Cylinder Radio

Asao Inoue is a very controversial professor of rhetoric and composition. He has made a name for himself by challenging the status quo with how we assess communication abilities and in this episode he and Will discuss the complex nuance and constant tension between the paradox of keeping effective language and acknowledging the diverse way people express themselves.

Axel Brito chose to use his opportunity as valedictorian of his graduating class to call out (by name) those who are at the root of the rot and corruption within public education for Los Angeles. In front of thousands of people at the infamous Hollywood Bowl, this young man displayed tremendous bravery to call for a change. In this episode, Axel and Will discuss the education system, charter schools, rebellion, and courage. You can see his speech and the full transcript here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy8ETLL5_BY

Eric's Electrons is a Physicist and social media influencer that has taken controversial stances due to his loyalty to science and the scientific method of discovery. In this episode, he and Will discuss identity, Social Justice ideology, how to promote more STEM careers, and more.

Buck Angel is an activist and adult film star that has dedicated his life to supporting Transgender causes, yet has found himself embroiled in a culture war that has hijacked his efforts. In this episode, he and Will explore all of the dangerous ways that the Trans issue is being used to further political agendas as well as how to best approach the issue of pornography in the modern world.

California is the most populated state with the largest economy in America & seems to currently be in a crisis of leadership. Major Williams is an entrepreneur and a Black Republican with a plan to restore balance to a state that has lost its way. Will and Major cover topics such as GOP marketing, the education system, and campaign finance/ political corruption. To learn more or support, visit: https://bookmajor.my.canva.site/majorforgovernor

Dr. Sheena Mason is an author and professor of African American Literature that has developed a controversial and groundbreaking concept to fight racism known as the "Theory of Racelessness". In this episode Sheena and Will discuss the common criticisms of her theory, how racelessness is not colorblindness, and why she believes that in order to defeat racism, we must eliminate the societal construct of RACE.

Zander Keig returns to Cylinder Radio for his second time. Will & Zander discuss details of being a social worker, Transgender issues, and more. Wisdom is earned through life experiences and Zander has lived a very unique life that has provided him some very valuable wisdom to share.

Hollis Robbins is Dean of the School of Arts & Humanities at Sonoma State University and has had a long career in Education. In this episode, she and Will discuss the challenges that come with scaling good education, what good education even looks like, and then dive into the world of African American Literature and how she has become one of the foremost experts in that field.

Since January 2019, I have been fortunate enough to engage in deep discussions with diverse humans (in all of the ways people can be diverse) throughout 100 episodes of the show. From university professors to cage fighters, legal children to senior citizens, Democrats, Republicans, etc. I have sought understanding from them all and now share what Ive learned.

Quisha King gained some notoriety when she stood up and pushed back against critical race theory in public schools. Being a successful entrepreneur and mother, Quisha is attempting to change the narratives and shift towards a more empowering narrative for the Black American community. She and Will discuss the untold history of successful Black Americans, the benefits of struggle, and how we can bootstrap something better for our children.

Wilfred Reilly is a political scientist, author, and professor at Kentucky State University (an HCBU) who's research focuses on empirical testing of political claims. In this conversation he & Will discuss the shocking truth behind media narratives and "hate crimes" as well as the complex situation America is in regarding racial issues.

Zander Keig, the 2020 NASW National Social Worker of the Year, is a community-builder and leader who is committed to justice for transgender people. He and Will discuss a wide variety of topics that include politics, social work, and LGBTQ issues. https://www.zanderkeig.net/

Mack Beggs is a two-time Texas state champion wrestler that faced controversy when he was forced to compete in the girls' division despite being transgender. In this conversation, Mack & will break down the nuance and complexity surrounding Transgender athletes, including the differences between various divisions, advantages, stigmas, and aims for the future.

Mustapha Ezzarghani is the co-founder and president of The Moroccan-Israeli Friendship Association (MIFA).www.mifa.us.org Born into a life where he was taught to hate (Israel & the Jewish people), life experiences opened his mind up to the complex reality of the situation. In this episode, Will & Mustapha discuss the very polarized situation regarding Israel in a way that adds nuance to the often very simplistic narratives on "both sides" of the debate.

It goes by many names- Critical (Race) Theory, Wokeness, Social Justice, etc. but no matter the label, the talented Kimi Katiti believes it is a dangerous and hurtful ideology. In this episode Will & Kimi discuss her journey as well as how artistic expression holds the key to the mind-prison so many are trapped in.

Larry Sharpe is an entrepreneur, podcast host, and former gubernatorial candidate for New York under the Libertarian Party. In this episode, Larry and Will discuss what Libertarianism is, as well as dive into various ways it can be applied as well as dive into specific policies that come from a libertarian angle.

Africa Brooke is a mindset coach, consultant, and writer that has become a guide for so many who are navigating the Culture Wars filled with fear and anxiety. Africa & Will discuss mindset, "cancel culture", self-awareness, using social media for GOOD, and more.

Salome' Sibonex is a writer, podcaster, and philosopher that has provided much needed deep truths about humanity on social media platforms. So much on Instagram caters to very simplistic narratives about people and circumstances and Salome has sought to bring something different. In this episode, She and Will discuss identity, "woke" culture, and the pursuit of truth. https://www.salomesibonex.com/

Nick Christakis is an author, medical doctor, and sociology professor that runs the Human Nature Lab at Yale. Will & Nick discuss his books Apollo's Arrow & Blueprint and what the global pandemic shows us about humanity. Will & Nick discuss his books Apollo's Arrow & Blueprint and what the global pandemic shows us about humanity. Topics include tribalism, free speech, friendship, and more!

Erec Smith is an accomplished professor of Rhetoric and Composition at York College or Pennsylvania and has written several books on the subject including a critique of Critical Race Theory where he instead promotes empowerment theory—which promotes individual, communal, and strategic efficacy rather than the "primacy of identity". Will and Erec discuss his upbringing and background as well as specific trends he is seeing and why they are so dangerous.

Erec Smith is an accomplished professor of Rhetoric and Composition at York College or Pennsylvania and has written several books on the subject including a critique of Critical Race Theory where he instead promotes empowerment theory—which promotes individual, communal, and strategic efficacy rather than the "primacy of identity". Will and Erec discuss his upbringing and background as well as specific trends he is seeing and why they are so dangerous.

Vesper Stamper is a New York City artist that uses the medium of young adult books to tell stories that connect to deep truths. In this episode, Vesper and Will discuss the importance of art, why so many artists are blinded to our current problems in America, and how artistic people will be the ones to guide us back from the brink.

Myles Hunter is the co-founder and CEO of TutorMe, an online tutoring and educational service. In this episode, Myles and Will discuss ways to incentivize progress and discuss the hurdles and possible solutions to the flaws in the education system using free market principles.

Katharine Birbalsingh is one of the most vocal educators in the public sphere that pushes back against potentially dangerous ideas being main-lined into schools across the West. In the episode Will and Katharine discuss charter schools, why education is dominated by "the left", teachers unions, and more

Christine Sleeter has been a teacher and Ethnic Studies curriculum leader for nearly 50 years! She is a major contributor to the controversial California Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum and in this episode, she and Will discuss the important nuance of such a controversial topic. Topics covered include Critical Race Theory, Oppressor vs Oppressed narrative, dangers of bad research methods, and much more.

Fentanyl is a synthetic drug that has killed Americans in a way no other drug ever has. Ben Westhoff is an investigative journalist and author of Fentanyl Inc. In this episode, Will and Ben discuss the dangers of the drug, the lack of media interest, the connection to China, and then propose solutions.

Brittany King is a writer, activist, and former organizer for Black Lives Matter that has recently gone through the very enlightening & uncomfortable journey of developing a more heterodox approach to thinking and approaching the world. In this conversation, Will & Brittany try to identify the "spark" that can start this process as well as topics like color blindness, BLM, and more.

In this episode of Cylinder Radio, Will sits down with Michal Mercer, a woman who spent time with skinhead gang before converting to Judaism later in her life. We discuss the ways kind people turn evil, the need to belong leading to gang membership, and many other things in this very important episode given the current state of our country.

Critical Race Theory (CRT) has been discussed on many episodes of Cylinder Radio. Unfortunately, it has been nearly all on the side of opposition. In this episode, Dr. Rod Graham, Sociology & Criminal Justice professor at Old Dominion University (https://roderickgraham.com/) and Will break down the positive elements of CRT and discuss whether the GOOD outweighs the BAD.

In this episode, Will sits down with Luca Iclodean, a Trans-man that has perspectives and opinions about LGBTQ issues that are often not given a platform. Topics like hormones for children, school bathrooms, sports, and mindset are all covered. Perhaps Luca's approach can be adopted by others who are struggling with gender identity and want to come through it with a healthy world-view.

In this episode I have a conversation with a classroom teacher that has been at a prestigious private school in Los Angeles for many years and has watched as a Critical Social Justice ideology has taken over the curriculum and faculty. Due to a legitimate fear of losing his job and being labeled in such a way to prevent future employment, "Mike" asked to have his identity stay anonymous. This is a very important and interesting breakdown of what is happening in schools across the country and the more we are aware of it, the better.

Travis Brown is a filmmaker that is working on projects to highlight the serious divides occurring in our nation and offer pathways to unite and get out of it. Art is the vehicle we need to get us to something better and Travis is using Film and storytelling. Will and Travis discuss Ideologies from "wokeness" to Christianity and how those beliefs BIND and BLIND us. Support the efforts at: gofundme.com/whenindoubtfilm see the Trailer: www.whenindoubtfilm.com

Cydnee Black is a Youtube personality that grew a following doing makeup tutorials, then branched off into doing history lessons and sharing her thoughts & perspectives on more intellectual concepts. Cydnee & Will discuss how teachers should act as translators, the importance of viewpoint diversity, and using social media as a platform for legitimate educational opportunities.

Lou Perez is a comedy writer, actor, and producer from We The Internet TV. Using his comedic talents to highlight the hypocrisy and absurdities within political correctness, elitists, and bad government policy, Lou is able to spark thought in the viewers while making them laugh. Comedians are often the "canaries in the coal mine" and Lou & WIll discuss how Comedy can be a pathway towards better policy and solutions in society. Find him at: https://thelouperez.locals.com/ and: https://www.wetheinternet.tv/

Malin Gutestam is a former high school teacher in Sweeden that has spent the last several years of her life researching and writing the book "BRAIN TOOLS FOR TEENS". A guide written for teenagers (teachers, parents, etc.) on how the teenage brain functions and how to best find health and success during those crucial years. Will & Malin cover concepts like brain plasticity, the importance of sleep & diet, and how schools can adopt the ideas covered in the book. Find many resources at: https://www.braintoolsforteens.com/

Eyal Rabinovitch is the Founding Co-Executive Director of Resetting The Table- an organization dedicated to helping companies and communities bridge their political divides. In this episode, Will and Eyal discuss the importance of "BEING SEEN THE WAY YOU WISH TO BE SEEN" and how feeling understood is at the core of starting productive conversations. https://www.resettingthetable.org/ Youtube link to "Purple": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TH9t7ud7Jgk&ab_channel=ResettingtheTable

Tabatha Rosproy is a Pre-K teacher from Kansas that started and teaches at an innovative school that is housed in a nursing home for the elderly. Bringing several generations into the educational process has been incredibly successful and it opens up an abundance of possibilities about how we can have a positive impact on many levels of society at once. Will & Tabatha discuss the cost of Pre-K, the importance of sharing wisdom, politics in education and much more.

Bruce P. Mehlman is the founder of the bipartisan lobbying group Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas in Washington D.C. Bruce and Will both have a very objective approach to understanding complex political issues and in this episode, we discuss many issues from COVID to guns & aboriton to get to the deep truth about our representative democracy in America.

Thor Skancke is a former professional MMA fighter from the California circuit including being a former King of the Cage welterweight champion. Now he makes his living as a small business owner, running a gym in Newbury Park, CA. A loyal native to the state (with the tattoos to show it) Thor and Will (a transplant that came across the country to the Golden State) discuss the very unfortunate situation the state is in and how it could be fixed.

With the vilification of capitalism and a more mainstream push for socialist ideas, it is important to learn about the Soviet Union and how it applies to the situation today. Dr. Wanner is a professor of history and anthropology focused on Russia & Ukraine out of Penn State. In this Episode She and Will discuss HOW and WHY socialism/ Marxism gets implemented and then connect it to 2020.

Kaoru Wang is an educator, journalist, and filmmaker with extensive knowledge about both China and the United States and shares what is currently going on on the global stage. A truly alarming episode, Kaoru and Will discuss this very complex issue from many angles and share information that every American citizen should be aware of.

Daryl Davis is back! The man who is personally responsible for using friendship and conversation to turn people away from being members of the KKK gives his take on topics like Antiracism, Black Lives Matter, police brutality, statues & flags, and more.

Jim Dobkowski is an author, political press secretary, and educator. He has had very diverse life experiences and in this episode he and WIll discuss working together at a small, experimental charter school in LA, what we are seeing in society as a whole, and how to approach ideas from multiple perspectives. Keep up with Jim's current projects at: https://Corporationyou.com https://faithties.com/

During a time when we all seem to judge rather than learn, This episode breaks down a topic that I have always had a difficult time accepting- Plastic surgery. Tussanee luebbers is a beauty expert very familiar with cultures and trends regarding beauty and together, she and Will break down the history, biology, and social stigmas around the topic. Perhaps you will learn and then can apply this process to other topics.

The COVID-19 Pandemic has caused a lot of unforeseen demands in American Society. In this episode, Will sits down with three young innovators who chose to do something about it using the resources they had. Perhaps these stories will inspire you to get involved and be a part of the solution: Chris Knight: https://www.printtheppe.com/ Sigal Spitzer: https://www.ilmjtcv.com/ Dimitri Syrkin-Nikolau: https://dimospizza.com/

Daryl Davis is a musician that has become famous for turning over 200 members of the KKK away from their hateful ideology by having respectful conversations and befriending them. In the current situation, our country is in, we could learn a lot about how to unite from him. In this episode, Will and Daryl discuss his story as well as cover topics like George Floyd protests, police brutality, and the modern "Anti-Racist" movements

With such polarized and contentious times, it is important to understand the "WHY" we act the way that we do. Dr. Cory Clark is a social psychologist and Director of Academic Engagement at the Heterodox Academy that has studied "in-group" and "outgroup" concepts and how it relates to our biology. In this episode, Will & Cory discuss all the ways and reasons we humans are TRIBAL, from politics & sports to diet decisions. The better we understand our tribal nature, the better we can use it in positive, rather than negative ways.

Calvin Scott is an African American military veteran that attended the first night of George Floyd protests in Los Angeles. While there, he experienced police brutality and was detained for a crime he was not a part of. In this episode, he tells the story and he & Will discuss the very serious issues at stake during this time. Calvin is a true "free thinker" and gives his thoughts on many of the issues on the forefront of the national discussions

Dani Solorio embodies the American dream. As a Mexican immigrant with concerning health issues to a flourishing business owner, she has grown Compton Health Bar into a successful health food store in Compton, CA. She and WIll discuss food deserts, healthy living, entrepreneurship, and being a small business owner in the time of COVID-19.

Tezlyn Figaro has been involved in law & politics her entire life. She and Will have an in-depth discussion on the nuance surrounding racism, the importance of long-form discussions, the black community, the political LEFT vs RIGHT, and social justice movements.