Woke Points

Marni Edelhart and Ted McCarthy
  • 5.0 (27)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Welcome to Woke Points, a podcast where two friends have a laugh while challenging our assumptions to differentiate between scoring "woke points" and taking informed, progressive action.

  1. 01/11/2024

    What it (Was) Like to Visit Gaza

    A whole lot has been happening in the Middle East since October 7th, and there's been no shortage of coverage of the conflict on news, social media, and almost anywhere else we look. But what was it like to visit before all this started — and especially, what was it like to visit Gaza? Listen in as Ted describes his experiences mentoring startups there in 2015 and 2017. This is an atypical episode — no music, and no Marni — but we hope this can help add some context to what's happening in the region today. Ted will read excerpts from a series of essays he's posting on his weekly newsletter, The Web and the World. If you'd like to read more about his time there (and see photos of Gaza in a time of peace), take a look there as well. Resources from this episode: John Oliver's excellent coverage of the war on "Last Week Tonight"Ezra Klein's interview with Nimrod Novik, a fellow at the Israel Policy Forum and a member of the executive committee of Commanders for Israel’s SecurityGaza Sky Geeks, Gaza's first and only tech accelerator, which hosted Ted's visitsGaza Online — help a Gazan tremendously for very little money by buying an eSIM card to provide vital mobile data access to someone in Gaza todayTed's newsletter, The Web and the World We chose not to include our usual bright, upbeat music in this episode, but usually we rely on Inny PDX for our excellent tunes — thank you! Woke Points uses affiliate links for purchases made with the excellent Bookshop.org, so if you purchase books through these links you help sustain both our podcast *and* independent bookstores across the country — thank you! Enjoying Woke Points? Please stay subscribed and continue to follow us to stay apprised of updates and new episodes! Follow Woke Points: @wokepointspod on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Help keep Woke Points going & growing with support through Buy Me a Coffee Have feedback and/or topic suggestions to share? email: wokepointspod@gmail.com

    47 min

  2. 12/19/2023

    Kissinger's Death Sheds New Light on The Secret War — with Legacies of War's Danae Hendrickson

    When Henry Kissinger died, various obituaries struggled to sound respectful while recounting his long history of war crimes and dastardly deeds. Woke Points, on the other hand, will not be burdened with that struggle. Ted and Marni are joined by Danae Hendrickson of Legacies of War to discuss the Secret War that Kissinger led in Laos and Cambodia during the (far-from-secret) war in Vietnam. Together we discuss the devastating impacts that 2 million tons of bombs dropped on Laos in the 1960s and '70s still have to this day.  Danae shares her personal history with The Secret War and the important work of Legacies of War and other NGOs striving to shed light on, and ameliorate the continued harm of,  the war and its aftermath. Resources from this episode: The New England Review of Henry Kissinger ObituariesHenry Kissinger, the Devil at the Dinner PartyHenry Kissinger Dead at 100Why Laos Has Been Bombed More than Any Other CountryKennedy and Khrushchev Agree on Neutrality for LaosTham Piew CaveBiden: sending cluster munitions to Ukraine was ‘difficult decision,’ but ‘they needed them'Convention on Cluster MunitionsMother of Five Killed by UXOLegacies of War's The OriginalsBooks: Jessica Pearce Rotondi, What We InheritNaomi Klein, Shock DoctrineZygmunt Bauman, Modernity and the HolocaustWho to Support: Legacies of WarMAG InternationalCOPEAPOPOThank you to Inny PDX for the music! Woke Points uses affiliate links for purchases made with the excellent Bookshop.org, so if you purchase books through these links you help sustain both our podcast *and* independent bookstores across the country — thank you! Enjoying Woke Points? Please stay subscribed and continue to follow us to stay apprised of updates and new episodes! Follow Woke Points: @wokepointspod on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Help keep Woke Points going & growing with support through Buy Me a Coffee Have feedback and/or topic suggestions to share? email: wokepointspod@gmail.com

    1h 17m

  3. 12/12/2023

    Outdoorsy Talk with Real Scientist Dr. Joe Boomgard-Zagrodnik

    Getting outdoors has never been nerdier! Atmospheric scientist and avid ultra runner Joe Boomgard-Zagrodnik joins Ted and Marni to bring a truly informed, scientific perspective on how we can conscientiously enjoy the great outdoors. We talk climate change, optimism, microplastics and much much more. If you like Woke Points then you should love Joe BZ because he originally introduced Ted and Marni when they crewed for him at The Western States 100  race. Books referenced in this episode:Yi-Fu Tuan, TopophiliaLinks:William Cronon, “The Trouble with Wilderness” Keep learning from Joe: The Convergence Zone Twitter/X Google Scholar Thank you to Inny PDX for the music! Woke Points uses affiliate links for purchases made with the excellent Bookshop.org, so if you purchase books through these links you help sustain both our podcast *and* independent bookstores across the country — thank you! Enjoying Woke Points? Please stay subscribed and continue to follow us to stay apprised of updates and new episodes! Follow Woke Points: @wokepointspod on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Help keep Woke Points going & growing with support through Buy Me a Coffee Have feedback and/or topic suggestions to share? email: wokepointspod@gmail.com

    1h 5m

  4. 11/28/2023

    Taking a Shot at Talking Guns

    Some folks on the left have adopted the maxim that the "best way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." Listen in as we discuss our own reaction to that belief, and the practice of using guns to defend threatened groups from the violence of oppressors. Marni and Ted share stories of groups in the minority who are taking up arms for their protection, and discuss our own experiences with, and feelings about, guns. Resources from this episode: Books: Killers of the Flower MoonOne Hundred Years of SolitudeLinks: Pew, “Key facts about Americans and guns”Pew, “Gun Violence Widely Viewed as a Major – and Growing – National Problem”HCN, “Meet the gun-toting ‘Tenacious Unicorns’ in rural Colorado”TNR, “Antifa Is Arming Itself Against a Trump Crackdown”Atlantic, “Guns Have Always Been Regulated”Harpers, ”Good Guys with Guns”Gallup, “Stark Gender Gap in Gun Ownership, Views of Gun Laws in U.S.”Atlantic, “The Secret History of Guns”NJSBF, “The Evolution of the Second Amendment”Socialist Rifle AssociationThe Pink PistolsThank you to Inny PDX for the music! Woke Points uses affiliate links for purchases made with the excellent Bookshop.org, so if you purchase books through these links you help sustain both our podcast *and* independent bookstores across the country — thank you! Enjoying Woke Points? Please stay subscribed and continue to follow us to stay apprised of updates and new episodes! Follow Woke Points: @wokepointspod on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Help keep Woke Points going & growing with support through Buy Me a Coffee Have feedback and/or topic suggestions to share? email: wokepointspod@gmail.com

    56 min

  5. 11/14/2023

    The Atlantic's Elliot Ackerman on Reinstating the Draft

    Having served five tours of duty as a Marine in Iraq and Afghanistan, Elliot Ackerman knows what he's talking about when it comes to military service.  He makes the argument that a draft could increase public engagement with the military and thus potentially reduce wars because everyone would have more skin in the game.  In this episode, Ted and Marni talk to Elliot about how his experience informs his perspective and if he sees any real potential for a universal draft to be brought to fruition.  Resources from this episode: Elliot's Time article about reinstating the draftPre-order Elliot's latest book, 2054Buy Elliot's National Book Award-nominated novel, HalcyonRead more of Elliot's thoughts on war and military service in his book, Places and Names: On War, Revolution, and ReturningElliot's recent interview with Terry Gross — that's right, we interviewed someone before Terry Gross did!Thank you to Inny PDX for the music! Woke Points uses affiliate links for purchases made with the excellent Bookshop.org, so if you purchase books through these links you help sustain both our podcast *and* independent bookstores across the country — thank you! Enjoying Woke Points? Please stay subscribed and continue to follow us to stay apprised of updates and new episodes! Follow Woke Points: @wokepointspod on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Help keep Woke Points going & growing with support through Buy Me a Coffee Have feedback and/or topic suggestions to share? email: wokepointspod@gmail.com

    53 min

  6. 11/07/2023

    Can we #GetOutdoors without Destroying Them?

    Ted is super Outdoorsy and Marni is more Outdoors-ish, but we both love our time in the woods, on the water, and just out in the fresh air. In this episode, we explore (see what I did there?) how to love the outdoors without destroying them.  Resources from this episode: COVID spikes in Outdoor RecreationOutdoor Activities and Greenhouse Gas EmissionsThe impact of urbanization on Austria’s carbon footprintTrail running events contribute microplastic pollution to conservation and wilderness areasNat Geo article: Rock climbing is getting more popular—and that concerns conservationistsApparently helicopters use lead fuelHelicopters with SAF! Promising for general travel too“Your stoke won’t save us: The idea that outdoor recreation leads to meaningful conservation rests on a big ‘if’Are We Loving Our National Parks to Death?Ted and Marni's favorite Wilderness ReadsThank you to Inny PDX for the music! Woke Points uses affiliate links for purchases made with the excellent Bookshop.org, so if you purchase books through these links you help sustain both our podcast *and* independent bookstores across the country — thank you! Enjoying Woke Points? Please stay subscribed and continue to follow us to stay apprised of updates and new episodes! Follow Woke Points: @wokepointspod on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Help keep Woke Points going & growing with support through Buy Me a Coffee Have feedback and/or topic suggestions to share? email: wokepointspod@gmail.com

    56 min

  7. 10/31/2023

    Should We Reinstate the Draft?

    Most Americans pass every day blissfully unaware of the impacts our military has around the world. We are insulated by a volunteer military that carries out global campaigns while we go about our lives. On this episode, Ted and Marni discuss whether a national, inclusive draft could result in increased civic engagements and fewer wars. Resources from this episode: Why Bringing Back the Draft Could Stop America’s Forever WarsHow I Learned to Love the DraftShould the United States Reinstate the Draft?Watson Institute Cost of War Map — Counterterror LocationsCFR (Council on Foreign Relations) data on military demographicsCountries with Mandatory Military Service, 2023Skin in the Game: Poor Kids and PatriotsThank you to Inny PDX for the music! Woke Points uses affiliate links for purchases made with the excellent Bookshop.org, so if you purchase books through these links you help sustain both our podcast *and* independent bookstores across the country — thank you! Enjoying Woke Points? Please stay subscribed and continue to follow us to stay apprised of updates and new episodes! Follow Woke Points: @wokepointspod on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Help keep Woke Points going & growing with support through Buy Me a Coffee Have feedback and/or topic suggestions to share? email: wokepointspod@gmail.com

    49 min

  8. 10/24/2023

    A Future Without Philanthropy — featuring Farhad Ebrahimi

    Chorus Foundation founder Farhad Ebrahimi is in the process of giving away all $50 million of his inherited wealth, and he'll be done by the end of this year. Listen to this episode to learn not only why is Farhad giving away his fortune, but is encouraging others to follow his lead. Beyond his own foundation, he's part of a larger movement to work with others across society to imagine a future beyond philanthropy as we know it. Resources from this episode: The Chorus Foundation — Farhad's OrganizationThe Whitman Institute —Trust Based PhilanthropyJustice FundersThe Mexico City Policy — Ted couldn't remember the name of this during recording, but it's important knowledge!Vu Lee's Blog "Nonprofit AF"Boot's Riley's "I'm a Virgo"Winners Take All, by Anand GiridharadasPineapple Street, by Jenny Jackson — a surprisingly relevant beach readThank you to Inny PDX for the music! Woke Points uses affiliate links for purchases made with the excellent Bookshop.org, so if you purchase books through these links you help sustain both our podcast *and* independent bookstores across the country — thank you! Enjoying Woke Points? Please stay subscribed and continue to follow us to stay apprised of updates and new episodes! Follow Woke Points: @wokepointspod on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Help keep Woke Points going & growing with support through Buy Me a Coffee Have feedback and/or topic suggestions to share? email: wokepointspod@gmail.com

    1h 32m
See All (34)

5
out of 5
27 Ratings

About

Welcome to Woke Points, a podcast where two friends have a laugh while challenging our assumptions to differentiate between scoring "woke points" and taking informed, progressive action.

Information

  • Creator
    Marni Edelhart and Ted McCarthy
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2024
  • Episodes
    34
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Woke Points
  • Show Website
    Woke Points