PRETEND

Guess what? Pretend Radio turns one year old this month. So I thought it would be cool to replay some old guest interviews I've done on other shows.  (01:00) Generation Why Podcast Interview - I talk about Vester Flanagan, the reporter who murdered the news crew live on television(14:23) Maurer Glass Podcast Interview - Learn how I find my guests and behind the scenes insights(30:22) The Live Canary Interview - I traded a story for a beer I'll be back soon with a new episode. In the meantime, spread the word.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's episode "The Babalawo" is about Santeria… the faith, not the song.Unlike the pop tune, not a lot of people know about this mysterious religion. Santería, also known as Regla de Ochá, La Regla de Ifá, or Lucumí, is an Afro-Cuban religion that means the worship of saints.So, you maybe asking yourself, “Javier, where’s the pretend angle here?” Well, this religion in particular gives me the heebie jeebies. I feel like people visit these Santeria priests like if they’re fortune tellers. Are they just taking advantage of people’s emotions or am I discriminating on this faith? Spoiler alert… I’m pretty sure I’m discriminating against their faith.But, I’m better than that right? Are my fears real or is this just a bunch of urban legends? Well, there’s only one way to find out. I need to travel to my hometown of Miami and embed myself in the Santeria community. First, I had to find a babalawo. What’s a babalawo? A babalawo is a Santeria priest who acts as a medium channeling the prophecy from the Orishas. Orishas are spirits who are a manifestation of the supreme God Olodumare. In this episode, we’ll get into the history and origins of Santeria. I also talk with a Santeria priest and priestess to learn more about their secret rituals.-----LIES, LIES, LIES-----Has someone ever lied to you? Have you ever lied to protect someone else? Send me your personal story and I'll post it on my Patreon channel. https://www.patreon.com/pretendradioIf you'd like to submit a story, leave me a voicemail at 919-867-1871 or record your story on your smart phone's voice memo app and email it to me at javier@pretendradio.org. -----MUSIC-----Theme Music composed by Joe Basile from The Chicken Music and Sound Design. Find out more about Joe and The Chicken at www.thechicken.netAdditional music by Podington Bear-----PROMOS-----Promos by:Beyond Bizarre Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How does a good cop turn bad? For Ruben Palomares, a former corrupt LAPD Rampart division officer, the process was slow. He went from receiving LAPD’s highest honor to becoming one of the most corrupt cops in US history.Officer Palomares’ story begins with his first undercover assignment. In the late 1980s there was this show called 21 Jump Street. Johnny Depp starred in it. It was about undercover cops, who pretended to be students, in order to bust drug dealers in schools.But did you know that back in the 1994, the Los Angeles police department juvenile narcotics unit actually recruited young officers to infiltrate classrooms in order to investigate drug dealers? They couldn’t just get any cop to fill this undercover role. They needed a fresh face who could blend in with the students. So, they approached officer Ruben Palomares.In 1995, Ruben Palomares got transferred to LAPD’s Rampart Division where he continued to work undercover cases. He was specifically assigned to the anti-gang unit called CRASH. CRASH is an acronym for the Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums. This is when Ruben’s fate will be decided.-----BURNER PHONE PODCAST-----You can find Burner Phone Podcast on Apple Podcast and Twitter.-----MUSIC-----Theme Music composed by Joe Basile from The Chicken Music and Sound Design. Find out more about Joe and The Chicken at www.thechicken.net Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A lie is only powerful if you choose to believe it. So why do we fall for it every time? In this episode, we’ll hear four different stories. Each describes a tall tale, so persistent, that it’s hard to imagine someone keeping all the lies straight in their head. Each one of these stories reminds me of the movie The Truman Show. It seems like everyone I spoke with lived in a world carefully created just for them. Now it’s time to ask you. Have you ever been lied to? Or have you ever told a lie in order to do the right thing? I invite you to share your story on Pretend Radio. If selected, your story will be featured as bonus content on our Patreon channel. Patreon is a way that you can support the show. And who knows, your story could be featured on the main show. If you would like to share your story, record your story using your smartphone voice recording app and email your audio to javier@pretendradio.org. Or leave me a voice mail at (919) 867-1871. Please try to keep your story under 10 minutes. Don’t forget to leave me your name and a way to contact you. I can’t wait to listen to your stories. Theme Music composed by Joe Basile from The Chicken Music and Sound Design. Find out more about Joe and The Chicken at www.thechicken.net Additional music by:Podington Bear - BambiPodington Bear - TwosomePodington Bear - BumblePodington Bear - Suppose it is Thank you to Steven Pacheco with the Trace Evidence Podcast and Nicki T with the Strictly Homicide Podcast for partnering with me on this episode. And I’d love to thank Carly Nichols and Andrea Hill for listening and taking the time to talk with me. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Previously on Pretend Radio, we learned how Art Schlichter’s gambling habits destroyed Anita Barney life. She went from being the wealthy widow of a Wendy’s CEO to becoming broke and struggling to pay her light bill. In part two of The Gambler, we’re going to talk about how Anita went from being Art Schlichter’s victim to his accomplice. You can find Anita Barney's memoir titled "Quarterback Sneak: Exposing the Criminal Game Plan of Art Schlichter" on Amazon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is the story of disgraced Ohio State quarterback Art Schlichter.In order to understand Art Schlichter’s crimes, you first have to understand how his story ends. Anita Barney, heiress and widow of a former Wendy’s CEO, lost every single penny her husband left her. Art Schlichter and Anita BarneyHow did it happen? Art Schlichter gambled away her entire fortune. This episode was written and produced by Javier LeivaMusic by:Cylinder Eight by Chris ZabriskieCareless Morning, Bivly, Pxl Eventuat, Pxl Cray, Pxl Ultra by Blue Dot SessionsBittersweet, Pounded Piano by Podington BearNo More Trap by Audiobinger Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Warning, this episode may be disturbing for some listeners. It describes a shooting that resulted in the death of two people. While this story is not technically about a mass shooting, it has every characteristic of one. This is the story of Bryce Williams, the reporter who murdered Alison Parker and Adam Ward live on television. It turns out Bryce Williams is not his real name. Bryce Williams is just a pseudonym for his on air personality. The killer’s real name is Vester Flanagan.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Karl comes from a long line of con men. He says both his grandfather and father were swindlers. It's only natural that Karl slipped into the family business.In today's episode, Karl talks about bribing corrupt company building managers. He says he sold them cheap light bulbs, trash can liners, and cleaning supplies at a premium price. In exchange for buying overpriced products, Karl would send these building managers gifts and cash. He made lots of money working as a B2B telemarketer. He eventually started his own company doing the same scheme. Karl admits that what he was doing was unethical, but surely it wasn't illegal. Finally, he got his answer when the FBI and the Postal Inspector's office showed with a subpoena.Jerri Williams, the FBI agent who busted him, says she could have locked him up right then and there—but she had bigger plans for Karl.----Special thanks to Jerri Williams for contributing her episode titled, "Karl LNU."This episode was written and produced by Javier Leiva and Jerri Williams.Subscribe to Pretend Radio:Apple Podcasts:tiny.cc/PretendApplePodcastGoogle Play:tiny.cc/PretendGooglePlay http://jerriwilliams.com/cooperating-witness-telemarketing-fraud/You can learn more about Jerri Williams at jerriwilliams.com---This episode includes promos from the following independent podcasts:-Maurer Glass Podcast-The Breakers Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Candis Cox and her husband Adam live in North Carolina. This is their love story. Their story is unremarkable in many ways. They met at a bar, went on a date, and eventually married after years of dating. What makes this story special is listening to them retell it. But love doesn’t come without sacrifice. This is a story about being your true self, even when the world is making you pretend to be someone else. The boy and the girl was written and produced by Javier Leiva and Wendy Gatlin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last time, I spoke with a group of women who drink a bleach-type chemical that they claim cures everything from cancer to depression. I soon discovered that parents are forcefully giving bleach enemas to kids with autism. In this episode, I interview Kerri Rivera, the woman leading this movement, and find out why she thinks this chlorine dioxide treatment is the cure for autism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices