Reason Bound

A lontime friend Andy Connel joins Ryan on Reason Bound to discuss something we both with we had more of and less of: options. In a supermarket it can be overwhelming with 40 different flavors of Cheerios, but what about in life? One option many have been conditioned to not consider, is picking a skilled trade for a career. Andy discusses his own history that led him to a career in the trades as well as many things learned along the way. Using The Hechinger Report and others as a reference, they discuss the future of the U.S. economy, jobs, and ultimately why choosing a skilled trade for a career is coming into fashion.

Denise Johnson joins Ryan for this episode of Reason Bound to discuss generational mental health. When people are faced with trauma, getting professional help up to and including medication management can have an extremely positive effect on their lives. In spite of this, having mental health issues is still often stigmatized, with some going so far as to suggest depression, etc, doesn't exist or sum up mental health problems as: "white people issues". A guide for dealing with mental health needs from the American Psychological Association is discussed as well as home/school life and ethnic group differences in navigating mental health issues. The importance of breaking the cycle of generational dysfunction before bringing children into this world is heavily emphasized via a piece in Scientific American titled: "How Parents’ Trauma Leaves Biological Traces in Children".

An Aussie named Ben joins Ryan to discuss the big drag queen issues that have been in the news the last several years seemingly nonstop. On this (weirdly) very heated topic, sober and reason-bound commentary seem sparse. Ben and Ryan discuss what exactly "drag" is, what its components can be and what its components don't have to be. As they say: "context is king", and exploring context is a good way to avoid sounding like a frothing at the mouth lunatic when discussing this issue.

Tej Singh joins Ryan to discuss work life balance and reminisce on their time together in Japan during the global pandemic. Tej worked for years as a career coach and shares suggestions for a good cover letter and resume/cv format in the discussion of critical things to consider when deciding what line of work to enter into for a career. Balancing work and life is one of the healthiest things one can do and as the only one to work with Ryan in both corporate and creative work environments, Tej is the perfect person to discuss how to optimize a lifestyle that deals with both. 

This is an update for those who've asked. I've had suicidal ideation from Progressive Insurance deciding to try and milk me for even more money in asking many intrusive questions about my roommate and interpreting my driving to work in a way to take even more money from me than we had agreed when I prepaid 6 months of coverage.  This is a prime example of why I don't put out content as often. The liars and con artists at Progressive Insurance did nothing for me but instill severe suicidal ideation. Stay away.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is probably the most famous personality test in the world. Mari Buljo returns to Reason Bound to discuss this personality test with a skeptical Ryan. How far should people read into the validity of these tests, what is the history of the MBTI creation, and how much of a difference is there between these personality tests and a horoscope? Mari is one of Ryan's favorite guests and they first cover some history of how they met and interacted in class together in Tokyo.

Denise Johnson returns to Reason Bound to discuss blending cultural identities centered on what it means to be Latino/a, Chicano/a, Hispanic, and so on. Denise talks with Ryan about connecting with roots, hertiage, and how one's own culture can interact with another. It's a good conversation between long time friends that sparked ideas about what it means to be identity X or Y.

Ryan welcomes a panel from Japan's Tozen union to discuss working conditions at a prominent English school (eikaiwa) in Japan. A slew of bad policy decisions from Gaba Corporation including forcing instructors (treated as independent contractors by the corporation) into a qualified invoice system, has led to union action and recent strikes. Another new horrific policy announcement would see teachers fined per lesson if they become unable to teach, which could even result in a negative paycheck. In addition to demanding an end to the qualified invoice system requirements, Gaba Instructors, who have not received a raise since 2008, are fighting for a modest raise of 200 yen per lesson ($1.33 U.S. as of the currency exchange rate on 11/06/23). Ryan and the panel discuss the importance of unions, past victories Tozen has achieved for workers, and how Gaba instructors as well as counselors can join the union and strengthen bargaining power in the fight for fair working conditions. Tozen union panel guests include

Returning from overseas ventures, Michael Hubbard returns to the U.S. and Reason Bound to discuss Cultural Appropriation with Ryan. Cultural Appropriation seems to have different meanings to different people. Where is the line between what is acceptable and not in social behaviors that cross cultures. Mike and Ryan on a reason-bound discussion on everything from food to clothing to Halloween costumes.

Award winning journalist Charles Thomson returns to Reason Bound to discuss reality as people seem to be navigating it. Fake news, false information, and outright lies are inundating the populace more than Charles and Ryan can ever recall. Where can truth be found? How should claims be evaluated? From British politicians lamenting "Oh, we've had enough of experts" to formerly respected journalists jumping on leaving reality-land railroad jobs, truth is now out of style in favor of confirmation bias.

Manny Militello joins Ryan for the third installment of the War and Peace series. Having both met in an international law class at Waseda University in Tokyo, Manny and Ryan have had quite some time to study the history and narratives of actions taken against Japan during the second World War. They discuss history leading up to the U.S.'s involvement in the war, the fire bombings of Tokyo, and the wanton acts of using nuclear weapons on a country that was willing to surrender. The Hague Conventions are discussed as the authority in determining the legality of the bombings, and an analysis of the court's findings in the case of Ryuichi Shimoda et al. v. The State further serves to expose the illegality of the atrocities.

The last year has put a spotlight on issues surrounding women's reproductive rights and whether or not it's appropriate for women to have control over their own bodies. Rachel Cannon joins Ryan to discuss various aspects of abortion from legislative history to positions influenced by belief in and devotion to religion. It's a sober conversation on a crucial health and family issue that, for the time being, is as unresolved as ever.

Denise Johnson joins Ryan to discuss religion and spirituality. Where may one stop and the other start, or are they both inextricably linked? One or both terms are nothing more than woo woo to some, while others find they function as descriptive labels for some kind of force/magic/supernatural sense that transcend the natural world. Denise and Ryan discuss establishment religions, what it means to be a cult, and a sense of something greater than oneself that many claim to experience regardless of individual culture, practice, or religious upbringing.

Longtime friend Abraham Holloman joins Ryan to discuss the often times polarizing subject of race swapping fictional characters. They discuss reasons why some find it difficult to be at peace with an established character in one version of a story, then have a race swap take place in a subsequent story, film, etc. Abraham and Ryan discuss the backlash over the casting of Halle Bailey as Ariel in the live action Little Mermaid, as well as other fictional characters and to what extent race being consistent in every story of that character should or shouldn't ultimately matter.

21-31

Award winning British journalist, Charles Thomson, returns to Reason Bound to discuss state-sponsored executions, also known as "capital punishment" or "the death penalty". As many nations across the world move toward a greater level of civility, there are still countries where the state has the authority to demonstrate murder is wrong by murdering. Charles talks with Ryan about the inherent hypocrisy of the death penalty and discusses the cases of Nathaniel Woods, Troy Davis, and George Stinney Jr., among others. The lasting question will be: What does this add to our humanity?

Holly Wilt returns to Reason Bound to talk with Ryan about principles involving animal rights, suffering, and factory farming amongst others. In his teens Ryan went vegetarian before going vegan. In this episode he has an open and honest conversation with Holly, a former vegetarian, about the ethics of consuming animals. Also, the baby spider story is finally told in what was an epic moment in the saga of Holly and Ryan's friendship.

Cody Linklater returns to Reason Bound to have a calm, cool, and collected discussion with Ryan about their differing views on guns. When, if at all, should the 2nd Amendment be limited? Should the US look to other countries and adopt their gun control and safety policies? Other topics include encountering nazis and escalating violence, the importance of mental health, and the police.

Jarvis Simmons joins Ryan for a discussion on representation in film. Specifically, they take a look back at Marvel's "Black Panther" and why that was such a pivotal moment for pop culture. Other topics include different racial interpretations of established characters, new stories featuring characters not seen as the norm, and the debate of our time: Iron Man VS Batman.

Nick Hodge comes on Reason Bound to join Ryan in person. They throw down a few drinks while discussing flag burning, dating, and religion. It's a spirited conversation that looks at behavior, rules, and regulations about laws concerning the treatment of a country's national flag. Another topic as yet discussed on the podcast is how each feels about dating someone if they have fairly different religious beliefs than themselves. It's an Aussie invasion and one of the best!