Disarming Data

Jay Knowles was born in Texas, raised in Tennessee, and educated in Connecticut. Over the last 20 years, his songs have been recorded by classic singers like George Strait, Alan Jackson, and Harry Connick, Jr., as well as today's hottest Country stars like Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Lainey Wilson, and Raffi. Jay's professional honors include Number One songs on multiple charts, a BMI Million Air Award, and a Grammy nomination for Country Song of the Year. We’re excited to welcome Jay to the podcast to share more about the details about his songwriting career, the moments in musical history that have influenced him, and where he sees future trends in country music leading. He discusses the evolution of music in Nashville, particularly the blending of country, Southern rock, and Americana genres, and reflects on the current lack of representation in country music. Jay also discusses the Whalefarm project he co-founded, which is a network of unrecorded songs for music industry professionals to discover. “The way you learn how to write songs is by writing songs." - Jay Knowles "To me, all good songs are story songs." - Jay Knowles "You don't have to be country to like country music. It's really about whether your heart is connected to it." - Jay Knowles This week on Disarming Data: Jay Knowles shares his background in country music and politics in NashvilleThe very first song Jay wrote with his dad when he was five years oldWhere Jay starts from when he’s writing a new songThe importance of having a thread of relatability running through a songHow country music has evolved with artists like Taylor Swift and Emmylou Harris pushing boundaries and blurring genresThe lack of storytelling in modern songs and why country music is an exception with its ability to tell a story within three minutesWhy it’s important not to overthink the creative process but allow the song to unfold naturallyThe concept of Whalefarm, a platform for songwriters to share and collaborate on songs, and why he wanted to create a space for lost or overlooked songs to be heardChallenges of getting old songs heard and recorded, particularly for independent songwriters and artistsConnect with Jay Knowles:Jay Knowles' WebsiteWhalefarmConnect with Disarming Data:David Biderman on LinkedInProduced and Edited By The PodcastHaven

Dr. Jada Watson holds a Ph.D. in Musicology from Université Laval and a Master of Information Studies from the University of Ottawa. In 2020, she was awarded the Faculty of Arts Distinguished Teaching Award for Part-time Professors. She is the author of Whose Country Music? Genre, Identity, and Belonging in Twenty-First Century Country Music, a collection of essays forthcoming with Cambridge University Press. Since 2019, she has been the Digital Humanities Coordinator at the University of Ottawa, including the Digital Humanities Summer - the only bilingual digital humanities institute in Canada. In May 2022, she received the CSDH/SCHN Outstanding Early Career Award, for her research and contributions to the digital humanities in Canada. This week on the show, we’re talking with Jada about equity in country music radio. She tells us how she’s systematically measured country playlists and shown how BIPOC artists, women, and others are underrepresented. She tells how she is using her data to promote equality and diversity in country. We also don’t like some of the dark underbelly of country music, and thank Jada for her unbelievable work. Also, and as importantly, Jada tells us why—despite having a PhD in classical composers—she still loves country. Come listen. “Marketing labels are keeping the industry segregated." - Jada Watson "Songs by women actually get tossed out of the playlists at a far greater rate than songs by men." - Jada Watson "There is a limit to what a woman can achieve in Country music." - Jada Watson This week on Disarming Data: How Jada first become interested in studying musicologyThe interview by a prominent radio consultant who said that radio stations should improve their station ratings by playing songs by women at only 13 to 15% that prompted Jada to study the data behind the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart What kind of radio Jada tracks, how she accesses the data, and why it’s importantHow the industry caps the achievements of female country artists, even singers like Taylor SwiftWhy country music concerts aren’t always safe spaces for white, cis-gendered individuals and what we can do about thatWhy politics has such a tight relationship with the country music industryJada’s take on Jason Aldean’s pro-Trump stance and the public response to his song Try That in a Small TownThe racial inequity within the country format radio and why it’s so strange given that country music is so sonically diverseLil Nas X and the story of Old Town Road - why Nashville didn’t accept the song or the artistThe Chicks' experience with sharing their political leanings and why they haven’t been played on country format radio airplay since 2003Connect with Jada Watson:Jada Watson on Instagram Connect with Disarming Data:David Biderman on LinkedIn

Commissioner of the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States, Leonor was appointed by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith to examine the long-term strategic posture of the United States, including a threat assessment, detailed review of nuclear weapons policy and strategy, and recommendations as the most appropriate strategic posture and strategy moving forward. Leonor Tomero previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, supporting the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities by developing strategies, informing policies, and conducting oversight of nuclear deterrence policy, arms control, and missile defense policy.We welcome Leonor to the podcast this week to discuss why nuclear deterrence is still stuck in 20th-century architecture and thinking and some of the ways we could leverage artificial intelligence to improve it. We dig into what’s happening now regarding potential nuclear threats, and Leonor shares why China is currently the pacing threat. Leonor also discusses the impact of the war on Ukraine on strategic stability and why the U.S. dialogue with Russia was initially suspended. “The only current surviving nuclear arms control treaty is going to is going to expire in 2026. And we're not negotiating any new agreement." - Leonor Tomero "Compared to Russia and Chin, U.S. culture, entrepreneurship, creativity, and imagination, really is our unique advantage in terms of innovation." - Leonor Tomero "It's not about adding more nuclear weapons. It's about enhancing deterrence much earlier in the conflict, enhancing resilience, and making our platforms a lot more survivable." - Leonor Tomero This week on Disarming Data: Leonor’s professional journey and why she’s now focusing on how innovation should be applied to deterrenceNew concepts for strengthening deterrenceThe huge impact on Russia of the war on Ukraine beyond government-imposed sanctionsWhat the Department of Defence is looking at for missile tracking and missile warningThe potential impact of attacks on satellites and other assets in spaceThe importance of using new innovative technology in defenseWhy the US administration has said that China is the pacing threat right nowWhy mutually assured destruction (MAD) is still a key tenant of preventing nuclear warWhy a current area of concern is how to prevent Russia from using small tactical nuclear weaponsHow governments and organizations control the information in the public domain, particularly technological advances that would impact defenseConnect with Leonor Tomero:Leonor Tomero on LinkedIn Connect with Disarming Data:David Biderman on LinkedIn

Melissa Fortunato, Founder and Chief Negotiation Officer (CNO) of Alchemy-Team, tells us about her 23-year FBI career as a Crisis Negotiator and Undercover Agent. Melissa is a graduate of Quantico’s famed negotiation training program and tells us how active listening and well-designed questions brought her remarkable success in resolving hostage for ransom, political kidnappings, and off-kilter abductions. On the show this week, she tells Paige and David how a “romantic” trip to Thailand led to a fake wedding and the chauffeur-driven apprehension of a large band of international arms dealers.Melissa also dives into some of the benefits of being a woman in crisis negotiation and how her background in psychology helps her de-escalate high-stakes risks. Melissa remains committed to empowering others through transformative negotiation training in her current role.“Humanness shows up in the strangest situations." - Melissa Fortunato"Crime is as old as time. We're always chasing; they're always evolving." - Melissa Fortunato"You can't meet anger with anger. It gets you nowhere." - Melissa FortunatoThis week on Disarming Data:How Melissa moved from being a counselor to becoming an FBI AgentMelissa shares all about her fake wedding on a yacht and how it led to the apprehension of a large group of criminalsThe duel-edged sword of building connections and a rapport with people they end up arrestingThe difference between crisis response and hostage negotiations on an emotional levelThe kidnap for ransom case of a U.S. citizen in Afghanistan involving the Taliban that Melissa was involved inMelissa gives the real story of whether or not people should pay a ransom if someone or something is takenThe importance of reaching out for help if you’re a victim of ransomware or tech crimeThe transition from undercover to hostage negotiator and why she stopped doing undercover work to focus on hostage negotiationsMelissa’s new company Alchemy Team and her role as a negotiation consultant for businessesMelissa shares her book recommendations for people who want to improve their negotiation skillsConnect with Melissa Fortunato:Melissa Fortunato on LinkedInConnect with Disarming Data:David Biderman on LinkedIn

This week on Disarming Data, we’re speaking with former Secret Service Agent Rich Latulip, who shares his unique experience in understanding cybersecurity threats from the inside as an undercover agent tasked with building relationships with known cyberterrorists. He tells us about staying at Thai beach resorts with cyber criminals so he can meet them in person—not on-line. He discusses the underground world of buying and selling credit card data and the challenges of conducting business as an undercover agent working with international law enforcement agencies.Rich also shares some of the obstacles undercover agents have to overcome and how they maintain trust with their targets while gathering important information. Rich has some amazing stories and please have a listen.Computer crimes are financial crimes.” - Rich LaTulip“I found myself in the Secret Service because I always had an interest in serving my country and protecting people.” - Rich LaTulip“Our goal was moving the digital world into the real world.” - Rich LaTulipThis Week on Disarming Data:Why Rich decided to join the Secret Service and what agents really do when they’re undercoverHow Rich’s unique experience in law enforcement and cybersecurity help him in his current role at Resolve SystemsSome of the key online threats that businesses need to protect themselves from in 2023Skills that helped Rich move up in his career in federal law enforcement and cybersecurityRich shares his story of living and pursuing cyber criminals in EstoniaDifficulties in building trust with cyber criminals online, the importance of creating rapport, and how that helps security forces bring them to justiceThe underground world of skimming, buying, and selling credit card data, and the challenges of identifying and apprehending individuals involvedHow the bureaucracy involved in pursuing people engaged in illegal activities in non-extraditable countries makes it difficult for law enforcement agencies to bring criminals to justiceRich’s interest in computer forensics and ways investigators can improve the quality of digital evidence reportsConnect with Richard LaTulip: Richard LaTulip on LinkedInResolve SystemsConnect with Decrypted Unscripted:Perkins Coie LLPDavid Biderman on LinkedInAndrew Pak on LinkedIn

Dr. Sarah Nutter is a weight stigma researcher and an influential voice in the body positivity movement. With personal experience battling weight stigma and body dissatisfaction, Sarah has dedicated her career to understanding and combating the harmful effects of diet culture. Her groundbreaking work at the University of Victoria has shed light on the detrimental impact of media messages, societal beauty ideals, and weight loss efforts on individuals' mental and physical well-being. Sarah advocates for challenging societal norms, promoting positive body image, and redefining health beyond weight. Her expertise and innovative approaches continue to inspire and empower individuals to embrace self-love, reject harmful beauty standards, and cultivate a healthier relationship with their bodies. This week on Disarming Data, Sarah dives into the impact of beauty and body ideal messages on body image and emphasizes the importance of valuing qualities beyond appearance and finding comfort in our bodies. She discusses the harmful effects of social media and TV shows like “The Biggest Loser” and their contribution to the development of eating disorders. Sarah also raises concerns about the improper use of weight loss drugs and the potential risks they pose to people’s long-term physical and mental health. “I'm interested in better understanding the influence of weight stigma on healthcare and the attitudes of healthcare professionals." - Dr. Sarah Nutter "A cultural obsession with weight has been long-standing and has also grown over time." - Dr. Sarah Nutter "95% of people who lose weight via diet and exercise behaviors will gain that weight back in three to five years, and often they'll gain more weight back than they lost...sometimes we're actually really having a negative effect on our physiology." - Dr. Sarah Nutter This week on Disarming Data:Sarah discusses the long-standing struggle of researchers to address the influence of weight loss messages on individuals' perception of themselvesUnderstanding social media algorithms and why we should be more selective about the accounts we follow, and unfollowing those that promote weight stigmatizationHow we can be discerning consumers of media, and the importance of questioning the influences we look up toHow we can stop obsessing about how our bodies look to others and learn to value other qualities we love about ourselvesWays we can find comfort, strength, and capability in their bodies.Sarah shares the need for intentional efforts to counteract the influence of culture on body image, particularly the cultural obsession with weight and thinness as a beauty ideal and marker of success.Sarah shares her research on how watching "The Biggest Loser" TV show contributes to unrealistic and unsafe weight loss effortsWhether what we see in the media contributes to the development of eating disorders and unhealthy body relationshipsHow Sarah moved past a cycle of weight loss and gain, and how she managed to take the decision to reject dieting and learn to love herselfThe importance of allowing children to develop their own sense of hunger and fullness cues and fostering positive relationships with their bodies and foodWhy using weight loss drugs can be a long-term risk to your physical and mental healthHow we can stop using weight as an indicator of health and the problem of relying too heavily on BMI to assess healthinessConnect with Dr. Sarah Nutter:Dr. SarahConnect with Disarming Data: David Biderman on LinkedIn

In this episode, addiction counselor Jeremy joins us to discuss the distinction between recreational gambling and addiction. Jeremy shares stories from his clients and offers insights into identifying gambling addiction behaviors and setting boundaries. He explores software solutions for managing gambling website usage and discusses why people gamble, from boredom to financial need. We delve into the rapid ascent of online gambling websites and the increase and gambling behaviors generally.Jeremy is a licensed professional counselor with over seven years of experience working with adults, teens, and children in various settings, including ADAPT of Missouri, Every Child’s Hope, and in private practice. After personally experiencing the negative effects of Gaming Disorder, Jeremy devoted his work to helping those recover from problematic and disordered screen use. He is passionate about helping teenagers and adults obtain a more balanced relationship with screens. He does not advocate total abstention but instead provides counseling on responsible screen use. He helps strengthen family relationships and gives parents insights to address unhealthy screen use. He gives people practical tools to help with their specific need of escaping problematic screen use. Jeremy provides a safe space for those struggling with problematic screen use to find ways to meet their goals. Outside of problematic screen use, Jeremy works well with anyone struggling with depression, anxiety, relationship challenges, and stress. If you want to improve your mental health, call Jeremy.Screen use is like candy. Candy is delicious, and it provides a lot of energy. But if it’s our only food source, we will have problems. It’s the same with video games." - Jeremy Edge"We can't completely get rid of technology use, but how we're able to modify it or be able to interact with it healthily is impactful." - Jeremy Edge "Any kiddo can open up a loot box, but loot boxes are gambling." - Jeremy Edge This week on Disarming Data:How to identify the line between recreational gambling and addictionSoftware you can use to manage your use of gambling websitesWhy people gamble — from boredom to financial needHow to make changes in your life that replace the feeling you get from gamblingWhy it can be helpful to join a support group when recovering from addictionHow loot boxes in video games are exposing children in the U.S to the adrenaline rush of gamblingHow online gambling websites work to attract people to spend time on the platformsHow Jeremy helps teens and families impacted by online gaming addictionRed flags that gaming is a problemWhether Jeremy believes that the Metaverse will be the future of gamingResources: Counter Strike video gameConnect with Jeremy Edge:Escapingthe.comJeremy Edge on LinkedInConnect with Disarming Data:<a...

Amy Nobile is a renowned coach, author, and entrepreneur who revolutionized the world of online dating through her coaching business, Love Amy. She provides personalized guidance and practical strategies for achieving success in the digital dating world. Her transformative coaching programs have touched countless lives, helping people find romantic fulfillment. We’re so excited to have Amy on the show to delve into the intriguing world of online dating in a conversation with hosts of vastly different generations. In this episode, we enjoy Amy’s very practical advice, explore the pitfalls of online dating, and discover why Amy once juggled five to six dates a day when she found herself newly single. With a keen understanding of the dating landscape, Amy reveals such details as what photographs work best (guys—avoid photos showing you triumphantly holding a dead deep sea fish), what to do if the real date has no resemblance to the photo (scram), and how men continually exaggerate their height (and why height doesn’t matter). She emphasizes the importance of approaching online dating with a mindset of abundance. From her recommendation of 45-minute screener dates to crafting your own first date roadmap, she gives listeners ideas for how to see if you’re in alignment with your date during those first few meetings. “That same amazing person you’re going to meet in real life is also on dating apps - you’re just not going to recognize them." - Amy Nobile "You can only meet someone as deeply as you’ve met yourself." - Amy Nobile "It only takes one. Even when you're really frustrated, try to remain positive because your person is right around the corner." - Amy Nobile This week on Disarming Data: Some of the past stories we carry with us from our past dating lifeWhy online dating is often a terrible shop windowWhy Amy was organizing five to six dates in a day when she was newly singleThe typical male/female mix of Amy’s clients and why the men typically focus on understanding the algorithms on the dating appsWhy you need to come from a place of ‘yes’ when you’re dating onlineMost significant mistakes men and women make when posting their pictures on a dating appWhy you’re not trying to appeal to the masses, you’re trying to attract that one special personAmy’s key tips for success with online datingWhy Amy recommends 45-minute screener dates to start off withThe first date roadmap and how to figure yours outAre you a terrible person if you ghost people on a dating app?Amy’s favorite conversation-starter questions for datesConnect with Amy Nobile: Love, Amy WebsiteIt Only Takes One Amy’s PodcastAmy Nobile's BooksConnect with Disarming Data: David Biderman on LinkedIn

Worn out by endless Zoom conference calls? In this episode, we are thrilled to have Professor Elizabeth Keating, an anthropologist at the University of Texas at Austin, talk to us about what we are missing by working remotely. Elizabeth has studied the social impacts of remote communication long before the pandemic forced us into remote work—a practice that seems here to stay. She explains how we are missing out on important social cues, such as body language, gestures, or peripheral hallway communications, that are essential for robust communication. Elizabeth’s article on the subject is fascinating. https://www.americanscientist.org/article/why-do-virtual-meetings-feel-so-weird. Elizabeth also tells us about how we can understand our families through the lens of an anthropologist—and learn things we never would have known. https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Questions-Interview-Uncover-Generations/dp/0593420926 “When you're facing a bunch of people on the screen, you can't focus your attention on everybody at once in the same way that you can in a face-to-face interaction" - Elizabeth Keating "One of the things that is disrupting about virtual conversations is you don't know what people are looking at." - Elizabeth Keating "We're missing those glorious moments of really connecting with people and having that exhilaration of collaboration and cooperation." - Elizabeth Keating This week on Disarming Data: How Elizabeth got interested in the social impacts of technologyWhy interacting online via meeting apps can feel so strangeWhat lower body cues are, how subtle they can be, and why they can be tricky to recognize when video chattingUnderstanding the social cues for beginning and finishing up a meetingWhether we would communicate better with one another if we were all back in the office talking to each other in personWhy joint attention is the fundamental architecture for human interaction and how we learn it as babiesWhether there are new cues people are picking up because we’re spending so much in online meetingsElizabeth shares why being on-site helps with peripheral participation in mentorship opportunitiesHow AI technology is changing how we measure academic learningThe importance of putting technological advances in a cultural contextMore about Elizabeth’s recent book The Essential Questions: Interview Your Family to Uncover Stories and Bridge Generations and how it helps people connect Connect with Elizabeth Keating:Elizabeth Keating's Website Elizabeth Keating on LinkedIn Elizabeth...

Raj Salhotra is the Co-founder and Executive Director at Momentum Education. After graduating from Rice University, he joined Teach for America and was placed at YES Prep Southwest, where he taught Pre-Calculus and AP Statistics. While at YES Prep, he co-founded One Jump, an educational technology non-profit that connects high school students to enrichment opportunities. After YES Prep, he attended Harvard Law School, where he focused on researching public policy issues and representing tenants being evicted from their homes. During law school, he started Students With Ambition Go (SWAG) To College, a mentorship non-profit that provides underserved high school and college students mentors to help them get to and through college. Raj has recently launched Momentum Education, combining One Jump and SWAG To College to serve under-resourced high school and college students. This week on Disarming Data, we’re diving into how Momentum Education helps students by offering them the opportunity to effectively prepare for education beyond high school and preparing them for the workforce. Raj gives us a glimpse of his day-to-day life at Momentum Education and shares what the team does in more detail. We also discuss the impact of volunteers on the program and why so many people are so eager to give their time to help students achieve their career aspirations. “Our mentors themselves are first-generation students, so they totally can relate and resonate with the students" - Raj Salhotra "We want to connect with 1000 students in Houston." - Raj Salhotra "Politics isn’t the only way to have a positive impact." - Raj Salhotra This week on Disarming Data: How Momentum Education helps students and where students first get a taste of what the program offersWhy they decided to use virtual mentoring, and how they ensure that underprivileged students have access to the appropriate technologyThe current educational controversy in HoustonWhy Raj isn’t a fan of the school voucher systemWhy Raj decided to pursue education over a career in law after attending Harvard Law SchoolWhy Raj’s experience at law school was helpful in setting up his non-profit organizationRaj shares a day in his life at Momentum Education, including coaching his team, fundraising, and visiting their school partnersWhy Raj decided to run for office and what he learned from the experienceThe vast network of volunteers that support students with their college applications and provide further career guidanceThe three books have been most influential on Raj’s processMomentum Education:WebsiteConnect with Raj Salhotra: Raj Salhotra on LinkedInRaj Salhotra on TwitterRaj Salhotra’s Rice University interviewRaj Salhotra’s YouTube interview Connect with Disarming Data: David Biderman on LinkedIn Disarming Data Is Co-Produced By The Podcast Haven:<br...