Spear Talk

For episode 151 of Spear Talk, we welcomed Bobby Jimmi to the show! Bobby is a Navy veteran who can be found currently touring the world with Ayrun Jones! Bobby is a great human being and a dear friend who I have had the privilege of touring with the last couple of years!

In our discussion we covered his life in the Navy and what led him down the military path, music in his family, his drumming influences and touring with Ayrun Jones, opening for The Rolling Stones, dealing with mental health issues, and so much more! 

#bobbyjimmi #drummer #navyveteran 

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For episode 150, we welcomed back four-time guest, Marcus Torgerson, to the show! Marcus not only has over twenty years in the club security world and decades of Krav Maga training and experience, but he is a world class human who inspires others on a daily basis with their mental health! 

In our latest talk, we covered a wide range of topics! As with the other times Marcus has been on the show, there are no notes or a built-in agenda, instead just two friends talking about life! Some of the topic we covered were the power of a smile and hug, embracing people in your life, embracing your Faith, how to balance career and family, and so much more!

#humanity #dogood #smile 

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For episode 149, we welcomed legendary FBI undercover agent, Joe Pistone, to the show! Joe worked undercover as "Donnie Brasco" between September 1976 and July 1981, as part of an infiltration primarily into the Bonanno crime family, and to a lesser extent the Colombo crime family, two of the Five Families of the Mafia in New York City. The evidence collected by Pistone led to over 200 indictments and over 100 convictions of Mafia members—and some responsible for his infiltration were also killed by other mobsters.

Pistone was a pioneer in long-term undercover work. Pistone's work later helped convince the FBI that using undercover agents in lieu of relying exclusively on informants was a crucial tool in law enforcement. Pistone detailed his undercover experience in his 1988 book Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia, the basis of the 1997 film about his life.

In our discussion, we covered how he got involved in law enforcement and why he wanted to work undercover, how he was able to separate his dual life at home and as "Donnie", the importance of teamwork, his actual creation of "Donnie Brasco", if he lives in fear of retribution, dealing with a $500,000 bounty on his head, his reaction to his work becoming a Hollywood blockbuster film with Johnny Depp portraying him, and so much more! 

#donniebrasco #joepistone #mafia 

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For episode 148, we welcomed Frank “Alligator” Robb to the show! Frank is the founder of the non-profit, Environmental Education Awareness Research Support and Services, or EEARSS. Mr. Robb has 27 years of experience dealing with wildlife and is looking to grow the educational programs for federal, state, city, and county government agencies, schools and the public. EEARSS also strives to continue relationships and research around the globe. Specific research and background involves, Alligator toxicology, endocrinology, along with health of local ecosystems, Gopher Tortoise’s, controlled fires, viruses affecting wild alligator populations in Florida, sea turtle nesting populations, and survey data for county and federal level governments, including a proven track record with the Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Programs, NASA and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

In our discussion, we covered how Frank got involved in wildlife and nature, what drew him into studying alligators, the connection between humans and alligators, dealing with evasive species in Florida, his historic capture of "Chance the Snapper" in Chicago, his recovery from heart surgery, what it takes to be a wildlife conservationist, and much more!

#alligators #wildlifeconservation #frankrobb

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For episode 147, we welcomed timber sports athlete, "Turbo" Thomas Lancaster to the show! Thomas has competed as a STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® Series athlete across the country and has amassed quite a following on his TikTok channel that promotes his sport! 

In our discussion, we covered how Thomas got the nickname 'Turbo", how he fell into lumberjacking and timbersports, what it takes to grow the audience for his sport, the rules and regulations for timbersports, what makes a good axe or saw, injuries sustained from speed climbing, what a competition day is like, and much more!

#timbersports #axe #thomaslancaster

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For episode 146, we welcomed Keith Vitali to the show! His introduction into martial arts came in 1975 at the University of South Carolina, where he was awarded his first black belt after two years. Over the course of the next ten years, Vitali competed in a large number of martial arts tournaments, winning most of them, as well as being ranked the "#1 Karate Fighter in the USA". His number of wins landed him an honored place in Black Belt Magazine's Black Belt Hall of Fame in 1981. The magazine also named Vitali as one of the ten best fighters of all time.

Vitali has appeared in a number of martial arts films, including Superfights, Revenge of the Ninja, Wheels on Meals, The Cut Off, No Retreat, No Surrender 3: Blood Brothers, and American Kickboxer. Vitali has since focused on producing child safety videos and writing children's literature. His book on bullying entitled, "Bullyproof Your Child" was released in fall 2007. Keith recently launched his Sidekicks Podcast which can be found on all streaming services and YouTube! 

In our discussion, we covered his start in martial arts, his onscreen film fight scenes and choreography with Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung in "Wheels on Meals', the cult legacy of the action classic "No Retreat, No Surrender 3: Blood Brothers" alongside Loren Avedon, why it's imperative to protect our children at all costs, his book, "Bullyproof Your Child", film writing, and starting his Sidekicks Podcast, and so much more!

#kiethvitali #martialarts #karate 

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For episode 145, we welcomed bassist Joey 'Chicago" Walser and singer / guitarist Blake Allison of the rock band, Devour the Day and Egypt Central! The new Devour the Day single, "Killing Time" is OUT NOW! Joey can also be seen on the road with the band Pop Evil. The new Pop Evil Album, 'Skeletons', also features Devour the Day on the song, "Wrong Direction'. 

In our discussion, we covered all the latest news surrounding Devour the Day, the power and control that came with leaving their label and doing everything on their own, Joey joining the band Pop Evil, their writing process as it pertains to Devour the Day, Pop Evil, or Egypt Central, how they hold each other accountable in the creative process, the insane shoe art that Joey is creating, and everything in between!

#devourtheday #rockstar #creativity 

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For Episode 144, we welcomed Nike adaptive athlete, Amy Bream, to the show! Amy was born with PFFD, which means she is missing the majority of her right leg. She has never had an amputation and has used a prosthesis since she is one years old. She fell in love with athletics in 2015 when she started working out in a boxing gym in Nashville. Amy has competed the 2021 and 2022 CrossFit Games, WheelWod Games, and won her diviision at Wodapalooza in both 2022 and 2023! She is the Operation Director for Title Boxing Nashville.

In our discussion with Amy, we covered her childhood and growing up with PFFD, falling in love with fitness, what it means to be an adaptive athlete, the CrossFit community, getting sponsored by Nike, finding humor in life, and so much more! 

#adaptiveathlete #prosthesis #amybream

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For episode 143 we welcomed Pierre Charette to the show! Pierre was a key figure in the War on Drugs in the United States and Europe. His adventures span a heart-pounding, 33-year career as a police officer starting out in Broward County, Florida, an undercover detective, a federal agent, and DEA special agent in the United States and Europe. His investigative ability and imagination took him into the French criminal underworld, behind the Iron Curtain and all across the planet to untangle and uncover some of the largest criminal and drug cases ever unraveled by a state or local police officer and DEA special agent. 

In our discussion we covered how Pierre got his start in law enforcement, the intrigue of going undercover with the DEA, what makes a successful undercover agent, his instrumental takedown of Harold Rosenthal, head of the largest cocaine conspiracy organization in the United States, working with other agencies in the pursuit of accomplishing the goal, law enforcement today, and so much more!

#undercover #dea #pierrecharette

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For episode 142, we welcomed Kevin Estela to the show! Kevin is a bushcraft / survival expert for Fieldcraft Survival, author of "101 Skills You Need to Survive in the Woods", world explorer, and martial artist. Kevin has made various appearances on the History Channel and Recoil Network, as well as published work in Survivor's Edge and American Frontiersman! 

In our discussion we covered his love of the wilderness and his foray into learning about outdoor survival tactics, his transition from schoolteacher to lead instructor with Fieldcraft Survival, school safety for our kids and staff, the "feeder mindset", the media censorship of hard truths, what is the ideal every day carry for each of us, training with your tools, and so much more!

#kevinestela #fieldcraftsurvival #survival 

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