KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts

KUT and KUTX news and music podcasts for Austin, Texas and beyond

Social Media

Texas Standard: October 31, 2019

Does the state have a duty to provide mobile voting centers? Texas democrats claim a new law unconstitutionally disenfranchises young voters, we’ll have details. Also, did Exxon Mobil have one set of numbers about climate change for investors, and a secret set for itself? Texan Rex Tillerson takes the stand in a closely watch trial involving one of the Lone Star State’s biggest companies. Plus, Twitter banning political ads? Tech expert Omar Gallaga on why and what it adds up to. And why you might see tarantulas crossing Texas roadways, and not just tonight, mind you. All of that and then some today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: February 8, 2019

The confirmation of a republican Governor Secretary of State nominee: a slam dunk in the republican led Texas senate? Not this time. David Whitley facing an uphill battle to be confirmed as Secretary of State after questioning the citizenship of almost 100 thousand Texas voters, we’ll hear the latest. Also, Senator John Cornyn set for easy re-election in 2020, wanna Bet-o? Cornyn himself not taking any chances after seeing what happened in 2018. All that and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Quitting Facebook

Many of us threaten to do it, but most don’t go through with quitting Facebook. Leaving the social media site that connects us virtually with so many people can sometimes leave us feeling even more isolated, but it just might be what we need to feel more connected in real life. That was the inspiration of this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

Higher Ed: Self Promotion In Academia

A provocative column this year in The Chronicle of Higher Education laments the rise of what the author calls the “promotional intellectual.” Dr. Jeffrey J. Williams of Carnegie Mellon University believes the old adage in academia of “publish or perish” has evolved into “promote or perish.” In this episode of KUT’s podcast “Higher Ed,” Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger and KUT’s Jennifer Stayton discuss promoting one’s academic work.

Ed is quick to distinguish between what he acknowledges is probably uncomfortable for many academics – self promotion – and the enthusiastic sharing of an academic subject or idea.

“It should be about: I am passionate about this particular suite of ideas or this set of human knowledge and I believe there is power and there is import to have other people embrace it, too ,” says Ed. “And if it happens to not be in fashion today, then I’ve got to go out and I’ve got to promote the thing that I’m passionate about.”

But Ed believes “it’s one thing to say, in my case, I love Math and I want everyone to appreciate Math, even if you don’t love it versus I want everyone to love Ed Burger.” He says he’s “less interested in that, which I don’t think serves the kind of greater good, as much as saying look, here’s a suite of ideas I’ve spent a lifetime learning. Let me share the joy of it with you and the power of it with you versus hey, here I am. Let me tell you how awesome I am.”

Listen to the entire episode for a further discussion about promotion in academia and to hear a new puzzler. Ready to escape from a fire-breathing dragon?

This episode was recorded on Sept. 28, 2018.

Texas Standard: July 23, 2018

The endangered species act, now on the endangered list? Activists and environmentalist sound alarms, we’ll learn more. And as we fast approach the anniversary of Harvey and plunge further into hurricane season, rescue efforts underway for the National Flood Insurance program. We’ll hear what’s happening, and why they’re underwater. Also, ranchers balk at a plan to brand lab-grown protein “clean meat”…what’s in a name? Some say a multi-billion dollar industry. And journalists abandoning social media does it matter? All this and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: June 29, 2018

Should immigration and customs enforcement be dissolved? It’s not just democratic socialists asking, it’s some of the agents themselves, we’ll explore. Also grumblings south of the border as Mexico prepares to go to the polls and pick a new president. And polls point to a victory for a man described as a Trump of the Mexican left. We’ll have an update of these final hours before balloting begins. And Texas Senator Ted cruz accused Facebook’s CEO of liberal bias. Now reports say social media honchos have been huddling in secret with GOP leaders. We’ll hear what’s on their agenda. Plus the week in Texas politics and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: April 30, 2018

Reversed: Texas’ Voter ID law once found to discriminate on the basis of race now gets the green light. So what forms of ID will you need to bring with you to the polling place? That won’t change. We’ll hear how the court came down and why. Also, remember gas prices closing in on 4 dollars a gallon? Would you be wiling to pay double that? A prediction that could make em smile in the Permian Basin, but put the big squeeze on SUV drivers. And those commercial DNA genealogy tests: could they be used against you in a court of law? A high profile case raising red flags. All those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:

A Handy Guide To The Most Texas-Loving Pages On Facebook

Back when Facebook was new on the net, in order to spur participation on the platform, Facebook made a page for every state and issued a challenge: “Let’s see which state can get to a million likes first.”

Texas won and won handily. It wasn’t even close.

Given Texas’s galactic reputation for state pride, the only surprise would have been had Texas not come in first. California and New York were much more tech savvy and digitally connected at the time and should have at least come in second and third, but they didn’t.

Colorado took second place, probably because the state was proud that it was once part of Texas. I say that with tongue firmly planted in cheek. Since that time, Texas pride pages have proliferated on Facebook. Most have sister sites on Twitter, but I’m choosing to focus exclusively on Facebook for today.

So here are ten pages, of the hundreds in existence, that you might enjoy “liking” and seeing their posts in your news feed – I certainly do. I’m leaning away from the strictly business, news, political or government pages in favor of those that are mostly about celebrating Texas as a beautiful land and culture. The order is random and the choices are mine.

Traces of Texas shares fascinating photos from Texas history, recent and distant. Most are high quality black and white photos. Traces of Texas followers send in never-before-seen-by-the-public photos from old family albums and library collections. Traces of Texas is an online museum of Texas history – created by Texans, for Texans.

Texas Humor has a huge following because – I figure – most people like a good laugh as often as they can get one. They don’t publish jokes in the traditional sense. Their humor is largely visual, comprised of Texcentric memes that are all the more funny if you’re Texan. For instance, you will see a picture of wind turbines with the caption: Texas is so hot we’ve installed fans outside.

I Love Texas is perfectly named. It focuses on celebrating Texans’ love for their state, in breathtaking photos of Texas landscapes, cityscapes, and historical stories in short form. They have a sister page called I Love Texas Photographs which is certainly worth following. I Love Texas greets you every morning with a stunning photo that says, “Good Morning from the Great State of Texas” and signs off every night with a prayer for those in the military serving overseas.

Texas Hill Country is likely the granddaddy of this genre, with nearly a million followers. It has been around since before Facebook, as a site devoted mostly to exquisitely beautiful photos of the Texas Hill Country. Now it still has the photos, but has added nostalgia, music, historical stories, humor, etc. THC also has a companion page named simply Texas.

Texas Highways is a publication of the Texas Department of Transportation. It is one of the few older publications that has successfully migrated onto the net and gotten better. I enjoyed Texas Highways as a kid for their photographs and enjoy it even more today on Facebook for the same reason. But is more than photographs. It is, in their words, “the official travel magazine of Texas and the ultimate guide to the Lone Star State.”

Texas Back Roads is, like the title suggests, a backroads travel page. They say that, “From Abbott to Zunkerville and Antiques to Ziplines, we are letting you know what there is to see and do in Texas.” TBR also provides a good deal of historical stories.

Texas Storm Chasers is the premiere Texas weather page on Facebook. It further proves that the weather in Texas – and in general – is an everlasting subject for discussion. Started by two high schoolers in 2009, their aim is “to provide weather information in the evolving digital age and to share our professional storm chasing content.” Here you will find unsurpassed video and photographs of extreme weather.

Texas Country Reporter is the Facebook companion to the TV show where you’ll get links to the stories and additional Texas-centric posts that they think you’ll enjoy.

Texas Monthly is another of the classic Texas publications that has adapted to the digital age quite well, where they remain the “indisputable authority on the Texas scene,” from arts to food to travel.

Now, I said I wouldn’t mention any business pages in the list but I must include the largest following in that category by far. With 65 million “likes,” it is – drum roll please – Texas Hold’em Poker. Yep. 65 million people learning when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em.

The Honorable Mentions, which you can find by searching Facebook:

Best of the West (West Texas)

Texas Farm Bureau (Splendid Photos)

I AM A Texan

Texas Pride

Images from Texas

Texas Pride

Texas Mountain Trail Region (West Texas)

Vintage San Antonio

Flashback Dallas

The Texas Observer

100% Houston

El Paso Historical Society

Landscapes of the Texas Hill Country (Superb photos by master photographers)

The King Ranch

Schumacher Cattle (Texas Longhorns)

Cowboys of the Waggoner Ranch

Stories from Texas

My Favorite Texas Landscape Photographers:

Wyman Meinzer (State Photographer)

Carol M. Highsmith

Tim McKenna

Jeff Lynch

Larry White

David Pine

Rob Greebon

Travis Yust

George McLemore

Matt Sklar

John Martell

Srini Sundarrajan

Texas Standard: November 9, 2017

A Texas senator says there’s bipartisan support for a bill some are calling gun control. This in the wake of the attack at Sutherland Springs. Four days after the church shooting, nearby communities lock arms for the largest public gathering there since the tragedy. And after election day, time to get ready for, election day? Two different takes on the sprint to November 2018. Also, a week or so into signups, a surprise for those who might have written off the Affordable Care Act. And trouble in the virtual space as Snapchat and Twitter face some real world considerations, like revenue. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: September 28, 2017

They say it’ll help balance the budget, grow the economy, create more jobs, but what does it add up to for Texas? We’ll explore. Also after this week’s highly watched senate race in Alabama, what’s the take away for Texas? We’ll hear how that election could have shockwaves for the lone star state, and for one top congressman in particular. Plus Homeland Security will start gathering social media information for all immigrants, an effort sparked by the 2015 San Bernardino attack. But what’s the government looking for and does it make sense for security? Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Best of “Higher Ed:” ‘Social’ Media

This is might be a familiar scene to you: You’re walking down the street and see someone heading toward you, not looking up, face firmly transfixed on the small screen of a smartphone or tablet. What does all that time spent attending to devices do to our personal interactions, conversations and learning? In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger look at the personal and educational implications. Social media and digital technology are great in many ways. They connect us quickly and easily, and allow us to access information in seconds. But what does time spent communicating and learning that way do to our personal interactions? Ed and Jennifer discuss the possible impacts, as well as the role of education in helping us navigate and balance the availability of so much communication and information. Listen on for their conversation and for the answer to a puzzler about a row of radio hosts.

This episode was recorded on Jan. 19, 2017.

Privacy

Understanding what we want to make public and what we want to keep private might seem like an easy choice, however as Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss in this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, when it comes to life on-line our brains aren’t quite equip to navigate the complexity of this issue.

Higher Ed: “Social” Media

This is might be a familiar scene to you: you’re walking down the street and see someone heading towards you, not looking up, face firmly transfixed on the small screen of a smart phone or tablet. What does all that time spent attending to devices do to our personal interactions, conversations, and learning? In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger look at the personal and educational implications. Social media and digital technology are great in many ways. They connect us quickly and easily and allow us to access information in seconds. But what does time spent communicating and learning that way do to our personal interactions? Ed and Jennifer discuss the possible impacts as well as what education can do to help students and life long learners navigate and balance the availability of so much communication and information. Listen on for their conversation and to find out the answer to last episode’s puzzler about the row of radio hosts.

This episode was recorded on Jan. 19, 2017.

Texas Standard: January 10, 2016

As lawmakers return to the Texas capitol today, a loud warning from a top state official: money’s tight. What that means for everyday Texans. Plus, yesterday we were at the border. Today we’re looking at another aspect of potential change to Texas in a new political era: a fight over so-called sanctuary cities. Also lights, camera, and cash? Why plans are in the works to shut off incentives for Texas filmmakers. And he’s been called the first social media president. Now some Texas researchers have been given the white house ok to explore what that really means for modern politics. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Communication and Technology (Rebroadcast)

If you live in the modern world – as you most likely do – you’re probably seen it: two people standing next to each other, engrossed in text conversations happening on their mobile devices, while oblivious to each other or anything else happening around them.

Does that common occurrence make you reminisce about the good old days of landlines? You’re not alone. Many people pine for simplicity in this new world of immediate contact – all possible through our nifty mobile gadgets.

You can never be out of reach, never out of touch – and yet, you can stay constantly isolated in your own mobile, virtual world, blissfully unengaged in real time interaction with live people around you.

How does this new technology of immediate mobile contact influence and affect our relationships with real people, in real time, in real life?

Well, there’s benefits and drawbacks. As usual, the Two Guys on Your Head have some interesting insight.

Higher Ed: Has It Become “Cool” To Be Angry?

Social media such as Twitter allow people to draw attention to situations and problems that might not otherwise get much focus. It also lets people share information and connect quickly and easily. But what has happened to the value we place on interacting and connecting in person? In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger discuss the immediacy and emotion of social media and the value of personal interactions. The idea for this episode came from Ed. He says he’s sensed something among young people (and he would know – he’s been teaching and working with young people for decades). Ed wonders if it has become “cool” to be angry. And, he wonders if that phenomenon is fueled by the emotions often displayed on social media and the responses they elicit. Also, hold onto your hats; you’ll get the solution to last week’s puzzler about who’s wearing what hat.

This episode was recorded on October 4, 2016.

Texas Standard: November 2, 2016

A Texas politician tweets an obscene characterization of a political opponent. A mere slip of the twit, or a larger problem? We’ll explore. Also as the nation focuses on Presidential politics, another race with huge implications for our own backyard is getting precious little attention…perhaps because no one cares about railroads anymore. We’ll explain why that could be a political train wreck unto itself. And after an ugly racial incident at Texas A&M why some Aggies won’t take ‘let it go’ for an answer. And in the 60’s having a golf course in your subdivision signaled upscale. Why the mark of suburban bliss may soon be the Texas lagoon. Grab your towel and transistor radio, it’s Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: June 7, 2016

The Trump Factor and Latino Voters: does the latest blowup over Mexican ancestry really tilt the balance in Texas? We’ll explore. Also Texas is on track to set another new record for inappropriate relationships between teachers and students. Is the fix a ban on social media? And home again, home again, jiggity jig: more young adults now live with parents than with significant others. Why mom and dad need not be that bummed out. And the many national and state parks in Texas are missing something: african american visitors. New research points to why. Those stories and much more today on the Texas standard:

×