Hello
and welcome to The Rob Burgess Show. I am, of course, your host, Rob
Burgess.
On
this, our eighth episode, our guest is Melanie Samay.
Melanie
studied literature at Fordham University in the Bronx and received
her Masters in English literature from San Francisco State
University. Her thesis was on The
Ground Beneath Her Feet by
Salman Rushdie and how he creates a literary version of the history
of rock & roll by writing his own version of the Orpheus myth.
Other favorite authors are: Irvine Welsh, Vladimir Nabokov, Anne
Rice, Bret Easton Ellis, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Arturo
Perez-Reverte, J. K. Rowling, Charles Bukowski, Zadie Smith, and
Chuck Palahniuk.
She
sometimes spends too much time reading; other times too little. Samay
owns too many books but can't stop acquiring them. She's forever
pro-physical books and anti-eReaders. She has a shy, skinny black boy
cat named Hermione. She is a staunch defender of the serial comma.
Currently she works in marketing for The Contemporary Jewish Museum.
When she's not reading, she's walking around the city, sitting in
parks with friends, and hanging around dark spaces at night listening
to loud music. Read more on her blog about books and book-nerdom at
soifollowjulian.com.
Please
rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes at
tinyurl.com/therobburgessshow.
Once you're signed in to iTunes, hit "Subscribe." Click the
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again for the support!
If
you're an Android user and you're still not sure how to listen, you
can also visit the website
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and if you have a one click supported app on your Android device, the
app will load automatically.
Hello and welcome to The Rob Burgess
Show. I am, of course, your host, Rob Burgess.
On this, our seventh episode, our guest
is Mallory Willits. Mallory is a student at the Indiana University
School of Social Work who is currently pursing her master's degree.
Mallory has spent the past two years as a Beginning Social Worker at
Fairbanks Substance Abuse Hospital and Adult and Child Mental Health
Center. Mallory chose her journey in social work due to her natural
ability to talk to people therapeutically and her love for helping
others. She thoroughly believes in the power of traveling and lives
by the saying, "Jobs fill your pocket, but adventures fill your
soul." She has traveled quite a bit of the world, which gave her
the opportunity to go to Ghana, where she met her husband, Wisdom.
April 3, Mallory started a GoFundMe
page titled, “Who said love doesn't cost a thing?” Here's her
description:
“As many of you know, and have been
following, I fell in love with a man from another country and the
immigration process is nothing short of a financial commitment.
Wisdom is worth every penny, but between graduate school and a number
of other financial commitments the money just doesn't flow in as
quickly as the bills come in. It has been just shy of a year since I
last saw the love of my life. My dream is to be able to afford
another trip to Ghana after graduation as well as submitting the
$1,600 for the next immigration [stage] as quickly as possible so
that there is no lapse in the process. At this point, we can commit
to one, but not the other due to finances. Immigration is our
priority so that there will be permanency with being with one
another, but we are hopeful to see each other again soon as well.
Many people have individually reached out to me and asked how they
can help. It was recommended that I get up a GoFundMe page to help
with our journey. Please know that we do not expect you to donate,
but that some people have requested a way for them to do so. Every
penny helps and is deeply, wholeheartedly appreciated. Thank you for
your unwavering support and consideration.”
So far, 17 people have contributed a
total of $600 of the $1,000 goal over the past 18 days. If you would
like to contribute, visit gofundme.com/malloryandwisdom
Thank you to everyone who
went to iTunes and subscribed to, rated and reviewed The Rob Burgess
Show. If you haven't subscribed to, rated and reviewed the podcast on
iTunes yet, please do so now. Every little bit helps the podcast to
reach an even wider audience. You can find it at
tinyurl.com/therobburgessshow
and once you're signed in to iTunes, hit "Subscribe." Click
the tab on the iTunes page near the top that says "Ratings and
Reviews." From there, please leave a star rating (hopefully five
stars) and click "Write a Review" to leave a review. Thanks
again for the support!
If you're an Android user and you're
still not sure how to listen, you can also visit the website
subscribeonandroid.com/tinyurl.com/therobburgessshowrss
and if you have a one click supported app on your Android device, the
app will load automatically.
Hello and welcome to The Rob Burgess
Show. I am, of course, your host, Rob Burgess.
On this, our sixth episode, our guest
is The Kingdom of Sweden. Sweden sits between Norway and Finland and
is the third largest nation in the European Union by area. This
Scandinavian country is home to nearly 10 million people.
“I spent my morning in an an
unexpected way: on the phone with several Swedish strangers. Thanks
to the the Swedish Tourist Association, there is a phone number,
called the Swedish
Number, that will connect you with random
Swedes. So I called it. It’s a little bit odd to hop on the phone
with someone you’ve never met before. But that’s exactly the
point. “Calling Sweden. Soon you will be connected with a random
Swede,” is the automated message you hear when you dial the number.
It’s either +46 771 793 336 internationally or 301-276-0600 for
local rates if you’re calling from the U.S. The hotline brings to
mind Sweden’s Twitter strategy. Each week, a new Swedish citizen is
given control of the country’s
Twitter account, and they can use it however
they please. This week it appears to be a registered nurse named
Cicci. It’s another way to connect Swedes to the rest of the world,
and what it has in common with the Swedish Number is that it’s also
just delightfully weird.”
I then visited the official website for
the project, theswedishnumber.com,
where I found this introduction:
"250
years ago, in 1766, Sweden became the first country in the world to
introduce a constitutional law to abolish censorship. To honour this
anniversary, Sweden is now the first country in the world to
introduce its own phone number. Call today and get connected to a
random Swede, anywhere in Sweden and talk about anything you want.”
The site also included a Frequently
Asked Questions section, which reads as follows:
Who is behind The Swedish Number?
Sweden’s Tourist Association. We want to spark people’s
curiosity about Sweden - our culture, nature and mind set. To help us
do this, we have the people of Sweden.
Who answers when I call?
Everyone who lives in Sweden is able to register as an ambassador.
When you call you will be connected to a random Swede. The chances
that you are connected to the same Swede twice are small - so you get
a new side of Sweden every time you call.
How much does it cost?
The call will be charged as an international call. You have to
check with your phone operator what your calling rate for Sweden is.
It depends on your communication provider and a number of factors
such as individual calling plans and time of day. Your call will
start getting charged when you are connected to Sweden. If you are
calling from one of the local numbers (see if your country is on the
list) the call will be charged as a local call.
Is my phone number shared?
You are completely anonymous and your private number is never
shared. All calls are routed through a switchboard.
Are the calls recorded?
Calls via The Swedish Number may be recorded for security reasons.
If someone reports a specific call, we can listen to the call and
unregister any user who violates Swedish law.
Why is no Swede answering when I'm calling?
1. Lots of people are calling and there is no Swede available. 2.
Sweden is sleeping. We are in the GMT+2 time zone. 3. If the first
Swede you are connected to is not able to answer, you will
automatically be connected to another Swede and another until someone
answers. 4. It’s the last day of April at 8 p.m., and all Swedes
are busy watching bonfires all around the country.
What time zone is Sweden in?
Sweden is in the GMT+2 time zone, you are welcome to call at
anytime, but we might be asleep.
How does it work?
When someone outside of Sweden calls The Swedish Number, a
telephone switchboard randomly connects the call to a Swede somewhere
in Sweden.
How do I say Hello in Swedish?
Simply say "Hallå!" or "Hej!"
How do I enter the “+” before the number?
Either access the additional symbols on your phone and find the +
sign, or dial 0046 instead of +46.
According to the most current
statistics on the website, more than 82,271 calls from 173 countries
have come in since the line opened April 6, and callers have spent
more than 161 days total on the phone, with two minutes and 50
seconds being the average call time. Almost a third of the calls are
from America, while the United Kingdom, Turkey, The Netherlands,
China, Australia and Russia round out the top seven calling
countries.
On a personal note, I want to thank all
the Swedes who took the time to speak with with me. I would highly
suggest calling The Swedish Number to anyone.
You'll hear one of the Swedes ask if I
have a YouTube channel, and at the time I said “no.” Since then
I've started one, which you can like and subscribe to at:
tinyurl.com/therobburgessshowyoutube.
Thank you to everyone who
went to iTunes and subscribed to, rated and reviewed The Rob Burgess
Show. The initial results are in, and the average rating so far is
five out of five stars. It doesn't get any better than that! If you
haven't subscribed to, rated and reviewed the podcast on iTunes yet,
please do so now, so we can keep the momentum going. Every little bit
helps the podcast to reach an even wider audience. You can find it at
tinyurl.com/therobburgessshow
and once you're signed in to iTunes, hit "Subscribe." Click
the tab on the iTunes page near the top that says "Ratings and
Reviews." From there, please leave a star rating (hopefully five
stars) and click "Write a Review" to leave a review. Thanks
again for the support!
If you're an Android user and you're
still not sure how to listen, you can also visit the website
subscribeonandroid.com/tinyurl.com/therobburgessshowrss
and if you have a one click supported app on your Android device, the
app will load automatically.
At this point, The Rob Burgess Show
should now be listed on most of the major podcast directories, but if
you're still having trouble finding it or know of a directory I've
missed, please let me know.
On this, our fifth episode, our guest
is Mat Alano-Martin. Mat is a stand-up comedian who comes to comedy
from the world of rock 'n' roll, where he spent 10 years touring
North America as a member of several unknown bands and as a tour
manager for much more successful, well known bands. With a comedic
style that bridges the social and political views of his indie-rock
background with the attitude and sensibilities of his rural and
blue collar youth, Alano-Martin has appeared at comedy clubs,
theaters, punk rock dives, redneck roadhouses, casinos, colleges,
living rooms and everywhere in between. Alano-Martin’s debut album
“Profiled as Such” can be heard on the Sirius/XM Raw Dog comedy
channel, and he has appeared on the nationally syndicated The Bob &
Tom Show, Laughs on Fox TV and at several festivals and prominent
showcases across the country. He is also the co-founder of the
Limestone
Comedy Festival, which runs from June 2 to 4, 2016 in Bloomington, Indiana, and the Arch
City Comedy Festival, which runs from August 25
to 27, 2016 in Columbus, Ohio, and the host of the Strangers
On This Road podcast. He has worked for Funny
Business Agency, Comedy Zone, Tribble Run and
many clubs around the country.
Thank you to everyone who
went to iTunes and subscribed to, rated and reviewed The Rob Burgess
Show. The initial results are in, and the average rating so far is
five out of five stars. It doesn't get any better than that! If you
haven't subscribed to, rated and reviewed the podcast on iTunes yet,
please do so now, so we can keep the momentum going. Every little bit
helps the podcast to reach an even wider audience. You can find it at
tinyurl.com/therobburgessshow and once you're signed in to iTunes,
hit "Subscribe." Click the tab on the iTunes page near the
top that says "Ratings and Reviews." From there, please
leave a star rating (hopefully five stars) and click "Write a
Review" to leave a review. Thanks again for the support!
This week, I also had a question from
an Android user asking how they could subscribe to the podcast. So,
you can now find The Rob Burgess Show on:
If you're an Android user and you're
still not sure how to listen, you can also visit the website
subscribeonandroid.com/tinyurl.com/therobburgessshowrss and if you
have a one click supported app on your Android device, the app will
load automatically.
At this point, The Rob Burgess Show
should now be listed on most of the major podcast directories, but if
you're still having trouble finding it or know of a directory I've
missed, please let me know.
Add The Rob Burgess Show to your
favorites playlist in the Stitcher app. Download the Stitcher app for
the Apple and Android markets here: https://www.stitcher.com/
Before we start this
week's episode, I have some exciting news to share: The Rob Burgess
Show is now listed on iTunes! Once you're signed in to iTunes,
hit "Subscribe." Click the tab on the iTunes page near the
top that says "Ratings and Reviews." From there, please
leave a star rating (hopefully five stars) and click "Write a
Review" to leave a review. Thanks for the support!
On this, our fourth episode, our guest is Michael A.
Wood Jr. Michael is a Baltimore-based police reform activist
who, after spending a career in the United States Marine Corps and
Baltimore Police Department, has torn down the blue wall of silence.
He has become a vocal advocate of a new era of civilian-led policing.
While completing his doctorate studies, Michael works as much as
possible with grassroots activism on the streets of Baltimore, where
his most valuable lessons were learned, and makes media and speaking
appearances to further the discussion on police reform and the needs
of the people. You can find him on Facebook and Twitter. You can find his website at michaelawoodjr.net. He is
also a speaker for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. Their website
can be found at leap.cc.
The first time I became aware of Michael was June 26,
2015. That day, he took to his Twitter account, and shared the
following:
“So here we go. I'm
going to start tweeting the things I've seen and participated in, in
policing that is corrupt, intentional or not: A detective slapping a
completely innocent female in the face for bumping into him, coming
out of a corner chicken store. Punting a handcuffed, face down
suspect in the face, after a foot chase. My handcuffs, not my boot or
suspect. [Closed Circuit Television] cameras turning as soon as a
suspect is close to caught. [Defecating] inside suspects' homes
during raids, on their beds and clothes. Swearing in court and
[probable cause documents] that suspect dropped [a Controlled
Dangerous Substance] during unbroken visual pursuit when neither was
true. Jacking up and illegally searching thousands of people with no
legal justification. Having other people write [probable cause]
statements, who were never there because they could twist it into
legality. Summonsing officers who weren't there so they could collect
the overtime. Targeting 16- to 24-year-old black males essentially
because we arrest them more, perpetuating the circle of arresting
them more. If internal investigations were transparent, you would be
able to see it all. The records are there. What's really hard to
convey is that some things are so commonplace, they didn't register
until I was on the other side. I don't remember details of any particular person getting illegally searched, it was every day. I'm one person relying on a flawed
memory system. This is an indictment on the culture of the
profession, not a witch-hunt. Sorry.”
A quick programming note:
The first two minutes or so of this episode were severely damaged by
a technical glitch on my end, rendering them of too poor quality to
be broadcast. Here is a transcript of what Michael said to kick off
the episode:
“I am a Marine Corps
veteran. I served 11 years in the police department in Baltimore
until I was forced to retire from a line of duty injury. And with the
movement growing post Michael Brown, the Black Lives Matter movement,
I kept hearing a lot of defense of things that were completely
indefensible for police to do. And I decided I was going to … talk
about these things whether we wanted to talk about them or not or
whether it was going to going to get me in trouble or not or whether
it was breaking the code … this has to be addressed, and that got a
lot of sensationalism.”
We'll pick it up right
there. And now, on to the show...
Also, you can find the Joe Rogan Experience podcast episode with Michael I mentioned in the episode here:
