I'm not going to tell you that "This American Life" is a must-listen podcast. About two of every five shows aren't at all worthwhile. Another two are just ok. But that other one is absolutely fascinating.
A show from a couple weeks ago, "The Invention of Money," was one of the best I've ever heard. (The shows produced in tandem with NPR's "Planet Money" team are consistently top-shelf. "The Return to the Giant Pool of Money" and "Bad Bank" are a couple of my favorites as well. You can buy shows from the archive or stream them for free, and of course the weekly podcast is free. Of course, if you don't feel like you're already supporting public radio enough through your taxes, you can always kick in a few extra bucks.
6 comments:
I highly recommend Niall Ferguson’s The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World
Review: http://ozymandias.me/2010/03/10/ferguson’s-ascent-of-money/
This American Life is a great way for a pastor to keep his finger on the pulse of America, for better or worse.
When you say "top shelf" I'm curious as to what that means . . . :-)
BTW Ben, Former CHBC intern and Maranatha grad Justin showed up at my church this weekend, and we reminisced the old days., , ,
You know, ever since Marx, Marxists have been saying this: that money is not connected to anything in particular, that it has arbitrary value, and so it is "reified" and therefore mysterious.
In the same way, TIME is fiction.
It also is artificial, the 12/60 clock, Gregorian calendar are not tied to anything either.
The divisions are arbitary of months, hours, seconds, etc.
So What?! you may ask. Well so ALOT! They are what drives us. It's what it means to be "driven". It is a programming device that we had no part in devising. Just as we no longer have any say in what is money in America, we no longer say what is TIME. It has been written-determined for us whether we like it, is good for us or not.
Although now this is being understood we may have a chance to see a alternative currency market.
As well as a alternative time keeping system. We now are seeing alternatives.
In the same way, TIME is fiction.
It also is artificial, the 12/60 clock, Gregorian calendar are not tied to anything either.
The divisions are arbitary of months, hours, seconds, etc.
So What?! you may ask. Well so ALOT! They are what drives us. It's what it means to be "driven". It is a programming device that we had no part in devising. Just as we no longer have any say in what is money in America, we no longer say what is TIME. It has been written-determined for us whether we like it, is good for us or not.
Although now this is being understood we may have a change to see a competitive/aternative currency market.
As well as a competitive/alternative time keeping system. We now are seeing alternatives.The computer/internet makes possible a greater Bartering System: see TIME DOLLARS; ITHICA, NEW YORK'S BARTER SYSTEM, ETC.
Also, new Timing Systems: see 13-Moon 28-Day Calendar of Jose Arquelles, etc.
So, time really is money. Huh.
d4v34x said...
So, time really is money. Huh.
Great question. Yes, if you consider that both are fictional! That is "invented", and arbitrary.
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