Maxwell's Kitchen

Human trafficking is often discussed like it is one problem with one obvious solution. Dr. Christopher Carey has spent more than 20 years studying why the reality is much more complicated.

In this episode of Maxwell’s Kitchen, I talk with Chris, a former deputy district attorney and Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Portland State University, about human trafficking in the United States and abroad.

We get into sex trafficking, labor trafficking, commercial sexual exploitation of children, coercion, trauma, human smuggling, and why trafficking is so difficult to measure.

The conversation also expands into consensual sex work, prostitution laws, decriminalization, harm reduction, Oregon drug policy, homelessness, democracy, free speech, social media, foster care, and what effective intervention actually looks like.

In this episode:

• Human trafficking in the U.S. and abroad
• Labor trafficking vs. sex trafficking
• Why trafficking statistics are difficult to calculate
• Commercial sexual exploitation of children
• Coercion, manipulation, and trauma
• Human trafficking in Portland and Oregon
• Human smuggling vs. human trafficking
• The Trafficking Victims Protection Act
• Sex work vs. trafficking
• Prostitution laws and decriminalization
• Harm reduction and drug policy
• Oregon Measure 110
• Homelessness and social services
• Money in politics and Citizens United
• The First Amendment and free speech
• Social media and echo chambers
• Foster care and exploited youth
• Survivor advocacy and trauma-informed intervention

Guest:

Dr. Christopher Carey is a former deputy district attorney and Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Portland State University. His research and teaching include human trafficking, human rights, criminal law, migration, vulnerable populations, and governance.

Dr. Christopher Carey at Portland State University:
https://www.pdx.edu/faculty-experts/expert/christopher-carey

National Human Trafficking Hotline:
https://humantraffickinghotline.org/

More from Maxwell’s Kitchen:
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

All production by Cody Maxwell.

Artwork by Cody Maxwell.

Opening graphic assets by BoxOfMotion.

Opening song “Chiptune Fighter” written by SCOREWIZARDS.

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Borderline personality disorder is often discussed in terms of behavior. Therapist Zara Roth looks deeper at trauma, fear of abandonment, emotional regulation, relationships, and the patterns people develop while trying to cope.

In this episode of Maxwell’s Kitchen, Zara explains borderline personality disorder, dialectical behavior therapy, childhood trauma, narcissistic traits, anxiety, and why therapy has to be tailored to the individual rather than treated as a one-size-fits-all process.

We also spend a lot of time talking about modern life. Social media, dopamine, external validation, online dating, doomscrolling, isolation during COVID, smartphones, unemployment, and the gradual shift from face-to-face relationships toward digital ones all become part of the conversation.

Later, Zara shares how a difficult psychedelic experience helped change the direction of her own life and led her toward becoming a therapist. We talk about psilocybin, ecotherapy, depression, empathy, rigid thinking, neuroplasticity, and the growing interest in psychedelic-assisted therapy.

In this episode:

• Borderline personality disorder
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
• Emotional regulation and distress tolerance
• Fear of abandonment and impulsivity
• Narcissistic and other personality traits
• Childhood trauma and resilience
• Social media addiction and dopamine
• External validation and online identity
• Anxiety and doomscrolling
• COVID, isolation, and social skills
• Smartphones and internet addiction
• Unemployment, purpose, and mental health
• Individualized approaches to therapy
• Psychedelics and mental health
• Zara’s psychedelic experience
• Psilocybin and depression
• Ecotherapy and psychedelic-assisted therapy
• Empathy and neuroplasticity
• Physical health and mental health

Guest:

Zara Roth is a therapist whose work includes trauma, personality disorders, depression, anxiety, substance use, and other mental health concerns.

Her approach emphasizes understanding the individual rather than treating a diagnosis as the entire person. She also discusses her interest in ecotherapy and emerging psychedelic-assisted approaches to mental health.

Zara Roth:
https://care.headway.co/providers/zara-roth

Oregon Psilocybin Services:
https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/PREVENTIONWELLNESS/Pages/oregon-psilocybin-services.aspx

More from Maxwell’s Kitchen:
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

All production by Cody Maxwell.

Artwork by Cody Maxwell.

Opening graphic assets by BoxOfMotion.

Opening song “Chiptune Fighter” written by SCOREWIZARDS.

sharkfyn.com

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Borderline personality disorder and narcissism are words people throw around constantly now, especially when talking about difficult relationships. Dr. Adam Rodriguez explains why the actual psychology is much more complicated.

In this episode of Maxwell’s Kitchen, I talk with Adam about borderline personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, Cluster B personality disorders, trauma, identity, relationships, and what psychotherapy is actually trying to change.

We get into fear of abandonment, fear of engulfment, emotional dysregulation, splitting, projection, gaslighting, insecurity, and the difference between healthy and pathological narcissism.

Adam also explains why personality disorders can be difficult to diagnose, how BPD can sometimes resemble bipolar disorder or anxiety, and why understanding a person usually takes more than a short clinical snapshot.

Later, the conversation expands into childhood development, parenting, social media, culture, psychiatric diagnosis, medication, the chemical-imbalance explanation of depression, and why therapy is about much more than simply giving someone advice.

In this episode:

• Borderline personality disorder (BPD)
• Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)
• Cluster B personality disorders
• Healthy vs. pathological narcissism
• Why personality disorders are difficult to diagnose
• BPD vs. bipolar disorder
• Fear of abandonment and engulfment
• Splitting and black-and-white thinking
• Projection and defense mechanisms
• What gaslighting actually means
• Narcissism, insecurity, and grandiosity
• Trauma and childhood development
• Identity and emotional regulation
• Parenting and attachment
• Social media and narcissism
• Psychiatric diagnosis and medication
• The chemical-imbalance theory of depression
• Relationships, boundaries, and dependence
• What psychotherapy actually does
• Why changing long-standing patterns takes time

Guest:

Dr. Adam Rodriguez is a psychologist and psychoanalytic psychotherapist in Portland, Oregon. His work includes personality disorders, trauma, relationships, culture, identity, and psychodynamic and psychoanalytic approaches to therapy.

Dr. Adam Rodriguez:
http://www.dradamrodriguez.com/

More from this episode:
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com/maxwells-kitchen-podcast/2022/09/20-episode-90-dr-adam-rodriguez

More from Maxwell’s Kitchen:
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

All production by Cody Maxwell.

Artwork by Cody Maxwell.

Opening graphic assets by BoxOfMotion.

Opening song “Chiptune Fighter” written by SCOREWIZARDS.

sharkfyn.com

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What is it actually like to spend 24 hours inside a fire station and never know what the next call will bring?

In this episode of Maxwell’s Kitchen, I talk with retired Portland firefighter and historian Don Porth about life inside Portland Fire & Rescue and more than 150 years of firefighting history in Portland, Oregon.

Don spent 27 years with Portland Fire & Rescue after beginning his fire-service career in 1980. We talk about the difficult hiring process, physical testing, training, firehouse life, 24-hour shifts, engines, ladder trucks, hydrants, rescue work, CPR, car crashes, structure fires, and what happens when a firefighter arrives on somebody else’s worst day.

Don also talks about the emotional side of the job. Some emergencies can be treated as work, while others make a personal connection that stays with a firefighter for years.

Then we go back to the beginning of Portland’s fire service.

Don explains how volunteer firefighters operated in the 1850s, how crews once pulled equipment by hand, the evolution from volunteer companies to Portland Fire & Rescue, the 1873 Black Saturday fire that destroyed 22 city blocks, and how firefighting equipment, stations, safety standards, and working conditions changed over time.

In this episode:

• Becoming a firefighter
• Firefighter testing and training
• 24-hour shifts and firehouse life
• Engines and ladder trucks
• Fire poles and overnight calls
• Hydrants and water supply
• Structure fires and backdrafts
• Car crashes and rescue tools
• CPR and medical emergencies
• The emotional toll of firefighting
• Portland Fire & Rescue history
• Volunteer firefighters in the 1800s
• Historic firefighting equipment
• Portland’s 1873 Black Saturday fire
• Line-of-duty firefighter deaths
• The Historic Belmont Firehouse
• Firefighter work schedules
• Cancer and long-term health risks
• Public versus private fire protection

Guest:

Don Porth is a retired Portland Fire & Rescue firefighter, Senior Inspector, educator, and historian. After his firefighting career, his work expanded into public education, preserving historic equipment and records, researching Portland firefighters and line-of-duty deaths, and documenting the history of Portland’s fire service.

Portland Fire History:
https://www.portlandfirehistory.com/

Historic Belmont Firehouse:
https://www.portland.gov/fire/belmont-firehouse-museum

More from this episode:
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com/maxwells-kitchen-podcast/2022/09/13-episode-89-don-porth

More from Maxwell’s Kitchen:
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

All production by Cody Maxwell.

Artwork by Cody Maxwell.

Opening graphic assets by BoxOfMotion.

Opening song “Chiptune Fighter” written by SCOREWIZARDS.

sharkfyn.com

maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

Sam Coomes has spent decades inside Portland’s independent music scene as a member of Quasi, Heatmiser, Elliott Smith’s touring band, Jon Spencer and the HITmakers, and other projects.

In this episode of Maxwell’s Kitchen, Sam talks about what Portland’s music scene felt like in the late ’80s and early ’90s, from La Luna and the Pine Street Theater to the local bands, record stores, and audiences that made the city such an unusual place for independent music.

We get into the early days of Quasi with Janet Weiss, Sam’s time in Heatmiser, touring and recording with Elliott Smith, working around Jackpot! Recording Studio, and how the music industry changed as CDs gave way to streaming.

A big part of the conversation is about what it actually takes to stay a working musician. Sam explains record deals, royalties, publishing, streaming income, touring economics, live performance, songwriting, production, and why playing music in a room with other people still matters after decades of doing it.

In this episode:

• Portland’s music scene in the early 1990s
• La Luna and the Pine Street Theater
• Quasi and Janet Weiss
• Heatmiser
• Touring and recording with Elliott Smith
• Larry Crane and Jackpot! Recording Studio
• Record deals and CD-era royalties
• Streaming and musician income
• Publishing rights and record ownership
• Why live music still matters
• Jon Spencer and the HITmakers
• Songwriting and unusual chord progressions
• Playing guitar, bass, and keyboards
• Producing records
• Touring Europe, Japan, and Australia
• Technical riders and life on the road
• Creativity after decades of making music
• Balancing touring, family, and home life

Guest:

Sam Coomes is a Portland-based musician, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist best known as one half of Quasi with Janet Weiss.

Over the course of his career, Sam has also played with Heatmiser, toured and recorded with Elliott Smith, performed with Jon Spencer and the HITmakers, and contributed to numerous other projects across the Pacific Northwest independent music scene.

Quasi:
https://www.quasiband.net/

Quasi on Sub Pop:
https://www.subpop.com/artists/quasi

More from this episode:
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com/maxwells-kitchen-podcast/2022/09/07-episode-88-sam-coomes

More from Maxwell’s Kitchen:
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

All production by Cody Maxwell.

Artwork by Cody Maxwell.

Opening graphic assets by BoxOfMotion.

Opening song “Chiptune Fighter” written by SCOREWIZARDS.

sharkfyn.com

maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

John Harris got into brewing when Oregon craft beer was still small enough that the people working in it were basically figuring out the industry as they went.

He started professionally at McMenamins in the 1980s, brewing at Hillsdale and experimenting with recipes during the early days of the Oregon brewpub scene. John talks about fruit beers, changing hop combinations, and his role in the evolution of Hammerhead.

From there, he moved to Bend and joined Deschutes Brewery while the company was still getting started. He worked on beers including Black Butte Porter, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Obsidian Stout, and Jubelale while learning what changes when a small brewpub begins growing into a much larger brewery.

John eventually returned to Portland and spent 20 years at Full Sail, where his experience expanded beyond brewing into production, sales, distribution, and the business side of beer.

Then he decided to build something of his own.

John founded Ecliptic Brewing in North Portland, combining his career in beer with his longtime interest in astronomy. We talk about the idea behind the Ecliptic name, seasonal beer and food, branding, collaborations, changing beer trends, exporting beer to Japan, and the economics of running a brewery.

John’s career runs through a remarkable stretch of Oregon craft beer history, from the experimental brewpub culture of the 1980s to an industry capable of distributing beer around the world.

In this episode:

• The early Oregon craft beer scene
• Brewing at McMenamins
• Hammerhead and early experimentation
• Joining Deschutes Brewery
• Black Butte Porter, Mirror Pond, Obsidian Stout, and Jubelale
• Twenty years at Full Sail
• Beer distribution and brewery economics
• Founding Ecliptic Brewing
• Astronomy and the Ecliptic concept
• Changing beer styles and customer tastes
• Brewery collaborations
• Exporting beer to Japan

Guest

John Harris is a brewer and the founder of Ecliptic Brewing in Portland, Oregon. His career includes McMenamins, Deschutes Brewery, Full Sail, and more than three decades inside the Pacific Northwest craft beer industry.

Links

Maxwell’s Kitchen
https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

Ecliptic Brewing
https://eclipticbrewing.com/

Credits

All production by Cody Maxwell.

Artwork by Cody Maxwell.

Opening graphic assets by BoxOfMotion.

Opening song “Red” by King Crimson.

sharkfyn.com
maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

A short trip through Venice, Italy, with views around the Grand Canal, Rialto Bridge, canals, bridges, and streets of the historic city.

This is one of the earliest Maxwell’s Kitchen travel episodes and is different from the more detailed 24-hour guides that came later. There is no narration or full itinerary. It is simply a quick visual snapshot of walking around Venice during a 2022 trip.

For more detailed travel guides, trip planning, and 24-hour itineraries:

https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

All production by Cody Maxwell.

Artwork by Cody Maxwell.

Opening graphic assets by UlyanaStudio and Grandphic.

sharkfyn.com

maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

A quick look around Vienna, Austria, with stops around Stadtpark, Mozarthaus, and the streets of the historic city center.

This is one of the early Maxwell’s Kitchen travel episodes, filmed as a short visual snapshot rather than a full guide or itinerary.

Vienna is the kind of place where simply walking around does a lot of the work. The city center is packed with historic buildings, parks, monuments, cafés, and enough detail that you do not need much of a plan to keep finding something interesting.

The episode includes Stadtpark, the area around Mozarthaus Vienna, and a short walk through the city.

It is only 79 seconds, but it gives you a quick feel for what Vienna looked and felt like on this trip.

More Maxwell’s Kitchen travel:

https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

A quick look around Dubrovnik, Croatia, including the Old Town, waterfront, historic city walls, and some of the locations used while filming Game of Thrones.

This is one of the early Maxwell’s Kitchen travel episodes, filmed as a short visual snapshot rather than a full guide or itinerary.

Dubrovnik is the kind of place where the city itself does most of the work. Stone streets, forts, staircases, orange rooftops, and the Adriatic are packed into a relatively small area, which makes simply walking around one of the best parts of being there.

Game of Thrones turned much of Dubrovnik into King’s Landing, and it is easy to see why. The walls, fortifications, and old streets already look like they belong on screen.

But the real city is more interesting than the filming locations alone.

This episode is only 105 seconds, but it gives you a quick feel for what Dubrovnik looked and felt like on this trip.

More Maxwell’s Kitchen travel:

https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

Shane Andrew has spent much of his life looking for the next chapter.

As a kid, he read stories about explorers and imagined his own life as a series of adventures. By his late teens, that increasingly meant chasing danger.

Shane joined the National Guard and eventually spent time in Iraq and Afghanistan. He talks about life on military bases, volunteering for missions outside the wire, roadside bombs, a traumatic brain injury, and the strange way someone can become accustomed to violence while still carrying the effects of it years later.

After returning from Afghanistan, Shane was diagnosed with PTSD and a traumatic brain injury. He describes how those experiences followed him into civilian life, including moments when ordinary objects or sudden noises could immediately put his brain back into survival mode.

Then he moved to Cancún.

Shane started selling drugs to tourists around the hotel zone and eventually crossed paths with men he says were connected to a Mexican drug cartel. He describes being abducted, pistol-whipped, driven away in the trunk of a car, threatened with death, beaten, and left behind.

That was the last time he sold drugs.

Eventually Shane decided he still wanted adventure, but he wanted to find it somewhere other than violence.

He put a map on the wall, realized how much of the world he had never seen, and started traveling overland through Latin America with the goal of reaching Ushuaia at the southern tip of Argentina.

Along the way, he stayed in hostels, studied Spanish, spent months in different countries, and slowly found himself looking for something more than another good story.

That search eventually took him into the Peruvian Amazon, where he participated in ayahuasca ceremonies with a shaman near Iquitos.

Shane says those experiences changed the direction of his life. He stayed for roughly 30 ceremonies and describes a period afterward when the fear, nightmares, and anxiety he associated with PTSD were dramatically reduced.

From there, his curiosity moved toward spirituality, Reiki, Buddhism, meditation, and other traditions he once would have dismissed.

We also get into Reiki training in Thailand, attempting energy healing in Myanmar, sleeping inside the hands of a giant Buddha, backpacking through South America, the Darién Gap, and why Shane kept moving from country to country looking for the next chapter.

This is only part one.

Guest

Shane Andrew is an adventurer and veteran whose travels have taken him through roughly 50 countries across Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, and beyond.

More from Maxwell’s Kitchen

https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com