Trickle Down Episode 1: Bad Seed (Part 1)

I've finally been able to listen to Trickle Down and I'm not disappointed. The compassion with which Travis covers Emma's life actually made me a bit emotional. More storytelling like this, please!

Aurora

These ideas have a shockingly long half-life. A county in Tennesse was offering prisoners shorter sentences for “””voluntary””” sterilisation. It was ruled unconstitutional but not before multiple people underwent surgery or were given birth control implants. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/42083972.amp

circled back and listened to this again - bad seed 1 & 2 are stellar. Travis' narration is becoming the voice of my thinking brain.

My cat’s name is Henry 😬

megan

I'm guessing that the book is just using the name Vineland because it's a common enough name for a city. The Vineland area of NJ was good for growing grapes as are many areas of CA. However, the more that I've looked into the history of Vineland, NJ, it's a quite remarkable place for how progressive it was for it's time---women's rights, disabled rights, welcoming to Italian and Jewish immigrants. However, Vineland has truly won my heart because Skee-ball was invented by Joseph Fourestier Simpson, a Vineland resident. (The Princeton professor, Jonathan Dickinson Este, who was often credited with the invention did help revive the company and was an important part of making it popular--but the original creator was Simpson.)

Boy, this is really making me rethink the use of terms like idiot and moron

Brad Plumb

Curious now if that somehow relates to the title of Thomas Pynchon's book (which I read and didn't particularly deal with these topics)

Brad Plumb

Great research, great work. Very well done job

Vineland was a planned ideal community founded in 1861. It promoted progressive thinking and did not allow alcohol. Women (including 4 Black women) in Vineland staged a mock vote in 1868 (4 years before Susan B Anthony’s famous voting incident in 1872) This community also was one of the only places in the country that tolerated women wearing bloomers so it’s no wonder that a more humane way of taking care of people with developmental issues was founded here. Vineland would make space for these individuals verses other towns who would never let anyone build such a place in their community. However so many things that started as good social reform ideas —like trying to find a place for people who would otherwise be marginalized—get twisted into really bad things especially by people who want to better the human race. Here’s more info on the women of Vineland voting and a link at the bottom to all their names https://suffragettecity100.com/22

I’ve listened to this twice now and am very impressed. Such good research. The only thing I would add is extending your timeline for looking at heredity as a leading cause for psychiatric/ developmental issues. Also check out these books on the subject if you have time. Mind Fixers by Anne Harrington Genetics in the Madhouse by Theodore Porter

Cliffhanger! Need more!

Really enjoyed this. Great work boys!

thatheathen