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rosesloveletters · 4 years

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As we approach the anniversary of Heath Ledger’s passing, I would like to use my platform to discuss a few things I find increasingly important that we, as fans, keep in mind: Do NOT mock his death. Do NOT harass his family, friends, etc. (don’t ever do this, but especially not this week or the day of.) Do NOT use his death to signify your online presence. Those of us who appreciate this hard-working, loving, giving soul deserve the freedom of expression granted to us, given that we remain within the bounds of positivity, consideration for others and for Heath Ledger himself.

(image: Heath photographed for The West Australian on June 9th, 2001.)

I implore you to treat everyone with respect and to honor Heath in a way in which you would honor a loved one; be kind, courteous, respectful and tactful whenever you are discussing his passing and remain conscious of others and their feelings regarding this subject. It is a subject of sensitivity for many and I ask that you consider how others might feel when approached with the topic. Do NOT pass around photos of him that the paparazzi took on that fateful day. This is a blatant disregard for Heath and his privacy; He was unable to consent to having those photos taken, for obvious reasons, and I am certain that he would not have consented, given his distaste for the paparazzi and having felt as though his life was ‘on display’.

Remember to treat him and others with respect. It is the bare minimum of common courtesy when dealing with such a raw topic; Heath would be honored by how most choose to remember him and I think that he would be humbled by the legacy he’s left behind.

On another, more important note, we must to remember a few things regarding the late Heath Ledger:

He did not die because of his role as The Joker in ‘The Dark Knight’.

He did NOT die of a suicide.

Heath was struggling with insomnia, illness, his break-up with Michelle and (presumably) depression (though I don’t believe that was ever officially confirmed) at the time of his passing and we must remember how sensitive a subject this is, for his family, loved ones, friends and fans alike.

For more factual information on his passing, I recommend visiting these links provided:

Friends and Family Remember His Final Weeks

Some important quotes from this article to take into consideration:

“Gerry Grennell, Ledger’s friend and dialect coach who lived and worked with the star while he was shooting The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus in the final weeks of his life, spoke with PEOPLE in 2017 for a cover story on Ledger, nine years after the actor’s death. He recalled his friend being “exhausted, emotionally and physically” while battling a lingering pneumonia-type illness.”

“Grennell said the star’s mood was low. “He missed his girl, he missed his family, he missed his little girl — he desperately wanted to see her and hold her and play with her,” he added, referring to Ledger’s former girlfriend Michelle Williams and their then-2-year-old daughter, Matilda. “He was desperately unhappy, desperately sad.””

But in his final weeks, Grennell said Ledger knew he was spiraling. Still, he couldn’t stop himself from taking the pills. “He said, ‘I got to stop, it’s not helping, I’m not well, it’s making me feel more upset,’” Grennell continued. “It wasn’t helping with the relationship issues, it wasn’t helping with missing his kid, it wasn’t helping his sleeping — and he knew that.”

“Being such a social guy, having to be a bit of a hermit, or wear hats and glasses was super annoying,” he added, describing the lengths to which Ledger went to avoid the paparazzi. “His happiest I remember was times like when we were in Bondi on the beach catching waves, and nobody really looking his way, and when he moved to Brooklyn and could walk around with nobody bothering him.”

Heath Ledger’s Father Kim Speaks of Son’s Death - Trigger Warning: Kim Ledger mentions seeing EMS removing Heath’s body from his home in new York. This video and its message is EXTREMELY important; if you choose to view no other material listed here, please watch this short interview.

Statements Made by Heath Ledger’s Sisters

Heath Ledger’s Sisters Clear Up Rumors About His Death In New Documentary

Some important quotes from this article to take into consideration:

Though the doc doesn't elaborate on the "demons" that plagued Ledger's final days, it does change the narrative about his mental state at that time. According to the actor's family, Ledger's role in The Dark Knight didn't depress him, as so many tabloids had reported. It energized him."It was coming out that he was depressed and it was taking a toll, and we were going, 'What?'" Bell said. "It was the absolute opposite," Kate Ledger added. "He had an amazing sense of humor, and I guess only his close family and friends really knew that. But he was having fun. He wasn’t depressed about The Joker."

That's about as far as the film delves into Ledger's death. Instead, I Am Heath Ledger chooses to focus on his life. It may not be a complete picture of the actor, but after nearly a decade of rampant rumors and tabloid gossip, it's nice to see Heath through his own lens.

Speculation into Heath’s passing has been vast, leaving much to the media to exaggerate and perpetuate; there is very little evidence or proof that lends to the fact that Heath was an ‘addict’ as has been portrayed, however this statement can be found on his Wikipedia page:

“Ledger was "widely reported to have struggled with substance abuse.” Following Ledger's death, Entertainment Tonight aired video footage from 2006 in which Ledger stated that he "'used to smoke five joints a day for 20 years” and news outlets reported that his drug abuse had prompted Williams to request that he move out of their apartment in Brooklyn. Ledger's publicist asserted that some reportage regarding Ledger and drugs had been inaccurate.”

When discussing his death, please keep in mind that a large portion about his personal life has been over-exaggerated and therefore, research is key.

Heath’s private life is not something we should pry into and we should be respectful of the fact that we simply do not have the information to conclusively determine certain theories. It is among human nature to ask questions and want answers, but it is our responsibility to know what is appropriate and how we should go about researching such a topic.

Do not pry into Heath’s private life; be mindful of the information you choose to share and treat him as you would treat any other person. Just because he is a “celebrity” does NOT mean that every detail of his life should be public access. Treat him how you would want to be treated; you are not entitled to his private life, nor is anyone other than those he was closest to.

We have countless interviews and testimonies to his character from family and friends, those of which prove to be the most accurate.

Check out this video: Famous People Talking About Heath Ledger to hear some of these positive testaments to his character.

Drug abuse is a very serious matter; I do not condone Heath’s decision to abuse prescription drugs, nor should any fan; his death provides a testament to the dangers of prescription pills and we should remember to be mindful of their effect. Prescription drug abuse is a serious matter and we should not overlook the seriousness of it.

If you or someone you know is suffering from Opioid drug abuse, visit the link provided for the CDC’s help and resources

Please remain respectful while researching his passing and use discretion. Information perpetuated by the media has proved time and time again to be harmful to those in the limelight and Heath was a victim of that as well. Respect the fact that we do not know of his private life and accept that we do not have the right to know. There is a large amount of information present, providing speculation into this subject and I advise you to research with caution, as some of it is damaging to Heath’s character.

Most importantly, use this time to remember Heath for the incredibly gifted and talented soul that he was. As fans, it is important not only to understand his passing, but to keep his legacy alive through the ways in which we choose to honor and remember him.

Heath Ledger’s death was a tragedy. His family and friends still grieve his passing and his daughter, Matilda, is without a father due to his premature death. Please be respectful and courteous of this and honor Heath in a way in which he would be proud of.

Thank you for taking the time to read this lengthy post. With much controversy surrounding Ledger’s death, I felt it necessary to speak out on a couple of things, especially with the anniversary of his death coming up. Please feel free to add onto this post any way you would like, especially if you find more information that is factual and important to share within the community.

I will reiterate: BE RESPECTFUL. BE COURTEOUS. BE KIND. Do NOT harass his family and friends. Do NOT mock his death. Do NOT share offensive/upsetting images or media that is damaging to his character, now or ever. Respect others who choose to use this time simply to remember this wonderful man for all that he was and do not discuss his passing with anyone who might be triggered by the mentioning of it.

This community is a loving, caring and amazing place where we choose to remember Heath in our own ways and keep his memory alive through the creations and art we all share. Build each other up and listen to one another; treat each other as if you are looking at Heath directly and show the world the same kindness he showed while he was among us.

Thank you.

#heath ledger #tw: death #tw: suicide mention #tw: drug abuse #tw: drug overdose #tw: drugs #my stuff #okay to reblog #I triggered myself so bad to make this post please appreciate it and take it all into consideration

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nikita-swervin · 5 years

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Rumors

As the oldest house in Forks, Washington, it was no surprise Wintervale Estate was rumored to be haunted. The whole town knows the story, or so they thought. The 75th anniversary of the town was next year and planning was underway. As a high school student and a staff writer for the school webzine, I was tasked with writing an article about a point of interest, as were other writers. Our sponsor and teacher had given us a list of topics to consider, the Estate was one. In true teenage fashion, meaning we couldn’t think up our own ideas, we made a card for each and drew lots.

Yep… you guessed it, I was the unlucky person to get Wintervale Estate. Sure, I had heard the stories, the speculations, and rumors, but I never thought I would ever dig into the history of the house, let alone set foot in it. But, we are getting ahead of the story. My journey down the rabbit hole began where many often do… with a trip to the library.

With my boyfriend, Edward Cullen, in tow, I drove to the town’s small library. He was a history buff like me and often accompanied me on research trips, whether it was for a school assignment or some personal knowledge. I loved that I he came with me. When he found out what I was writing about he was intrigued and had it not been for the fact we had three more classes, we would have been at the library sooner.

I approached the circulation desk and waited patiently as Ms. Cope finished with a phone call.

“Ah, Bella,” she greeted, putting the handset down. “What can I help you find?” She quirked an eyebrow at me before greeting Edward.

Ms. Cope was a good friend and avid reader like me. She knew my taste in books and would always have two or three of the new arrivals set aside for me, however, it was the middle of the month and a good two or three weeks before the next round of new books. “I’m working on a story of the webzine,” I started, pausing a moment.

She motioned with her hand for me to go on.

“It’s about Wintervale,” I said, leaning closer to her and whispering.

“I see.” She eyed me over rim of her glasses for a long moment and then moved her gaze to Edward before nodding. “You two can handle it and might be able to make things right.”

“Make things right,” Edward echoed. “What do you mean?”

Ms. Cope said nothing and turned her back. Opening a drawer, she retrieved a set of keys. She came around the desk and kept walking. I took that as to follow her.

We walked down the stairs and into the basement. The lights flickered and there was a low buzz. Much like upstairs, books lined shelves however they were so dusty you couldn’t read the titles and some had cobwebs dancing in the wake of Ms. Cope’s passing. We came to a stop in front of a wooden door. I could barely make out the faded word – ARCHIVES.

“I don’t know the state of this room. It has been at least a decade since anyone has requested to see the documents within. Darn technology. It ruins all the fun of research.” She unlocked the door and handed me the keys, indicating the key to use to lock the door back up and promptly left.

I looked over my shoulder at Edward. He shrugged. “I guess we have the run of the place,” he said, walking around me and placing his hand on the doorknob. “After you.”

I shook my head and Edward chuckled, moving into the room and feeling for the light switch. The light was dim but would do. There was a long table in the middle of the room, ten file cabinets lined the rear wall opposite the only door, three or four bookcases side-by-side to our right, and two ancient microfiche readers to the left. I set my laptop down on the surprisingly dust-free table and started it up. Moving toward the file cabinets, I looked at the neatly printed labels on the front of the drawers. Each label had a year on it, going back to before the town was recognized by Washington state.

Where to begin? I thought as Edward moved toward the bookcases.

I walked over to the file cabinets. The drawers were labeled with years going back ten years before Forks was officially recognized by the state. Oldest house, I reminded myself and opened the drawer from 1935. Reels of film greeted me and appeared to be labeled with date ranges. Not knowing when the estate was built, I didn’t want to grab one at random and hope it had an article or image on it.

“Did Ms. Cope seem like she would be much help, Edward?” I asked.

“No. There is a lot of books and annuals on the shelves, but without basic information, how do we know where to start?” He turned and leaned back against a shelf.

“Your mom?” I suggested. Edward’s mom, Esme was an interior designer and knew the insides of almost every house in Forks. She was also a history buff. “If she doesn’t know, she might be able to tell us who could help.”

He pulled his iPhone out of his pocket and hit a series of spots on it. A few moments later, his mom’s voice was filling the air. “Hello.”

“Hey, Mom. Bella and I were hoping you could help us out with some information on Wintervale Estate.”

“Wintervale,” she whispered. “What are you two planning?”

That was a strange question. Esme knew the school webzine was working on articles for the 75th anniversary of the town. “That’s the topic I was assigned for the article,” I answered. “We are at the library doing research and can’t find anything. Do you know when it was built? Or, who would know?”

The line went dead. Edward looked at the screen. “She hung up.”

“She knows something, but doesn’t want to tell us is my guess as to why.”

“Web search it is.” Edward sat down at my laptop and connected to the libraries Wi-Fi. He plugged in the name into Google and hit enter. He found a Wikipedia page with a brief entry.

WINTERVALE ESTATE – Half-way house for those released from the mental institution with nowhere else to go or the family refuses to care for them. Builder unknown as is the date of construction. All attempts to obtain information have failed.

There was a single picture of a young man standing next to a brick column with a gate just visible. There was sign the read Wintervale. The photo was sepia and what laid behind the column and gate couldn’t be made out. Edward hit back and went to several other sites. None of them had any useful information or built on the Wikipedia entry.

“Okay, so what do we know from the stories we heard growing up?” I asked.

“Hmm,” Edward said, tapping his chin. “I was always told to stay away from the abandoned house.”

I nodded. My dad and grandmother had both warned me away. “When I asked why, I was told that it was not safe to go into. That the floorboards on the porch and the house where rotted and couldn’t support much weight.”

“Same. My parents didn’t want me to get hurt. Then there are the rumors of it being haunted.”

I scoffed. “Rumors are always floating around but that doesn’t mean they are true.”

Edward shook his head. I was a skeptic in all things supernatural and he knew it. Ghosts, goblins, witches, whatever are characters in stories nothing more. Haunted houses were thrilling but when all is said and done, it was trick wires and people in costumes doing the scaring. To think there are real spooks haunting an old, broken-down house was plain ridiculous.

“I’m going to go and talk to Ms. Cope. Maybe she can give us a starting point,” Edward said, getting up from the table and stretching. “After all, she did say ‘maybe you can make things right.’”

We trudged back through the basement stacks to the stairs. Blinking in the bright light coming through the windows, it took us a moment to find Ms. Cope. She wasn’t at the circulation desk. We found her in the office on the phone. She looked up and raised a finger, ending the call with a few hushed words.

“Find what you needed?”

“No. We need a little assistance,” Edward said. “Do you know when the house was built?”

“1935. There should be film for the year. Maybe an annual. Anything else?”

I shook my head. “That gives us a starting point.”

Back in the basement, I went to the cabinets and opened the one for 1935. There were six reels. I brought out all and gave half to Edward. He went over to one of the readers without me having to ask. I sat at the other one and loaded it.

It was the second of my reels, that I found a brief article.

February 8, 1935

Groundbreaking at Wintervale Estate

The Cope family has broken ground today on westside of town, but it was not without incident. A terrible snowstorm felled a tree. One large limb hit Phineas Cope, breaking his leg. The young boy of six is expected to make a full recovery.

“Edward,” I called once I finished the brief article. “The Cope family owned Wintervale. Do you think Ms. Cope is related the original owners?”

He turned and looked at me. “Good question. Write it down and we’ll ask her.”

I went back to the reels. Going through three more months before finding another article on the same reel.

September 29, 1935

Death at Wintervale Estate

Six-year-old Phineas Cope has passed away for complication of his broken leg. The doctor is baffled as to the cause. When questioned the doctor replied the leg had healed nicely. However, the family spokesperson said the leg was weak and could not support boy’s weight for long periods of time.

I made note and found in October’s paper Phineas’ obituary.

“Bella, have you found anything about Phineas?”

“Two articles and his obituary. What did you find?”

Edward reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. “I found an article about his mother, Mary, seeing him at the bottom of a hole right as cement was being poured. She was later institutionalized and died still claiming her son was alive.”

“When did she die? And where?” I asked as I scribbled down the information.

“Mary died on her son’s birthday, December 2, 1935 in her room at Wintervale.”

I felt my face scrunch up. “When was the house finished?”

“A month before her death,” Edward answered. “The reporter speculated she was haunted by her son.”

Something was I had heard came to the forefront of my mind. Rumors about the house and its occupants, but if it was abandoned then how was in occupied? I told Edward what I remembered.

He chuckled. “Always the skeptic, Bella. I’ve heard the same and believe Mary and Phineas never left. We should go check out the house. Look in the windows.”

I shivered at the suggestion. “I don’t know. I have enough for the article.”

“Bella, Bella, Bella. We have a mystery to solve. Something to set right. The truth to find out. What really happened to Phineas and Mary? Why did it become a half-way house? Where’s the reporter? The truth seeker?”

Edward looked at me, hard. “You’re not scared, are you?”

“No. Why would I? I don’t believe in ghosts.”

“Then let’s go. We can always come back. For now, I think we have enough question and old newspaper articles are not going to help answer those questions.”

“What about the annuals,” I said, digging my feet in. I wasn’t scared in the least bit. And Edward’s questions were good.

“We can come back, Bella. I’m sure Ms. Cope will let us back in. I don’t think we will find our answers here.” He stood and held out his hand. “Come on. Be adventurous.”

I rewind the reel before standing. After cleaning up, we left the room and informed Ms. Cope we were leaving and would possibly be back.

#oswc2019 #writing #writing challenge

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qorillas · 7 years

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i’m still really upset over the lab thing but. idk i’m not as devastatingly upset as i thought i would be and i think it’s because i’ve started to want to go into animation and writing as a career instead of science. like. i still love science and evolution and genetics but when i think about spending the rest of my life as a professor or a researcher or a doctor i kind of have to force myself into feeling excited about it a bit. and i think the concepts and processes are cool and fun to do but to pursue a career in researching you have to have this insatiable desire to learn about it and i’ve never actively searched up things about evolution and genetics in terms of research articles or keeping my own notebooks about it under my own accord. like i read wikipedia articles and books when i was a kid, but recently it’s just not what i’ve been interested in, and i think it’s because i feel like i’ve learned all i want to learn about the subject and i’m finally satisfied just knowing about them at a bachelor’s degree level. i know that people go furthest in careers that they have a passion for, because you do better in a career if you put more time into it, and if you have a passion for something you’ll put time into working on it both during work and in your free time. and for the past few years i’ve spent my free time learning about drawing and animating and storytelling, and analyzing tv shows and books, and studying character development and how and why people love and relate to characters. and late at night when i think about the future and what i want to do i never see myself doing science, i just naturally start thinking about making stories and seeing people enjoy the things i create and making people and teenagers and kids feel happy and less alone and loved through characters that represent them and connect with them and make them want to be and do and live better. and i love doing art and i love thinking of stories and sometimes i look up and it’s hours later and i just lose myself doing these things, and it’s started to cut into the time i’m supposed to be using for science, and it’s making me think that maybe i shouldn’t do a career in science and have art and writing as side interests, and that maybe it should be the other way around. it’s scary to me because i’ve only recently been able to internalize the idea that as an adult i can have multiple interests and do multiple things with my life. and it’s scary because my whole life i was raised to think that the only valid career path for me would be one in medicine or science, because i was smart and smart kids like me would be wasted doing a career in art or writing. and it’s scary because i know how to pursue a medical or scientific career, and it would be easy to just stick to the path that’s laid out in front of me and end up in a job that’s well-paying and secure. but whenever i see someone my age who’s doing writing or illustration or animation i feel envious in a way that i don’t feel when i see someone my age who’s doing biology or genetics, like i want to be doing what they’re doing too. and when i take math or science classes, i’m good at them, but not amazing at them, and to do well i have to work hard, which. i know that to do well in anything you have to work hard, and you get out what you put in. but art, and to a much greater extent, writing, is something that has always come naturally to me. and. not to be like. full of myself. but i know i’m good at writing, like i can feel it in me, and when i write, i just know what to do in a way that i don’t with anything else. and i think that i’m getting more comfortable with viewing myself as a smart person despite not being in a field that’s considered “smart,” which is bullshit anyway, but something that i still need to internalize. like maybe i can be good at science and enjoy it, but that doesn’t mean i have to do it as my job. maybe writing and art is easier for me not because they’re easier things to do, but because i’m better at them than i am at math and science, or because i enjoy them more than i do math and science. and maybe i’m good enough at these things, or i care enough about them to improve enough, that i can manage to pursue a career in them without all the foreknowledge and training that i’ve had for a career in science. i don’t know. i know i’m behind everyone else who’s been working towards these things. and i’m still held back by my fears and by the expectations i’ve held for years about what and who i should be, and that i’m on the wrong track but i’m too scared to get off. but i kind of felt relief, a tiny bit, when i opened that email, like i’d been let off the hook in being dragged towards a science career, and that i’d been given another chance to drop it before fully committing. maybe this thing happened for a reason, and normally i don’t believe in things like that, but maybe this is a chance or a sign. so. i guess i’m at a crossroads right now, and i’ve been here for a while, but i kind of think that i know what i need to do. the other day my brother told me that me saying that i liked art and writing more than science one time is what let him admit to himself that he wanted to go into game design rather than science, and i felt so happy because he’s only 13 but he’s not letting the world’s expectations dictate who he should be like i did. and i also felt jealous a bit, because he has the chance to start young and i was too obsessed with doing things “right” that i gave mine up. but maybe it’s not entirely gone, and maybe i might go for it.

#this is like. a completely personal rant but i just needed to get these thoughts out somewhere in text #i'm in a transition state right now and it's confusing and weird and i'm unsure about a lot of things #i think i'm going to do something that i've been scared to do and i'm excited but also terrified #so. yeah blease ignore this #pipe down pipe down

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rtwdetroit-blog · 8 years

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Repair the Podcast: Listening Like Ari

Changing the World One Story At A Time

by Ari Weil

As a Repair the World fellow, I am encouraged to learn something new every day. Whether it is about food systems, the intersectionality of race and education, the politics of the city of Detroit, or a myriad of other social justice topics, the pressure to keep up with the daily stream of new information is an undeniable part of being a fellow. In order to learn as much as possible this year, I explored different learning methods. These are my results:

Reading (Books, Magazines, Articles):

The classic learning platform. I love books, but after years of reading before bed I inadvertently trained myself to fall asleep after about a paragraph. I can only learn so much from my dreams.

Videos (online, movies, documentaries):

I like all the visual information presented. Unfortunately after only a short time looking at a screen, my eyes get dry and a headache creeps into my frontal lobe. I can’t retain much information when I can’t see and someone is smashing a pick axe to my brain.

Presentations (Lectures, educational events):

I actually really like going to events to learn. It is really great to attend an event where the presenter uses multiple teaching styles and incorporates interactive learning techniques. So what’s the problem? Time. There are so many events in Detroit on a daily basis, it is impossible to go to all of them. Even if I am free to go to an event, it is always a choice between that or cooking myself a nice dinner, working out, and relaxing before getting a good night's rest. I try to go to at least to events a week, and it seems there is never enough time to do everything I want.

I was frustrated because I could not find a learning modality that worked well for me. One day, my lovely Program Manager, Stephanie, sent me this link and everything changed. I instantly became addicted to Podcasts. I always liked listening to sports radio in the car, and now I know I can listen to people discuss actual important topics of my choice through my phone or computer (Sorry sports fans for throwing you under the bus. Sports are fun and exciting, and I still listen to 97.1FM occasionally.).

The Wikipedia definition of a podcast: “A podcast is an episodic series of digital media files which a user can set up so that new episodes are automatically downloaded via web syndication to the user's own local computer or portable media player.[1]”

My definition of a podcast:

“A radio talk show that you can play on your phone or laptop any time you want, as long as you have internet connection or you download it.”

Podcasts are great because you can listen to them anywhere. I often listen to them when I am running on a treadmill, gardening, or driving a long distance on the Detroit highways. I also love them because when I zone out, lost in thought (AKA Ari Land), I can rewind the episode and pick up where I left off.

I could go on about the history of podcasts (The first consistently produced podcast series started in 2004 called “The Dailey Source Code”) The origins of the word “podcast” (A combination of “pod” like ipod, and “broadcast”) or the research done on the educational benefits of podcasts (Just take my word on this one). Instead, I want to share with you some podcasts that either I listen to or my friends and colleagues shared with me.

*I get most of my podcasts free through the podcast app on my iPhone. There are also a few podcast apps for android, and many podcast have a website where you can listen to their show on a computer.

Environment and Food

The Environment Report- Michigan Radio

The Environment Report speaks about a range of Michigan environmental topics. The episodes are only usually only 4 minutes long so they are easy to listen back to back and great for a ride down Michigan Ave.

A Sustainable Mind

This podcast series consist of interviews with experts in the sustainability field. Between 30-40 minutes each, this is great for a walk on the Detroit riverfront, or on the way to volunteer at Keep Growing Detroit’s Urban Garden.

Bioneers: Food Justice

The audio from the speeches at the last Bioneers Food Justice Conference. About 20-30 minutes each, it is great to listen to at any Detroit Coney Island. Warning: Enjoy your hot dog, you may turn vegetarian after listening to a few episodes. Also great if you are heading to volunteer at the food pantries Yad Ezra or Gleaners Mercado.

Education

This American Life-NPR

Probably the most well known podcast series. They have episodes that cover a variety of fascinating topics. They have some really good episodes about the American education system. Episodes are generally about an hour, so it would be great to listen to on the way to and from volunteering at an Project Healthy Community’s afterschool program.

Revisionist History- Malcolm Gladwell

Most of what we learn in school is taught from the victor's perspective. This podcast tries to teach us more about the facts, events, and people that are generally overlooked at school. This is a great podcast to listen to on the way to Cass Corridor…I mean Midtown...I mean Cass Corridor.

TedTalks Education

I am surprised it took me this long to get to Ted Talks. The prominent educational talk series also has a few podcast series. The one about education topics is pretty good. Listen to this while exploring one of the many abandoned school building in Detroit, or Volunteering at Auntie Na’s House on the West Side

Outdoors (Ari’s Favorite)

Sounds of the Trail

A podcast all about thru-hiking (backpacking across many miles and many states from one end of the trail to the other). It includes many interviews with hikers and tips on how to successfully do a thru-hike. Great to listen to when you are sitting at work dreaming of taking four months off to hike the Appalachian Trail (Just kidding ;))

Outside Podcast

Great podcast about all things outdoors. Has a few subseries including “The Science of Survival” and “The Outside Interview.” Great to listen to while you are outside strolling through a park. It is also great to listen to inside.

Dirtbag Diaries

Sponsored by the gear company Patagonia, the Dirtbag Diaries touches on topics such as hiking, climbing, skiing and living in a van. Great to listen to if your parents want you to be a doctor or a lawyer, but you want to “just chill bro!”