The Happiness Quotient
Thom Pollard
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Thom Dharma Pollard hosts inspirational, intimate and unfiltered Stories That Inspire with guests and drawing from his own adventures around the world. The Happiness Quotient: connected, engaged, passionate people who inspire us.
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Nov 9, 2023
Bring My Husband Home - Deliverance From 27,000 Feet on Mount Everest
"Do you think great expense and risk should be undertaken to remove bodies from Mount Everest?" The Indian government mounted an expensive and risky expedition to retrieve the remains of mountaineers who had perished on Mount Everest the year before. NY Times journalist John Branch tells us about his fascinating story that delves into the significant cultural and social significance of the Hindu families who grieved the loss of their loved ones.
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qFQw1Y-2m4c
Deliverance From 27,000 Feet by John Branch:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/12/18/sports/everest-deaths.html
Our sponsor, Musa Masala:
https://musamasala.com
Everest Mystery poll question:
https://www.youtube.com/post/UgkxiXLttvZznaGXehZ1IE_iJMCZZJkiTkZOSupport the show
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Oct 6, 2023
Death and Outrage on K2 - The Death of Muhammed Hassan
Interview with mountaineer Willi Steindl, who witnessed over 70 people stepping over Muhammed Hassan as he lay dying in the Death Zone on K2.
*The death of Mohammad Hassan on K2 has sent shockwaves through the mountaineering community. At 2:15Am on July 27 the Pakistani porter fell near the bottleneck at 8200 meters, found hanging upside down more than 5 meters below the path. *
*Hassan was a porter with no climbing experience, having risked his life to earn the higher wages paid to high altitude porters, in order to support a sick mother and a family… He was woefully outfitted, lacking a down suit, or proper climbing equipment. *
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Jul 4, 2023
Deeper Than Everest (By a MILE) - Legendary Explorer and Oceanographer Don Walsh, the Historic Dive of the Trieste and Future of Exploration
My guest today was the FIRST to reach the DEEPEST point of the ocean, known as Challenger Deep. In 1960 US Navy lieutenant Don Walsh and Swiss oceanographer and explorer Jacques Piccard piloted the bathyscaphe Trieste 35,797 ft BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE SEA, when it
became the first crewed vessel to reach the bottom the Mariana Trench, the deepest point in Earth's seabed.
My conversation with Don Walsh could not have predicted that such a disaster as the Titan submersible would have taken place. Eerily, Don and I discussed the logistics of preparing a vessel to dive to such depths, the safeguards, the rigorous testing.
Please stick around the the poll question near the end.
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May 19, 2023
Everest's INDUSTRIAL Age: Death Toll Rises & Costly Rescues Require Action #everest #mountains
Angela Benavides is a High-Altitude Mountaineering and Climbing journalist for Explorers Web - https://explorersweb.com/
PLEASE SUPPORT the families of Sherpa and mountain workers who have died while working in the mountains, check out this video: https://youtu.be/Htd_l89ejJY
The two Polish climbers mentioned in the video who flew in from Kathmandu to rescue Carlos Soria on Dhaulagiri are Bartek Ziemski and Oswald Pereira.
As of May 18 there are over 200 summits of Mount Everest with hundreds of others still moving forward to make their attempt to climb to the summit of Mount Everest.
There are eight deaths as of May 18th, including for Sherpa, an Indian woman attempting to become the first to climb Everest with a pace maker, a Moldovan climber named Victor Brinza fell ill at South Col and passed away.
The weather is holding. Families around the world anxiously await news from their loved ones to hear a report from the mountain
And if any of you watch my shorts, you’ve heard about new records Kami Rita Sherpa has summited Everst for the 27th time, he is 53 and the holder of the record for most summits of Everest
And Kenton Cool has summited Mount Everest for his 17th time, becoming the person with the most summits for a non Nepali.
And a 16 year old climber from China….The Chinese girl Sui Cho Yuan successfully reached atop Everest via the south slope at 5:42am on May 15
Thank you for visiting. Please consider becoming a Channel Member for access to perks and to become part of a growing community:
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May 11, 2023
SURVIVOR: Everest! The Survivors of Himalayan Mountain Workers & Sherpa Who Die, and What's Being Done to Help
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A SHERPA OR MOUNTAIN WORKER DIES ON A MOUNTAIN CLIMBING EXPEDITION?
TODAY I HAVE DAVID MORTON HERE TO talk about The Juniper Fund, its beginnings, and the important work they’re doing in Nepal to help the families of Sherpa who have lost their lives guiding and working in the mountains.
For Sherpa throughout the Khumbu Region of Nepal, the dangers of guiding climbers to the world’s highest peaks like Mount Everest, with the ever-present possibility of accidents, avalanches and the extremes of weather and altitude became no more evident than last month when a serac fall took the lives of three Sherpa in the Khumbu Icefall of Everest. Ab0ut one-third of the more than 300 deaths on Everest over the past hundred years have been of Sherpa guides, according to the Himalayan Database, a mountaineering record-keeping body.
In 2014 after the tragic avalanche there that claimed the lives of 16 sherpa and high altitude porters, massive strikes in Base Camp and beyond forced the hand of the government to increase the life insurance on a death there to $15000….however, the strength of the Nepal rupee has significantly diminished and that amount is now worth far less since it is paid in rupees.
Many times these mostly men who die in the mountains are the sole or primary breadwinners for their families and those survivors have precious few resources to fall back on. In 2014 I visited several families while filming a documentary on Everest that took a drastic turn after the avalanche. It was a deeply moving experience for me and my friends who were taking part in the expedition.
A year before that two longtime friends and Himalayan guides, David Morton and Melissa Arnot Reid, started a non profit organization called The Juniper Fund, set up to help a couple families they knew who had their primary breadwinner lose his life during expeditions they were on.
For more information about The Juniper Fund visit their website:
https://www.thejuniperfund.org
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Apr 21, 2023
Everest News! Death & Drama on Annapurna in the Mount Everest Himalaya with Everest Chronicler for Outside Online Alan Arnette #everest #mountains #annapurna
HERE'S MY FULL CONVERSATION with Alan Arnette on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/WIk67aEg0sI
There’s Been Loss of Life and Intense Drama on Annapurna and in the Mount Everest and 8000 meter peaks region of the Nepal Himalaya.
A veteran climber is dead, another miraculously rescued, and multiple others are lucky to be alive after a tragic few days in the Himalayas.
As the deadliest of the 8000 meter peaks Annapurna has of late become an object of desire for a wider and larger group of the new era of mountaineers, ticking off peaks on their checklist.
In recent years, guides have supplied high levels of support and supplemental oxygen to make the peak more accessible to less experienced climbers. Of the 395 total summits, 129 (33 percent) have occurred in the past three years.
HERE'S AN INTERVIEW with one of the world’s most respected chroniclers of Mount Everest, Alan Arnette WHO is reporting on this spring’s Everest and Himalayan climbing season for OUTSIDE ONLINE
We’ll talk about the miraculous rescue effort on Annapurna where Indian climber Anurag Maloo was found alive after spending three days inside a crevasse on Annapurna. Angela Benavides of Explorers Web has reported that Maloo was 50 meters in the crevasse, found barely alive by a rescue team led by Adam Bielecki - mind boggling….defying all odds…hope to bring more on that soon.
As well as the loss that sent shockwaves through the himalayan climbing community, the ever popular and 10-time Everest summiter, Noel Hanna of Ireland, 56, died in his tent at Camp 4 after summiting without supplemental oxygen.
We also discuss the summit of Manaslu by Felix Berg, as well as the sherpas expanding role in the world of 8000 meter peak guiding. And Alan has written a book.
YOU CAN FIND ALAN’S BLOG at alanarnette.com
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Mar 24, 2023
The Illegal Burial of Ed Abbey & The Fight for the Yellowstone Grizzly - Doug Peacock #grizzly #Patagonia
Doug Peacock's award winning book is: WAS IT WORTH IT? A WILDERNESS WARRIOR'S LONG TRAIL HOME
Doug Peacock is an American naturalist, author, and filmmaker who is best known for his work in conservation and activism on behalf of grizzly bears in the American West.
Here is my VIDEO version of the interview with Doug:
https://youtu.be/eYltXSGI0LM
MORE about Doug Peacock here:
https://dougpeacock.net/
You need a copy of this book! Find it here:
https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwib0r3V1_T9AhW55uMHHbI6BeoYABAAGgJ5bQ&ae=2&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESbeD2gisjHru--HzCA31EZbLWoOjL2LZNCxv7-JvbcbdvpqS-3BR21xD02Vv6iOCbNlPelaHdP_9dBSpiconV54SaT4JUr-pB1ppmpYRmIOPVsGSOgOOFWTp8rHa03NWVwSegv5bHzOr_XObSlck&sig=AOD64_3wNJ38YXKpxymm7aJok3Bgvg9OVA&q&adurl&ved=2ahUKEwi897TV1_T9AhUkjIkEHTejBXsQ0Qx6BAgGEAE&nis=8&dct=1
For the audio only version of this episode please use this link:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/268133/12507653
Doug is the founder and chairman of the board of Save the Yellowstone Grizzly. During his service as a Green Beret medic in the Vietnam War. After the war, Doug suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and found solace in the wilderness, much like he did when he was a boy growing up in northern Michigan, exploring swamps and forests and remote places - After the war he devoted himself to observing and documenting grizzly bears in their natural habitat.
Doug was a long time friend of the late Edward Abbey, who wrote THE MONKEY WRENCH GANG, where Peacock’s essence and spirit and passion was immortalized in the character known as George Washington Hayduke.
Sir Doug, is the author of several books, including "Grizzly Years: In Search of the American Wilderness”..... He has also worked as a consultant on several documentaries, including "Grizzly Country" and "In the Path of the Grizzly." Doug says bringing a gun into grizzly country will get you more into trouble than out of it…just look at the cover of his book, need I say more on that. Suffice it to say, grizzly bears saved his life…he has devoted his life to protecting theirs.
Doug is a dog lover, a cat lover, father of two children - his amazing wife and life partner Andrea founded Elk River Books with cousin and friend Marc Beaudin….in Livingston, Montana - where, bye the way, my brother had previously lived, making complete the connection of how Jeff and Doug were pals. …you know, if Jeff had never left Livingston I’d be willing to bet a nickel he’d still be alive….
Doug continues to work desperately towards protecting grizzly bears and their habitat through his writing, speaking engagements, and activism….and…talking to guys like me who read his book….and just had to tell everyone about it
Here’s my inspiring conversation with Doug Peacock about his book WAS IT WORTH IT: A WILDERNESS WARRIOR’S LONG TRAIL HOME published by Patagonia.yes that Patagonia
Thank you for visiting. Please consider becoming a Channel Member for access to perks and to become part of a growing community:
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Dec 21, 2022
My Buddy Lost 8 Fingers and I Got to the Summit - Stephen Venables' Insane Bivouac at 8,600 Meters on Mount Everest
Stephen Venables became the first British mountaineer to climb Mount Everest without the use of supplementary oxygen in 1988, establishing a new route on the Kangshung Face with Ed Webster, Robert Anderson and Paul Teare.
THIS EPISODE IS ON YOUTUBE IN VIDEO FORM AT:
https://youtu.be/9bocQEfDriI
Everest and Beyond - TEDxOxford: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiz3en5JLcY
Please visit our sponsor Musa Masala - Expert Advice On Safe, Healthy & Culturally Aware Mountain Travel at:
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Oct 28, 2022
The Studio Mama and Her Musical Cookbook - Rebecca Wood
Rebecca Wood was the chef, trusted keeper, and diviner at Zac Brown’s renowned Southern Ground Nashville studio for nearly a decade. While she was intimately familiar with the ghosts and secrets of the converted church that housed the studio, her passion was cooking for the musicians recording there, curating choice down-home meals and menus from family recipes. The heart of The Studio Mama Cookbook is a collection of these menus, each created for an artist who worked
at the studio. It’s a combo plate of music, food, people, and stories.
More about Rebecca and how to get her awesome Studio Mama cookbook:
https://www.heartsinthemix.com/Support the show
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Oct 17, 2022
Too Many People - Manaslu and Why It's So Dangerous
Just what is Manaslu and why are so many people flocking to it? Thom dives in with thoughts on the death of professional skier Hilaree Nelson on her attempted ski descent, as well as the commercialization of the mountain and just how the game has been changed since drone footage captured 'the real' summit in 2021.
LINK TO YOUTUBE VERSION:
https://youtu.be/EIPCyKi5zEo
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Aug 26, 2022
Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star? Get Yer Camera! Jay Blakesberg and His Rock & Roll Photography Career
*Jay Blakesberg, one of THE US’s most accomplished live music and pop culture photographer’s has released another self published book called RETRO BLAKESBERG: Volume One: The Film Archives (SEE THE LINK IN THE SHOW NOTES)....the book features highlights spanning the years from the 70’s into the early 2000’s when film was king, before the digital age, when a photographer WAS A PHOTOGRAPHER - from the first photograph he ever sold for $15 thru tours with Phish, Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones*
*Tons of Grateful Dead - enough so that he’s made a couple books*
*Green Day, The Flaming Lips, Snoop Dog, Primus*
*If you want to purchase a copy of Jay’s amazing book or to have a look at his other published books and photo gallery, find him on Instagram at @JayBlakesberg and @RetroBlakesberg, or on his website at https://www.rockoutbooks.com/*
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Aug 5, 2022
Climb Your Everest - The Most Uplifting and Affirming Message For Every Day of Your Life
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Jul 21, 2022
Is Everest Dying? Fighter Jets Over the Summit? - A Conversation with Everest Chronicler, Podcaster and Mountaineer Alan Arnette
Thom Pollard sat down with Everest Chronicler Alan Arnette to talk about all things Everest. In this first of a several part episode with Alan, we talk about all the current state of affairs on Everest, and what the future looks like for Everest. Is climate change changing the game on 8,000 meter peaks?
Visit Thom's YouTube channel for this conversation with Alan Arnette as well as a bunch of other Everest-related material:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEk3e_XGyNnqwK2ZlxH7fEA
Alan Arnette's website: https://www.alanarnette.com/
Alan's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/AlanArnetteClimbs
origins explainedSupport the show
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Jul 12, 2022
Our World's Languages Are Dying! Wade Davis, National Geographic Explorer in Residence
Taken from Wade Davis' 20 March 2004 talk at the 100th Annual Banquet of The Explorers Club at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York CIty.
Wade Davis' website:
https://daviswade.com/Support the show
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Jun 17, 2022
Are You Authentic? A Life Hack Episode
You might be here looking for something about Mount Everest. You might hate this episode. But, you might like it.
For the YouTube version of this episode:
https://youtu.be/dIfmhdKNcTQ
Join this channel to get access to perks and to become part of the community:
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May 26, 2022
Filming Lhakpa Sherpa's Historic 10th Ascent of Everest by a Woman - Matt Irving, Director of Photography
Matt Irving is a professional director of photography. In May 2022 he filmed the historic tenth ascent of Everest by a woman, Lhakpa Sherpa. His views and insight of seeing Everest from an observant eye is refreshing.
Matt Irving's Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/irving_matt...Support the show
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May 19, 2022
It's Our Burden To Bear - Ukrainian Journalist Igor Nalyvaiko on the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
News from Ukraine - Watch. Know. Decide. Breaking news from Ukraine. News observation. Important information.
Twitter: @u24_news
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@u24_news
Web: https://u24.ua/
For more about Thom Dharma Pollard, about personal coaching or his inspirational presentations, virtual or in person, look for him at eyesopenproductions.com
To join his mailing list for A Course In Happiness, email him at thom.dharma.pollard@gmail.comSupport the show
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May 11, 2022
Sanctity of Space - A Conversation with Filmmakers/Professional Climbers Renan Ozturk and Freddie Wilkinson
Sanctity Of Space - A film about the alchemy of landscape and people amidst the mountains of Alaska
A conversation with co-directors Renan Ozturk and Freddie Wilkinson about the decade long journey of creating the film, from concept to completion
US Theaters starting May 6th - Showtimes and Updates:
https://greenwichentertainment.com/film/the-sanctity-of-space/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sanctityofspace/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sanctityofspace
For podcast episode of this conversation on The Happiness Quotient:
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May 5, 2022
What Is China Hiding? - Jochen Hemmleb, Everest Historian on Everest Sightings of Mallory & Irvine and Maurice Wilson
Jochen Hemmleb follows up on recent video with Mark Synnott about reports that the body of Sandy Irvine had been discovered, possibly removed (video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glMT08zmAP0 ). Jochen has written extensively on this topic and is as knowledgeable as any person in the world about the Mystery of Mallory & Irvine. He has personally interviewed many key players from the Chinese expeditions that report having seen the bodies.
Jochen Hemmleb's website:
https://www.jochenhemmleb.com/english/mundi/index.php
Mark Synnott's Salon article about the camera and Sandy Irvine:
https://www.salon.com/2022/04/08/the-third-pole-mount-everest-mark-synnott-mystery-china/
The Happiness Quotient podcast: https://thehappinessquotient.buzzsprout.com/
Thom's Patreon for exclusive content:
https://www.patreon.com/thehappinessquotientSupport the show
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Apr 22, 2022
Modern-Day Darwin, Bruce Means Discovers Five New Species in Guyana, The Last Tepui
The ultimate Earth Day observation: f*ollowing is a conversation with a modern day Charles Darwin, biologist, herpetologist, Adjunct Professor of Biological Science at Florida State University Dr. Bruce Means. We discuss a March 2021 expedition in which Means and writer/climber Mark Synnott traveled to a virtual Shangri-la in the deep, mysterious and ever dangerous jungles of Guyana to study an unclimbed tapui, where new species were discovered.
American climber Alex Honnold is featured in the National Geographic film and article, both released in April 2022.
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Apr 18, 2022
Mystery Solved? The Body Of Sandy Irvine and the Kodak Camera Have Been Discovered, Mark Synnott Interview
*Following is a conversation with professional climber, author and historian Mark Synnott, whose book THE THIRD POLE: MYSTERY OBSESSION AND DEATH ON MOUNT EVEREST has just been released in paperback edition. *
*The greatest mystery in all of mountaineering and possibly the most debated and discussed in current times just got thicker. **The Mount Everest mystery deepens: Was there an international cover-up of a dead climber's ascent?*
*https://www.salon.com/2022/04/08/the-third-pole-mount-everest-mark-synnott-mystery-china/**
Mark Synnott's website and portal to purchase The Third Pole: Mystery, Obsession, and Death on Mount Everest:
https://www.marksynnott.com/*
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Apr 5, 2022
All That Glitters Is Not Gold & Reflections of a Car Deal
Lessons come in all sorts of packages. And, a beautiful, poignant poem from a recently found journal of my late brother's.
For the YouTube version of this episode:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AABp82bfR7g
For more about Thom Dharma Pollard, about personal coaching or his inspirational presentations, virtual or in person, look for him at eyesopenproductions.com
To join his mailing list for A Course In Happiness, email him at thom.dharma.pollard@gmail.com
Support the show
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Mar 27, 2022
Ukraine: Fighting the War From Behind the Front Lines - A Voice From Ukraine
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE, LIKE AND COMMENT AND SHARE
Recorded on 26 March 2022
Iryna Kabluchko is a journalist from Ukraine.
Full Episode on YouTube The Happiness Quotient at:
https://youtu.be/2-dVs0wGVg4
To help the effort please visit Come Back Alive and donate:
https://savelife.in.ua/en/donate/
Facebook:
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Twitter:
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Mar 25, 2022
Ukraine: Battling Disinformation In the Fight for Existence - A Voice From Ukraine 25 March 2022
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Subscribe, leave a review and a rating.
Igor Nalyvaiko is a journalist from Ukraine, and currently in hiding he is helping to battle disinformation with contacts around the globe.
To help the effort please visit Come Back Alive and donate:
https://savelife.in.ua/en/donate/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/backandalive
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/BackAndAlive
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Mar 21, 2022
Quit Taking Things So Personally - Reflections on the Greatest Mystery in All of Adventure
A muse on the 91st anniversary of my father's birth, 18 March. And reflections on how the Mystery of Mallory and Irvine's fate has taken a personal tone.
Thanks to Oliver and Chris Wood, Jano Ricks and The Wood Brothers management, as well as their publicist Kevin Calabro for granting us the rights to use HAPPINESS JONES for our theme music. We are deeply honored.
Find The Wood Brothers at:
https://www.thewoodbros.com/
The Wood Brothers on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTvWKQovDZlLceuct1EEMMQ
Happiness Jones video can be seen here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKIoiVWwF5A
For more about Thom Dharma Pollard, about personal coaching or his inspirational presentations, virtual or in person, look for him at eyesopenproductions.com
To join his mailing list for A Course In Happiness, email him at thom.dharma.pollard@gmail.com
Support the show
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Sep 16, 2021
Laura Dekker, at Age 16 Became Youngest Ever to Solo Circumnavigate the Globe
Can you imagine achieving at the age of 16 what other dream their entire lives of doing and even then never take the first step toward embarking on the journey of their dreams?
Our remarkable guest today knew from a very early age that she wanted to sail around the world, alone...in her own boat. It appeared as if everyone in her sphere were conspiring against her, to dash her dreams….well, I should say that her parents were very supportive, and encouraged her to put her thoughts into action.
In fact, she was born in New Zealand, during a seven month sailing trip by her parents, spent the first five years of her life on at sea...was given her first boat at age six, a small dingy made for children… She named her boat Guppy, all her boats have been named Guppy
Her name is Laura Dekker. She’ll be 26 on September 20th….she has a Dutch, German and New Zealand citizenship...truly a citizen of the world.
At age 14, with a solo trip to England …..and back - departing from her hom…
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Aug 25, 2021
Dr. Peter Hackett - Think You Have What It Takes To Climb Everest? A Conversation with the Doctor of the Death Zone
Do you think you have what it takes to climb Mount Everest? Did you ever think about what it might be like, and if you did it, would you kill a bunch of brain cells and come home…..different? Or, maybe not at all….?
Fact is, today’s guest feels that a person of moderate physical capacity could take on The Big E given the right conditions, with the use of bottled oxygen....
He also says to climb Everest it really helps to have been born with what he calls The Stupid Gene...the quality of being able to suffer for long periods of time, even willingly, in order to achieve a goal.
Today’s guest on The Happiness Quotient is Dr. Peter Hackett….he LITERALLY wrote the book on altitude sickness….it’s called *Mountain Sickness: Prevention, Recognition and Treatment (American Alpine Club Climber's Guide).*
Peter is no ordinary doctor...he’s a mountaineer. He climbed Everest in 1981 as a member and doctor on the American Medical Expedition...when he summited he was the 111th p…
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Aug 2, 2021
Shrink Wrap for Crap: Diana Yousef CEO and Founder of change:WATER Labs
*It never ceases to amaze me in the way people are brought into your life *- today’s guest I discovered when I began researching the garbage and human waste problem on Mount Everest and the KHUMBU region of Nepal -
In Episode #90 and in a recent streaming event about the garbage and human waste problem on Everest I discussed how Everest has been referred to as the HIGHEST GARBAGE DUMP ON THE PLANET.
Among the many guests on the program I spoke with *entrepreneur and businesswoman Diana Yousef of CHANGE WATER Labs*, a new company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts working to help the human waste problems affecting much of the world’s population. Consider this: HALF OF THE WORLD’S POPULATION has no running water or flush toilets. *Change Water Labs* has developed an incredible toilet called the I-Throne, which removes the water content from human waste…change:WATER Labs a low-cost, compact, waterless toilet for non-sewered households and communities.
*CHANGE WATER Labs’* Miss…
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Jul 23, 2021
Mount Everest is a Mess! An Investigation Into The Garbage and Human Waste Problem on Everest (PS, It's Getting Fixed)
*I recently hosted a live streaming event for the Musa Masala organization, who in their multiple capacities of forwarding safe and ethical mountain travel are raising money for the Wongchu Memorial Hospital….a good cause indeed. *
*Our event talked about the garbage and human waste problem on Everest and the KHUMBU region - if you look for episode #87 of this podcast you’ll remember my interview with Peter Hillary about the current situation on Everest….he gives us a good picture of the Khumbu region but not so much of a good picture on the mountain, Everest, itself. *
*Many of you have I’m sure heard has been referred to as the HIGHEST GARBAGE DUMP ON THE PLANET. It’s shocking image for someone who has not visited there to conjure up the idea of Everest, the unknown frontier, the far reaches of our planet, being tarnished by overuse and carelessness at the hands of those who come there seeking adventure and, let’s face, ego gratification. *
*In this episode I’m going…
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Jul 9, 2021
Chris Carter LIVE From the Continental Divide Trail and the Adventures of Jim and Tim (His Feet!)
Today we welcome back our inspiring and intrepid Pacific Crest Trail Thru Hiker and filmmaker, CHRIS CARTER, who I caught up with on a LIVE Instagram session on July 9, 2021….where he was camping in Jackson, Montana….(population of about 111)….
The first time I spoke with Chris was in Episode 67 to talk about his beautiful and moving documentary about his Pacific Crest Trail through hike called TO MEASURE A MILE…
At that time Chris was in the nascent stages of planning a double thru hike of the Continental Divide Trail and the Appalachian Trail, a journey of six months, give or take….and that is what he is doing now.
He is on the second half of the Continental Divide trail and today when I spoke with him he was getting ready to pack up and head back out for another 30+ mile day give or take….INSANE!
TODAYS EPISODE IS a slightly edited version of an INSTAGRAM LIVE CONVERSATION CHRIS AND I HAD,
You can find on my Instagram page here:
https://www.instagram.com/thom.dharma…
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Jul 2, 2021
Art Crime Professor Erin Thompson on Smashing Statues, Guantanamo and Michelangelo (the World's Greatest Art Forger?)
Episode #88 on The Happiness Quotient: America’s only full-time professor of art crime. Erin Thompson studies a variety of relations between art and crime, including the looting of antiquities, museum theft, art made by detainees at Guantanamo Bay, and the legalities and ethics of digital reproductions of cultural heritage.
Erin Thompson has discussed these topics for the New York Times, CNN, NPR, and the Freakonomics podcast, among many others...and coming up next on The Happiness Quotient
SHE IS AN author, speaker, art crime professor at the john jay college at the City University of New York….
If you enjoy this episode or any episode of The Happiness Quotient, please subscribe wherever you may be listening, leave a rating and a review, which are so important to a podcast’s success. And, if you know someone who is interested in art, or art crime, be sure to personally share this episode with them….
ERIN THOMPSON can be found at
https://www.artcrimeprof.com/
Her twitter…
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Jun 25, 2021
Peter Hillary, Son of Sir Edmund - What's Wrong With Everest
*Today, a special guest, Peter Hillary, son of the first man to ever climb Mount Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary,…..Peter himself has climbed Everest twice. In addition to being an accomplished mountaineer Peter is a **speaker**, and he raises funds for** Himalayan Foundations** around the world.... Together with his sister Sarah Hillary, they manage the intellectual property of the** Ed Hillary** estate. I can almost guarantee you know someone named after his dad...*
*During a recent conversation, Peter and I talked about the environment of Everest, the current state of Nepal and the Khumbu region, the garbage and growing human waste problem….how COVID has devastated Nepal, and what is being done about it.
For more info on Peter, how to give to the Himalayan foundations, or to inquire about a speaking engagement by Peter, visit*
*https://www.peterhillary.com/*
*And, on June 30th there will be a Facebook live event hosted by Musa Masala, to benefit the Wongchu Memorial Hospital….…
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Jun 18, 2021
Renan Ozturk, Modern Day Renaissance Man on Everest, Creativity and Nutrition, an Instagram LIVE Event
Greetings to you all - this is a special edition of the HQ. In April I had the honor of doing an Instagram Live event with my old friend Renan Ozturk to talk about Everest, creativity, filmmaking and, yup, nutrition in the mountains. I mean, we’re talking to a guy who used to sustain on candy bars and Ramen and coffee at altitude.
The event was hosted by one of our 2019 Sandy Irvine Search Expedition sponsors, Good To-Go foods, the ultimate in dehydrated backpacking food.
THANK YOU TO THE WOOD BROTHERS FOR THE USE OF THEIR SONG HAPPINESS JONES FOR OUR THEME SONG HERE ON THE HQ
If you like this episode or any of th e HQ please click subscribe on Apple Podcasts and give me a rating and a review….
For more on Renan check out, his artwork is out of this world, as is his photography and filmmaking, modern day Renaissance man
https://www.renanozturk.com/
More on Good To-Go https://goodto-go.com
Real Food. Real Adventure. The most delicious meals, using clean ingredients, to be enjo…
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Jun 15, 2021
John Branch, Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist and His New Book, Sidecountry: Tales of Death and Life From the Back Roads of Sports
TODAY I HAVE A GUEST OF UNIMAGINABLE INSIGHT AND TALENT WITH US, THE PULITZER PRIZE WINNING JOURNALIST REPORTER, JOHN BRANCH OF THE NEW YORK TIMES TO TALK ABOUT HIS NEW BOOK
Sidecountry: *Tales of Death and Life from the Back Roads of Sports*
In 2017 I received a request from today’s guest, whom I’d never met before, but as you’ll find out in the interview, I was well familiar with his work,
John Branch, a NY Times sports reporter - not your traditional sports, but rock climbing, skiing, mountaineering….or alligator hunting and wingsuit flying...that kind of sports.
As it turns out, sometimes his stories begin, for him, when someone is killed in pursuit of some lofty goal, whether climbing Everest, or skiing deep into the backcountry, or sidecountry, as it’s referred to….
When John first contacted me he was heading to India to spend time with the families of four Indian climbers who were part of an Everest expedition in 2016 -- three men died and a woman survived. Of t…
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Jun 8, 2021
Oliver Wood Always Smilin' - New Solo Album Release and Music Extravaganza
This episode has a transcript for hearing impaired.
COVID19 wasn’t all bad. A ton of musicians and recording artists invested themselves in projects that they wouldn’t normally have been able to do if they were on tour. On Tour is where the Wood Bros find themselves for much of the year, at least pre-covid.
Back in September of 2020 I talked with Oliver where he was at his home in Nashville, The Wood Brothers tour had been effectively shut down and, I learned later, that in addition to trying out some new songs and jamming with friends, he was making standard breakfast and "dad spaggetti" for the wife and kids.
The things you remember to ask someone after the call is done...
In this episode I play selections from the album and intersperse them throughout the conversation.
Here’s my June 8, 2021 conversation with Oliver Wood from Charleston S C where he is on a tour stop with the Wood Bros….to talk about his newly released album ALWAYS SMILIN’
Songs from Always Smilin' i…
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Jun 1, 2021
Jamie McGuinness, On Being a Sherpa and the David Sharp Story on Everest
Episode #83 is an amazing story of Mount Everest with six time summiter and the climber leader of our 2019 expedition to search for the body of Sandy Irvine, New Zealand's Jamie McGuinness.
The original intent of my interview with Jamie was to talk about the expedition of ours in 2019, which has since become a National Geographic film called Lost on Everest and is the subject of a book by NY times bestselling author Mark Synnott called THE THIRD POLE, MYSTERY OBSESSION AND DEATH ON MOUNT EVEREST….which we did talk about.
However, in starting our interview I asked Jamie about what it was like working as a sherpa on expeditions back in the day. The Sherpa are incredibly strong, almost super human, adapted over centuries of living at high altitude to be stronger and faster at altitude...and Jamie joined their ranks….THAT IS SAYING SOMETHING.
In explaining this, Jamie began telling me about the story of David Sharp, the English mountaineer who died near the summit of Mount Everest i…
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May 19, 2021
Dream Time: Aboriginal Musician Is Ambassador for Culture and Music of His People
The didgeridoo, the long wooden musical instrument dating back 10,000 years or more, are commonly and rightfully associated with the aboriginal culture.
Today I’m going to introduce you to an ambassador of the Aboriginal culture, a fascinating man with a deep and learned understanding of his culture and also of the didgeridoo and the art and dance that goes with it.
I first met didgeridoo musician George Dow at Sydney Bay, Australia, at the Circular Quay. My Friend Rod McCurdy and I were about to board a ferry to see some features of the Sydney area, when from about 100 yards away I spotted my George seated with his back against a fence, the Sydney Opera House across a span of water behind him, in his traditional aboriginal garb, sparsely dressed with clay powder turning his skin almost white. In front of him sat a 4 foot long didgeridoo.
To donate to George and his music and art his PayPal account is
bee.sailor84@gmail.com
The link to the popular video of George can be found h…
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May 14, 2021
Everest Update: Andy Politz Is Now Leaving for the Summit, 30 Years After He First Climbed It
Thirty years after he successfully summited Mount Everest from the north side, Port Townsend, WA resident Andy Politz is leaving Base Camp AT THE TIME OF THIS POSTING for his second ascent. Age 61, Politz' first expedition to Everest was on the West Ridge in 1985. During that season was the very first guided expedition in the history of Everest. Today, Andy reports seeing 1,000 or more tents. And, whereas perhaps one fixed wing aircraft flew by for a sightseeing tour, today alone Andy witnessed 30 helicopters in and out of Base Camp before mid-afternoon.
This is a news-worthy and fascinating interview with my old friend, who discusses COVID, the icefall, changes on the mountain and his own new perspectives on climbing the mountain.
=========
For more information about Thom Dharma Pollard:
http://eyesopenproductions.com/
For a free downloadable copy of A Course In Happiness:
www.patreon.com/thehappinessquotient
Our theme song, Happiness Jones, appears courtesy of The Wood Brothers.…
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May 10, 2021
David Vobora, Growth Producing Fear Encounters at the Adaptive Training Foundation
"The only disability is a bad mindset," says former NFL linebacker David Vobora, who went from the TOP OF HIS GAME, to the agony of defeat and addiction, and in so doing, discovered his true calling. David was picked LAST in the NFL draft of 2008...which earns the dubious moniker of MR IRRELEVANT.
This is anything but a football story, and how wrong the Mr. Irrelevant tag was...for a person who has gone on to help countless broken veterans who’ve returned from the war, emotionally broken, with one, two, three, even four less limbs. As you’ll see, David’s ‘Why’ is closing the gap between who a person think they are and who they are called to be….and that takes place through hard, work, challenge and sweat at the Adaptive Training Foundation n Carrolton Texas.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE ATF:
https://www.adaptivetrainingfoundation.org/
NFL 360 feature story on David Vobora:David Vobora: Career Ending Injury Shaped my Passion for Helping Others
https://www.youtube.com/watc…
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May 3, 2021
The Energy of Author & Poet Elisabeth Sharp McKetta: Writing For Your Life
ELISABETH SHARP MCKETTA is a storyteller and the author of eight books: INCLUDING Fear of the Deep (2016) and Fear of the Beast (2019), both collaborations with artist Troy Passey; the biography Energy: The Life of John J. McKetta, Jr. (2017), a true story of a coal miner–and my grandfather!–who set out to change how America uses energy; and a children’s book titled We Live in Boise (2019). SHE DID A TEDX TALK CALLED “Edit your life like a poem.”
projects in the works include the anthology What Doesn’t Kill Her: Women’s Resilience Stories; a manifesto/handbook called Edit Your Life;
SHE HAS Literature degrees from Harvard, Georgetown, and the University of Texas at Austin. I wrote a Ph.D. dissertation on the intersections between memoir and myth, a concept that now informs my teaching and writing (and my entire way of looking at the world.)
Maybe with all this and life with her husband and two children living in Yorkshire Englad during COVID she will ghost write the me…
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Apr 19, 2021
Jake Norton - Higher Than Everest: Solving The Mystery of Mallory & Irvine
The man with more boots-on-the-ground experience searching in the Death Zone for clues to the Mystery of Mallory & Irvine, Jake Norton, is our guest today.
Jake was 25 when we first met on Mount Everest in 1999. He first climbed Mount Rainier with his dad at age 12. By age 18 he was guiding for Rainier Mountaineering and soon was leading international climbs around the world.
Although we were living in two different worlds in 1999, I with a son and a house, he as a guide with a camera. We were natural friends, seeing eye to eye on topics of the day, spirituality, politics, having been brought together by a reverence for all things Everest.
To date, Jake has been on Eight Everest expeditions, summiting three times….with the rare distinction of having made the top from the north and south.
This interview is a rare look into the greatest mystery in all of adventure, Did Mallory & Irvine make it to the summit of Everest in 1924? Jake himself has been on five search expeditions (four…
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Apr 12, 2021
Mark Synnott: Mystery, Obsession and Death on Mount Everest, An Interview with NY Times Bestselling Author About His New Book
This is an episode about grit, about life and death, about the extremes of human endeavor, how far a human being can possibly go when they put 100% of themselves into something….it’s about heart, friendship….
This episode is set within the backdrop of the greatest mountain on the planet….Mount Everest, Chomolungma, goddess mother of the world…..
Today’s episode welcomes back my ever talented friend and expedition partner Mark Synnott in anticipation of the release of his highly regarded book about our 2019 Everest expedition to find the body of long lost mountaineer Sandy Irvine. Some of you may recall my first interview with Mark for Episode #42 about The Day Everest Broke and the genesis of our expedition, which has since been chronicled in a 1-hour film by National Geographic and Disney called LOST ON EVEREST, produced by our expedition partner and uber talented filmmaker and climber Renan Ozturk.
MARK’S BOOK IS CALLED THE THIRD POLE: MYSTERY OBSESSION AND DEATH ON…
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Apr 9, 2021
Thom Pollard: Lessons Learned In Pursuit of Everest, The Genesis of The Search for Sandy Irvine
LITERALLY: THIS IS THE TALK THAT INSPIRED THE 2019 SANDY IRVINE SEARCH EXPEDITION, which led to the film LOST ON EVEREST by National Geographic and Mark Synnott's book THE THIRD POLE: MYSTERY, OBSESSION, AND DEATH ON MOUNT EVEREST.
This presentation is one of only two sold out events EVER at the Leura Hill Eastman Performing Arts Center at Fryeburg Academy in Fryeburg, Maine.
The presentation was captured on camera by a student at the back of the auditorium, using a microphone mounted to the top of the camera. It's presented here for informational and educational purposes.
"Pollard’s dynamic presentations are geared to inspire a deeper understanding of self and elicit the motivations which drive us to tackle seemingly insurmountable goals. Motivation, performance, teamwork, goal setting and overcoming obstacles are all interwoven metaphorically into his talk." This event was in support of sports medicine programs and services at Memorial Hospital, North Conway, NH.
PLEASE LEARN M…
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Mar 31, 2021
Followed By the Ghost of Sandy Irvine While Training for Everest & The Inspiration of My Mentor Bradford Washburn
This recap episode recounts the inspiration for this podcast coming into existence. While training for Mount Everest in April of 2019, my daily routine would include a strong hike up into Tuckerman or Huntington Ravine on Mount Washington in New Hampshire, USA. Many times I felt the presence of something, someone. Looking back, I believe that the essence of Sandy Irvine, who disappeared on Mount Everest on June 8 in 1924, was asking for assistance. As our expedition set out to locate Sandy, last seen at over 28,000 feet 'headed for the top', I have always believed that his soul had not yet been freed from the mountain.
I introduce my mentor, Bradford Washburn, who inspired me so deeply in all of my endeavors, and share an interview that I conducted with him in 2001, he at the sprightly age of 91.
This is my introduction to The Happiness Quotient (identical to Episode #3), re-vamped here as an introduction or as a refresher course to the ultimate inspiration for following one's dreams…
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Mar 26, 2021
#73 - 'We Got This' - Timely Sage Advice & Music For Our Times
Music Soothes the Soul.
MUSIC FOR THE SOUL - this is a good one. DAMN good. Highlighting the very best clips from my music interviews on The Happiness Quotient, consider this a Get Stoked for the Weekend or Week or Day or Life starter kit. Each short clip is accompanied by a cut from each of the musician's respective studio albums.
Featuring these fine musicians and their tune following:
Daniel Donato - Fire On The Mountain
Oliver Wood - The Battle Is Over: But War Goes On
Mickey Raphael - Hand To Mouth
The Reverend Freakchild - Keep On Praying
Seth Walker - We Got This
DANIEL DONATO, the Cosmic Cowboy - his new album is called A Young Man's Country, and you can find it here on Daniel's website at
http://danieldonato.com/
Daniel's podcast is Daniel Donato's Lost Highway:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daniel-donatos-lost-highway/id1452703574
OLIVER WOOD of The Wood Brothers
For more about the coolest cat and greatest living American songwriter, Oliver Wood:
https://www.oli…
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Mar 15, 2021
The Soul of Seth Walker, Musician, Author, Poet & Artist's New Book Your Van Is On Fire
Seth Walker literally dropped out of college to eek every ounce out of his guitar. He grew up in a small commune. Learned to play the cello, guided by his musician parents. When he first heard the sounds of T Bone Walker (no relation), he was hooked on the Blues.
Seth has been a touring musician for decades. That is, until Covid shut things down. He said it was as if he was on a spinning, flaming hamster wheel. Covid helped him. Because of it, he found time to write his memoir. If you could call it that. It’s a memoir, with poems and artwork.
“The Soul of Seth Walker” features my February 2021 interview with the one and only Seth Walker to talk about his book Your Van Is On Fire.
Enjoy, this man is full of wisdom, and very beautiful music.
For more on Seth and to find his book and music, visit:
www.sethwalker.com
Seth Walker music featured in this episode:
Home Again
Dreamer
Gotta Get Back
The Sound of Your Voice
All I Need To Know
Inside
Fire In The Belly
Call My Name
Fo…
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Feb 25, 2021
Do NOT Call This The Blues! Interview and Epic Performance with the Legendary Clarence Gatemouth Brown
The Happiness Quotient #71
The Legend of CLARENCE GATEMOUTH BROWN
This episode of the The Happiness Quotient can be found in audio only format at:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/268133/8029682
And on YouTube at this address:
https://youtu.be/BDXmcezMIwQ
Clarence Gatemouth Brown did not want to be known as a bluesman. He called his brand of music "American and World Music, Texas Drive and Swing"
In a previous lifetime I was a television reporter for an NBC affiliate in western Massachusetts, WWLP, Channel 22. I was hired as a features reporter, wherein I’d produce, shoot, edit and report in a series that I called IN TOUCH WITH WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS.
Today, I’m bringing you an inspiring, honest never-before-heard interview conducted by myself in 1988 with the amazing, Grammy winning, Blues Hall of Fame legend of the blues (for lack of a better word) CLARENCE GATEMOUTH BROWN. I first met Gatemouth to interview him at his hotel, the Red Roof Inn in South Deerfield, Massachusetts, th…
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Feb 17, 2021
Tom Holzel: Noted Everest Historian and The Fascinating Mystery of Mallory & Irvine
What was the fate of famed British mountaineers George Mallory and Sandy Irvine? And were they the first to climb Mount Everest? Today's guest is noted historian and author Tom Holzel to talk about his fifty plus year fascination with solving the mystery of Mallory & Irvine.
Mallory and Irvine’s disappearance on Everest on June 8th 1924 has captivated and intrigued generations of mountaineers and would-be sleuths. Did they make it? What happened to them?
Tom Holzel has studied this more than anyone alive. This interview will inspire you, intrigue and, it just might turn you into a modern day detective…. What happened on that fateful day, high upon the slopes of the world’s highest peak.
For a free, downloadable copy of The Happiness Quotient's A Course In Happiness, please visit www.patreon.com/thehappinessquotient, or find it at eyesopenproductions.com/happiness
Three important interviews/videos with Tom Holzel:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLliwwVA2bFR4yw9K9XQV-eu4…
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Feb 11, 2021
I Am Dynamite - How To Be Exceptional
Inspired by two back-to-back dreams in which I walked and learned from masters of ancient wisdom, I reflect about the teachings of Friedrich Nietzsche. Given the impeachment proceedings taking place in the United States, these dreams and Nietzsche's principles for becoming an exceptional individual are timely and prescient for our future.
It's all about individual accountability and becoming greater than oneself. Revolution starts from within. BELOW, PLEASE SEE NIETZSCHE'S PRINCIPLES.
I'd like to thank Oliver and Chris Wood, Jano Ricks and The Wood Brothers management, as well as their publicist Kevin Calabro for granting us the rights to use HAPPINESS JONES for our theme music. We are deeply honored.
Find The Wood Brothers at:
https://www.thewoodbros.com/
The Wood Brothers on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTvWKQovDZlLceuct1EEMMQ
Happiness Jones video can be seen here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKIoiVWwF5A
For more about Thom Dharma Pollard, about personal coach…
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Jan 27, 2021
Survival - Inspiration & Hope, Author and Speaker Irene Butter, Survivor of the Holocaust
This powerful episode revisits an inspiring interview of hope with Holocaust survivor Irene Butter. For the thousands living today who survived that period in history, when the Nazi’s reigned terror around the world and attempted to rid the world of those who they deemed were a threat to their so-called superior race, the memory is a daily experience. Irene, like many, has chosen to honor those who lost their lives by telling us her story.
Today we share a condensed interview with Irene first conducted in October of 2019. That interview, given the events of January 6, 2021 in the United States Capitol Building, are ever so poignant.
Today, marking the Holocaust Remembrance Day, January 27, 2021 for CNN, Irene wrote:
"Now, 75 years later, I see something I never imagined: echoes of the Nazis and their regime. What happened in Washington, DC, on January 6, 2021, was an attempted coup of our government and an unraveling of the democracy that protects all of our rights. I saw a T-shir…
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Jan 21, 2021
To Measure a Mile: A Film by Chris Carter on His Pilgrimage Along the Pacific Crest Trail
Chris Carter grew up the son of missionaries in Kenya, Africa. He moved to the United States to study, climb, learn. In 2018 Chris took the physical and spiritual challenge of hiking the 2,650 mile Pacific Crest Trail in the western USA. The film he created grabbed me from the first sounds of a camp stove lighting up.
I welcome Chris to The Happiness Quotient to discuss the journey, about the friendships formed, and about the process of creating this incredibly moving and powerful film called To Measure a Mile. I love the film and you will love it, as well.
Excerpts from the film will weave together with the interview done with Chris from his home in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
To Measure A Mile can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX4gjMlGSHE&t=52s
Chris Carter on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/chriscarter146/
I'd like to thank Oliver and Chris Wood, Jano Ricks and The Wood Brothers management, as well as their publicist Kevin Calabro for granting us the rights to…
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Jan 14, 2021
Michael Hamill: Climbing the Seven Summits Everest Update - and Happiness Jones, Our New Theme Song
"All of my wisdom came from all the toughest days
I never learned a thing being happy"
These words from The Wood Brothers' song Happiness Jones sum up our podcast. The band has given us the green light to use the song as our new theme music! We are beyond honored here at The Happiness Quotient. Hear the story of how it came to pass.
We're also going to introduce you to 6-time Everest climber Michael Hamill of Climbing the Seven Summits, one of the top Everest and moutaineering guiding and outfitting companies in the world. From Hanover, New Hampshire, Mike lives in Sydney, Australia with his wife and daughter. They're expecting a boy in February 2021.
Mike's packing now for Everest, where his team has already established Base Camp on the Khumbu Glacier in Nepal. His twenty+ years of guiding on 8,000 meter peaks, including 13 expeditions to Mount Everest, make him the perfect interview to hear how Nepal is doing after having shut down the 2014, 2015 and 2019 Everest seasons, how it'…
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Jan 5, 2021
#65 - Electoral College Count - Stand Your Ground with Dr. Nathan Schwartz-Salant During Times of Chaos and Uncertainty
Recorded just as the polls closed during the runoff elections in Georgia, USA, we bring back Dr. Nathan Schwartz-Salant for his insightful take on how an individual must stand one's ground during times of chaos and uncertainty.
The late Dr. Nathan Schwartz-Salant, a prominent Jungian analyst, in this interview from February 8, 2020, on the eve of the New Hampshire primaries, offers a way for us to 'stand our ground' during these uncertain times, how to embrace the darkness of the collective psyche. His insight and analysis is perfect for
Dr. Schwartz-Salant is a member of the International Association for Analytical Psychology {IAAP} and has been practicing as a Jungian analyst for almost fifty years.
His first book, Narcissism and Character Transformation: The Psychology of Narcissistic Character Disorders, published by Inner City Books in 1982, is a classic in the Jungian field. Recently, he contributed the chapter "Healthy Presidential Narcissism: Is That Possible?" for the popul…
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Dec 29, 2020
#64 - Stop Chasing Happiness: A Course In Happiness
Our thoughts are very powerful. The thoughts that make up a great part of our conscious life create the person that we project onto the world, create the reality of our own lives.
Imagine a person being a tiny little radio station, broadcasting out to the world the thoughts, fears worries emptiness and depression that fill the mind. To commune with your soul, all it requires is for you to be like Source, or Soul, that being an all loving being,
So when you choose to come from a place of love your energies reflect that, and your little miniature radio station broadcasts that into the world. When we do that we find ourselves in synchronicity with the energies of one’s soul, or godlike energies….
How do we do that?
By adopting a vision of something worthy….by endeavoring to aspire to something greater, more noble.
A Course In Happiness and a downloadable pdf of today's A Course In Happiness can be found at
* *https://www.patreon.com/thehappinessquotient*
*Suggested Readings…
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Dec 21, 2020
#63 - The Happiness Quotient - Winter Solstice with Reverend Freakchild & Healing Power of Music
A quotient is an answer to a mathematical division problem. When we gather experience and look at the opportunities within our most challenging days, by deduction we begin to grow in wisdom. Hey, at the very least, we might learn what not to do. When we become wise and stop desiring the acquisition of wealth, or love or spiritual enlightenment, we will begin to become naturally happy. The Happiness Quotient endeavors to apply knowledge to the experiences in our lives, exploring how Happiness can be a part of our every day, even during the most challenging times.
In today's inaugural episode of our new incarnation we explore the healing power of music with bluesman and Master of Divinity in Buddhist Philosophy the Reverend Freakchild. We also share a killer rendition of Happiness Jones by The Wood Brothers.
Music throughout the episode is brought you by Reverend Freakchild off his latest album The Bodhisattva Blues. Final cut is Happiness Jones by The Wood Brothers.
HAPPY STUFF - RES…
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Dec 16, 2020
#62 (S2 Ep 31) - Always Been a Lover & A BIG Announcement From Thom
Folks, the winter solstice approaches. Thom gets prepared to announce some HUGE news about the future and where things are going. Groove to some music by Daniel Donato and let Thom tell you what it's all about.
Music by Daniel Donato, the real Cosmic Cowboy "Always Been A Lover"
Find him at: www.danieldonato.com
Find his music on Spotify by typing in 'Cosmic Country" and listen to his podcast on Apple Podcasts at:
https://podcasts.apple.com/ua/podcast/daniel-donatos-lost-highway/id1452703574
My friend Will White, who suggested I start podcasting (mentioned in this episode) has a podcast himself, called Stories From The Field: Demystifying Wilderness Therapy
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stories-from-the-field-demystifying-wilderness-therapy/id1440862416
For more information about Thom, visit:
www.eyesopenproductions.com
Peace and Love,
Thom Dharma Pollard
For exclusive content visit Patreon at:
https://www.patreon.com/thehappinessquotient
Subscribe to The Happiness Qu…
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Nov 16, 2020
#61 (S2 Ep 30) - Daniel Donato: Cosmic Country - Nashville Musician, His Life Lessons and Increasing Awareness During COVID
What do you get when you mix a Jam Band with a Country Band? You get Cosmic Country, a la Daniel Donato, a rising Nashville musician who got his start on Lower Broadway in Nashville at the age of 14 when he first stepped on stage. His story is inspiring, amazing, insightful and filled with positivity and wonder.
Daniel's new album is called A Young Man's Country, and you can find it here on Daniel's website at www.danieldonato.com
Daniel's podcast is Daniel Donato's Lost Highway:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daniel-donatos-lost-highway/id1452703574
Please visit me at eyesopenproductions.com or visit me on Apple Podcasts and Subscribe:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/baker-street-with-thom-pollard/id1457211236
Thank you for visiting!
Peace and Love,
Thom Dharma Pollard
For exclusive content visit Patreon at:
https://www.patreon.com/thehappinessquotient
Subscribe to The Happiness Quotient on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/thehappinessquotient Support the show
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Nov 2, 2020
#60 (S2 Ep 29) - Embracing Change: Devastating News Turns to Magic: a Final Fire Pit & an Icy Dip in the River of Life
After eight wonderful years locked in the embrace of a warm cabin in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, it was time I had to move. The news came as such a shock that it hadn't occurred to me to shop for a home to purchase. Time was short. I had two months to find a place to move the entire kit and kaboodle, in an absolutely over-saturated rental market, tapped by AirBnB and second home buyers, finding a place to live is nigh impossible around here. But, the Universe provides!
I share my experiences with the move, have a final fire pit at the cabin, and immerse myself in the icy cold Saco River to cleanse myself of all past negativity to usher in a new phase of my life. Brrrr!
The shorter video version of this episode is on YouTube at this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMaGV1J5n2U&t=630s
Music is by 'me': songs include Can't Find My Way Home, That's What Angels Can Do and my own composition from the 2003 Viracocha II Reedship Expedition.
JOIN MY MAILING LIST! Email me at…
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Oct 16, 2020
#59 (S2 Ep 28) - The Truth About Everest, Passing of My Mother, Disbursing Ashes From The Top
This is the Truth about Everest.
Hours after the passing of my mother in 2016 I was visited by a magnificent presence that assured me of my safety on Everest. Three months later, high up inside the Khumbu Icefall, that same presence assisted me during a serac avalanche in which four of us might have been killed.
PLEASE SHARE AND PLEASE SUBSCRIBE on Apple Podcasts. If you would like to be added to my mailing list or to be notified with details of the upcoming Everest event please email me at thom.dharma.pollard@gmail.com
MUSIC for this episode is by the AMAZING Garcia Birthday Band.
Please visit their website:
http://gbblive.com
Eyes Of The World by GBB:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhTSJVDUp58
I Know You Rider by GBB:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qglrhSFOTBc
Have a great day. Come from a place of Love.
For exclusive content visit Patreon at:
https://www.patreon.com/thehappinessquotient
Subscribe to The Happiness Quotient on YouTube:
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Oct 6, 2020
#58 (S2 Ep 27) - Ann Sarnoff, Head of WarnerMedia’s Studios and Networks Group
As Chair and CEO of Warner Bros., Ann Misiaszek Sarnoff became the first female to serve as a Studio head in the entertainment industry. Ann is truly a trail blazer, an inspiration to young and old to prove that hard work, determination and persistence far outshine the traits championed in the age of immediacy.
Ann was named head of WarnerMedia’s Studios and Networks Group in August 2020. In this role, she is responsible for all of WarnerMedia’s content-focused teams, uniting the Warner Bros. Pictures Group, HBO and HBOMax, the Warner Bros. Television Group, DC, kids/young adults/classics (Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Boomerang, TCM, Cartoon Network Studios, WB Animation), TBS, TNT, TruTV, Wizarding World, consumer products and gaming, to work together across titles, brands and franchises. An unmatched collection of world-class brands and content creators.
Sarnoff brings more than 30 years of business and media experience to this post, as she guides the Studios and Networks Group…
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Sep 28, 2020
#57 (S2 Ep 26) - It's GuitarGate with YouTube Sensation Michael Palmisano
Michael Palmisano has created a brand for himself as one of YouTube and the internet's premier guitar teachers. Known for his "Guitar Teacher REACTS" videos, he has - as of this date - over 171,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel "Michael Palmisano.
Micheal can't remember a time in his life that he wasn't playing or holding a guitar. He decided to go 'all in' on a career with the guitar after getting his business degree. Times weren't always easy. He married well, as he says, his wife saw the person he was going to be before he became it. Her mantra is ‘we can do anything’...let them try to stop us.
Michael's music and his message are inspiring and intoxicating. You will love not only his teaching style but his positive message about life.
We recorded our interview on video. Stay Tuned for a video version, TBD.
You can find Michael on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5rPp4vKg6AN8qnRCZ_RkPA
His website is here: www.guitargate.com
Michael on social media:
Twitter…
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Sep 24, 2020
#56 (S2 Ep 25) - Go Ahead, Hide Your Damn Fears: You're Just Feeding the Subconscious
A few years ago I had a hernia operation. The first thing I said to the nurse after I awoke from surgery was "The subconscious is a place created for people who need to hide their fears." Honest, that's what I said.
This brief episode investigates how fear and negative thinking can ruin us, starting with the idea of NOT feeling sorry for oneself. The power is in how we think, plain and simple.
For more information about me or how to join my mailing list, find me at
eyesopenproductions.com or email me at thom.dharmapollard@gmail.com
Music was found on the free music archive and by the Vivisectors. They can be found at www.thevivisectors.com
Peace and Love,
Thom Dharma Pollard
For exclusive content visit Patreon at:
https://www.patreon.com/thehappinessquotient
Subscribe to The Happiness Quotient on YouTube:
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Sep 17, 2020
#55 (S2 Ep 24) -David Brancaccio: Return of the Heroes of the Quarantine Culture and The Perfect S'more
You could say that in every dark cloud there is a silver lining…. COVID, as you know, has wreaked havoc on human life and the economy, around the world and in the US.
In this episode we welcome back a guest who visited us in April for our HEROES OF THE QUARANTINE CULTURE episode. David Brancaccio, is HOST AND SENIOR EDITOR OF MARKETPLACE MORNING REPORT ON PUBLIC RADIO.
Anyone who has a page dedicated to him in Wikipedia is SOMEBODY! Here’s here to talk all things economy with us today, wrapped inside a tasty combination of stories about model rockets and S’MORES. Yes, the perfect s’more is on tap for today....
David is a journalist, tv and radio host, reporter and storyteller….his website is www.brancaccio.com
David, as many of you know, keeps the pulse on business innovation and the economy, politics, human rights, national security, the environment, health care, and science policy. In 2007, David won a national Emmy for coverage of a public health story in Kenya. In 200…
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Sep 11, 2020
#54 (S2 Ep 23) - Going Forth In Gratitude, a Mini Bonus Episode
It's not lost on me that on this day in 2001 nearly 3,000 lives were lost and a nation was shocked when four coordinated terrorist attacks were waged. The gravity of the situation pales in comparison to the bump in the road I'm currently going through. I, we, have been asked to leave a home that I have lived in - rented - for over eight years. The abrupt and shocking news was delivered to me via the most impersonal of methods: certified mail.
The sudden interruption of 'normal' has given me pause for great introspection, as has the words of the occasional troll or hater who feels the need to chime in on some of my Facebook posts. They're the ones who get me thinking.
In this short episode I reflect on how gratitude, to me, is the only answer.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kindness,
Thom Dharma Pollard
September 11, 2020
For exclusive content visit Patreon at:
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Sep 7, 2020
#53 (S2 Ep 22) - Oliver Wood of The Wood Brothers, The Soul of This Town
HOW NOTES HERE
Oliver Wood has a touch of survivor's guilt. Many of his peers and even some mentors in the music business didn't stick with it. Finally, after years of sleeping on couches and sharing hotel rooms with bands he got a decent paycheck in his mid-40's. He and his brother Chris, the younger Wood Brother, call is "the slow rise to the middle.'
Oliver's take on life during COVID and the music business, life in general will keep you captivated in this exploratory interview that encompasses two new singles that he released independently of The Wood Brothers. Soul of This Town and The Battle Is Over (But The War Goes On), as well as more Wood Brothers music will fill your ears and heart with good sounds and inspiration.
www.thewoodbros.com
Songs appearing in this episode, in order of appearance:
That's What Angels Can Do (played by Thom Dharma Pollard)
Shoofly Pie
Postcards From Hell
Honey Jar
One More Day
Soul of This Town
The Battle is Over, But the War Goes On
Who The Devi…
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Sep 6, 2020
#52 (S2 Epi 21) - The Flying Canoe, Rainbow Flag & BLM Demonstration 300 Feet Over Cathedral Ledge, New Hampshire Episode
Canoeing the heights: rock climbers in the Mount Washington Valley of New Hampshire in the USA performed a high profile, high wire, eye catching demonstration in New Hampshire's White Mountains at Cathedral Ledge on September 5, 2020. Sightseers and curious tourists hiked up the Cathedral Ledge road to see the Rainbow flag representing the LGBQT movement and a huge Black Lives Matter flag flying from the canoe, replete with two paddlers secured safely inside.
The display could be spotted from a mile away and was the collaboration of a couple dozen area and regional rock climbers who endeavored to show the visitors to the valley that all are welcome here, regardless of color, gender identity or sexual orientation.
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I live just up the road from this mecca of the rock and ice climbing community. Cathedral Ledge drew me here decades ago to be a forever resident. When I heard about the demonstration I hurriedly packed up my recording gear to capture interviews and raw sounds of the scene.…
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Aug 31, 2020
#51 (S2 Ep 20) - On Being Ignorant, Lessons Learned In Pursuit Of Everest, Ernest Hemingway and My Father's Ghost
Herein is a revelation straight from Havana Cuba, where I witnessed a mirage of my father, who had passed more than a decade before. My father was a poet, an English literature major at Brown University. He instilled in me an almost surreal sense of the romantic, which, and this is for a future episode, I believe is what made him an alcoholic, and, tragically, partially inspired the death by suicide of my brother, only three months after his own passing.
These are lessons learned in pursuit of Everest, where in 1999 I came face to face with George Leigh Mallory, who disappeared 75 years previously, last seen with his partner Sandy Irvine at over 28,000 feet in 1924.
The series of events that unfolded after that discovery jarred me awake me from a dreamy sleep of ignorance. I’d been living a life steeped in idealism. After the discovery of Mallory, which made world news, I found myself the object of ire by a few....a few who became the object of my ire for years….until, seated at…
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Aug 25, 2020
#50 (S2 Ep 19) - Hollywood Entrepreneur Barry Katz PART 2 - TV-Film-Record Producer 'Whatever You Want To Do, You Can Do It'
Barry Katz does not disappoint with his unique and inspiring blend of life philosophy, Hollywood chutzpah, life coach and all 'round good guy. For a man that towers over me at, what, 6-foot-four, he is soft spoken and mild mannered. Give him a chance, though, ad he'll spellbind you with his insight, wit and wisdom.
In Part 2 of my interview with Barry, we veer off into new territory. In fact, while bestowing his life's stories of love, loss and incredible commercial success with comedians that he has represented, he takes the time to school me a bit on my own life's achievements.
You'll be inspired and entertained by this wonderful interview with my old friend, Barry Katz.
For more information on Barry, you can find him at www.barrykatz.com. Barry is also on Instagram and Twitter @barrykatz
Music for this episode is brought to you by THEE Reverend Freakchild from his incredible album The Bodhisattva Blues. For more information on the Reverend and how to buy his album, visit https:/…
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Aug 18, 2020
#49 (S2 Ep 18) - Agent of Change, Growing Up the Son of Blues Legend Paul Butterfield, Interview with Gabriel Butterfield of Woodstock, NY
This is a story about a father's enduring legacy, about a man who left this world young. While any dad who leaves before his time is worthy of consideration, this dad was world famous. He was the legendary blues harp (harmonica) player, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, vocalist and band leader the late Paul Butterfield.
Today we go for a ride through Paul's old home of Woodstock, New York with his son, Gabriel Butterfield. Gabe was just 22 when his father passed. His father's fame was worldwide. The Dalai Lama invited the family to attend a private prayer and chanting to help Paul get to the next realm. In the yeasr since, Gabriel has weeded through the many stories of people portending to have known Paul. yet, what endures for Gabriel is the love that Paul and Gabriel's mother Virginia passed down to him.
This is a fun yet moving interview with a man whose love for his father is boundless.
Music is provided by a band formed by Gabriel and Jimmy Vivino, Paul Butterfield Revisited.…
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Aug 11, 2020
#48 (S2 Ep 17) - Accidental Climber, Interview with Filmmaker Steven Oritt and Mountaineer Jim Geiger
On April 18, 2014 the silence of Everest was forever rocked by a devastating serac avalanche that took the lives of 16 souls. In an instant, all that was ever believed about Everest changed.
The gigantic block of ice was believed to be the size of a six story apartment building. As it tumbled down over the steep wall of the west shoulder of Everest, it smashed into thousands of pieces, many the size of small cars, and exploded into the Khumbu Icefall.
Climbing through the Khumbu Icefall that morning were over 100 individuals, most of them Sherpa porters and cooks, who worked for the many guiding outfits that catered to clients such as myself with the dream of climbing Mount Everest.
I was sleeping in my tent at Base Camp that morning, about a mile from, but in direct view of where the tragedy took place. My guest, Jim Geiger, was in the tent directly next to mine. I was filming Jim on his quest to climb Mount Everest.
I was filming a documentary about Jim on that fateful day. Jim,…
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Aug 6, 2020
#47 (S2 Ep 16) - Genesis of an Entertainer and The Myth of Sisyphus, Interview with the Incredible Barry Katz: Comedian, Filmmaker, Talent Manager and Podcaster
Barry Katz is a modern day renaissance man. He is also funny as hell. Smart. Successful. Humble beginnings. I met Barry in high school, where we competed on swim teams from neighboring towns, then went on to compete together on the Boston University Swim Team. Barry's beginnings are inauspicious: he was a high school bully. A swim coach - who happened to be my AAU coach - spotted Barry serving detention one day and said 'kid, come swim with my team and I'll get your 9 million hours of detention wiped out.' Barry was officially born.
He is a successful talent agent, helped jumpstart the careers of comedians Dave Chappelle, Tracey Morgan, Jay Mohr, Jim Breuer, Louis CK...need I say more? Hell, just that he worked with Jim Gaffigan is enough for me. He has brokered 100 TV development deals, Executive Produced over 50 television specials....
Barry got his career off to a start in Boston, as a student at Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Services at Boston University, and - wel…
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Jul 29, 2020
#46 (S2 Ep 15) - The Highpointers, Climbing the Highest Point in all 50 States with The Bargo Brothers
When I first started climbing back in my late 20’s I wanted to mix my newfound love of the mountains with my career…. It was my dream to bring the two together, so that I could make a living doing what I love, that being a filmmaker or cameraman filming on mountains around the world. It’s taken me many places, including four expeditions to Mount Everest.
*The Highpointers with the Bargo Brothers* is a new PBS television program premiering in July 2020 fefaturing my two guests, Branndon and Greg Bargo, who explore the United States by climbing the highest point in all 50 states. They invite local experts and some of the country's most interesting people to join them as they discover the best that each state has to offer.
I was fortunate enough to be featured in Episode 3 of The Highpointers, climbing to the summit of New Hampshire's highest point, Mount Washington. It's a wonderful episode. Our interview talks about their program and about all the work that it took to make it to…
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Jul 24, 2020
#45 (S2 Ep 14) - Attacked by a 'Friend" on Social Media, Making the World a Better Place
I awoke today to news of an old college buddy, my first roommate, who is very sick. I had coincidentally had a dream about him last night, where I hugged him and told him that I was sorry I hadn't stayed in touch over the years.
I also was attacked on social media by someone I thought was my friend, who went insane when he heard me make a comment about Donald Trump bragging about his genius in a supposed cognitive test. I'm learning a lot about people these days...
All I can say is that I CAN DO BETTER. On this, the anniversary of my mom's birth, I share some thoughts on the world at large, on how I can only focus on me, not anyone else, in making the world a better place.
Please listen. Please share.
Peace and love,
Thom Dharma Pollard
For exclusive content visit Patreon at:
https://www.patreon.com/thehappinessquotient
Subscribe to The Happiness Quotient on YouTube:
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Jul 8, 2020
#43 (S2 Ep 12) - Ripples in a Pond, Rising from the Ashes of Tragedy & the Trey Whitfield School
THIS IS A MUST LISTEN for all interested in current events, about how an elementary school in the most violent neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York has virtually transformed thousands of lives.
This is a story about two separate worlds intersecting to make something beautiful. About an amazing elementary school that gives hope where there is only hopelessness and despair. It’s a story about a now decades old friendship formed out of a seemingly random encounter. When one man, a black man, my second guest, was bringing his 14 year old son, a talented 6’ 8 basketball recruit from East NY, meets a young white assistant director of admissions, graduate of Harvard’s graduate school of education, working at a top prep school in New England, where the son had been recruited to play.
Normally, there would be no reason at all to mention whether any of my guests were black, or white, or of any cultural background, because it doesn’t matter….unless it’s pertinent to the story. In this…
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Jun 24, 2020
#42 (S2 Ep 11) - Mark Synnott: The Day Everest Broke, an Interview with NY Times Best Selling Author and Pro Climber
The 2019 expedition to solve the mystery of who climbed Everest first changed many lives, is now the subject of a new film called LOST ON EVEREST, is the cover article in the July issue of National Geographic Magazine and is the subject of a book by NY Times Best Selling author and professional climber Mark Synnott. The Third Pole will be released in the spring of 2021. One of the chapters of Synnott's book is called The Day Everest Broke, and describes in heartbreaking detail the story of some of the eleven people who lost their lives on May 23, 2019. This gripping episode features Mark Synnott, who takes us on a journey to Everest and how the project started and how it turned into the history making expedition for all the world to see.
Everything you thought you ever knew about Mount Everest will change when you listen to this interview with New York Times Best Selling Author and professional climber Mark Synnott. In 2019 Mark and I made a blood pact to go to Everest to try to solve…
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Jun 12, 2020
#41 (S2 Ep 10) - Bob Marley's War
This episode begins with the sounds of Barred owls calling in the New Hampshire night, as I muse about my sudden illness on Mount Everest in 2019. The wisdom of the owls is apt for Episode 10 as we recall the words of wise men from our past, including Albert Einstein, Halie Salassie and Bob Marley.
On the question of racial discrimination, Haile Salassie in a speech said to those who will learn, this further lesson:
"That until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned; That until there are no longer first-class and second-class citizens of any nation; That until the color of a man's skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes; That until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all without regard to race; That until that day, the dream of lasting peace and world citizenship and the rule of international morality will remain but a fleeting illusion, to be pursued but never attained; An…
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May 26, 2020
#39 (S2 Ep 8) - 46 Years & Counting as Willie Nelson's Harmonica Player, Mickey Raphael
(THESE NOTES WILL BE UPDATED)
Mickey Raphael was given his first harmonica by an uncle who said if you can play Oh, Suzanna I'll give you the harmonica. Mickey would go on to play a whole lot more than that, having been Willie Nelson's harmonica player for over 46 years. He's played with the likes of Townes Van Zandt, Chris Stapleton, Tom Morello, Paul Simon, Snoop Dogg, Engelbert Humperdinck, Leon Bridges, Neil Young, Norah Jones, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Duane Eddy, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Leon Russell...DO I NEED TO SAY MORE?
Mickey's story is a perfect fit for Baker Street with Thom Pollard. He picked up the harmonica and knew that he was destined to be a pro. His early influences include Sonny Boy Williamson, Sonny Terry & Brownie Mcghee and the legendary bluesman Paul Butterfield, with whom he soon became friends.
Mickey tells a great story about playing with Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine fame, and how he introduced Tom's mom to Willie.
Mickey's website is at mic…
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May 15, 2020
#38 (S2 Ep 7) - Jochen Hemmleb: The Mystery of the Fate of Mallory & Irvine on Mount Everest and Discussion with Noted Everest Historian
On June 8, 1924, two British mountaineers by the name of George Mallory and Sandy Irvine were seen at an altitude of over 28,000 feet 'headed toward the top' of Mount Everest by team member Noel Odell. At the time it was the highest any person had ever climbed before. After a few minutes, clouds obscured Odell's view of them and they disappeared, never to be seen again.
29 years later, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay successfully summited Mount Everest, on May 29, 1953. While they were the first to survive the epic ascent, many wondered if perhaps Mallory and Irvine might have been the first to actually stand on the top of what was known as The Third Pole.
75 years after the disappearance of Mallory & Irvine, a team of filmmakers and mountain climbers discovered the frozen body of Mallory at 26,750 feet. The team was looking for the camera they were known to be carrying that day. If the film could be safely brought down and developed, perhaps there would be summit photos. To th…
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May 7, 2020
#37 (S2 Ep 6) - A New Perspective Gained Through Trauma, the Ritual of Maté and an Interview with Photographer Oscar Manguy of Finland
When we encounter tragedy or a traumatic event in life, it often times opens up a portal through which we can gain a new perspective of life. We actually learn through the experience and can become more wise in the process.
In today's episode I interview photographer, adventurer and wilderness educator Oscar Manguy. We caught up with him at his home in a remote location in Finland, talked to him about his life in the outdoors, photography, and of the ritual of drinking Maté,is a traditional South American caffeine-rich infused drink.
Visit Oscar's website at oscarmanguy.com or his Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/oscar.manguy/
Music for this episode is courtesy of Reverend Freakchild's album The Bodhisattva Blues. Visit here to purchase this amazing album: https://blind-raccoon.lnk.to/Bodhisattva
For exclusive content visit Patreon at:
https://www.patreon.com/thehappinessquotient
Subscribe to The Happiness Quotient on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/thehappinessquot…
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Apr 29, 2020
#36 (S2 Ep 5) -From Bullied Kid to 3x World Record Holder, Interview with Adventurer Mike Reid
Ever look out the window at work or in school and wish you were out there doing something big, living out your dreams? That is what this episode is about. We meet a man who used to do that. Then decided that enough was enough.
Adventurer and three time Guinness Book of World Record holder Mike Reid says you don’t have to be gifted or talented. You don’t need anything given to you. If you refuse to take ‘no’ for an answer, anyone can achieve their dreams.
As a child Mike was bullied. He experienced a horrible divorce as a young child. He used to look at the Guinness Book of World Records and think that these are people he will never be. Growing up in inner city Philadelphia he experienced the invisible barriers that hold people from ever having hope or ever getting out of their situation. But, he realized that dreams take massive amounts of persistence and dedication.
While Mike has many amazing stories of adventure, today we’ll focus on his first ever kayak across the Sea…
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Apr 23, 2020
#35 (S2 Ep 4) - The Meaning of Life is Coffee, an Interview with Coffee Roaster Austin Orth
During this time, when the world seems to be going insane, we can lose our minds or keep our act together, or PROSPER! I don’t know about you, but when this stuff happens and we look at the super macro of it, click a few down on the pull down tabs of life, I like what is happening. Don’t get me wrong, I hate the devastation it’s having on life and millions of people and businesses in the world. But, beyond this, I feel like I’ve never been busier in taking advantage of this time.
In Episode 4 of Season 2 I draw a distinction of this time and how people handle it with the book by Viktor Frankl called Man’s Search For Meaning. Frankl was a survivor of a concentration camp during World War II and observed that different reactions to life in these camps had a significant impact on one’s life during and beyond the concentration camps. Frankl concludes from his experience that a prisoner's psychological reactions are not solely the result of the conditions of his life, but also…
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Apr 14, 2020
#34 (S2 Ep 3) - Heroes of the Quarantine Culture with David Brancaccio of Marketplace Morning Report and Peter Dunn of Topdrawer Corp
This one is about the heroes...well, two at least. Both of them would say PHOOEY, I'm no hero... So, let's just say it’s about how people are getting by. Specifically, it's about the small business owners, faced with the gut wrenching decisions they have to make when faced with going out of business, laying off employees...survival.
This Heroes of the Quarantine Culture on Baker Street with Thom Pollard welcomes two incredible individuals on the front line of the economy. Peter Dunn is President of Topdrawer, a Japanese-American company with over a dozens stores in the US and Japan which sells “tools for nomads,” including minimalist canvas backpacks and carry bags, portable speakers, eyeglasses, Bento boxes; anything and everything you might need while traveling. Please visit https://topdrawershop.com/
Peter had to make some gut-wrenching decisions when the COVID-19 stay at home orders swept across the land. When he made the decision to temporarily close the stories, he shut d…
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Apr 7, 2020
#33 (S2 Ep 2) - Dragon Tongue: The Tree Whisperer, Master Craftsman Tom Thiel and his Student in the Creation of Beauty/Rev Freakchild
There is a romance to uncertain times. In the undulations and valleys that we experience in life we are given an opportunity to learn new ways to do things. Much like the relationship between a master and his student, experiences offer us an opportunity to see things from a different angle.
This episode isnt about making guitars, per se, but about making a dream come true….about finding a muse and following it to completion. We'll be talking with Tom Thiel, an entrepreneur who spent his life in pursuit of a craft. He has built over 500 instruments. Built a sound company. He knows that by trial and error one learns things, masters them. This man creates 'serious wood products.'
We'll also meet a piece of wood called DragonTongue. It's worth a listen for those who wish to master a talent.
Music from the episode comes from none other than the amazing Reverend Freakchild. His new album, called The Bodhisattva Blues, can be pre-ordered beginning April 1, 2020 right here:
http://www.www…
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Mar 31, 2020
#32 - (S2 Ep 1) - Reverend Freakchild: The Bodhisattva Blues with the Bluesman About Drugs, Sobriety, Buddhism, Meditation & The Grateful Dead
YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST, PEOPLE:
Today on Baker Street with Thom Pollard I welcome the ever talented bluesman and Buddhist practitioner Reverend Freakchild. We'll talk about everything under the sun, as well as listen cuts off his new album called The Bodhisattva Blues. His insight and music will cover everything from the blues to drugs, to the Coronavirus pandemic, the Grateful Dead, to Buddhist philosophy from the Buddha himself to Naropa University, where the Reverend is studying for a masters in divinity.
Let's ease the pain of the current quarantine culture which has impacted all of our lives and celebrate the pains of a pandemic that has united us as a world community.
SUPPORT OUR MUSICIANS: The Bodhisattva Blues can be pre-ordered beginning April 1, 2020 right here:
http://www.www-reverendfreakchild.org/the-bodhisattva-blues
The album officially releases on April 10th...GET THE BLUES. GET THE BODHISATTVA BLUES
Many thanks to the Reverend's publicist Betsie Brown of Blind Ra…
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Feb 11, 2020
#31 - Survival Guide To the Madness: an interview with Jungian Psychologist Nathan Schwartz-Salant
If you think this episode is making a statement about my personal political preferences with this photo you're HIGHLY mistaken. Like me, if you're actually breathing, you know that the collective consciousness of the US political landscape is deeply divided. What's the old saying? War is not healthy for children and other living things? How does the current political divisiveness affect you? Does it raise your heart rate when you hear the detritus of political squabbling blurt out of your tv or radio? Well, here's a bit of help from a prominent Jungian analyst, Dr. Nathan Schwartz-Salant. Let's call it a modern day survival guide for those of us wondering if there's light at the end of the tunnel. I interviewed him recently asking him to shed some light on the state of affairs, and how we can keep our feet on the ground when it appears that the world has lost its mind.
One thing for sure, is that this is a changing time. As Americans look to find suitable candidates to elect as presid…
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Jan 28, 2020
#30 - Feel Good Story of the Week/Smiley Tejeda's Make-A-Wish Weight Room/Leaving a Legacy
In Episode 18 we got to meet Nathanael Smiley Tejeda, who gave up his Make-a-Wish grant to help his now former high school build a new weight room. That was back in August of 2019. This past December the weight room was finally unveiled. I called Smiley at his college in Springfield, Massachusetts, where he is starting his second semester of freshman year at Springfield College. Smiley talks about being in remission from Hodgkin Lymphoma, how exciting it was to unveil the new weight room and life in general. I also interview Lynda Pearson, one of Smiley's grantors at Make-a-Wish.
Every 4 days Make-A-Wish® New Hampshire grants the wish of a child diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition in New Hampshire. We believe that a wish experience can be a game-changer. This one belief guides us in everything we do. It inspires us to grant wishes that change the lives of the kids we serve.
Here's a link to their site:
https://nh.wish.org/
Only a small percentage of our listeners ar…
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Jan 16, 2020
#29 BONUS Episode - Australian Bushfires and the Inspiring "Aussie Bushfire Gear Giveaway"/Fundraiser to Help the Valiant Effort/Scott Salmon
This is a special BONUS EPISODE of Baker Street:
THE BUSHFIRES CURRENTLY RAVAGING AUSTRALIA ARE NOT ONLY OUT OF CONTROL IN ALMOST EVERY AUSTRALIAN STATE BUT THEY ARE COMPLETELY UNPRECEDENTED, AND OF A MAGNITUDE THATS NEVER BEEN EXPERIENCED.
This tragic loss of life, property and infrastructure has been declared a national state of disaster. In this Bonus Episode I interview Scott Salmon, owner of Nautilus Effects Systems based in Canberra Australia. (ABN 605 277 208 29). Scott's business is based around building guitar systems for musicians, and retailing mostly guitar effects and accessories. His home page is here: https://nautiluseffectssystems.com
I interviewed Scott on February 14, 2020 from the United States via WhatsApp. Scott was at his work in Canberra, Australia. His story is BEYOND INSPIRING. This is about COMMUNITY and EVERYONE can help.
Scott and a couple colleagues recently started a campaign aimed to donate money directly to the communities and animals affected in all…
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Jan 14, 2020
#28 - Helping Heroes Find Their Way Home/Military Suicide/an Inspiring Interview with Ray Gilmore
For anyone concerned about suicide, contact the National Crisis Line.
800-273-8255 (TALK)
This is a crisis line for EVERYONE
Veterans Press 1 - for expedited service, specifically for veterans
EPISODE 27:
*Today’s topic cuts close to the bone. If you’ve listened to Episode 23, called Don’t Tell a Lie, Your Life Depends on It, I talk about the suicide of my brother, my best friend, a beautiful, kind soul that broke so many hearts. *
*In Episode 27 we’re talking about suicide. Why does it happen, you might ask? Well, a person who commits suicide feels marginalized in some way. They can’t seem any conceivable path forward other than suicide. The pain is so unbearable, that they can’t imagine ever coming out of it, there is no path forward. Everything is hopeless, there is no escape, and "I am of no use to anyone." For those who have never thought about suicide it’s hard to imagine what it’s like to feel that way, and therefore so many assumptions are made about people w…
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Dec 20, 2019
#27 - Australia, Aboriginal Didgeridoo, Rod McCurdy, Pacific Dreams & Giving Back
This episode is a n instant classic, exploring not only the beauty of Australia but the inner journey of discovery and enlightenment with my good friend and fan of this podcast, Rod McCurdy. This episode summarizes exactly why Baker Street with Thom Pollard exists in the first place.
A recent sojourn to Australia unearthed a serendipitous encounter with Aboriginal musician George Dow, who masterfully demonstrated his didgeridoo. We discuss the hunter versus farmer hypothesis, first written about by author Thom Harmann. is a proposed explanation of the nature of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) first suggested by radio host Thom Hartmann in his book Attention Deficit Disorder: a Different Perception. This hypothesis proposes that ADHD represents a lack of adaptation of members of hunter-gatherer societies to their transformation into farming societies. Hartmann developed the idea first as a mental model after his own son was diagnosed with ADHD, stating, "It's not hard s…
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Nov 19, 2019
#26 - I Am Donald Trump, and #MeToo Movement, an Interview with Acclaimed Jungian Analyst Dr. Nathan Schwartz-Salant
There's a damn good reason that this is BY FAR my most downloaded and shared episode. We are in a divisive, tumultuous period, in the USA as well as worldwide. I decided to remove myself from the s*** slinging here on Facebook, have muted or unfollowed dozens of normally sane and rational friends since chasm began to widen.
If you're interested in doing a deep dive into the mind and soul of the most powerful man in the world and how he has come to build a large constituency, this is a great listen.
In this revealing interview, Dr. Nathan Schwartz-Salant, a prominent and world-renowned Jungian analyst, offers a clear and balanced explanation of how the phenomenon of DJT has emerged and taken hold.
His first book, Narcissism and Character Transformation: The Psychology of Narcissistic Character Disorders, published by Inner City Books in 1982, is a classic in the Jungian field.
He is the author of The Mystery of Human Relationship: Alchemy & the Transformation of the Self, The Border…
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Oct 22, 2019
#25 - PART 2 of Interview with Holocaust Survivor Irene Butter, Her Story of Hope and Inspiration
Episode 24 - THIS IS PART TWO OF A TWO PART EPISODE. This powerful story that will surely leave an imprint upon you. We’ll be talking with Irene Butter, who survived the Holocaust with her family. For decades Irene didn’t breathe a word about it. She wrote a book called Shores Beyond Shores, from Holocaust to Hope, My True Story. My friends John Bidwell and Kris Holloway (husband and wife) co-wrote this book with Irene by conducting hours upon hours of Skype interviews together. What resulted was an amazing book that stands as a beacon of hope an inspiration for all who read it.
In Part 2 Irene discusses her harrowing experience at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where brutality and death were commonplace. One night she helped bring a bundle of clothing to her old neighbor Anne Frank.
Irene also discusses her liberation from the camp with her family. Many years later, after decades in the United States, Irene began telling her story to students and people around the world. Her…
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Oct 22, 2019
#24 - PART 1 of Interview with Holocaust Survivor Irene Butter, Her Story of Hope and Inspiration
Episode 24 - THIS IS PART ONE OF A TWO PART EPISODE. THIS is a very powerful story that will surely leave an imprint upon you. We’ll be talking with Irene Butter, who survived the Holocaust with her family. For decades Irene didn’t breathe a word about it. She wrote a book called Shores Beyond Shores, from Holocaust to Hope, my true story…. My friends John Bidwell and wife Kris Holloway co-wrote this book with Irene by conducting hours upon hours of Skype interviews together. What resulted was an amazing book that stands as a beacon of hope an inspiration for all who read it.
The music we’re listening to was found on the free music archive, and is by Tagirijus. You can find his music at tagirijus.de I discovered the music at the free music archive.
For more information about Irene please visit www.IreneButter.com and also please visit her publisher's website www.canofworms.net
For more information about me, visit eyesopenproductions.com. If you wish to be added to my mailing…
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Oct 1, 2019
#23 - Don't Tell a Lie, Your Life Depends On It
When we act in accordance to the central spirit of our being we become off kilter, and millions upon millions live their entire lives…. In this world there is so much suffering to overcome, and we have much to keep attuned to. However, for every person who dies never having followed the central spirit of their being the world ends up a lesser place.
Buddha said that Life is Suffering. Yet, in our acceptance of that we can transcend that suffering and experience joy. It comes in letting go of attachment...attachment not only to material objects or attachment to the love or affection of another, but attachment to our own bodies. We are all going to die, that much is assured.
I’m not ashamed to tell you that my life has been difficult, that I was a total fuckup as a business man, as a husband...damn I think I was and am a damn good dad, but so many things fell apart for me, financially, my brother committed suicide three months after my dad died of lung cancer, I was a mess.
Someon…
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Sep 17, 2019
#22 - All The World's a Stage - Officiating the Wedding of Two Deeply In Love
The world is your oyster and all the world is a stage. In preparing for officiating the wedding of Trevor and Thaley I pulled inspiration from William Shakespeare and also from noted Dr. of Psychology Jordan Peterson to deliver what I hoped would be a memorable thing to share. If we accept challenges without malevolence or anger or self-pity we literally awaken dormant neurons in our brain that help us grow in wisdom. That's why old people are pretty cool. Imagine what would happen if you accepted every challenge that came your way? You would be the most you can be, that's what.
Much of the inspiration and some of the content for this talk was inspired by Jordan B. Peterson. I strongly advise anyone to look him up and invest some time in watching his content on YouTube, as well as listen to his podcast, which can be found on iTunes. Thank you kind sir for your incredible insight and piercing understanding of that which resides within us.
Music is from Barrence Whitfield and the Savag…
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Sep 3, 2019
#21 - Mastering The Fire Pit: Fun With Tortilla Chips
As summer in the northern hemisphere winds to a close (and the southern hemisphere welcomes the end of winter), the fire pit becomes a central gathering spot on chilly evenings at homes everywhere. In this episode, Thom helps viewers Master the Fire Pit by showing how to start a fire pit using old tortilla chips leftover from the night before. This fun little how-to episode will get you started on the way to mastering the fire pit. This episode is currently uploading on YouTube and will be available at this link at 7:45AM EST: https://youtu.be/1qCZPSoiPpo
Music for the episode is found on the free music archive and is performed by Lobo Loco. His songs are appropriately titled for the episode: Place On My Bonfire and Evening Campfire. His website is www.musikbrause.de Also appearing in the podcast is music from Norman Sylvester and Tavis Dodge, Find them at http://normansylvester.com/
Please join my mailing list by going to www.eyesopenproductions.com and clicking on Contact. Send me…
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Aug 27, 2019
#20 - Discovery of George Mallory, Commercialization of Everest, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
When George Mallory and Sandy Irvine disappeared on Mount Everest on June 8, 1924, the commercialization of the mountain was already under way. In the nearly 100 years, Everest has become an industry. With dozens of deaths on the mountain in the last five years, many feel that the mountain deserves a break. However, no matter how many die there, the dreamers will keep coming. In this captivating episode, Thom Pollard - with four expeditions over the course of 20 years under his belt, and a summit in 2016 - shares his insights about the good, the bad and the ugly of Everest. As a professional filmmaker and cameraman, he has seen Everest from all angles, including the discovery of George Mallory, 75 years after his disappearance, at 27,000 feet on the north side of Everest in 1999.
Thom uses excerpts from Tales From the Top, a recruitment event for the Boston Museum of Science, in February of 2018. The panel discussion was led by Professor Peter Hansen, Professor of History and Director…
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Aug 20, 2019
#19 - A Spirit Saved My Life in an Avalanche, Stories That Inspire
In 2003 I was caught in an avalanche while climbing in the Alaska Range. I was certain that my life was going to end in that moment. Then, as if out of nowhere, a spirit appeared and saved my life. That incredible story is the focus of Episode 19.
Music is found on the Free Music Archive and by Blue Dot Sessions, which can be found at https://sessions.blue/
For more information about my climbing and adventures, or to hire me to speak to your school, business or event, find me at www.eyesopenproductions.com
For exclusive content visit Patreon at:
https://www.patreon.com/thehappinessquotient
Subscribe to The Happiness Quotient on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/thehappinessquotient Support the show
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Aug 13, 2019
#18 - Stories That Inspire: He Gave His Make-a-Wish Gift Away So Others Could Benefit - Nathanael "Smiley" Tejeda
In Episode 18 of Baker Street with Thom Pollard we meet a positive and inspirational young man named Nathanael Smiley Tejeda, a high school graduate undergoing radiation for Hodgkin Lymphoma. At the time I met him he was practicing three times a day with a New Hampshire All-Star team in order to compete in the Shriner Hospitals 66th Annual Maple Sugar Bowl Game at Castleton University, VT on August 3, 2019. I was so moved by his infectious enthusiasm and joy that I wanted to introduce my listeners to him.
For a different YouTube episode of Baker Street featuring Nathanael please find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQcVXR89auU
For more information about the incredible work of the Shriner's Hospitals, visit them at https://www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/shc
Nathanael wants to share the importance of The Childhood Cancer Lifeline of New Hampshire, Families Helping Families. They can be found at: http://www.childhoodcancerlifeline.org/
Please check out Nathanael's gym,…
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Aug 6, 2019
#17 - Why You Should Never Say You’re Sorry, "isms' Require Judgment
Religions, by nature, divide and conquer. They succeed by keeping their followers in fear: fear of going to hell, fear of sin and so on. The truth is that a spiritually aware person doesn't need an 'ism'. These people come from a place of love and are not ruled by fear. Fear has power because people don't realize that the thoughts that we empower create our reality. When people make it their intent to be a true light force they can give rise to a spiritual awakening, their kundalini.
This brings us to the important point of why one should never say I'm sorry, or why one should ever require forgiveness from another. Forgiveness does not exist in the light, and forgiveness requires judgment, which requires us to deny the truth of who we are.
Music for this episode is performed by The New Monitors, and can be found on the free music archive. The New Monitors can be found at www.thenewmonitors.bandcamp.com
If you would like to be added to our mailing list please go to www.eyesopenproduc…
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Jul 30, 2019
#16 - Is There Life After Life? Remembering A Friend's Final Words
When that day finally arrives… Yes, you know what I’m talking about, death…what words will you need to share with those closest to you? Will the life that you’ve lived be sufficient enough? Or, are there secrets inside that you must share before it’s too late? In Episode 16 we explore the transformation that happens to us before death. We'll also talk about life after life and near death experiences, and how they have changed the lives of those who have experienced them. Finally, we'll share parts of a beautiful eulogy spoken for a man who passed in July 2019. He was a beloved friend that died at the age of 52, well before his time. We’ll find out if there were words he needed to share before he passed on or if the life he lived with sufficient enough.
This episode can be seen on YouTube at this link (available the evening of July 30): https://youtu.be/j6daMVXQtPc
If you’d like to contact me or be added to my mailing list, please go to www.eyesopenproductions.com and cl…
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Jul 23, 2019
#15 - Grateful for the Grateful Dead, Running For His Life by Tim Gillis
In Episode 15 I’ll explain why I’m grateful for the Grateful Dead. When people turn on to kindness and togetherness, there’s no downside. I also share the story of one of my best friends called Running for His Life, by Tim Gillis. If tears don’t come to your eyes when you listen to it, well, maybe you’re not a human being ;) It’s really that beautiful. I also tell you a little bit about my good friend’s new book called The Impossible Climb, about Alex Honnold’s free ascent of El Capitan. My friend is Mark Synnott, and his book is a New York Times bestseller.
If you’d like to watch this episode on YouTube, click on the link below:
https://youtu.be/asPENfF6spU
Music for this episode is by Garcia birthday band and you can find their music at www.GBBlive.com
Please join my mailing list, find me at www.eyesopenproductions.com - click on contact, and send me a short email about how I can reach you.
Thank you as always. Share this episode or give me a r review in iTunes…
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Jul 16, 2019
#14 - Hallucinogens v Meditation, Ubuntu, Oneness and Musa Musala
What is the surest way to achieve self liberation, enlightenment? Some tout the use of hallucinogens such as LSD or psilocybin mushrooms in order to take the short path to a spiritual upgrade. Others tout the slow path via years on the meditation mat. In this episode Thom explores his chosen path and the realizations that he encountered along the way. Thom also shares insights learned from his mysterious friendship with the shaman he knew in the Pacific Northwest. He also introduces the listener to the humanistic philosophy of Ubuntu, wherein in any community or tribe where Ubuntu is practiced it's all for one and one for all.
Thom also shares with us a new book called Musa Masala: Mountain Girl of the Himalaya. I was asked to write a blurb for the book by the writers. I wrote: “I had tears in my eyes from the outset. The inspiring and transformative journey of a lovable little homeless girl is an inspiration for us all… Musa learns that there are no limits on how far she can go i…
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Jul 9, 2019
#13 - My Mysterious Friendship with a Shaman
Episode 13 is the first episode also recorded on video and available on YouTube. This episode features the first meeting between Thom and a learned shaman named Swayu, a descendant of the Coast Salish of the Pacific Northwest. This remarkable friendship enlightened Thom to heretofore unknown wisdom.
His story starts as Thom opened a brand new journal, in which he detailed the teachings of this learned Teacher of the Light. The episode, filmed and recorded at his house in New Hampshire, Thom discusses his affinity to living in nature, close to wildlife and his thoughts.
The video link for this episode can be found at this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eNJkz0m9EU
Music is by Lobo Loco, found on the free music archive. His music can be found at musicbrause.de For more information about Thom or to be added to his mailing list, contact him at eyesopenproductions.com
For exclusive content visit Patreon at:
https://www.patreon.com/thehappinessquotient
Subscribe to The Happines…
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Jul 2, 2019
#12 - Tragedy and Lessons of Mount Everest and How I helped Paul Butterfield get inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame
Two of my favorite subjects are Paul Butterfield, the blues harmonica master who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2015, as well as Mount Everest, the mountain I climbed for the first time after three attempts, dating back to 1999. Paul Butterfield was inducted into the Rock Hall after three attempts at getting him in. It was through my efforts and those of others in the production of a short documentary that helped Paul and his band gain acceptance.
I returned to Everest this year and witnessed firsthand the madness that ensues when too many people try to climb it at the same time. My remarks and thoughts cover not only 2019, but also my experiences on Everest in 2014, during which time a massive avalanche took the lives of 16 sherpa. I successfully climbed Everest in 2016, and returned again to the north side with a crew from National Geographic.
The Summits of Modern Man: Mountaineering after the Enlightenment by Peter H. Hansen can be found on Amazon and other maj…
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Jun 25, 2019
#11 - Thee Most Badass Guitar Shop on the Planet, Discernment & Realizing Your Dreams
When I walked into Friendly River Music in Cornish, Maine (of all places!) I could hear angels singing...er, maybe it was a stack of Marshalls blowing a '50 amp fuse' as Mick sings in You Can't Always Get What You Want. I'd found guitar-lovers Nirvana, then promptly spent my savings on a Fender Strat and Princeton Reverb amp. John Barton, the shop's founder, owner, proprietor, rock historian, guitar lover/collector, Beatles freak, all 'round great guy, inspires you as he takes us on a tour. From a 1961 Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120 hollowbody to a handmade Steelcast made by James Trussart, this is not your ordinary neighborhood shop. John's story is inspiring, too. He grew this shop from a $500 investment, borne out of knowing he'd never survive a career as a teacher.
I've posted photos of the guitars that John and I discuss in the episode, as well as many photos from his beautiful shop on my Facebook page (Thom Dharma Pollard) and my Instagram page @thom.dharma.pollard
In Episode 11 I al…
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Jun 18, 2019
#10 - Frank Campanaro: Conquering Mount Everest with Tourette Syndrome, Mentors - Remarkable Interview
For all intents and purposes, the guest for Episode 10 should have died a hundred times over given the odds stacked against him from a young age. Instead, his is a story of inspiration.
Tourette Syndrome is a type of Tic Disorder. Tics are involuntary, repetitive movements and vocalizations. In addition to the medical and behavioral challenges that come hand-in-had with TS, children also face challenging social and educational situations, which can be stressful. Our guest has lived his entire life with Tourette Syndrome. Instead of allowing it to defeat him, he's risen literally to the top of the world, Mount Everest, and has become successful in the military, as a chef, in business and is also an advocate and mentor to others with Tourette Syndrome.
I met Frank Campanaro this spring on Mount Everest, where both of us were endeavoring to climb to the world's highest point. It soon became obvious how remarkable Frank's story is. While Tourette Syndrome is a big part of his story, his…
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Jun 11, 2019
#9 - How to Be a Fighter Pilot, Giving Back to the Community
What are the qualities that make a leader? What qualities make a good fighter pilot? Believe it or not, those qualities that make a fighter pilot are those that make one successful in other areas of life. Meet Uva Rama, an F-16 pilot from Singapore who has devoted his so-called retirement years to giving back to the community. Interviewed in Kathmandu, Nepal, where he makes his home, Uva now has taken on the task of developing a company that outfits expeditions to the top of the world, Mount Everest.
Music in the episode is from Metyu, VKTRD & Ondro M., found on the Free Music Archive. For more information on Thom Pollard, please visit eyesopenproductions.com. Click on Contact and sign up for his podcast newsletter for news and alerts to the next podcast. Please share with friends and family on your social media!
If you'd like more information on the work that Uva is doing, visit the company website at www.expeditionhimalaya.com, or email him directly at Uva@expeditionhimalaya.com
F…
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May 21, 2019
#8 - Reporting From a Windy Tent on Mount Everest: An Exercise in Overcoming the Insurmountable
We are all endeavoring to surmount various obstacles en route to our goals and aspirations. For some, it might be in tackling a 30 mile race over mountains. For others, it might be in facing an employer to ask for a raise. For others, it might be the decision to allow a relationship to end, despite the abyss of the unknown staring us in the face. Either way, if we practice a simple exercise, we can get a grip on our fears and take control of our future.
Music in this episode was recorded at a puja. For more information about me, please visit www.eyesopenproductions.com. Please share this episode with friends, family and anyone who might be interested in listening. Share on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram...anywhere at all.
For exclusive content visit Patreon at:
https://www.patreon.com/thehappinessquotient
Subscribe to The Happiness Quotient on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/thehappinessquotient Support the show
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May 7, 2019
#7 - The Answer to "Why do we exist?" Is Right in Front of Your Face
There are billions of human beings living in ignorance, destined to die that way only to come back again in the next incarnation to do it all over again. Cool! Funny thing is, when offered the opportunity to step out of ignorance, most turn away because they're happy not knowing the answers. Go for it! All that said, if you want to be a better dad, sister, brother, mom, friend, human being....you should give this episode a listen. But hey, don't take my word for it. Find out for yourself. If you want to stay in ignorance, hasta luego. See you in the next incarnation.
Truth is, that we are here for a reason: to explore our creativity. Yup. Plain and simple. We delve deeply into the question of our reason for existence and why we ended up here in this place.
Music is found on the Free Music Archive featuring Reverend Freakchild at www-reverendfreakchild dot org. For more on Michael Simonson find him at michaelsimonsonfoundation dot org. To learn about the guy hosting this podcast pleas…
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Apr 23, 2019
#6 - Judgment and the Subconscious, Sometimes Just Go For it and Say F It!
When we sit in limbo wondering whether to take the leap and follow our truth, our own true path in life, we are never going to be truly happy. I'm not saying just hit the road and leave it all behind. The due diligence is to go deep and see if our choices are serving our higher good, our higher self. Our higher self is all knowing. When we know, we KNOW. There are consequences when we choose to come from a place of love. And, there are consequences when we come from a place of fear. One sets you free. The other imprisons you in a prison of your own making.
This episode might make a few of you angry. If you believe blindly in a gospel delivered by a preacher without discovering the truth for yourself...you'll never be free. Now, don't believe a word I say! Find out for yourself. If you think I'm full of it, cool! Go find your own truth, don't take it as gospel from anyone but you and your higher self. Additionally, the pious are those that serve the darkness through judgment. We'll exp…
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Apr 16, 2019
#5 - Distractions, Living in the Now, Human Horse Balance Healing Foundation
The key to functioning at high levels is in clearing our mind of distractions. At Human Horse Balance Healing Foundation in Center Conway, New Hampshire, one must also clear the mind of distractions when working with horses, as horses live in the here and now. They have no past or present. Paula Lambie is a healer, Reiki master and a veritable horse whisperer. Paula brings together her special knowledge of horses with people in need of healing, whether veterans with PTSD, children with autism and everything in between. Thom ventures out to meet Paula and to be introduced to her very special horses. Music in the episode is from the Free Music Archive, featuring the music of Metyu, VKTRD & Ondro M., a band out of Slovakia on the Radio Bunker label. Go to YouTube to find a clip of the innovative band. For more information on Paula and her horses, go to hhbhealing.org. For more information about Thom visit his webpage at eyesopenproductions.com.
For exclusive content visit Patreon at:
h…
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Apr 9, 2019
#4 - Sir Edmund Hillary: Never Before Released Interview with Thom Pollard About Mount Everest; & NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Christchurch, NZ
A first ever before heard interview with legendary mountaineer and philanthropist Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to stand atop Mount Everest in 1953. Our accomplishments mean very little if we do not feel and express gratitude and humility. Sir Edmund Hillary became the first man to stand atop the world's highest mountain with Tenzing Norgay. His legacy, however, is in all that he gave back to the Sherpa people and the Everest region of Nepal. Also in this episode, in March of this year a terrorist in Christchurch, New Zealand burst into to two mosques and killed 50 innocent people. NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern swiftly moved to deny the man the notoriety he expected by making it known that she would never mention him by name. "He may have sought notoriety but we in New Zealand will give him nothing -- not even his name." Music for the episode comes from the Garcia Birthday Band found on the freemusicarchive. They can be found at gbblive.com. Information on Sir Edmund Hillary's l…
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Apr 2, 2019
#3 - Training for Everest on Mount Washington, My Mentor the Legendary Bradford Washburn
While training for my fourth expedition to Mount Everest on the slopes of Mount Washington in New Hampshire I reflect on the knowledge passed down through my mentor, the late Bradford Washburn, cartographer of Mount Everest, the Grand Canyon and Denali. Brad was the world's greatest aerial photographer, as well as the founder of the Boston Museum of Science, pioneer of 13 first ascents in Alaska and was the first to climb the now popular West Buttress route on Denali in 1951.
During my training for Everest to search for the body of Sandy Irvine, last seen on June 8, 1924 at over 28,000' with his partner George Mallory, I became aware of a presence near me. Was it Sandy, asking for assistance?
This podcast's theme song, Happiness Jones, appears courtesy of The Wood Brothers.
For more information about The Wood Brothers:
https://www.thewoodbros.com/
The Wood Brothers on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTvWKQovDZlLceuct1EEMMQ
Happiness Jones video can be seen here:
https://…
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Mar 26, 2019
#2 - Dream Heart: Noah Rivers on Pursuing a Career as a Luthier
Those who follow the musical course of their heart experience collateral damage along the way. However, within the sacrifices those same people often discover their greatest masterpieces. After hearing an interview wherein Neil Young spoke about following our musical course, Thom Pollard decided to begin producing a film called Dream Heart, about people following their passions and living their own musical course. In this episode we'll meet a 20-year old luthier named Noah Rivers, the first subject of Thom's in-production film Dream Heart. Music for the episode comes from Reverend Freakchild, found on freemusicarchive.org. Reverend Freakchild can be found at http://www.www-reverendfreakchild.org.
For exclusive content visit Patreon at:
https://www.patreon.com/thehappinessquotient
Subscribe to The Happiness Quotient on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/thehappinessquotient Support the show
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Mar 19, 2019
Why We Exist & Mount Everest
In this introductory episode of Baker Street with Thom Pollard we’ll explore why we exist, the real meaning of life and meet a special guest who understands that we can make our intentions a reality by choosing love over fear. Everest climber, adventurer and public speaker Thom Pollard shares some personal stories in this episode, including the tragic avalanche on Mount Everest in 2014 that claimed the lives of 16-men. He also reveals the story behind how he named the podcast Baker Street. Thom also introduces us to energy worker Michael Simonson, who explorers how fear and judgment hamper our ability to live a good life.
For exclusive content visit Patreon at:
https://www.patreon.com/thehappinessquotient
Subscribe to The Happiness Quotient on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/thehappinessquotient Support the show
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