Better Than Yesterday with Osher Günsberg

Beau Ryan is a former professional Rugby League player, who has since transitioned into a successful career as a TV and Radio presenter. He’s currently hosting “The Amazing Race Australia” on Network Ten, and has notably been a star of Sunday Night Takeaway, and The Footy Show. Beau’s career and personal life has not been without controversy, and his commitment to have a long hard look at himself, and reapply his energy to an unflinching focus on family and hard work is nothing short of admirable. You can find Beau on twitter and instagram @therealbeauryanWe caught up at the Betoota Advocate studios last week, and I hope you enjoy this conversation with Beau Ryan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Checking in, November 8, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Erin Brockovich is probably the most famous name in Law in the world. Making a name for herself when she went up against utility company Pacific Gas & Electric and helped bring together the largest settlement ever paid in a direct-action lawsuit in U.S. history on behalf of the people of Hinkley, CA who had been affected by polluted water.Erin went on to become instrumental in numerous other high profile cases, usually up against massive corporate entities who are using their size to get away with either polluting the environment or otherwise neglecting humans basically. Erin was out in Australia doing work with Shine Lawyers - whom she’s been working with for over ten years now, in particular around the issue of PFAS, a toxic chemical contained in firefighting foam used widely in Australia between the 1970s and 2000. The substance was sprayed over defence force bases, shipping ports, and regional firefighting stations for decades. It leaches into the soil and surrounding waterways, causing contamination. In 1987, American authorities wrote to the Australian Government to warn about the dangers of PFAS but nothing was done. Research in the United States has linked exposure to PFAS to cancer and a dozen other diseases. Residents in many Australian towns, including Bullsbrook in Western Australia where Erin visited last week, say their dogs have been riddled with cancer and die young. They can’t drink the tap water. They bathe infants in bottled water. There have also been reports of birth defects. Unfortunately, it is difficult to prove in Australian law causation between exposure to this chemical and disease. The people at Shine reached out to me to ask if I’d have Erin on the show, so of course I said yes. I’m terrified to speak about this kind of thing, so I know enough that backing away from it is not the path to freedom - I have to lean into it. So I flew my self on a carbon-offset flight down to Melbourne to speak with this incredible human being. Erin is as you would expect. Incredibly Clever, Blisteringly Fast, Tall, Powerful, Passionate and a Firehose of Fury.I get why she’s good at what she does. Because if you’re going toe to toe in a boardroom with a company that’s got political donations protecting them, you’ll want to have a secret weapon up your sleeve - and that secret weapon is Erin Brockovich. This one blew my socks off. Find her on instagram @the_real_erin_brockovich, let her know you heard her here. And come now to the beautiful Langham hotel in Melbourne to sit eye to eye with one of the best legal minds of our time, and one of the most ferocious environmental activists you’ll ever encounter. Ladies and Gentlemen, Erin Brockovich. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Checking in, November 1, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DadPod with Charlie Clausen and Osher GünsbergGrab the podcast feed here: https://rss.acast.com/dadpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jesse Israel is a Meditation Leader and founder of The Big Quiet - a movement that brings mass meditations to iconic spaces around the world. He’s been on this podcast before, and I’m so damned happy to have him back to talk about his latest adventure. As someone who does his best to meditate every day, it’s always great to hear from a professional that I should be finding it as hard as I’m finding it sometimes. That in fact is the point. I’ll let Jesse explain it more. If you’ve heard about the science behind meditation and why it’s a good idea - this chat will hopefully get you over the line to get going on a daily practice. We do talk a bit about bicycles as well, which is kinda fun. If you like what you hear - you can find out more about Jesse on twitter @jesseisrael and thebigquiet.comJesse and I caught up over Skype from his home in NYC, enjoy this conversation with Jesse Israel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Checking in, October 25, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Kirstin Ferguson is an Author, Activist, and Australian Corporate Heavy-Hitter from Brisbane Australia. She is Deputy Chair of the ABC and is an Adjunct Professor at the QUT School of Business and has previously been CEO of a global health and safety organisation.Formerly an administration Officer in the Royal Australian Air Force after graduating Dux of her Air Force graduating class at the Australian Defence Force Academy - on graduation, Kirstin was posted to an F-111 Squadron at RAAF Base Amberley as an Administration Officer.Kirstin also, quite famously - started the Twitter Hashtag #celebratingwomen. By profiling 757 extraordinary women Kirstin began to reframe the conversation around powerful women on that platform. She’s since co-written a book called Women Kind, which explores that adventure in greater detail which I thoroughly recommend you read. Kirstin and I recorded this at the Betoota Advocate studios, and I learned a valuable lesson that day. If you’re ever meeting someone who’s ex-military, if you’re not ten minutes early, you’re five minutes late. I need to up my game. If you like what you hear, please engage with Kirstin on Twitter and IG @kirstinfergusonAnd enjoy this chat with Dr Kirstin Ferguson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Checking in, October 18, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Smith is an experienced entrepreneur from Sydney Australia. He’s currently building his 4th business “Zero Co” which aims to pull 1,000,000 plastic bottles out of the system in Australia in their first year of operation. He and I met quite by accident, one day after recording at the Betoota Advocate, I headed down to the Bourke St Bakery to pick up a pie and a tasty treat for my wife, and he was outside having a meeting. We spoke briefly and he told me what he was doing, asked me if I would like to get involved. And In the spirit of wading into things that confront me I said YES. ZeroCo.com.au is where you can get involved - he needs 14,000 Aussies to sign up to hit their target of 1M bottles out of circulation in 12 months. As of recording this, there’s a little under 3000 people signed up, and I’m pretty sure that number is going to climb after you’ve heard this. Mike’s building a unique business - one that is filling a need that so many Aussies know needs to happen. We know we want less single-use plastic, and we just want something to do - which is what Mike’s clearly doing. It’s a shame that it’s come to businesses to take the lead here - but until our Government looks at this as the national threat that it is, that’s the best we’ve got. Sign up at zeroco.com.au and enjoy this conversation with Mike Smith Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Checking in, October 11, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peter Drew is an Artist from Adelaide, Australia. He’s famous for the street poster campaigns that he has put up all over the country - AUSSIE and REAL AUSTRALIANS SAY WELCOME. He holds a Masters Degree from the Glasgow School of Art. His artworks have been exhibited at the Art Gallery of South Australia and the National Gallery of Australia, though his most prominent work is installed on city streets.He’s written a book about his life, and the adventures and challenges he’s faced doing the art he does, it’s called Poster Boy and is available wherever you buy books or at peterdrewarts.comAn unflinching look at modern Australia, Poster Boy is a tale literally told from the streets. It is a stark story where the villains blend in with those devoted to pushing for change. This book floored me . This conversation gets quite deep and I am stoked he made the time to chat with me. If you like what you hear, please let him know @peterdrewarts everywhere. Enjoy this conversation with Peter Drew.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Checking in, October 4, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Nick Fuller is a Leading obesity expert at University of Sydney and RPA Hospital and Creator of Interval Weight Loss. His current position as research program leader within the Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney involves working with government and industry to identify and develop cost-effective treatments for the treatment and management of obesity and related physical and mental disorders.He’s the Bestselling Author of Interval Weight Loss and Interval Weight Loss For Life.95% of people fail on their weight loss attempts. Not because of a lack of willpower, but because of the biological protections left over from our time on earth as hunter gatherers. Dr Nick Fuller uses science to teach the body how to overcome these protections so a person can lose weight without the body fighting it.It’s a great conversation that I hope you get a lot out of. For more drnickfuller.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Checking in, September 27, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jackie O is an Australian Radio Legend. She’s been on air non-stop for over 20 years, much of that time in an unbeaten #1 position with her on-air partner Kyle Sandilands. The two started working together 20 years ago, and have remained a dominant force in any market they broadcast into. At times they’ve been controversial - yet they have endured as pillars of Australian radio that has proven to destroy any breakfast radio team that comes up against them. Jackie’s story may surprise you and if you don’t know her path - today you’ll hear all about it. I can’t thank her enough for being so honest, open and sharing nerdy inside radio industry stories that I absolutely couldn’t believe. If you’re a radio head - you’ll love this. If you love her radio show, you’ll love this. If you have already made up your mind about who she is - this will challenge you.Jackie O can be head on KIIS FM every morning in Sydney, and you’ll see her tonight on The Masked Singer Australia 7:30pm here in Australia. I am so stoked to bring you this conversation with a true legend of Australian broadcasting - Jackie O. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Checking in, September 20, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My guest today is Author, writer, comedian, and award winning podcaster Rosie Waterland.Her books “The Anti Cool Girl” and “Every Lie I’ve Ever Told” have been best sellers and won critical acclaim for good reason - her unflinching ability to tell a harrowing tale while making you laugh is a rare skill indeed. Rosie’s award winning podcast “My Mum Says My Memoir Is A Lie” is everywhere you find podcasts and her new TV podcast “Just The Gist” is to be found in similar places. This is Rosie’s second time on the show - we first met her here on episode 101 about four years ago. I’ll say right off the bat that this conversation deals with childhood trauma, suicide, mental illness and psychiatric hospitals. If you need someone to talk to - don’t wait - do the right thing and pick up the phone. Also - there’s plenty of Survivor talk, so if you’re not caught up - get on it before listening. You can find Rosie everywhere online @rosiewaterland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peter Maddison is a multi-award winning Australian architect who’s been running his own architecture firm since 1989 and is also the host of the brilliant Foxtel series “Grand Designs Australia”. Audrey and I love this show. I’m not particularly a person obsessed with architecture, but I’m fascinated with the human stories that this show tells and how you get an insight into how other make decisions, deal with adversity and indeed what other people think is home versus what I think is home. Peter is a fascinating man. Super-smart and with a mind so fast I could barely keep up - we actually caught up over a FaceTime call, which is a first for this show - so I appreciate your understating of the audio quality. Grand Designs Australia has it’s 2019 series finale next Wednesday Sept 18th, and you can watch all the episodes of course on catch up. Enjoy this conversation with Peter Maddison. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Audrey Griffen is a hair and make up artist and writer from Sydney Australia. She is also my wife. She’s currently writing a weekly column that’s going gangbusters over at Yahoo Lifestyle - you can find links to those articles in her IG profile @audreygriffen. If you want the story of how she and I met, I thoroughly encourage you to check out the first chat we had together about a year ago on episode 250, just scroll down in the podcast feed until you find it. Just a little over two weeks ago, Audrey gave birth to her second child - our son Wolfgang who joins Georgia and I in our family. Today we talk all about it. The pregnancy, the things they don’t tell you about pregnancy, what they don’t tell you about labour, the birth, and what on earth do we do now. I am so very grateful to present to you, episode 300 - with Audrey Griffen, and if you listen all the way to the end you'll find something super, super special.. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Checking in, September 6, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Isaac Hanson is a member of the band Hanson. Yes, Hanson. Yes, THAT Hanson. You can find him on Twitter @isaachanson. Isaac is one of three brothers who formed the band Hanson who shot to fame in the late 90s and have been a force of independent music and joy since then.It's no secret that I am a huge Hanson fan. There is something about their music that I just love. There is a purity and honesty, and a great sense of melody and hook. They just write fantastic pop music.I once saw Metallica six times in nine days when I was working on a Big Day Out tour. But there is only one band ever that I have bought tickets for, booked flights and hotels for and followed around on my own dime as they toured Australia, to catch as many shows as I could, and that band is Hanson.I'm so grateful to have this conversation because if you think Hanson are just those three blond kids with that song, then you're about to learn a lot more.I hope that you enjoy this conversation with Isaac Hanson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Checking in, August 30, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DJ Tigerlily is an EDM artist and DJ from Sydney Australia.Find her online everywhere @djtigerlily. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Checking in, August 23, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Manson is a super-successful blogger and now best selling Author, his two books “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck” and “Everything is Fucked, A Book About Hope” have spent weeks and weeks at the top of every chart there is that concerns books. He’s kind of like self-help for people who don’t like self-help. Mark doesn’t hold back and asks his readers to take a long, hard look at themselves and make some pretty intense inquiries as to why things are the way they are. I feel his work has its roots in the work of the Stoics, but if Ryan Holiday is a little too heavy for you, you’ll dig what Mark has to say. We caught up over Skype as he wrapped up his recent Australian tour, and I sure hope you enjoy all that is packed into this very dense hour with Mark Manson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Checking in, August 16, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marieke Hardy is an actor, writer, screenwriter, presenter and currently the Artistic Director of the Melbourne Writer’s Festival. From her beginnings as a child actor on Australian TV, to her work as a presenter on JJJ, and as a Screenwriter for shows like Last Man Standing and Packed to The Rafters, Marieke has always had a solid through line of creativity in her life. In her role as Artistic Director of the Melbourne Writer’s Festival, Marieke is responsible for shaping the tone and vision of the festival which I was very fortunate to be a part of in 2018. The Melbourne Writer’s festival kicks off at the end of August 2019 and the theme this year is “When we talk about love” featuring extraordinary appearances from Ben Folds, Charlie Pickering, former NZ PM Helen Clark, Sloane Crosley and many, many more. mwf.com.au for more details. As someone who grew up in the public eye - Marieke has a lot to teach us about not only how we can deal with life on that level, but dealing with the criticism that can come from putting yourself out there - something we can all learn from even if we’re not someone who’s got a career in broadcast. I hope you enjoy this conversation as we explore the benefits of being creative in your life - both creative in a way that leads back to you, but also in an anonymous way, which Marieke has found incredible benefit from. It’s a great chat, with a fascinating human being. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Checking in, August 9, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michelle Nazzari is the founder and managing director of Fonzarelli Electric bikes - based in Redfern here in Sydney. As you no doubt know I’m a big fan of electric mobility - I test drove EV’s as far back as 2009 and have owned Electric Vehicles since 2011. There’s no other way to say it - Electrification of transportation is the future. Thanks to decreasing costs of battery production and increasing emissions standards worldwide - soon it will be cheaper to manufacture an electric transmission vehicle than a petrol vehicle, and then that’s it. As is often the case, global purchasing options depend on the most economically viable production specification, and with the largest auto market in the world now being China, and China having increasingly strict laws around emissions - sooner than later we will be only be able to buy EVs because that’s the most economically viable product to produce worldwide. What does all this mean? That Electric Vehicles will not only transform our ability to get around but also power our cities when you think of the megawatts of now-available battery storage.I tracked down Michelle and got her on the show because she’s a total game changer in the field. She started and runs Fonzarelli Electric Moto - a company based in Redfern Sydney that design and build electric scooters. The kind you need a motorbike license to ride. I must warn you - we recorded this interview a while back now, and not long after talking to Michelle I took one for a test ride - and a few months later I now own one of these machines. I was in the market for a scooter anyway - and once I rode it I was done.This is a chat that’s not just about electric scooters, it’s a chat with a woman who had a vision, and every day strives to make her vision become a reality. Enjoy this conversation with Michelle Nazzari. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Checking in, August 2, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lucy Lawless is an internationally known actress from New Zealand who shot to world wide stardom as Xena, in 1995, then Spartacus, Ash Vs Evil Dead and that one excellent episode of Flight of the Conchords. Lucy is currently in the new series “My Life is Murder” which is on Ten here in Australia. Lucy’s story is one that I found so inspiring, as she’s someone who’s unshakable drive to pursue what she essentially defines as “play” has allowed her to build an incredible life that not only is very satisfying to her - but one that is by design so authentic, she connects naturally to millions of people around the world. Her work ethic, her spirit of adventure, her willingness to take a chance - all these things left me just chomping at the bit to get on with things. I can’t wait for you to hear this. We caught up over Skype when she was in NYC the other week so thanks for understanding the audio ambience that is a part of this. Enjoy this conversation with the one and only Lucy Lawless. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Checking in, July 26, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rob Wilson is the CEO and CoFounder of Incent, a cryptocurrency startup based in Australia, you can find you more about him and the work he’s doing at incent.comIf you’ve never heard of cryptocurrency before - let me quickly run over it with you.So - money was a way that we found to put value into a common language that served as a way to help us exchange that value. If I spent a day digging up your garden and you wouldn’t give me a trolley full of groceries - even though that’s what I need. You give me a common language of agreed value, in this case money - which you probably got doing something of value for someone else. And I take an amount of that agreed language to the supermarket and I buy my fruit and veggies - which I didn’t have to plant or grow or dog up or transport to the market, and I give that money to the people that did and so on and so on.Back in the day, money was of actual Value - made of metals that we agreed were valuable. Then a few hundred years back the Chinese went paper, which confounded some people but ultimately won out - but it solidified this idea that it’s just agreed value.In our community money is plastic and metal, but it’s really just a useless object until two people decide its valuable.But now, as we pay pass and tap our cards on terminals everywhere - money doesn’t even exist. It’s data on a file somewhere that you and the people who’s terminal you’re tapping your card on have agreed is worth something.So now we are at essentially digital money, the next level from that is cryptocurrency.Essentially, cryptocurrency is another agreement of value. One that by design makes all the transactions secure and importantly does away with intermediaries represented by banks, which have pesky fees and differing investment policies and things like that. The main feature of cryptocurrencies, security is provided by Blockchain technology — which is a network of computers having an identical copy of the database and changing its records by a common agreement based on pure mathematics. It’s kind of like - there’s only one bank statement - and everyone can see it. Those who deposited and withdrew are anonymised, but the amounts are there for all to see, and every time a transaction happens, it verifies itself with another copy of this statement to be sure the transaction is legitimate. Where things get interesting, is that within that baked in security and legitimate, there’s a thing called — smart contracts — it becomes possible to create your own cryptocurrency and issue your own token. Token is a type of privately issued cryptocurrency, a unit of value that exists and pays off within the ecosystem of a particular business model. And that’s kind of the work that Rob Wilson and the team at Incent are working on. Rob has a fascinating story, and the way his own life experience lead him to explore other ways of the way we run things is something I found truly inspiring. Big thanks to my buddy Jaxon for making this conversation happen. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Rob Wilson  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Checking in, July 19, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I know a lot of people listening will be heading to Byron Bay for Splendour in The Grass - an annual music festival which is coming up on 20 years of gigs - and in honour of that yearly pilgrimage which so many music lovers make, Today's guest is one of the founders of Splendour in the Grass, and indeed one of the founders of Homebake before that - the one and only Jess Ducrou. She’s an incredible woman to listen to, and she has some excellent things to say about what it takes to make a safe event, what it takes to make a great event and some powerful words as well about pill testing.She’s an inspirational person to listen to and I am so excited she’s on the show this week. I hope you get a lot out of this chat.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Checking in, July 12, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

First up - you may know I like to ride bikes.Bikes are freedom machines. Freedom from your physical location, freedom from a sedentary life and for me, freedom from unhelpful thinking - I love to ride because it gets me from place to place, clears my head and helps my body and mind work well while I’m at it. I am not a competitive cyclist. However right now the biggest competition in world cycling is happening every night on the telly - the Tour De France is upon us.And while every sport has dealt with it, it’s hard to find a sport where doping has been dealt with in a higher profile than Cycling. Bryan Fogel won an Oscar for his incredible Documentary Icarus - which you can watch on Netflix in between Stranger Things 3 episodes. He was also nominated for a BAFTA for the film - which is extraordinary. Bryan set out to make a film about what happens when an incredibly fast and fit amateur cyclist competes in the hardest non-professional race in the world clean, and then while doping - just like the pros were doing at the time. What happened next is something that ended up blowing the lid off of a systemic international doping system which had implications in no small part playing a role in the entire Russian national team being banned from participating in the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.This is a conversation that’s about more than cycling, doping, and international espionage - this is also a conversation about holding fast to your truth, and what happens when you powerfully tell a story in an authentic way. And, if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like having to rent out your place on AirBNB to make the mortgage and then winning an Oscar a short time later - you’re about to find out. Bryan and I caught up over Skype from his place in LA, and I’m so grateful he took the time to do so.I promise you this conversation will inspire you even you haven’t ridden a bike since you were a kid. I hope you get as much out of this as I did. Enjoy this conversation with Bryan Fogel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Checking in, July 5, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lucy Bloom is a CEO, author, doula, and charity leader from Sydney Australia. She’s done just so much, it’s hard to put it all into one intro.But what she shares in this conversation is an unflinching drive to make the world a better place - be it by teaching men how they can be present and supportive during the birth of their children, helping charities from Cambodia to Ethiopia provide better outcomes for mothers and children struggling in those communities, or inspiring others with her own story about how she overcame the adversity of a catastrophic motorcycle accident to go on to achieve all of these things - all of this as the mother of three kids - Lucy is an absolute powerhouse. The author of two books, Cheers To Childbirth and her latest Get the Girls Out. You can find out more about Lucy Bloom at thelucybloom.com @thelucybloom on twitter and IG. Just a word - this conversation does contain some pretty graphic descriptions of things that can go very wrong in childbirth where either mum or baby don’t make it.But for now, come to our kitchen table at our apartment in Bronte, Sydney, for a cuppa and a chat with Lucy Bloom.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Checking in, June 28, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Damien Echols is an author, activist and ceremonial magician from the US, and he was one of the West Memphis Three. It was an incredibly famous case of the miscarriage of justice. Along with two others, Damien was falsely convicted of the murder of three eight year old boys.There are plenty of documentaries and dramas that were made about the case - but if you’ve seen Making a Murderer it will get you close to what went on at the trial. Barely 18yrs old, Damien was sentenced to death and ended up spending 18 years and 78 days on death row. I’m 45 - so if you’re ten years either side of my age, you’ll remember seemingly every band you liked getting involved in the activism around getting these men out of jail. Which indeed ended up happening. In 2011 the men were released from Prison as part of a plea deal. Since then Damien has been adjusting to life back in the world, and writing many books - his latest : High Magick: A Guide to the Spiritual Practices That Saved My Life on Death RowYou know me - I like to do the work. And while what worked for Damien isn’t exactly something I’d try in a hurry - it worked, and brought him peace and deliverance from the crushing mental load of waking up every day wondering if today’s going to be your day to die. Two things about this conversation - Go with it. While what Damien talks about, is an evangelist for and practices every day might not be for you - I got a lot out of hearing how it worked for him and it made me think about how I might double down on my own daily work and ritual that helps me get through the day. And secondly - we connected via Skype from far, far away. Sometimes not everything works as well as it could. I do have redundancies when I record, just in case - and thankfully in this instance, I had one because the original feed from my mic got lost in the netherworld. So, while Damien was talking to me over the phone, you’ll hear me as if I’m also on the phone. I apologies for that, sorry it’s not the greatest audio quality from my end - but I’d rather bring it to you as it was than re-record my bits and not remain authentic to the conversation. Also - a massive thank you to Rachel Barrett (elfymama on the gram) my producer who managed to track Damien down for this conversation. She’s the best there is, and we are thrilled that we were able to get Damien on the show. So - while I normally invite you to come to my kitchen table and enjoy a chat with one of my guests - today I’ll invite you to jump on a conference call with you, me and Damien Echols.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Checking in, June 21, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sonya Pemberton is an Emmy-winning science documentary maker.She’s recently made JABBED - love, fear and vaccines; URANIUM - Twisting the Dragon's Tail, and now, #VITAMANIA all about how many if any vitamins we need daily. We got in touch when a few months ago I put a photo of myself getting some vaccination shots up on instagram.We have a baby on the way. I don’t want that baby to die of a disease that belongs in a Dickens novel. Vaccines are proven effective by the scientific process, so therefore I use vaccines. It’s a pretty simple thing to say. But some people lost their fuckin’ minds at me. There’s a lot of very convincing, very flawed information out in the world about vaccines. To the point that people were accusing me of wanting to kill my child, and accusing me of being on the take from pharmaceutical companies. I explored a bit more as to why people might believe such things. Things that clearly aren’t true. And I started to discover that if I took the attitude of “I’m right and you’re stupid” that wouldn’t change anything. If I acknowledged the fear and the incredible wanting to cause no harm to their child - and that being the root of the desire to explore if vaccines were safe - well that’s a different story. If you google something for long enough eventually you’ll get an answer that confirms your opinion. That’s how algorithms work. You get more of what you click on. Then you eventually vanish down into a filter-bubble of confirmation bias. Where you never see anything other than the kind of things you click on. If you spend long enough on FB and You Tube, you’ll quickly come across a conspiracy theory - no matter what it is you’re looking for. Things start to get scary. Eventually, wanting to feel less alone, or looking for others in a time of fear people reach out to others who are also concerned - primarily in Facebook groups. There they find a welcome ear, and support and more confirmation that they’re making the right decision. That’s when it gets kind of cult-like for me. There’s an appeal to purity that kicks in, and threat of exclusion if you ever leave the group or say anything against that group. I see it in the vegan community all the time. So people start to identify as a part of that group or movement, even if it’s a movement based on collective delusion that’s been disproven time and again. Once that identity is set in - any challenge to the base belief of that identity is seen as heresy and ends up pushing people deeper into that delusion. And that’s where the incredible reactionary positions and violent language happens. It’s really confronting. It would be super scary to be in it because you’d have a belief that the world is out to get you and me and your kids. I could tell you it doesn’t, but they told you I’d say that didn’t they?As we learned from Jo Thornely, that’s straight up cult-talk 101. So. In the middle of all of this noise and anger when I was just trying to talk about something that’s real, I was contacted by our mutual friend Caroline Pegram who looks after Dr Karl. She told me I should have Sonya on the podcast - because of the extraordinary film she made - Jabbed, a film all about vaccines and how they work and the history of vaccines which goes back hundreds and hundreds of years. We managed to make that conversation happen. It was over Skype, so thanks for understanding the audio... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Checking in, June 14, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stephen Dupont is a conflict photojournalist from Australia.For thirty years he’s travelled the world photographing people, places and cultures at  their most beautiful, their most vulnerable, and often their most violent.Stephen is a rare breed of person, the kind that willingly forges forward into a conflict zone, hoping to get the right shot that will tell the story of those in side the conflict so that those on the outside world may bear witness to it and maybe do something to change it. As you’d imagine, Stephen has seen and documented moments of humans being their most horrendous to each other. From witnessing American Soldiers burning the bodies of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan - a photograph that changed the rules of engagement around the world - to being blown up in a suicide bombing that killed fifteen people - Stephen has seen and documented and lived and breathed and smelled the horrors of humanity, and he’s lived to talk about it. To share what he’s seen. Stephen is fascinating to talk to, and if your’e into photography you can catch him at Aperture Australia, the largest photography conference in Southern Hemisphere is set to return to Sydney International Convention Centre (ICC) in Darling Harbour, Sydney on the weekend of 22-23 June - more details at apertureaustralia.com.auIf you like what you hear, you can let him know on IG - @stephenmdupont, but for now come to my apartment for a cup of coffee with a truly fantastic Australian, Stephen Dupont.***A note! I get confused in this episode and mistakenly said that photographer Bob King had passed away.He's thankfully very much alive!I got confused - Bob asked me about a photo I took of him and another shooter who did pass away for the funeral programme and in the moment I got the names confused. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Checking in, June 7, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doris Younane is a highly acclaimed Australian actor who became a household name for her role in Nine Network’s McLeod’s Daughters. However she’s been on our screens and stages for a long time. Heartbreak High, Rake, False Witness, Water Rats, Blackjack, Stingers, Sea Change, Party Tricks, Janet King, Catching Milat, Soul Mates, even The Wrong Girl.Now Doris is on the new Ten drama “Five Bedrooms".Doris came around to the apartment the other day to chat about life, studying at NIDA, being in a relationship for 20 years and the perils of living in the public eye. You may not be an actor, you may not be female, and you may not one day dream of being either - however I guarantee that you’ll hear something in Doris story today that will lift you, inspire you, and make you want to get after whatever it is that floats your boat - anything from getting your taxes done right to making sure your family has the best shot at life - something you’ll hear today will give you a kick in the pants. Because that’s what I sure got out of this chat. Enjoy this conversation with Doris Younane Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Checking in, May 31, 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stan Grant is an Australian television news and political journalist. He is currently the ABC's indigenous and international affairs analyst, and professor of global affairs at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. He’s written a number of books, two which absolutely stand out are Talking to My Country, and his latest book Australia Day.  You see Stan is an Aboriginal First Nation Australian man.  His father was an elder of the Wiradjuri people - a country that stretches across central NSW - from Wagga Wagga and Leeton to West Wyalong, Parkes, Dubbo, Forbes, Cootamundra, Cowra and Young among other places. Stan has spent much of his career abroad - covering conflict, has witnessed the unimaginable horrors of war, and has lived for years in countries far from his own.  These days, Stan is back and he’s written a book called Australia Day.  A book about not just about a difficult day in our community - the 26th of January, the day we as a nation celebrate Captain Cook planting a flag and declaring this country for England - for some it’s the day that Australia as we know it began. For others it’s the day that Australia as they knew it ended.  It’s a complex thing to talk about. There’s a lot of emotion around what it is to be Australian, and the role of the legacy of colonialism on us all, Indigenous or otherwise - and where we go from here. It’s a hot-button topic. One that deserves a long conversation and a deep exploration. It’s no accident I’m putting this out at the start of national reconciliation week 2019.  So let’s go. Come to my house and enjoy a cuppa and a conversation with a man that speaks as if he’s free styling poetry, Stan Grant. LINKS: Watch episodes of Better Than Yesterday on YouTube Watch Story Club on YouTube and grab tickets to Story Club's next show My books So What? Now What? and Back After The Break are available here Send a pic of what you're looking at to [email protected] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.