Agnitus Life

Get to know our podcasters. Peter Goldsmith and Bill Wood, our podcast hosts, delve into a variety of subjects, always entertaining and often provocative. But it occurred to us that you, as the listener, have no idea who these dudes are — where they come from, what they do and think about, and what floats their respective boats. So we decided to do something a little different — let them talk about themselves so you can put a real person to each of their voices. NOT Peter and Bill — they’re much better looking (purposely ambiguous). Well, they’re not really talking about themselves. They’re talking amongst themselves and we’re eavesdropping. The topics they discuss have no social relevancy, and they won’t provoke thoughts as to how we all can change the world. It’s just two old friends talking — about any old stuff — as old friends often do. As you listen to their conversation, you’ll get to know a little bit about them. And then you might even come to like them, and that’s a good thing, because they could definitely use a few more friends. Anyway, click on the arrow below and just relax.

The impact of comedy and comedians on culture and society. We all love a good laugh, and our comedians have been bringing that to us for centuries, going all the way back to ancient Greece. But they do more than provide some chuckles — they are the conscience of a society, and so they achieve prominence well beyond their roles as simple entertainers. The best ones, such as Will Rogers, W.C. Fields, (and we could probably include Mark Twain in here) in the past, and more recently to Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, are looked to as important social commentators. They tell us things about ourselves and our society that no one speaks but we all need to hear. And they give us insight about what we feel and believe but sometimes can’t or won’t admit to ourselves. Listen to the interesting discussion Peter Goldsmith and Bill Wood have put together on this topic:  

How they’re changing the world outside of the arena.  It used to be that sports fans would support their team, regardless of who was playing. The individual athlete, although loved by fans, was secondary to the team. When he was traded away, he became the enemy. Not so today — athletes have achieved celebrity status, and have fans that follow them from team to team. The astronomical salaries they’re paid has allowed more personal control over their lives, and has forced many to become more sophisticated in what to do with that money. In this podcast, Peter Goldsmith and Bill Wood discuss how athletes are using their incomes to go from “rich” to “wealthy”. They’re investing in their long-term futures, including restaurant chains, movie studios, and funding start-ups. But they’re not just shooting blindly. They’re far more careful with their business decisions, relying on consultants and advisors for direction, just as private equity investors in the business world have been doing for years. Listen to their podcast by clicking on the arrow below.

Some facts about alternative medical techniques. Anyone who’s been to a doctor lately knows that the costs for conventional western medical care are out of control. As a result, so-called alternative forms of medicine, such as acupuncture and chiropractic, have become more attractive — they’re cost-effective, and they work. These health care tools have been around a while — in the case of acupuncture, more than a thousand years — and are finally becoming part of the mainstream. Even western medical practitioners are recommending them for certain conditions. Still, there’s a large percentage of consumers out there who don’t fully understand their benefits, and are reluctant to consider them when they need help. Peter Goldsmith and Bill Wood talk to two practitioners, Acupuncturist Dr. Kristopher Goldsmith and Chiropractor Dr. Eric Swartz, to clear things up. From their informative discussion, you’ll get a better idea of what these techniques are all about — how they work and why they should be included in your health and well-being regimen. Listen to Peter and Bill’s podcast by clicking on the arrow below:

A different perspective on the ecological health of our planet. There is a sizable percentage of people who reject the idea of global warming. This is in spite of the fact that 97% of the research reported in peer-reviewed journals support that conclusion. The key point here is peer-reviewed. These are articles published in professional journals in which the research is first reviewed by experts to make sure it meets rigorous scientific standards — the research method is valid, data are analyzed correctly, conclusions are supported by the data, and so on. To make it into a peer-reviewed journal, you have to know what you’re doing and you have to be accurate. Now there are probably some researchers who have presented fraudulent data, but for 97% to do so, it would have to be a conspiracy. Scientists on the whole are not that devious. So if the scientific community regards global warming as a fact, then something else must be going on for there to be so many deniers. Our Podcast hosts Bill Wood and Peter Goldsmith speak to David Loy — professor, author, and teacher of Zen Buddhism — about the factors that can lead to denial, but do so from an entirely different perspective.

Supporting our veterans at home is the best way celebrate their contributions. Serving in the armed forces during war time is the greatest sacrifice you can make for your country. The price paid by all of these individuals while in the combat arena can be well imagined, but it’s the return home that’s hard to understand unless you’ve been through it. Veterans can look forward to high rates of unemployment, divorce, social isolation, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and suicide. Furthermore, soldiers have a singular purpose in war, and that creates a special bond. However, that sense of being part of a community can be lost when they come home. Veterans know what it’s like to make the adjustment, and so many of them take it on as their mission to help their former comrades in arms. One in particular, John Mahshie, a disabled Air Force veteran, has established the Veteran’s Healing Farm in Hendersonville, N.C. It is literally a farm, but it’s more than just about growing produce. It’s an environment where veterans work together to contribute to their community — much of what is grown is donated to veterans and their families, and to the local VA hospital or homeless shelters. As John puts it, “Donating fresh produce to veterans is less about the vegetables, and more about a message of love and respect.”  John Mahshie assisting a patron

By making us face our innermost thoughts, beliefs, and fears, artists are a conduit for cultural change. Arlene Goldbard is a writer, social activist and consultant whose focus is the intersection of culture, politics, and spirituality. She is the Chief Policy wonk of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture and President of the Shalom Center. She is the author of “The Culture of Possibility: Art, Artists, and the Future”. Arlene joins Peter Goldsmith and Bill Wood to discuss the ways in which artists, and art in all its forms, impact on a society’s culture. In an age when art is devalued in our educational system in exchange for technological learning, it’s important to keep in mind that artists are an important conduit for putting forward the issues that absorb us, some of which might lie beneath our consciousness. In essence, they force us to confront our demons. “The Culture of Possibility: Art, Artists, and the Future” and other works by Arlene can be found on amazon.com    Hit the play arrow below to listen to their thoughtful discussion:

This time the Parkland students might make a difference. The killing of 17 students at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, has ignited a wave of protest across the country, championed by the students from that Florida school. Previous efforts to pressure legislators to change our gun laws has gone nowhere, but this time things may turn out differently. Whether or not they are ultimately successful will depend on how well they can sustain the movement. But right now the students seem to be on the right path, as evidenced by the events of the weekend of March 24. Estimates are 800,000 attended the rally in D.C., and it wasn’t just kids — in fact, it’s estimated that only about 10 percent of the participants were under 18. The average age in the crowd was just under 49 years old. And it wasn’t just in D.C. — there were about 800 March for Our Lives events all around the world with well over 2,000,000 participants. Here’s a sampling of the crowds in just a few cities: Atlanta Austin Berlin Boston Chicago Washington DC Detroit Houston London New York Paris Parkland Los Angeles Our Podcast hosts, Bill Wood and Peter Goldsmith, covered the event and interviewed some of the participants. They share their thoughts on the March for our Lives movement and it’s goals.

Social progress often springs from a society’s youth… now it’s time for the New Generation to step up and save us from ourselves.  Young people have always held a unique view of the world, often times willing by their boldness to create something different in the hope it will be something better. Two of the most shocking photos of war in Vietnam are of young people. One about to give up his life; the other in an extreme moment of madness, fear and the desperate intention on survival.  Once you have seen these two, actually looked closely at them, you will never forget these incredible images.

What we can do to begin the healing. In Part 3, Bill Wood and Peter Goldsmith discuss what we can do to get us to a better place. Waiting for our leaders to move the country toward unity is not likely. They are as divided, if not more so, than we citizens. In fact, they seem to be the primary sowers of discord — just listen to the rhetoric that pours out from both sides of the aisle. How does one tolerate the opposition when we’re fed that nonsense day after day. So that means it’s up to each one of us as individuals to get to the healing. Sure, we can try to put our differences aside and respect the rights of every one to their own opinions. But that’s not so easy — when we try to put aside our differences, the tendency is to think about those differences, so you’re back to where you started. The better way — get involved. Vote, join grassroots causes that you believe in, but most importantly, make an effort to belong to our society. By that we mean take an active role in non-partisan organizations that promote good will. You will feel connected and you’ll feel better about your neighbors, regardless of their values and beliefs. Hit the play arrow below to listen to Bill and Peter’s insightful discussion on the topic.