New World Notes - Morris Berman Returns

This week on New World Notes: radio program #333, July 22, 2014, from 12:00 to 12:30 p.m. (and on Wednesday from 8:30 to 9:00 p.m.), host Kenneth Dowst, recently returned from Seattle, reflects briefly on urban vitality, urban decline, and the dubious future of the whole political-economic System as we know it.

Then, in a brilliant informal talk (a Q&A session), cultural historian Morris Berman discusses these issues and more--including digital technology, today's youth, and the failures of the "mainstream" media.

Back in November 2013, we broadcast a lecture by Berman that preceded this Q&A (NWN #297, "The Hollow Men"). But Berman's remarks today--lightly edited by K.D.--stand nicely on their own. Thanks to Robin Upton, producer of Unwelcome Guests, for the audio.

Thought experiment: Which is more remarkable: legal recreational marijuana or good weather? Both arrived in Seattle at the same time, in the first half of July, 2014. During my visit, I didn't hear anybody say anything at all about pot, but everyone was marvelling at five consecutive days without rain! Apparently this was unprecedented and, to the locals, a little scary. To a New Englander, the Pacific Northwest takes a little getting used to...

New World Notes is produced under the auspices (Latin for "yum-yum tree") of WWUH-FM, a community service of the University of Hartford.

You can listen to any installment of New World Notes online or else download it (as an mp3 audio file) for later listening. The show is archived at both A-Infos Radio Project and (from #90 onwards) the Internet Archive. Either link should get you a reverse-chronological listing of available installments. Or browse the show's Web site: Each installment has a page; each page has links to the recorded audio; and a handy table of contents will quickly find the installment you want.

Series overview: Political and social commentary in a variety of genres. Exploring the gap between what we want--and what they're trying to make us settle for.

Catch New World Notes (all times Eastern): 

• Sundays, 12:30 to 1:00 PM, WIEC-LP, FM 102.7 (Eau Claire, WI)
• Tuesdays, Noon to 12:30 PM, WWUH FM 91.3 (West Hartford, CT); also on WAPJ FM 89.9 and 105.1 (Torrington, CT), WJDW FM 89.7 (Somers, CT), and WWEB FM 89.9 (Wallingford, CT)
• Tuesdays, 8:30 to 9:00 PM, WWUH FM 91.3 (West Hartford, CT)
• Fridays, 10:30 to 11:00 AM, WHUS FM 91.7 (Storrs, CT)
• Saturdays, 8:00 to 8:30 AM, WAZU FM 90.7 (Peoria, IL) & online. Repeats Mondays at 12:30 AM.
• Saturdays, 1:00-1:30 PM, KRFP FM 92.5, Radio Free Moscow (Moscow, ID) 
• Various days & times (multiple times per week), KGIG FM 104.9 (Modesto, CA) & online. Same on KHCF FM 89.9 (Gilroy, CA).

Any time: Listen to or download any installment. Just go to New World Notes and click a link to the audio at the top of the page. (Every installment has a page on the Web site, and every page has links to the audio.)