Skip to main content

podcasts and growth

Whenever I get into the car for a drive of more than 30 minutes, I try to find something good on the radio, ipod (equivalent) or podcast.  One of my most rewarding finds are two podcasts: EscapePod and PodCastle.  They are part of the same group, serving high quality short audio fiction.  EscapePod is all about science fiction, while PodCastle is on the fantasy side.  The stories are usually interesting and sometimes not for kids (although they do provide warnings up front).

This week, I listened to a story on PodCastle called State Change by Ken Liu.  I wasn't sure what to expect and the beginning started off rather slow.  The premise is that in the world of the story, people are born with physical objects that represent their souls.  According to the story, Edna Vincent Milay's soul was a candle that she literally burned at both end to bring light and fire to her life.

The story is about how people view their souls.  In that world, the physical soul can be used up, sometimes providing energy, excitement, or figurative light to the surroundings.  Without giving away any spoilers, the main take away is that change is not necessarily a bad thing.  Sometimes, we start our lives in one direction and assume that we are destined to stay that way for life.  This can be wonderful for some, and a prison for others.  Sometimes, says the story, we can reinterpret our lives, presenting our basic properties in a way that is different, perhaps better.

Listen to the story.  I'de love to hear your take.
Labels:

Comments

Peter said…
An interesting story at many levels. It could be telling us about carrying your soul around with you - considering it an object to be cared for with a finite limit. Or maybe it is that a soul is something that can be consumed and exhausted by choice. Or possibly that we should consider the energy/spirit required to willingly consume a portion of your soul - or the entire thing - to allow yourself to more fully experience life. The alternative is to choose to live a conservative life just keeping that ice cube frozen.

To me, having teenagers in the house really reflects how children let their ice cubes melt while as parents we run around trying to put them back in the freezer. Maybe when our kids have grown and moved out on their own, we can pry our own small ice cubes out of deep freeze and let them melt a little bit. Or maybe we will find that the freezer broke many years ago and it is the melted ice - water - that is our soul.

A good read. Nice choice Elliot.
March 22, 2011 at 2:37 PM
Talia said…
I must Humph. Although fantasy and science fiction are far from being my cup of tea, I thought it would be a nice sisterly gesture to send your recommendations to my brother (whom i introduced you to at Yonatan's BM). His reply was:
"Um... That’s where I already won two competitions, dear?
But I know you mean well and still love you."
Oh well, thanks for the links anyway...
March 23, 2011 at 4:19 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A change of pace (Kidney Failure)

I have been trying to keep this blog focused on hospitality and food.  God though has other plans for his creations and I find now that I will have to expand the scope to cover new topics.  I'll try to continue blogging about my menus and our guests, but expect more posts that have little or nothing to do with food. In February of this year, My second oldest son, Asaf was diagnosed with Chronic Renal Failure. Simply put, both his kidneys are damaged and scarred from some infection or defect that happened years ago.  They will likely cease to function sometime within the next six months. The good news is that there is no immediate danger to his life.  Kidney Dialysis is a viable option and can maintain his health for up to ten or more years if necessary.  Unfortunately, the process is not easy and there are potential side effects. Given Asaf's generally excellent health and age, Kidney Dialysis is considered only a stop-gap measure and not a long term solution. The best solutio...
13 comments
Read more

Pesach 5768 (2008) Overview

Pesach is just around the corner and preparations are already underway.  Our current guest list includes 7 gentlemen from a post-high school yeshiva program and two young ladies.  Our total count stands at 17 for all five meals. My wife and family are already working on cleaning the house.    Some of the dry goods purchases have been completed, and now we are looking at the protein purchase (butchers bill) and the fresh produce.  To get the process started off on the right foot, we are making menus.  In the general way of things, I expect these menus to change over the next 10 days.  Yet, I want to keep them online and get your input.  Do you think they are too light, too heavy, or just plain not enough for our hungry guests?  Let us know! There are five major meals that we need to prepare. Friday Night Dinner Early Shabbat Lunch (which must be eaten before 9:30am and that needs to include bread) Shabbat Lunch (around 1:30pm, that cannot include bread or matzoh) Seder Dinner First Day ...
3 comments
Read more

B"DE Clark Evenchick

B"DE = Baruch Dayan Emet, Blessed is the truthful judge. This is the traditional jewish response to hearing that someone has passed away. My friend Clark Evenchick passed away last night. He suffered for a number of years from ALS. His passing is both a loss and a blessing. We will miss his wit and his powerful presence. On the other hand, ALS is a terrible disease for both the patient and their family. As the body becomes less responsive, the family and caregivers need to spend more and more time providing physical and mental support. Clark's passing frees both himself and his family from this disease. Clark built our house. At one time, he ran a construction company. Clark was not only an honest contractor, but also a joy to work with. At a time when most houses took up to two years from ground breaking to residence, Clark built our house in 7 months. Whenever there was a problem, we were more than comfortable telling him to find his own solution. I believe that...
4 comments
Read more