Stop Drop and Rawle

To me Aaron Glassman always seems like a spiritually endowed type person. He carries with him an awareness which transcends many dimensional planes. So, to hear my shamanic friend describe his former days as being filled with drinking and partying throws my mind for a loop landing in a triple axis split. It sounds as though he’s referring to an entirely different human. Quantum shifts on this level are not a common occurrence in human beings. Aaron spills the truth on how a journey of intuition took him away from a life in pursuit of fame and glory and instead propelled him towards a magnanimous life of spiritual awakening. It is currently all the craze now to label oneself as “Woke” but Mr. Glassman was awoken before most of us westerners new what sleepwalking was.

Aaron continues to expand on his spirituality whilst combining science and art along with it, believing this trio to be all part of one band. He uses his awakened knowledge to serve others through coaching, teaching, music etc... helping CEO’s, entrepreneurs, artist or just journeying souls seeking to become greater versions of themselves.

The nickname “Mount Rayen” is a perfect handle for this comedian’s mountain of talent. But Rayen Panday is not just a comedian, he is a tour de force of entertainment. Rayen provides a variety of talents during his one man cabaret show. Rayen harkens back to a time when performers like Sammy Davis Junior would wow audiences with a full arsenal of talents. Mr. Panday seems very reminiscent of such times as he also mesmerizes his audiences by splicing in accomplished musical bits in the midsts of his hilarious comedy routine. Rayen is gaining notoriety on the international comedy scene. Even Netflix has taken note, as he was featured in one of their Comedy Specials “Comedians of the World”. He proudly represents the Netherlands in said special and has helped put the emerging Dutch comedy scene on an international stage. Rayen’s comedic star is definitely rising to pop star like heights. We are witnessing the “Bruno Mars” of comedy in the making.

Beyond all the hoopla, to me Rayen Panday is just a fun guy to talk to. He is a very humble normal dude who loves traveling and hanging out with his friends. From the looks of things, success has not spoiled him.

Devon Harris is not just an Original Jamaican Bobsledder, he is also a uniquely original human being. He comes to us earthlings bearing inspirational gifts like enthusiasm and tenacity spreading them around like Santa Claus. Devon shears his amazing stories and anecdotes of how he escaped an impoverished childhood in Jamaica by using his powers of decision making and belief. This allowed him to shift his perspectives enabling him to dream bigger than his circumstances. Devon is one of those humans who is able to overcome great obstacles by using the simple tools given to him, sunshine and confidence. He grew up in “Olympic Gardens”, one of the roughest ghettos in Kingston, Jamaica. Through hard work and perseverance he was able to transform his life into a real life Olympian minus the gardens. In 1988 Devon Harris was one of the original four Jamaican Bobsledders representing his country in the Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada.

The experience he has gained from rich adventures such as that has propelled Devon into his current career as a motivational speaker. He has now done several TEDTalks and speaks all around the world inspiring thousands with his insights using bobsledding as a metaphor for life.

---

Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rawle-d/message

Lia Prewitt-Martin has been script walking in Hollywood for over two decades now. She’s peddled her words to whom ever would listen, slinging that ink to an inattentive predominantly male executive audience. You see, Lia’s obvious talents were vastly under observed and undervalued in a male driven Hollywood. At her point of entry into the Hollywood shuffle, Lia was a bright eyed and bushy tailed beauty from Cleveland, Ohio. Her effervescent bubbly personality often stunned those jaded egomaniacal Hollywood types she worked for. They in turned loved having her around but often couldn’t see past her beauty and good nature in order to grasp her writing talents. Lia continued to work hard in the industry, making her way up through the ranks achieving marginal successes despite her many obstacles. There were a few set backs and deals that fell through. Hollywood is a very fickle mistress with a short attention span. Often times one is pushed aside for the newer and shinier. Being psychologically discarded takes it’s tole. There’s only so long that one can suffer the slings and arrows of misfortune.

So Lia took a few decades off, to regroup, finding her own voice and regaining her self confidence. Now she’s back, bolder, older, wiser, stronger and badder than ever. Now I know this sounds a lot like a blaxploitation film, then again, Lia Prewitt-Martin is black and her treatment as a woman in Hollywood was quite exploitive. Lia now writes for a Netflix show. She’s holds a position as story editor on the sitcom “Family Reunion”. Now it seems like she’s writing her own narrative. A narrative in which she’s in charge of her own self worth. Lia Prewitt-Martin is improving Hollywood by finally getting a chance to add her voice and perspective to the melange of stories in the motion picture industry. It appears that her talents are finally being recognized.

I am so incredibly tempted to call former CIA operative, Darrell M. Blocker an “International Man of Mystery” or “The Most Interesting Man in the World”. Unfortunately, these monikers would only turn Darrell’s actual amazing accomplishments into Hollywood-type slogans. His contributions to the clandestine service are very much real unlike those in a “Dos Equis” commercial. He’s got a list of achievements as long as a giant’s arm. He specializes in Counterterrorism, and was at one point the chief of the CIA operational training facility, chief of operations in the Africa division and much more. At the time of his retirement Darrell was the highest ranking most senior black officer in the CIA. Iris Elba is gonna play this guy in a movie some day.

Darrell M. Blocker normalizes and reshapes our perceptions of a CIA operative. Darrell does not call himself a “Spy” or a “Secret Agent” or say stuff like “I would tell ya but I’d have to kill ya”. He chuckles at all the fantastical anecdotes and imagery that we have all consumed regarding the mysterious world of the CIA. Darrell sees it as pure entertainment, and vastly different from his actual experience during his 28 year service in the Central Intelligence Agency. Like Liam Neeson, Darrell also has a particularly set of skills. Those skills are listening, hearing, observing, paying attention, not very sexy, but nonetheless skills that were vital to his survival in the espionage world.

Samba Schutte is an international Ethiopian-Dutch-Mauritian performer. He speaks 5 languages English, French, Amharic, Dutch and Funny. That’s right, Samba is a critically acclaimed comedian who has had sold out shows all over Holland. He has even managed to have won several Cabaret awards during his multi show runs throughout that country. Shortly after receiving such praise in Holland, Samba quickly became a rising star in the Dutch comedy world. Television appearances and request for more show tours soon followed. Then suddenly, Samba pumped the breaks on all of that Dutch adoration, choosing instead to try his hand at the Hollywood dream.

I met Samba at the “International Comedy Show” at the “Comedy Store” in Los Angeles. I quickly recognized his gift for humorous storytelling and the compassionate nature in which he executes his stories. His characters paint a world far far away but yet familiar and close to our hearts. I could go on and on about Samba Schutte’s accomplishments since his arrival in America, like being a series regular on the NBC comedy “Sunnyside” or his numerous voiceover work, like “Stars Wars Jedi: Fallen Order”. But what I learned most during this podcast is that one of Samba’s greatest pursuits and soon to be a crowning accomplishment, is his journey towards becoming an American citizen.

Sargeant Luqman Watkins, aims to regain the trust between police and community, starting with the LAPD. His hope is that the Los Angeles Police Department’s success would then create a great template for policing around the world. He sees the police and the community as one entity.

Luqman is not doing this alone. He is leading a force of like minded officers who collaborate with the community in several outreach programs. I met Sargeant Watkins at one such program, “Historical Perspective Initiative”. I must say, Luqman and his band of merry officers seemed very eager to implement change and repair the damage done by the past exploits of the LAPD. I have no doubt in Sargeant Watkins’ sincerity and his willingness to do good. It is a laborious task mending the relationship between the police and the community. Sargeant Luqman Watkins might just be the man for the job. He’s probably gonna hate me saying this but Luqman speaks with the confidence and bravado of a 90s Brooklyn rapper. He’s the kind of guy that makes you wanna be his hype man.

René Ameling moves through life like a hunter whose pray is Joy and Passion. René is a Kitchen Master who prepares a multitude of cuisines with the intensity of a Samurai warrior. He currently teaches cooking at the “Amsterdam Hotel School” located in, you guest it, Amsterdam. I am not certain if cooking always came naturally to René but he has been commanding an audience or pleasing palettes from the age of sixteen. Now a thirty five year veteran in the cooking game, René has prepared his culinary masterpieces for a countless amount of people around the world, from Prince to pauper. When I say Prince, I mean that quite literally, “The Artist Formerly As Prince”. He was just one of the many celebrities who sequestered the culinary craftsmanship of Chef René.

Now, that’s who René Ameling is on paper. With in a few nano seconds of our conversation, you immediately start to see that René is so much more than just a clever description on a digital page. He reeks of poetry and passion. René exudes an exuberance for life that is infectious. I often walk away from our conversations feeling revived and ready to take on the world. Chef and Yoga teacher are just a few mere tools in his arsenal of many tools he uses to communicate with humans. His passion for life is off the charts. René Ameling is the kind of guy who slaps Life on the ass and Life says, “Thanks, you cheeky bastard”.

Jean Franzblau has a warm and cuddly personality, which is quite apropos because Jean happens to be a professional Cuddle Expert. Yes, that’s a thing. Not only is it a thing but there’s scientific backing behind such a profession. There are measurable health benefits to human touch that appear to be physical as well as psychological. Cuddle therapy is becoming a thriving industry and after this recent pandemic it is one industry that doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Jean takes her job as a professional Cuddle Expert, very seriously. So much so, that she is the founder and organizer of “Cuddle Sanctuary”. She organizes social events in which people get to connect with other humans through the art of touch. These are non sexual social gatherings. Jean makes this very clear that her focus is on wellness and health. These social functions lean more towards healing touch deprived human beings. Cuddle Sanctuary also trains practitioners to become professional Cuddle Expert.

Jean Franzblau is at the forefront of this emerging wellness modality. She is kicking ass in the cuddle game. Judging from my conversation with her, she is extremely passionate about the need for this in our current society. Jean is excitedly ambitious to see these practices become interwoven into our cultures.

Hey, at one point we thought Yoga was weird and now they’re teaching it in prisons. Who knows, maybe one day this Cuddling thing will be taught in prisons around the... y’know what, never mind. Something tells me they’re already cuddling in prisons.

My “Cool Runnings” costar Doug E Doug and I play catch-up as we discuss a myriad of topics. Nothing is off the table as we traverse through subjects like Fatherhood, Fame and Beyoncé. We even get around to talking about the movie “Cool Runnings” and the effect it had on our young lives.

Doug is a great conversationalist who maneuvers through sensitive and complexed subject matters with humor and ease. His insights are very noteworthy and I often leave these conversations feeling enlightened and enriched. Our talks help to spark some of my own insights as I gain several new ideas perspectives.