LISTEN Truth. Is there even such a thing? At times, objectivity seems like a given, but with a deeper look, we often find shades gray and learn that the “truth” looks quite different depending upon your point of view. But, is there such a thing as a greater, transcendent, immutable truth? Something we can know and take solace in, maybe even aspire toward throughout our lives? Obviously there’s no clear answer, but if it does exist, you’re sure as hell never going to find it without looking. For ...
Jan 24, 2014•1 hr 35 min
LISTEN I have some bad news. The kind of bad news you’re actively putting off thinking about at this very moment. Fear and misfortune are lurking just around the corner. Something bad can and will happen to you, it’s just a matter of time. As if that weren’t bad enough, most threats to our well-being are totally beyond our control. So, now that you’re thinking about it, how will you react? Put it out of your mind? Curl up into a ball and try to hide from it? Or think to yourself, why not just le...
Jan 14, 2014•1 hr 15 min
JET PACKS. CATS. REVOLUTION LISTEN True innovation is rarely foreseeable. If yesterday's notions about the future were even close to the mark, we'd be flying around in our cars or wearing jet packs and living in floating houses. Instead, we carry around yesterday's equivalent to a super computer in our pockets and use it to look at cat memes, take pictures of sushi and enable revolution. Technology has become weird, it eludes definition and form and the more deeply intertwined we become with it,...
Dec 24, 2013•53 min
Each journey we take starts pretty much the same way. We get an idea, then we daydream about how it will go: “If I do this, then I can do that, I just have to do this and this, then I’ll be this, or have that,” we think to ourselves (you can fill in the blanks with your own scenario). But, of course as quickly as we take the first step toward starting that journey, we find that the road is longer, more nuanced and fraught with the unexpected than we ever could have imagined. The bulk daydreaming...
Dec 16, 2013•1 hr 23 min
LISTEN For creative people, modern society provides you with an interesting paradox. You need the infrastructure it provides to support you and give you meaning, yet its design includes so many barriers and obstacles designed to keep you on a well-worn path that it’s inconvenient, if not nearly impossible for many of us to get off of it to pursue our creative goals. However, if we’re bold enough to roll the dice and lucky enough to end up with the right numbers, the success we taste is so intoxi...
Dec 01, 2013•57 min
If there’s one thing that really gets to me, it’s the stereotypical “rock star” persona, especially in this day and age when there’s so little separating the artist from the consumer. You know the type, they’re usually a front man who stinks of a mixture of inebriated co-eds and cigarette smoke, all while exuding the perfect level of jaded indifference and aloofness. As much as I’d love to remind them all that they’ll never be thrust into the line-up of Motley Crue a week after the release of Do...
Nov 20, 2013•1 hr 2 min
If you participate in social media, you’ve no doubt seen a plethora of inspirational memes floating around the Internet. You know the type; they’re the ones that feature psychedelic art or images of nature. Maybe there’s even an image of Albert Einstien’s disembodied head floating through outer space, disseminating a classic quote. Or, my favorite, a Native American staring at the moon flanked by a hawk and an especially timely old proverb. I’ll be honest; I’m guilty of it. I share stuff of this...
Oct 25, 2013•1 hr 5 min
Rites of passage, robberies, floatation tanks, leather pants, this one has it all! And it’s all thanks to our lovely guests Thomas Huisking ( L.A. Real ) and Jason Abbot ( the IGC Cast ). When my brethren aren’t hosting their own respective shows, it’s probably because they're off climbing some mountains or doing something that requires good looks and / or smarts, like acting or writing books, or something. Anyway, grab this episode at the usual places ( Itunes Stitcher etc.)....
Oct 23, 2013•1 hr 37 min
MAPS (The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) is a non-profit research and educational organization dedicated to developing legal medical applications for psychedelics. Knee-deep in the FDA approval process for several substances, their research has begun to bear fruit, perhaps most notably in their staggeringly successful use of MDMA to treat PTSD. Brad and I discuss these studies, as well as the undeniable societal, spiritual and philosophical shifts that would occur, in a w...
Sep 30, 2013•1 hr 6 min
“The game of life is a form of cosmic hide and seek” -Alan Watts Alexander Ward has spent more time on the road less traveled than some do in an entire lifetime. He’s shot documentaries on multiple continents, produced visual art across many mediums, participated in numerous Ayahuasca ceremonies and appeared on several podcasts, including London Real. If there’s anything I learned about him from this conversation, it’s that he’s nowhere close to stopping. We dove deep into a multitude of subject...
Sep 21, 2013•1 hr 26 min
Matt Staggs is back this week for second round of podcasty goodness! This Twitter-loving Editor, Writer and booker of talent has taken control of his life through good old fashioned hard work and the confidence he’s built through the study of Jujitsu. Matt has managed to harness that confidence and shape his life with it, most notably in the quitting of his vile, Office Space-like day job. Since that victorious event, Matt has continued to work for Disinfo as an Editor and Podcaster, Book guests...
Aug 09, 2013•59 min
On this, the 23rd installment of Midwest Real, we welcome the unbelievably talented Dan Rutkowski. Dan is the mastermind behind Pisces , an up and coming game that is set to push boundaries in a multitude of ways. With a quick look at his website, you'll find that a great deal of passion has gone into this project. To put it simply, Dan has poured his heart and soul into this thing, and he's in it for all the right reasons. Within five minutes of speaking with Dan, I knew this conversation would...
Jul 27, 2013•1 hr 31 min
If you listen to other podcasts in a similar vein to this one, this probably isn’t the first time you’ve heard of Aubrey Marcus. In case you’re among the uninitiated, there’s not a whole lot this gentleman doesn’t do. He’s an entrepreneur, a world traveler, an athlete, a plant medicine aficionado a philosopher and more. Did I mention he also hosts his own show? Aubrey is an extremely inspirational guy not only because of his level of personal success and development, but because of his ability t...
Jul 18, 2013•1 hr 1 min
Host of the Higherside Chats, Greg Carlwood joined us to discuss conspiracies, his show, psychadelics and a whole lot more. Greg is an extremely warm, transparent well-spoken individual. What you hear on his show is definitely what you get both in this episode, and the off-air conversations we had leading up to the show. Give Greg your warmest regards at his website, Thehighersidechats.com.
Jun 29, 2013•1 hr 21 min
This conversation is most certainly dedicated to you creatives out there. (We made room for some esoteric, woo woo-ness too). Our guests this week spearhead Made in Milwaukee , an organization that has grown from a small DIY group of creatives fostering art, to a powerful one that gets love, recognition and support from businesses, governmental entities and the community at large. The trick is, they've done it without compromising an ounce of their values or vision. As you’ll see, Charles also t...
Jun 21, 2013•1 hr 18 min
Well hi there; it’s been a little while! What I love about these interviews is that people often surprise me. Amardeep Kaleka was no exception. As the director of Sirius, a documentary about UFO disclosure, clean energy suppression and plenty of other fringe subjects, you might think his opinions and talking points would consistently come down on the side of a conspiratorial worldview. Actually, Arm is in fact, an extremely well informed, open-minded, thoughtful, nuanced and experienced individu...
Jun 10, 2013•1 hr 46 min
This week, we talk with NFL punter and bona fide smooth talker Chris Kluwe. Chris was flung into the mainstream when he defended gay rights in a now famous letter published by Dead Spin. His stint in the spotlight has lead to nationwide notoriety, a huge online following and a book deal. Chris is truly an intellectual, who professes insight in areas that fit in staggeringly well with our own interests. You're definitely going to be pleasantly surprised in this one.
May 19, 2013•1 hr 10 min
This week, we had the pleasure of speaking with Matt Staggs. Matt is an editor at Disinformation.com (i.e. ‘Disinfo’) and also helms their podcast, the DisinfoCast . He also writes for Suvudu , your one-stop shop for all things sci-fi and fantasy media. Many of you may also know him as the booking agent for the powerful (Get it?) Joe Rogan Experience podcast. We had truly eclectic conversation with Mr. Staggs, and we’re sure you’ll enjoy the discourse. You can find this and all of our other epis...
May 12, 2013•1 hr 22 min
We're back with another "family" cast. Yes, this week we've opted to have an episode with just the four of us to catch up on what's been going on in the world and in our heads. We answer burning questions about everything from our broken government and economy, to how close we are to creating the matrix, all while Dana cooks tacos. Get in on the conversation on twitter @midwestreal and at midwestreal.net.
May 05, 2013•1 hr 4 min
The Midwest Real Podcast is back this week with a great and varied conversation with the brilliant and kind David Metcalfe . Metcalfe is a Contributing Editor to Reality Sandwich and Books Editor for The Revealer , the online journal of NYU’s Center for Religion and Media. He also runs the site Liminal Analytics , an applied research collaborative whose focus is on “the unattended, invisible, and overlooked.” He writes regularly for Modern Mythology , Reality Sandwich , The Revealer , Evolutiona...
Apr 30, 2013•1 hr 15 min
On an overcast and rainy spring night in Milwaukee, we sat down for a cross-country conversation with Italian author ( On the Warrior’s Path , 50 Things You’re Not Supposed to Know: Religion , and Create Your Own Religion: A How-To Guide Without Directions ), university professor, podcaster ( The Drunken Taoist ), and martial artist (Because who isn’t these days, right?) Daniele Bolelli . Always the gentlemen, we shared a fun and incredibly informative discussion with Mr. Bolelli from the long-s...
Apr 11, 2013•1 hr 9 min
This week Midwest Real hosted author of Perfecting Sound Forever and contributor to such publications as Spin , Salon , Wired , Village Voice , among many others. The guys conversed about Greg's writing background, his current book in progress, as well as topics revolving around the music and recording industries as a whole. Enjoy.
Apr 03, 2013•1 hr 10 min
Steve Volk , senior writer at Philadelphia Magazine , 2013 National City and Regional Magazine Award finalist, and author of Fringe-ology: How I Tried to Explain Away the Unexplainable - And Couldn’t , joined us for an hour this week. We almost immediately found a sort of kinship with Mr. Volk, and by halfway through the conversation we were discussing the questionable writing decisions of certain Marvel Comics’ characters. The conversation is as captivating as it is endearing, which is precisel...
Mar 25, 2013•1 hr 8 min
This week the guys welcome Milwaukee's own stand-up comedian, Adam Loeding. Adam began his career as a professional comedian this past year and immediately struck a chord with audiences around town. He is now one of the prominent stand-ups in the city, and he shared his story with guys on a cool March evening in Milwaukee. The conversation branches off into a discussion about the newest Pope as well as this latest season of The Walking Dead. At the end of the episode, a note is made regarding an...
Mar 18, 2013•1 hr 21 min
Welcome back around, dear Realers. Part two of our utterly fascinating interview with Sacred Geometry International's Randall Carlson is here. We continue our discussion on lost civilzations, catyclisms, and how humanity can move forward from the precarious state we find ourselves in. Its a fantastic conversation you aren't going to find from many other outlets.
Mar 10, 2013•1 hr 15 min
Randall Carlson is a master builder and architectural designer , teacher, geometrician, geomythologist, geological explorer and renegade scholar. He has four decades of study, research and exploration into the interface between ancient mysteries and modern science. Carlson has been an active Freemason for 30 years and is Past Master at one of the oldest and largest Masonic lodges in Georgia. Randall spoke with the guys frankly and openly about his expieriences within Masonry, his research into a...
Mar 06, 2013•1 hr 3 min
This week marks the first 'Family Podcast' episode of Midwest Real, where the guys catch up with each other and discuss current events and random musings, including a discussion regarding the 'overview effect', a phenomena experienced by those who have gone to space.
Feb 26, 2013•1 hr 15 min
This week MwR brings you a conversation with Iraq war veteran Mike Lang. Mike hails from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and served in the United States Air Force during both pre and post surge Iraq. He spent 500 days in the country and discusses his time there. The discussion leads to his views and opinions on the both the Bush and Obama Administrations, as well as the drone wars and civil rights.
Feb 18, 2013•1 hr 22 min
This week the guys sit down with Brad Clifford. Born and bred in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Brad was a member of several Milwaukee aggressive musical acts (Since By Man), as well as joining national metal/hardcore band Poison the Well. He now travels the world with acts such as The Gaslight Anthem and Taking Back Sunday as a guitar tech and tour laborer. The guys talk to him about his time as a performer, a world traveler, and human being.
Feb 11, 2013•1 hr 9 min
This week's episode features Spencer Chumbley, photo/video journalist and fellow under Al Jazeera English's documentary program, FaultLines. The guys talk to Spencer about his background, his current work with Al Jazeera English, and some of the hotly debated current events of the past few weeks, including the highly controversial film, Zero Dark Thirty.
Feb 03, 2013•1 hr 25 min
