These Days
Episodes
68 episodes
The Seductive Vortex of Tech and Advertising
Our phones combine the pleasures and harms of an on-demand tv and a pack of cigarettes. What can we do to escape their seductive vortex?On "the father of media studies" Marshal McLuhan:
On Meeting Christopher Hitchens
A rare chance to eat and drink with the great public intellectual still begs the question: What would our public discourse be like if he were still with us?
World Cup: Alexi Lalas and Zlatan Ibrahimović
During this World Cup Fox Soccer co-analysts and former players Zlatan Ibrahimović and Alexi Lalas have sparred in studio. Ibrahimović may have taken the early rounds but his actions say a lot about him—and nearly none of it is good.
Trump Reflects All of Us
Tempting as it may be to continually and justifiably lambast Trump, he's largely reflection of us and our own collective ills. What are we missing?
Trump in China
Trump's summit with Chinese premier Xi Jinping meant far less practically than it did symbolically. And in this regard, the Chinese philosopher king met the beleaguered U.S. bully. Round 1: China.
Tech as a King-Sized Drag
Tech is sold to us as an enhanced extension of ourselves. But on the most basic level it fails us, diminishing our instincts and replacing them with palpable tension and angst. Thread on
<5: How Fucked Up Are We? Really
While Trump is indeed a major problem for our society, he is a symptom of a much larger problem ailing us at this time.
Orioles: 2026 Season Preview
The Baltimore Orioles made many high-impact acquisitions this offseason—from NY Mets slugger Pete Alonso to new manager Craig Albernaz—to complement and develop their highly touted young core. What can reasonably be expected from this year's te...
<5: On Trump and Psychopathology
Virtually everything, including our politics, is personal. And so to truly understand Donald Trump and his presidency we must factor in the man's psycho...
Our Phones, Coffin Nails, Fat Albert and Fentanyl: A Common Thread
In the 1920s cigarettes were dubbed "coffin nails." Forty-plus years later we got a government warning about their harms. Something disturbingly similar is taking place with our phones and AI.
Where's the Opposition?
American Christianity and Liberalism at one point would have served as effective bulwarks against the depravity of Donald Trump. That they haven't points to a deepening American crisis.
Pam Bondi's Own Trump Derangement
Attorney General Pam Bondi's performance before the House Judiciary Committee marked a new low in in the history of American politics. Her lack of self-respect, the way in which her moral judgement so willfully capitulated to kowtowing and cult...
Hate Trump? Give Some Thanks to the Clintons
It's tempting to blame all our national ills on Donald Trump. But the devastation of our values that he represents goes back decades. Bill and Hillary Clinton, with their greed, indecency, corruption and blatant denials—along with the ongoing d...
How the Bill Belichick Hall of Fame Snub Actually Makes Sense
Six-time Super Bowl winning head coach Bill Belichick was denied entry last week into the National Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot, setting off outrage among the punditry. Here's why the decision makes sense.
On the Holidays and Estrangement
A recent Times piece reported that "at least one in four American adults is estranged from a close relative." I, along with many of my patients, are among them. This is some of what I've learned.
Mass Media's Massive Capitulation
Long after Trumpism fades, the U.S. will feel the effects of a media that, as with wokeism a few years before, has capitulated when it mattered most.
A Horn and a Middle Finger in Hollywood
(Short.) What happens when two drivers in Hollywood get pissed and refuse to budge?
Dogs: "Never Let Them Win"
As one fascinated by our interactions with dogs, I've sought the knowledge of experts over how best to rear them. One of the best pieces of advice ever given was, while daunting at first, strikingly simple: "Never let them win."
Everything is Personal, Not Political
There's an adage that "everything is political." This is not true: Even the political is in fact personal, reflecting and saying much about one's own psychology. Once a person comes to understand, and to accept, their own thoughts and feelings ...
Charlie Kirk, Two Days After
My daughter once asked me, as a clinician who works daily with psychopathology, "Dad, do any people ever scare you?" Very few in fact do, I replied—save for those who believe in violence as a means to silence another's point of view. The horrif...
Charlie Kirk Assassination
Much like the Columbine shooting in 1999, the assassination of Charlie Kirk is a cataclysmic moment of these times, and one which portends more violence. The killing also reflects how sick, on both sides, our society has become. As our politici...
Tech Skepticism, plus Remembering the iPad
It's hard in our tech-dependent, and increasingly divided, world to ask skeptical questions about what we're doing and whether the tech in question is an actual improvement in our lives. Plus, looking back at the iPad, which was sold to schools...
Orioles: Nails in the Coffin
After two straight losses coming out of the All-Star break and news of another injury to a starting pitcher, the Orioles have moved into the category of unequivocal sellers. What pieces will GM Mike Elias look to shop, and what will he be looki...