99: Dowager Summer, No Horsing Around, Toilet Renaissance & Birthing Eugenics
Welcome to David & Stu… Unhinged! As always, we'd like to thank Clara Wang for creating the fantastic artwork for this podcast.
This week on David & Stu Unhinged, we dive into four stories that usher in the beginning of summer with a discussion of a visit to Italy, Central Park’s horse and buggy issue, toilet seat installation in public bathrooms, and the ethics of prenatal testing.
Dowager Summer: David has returned from Sardinia and Rome only to discover that re-entering America may be the most dangerous adventure of the entire trip. From pink sand beaches, sublime Italian food, Henry James, and Rome's cat-filled Protestant Cemetery to a strategic refusal to spend 2.5 hours alone in a kayak, David reflects on reclaiming his Italian heritage after it was denied to him here in America due to his parents' ill-advised attempt to assimilate into the WASP establishment.
No Horsing Around: A recent Central Park carriage incident is once again blowing up the debate over these horses after one got spooked, took off out of control, and slammed into another carriage, flipping it and throwing passengers. Tragically, an 18-year-old tourist was killed. This incident raised the question of whether this practice should be maintained or banned.
Toilet Renaissance: The MTA announced this week that it has installed toilet seats in subway station bathrooms after an Inspector General audit found that more than a quarter of the toilets inspected were missing them. The audit also uncovered other basic maintenance issues, including missing soap, toilet paper, and working locks. While the headline is funny, it is no reason for the MTA to celebrate since this incident raises broader questions about how poorly this state manages its public infrastructure.
Birthing Eugenics: Stu discusses the relationship between advances in prenatal testing and the declining number of babies born with Down syndrome. This trend raises real ethical questions about choice, medical progress, and what society values, and it’s one that deserves exploration and its societal impact.
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