Critically Speaking

In this episode, Therese Markow and Adam Morgan discuss Adam's new book, A Danger to the Minds of Young Girls, which explores the life and legacy of Margaret C. Anderson. Margaret was a pioneering figure in modern literature, the founder of "The Little Review" in Chicago, and one of the key figures in fostering the Chicago literary renaissance. They talk about the challenges she faced, despite her initial successes, why her physical appearance often overshadowed her contributions, and the impact on young girls today that Margaret also faced during her time.     Key Takeaways: "The Little Review" served as a platform for uncensored conversations about literature and art, including experimental works that were often undiscovered during her time. The Comstock Act was a group of federal laws that banned the mailing of "obscene materials" and was upheld, in part, through censorship at what is now the USPS. This resulted in many copies of "The Little Review" being burned or otherwise destroyed before they could arrive at their subscribers. We are seeing the same rhetoric used by conservative lawmakers today that was used in the early 20th century against Margaret Anderson, despite no evidence to support it. They argued that if young girls read "obscene literature," they would turn to a life of immorality, prostitution, or partner with people not approved of by their parents.   "She was not a saint, but there were a lot of things to admire about her courage and her sense of agency." —  Adam Morgan   Connect with Adam Morgan: Professional Bio: https://adam-stephen-morgan.com/  Twitter: https://x.com/adamm0rgan  Book: https://adam-stephen-morgan.com/a-danger-to-the-minds-of-young-girls/  Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thefrontlist.org  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adamm0rgan    Connect with Therese: Website:  www.criticallyspeaking.net Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast Email: [email protected]   Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

In this episode, Therese Markow and Elizabeth Burch discuss Elizabeth's new book, "The Pain Brokers: How Con Men, Call Centers, and Rogue Doctors Fuel America's Lawsuit Factory," which exposes a scheme where con artists, attorneys, and rogue doctors exploited women through mass torts involving pelvic mesh implants. Elizabeth explains how mass torts differ from class actions and explains how attorneys earn contingency fees. Throughout the episode, they discuss the ways in which the scheme was perpetuated and how vulnerable women were exploited by a data breach in India.     Key Takeaways: A tort is a harm, such as a punch or a car accident. A mass tort is when those harms happen on a large scale.  Mass torts can be a goldmine for lawyers (and there is a convention held twice a year regarding mass torts in Las Vegas). This can be concerning as more states are allowing law firms to be owned, even partially, by non-lawyers.  Many of the women involved with this mass tort were conned by people who had their specific information, including birth dates, surgery dates, and other medical information. It created a lot of confusion for many.    "You can imagine that your scam detector would probably go off if someone called you and asked you for that information. But if someone calls you and they already know your birth date and the name of your implanting doctor and the type of mesh that you have and exactly when you had the surgery and where you had the surgery, then all of a sudden it feels a lot more legitimate." —  Elizabeth Burch   Connect with Elizabeth Burch: Professional Bio: https://www.elizabethchambleeburch.com/about  Website: https://www.elizabethchambleeburch.com/  Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/eburch.bsky.social    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethcburch/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethcburch/  X: https://x.com/elizabethcburch  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ECBurch/   Pre-Order The Pain Brokers: How Con Men, Call Centers, and Rogue Doctors Fuel America's Lawsuit Factory here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Pain-Brokers/Elizabeth-Chamblee-Burch/9781668068861    Connect with Therese: Website:  www.criticallyspeaking.net Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast Email: [email protected]   Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.  

In this episode, Therese Markow, Dr. Jerald Kay, and Dr. Joel Yager discuss the various forms of ambition: lack of ambition, mismatched ambition, Machiavellian ambition, and how to deal with malignant narcissists.     Key Takeaways: There are biological underpinnings to ambition, but much of what we know about ambition is built on repeated interactions as children.  Not everyone who is Machiavellian is ambitious. Not everyone ambitious is Machiavellian. But when you have people who have dark triad characteristics, it can mean trouble for those around them.  There are levels of narcissism. Only some are treatable. The last division of severe narcissism is called malignant personality disorder and is relatively untreatable.   "It's both nature and nurture. We know ambition runs in families. And we know kids that are adopted into families with ambitious parents turn out to be more ambitious than if they weren't adopted into those kinds of families." —  Dr. Joel Yager   Episode References: https://journals.lww.com/jonmd/fulltext/2023/04000/ambition_and_its_psychopathologies.1.aspx   Connect with Therese: Website:  www.criticallyspeaking.net Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast Email: [email protected]   Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

In this episode, Therese Markow and Sophie Lucido Johnson discuss the evolution of family and the concept of "kin" in Sophie's book "Kin: The Future of Family." They explore the isolation and loneliness in modern society, emphasizing the importance of chosen family networks, or "pods," for emotional and physical well-being. She highlights the benefits of close, non-genetic relationships, citing research showing that strong social connections can prolong life more than health habits. Sophie also addresses the challenges of maintaining friendships post-children and the mutual support needed in kin relationships, drawing parallels to primate behavior and community responses to disasters.    Key Takeaways: Digital connective tools are wonderful, but they do not take the place of human connection of conversation, and relationships.  You do not have to live with someone to create a family pod together. Living in proximity can help to share the burden and lighten the load. It is good for your mental and physical health to build relationships with those in close proximity to you. Relationships do not need to be transactional. However, by nature, there will be levels of give and take.  Commitment is not just for romantic relationships.  Planning is difficult. Be spontaneous with short time hangouts, running errands together, and a willingness to commit more deeply with your friends while being flexible. Cross-generational relationships have many benefits for all parties involved.    "There's nothing that the science has shown to prolong your life more than relationships with other people." —  Sophie Lucido Johnson   Connect with Sophie Lucido Johnson: Website: https://www.sophielucidojohnson.com/  Linktree: https://linktr.ee/sophielucidojohnson    Book: simonandschuster.com/books/Kin/Sophie-Lucido-Johnson/9781668060650  Instagram: instagram.com/sophielucidojohnson    Connect with Therese: Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast Email: [email protected]   Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.  

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Tami Rowen discuss menopause, perimenopause, and hormone therapy. She explains that menopause is defined as one year without a period, while perimenopause can last up to 10 years with symptoms like mood changes and menstrual irregularities. Dr. Rowen discusses the changes in FSH levels and how to understand what the levels mean across time, and why they may not be as helpful as you think. She also explains how hormone therapy can alleviate symptoms and prevent osteoporosis, and that bioidentical hormones are preferred for their safety and efficacy. Finally, she cautions that social media can spread both accurate and misleading information about menopause and hormone therapy.    Key Takeaways: There is a debate over whether or not there is a cardiovascular benefit to starting hormone therapy early. While several studies suggest there may be a benefit, all the current guidelines recommend against using hormone therapy specifically for the prevention of heart disease.  When somebody enters menopause or post-menopause, there is no significant change in their testosterone levels. However, testosterone will be lower than when someone was in their 20s.  The majority of people giving information about menopause are not healthcare providers. Oftentimes, when they are discussing hormone therapy, some of the risks get missed, some of the benefits get overblown, and many are left believing hormone therapy will be a cure-all.   "Anytime someone makes a definitive statement, I would take it with a grain of salt and just know that there's oftentimes nuance to recommendations and guidance, and I would encourage all women to seek out a provider that is familiar with the data." —  Dr. Tami Rowen   Connect with Dr. Tami Rowen: Professional Bio: https://profiles.ucsf.edu/tami.rowen  Website: https://www.ucsfhealth.org/providers/tami-rowen  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drtamirowen/    Connect with Therese: Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net Threads: @critically_speaking Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast Email: [email protected]   Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.