The Armen Show

Fear is a driving force for much of the population, and Dr. Daniel T. Blumstein speaks about fear in his book The Nature of Fear: Survival Lessons from the Wild, released by Harvard University Press. Looking at marmots, snakes, and a variety of animals, in regards to their fear responses and biochemical adjustments, allows us to understand and manage our own fears. Professor Blumstein runs the Blumstein lab at UCLA in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology College. Project topics at the lab include evolution of social behavior and communication, antipredator vigilance, climate change and population biology, conservation behavior, biological impacts of tourism, and many more. From Wikipedia, Professor Blumstein is also “… a professor for the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability [at UCLA]. He has authored or co-authored over 300 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Furthermore, he authored the book The Failure of Environmental Education (and How We Can Fix It) with Charles Saylan, which was featured in the 2011 “Summer Reading: 7 Education Books to Take to the Beach” in Time Magazine. Because of his work in conservation and education, he was invited to join the panel at the first ever United States White House conference on environmental education. Blumstein earned a PhD in animal behavior in 1994 and a MS in animal behavior in 1990, both from the University of California, Davis. He earned a BA in environmental, population, and organismic biology as well as environmental conservation from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1986.” We spoke about marmot research, fear response, nonlinearities in sound, projects his lab is working on, sections from the book, how fear response is looked at, and more. Past guests mentioned in this episode, and the topic with which they were brought up: Professor Peter T. Coleman – Polarization Dr. Geoffrey West – Scaling Laws Dr. Azra Raza – Socialization During Dinner Gatherings You can check out The Nature of Fear on Amazon.

Welcome to episode 288, which might be my first one on this show that is both solo and still in video form. On this one, as the show continues its growth, I describe thoughts in relation to a quote I read that said “Continuation is power”. When I saw that, I recognized the value in it, and that I wanted to talk a bit about it. The people who continue along on a project path or a goal they started before represent their internal willpower when they put out that next thing. It says something to all others out there, and represents that they are still “in the market”. After covering this topic, I covered the topic of continued flow, and how stoppage has such an impact on where you can go in the short term. It’s like a weight that can become heavier by the day, each day that you skip working out, or whatever the activity may be.

Hello and welcome to episode 287 of the show. On this one, I look to recap a few past episodes, what I learned from them, and what you might be able to take away. The episodes are #274 with Dr. Geoffrey West, #268 with Dr. Maryam Baqir, and #267 with James Nestor. Dr. West gave us a sense of connection with humanity through biological and physics laws, while Dr. Baqir took us through the first Covid wave and her direct experience, and Mr. Nestor reminded us that there is a better way to breathe. I hope you enjoy the episode, and I look to do more recaps like this one.

We are joined on episode 286 of the show by guest Robert Bilott. He is an environmental attorney at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP. He is the author of Exposure: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed, and One Lawyer’s Twenty-Year Battle against DuPont, which was then turned into the 2019 film Dark Waters. From his bio, Robert is “A seasoned and internationally-recognized litigator, advocate, and author, Rob represents a diverse range of clients on a wide variety of matters involving federal, state, and local environmental laws. For more than 29 years, he has handled environmental issues of regulatory compliance, permitting, and corporate/real estate transactions, as well as all aspects of litigation arising from such issues, from administrative hearings to multi-party, complex multi-district litigation, mass torts, and class actions.” Show notes: Robert’s background becoming an environmental attorney and progressing in the fieldDark Waters and its representation of Robert’s extended battle with Dupont regarding PFOAs and related chemicalsthe difference in impact of his book and the filmthe details of the case against Dupontsome personality traits that match with being an environmental attorneyand much more You can check out Exposure on Amazon, or Dark Waters on IMDb.

Glad to have you all on here for episode 285 – this one is a treat because it includes visuals of the paintings, sculptures, clothing, and crystals created and procured by Dr. Robby Gordon, who has created the Hollywood Gallery and Sculpture Garden. These entities are packed with artistic works of his own, along with those of many others who he knows of. Dr. Robby Gordon studied art at the University of California Irvine, Irvine Valley College, and Golden West. He also studied at the University of Bologna and UCLA. He spent his first 21 years in Israel, subsequently moving to Europe, where he studied and became increasingly involved in the art world. The Hollywood Sculpture Garden as seen at night Show notes: Robby’s background as an artist, and some of the various works he has createdhow long it took him to set up his gallery in the form that it is, and how he has kept at it dailysome of the countries he has been to, and the culture and artistic sense acquired from those regionsthe things he looked for in the residence he would later use to host the gallery, and how it is necessary to pin down what is important to you in lifekeeping things varied in terms of types of artistic works made, and how Robby has created in so many styles, such that he takes on a category until he feels like it is on to the next onethe many crystals and rocks that he showcases in his facilitya video walk-through of his gallery, narrated by Robby and recorded by myself Having Robby on the show, and recording the episode in person, was a nice change of pace for the content. You can check out the Hollywood Gallery and Sculpture Garden website. Award speechAt a functionWork being doneWalls being removedThe original hillsideEarly work on the hill

Welcome to episode 284 of the show, with Dr. Jeffrey Rediger, MD, MDiv, faculty member at Harvard Medical School, Medical Director of McLean SE Adult Psychiatry Community Affairs at McLean Hospital, and Chief of Behavioral Medicine at Good Samaritan Medical Center. Dr. Rediger is author of Cured: The Life-Changing Science of Spontaneous Healing, and covers ways that people have been cured or healed without the need for regular types of treatment. Taking into account well-being and a person’s specific needs is something hospitals are doing more and more. Show notes: what a medical director does at a hospital, and what Dr. Rediger has been part of for nearly two decadessome of the medical issues that his psychiatric hospital is skilled at dealing withconcepts in Cured, including how healing can take place outside of typical treatmentthe way that well-being comes into play, and how placebos can showcase the ability of the body to heal itselfthe importance of a diet that has specific elements kept out, which were not natural to humans for most of historyinsights about mental health, and the effect of the terma message to all who could use a guide for their mental well-being Glad to have Dr. Rediger on the show. You can check out his website and Cured on Amazon.

In episode 15, which was 268 episodes ago, I mentioned my two past Ebooks, along with a couple of quotes from the one called “Quote Analysis: Volume 1”, but I did not go into detail about each quote. In this audio, I cover all 11 quotes, and my current take on what they mean. Listing of the quotes: By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.Benjamin Franklin If I can picture that, I’ll bring a picture back.O’Shea Jackson Real education must ultimately be limited to [people] who insist on knowing, the rest is mere sheep-herding.Ezra Pound If everything seems under control, you’re just not going fast enough.Mario Andretti The [person] who never makes a mistake always takes orders from one who does.Daisy Bates He who hesitates is a damned fool.Mae West When ability exceeds ambition, or ambition exceeds ability, the likelihood of success is limited.Ralph Half It’s not about timing; it’s about preparation.Unknown First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.Mahatma Gandhi To be understood, first seek to understand.Stephen Covey The mind, ever the willing servant, will respond to boldness, for boldness, in effect, is a command to deliver.Norman Vincent Peale We take note of these short communications from these individuals, and what we can do with them today.

We switch it up on The Armen Show every so often. On this episode #282, I will be answering 28.2 questions about myself and the show, as far as my perspective and responses as though I am being interviewed. I find it to be fairly informative. The first 9 questions, and one later one, are made up by myself, and the other 19 questions are taken from a 19 Podcast Interview Questions article online. It is a mix of my own material and that from outside. Here are the questions answered on the show: When did you start this podcast?What does it mean to you to have a podcast?What kinds of topics do you most like to cover on the show?How does a podcast work?What are some goals you have for the show?What styles of podcasts do you most relate with outside of your own?How would you describe 2020?What books do you recommend for someone wanting to read something new?What do you most like to see for others?What’s something people seem to misunderstand about you?What should I ask you that I didn’t know enough to ask?What is something you have learned in the past year that has been important?Tell me about a patient that touched your heart, and tell me about a patient that changed your practice.What makes you feel inspired or like your best self?What is one thing that your program did for your client that you didn’t expect?If you could have a billboard with anything on it, what would it be and why?If you could turn back the time and talk to your 18-year old self, what would you tell him/her?If in 150 years sciences fails to save us & all that is left is a book about your life….What would the title be and what would the blurb tell us about “INSERT NAME”.What does being Ridiculously Human mean to you?If you had £100million to spend on health tech and no red tape, how would you spend itWhat’s the most important thing you’ve learned in your life? What was your life like before learning it? What was your life like after learning it?What is your best tip for making the world a better place?If you can do anything to improve health and healthcare in rural America, what would you do?If I could remove all barriers and constraints what project would you do and would you want to be known only by that projectWhat is the best compliment you have ever received?How would your parents describe what you do for a living?If you could have dinner with any 3 people dead or alive who would it be and why?What would you pick for a last meal?28.2. This 0.2 questions is in the show~ It is almost like a self-interview. We mix it up here on the show, and sometimes we reach from sources outside of the show. Glad to have you as a listener.

Welcome to episode 281 of the show, where I cover a few messages and topics in a monologue type of form. The main theme on this one is that there is value outside yourself to absorb from, and you can tag on to the stories of others to enhance the story of your own. Show notes: looking at the stories and path of othersgetting value from things outside yourself, and letting the experiences of others bring you messages and understandingthe different types of markets that existparticipating in the markets of your choosingbringing the people around you up, and what that can do for youhow to bring the people around you uphow acting in line with your true nature matches you in the long-term, but can have slight drawbacks in the short-term Glad to have you listening, and we continue to the future.

Welcome London Business School Professor Dan Cable to episode 280 of the show. He has come out with a new book titled Exceptional: Build Your Personal Highlight Reel and Unlock Your Potential. Building your highlights into a listing of strengths can give you motivation to use moving forward. He is Professor of Organizational Behavior and received his Masters and PhD in Labor and Industrial Relations at Cornell University. He gives us guidelines for how to envision our life, focus on what we bring to the table, and grow as a person. He has given a TEDx Talk on how to have a Best-Self Activation, and wrote a previous book in 2018 called Alive at Work. Show notes: Professor Cable’s background, and how he got into the field he is currently infocusing on what we do correctly or well in lifelooking at what limits us, whether clearly or in a hidden formwhat it means to create your personal highlight reelimagining your own eulogy, and seeing what that says about your lifecrafting a life that you want to live, instead of one that is offered to you without specificity to your tastemessages for life