Have you ever sat down at a restaurant and felt out of sorts pretending to know which wine to order? What stories and backgrounds can be told in one bottle of wine? Sommelier Svetlana Atcheva of Pearl Morissette winery breaks down wine in a way that can help the novice appreciate it without feeling intimidated, while discussing new trends and perspectives in the global wine market.

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Zale is joined again by Eli Gladstone and Eric Silverberg of Speaker Labs for a deep dive on happiness. What makes us happy and what are some of the biggest barriers to happiness? Has the importance of happiness been exaggerated in modern culture? Zale and the guests explore and debate their different perspectives on the topic.

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Dr. Brian Goldman joins the podcast to discuss his latest book, "The Power of Kindness: Why Empathy is Essential in Everyday Life". Is empathy innate, or can it be learned? What are some common threads that can be found amongst the most empathic people in society? Dr. Goldman walks Zale through the journey of his worldwide search to better understand empathy and the concurrent exploration of his own inner kindness.

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What has led to the escalating opioid crisis in North America? Why has opioid addiction increased in recent years? What are some of the best ways to combat the problem? How does mental illness factor into one's reliance on opioids? And why is society so judgmental of those who struggle with addiction? Dr. Sarah Elliott joins the podcast to discuss the history of opioids and what has led to the current opioid crisis. 1

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In this episode from May of 2019, anthropologist Juanita Duque Serrano joins the podcast to discuss nationalism, borders and territories, and how these concepts inform the way we look at immigration. Leaning on her background in anthropology and on her own experience migrating to the United States from Colombia in 2002, Juanita delves into philosophical questions such as whether immigration is a right or a privilege, and what kind of assimilation is reasonable for a host country to expect of new immigrants. With a particular look at the situations in Europe and the United States, we question the ways we typically look at borders, countries and immigration.

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Food photographer and co-founder of food company Fidel Gastro's, Kyla Zanardi joins the podcast to discuss her experiences in Toronto’s food industry. How has social media shaped the way we look at food? How does Kyla reconcile her involvement in foodie culture with the bigger issues of hunger and waste that face society? What are some of the challenges that she has experienced as a woman in the food industry, and what was it like to run a successful downtown Toronto restaurant with her partner and chef Matt Basile?

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How does someone go from having no tattoos to a body covered in them? How do one's views on living in the moment, permanence and preoccupation with others' perceptions factor into one's decision to get tattoos? Oren Jourdan sits down with Zale to discuss his transformation from no tattoos to many tattoos and explains why he is just getting started!

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In the grand scheme of the universe, it can be tough to truly ascribe meaningful value to the brief and minuscule existence of our lives on earth. This can be a terrifying prospect or potentially a liberating one. Do any of our experiences in life truly hold any inherent meaning ? And if not, how do we decide to give our lives a meaning of our own choosing? Zale is joined by the owners of Speaker Labs to delve into the perplexing yet liberating philosophy on life that Nothing Matters. 325450

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Why is it that certain fictional characters resonate so much with the public at large ? What is it that we learn from our favourite television and movie characters that we find so compelling ? Would we truly cherish our favourite characters on Game of Thrones if they were real people in our lives? How would we connect with compelling but flawed characters such as Mad Men's Don Draper if they de-fictionalized? Why do we root for a television character's redemption but have trouble giving the benefit of the doubt to those closest to us? Zale and Mike break down some of our most beloved characters and question why we often gravitate towards deeply flawed characters we would be unlikely to befriend if they were real people in our lives. 325450.

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