The Troubadour Podcast

Send us a text We discuss rule number one in Dr. Jordan B. Peterson's book "12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos." The rule is "Stand Up Straight with Your Shoulders Back." it seems simple, but there is a lot to discuss in this chapter. What do lobsters have to do with human confidence? Do men need to be dominant to get the girl? What about women? And most importantly why do we need to to follow laws and rules in the first place? What if we just "live and let live." In this we will bring up a famous poem by AE Housman, "The Laws of God, The Laws of Men," The laws of God, the laws of man, He may keep that will and can; Now I: let God and man decree Laws for themselves and not for me; And if my ways are not as theirs Let them mind their own affairs. Their deeds I judge and much condemn, Yet when did I make laws for them? Please yourselves, say I, and they Need only look the other way. But no, they will not; they must still Wrest their neighbour to their will, And make me dance as they desire With jail and gallows and hell-fire. And how am I to face the odds Of man's bedevilment and God's? I, a stranger and afraid In a world I never made. They will be master, right or wrong; Though both are foolish, both are strong, And since, my soul, we cannot fly To Saturn or Mercury, Keep we must, if keep we can, These foreign laws of God and man.

Send us a textAre you reluctant to give up a passion? When is it time to let go? Does giving up on one stage of your journey inevitable to moving toward the next?These are some of the questions Stephanie Scheller and I discuss in our fun little conversation with the great poet Robert Frost.

Send us a textIn this poem Walt Whitman suggests we build a new race of men in America. Who better to converse with this verse than an engineer!

Delving into the harsh realities of war and the ethical dilemmas surrounding honor and warfare. Exploring the Allure of Poetry and differences in porn preferences, contrasting the ideals of war marketing with the brutal truth of trench warfare. Analyzing the impact of race on Obama's presidency and navigating healthcare and taxation in society. Reflecting on the necessity of government in human societies and exploring truth and perspectives in philosophical discussions.

A Catholic and an atheist discuss building an ideal society, how they overcome differences in thinking. Exploring symbolism in William Blake's 'Jerusalem' and biblical mysteries. Delving into the concept of utopia, personal growth, and societal ideals. The conversation covers self-rule, governance, and the role of government in society. Exploring human sexuality, relationships, and the impact of suppressing natural desires.

Send us a textMy friend Sean Doherty and I discuss the famous WWI poem "I saw a man this morning" by Patrick Shaw Stewart.Hopefully no one listening to this podcast, including the men reading it, will ever have to go to war. Yet, it is an activity that is apart of us. It was once believed that war was necessary to bring out our deepest virtues.Sean is a man of peace. He wrote a peace poem campaign and sent it to every US Senator in the hopes of spreading the message that war is not the answer.Our discussion is challenging and deep as we converse with this verse. We ask questions like when is war necessary? Should we be in the Middle East? What are the justifications of war? And, once there, what do we do?

Send us a textHow do you tell a child that he is dying?This poem terrified me. It made me never want to have a child. What if this were to happen to my child? Literature cannot solve all of our problems, but it can be a salve to many of them. In talking to my old high school friend, Dr. Lamar Johnson, about this emotional issue, I came to appreciate the grandiosity of life and our role in society. Dr Johnson is a pediatrician who has to think about how to deliver terrible news to people. How do you cope? How do you convey this experience? For me, it was a cathartic moment. That's poetry.Dr. Johnson and I conversed with the verse. And we also talked more broadly about life, philosophy, how to tell the truth, race relations, culture and oh so much more.

Send us a textA Physics teacher and I converse with William Ernest Henley's beautiful poem, Invictus.We converse in depth with this poem and I learn a lot from Alex.One big question we cover is "what is a terrible event that has occurred to you and how did you overcome it?"

Exploring poetry, identity, and authenticity through 'A Poison Tree', delving into personal growth and transformation. Discussing the impact of housing market data on property owners and the influx of buyers from blue states to Texas. Embracing authenticity, breaking free from societal conformity, and the consequences of suppressing one's true self. Reflecting on personal experiences, relationships, and the importance of living authentically for growth. Discussing the transformation into metaphorical monsters from actions, and exploring homoerotic poetry as a means of understanding emotions.

Send us a textTonight I read "Twas the Night before Christmas." Why did the Protestant Reformers, The New England Puritans and the Communist Soviets all HATE Christmas and St Nick? They squashed it and did all they could to bury it. Yet in America it took hold and morphed into something special.Often, to understand an idea we must see what happens when our enemies destroy it. This does happen in history. This is not a podcast about the war on Christmas. Instead, it is an episode about how the magic was taken away, and how I hope to help you bring it back.