This dorm thing is crazy. I think it’s definitely related to Greek life.
I was in a sorority at UK. I can honestly say (and I was in the “smart sorority” whatever that means 🙄) that Greek life has no purpose other than exclusion and I feel strongly that Greek life should be dismantled. I said what I said and I mean it. For those curious about Greek life, check out “Pledged” by Alexandra Robbins.
My son is a freshman at college this year, and this sums up the dorm room decorating for him… Me: what color rug do you want? Him: what do I need a rug for?
I just caught up on Friday's podcast. Great podcast.
Is Trump a Dictator?
In his mind he is a Dictator. In reality, Trump is Mob Boss who with a lot of power and access. The Rose Garden is proof of that. He's living out his wild fantasies now of being a Mob Boss/Dictator wannabe now with the Republican Party wrapped around his finger. It's amazing and crazy to witness.
I also feel like Trump is manchild who does NOT take the answer no and wants what he wants. I really feel the GOP is just waiting next years and going through the motions with Trump. IMO, the Republicans have no identity anymore because their identity revolves around Trump. That will get very old for many in the party. It has to get old for them and it the real change does have to come to the Republican Party and the voters. They can ridicule the Democrats, but I feel the Democrats are the least of their worries because the Democrats are not in control.
Whenever I get a feeling of hopelessness about America, I always remember the comedian Bill Hicks bit about how all of this is "a ride" and there is no getting off till you off. I don't why, but I do listen to that bit when I feel what Sarah is feeling. It makes me laugh and it makes me feel better because it's so true. This is just a bumpy ride that we all a riding on right now and trying to figure out. I encourage others to check out Hicks short bit on YouTube if you want a good laugh at the truth. 😆
Beth brought up how she comes across listeners who listen to PPS because they do care. I find myself coming here more to get perspectives and to calm my nerves. It's so easy to do a podcast trashing the GOP and Trump, and there is a lot to trash. But doing that really gets us nowhere and it does not get to the heart of what is really going and what people are feeling. What PPS is doing is so unique and great compared to others out there. For me, the trash talking goes so far. I need to try to make sense of everything, and I feel PPS does a great job in helping that for me and others.
I have two girls (11 & 14) and I am sad about the general all-ages trend of shopping as a substitute for connection.
My girls do like to look for things - they have their favorite local shops where artists sell stickers or jewelry or sculpture. They are not immune to that experience of having fun while browsing. Or beautifying a space. Or making a borrowed space their own.
And they often make a purchase with their Christmas or birthday dollars from grandparents.
And my girls like quirky things. A Tibetan cat sculpture to put into their school locker, a new yarn for teaching themselves to crochet, a knife to whittle with, a bracelet that starts fire.
The youngest is selling chicken and quail eggs to fund the purchase of a specific breed of kitten she has her heart set upon.
And I happily support them in their “weird” purchases.
It won’t make them “popular” but they are gonna have one unique college entrance essay by living outside the “popular” box. 😂
I did not listen to this episode until Sunday night because I was at a retreat in the Adirondacks at a place where there is no wifi or cell service. I highly recommend this for a weekend! The focus of the retreat was joy (vs happiness). The leader of the retreat said that it was a challenge to prepare because she knows many people feel they shouldn't be searching for joy when there is so much bad stuff going on in the world. Throughout the weekend, the leader proceeded to provide us readings on joy that were, for example - written by Teresa of Avila when she was being investigated by the Inquisition, by St Paul when he was in prison, by a young mother in Nicaragua during the violent Nicaraguan Revolution. It put our time and place in perspective, and it also highlighted the fact that the joy and hope people like these put into the world helped the world survive and even thrive. So, thanks, Beth and Sarah, for bringing your joy to this difficult work.
It's less about powerlessness and more about disgust. 2016 was excusable, we told ourselves. The size of our victory in 2020 was much too small, but hey, a win is a win and he's going to prison where he so clearly belongs. But then 2024 happened. Most voters, the people we're supposed to be sharing a society with, did something so obviously stupid and cruel (because they are stupid and cruel). This is not a great country, it's a decadent, failing and unserious one.
So Democratic voters, being largely educated and of means, have checked out. We've got our heads down and are taking care of our own, because we can. We tried to stop the rot. We tried to warn people. They were either too stubborn or too stupid to listen. You can't save a country that actively hates you for trying to save it. So we'll show up for the 2026 election - an election that is definitely going to be rigged by gerrymandering and Trump's secret police in the streets - and pull the correct levers, for all the good it will do.
I hate the way social media invites comparison for teens and young people, and the dorm room aesthetic is just one part of that. My son is on a semester abroad. Now, he is very fortunate to be doing this, and it is happening for 2 reasons: 1. I work for a university and his academics are covered under my benefits. 2. He applied for and got scholarships to cover his travel and living expenses. But covering living expenses means he only has X dollars, and the hard part of that is that all over social media there are influencer videos of people, including college students, maximizing their abroad experiences. Restaurants every day. Buying all the things. Taking all the side trips. My son has admitted that it makes him want those lives. It makes me feel a little bad, but also not. I couldn't even afford a semester abroad. Yet, I know it's hard. He knows it's all for show and that you don't know the backstory. The influencers could be mortgaged to the hilt to do this and will pay dearly for it later. Or yes, they could have parents footing the bill, but not have the close relationship he and I do. But it doesn't help that thief of comparison.
That said, I just read Rick Steves memoir about Traveling the Hippie Trail. Traveling on a dime as 1970s young people from Turkey to Nepal. Roach infested hotels, but also amazing experiences. The journey was the point, and that's what I wish for my son, and what I think he will get out of it.
I am one of those people that Beth makes the show for—this podcast and community are pretty much my only source of news because this is the only source I trust not to spike my anxiety in order to get my clicks. I really appreciated how Sarah and Beth are committed to not leaving these discussions about politically dark times in a totally hopeless place.
I’m not a parent and I’m not on social media, so a lot of the Outside Politics section was news to me. The popularity thing feels a little bit like a no-win scenario, doesn’t it? I imagine that as a parent, you can only hear so much about the loneliness epidemic among young people without feeling like it’s your responsibility to prevent your own kids from being part of the statistics. This feels like just another manifestation of the bimodality the show has been discussing lately—if your kid doesn’t appear to be super popular, then they must be crushingly lonely. Overcorrection seems like the best insurance.
I’m thinking about my own teenage years and how embarrassing I would have thought it was if my mom was overly invested in my social life or decorated my dorm room for me. 🤷♀️ I wasn’t into anything but I was really into having privacy.
I’ve been ruminating over Sarah saying that nothing feels different. I’m a fed, so that’s not totally true for me, but it mostly is. But my concern is that we won’t actually know about most of the damage that happens. Sure, egg prices and toilet paper shortages affect everyone. But so much of what the government does you won’t ever actually see. I am totally certain scientific research has been severely damaged for a generation or more. But you’ll never feel it. You wont know that weve discovered fewer exoplanets than we otherwise would have. Or that the cancer treatment that could have been discovered never is. Or that we understand less about ocean currents. You won’t feel any of that. But it’s real. And over time, it means worse health, worse education, worse environment, worse exploration. I think that matters, but it’s really hard to explain.
This is absolutely how I feel about working in conservation right now. Public lands, environmental issues, water policies, climate, pollution and air quality- all of this has been, and will continue to be, severely impacted by this administration, and many things will not recover in our lifetimes.
Right! Ugh. I keep thinking about how information is power and it's so strange to me that Trump doesn't want information, even if he kept it all to himself! He could say, "any publicly funded research can't be published" and at least keep the info for the government. Willful ignorance is so scary. It's always been a red flag (one of the many) from the beginning that he doesn't read. You want your leaders to be curious and interested in new information.
With the dorm stuff… I feel like it’s just one more step in helicopter/lawnmower life. It’s so clear these dorms are parent inspired, parent paid for, and parent implemented. The young adults have the trappings of being too grown up, but it reality we are infantilizing them!
Re: college dorm rooms - I have a friend whose kid is a college freshman this year and his school ran out of dorms so they rented luxury apartments for some of the freshman, including her kid. Super nice, kitchen, private room, pool, gym, etc. My first thought was - he’s going to have a real reckoning when he has to go rent an apartment with his own money lol.
When I was a senior in high school, I went on a college tour at Loyola Marymount (private college in LA), which was one of my top choices. At the time they had these super nice upperclassmen dorms that were on a bluff overlooking the ocean. I remember we were all awed by that part of the tour and the guide said “yeah, your standard of living tends to go down after you graduate from LMU.” Something hit me about that comment, like even at 18 I knew that’s not how it’s supposed to work.
This happened to me when I was a sophomore in college! My university bought an upscale condo building as another dorm before the condos could be sold and the units had floor to ceiling windows, touch screen appliances, en suite bathrooms, etc etc. I remember my mom saying to me “enjoy this while you can!” 😂 to be fair, it did not feel upscale anymore once 6, semi messy college sophomore girls were living in a 3 bedroom unit!
As I was listening to this, my husband got a grand jury summons. (I’m so jealous- I want jury duty so bad. He less so.) but I was so excited. I told him this is a way you can contribute! The courts feel like the only check on the executive right now!
I have a college freshman for the first time and definitely think some of the decorating is out of control but a lot of dorms have been modernized and they have taken out all of the doors and drawers and shelves so you have to buy all that stuff so you have a place to put everything. My freshmen is a boy so we didn’t even discuss headboards but once I got there I was like oh, there is a big gap here. It would probably be good to have a headboard! Luckily, he let me buy him a rug. He is glad he has it now!
This dorm thing is crazy. I think it’s definitely related to Greek life.
I was in a sorority at UK. I can honestly say (and I was in the “smart sorority” whatever that means 🙄) that Greek life has no purpose other than exclusion and I feel strongly that Greek life should be dismantled. I said what I said and I mean it. For those curious about Greek life, check out “Pledged” by Alexandra Robbins.
My son is a freshman at college this year, and this sums up the dorm room decorating for him… Me: what color rug do you want? Him: what do I need a rug for?
I just caught up on Friday's podcast. Great podcast.
Is Trump a Dictator?
In his mind he is a Dictator. In reality, Trump is Mob Boss who with a lot of power and access. The Rose Garden is proof of that. He's living out his wild fantasies now of being a Mob Boss/Dictator wannabe now with the Republican Party wrapped around his finger. It's amazing and crazy to witness.
I also feel like Trump is manchild who does NOT take the answer no and wants what he wants. I really feel the GOP is just waiting next years and going through the motions with Trump. IMO, the Republicans have no identity anymore because their identity revolves around Trump. That will get very old for many in the party. It has to get old for them and it the real change does have to come to the Republican Party and the voters. They can ridicule the Democrats, but I feel the Democrats are the least of their worries because the Democrats are not in control.
Whenever I get a feeling of hopelessness about America, I always remember the comedian Bill Hicks bit about how all of this is "a ride" and there is no getting off till you off. I don't why, but I do listen to that bit when I feel what Sarah is feeling. It makes me laugh and it makes me feel better because it's so true. This is just a bumpy ride that we all a riding on right now and trying to figure out. I encourage others to check out Hicks short bit on YouTube if you want a good laugh at the truth. 😆
Beth brought up how she comes across listeners who listen to PPS because they do care. I find myself coming here more to get perspectives and to calm my nerves. It's so easy to do a podcast trashing the GOP and Trump, and there is a lot to trash. But doing that really gets us nowhere and it does not get to the heart of what is really going and what people are feeling. What PPS is doing is so unique and great compared to others out there. For me, the trash talking goes so far. I need to try to make sense of everything, and I feel PPS does a great job in helping that for me and others.
I have two girls (11 & 14) and I am sad about the general all-ages trend of shopping as a substitute for connection.
My girls do like to look for things - they have their favorite local shops where artists sell stickers or jewelry or sculpture. They are not immune to that experience of having fun while browsing. Or beautifying a space. Or making a borrowed space their own.
And they often make a purchase with their Christmas or birthday dollars from grandparents.
And my girls like quirky things. A Tibetan cat sculpture to put into their school locker, a new yarn for teaching themselves to crochet, a knife to whittle with, a bracelet that starts fire.
The youngest is selling chicken and quail eggs to fund the purchase of a specific breed of kitten she has her heart set upon.
And I happily support them in their “weird” purchases.
It won’t make them “popular” but they are gonna have one unique college entrance essay by living outside the “popular” box. 😂
And their dorm rooms will be weird.
I just want to give Kudos to Beth for going through a whole segment about popularity and not once quoting or singing Wicked.
I did not listen to this episode until Sunday night because I was at a retreat in the Adirondacks at a place where there is no wifi or cell service. I highly recommend this for a weekend! The focus of the retreat was joy (vs happiness). The leader of the retreat said that it was a challenge to prepare because she knows many people feel they shouldn't be searching for joy when there is so much bad stuff going on in the world. Throughout the weekend, the leader proceeded to provide us readings on joy that were, for example - written by Teresa of Avila when she was being investigated by the Inquisition, by St Paul when he was in prison, by a young mother in Nicaragua during the violent Nicaraguan Revolution. It put our time and place in perspective, and it also highlighted the fact that the joy and hope people like these put into the world helped the world survive and even thrive. So, thanks, Beth and Sarah, for bringing your joy to this difficult work.
It's less about powerlessness and more about disgust. 2016 was excusable, we told ourselves. The size of our victory in 2020 was much too small, but hey, a win is a win and he's going to prison where he so clearly belongs. But then 2024 happened. Most voters, the people we're supposed to be sharing a society with, did something so obviously stupid and cruel (because they are stupid and cruel). This is not a great country, it's a decadent, failing and unserious one.
So Democratic voters, being largely educated and of means, have checked out. We've got our heads down and are taking care of our own, because we can. We tried to stop the rot. We tried to warn people. They were either too stubborn or too stupid to listen. You can't save a country that actively hates you for trying to save it. So we'll show up for the 2026 election - an election that is definitely going to be rigged by gerrymandering and Trump's secret police in the streets - and pull the correct levers, for all the good it will do.
“You can't save a country that actively hates you for trying to save it”. Wow - that hit me hard. So so true. And yet still… we try.
I hate the way social media invites comparison for teens and young people, and the dorm room aesthetic is just one part of that. My son is on a semester abroad. Now, he is very fortunate to be doing this, and it is happening for 2 reasons: 1. I work for a university and his academics are covered under my benefits. 2. He applied for and got scholarships to cover his travel and living expenses. But covering living expenses means he only has X dollars, and the hard part of that is that all over social media there are influencer videos of people, including college students, maximizing their abroad experiences. Restaurants every day. Buying all the things. Taking all the side trips. My son has admitted that it makes him want those lives. It makes me feel a little bad, but also not. I couldn't even afford a semester abroad. Yet, I know it's hard. He knows it's all for show and that you don't know the backstory. The influencers could be mortgaged to the hilt to do this and will pay dearly for it later. Or yes, they could have parents footing the bill, but not have the close relationship he and I do. But it doesn't help that thief of comparison.
That said, I just read Rick Steves memoir about Traveling the Hippie Trail. Traveling on a dime as 1970s young people from Turkey to Nepal. Roach infested hotels, but also amazing experiences. The journey was the point, and that's what I wish for my son, and what I think he will get out of it.
I am one of those people that Beth makes the show for—this podcast and community are pretty much my only source of news because this is the only source I trust not to spike my anxiety in order to get my clicks. I really appreciated how Sarah and Beth are committed to not leaving these discussions about politically dark times in a totally hopeless place.
I’m not a parent and I’m not on social media, so a lot of the Outside Politics section was news to me. The popularity thing feels a little bit like a no-win scenario, doesn’t it? I imagine that as a parent, you can only hear so much about the loneliness epidemic among young people without feeling like it’s your responsibility to prevent your own kids from being part of the statistics. This feels like just another manifestation of the bimodality the show has been discussing lately—if your kid doesn’t appear to be super popular, then they must be crushingly lonely. Overcorrection seems like the best insurance.
I’m thinking about my own teenage years and how embarrassing I would have thought it was if my mom was overly invested in my social life or decorated my dorm room for me. 🤷♀️ I wasn’t into anything but I was really into having privacy.
I’ve been ruminating over Sarah saying that nothing feels different. I’m a fed, so that’s not totally true for me, but it mostly is. But my concern is that we won’t actually know about most of the damage that happens. Sure, egg prices and toilet paper shortages affect everyone. But so much of what the government does you won’t ever actually see. I am totally certain scientific research has been severely damaged for a generation or more. But you’ll never feel it. You wont know that weve discovered fewer exoplanets than we otherwise would have. Or that the cancer treatment that could have been discovered never is. Or that we understand less about ocean currents. You won’t feel any of that. But it’s real. And over time, it means worse health, worse education, worse environment, worse exploration. I think that matters, but it’s really hard to explain.
This is what I keep thinking- not only the damage that is being done but the good and lifesaving and life changing that will at best be delayed
This is absolutely how I feel about working in conservation right now. Public lands, environmental issues, water policies, climate, pollution and air quality- all of this has been, and will continue to be, severely impacted by this administration, and many things will not recover in our lifetimes.
Yes - the hidden cost of lost potential. Opportunity cost. It is just shameful.
Right! Ugh. I keep thinking about how information is power and it's so strange to me that Trump doesn't want information, even if he kept it all to himself! He could say, "any publicly funded research can't be published" and at least keep the info for the government. Willful ignorance is so scary. It's always been a red flag (one of the many) from the beginning that he doesn't read. You want your leaders to be curious and interested in new information.
With the dorm stuff… I feel like it’s just one more step in helicopter/lawnmower life. It’s so clear these dorms are parent inspired, parent paid for, and parent implemented. The young adults have the trappings of being too grown up, but it reality we are infantilizing them!
Re: college dorm rooms - I have a friend whose kid is a college freshman this year and his school ran out of dorms so they rented luxury apartments for some of the freshman, including her kid. Super nice, kitchen, private room, pool, gym, etc. My first thought was - he’s going to have a real reckoning when he has to go rent an apartment with his own money lol.
When I was a senior in high school, I went on a college tour at Loyola Marymount (private college in LA), which was one of my top choices. At the time they had these super nice upperclassmen dorms that were on a bluff overlooking the ocean. I remember we were all awed by that part of the tour and the guide said “yeah, your standard of living tends to go down after you graduate from LMU.” Something hit me about that comment, like even at 18 I knew that’s not how it’s supposed to work.
This happened to me when I was a sophomore in college! My university bought an upscale condo building as another dorm before the condos could be sold and the units had floor to ceiling windows, touch screen appliances, en suite bathrooms, etc etc. I remember my mom saying to me “enjoy this while you can!” 😂 to be fair, it did not feel upscale anymore once 6, semi messy college sophomore girls were living in a 3 bedroom unit!
As I was listening to this, my husband got a grand jury summons. (I’m so jealous- I want jury duty so bad. He less so.) but I was so excited. I told him this is a way you can contribute! The courts feel like the only check on the executive right now!
Also so jealous! How I wish you could opt in to being called up for jury duty more often! Hope he gets picked!
Outside of politics: I teach high school. I do not understand the concept of prom-posals. 🙄
I have a college freshman for the first time and definitely think some of the decorating is out of control but a lot of dorms have been modernized and they have taken out all of the doors and drawers and shelves so you have to buy all that stuff so you have a place to put everything. My freshmen is a boy so we didn’t even discuss headboards but once I got there I was like oh, there is a big gap here. It would probably be good to have a headboard! Luckily, he let me buy him a rug. He is glad he has it now!