I'm Trying To Think

Episode 29: Antebellum

Dave — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:30:38 +0000

In which we discuss issues of epistemology, troubled heritage and etiquette.

Show Notes:

*Robot Unicorn Attack (what’s your high score?)

*Dave attributed the idea of Justified True Belief to those wacky funsters, The Logical Positivists. This is incorrect. Like most ideas, this is one of Plato’s. Specifically from the Theaetetus (in which it is interestingly dismissed, even though it is accepted by many modern philosophers)

Episode 28: Hwhites

Dave — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:18:36 +0000

We try and figure out hwhat the deal with hwhites is.

Also we got snowed on.

Episode 27: Trek Talk

Dave — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:49:52 +0000

In this episode, things get a little bit scifi as we discuss gadgets (yes, the goddamned iPad) and our impending Star Trek future, as well as other mid-century science fiction films and the genitals contained therein.

Also, the Electric Light Orchestra.

Episode 26: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Dave — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:00:43 +0000

In which we attempt to understand interfaith relations through the prism of Bill Murray, discover the wonders of shopping for science supplies, and answer viewer mail!

Episode 25: Gods and Giggles

Dave — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 22:42:10 +0000

We’re back for the new year. Join us as we contemplate what has come to pass, then give those things stupid awards.

Show Notes:
- As promised, Slaughterhouse 90210: http://slaughterhouse90210.tumblr.com/

Episode 24: Suskuspicious

Dave — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 02:48:29 +0000

In which we discuss religious road advertising, strip clubs and the virtues of simplicity.

Episode 23: Bearslap

Dave — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:12:53 +0000

In which we discuss holiday albums, the songs of Boston (the city not the band, but also the band), and Ursine assault.

Show notes:
- Bob Dylan’s amazing video for Must Be Santa

Episode 22: This Friday You Will Die

Chuck — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:20:01 +0000

In which we discuss the importance of turkey, the future of fortune cookies, the insignificance of a certain celebrity athlete’s personal life and the law of the excluded middle!

Show Notes:
- That’s (apparently) a version of “Awesome God” in Kirundi.

We’ll Be Right Back!

Chuck — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:53:31 +0000

We had a short holiday break, but I’m Trying to Think will return triumphantly on Tuesday, December 8 with a mind-splitting episode full of mind-blowing and mind-altering topics by our resident mind-numbing experts.

Episode 21: Lasercrotch

Dave — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:51:23 +0000

In which we discuss Laser-based entertainments, the looming 2012 disaster (hint: not looming, not a disaster) and some religious magazines!

Show Notes:
The phrase “That’s some Bertrand Russell shit” refers to Russell’s work on definite descriptions, a significant landmark in the philosophical study of the truth value of claims involving fictional entities.

Episode 20: People in China

Dave — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:45:01 +0000

Join us as we forecast the future of morality, celebrate Steven Tyler’s quitting of Aerosmith, and ponder the smoldering sexuality of mummies.

Show Notes:
- Could not find a single clip of that bassist guy, so that story officially went nowhere
- Aerosmith may or may not be breaking up after all. Fingers crossed, folks.

Episode 19: Hip Deep In Poop Studios

Dave — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:12:13 +0000

In which we:
- Discuss exciting new voice acting opportunities
- Go on and on about The Wisdom of Crowds
- Are a little tired

Show notes:
- Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, for free!
- Tim O’Reily’s What is Web 2.0 Speech/Article/Things

Episode 18: The Chunktest

Dave — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:53:49 +0000

Im Trying To Think In 3 Acts:
Act 1: Facebook, Freecell and our Attempts to Transcend Death
Act 2: Gay Supermarriage
Act 3: Chunktest Adjudication

Episode 17: Xena’s Paradox

Dave — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:15:30 +0000

In this episode, we talk about all of your favorite topics, assuming your favorite topics are Logic, Mathematics, Statistics and Ghosts.

Show Notes:
-Hip Hop Multiplication!

Episode 16: Opinion House

Dave — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:35:43 +0000

Peace Prize!

Google Wave!

The Fundamentals of Dualism, Materialism, Ontology and how it all affects The Ship Of Theseus!

It’s all here, all new, all for you. Ring the bell and don’t forget to leave your shoes by the door, because you are entering OPINION HOUSE!

*explosion*

Show Notes:
-CyberTips!
-The management apologizes for the sniffles, as well as some of the music quality this week. There were issues with both sinuses and sound cables.

Episode 15: The Chuck E Cheese Band

Dave — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:13:56 +0000

In Which:
-Directors are arrested
-Musical smugness is railed against
-CIA plots are mumbled about

Show Notes:
The best article about the old tax loophole (since closed) which allowed Uwe Boll movies to be funded is here

Chunktest entries close soon. Send us your recipe by Monday. Or don’t.

Episode 14: Slaves and Mercenaries

Dave — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:07:28 +0000

In which we:
-Talk about the G20 protests that whipped through our fair city
-Talk, for some reason, mostly about the horrible losing season streak of the Pittsburgh Pirates

Show Notes:

Okay guys, I’ll admit that when running through Pirates history off the top of my head, I messed up a bit on the timeline of Andy Van Slyke vs. Barry Bonds free agency. Van Slyke was not a free agent at the time that Bonds was, so the choice between them was not literal. Instead, watching Bonds continue to blossom in SF while Van Slyke succumbed to age in Pittsburgh was merely emblematic of the horrible futility to come for the next 17 years of Pittsburgh baseball.

But really, it’s baseball, so you probably don’t care anyways.

Counter-Surveilance Photographs

Dave — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:45:24 +0000

Here, as promised, are the Counter-Surveillance photos of the dudes at the Dominion Gas shed taken from my excellent vantage point.

They have since departed. Possibly because they knew I was onto them and their shady dealings, possibly because they were disconcerted that a weird guy was taking photos from his apartment while they were just doing their job, probably because they were done guarding whatever they were guarding.

Attempts to get a wiretap warrant have failed, mostly because I am not an officer of the law.

Episode 13: Counter-Surveillance

Dave — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:48:41 +0000

In which:
-Dave assumes he knows things about both surveillance and the plight of inner cities because he’s seen The Wire
-We discuss the Kanye West thing, so we as a society can move on
-We dissect a curious, curious quote

and shit just gets generally spooky.

Bloody Mary, for Reference

admin — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:28:49 +0000

Here’s a simple reference recipe for the Bloody Mary, to jog your memory:

Bloody Mary

Here’s the classic Bloody Mary recipe. Enjoy!

1 1/2 ounces (1 jigger) vodka
1/2 cup tomato juice
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Worcestershire sauce to taste
Tabasco to taste
1 celery stick for garnish
1 lemon wedge for garnish

Combine the vodka, the tomato juice, the lemon juice, the Worcestershire sauce, the Tabasco, 1 cup ice cubes, and salt and pepper to taste, shake the mixture well, and strain it into a tall glass filled with ice cubes. Garnish the Bloody Mary with the celery stick and the lemon wedge.

(via DrinksMix.net).

So yeah, something kinda like that, but with that extra, Chunky kick. Or maybe not at all like that. Definitely Chunky though.

Episode 12: Brotherfight

Dave — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:23:07 +0000

In which we:
-Spitball ideas for Rock Band games
-Announce the Chunktest
-Contemplate a miserable afterlife of endless podcasting
-Make our fortune

Show Notes:
-Guitar Praise (http://www.guitarpraise.com/home.php), for all your Stryper and Petra and Reliant K video gaming needs!
-Send us a recipe for the Chunky Mary!

Episode 11: Worschrschrshire Sauce

Dave — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:44:27 +0000

In Which We:
-Discuss the finer points of weddings!
-Clarify some points from last week!
-Educate you about the Ship of Theseus!
-Mumble about condiments!

Episode 10: No Pomo

Dave — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:58:46 +0000

In which we:
-Consult with a literary expert
-Develop our charitable endeavors
-Get horribly lost within the tangle that is post-modernism

Show notes:

I am still pretty sure Chuck was off about Simone de Beauvoir’s ideas being particularly Foucaultian, as she was so solidly an Existentialist philosopher and more of a contemporary of Sartre than Foucault. Either way, I say you should read The Second Sex. It’s a foundational feminist text, an important piece of Existentialist philosophy, and even contains well thought out Hegelian ideas (and we do so love the Hegel).

If you want to disregard the tone of my recommendation and actually read some Helene Cixous, then I say you should just start in the deep end right with famous essay “The Laugh of the Medusa”. Good luck with that.

I mentioned Anti-Humanite, but my nerd-fu is weak, for I was in fact speaking of Ultra-Humanite (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra-Humanite). He has been an intelligent gorilla, but as is the case with 70 year old comic book characters, his story is far more weird and incomprehensible than that.

Episode 9: Slap a Dullard

admin — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:19:33 +0000

In Which We:
-Discuss the Socratic Dialogues
-Attempt to start a beef with our local alternative newspaper’s cultural critics
-Read some sweet, sweet listener mail

Show notes:
-Read Plato’s dialogues at Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/p)
-Judge Harry Kloman for yourself! (http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A65621)

Episode 8: Plinko versus Planko

Dave — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:39:16 +0000

Alright folks, this is a long one. Buckle in as we:
-Sing like Michael McDonald. A lot.
-Have a long and legitimate philosophical discussion on the problems of Free Will and Determinism
-Have significant difficulties in saying the name of influential 20th century thinker Wittgenstein

Show notes:
-Daniel Dennett for more on the Free Will problem. At TED (http://www.ted.com/speakers/dan_dennett.html) or his book Freedom Evolves (http://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Evolves-Daniel-C-Dennett/dp/0670031860)
-Nok Hockey totally exists, Chuck (http://www.backtobasicstoys.com/item/productid/244)