Some Noise

Quote: "It's a heated field." —Otto Pippenger About: A two-part story about a campaign trying to unseat Speaker Nancy Pelosi from her congressional seat leads to a much larger reckoning for the left. Show Notes: [00:30] "The Layers of Heaven" by Jovica [01:10] "Coulis Coulis" by The Blue Dot Sessions [03:45] On Senator Amy Klobuchar, sporks combs and salads  [04:00] "Grizzlies" by Mary Riddle [04:30] "The second most important race" to watch [06:30] Full results of San Francisco's 2020 Primary elections Respect to Craig Sager  [06:45] h/t Dorris Burke [07:30] Follow Jasper Wilde [08:50] Read Jasper's 4,300-word essay here [09:20] "Vik Fenceta" by The Blue Dot Sessions [10:30] Recent progressive wave in San Francisco San Francisco's problem with needles Light reading on San Francisco's homeless problem More on the Bay Area housing crisis [11:30] Light reading on: [12:35] "Dusting" by The Blue Dot Sessions [13:00] Related: AOC's shoes and sneakers [17:05] Follow Otto Pippenger And a recent interview on the split within the Democratic party [19:20] A past read on Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez Shahid's reply [22:10] Liz Croydon's sexual harrasment allegations against Shahid Buttar from The Intercept from Mission Local from The San Francisco Chronicle and it's earlier reporting from The Humanist Report from Rolling Stone's Useful Idiots Podcast a counter-narrative to Elizabeth Croydon's Medium essay a response from the Shahid campaign [23:10] Coverage of the allegation: [23:45] More from The Intercept's Akela Lacy on the allegations and its impact on the Shahid Buttar campaign [36:45] "Tarte Tarin" by The Blue Dot Sessions  [37:15] Gloria Berry's defense of Shahid Buttar [42:00] Follow Akela Lacy for more political coverage [44:30] Amy Klobuchar didn't eat a salad with a spork, it was actually a comb [54:20] "Swing That Horn" by Mary Riddle more at thisissomenoise.com/ep-31  

Quote: "I'm a progressive, yeah." —U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi About: A two-part story about a campaign trying to unseat Speaker Nancy Pelosi from her congressional seat leads to a much larger reckoning for the left. Show Notes: [00:30] "The Layers of Heaven" by Jovica [01:00] Light reading on Agatha Bacelar [01:05] "Coulis Coulis" by The Blue Dot Sessions [01:45] Light reading on the progressive movement [01:50] Light reading on Tom Gallagher [02:00] Light reading on Medicare for All, The Green New Deal and US Militarism [02:50] "Swing That Horn" by Mary Riddle [04:15] A profile of Shahid Buttar (@shahidforchange / @Sheeyahshee) And the results [04:45] That time Shahid Buttar ran against Nancy Pelosi in 2018 [05:20] "Exquisite Motion" by The Blue Dot Sessions  His EFF background A rapper and singer A poet A music producer and DJ His 2016 Buring Man DJ set His appearance on Russia Today's "Breaking the Set" [05:25] Light reading on Shahid's background [06:15] Related: Burning Man sucks Reason #1029492 [06:20] Related: "Freedom Music" by Irfan Rainy & Baba Israel And when it ended [08:45] Remember the Bernie Sanders Presidential campaign  Mission Local His early coverage of Shahid's campaign and here Spoiler alert: his later coverage of the campaign And a reminder to go back and listen to the Frisco series, Part I here [09:20] More on Joe Eskenazi [10:55] "Setting Pace" by The Blue Dot Sessions   The tearing up of speeches The #resistance movement The performative criticism What Shahid tweeted [11:00] More on the clapback Related reading and viewing Her wheeling and dealing on Obamacare [11:20] More on Nancy Pelosi's history in politics More on her vote on Iraq War Related: Her handling of Bush impeachment Her votes on national security Her stance against progressive movement Her 2019 interview on 60 Minutes [12:50] Her votes on Iraq Wars More on Green New Deal [13:10] More on Medicare for All [13:20] "The Cornice" by The Blue Dot Sessions Related Instagram trends [16:45] h/t @doorsoftunisia [18:20] Follow Otto Pippenger [18:30] Light reading on SF Supervisor Dean Preston  [18:45] Related: Rise of the DSA   [21:00] Related: The recent drug overdose epidemic in the San Francisco Bay Area [23:20] Light reading on San Francisco City College accreditation fight [26:40] Follow Jasper Wilde  [29:15] Light reading on Bernie Sanders 2016 campaign and feminism [29:50] "Setting Pace" by The Blue Dot Sessions  [30:00] For more on the specialty coffee scene, listen to "Bougie Coffee" Bay Area coffee roaster's sexual assault and harassment scandal [30:25] Related: SCAA's expo in Dubai [34:00] More on Shahid's backstory [34:30] Related: Pelosi's support of government surveillance more at thisissomenoise.com/ep-30 [38:15] Listen to Part II here  

Quote: "Where do you want to start?" —Farhad Azad About: Afghanistan has far too often been referred to as a place where countries go to die, it is a graveyard of empires. This moniker has been cited so many times and for so long that it's unclear who first said it. Even the Afghan community will recite this pride. But what a title like this fails to convey is that while this might be a country responsible for the many tombstones of others, it very well is also a moratorium of progress for itself, a state in perpetual arrested development. This is also a cemetery for countless Afghans who, in more modern times, failed to see any empire rise. Why do some countries get to debate their histories while others have their legacy determined by outsiders? And what gets lost along the way? This is Part II of a multi-part story on how history, current events, and culture all complicate the Afghan identity.  Show Notes: [00:30] "The Layers of Heaven" by Jovica [00:45] The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini [00:50] The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis [01:15] Re: Is it hard to have fun when you have a library card? [01:20] More on Jamil Jan Kochai (@jamiljankochai) Read his book, 99 Nights in Logar Read his New Yorker story [01:35] The renovation project on the West Sacramento Public Library [02:35] Listen to Part 1 here [02:50] A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini  [03:10] Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini  [03:15] "Mirrored Seduction" by Walt Adams [04:40] SparkNotes for The Kite Runner  [05:05] The Kite Runner movie trailer [07:50] "Attan-Khatme Zanzeri" s/o to the original "afghan-music.com"  [09:50]  Books here: Afghanistan: A Short History of Its People and Politics by Martin Ewans The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Lemmon Killing the Cranes: A Reporter's Journey through Three Decades of War in Afghanistan by Edward Girardet Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia by Ahmed Rashid Zinky Boys: Soviet Voices from the Afghanistan War by Svetlana Alexievichy Directorate S: The C.I.A. and America's Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Steve Cole Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan by Doug Stanton [11:55] "Walk Like an Egyptian" cover by The Cleverlys [12:20] Light reading on Napoleon's conquest of Egypt Related reading here [12:35] French Suite No. 2 in C Minor [13:20] Light reading on the late Edward Said [13:30] A recent review of Orientalism by Edward Said [13:45] "Choose Your Outfit" by Colors of Illusion [14:10] Edward Said with the Media Education Foundation in 1998 [15:20] More on Farhad Azad and afghanmagazine.com [16:10] "Over the Dunes" by Jon Sumner [16:55] Light reading on Nader Shah [17:10] Light reading on the Pashtuns More on Pashtunwali Light reading on Ahmad Shah Durrani [20:05] "Portobello Road" by David Celeste [20:30] More on Dr. Nivi Manchanda (@ManchandaNivi) Her blog on the disorder of things Her book, Imagining Afghanistan: the History and Politics of Imperial Knowledge  A Q&A on her book [21:00] Light reading on the British East India Company [21:10] Light reading on the geopolitical context of the 1800s [21:50] An Account of the Kingdom of Caubul, and its Dependencies in Persia, Tartary, and India [22:30] Some of Dr. Manchanda's other writings "The Imperial Sociology of the 'Tribe' in Afghanistan" "Queering the Pashtun: Afghansexuality in the homo-nationalist imaginary" [23:45] "Fairy's Fear" by Deskant  [26:30] "Leavy Quickly" by Alan Carlson-Green [26:35] Light reading on the US-Afghan war [26:50] Light reading on the Great Game [27:00] "Oh Motherland" by Sight of Wonders  [27:25] "Devil's Disgrace" by Deskant [27:35] Light reading on the British Intelligence officer who coined the term "The Great Game"    Related: A 1901 review of Rudyard Kipling's Kim [29:05] See 'Remnants of An Army' Read some backstory of the painting here [29:30] Light reading on William Brydon [29:45] Technically, it was the winter of 1841-42, but more reading on that retreat here. [31:20] Light reading of that first occupation in 1842 [31:25] "Alive Without Breathing" by Deskant [32:30] Light reading on Dost Muhammad Khan's reflections on the British empire More on First Anglo Afghan War (1839-42) [32:50] Light reading on Sher Ali Khan  More on the Second Anglo Afghan War (1878-80) [33:50] Light reading on Abdur-Rahman Khan (aka The Iron Emir) Light reading on the state of the Hazara population Light reading on the Hazara genocide of the 1890s More reading on the Hazara genocide More reading on the Hazaras His rationale of his brutal reign [33:55] "Pepper Seeds" by Rune Dale [35:40] News of Afghanistan's latest railroad here and here [36:05] Light reading on the assassination of Habibullah Khan [37:20] "Crusade" by Max Anson [37:50] Light reading on the Third Anglo Afghan War (1919) Light reading on Ammanullah Khan Light reading on the bombings of Kabul Light reading on Afghan Independence Day Related: Independence movements in Egypt, Ireland and Malta Light reading on the Durand Line [39:35] More on Wazhmah Osman And her book: Television and the Afghan Culture Wars And her film: Postcards from Tora Bora [41:40] Light reading on Khushal Khan Khattak [44:00] "Nothing in This World" by Telmo Telmo  

"You've got boys flying kites again..." —George W. Bush About: Oh, the privilege.  And what a privilege it is to publish a story about the broader theme of culture and identity, specifically for Afghanistan's diaspora living in the States, like those on that third-culture-wave, when Afghans from the home country are left dealing with far harsher realities. The diaspora's dilemma pales in comparison (if you're that foolish to try and compare the two) to their dilemma. No less, it is still a dilemma. With that in mind, Part I of this multi-part story dives into that nebulous question...what does it really mean to be Afghan? Really, what does it mean to be from anywhere? This is a tricky one. Show Notes   [00:45] "The Layers of Heaven" by Jovica [02:15] "I Know A Way Through" by Phillip Ayers [03:30] "Afghan National Anthem" [06:05] 2010 Census data on the number of Afghans in America  Related: Some of the other largest ethnic groups in America Related: Light reading on Dearborn, Mich. Related: Light reading on Egyptians in Jersey City (h/t @Saressaa) Related: Light reading on Iranians in Glendale / Tehrangeles [07:10] More on the Kalacha On the real estate The surrounding area And some other stats [07:50] "Don't Say No" by Mike Franklin [08:40] Light reading on Flushing [08:50] Light reading on the local soccer club scene [12:05] "Burnin' Things" by Mike Franklin [14:35] Light reading on Rumi Related:"I am not of India, nor of China, nor of Bulgaria, nor of Saqsín; / I am not of the kingdom of Irãqain, nor of the country of Khorãsãn." And the debate over where Rumi is from  [16:55] More reading on consumerism and American culture Here Here Here Here Here [19:05] More on Jamil Jan Kochai (@jamiljankochai) Read his book, 99 Nights in Logar 2020 Pen Award finalist for debut novel [19:20] Light reading on Logar, Afghanistan [19:45] "Khaista Logar De"  [20:05] Afghanistan by Mohammad Hassan Kakar [21:45] "Antidote X" by Van Sandano [21:45] George W. Bush announcement of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan on Oct 7, 2001 [21:50] President George W. Bush's comments in December 2008 [22:25] President Barack Obama's comments on drone strikes in 2013 [23:00] President Donald Trump comments on US Afghan war in 2019 [23:45] Rory Stewart's two-part documentary series: Afghanistan: The Great Game  [24:30] John Rambo's history lesson of Afghanistan in Rambo III Related: this was propaganda Related: the Rambo musical score [28:30] "Desert Hideout" by Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen [31:00] "Wandering Soul" by Gabriel Lewis [31:10] Light reading on the rise of the median home price vs the median household income [31:20] Light reading on the increase of the cost of education [31:30] Light reading on the rising cost of healthcare over the past few decades [32:19]  "Playing Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain" by Jamil Jan Kochai [32:25] Light reading on Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain "Afghanistan is a big place" [33:10] "The Early Eagle" by Jon Sumner [35:25] Shout out to the prologue [38:10] Light reading on Dari vs Farsi [38:15] Light reading on the attan [39:45] "Nysnö" by Sandra Marteleur [40:00] Light reading on the history of slavery in the U.S. Related: Seeing White  [41:15] Light reading on  Modern-day redlining The state of U.S. law enforcement The socioeconomic wealth gap [43:25] "Mountain Solitude" by Moorland Songs [44:00] The second-coming of the Bamiyan Buddhas  [44:15] "Good words, good thoughts and good deeds." [45:10] John Gardner's The Art of Fiction

This is a prologue to a multi-part series about the Afghan diaspora in America reclaiming their past and trying to grow from the present. It's a story about culture, identity and authenticity. Show Notes: [00:30] "The Layers of Heaven" by Jovica [00:55] Hit rewind. (freesound.org / cognitu perceptu) [01:00] "Our Son the Potter" by The Blue Dot Sessions [01:10] When LeBron James threw up his arms at J.R. Smith [01:20] The hit song of Summer 2017 [01:30] Why the Game of Thrones finale was awful The teaser to Season 7 for old times sakes [01:45] Brigette Gabriel's call to "protest" More on Brigette Gabriel [02:10] The Southern Poverty Law Center's take on ACT for America [02:15] Saturday, June 10, 2017, "anti-sharia protests" take place across the country [03:15] Dispatch from an "anti-sharia protest" in Santa Clara, Calif. (h/t @SarRavani) [06:25] More on the 2017 Portland train incident Related: The Story of a Hate Crime [06:40] The surge of hate crimes that followed shortly after the 2016 election See here, here, here and here [09:00] Light reading on no-go-zones. [09:10] Light reading on Dearborn, Mich. [09:40] "Cupcake Marshall" by The Blue Dot Sessions  [12:15] Light reading on "white genocide" [14:40] "Verdigris" by The Blue Dot Sessions [16:20] This is a throwback to the original prologue of this podcast. It's meta. [16:50] Light reading on that third culture wave. [17:20] Spoiler alert: no. [17:30] Afghan National Anthem performed on TOLO TV