The Passing Through Podcast

Some references from this episode:

Climate: A New Story by Charles Eisenstein

Vipassana Meditation Retreat

I Am That by Nisargadatta Maharaj

Nodes in the Net Podcast

Maurice Marleau-Ponty

Argentinian author Jorge Luis Borges

Hannah Arendt's The Human Condition

Hello, to old friends and new. This is a Lazarus episode.  Sit tight and have patience while I shake the rust off and try to remember how to talk into a microphone. It's been a while. Enjoy this quick reintroduction and stay tuned for some new and spicy mediocre content!

This week's podcast was supposed to be an interview podcast I had recorded with my brother, but that's not the podcast you'll be listening to. Instead I'll be talking about police brutality, racial injustice and the killing of Elijah McClain. What happened to this 23-year-old is unacceptable and his tragic loss of life should outrage everyone. The unlawful deaths of countless African Americans over the last few months are a repellent reflection of American values. I forgot to mention in this podcast that over 2.2 million Americans have signed a petition to reopen the investigation into Elijah's death. I forgot to mention that during his encounter with the Aurora Police, while they brutalized him they threatened to unleash their attack dog on him. He committed no crime and he had no weapon.  If you're a white American and you're silent on the topic of racial injustice and police brutality, or you're neutral, or you don't want to pick a side - your silence is violence. By looking the other way you're giving tacit permission to those perpetrating these acts. By not standing up for your fellow human beings who are being killed with impunity, you're helping to create a world where this behavior is normalized. Be better. Have hard conversations. Love one another. Now more than ever.

The unjust murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer has sparked riots in America. There's a lot of talk about whether rioting, arson, and property destruction are justified. On the topic of the Tea Party riot, Samuel Adams said it was "not the act of a lawless mob, but was instead a principled protest and the only remaining option the people had to defend their constitutional rights."  It would seem, then, that violence against capital is a valid form of protest in a police state which values capital more than human life.

It's been a while friends, and the world has changed since our last episode. I hope everyone is staying safe and looking out for one another. This episode comes to you straight from Poland where I talk with an old friend from New York - a nurse who recently tested positive for COVID-19. We chat about coping mechanisms, changes around New York, and what life has been like in these crazy times.

Tune in for this week in 2020.

I had another podcast ready to squeeze out of my cheeks this week, but in light of recent articles and events I decided to scrap it and push out a steaming hot fresh one instead. Enjoy while I read from a couple of articles (listed and linked below) in the first half, and talk about what you can do to start saving the planet in the second half. Feel fucking empowered, motherfuckers! Articles Chomsky Doomsday Clock Trump Water Pollution Songs El Paso - Marty Robbins My Rifle My Pony and Me - Dean Martin & Ricky Nelson

One week, two episodes.  Feast your ears on what will perhaps be the worst podcast anyone has ever recorded. Brace yourself for a story about vomiting, sidewalk violence, laundromats in the rain and redemption through unconditional self love.