Our guest-host today is Jan Spencer, and in this episode of A Primer For Paradigm Shift, Jan Spencer describes several examples of "push back" to the System. We will have a look at nuclear power, the iconic book Your Money or Your Life, message music from the 1960's, the Black Panthers, a new report about the Global Justice Project from the Paris School of Economics and more. Paradigm shift is all about thoughtful and positive pushback to capitalism and the consumer culture.

I've seen mentions of the music of Bettman & Halpin for years, but it took running into a video of a new song by Stephanie Bettman to lead me into the wealth of music she's written and performed. Just recently Stephanie released her own album, Out of the Darkness. Stephanie's range is astonishing in oh-so-many ways. Certainly in terms of vocal range, genre range, and the range of themes & ideas, but also in that she's also been an actor and a trapeze artist! Whether tracing the steps of the Trail of Tears or seated in a lounge, crooning a torch song, Stephanie invites you to the heart's center. Stephanie Bettman joins us via Zoom from Denver, Colorado.

Past/present religious/spiritual influences: Seeker, Yoga, New Age, Course In Miracles

We're back today with Part 2 of our Song of the Soul visit with Arielle Silver. If you missed part 1 last week, it can be easily found on our website, and it was a visit steeped in song, story, and Arielle's silky-soaring voice. We finished just as she was explaining some of the riches & wonderings that were gifts of her Jewish upbringing, including her deep dive into Eastern and Earth-based inspirations. We'll continue today, exploring some of the fruits of her 2 more recent albums, as we magically continue our visit with Arielle Silver, near Los Angeles, California.

Past/present religious/spiritual influences: Jewish, Earth-based Spirituality, Pantheism, Yoga, Meditation

Today we'll introduce you to Betsy Small, and we'll take you on Betsy's moving saga in Sierra Leone, exploring the tribulations and elations of her Peace Corps experience in the West African country, as told in her book, Before Before: A Story of Discovery and Loss in Sierra Leone. Betsy shares the depth of her struggles, and the deep belonging and bond that grew in her over the course of her three years as a volunteer, while we also learn of the ravages and rebuilding that took place in the country after Betsy's departure. She has already received several awards and recognitions for the book, and she is doing an audiobook version as well.

Peterson Toscano helps create a variety of podcasts, among them Climate Changed, Bubble & Squeak, Quakers Today, The Seed: Conversations for Radical Hope, Stories That Stay, and many others.

Arielle Silver is on a mission, and she takes this pursuit seriously. We'll get to know her music today, but her deep encounter with Eastern Spirituality, including her practice of yoga, meditation, and more, could easily fill all our broadcast time. Arielle had music flowing into her from her father's guitar playing, and it also was a rich part of her Jewish background, but she definitely found the need for her music to rise out of and be rooted in her spirituality. Arielle made 3 albums, but then took a 10-year detour, eventually leading her back to the work of a songwriter, with 2 new albums and another in gestation. She can do it all, musically, but today you'll hear more folkish influences than pop, rock, jazz, or punk. Whatever she sings, she shapes into an elevating, moving, spell-binding flow of music. Today is part 1 of her Song of the Soul, with part 2 next week.

Today we're going on an adventure with Kazu Haga, a high school dropout whose path turned radically into a passionate study & sharing of nonviolence. Having learned from/with & befriended some of the greatest activist and nonviolence workers & trainers of the past 70 years, Kazu found & refined his life's mission in many phases.

The 2026 Earth Day in Eau Claire, WI, featured an Earth Fest with a wealth of tables, displays, demos, and more, among them the table for Kaiserson Bee Company. Their varieties of honey infusions, like chili, hibiscus, Tulsi, vanilla, coffee, and lavender were certainly intriguing, but the whole story and method of their production was even more interesting. Things like their CSA - community-supported apiculture, support for dealing with bee swarms, and environmental education, all made me eager to talk to Drew Kaiser, the Kaiser in Kaiserson Bee Company. Drew joins me to talk about The Bees.

Past/present religious/spiritual influences: Catholic, Methodist, Non-affiliated

Our guest today is Billy Simons Jr, (or on Bandcamp) who I ran into by seeing, and loving, a number of the video reels he's shared online, mostly about current political issues & turmoil. Plus, he has wonderful sense of humor that adds an extra charge to his songs. He was making music back close to 20 years ago, but then there were some years of quiet on the music front, overlapping with a book he created called Earth Is Not A Planet. The point is that Billy Simons Jr has amazing creativity & talent, considerable depth & insight & humor, so it's a delight to have him here.

Past/present religious/spiritual influences: Greek Orthodox, Anglican/Episcopal

Part 2 of a Memorial Song of the Soul for Bruce Hecksel, shared by his wife, Julie, including 5 more songs; most written, sung, and played by Bruce on the lead. Bruce and Julie have more than 20 recordings as Patchouli, and also under the name Terra Guitarra, on their label, Earthsign Records. Bruce passed on July 28, 2025, at the age of 57, following a three-year battle with cancer. Bruce is best-known for his amazing guitar work, though he was also skilled at piano, and sometimes played other instruments like drums and wood flutes. Much of Patchouli's music featured lyrics and lead vocals by Julie, but in his final years, Bruce penned and led a rich crop of songs, included in their latest release, Everything It Takes.