This episode is not appropriate for all listeners.

Award-winning photographer Mark Laita has used his skills for clients such as Adidas, Apple and Mercedes-Benz, and his photography has been exhibited worldwide. But he might be doing the most important work of his life right now on Skid Row in Los Angeles.

A few years ago, Laita started taking photographs of people living on the street, drug-addicts and prostitutes—and he began interviewing them and recording their stories.

He never imagined his YouTube project "Soft White Underbelly" would take off the way it has, with over a million subscribers.

Laita says he can’t help all the people he speaks to (though he has tried). But he says raising awareness about the suffering of people we don’t regularly meet could help future generations.

Dr. Alan Campbell has an intimate conversation with Laita, discussing his childhood, how he became a photographer, and the painful but powerful work he’s doing now.

Visit “Soft White Underbelly” https://tinyurl.com/tg232ag

Learn more about Mark Laita http://www.marklaita.com/

This episode first aired on October 2, 2020.

You may know actor Greg Ellis from his role as “Lieutenant Commander Groves” in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean. Perhaps you’d recognize him as “Chief Engineer Olsen” from J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek. Or maybe you remember him from The Titanic, Forsaken, and countless television roles.

In this episode of Watching America, we don’t talk about the roles Ellis has played; instead, we hear about a real-life drama he experienced when ten false words led to the unravelling of his life. This conversation reveals extreme difficulties many fathers (and some mothers) face in divorce.

You’ll hear about Ellis’ book, The Respondent: Exposing the Cartel of Family Law, his podcast, and the nonprofit organization, Parents & Children United (PCU), launched to help families navigate the family law system in the United States.

Find more about the book and ongoing work by Greg Ellis at https://www.therespondent.com/

We first met with Ayaan Hirsi Ali last year about her work as an advocate for freedom of speech and the rights of Muslim women, as well as her conviction to the values of Western liberalism. Ali was born and raised in Somalia, became a Dutch citizen (and representative) as a young adult, and now is a citizen of the U.S. In this episode, she talks about her new book, “Prey: Immigration, Islam, and the Erosion of Women’s Rights.” Find out more about the book and find Ali’s podcast at ayaanhirsiali.com.

In the second part of the program, we hear from associate professor of philosophy and art, Megan Craig. Craig suffered a serious concussion as the result of an ice-skating accident. In order for her brain to heal, doctors advised her to “not think” for a while—difficult medicine for a philosopher. Craig talks about what she contemplated while she tried to put her brain on pause, and how the experience changed the way she thinks about existence.

In her latest book, “First Platoon: A Story of Modern War in the Age of Identity Dominance,” award-winning author Annie Jacobsen documents how the U.S. Department of Defense has built the world’s most powerful biometrics database.

It has the power to identify, monitor, catalogue, and police people all over the world.

The San Francisco City Book Review calls Jacobsen’s book “grade A journalism.”

If you are concerned about civil liberties, don’t miss this episode of Watching America.

This conversation first aired on WHRV Public Media on February 12, 2021.

It started with one haircut.

“One evening in the spring of 2015, I was on my way to a friend’s house after work. I didn’t make it. I walked past a man who was homeless at the time. I would often stop to speak with him … but this time was different … I remembered that I had my tools in my backpack and asked if he’d like his hair cut. In the hour that followed, he told me his story. The next time we met, he introduced me to some of his friends. Before long I was heading out whenever I could, giving haircuts throughout the streets of London.”

That’s an excerpt from the book “Do Something For Nothing” by Joshua Coombes. Today on Watching America, we hear from Coombes about the impact a haircut and a conversation can make.

Explore how you can make a difference with whatever skills you have at dosomethingfornothing.com

Do you hear voices … inside your head?

Well, we all do. The secret, according to Dr. Ethan Kross, is to manage the way we talk to ourselves.

In this episode of Watching America, Kross discusses the research behind his bestselling book, “Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It.”

Kross is an experimental psychologist, neuroscientist, and founder of the Emotion & Self Control Laboratory.

After listening to this enlightening conversation, your inner voice might learn to pause a moment before creating its next conversation.

Learn more about Kross' work at ethankross.com

Dr. Alan Campbell continues his conversation about the British royal family with “Watching America” senior producer, Gina Gambony. We pick up from the last episode regarding the approach of the end of an era following the death of Prince Philip and the exit of Harry and Meghan from “the Firm.”

In this episode, we also hear from Roberta Fiorito from the podcast “Royally Obsessed.” She has special insight into how Americans feel about topics emanating from Buckingham Palace. You can find that show on Instagram: @RoyallyObsessedPodcast

The British royalty have been in the American news lately—Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and the death of Prince Philip.

Then again, the royals always seem to make the news in the United States, even if only in the gossip columns.

Our host, Dr. Alan Campbell, isn’t the first to say that many Americans are obsessed with royalty—but he believes we don’t know enough about them.

In this episode of Watching America, the show’s senior producer, Gina Gambony, asks Alan questions she’d like answered about the British royal family…and Alan provides a deep look at the history. So deep, in fact, that this is part one of a two-part series on the topic.

In this episode of Watching America, Dr. Alan Campbell talks with Neil Farber, MD about his new book, “Serendipity: Utilizing Everyday Unexpected Events to Improve Your Life.”

The word “serendipity” implies accidental good luck. But doctor and researcher Neil Farber says it happens more than we think, and we can harness its power.

Farber has spent decades teaching, researching, and practicing internal medicine, publishing more than 60 medical studies.

He gives us an inside scoop on the serendipitous, how it changed his life, and how paying attention to it could change yours.

Michele Bailey has a long history in business. She is the CEO of “The Blazing Group” and “My Big Idea,” where she helps businesses build their vision and brands, create strategy-first cultures, and focus on the personal and professional growth of entrepreneurs and employees.

Bailey talks with host Alan Campbell about her new book, “The Currency of Gratitude: Placing Gratitude at the Center of Your Personal Brand.”

She shares her struggles as a business woman—even some she hasn’t yet overcome.

An instructive listen for business leaders and anyone who wants to get along with others!