Podcast appearances and mentions of Ben West

Content advisory: this podcast contains themes of mental health and suicide ‘You're not just losing a person. You're losing all of those memories' In this week's episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by mental health campaigner and author, Ben West. At 17, Ben's world was turned upside down when he lost his younger brother, Sam, to suicide at just 15 years old. What followed was a life-altering journey through grief, resilience, and purpose. Ben transformed personal tragedy into powerful advocacy – raising awareness around mental health, challenging stigma, and driving real change in how we support mental wellbeing, especially within the education system. Together they explore how hormones, medication, stress and lifestyle can all impact mental health, and why understanding these factors could change how we approach conversations around suicide and depression. Ben also completed an ultra-marathon to raise funds for Shout, a 24/7 text messaging service providing support for mental health and suicide prevention. To find out how you can volunteer or donate, visit their website here. Contact the Samaritans for 24-hour, confidential support by calling 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org To learn more about Ben West, visit his Instagram here and check out This Book Could Save Your Life, available here. If you would like to make a change to the way schools train their teachers on mental health issues, sign the petition here. Available to watch on YouTube  We hope you're loving the new series! Share your thoughts with us on the feedback form here and if you enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. Email dlnpodcast@borkowski.co.uk with suggestions for new guests!   Disclaimer The information provided in this podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Dr Louise Newson or the Newson Health Group.      LET'S CONNECT Website: Dr Louise Newson Instagram: The Dr Louise Newson Podcast (@drlouisenewsonpodcast) • Instagram photos and videos LinkedIn: Louise Newson | LinkedIn Spotify: The Dr Louise Newson Podcast | Podcast on Spotify YouTube: Dr Louise Newson - YouTube   CONNECT WITH BEN WEST Website: Ben West Instagram: Ben West (@iambenwest) • Instagram photos and videos LinkedIn: Ben West | LinkedIn  

As we remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to our freedom in America, take a moment to thank those who serve today. America is the greatest country ever created in the History of the World. America is the shinning beacon on the hill. * Grand old podcast - https://www.opb.org/article/2025/05/22/grand-old-podcasts-republican-legislators-have-a-new-strategy-for-getting-their-message-out/* Local school boards struggle to pass bonds - https://www.opb.org/article/2025/05/23/oregon-underresourced-school-districts-bonds/ * clackamas person arrested - https://www.youroregonnews.com/news/molalla-councilor-arrested-for-financial-issues-with-local-pac/article_6980d1c7-3713-53b6-9f53-4e8a9f1e2bc6.html Parent jailed for embezzling money in mollala..• https://www.oregonlive.com/clackamascounty/2025/05/lawyer-warns-clackamas-county-commissioner-stop-talking-about-melissa-fireside-theft-case.html Fireside lawyers want to silence Ben West. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.crosstabs.studio

Ben West and Magenta Ceiba join the Ethereal Forest crew to talk about how their experience of community organizing led them to technology solutions to address persistent problems in the activist world Magenta  https://x.com/magentaceiba Bloomnetwork.earth https://x.com/OurBloomNetwork Make a page, declare a project, get involved and get rewarded!    Ben West https://x.com/BenWest https://bsky.app/profile/benwest.bsky.social https://infosec.exchange/@monkeyflower https://seabrick.com/ https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/will-bitcoin-help-the-energy-revolution_b_6411744   Learn more about Ethereum Localism Ethereumlocalism.xyz   This series is hosted by Ethereal Forest - https://x.com/EthForestDAO Macks - https://x.com/MacksWolf Josh - https://x.com/spexpdx6 Alex - https://x.com/haughtvalue  

On this episode of RunThrough presents Gone Running, Ben Sheppard has the privilege of talking to Ben West, a leading light in the mental health campaigning space.In this conversation, Ben West shares his profound journey into mental health advocacy following the tragic loss of his brother, Sam, to suicide. He discusses the importance of emotional education, the need for systemic change in mental health care, and how he channels his grief into action. Ben emphasises the significance of feeling emotions, the brain's role in endurance, and the therapeutic process of writing. He also highlights the power of nature and perspective in healing and how his experiences connect him to his brother's legacy. Ben is running his first Ultra in May. If you'd like to support him and 'Shout' the UK's first and only free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging service for anyone struggling, all of the links are in the description of this episode.Ben West  - https://www.instagram.com/iambenwest/Ben Sheppard - https://www.instagram.com/bensheppard93/Shout - https://giveusashout.org/

A new exhibition at the Museum of Broadway honors Black theater trailblazers through costumes, archival material, and history. Musical theater artist and historian Ben West discusses Crafting Excellence: Black Storytellers of Broadway and how Black artists have shaped the New York theater scene. The exhibition is on view through March 16.

How should we discern substance from rhetoric in the US President's pronouncements? Andrew Neil, Christiane Amanpour and Lord Darroch attempt to answer the question. Reviewing the papers: Christopher Hope, Christina Lamb and Ben West.

Ben West was 17 when his younger brother died by suicide. He's since gone on to become a mental health campaigner, and has found humour can help communicate deeply traumatic messages. In this chat with Fearne, Ben talks through what signs to look for if you're concerned about someone's mental health. Then, how do you break the awkward silence when you both know you need to talk about a big topic like poor mental health? You'll be able to approach the conversation in a compassionate, rather than confronting, way. Or, maybe you're the one keeping big thoughts and feelings inside but have become a master of masking your truth. Fearne shares her experience of feeling defensive and telling people she's ‘fine' when they asked concerned questions. Ben also takes a thorough look at the mental health system and explains the reality of what care looks like in the UK (and what he's doing to change it for the better!) Plus, how have people like Andrew Tate affected boys' mental health? And why is finding the right therapist is a bit like dating...? CONTENT WARNING: This episode is all about the reality of suicide. If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Richard E. Grant Ashley CainRoman Kemp Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's podcast: The power of social media in capturing individual attention  The weaponisation of self-discipline The importance of balancing personal and professional values to convey authenticity online, the challenge of maintaining nuance in social media communication, and so much more. “Dan Osman's Ramblings Of A Madman Podcast” Subscribe wherever you get yours so you don't miss out! More on Dr. Rachael Kent-Aitken: Dr Rachael Kent is a world-leading researcher, author, consultant, podcast host, and Senior Lecturer in Digital Economy and Society at King's College London, where her research examines the impact of digital technology on mental and physical health. Dr Rachael Kent v. Apple Dr Kent is the first female class representative in UK legal history, leading a collective action against Apple on behalf of 19.6 million UK consumers, alleging they have breached competition law and overcharged for app purchases, seeking over £1bn in compensation. See: Competition Appeals Tribunal | Press & Interviews Here Consultancy Dr Kent is the founder of tech-wellbeing consultancy Dr Digital Health, providing evidence-based research and strategy for businesses and employees on managing tech saturation, and how tech ‘addiction' impacts mental and physical health in everyday professional and personal life. Some of Dr Kent's clients include the NHS, the UK Government, Vivo Barefoot, Paramount, and CBS. Podcast Dr Kent is the host of 'Digital Health Diagnosed: Your Dose of Tech Wellbeing' produced by Mic'd Productions, the first evidence-based podcast diagnosing how technology impacts your health. Digital Health Diagnosed has been featured on ITV News and has high-profile expert guests such as Ben West, Sophie Medlin, and Made in Chelsea's Miles Nazaire. Publications & Press Dr Kent's first book 'The Digital Health Self-Wellness, Self-Tracking, and Social Media' was published in May 2023 by Bristol University Press. Dr Kent's research regularly appears in press and podcasts including BBC News, Forbes Magazine, Runners World, BrainCare, Metro UK, Heat Magazine, Women and Home Magazine, The Daily Mail, The Independent, MixMag, Health and Wellbeing Magazine, and Glamour Magazine. Dr Kent can also be found on the following social media channels: Instagram: @digitalhealthdiagnosedpod X: @drDigi_Health YouTube: YouTube channel and TikTok: @_digitalhealthdiagnosed

Ben West is a musical theatre artist and historian, and creator and author of The Musical Theatre Report. His book, The American Musical: Evolution of an Art Form (Routledge, 2024), chronicles a detailed and comprehensive history of the art form's artistic evolution. He created twenty “Timeline Wall” exhibits for the Museum of Broadway that trace the history of the Broadway stage from 1732 to 2021 and spotlight more than 500 productions and 100 artists. He has worked in various capacities on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regionally, and created and directed Unsung Carolyn Leigh for Lincoln Center's American Songbook series. West has spoken at several institutions including Yale University, University of Michigan, the Dramatists Guild, and the Shubert Organization. He is a recipient of Lincoln Center's Martin E. Segal Award.

In today's mini-episode of Hurt to Healing, we revisit an insightful conversation with mental health advocate Ben West. Ben passionately addresses the simple yet powerful solutions to the growing mental health crisis. He discusses the importance of education, prevention, and smarter allocation of resources, emphasising the need for mental health training in schools, just as we train teachers to respond to physical health crises. Ben shares why the path to meaningful change isn't as complex as we might think—and how each of us can play a role in reshaping the future of mental health care.Follow Ben: @iambenwestFollow Hurt to Healing on Instagram: @hurttohealingpodHurt to Healing Website: hurttohealing.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Impact Makers, Ben West, a trailblazer in community organizing and campaign strategy, discusses his journey into Web3 and his work at Thrive Protocol. Thrive Protocol is a mechanism and methodology for helping ecosystems grow by attracting, funding, and scaling projects in the Web3 space. They work with top Web3 communities like Arbitrum, Apecoin, Polygon, and more. The protocol uses incentive mechanisms, feedback loops, and human validation assessments to ensure that funds are allocated appropriately and that impact is measured and rewarded. They are building a reputation system for reviewers and are focused on changing the way people are rewarded for their work. In this conversation, Ben from Thrive Protocol discusses the importance of funding mechanisms and decision-making processes in the Web3 space. He shares insights from his experience at Gitcoin and highlights the work being done at Thrive Protocol to create a more inclusive and efficient funding ecosystem. Ben also talks about the long-term vision of Thrive Protocol and its potential to bridge the gap between the digital and real world. He emphasizes the need for user-friendly tools and a focus on user experience in the Web3 space. The conversation concludes with a discussion about Ben's book, 'The Monkey Flower Experiment,' and the power of community and collaboration in making a positive impact. Jon Ruth https://warpcast.com/jonruth https://x.com/jhruth Ben West https://warpcast.com/benwest https://x.com/BenWest Thrive Protocol https://x.com/ThriveProtocol https://www.thriveprotocol.com/   Takeaways Thrive Protocol is a mechanism and methodology for helping ecosystems grow in the Web3 space. They attract, fund, and scale projects by using incentive mechanisms, feedback loops, and human validation assessments. Thrive Protocol works with top Web3 communities like Arbitrum, Apecoin, and Polygon. They are focused on changing the way people are rewarded for their work and ensuring that funds are allocated appropriately. They are building a reputation system for reviewers to ensure the quality of assessments. Funding mechanisms and decision-making processes are crucial in the Web3 space to create an inclusive and efficient funding ecosystem. Thrive Protocol aims to bridge the gap between the digital and real world by providing user-friendly tools and focusing on user experience. The long-term vision of Thrive Protocol is to revolutionize the way work is done and empower individuals to be fairly rewarded for their contributions. Ben is writing a book called 'The Monkey Flower Experiment,' which explores decision-making mechanisms in a university setting and the challenges of resource allocation. Community and collaboration are essential in driving positive change and making a meaningful impact.

In 2018, Ben West's world collapsed when he tragically and unexpectedly lost his brother to suicide. Sam was only 15 when he died, but it propelled a 17-year-old Ben to take positive action and campaign around mental health awareness, suicide prevention and fundamentally changing how we approach mental health, especially in schools and the education system. In this episode, he joins Amber Milligan to discuss what happened to Sam, how to spot the signs in someone who needs help and the steps he now takes to protect his own mental health. Sign Up to The FREE SheerLuxe Daily Email: https://sheerluxe.com/signupFollow Us On Instagram | @luxegen_official | https://www.instagram.com/luxegen_official/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.Ben West | @iambenwest | https://www.instagram.com/iambenwest/?hl=en DISCLAIMER: This podcast will discuss suicide and mental health, so as a warning, this episode might be triggering. If you or anyone you know is suffering you can reach out to SHOUT, the UK's free, confidential and 24/7 mental health text support service. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: Thank You For Your Time: Understanding the Experiences of Job Seekers in Effective Altruism, published by Julia Michaels on July 10, 2024 on The Effective Altruism Forum. Summary The purpose of this research is to understand the experiences of job seekers who are looking for high-impact roles, particularly roles at organizations aligned with the Effective Altruism movement (hereafter referred to as "EA job seekers" and "EA organizations," respectively).[1] Organizations such as 80,000 Hours, Successif, High Impact Professionals, and others already provide services to support professionals in planning for and transitioning into high-impact careers. However, it's less clear how successful job seekers are at landing roles that qualify as high impact. Anecdotally, prior EA Forum posts suggest that roles at EA organizations are very competitive, even for well-qualified individuals, with an estimated range of ~47-124 individuals rejected for every open role. Given that some EA thought leaders (Ben West, for example) have suggested working in high-impact roles as a pathway to increasing one's individual lifetime impact (in addition to "earning to give"), it seems important to understand how well this strategy is working. By surveying and speaking with job seekers who identify as effective altruists directly, I have identified common barriers and possible solutions that might be picked up by job seekers, support organizations (such as those listed above), and EA organizations. The tl;dr summary of findings: A majority of EA job seekers are recent graduates or early career professionals with

In 2018, Ben West's world collapsed when he tragically and unexpectedly lost his brother to suicide. Sam was only 15 when he died, but it propelled a 17-year-old Ben to take positive action and campaign around mental health awareness, suicide prevention and fundamentally changing how we approach mental health, especially in schools and the education system. In this episode, he joins Amber Milligan to discuss what happened to Sam, how to spot the signs in someone who needs help and the steps he now takes to protect his own mental health. Sign Up to The FREE SheerLuxe Daily Email: https://sheerluxe.com/signupFollow Us On Instagram | @luxegen_official | https://www.instagram.com/luxegen_official/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.Ben West | @iambenwest | https://www.instagram.com/iambenwest/?hl=en DISCLAIMER: This podcast will discuss suicide and mental health, so as a warning, this episode might be triggering. If you or anyone you know is suffering you can reach out to SHOUT, the UK's free, confidential and 24/7 mental health text support service. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ben West is a musical theatre artist and historian. His book, The American Musical, chronicles a detailed and comprehensive history of the art form's artistic evolution. Ben also created 20 “Timeline Wall” exhibits for the Museum of Broadway, that trace the history of the Broadway stage from 1732 to 2021, and spotlight more than 500 productions and 100 artists.He has worked in various capacities on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regionally, and created and directed Unsung Carolyn Leigh for Lincoln Center's American Songbook series. Ben has spoken at several institutions including Yale University, University of Michigan, the Dramatists Guild, and the Shubert Organization. He is a recipient of Lincoln Center's Martin E. Segal Award.

 My guest again this week is author BEN WEST who returns for the fourth and final segment of our conversation in regard to his exceptional new book The American Musical – Evolution of an Art Form.  As you will hear, in today's episode, we move into what I call the Modern Era of Broadway from the 1970s right up to today and detail the major changes in the way musicals are made over the last 50 years. Our discussion touches on such shows as Hair, Your Own Thing, Rent, The Wiz, Jelly's Last Jam, Hamilton, The Band's Visit, and more! If you missed the previous episodes in this series you may want to go back and catch on that before listening to this one. Ben West is a musical theatre artist and historian who created the extensive “Timeline Wall” exhibits for the Museum of Broadway that trace the history of the Broadway stage from 1732 to 2021, spotlighting more than 500 productions and 100 artists. He has worked in various capacities on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regionally and created and directed Unsung Carolyn Leigh for Lincoln Center's American Songbook series. He has lectured and spoken at Yale University, University of Michigan, the Dramatists Guild, and the Shubert Organization. Become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members, including our Producer Level patrons, Paula & Steve Reynolds. For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the third segment of my conversation with author BEN WEST, regarding his new book: THE AMERICAN MUSICAL — EVOLUTION OF AN ART FORM. As you will hear this book is a comprehensive history of the American Musical from its origins in the 19th Century right up to the turn to the 21st Century. Along the way Ben West sheds new light on a myriad of shows, authors, directors, and performers including a host of often-overlooked women and African-American artists. If you missed the previous episodes in this series you may want to go back and catch on that before listening to this one. Ben West is a musical theatre artist and historian who created the extensive “Timeline Wall” exhibits for the Museum of Broadway that trace the history of the Broadway stage from 1732 to 2021 and spotlight more than 500 productions and 100 artists. He has worked in various capacities on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regionally, and created and directed Unsung Carolyn Leigh for Lincoln Center's American Songbook series. West has lectured and spoken at several institutions including Yale University, University of Michigan, the Dramatists Guild, and the Shubert Organization. He is a recipient of Lincoln Center's Martin E. Segal Award. Become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members, including our Producer Level member, Bob Braun. For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Although the fact often goes unacknowledged, it is a truth that sometimes an author's residence within and endurance in the canon is a result of how that author is perceived and taught in the academy.  Most literary scholars are also professors and teachers.  For this episode of Reading McCarthy I round up some of the usual suspects for a panel discussion upon teaching the works of McCarthy to students.  The guests include Stacey Peebles, Chair of the English program, Director of Film Studies, and the Marlene and David Grissom Professor of Humanities at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky.  She is the author of Welcome to the Suck: Narrating the American Soldier's Experience in Iraq  and Cormac McCarthy and Performance: Page, Stage, Screen.  She is editor of the collection Violence in Literature and, with Ben West, co-editor of Approaches to Teaching the Works of Cormac McCarthy.  She has been editor of the Cormac McCarthy Journal since 2010.      She is the President of the Cormac McCarthy Society.  Dr. Bill Hardwig is an Associate Professor of English at the University of Tennessee. He is author of Upon Provincialism: Southern Literature and National Periodical Culture, 1870-1900 ( UVA Press 2013).  He has edited critical editions of In the Tennessee Mountains by Mary Murfree and a forthcoming edition of Evelyn Scott's Background in Tennessee and is co-editor with Susanna Ashton of Approaches to Teaching the Works of Charles W. Chesnutt in the MLA teaching series.   He is currently working on a study of McCarthy's fiction tentatively titled How Cormac Works: McCarthy, Language, and Style.  Bryan Giemza is an Associate Professor of Humanities and Literature in the Honors College at Texas Tech University.  Dr. Giemza is author or editor of  numerous books on American literary and cultural history, 10 book chapters, and more than 30 published articles and reviews, including  Irish Catholic Writers and the Invention of the American South, which received the South Atlantic Modern Language Association's Studies Award and features a  chapter on McCarthy, as well as Images of Depression-Era Louisiana: The FSA Photographs of Ben Shahn, Russell Lee, and Marion Post Wolcott ).  His most recent books are Science and Literature in Cormac McCarthy's Expanding Worlds (2023), and Across the Canyons: Transdisciplinary Approaches to Divisive Communications in West Texas and Beyond, Texas Tech UP (2024).   As always, listeners should beware: there be spoilers here.  Thanks to Thomas Frye, who composed, performed, and produced the music for READING MCCARTHY.  The views of the host and his guests do not necessarily reflect the views of their home institutions or the Cormac McCarthy Society. If you enjoy this podcast you may also enjoy the GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL PODCAST, hosted by myself and Kirk Curnutt. To contact me, please reach out to readingmccarthy(@)gmail.com. Despite the evening redness in the west Reading McCarthy is also still somewhat on X (Twitter).  The website is at readingmccarthy.buzzsprout.com, and if you'd like to support the show you can click on the little heart symbol at the top of the webpage to buy the show a cappuccino.Support the Show.Starting in spring of 2023, the podcast will accept minor sponsorship offers to offset the costs of the podcast. This may cause a mild disconnect in earlier podcasts where the host asks for patrons in lieu of sponsorships. But if we compare it to a very large and naked bald man in the middle of the desert who leads you to an extinct volcano to create gunpowder, it seems pretty minor...

Today's episode is the second part of my recent conversation with author BEN WEST, regarding his his exceptionally comprehensive new book: THE AMERICAN MUSICAL — EVOLUTION OF AN ART FORM. This book traces the American Musical's creative journey from its 19th Century beginnings through its 20th Century maturation, and on to the turn of the 21st century. Along the way, Ben West sheds new light on a myriad of shows, authors, directors, and performers including a host of often-overlooked women and African-American artists. If you missed the first episode in this series you may want to go back and catch on that before listening to this one. As our previous episode ended Ben and I were discussing the revue form, especially the annual revues such as the Ziegfeld Follies and Earl Carroll's Vanities. Today we pick up conversation with some of the other forms of musical theater that Ben explores in Part Two of his book, a section that he titles Birth Of An Art Form. Ben West is a musical theatre artist and historian who created the extensive “Timeline Wall” exhibits for the Museum of Broadway that trace the history of the Broadway stage from 1732 to 2021 and spotlight more than 500 productions and 100 artists. He has worked in various capacities on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regionally, and created and directed Unsung Carolyn Leigh for Lincoln Center's American Songbook series. West has lectured and spoken at several institutions including Yale University, University of Michigan, the Dramatists Guild, and the Shubert Organization. He is a recipient of Lincoln Center's Martin E. Segal Award. Become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members, including our newest member, Taryn Darr. For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest this week is author BEN WEST, who joins me to discuss his exceptional new book: THE AMERICAN MUSICAL — EVOLUTION OF AN ART FORM. This book is a comprehensive history of the American Musical that traces the form's creative journey from its 19th Century beginnings through its 20th Century maturation, and on to the turn of the 21st century. Along the way Ben sheds new light on a myriad of authors, directors, and craftspeople who worked on Broadway and beyond. In a similar way to this podcast, this book actively addresses the form's often-overlooked female and African-American artists. It also goes beyond the strict boundaries of Broadway to explore such outside influences as minstrelsy, vaudeville, nightclubs, and burlesque as well as the dynamic relationship between the American Musical and and the consciousness of its country that gave it birth. Ben West is a musical theatre artist and historian who created the extensive “Timeline Wall” exhibits for the Museum of Broadway that trace the history of the Broadway stage from 1732 to 2021 and spotlight more than 500 productions and 100 artists. He has worked in various capacities on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regionally, and created and directed Unsung Carolyn Leigh for Lincoln Center's American Songbook series. West has lectured and spoken at several institutions including Yale University, University of Michigan, the Dramatists Guild, and the Shubert Organization. He is a recipient of Lincoln Center's Martin E. Segal Award. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Juxtapose positions itself as a “creation-oriented investment firm,” which means their investment process is based on businesses that don't exist yet. Focusing on industries that are under-served, Juxtapose's team then harnesses the power of entrepreneurialism and an investment firm's diligence to identify and invest in new business opportunities.During this week's Retail Remix, Ben West, Partner at Juxtapose, digs into the company's investment process and how this approach shapes his perspectives on: What makes a successful brand; How businesses should balance brand building and scaling their business; andThe state of the investment market, and what emerging consumer brands need to know.RELATED LINKSLearn more about JuxtaposeRead more about VC-related topics and trends on Retail TouchPointsRegister for the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo, taking place June 4-5 in Chicago, to explore the evolution of the customer journey. Hear from executives at Babylist, IKEA, Liquid Death, Rebecca Minkoff and more, about how they're embracing the convergence of content, community and commerce. Omnichannel & Fulfillment Benchmark ReportDownload the Retail TouchPoints Omnichannel & Fulfillment Benchmark report, sponsored by Deposco, to learn how your peers are investing in creating a cohesive customer experience.

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: CEA is hiring a Head of Communications, published by Ben West on March 9, 2024 on The Effective Altruism Forum. Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis. All applications must be submitted by Friday, March 22nd, 2024, 11:59 pm GMT. CEA is hiring a head of communications. While a successful candidate would ideally have a strong communications background, we're open to applications from generalists with strong foundational skills who can build a team with additional expertise. This is a senior leadership position reporting to the CEO. The remit of the role is broad, including developing and executing communications strategies for both CEA and effective altruism more broadly. We anticipate that this individual will become the foremost leader for strategic communications related to EA and will have a significant impact in shaping the field's strategy. This will include collaborating with senior leaders at other organizations doing EA-related work. Both EA and CEA are at important inflection points. Public awareness of EA has grown significantly over the past 2 years, during which time EA has had both major success and significant controversies. To match this growth in awareness, we're looking to increase our capacity to inform public narratives about and contribute to a more accurate understanding of EA ideas and impact. The stakes are high: Success could result in significantly higher engagement with EA ideas, leading to career changes, donations, new projects, and increased traction in a range of fields. Failure could result in long-lasting damage to the brand, the ideas, and the people who have historically associated with them. We're looking for a leader who can design and execute a communications strategy for EA. This person will be a strategic partner with and member of CEA's leadership team to help us shape both the substance and messaging of EA. You'll be able to build from the foundation set by our existing team, building on the work of our outgoing head of communications to further grow and expand the team, which currently includes one full-time staff member and support from an external agency. CEA has a new CEO, who is in the process of developing a new organizational strategy and views strengthening our communications function as a key priority. You should expect significant organizational support - e.g. attention from senior leadership and the allocation of necessary financial resources. Thanks for listening. To help us out with The Nonlinear Library or to learn more, please visit nonlinear.org

*TRIGGER WARNING* This episode involves conversations around suicide, self harm & grief. This week I sit down with Ben West, a passionate advocate for mental health, who is on a mission to spark open conversations about this crucial topic. Since his younger brother tragically took his own life in 2018, Ben has dedicated himself to breaking the silence surrounding mental health issues. Supported by influential figures like Prince William and Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Ben breaks down the importance of talking about mental health and shares life-saving advice for individuals and their loved ones navigating mental health challenges. If you or anyone you know is struggling with their mental health, I've linked some mental health resources below: Mental Health Resources

Ben West is a Portland native, although he now lives in Clackamas County. Ben is a nurse, a military officer, and a Clackamas County Commissioner. Ben and his husband, Paul, sued the State of Oregon and won the right to get married. Ben and Paul are raising an adopted son, who is black. Former Oregon lawyer Donel Courtney advocated for the Lents Neighborhood where he lived in Portland, pushing back against homelessness and crime. Donel has since moved to India.https://www.clackamas.us/bcc/westhttps://www.aclu.org/bio/paul-rummell-and-benjamin-westhttps://www.kgw.com/video/news/crime/multnomah-county-da-prosecutes-fewer-than-half-of-misdemeanor-theft-cases-including-shoplifting/283-ca7da81d-d336-46ca-b7e3-85f954be028fhttps://www.oregonlive.com/data/2023/07/multnomah-county-lost-record-1-billion-in-income-in-2021-as-residents-moved-away.html?outputType=amphttps://katu.com/news/local/man-arrested-for-allegedly-threatening-portland-bus-driver-with-knife-police-say-trimet-north-precincthttps://www.brookings.edu/articles/combating-poverty-understanding-new-challenges-for-families/#:~:text=One%20of%20our%20arguments%2C%20based,until%20age%2021%20and%20gethttps://manhattan.institute/podcast-series/the-glenn-showhttps://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/the-story/oregon-measure-110-poll-majority-against-want-repeal/283-9157a8c0-aa66-4303-b391-36afe7b12b4chttps://www.northamericarecovers.orghttps://x.com/rationalinpdx/status/1617930240155877376?s=20https://attpdx.comhttps://www.ontargettrainingpdx.com/personal-trainer-near-mehttps://glennloury.substack.com/p/the-truth-about-roland-fryer

In this episode of the Cover Crop Strategies podcast, brought to you by Montag Manufacturing, listen to a conversation with Ben West, executive director of Farmers for Soil Health, and Ryan Heiniger, a 4th generation farmer and executive director of Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), as they chat about all the details of the Farmers for Soil Health program and what cover croppers need to know about it.

Farmers for Soil Health is both a collaboration amongst farmer groups and a program hoping to motivate a big change in the US ag landscape.  The group's mission– to advance the use of soil health practices like cover crops to help improve farmer profitability, as born out of an agreement between the National Corn Growers and the Soy and Pork checkoffs. Recently, the group won an unprecedented $95 million USDA grant to tackle their goal of achieving 30 million acres in cover crops by 2030, a significant increase over today's numbers. Today, we're talking to the executive director of Farmers for Soil Health, Ben West, about the details of the project, who's behind it, and how farmers can get involved. We'll learn about the different tracks available to farmers who have never tried cover crops, to those who have tried but given up, and even for those who are currently using cover crops but would like to see added benefits. We'll also dig into the role of consumer-facing companies in the project, and how USDA is involved. Then we'll tackle what the future of the collaboration might look like.

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: Rates of Criminality Amongst Giving Pledge Signatories, published by Ben West on January 22, 2024 on The Effective Altruism Forum. Summary I investigate the rates of criminal misconduct amongst people who have taken The Giving Pledge (roughly: ~200 [non-EA] billionaires who have pledged to give most of their money to charity). I find that rates are fairly high: 25% of signatories have been accused of financial misconduct, and 10% convicted[1] 4% of signatories have spent at least one day in prison Overall, 41% of signatories have had at least one allegation of substantial misconduct (financial, sexual, or otherwise) I estimate that Giving Pledgers are not less likely, and possibly more likely, to commit financial crimes than YCombinator entrepreneurs. I am unable to find evidence of The Giving Pledge doing anything to limit the risk of criminal behavior amongst its members, though I have heard second-hand that they do some sort of screening. I conclude that the rate of criminal behavior amongst major philanthropists is high, which means that we should not expect altruism to substantially lower the risks compared to that of the general population, and that negative impacts to EA's public perception may occur independently of whether our donors actually commit crimes (e.g. because even noncriminal billionaires have a negative public image). Methodology I copied the list of signatories from their website. Gina Stuessy and I searched the internet for "(name) lawsuit", "(name) crime" and also looked at their Wikipedia page. I categorized any results into "financial", "sexual", and "other", and also marked if they had spent at least one day in jail. Gina and I eventually decided that the data collection process was too time-consuming, and we stopped partway through. The final dataset includes 115 of the 232 signatories.[2][3] Data can be found here. How well do convictions correspond with immoral behavior? It is a well-worn take that our[4] legal system overly protects white-collar criminals: If an employee steals $20 from the cash register, that's a criminal offense that the police will prosecute, but if an employer under-pays their employees by $20 that's a civil offense where the police don't get involved. I found that the punishment of the criminals in my data set correlated extremely poorly with my intuition for how immorally they had behaved. It would be funny if it weren't sad that one of the longest prison sentences in my data set is from Kjell Inge Røkke, a Norwegian businessman who was convicted of having an illegal license for his yacht. One particular way in which white-collar offenses are weird is that they often allow the defendant to settle without admitting wrongdoing.[5] E.g. my guess is that Philip Frost is guilty, but his settlement with the SEC does not require him to admit wrongdoing. I wasn't able to find a single person who admitted guilt in a sexual misconduct case, despite ~7% of the signatories being accused, including in high-profile cases like people involved with Jeffrey Epstein.[6] I was considering trying to add some classification like "Ben thinks this person is guilty" but decided that this would be too time-consuming and subjective. Nonetheless, if you want my subjective opinion, my guess is that most of the people who were accused of financial misconduct are guilty of immoral behavior, under a commonsense morality definition of the term. Less controversially, some of these cases are ongoing, and presumably at least some of them will result in convictions, which makes looking only at the current conviction rate misleading. In any case though, I believe that this data set establishes that the base rate of both criminal and immoral behavior is fairly high among major philanthropists, no matter how you slice the data. Some Representative Case...

I investigate the rates of criminal misconduct amongst people who have taken The Giving Pledge (roughly: ~200 [non-EA] billionaires who have pledged to give most of their money to charity). I find that rates are fairly high: 25% of signatories have been accused of financial misconduct, and 10% convicted[1] 4% of signatories have spent at least one day in prison Overall, 41% of signatories have had at least one allegation of substantial misconduct (financial, sexual, or otherwise) I estimate that Giving Pledgers are not less likely, and possibly more likely, to commit financial crimes than YCombinator entrepreneurs. I am unable to find evidence of The Giving Pledge doing anything to limit the risk of criminal behavior amongst its members. I conclude that the rate of criminal behavior amongst major philanthropists is high, which means that we should not expect altruism to substantially lower the risks compared to that of [...] ---Outline:(01:22) Methodology(02:01) How well do convictions correspond with immoral behavior?(03:56) Some Representative Cases(04:08) Are Giving Pledge signatories less likely to commit financial crimes?(06:05) Giving Pledge's Response to Criminal Behavior(07:08) PR Impacts(08:15) Implications for EAThe original text contained 9 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: January 22nd, 2024 Source: https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/d8nW46LrTkCWdjiYd/rates-of-criminality-amongst-giving-pledge-signatories --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

We, on behalf of the EV US and EV UK boards, are very glad to share that Zach Robinson has been selected as the new CEO of the Centre for Effective Altruism (CEA). We can personally attest to his exceptional leadership, judgement, and dedication from having worked with him at Effective Ventures US. These experiences are part of why we unanimously agreed with the hiring committee's recommendation to offer him the position.[1] We think Zach has the skills and the drive to lead CEA's very important work. We are grateful to the search committee (Max Dalton, Claire Zabel, and Michelle Hutchinson) for their thorough process in making the recommendation. They considered hundreds of potential internal and external candidates, including through dozens of blinded work tests. For further details on the search process, please see this Forum post. As we look forward, we are excited about CEA's future with [...] The original text contained 1 footnote which was omitted from this narration. --- First published: December 28th, 2023 Source: https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/R6qu7LhcLKLob7t9r/zach-robinson-will-be-cea-s-next-ceo --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: Cause-Generality Is Hard If Some Causes Have Higher ROI, published by Ben West on January 12, 2024 on The Effective Altruism Forum. Summary Returns to community building are higher in some cause areas than others For example: a cause-general university EA group is more useful for AI safety than for global health and development. This presents a trilemma: community building projects must either: Support all cause areas equally at a high level of investment, which leads to overinvestment in some cause areas Support all cause areas equally at a low level of investment, which leads to underinvestment in some cause areas, or Break cause-generality This trilemma feels fundamental to EA community building work, but I've seen relatively little discussion of it, and therefore would like to raise awareness of it as a consideration This post presents the trilemma, but does not argue for a solution Background A lot of community building projects have a theory of change which aims to generate labor Labor is more valuable in some cause areas than others It's slightly hard to make this statement precise, but it's something like: the output elasticity of labor (OEL) depends on cause area E.g. the amount by which animal welfare advances as a result of getting one additional undergraduate working on it is different than the amount by which global health and development advances as a result of getting one additional undergraduate working on it[1] Note: this is not a claim that some causes are more valuable than others; I am assuming for the sake of this post that all causes are equally valuable I will take as given that this difference exists now and is going to exist into the future (although I would be interested to hear arguments that it doesn't/won't) Given this, what should we do? My goal with this post is mostly to point out that we probably should do something weird, and less about suggesting a specific weird thing to do What concretely does it mean to have lower or higher OEL? I'm using CEA teams as examples since that's what I know best, though I think similar considerations apply to other programs. (Also, realistically, we might decide that some of these are just too expensive if OEL goes down or redirect all resources to some projects with high starting cost if OEL goes up.) Program How it looks with high investment[2] How it looks with low investment Events Catered Coffee/drinks/snacks Recorded talks Convenient venues Bring your own food Venues in inconvenient locations Unconference/self-organized picnic vibes Groups Paid organizers One-on-one advice/career coaching Volunteer-organized meet ups Maybe some free pizza Online Actively organized Forum events (e.g. debates) Curated newsletter, highlights Paid Forum moderators Engineers and product people who develop the Forum A place for people to post things when they feel like it, no active solicitation Volunteer-based moderation Limited feature development Communications Pitching op-ed's/stories to major publications Create resources like lists of experts that journalists can contact Fund publications (e.g. Future Perfect) People post stuff on Twitter, maybe occasionally a journalist will pick it up What are Community Builders' options? I see a few possibilities: Don't change our offering based on the participant's[3] cause area preference …through high OEL cause areas subsidizing the lower OEL cause areas This has historically kind of been how things have worked (roughly: AI safety subsidized cause-general work while others free-rode) This results in spending more on the low OEL cause areas than is optimal And also I'm not sure if this can practically continue to exist, given funder preferences …through everyone operating at the level low OEL cause areas choose This results in spending less on high OEL cause areas than is op...

Dr. Ben West with UT Extension is heading up an initiative called Farmers For Soil Health. the goal of the initiative is to help make climate smart practices profitable for farmers. Thomas Capps Practicing sustainability and finding new ways to be profitable. Hello and welcome to Tennessee Home and Farm Radio. I'm Thomas Capps. Ben West Sustainability, while the term may be new, farmers have worried about sustainability since the Dust Bowl. Thomas Capps Sustainability continues to be at the forefront of minds in the ag industry. Farmers in large part have and continue to implement climate friendly practices on their operations. Dr. Ben West with UT Extension has spent years studying climate smart practices farmers are using. Now he's focusing on ways those practices can be profitable for farmers by heading up an initiative called Farmers For Soil Health. Ben West Its sustainability and Agriculture Initiative run by the three three of the biggest commodity organizations in the country, the United Soybean Board, the National Corn Growers Association, and the National Pork Board. They decided about three years ago, to collaborate together and really try and be aggressive with some sustainability initiatives and put farmers in the driver's seat of driving the conversation and the thought and action around sustainability. Farmers have always taken the leadership role and sustainability. But sometimes in the past, it's been tough to pay for it because some of these practices do cost money. And at the end of the day, farmers are running a business enterprise. Thomas Capps West says it just makes sense for our farmers to get paid to plant cover crops and other practices they're already doing. Ben West By being able to combine federal money that's been coming down the pike but now also, the growing influx of private money from food companies and biofuel companies and feed companies interested in helping farmers be more and more aggressive with their sustainability practices. I mean, the next 10 years in agriculture is a really exciting time to see what's going to come of all this collective collaboration and conservation in agriculture. Thomas Capps Sustaining the planet and farming for the next generation. For Tennessee Home and Farm Radio. I'm Thomas Capps.

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: Zach Robinson will be CEA's next CEO, published by Ben West on December 28, 2023 on The Effective Altruism Forum. We, on behalf of the EV US and EV UK boards, are very glad to share that Zach Robinson has been selected as the new CEO of the Centre for Effective Altruism (CEA). We can personally attest to his exceptional leadership, judgement, and dedication from having worked with him at Effective Ventures US. These experiences are part of why we unanimously agreed with the hiring committee's recommendation to offer him the position.[1] We think Zach has the skills and the drive to lead CEA's very important work. We are grateful to the search committee (Max Dalton, Claire Zabel, and Michelle Hutchinson) for their thorough process in making the recommendation. They considered hundreds of potential internal and external candidates, including through dozens of blinded work tests. For further details on the search process, please see this Forum post. As we look forward, we are excited about CEA's future with Zach at the helm, and the future of the EA community. Zach adds: "I'm thrilled to be joining CEA! I think CEA has an impressive track record of success when it comes to helping others address the world's most important problems, and I'm excited to build on the foundations created by Max, Ben, and the rest of CEA's team. I'm looking forward to diving in in 2024 and look forward to sharing more updates with the EA community." ^ Technically, the selection is made by the US board, but the UK board unanimously encouraged the US board to extend this offer. Zach was recused throughout the process, including in the final selection. Thanks for listening. To help us out with The Nonlinear Library or to learn more, please visit nonlinear.org

We, on behalf of the EV US and EV UK boards, are very glad to share that Zach Robinson has been selected as the new CEO of the Centre for Effective Altruism (CEA). We can personally attest to his exceptional leadership, judgement, and dedication from having worked with him at Effective Ventures US. These experiences are part of why we unanimously agreed with the hiring committee's recommendation to offer him the position.[1] We think Zach has the skills and the drive to lead CEA's very important work. We are grateful to the search committee (Max Dalton, Claire Zabel, and Michelle Hutchinson) for their thorough process in making the recommendation. They considered hundreds of potential internal and external candidates, including through dozens of blinded work tests. For further details on the search process, please see this Forum post. As we look forward, we are excited about CEA's future with [...] The original text contained 1 footnote which was omitted from this narration. --- First published: December 28th, 2023 Source: https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/R6qu7LhcLKLob7t9r/zach-robinson-will-be-cea-s-next-ceo --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

Episode Description: Tune in to our latest episode where we delve into the world of Gitcoin DAO with special guests Ben West, Head of Grants, and Azeem Khan, Head of Impact. In this episode, we explore the ins and outs of the project, reviewing why the DAO was formed, exploring grants, partnerships, and why the choice was made to operate as a DAO. We also break down concepts such as quadratic funding, and Ben defines what it means to be a “regen”, and what it means to be “green pilled”! We hope you enjoy this episode, and encourage everyone to check out Gitcoin DAO and participate in their funding rounds to support projects that contribute to the greater good! See our resources below to get involved. Season 8 Resources: Bankless DAO: https://www.bankless.community/ Crypto Sapiens: https://www.cryptosapiens.xyz/ Join Opolis: https://opolis.referralrock.com/l/1CRYPTOSAPI88/ Connect with Rachel: https://linktr.ee/rachelroseb Episode Resources: Support Gitcoin Grants: https://grants.gitcoin.co/ Connect with Ben: https://x.com/benwest?s=21&t=2pSVQAAKpiLuGIwXbyGg5A Connect with Azeem: https://x.com/azeemk_?s=21&t=2pSVQAAKpiLuGIwXbyGg5A Follow Gitcoin on X: https://twitter.com/gitcoin

Commissioner Ben West returns to talk about Clackamas County and the ORP Platform Convention which he attended recently.

Joined by Ben West an award-winning mental health campaigner, author, TV presenter focussed on improving mental health awareness, support and suicide prevention in the UK. We discuss the stunning statistics regarding how many students are suffering with their mental health. What schools can do differently to support students and break the stigma around mental health and get them talking. As well as initiatives that are having positive effects and where to get support. 

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: CEA is fundraising, and funding constrained, published by Ben West on November 20, 2023 on The Effective Altruism Forum. Tl;dr The Centre for Effective Altruism (CEA) has an expected funding gap of $3.6m in 2024. Some example things we think are worth doing but are unlikely to have funding for by default: Funding a Community Building Grant in Boston Funding travel grants for EAG(x) attendees Note that these are illustrative of our current cost-effectiveness bar (as opposed to a binding commitment that the next dollar we receive will go to one of these things). In collaboration with EA Funds we have produced models where users can plug in their own parameters to determine the relative value of a donation to CEA versus EA Funds. Intro The role of an interim executive is weird: whereas permanent CEOs like to come in with a bold new vision (ideally one which blames all the organization's problems on their predecessor), interim CEOs are stuck staying the course. Fortunately for me, I mostly liked the course CEA was on when I came in. The past few years seem to have proven the value of the EA community: my own origin cause area of animal welfare has been substantially transformed (e.g. as recounted by Jakub here), and even as AI safety has entered the global main stage many of the people doing research, engineering, and other related work have interacted with CEA's projects. Of course, this is not to say that CEA's work is a slamdunk. In collaboration with Caleb and Linch at EA Funds, I have included below some estimates of whether marginal donations to CEA are more impactful than those to EA Funds, and a reasonable confidence interval very comfortably includes the possibility that you should donate elsewhere. We are fortunate to count the Open Philanthropy Project (and in particular Open Phil's GCR Capacity Building program) among the people who believe we are a good use of funding, but they (reasonably) prefer to not fund all of our budget, leaving us with a substantial number of projects which we believe would produce value if we could fund starting or scaling them. This post outlines where we expect marginal donations to go and the value we expect to come from those donations. You can donate to CEA here. If you are interested in donating and have further questions, feel free to email me (ben.west@centreforeffectivealtruism.org). I will also try to answer questions in the comments. The basic case for CEA Community building is sometimes motivated by the following: suppose you spent a year telling everyone you know about EA and getting them excited. Probably you could get at least one person excited. Then this means that you will have doubled your lifetime impact, as both you and this other person will go on to do good things. That's a pretty good ROI for one year of work! This story is overly simplistic, but is roughly my motivation for working on (and donating to) community building: it's a leveraged way to do good in the world. And it does seem to be the case that many people whose work seems impactful attribute some of their impact to CEA: The Open Philanthropy longtermist survey in 2020 identified CEA among the top tier of important influences on people's journey towards work improving the long-term future, with about half of CEA's demonstrated value coming through events (EA Global and EAGx conferences) and half through our other programs. The 80,000 Hours user survey in 2022 identified CEA as the EA-related resource which has influenced the most people's career plans (in addition to 80k itself), with 64% citing the EA Forum as influential and 44% citing EAG. This selection of impact stories illustrates some of the ways we've helped people increase their impact by providing high-quality discussion spaces to consider their ideas, values and options for and about maki...

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: AMA: Ben West, former startup founder and EtGer, published by Ben West on November 8, 2023 on The Effective Altruism Forum. Hey everyone! I'm Ben, and I will be doing an AMA for Effective Giving Spotlight week. Some of my relevant background: In 2014 I cofounded a company for earning to give (EtG) reasons (largely inspired by 80k), which was later successfully acquired. Since late 2018 I have been doing direct work, currently as Interim Managing Director of CEA. (With a brief side project of founding a TikTok-related company which was similarly acquired, albeit for way less money.) I've had some other EtGish work experience (eight years as a software developer/middle manager, a couple months at Alameda Research) as well Additionally, I've talked to some people deciding between EtG and direct work because of my standing offer to talk to such folks, so I might have cached thoughts on some questions. You might want to ask me about: Entrepreneurship Trade-offs between earning to give and "direct work" Cosmetics and skincare for those who (want to) look masculine TikTok Functional programming (particularly Haskell) Or one of my less useful projects Anything else (I might skip some questions) I will plan to answer questions Thursday, November 9th. Post them as comments on this thread. See also Jeff's AMA, which is on a similar topic. Thanks for listening. To help us out with The Nonlinear Library or to learn more, please visit nonlinear.org

In this emotionally charged episode, we sit down with Ben West, a passionate mental health advocate and campaigner who has faced unimaginable challenges following the tragic suicide of his beloved brother. Ben shares his heart-wrenching story, recounting the painful experience of giving his brother CPR in a desperate attempt to save his life. The trauma of that fateful day has left an indelible mark on Ben's life, yet his journey through grief and loss has also been a profound teacher.Through his own experiences, Ben has become a huge advocate for mental health awareness and education. He passionately emphasizes the importance of equipping individuals with the knowledge and tools to recognise and address mental health issues. In this raw and honest conversation, Ben inspires us with his resilience and determination to ensure that no one suffers in silence, and that we all have the capacity to help and support each other in times of need. His mission is a powerful call to action for us all to prioritise mental well-being and foster a community of understanding and compassion.Find Ben: Website: https://www.benwest.org.uk/Instagram: @iambenwestBook: https://amzn.eu/d/3lBx8FgFollow Hurt to Healing on Instagram: @hurttohealingpod--A big thank you our wonderful charity partner Shout. Shout is the UK's first 24/7 mental health text support service so if you're struggling or in need of someone to talk to, please remember to text Shout to 85258. Thank you to our corporate supporter, Brown Advisory, a global investment management firm which is passionate about raising awareness of mental health challenges in order to help people thrive in an ever-changing world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last month, Ben West of the Center for Effective Altruism hosted a debate among long-termists, forecasters, and x-risk activists about pausing AI. Everyone involved thought AI was dangerous and might even destroy the world, so you might expect a pause - maybe even a full stop - would be a no-brainer. It wasn't. Participants couldn't agree on basics of what they meant by “pause”, whether it was possible, or whether it would make things better or worse. There was at least some agreement on what a successful pause would have to entail. Participating governments would ban “frontier AI models”, for example models using more training compute than GPT-4. Smaller models, or novel uses of new models would be fine, or else face an FDA-like regulatory agency. States would enforce the ban against domestic companies by monitoring high-performance microchips; they would enforce it against non-participating governments by banning export of such chips, plus the usual diplomatic levers for enforcing treaties (eg nuclear nonproliferation). The main disagreements were: Could such a pause possibly work? If yes, would it be good or bad? If good, when should we implement it? When should we lift it? I've grouped opinions into five categories: https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/pause-for-thought-the-ai-pause-debate

Suicide rates in England for 15-19 year olds are the highest they have been in 30 years.The loss of any young person to suicide is utterly tragic and obviously devasting to their family, friends and community. In the latest episode of ' I Have Issues,' I discuss the issue of teenage suicide. I'm honoured to be joined by Ben West. In 2018, when Ben was 17, his younger brother Sam who was 15 died by suicide. Ben and I talk honestly and openly about Sam, his mental health and his death. Ben discusses the impact this had on him and his family and how he coped in the aftermath of such an incredible loss. Ben is one of the most engaged mental health campaigners in the UK, committed to making real change around mental health in our society. He campaigns endless, lobbying the government to create positive and meaning change around mental health policies and services. In 2022 Ben wrote his first book , "This Book Could Save Your Life - Breaking the Silence Around the Mental Health Emergency." This episode as ever has hope as it's focus, and Ben talks about his story as a means to provide support and hope to the listeners. I appreciate that talking about suicide in teenagers is a frightening topic for many, however it is for that very reason that we need to talk about it. I'm a London based adolescent and adult chartered psychologist.Please share this podcast if you find it helpful.Also follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Tiktok and Facebook for insights on mental health.

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: Why I'm still going out to bat for the EA movement post FTX, published by Gemma Paterson on September 30, 2023 on The Effective Altruism Forum. From the looks of it, next week might be rough for people who care about Effective Altruism. As CEA acting CEO Ben West pointed out on the forum: "Sam Bankman-Fried's trial is scheduled to start October 3, 2023, and Michael Lewis's book about FTX comes out the same day. My hope and expectation is that neither will be focused on EA . Nonetheless, I think there's a decent chance that viewing the Forum, Twitter, or news media could become stressful for some people, and you may want to pre-emptively create a plan for engaging with that in a healthy way. I really appreciated that comment since I didn't know that and I'm glad I had time to mentally prepare. As someone who does outward facing voluntary community building at my workplace and in London, I feel nervous. I've written this piece to manage that anxiety. I actually wrote a lot of it last year to process my feelings but now seems like a good time to share. Thoughts on EA after 2022 During the spring/summer of 2022, I was studying for my final ICAS Chartered Accountancy case study exams. They usually involve: Being given a scenario where you are the qualified accountant and have been asked to do some analysis for a group of companies. As you need to meet a minimum standard of Public Trust and Ethics to join an accountancy body, there is usually a dodgy character or two involved at the client company or at the firm that employs you. The dodgy characters are lax about controls and risk - asking you as the accountant to "look the other way" and the case is usually set up that there is an incentive for you as the accountant to do that. There are often weak internal controls at the company which make fraud more likely. Some examples of weak internal controls: Lack of segregation of duties - one employee has end-to-end control of a process without oversight Inadequate access controls - sensitive systems and data are not restricted to authorized personnel Circumvention of controls - existing controls are intentionally avoided or bypassed by employees Unsigned approvals - documents requiring sign-off are not properly authorized At the end, you submit your technical accounting, finance, tax, internal controls, and general business advice that was requested as part of the case study. You also need to submit an ethics memo which would outline your concerns about the dodgy people or controls. You'll be glad to hear that after going through lots of practice papers, I passed! Then three months later, the news on FTX dropped. I'm not going to outline it here since I imagine the audience for this are already familiar - if someone has a good summary, please drop it in the comments. It wasn't just FTX, around that time, information was released on Wytham Abbey, Bostrom and the Time sexual harassment scandals. For context, I'm mostly interested in expanding the reach of effective giving / EA impact methodologies and personally put a high discount rate on the future vs existing suffering, so, I didn't follow the FTX Future Fund that closely. My primary feelings at the end of 2022 were anger and embarrassment. Anger I'm annoyed I must answer questions about the damned castle. I did not buy the castle. None of the charities I recommend you donate to bought the castle. Yet in my community building work, I have to answer questions about the castle. It was handled poorly and I'm angry about it. When the Time article came out, I was running the London Women (and NBs) in EA group. Honestly, I incorrectly assumed it was just about EA in the Bay area so when it was revealed it was Owen Cotton-Barrett, that was a shock and tbh I was annoyed at a lot of the responses. In hindsight, I wish I'd created a sp...

Content warning: Please be aware that this episode refers to topics such as suicide, suicidal ideations and depression. In the eighth episode of the series, Professor Belinda Lennox speaks to Ben West, mental health campaigner, best-selling author and social media influencer.   In 2018, Ben unexpectedly lost his brother to suicide. In this conversation, Ben shares his journey as a campaigner for mental health awareness, suicide prevention, and his work to fundamentally change how we approach mental health, especially in schools.   Ben released his first book entitled 'This Book Could Save Your Life – Breaking the Silence Around the Mental Health Emergency' in 2022, in which he shares his experiences to date, offering everything he's discovered along the way, from dealing with grief, to how you can support those in your life experiencing poor mental health.

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: Debate series: should we push for a pause on the development of AI?, published by Ben West on September 8, 2023 on The Effective Altruism Forum. In March of this year, 30,000 people, including leading AI figures like Yoshua Bengio and Stuart Russell, signed a letter calling on AI labs to pause the training of AI systems. While it seems unlikely that this letter will succeed in pausing the development of AI, it did draw substantial attention to slowing AI as a strategy for reducing existential risk. While initial work has been done on this topic (this sequence links to some relevant work), many areas of uncertainty remain. I've asked a group of participants to discuss and debate various aspects of the value of advocating for a pause on the development of AI on the EA Forum, in a format loosely inspired by Cato Unbound. On September 16, we will launch with three posts: David Manheim will share a post giving an overview of what a pause would include, how a pause would work, and some possible concrete steps forward Nora Belrose will post outlining some of the risks of a pause Thomas Larson will post a concrete policy proposal After this, we will release one post per day, each from a different author Many of the participants will also be commenting on each other's work Responses from Forum users are encouraged; you can share your own posts on this topic or comment on the posts from participants. You'll be able to find the posts by looking at this tag (remember that you can subscribe to tags to be notified of new posts). I think it is unlikely that this debate will result in a consensus agreement, but I hope that it will clarify the space of policy options, why those options may be beneficial or harmful, and what future work is needed. People who have agreed to participate These are in random order, and they're participating as individuals, not representing any institution: David Manheim (Technion Israel) Matthew Barnett (Epoch AI) Zach Stein-Perlman (AI Impacts) Holly Elmore (AI pause advocate) Buck Shlegeris (Redwood Research) Anonymous researcher (Major AI lab) Anonymous professor (Major University) Rob Bensinger (Machine Intelligence Research Institute) Nora Belrose (EleutherAI) Thomas Larsen (Center for AI Policy) Quintin Pope (Oregon State University) Thanks for listening. To help us out with The Nonlinear Library or to learn more, please visit nonlinear.org

In the final part of this stomp, Ben West shares how he looks after his own mental health while revisiting the saddest moments in his and other people's lives. Ben and Dr Alex discuss the impact of hearing stories of suicide, why activism is a 24/7 job and why it's important to have an identity outside of your work. Head over to the Samaritans if you or someone you love needs immediate help. Call 116 123.Follow Ben @iambenwestFollow @thestompcast and pick up Dr Alex's latest book The Mind Manual Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part 2, Ben West shares how the tragic loss of his brother compelled him to turn to activism. Ben explains why anger was the initial driving force to make change, how mental health is neglected in schools and why talking vulnerably makes him feel safer. Follow Ben @iambenwestHead over to the Samaritans if you or someone you love needs immediate help. Call 116 123. Follow @thestompcast and pick up Dr Alex's latest book The Mind Manual Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Activist and best-selling author Ben West is joining Dr Alex George for a stomp among the deer in Richmond Park. After losing his 15-year-old brother Sam to suicide, Ben explains the struggle of recounting their final interactions, how he previously misunderstood depression and why it's so important to remember the sun will always set on a bad day. Follow Ben @iambenwestHead over to the Samaritans if you or someone you love needs immediate help. Call 116 123.Follow @thestompcast and pick up Dr Alex's latest book The Mind Manual Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

*Get a FREE 7 day trial to Patreon to "try it out.""Who Are These Free Beers?" and "Who Are These Justins?" are on Patreon now! Sign up here to access the show! Plus, get access to 11 weekly bonus episodes, including "The Ben and Eric Patreon Podcast" and "Who Are These Zanes?"HelloFresh! is a key sponsor of the EZSP. You must try this. OMG...eat like a king! Your family will love you! Click this and use code zane50 for 50 percent off, plus free shipping! Do it!*Watch the show live, daily at 8AM EST on Twitch! Please click here to follow the page.Email the show on the Shoreliners Striping inbox: eric@ericzaneshow.comTopics:*EZ and his wives went out on the town!*The legend of Oliver Anthony.*Rich Men North of Richmond song and vid.*Jamey Johnson surprise visit on stage with Oliver Anthony.*Oliver Anthony sings hit song to massive crowd.*MAGA shitheads already trying to ruin Oliver Anthony's song.*Audience member, Ben West's sister-in-law lost EVERTHING in the Maui fire. GoFundMe here.*Former Zaniacs CANNOT seem to "turn the page." Loser posts poorly-written rant on EZsub reddit.*Hikers describe what happened when they discovered the body of actor Julian Sands.*Burger King employee who showed tons of gratitude after being given shitty reward for decades of perfect attendance, lands GoFundMe jackpot.*EZ's cat, Lincoln is apparently trying to grow a new eye.*Asshole of the Day BTYB TC PaintballSponsors:Berlin Raceway, Superior Cleaning and Power Washing, A&E Heating and Cooling, The Mario Flores Lakeshore Team of VanDyk Mortgage, Shoreliners Striping, Blue Frost IT,Interested in advertising? Email eric@ericzaneshow.com and let me design a marketing plan for you.Contact: Shoreliners Striping inbox eric@ericzaneshow.comDiscord LinkEZSP TikTokSubscribe to my YouTube channelHire me on Cameo!Tshirts available herePlease subscribe, rate & write a review on Apple Podcastspatreon.com/ericzaneInstagram: ericzaneshowTwitterOur Sponsors:* Check out Factor 75 and use my code zane50 for a great deal: https://www.factor75.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-eric-zane-show-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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Ben West has been at the forefront of the DIY diabetes management movement. Ben and the community's work on Nightscout, an open-source platform for continuous glucose monitoring, has revolutionized the way people with diabetes manage their condition. Ben, along with a dedicated community of developers, has been working tirelessly to empower individuals to take control of their diabetes, giving them the tools they need to live healthier, more independent lives. http://www.t1pal.com is hosted nightscout as a service