This week on Now I Get It, I dive into the real reason conspiracy theories—like those around Jeffrey Epstein—are taking hold of the public imagination. Spoiler: It’s not just wild speculation. I walk you through how trust in our legal, political, and economic systems has eroded, why this distrust is historically grounded, and how the foundations of American democracy are being tested in real time.

We’ll explore how two competing visions of democracy—Greek versus Roman, Boston versus Charleston—have shaped the U.S., how corporate consolidation and “friction by design” have fueled economic inequality, and why even the noblest systems, like the Quaker-driven ethic of transparency, are breaking down. If you've ever felt that the system is rigged, this episode offers you the historical and economic context to understand why.

In this episode, you will learn:

• (00:50) – Why the Epstein case taps into real public fear about justice, power, and protection for the elite
• (02:40) – How Boston and Charleston represent two opposing visions of democracy that still divide America
• (06:00) – What the Quakers got right about business—and how their transparency ethic shaped early capitalism
• (08:45) – How index funds and diversification quietly created monopolies and crushed competition
• (10:50) – Why the educated middle class moved away from workers—and how that shift opened the door for populism
• (11:50) – The dark design behind bad customer service—and how corporations profit by making you give up
• (13:30) – The Powell Memo: a corporate lawyer’s battle plan that reshaped U.S. politics and rolled back democracy
• (17:00) – Real-life stories of healthcare inequality—and how wealth decides who lives or dies
• (18:00) – Why understanding these hidden forces is the first step to rebuilding trust and real change

Let’s connect!

linktr.ee/drprandy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm Andrew Winkler, and in this episode of Now I Get It, I dive into one of the most overlooked causes of low literacy: the surprising complexity behind how we learn to read. We explore why simply recognizing words isn't enough—and why relying on context clues or outdated teaching strategies can leave learners guessing. I also explain how our brains process sounds and why phonemic awareness (though often misunderstood) is key to unlocking fluent reading.

We unpack the real science behind reading—what happens when we go from sounds to syllables, and syllables to meaning—and how that process is shaped by language history, pronunciation quirks, and the hidden structure of English. I break down practical strategies to boost reading skills, including why teaching sound combinations is easier (and more powerful) than you think. Whether you're an educator, parent, or lifelong learner, this episode will shift how you think about literacy.

In this episode, you will learn:

• (00:36) – Why the “cost” of learning to read isn’t financial—it’s about effort, access, and missing skills
• (01:45) – The overlooked skill fluent readers have—and why most people don’t realize it’s a skill at all
• (03:10) – How using concrete visuals for vowel sounds can make reading easier for beginners
• (05:00) – Why your dialect might affect how you hear (and teach) vowel sounds like “ostrich” and “octopus”
• (06:03) – What diphthongs are—and how combining simple sounds builds real reading fluency
• (07:20) – How the ancient Greeks’ alphabet mistakes still shape how we understand literacy today
• (08:55) – The surprising rules behind which consonants can cluster—and how kids learn them naturally
• (11:51) – Why English spelling doesn’t match how we speak—and how to teach reading anyway
• (13:30) – How one foundational skill can help kids get years ahead in reading by the end of elementary school

Let’s connect!

linktr.ee/drprandy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm Andrew Winkler, and in this episode of Now I Get It, I dive into one of the most overlooked causes of low literacy: the surprising complexity behind how we learn to read. We explore why simply recognizing words isn't enough—and why relying on context clues or outdated teaching strategies can leave learners guessing. I also explain how our brains process sounds and why phonemic awareness (though often misunderstood) is key to unlocking fluent reading.

We unpack the real science behind reading—what happens when we go from sounds to syllables, and syllables to meaning—and how that process is shaped by language history, pronunciation quirks, and the hidden structure of English. I break down practical strategies to boost reading skills, including why teaching sound combinations is easier (and more powerful) than you think. Whether you're an educator, parent, or lifelong learner, this episode will shift how you think about literacy.

In this episode, you will learn:

• (01:05) - Why the cost of learning to read isn’t just financial—it’s about time, access, and attention
• (03:50) - The original meaning of the word bead—and how language evolves through misunderstanding
• (05:45) - What “phonemic awareness” actually is—and why the term itself is misleading
• (08:30) - The difference between phonemes and allophones (and why it matters when learning to read)
• (10:40) - How simple sound combinations like p + ay = pay can build reading fluency
• (13:00) - Why English spelling feels so broken—and how phonemic skills help overcome it
• (16:30) - A full walkthrough of English consonant sounds, from lips to throat
• (22:00) - How dialects and simplification shape language—and what that means for teaching literacy today

Let’s connect!

linktr.ee/drprandy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.