to lawyers advocating for public schools across the country. Check out their publications and case history: https://edlawcenter.org PUBLIC FUNDS PUBLIC SCHOOLS is a project of the Education Law Center that follows public school privatization efforts. There’s a bill tracker for tuition voucher efforts at the state level, as well as news, webinars, and research papers. Check out their website, and consider making a donation: https://pfps.org TWOAPW on Patreon: Get access to our recap of Whose Children Are They? along with other premium podcast episodes and subscriber exclusives for $5/month! https://www.patreon.com/worstofall

The lads throw on their bad hair pieces and fine Italian suits as they, along with special guest Michael Kupperman (@Mkupperman), gaze into the gaping maw of the much-maligned Bob Hoskins and Denzel Washington buddy-cop/ghost/crime-thriller/“comedy”: Heart Condition. Topics include mid-budget 90s studio movies, Denzel Washington’s comedy chops, and the rot at the diseased heart of the supposed end of history. Michael Kupperman’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/MichaelKupperman TWOAPW Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll Theme by Brendan Dalton www.brendan-dalton.com https://brendandalton.bandcamp.com

This is a PREVIEW. To listen to the full episode, go to https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll It’s D.A.R.E.’s worst nightmare as the lads, along with renowned cannabis lawyer Stefan Borst-Censullo (@Stefan_BC), reach new highs and tackle the devil’s weed in the 1936 propaganda film Reefer Madness. Topics include the racist history of narcotics crackdowns, the current state of marijuana law in the United States, and the circular madness of the war on drugs.   TWOAPW Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll   Theme by Brendan Dalton www.brendan-dalton.com https://brendandalton.bandcamp.com

The lads and special guest Lev Novak (@LevNovak) do battle with the Imagination Station as Adventures in Odyssey tackles its two toughest topics yet: death and also those three guys that visited Jesus that one time. Topics include the gifts of the magi, the preposterousness of hell, and the seemingly unkillable deity known as John Avery Whittaker. Episodes Discussed: 176,177 - The Star, parts 1&2 211,212 - The Mortal Coil, parts 1&2 TWOAPW Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll Theme by Brendan Dalton www.brendan-dalton.com https://brendandalton.bandcamp.com

THIS IS A PREVIEW. Check out the full thing at patreon.com/worstofall My name is Alan Wake. I’m a writer. Three podcasters and their friend, Jack Horton Gilbert, played through my story and talked about it for three hours. What followed was wild and dark and weird, even by my standards. Stephen King once said, “My wife and kids won’t touch a pizza with anchovies on it. But I like anchovies.“* I think about that all the time. Jack’s Monologue: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CbtRwqPlZKp/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link TWOAPW Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll Theme by Brendan Dalton www.brendan-dalton.com https://brendandalton.bandcamp.com *Greene, Andy. “Stephen King: The Rolling Stone Interview” https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/stephen-king-the-rolling-stone-interview-191529/

Saddle up your horses as the lads, along with Rosey Armstrong (Hans Gruber and the Die Hards, Los Kurados), slap on their Crosses of Gold and dive headlong into the varied and wild world of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). Topics include what makes Christian music Christian music, the importance of artistic integrity in an industry seemingly designed to destroy it, and the rampaging sexiness of Michael W. Smith. Rosey’s Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjbGYYsDLFy2wmwFR9s69NZO90yE-5j9P Hans Gruber and the Die Hards: twitter.com/Gruberites www.instagram.com/hansgruberandthediehards/ Los Kurados https://www.instagram.com/loskurados/?hl=en https://mobile.twitter.com/loskurados TWOAPW Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll Theme by Brendan Dalton www.brendan-dalton.com https://brendandalton.bandcamp.com Article about ex-Newsboys frontman: https://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/Newsboys_Exlead_Singer_John_James_speaks_about_his_fall_and_restoration/25790/p1/ 

THIS IS A PREVIEW. Check out the full thing at patreon.com/worstofall Nate Bethea aka @inthesedeserts (What a Hell of a Way To Die, Trashfuture) returns to Odyssey (and the podcast!) as he and the lads tackle the real problems facing a divided America: insecticide, new highways, and bigotry against “citters”. Topics include the environmental activism of the early 90's, Pearl Harbor, and the benefits of having an American legend graffiti your door. Episodes discussed: #128 - One Bad Apple #129 - Not One of Us #175 - East Winds, Raining #202 - Timmy’s Cabin Nate’s Podcasts: What A Hell of a Way to Die https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-a-hell-of-a-way-to-die/id1174466127 TRASHFUTURE https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trashfuture/id1261944206 Lions Led By Donkeys https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lions-led-by-donkeys-podcast/id1393845532 The Bottlemen https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bottlemen/id1552066406 Kill James Bond! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kill-james-bond/id1554716458 TWOAPW Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll Theme by Brendan Dalton www.brendan-dalton.com https://brendandalton.bandcamp.com

The lads, along with special guest Matt Barbot (@BarbotRobot), have rockets in their pockets as they rumble with Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner’s 2021 adaptation of the musical theater classic: West Side Story. They discuss the complicated legacy of the original musical, the pitfalls of adaptation, and the importance of producing new work in an industry obsessed with refurbishing the old.   Frijoles by Matt Barbot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtjZU2Cvo74   Matt’s New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/1342/matt-barbot   Buy Matt's Play! https://www.betterworldbooks.com/product/detail/red-bull-shorts-volume-3-1946259152    TWOAPW Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll   Theme by Brendan Dalton www.brendan-dalton.com https://brendandalton.bandcamp.com