Are We Okay?

Ryan Hester returns to the podcast to talk about The Constant Education of Christopher Lambert tracks 1-3, his daughter stepping on a nail, leaving his church and ending his weekly Bible study, learning to swallow his pride, trying to apologize to his friends, why people love revenge stories, and the power we give to politicians who don't even know we exist.   The Constant Education of Christopher Lambert is available on CD, cassette tape, and all digital formats at: https://chrislambert.bandcamp.com/   You can also find it on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and wherever else music is sold.

Artist Dallas Bronson swings by the podcast to talk about Bon Scott-era AC/DC, the first song his mom ever stripped to, the time I roasted him onstage before we'd even met, #IOMWBIAGW, the Shewee, getting a Resurrection Day text from his dad, what his life will be like at 32, Stephen King's On Writing, Jiu-jitsu, podcast etiquette, finding the body of a murder victim when he was 10, fainting at the sight of blood, Sherlock Holmes, PG-13 horror movies, being kicked out of a mosh pit, killing a boar with his girlfriend's car, his 30-day social media cleanse, changing his name, drawing on napkins, the aftermath of his brother-in-law's homicide, Aunt Dallas, getting into a fight at Taco Bell while on acid, and trying to make his girlfriend cry with a birthday gift.    Follow him on Instagram: @neckbutcher

Jewelry designer Savannah Nicholson (Anahata Rae) stops by the podcast to talk about leaving Roseville, the law of attraction, renting a studio space in San Luis Obispo, how she turned a hobby into a business, making the kind of art that you would enjoy, growth mindset, creating space in your life for the universe, 127, finding a religion that works for her, controlling your reactive side, checking yourself daily, ownership, positive manipulation, whether we're in the bad place, maintaining a personal relationship with her cousin after he passed away, releasing negativity, being a work in progress, figuring it out-ish, and hanging out with Alec.   Find her online at: https://www.anahatarae.com/

I drop by musicologist and blogger Dr. Linda Shaver-Gleason's apartment to talk about female composers, Florence Price, playing the viola, musicology, Felix Mendelssohn's reception, finding something compelling in pop music, writing a blog, Harald Krebs' Fantasy Pieces, escaping school through logic puzzles, reading Mahler scores with her dad, being diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer, auditioning for Jeopardy! during brain radiation treatment, outliving a prognosis of six months, the process of chemotherapy, the BRCA2 genetic mutation, what she wants to be remembered for, and why she still feels lucky.   Find her online at: https://notanothermusichistorycliche.blogspot.com or follow her on Twitter: @lindahyphen

Business owner Ben Ayers swings by the podcast to talk about leaving Santa Maria based on an Excel spreadsheet, his exit plan to Seattle, how an Asperger's diagnosis helped him understand his father, how we came onto each other's radar, rebelling against his parents by only doing exactly what was expected of him and nothing more, how to get my dad to talk to me, why men stopped crying, annoying his band with another sad song, managing a tour for a band, whether I can be the next Mr. Rogers, the last time he wrote a song, occupation vs. recreation, wanting everyone to like you, friendly faces, sitting at home and reading the Thesaurus, starting a family church, the thought of going to Costco and being judged, doing a lot of nothing in Peru, calling himself an agnostic, disentangling gracefully, a near infinite dataset, trying to stop nonexistent confrontations, changing your mind at least once a day, and not needing to know what happens after this.    Follow him on Instagram: @benjamin_ayers

Youtuber Savannah Campos stops by the podcast to talk about grumpy Disney employees, graphic design, Youtubing, band drama, data loss, CD stores, staying open to new things, using music to evoke emotions, why people listen to Lil Yachty, whether Ed Sheeran hit the mainstream against his will, the executives who sell music, doing something you love vs. just doing something, the demonetization of Youtube, working for someone else, Todoist, sequels and spinoffs, Fifty Shades of Grey, being preached to, particle physics, what's at the bottom of the ocean, whether I'm a reincarnated Titanic passenger, never losing anyone close to her, faking your death to see who comes to your funeral, and crying after yoga.   Find her online at: https://www.youtube.com/ladysav/

Graphic web designer and drumline instructor, Matt Rice drops by the podcast to talk about emo music, Short Answers, keeping your friend groups separated by genre, Oxnard, getting tricked into leading a drumline, salvaging a plumbing website, forgiving bad music, comments sections, assuming he's wrong, political opposites, relative anonymity, tailoring messages, deleting Reddit a few times a week, feeling so small in the Universe, being an INFP, judging people, Kardashian Kulture, feeling like nobody likes you, Schrödinger's friend, Myspace's Top 8, The Catcher in the Rye, spiritual extremism, certainty, the (always) pending nuclear war, whether he's a brain in a vat, Polar Bear Club, and the tall, attractive people of SLO.

Business owner and makeup artist, Jenn Hix swings by the podcast to talk about coffee shop shows, voices she'd rather never hear again, chewing sounds, being authentic, political differences with her dad, Trump stamps, tattooed eyebrows, getting a permanent scar from her excitement over a phone call from her grandma, conjoined twins, how she interacts at parties, becoming an 'opportunity' to people, losing her spark, discovering coffee, Oh, the Places You'll Go!, Barney's craft bag, faking her period to avoid her dad, making the decision to take her mom off life support at 21, taking over The Queen's Bees, forcing clients to compliment themselves, being mad at God, and telling poop stories.   Find her online at: http://thequeensbees.com/

Artist and entrepreneur, Danielle Churchill stops by the podcast to talk about going from working three jobs to starting her own business, "working" two days a week, finding balance, custom home decor, burning out, selling art, learning new things, making a paper watch, selling seashells in her parents' hallway, the creative process, sharing a studio space, writer's block, negative energy, empathizing with bad people, counting the things you're grateful for, not arguing with people about things they don't want to change, The Golden Rule, and RÜFÜS DU SOL.    Follow her on Instagram: @radicalsoulscollective

Mixer streamer John Fitch (ShakkaPanda) drops by the podcast to talk about independent web comics, dealing with the beginnings of celebrity, aggressively doing nothing, the lost art of sitting on a couch playing video games with your friends, live streaming, keeping his language PG-13, swapping 'politically correct' with 'polite', adversarial politics, petting the shark backwards, being punished for using spreadsheets to do his math homework, the modern separation of work and play, the life of a samurai, religious absolutes, staying home to care for his dad in his final months, the decision to not become bitter, and the end of Jet Li's Hero.    Find him online at: http://mixer.com/shakkapanda or https://www.youtube.com/user/shakkapanda   Or follow him on Instagram: @shakkapanda

Assistant pastry chef and line cook, Taylor Tate swings by the podcast to talk about working two jobs, not saying hi to me at a grocery store, A Silent Explosion, leaving shows early to beat the traffic, restringing her grandpa's guitar, stage fright, Jesus, Take The Wheel, what changed after marriage, the best party she's ever been to, being a dog person without a dog, losing her mom on Christmas Eve, being asked to choose between premarital relations and singing in her church band, and why space makes her mind implode.    Follow her on Instagram: @taylortulipp

Live read actor Justin Meddings stops by the podcast to talk about the Overdue podcast, being the son of a librarian, Bob Dole references, being mesmerized by fish, The Phantom Menace, saying "You bet I do" at the altar, trying to make a lemon drop at home, what to do in Santa Maria, an extinct music scene, handwritten invitations, Jake's Messy Desk, being the older sibling, when to have kids, whether to vote for Oprah, a series of happy or unhappy accidents, and whether or not he plans to smoke forever.    Donate to The Ian M. Hassett Foundation at: http://www.ianmhassett.com/

Artist and musician, Eva Nappier drops by the podcast to talk about homeschooling her children, being mistaken for a student, doing a little bit of everything, prioritizing your art, helping people figure out who they are, growing up with an artist father, feeding your soul, crying in a Trader Joe's parking lot, feminine strength vs. masculine strength, catcalling, invulnerable politicians, being the best version of yourself, making time for creativity, eliminating impossible tasks, going away to a Christian camp, having a relationship with a person you can't see, and the song she had to help her husband get through. Find her online at: http://littleestudios.com/

Singer-songwriter Jon Bartel (The Creston Line, American Dirt) swings by the podcast to talk about soft-hearted nihilism, keeping all of his old toys, his parents' biannual family cassette recording night, paring down his family's dishes, the KonMari Method, the Fender Rhodes-shaped hole in his heart, the history of a guitar, his Dwimmerlaik settings, his favorite bathroom graffiti, subjecting his family to pedal steel at midnight, going to his first dance, grading 600 English papers, building a tomahawk throwing range, falling over and over, letting his kids watch Bee Movie, gun safety, having a low battery in his fire alarm, Primitive Radio Gods, eternity-minded parents, the Lego set he was willing to go to hell for, and Richard Nixon's chair.    Find him online at: http://www.thecrestonline.com/

Pastor Kenny Gracia stops by the podcast to talk about fronting on my chick, why people love him so much, living on his own at 17, Orwellian school spirit, finding faith through his parents' sobriety, relapse, the Hill Kids, maintaining friendships with atheists, admonishment, promising to never become holier-than-thou, youth group, open and closed handed issues, cherrypicking from the Bible, pacifism, the wonder of creation, the difference between love and tolerance, reading Grandma Wishes in Target, and crying while pooping.   Follow him on Instagram: @life_online   or Twitter: @KennethMGracia

Musician Beau Manning (Church Mouse) drops by the podcast to talk about working on Christmas, Sampha, Anthony Fantano, Lorde's Melodrama, poorly chosen singles, blink-182, denying my friend request, his metal phase, losing a band member, toxic band relationships, his twin brother, asking for permission to say 'crap', losing track of his dad, wanting a blue bedroom, Brink!, being too scared to drink a Red Bull at Neverland Ranch, drumming, sound design, The Last Jedi, and the blackness just before you wake.   Find him online at: https://churchmouseca.bandcamp.com/ or  https://www.facebook.com/churchmouseca/    or follow him on Instagram: @beaumanning

Singer-songwriter Meredith Hobbs Coons swings by the podcast to talk about why she brought two pairs of sunglasses with her, containing multitudes, moving to Nashville, smog-induced asthma, being the child of a songwriter parent, writing songs about motherhood, her very unexpected pregnancy, postpartum depression, earning a master's degree while raising two kids, speech pathology, women in bands, marrying someone exactly like your dad, addiction and sobriety, saying no to caffeine and chocolate, compassion fatigue, having one of two Christmas trees in a sea of Stars of David, literal vs. figurative Heaven and Hell, The Good Place, creating meaning to give life purpose, and simon.com.   Find her online at: https://lambsear.bandcamp.com/releases Or 'like' her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hearlambsear/

Composer Larry Delinger stops by the podcast to talk about his interest in alternative music, which end of the screwdriver to look at, the imaginary hierarchy of art, his favorite cover of Creep, the era when music was good (hint: ALWAYS), hopping a milk train to Lincoln, Nebraska to see Dave Brubeck, learning to read music by using the words 'Mexico' and 'popsicle', taking piano lessons in a quaking train station, the time Edward Applebaum called him a composer, jumping into the deep end, the 205 volumes of the daily journal he's kept since 1963, taking in the beauty of a sunset, walking on the balls of your feet, Zen Buddhism, the day he spent with Gary Snyder, dragging up pain, experiencing yourself, how trees see time, and the taste of Pablum.    Find him online at: https://soundcloud.com/larry-delinger

Calligrapher and stationer, Raina Toy-Smith drops by the podcast to talk about having the dirtiest car in the parking lot, event coordination, doing calligraphy in people's yearbooks, coming up with a business name, controlling her environment, learning to bartend, community over competition, changing the subject, accidentally breaking her eHarmony glasses, and getting married on New Year's Day.   Find her online at: http://feteandquill.com

Illustrator Daren Magee swings by the podcast to talk about moving to Ojai, trying to buy from locals only, missing the history of the East Coast, preparing for his first child, being his mom's sunshine boy, competing for Class Clown, wearing sweatpants in high school, tallying his drinks in Europe, puking off of an ancient Scottish bridge, being born during his mother's dinner shift, dreaming of becoming a professional skateboarder, never setting foot on a skateboard, client work, psychedelic drugs, ayahuasca ceremonies, his first DMT experience, looking forward to death, and Funyuns bags.   Find him online at: http://realfunwow.com   Or follow him on Instagram: @realfunwow