Rating: Listen to this if you already listened to everything else and/or if you’re new to feminism

“Building an equal relationship at home” – What would a feminist do?feminist do

 26 minutes

I was hesitant to listen to this podcast because I hate to waste my time on stuff that I already know. While I absolutely loved Jessica Valenti’s book Full Frontal Feminism, I found myself somewhat bored with some of her other books that covered information and lines of reasoning that I was already pretty familiar with. But at the request of one of my loyal readers, Alice (who has a very insightful blog and frequently writes about feminist issues), I decided to check out Valenti’s new podcast for the Guardian.

In this episode, Valenti interviews Dr. BraVada Garrett-Akinsanya about how to divvy up household and parenting responsibilities in a relationship. For the first part of the podcast, I was semi-bored with hearing about studies on egalitarian relationships (nothing new here), but I enjoyed listening to Valenti’s personal story about her own struggle with sharing the parenting responsibilities as well as Dr. Garrett-Akinsanya’s more specific recommendations on HOW to negotiate responsibilities with your partner. This is the first episode I’ve listened to, but I think I will listen to a few more before making any decisions on this podcast as a whole.

Rating: Fascinating!

“A Bank Without Interest” – Planet Money

 18 minutes NPR_Planet_Money_cover_art

I was very intrigued by this episode! I love learning about money, and I also love learning about religion. So this podcast was right up my alley. Apparently, Islamic law prohibits charging interest which means that Muslims cannot use the traditional banking and mortgage system in America. One bank in Michigan tried to do something different that would allow Muslims to still follow their religion and use a bank. Very fascinating story.

 

Rating: Can’t Turn it Off!

“Promised Land” – This American Lifethis-american-life-logo1

   1 hour 

One recommendation: Skip the first 6 minutes and then enjoy every minute of the rest of the episode. From a paranoid, hyper-vigilant mother who won’t let her kids go to Disney World (but WILL let them stay in the Disney World hotel) to a man who goes on a 20-day fast seeking enlightenment, this episode sucks you in.