{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/696568de9ab39048a63ed7f7/69656908cfb9d619f8a6b15b?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Conundrum 2020","description":"<p>Emily, John, and David end 2020 considering listeners’ most perplexing conundrums—with special guest <a href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/alexandra-petri/\">Alexandra Petri!</a></p><p><br></p><p>Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:</p><p><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/dp/1375684515/?tag=slatmaga-20\"><em>The Life of George Washington: With Curious Anecdotes, Equally Honourable to Himself, and Exemplary to His Young Countrymen</em></a><em> </em>by Mason Locke Weems</p><p><br></p><p><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/dp/0974551627/?tag=slatmaga-20\"><em>Marching Bands Are Just Homeless Orchestras, Half-Empty Thoughts Vol. 1</em></a> by Tim Siedell</p><p><br></p><p><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/dp/0451191145/?tag=slatmaga-20\"><em>Atlas Shrugged</em></a> by Ayn Rand</p><p><br></p><p><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/dp/0451191153/?tag=slatmaga-20\"><em>The Fountainhead</em></a> by Ayn Rand</p><p><br></p><p><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/dp/1400079985/?tag=slatmaga-20\"><em>War and Peace</em></a> by Leo Tolstoy</p><p><br></p><p><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/dp/0099579936/?tag=slatmaga-20\"><em>Fifty Shades of Grey</em></a> by E.L. James</p><p> </p><p>David G. Savage for The Los Angeles Times: “<a href=\"https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2011-jul-02-la-na-clarence-thomas-20110703-story.html\">Clarence Thomas is His Own Man</a></p><p><br></p><p><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/dp/0316544965/?tag=slatmaga-20\"><em>The Glory and The Dream</em></a> by William Manchester</p><p><br></p><p><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/dp/0393337766/?tag=slatmaga-20\"><em>The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family</em></a> by Annette Gordon-Reed</p><p><br></p><p><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FIXGXM2/?tag=slatmaga-20\"><em>Eminent Victorians</em></a> by Lytton Strachey </p><p><br></p><p><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/dp/0140455167/?tag=slatmaga-20\"><em>The Twelve Caesars</em></a> by Suetonius</p><p><br></p><p><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/dp/1449433251/?tag=slatmaga-20\"><em>The Complete Calvin and Hobbes</em></a> by Bill Waterson</p><p><br></p><p><a href=\"https://www.netflix.com/title/81035279\"><em>FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened</em></a><em>, </em>Netflix</p><p><br></p><p><a href=\"https://www.hulu.com/movie/fyre-fraud-e47078f3-1c0e-49a8-9da9-c571a7a20fec\"><em>Fyre Fraud</em></a><em>, </em>Hulu</p><p><br></p><p><em>Black Mirror: </em>“<a href=\"https://www.netflix.com/title/70264888\">Nosedive</a>,” Netflix</p><p><br></p><p><em>Black Mirror: </em>“<a href=\"https://www.netflix.com/title/70264888\">Arkangel</a>,” Netflix</p><p><br></p><p>Here are some of the conundrums tackled on the show: </p><p><br></p><ul><li>To save the world from eventual destruction, you have to live and work in one of two locations that you cannot leave for three years: one on the ocean floor, the other on the moon. Which do you choose and why? </li></ul><p><br></p><ul><li>What pre-1900 social custom (especially one related to how people interact with each other in public) that has fallen out of fashion should be revived in 2021 and beyond?</li></ul><p><br></p><ul><li>Would you rather have read <em>War and Peace</em> but not be able to talk about it, or to have read <em>Atlas Shrugged</em> and have to talk about it?</li></ul><p><br></p><ul><li>A pair of 80s style magical leg warmers must be visibly worn all day to activate superhuman cheetah speed. Do you wear them? </li></ul><p><br></p><p><br></p><ul><li>For the rest of quarantine, you must share your home with a fictional character. Who is your new roommate?</li></ul><p><br></p><ul><li>You can have your portrait painted by any artist from any period of history, or your biography written by any author. Whom would you pick?</li></ul><p><br></p><ul><li>If you could banish any widely accepted canard from people’s minds, what would it be?</li></ul><p><br></p><ul><li>If you, and only you, could see one statistic hovering over every person’s head, what would you want it to be?</li></ul><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on the Gabfest each week, and access to special bonus episodes throughout the year. </strong><a href=\"https://my.slate.com/plus?utm_medium=link&amp;utm_campaign=plus_pod&amp;utm_content=Gabfest&amp;utm_source=show_notes\"><strong>Sign up now</strong></a><strong> to listen and support our show. </strong>For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment David, Emily, John, and Alexandra explore some bonus conundrums.</p><p><br></p><p>You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to <a href=\"https://twitter.com/slategabfest?lang=en\">@SlateGabfest</a>. Tweet us your cocktail chatter using #cocktailchatter. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)</p><p> </p><p>The email address for the Political Gabfest is <a href=\"mailto:gabfest@slate.com\">gabfest@slate.com</a>. (Email may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)</p><p><br></p><p>Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank.</p><p>Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap.</p><p> </p>","author_name":"Slate Podcasts"}