TAMgents

Tamara is joined by Saundra Neperud, a friend and widow who found herself, after her husband Eric's death, without resources to support her in her grief. This motivated her to research the need and work with a team to develop The Grief App.

Saundra shares her journey, features of the app, and especially the fact that grieving is a universal experience of the human condition - and definitely not just in relation to death.

From thegriefapp.com: Grief is a normal response to loss, but you should not have to go through it alone. The Grief App is a quiet, private place to work through what you are feeling, on your own terms. Whether it hits at 2am or in the middle of a normal afternoon, it is there. No appointments. No waiting. Built by a widow, a licensed grief therapist, and a thanatologist who's spent his career walking families through loss.

For more information and to download the app, visit:

Grief is a normal response to loss, but you should not have to go through it alone. The Grief App is a quiet, private place to work through what you are feeling, on your own terms. Whether it hits at 2am or in the middle of a normal afternoon, it is there. No appointments. No waiting.

The Grief App website (includes app downloads for Apple and Android)

Facebook Page

Instagram

JP Gonzales of the Berkeley Existential Risk Initiative (BERI) joinedTamara to explain some of the grave risks with advancement of Artifical General Intelligence (AGI), and the global movement aimed at mitigating these risks. JP is assistant to Stuart Russell, who literally wrote the book on AI, co-authoring the authoritative textbook of the field.

JP generously gathered the following resources for our listeners on Russell, the organizations referenced in the podcast, and deeper dives on the topic.

If you have any questions regarding this or other topics, please email [email protected].

Stuart Russell's Wikipedia Page

Center for Human-Compatible AI (CHAI) – Founded by Stuart Russell and colleagues in 2016

• Mission: "CHAI's goal is to develop the conceptual and technical wherewithal to reorient the general thrust of AI research towards provably beneficial systems."

• Current research-development approach to AI focuses optimizing for human objectives that we specify using algorithms, and these approaches are not adequately capturing the complexity, variability, diversity, and uncertainty inherent in human values. Current AI systems are also largely black-box in designs (i.e., human's provide input and can observe the output, but the inner-workings of the system are so opaque and difficult to interpret, current LLMs like GPT 4o have something like 1-2 trillion unique parameters that the model assigns

• Website

• Wiki

• Stuart's popular press book on AI safety, ethics, and the problem of ensuring that humanity maintains control over powerful, frontier AI systems

Stuart Russell on YouTube – he has tons of recorded talks across the world at various organizations, focused on all aspects of AI and society. Definitely best to hear him speak in his own words, he's extremely articulate and an world-class educator.

Positive AI Economic Futures (World Economic Forum) – This fascinating study was conducted back in 2021 with Stuart and other experts in AI, futurists, policy experts to essentially ask the question – what if we achieve AGI and advanced AI systems that can do most tasks better than humans. What are the implications for our economy, the future of work, and relations.

International Association for Safe and Ethical AI (IASEAI) – Pronounced "eye-see-eye", this new organization spearheaded by Stuart Russell and a pretty impressive list of Nobel laureates, AI technical experts, policy experts, etc. with the missions of ensuring that AI development and implementation meets safety guarantees and is ultimately beneficial to humanity.

Future of Life Institute – AI Focus Area – This organization has been deeply invested in understanding and mitigating large-scale or "existential" risks from AI, that is negative consequences from AI that could significantly shape the future of humanity, our ability to survive, etc.

Slaughtbots (2017) – An arms-control advocacy film on lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS) and particularly swam drones. Calling for stricter regulation and a ban on the use of AI system to target adn execute people. Funded by The Future of Life Institute, vision comes from Prof. Russell

Slaughterbots Part 2: If human, kill() – arms-control advocacy film on lethal autonomous weapons systems. Prof. Russell contributed to the content and consulting of this video.

Tamara chats with Heather Gildea of the Black Elephant Hostel in Portland, Maine. About the hostel community, her family legacy, the importance of third spaces and more.

Learn more at https://www.blackelephanthostel.com

Learn more about Tamara at www.tamaralilly.com

Tamara chats with Ruby Jean of Ruby Jean Photography about her career arc, how she became a goddess photographer, and her Goddess Project.

Ruby is the creator of the Goddess Photoshoot — a transformative photography experience designed to celebrate and empower women of all ages. Through stunning costumes, enchanting locations, and a deeply supportive atmosphere, Ruby helps each participant see themselves in a new, magical light. Her work has gone viral multiple times, resonating with millions who see the Goddess Photoshoots as more than just pictures — but as a celebration of girlhood, joy, and self-love.

Ruby's work speaks most eloquently for her. Follow along….

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rubyjeanphotography

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RubyJeanPhotography

On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@photo.goddess

Support or participate in The Goddess Project!

Learn more, join her mailing list and get in touch at www.rubyjeanphotography.com

Ruby Tamara

Tamara chats with Patricia Mclean, founder and CEO of Finding Our Voices.

Patrisha became a firebrand for women's rights at the age of 55, sparked by the domestic violence arrest of her celebrity husband. In addition to being acting executive director of Finding Our Voices, she runs an online book club, looking at book through the lens of domestic abuse, and hosts a podcast and radio show featuring conversations with domestic abuse survivors.

Engage with the organization and network of survivors at Finding Our Voices.

Tamara and Darreby Ambler chat about how to get hard things done, with a little help from your friends.

Darreby Ambler is the founder of Wayfinders and has launched 48 Wayfinders teams since 2009. She's led teams in the Episcopal Dioceses of Maine, Colorado, and Western Massachusetts; the Hyde School; Morse High School (Bath); the Bath Housing Authority; and many teams of friends and neighbors in her studio in Bath. She has worked with people of varied ages, faiths, and circumstances: high-schoolers, artists, nurses, retirees, young moms, teachers, doctors, custodians, engineers, writers, small business owners, a former aircraft carrier captain, and an actual rocket scientist.

She has a BA from Princeton, and has worked as an elementary school teacher, a journalist, and a life-coach. She and her husband Michael, an Episcopal Priest, live in Bath, Maine with their giant rabbit Cubby.

Learn more at Accountabuddies!

Members of the Ideal Maine Social Aid & Sanctuary Band met with Tamara to tell the original story of the band, their personal stories with it and how others can be part of the band! (whether as participant or enjoyer) Band organizer Jeremy Fink and members Janine Platt and Marissa Fink (no relation!) talk about how they came to join the band and some of their favorite experiences with the Portland Maine based second-line style activist band.

For more information on the Ideal Maine Band and other events and organizations referenced in the podcast, visit the links below:

Ideal Maine Social Aid & Sanctuary Band FB Page

Ideal Maine Band Newsletter Signup

A YouTube video of some of the band playing Joe Avery's Blues

Mayo Street Arts

Porchfest Portland Maine

Honkfest

Friends of Congress Square Park

For more information on the hostess, visit www.TamaraLilly.com

Find more episodes of the TAMgents Podcast at www.TAMgents.com

Tamara chatted with Equity Stage Manager from Maine Aaron Watson (a 2018 guest on the Stage Door Diva podcast), in 2022 to discuss how his theater career was affected by the pandemic, and then again in 2023 to touch base. This episode is a compilation of the 2022-23 conversations.

(see link to 2018 episode and original show notes below)

As of December 2023, Aaron has been subbing as Stage Manager on his first Broadway production, How To Dance In Ohio.

Here's a link to a few of the places and shows discussed in the episode:

Into the Woods understudies reel:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cri9ZO4tycq/?fbclid=IwAR0_xwPb8sj9cLr2KWoXpfgTAAE7q_SP_HBfDx_UutCsZIbMJ_wlL6ATomY

New London Barn Playhouse: https://www.nlbarn.org

MacGyver the Musical: https://macgyver.com/musical/

For more information, follow Aaron at ohgingersnaps on Instagram, and at www.AaronAWatson.com

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2018 Episode re-release:

https://tamgents.com/stage-door-diva-series-aaron-watson-stage-manager

An interview Tamara conducted with professional stage manager Aaron Watson in 2018. Part of the TAMgents Stage Door Diva Series. (Our next episode will be interviews with Aaron from 2022 and 2023, discussing post-covid professional theater)

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Show notes from the 2018 episode:

Aaron A. Watson is a Non-Union Stage Manager who is currently working out of New York City as a Stage Manager for theatre, dance, and more! Aaron can currently be seen working on the hit show Cleopatra at Chelsea Music Hall. Aaron's work has brought him across all four corners of the United States in various touring productions, but his heart always brings him back to his shows in New York, much of which has been new works and workshops. Aaron also enjoys photography, fitness, camping, hiking, shopping, and driving the world crazy with his unique hashtags, #littlegingerinthebigcity and #littlegingertouringthebigcountry, which some fail to see is an irony mimicking the Looney Toon's type cartoons where the "rotund" evil villain was always named "Slim", making it comical to call his 6'3" self "little". He hails from the great Pine Tree State of Maine where he both grew up and went to college. The pine scented air and vast lakes are some of Aaron's favorite things about Vacationland, and he enjoys visiting whenever he can. If you'd like to know more about Aaron, he shares all his hijinks around the country with the world on his social media!

The Stage Door Diva began as a column in the Coastal Journal in Midcoast Maine. Over time, Tamara Lilly realized she wanted to tell more and more indepth stories, beyond the page. The focus is on Theater folks in Maine and beyond!

Links mentioned in the interview:

www.aaronawatson.com

http://cirqueproductions.com

Cleopatraexperience.com

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For more episodes of the TAMgents podcast, visit www.TAMgents.com

Tamara sits down with Greg Baker of The Portland Maine Comedy festival, to talk about his comedy journey, this year's festival and the Maine comedy community. The festival runs August 24 - 27, 2023 and is an annual event. (so don't hesitate to listen, even after these dates, you'll want to be in the know for subsequent years!

Links:

The Portland Maine Comedy Festival & Sponsors

Full Schedule

Feature & Headlining Shows

Hey Party People

Tamara's website for VO, Public Speaking, Hosting and More!

The TAMgents Podcast on Facebook

Other episodes of the TAMgents podcast can be found at Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, your favorite podcast directory and www.TAMgents.com

For more information, email [email protected]