My Views Are My Own
204 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 days ago -In this podcast, Doug McDonald interviews smart people, funny people, creative people, and other types of people. And sometimes he doesn’t interview anybody at all! Sometimes it’s funny, sometimes it’s educational. And SOMETIMES it’s both.
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Twitter: @myviews_podcast
www.myviewsaremyown.com
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Episodes
Digital Feudalism with David Arditi
July 10, 2023 21:27 - 59 minutes - 44.2 MBDavid Arditi joins me on the podcast today to discuss digital feudalism. We talk about the gig economy and it's implications for the workforce, the various ways in which the labor market allows and encourages labor conditions that share many of the core qualities of Squid Game, and the modern emergence of debt peonage. We also investigate the era of subscriptions and the cycle of endless consumption. And we discover the political leanings of some the most iconic fast food mascots.
Clever Carbon with Michelle Li
July 03, 2023 22:47 - 1 hour - 56.2 MBMichelle Li is the founder of clever carbon. She launched her career in Silicon Valley where she worked for some of the biggest names in tech including Salesforce and DocuSign. A proponent for making sustainability the new norm, Michelle founded clever carbon to help teach people about their carbon footprint in a hip, fun, and relatable way. She is a TEDx and SXSW 2022 speaker on the topic of carbon literacy and believes that a carbon literate society is one where transparency and accountabi...
Bonus episode: Doug and Colleen Review Speed
July 02, 2023 03:19 - 31 minutes - 28.1 MBIn this episode, Doug and Co-Producer Colleen review the classic 1994 film Speed starring Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock, and Dennis Hopper. Rising LAPD star Jack meets his match in retired disgruntled bomb-squad officer Howard Payne, who decides the only way to get his pension is to plant a bomb on a bus and set it off if the bus goes under 50 miles per hour. Jack uses his tact and de-escalation skills to tell the bus full of helpless victims they're all going to die, all while helping Sandra...
Stream Queens with Brenna Coates and Jessica Steen
June 24, 2023 03:18 - 51 minutes - 42.8 MBIn this episode, I am joined by actresses Brenna Coates and Jessica Steen to discuss the art of audio drama and their new audio drama podcast Stream Queen. They are kind enough to lend their voices to some exciting improv scenes that are likely to change the trajectory of the film industry forever. They weigh in on what is hot and what is not. Tune in to find out if frosted tips are back in style. Spoiler alert: they never went out of style.
Frank Herbert’s ”Dune” and the Emergence of Fascism in Science Fiction Fandoms
June 17, 2023 00:47 - 1 hour - 57.5 MBJordan Carroll joins me on the podcast today to discuss the emergence of fascism in science fiction fandoms and specifically how Frank Herbert's 1965 novel "Dune" has been co-opted and used for white supremacist propaganda and recruitment. We talk about the alt-right's obsession with transhumanism and genetic engineering, why they advocate for space exploration, and why they hate Star Trek. Jordan explains to me how reactionary extremists like Richard Spencer repurpose the the texts of popul...
Music City...More Like Uhhh...More Like Not Enough Arts Funding City!
June 06, 2023 17:20 - 1 hour - 59.7 MBNashville arts advocate and artist Christine Hall was kind enough to invite me to a Metro Council arts meeting that I was unable to attend. So we're doing our own town hall right here on the podcast to discuss arts equity, community building, and disruptive urban planning. We also discuss the downtown Nashville area slowly becoming a food court with cowboy boots painted on it and why developers have no taste and think Chipotle is Mexican food. And we have a very special edition of "Is it Art...
Poo-Anon
May 23, 2023 02:13 - 1 hour - 60.2 MBOpen-source researcher, writer, and founder of the Did Nothing Wrong newsletter and podcast Jay McKenzie joins me to talk about what's been going on in the wacky world of right wing extremists. We talk about: Tucker Carlson getting fired from Fox News being one of the most significant blows to the white supremacist agenda in recent times; Ron DeSantis failing miserably in his culture war against Disney; Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. running for president on the Democratic ticket backed by Steve Ban...
Rage Hamsters 2 This Time It’s Personal: With Sasha Srbulj
May 17, 2023 20:40 - 1 hour - 49 MBSasha Srbulj is recording a new comedy special in New York, so he decided to drop by the podcast on the way to tell me why rich people came out of their pandemic bubbles crazier than everyone else. We get into a little bit of the backstory of why the right wing extremists that run the government in my home state are attacking drag shows and eliminating abortion rights. We also learn why Fox News is pushing a distorted reality on their impressionable viewers and how they use the dweeb persona...
The Power of Ritual with Casper ter Kuile
May 12, 2023 01:58 - 1 hour - 56.1 MBCasper ter Kuile joins me on the podcast today to discuss the power of ritual, the need for creating and experiencing sacred time, sacred reading, and how something as simple as watching an old movie can have a deep ritual importance. We examine how religion is changing and what that means for society, spirituality, and our experience of life. We also talk about ways to build community and connections in a world that feels progressively designed to be more isolating. And we explore how peopl...
Wired for Music with Adriana Barton
April 22, 2023 23:32 - 1 hour - 69.1 MBAdriana Barton is a journalist and author of Wired for Music: A Search for Health and Joy Through the Science of Sound (Greystone Books, 2022). A former staff health reporter at Canada’s national newspaper, The Globe and Mail, she has written about medical research, neuroscience, visual arts, music and pop culture for publications including the Boston Globe, Reader’s Digest, Utne, Azure, Western Living and San Francisco Bay Guardian. She studied the cello for 17 years with teachers including...
The Enduring Relevance of Philip K. Dick
March 31, 2023 18:22 - 58 minutes - 43.5 MBMatt McManus is a lecturer at the University of Michigan and the author of The Emergence of Postmodernity amongst other books and he joins me on the podcast today to discuss the enduring relevance of Philip K. Dick one of the most creative and imaginative American authors of the 20th century. To all of the listeners who are not familiar with Philip K. Dick, you might not recognize his name but would definitely recognize some of the films and television shows that have been based on his work...
State Mandated Friendship Award
March 24, 2023 02:52 - 58 minutes - 47.5 MBIn this episode, I am joined by comedian Kevin Heisinger to discuss some of the most pressing current events: Vladimir Putin bestowing a friendship award on actor Steven Seagal, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador posting photos of what he claims to be an elf, and New York City thieves stealing Apple headphones off of victims' heads. We easily solve all of these mysteries and then get down to brass tacks about which B-movies from the 90s are worth rewatching.
Ayahuasca and Art Therapy with Holly Patterson
March 16, 2023 16:12 - 1 hour - 65.2 MBHolly Paterson has a background in national security and is a former member of the intelligence community. She holds a Bachelor of Politics and International Relations. She has suffered from depression and suicidal ideation her whole life, and since 2017, complex post traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD). Holly is also autistic and has ADHD. After a suicide attempt in 2018, Holly travelled to South America seeking alternative treatment at a traditional shamanic plant medicine retreat in Peru. ...
Living Long and Prospering with Stephanie Czajkowski
March 09, 2023 03:16 - 1 hour - 57.3 MBI'm joined on the podcast today by Stephanie Czajkowski (pronounced check-house-key) currently Vulcan Lt. T’Veen in STAR TREK: PICARD she is also best known for her roles as the bald badass alter-ego Hammerhead on HBO Max’s Doom Patrol, and stone-cold killer Bex Dawson on the reboot of McGruber on NBC Peacock, her guest starring role as Chyna on the NBC comedy, Young Rock, starring Dwayne Johnson and the Postmaster in 20th Century Studios feature film, The Call of the Wild. Czajkowski has pr...
Lights, Camera, Solar Panels, Action!
March 02, 2023 04:02 - 1 hour - 53.8 MBTor Valenza is the author and narrator of the Probably True Solar Stories podcast and founder of UnThink Solar PR and Communications. Before representing top installers and manufacturers in the solar industry Tor was a television writer for several shows including Stargate, Dharma and Greg, and The Dead Zone. He joined me on the podcast today to talk about the lack of visibility of solar power in film and TV. We discuss why we should change that and how we could change that. We also take a l...
Making Sense of the World with Papp Johnson
February 23, 2023 17:23 - 58 minutes - 44.2 MBSometimes it seems like the world is completely spinning out of control and there's no way to make sense of it. And that's why I called Papp Johnson, a man of many talents and citizen of the world, to figure out what the heck is going on. We get to the bottom of several mysteries such as a German ballet director behind a premeditated feces attack on a harsh ballet critic, Ben Affleck writing a Michael Jordan movie directed by Ben Affleck and starring Ben Affleck, and a Florida school suspend...
At Home on an Unruly Planet with Madeline Ostrander
February 16, 2023 17:18 - 1 hour - 51 MBMadeline Ostrander is a science journalist and author of At Home on an Unruly Planet, which tells the stories of four American communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis. We discuss how individuals and communities are learning to adapt and adjust to mega fires in the Pacific Northwest, rising sea levels in Florida, melting permafrost in Alaska, and a town transitioning away from dependence on an oil refinery in California. And we even discuss the possibility of a Captain Planet rebo...
Paranormal Investigations with Danny Moss
February 08, 2023 03:05 - 56 minutes - 43.8 MBDanny Moss is a paranormal investigator and TV host from the U.K. best known for his hit TV shows "Paranormal Captured" and "The Haunted Hunts." Danny joins me to talk about his journey from skeptic to a believer in the paranormal through his many experiences as a paranormal investigator. We talk about several of the locations he has visited with his team and paranormal activity he has witnessed or interacted with firsthand. He explains the gear and technology he uses to detect paranormal ac...
The Environmental Voter Project with Nathaniel Stinnett
February 01, 2023 00:54 - 1 hour - 57.7 MBNathaniel Stinnett is the Founder and Executive Director of the Environmental Voter Project, a non-partisan nonprofit that uses data analytics and behavioral science to mobilize environmentalists to vote. He joins me on the podcast today to discuss how the project was created, why some environmentalists don't vote, and why some people consider the environment to be a partisan issue. We also identify some of the largest obstacles to environmental protection, most notably billions of dollars s...
The 100th Episode: Professional Pirates
January 25, 2023 18:47 - 31 minutes - 27.6 MBIs Muppet Treasure Island the greatest book-to-film adaptation in cinema history? For the 100th episode Zach returns as a special cohost and we use the most sophisticated research methods ever devised to answer this question once and for all.
Dude, Where’s My Ship of Theseus?
January 17, 2023 01:38 - 1 hour - 49.3 MBOne of my favorite sci-fi authors Edward Ashton takes a break from doing cancer research, teaching quantum physics, and writing novels to drop by the podcast and solve the Ship of Theseus thought experiment once and for all. We get in depth about his novel "Mickey 7," soon to be a major motion picture directed by Bong Joon-ho and starring Robert Pattinson and Mark Ruffalo. We also talk about his upcoming book "Antimatter Blues," whether extraterrestrial arboreal cephalopods would like us, an...
Doug and Colleen Review Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shobbs
January 11, 2023 01:12 - 56 minutes - 50.5 MBIn this very special bonus episode, Doug and Co-Producer Colleen review the beloved action film "Hobbs and Shobbs" of the Fast & Furious franchise. Notably absent Vin Diesel, this romp still packs a mighty punch with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Jason "The Bloke" Statham. There's even a girl in the movie! Join us as we learn the true meaning of friendship from Hobbs and Shobbs as these wise-cracking foes put their differences aside to save the world from Idris Elba and the evil tech start-u...
The New Iranian Revolution with Neda Toloui-Semnani
January 03, 2023 16:19 - 1 hour - 49.1 MBIn this episode Emmy award winning journalist and author Neda Toloui-Semnani joins me to talk about the women led protests in Iran. She tells the story of escaping the Iranian regime with her mother when she was a child and and the profound impact the Iranian Revolution had on her family. We discuss how the methods and tactics of oppression have changed over the last four decades of the regime. And she explains why the protests in Iran have the power and momentum to become a successful revol...
The Coyote Episode
December 25, 2022 23:53 - 1 hour - 53.8 MBDocumentary filmmaker Julie Marron joins me on the podcast this week to discuss coyotes and her upcoming documentary film American Bolshevik, detailing the century-long attempt to eradicate this intelligent and often misunderstood predator and how communities of people are learning to coexist with these animals while learning to appreciate the role they play in supporting a diverse and balanced ecosystem. She explains why coyotes seem to be popping up in new territories and urban areas and w...
Building Bikeable Cities with Dr. Natalia Barbour
December 19, 2022 16:15 - 1 hour - 50.9 MBIn this episode I'm joined by Dr. Natalia Barbour to discuss building and redesigning cities to be bikeable, walkable, and skateable. Dr. Barbour specializes in transportation and travel technologies and we talk about methods for restructuring and the positive effects of transitioning to bikeable and walkable cities. She explains why cities have evolved to be so dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians and some of the obstacles for greener cities such as lobbying by the fossil fuel and automot...
Is it Lit? Or Should They Be Ashamed of Themselves?
December 13, 2022 02:37 - 1 hour - 52.5 MBSometimes changes in technology and culture seem to be happening so fast it can be hard to tell if people are doing something totally lit or if they should be absolutely ashamed of themselves. That's why writer, comedian, former psychotherapist, and host of The Shame Spiral podcast Ely Kreimendahl brought over her level headedness and rational thinking skills to help me figure out what the heck is going on with society's modern mysteries. We fully and unequivocally get to the bottom of AI ge...
Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV. Podcast.
December 02, 2022 22:23 - 1 hour - 57.1 MBIn this episode, I am joined by co-founder of The Lincoln Project Reed Galen to discuss Citizens United, the MAGA movement, QAnon, the Oathkeepers, the Proud Boys, and whether or not Trump as an individual still has momentum. Reed shares some stories from his time as a campaign manager for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Senator John McCain and why the extremist trend in the Republican Party led him to become an Independent. And we play a short game of Would You Rather with the U.S. Const...
Human-Wildlife Conflict Solutions with Petros Chrysafis
November 18, 2022 16:03 - 1 hour - 54.4 MBPetros Chrysafis is an independent human-wildlife conflict specialist working in California's central valley. We discuss creating coexistence between ranchers and predatory animals, innovations in nonlethal deterrents, wildlife conservation, ethical hunting, and why bears hate podcasts. Can you affect some predatory animal behavior with a carton of cigarettes with roughly the same efficiency as a $10,000 drone? Listen and find out.
The Big Rock Candy Mountains Real Estate Agency LLC Inc. & Co
November 11, 2022 00:44 - 43 minutes - 29.5 MBIn this episode, comedian Dinah Leffert joins me as I obsess over the 1928 folk song "The Big Rock Candy Mountains" by Harry McClintock about a hobo's idea of paradise. Together we learn how to sell real estate in an imaginary place, how to spell Albuquerque, and how long you can survive in a lake of whiskey. And you can too!
The (Adjective) Mystery of the (Noun)
November 01, 2022 13:36 - 1 hour - 45 MBIn this episode, I am joined by author Avanti Centrae to discuss weaponized propaganda in the time of Cleopatra and Octavian leading to present day. We discuss military grade deepfakes, AI-generated news stories, and how to turn a classic kid's word puzzle into an action thriller.
Halloween Spooktacular 3
October 23, 2022 18:12 - 1 hour - 70.6 MBYou'll never believe it, but I got trapped in a haunted mansion with evil spirits. Again! But this time, my only connection to the outside world was the four Zoom calls that I had previously scheduled. Plot twist! Every Zoom call was a terrifying tale. It was a miracle that I even escaped alive... or did I?? Featuring Sasha Srbulj, Shannon Hardy, Brandon Case, and Co-Producers Bill and Colleen.
Goddess of Everything
October 10, 2022 16:41 - 1 hour - 56.2 MBIn this episode I'm joined by author and depth psychologist Paul DeBlassie III Ph.D. to discuss the mythos of Aztlan, the contention between nature based spirituality and corporatized religion, the concept of soul loss, animal symbolism, and awareness of synchronistic events. Also which fad diets might be gateways to cults? Probably a lot of them. I don't typically use the term "tour de force" to describe anything. And I'm not about to start now. But I definitely gained some very interesting...
Crafting Fantasy Worlds
October 04, 2022 16:58 - 1 hour - 63.3 MBIn this episode I discuss the art of crafting fantasy worlds with journalist, author, and filmmaker Benjamin Reeves. We also get into the process of creating fantasy lore, writing fantasy as a collaborative project, human art vs. A.I. art, and why we love the genre. And Benjamin shares a couple of adventures from his time as a Vice News reporter in Latin America. Then we get into a debate so intense it makes the Kennedy vs. Nixon debate seem like nothing. A debate so gnarly it makes those gu...
Screenshotting Your Dreams With Divya Gunasekaran
September 28, 2022 18:01 - 1 hour - 46 MBThe night before we recorded this episode I had a dream that the wise and amazing standup comedian Divya Gunasekaran had accidentally cut off her hand with a butcher knife and had to get it replaced with a robot hand. But despite her injury she was going to do the podcast anyway. But it turned out that my dream was only mostly prophetic. Although she still had both her original hands she did also show up to the podcast. So please join us as we revolutionize the world of competitive eating.
We Are Nihilists. We Care About Nothing.
September 18, 2022 20:49 - 1 hour - 47.7 MBIn this episode, I am joined by author Jack Moody to discuss inebriated nihilism, violence, blackouts, psych ward stints, dangerous sexual encounters, and tons of other fun stuff! And although we don't agree on whether it's fun to get drunk at Applebee's, we both agree that J.R.R. Tolkien could beat up George R.R. Martin in a fight.
Radical Agriculture
September 10, 2022 22:17 - 1 hour - 53.4 MBIn this episode, I am joined by Leah Wambui, founder of Hekima for the Future and regenerative agriculture specialist. We discuss the 1972 essay "Radical Agriculture" written by American social theorist and pioneer in the environmental movement Murray Bookchin. Leah helps break down concepts such as food sovereignty and exploitative capitalist agriculture to explain how returning to agricultural methods practiced by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years is key to ensuring a healthy and s...
Pinky and the Dwayne
September 07, 2022 00:56 - 1 hour - 55.6 MBFrom Animaniacs to sitting on the Advisory Board for Second City, Dwayne Colbert is the people's champ. We discuss writing for Nickelodeon, winning an Emmy with Funny Or Die, and working on Whose Line Is It Anyway. We finally unify the players of Fantasy Football and Dungeons and Dragons because it's basically the same thing anyway. And we finally decide what weather is best and what the wind should do. So toss out your Old Farmer's Almanac because this podcast has it all!
Dead Poets Society 2: The Rise of Vanja Renee
August 29, 2022 21:05 - 1 hour - 46.3 MBFrom pre-teen rapper to East Coast slam poet to West Coast comic, Vanja Renee takes us on an epic journey. It's a tale as old as time. But also brand new. And we learn many valuable lessons along the way. For instance, did you know that if you are a 10 but you are rude to servers you reduce your numerical attractiveness to zero? But if you fart when you cum it barely affects your score at all. All this and more awaits you in this episode.
Wild at Heart with Stacy Gold
August 21, 2022 00:34 - 59 minutes - 44.7 MBI just read my first romance novel. And Stacy wrote it! And even though Stacy spent years being a hardcore wilderness survival expert and backcountry ranger while I was over here being a smooth talking city slicker, we can agree on two things. We love love. And we believe the more disconnected humans become from the natural world, the more disconnected we become from humanity.
The Thing vs. The Thing
August 14, 2022 15:28 - 2 hours - 90.6 MBIt's a monster movie mystery mash-up, man! In this episode, I'm joined by very special co-host Brandon Case for an epic head-to-head movie showdown. John Carpenter's 1982 classic horror film "The Thing," starring Kurt Russell, is matched up against the 2011 prequel/remake "The Thing," directed by Matthijs van Heijningen and starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Remote, Antarctic research stations are under siege by a shape-shifting alien force. And the only thing to do about it is a flamethrower...
A Shipping Container Named Desire (aka Cat on a Hot Tin Shipping Container)
August 07, 2022 20:44 - 1 hour - 46.2 MBIn this episode, I am joined by author and journalist Amy Fusselman to discuss the religion of money. Is it ethical for a cognitive behavioral therapist to sell real estate to their clients? Why are so many people who work in high finance so attracted to mysticism? What is Eco-Marxism? Can a shipping container house be haunted? Is my dog talking to me? All these questions and more get answered on this week's episode. Prepare to develop a healthy relationship with money! OR ELSE!
Evangelical A.I. Robots
August 01, 2022 01:28 - 1 hour - 44.9 MBIn this episode, I am joined by science fiction and horror writer Matt Adcock to talk about his theological sci-fi book "Complete Darkness." We discuss far-future tech, religious A.I. systems, mapping dark matter, and battling Satan in a mech suit. So come live, laugh, love along with us in this dystopian romp we call life.
Rage Hamsters with Sasha Srbulj
July 24, 2022 04:35 - 1 hour - 65.6 MBMuch like anacondas in the Everglades, we have found that Florida Man is also an invasive species in the otherwise beautiful and verdant state of Florida. Sex robots might be the key to pacifying right-wing extremists. And stockpiling assault rifles in your house may be a sign of depression. All this and more in this episode with comedian Sasha Srbulj.
Dismantling the Machinery of Mass Extinction
July 17, 2022 02:00 - 1 hour - 49.6 MBIn this episode, I am joined by wilderness survival expert and special co-host Ramsey Demeter to analyze and discuss the very controversial book "How to Blow Up a Pipeline" by pioneer climate theorist Andreas Malm. We face questions like: At what point does peaceful protest become ineffective? Are the governments of the largest producers of carbon emissions unable or unwilling to make changes? And I hope you enjoy the first ever My Views Are My Own Book Club.
Season 2 Premiere: Requiem for an MMMBop
July 10, 2022 01:19 - 50 minutes - 40.3 MBIn this episode, comedian and actress Kristen Lundberg leaps out of a Mountain Dew commercial and into our hearts. People expected a lot of the first episode of season 2 of this podcast, and I'm proud to say that through diplomacy, Kristen and I were able to downgrade the War on Christmas to an "extended military engagement." We discuss recent news from the family behind "Hanson" and whether or not a talented Pilates instructor could take on a lazy Navy SEAL.
The Chronicles of Narcissist: The Psychopath, the Sociopath, and the Wardrobe
May 17, 2022 01:51 - 1 hour - 64 MBIn this episode, I am joined by author, journalist, and expert in pathological narcissism Sam Ray to discuss the joys of having so many world leaders who display psychopathic and narcissistic tendencies. Sam Ray is gracious enough to explain many of these concepts to me through the allegories of X-Men and Star Wars. I learn that psychopaths and sociopaths are two different things, and so can you!
Join the Revulvalution
April 27, 2022 01:40 - 1 hour - 52.8 MBNayra Martín Reyes' latest art exhibit is a combination of visually stunning paintings and vivid performance art portraying the glory of the vulva. Recently, Nayra Reyes and Patrick Ford took a break from their exhibit in Milan to talk with me about challenging the patriarchal norms of our society, the joys of touring and performing, the history of the Canary Islands, and why more fruits look like vulvas and more vegetables look like penises.
Full Metal Florist
April 12, 2022 22:25 - 56 minutes - 43.2 MBIn this episode, the amazing artist and metalworker Ashtine Rieke describes to me how she fabricates and designs metal flower blooms inspired by the flora of the Pacific Northwest. We try to find out if Brazilian booty lifts are the secret to staying comfortable on long flights. And there's a one in twelve chance I will read your horoscope.
Doug and Bill and Colleen Review Divergent
April 11, 2022 05:19 - 1 hour - 66.4 MBIn this episode, I got all three of the creative minds behind this podcast in the same room for the second time ever to review the 2014 YA sci-fi thriller Divergent. Is Divergent a romp? Listen to find out our takes on this thought-provoking, action-packed coming-of-age story in the most far-fetched post-apocalyptic Chicago ever created. Pick your faction and buckle up as we answer tough questions such as: Is abnegation a word? Should we defund Dauntless? Can you be smart and nice at the same...
Is It Lit?
March 29, 2022 04:07 - 1 hour - 60 MBAs a distinguished gentleman of fortune and glory, it's still important for me to answer the eternal question: Is it lit? That's why I invited stand-up comedian, actress, and filmmaker Shannon Hardy to help find the answers that society is urgently seeking.