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At an early age, Mark McGonigle had a mystical experience. He says he was prone to them. The 8th of nine children, McGonigle is keenly tuned in to the power of observation and going with the flow. As a child, his family camped a lot and he believes the mere acts of being in nature so frequently prepared him for a life of mindfulness and meditation. Now, as a therapist for over two decades, he applies his training and life experiences through a practice called Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. In this conversation, we discuss what mindfulness is and is not, what meditation is and is not, how the two are different and how each intersects with religious practices and traditions. Additionally, Mark shares an amazing story about his father, a WW2 fighter pilot, and hero. Find Mark McGonigle online at https://www.markmcgonigle.com/ and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/WiseMindLCSW. Find Unspecified online at: Website: https://unspecifiedpod.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/unspecifiedpod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unspecifiedpod If you like this podcast, please consider leaving a good rating and a nice review wherever you enjoy listening to podcasts. It truly helps others discover Unspecified. Music for Unspecified is written & performed by Snacky. http://snackymusic.com

You may have noticed that the health insurance world is in utter chaos right now. Costs are way up, service is way down, and satisfaction is at an all-time low. People are hacking their way around and through it in an effort to get an appropriate level of care. The Direct Primary Care concept isn’t anything new. It’s the way healthcare used to work. Your neighborhood had a family doctor and everyone went to him or her. Costs were reasonable, and relationships were part of the treatment. Dr. Heybrock, and thousands of physicians like him, believe that old-school approach is superior and can still work. After installing a similar approach for a multi-billion dollar health tech company, Heybrock adapted this unique approach for the general public in Kansas City and started Health Studio (http://www.healthstudiokc.com/). In this conversation, Dr. Heybrock breaks down the differences between traditional primary care and direct primary care, why he believes it is superior, and the results his patients are already receiving through this holistic approach to medicine. Find Dr. Heybrock online at: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthstudiokc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthstudiokc Website: http://www.healthstudiokc.com Find Unspecified online at: Website: https://unspecifiedpod.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/unspecifiedpod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unspecifiedpod If you like this podcast, please consider leaving a good rating and a nice review wherever you enjoy listening to podcasts. It truly helps others discover Unspecified. Music for Unspecified is written & performed by Snacky. http://snackymusic.com

This past week about 200 migrants traveling north from the southernmost part of Mexico made it to the United States border near San Diego. These migrants were part of the caravan that the Trump Administration claimed were full of awful people coming to the states to take jobs and harm Americans. Ariel Prado was with them and has a different story. In this conversation, Prado recounts his time with the people of the caravan in Pueblo, Mexico and why he traveled to commune with them as a member of the Innovation Law Lab. Learn more about what is happening with the caravan by following events posted to their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PuebloSF. You can learn more about and locate the detention centers talked about in the episode at https://www.ice.gov/detention-facilities. Also, check out https://www.detentionwatchnetwork.org. Finally, learn more about the work Prado and the Innovation Law Lab are doing at https://innovationlawlab.org Find Unspecified online at: WWW: https://unspecifiedpod.com IG: https://instagram.com/unspecifiedpod FB: https://facebook.com/unspecifiedpod If you like this podcast, please consider leaving a good rating and a nice review wherever you enjoy listening to podcasts. It truly helps others discover Unspecified. Music for Unspecified is written & performed by Snacky. http://snackymusic.com

On average in America, 34 people are murdered with a gun every day, 59 people kill themselves with a gun, and 46 are shot or killed in an accident with a gun. One in three people in America knows someone who has been shot. A fifth of kids age 14 to 17 has witnessed a shooting. After car wrecks, gun murders are the leading cause of death for Americans age 1 to 19.* Gun violence is a uniquely American epidemic, and the women of Moms Demand Action are on a mission to bring it to an end. Erin Gingrich-Gaylord is a local group leader for Moms Demand Action. Julie Drew leads survivor outreach for the Kansas City Moms Demand Action group. Andrea Kimball is the regional trainer for Be Smart For Kids trainer, a Moms Demand Action affiliate. Before you write this off as another anti-gun podcast episode, give it a chance. You might be surprised by what Moms Demand Action is all about. In fact, the members of MDA seem to understand that the best way to preserve a constitutional right is by keeping it up to date through common sense regulations. Learn more about Moms Demand Action at https://momsdemandaction.org. To join text "JOIN" to 64433. Find them online at: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MomsDemandAction Twitter: https://twitter.com/momsdemand Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsdemand Check out Be Smart online at http://besmartforkids.org and their fantastic resources for talking to your kids about guns, and keeping guns responsibly. Find Unspecified online at: WWW: https://unspecifiedpod.com IG: https://instagram.com/unspecifiedpod FB: https://facebook.com/unspecifiedpod If you like this podcast, please consider leaving a good rating and a nice review wherever you enjoy listening to podcasts. It truly helps others discover Unspecified. Music for Unspecified is written & performed by Snacky. http://snackymusic.com * http://www.bradycampaign.org/about-gun-violence

This is a replay of Unspecified episode #4! Way back machine (kinda). Stern is a champion of Universal Basic Income (UBI) and as you'll hear in our conversation believes that society at large would be much better off everyone was able to work from a basic level of safety. Stern isn't the only one championing UBI, he's joined by some of the worlds brightest and most innovative minds: Elon Musk, Richard Branson, and Mark Zuckerberg to name a few. Additionally, Stockton, CA recently introduced UBI for its citizens. Stockton Mayor, Michael Tubbs (@MichaelDTubbs) this year introduced SEED, Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration. A Basic Income program that will pay $500 a month to some of the city's lowest income citizens. Andy Stern is the former president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Under his tenure, they grew by over a million workers and became the largest political action committee in the United States. He is now Senior Fellow at the Economic Security Project. Stern has been featured on 60 Minutes and CNN, as Fox News Power Player of the Week and on the covers of the New York Times Magazine, Fortune, and Businessweek. CBS News described him as the "most important labor boss in America." President Obama appointed Stern to the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (AKA Simpson-Bowles). He has been called one of the chief architects of healthcare reform and is considered one of the most powerful people in healthcare. He is also the author of two books: A Country That Works and Raising the Floor: How a Universal Basic Income Can Renew Our Economy and Rebuild the American Dream. You can find Andy's books on Amazon, or wherever you like to buy books. Finally, you can find Andy on Twitter as @AndyStern_DC. Find Unspecified online at: WWW: https://unspecifiedpod.com IG: https://instagram.com/unspecifiedpod FB: https://facebook.com/unspecifiedpod If you like this podcast, please consider leaving a good rating and a nice review wherever you enjoy listening to podcasts. It truly helps others discover Unspecified. Music for Unspecified is written & performed by Snacky. http://snackymusic.com

About fifteen years ago someone asked Nate Jackson if he had ever heard of DATA. DATA was an organization started by U2 frontman, Bona, to take on, among other things, the AIDS crisis in Africa. Jackson was intrigued, it was the first time he’d heard of a celebrity doing more than a shout out, a t-shirt, or something fleeting. This changed the trajectory of what he thought would be his career. Since that time Jackson has spent years advocating on behalf of the working poor, people working their asses off, yet still unable to get ahead for one reason or another. He’s worked to affect healthcare policy, feed people in food deserts, and provide affordable housing. He brings to the conversation not only years of experience but a perspective most of us do not have because he works with people afflicted by this inequality every day. Learn more about Nate, and his efforts at Reconciliation Services at https://www.rs3101.org. Also, the book discussed in the podcast, And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic can be found at https://www.amazon.com/Band-Played-Politics-Epidemic-20th-Anniversary-ebook/dp/B000V761ZA/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1518482287&sr=1-1&keywords=and+the+band+played+on Find Unspecified online at: WWW: https://unspecifiedpod.com IG: https://instagram.com/unspecifiedpod FB: https://facebook.com/unspecifiedpod If you like this podcast, please consider leaving a good rating and a nice review wherever you enjoy listening to podcasts. It truly helps others discover Unspecified. Music for Unspecified is written & performed by Snacky. http://snackymusic.com

Zaid Consuegra (@kcmo_pirate, IG) is a self-made man, and he’s done so with way less than you might think. Consuegra is a serial entrepreneur with three successful businesses to his name. He is also a DACA Recipient now living with the threat of deportation every day. At any moment he could lose his current business, a beloved coffee shop and vegan eatery in Kansas City, MO, by being deported to Mexico, a country he left as a child and knows very little about. He shares his story, what it’s like living as an undocumented person in America, the fear of registering for DACA, why he’s no longer fearful, and what Dreamers really want from the Dream Act and immigration reform. Read Zaid’s guest commentary in the Kansas City Star: http://www.kansascity.com/opinion/readers-opinion/guest-commentary/article188177234.html Watch Zaid on Your Fellow Americans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBlmPKR4rKk, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dEHZT-4f_M Thanks also to Alan Sunkel of Swing Left for dropping by to talk about what Swing Left is working to accomplish and how you can get involved. Swing Left is working to flip or preserve 70 districts for the Democratic party in this year's mid-term election. Taking control of the House is America’s best opportunity to reign in the madness coming out of the White House. Learn more and VOLUNTEER at https://swingleft.org/ and http://swingleftks03.org. Find Unspecified online at: WWW: https://unspecifiedpod.com IG: https://instagram.com/unspecifiedpod FB: https://facebook.com/unspecifiedpod If you like this podcast, please consider leaving a good rating and a nice review wherever you enjoy listening to podcasts. It truly helps others discover Unspecified. Music for Unspecified is written & performed by Snacky. http://snackymusic.com

The last time Donald Carter (@donaldcarterkc, IG) was on Unspecified, he had just made national headlines for a random act of kindness. In this episode, we get into the whirlwind of that experience, what he lead him to discover about himself, and how it affected his view of community and what is truly important. You can reach out to Donald on Twitter at https://twitter.com/donaldcarterkc, and Instagram at https://instagram.com/donaldcarterkc. Find Unspecified online at: WWW: https://unspecifiedpod.com IG: https://instagram.com/unspecifiedpod FB: https://facebook.com/unspecifiedpod If you like this podcast, please consider leaving a good rating and a nice review wherever you enjoy listening to podcasts. It truly helps others discover Unspecified. Music for Unspecified is written & performed by Snacky. http://snackymusic.com

Steve Wilson (@sainte.music, IG) & Matt Wertz (@mattwertz, IG) go way back. Matt is an indie pop singer-songwriter darling, and Steve is one of the music industry’s most cutting-edge producers. Matt credits Steve for getting him into songwriting, and Steve produced Matt’s first record. More than 10 records later, Matt is still going strong and touring the globe. Steve has since produced countless records, earned multiple Grammy & Dove nominations, developed dozens of artists, and has just as many songwriting credits to his name. This podcast was supposed to be two episodes. One with each guest, fortunately, it worked out that both were able to join the same episode. Perhaps there needs to be a follow up one-on-one conversation with each. We dove into the craft of songwriting, the business of music, and what it’s like “havin’ a roni” - thanks Vanilla Ice. Find Steve Wilson on Instagram at @sainte.music. Feel free to let him know that his website needs to be turned on, too. 😉 Find Matt Wertz online at http://mattwertz.com, and @mattwertz on all the socials. Finally, don’t forget to check out Mixtape - the song and scenario card game at http://mixtapethegame.com. The game is sold out all over, but Mixtape wants to give two lucky Unspecified listeners a chance to win the game from their personal stash. To win simply go Like Unspecified on Facebook at https://facebook.com/unspecifiedpod. Eric will choose two fans to win Mixtape. Theme music by Snacky! Listen to more at https://www.snackymusic.com.

Jeremy Collins (@jercollins_com, IG) is an artist, story teller, filmmaker, rock climber… you name it, Jeremy’s probably done it. Chances are you’ve seen his work in and on the cover of National Geographic, the Wall Street Journal, Outside, Patagonia, Nat Geo TV, and many others. Collins’ passions are myriad. He’s all at once an outspoken conservationist, a quiet family man, a gregarious jokester, and a shrewd businessman. The one constant is  his steadfast determination to go where he’s drawn. Find Jeremy on line at https://jercollins.com. On Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jercollins_com, and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JeremyCollinsArt. While you’re at it, check out his films on Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/jercollins. Thanks, again, to Koss for sponsoring this episode of Unspecified. Check them out at https://www.koss.com. Theme music by Snacky. Listen to them at http://snackymusic.com.

Few people are born creative, driven, and organized. You usually get 2 of the 3. Martin Moore (@martinmoorejr, TW) was born with all 3. For someone so visible, and seemingly open, Moore is a bit enigmatic. He’s lived in Milwaukee, WI all his life, but hates snow. He’s a gifted musician but quit music. He’s a talented mechanic but hates cars. In this conversation, Moore talks about identifying and following dreams, working your ass off, and why Friday’s suck. Find Martin Moore online at Twitter (@martinmoorejr), Instagram (@martinmoorejr), Facebook (@martinmoorejr), and YouTube (@martinmoorejr). Notice a pattern? ################### This episode of Unspecified is brought to you by Koss Headphones. Hearing is believing. For being a listener of Unspecified, Koss wants you to win a pair of their Porta Pro headphones. To enter to win, call (816) 282-2626, and leave a message describing the best thing you’ve heard all year. A winner will be chosen at random on December 20, 2017, and announce on Unspecified on December 21, 2017. ################### Theme music by Snacky. Give them a listen at http://www.snackymusic.com/. If you like Unspecified, please subscribe to and rate the podcast on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods.

Merritt Benz recalls her time in Brooklyn, NY working to keep juveniles out of prison. She would take the train into the most poverty-stricken parts of the city, walk through neighborhoods decimated by crime, and into buildings full of families trying to do whatever they could to stay together. In all that, she was able to find humanity, speak truth, and project love. Today, Benz is focused on equipping individuals, couples, kids & teens with tools to manage shame and all manner of self-doubt. She has studied with Dr. Brené Brown, the creator of The Daring Way™, a highly experiential methodology focused on developing daily practices that transform the way her clients live, love, parent, and lead. Benz is outspoken, but in a way that isn’t brash. Though, she might love foul language more than Eric. She’s also developed quite a practice of writing nasty, often vulgar, letters to her feelings. Find Merritt on the web at http://bedfordtherapygroup.com, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thebedfordtherapygroup, and on Instagram at https://www.facebook.com/thebedfordtherapygroup. Lastly, check out the podcast, On Being, mentioned in the conversation: https://onbeing.org/programs/brene-brown-the-courage-to-be-vulnerable-jan2015/, and the piece by Mark Manson, also discussed, at https://markmanson.net/fuck-your-feelings. Theme music by Snacky. Hear more at http://www.snackymusic.com.

Jon Brick’s Mother asked him for a favor about 3 years ago. She asked if he would make a promotional video for an organization she supported. For free. Of course, he obliged. Upon meeting the subject of the video he realized there was more to her story, and knew - just knew - that it had to be told in full. And that’s how Jon Brick came to produce and direct his first, feature-length film: Uncommon Allies. Brick fell in love with filmmaking as a child when he discovered his Dad's VHS camcorder. He and his brother commandeered the device and set off making films with their friends. He later parlayed that experience into a job with Yahoo! producing some of the web's first original webisodes. In this episode of Unspecified, Jon and Eric talk about how Uncommon Allies came to be, high-speed car chases with the cops, and that time President George W. Bush made a questionable joke while he was filming. Find more of Jon online at jonbrick.com. This episode of Unspecified with Eric Hurst is sponsored by Koss Headphones. Hearing is believing. koss.com. Koss is giving away a pair of headphones to a lucky Unspecified listener. To win call (816) 282-2626 and leave a voicemail about the best thing you've heard all year. On December 20th, Eric will pick a winner at random from those that have left voicemails. The winner will be announced on December 21st.

Blake Miller (@ImBmills, TW) describes himself as a simple man who believes technology can solve the world's problems and it should be discussed over BBQ. What’s hidden in that simple description is decades of experience creating, selling, investing in, and advising a ridiculous number of startups. Blake is a serial entrepreneur with expertise in growth marketing and the Internet of Things. He currently serves as the CEO of Homebase.AI and is a partner at Think Big Partners. As Accelerator Director at Think Big, Blake championed a smart city initiative in Kansas City, MO. The Smart City corridor stretches 2 miles through downtown KC and equips the city with real-time data used to efficiently deliver basic services. In 2017, the Kansas City Smart Initiative was awarded the Edison Innovation Award. Also, as a teenager, Blake bought a small pro-wrestling blog and turned it into the webs first, and best source for pro-wrestling news and gossip. Seriously. Find Blake online: Twitter: @ImBmills - https://twitter.com/imbmills Instagram: @ImBmills - https://www.instagram.com/imbmills/ www: http://blakemiller.co Find Unspecified online: Instagram: @UnspecifiedPod - https://www.instagram.com/unspecifiedpod Facebook: @UnspecifiedPod - https://www.facebook.com/unspecifiedpod Unspecified soundtrack by Snacky. Hear more at http://www.snackymusic.com/.

On the eve of Thanksgiving in 2011 Rosilyn Temple’s son was murdered in his apartment. He was going to start a new job the next week. Instead of allowing anger and sadness to get the best of her, Rosilyn threw herself into the service of others. Specifically, she set out to be a resource and comforter to families affected by homicide. In 2013 Temple founded the Kansas City chapter of Mothers in Charge. As a national organization, Mothers in Charge seeks to reduce violent crime through prevention, education, intervention, and to guide and support the families of victims. Temple, however, has gone an extra mile and forged an alliance with the Kansas City Police Department. Along with the KCPD, Temple responds to every homicide in the city. On Saturday, November 11th KC Mothers in Charge will debut Uncommon Alliance, a documentary three years in the making. Uncommon Allies shows how Rosilyn Temple, in the wake and devastation of her son’s murder, turned a personal search for justice into a lilife-changing community call to action. Learn more about Mothers in Charge at http://www.kcmothersincharge.org. Find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kcmothersincharge/, and Twitter at https://twitter.com/kcmic. Learn more about the film Uncommon Alliance, and buy tickets to the screening on November 11th at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/uncommon-allies-documentary-screening-event-11112017-tickets-38780721181.

Dan Doty (@danieldoty, TW) believes that every man can and should be living a more purposeful, connected and fulfilling life. On this belief, he founded EVRYMAN with the intent of impacting generations of men to help them become better men, partners, and fathers. Ultimately, with EVRYMAN, Doty is out to change what it means to be a man in our society: to be in touch with their feelings, wants, and to fully express needs and desires in a supportive culture and community. Dan is a midwest guy that grew up in the woods hunting, fishing, playing football, working manual labor jobs, and attending more heavy metal concerts than should be legal. Through it all, he maintained a keen ability for creating relationships and mentoring. After a couple years teaching 9th & 10th grade in the Bronx, he again started mentoring young men through wilderness expeditions. However, he got an opportunity he couldn’t pass up in the television industry. He earned a PA role on the wilderness based TV show MeatEater. He quickly carved out a niche for himself producing, shooting and directing outdoor-based shows. When his son was born, he felt a strong urge to do more, and he left it all behind to create EVRYMAN. Doty now runs EVRYMAN with a couple co-founders and hosts their weekly podcast, The EVRYMAN Podcast. Listen to The EVRYMAN Podcast at http://directory.libsyn.com/shows/view/id/evrymanpodcast Find Dan on: Twitter: @danieldoty - https://twitter.com/danieldoty Facebook: @dandotymentor - https://www.facebook.com/dandotymentor Instagram: @danieldoty - https://www.instagram.com/danieldoty www: dan-doty.com   Find EVRYMAN on: Twitter: @EvrymanMovement - https://twitter.com/EvrymanMovement Facebook: @evryman.co - https://www.facebook.com/evryman.co Instagram: @_evryman_ - https://www.instagram.com/_evryman_www: evryman.co

Every year, nearly 200,000 Americans lose a limb due to amputation. Many prosthetics cost well into 5 figures, and even higher, and many health insurance plans don’t cover them. BIlly Brimblecom Jr. is Director at Steps of Faith Foundation (http://www.stepsoffaithfoundation.org). Steps of Faith reconnects amputees their communities, families, and workforces by relieving the financial burden of prosthetic care. In this conversation, Eric & Billy discuss Billy’s indie rock drummer god background, how he lost his left leg, and finding what he was meant to do. They also talk about a little thing called Thudergong!” (https://www.thundergong.org). On November 12th, Steps of Faith Foundation will present Thundergong! A benefit concert featuring Jason Sudeikis, Will Forte, Fred Armisen, Wynona Judd, Matt Wertz, The Get Up Kids, Krizz Kaliko, Cactus Moser and many many surprises. Perhaps even some surprise guests. 😉  If you’re in, near, or able to get to the Kansas City, MO area on November 12th, you should. This show is going to be amazing, and by purchasing a ticket you’ll be supporting Billy & Steps of Faith. Find Billy online at: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/billybrimblecom Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/billy.brimblecom Twitter - https://twitter.com/BillyBrimblecom

This week was set to feature a great guest, one I’ve been chasing for a while. Sometimes plans change, you know? So, instead of just one guest, you get three guests! This episode features segments from three standout conversations in Unspecified’s short three months. Tricia Bushnell kicks off talking about innocence law & the Midwest Innocence Project. Donald Carter follows with a segment about systemic racism in law enforcement. Lastly, Damon Amendolara of CBS Sports Radio brings a segment about being available and saying “Yes!”   Thanks for listening, sharing, rating and reviewing. I love hearing from you, and it’s great to see the listener base growing. If you’re new to Unspecified, please feel free to check out earlier episodes. Of course, the 3 featured in this episode, and about a dozen more.

Climate change is a hot topic. Hurricanes are more frequent and fierce. Rainfall is more concentrated and violent. And forest fires rage more fierce and deadly. To understand all of this T.R. Kidder studies climate change from the past to understand our climate change future. As a Professor of Environmental Studies at Washington University in St. Louis, Kidder focuses on how climate and environment shape society. In this episode, Kidder will introduce you to the concept of Anthropocene, a concept that argues humans have come to rival nature as a force shaping the earth. Kidder has published numerous pieces, and also delivered the stellar TEDx Gateway Arch presentation What the past tells us about the future of climate change (http://blog.tedxgatewayarch.org/pastfutureclimate). Learn more about Kidder and his work at https://anthropology.artsci.wustl.edu/kidder_tr.

Ed Darack (@eddarack) is an author, editor, photographer, and cartographer. His work has been featured in Smithsonian’s Air & Space magazine, Alpinist, Weatherwise, Rock and Ice, and many more publications. His new book, The Final Mission of Extortion 17, is the first and only, never-before-told, complete in-depth story of Extortion 17 and it’s downing. The shooting down of Extortion 17 has been called “the greatest mystery of modern war.” Darack has a genuine respect and sense of awe for the men and women who serve in the United States military. His love of aviation and the outdoors allowed him to make fast friends with several U.S. Marines. That friendship led to an invitation to embed with the Marines in Afghanistan where he took pictures and wrote articles about their experiences. Those relationships lead to uncovering the stories that would make up his latest book, The Final Mission of Extortion 17. Links to content referenced in the episode: Darack's website: http://www.darack.com The book's website: http://www.extortion17book.com F-16 photography video: https://www.airspacemag.com/videos/category/flight-today/shooting-the-september-2011-cover/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/edarack/videos Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ed.Darack1 Twitter: https://twitter.com/EdDarack Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eddarack/