Tragedy Academy

How often do you hear people saying “the country is more divided than it’s ever been”? Do you feel like some or all of the people you know are completely different than they used to be and that its almost not worth communicating with them anymore? You’re not alone. The country IS divided and people HAVE changed. And we’re not just talking politics.

Thing is, it’s possible to get SOME people to agree with you just as it’s possible for both sides to have a “win-win” negotiation. Even when it seems that the person on the other side has no interest in seeing you win anything at all, if you’re willing to adjust your mindset to see the world from the other person’s point of view and plant seeds of change...when you choose the right people, this strategy will pay off for both of you.

Check out this episode to hear our strategies for playing the long game.

Have you had this strategy pay off for you before? Do you disagree and prefer to operate in another way? We’re always open to discussion.

You can get us @thetragedyacademypodcast on instagram, The Tragedy Academy Podcast on facebook and @tragedy_academy on twitter.

Discussion of the worst possible pranks you could play on a friend, including you guessed it...throwing redwood seeds in someone’s yard. Is a prank that takes place over 200 years considered vandalism? If we’re playing a game of joke immunity Uno, Jonah has a deck full of draw fours. Four gay parents, one being Native American, and having been born via artificial insemination. Jonah existing at all is nigh miraculous even if he has an absolutely REPULSIVE laptop, which is discussed in detail.

Can people be compared to car transmissions or pancreases? The academy certainly does its best.

You can find our best clips on facebook, instagram and twitter. And check out our website at: https://thetragedyacademy.com/

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Who is purchasing those scam car warranty calls that seem to be increasing every year? We try to get to the bottom of this in this week’s episode. Additional discussion about what qualifies as scamming people in business and what doesn’t.

Easter egg here as it turns out Eric has been laboring under the misconception that these phone calls are called “rotocalls” instead of “robocalls”.

A discussion with friend of the show Andre Linear. Discussion focuses on Chicago initially, not just for the food, but because of the uniqueness of the culture. Andre is in to share a unique perspective on racial unity, good and evil in Chicago and other major cities & why more people are experiencing PTSD in 2020 than in any other year.*

Are black people being affected by covid at a disproportionate rate vs other communities? Andre discusses what he's seeing up close regarding health in physical and mental health in black communities and how he handles it with his own children.

Non purus scolam

In Japan, gravesites are marked with symbols that resemble swastikas. The Academy (including new addition Maria) discuss their position on not allowing racist organizations and cancel culture together to pound these and other innocent or even meaningful symbols into the ground.

Conversation drifts into a morbid “what-if” scenario of Eric wearing a backwards Swastika T-shirt on his chest for his funeral and forcing Jay to stand next to his coffin to explain to Eric’s Jewish family that he had converted to Buddhism and believed in it so firmly that it was necessary to wear it to pass into the afterlife.

Additional conversation about a 4chan prank wherein the “ok” symbol was hijacked and America was tricked into believing White Supremacists were using it as a new symbol...then White Supremacists did start using it...then cancel culture demanded it stop being used. Jay provides insight on military usage of the symbol. Discussion of a game wherein that very symbol was used to cause testicular damage to users. And the Academy ultimately establishes a position on hijacking of symbols by hate groups and how non-haters can respond.

Guest Barbie Liss joins The Tragedy Academy to discuss her daughter's recent experience with restorative justice: a sparsely used option in North America and one that they both strongly advocate for after experiencing the healing that came about during and immediately after. Barbie is a Life & Empowerment Coach, Energy Healer and a Reiki Practitioner, Co-facilitator of International Women’s Retreats, and Co-Founder of the Re-Humanize Movement.

Barbie's daughter Marlee was raped in 2016 and the court process that followed was so traumatic for her that she decided that alternative measures were necessary for her to not only seek justice but to survive the process mentally. Barbie discusses how this affected her relationship with her daughter at the time, how she and her daughter have grown since the experience and what the restorative justice mediation circle was like. She describes how the Re-humanize movement and her women's retreats flowed from this experience.

Discussion flows to what the perpetrator of the crime said and some of the emotional hold-ups that men face all over North America. Jay and Eric discuss how open and honest discussion of emotions and life situations with friends and family, meditation and dealing with trauma is an important part of their lives.

Barbie is Canadian as it turns out and the Academy loves us some Canadians. They do always seem to be friendly don't they? Barbie explains a bit about why this may be.

This is a can't miss episode if you're looking to learn more about restorative justice or are struggling with your experience with sexual assault. Please reach out to Barbie at @_barbieliss at instagram or read more about her and her daughter's journey by linking to any of these stories: https://www.rehumanizemovement.com/media

Friend of the show Chris Lawrence is in studio to educate us on what it's like living with Spina Bifida. He takes us all the way back to his childhood to tell us about what life was like in the hospital, tells us some stories about bullying, gives us a day in the life now and makes us laugh our asses off when he shows us how he makes his own CBD, which looks exactly like what you'd think home-made CBD would look like.

Chris is very funny, inspiring and this is an eye-opening episode if you've never heard from someone with what should be an absolutely debilitating disease. Chris explains how he gets through the day to day and how he reaches out and interacts with people regularly. Chris does a great job of finding humor in his situation and finding the bright side of each day. Thanks Chris.

Golf Blogger and screen writer Zaq Tull talks to us about his plans for the blog and his experience with screenwriting. What it’s like to make a pitch to Adult Swim, alfalfa growing and life in Colorado.

Be cool. Keep learning.

Maria Caramadre, graphic designer and blogger at Veronica Visions is in studio. Maria is a beautiful soul. She talks with us about her experience with ADHD, which she shares in common to the two co-hosts (and many others) and explains techniques she uses to cope. ADHD can cause tremendous anxiety, stress, depression and self esteem issues in those who have it and each person is different. Check out this episode to find out which techniques the three of us use to work around our natural brain wiring. It's time to throw out a non purus scolam because...none of us are medical professionals. We're just three people who are doing our best to live happy, healthy lives using the bodies we were born with while continuing to improve them along the way!

We also discuss spirituality and forming deeper connections with our families and friends in spite of differences we may have with them and challenges we may face with them in life. These are ways that we can deal with anxiety and forge deeper relationships with one another and ourselves.

Actor Carl J Grasso is in the studio to talk about what the movie-making process will be like post COVID, 80s horror, and action movies. We also discuss how the Twilight Zone has been predictive of today’s society and compare Black Mirror topics to current events.