It’s All Happening is back from a self-imposed hiatus with the genius of Miko Matsumura. Miko goes beyond his role as tech titan and takes you into a profound vision where technology, consciousness, spirituality and the human condition all dance together in a divinely orchestrated goal for the future. Our conversation covered the implications of the blockchain, why the end user matters and how to make sense of economic chaos. Keeping up with Miko is a task, let me tell you. He is a big brain, big heart human that is one of the finest thinkers around today.

Intro Rant – Heartbreak, The Grateful Dead and being hurt

Sponsored by – Sunrise CBD – Conscious CBD, Crafted for Wellness at Honest Prices

 

Miko Matsumura is a General Partner with Gumi Cryptos, a US $30M venture capital fund focused early stage blockchain startups and a Venture Partner with BitBull Capital, a cryptocurrency fund-of-funds. He is also an advisor to Arrington XRP Capital. He has been a keynote speaker at dozens of blockchain conferences around the world. He is also cofounder of crypto exchange Evercoin.

The love, light and sublime magic that is Deva Premal and Miten comes beaming in to this episode of the podcast. Recorded at a gorgeous ocean view villa in Malibu, our conversation covered the history, inspiration and philosophy that makes their life's offering in the form of song so special. In some ways it's hard to convey the potent and serene wisdom that being in their presence conveys, it's beyond words to some extent. They emit a sense of sereneness that I've rarely encountered. For over 25 years Deva and Miten have traveled the world delivering their brand of mantra infused sacred music to audiences near and far. The way that they share their gift of song and mantra goes beyond the traditional relationship of performer and audience and into a communal exchange of ceremony and ritual that is entirely unique and must be experienced. I hope some of their love is transmitted in this conversation.

Intro Rant - How we can take back effects of the "filter bubble"

Sponsored by - The Yoga of Strength - A Hero’s Journey into the Heart of Reality - A New Book by Andrew Mark Rowe

Deva Premal and Miten -

Awakened to the treasure of her childhood, Deva began asking her Indian friends to teach or reacquaint her with mantras, and Miten began composing original harmonic melodies for the ancient chants, with Deva singing lead. In her mother’s kitchen in 1998, Deva and Miten recorded their first album, The Essence, expecting it simply to circulate among Osho followers. Instead, it exploded at yoga studios, massage clinics, and retreat centers globally, introducing the world to a brand new sound, with album sales reaching 300,000 in hard copies alone. And so Deva Premal & Miten were born.

Father Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries, shares his passion and history of his life's work on this episode of the podcast. Homeboy Industries is the largest gang intervention and re-entry program in the world and Father Greg's light created it. In the podcast he shares the origin story of Homeboy Industries, why healing and tenderness works and a vision for healing all of our inner cities. Father Greg is truly one of the great inspirations in the world of service and social outreach, his work has touched countless souls. Please check out what Homeboy Industries is all about if you're not familiar with them. He is truly doing the lords work.

Sponsored by - The Yoga of Strength - A Hero’s Journey into the Heart of Reality by Andrew Mark Rowe 

Father Greg Boyle - In the face of law enforcement tactics and criminal justice policies of suppression and mass incarceration as the means to end gang violence, he and parish and community members adopted what was a radical approach at the time: treat gang members as human beings.

In 1988 they started what would eventually become Homeboy Industries, which employs and trains former gang members in a range of social enterprises, as well as provides critical services to thousands of men and women who walk through its doors every year seeking a better life.

Father Greg is the author of the 2010 New York Times-bestseller Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion. His 2017 book is the Los Angeles Times-bestseller Barking to the Choir: The Power of Radical Kinship.

He has received the California Peace Prize and been inducted into the California Hall of Fame. In 2014, the White House named Father Boyle a Champion of Change. He received the University of Notre Dame’s 2017 Laetare Medal, the oldest honor given to American Catholics.

This episode of the show features an exclusive interview with the legendary Dr. Andrew Weil. The interview centers around the new science of psychedelics and why current research plays such an important role in crafting a new model for overall integrative medicine. Dr. Weil lends his insight and expertise into the areas of psychedelic research that go hand in hand with his decades long work into alternative medicine and overall well being. Dr. Weil has seen 50 years of psychedelic research go through many peaks and valleys and we're honored to have gotten his input for this amazing interview.

Intro rant – Documentaries on dysfunctional anti-heroes

Andrew Weil, M.D., is a world-renowned leader and pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, a healing oriented approach to health care which encompasses body, mind, and spirit.

The cosmic genius of the mind, Dr. Dan Siegel, returns to the It's All Happening podcast! Dan's new book Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence sparks a discussion that weaves together spiritual awareness, the constructs of the human condition and the inherent nature of the mind. Dan has done decades of work into studying the nature of our inter-personal relationship with the mind and how it can be understood resulting in methods for living a better life. Dan is the rare voice who can blend science and spirituality together to form an awe inspiring yet pragmatic daily practice and philosophical approach to our place in the universe.

Intro rant – The Green New Deal (extra long)

Order your copy of Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence today!

Dr. Dan Siegel

Daniel J. Siegel, MD is a contemporary psychiatrist and writer who specializes in interpersonal neurobiology and coined the term mindsight.

It's All Happening returns to the airwaves with one of the most important and culturally relevant discussions of today. Roger McNamee, Silicon Valley legend and author of the new book Zucked - Waking Up to the Facebook Catastrophe takes us through the monumental problem that social media is presenting in today's culture. Never before has such an influential insider taken a step back to rethink his earlier position that's resulted in becoming a whistle blower of the practices and methods that these platforms inflict upon us daily. Zucked must be read and each one of us must honestly take on this problem as best we can. This is one of the most important topics ever covered on this podcast. Enjoy.

Intro rant - My take on social medias growing influence into problematic territories

Roger McNamee began his career in 1982 at T. Rowe Price Associates, where he managed the top performing Science & Technology Fund and co-managed the New Horizons Fund. In 1991, he launched Integral Capital Partners, the first crossover fund (combining later stage venture capital with public market investments), in partnership with Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Morgan Stanley & Co. In 1999, Roger co-founded Silver Lake Partners, the first private equity fund focused on technology businesses. In 2004, Roger and his partners launched Elevation Partners, an investment partnership focused on the intersection of media and technology.

Since April 2017, Roger has been engaged, along with former Google design ethicist Tristan Harris and others, in a campaign to trigger a national conversation about the dark side of social media. Roger’s book about that experience, Zucked: Waking Up to the Facebook Catastrophe, was published in February 2019.

The first It's All Happening podcast of 2019 launches with the explosively brilliant Dave Stringer. Our conversation took form around the connection between consciousness expansion and mantra music (kirtan). Dave went deep as he explain how the various methods for self inquiry all share similarities in how they shift our awareness of the self's relationship to universal consciousness. And that's just scratching the surface. Dave is one of the most thoughtful practitioners of eastern mysticism in the west and also one of the finest musicians in the genre. Enjoy!

Intro rant - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her sudden and important impact on the American political scene

Dave Stringer is a Grammy™-nominated record producer and composer who has been widely profiled as one of the most innovative artists of the modern Yoga movement. He’s both an inspiring singer and a captivating public speaker, resolving neuroscience, yoga philosophy and music into a participatory theatrical experience. Stringer’s sound invokes the transcendent mysticism of traditional Indian instruments with the exuberant, groove-oriented sensibility of American gospel and the ringing harmonies of Appalachia. He is featured in the upcoming documentary films Mantra: Sounds Into Silence and The Power of Mantra and has toured extensively, leading concerts, workshops and retreats all over the world.

Oscar winning screenwriter David Seidler takes us through the multi faceted brilliance and inner workings of his mind! Yes, David won an Oscar for his film, The Kings Speech, but to say that it's not the most interesting thing he's ever done may in fact be true. In his 81 years, David has led ten lives that resemble a fantastical odyssey of international wonder, intrigue, mystery all while dancing with the stars! Our conversation went exactly where it was supposed to go as it traversed his current work, Hollywood, the current state of culture and the craft of writing. My only regret is that it wasn't longer. To me, David is the quintessential example of where the arts meets the humanities!

Intro rant - The nature of change in the form of material possessions

David Seidler-

A Londoner by birth, David was sent to the USA as an infant during WWII which resulted in a childhood stammer. George VI, the stuttering reluctant King, became a boyhood hero, role model, and many years later the inspiration for his film The King’s Speech staring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, and Guy Pearce, which won the Best Picture Oscar for 2010 and for which David was awarded the golden man for Best Original Screenplay, two BAFTA’s and numerous other gongs. His stage version has toured England, played the West End, and been produced so far in eight foreign languages. He no longer stutters.

Seidler’s career commenced with writing dubbing scripts for Godzilla The Monster movies. He has over twenty credits to his name including: Tucker, The Man and His Dream starring Jeff Bridges, directed by Francis Coppola. Nominated for Writing Achievement by the WGA three times (winning for Onassis, The Richest Man In The World). David has also written three animated features, including Quest for Camelot. He is currently working on a Miles Davis project, So What, for Denzel Washington to direct.

David has lectured in Milan, Rome, Porto, A.F.I. Los Angeles, Sundance, Dreamago Institute in Switzerland, and Laboratorio Novas Historias in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He lived for several years in Fiji, where he was Political Advisor to Chief Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. He also resided in New Zealand for eight years and returns to Godzone yearly to educate the trout and torment his son Manu who is a senior video editor at TVNZ. His daughter, Maya, is a documentary producer in NYC.

Recorded in the midst of the swirling love-verse that is BhaktiFest, Vish graces the podcast with his wisdom, heart and humor. Visvambhar or "Vish" as he is affectionately known uses kirtan as his vehicle for delivering knowledge on how to incorporate practical devotion into your daily life. Our conversation covered his unique take on Bhakti Yoga, growing up in ISKCON, the many different philosophical paths, daily practice and the joy of kirtan. I've known Vish for a few years now and to see him rise to become not just a magnificent kirtan wallah but also a wisdom leader is remarkable. Listen with love!

Intro rant - The elections, fires and what we can do

Please support the Mayapuris fundraising drive for their new album - 9islands - CLICK HERE

Visvambhar ‘Vish’ Sheth -

Visvambhar ‘Vish’ Sheth is the lead singer of the internationally acclaimed group ‘The Mayapuris’, a headlining Kirtan group that has rocked stages from India to Florida, Australia to South Africa. Starting at the age of 5, Vish has spent his life leading Kirtans in the ISKCON (Vaisnava) tradition. He is a multi-instrumentalist, and a master of the Mridanga drum and performs in traditional as well as fusion styles. Vish started performing in the modern yoga studio culture 2007, and since then he has performed at countless studio gatherings and well known spiritual venues like Bhaktifest, Omega Institute, Wanderlust, Beloved Festival, Floyd Festival, and many others. In addition to being a master percussionist, Vish also plays many instruments – harmonium, bamboo flute, guitar, sitar, and bass. Vish is an in-demand sideman as well, and has toured with Kirtan pioneer Jai Uttal and is also a performing and recording artist with the renowned world-beat ensemble, The Hanumen. Vish has not only mastered his art but has a rare capacity to invoke the ‘rasa’ or the essence of the transcendental energies that define the Kirtan path.

The brilliant Mark Pesce jumps into the cryptocurrency flow of the IAH podcast. Episode 127 focuses on Mark's authoritative demystification of the world of cryptocurrency that he talks about often in his new podcast "The Next Billion Seconds."

“It’s vitally important for everyone - not just bankers and techies - to understand this new world of finance, investing and money. CRYPTONOMICS gives listeners the tools they need to understand this new world. This is the 101 for everyone,” says Pesce.

Our conversation tried to take a piece by piece approach to the complex world that crypto currencies inhabit and make into an accessible platform for discussion and possibly even investment. I learned more on this podcast than I have in a long time. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Intro rant - Insight into the insecurities of my 45th birthday

Mark Pesce -

Mark Pesce is a futurist, inventor, writer, entrepreneur, educator and podcaster. In 1994 Pesce co-invented VRML, a 3D interface to the Web. Pesce was a judge on Australian Broadcasting Company’s series The New Inventors, celebrating Australia’s newest inventions, and writes an award-winning column for global tech publication The Register.   Pesce hosts several podcasts, including This Week in Startups Australia; and The Next Billion Seconds - winner of the Best Technical and Scientific Podcast of 2018 at the Australian Podcast Awards - offering a window into the world of tomorrow. Pesce has written six books, including The Playful World, VRML: Browsing and Building Cyberspace, and Hyperpolitics, and founded postgraduate programs at both the University of Southern California and the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, holding appointments as Honorary Associate at the University of Sydney, and Honorary Adjunct at the University of Technology, Sydney.

Amidst a cloud of wisdom infused comedic mystical smoke, Episode 126 beams into your mind with the brilliance of Tommy Chong! Our conversation traversed Tommy's 80 years of life on this planet that has seen him having a front row seat for the counter cultures permanent shift on our society. He's part comedian, part film maker, part activist and all mystic.

If you want to hear how life can manifest into a magical state of being - look no further. Tommy shared his earliest memories of being a struggling comic and club owner in Canada, the explosion of Cheech and Chong and his hard fought time as a cognitive liberty activist. Dig it!

Intro rant - Kant, Enlightenment and Your Own Free Will

Tommy Chong -

When you hear the name Tommy Chong you immediately think of Cannabis. As one-half of the legendary comedy duo Cheech & Chong he helped pioneer a completely unique brand of comedy directed at the counter-culture movement of the early 70’s. The pair came to define a generation of young entertainers and single-handedly launched the genre of Stoner Comedy. And at the heart of this brand of entertainment was, of course, cannabis. On screen and off Tommy became a vocal advocate for his favorite herb. In a time where cannabis had to be talked about in whispers, Tommy was a loud voice for the advocacy movement, working tirelessly to destigmatize the use of this healing plant. Now that society has moved in a more positive direction regarding the medicinal and recreational use of cannabis, Tommy’s voice continues to ring out loudly, touting its benefits and place in society.