The Quake City Portal

GUEST BIO Christopher Renfro (instagram, additional links) is the founder of the Two Eighty Project, an organization "dedicated to building a sustainable food and wine community that nourishes every member of the local economy and ecosystem." It began with his love and curiosity for learning about wine and implementing his knowledge into a community farm visible from the Highway 280 Freeway heading out of San Francisco.   SHOW NOTES | MENTIONS SEG  1 - Castles and Finding True Freedom in the outdoors   Schweinfurt Military Base "White Washed"   SEG 2 -  Financial Illiteracy, The Underlying Reality of Food Service, Ambitions for 280   the Food Service Industry and Humanity Black Wallstreet Tulsa Oaklahoma Critical Race Theory Think Tank   SEG 3 - Rethinking the Food Industry Models, Baselines of Comfort   Food Security in San Francisco Feed the People Collective Shared Cultures Miso Co-op Businesses Rethinking the Comfort Baseline Homelessness, Youth, Elders Episode Contains a clip from Contains a snippet from Good Morning America | Patagonia founder donates company to fight climate change, Sept. 15, 2022  

GUEST BIO Pam Baker (womenscoachingalliance.org) is dedicated to empowering, encouraging, and developing more young women to become examples of leadership, rather than the exception, through coaching youth sports and giving back to the community. With her own unique leadership, she founded the Women's Coaching Alliance, inspired and built upon the memory of her late husband Doug Friedman, who made his transition in 2020.  Her aim for great leadership and work ethic brought her to places like Genentech and Johnson and Johnson, where she worked as district sales manager, project manager, and project director, as well as Vice President and CEO for several startups in the healthcare and investment sectors. She is a woman dedicated to "minding the gap," a British expression she likes to use that shows her willingness to explore the unfamiliar and help light the way for everyone, especially women and future leaders of the world.  PART 1 - What is the Women's Coaching Alliance? | Exploring the Unfamiliar | Molding Leadership Empowering women through leadership roles Intentions Personal History Process | Corporate vs Startup How coaching translates into the real world PART 2 - The Power of Coaching and giving back to community Conflict resolution Career Paths as Jungle Gyms Lou Holtz 3 Questions PART 3 - Doug's Coaching Legacy  | What we learn from grief | What we can learn from grief What is the enviornment we're preparing for? Pam's Favorite Leaders Indra Nooyi, Pepsi Co. Melinda Gates Brene Brown On aging On happiness

GUEST BIO Dr. Karen Apana is one of the founding members of the San Francisco Waldorf School – first founded in 1978. She has been a lifetime teacher, mentor, and student of Anthroposophy for over 40 years. For over 25 years, she has been teaching biography work and has a private practice for biography counseling in San Francisco. She also holds frequent biography workshops all over the Bay Area, and although she is now retired as a Waldorf teacher, she still mentors and advises teachers in the Bay Area and all over the globe. She was born and raised in San Francisco, and as you'll find out in this conversation, she is a local, cosmic gem. In this conversation, you'll learn about Anthroposophy and some of the philosophies behind Rudolph Steiner. She also offers a firsthand account of someone born into a generation of San Francisco coming into social consciousness during the 1960s, which eventually set the stage for many spiritual seekers, creators, activists, artists, and life enthusiasts today.   SHOW NOTES Pt. 1 – Who is Karen Apana? and What is Anthroposophy?  Rudolph Steiner Waldorf Education – Youtube Link Merchant Marine Pt. 2 – What is Waldorf Education and Biography Work? Knowledge of the Higher Worlds SF Waldorf School SF State Student Strike 50 Year Anniversary Video Roger Alvarado Terry Collins KPOO Benny Stewart Tom Ammiano Education, connection and Biography work Chengdu, China Chinese Cultural Revolution Thích Nhất Hạnh Perception of Chaos Pt. 3 – What Question are you living with? The struggle of Western Mind Individuation vs the tribe Finding the baseline Music Credit (Guitar): Katherine Delafkaran

  GUEST BIO   In 2008 Matt Levin, his wife Melanie, and his good friend Michael Greuel opened The Refuge Restaurant, home of some of the best pastrami sandwiches and burgers. At the time, The Refuge was a small restaurant focused on french wines, Belgian beers, and house-made, hand-sliced pastrami sandwiches. Since 2008 their popularity has exploded. Customers have waited up to four hours to sit and dine with them. Fifteen years later, they streamlined the process and opened up two more locations along the way, one in Menlo Park, and the other in San Mateo. They both have over 25 years of experience in the food service industry.   They both share their experiences running three restaurants during the pandemic and what they've learned from it.   NOTES | MENTIONS   Seg 1  - Catching up with Old Friends, Survival Mode in the Food Service Industry Gastrosexual 15 years in business Progress of the Restaurant and Food Service Economy The Refuge Menu Fine Dining vs Fast Food Problems of maintaining consistency The Bear Standards of Skilled Food Labor Food Truck Business Effects on Restaurants Effects of Silicon Valley Work From Home on Surrounding Businesses Raising Children in the Restaurant business Seg 2 - Spiritual Growth after Pastrami Matt's daily routine - first 3 steps of Recovery Tellefin Universal Trauma Life in Recovery and Spirituality Effects of Economy on the Food Business Rising Food Costs Marco Pierre White Decision making processes How to manage labor Initial Vision of Success Barcelona Teleferic The Science of Popcorn Seg 3 - Aging and Folly Going to restaurants as a guest The Egg Doors of Perception William Blake guided psychedelic retreats The Funeral Industry Funerals and weddings Judaism Burial The Funeral Industry Today Terrence McKenna How to Control Deja Vu Rule 62 How to make more fun Coco Melon Seg 4 - Kids Will Save the World Dumpling Pickups Gao Viet Kitchen Observations on human behavior from restaurant service experience the industry of evil Charcuterie The Fatted Calf Restaurant workers vs Yelp Seg 5 - What success means now Modern Restaurant Ticket Machines Matt's AA Recovery Wisdom      

SAY HELLO TO DAN! Website: http://www.dangriffiths.us/ Kapoot Clown Theatre Skit Video How Much - Created and Performed by Dan Griffiths Donut Goat at the Barber Shop GUEST BIO Dan Griffiths is a multi-talented, experimental performance artist, award-winning theatre director, teacher, and founder of the first Church of Clown in San Francisco. He founded the Clown Workshop, Clown Zero, and KAPOOT Clown theatre. Some of his recent gigs include teaching clown at The Wu Qiao International Circus Festival in Shijiazhuang, China. He also did work as a clown doctor and trainer for the Big Apple Circus and a director of CLOWN ZERO, a Medical Clowning Unit residence at the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital. For almost 35 years, since 1988, he has performed original theatrical works across the country and around the world. He studied at the Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre and has served on the faculty Clown Conservatory San Francisco, The School for Mime Theater, Columbia College Chicago, Roosevelt University, Indiana University Northwest, and Academy of Art University. Dan holds an M.A. in Experimental Performance from New College of California and an M.F.A in Interdisciplinary Art from the California Institute of Integral Studies. NOTES | MENTIONS SEG 1 Church of Clown How to start a church Holy Fools Parade St. Stupid's Day Praise Folly What is Folly? What is the mission of the Church of Clown? Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster Satanic Church Kenyan College Marcel Marceau Mime Lon Chaney Free Masons Meyers Briggs Test Clown Lab Hopi Indians - Clown Culture Kapoot Sacha Baron Cohen SEG 2 What type of people does clown/ theatre attract? Teacher Compensation Humanities Observations on Waldorf Education What is the mimetic realm Why do people hate mime performance? How to be more comfortable in performance? Gastro Absurdo Clown Conservatory How to deal with a performance gone bad? Taking the temperature of the room SEG 3 Humor and Play as Tools Soldiers in your cup 1:12:10 Teaching clowns in China Role of Jesters in Medieval Times The Joker, Dark Knight The King of Comedy Charles Dickens, First Scary Clown Harlequin Clown The Flow State of Clown Performance Laughter - Henri Bergson SEG 4 Kettle Chips How to evaluate an experimental performance Overcoming a failed performance Accepting Foibles Dan's follies Being Inflexible Difference between a lifelong  vs a day one performer Times to be serious Frederico Fellini Greatest Joke Ever SEG 5 The Multiverse Waldorf Education, Why? What is the purpose of clown college? Cosmophilia Maplethorpe Exhibit Be easy on yourself

GUEST BIO Instagram | @sophiacassellabjj Sophia Cassella is a 22-year-old brown belt from New Jersey, under Jason Rau. She's trained with some of the greatest minds that helped change the sport today in what some people call the renaissance of Jiu Jitsu. She commutes hours and hours every day from New Jersey to New York to train with some coaches and grapplers in the sport who are considered to be the best to ever coach and compete - John Danaher, Gordon Ryan, Gary Tonon, Renzo Gracie, and all of the greats that drop in there to train.   To account for the amount of travel she had to do, she home-schooled herself throughout high school. She is currently studying in college while working and still finding the time to train and improve her game. That is inspiring dedication to the art! And going back to truth, it is interesting that this path she took, even though unconventional, is happening during a time when many of our long-established institutions and conventional ways of thinking are being questioned and re-tooled. Her competitive drive and work ethic have propelled her to be one of the rising stars in no-gi Jiu Jitsu. Best known for one of the fastest submissions in a women's match on Who's Number One. She is currently the Medusa EBI Strawweight Champion, a seasoned competitor, and a student of the game. She is determined to be the best, and how can you not be inspired by that kind of spirit? Sophia has such a busy schedule. This conversation was recorded a few months ago as she had just finished up a whole day of working, studying, driving, and training and still was gracious enough to sit for a chat with us. Training out of Vanguard Academy Jiu Jitsu in New York by way of New Jersey, please enjoy this episode about the mental game of training, the remarkable Sophia Cassella!

GUEST BIO Souhad Abou Zaki is a Curious Economist and a Rural Development Enthusiast. She is currently a Senior Admissions officer residing in Lebanon at Notre Dame University, Louaize. Souhad works as a Lecturer in Economics, teaching undergrad courses in Microeconomics, Managerial Economics, and International Economics. She is also a Research Consultant and Proposal Writer for Rural Entrepreneurs, helping conduct research on rural development-related topics, which include women's economic empowerment, food security, and social entrepreneurship. She holds a Degree in Economics from the American University of Beirut and a master's in Agricultural Economics and Development. She is currently pursuing another degree in food security. SHOW NOTES SEG 1 Lebanese Civil War Food Crisis of 2007 - 2008 Food Security World Food Waste Statistics Intervention from other countries SEG 2 Successes of her intervention work Sri Lanka Food Security Crisis Causes and Outlook of Increasing Food Security Crisis What is food security? How to create more food security as individual households Hospitality as it leads to over abundance Community Supportive Agriculture Incompetence vs Optimism Cronyism SEG 3 How to encourage the youth to pursue agricultural entrepreneurship? The state of the banking sector in Lebanon Subsidies for Agriculture Sectors (Pros and Cons) What is resilience? Localism Lebanese vs Filipino food SEG 4 Food Policy Poverty and Famines The downside of over specialization essential soft skills for the 21st century Effective stress management techniques (snippet) Essential Technical skills cloud computing

GUEST BIO Julie Rogers is the Founder and Director of TLC Transitional Life Care, a Vajrayana Buddhist non-profit organization dedicated to the education and support of individuals and their families during the end-of-life transition. This program is centered in the SF Bay Area and southern Oregon, and is available online and via Zoom. She is a writer, author, mother, educator, and administrator, and has been a caregiver and hospice volunteer, as well as a Vajrayana (Tibetan) Buddhist for almost 40 years.  Over twenty-five years ago, Julie was surrounded by a string of deaths. These were the deaths of her friends, many only in their thirties at the time. Years later, she experienced the death of her husband. The close succession of some of these deaths compelled her to ask why there wasn't much information available to address the needs of families and individuals dealing with death. With encouragement from her Buddhist teacher, Venerable Gyatrul Rinpoche, Julie Rogers later founded TLC Transitional Life Care in 2014. Years earlier, she had written a concise instructional manual about preparing for the moment that will eventually come for all of us – Instructions for the Transitional State, published by Vimala Treasures. To summarize, it aims to offer guidance through the dying process from a Buddhist perspective, but is intended for those of any persuasion. It also includes information about working with the secular aspects of documentation and paperwork, things that families are too often burdened with while in the process of grieving, but it's focus is on how to offer compassionate care to the person dying. A checklist showing how to properly care for those who are dying is provided, as well as supportive material about how to hold space during the transition of a loved one, or anyone. In other words, the manual is condensed with valuable information that we often overlook until it's too late. So, since death is an inevitable part of life that causes us to picture the worst of our fears to the point we bottle them up until the very last moment, is there not anything we can do to help prepare ourselves for when that time does come? Is there anything we can do better to help each other grieve and process loss rather than avoid it altogether?      We hope that conversations like this bring us closer to acceptance, and encourage us to feel less resistance when we do eventually transition out of our bodies and into whatever you believe is waiting to greet us in the afterlife.  In speaking with Julie, she helped impart in me an affirmation of a belief that we can never be grateful enough. And to show that gratitude by giving and giving truthfully in alignment with our beliefs.  I suggest listening to this episode with a loved one and encourage you to have conversations around the topic of death so that grief becomes less taboo, less of a thing to avoid in each other. And in doing so, we can help each other, in the words of the late Ram Dass, “walk each other home.” Please enjoy this conversation with Julie Rogers.  ESSENTIAL LINKS TLC Transitional Life Care Website TLC MANUAL Vajrayana Buddhism NOTES FROM THE SHOW SEG 1 inner work Tashi Choling Center Friends Passed of Cancer in their 30s in span of 2 years ORGYEN DORJE DEN Gaytrul Rinpoche Elizabeth Kubler Ross Instructions for the Transitional state Alternative Interment green burial Ed Bixby Green Burial Council Seth Vidal Catholicism and Buddhism Bodhicitta SEG 2 How do we allow space for others to grow, while spreading awareness and raising consciousness Meeting a Guru Mount Shasta https://www.npr.org/2015/06/07/412098380/a-mountain-of-many-legends-draws-spiritual-seekers-from-around-the-globe Phowa Natural Liberation – Book by Padmasambhava SEG 3 Ritual Burial Rosek and Ka Youth Centric Culture Ageism Different Forms of Self Care helping others through grief SEG 4 Managing Relationships David Meltzer Marriage as a path to spiritual work Differences between a meditator and someone that studies Buddhism with A guru Practicing with intent to serve others What is a dignified death?

GUEST BIO Jairus Ferrer is a agricultural entreprenuer from Philippines. With family roots in Mindanao, the southernmost region of the Philippines, he decided to leave the congested, fast-paced city after thirteen years in favor of a more steady-paced, semi-rural, widely untapped area to get in touch with nature and get involved in economic development in rural communities. When Jairus was a boy, his family's shrimp farm was affected by red tide. It was a devastating blow from which it could never recover. Feeling insecure about not knowing what to take up as a career, Jairus decided to take what he called a gap year after high school. During this gap year, he and his father (my dad's twin brother) enrolled in a local organization that offered entrepreneurship intensives in the agricultural industry. There, Jairus learned the necessary skills, both on the farm and the business side, that led him to what he eventually aspires to do for Mindanao and all over the country. To bring back food security, develop infrastructure, and inject a youthful spirit into the once-mighty agriculture industry of the Philippines. What was only supposed to be a four-month entrepreneurship education program turned into a five-year position with the same institution that taught him. After completing the course, Jai began working for the same institution to help train batches of the enrolling students. Then, with moral and extra financial support from the program, he traveled around the Philippines. A few years later, Jai co-founded Pronic Foods, a short-lived organic distribution start-up and later founded iFarms, Inc., an agri-tech corporation, a company which he is currently leading. In this conversation, you'll find out about agricultural entrepreneurship in the Philippines, and what is currently in place to improve food security and distribution for a country in crisis that is in dire need to re-establish its once-independent reliance on the abundant farmers and farmlands that once comprised nearly 40% of the workforce of the philippines. I invite you all to listen in on this conversation with one of the many people that is helping improve the food systems in the Philippines, who I am very grateful gave his time to share his experience, his enthusiasm, and his curious drive to push the boundaries of our agricultural heritage. - please enjoy this conversation with my cousin, my genetic half brother all the way from the Philippines in Mindanao - Jai Ferrer SHOW NOTES Segment 1 Getting your product to market Growing  Chickens in the Philippines "I started to realize that knowledge has evolved " - nature (SNIPS)] Modernization vs nature (snip) Life back in the province Hustle Life in the US Permaculture in the Philippines (snippets Here) Bamboo Architecture Food Security in the Philippines Outlook The decline of farm life in the Philippines Development in Rural Communities Seg 2 Is there an agricultural youth movement in the Philippines? Ticktock (ask to keep?) Sparking agricultural activities Reforesting the countryside (replenishing and replacing snippet) Challenges of Rural Businesses Typical day for an Agricultural Entrepreneur Supporting Local (snip) Agricultural Subsidies Acceptance and Boundaries Seg 3 Ancestry Napoleon Hill International Rice Research institute Helping Communities that need more talent Asking for help and advice Waste Management ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ARTICLES | Media ABOUT JAI Manila Times Article | iFarms Brings Technology to Farming The Agricultural Revolution in the Philippines Youtube Video of Bamboo Agriculture Intensive ADDITIONAL LINKS Philippine Agriculture is Dying - Rappler Opinion Article Biodynamic Farming Israel's Innovative Agriculture The State of Philippine Agriculture | Video Essay What Happened to the Philippine Agriculture Industry? | Video Essay Philippine Agriculture Facts  

GUEST BIO Martin Jay Ruiz is someone that found his way on a skateboard and later on to the wrestling mat as a troubled youth. At an early age, he found the blank canvases of the skate deck and the wrestling mat to be the wide-open spaces that allowed his soul the room for infinite expansion. To this day, his heart never lost its passion for the two mediums. He came from the streets of Santa Maria, California, pulled to the magnetic energy of San Francisco – a pilgrimage for skaters because of its steep, long, concrete hills that can send one bombing down a dance between weightlessness and death. As a former collegiate wrestler for SF State, he became the wrestling coach for Lowell High School, one of the most prestigious public high schools in the United States. Under his tutelage, he's coached both boys and girls to multiple state championships. Martin also coaches wrestling to adults at Fight Culture Gym in Daly City; he earned his Blue Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is still an active competitor at thirty-three.   EPISODE NOTES Segment 1 brush with a murderer benefits of learning self-defense | Combat sports working with a moving company what you find inside other people's homes biggest takeaways from working at a moving company Martin Bio + Background Injury stories (ankle + leg) boneless skate move Bones Brigade mental and physical recovery from injuries Segment 2 Dealing with anxiety and depression through wrestling and skating mental and physical support during injury Injury Stories (shoulder) Dolores Park Hill Bombing GX 1000 High School Wrestling Santa Maria Gangland How Martin developed mental toughness Chasing the flow state Segment 3 undefeated as a senior tournament stories handling losses Coach Lars Jensen, SF State Wrestling Moving to SF | College Wrestling Career Experience Mauricio Wright Collegiate Wrestling Practice Structure Segment 4 Collegiate vs High School Wrestling How skateboarding helped mentally for wrestling the power of repetition the prototypical wrestling personality Depletion in relation to stress and trauma “cleansing yourself” How to hold attention in the practice room coaching high schoolers Goal Structuring Coaching a state champ Segment 5 where did you learn how to restructure goals? 7 habits of highly effective people the joys of coaching anxiety and depression from childhood trauma finding a therapist Where does your work ethic come from? intrinsic value, motivation What is your coaching philosophy? Differences between coaching boys and girls How to coach someone who is unmotivated Segment 6 how do you deal with when your best is not enough? coaching strategy/ practice structure Jiu Jitsu vs Wrestling Training West Coast Wrestling Evolution of wrestling Fight Culture, Daly City what is it like to bomb a hill in sf 

Jake Luigi is the mind behind the Less Impressed, More Involved video blog on youtube. In less than a year, I saw his channel grow from a few hundred to well over seven and a half thousand subscribers. Some of his most popular videos have amassed sixty thousand views and continues to grow due to his cerebral, detailed, and cataloged approach to learning the art, the language, and the endless evolution of Jiu-Jitsu.  In a time that has never seen more opportunity than today for creative exploration and exchange of ideas, I hope that conversations like this one can give some insight into those that want to invest in themselves, their life's work, and the most authentic expression of themselves to what I believe will be the future of designing a flexible lifestyle - in creating content for an open, and shared information economy.  Just a heads up - this conversation has many Jiu-Jitsu references, but I believe it's a metaphor or an example for learning and mastery. It's a great insight into how to arrange a vast amount of information, organize it, and package it in a practical way that creates value for those seeking improvement. To be less impressed and more involved in our hobbies. And it's a conversation with someone who's very passionate about learning, mastery, and embracing the beginner's mindset.  I hope with this intention that you find much to take away from this conversation, as I have, and to please check out his channel, Less Impressed, More Involved, on YouTube. EPISODE COMING SOON! SEG 1 Van life/ Micro-greens Broccoli Sprouts Vertical Farming Training Jiu-Jitsu the privilege of learning in the modern world Rethinking the Career Path Youtube Channel - Less Impressed, More Involved Note Taking Technique Communication Goals, approach to improvements in communication SEG 2 Differences between mastery and general practitioners creating opportunities Visualization practices Adam Ondra visualization Handling the sudden growth of a community of followers What is a flexible lifestyle? How to approach learning/self-teaching / taking ownership of your learning (snippet) Ruotolo Brothers The Talent Code Approach to Learning and Mastery Shokunin Sunk Cost Fallacy Hunting in Lanai Story of Deer Arriving in Lanai Whats the feeling like from bagging your first deer? The wastefulness of hunting in Lanai How long does it take to feel confident until you hunt for deer? Ethical Shot The technical aspects of environment for hunting deer. Understanding nature SEG 3 Resilience What is resilience? Who is the most resilient person you know? Spirituality Thoughts on death and suffering What is a flow state? Closing Books | Podcasts Skin in the Game Anti Fragile Mindset, Carol Dweck

GUEST BIO Our next guest, Stephanie Crawford, is a hospice care nurse and Death Doula. She recently founded Awakened Endings - an end of life service and community dedicated to helping others understand and prepare for a better death. In this conversation, you'll hear both a heavy and light-hearted approach to talking about the transition of death. You'll learn about what a death cafe is, what a “green” burial is, what some commonalities she has witnessed observing people weeks away from their last breath, and much more. It's an educational tool for those learning how to approach caring for a dying loved one. In piecing this episode together, I noticed that much of what is said during this conversation can also be a metaphor for having meaningful relationships with someone still alive and healthy. Why wait until someone is dying to listen and finally get to know who they really are? You'll also hear firsthand what kind of person is willing to take on this role of helping bring death back into our culture - not as a traumatic, avoidable topic of discussion - but a reverent, growth transitioning, healing rite of passage.    Reach out to Stephanie Crawford, Death Doula: Serving in-person clients in the San Francisco Bay Area. Serving virtual clients worldwide.   Awakened Endings - Website For a FREE 45-minute consultation and all other inquiries, contact stephanie@awakenedendings.com     Show Notes Segment 1 Death/ Nihilism Type of nursing work - Trauma Why is it hard to talk about death? Terror Management Theory Mortality and getting older How death can be normalized Acceptance and death How to care for a dying/ suffering patient Going through a divorce during the pandemic Practices in place to cope with suffering Segment 2 Living in the mind Divorce and Death Finding meaning through suffering Grief as a teacher Views on the healthcare  system Surgeries leading to worse state for elderly Discharging from hospice care/ education about hospice care Terri Schiavo Case Die Wise, Stephen Jenkinson Pain Management/ How to manage patient suffering The power of conversation, vulnerability and opening up (snippet) Dark Sense of Humor/ Survival Tactics Light hearted moments working in hospice care Segment 3 Being around family and loved ones, how to talk with loved ones about mortality Educating people about the death process while still of sound mind and body Early Advanced Directives Assisted Death Catholic Death Rituals Different types of options for Burial Rituals for Death practices to help make sense of death transition (snippet) Coco The Day of the Dead The Death Cafe Desert Solitude, Edward Abbey Human Composting Psychedelics and Death Don't be so focused on the outcome, constant state of change Eye Contact with someone dying, what's that like? Death Connects us with our humanity Drawing boundaries for yourself Common themes witnessing people die Visioning academic paper Segment IV what have you learned about people? Work as a death doula, the process what is a death cafe? The Death Deck Game How to approach someone talking about death How to hold light and dark in a playful space (credit to Wisdom Sun Meditation Practice) How to build resilience

GUEST BIO If you had BBQ in the Bay Area in the past ten years, there's a good chance the meat was cooked on one of the units fabricated by our next guest – Garnet Geoffroy, also known as G Stacks – proud owner and welder of custom-made, handcrafted smokers and pits right here on the west coast of Northern California.  Barbecue pits are a great equalizer for entrepreneurs typically bogged down by the seemingly endless fees and regulations imparted on small business owners who have no resources or means of opening up a brick-and-mortar business. Barbecue pits and pitmasters are the embodiments of resilience. The techniques they've honed in and feel they've developed for cooking come from trial and error. Their cooks are subject to variables in time and weather, so they must be able to adapt and keep their techniques fluid and flexible to adjust as necessary to create consistency in their products.  G Stacks provides the fabric to turn these barbecue dreams into reality. His units are the legacy of what west coast barbecue is now evolving into – making a name for itself on the world stage.  I first met G Stacks while we both began our business ventures about ten years ago. With the support of our family, my wife and I started a booth at a local farmers market, which then blossomed into a full-blown catering company in less than five years in business. To help elevate the food and distinguish ourselves, I wanted to get a texas style offset smoker. Still, the closest quick search online led to businesses well outside of California, all the way to Texas even. After a month of searching, I finally found G Stacks and gave him a call, and in talking with him for about a good hour, I quickly learned about his business, passion for barbecue, and craft. His enthusiasm and love for cooking were infectious.  He went to great lengths to make sure we ended up with a suitable unit for us, and with his build and my work around the fire – we helped bring joy to the people that sought us out to do business with us and eat our food regularly. This conversation offers everything – your Monday motivation, insight into the systems in place that lead to inequality, and perspective from a resilient being that got to where he is today through hard work, observation, and determination, with a big enough heart and capacity for love to pay it back for those that most of us have forgotten or choose to look away from.  So as I'm sure with many of you, what started with a shared enthusiasm for something with a stranger – whether it be fire, food, barbecue, or whatever – can transform into a camaraderie that can be rekindled through nothing much other than good conversation. With that, please enjoy this uplifting discussion with a BBQ legend, a man of integrity and pride in his work, shedding light on others and especially his community, the people of Vallejo, CA – please enjoy this conversation with – Garnet “G Stacks” Geffory. REACH OUT HERE https://www.gstackspits.com/ Gstacks Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/gstackscustomsmokers/ SEGMENT 1 | ORIGINS Fout springs https://www.dailyrepublic.com/all-dr-news/solano-news/solano-county/solano-still-trying-to-phase-out-fouts-springs/ Cypress Mandela Rio Consumnes Welding program at Fout Springs Welding Hood Compartment Syndrome Accidents at work/ Surgeries First Job outside of welding Growing up in Vallejo E-40 Product of the environment Thoughts on Community and Leadership Taco Bell Drive Thru Shooting – Vallejo, CA 2019 Homeless Youth in Vallejo SEGMENT 2 | THE CRAFT AND THE WORK The workers that help him Gustavo's Story – 18 year old worker. Orphan from El Salvador. Ruby Jewels The Work Ethic G-Stack's Mom's hustle Cal Neva Casino Near Death Experiences/ Injuries/ Surgeries What is it about welding that he loves? Why BBQ Pits? Agricultural Community Shade and Restoration Trailer Working with your hands Shout outs to the celebrities that own his builds Traeger's/ Factory Grills and Smokers vs Handmade Bespoke The Secret Ingredient to Success What is California BBQ? Tankhouse BBQ SEGMENT 3 | NEVER QUIT Drive through Philosophy Being Available GStacks Praying for a Man in front of a Liquor Store Street Ministry How to build a better community Matthew 6:33 The Smoke Doctor Who Motivates you? The Honor System Smokin Woods BBQ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ RESEARCH FOR THIS EPISODE https://youtu.be/zeM6j0vO71ghttps://www.sfgate.com/food/article/bay-area-bbq-barbecue-flints-everett-jones-kcs-16249865.php https://www.dailyrepublic.com/all-dr-news/solano-news/solano-county/vallejo-historian-releases-new-book-on-communitys-black-heritage/ https://oaklandherenow.com/blackoakland https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-evolution-of-american-barbecue-13770775/

GUEST BIO Victor Thai is one of the most interesting people I know. He's the son of Vietnamese refugees growing up as one of the only Asian kids in Richmond, Virginia.  I met him five years ago, training Jiu-Jitsu at the same gym where we spent a lot of nights after class doing some extra rolls. He was a newcomer to San Francisco from Virginia, and he introduced me to my first few psychedelic experiences.  He grew his mushrooms from home, stocks a wide variety of colorful teas in his pantry, owns fancy teacups and tea sets, and is one of the most fluid and creative competitors I've ever had the chance to share the mat with.  One time, I found out that he accidentally took a book I brought with me to read in the Muni on the way to the gym - Meditations by Marcus Aurelius - because it was left outside of my backpack. He apologized for taking the book and quickly returned it with the quip, "I only took it because I thought, who the fuck would read that book from this gym?".  That's the kind of guy he is, and I admire that in him. He's blunt, says what's on his mind, and relishes in the awkwardness that straightforwardness puts him in, which I feel is very rare these days.  In this conversation, he shares his personal history, including his parents, that met here in the states as refugees from Vietnam. He talks about his long-term relationship with his ex-girlfriend and the unexpected turn their relationship took after driving across the country with her from Virginia. He shares the impact of psychedelics on his life, how to embrace the comforts of solitude, and more.  This was a fun conversation hanging out in Tilden Park of Berkley, California, in the botanical garden just a few weeks before the end of winter.  It's a pleasure to introduce you to one of my good friends, a fellow Jiu-Jitsu practitioner (how cliche is that a guy with a podcast that does jiu-jitsu). A guy, who, to me, represents my future life regression, a guy that genuinely gives much less fucks than I do, a guy who doesn't sniff his own farts, doesn't care what side anyone is on, and even his own. Most importantly, a guy that lives with mindful intention and is always looking for a better explanation without any regard - The Tech Shaman,  Conduit to the Psychedelic World, Victor Thai.  SHOW NOTES | MENTIONS Vietnam War Refugees Vietnamese Americans Racial Discrimination on Dating Apps Socrates The Socratic Method

GUEST BIO Connor McCann is the host of the Brain Drain Podcast. I came across his video about San Francisco's graffiti culture on YouTube, which was a topic that I was very interested in for so many reasons.  That led me to his other videos, topics about the far corners of the world, geopolitics, organized crime, interwoven between personal stories about growing up during the early to mid-90s as a son of Irish immigrants in the middle of the city of San Francisco at the cross streets of gang violence and cultural diversity.  In listening to his videos, I noticed the way he recalled information. The way he tells these stories, sometimes seemingly without any pre-written script, connecting the dots between two or more things that, on the surface, have no connection is nothing short of amazing to me because he often finds a way to make it work. On a deeper level, this conversation showed me how little I know and why it's vital to learn deeply about the cultures around us about the cultures around the world. How they affect us, the decisions we make, the decisions our leaders make for us, and how it affects the rest of the world, including some of the people in our communities, if not only because they are interesting stories, but because in learning we might be able to offer a unique observation to contribute ideas that spread love and light in the world. Or admit that we don't know enough and accept the moments that we must sit and listen to the people around us, despite the urge to jump to sudden conclusions. In taking on a project like this podcast, I thought to myself - how can I possibly contribute ideas that bring people together if I have no idea what deeply divides us in the first place? I hope this conversation inspires that in you, the way it has inspired me to question the personal, social, and systemic barriers between all of us, the people right next to you, and everyone you might come across on a daily basis. How can we better relate to one another? Connor McCann joins us from his place in Ashville, South Carolina. A place wherein recent years, he's made home. Although San Francisco is a place he holds close to his heart, he has no plans of returning any time soon. In this conversation, we get a glimpse of his side of the San Francisco cultural landscape, how to see the conflict from a multidimensional perspective, and most importantly, I got a sense of someone that has indeed crossed over the barriers and borders in his mind to seek truth with the awareness that there is always a different answer or explanation, and in embracing curiosity and our pursuit of knowledge, there is a deepening of our relationship with the world and the people around us.  SHOW NOTES | MENTIONS Carabas Barabas (sp?) Russian Mafia Odessa Tsarist Times Ben Davis San Francisco Gangs in the mid 90s Commonalities between Latin and FIlipino cultures Irish Conflict and History Turkish Mafia Khmer Rouge Geopolitics of Syria Khmelnytsky Uprising - Stuck In the Middle episode (Brain Drain) Russian Revolution Fall of Communism Hapsburgs Shrimp Boy Chow Mohammed Nuru

GUEST BIO Franco Soriano is a Filipino American ultra runner. He started running ten years ago at the age of 40 and gravitated towards the adventure of ultra running. He runs for the love of it. As much as I wanted to uncover a story about grit and willpower, this conversation showed me that sometimes it just takes a stoic mindset, careful planning, and taking it easy to develop mental toughness. It's all about the enjoyment and high you get when you cross the finish line. And then it's on to the next. I first met Franco searching for a community of Filipino Runners. As someone that loves to get out and run on the trail, I quickly saw that most trail runners are not people of color. For something so simple that brought beauty and self-actualization into my life, I couldn't help but ask myself, why is that? Is it because we just haven't been exposed? Is it conditioning to prioritize other things? SOME OF FRANCO'S NOTABLE RACES Tahoe Rim Trail 100 Hurt 100 The Western States 100 Bad Water 135 miler Leadville Mt Whitney Summit (14k Elevation) SF Northface Endurance Challenge - 50 miles LEARNING THE BARRIERS TO BREAK THEM Some of you listening to this podcast may have heard an instance many years ago when I was in high school. I was picking up trash for financial aid at a prestigious catholic high school in the peninsula alongside the football team practice. And a guy yells out between huddles, "haha, you're not out here cuz you're Filipino!". Maybe it was just a joke, but that hit home, and I'm still talking about it more than 20 years later. There was a Filipino guy on the football team, in fact.  The stereotypes I learned in a less homogeneous environment outside of Daly City were eye-opening. Filipinos love shopping, love to collect clothes and shoes, are only bold in numbers, only hang out in malls and play pool. And to be honest, coming from Daly City, one of the highest concentrations of Filipinos in the world outside of the Philippines, it was hard not to argue it, because up until that point, it was all I knew. But as I grew older, I belive that was never true. Yes, just like everyone else, we like nice things - the clothes, the shoes, the material things that everyone else has the right to enjoy. But by my experience alone, if that was the focus on what cultures outside our bubble saw, I knew countless others had more substance to themselves than what I heard in that joke. Which is why I wanted to seek out people like Franco in the first place. I want to prove those stereotypes wrong. I hope that this conversation will help inspire others to achieve their levels of greatness without any concern or thought for what anything outside of themselves can bring. I wanted to have this conversation to go out of my way to prove those people wrong by using the words in this conversation, and the actions of people like Franco, to fight back and be a measure of the standard representation and not the exception. NOTES | MENTIONS Maria Lorena Ramirez Kilian Jornet Ultra Marathon Man, Dean Karnazes Born to Run, Christopher McDougall Barkley Marathons Iditarod 350 Fueling Strategy for UltraMarathons

GUEST BIO Tom Brown III is the founder of FutureNature and T3Photography. He is a lifelong practitioner and living guide of ancestral skills, a frequent contributor, and a consultant to the Anchored Outdoors network. As a lifelong practitioner of ancestral skills under his father Tom Brown Jr. - prolific author and Founder of Tracker Wilderness Survival School.  Tom has devoted his life to passing on his knowledge of these skills. He works diligently as an educator, a steward of the land, to help return the connection to the natural world and awareness back to our wild selves. He joins us from his homestead in Oregon by Mount Hood - his home base for sharing his knowledge and experience through teaching, writing, and photography. He hopes to, in his words, "help people see Nature through his eyes, leading them to understand that spectacular natural beauty can be found anywhere, no matter where you may be." I believe that our ability to be resilient is not gone; it's simply re-awakening what we already have innately in us through the examples of how our ancestors lived and what people like Tom bring to light. To recognize our abundance, that we do have it all, and that there is always much to learn about our home here on earth and how to undo our distractions, even if only a little bit, to become better stewards of the land. It was an honor to sit with Tom III and listen intently as he shared his passion for learning and sharing some of the knowledge passed on to him by his father, Tom Brown Jr., and his grandfather, Stalking Wolf, who taught his father. And it was also great to hear some perspective from someone who, through his lifetime devotion to a life outdoors and educating others to find their own way in life, figures out ways of balancing both modern and primitive aspects of our human experience. NOTES | MENTIONS TOM BROWN III LINKS AND MORE INFORMATION Find Tom's work and more information here https://www.tombrown3.com/ Tom demos the Proper way to walk in Nature   EPISODE NOTES | MENTIONS Anchored Outdoors Sapiens: A Brief History of Human Kind, by Yuval Noah Harrari Tom's education Tom's teaching style Tom on failure Paiute Native Americans Stalking Wolf Tom Brown Jr. Tom Brown Jr. Books Hunter-gatherer societies The Rational optimist by Matt Ridley Arguments in Climate Change Benefits of Being in Nature Pine Needle Tea Castaway Movie Nomads that Survived Tsunami

"No history, no self. Know history, know self."  - Jose Rizal Many of us don't know about the trauma that our parents harbor. As children of parents that immigrated to the United States, the same trauma they harbor could be passed on to us, and manifested in different ways.    Some of us might have these questions like -  Who am I?  Why do we speak this way?  Why do I not know anything about you, our grandparents, or relatives?  Why is it hard to approach my parents with these questions?   Our next guest, Stephanie Balon has taken the first giant steps to help answer these questions, and the countless others we have faced for generations. The idea of providing space, even if only for conversation, might provide a way to heal our forgotten, indigenous, colonialized ways of living - of being together in community. Or as we say in our native language - in Kapwa. GUEST BIO Stephanie Balon is a mental health clinician, an expressive arts therapist with a focus on trauma-informed care, narrative and cultural therapeutic approaches. She holds a bachelor's degree in Sociology from the University of Washington and a Master's in Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco.   With over 15 years in the non-profit sector, and her work as an activist, she helped raise awareness for the Filipina/o/x Community. As a co-chair for the Filipino Mental Health Initiative of San Mateo County, she has received recognition for her community activism from District 5 supervisor, David Canepa. For congresswoman Jackie Speier, she served on the Asian American Advisory Committee to devise strategies for community engagement. Stephanie also helped raise over two and a half million dollars with the intention to co-found the first Filipino Cultural Center in San Mateo county that aims to provide mental health and wellness services for the Filipino Community.   NOTES | MENTIONS | RESOURCES GET INVOLVED + SUPPORT Filipino Mental Health Initiative of San Mateo County Kapwa Gardens Soma Pilipinas Undiscovered SF Bruce Lee Chosen Ancestors generational/ intergenerational trauma Kapwa Intergenerational Resilience Maya Angelou - “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” KTEH - channel 26 Non Profit business vs for profit business What is the difference? What type of person does it take to have longevity in this kind of work? What are the metrics of success of nonprofit work? Paying people what they are worth. How to change nonprofit work. Exploitation in nonprofit work Doreen Fernandez - how to indigenize a dish

A mushroom cloud - like the ones you see from a distance after a volcanic eruption or a nuclear explosion, is caused by the process scientifically described in the Rayleigh-Taylor Instability (RTI). I don't intend and am highly unqualified to describe in scientific detail what happens during an RTI. But my understanding (based on what I've found on the interwebs) uses the everyday example of what you see when trying to mix oil and water.  Water - the lighter fluid in density based on the Earth's gravity will always be below the oil, a much denser fluid that will always float to the surface.  Let's imagine a physical model of this process by inverting the liquids in two separate jars. Oil in the bottom jar, water at the top. In between the jars, we add a removable barrier between them.  Once we remove the barrier we should see, in slow motion, the oil pushing to the surface. The oil pushing up from the water, and into the surface will create a mushroom-shaped movement. Some would argue, that moves similar to the wax in a lava lamp or pouring cream into your morning cup of coffee. In the same way, we saw fidget spinners, Pokemon go, and hoverboards in recent memory - a similar explosion in the 80s and 90s gave us breakdancing. Dance styles like the uprock, popping, and strutting, started regionally in the 70s by kids in the Black and Latino communities in the burrows of New York, and cities all over California. Over time, they all evolved and melded together to what the world widely knows now as breakdancing. Breakdancing will be an official event of the Paris Olympic games in 2024. The more conversations I have with people from different walks of life, the more I see that all of us have unique outlets of expression. Especially as youths, to gain a semblance of control for what can feel, at times, like an uncontrollable reality. The magnetic pull to immerse ourselves in something like breakdancing, that connects us with a community. To express what might be challenging to put into words through movement.  We all have our own version of this. In this conversation, we welcome back Tudor Atienza, a good friend and guest from episode 007, Dazed and Confused in Daly City. Today, he's a loving husband, father of two girls, and a hardworking manager for one of San Francisco's transportation branches.  He is where he is today because he overcame a troubled childhood. Losing his mother at an early age, bullying, and much more with what we will unpack together in this and future episodes. San Francisco has always been known as the home to countless cultural movements, tech innovations, and one of the most expensive places in the world to live. But stories of hardworking, struggling, lesser-known cultures and communities deserve just as much of a platform as the CEOs and cultural figures that we've often heard any and everywhere throughout history. It's a story about the children of immigrants like the Filipinos in Daly City and all over the Bay Area, that latched on to an artform that is equally wild, dynamic, and innovative. A story of how a movement spread across the globe without the help of Youtube and masterclass tutorials. And a story about how regular kids from all over the world can come together and work as hard as any world-class gymnast to contort their bodies, expand and string together seemingly impossible moves that appear to suspend them above ground.  An art form all within the moments that the DJ and breakbeat loop allows, feel a bit more than human. An art form where a battle isn't settled with detonating bombs, but the eruption you get from the crowd, it seems, with the energy simply made from the style you create from the dynamic movement of the human body. Welcome back, Tudor Atienza!   NOTES | MENTIONS Beatstreet | Battle at the Roxy Soul Train Breakdancing Apache, Incredible Bongo Band Rocksteady Crew Psycho Bunnies Hype-a-Delic Alliance PRT (Prototype) T-Flare Thomas Flare Planet B-Boy Documentary Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Indian Summer - (article about the political correctness of the use of the words) ADDITIONAL LINKS Oakland Boogaloo, KQED DOCUMENTARY History of Filipino's and Dance - Article KQED Video, History of Filipino's and dance Poppin' in San Jose Paulskee - Bay Area Breakdancing/ Hip Hop ambassador Nuclear Blasts Slow Motion Nuclear Explosion Nuclear Fireball Photos Rayleigh-Taylor Visual Simulation

GUEST BIO Ivan C Lopez is an artist from San Francisco by way of Columbia. He co-founded and helped build Artillery Art Gallery - a creative community space in the heart of the Mission. His passion to provide space for community inspires others to find what has been explorative and healing for him. Through ceramics and painting, Ivan hopes to bring balance; within a connection to the natural world alongside the concrete walls of the city. I wanted to speak with Ivan because he connects this idea of the modern human being returning to our wild selves by communing with our indigenous selves. Not only through embracing creativity, but through encouraging and teaching others to pick up a brush to play with colors. Or taking a lump of clay and sitting at a table to be creative together. In this way, we embrace our childlike curiosity to explore and meditate upon the infinite ways of knowing ourselves, just in the same way we were created from virtually nothing. In this conversation, Ivan shares his creative process, his journey in his lifetime exploration of art, self-discovery, and community. Please enjoy this stream of consciousness conversation beneath a canopy of redwood trees in McClaren Park San Francisco, on Ohlone Rammaytus land - with the artist, the wild human, the mindfully grounded, Ivan Camilo Lopez. Ivan's Instagram: @ivanclopez Artillery Art Gallery Ivan's Art here. SHOW NOTES Summer Search Ceramic Art The Amazons Ayahuasca Plant Medicine Elderberry Kava Root Bike packing Ivan's Wild Human's Collection Additional Links and Resources https://vimeo.com/113688021?embedded=true&source=video_title&owner=12703998

GUEST BIO What is it about our collections that take up spaces in our lives? Meet Chino - The owner of the largest sneaker collection I've ever seen. He comes all the way to us from Edmonton, Canada by way of the Philippines. He's a loving husband, father of two boys, a working man who does whatever it takes to make an honest living to care for his family. A few years ago, I had the chance to see in person an entire storage basement full of sneakers, jerseys, and sports memorabilia. And after having this conversation, it reminded me of the importance of culture, no matter what form it takes, in helping us come together, and integrate with the world around us. NOTES | MENTIONS Edmonton Air Pounds Kobe Sneakers Air Pippens Air Up Tempos Nike Penny Hardaway Sneaker Violence Virgil Abloh Investing in Sneakers Kobe Grinch Jordan 10 Defining Moments Pack The Question, Reebok

River has a passion for holistic teaching. Beginning with her experience with the Wilderness Youth Project, and now with her work teaching at a Waldorf Elementary School where I met her as a new addition to the after-care program. While teaching early childhood students at the school, she also trains to officially become a Waldorf Education teacher. As a graduate from UC Santa Barbara, she earned a Bachelors's Degree in Feminist studies. Some of the many experiences that she graciously shares on this episode include traveling abroad to Thailand where she studied Buddhist Social Theory, and was welcomed to spend time around an all-women sect of Buddhist monks. When she's not teaching she can be found sailing in the San Francisco Bay or spinning a fire hula hoop.   RESOURCES FOR TRANS/ LGBTQ+ COMMUNITIES IN SAN FRANCISCO/ BAY AREA   NOTES | MENTIONS | RESOURCES   Fluid Dynamics 2008 Fashion The Virgin Suicides Felt Flower Crowns Feminist Studies Rachel Rabbit White Tavi Gevandson High School Feminist Club Genetic Counselor Social Dynamics Artistry vs Science, Gender Politics Thai Buddhist Art Thai Buddhist Social Theory Terra Vada Buddhist Sect (women monks) Wilderness Youth Project How to address curious and inquisitive children Mugwort Poison Oak Elderberry Montessori Education Cardboard Loom Waldorf Education Co-Parenting The Ohlone way Terence McKenna Dominator Culture Somatic therapy Kink Psychedelic assisted therapy Effects of MDMA on the brain Trans vs Cis -gender Generational Suffering Existential Suffering Fire Hula hooping Holistic Hooping Burning Man Rave Culture Poi Balls Fire Thailand Fire performances Rope Dart Flow Toys Fire Staff Performance Dragon Staff Sailing Save the Mermaids Kittyhawk movement arts bell hooks Polyamory   RIVER'S PERSONAL NOTES | MENTIONS | RESOURCES   River graciously requested and corrected some of her own comments on this episode out of respect for the communities and people mentioned in this episode. I have pasted them below and have edited them only for grammar and punctuation.   Talking about violence against gender non conforming AMAB/AMFAB (assigned female/male at birth) people/violence against trans folks— provide educational resource as well as a support resource for folks in the Bay Area who are experiencing violence for their gender expression (21-23 mins in or so). Anti trans violence and the murder of trans folks is STILL A BIG ISSUE. Even in the Bay Area trans kids are kicked out of their homes and estranged from their families. I wish I mentioned this but I did not!  GNC (gender non conforming)/transgender representation in media…I've noticed a lot more trans femme representation than trans masc representation (trans masculine ppl have mentioned this to me too). Also a lot less common for a non “passing” trans feminine person to be represented in media, which excludes a lot of folks who cannot access expensive gender affirming surgeries.  Forest is from MISSOURI, not Ohio or Minnesota!! Also link to Forest's content. :) (https://www.thehumanconditioncoaching.com) Reference for Thai studies: “Thai Buddhist Social Theory” by Tavivat Puntatigvivat Tomboys of Thailand: https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/tomboys-of-thailand-29497 Also: I wrongly called ladyboys men who are embodying a feminine persona! After a quick Google search I've actually found that Kathoeys or Ladyboys in Thailand are transgender (amab femme). I think this may be different than tomboys, who seem to still identify as women, despite presenting as more masculine. (Marie Claire article). Both of these identities could still possibly be evolving and changing, though! Perhaps a topic for more in-depth research.   

Meet our dear friends, Ria and Raul Pelayo. In their four years of marriage, they come forward with their struggles in starting a family due to recurring pregnancy loss. We are also joined by my wife, my life partner - JoAnn. Both of us wanted to do an episode like this from the beginning, but couldn't conceptualize what, or how it could be done until Ria came forward with her forth miscarriage on social media. Together, we hope to provide a safe space to empower others to start their own conversations or seek help in dealing with grief, loss, trauma - the things that are hard to bring up casually, or are considered "downers" to bring up in conversation. This was a magical episode, with many unexpected nuances happening in our surroundings, and helped with the charm of the episode, on top of Ria and Raul bringing such a light-hearted vibe to a very heavy topic for most people. Ria and Raul have graciously offered to be a resource to those experiencing similar grief NOTES | MENTIONS | RESOURCES: Social Media helping empower others Passive Family Dynamics/ Non confrontational How to explain your suffering to someone that doesn't know Dealing with pressure from family to have babies Infertility IVF treatment D and C How to provide space for others to express their grief? What are other ways to help deal with emotional distress? Resources for infertility and recurring pregnancy loss r/childfree The Silent Sorority Fertility Docs R/infertility Peanut Infertility acronyms How men can talk about IVF/ Recurring Pregnancy loss/ etc

Jethro is, what I like to call for fun, my younger brother from another mother. He's the youngest son of my dad's twin brother. Currently residing in Manila, by way of Cagayan de Oro Philippines. With his short stay in Manila, he immersed himself in his art within the underground hip-hop community. Through finding his artistic medium, he fixated his lens on the vibrant, unsung scene of the culture in Metro Manila.    However, his passion was only realized during a difficult time. At six foot four, he was a highly scouted youth basketball player by some of the most prestigious universities in the Philippines. As a professional basketball hopeful, his career took an abrupt stop after blowing his knee during the recruiting process. Without resources for surgery, It forced him to rethink his path. With help from his family and friends, he found his way - pulled by the gravity of a creative life. Through teaching himself the craft of editing and networking, the discipline he learned from basketball earned him some professional opportunities with film editing.    While we are similar on the surface level in an infinite number of ways, the reality is that we are also strangers to each other. I'm from the states, he's from the Philippines. He grew up on a farm and moved to the city to connect with people. I was born in the city and sometimes work on a farm to disconnect from people (no offense).   Here in the States, many of us Filipino Americans are slowly finding our footing in reconnecting with our ancestral roots. We often find ourselves holding the idea of what it means to be a Filipino American on one side, and what it means to be a Filipino on the other. While it's at times, the narrative of decolonizing our thoughts, our food, and our thinking, I find it difficult at times to answer some of these questions, only because they lead to more puzzling questions.     Enjoy!   Manila/ Ph Artists | Places | Mentions   Jethro's Work Black Market Manila Facebook link Website Instagram Cagayan De Oro Mavs Phoenomenal Basketball - Youtube Channel 88 Rising Instagram Youtube Channel Rich Brian Niki and Joji

Toño Ramirez is a free spirit, a truth-seeker, an explorer. I'll stop there because he, in my opinion, is only bogged down by more labels. I first met him on a trash cleanup organized by Vince of RefuseRefuseSF.org (our first guest on the podcast). Toño (alias used for privacy purposes) earned a bachelor's degree from The Ohio State University, a master's degree from UC Berkley, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. All degrees in his background are in the field of Mechanical Engineering. I was hoping to have a discussion to learn about engineering, and how they might apply to set goals, to create something actionable for me and whoever listens. However, I ended up keeping my notebook closed and tucked away because what follows is something more spontaneous, honest, alive, and profound in so many ways I never expected. This conversation touches on many topics and would be beneficial for those who currently struggle or who have struggled with loneliness, compulsions and addictions, depression, or anyone questioning their self-worth. I hope you'll hear Toño is someone that has done the work and is an example of if you look and let the universe do its thing, embrace your truth, embrace your truest self with love, that (in his words) "the universe/everything will conspire to reward you." Please enjoy this dip into a winding river of conversation with Toño Ramirez. NOTES | MENTIONS: Reflection on Picture Taking Processing the holiday season Guanejuato Family Life from Dallas to Mexico Conversational manners Anger in relation to our authentic selves Defining unsolicited therapy sessions - being “talked at” Helping people that don't ask Expecting people to be a source of happiness Expression and vitality, being in the present moment Rethinking the human child rearing experience The perfect child fallacy, how children develop codependency Troika Dance Music - Russian Folk Academic Life Magnet School Fighting Our Nature Thoughts on the future of Engineering in relation to Nature Cobalt Mines in Africa Sedation, and the many forms of drugs Toxic white lake - Onondaga Lake Abundance vs scarcity Doing nothing Vietnam, Phong Nha Cave System Lindsay C Gibson Author - Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents Benefits of Solitude Child Rearing Realities The Drama of the Gifted Child - Alice Miller Alcoholism Compulsive Sex Sensing to be in need of self Is love an addiction? What we deserve, to be treated as god the river, conspires

Daly City is one of the closest suburbs in the outer borders of San Francisco, located directly to the South. It's home to one of the densest populations of Filipinos, anywhere outside of the Philippines, comprising 33% of the total population in a 2010 census.   From the late '80s to the early 2000s, Daly City helped to raise some of the world's most famous DJs, and dance groups. It was a big part of the history here on the west coast for the Filipino and Hip-Hop communities.    Most of the Filipino youth here in Daly City and the Bay Area were made up of second-generation Americans. As the sons and daughters of first-generation immigrants, we were trying to find our footing, our voice, often overshadowed within the makeup of the rich, diverse culture found in San Francisco. The closest kinship we gravitated towards, at least in the people I know, identified with the Black and Latin-American music and culture of the time, weaving in our own rhythms and color palette, while forming our own community to bond us close together.    While much of this scene has somewhat been well documented, there's a cast of characters behind the scenes - around the turntables, on the dance floor, roaming the streets, soaking in the gravity of what seemed to just be a bunch of kids during that time just trying to find an identity.   This conversation scratches the surface of that scene, but puts us in the heart of it.    Kathlyn is my wife's childhood friend. Kathlyn was born in the Bay Area and makes her living as a nurse. Her husband Tudor, is also a native of San Francisco. He manages a division of the Bay Area transit system and is a former amateur boxer. Together they are parents to two amazing girls, which you'll hear in the background in the first part of this conversation.   We all grew up around each other throughout our teens, on parallel paths, orbiting in and around the same circles. So in a way, I can say that I've known these people for most of my life. In my youth, I'd see them around the same parties, which around Daly City was held in house garages, community church halls, and the several parks peppered throughout the city.    An interesting thing to mention, which gives a bit of context to some of the stories in this podcast. The way I came to know Tudor was through one of my good friend's older brother. I guess the best way to describe it would be like in the movie Dazed and Confused. In the movie, there were two groups of boys - Ben Affleck and the older ruffian kids. The older kids chased around the younger, innocent kids - eighth-graders making their way into high school. That was the age gap between us. We were the younger kids looking out for the older kids.   By no means were Tudor and his friends during that time known as bullies, but they were people you didn't mess around with, or give any funny looks. They were to be respected, and in that regard, you get respect back, and there wouldn't be any problems. So it was interesting at first when I found out that he and Kathlyn got together about 20 years ago. And throughout these years I've seen him, morph into a kind, caring, generous, respected human being, completely opposite of all the misconceptions I had of him and his friends as a youth.   We bounce through plenty of fun topics in this episode, dissecting the social compulsions of our youth, the art of the Taco Bell Mexican Pizza, and paint a vivid picture of what Daly City used to look like as a city in the 80s and 90s. Tudor also shares some fascinating stories about his life in the Bboy scene and what it takes to win in a breakdancing battle. We also get into the mobile DJ scene, and som of his experiences growing up around a gang.   So while many know the stories about the music and culture that came out of the era of the late 80s and 90s in Daly City, we are also a part of the stories within that story. And what's offered here are just small vignettes of what a lot of Filipino youth of that era are beginning to reflect on and unpack.   Notes | Mentions:   Big Bottom Market, Guerneville, CA | Biscuits Pizza and Pipes How the pandemic changed celebrations God Parenting instructions for Filipinos Fitness USA Daly City, CA Good Guys Circuit City Montgomery ward Payless Street fighter II fights Taco Bell Mexican pizza Best fried chicken in the bay Piercing Pagoda Serramonte Bay Area dancing Fiesta Islands 1990s breakdancing scene How to C-Walk Spintronix Concrete Rockers Bay Area Mobile Dj Scene DJ Scotty Fox Rhythm and Motion Chris the Rebel KMEL Dj Clee (Clinton Lee) How to win a bboy battle Bangin in Little Rock Jumped in to Gangs Slangin  

What is the purpose of life?   The Egg, a flash fiction story written by Andy Weir, offers a profound perspective on this age old question. If there is anything that can describe what The Quake City Portal is about, it can be found in this episode, and in stories just like The Egg.   I was deeply moved by this piece, seeing it first in video form, and then reading the story here. With so many aspects of life that fuel a divide among individuals, we need to share more stories that bring people together.   This is an essay I wrote inspired by this story, recorded in podcast form. The Egg sparked a deep dive into eye contact, my difficulties with it at times, and throughout my life. I wanted to answer the question I had - why is it (sometimes) hard to make eye contact?   Original music and score produced by The Quake City Portal.   Please read the story and accompanying video via the links below:   The Egg, by Andy Weir   The Egg, animated short story | Written by Andy Weir, Animations by Kurzgesagt - In a Nutshell       Notes | Mentions:   Virtue, Aristotle The Four Noble Truths, Buddhism Friedrich Nietzsche | The Will to Power As seen “emblazoned on the bodies of butterflies, birds, snakes, fish and peacocks, whose eye-shaped patterns are thought to mimic the eyes of predators and thus induce an avoidance response” (Grumet, 1983).  REM Sleep “override all other information should any of it conflict with the visual sense” (Freese, 1977) Ivan Ramen Hermann Hesse | Demian Emojis Chris Voss | Never Split the Difference Matt Ridley | The Rational Optimist Carl Jung Psychedelics  

Ernesto Pineda has over 20 years of experience in the Real Estate and Real Estate Tech industry. He is an entrepreneur, a business advisor, and an artist at heart. With his life-long love for books, art and travel, he uses his experience to merge his professional and creative endeavors. He has a passion for learning through experience, conversation and interacting with his environment. Notes | Mentions: Correction: Japanese Joinery (sorry, at a loss for words in that moment) El Salvador Civil War Documentary What we learn through traveling alone Architecture Arturo Perez-Reverte | Captain Alatriste Alexandre Dumas | Count of Monte Cristo | The Three Musketeers Graham Greene John Le Carre Daniel Silva Lean Manufacturing Principles Jim Butcher | Dresden Files Brad Thor How businesses achieve brand authenticity On Sales as a vehicle for learning and changing your mind Revenue Operations Temple Grandin | How She Changed the Cattle Industry Richard Feynman DEI Vincent Van Gough Impressionism Ian Johnson Digital Nest Udemy Ernesto's writing can be found here: Finding Commonalities Is The First Brushstroke Of Inclusive Workplaces A New Approach To Building The Consumer Journey

We are joined by some family and friends in a place near and dear to all from far and wide, especially those of us from the Bay Area - Lake Tahoe! This was a fun one to do. Join us around the table for an after dinner discussion about modern sexuality, identity preferences, and more! Please note there is some explicit content about sexuality, nothing graphic, but listener discretion is advised. Thank you for listening! Tahoe Spiral Podcast Notes: BDSM F2M pronouns/ LGBTQ (etc) Impact of calling people by name Siya Correcting people when they call you by the wrong name Non verbal communication Defending your name Chad Partying in our late 30s/ 40s FOMO Being raised in a Bilingual family Dj scene before the internet/ Serato Mike Boo Dj Shortkut Krazy Kids Radio Alchemist DJ Am / A Track Invisibl Skratch Piklz Dj Swiftrock Marcella's Lasagneria Sponsored by LIMINAL COFFEE - Makers of the most delicious small batch coffee! Promoters of physical activity and social connection through the shared experience of drinking coffee.

Marlon S Payumo, Sr. is the general manager of Mitchell's Ice Cream Shop in San Francisco, CA. He arrived in the United States when he was twenty years old, and has been working there since 1988. Among the many things we touch upon in this conversation, he shares his hardships as a child growing up in the Philippines, his experiences in dealing with the transition of moving to another country, speaking a new language, hard work, and resilience.     NOTES | Mentions: SFGate Article - Mitchell's Ice Cream and Filipino Flavors Buckskin Revolution, Woniya Thibeault - Ancestral Skills Resource Alone, Television Reality Series Robert Walter Johnson Arthur Ashe Althea Gibson Levels of the Game, John McPhee Mitchell's Ice Cream Silicon Valley Little Manila In Stockton Little Manila, Daly City San Francisco Forty Niners, Team of the 80's St. Mary's Rec Center How language shapes the way we think  

In this episode of the QCP, Jon is joined by his best friend, Mico. They reminisce about a time right before the dawn of the internet age. They also reflect on embarrassing moments in their short lived hip-hop careers. He shares his experience in sales, dealing with difficult family situations, and how he overcame alcoholism/ addiction without support groups or rehab.

Vincent Yuen is the founder and head organizer of the Refuse Refuse SF campaign. During the pandemic, Vince went on long neighborhood walks with his family and noticed the trash that was littered around his neighborhood. He decided to take action by picking up trash along the way, and later found his neighbors also inspired to join in. His love for community and the city inspired him to take action and found the Refuse Refuse SF campaign. They help organize group cleanups throughout San Francisco in partnership with other local organizations. Join the movement and sign up! https://www.refuserefusesf.org   Show Notes: The East Side Effect (Spatial Economics) The Sovereign Individual - James Dale Davidson The Matrix Fight Club Getting Things Done - David Allen Black Lives Matter Greta Thunburg Pete Buttigieg Ohlone  Proposition B - Matt Haney 311.org Mohammed Nuru Jordan Peterson Restorative Justice Communist Manifesto Socialism Suze Orman Together SF The Expanse Michael Lewis Malcom Gladwell Cronyism Meritocracy AAPI