Do we have more in common than divides us? Thought-provoking conversations on the street & with special guests from the arts.
Episodes
Saturday Oct 17, 2015
Saturday Oct 17, 2015
Broadcast on 17 October 2015 on KSCO AM 1080, KSCO 104.1 FM, KOMY AM 1340, and KSCO.com Live Stream.
'It's A Question Of Balance' is a two hour show which balances the intellectual with the creative. The show combines a debate topic with an arts interview because discussion and creativity are two of the most vital ways we engage in the world.
Check out podcasts of the different topics and arts guests at www.itsaquestionofbalance.com
Hour 2: In-Depth Arts Interview with Alexander McCall Smith
This week as her special guest from the arts Ruth Copland is pleased to be interviewing one of the world’s most prolific and popular best-selling authors, Alexander McCall Smith. Alexander has written more than 100 books, including specialist academic titles, short story collections, and a number of very popular children's books. He is best known for his internationally acclaimed No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, which rapidly rose to the top of bestseller lists throughout the world and has now been translated into 40 languages and has sold over 20 million copies worldwide. The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency has also been made into a television series starring Jill Scott and produced by the Weinstein Company, with the first episode directed by Anthony Minghella. The latest instalment of the series is The Woman Who Walked in Sunshine. Alexander has fans all over the world including Former First Lady of the United States Laura Bush and Flea of The Red Hot Chilli Peppers.
Alexander has had a varied career spending his earlier life as a professor of Medical Law, working in universities in the UK and abroad. Born in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and educated there and in Scotland, Alexander first returned to Africa to work in Botswana - the setting of his beloved series The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency - to set up a new law school at the University of Botswana, co-writing what remains the only book on the country's legal system. After his incredible literary success, Alexander left academia to focus on the writing of fiction. A self-confessed serial novelist, Alexander is the author of several other best-selling series including the Sunday Philosophy Club series featuring amateur Edinburgh sleuth Isabel Dalhousie; the Scotland Street Novels chronicling the lives of the colourful characters of an Edinburgh boarding house; the Corduroy Mansions series depicting the lives of the delightfully eccentric residents of a large house in Pimlico, London; and the Von Igelfeld series portraying the insane and rarified world of German Professor Dr Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld of The Institute of Romance Philology. He has also written stand-alone novels and collections of short stories, as well as children’s books. His newest children's books are based on the adventures as a little girl of the star of the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency Series, the beloved Precious Ramotswe.
Alexander is now a Professor Emeritus at the University of Edinburgh and holds honorary doctorates from 12 universities. In 2007, he was made a CBE for his services to literature in the Queen's New Year Honors List. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Presidential Order of Merit by the President of Botswana.
For more info and to hear previous shows visit www.itsaquestionofbalance.com
Saturday Oct 17, 2015
Saturday Oct 17, 2015
Broadcast on 17 October 2015 on KSCO AM 1080, KSCO 104.1 FM, KOMY AM 1340, and KSCO.com Live Stream.
'It's A Question Of Balance' is a two hour show which balances the intellectual with the creative. The show combines a debate topic with an arts interview because discussion and creativity are two of the most vital ways we engage in the world.
Check out podcasts of the different topics and arts guests at www.itsaquestionofbalance.com
Hour 1: Out And About – Conversations with People on the Street about Questions That Matter: Should we have a day of rest each week?
This week we consider ‘Should we have a day of rest each week?’ In an interview with Ben Tinker on CNN.com former ER physician Dr Matthew Sleeth states that “For almost 2,000 years, Western culture stopped - primarily on Sunday - for about 24 hours. And so society just had a day where they put it in park. [But] we go 24/7 now, and there's a consensus that it leads to depression and anxiety.” Dr Sleeth thinks that “the lack of rest is reflected in our saying ‘We don't have enough time’. [That] it's pretty much generally felt that we don't have enough time to really get to the things we want to do in life”. Is this something you experience at all? Would you like a day a week which is a true day of rest from your labours each week? Do you think of a day of rest as only associated with religious practice? The spiritual teacher Yogananda states that we need two days off a week. One day to relax and recreate and one day for spiritual practice, to contemplate perhaps the meaning of our life, our purpose, how we can positively interact with the world and maybe with a deeper part of ourselves and a higher power. Does having a day for deeper reflection seem valuable to you, as well as resting? What would a day of rest look like for you?
What do you think? For more info on the show and to hear past shows visit www.itsaquestionofbalance.com
Sunday Oct 11, 2015
Sunday Oct 11, 2015
Broadcast on 10 October 2015 on KSCO AM 1080, KSCO 104.1 FM, KOMY AM 1340, and KSCO.com Live Stream.
'It's A Question Of Balance' is a two hour show which balances the intellectual with the creative. The show combines a debate topic with an arts interview because discussion and creativity are two of the most vital ways we engage in the world.
Check out podcasts of the different topics and arts guests at www.itsaquestionofbalance.com
Hour 2: In-Depth Arts Interview with Tyler Stenson
This week as her special guest from the arts Ruth Copland is pleased to be interviewing award-winning singer-songwriter and writer Tyler Stenson. Known for his beautifully crafted lyrics and his mellow, haunting music and vocals, Tyler is one of the Northwest’s premier songwriters. Twice named the "Songwriter of the Year" by the Portland Songwriters Association (2007 and 2008) and "Best Male Artist" at the 2011 Portland Music Awards, Tyler was named Reverb Nation’s Breaking Artist in 2013. He was a Top Ten Finalist in Guitar Centre’s Search For The Next Great American Songwriter chosen out of 10,000 songwriters and out of nearly 4,000 bands was hand-selected by Adam Duritz (Counting Crows) and Ryan Spaulding (rslblog) to perform at The Outlaw Roadshow showcase at SxSW in Austin, TX. Tyler has opened for LeAnn Rimes, Chris Isaak, John Popper, Matisyahu, Fuel, Guster (and many others) and has toured the four corners of America, as well as spending nearly two years as a singer/songwriter in Nashville, learning from the best. Tyler has ten albums to his name including his acclaimed Some Days I’m A Lion LP, featuring the inspiring single This Too Shall Pass that can be found in rotation on SiriusXM’s Coffee House station and recently recognized as a Finalist in the 2014 International Songwriting Competition. He has placed original songs on multiple national Chevrolet commercials, as well as several others placed in Internationally televised shows. His beautiful elegant folk music has a dedicated fan following and legendary producer Don Was says of Tyler “The last time I witnessed someone with his kind of presence and voice, one that leaped out beyond the speakers and pulled me in, was when I worked with Garth Brooks. Tyler has it man." Tyler has just released a new single Say No More and also has a children’s Christmas book launching.
Sunday Oct 11, 2015
Sunday Oct 11, 2015
Broadcast on 10 October 2015 on KSCO AM 1080, KSCO 104.1 FM, KOMY AM 1340, and KSCO.com Live Stream.
'It's A Question Of Balance' is a two hour show which balances the intellectual with the creative. The show combines a debate topic with an arts interview because discussion and creativity are two of the most vital ways we engage in the world.
Check out podcasts of the different topics and arts guests at www.itsaquestionofbalance.com
Hour 1: Out And About – Conversations with People on the Street about Questions That Matter: Does the Internet Increase or Decrease Empathy?
This week we consider ‘Does the Internet Increase or Decrease Empathy?’ According to an article by Marianne Levine “Studies have shown that increased dependence on technology has resulted in the diminishing of empathy by limiting the amount of human interaction that takes place”. Research, led by Sara H. Konrath of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and published online in August in Personality and Social Psychology Review, found that college students’ self-reported empathy has declined since 1980, with an especially steep drop in the past 10 years. To make matters worse, during this same period students’ self-reported narcissism has reached new heights, according to research by Jean M. Twenge, a psychologist at San Diego State University. Have you observed a decrease in empathy in the people around you? People are perhaps more aware of tragedy and the poor conditions and suffering of others through the internet but does this awareness actually increase empathy when they have no personal contact with these people or is it about something else? One could argue that sharing common experiences through social media or gaming can increase understanding of each other and empathy if the quality of those interactions is high. So do you think it is the quality of our relationships on the internet that determines whether our empathy is increased or decreased?
What do you think? For more info on the show and to hear past shows visit www.itsaquestionofbalance.com
Sunday Sep 27, 2015
Sunday Sep 27, 2015
Broadcast on 26 September 2015 on KSCO AM 1080, KSCO 104.1 FM, KOMY AM 1340, and KSCO.com Live Stream.
'It's A Question Of Balance' is a two hour show which balances the intellectual with the creative. The show combines a debate topic with an arts interview because discussion and creativity are two of the most vital ways we engage in the world.
Check out podcasts of the different topics and arts guests at www.itsaquestionofbalance.com
Hour 1: Out And About – Conversations with People on the Street about Questions That Matter: Do Animals Have Rights?
This week we consider ‘Do Animals Have Rights?’ Do you think animals have an equal right to live on the earth or do you think humans take precedence? Why do you think people consider humans to be more important than animals? Why do you think there is frequently greater compassion for wild animals than farmed animals, which often live and die in very cruel situations? Do you think it is acceptable for animals to suffer to provide us with food? Are you willing to pay more for humanely raised meat? What rights, if any, do you think animals should have?
What do you think? For more info on the show and to hear past shows visit www.itsaquestionofbalance.com
Sunday Sep 27, 2015
Sunday Sep 27, 2015
Broadcast on 26 September 2015 on KSCO AM 1080, KSCO 104.1 FM, KOMY AM 1340, and KSCO.com Live Stream.
'It's A Question Of Balance' is a two hour show which balances the intellectual with the creative. The show combines a debate topic with an arts interview because discussion and creativity are two of the most vital ways we engage in the world.
Check out podcasts of the different topics and arts guests at www.itsaquestionofbalance.com
Hour 2: In-Depth Arts Interview with Caitlin Doughty
This week as her special guest from the arts Ruth Copland is pleased to be interviewing Caitlin Doughty, New York Times bestselling author of mortician’s memoir SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES: And Other Lessons from the Crematory about her experiences, and her desire that we not fear death, aging, or the body disposal process. Born and raised in Hawaii, Caitlin attended the University of Chicago from which she graduated with a degree in medieval history. Stalked by the idea of death from an early age due to a childhood trauma, Caitlin moved to California after graduating, with the intent of entering the funeral industry. She has worked as a funeral arranger, and a body-van transport driver, and attended Cypress College for her second degree, in mortuary science. Currently she works as a licensed funeral director/mortician in Los Angeles and owns her own alternative funeral home, Undertaking LA, to help people help themselves (handle a corpse). She founded The Order of the Good Death in 2011 with the goal of bringing the realistic discussion of death back into popular culture. Caitlin has a web series entitled Ask The Mortician, and she has been featured on NPR and the BBC, as well as in Huffington Post, Vice, the LA Times, Jezebel.com, Forbes, Bust Magazine, and Salon. She frequently gives talks on the history of death culture, rituals, and the funeral industry, presenting for groups as diverse as the Center for Inquiry, SXSW, Dan Savage’s Live Lovecast, Upright Citizen’s Brigade, and the Ontario Coroner’s Association. Caitlin’s unique memoir, which is in turn affecting, shocking, revealing, poignant, witty, inspiring, and always honest, is now available in paperback.
For more info and to hear previous shows visit www.itsaquestionofbalance.com
Sunday Sep 20, 2015
Sunday Sep 20, 2015
Broadcast on 19 September 2015 on KSCO AM 1080, KSCO 104.1 FM, KOMY AM 1340, and KSCO.com Live Stream.
'It's A Question Of Balance' is a two hour show which balances the intellectual with the creative. The show combines a debate topic with an arts interview because discussion and creativity are two of the most vital ways we engage in the world.
Check out podcasts of the different topics and arts guests at www.itsaquestionofbalance.com
Hour 2: In-Depth Arts Interview with Vincent Diamante
This week as her special guest from the arts Ruth Copland is pleased to be interviewing BAFTA-nominated audio director, sound designer, and composer Vincent Diamante. Vincent is known for his award-winning work as the music composer for popular games Flower and Cloud from innovative game developer Thatgamecompany. The soundtrack for Flower was released separately as an album due to popular demand. Vincent is now the company’s audio director overseeing the music direction, composition, and sound design of the studio's next project. Before joining the studio full-time, Vincent worked as a radio show host, games journalist, photographer, and even an artist. Thatgamecompany states that ‘The uniquely immersive nature [Vincent] brings to games could be attributed to his breadth of experience and his continued belief in the limitless possibilities in game audio design’. Vincent holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Electroacoustic Media from USC's Thornton School of Music and a Master of Fine Arts in Interactive Media from USC's School of Cinematic Arts. After graduating he remained at the university as faculty to teach both game design and sound design to the next generation of students. Known for his ability to score music with maximum emotional impact and relevance to the content Vincent has gained a dedicated following of music lovers who want to emotionally engage with video games and their music. He is currently hard at work scoring the next game project from Thatgamecompany.
For more info and to hear previous shows visit www.itsaquestionofbalance.com
Sunday Sep 20, 2015
Sunday Sep 20, 2015
Broadcast on 19 September 2015 on KSCO AM 1080, KSCO 104.1 FM, KOMY AM 1340, and KSCO.com Live Stream.
'It's A Question Of Balance' is a two hour show which balances the intellectual with the creative. The show combines a debate topic with an arts interview because discussion and creativity are two of the most vital ways we engage in the world.
Check out podcasts of the different topics and arts guests at www.itsaquestionofbalance.com
Hour 1: Out And About – Conversations with People on the Street about Questions That Matter: Is Tipping A Good Thing?
This week we consider ‘Is Tipping A Good Thing?’ Jon Mooallem in Wired states ‘Tipping…arrived here from continental hotels and restaurants just before the turn of the century. Gunton’s magazine called it “offensively un-American and positively uneconomic”’. It was felt that tipping undermined the quid pro quo, the capitalist work ethic, and the whole idea of income. Tipping turned wages, which were supposed to be dependable, into something flexible. Tipping was also seen as patronising and demeaning, and still is today in China and Japan. Obviously tipping continued in America, largely as the tippers wouldn’t stop tipping - whether through compassion or bourgeois guilt - and today tipping is accepted, some may even say, expected. Have you ever thought of tipping as being patronising? Or do you always see it as a positive thing? Do you feel comfortable not leaving a tip if the service is bad or do you feel you have to leave something regardless? Should tipping be used to supplement peoples wages? Why do we tip for things like massage when we don't tip doctors or chiropractors or other therapists? Is tipping a good thing?
What do you think? Ruth Copland gets the views of people on the street for our Out and About feature.
Sunday Aug 30, 2015
Sunday Aug 30, 2015
Broadcast on 29 August 2015 on KSCO AM 1080, KSCO 104.1 FM, KOMY AM 1340, and KSCO.com Live Stream.
'It's A Question Of Balance' is a two hour show which balances the intellectual with the creative. The show combines a debate topic with an arts interview because discussion and creativity are two of the most vital ways we engage in the world.
Check out podcasts of the different topics and arts guests at www.itsaquestionofbalance.com
Hour 2: In-Depth Arts Interview with Raven Wilkinson
This week as her special guest from the arts Ruth Copland is pleased to be interviewing Raven Wilkinson, ballet dancer and actress. Raven was the first black female dancer to be hired to dance full-time in a major ballet company in America. Born in Harlem, New York, Raven began studying ballet at the age of nine studying under Vecheslav and Maria Swoboda, both Moscow Bolshoi Theatre-trained ballet dancers. She also took technique classes at the Ballet Theatre school with Madame Shollar from the St. Petersburg Imperial Russian Ballet. Raven went on to dance for five years with the renowned Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo in the corps and as a soloist in Les Sylphides, only leaving when racial prejudice and segregation made it impossible for her to perform in certain Southern American states preventing her from touring fully with the company. After leaving Ballets Russes, Raven auditioned for several ballet companies without success and didn’t dance for several years. Then in 1966, the famous ballet dancer Sylvester Campbell suggested that Raven come and dance with him in The Netherlands with the Dutch National Ballet. Raven was offered a soloist contract and went on to dance with the company for seven years performing soloist roles in Symphony in C, La Valse, The Snow Maidens, and Graduation Ball. Lois Bewley, a dancer with Ballets Russes, American Ballet Theatre, and New York City Ballet, has said that “Of all the dancers I have ever known Raven is one of the most beautiful.” And Arthur Mitchell, principal dancer at New York City Ballet and founder of Dance Theatre Harlem has said of seeing Raven dance she had “beautiful feet” and was “quite lyrical”. Raven retired from ballet in 1973 but went on to perform character roles with the New York City Opera. Raven’s career has inspired many ballet dancers of colour, including the first African-American performer to be appointed as a principal dancer for American Ballet Theatre, Misty Copeland, for whom Raven has been a mentor.
For more info and to hear previous shows visit www.itsaquestionofbalance.com
Sunday Aug 30, 2015
Sunday Aug 30, 2015
Broadcast on 29 August 2015 on KSCO AM 1080, KSCO 104.1 FM, KOMY AM 1340, and KSCO.com Live Stream.
'It's A Question Of Balance' is a two hour show which balances the intellectual with the creative. The show combines a debate topic with an arts interview because discussion and creativity are two of the most vital ways we engage in the world.
Check out podcasts of the different topics and arts guests at www.itsaquestionofbalance.com
Hour 1: Out And About – Conversations with People on the Street about Questions That Matter: Must Women Be Like Men To Be Equal?
This week we consider ‘Must Women Be Like Men To Be Equal?’ Women want to be treated equally to men, to have equal opportunities, and to have freedom to choose what occupations they can pursue. However, there seems to have grown up around the idea of equality the premise that to be equal to men, women have to enter the men’s world, to demonstrate they can be as tough as men and match other masculine traits rather than feminine qualities and skills coming to be valued equally. For instance, the act of caring for and rearing children and home-making (always undervalued compared with traditional male pursuits) seems to have fallen even lower in value when compared with other more traditionally masculine occupations. Must women be like men to be equal? Or is a situation possible where caring and nurturing and other more traditionally feminine skills are valued equally? Does your view of equality allow for men and women to be different but equal?
What do you think? For more info on the show and to hear past shows visit www.itsaquestionofbalance.com