Aloha Friday Podcast

To celebrate the Fourth of July, meet Dennis Gilbert, a real life Wolverine who recovered from the mental, emotional and physical results of war. His involvement of the covert missions of Iraq are now told in a the recently published book “The Warriors of Anbar: The Marines Who Crushed Al-Qaeda--the Greatest Untold Story of the Iraq War” by Ed Darack. While his experience is covered in the book, we uncovered the more vulnerable issues of transition out of war mindset, difficulties of facing civilian life after the military and the physical constraints of metal replacing parts of your body. Dennis touches on life after the secret ops, how he ended up in the White House and what life looks like now as a veteran in Oahu, HI.

On today's Aloha Friday Podcast Attorney Marcus Landsberg and Mom/Model Naomi Cooper-Christensen talk to Will Espero about Homelessness, Hawaii's Recovery from the Covid19 Shutdown, as well as the tragedy in Minnesota and police reform here in Oahu.

Will Espero is a 19 year senator and legislature, and is currently a candidate for City Council District 9 on Oahu for the Waipahu, Ewa Beach and Mililani seat. Will does not shy away from the hard questions and we talk about real issues and real solutions with a man who has been in many rooms when decisions were made.

https://www.willespero.com

What does it mean to be from Haiku? Find out in this fun and relaxed episode.

We talk to Ashley Cooper, the only sister of co-host Naomi Cooper Christensen. She tells us what life was like growing up on the North Shore of Maui, discusses picking up hitchhikers, and wearing uniforms in school. Ashley talks about her travels through Europe and Asia and discusses the surprise presents that she brought back for Naomi.

Becky Gardner needs to change the world. She is a first time candidate for Hawaii State House in District 20. This district includes St. Louis Heights, Palolo, Manalani Heights, Wilhelmina Rise and Kaimuki. A Lawyer, a civil servant, a single mom, and a businesswoman, a half-Filipino progressive minded candidate, Becky talks to Attorney Marcus Landsberg and Mom/Model Naomi Cooper Christensen about what moved her to make the huge leap to run for office.

What can she solve on the first day, what motivates her, and what we can do to support all the people of Hawaii are all covered in this episode!

For more information about Becky, check: https://www.beckygardnerhawaii.com

and [email protected]  

Is your destiny is already written? Rea Fox is gifted intuitively but also holds the key to help people understand their purpose in life through a set of cards and a “system.” No, this is not Tarot cards, but instead the use of the classic solitaire cards of red and black suits. Are the hands you are dealt able to be played well or are we subjected to energies beyond our control? Naomi tells some ironic coincidences that came about after Rea’s readings! Find out for yourself!

Attorney Marcus Landsberg and Mom/Model Naomi Cooper Christensen haven’t spoken for a minute since the end of the first season of the Aloha Friday Podcast. Hear the update on where we’ve been and what we’ve been doing since the end of the first season. How are we dealing with Covid? Who moved? How’re the kids dealing?

Just a short taster announcing the new second season with some teases of who to expect on the second season!

Attorney Marcus Landsberg and Mom/Model Naomi Cooper-Christensen were moved by the recent events in our nation and wanted to do what we could to help. To contribute to the conversation we asked two of our African-American friends to open up to us, and let us look into their lives and experiences to see what we don't know and what we should know. Now, while our nation is experiencing this reckoning with its past, join us for this voyeuristic look into lives and experiences many people never have the opportunity to explore.

Guests Evans Smith and Ronald Betts share from the heart their experiences growing up Black in the American south and why they find Hawaii so much different. Finally we close with what steps to take next, how do we break the cycle.

Fair’s fair and Mom/Model Naomi Cooper Christensen interviews lawyer Marcus Landsberg about how he became a sponsor in the Honolulu Hawaii Comedy scene. Naomi gets Marcus to open up about the High School Musical he performed in and some High School Drama Nerd jokes are made. This transitions into his time as a fraternity president on the campus of the University of Arkansas, and one particular night when his fraternity went to another house to challenge them to a full-on gang fight. (Maybe this isn't the episode we should publish if I am trying to get people to take me serious as an attorney.)

This is our last episode! Lee Huffman of Bald Thoughts comes on the show to talk about how walked out on his job in corporate finance and started supporting his family by traveling the world and writing about it. Lee teaches how to use credit card points and miles to travel with free flights, hotels, and all types of amenities.

Eighteen minutes in we dig deeper and Lee starts talking about how his father’s passing triggered him to make the jump to become a travel writer and podcaster specializing in world travel. From this we move into the importance of “presence” in parenthood, the difference of living between Nashville and Los Angeles, and the importance of being the “center of your web” in business networking.

At about 32 minutes in, we take a hard left turn and Lee allows us to reminisce about a couple different Fraternity parties he would have thrown at Phi Kappa Tau - Fullerton in the late 90’s and we revisit some old stories, well outside the statute of limitations. Finally, we rely on Lee’s podcasting experience and ask him what we can do to make the Aloha Friday Podcast better. Bentonville, Arkansas makes a surprise appearance

And you heard that right, this is our last podcast… of this season. We heard from Lee, but we also want to hear from you! What would YOU like to hear differently next season? Less Marcus? More Naomi? More actresses? More comedians? More old stories? More news? We know what we want to change, tell us what YOU’D like to hear! Please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE and COMMENT on our podcast to get notification when we start producing Season 2!

Some of the links mentioned by Lee Huffman: