My Views Are My Own

In this episode, I talk with married filmmaker duo Lisa Hammer and Levi Wilson about their newest short film, "Luke and Emma at a Gas Station on Franklin Ave," a semi-autobiographical story about a mixed Asian-American boy and his mother and the interactions they have while stopping at a convenience store. Levi is an award-winning playwright and Lisa is an award-winning producer and the voice of Trianna Orpheus on Adult Swim's The Venture Bros. We discuss the process of creating an autobiographical film, what it's like casting actors to play yourself or people you know in real life, how to work together as husband and wife, and how documentaries and narrative films can be a powerful method for driving social change. We also talk about Lisa and Levi's participation in the Occupy Wall Street movement, and the bizarre irony of the fact that many other participants have since moved to the extreme right, such as Tim Poole, who I consider my personal podcast nemesis. We discuss gas stations at length, including the weirdest things we've ever seen sold at a gas station and which gas stations are the nicest ones and the grossest ones.

This episode was originally released on October 19, 2021.   In this episode, Cindy Moore tells me how she maintains 1,300 beehives and the millions of bees that live in them to pollinate farms in Florida, California, and New York so that we can continue to have food and oxygen. Thanks Cindy! We also talk about how 75% of the honey in supermarkets is not actually honey, but the good news is real honey is extremely good for you. And we both share several honey-based home remedies. And there is 1 in 12 chance I will read you your horoscope.

This episode was originally released on August 7, 2022.   In this episode, I am joined by author and journalist Amy Fusselman to discuss the religion of money. Is it ethical for a cognitive behavioral therapist to sell real estate to their clients? Why are so many people who work in high finance so attracted to mysticism? What is Eco-Marxism? Can a shipping container house be haunted? Is my dog talking to me? All these questions and more get answered on this week's episode. Prepare to develop a healthy relationship with money! OR ELSE!

In this episode, I am joined by Adam Butler, author of Butler's DMT Field Guide: A Brief History, Step-by-Step Recipes, and Personal Experiences from a DMT Saturated Consciousness. Adam had a successful, lucrative career in real estate but, in his own words, was a "narcissist asshole alcoholic." Seeking a dramatic change, he took a huge leap by leaving his past life behind and embarking on an intense journey of self-discovery through DMT, one of the most powerful hallucinogens on the planet. He emerged with a completely new outlook on what he wanted to do and who he wanted to be. Now the happiest he's ever been, Adam is sharing his story and information with those seeking a similar experience. He also shares how it is possible to achieve an experience similar to taking DMT through deep meditation and breathwork for those seeking a substance-free journey.

In this episode, I am joined by actor Jeff DuJardin, who plays the Marquis de Morès on the new TV show Elkhorn. The Marquis de Morès was most known for being an adversary to Theodore Roosevelt while both men lived in the badlands of North Dakota. Jeff and I discuss whether his historical character, a French entrepreneur who married into money and started his own meatpacking industry in a town he founded in honor of his wife, was really a villain or just an ambitious dude that was a little misunderstood. We also talk about how the Marquis de Morès notoriously challenged Teddy Roosevelt to a duel and which of the two men was really responsible for starting their infamous beef. We debate whether duels should be legalized in modern times and why the genre of westerns remains popular to this day. And we hear one of the best MadLibs stories ever written.

Actor PJ Sosko joins me on the podcast to talk about his role as the iconic Hunter S. Thompson on the HBO MAX series "Girls on the Bus." We talk about his method for how he prepares to portray such well-known and legendary figures such as Hunter S. Thompson and Ernest Hemingway, as well as other acting techniques for playing larger-than-life characters. We also discuss his role on Reservation Dogs and how his impromptu Shakespearean quote got him turned into a meme. We discuss the struggle of modern journalism and of course I ambush PJ with a series of drug-fueled improv scenarios that we act out. We also inadvertently write an incredible script that I am sure HBO would love to acquire.

Doug and Kaelin set out to answer the question that seems to be on everyone's minds: Should I move to Nashville?? Together, they dispel some myths about Nashville, take a deep dive into several news articles, and analyze some claims about whether or not the city should be considered a hotspot. While Doug responds to this burning question with a resounding "NO" and proceeds to get out of his rocking chair to tell everybody how Old Nashville used to be, Kaelin responds with a resounding "maybe" and acts as the voice of reason. We discuss the ridiculous rise in housing costs and rent, why Nashville is indeed a good city for music, how nearly all of Doug's favorite places have been bulldozed, and how the first fur trapper to move to Nashville lived in a place called the Demonbreun Cave.

In this episode, filmmaker Caden Douglas joins me to talk about his new horror comedy film "Mother Father Sister Brother Frank," the keys to writing great dialogue, the role of set design in creating the right mood for a scene, and the joys of witnessing great stunt work. We also talk about several activities that can either bring a family together or tear them apart.

Filmmaker and educator Cat Brewer joins me on the podcast to discuss her award-winning documentary feature film Sign the Show, which tells the story of American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters at live performances. The film aims to amplify voices in the deaf and hard of hearing community and raise awareness about the quest for access to live entertainment events, including music performances, comedy shows, and more. The film was recently released in April 2024 in celebration of National Deaf Awareness Month. Sign the Show combines informative storytelling with humorous and heartfelt conversations, educating audiences about the need for ASL interpretation at live events, the ways interpreters creatively overcome challenges, and the important difference this type of accessibility makes for event attendees. Cat shares amazing stories with me about the filmmaking process, including meeting Andre 3000 from Outkast and his enthusiasm for bringing sign language accessibility to his live performances, and about her interactions with Matt Maxey, who interprets live shows for Chance the Rapper and several other performers. I share some of my favorite stories from the film, including how Maxey describes how he creatively interprets slang terms in lyrics such as "lit" and "trap" to Waka Flocka Flame, who is also an executive producer of the documentary.

In this episode, I am joined by the phenomenal magician Gabriella Lester. Gabriella started her magic career at the age of ten, performed Houdini's legendary straight jacket escape at 14, and by 20 years old she had been featured in the New York Times as one of the most important women in magic, making her mark in a male-dominated industry. We discuss why being fooled by up-close magic is so entertaining and brings out your inner child, how she maintains control over the show even when audience participants get a bit unruly, and some of the most daring plans she has for her future in magic performances. We also talk about the mentalism branch of magic and I'm pretty sure I get mentalized into conducting a better interview than I usually would. Woohoo! Sorry, she mentalized me into saying that word. Gabriella is also a serious dirt bike and motorcycle expert and we talk about how that could possibly be integrated into one of her future magic shows.