Counterspective

How could being profiled, called ‘white supremacist adjacent’, and nearly bullied out of hosting an event you conceptualized and planned possibly be part of someone’s best year ever? Find out as we talk with Desh Amila, filmmaker and content creator, about his eventful 2019. We also explore Desh’s take on where social media is pushing us, his appreciation for the freedoms that life in ‘the global West’ offers, and what we all need to consider if we’re going to preserve them. Episode resources: Learn more about Desh’s upcoming film, Better Left Unsaid. https://betterleftunsaidfilm.com/ Watch his previous film, Islam and the Future of Tolerance. https://islamandthefutureoftolerance.com/ See for yourself how the #Feminist event Desh hosted unfolded. https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=4122s&v=-BYREt2r_uQ Read the New York mag follow-up on the event. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/04/inside-the-near-meltdown-of-the-feminist-tour-in-australia.html Learn more about Desh himself. https://deshamila.com/

2017 wasn’t all that long ago. Or maybe it wasn’t… all that far from here. Was it a time? Or a place? Did Ryan travel to another dimension, or did he just ‘go there’ in his mind? What are we even talking about?! Find out in today’s episode, as our guest and fellow podcast enthusiast, Ryan Estes, takes us all on a journey through his experiences with ayahuasca ceremonies, his best year ever, and the lessons he’s brought along with him into the present. Episode resources: Still haven’t seen “/the Social Dilemma_”? Check it out! https://www.thesocialdilemma.com/ While you’re at it, check out this mind-bending TED Talk on the heart. https://www.ted.com/talks/sandeep_jauhar_how_your_emotions_change_the_shape_of_your_heart?rss=172BB350-0207 Or listen to the podcast version if you’re on the go. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-your-emotions-change-shape-your-heart-sandeep-jauhar/id160904630?i=1000449299792 Still got time to spare? Take a peek at “How to Change Your Mind” by Michael Pollan. https://michaelpollan.com/books/how-to-change-your-mind/

What was it about 2010 that made it the best year ever for yet another Season 2 guest? Find out as we talk to Ben Sturtz from Portland, OR. As a proud husband and father, Ben discusses his best year ever as one of culmination. One, that like the best years of many of our guests, involved travel - his being to one of my absolute favorite places in the world, New Zealand. And of course, we discuss some of the lessons he’s brought forward from that year into 2020 - a year where he and his family have chosen to adapt rather than abandon plans, and a year, where he as an individual, has chosen to protect rather than protest. Episode resources: Discover the Waitomo Caves of New Zealand: https://www.waitomo.com/glowworms-and-caves Explore host, Colin Martin’s experience living through a New Zealand earthquake: http://www.novaturients.com/blog/2016/12/12/lifes-pace-reconsidered Boost your oxytocin output: https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-increase-oxytocin Dubious that we humans are getting better at life? Check out this perspective: https://www.ted.com/talks/steven_pinker_is_the_world_getting_better_or_worse_a_look_at_the_numbers

What would you do with a million dollars? Surely we've all thought about it. Though what are the odds that any of us will ever come across an extra milli to blow? Ok, how about something more realistic, like half a million? If you're like Shana Muhammad, a thoughtful woman with a strong sense of family, you might build a house for your grandmother - and, just to be clear, she did. But exactly how did Shana come into that extra half a million? Find out as we explore her best year ever, which, along with a free trip through Europe (unrelated to the half million), might also be her luckiest year ever. We'll also explore how that year presented loss, how it catapulted Shana toward independence in Denver, CO, and how all of her lived years of existence have made her, as she describes it, "already all ready" for this challenging 2020. If you'd like to read Shana's post, An Open Letter From Your Black Friend, check out her website: https://www.shanamericana.com/blog/from-your-black-friend For more info and resources, including a link to Shana's latest post, "Already All Ready," head over to the Counterspective webpage: https://www.fypermedia.com/counterspective

Sean Davis is a talent. Whether it's in the kitchen, or at the snooker table, his passion and focus have seen him achieve successes some of us only talk about or dream of. But... Sean is humble about his talents. Not only that, he's very much aware of both his own and others' struggles on the road to success - especially this year. Join us as we explore what 2020 has been like for Sean and others in Bangalore, India, and what he would call his "best year ever." If like many others, you're finding yourself struggling with things this year, here are a few resources that may help, or point you toward something else that might be helpful: If you want info on how to be more prepared for a pandemic: https://www.ready.gov/pandemic If you're finding everyday tasks challenging lately: https://bit.ly/35isRaw https://bit.ly/3dQn8fL https://bit.ly/2HnTmn0 Colorado-specific resources: https://covid19.colorado.gov/get-help https://bit.ly/37DcW9k

Lesson 1: Don't use the term "life hack." Join us for Episode 7 with Jack Taylor, from Melbourne, Australia for other insights and lessons from the pandemic, and a look into his best "year" ever. "As long as you keep a positive perspective on things, then every decision is a winner, I guess."

Join us as we travel back to 2010 with Mike Tirone and relive his best year ever. We'll hear stories about a Himalayan hike, a near-death experience in southern Africa, and the challenges of ordaining as a Buddhist monk, as well as Mike's perspective on getting through the last bit of 2020.

Join us for Season 2 as we go beyond the single story of COVID-19, global protests, and 2020 as the "worst year ever" and explore your BEST year ever.

Having already been to two World Cups together, both the 2010 edition in South Africa, and Brasil in 2014, why were Colin and Mike feeling a bit uneasy about their third one in 2018 - this time in Russia? Was it simply because they hadn't been there before? Were they embarrassed that the US Men's National Team had failed to qualify for the tournament (the answer here is 'yes')? Perhaps they were unnerved by all the news about Russia's geo-political 'muscle' as of late. Or maybe it was just a lack of information on food that had them feeling 'hangry' ahead of time. Follow Colin and Mike to Moscow and St Petersburg to find out, in Episode 1 of this new podcast from FYPer Media. For more information on a variety of things heard in this episode, head over to fypermedia.com/counterspective/s1e1-this-is-counterspective.

Here in the U.S., it's not uncommon to hear "the Kremlin" referenced in a news story on Russia or the Russian government. But what exactly is it? Is it the equivalent of our White House? Is it where Parliament convenes? Is it another name for the KGB? Or, is it all of these things? Find out as Colin and Mike tour the Kremlin during their time in Moscow for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Colin and Mike went to Russia for the footy, but what else would they discover about other Russian sports while they were there? Would their experience be dominated by FIFA's stranglehold on the world's game? Would all their positive experiences be overshadowed by a single negative one at the hands of Russian football hooligans? Find out in Episode 2 of Counterspective, the podcast that goes beyond the 'single stories' of the people, places, and things that inundate us through the lens of mass and social media.

Ever wonder what it's like to cross the Russian border in something other than an airplane? Curious what it might be like to visit the Russian healthcare system as a tourist? Listen to this bonus episode for some insight from a pair of Swedish fans Colin and Mike met on their last night in St. Petersburg.

The FIFA World Cup is an absolute world football party! Wherever it’s held, the host nation immediately becomes a place where the beer flows like wine, where beautiful women (and the most passionate footy fans) instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. But Russia is known for vodka. Would that be all that Colin and Mike would find to drink? And do Russians really drink vodka with every meal? Even breakfast?! Find out in Episode 3 of Counterspective, the podcast that goes beyond the 'single stories' of the people, places, and things that inundate us through the lens of mass and social media.

To some, Russians are known for their love of vodka. But what do they eat? More importantly, how would Colin and Mike find the food in Moscow and St. Petersburg as they looked to stay fueled for their third World Cup adventure together? Find out in Episode 4 of Counterspective, the podcast that goes beyond the 'single stories' of the people, places, and things that inundate us through the lens of mass and social media.

We'll openly admit it. Visiting a country during the FIFA World Cup doesn't give you the most genuine view into what life is like in that country outside of the event. It can take effort to gain that perspective. So what do Colin and Mike do on non-match days? How did they gain a better understanding of Russian culture and its history? Find out in Episode 5 of Counterspective, the podcast that goes beyond the 'single stories' of the people, places, and things that inundate us through the lens of mass and social media.

This is Counterspective - a show that explores the other stories about the people, places, and things that command so much of our attention through the lens of mass and social media. This is a show that looks at these things from another perspective. Join Season 1 host, Colin Martin, and his esteemed travel buddy, Mike Tirone, as they recall their trip to Russia for the 2018 FIFA World Cup - as they go beyond the single story of Russia as a place of geo-political...'opportunists.' Five episodes, five stories other than geo-politics. We'll call this season: My Russian Five.