KNOWING

Chapter 24 Media Introduces Snowflake: Episode 1 - The Military Option

Sensitive men are often dismissed as “snowflakes,” as if sensitivity were an unusual or unacceptable departure from traditional notions of masculinity. Yet the rigid machismo ideal appears increasingly out of step with the emotional and societal growth demanded by our times. This month, Knowing releases the first episode of Snowflake, a new Chapter 24 Media podcast hosted by Knowing cohost Rob Stroup. Snowflake delves into a range of cultural themes, offering a fresh perspective through the lens of a sensitive man. In Episode One, Rob examines a key motivation behind military enlistment through conversations with two guests from different backgrounds. Sylvia Norris and Buddy Jones share how economic opportunity played a pivotal role in their decision to join the military. Buddy Jones, a charismatic and artistic young man in his mid-twenties, hails from a small town in rural southern New Mexico. Rob catches up with him fresh out of boot camp as he prepares to ship off to his first station in Hawaii. Sylvia Norris, originally from North Carolina, spent a decade working in intelligence for the Department of Defense. Now a veteran, she reflects on the challenges she faced as a black woman navigating a male-dominated military culture.

Whoops I Voted Against Myself

Imagine a world where civic engagement is as enjoyable and enriching as Schoolhouse Rock! made it seem—a world where participating in democracy brings genuine fulfillment. This episode features the voice of Charles Tampio, whose long political career has been marked by a commitment to “doing good for goodness’ sake” and the joy that purpose has brought him.   We’ll explore the institutions and laws crafted to foster an informed electorate, the key to avoiding the sentiment, “Whoops, I voted against myself.” Charles shares his firsthand experiences in creating and leading some of these essential systems. Far from the stereotype of the jaded politician, his journey reveals the deep satisfaction that comes from answering the call to serve. His stories invite us to consider: can politics be a fulfilling path? His answer is a resounding yes. Participation in democracy is a gift—one we can all offer and one that, in turn, enriches us.   GUESTS    Charles Tampio has dedicated his life to education and fostering an informed electorate, beginning with his role in setting up the Department of Education. For over 25 years, he worked with Close Up, a nonprofit, nonpartisan civic education organization based on the belief that young people from all backgrounds deserve a deep understanding of the democratic process and their roles as citizens. Charles was also a pioneering anchor on C-SPAN, a network dedicated to unfiltered, gavel-to-gavel coverage of legislative proceedings. Additionally, he served as the head of Earth Force, an organization that empowers young people to take civic action on environmental issues. Across these roles, Charles has championed civic engagement, inspiring young people to become active, informed participants in democracy.   Our voice actor on the show is John Masterson  chief brewer and founder of The Truth or Consequences Brewery in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. He is part of a team of volunteers who began the TorC Ultra Marathon, a foot race in the Chihuahuan Desert. John’s exemplary in his civic engagement in the small town to which he has called home for over ten years.

Third Space

First space is home, second space is work, and the third space is where we engage with the social fabric that shapes our lives. It’s where we meet others, share news, build trust, and form social bonds. Third spaces include parks, libraries, cafes, barbershops, airports, bookstores, online forums, elevators, farmers’ markets, and similar places. Historically, these spaces have served as neutral grounds, existing outside cultural, socioeconomic, and racial divides, fostering effortless mingling, chance encounters, and a sense of belonging. Today, third spaces are in flux. As the world is increasingly mapped and divided for economic growth, these spaces are shrinking. Technology is also transforming them, with augmented realities and intelligent materials creating artificial layers between us, our sense of place, and each other. This episode explores the relevance of third spaces, the possibilities they offer, and the changes they are undergoing. We’ll hear stories from a New York City cab driver about the intimacy and autonomy of the third space inside a cab’s back seat. Stepping out of the cab and into the public square, we talk with an organizer and a participant in street theater groups who suggest how much we can gain by more fully inhabiting and expanding the boundaries of third spaces. Finally, a designer of future third spaces shares insights on how intelligent materials and augmented reality are reshaping these shared social environments unveiling the possibilities, the process, and the uncertainties that are ahead.  Guests Jen Stein is a designer and researcher in speculative design and future-facing world building. Her projects relate to the future of mobility, the future of sustainable cities, the future of work, and augmented, virtual, and extended Realities. Jaclyn Atkinson is a multidisciplinary creative artist and producer with a background in communication design and printmaking. Jac's work is focused on bringing the whimsy to a greater meaning, and impactful designed experiences. Jaclyn Atkinson, Jonah Levy, and Kate Sclavi cofounded Shadow Traffic, a non-profit arts organization that produces and curates participatory experiences within the interstitial areas of the urban landscape. Our productions look like intimate gatherings, explosive celebrations, and decentralized renegade events in underutilized corners of mapped constructs: spaces we can activate as a temporary autonomous zone available to the public for engagement.  Shadow Traffic  [http://shadowtraffic.org] Mark Harder (aka Splinter) is a producer and engineer at Hit Factory in New York City. He has participated in the creation and execution of numerous street theater, artivism, and renegade events.  Rick Dumiak was a New York City cab driver during the 1970s and has a rich background of careers, mostly having to do with human connection.

Future Joy

The journey to the heart of joy is a quest that spans all of time and reaches the depths of the soul. Ten to sixteen million years ago, laughter first emerged. By the late 17th century, the French bequeathed us the term "joie," infusing language with this elusive essence. Joy is no ordinary experience. It is both a virtue and a revelation—an expression that radiates and transcends barriers. Psychotherapists link it with connection and empathy. Mystics describe joy as a return to our heart. Joy is as paradoxical as it is profound, simple and mysterious, elusive yet ever-present, natural yet celebrated. It can appear in a heartbeat springing from action, thought, and emotion. Across time, people have considered, Can life be truly meaningful without it? In 1912, a German scientist’s alchemical pursuit, revealed a molecule that some believes is “the molecule of our time,” MDMA. This discovery opened a portal into the neurochemistry of joy, a symphony of reductions and activations in areas of the brain that allow joy to come forward.  In this episode, we explore joy through the stories of pied pipers who guide us to joy. We’ll hear wisdom from a teacher of laughter who illuminates the lightness of being, delve into the mechanics of joy as understood by modern psychotherapy, and investigate the neurochemical map of MDMA. Join us as we uncover how these elements converge, offering a deeper understanding and expression of the joy available to us.  This episode contains an invitation to a wedding, we hope to see you there! Invitation and Wedding Invite & RSVP [https://ezregister.com/events/40648/]   Interviews Urana Jackson is a healing justice practitioner, and psychotherapist. She has worked in community-based mental health for over 25 years, and oversaw the mental health programming for middle schools in Oakland, CA. She was an instructor of Restorative Justice at UC Berkeley School of Law. Urana is author of Girls Rising and the creator of  “Ancestor’s Keeper,” a curriculum for adolescent youth surrounding racial trauma and healing. In 2006 Urana was initiated an African spiritual tradition, dating back approx. eight thousand years.  Urana is the creator of a psycho-spiritual therapeutic modality called Safe House Seven which integrate western therapeutic modalities, spiritual technologies and plant medicine. Urana Jackson [https://www.safehouseseven.com]   Future Joy Future Joy is a Future-Funk hybrid duo hailing from wherever their mobile RV stage is parked. Emily Cooper & Zach Simms travel the country playing shows and connecting all the cities in between and beyond. Blending elements of funk, house, bass, pop, drum and bass, hip-hop, techno, jazz, dubstep and more. Both artists DJ, sing, and play keyboard while Zach shreds tenor, baritone, and bass saxophones in the key of fun.   Future Joy [https://www.futurejoymusic.com]   Laraaji  Born Edward Larry Gordon, Laraaji is a musician, mystic, and laughter guide. He studied music composition at Howard University before pursuing Eastern mysticism which led him to the zither. In NYC, he performed on the streets and in parks. An encounter with Brian Eno there led to a collaboration on Ambient 3: Day of Radiance, the third installment of Eno's Ambient series. Laraaji went on to lead meditation groups and study with gurus such as Swami Satchidananda and Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati. He founded Laughter Meditation Workshops, which he continues to present worldwide. His album Segue to Infinity was released in 2023 and was named “The Best Re-release” by Pitchfork, cementing his status as one of the most prominent Ambient and New Age artists of all time. Larraji [https://laraaji.blogspot.com]

Connection: The Human Difference

Media and technology represent humanity's latest efforts in a long history of striving for connection—a journey that began with the physical expression of body language and evolved through spoken language, the written word, sign language, and now digital media. Each innovation reflects our fundamental need to connect. Authentic connection fulfills our cravings for dopamine, oxytocin, and the reassuring chemicals that validate our pursuit. Conversely, disrupted connection triggers our fight-or-flight response and fosters distrust. This episode of Knowing explores the history of our connection efforts, the biochemistry behind them, and how our current digital media landscape for global connection is influenced by economic structures and political decisions that both support and hinder our quest.   GUEST INTERVIEWS   Doug Rushkoff was declared the sixth most influential thinker in the world by MIT Technology Review. He’s an American media theorist, writer, columnist, lecturer, graphic novelist, and documentarian. He was influential in the early cyberpunk culture and is an advocate for open-source solutions to social problems. He’s known for coining phrases such as viral media, digital native, and social currency.  He has written ten books on media, technology and culture, and has been a writer for cyberculture,  The New York Times Syndicate, The Guardian of London, Arthur, Discover, Daily Beast, and TheFeature. Rushkoff is currently Professor of Media Theory and Digital Economics at the City University of New York, Queens College, and has lectured at The New School University in Manhattan[5] and the Interactive Telecommunications Program at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he created the Narrative Lab.   His popular book ⁠Program or Be Programmed ⁠ [https://orbooks.com/catalog/program-or-be-programmed%E2%81%A0]is having a 15th anniversary edition release on October 4 from OR/books. ⁠Rushkoff Substack⁠ [http://rushkoff.substack.xn--com-xw0a] ⁠Team Human - podcast⁠ [http://teamhuman.xn--fm-r8t] ⁠Website⁠ [http://rushkoff.xn--com-xw0a]   Brandon Krazen Maddox is a founder of Up Until Now Collective which develops and produces new interdisciplinary work that explores empathy, intimacy, and connection, and seeks to challenge the status quo by building new structures for artistic creation. Their projects include the pioneering SOUL(SIGNS), a series of American Sign Language music videos featuring songs by iconic Black female artists including Nina Simone, Tina Turner and Gladys Knight. SOUL(SIGNS) was profiled by The New York Times and ABC World News.  ⁠Up Until Now⁠ [https://upuntilnowcollective.xn--com-ww0a] ⁠Brandon Krazen Maddox⁠ [https://www.brandonkazen-maddox.com]   Mina Lebitz is an educator and published author with two Advanced Placement test preparation books under her belt – biology and chemistry, both now in their 4th editions.