Let's discuss! After a lifetime of being the devil's advocate, I thought I'd get proactive and initiate more of these conversations. From the weighty to the mundane, each episode starts with an unusual or controversial opinion already out there, or sets us up to learn more about a topic so that we can all decide on our own opinion...unpopular or not. While I might have an opinion, I love hearing what other people think and trying to see things differently. See if we make you say hmmm...
We don't talk about 'free high school'. It’s been fewer than 100 years since free public high school became an expectation for all Americans, and now we take that for granted. Why does the concept of 'free college' sound revolutionary to some and toxic to others? As parents who care about college accessibility for our kids and others, my husband Matt & I dig into this issue.
14 Nov 2020
The Buy Nothing Project
The Buy Nothing Project (https://buynothingproject.org/) is a community, a movement, AWESOME, and you'll want to know about it. My guest for this episode is Jen Suttmeier, who founded a chapter in our town.
2 Oct 2020
I Miss My Commute Revisited - And What Will Happen To Handshakes?
5 months ago Pam Walker, Head of Innovation & Strategy at UL and Tom Kirwan, VP & CRO at Hearst Media Solutions joined me to talk commuting, business travel, and the jarring new realities of the covid-19 quarantine workplace. Nobody missed their commute except for me, and pajama Zoom calls were a disturbing new norm. What's changed in 5 months? What do we think will change in the next 5 months, or the next 5 years? Pam & Tom are back to pick up the conversation.
18 Sept 2020
Gender Reveals. No.
Gender Reveals. Just because you can know, why would you want to know the sex of your baby before its born? I say 'no' to finding out, and 'no' to creating a big party. Lots of people claim disgust at over-the-top gender reveal parties (while planning their own), and I think you shouldn't have a gender to reveal in the first place.
My guest, host of the Party of 13 Podcast Jen Hale, has had 11 (!) babies and 11 chances to make this decision. I've had 3. Can we agree on any part of this?
4 Sept 2020
What Ever Happened To Hitchhiking?
The odds that you’ve hitchhiked, or picked up a hitchhiker, in the past few years are slim. I think it should make a comeback. Can I get you to agree with me? Join me to delve into the history of hitchhiking in America and ponder it's future with the author of Roadside Americans: The Rise and Fall of Hitchhiking in a Changing Nation, Jack Reid.
Dr. Jack Reid is a historian of American Culture who lives in Flagstaff, Arizona. His first book, Roadside Americans: The Rise and Fall of Hitchhiking in a Changing Nation was chosen by the Smithsonian Magazine as one of five books to "read while you're stuck at home" during the pandemic. Reid has also appeared on NPR's program Here and Now to discuss his book with host Robin Young. You can find his book online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other major outlets, but Reid would appreciate it if you order it from a local independent bookstore. https://uncpress.org/book/9781469655000/roadside-americans/ (https://uncpress.org/book/9781469655000/roadside-americans/)
28 Aug 2020
I Had My Dog Put To Sleep. Let's Talk About Euthanasia...
Having your dog 'put to sleep' sounds a hell of a lot better than 'physician assisted death'. But going through one makes me think of the other. Seems to me that we're more humane to our pets at the end of life than our human family. Why is Physician Assisted Death so controversial?
10 Aug 2020
Unpopular Opinions With Heather - Trailer
Welcome to Unpopular Opinions With Heather. If you're curious about a lot of different things and like to hear viewpoints you don't hear every day, you're invited to my conversations with friends, family, colleagues and experts.
10 Aug 2020
Battle of the Bands - Is Streaming Music an Artist's Friend or Foe?
Streaming music is great for me as a listener, but how's it working out for musicians? I've got two opposing artist viewpoints from within my own family, from my brother, Dryw Keltz / music industry journalist and long time amateur musician and my son, Jasper Scott / less long time amateur musician.
28 Jul 2020
International Travel During Covid-19: Count Me In or Thanks But No Thanks?
My family just came back from a vacation in Exuma, Bahamas - one of the few places recently re-opened to American travelers...And then also recently closed again to American travelers, but that's part of the story. What's it like to travel internationally during the covid-19 pandemic? One of my travel companions, my mother-in-law Gale, and I recorded our thoughts while on (what we were hopeful was) the last leg of our trip. Listen and see for yourself if you think it's worth the extra drama.
1 Jul 2020
How To Disagree Without Being a D*?!
Should you avoid talking to family and friends about things you disagree on? No...but you also don't want to come out of that discussion wanting to kill each other... Whether you're talking about the mundane (LeBron is the best player of all time) or a hot button political issue (so many to choose from...), something you see as a fact (the earth is round), or a conflict at work (also so many to choose from...), put your big kid pants on and get ready to have a real debate. Disagreement is the spice of life! I believe we're all better off if we have these conversations, so let me help you get ready... Luckily I have a frequent sparring partner in my own house. From the comfort of our patio, let my husband and me give you some tips on how to get a little uncomfortable - disagree, discuss, and come out better on the other side.
20 Jun 2020
Do Police Departments Need Giant Indestructible Tanks? Free MRAPs May Be Coming To a Town Near You.
Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected vehicles. Military cast-offs available for free to your local police department. Why? I read about a town in West Virginia getting one recently and wanted to know more. Have to say, I was a bit skeptical that they needed one of these...In this short minisode, we did the research so you don't have to. Spend just 10 minutes with me learning more about MRAPs and why they may be showing up in a town near you, then decide what you think.
8 Jun 2020
I Want To Be Targeted
We all know the feeling of being ad-stalked on the internet. Whether you find it a mild nuisance or an extreme violation of your privacy, most people don’t like it. I, as you would guess from the title of this episode, welcome it. Allow my guest and me to explain why you too should want to be targeted, and what has been going on behind the scenes in the fight for online privacy... and why my guest calls the fight for that privacy a hit on democracy.
26 May 2020
Yesterday's Startup is Killing Today's Restaurants
Pause before you make that delivery order. There are some things you should know about how the restaurant order and delivery business works. With pickup and delivery as the only game in town while we deal with the covid-19 pandemic, you've started to hear restaurants air some grievances. How did this all work before Grubhub, Uber Eats, etc.? I wanted to learn what's really up from a couple of insiders.
19 May 2020
Stop Shopping
Instead of spending 20 minutes online shopping, spend 20 minutes listening to a couple of 'value maximizers' talk about how to not shop. I don't want to spend my time chasing the newest, biggest and most expensive. Does that make me un-American? The wasteful quest for new and discardable things might be good for the economy, but is it good for us? There are some shopping trends that make someone like me feel like maybe I'm not swimming against the current. Every crisis has lasting impacts: will the economic downturn associated with the covid-19 crisis force an American sea change in shopping habits?
My guest is Jen Hale, a fellow 'value maximizer' and host of the new podcast Party of 13: https://anchor.fm/jennifer-hale (https://anchor.fm/jennifer-hale)
3 May 2020
There Should Be More Lobbyists
Why is 'lobbyist' treated like a four-letter word? Lobbying is generally defined as citizens' right to speak freely to affect decisions and petition the government—is a crucial right, and an important part of the legislative process. Why wouldn't we want more of that? We'll get into why it's complicated, but I'm still right... My guest is a deep political thinker who feels absolutely free to disagree with me...my husband. I'm just a layman with ideas about social justice, not a lobbyist or a lobbyist for lobbyists... Let's learn a little about lobbying and get you thinking about it differently.
Cover art and music by Dryw Keltz / The Humble Crab. More from him at https://thehumblecrab.bandcamp.com/ (https://thehumblecrab.bandcamp.com/).
3 May 2020
I Miss My Commute
Somehow I've managed to miss spending at least 3 hours a day commuting. With the Covid-19 crisis, suddenly a lot more people have seen their commutes and business travel come to an abrupt halt. Do other people miss it? And do they like the way not 'going to' work has changed how they work? Is this widespread social experiment teaching us how to never 'go to' work again?
Let's see what a couple of pre-Covid crisis heavy commuter/business travelers have to say. Sales executives Tom and Pam join me and prove that I truly have an Unpopular Opinion.
Cover art and music by Dryw Keltz / The Humble Crab. More from him can be found at https://thehumblecrab.bandcamp.com/ (https://thehumblecrab.bandcamp.com/).
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