We’re excited to have trailblazing anthropologist, Dimitris Xygalatas, author of the highly acclaimed book Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living, tell us how his study of high-intensity rituals like coronations, firewalking, and terrifying rites of passage are just some examples of multiple universal expressions that link us together. He describes how apparently pointless ceremonies pervade every documented society, from handshakes to hexes, fraternity and sorority hazings to parades, share an underlying logic central to our experience.  He helps you, our listen ..read more

We love country music and have one of the best of the bunch here.  Houston Bernard is a popular and prolific independent country music artist, who has a blasting rockabilly voice and unbelievable songs. Houston who tours nationwide, and is an Army Veteran.  His whose country roots run deep with a family tree that includes songwriters, touring musicians, and an outlaw gunfighter nicknamed “Bitter Creek.”. Houston has released a series of singles, EPs and albums. In 2013, he released his debut self-titled EP and followed up with his first full-length album, Knockin’ Boots, in 2015. In ..read more

Mark Nicholls is the Chief Executive Officer at Information Professionals Group. In this role, he specializes in crafting strategic plans for clients, showcasing his leadership and expertise in the field of strategic planning. Mark is also a Director and previous Deputy Chair of the Australian Information Industry Association, the peak industry body for the digital technology sector in Australia. His experience spans public, commercial & and not-for-profit sectors, and he passionately believes in the immense benefits digital technology brings to organizations, communities, and nations. Ma ..read more

Joel Robinson is a citizen of the Osage Nation who currently lives in Louisville, Kentucky. He has a Bachelor's from Eastern Kentucky University in Recreational Park Administration and a Master's from Northwestern State University in Parks and Recreation Management. He currently works as an Evening and Weekend Studies Coordinator at a trade school in Kentucky while pursuing freelance writing projects. Joel joins us on the show to share more about his article Killers of the Flower Moon is not the movie an Osage would have made. You should still see it, why he wrote it, how it went viral and th ..read more

Jay Knowles was born in Texas, raised in Tennessee, and educated in Connecticut. Over the last 20 years, his songs have been recorded by classic singers like George Strait, Alan Jackson, and Harry Connick, Jr., as well as today's hottest Country stars like Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Lainey Wilson, and Raffi. Jay's professional honors include Number One songs on multiple charts, a BMI Million Air Award, and a Grammy nomination for Country Song of the Year. We’re excited to welcome Jay to the podcast to share more about the details about his songwriting career, the moments in musical history th ..read more

Dr. Jada Watson holds a Ph.D. in Musicology from Université Laval and a Master of Information Studies from the University of Ottawa. In 2020, she was awarded the Faculty of Arts Distinguished Teaching Award for Part-time Professors. She is the author of Whose Country Music? Genre, Identity, and Belonging in Twenty-First Century Country Music, a collection of essays forthcoming with Cambridge University Press. Since 2019, she has been the Digital Humanities Coordinator at the University of Ottawa, including the Digital Humanities Summer - the only bilingual digital humanities institute in Canad ..read more

Commissioner of the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States, Leonor was appointed by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith to examine the long-term strategic posture of the United States, including a threat assessment, detailed review of nuclear weapons policy and strategy, and recommendations as the most appropriate strategic posture and strategy moving forward. Leonor Tomero previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, supporting the Under Secretary ..read more

Melissa Fortunato, Founder and Chief Negotiation Officer (CNO) of Alchemy-Team, tells us about her 23-year FBI career as a Crisis Negotiator and Undercover Agent. Melissa is a graduate of Quantico’s famed negotiation training program and tells us how active listening and well-designed questions brought her remarkable success in resolving hostage for ransom, political kidnappings, and off-kilter abductions. On the show this week, she tells Paige and David how a “romantic” trip to Thailand led to a fake wedding and the chauffeur-driven apprehension of a large band of international arms dealers ..read more

This week on Disarming Data, we’re speaking with former Secret Service Agent Rich Latulip, who shares his unique experience in understanding cybersecurity threats from the inside as an undercover agent tasked with building relationships with known cyberterrorists. He tells us about staying at Thai beach resorts with cyber criminals so he can meet them in person—not on-line. He discusses the underground world of buying and selling credit card data and the challenges of conducting business as an undercover agent working with international law enforcement agencies. Rich also shares some of the ..read more

Dr. Sarah Nutter is a weight stigma researcher and an influential voice in the body positivity movement. With personal experience battling weight stigma and body dissatisfaction, Sarah has dedicated her career to understanding and combating the harmful effects of diet culture. Her groundbreaking work at the University of Victoria has shed light on the detrimental impact of media messages, societal beauty ideals, and weight loss efforts on individuals' mental and physical well-being. Sarah advocates for challenging societal norms, promoting positive body image, and redefining health beyond weig ..read more