Plastic bread and circuit circuses

There's been a lot of talk about suicide lately, and I've had a complicated relationship with it and depression for most of my life.  I'm safe and have been for around the last 30 years, but I felt the need to allow myself to be vulnerable enough to share this with those who aren't safe and might feel alone right now.  Sometimes I go months without this feeling and other times It's one day at a time.  You're strong, living is worth it, and you will make a better day for yourself somewhere in the future; you just have to get there. Sometimes it's impossible to feel, but please know that you are loved.

Sometimes I write for myself, and sometimes I feel like doing something with it.  I'm not sure what this should be yet, so I'm making it a mini-episode.    

If men can't listen to women, maybe they can listen to a man talking with someone who's not his lawyer not giving legal advice.  Cari started Lotus Legal to practice human centered law defending people against the power of the state. We talk about her journey into law that started in philosophy, our experiences during operation metro surge, appreciation of solidarity, how ethics, morals, law, and justice intertwine but aren't the same, and... prom? You can find out more about Cari at lotuslegalpllc.com

If men can't listen to the news, maybe they can listen to a man listening to a woman explaining the news from her kitchen in 3 minutes or less. A conversation with Michelle Glogovac, the podcast matchmaker (one of many, many hats she wears) helps me knock the rust off the podcast and release the first episode in about 8 months.  We talk about big things happening in a surprisingly small world, juggling four podcasts of her own on top of the work she does matchmaking guests and hosts, the fascination in the details of other people's stories, writing books, and how there's no such thing as "just" a podcast host. You can find Michelle at @michelleglogovac on Instagram, @thepodcastmatchmaker on Substack, and by searching her name on your preferred podcast platform to find her four podcasts: BURNT Podcast Beyond The Campaign Podcast Read The Damn Book The MLG Collective  

If men can't listen to women, maybe they can listen to a man listening to a new friend talk about snow sculpture, activism, Hallmark movies, indigenous world views and displacement, MEETING KERMIT THE FROG (OMG OMG OMG), the role art plays in defining one's spirit, and so much more! You can find Heather at www.linktr.ee/Friedliarts and both of us this weekend at the No Kings day protest on June 14 in Saint Paul, MN.

If men can't listen to women, maybe they can listen to a man having a conversation with one of the women that inspired him to do a podcast! Maggie is the founder of Every Women is Worthy, an organization that strives to build a world where all women are valued. We talk about her organization, protecting women's rights globally, building a better world, what women find attractive (hint, it's not being a jerk), what bodily autonomy means, if tradition is malleable, and so much more! Find Maggie and her organization at: www.everywomanisworthy.com Instagram - www.instagram.com/everywomanisworthy Instagram - www.instagram.com/maggiewinzeler Youtube - www.youtube.com/@EveryWomansWorthy

If Men Can’t Listen to women, maybe they can listen to a man having a conversation with Jennifer Oborne Crolly, a settler who has found the joy of ‘existing’ as a Healer, and shares thoughts on the relief and healing available for men and our Masculine-centered world by embracing Feminine ways of being… 7-11 Slurpees, dueling measurement systems, the superiority of Canadian fast food, and much, much more. Jen can be reached online at https://www.instagram.com/jenocbodytalk/ www.energeticexplorations.com    

If men can't listen to women, maybe they can listen to a man having a conversation with someone who can summon birds to land on her hands. From the guest: My name is Florence and I am an artist, naturalist, early childhood educator, and a typical polyamorous Seattlite.  In this episode my ADHD and I talk about how biology affects my worldview, how much I hate strip malls, and how I want to be treated as a persona and not just a woman. From the host: Surprise guest appearances by my cat and the omnipresent whirring of my 3D printer (my apologies!). The lecture mentioned in the episode, Eve's Byte of the Apple - Sandi Toksvig https://youtu.be/UG6Ier4UC_8?si=OtRLI8woiyhRllwb

If men can't listen to women, maybe they can listen to a man listening to someone on their journey to becoming openly the authentic woman they have always been.  I talk with Eve about music, transitioning, emancipating one's true self from societal demands, music, the selfishness of trans-panic, acts of persistence and mantra; squeezing lemons, and also music!  So much so that there's a companion playlist for this episode at: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4vMqzYS2sszuKfslzP2Lgo?si=2be67ec4b0134f6f Links discussed in the episode: https://www.instagram.com/transequalitynow/ https://www.instagram.com/aclu_nationwide/ https://www.instagram.com/humanrightscampaign/ https://www.instagram.com/pointofprideorg/ https://www.instagram.com/plannedparenthood/ https://www.instagram.com/ppglobe/ https://www.instagram.com/trans_week/ https://www.amazon.com/Candy-Darling-Dreamer-Icon-Superstar/dp/1250371740  

If men can't listen to women, maybe they can listen to a man listening to Amber talk about parenting, masculinity, and femininity evolving through empathy.  The conversation wanders on many wonderful tangential journeys through psychology, history, learning being an infinite journey through life, dating, and solving disconnections in communication between genders. Links from the podcast: https://www.instagram.com/amber.overthinking/ https://www.instagram.com/fairplaylife https://www.instagram.com/gottmaninstitute https://developingchild.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/The-Science-of-Resilience2.pdf Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child: The Heart of Parenting: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0684838656?bestFormat=true https://www.instagram.com/thejeffreymarsh https://www.instagram.com/alokvmenon