Conversation ex Nihilo

Carrington Smith is an author and an attorney. Her new book Blooming  is a candid account of surviving sexual assault, two divorces, disfiguring surgery and a slew of other curveballs that life has thrown at her. She addresses her past with a sense of humor as well as with a newfound compassion for herself. She joins Billy via Zoom to talk about her relationship with a narcissistic father, the destructive force that the love of money conducts, reconciling with her past and reasons for putting it all on paper at this juncture in her life. You can check out her website here and pick up a copy of her book here. 

Frank King is "The Mental Health Comedian." He is a former writer for The Tonight Show as well as a renowned stand-up comedian. He currently specializes in suicide prevention and gives talks to that end. He isn't shy about saying he knows what the barrel of his gun tastes like. Frank joins Billy to talk about his depression, how COVID-19 has effected his speaking career, how the market crash of 2008 had prepared him for the slump of 2020, Christopher Columbus's mental illness and a few other choice topics. You can check out his website here and check out his TEDx talk Born to be Funny here.

Ricky is a filmmaker, screenwriter and author. He joins Billy to talk about his projects, some of which included Billy. The conversation goes from the twenty year anniversary of 9/11, to reminiscing about Oliver Stone films and a fondness for iconic film locations over other historic sites, to just a relaxed talk about their shared experiences working together on various short films (link here)

Mike joins Billy via Zoom to talk about Battleship Potemkin in what they hope to be the first in a series (perhaps a whole new podcast) on Russian cinema. 

P.J. Agness from Archangel Protective Intelligence joins Billy via Zoom to talk, shark repellant, the O.S.S. self-defense and a mess of other stuff. 

Sean McGrane is a Veteran of both the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. He joins Billy via Zoom to talk about the U.S. departure from the war in Afghanistan, what it means to him as a vet and an American as well as some general thoughts on military service. 

Jewels is an author, speaker and bodybuilder. Her newest book The Making of a Woman: From the Inside Out chronicles her journey of abuse as an adolescent to her jobs in healthcare and as a touring stripper while continuously spinning out of control. Jewels got sober at 35 and began a career as a professional femdom, from there her story captures the ascent of her spirit as she gets married and becomes a competitive bodybuilder.Jewels joins Billy via Zoom to talk about her life and her book. They also find time to discuss the BDSM culture, recognizing signs of abuse, the power of asking "are you alright" and many other things pertaining to the subject of trauma meeting contemporary culture. Watch the trailer for her book here

After a career in corporate and nonprofit communications, Suzanne Munson went back to her first loves of teaching and writing about colonial America. In 2018 she published the book Jefferson's Godfather the Man Behind the Man: George Wythe, mentor to the founding fathers.  Her 2021 book The Metaphysical Thomas Jefferson is the focus of this episode. The book is a transcription of interviews with Thomas Jefferson's spirit as channeled through the medium Jana Ana. The book has Jefferson commenting on his own life and his thoughts about the current state of politics and media in America. Whether one is a believer or not there is much to be gained from listening to Suzanne talk to Billy via Zoom about her interest in history, the spiritual world and how this book came to be. 

Sara Long is a former professional makeup artist turned U.S. history professor. She hosts the podcast The Makeup Historian and she joins Billy via Zoom to talk about the founding fathers and mothers, the politics of education, whether we as a society need textbooks as well as some of the other challenges facing modern academics. 

Michael Belfer was the guitarist of The Sleepers and Tuxedomoon both highly influential San Francisco bands from the late 70's. He is also the author of When Can I Fly?  a book chronicling his time with these two bands as well as his stint in Black Lab in the early 90s. Michael lead the proverbial rockstar life and has lived to tell his tale. Michael joins Billy via Zoom to discuss the book, seeing the Sex Pistols live at Winterland in 1978, Jello Biafra, rehab, receiving recognition from Joey Ramone and John Cale, his long friendship with The Sleepers charismatic frontman Ricky Williams and more. Listen to the Sleepers here 

Dr. Bahman Baktiari is the executive director of the Baskerville Institute an organization dedicated to supporting and strengthening the bonds of friendship between the people of Iran and the United States.  He joins Billy via Zoom to talk about the institute's origins, the assassination of Quasem Solemani and its impact on U.S. / Iran relations, the need to mutually "deSatanize" one another in the eyes of each country's populations and much more.Learn more about Dr. Baktiari and his work here

Since 1994 Wendi was worked as a hypnotherapist. Her work has been featured in GQ, on HBO, The Man Show, Men's Health and several other outlets. She joins Billy via Zoom to talk of her humble beginnings as an unemployed single mother of two and how she became a success in the early days of the internet. She offers some insight into how to treat addiction and trauma as well as dealing with the underlying conditions of feeling unworthy. They also touch on the subject of the poor outcomes of commercial rehab centers. Learn more about Wendi's work here

Christopher Boorman is a public speaker and host of Christopher Boorman Speaks.  He joins Billy via Zoom to talk about his views on Christianity as a marginalized group, our over reliance on technology, his experiences with bullying and his discovering confidence through public speaking. 

Tim Tortora has worked in Hollywood for over 30 years. He started as a tape operator who worked his way up into the executive world, primarily as a CFO. He has worked for Harpo Films, Mandalay Entertainment, Sony Pictures, Disney, TriStar Pictures and Columbia Pictures. Some of his movie credits include Terminator 2, Total Recall, Bugsy, The Doors and Tuesdays with Morrie among others. Tim joins Billy via Zoom to talk about his experiences working in the industry. He makes a great case for the creativity inherent in film financing and he gives some practical business advice applicable in any field. He also shares some wisdom he learned first hand from Oprah.Check out Tim's blog and pick up his book A Hollywood Accounting here

Jeff Roth is the author of the book Fires, Floods and Taxi Cabs part memoire and part how-to manual on navigating leadership roles (especially in government.) Jeff has served for 20 years in the U.S. National Guard, he holds a master's degree in public policy and urban planning from Harvard University in addition to the 12 years he has spent in city government. Jeff joins Billy via Zoom to talk about his role in the New York City mayor's office where he worked on fire and flood mitigation as well as taxi regulation. Jeff was there at the height of Uber's ascendency and speaks about the work that he did on that, as well as the Deutsche Bank fire in 2007 which killed 2 firefighters and injured 115 more. Jeff's insight into emergency management and planning as well as his pragmatic yet positive attitude toward public service makes for a thought provoking conversation.   

Danielle Agami is the founder of Ate9 Dance Company based in Los Angeles, CA. She started dancing at the age of 3 and has traveled the world as a professional dancer. Originally from Israel she danced for the prestigious Batsheva Dance Studio before moving to America.  She is a highly sought after choreographer and her work has been featured in many commercial projects, operas and other venues. In addition to sharing some of her personal story, Danielle joins Billy via Zoom to talk about the blending of art and commerce, meeting the many needs of performers and audiences, defying expectations of beauty in dance, running a successful company while staying true to one's artistic vision, the virtue of laziness, how art is consumed throughout the world, and why we need to continue to support the arts. Check out Danielle's work here  

Kim is an author and speaker who had spent 33 years in the radio broadcasting industry before being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at the age of 50 effectively ending his career. Kim decided to turn his attention to writing. He published the memoir, "Come Get Me Mother, I'm Through," in 2019 and a book about the consequences of the rescinding of the Fairness Doctrine, The Death of Fairness in 2020. Kim joins Billy via Zoom to talk about his M.S. diagnosis, the rescinding of the fairness doctrine, the power of youth voting, radio groupies and Peter Frampton's zipper...Learn more about Kim "Kid" Curry here

Dr. Adam Key is an author, a speaker, a scholar and an educator. He spent nearly a decade teaching in some of Texas's toughest prisons. He currently teaches at The University of Arkansas where he continues his research on academic deviance. Adam joins Billy via Zoom to talk about his background in education, teaching in prison, the current state of affairs in prison reform, the concept of "survive to subvert," and he offers up a few ideas on how to make some changes such as buying a prisoner a fan. You can do so right here 

Karl Smith has worked in journalism since high school. He has been on the bleeding edge of the design revolution and also at the forefront of online journalism and  user-generated content. He designed the front page in Lexington, KY the day Secretariat died, was running a newsroom the night of the Bush-Gore election, and led a newsroom in an area that strongly felt the impacts of the 9/11 attacks. He is the author of the book Anchored in Tradition: An Unofficial Collection of Fun, Facts and Figures About Life at the United States Naval Academy  He also writes the blogs My Kid the Mid and My Kid The Cadet. Karl joins Billy via Zoom to talk about it all. 

We talk conspiracy on Conversation ex Nihilo, when Anthony Hoyes joins Billy via Zoom to talk about the flatness of the earth and other alternatives to our common societal narratives. Anthony is a musician, business man and flat earth enthusiast. He is passionate in his desire to have people think for themselves rather than accepting conventional wisdom and orthodoxy. 

Eric Beser is the program director for The Jewish Film Project, an organization that supports Jewish artists in their endeavors to tell bold and innovative stories. Eric joins Billy via Zoom to talk about the founding of the organization, his father's role in the dropping of the atomic bombs, Eric's son's work with the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the struggles over which narratives to share when developing a project and much more.  

Rage of the Age is a podcast about politics, religion, economics and history with a conservative bend and it's  hosted by Philip Sharp. Philip joins Billy via Zoom to talk U.S. history, federalism, socialism v. capitalism (a love story), those slave owning founding fathers of ours, and the importance of educators in a young person's life. It's a spirited talk that will make you want to participate no matter what way you politically lean.   

Empress is a musician, dancer, singer and actress. She danced for the San Francisco Ballet and joins Billy via Zoom to talk about her experiences as a performer. In addition to telling her story and how she fell in love with music and dance, she speaks of: The notorious ill treatment of ballet dancers, Black Swan, her own experiences with the diet and heavy regimen of a professional ballerina, the making of her first EP We Own This Crown as well as her desire to empower listeners to take control of their lives and become the empresses/emperors of their own realms. Check out her work here

Jason LaFarge runs Seizures Palace Recording in Brooklyn, New York. He is also the bassist in Pants Exploder.  He joins Billy via Zoom to talk about his Georgia roots, playing with Pineal Ventana, his work with SWANS and Michael Gira. Billy and Jason reminisce about brick and mortar music stores and ponder what is lost when they go away. They also go into what it is about the atmosphere that helps make a good record. Jason works out of the famous BC Studios, which has captured Billy's imagination in ways few run down canning factories have and Jason is quite indulgent in telling Billy more about the enchantment of this iconic music recording institution. 

Dreams of a Middle-Aged Man is the first solo album by Finnish musician Mauri Dark. Mauri blends influences such as Johnny Cash and Leonard Cohen to craft an album of personal reflection. The album comes on the heals of his mother's death and the separation ration from his long-time girlfriend but also basks in the hope of a new marriage and child. Mauri joins Billy from Turku, Finland via Zoom to talk about the making of the album, the essence of Finnish culture and humor, touring through Europe, the impact of WWII on his family and their mutual reverence for the rock music of the 90's. Check out the video for the title song "Dreams of a Middle-Aged Man" here. 

Paul Kahan is a historian and the author of the books Eastern State Penitentiary: A History, The Bank War: Andrew Jackson, Nicholas Biddle and the Fight for American Finance and Amiable Scoundrel: Simon Cameron, Lincoln's Scandalous Secretary of War among others. He joins Billy via Zoom to talk about the history of one of America's earliest and most notorious prisons, the fascinating aspects (believe it or not) of President James Buchanan and the magic of Pennsylvania. It's a spirited conversation with lots of good ol' American history. It's healthy for brains of all ages and weights.   

Katherine is the host of A Few Bad Apples Podcast a podcast that spotlights the crimes of police officers with an eye toward research and neutrality concerning the subject. Katherine is also an educator. She has a doctorate in education and she teaches English in Hawaii. She returns to Convo ex Nihilo via Zoom to talk to Billy about the unexpected opportunities that have been presented to her as a result of her podcast, her experiences in higher education obtaining her doctorate, and her current experiences teaching in a public school during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of course there is some talk and opinion exchanging on the topic of police reform.  

Regina Hanson is the author of the books Sexual Intellectual Female and Racism: The Real Reason I Left the South. She has a B.A, in American history with a minor in women's studies, she has an M.A. in American studies. Originally from Lawrenceville, Georgia she currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, from where she speaks to Billy via Zoom about her experiences growing up in the south, her discovery that she has autism relatively late in life and how it has effected her life and work. They talk about the driving factors behind her writing her first two books and the major conclusions that she has reached after completing them. They also talk about her current project a book about black entertainers in 20th century America. It's a conversation about racism, sexuality, music, and starting fresh.   

Kalonica McQuesten is a writer, graphic designer, artist and a Jill of all trades. She is a third-generation San Francisco Bay Area resident and she joins Billy via Zoom to talk about her fabled family history, her great-grandfather came to the Yukon territory to sell supplies to minors during the gold rush. Kalonica discusses the changes to the lifestyle of San Francisco residents during the city's various booms and busts and they also delve a little into the movie Tombstone, the work of David Graeber and the worst parts of their previous jobs.   

Diana Mucci is an actress, playwright, former English teacher and sales executive as well as the founder of Back of the Yards Entertainment.Diana joins Billy via Zoom to talk about her native Chicago, her short story SPIT and how childhood expectorations made her a stronger person. She also speaks about her heritage, being born of Haitian and Puerto Rican parents, her early struggles being marginalized as a student who couldn't understand English, her transition from education into cyber security, writing plays, David Mamet and many other topics of cultural significance. 

Jim is the co-founder and CCO of Cornbread Hemp. He is a native of Lebanon Kentucky. He holds degrees from Centre College, Brown University and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He worked briefly for The New York Times, before retiring home to write his first book The Cornbread Mafia. Published in 2012 the book tells the story of the biggest domestic marijuana syndicate in American history. Jim has also worked for The Washington Post and Politico. Jim joins Billy via Zoom to talk about how he captured the story of The Cornbread Mafia, Catholicism and its relationship with organized crime, the hemp industry at large and what lead him to start Cornbread Hemp along with his partner Zipperle. Listeners, when you visit cornbreadhemp.com enter coupon code EXNIHILO for 20% off of your purchase. According to Jim,  they have the  only CBD gummies that are Whole-Flower™ full spectrum CBD and are USDA certified organic. 

Maria Liberati is a celebrity chef and award-winning author of the book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking. She is also a blogger and podcast host. Maria has a passion for cooking that is quite infectious and her insight into food aesthetics is keen. She joins Billy via Zoom to talk about her Italian-American heritage, transitioning from being a model to a chef, the pros and cons of being a celebrity chef, food's portrayal in books, film and other media, the beauty of simplicity and her work on her most recent book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci Style. 

David Richards is a business professional, life coach, yoga instructor, and speaker on self development. He was commissioned an officer in the U.S. Marines where he served 15 years on active duty in a variety of locales. He is also an internationally best selling author of the books The Lighthouse Keeper and Whiskey & Yoga. David joins Billy via Zoom to talk about KISS and his connections between their music and David's time in Mogadishu in the early 90's. They also discuss growing up in a military family, how his travels around the world at a young age have helped inform who he is today, religion and creativity, meditation and pushing one's limits. 

P.J. Agness is a protective intelligence specialist and open source intelligence analyst. He is the founder of Archangel Protective Intelligence.  He joins Billy via Zoom from Minnesota to talk about security in the face of imminent threat of public unrest, the Derek Chauvin trial, P.J.'s martial arts training and the way it helped shape his worldview. They get a little into Jean Claude Vandamme and find time to talk about education and media manipulation. 

Robert Wagner is a musician from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  His band The Little Wretches is a folk act with a punk rock spirit. Their 2020 album Undesirables and Anarchists gives soulful life to the stories of the songs' protagonists. They are the down-trodden and destitute, the forgotten wretches of society and Robert joins Billy via zoom to talk about his background and how he weaves some of the overheard stories of the people in his community into his music. Robert talks about life in Pittsburgh, his parents' immigrant backgrounds and the trauma that has informed his art and outlook. Learn more about and listen to The Little Wretches hereJoin the conversation on Twitter @convoexnihilo

Sound and Chaos: The Story of BC Studio is a documentary about Martin Bisi and the iconic recording studio that he runs in the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY. The film was released in 2014 and was directed by Ryan Douglas and Sara Leavitt. Ryan and Sara met while working for a promo company in New York and decided to strike out on their own to make a documentary film. They join Billy via Zoom from opposite ends of the country to talk about their experiences making the documentary as well as their takes on the current climate in filmmaking and distribution. They also find time to talk about cartoons and politics. 

Peter is originally from Montreal, Quebec. He is an actor who has appeared on shows such as Seinfeld, The Newsroom, The Red Green Show  and Murdoch Mysteries. He has appeared in the movies Ginger Snaps and Sex After Kids. These are but a few of his many credits. His 2017 documentary Once an Immigrant tells his parents' immigration stories and ponders the deeper meanings of what home is, and what it means to be Canadian. He joins Billy via Zoom to give a bit of Canadian history, talk about his work on The Newsroom, the current state of Canadian culture, why immigrants are important and the significance of good hair. You can watch his movie Once an Immigrant here

Bliss is from Omaha, Nebraska and moved to Houston where she emerged herself in the local punk music scene and along with Scott Ayers formed the industrial/experimental rock band Pain Teens in 1985. After the band broke up in 1995 Bliss moved to New York where she started the band The Moonlighters in which she plays the ukulele and writes songs in 20's/30's jazz fashion. She joins Billy to talk about her upbringing in Nebraska, her loathing of conventional office jobs, her lack of reverence for CBGB's and serial killer Dean Corll among many other topics. You can listen to her music here Check out Pain Teens live at CBGB's here 

Immigration lawyer and activist Tahmina Watson joins Billy via Zoom to talk about immigration law and the many hurdles to making it more fair and comprehensive. Billy remains cynical while Tahmina brings the hope that a Biden administration may clear up some of those obstacles. They discuss the anti-immigrant sentiments within the American culture and the little things that individuals can do to make the conversations about immigration a little easier to have.  Tahmina is from England, where she started practicing law, who spent part of her childhood in Bangladesh. She lives in Washington state and is a passionate activist, author and podcast host. You can learn more about Tahmina and her work on her website https://watsonimmigrationlaw.com

Karla is a true friend of the podcast. She is a historian and currently works to help people, in the throws of addiction, find treatment. She joins Billy via Zoom to talk about individualism vs. communalism, white disgruntlement, poverty and despair, the 2020 Christmas bombing in Nashville and her experiences in its wake as well as all other manner of cheerful things.  

Russ Rankin is the lead singer of punk/hardcore bands Good Riddance and Only Crime.  He's also a scout for the WHL Tribe City Americans. He's well known for his outspokenness and activism. He joins Billy via Zoom to talk about his early influences, creativity during Covid, the life of a hockey scout, reaching the summit of success and gaining new perspectives. It's a fun filled hour or so that you're bound to enjoy. Listen to more Good Riddance, listen to more Only Crime,  listen to more Russ.

Byrdy Lynn is a business woman and entrepreneur whose book Through the Storm of Early Trauma chronicles the sexual abuse of her childhood and offers advice and insight on how to overcome and heal from such trauma. She joins Billy via Zoom to talk about her book, racism, the death of her good friend and many other things. There are some tears and some laughs as two people from the same generation share some thoughts and feelings, as it were.Check out more of her story and get a copy of her book here

Musician and artist Phil Puleo joins Billy via Zoom to talk about attending Rhode Island School of Design, his art and film scoring projects, his time in Cop Shoot Cop and recording and touring with Swans. Check out Phil's work here!

Christopher Griffiths is a public speaker, consultant and most recently the author of the book The Fifth Race: Biracial Nationalism. He joins Billy via Zoom to talk about the tenets of biracial nationalism and the movement he founded around them.

Listen up as Peter Aaron from the Chrome Cranks drops by to talk to Billy over Zoom about life in the band and beyond. The Chrome Cranks were a New York blues-punk band by way of Cincinnati, OH. They recorded seven albums, appeared on several movie soundtracks and were on rotation on MTV with their song Hot Blonde Cocktail. Peter has since gone on to become a music journalist and now edits the Hudson Valley art and culture magazine Chronogram.Reminiscences of: CBGB's, Bad Brains, The Cramps, The Dead Kennedys, GG Allin , touring Ukraine and much more are packed into this hour. Enjoy!This episode is for: Those about to rock in need of saluting.This episode is not for: Those who prefer cold brunette mixed drinks. Check out Peter on Radio Kingston on his show Go Go Kitty here

It's a Jane Austen episode on which Kimberly Brangwin Milham from the Jane Austen Society of North America joins Billy Via Zoom to discuss Austen's work and influence. This episode is for: People who like their authors long dead, people who have seen Bridget Jones's Diary, fans of Firth. This episode is not for: Mark Twain, enemies of the early 19th century (you know who you are,) people who confuse Jane Austen with Stone Cold Steve Austin

The author of Dragon Wing and its upcoming sequel Dark Dragon Rebecca K. Busch joins Billy via Zoom to talk about her recent surgical procedure (see episode title,) her writing process in creating both books in her series, Billy's obsession with the infantilization of American culture, Mickey Rourke, loving and not-so-loving fans and of course fairies. This episode is for: Fans of fairies, followers of fairies, family members of fairies.This episode is not for: Fairy deniers, those not fond of plastic procedures, people who prefer buffalo to dragon wings.

Nikky has worked in the sex entertainment business and currently hosts the podcast Dear Nikky where she shares the sexual fantasies and secrets of her listeners - submitted willingly and anonymously of course. She joins Billy via Zoom to talk about the effect of the sex entertainment industry on culture. It's not as sexy as her podcast but there's some thoughtful insight on repression, double standards, America's predilection for the puritanical mixed with some personal anecdotes of her own. This episode is for: People who tired of looking at sex and want to listen instead. This episode is not for: People who hate confessions, certain members of certain clergies, people who like their female voices unsexy.

Heather V. works in the oil industry. She joins Billy via Zoom to talk about her role in the compliance division of her company as well as her personal ambivalence about oil and its role in contemporary life. We get environmental here but not too granola if you know what I mean. There is a great story about Heather's grandmother, some reminiscing about The Beverly Hillbillies, some political talk in which Billy complains even more about the current administration than he has on previous podcasts. Billy goes off a little on Pete Buttigieg. Could it be a jealousy thing and if so, over what? His hair? This episode is for: People whose mother is earth, people who are a little disappointed in all of their possessions coming to them wrapped in reams of plastic, people who think about things.This episode is not for: Jeff Bezos (again,) tycoons, Daniel Plainview

Jeffrey W. Sass is the author of Everything I Know about Business and Marketing, I Learned from The Toxic Avenger. He joins Billy via Zoom to talk about his seven year stint in Tromaville and what universal lessons he learned about business and marketing from helping to make films like Troma's War, Sgt. Kabukiman NYPD, Rabid Grannies and others. Learn more about his work and his book hereThis episode is for: People who value creativity in marketing, people who want to know more about what schlock cinema can do for them (instead of to them,) those who can't pass the GMAT.This episode is not for: People who like people telling other people how to manage them in the job of business and marketing, people who hate sharing what it is they do for a living, people who like more Fellini and less DePalma.

Bethany Springer is an Associate Professor of Art at the University of Arkansas. Her installations have been exhibited at venues including: 21C. Museum and Hotel in Bentonville, AR, Maryland Art Place (MAP) in Baltimore, Boston Center for the Arts and The Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design just to name a few. She joins Billy via Zoom to talk about sculpture, the current controversy surrounding removing national monuments, spacial experience, politics and art, her travels in the arctic circle and a variety of other topics. This Episode is for: People who are tired of the KKK funding statues, people who would like less screen-time and more hand-time, devotees of Bob Ross. This Episode is not for: People disinterested in metamorphosis.