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Submitted by Douglas Newsom on 19 April 2021

Headlined Guests

Guest Occupation: Teacher of Political Theory, Author of "Knowing Too Much" and "What Gandhi Says"
Guest Biography:

Norman G. Finkelstein received his doctorate in 1988 from the Department of Politics at Princeton University.

For many years he taught political theory and the Israel-Palestine conflict. He currently writes and lectures. Finkelstein is the author of eight books that have been translated into 50 foreign editions.

ABOUT Knowing Too Much: Why the American Jewish Romance with Israel Is Coming to an End

Traditionally, American Jews have been broadly liberal in their political outlook; indeed African-Americans are the only ethnic group more likely to vote Democratic in US elections. Over the past half century, however, attitudes on one topic have stood in sharp contrast to this group's generally progressive stance: support for Israel.

Despite Israel's record of militarism, illegal settlements and human rights violations, American Jews have, stretching back to the 1960s, remained largely steadfast supporters of the Jewish "homeland." But, as Norman Finkelstein explains in an elegantly-argued and richly-textured new book, this is now beginning to change.

Reports by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the United Nations, and books by commentators as prominent as President Jimmy Carter and as well-respected in the scholarly community as Stephen Walt, John Mearsheimer and Peter Beinart, have increasingly pinpointed the fundamental illiberalism of the Israeli state. In the light of these exposes, the support of America Jews for Israel has begun to fray. This erosion has been particularly marked among younger members of the community. A 2010 Brandeis University poll found that only about one quarter of Jews aged under 40 today feel "very much" connected to Israel.

In successive chapters that combine Finkelstein's customary meticulous research with polemical brio, Knowing Too Much sets the work of defenders of Israel such as Jeffrey Goldberg, Michael Oren, Dennis Ross and Benny Morris against the historical record, showing their claims to be increasingly tendentious. As growing numbers of American Jews come to see the speciousness of the arguments behind such apologias and recognize Israel's record as simply indefensible, Finkelstein points to the opening of new possibilities for political advancement in a region that for decades has been stuck fast in a gridlock of injustice and suffering.
 

Gaza: An Inquest into Its Martyrdom

By Norman Finkelstein

Gaza is among the most densely populated places in the world. Two-thirds of its inhabitants are refugees, and more than half the population is under eighteen years of age. Since Israel occupied Gaza in 1967, it has systematically de-developed the economy. After Hamas won democratic elections in 2006, Israel intensified its blockade of Gaza, and after Hamas consolidated its control of the territory in 2007, Israel tightened its illegal siege another notch. In the meantime, Israel has launched no less than eight military operations against Gaza—culminating in Operation Cast Lead in 2008–9 and Operation Protective Edge in 2014—that left behind over three million tons of rubble. Recent UN reports predict that Gaza will be unlivable by 2020.

Norman G. Finkelstein presents a meticulously researched and devastating inquest into Israel’s actions of the last decade. He argues that although Israel justified its blockade and violent assaults in the name of self-defense, in fact these actions were cynical exercises of brutal power against an essentially defenseless civilian population. Based on hundreds of human rights reports, the book scrutinizes multifarious violations of international law Israel committed both during its operations and in the course of its decade-long siege of Gaza. It is a monument to Gaza’s martyrs and a scorching accusation against their tormenters.

Available on Amazon.com

Guest Category: Arts, Literature, Education, Courses & Training, Politics & Government, Theory & Conspiracy
Guest Occupation: Integrative Veterinarian, Nation's first Veterinarian to be Certified as a Diplomat of the American Board of Anti-Aging Medicine, Founder and President of the American Pet Institute, the Pet Anti-Aging Wellness Centers and PAAWS, Best-selling Author
Guest Biography:

Dr. Carol Osborne, DVM has gained national recognition as an authority in alternative veterinary medicine and health care for pets. She is our nation's first veterinarian to be Certified as a Diplomat of the American Board of Anti-Aging Medicine. This status is for human medicine. Dr. Carol used that knowledge to create her pet longevity formulas. The founder and president of the American Pet Institute, the Pet Anti-Aging Wellness Centers and PAAWS, Pet Anti-Aging Wellness Systems. Dr. Carol has pioneered the exploration of new therapies for the treatment and prevention of age-related degenerative disease, as well as promotion of optimum health and performance for pets.

Dr. Carol's first two books "Naturally Healthy Cats" and "Naturally Healthy Dogs" hit the international best seller lists. The multi-faceted Dr. Osborne is also an Emmy-nominated television journalist. "Dr. Carol" as she has come to be known, has gained national prominence through her frequent appearances on popular shows including Today in New York, where she was the on-camera staff veterinarian.

Dr. Carol is very familiar to audiences across the country through her numerous appearances on metropolitan news programs, in particular, the highly rated, nationally syndicated Fox morning news show, Good Day L.A. Many viewers enjoyed Dr. Carol's weekly role as the pet product consumer reporter and staff veterinarian on the Fox News Channel's Pet News and the Family Channel's Home & Family where she was a recurring Featured guest for several years. Her numerous appearances on Discovery's Animal Planet, including Pet Line, Amazing Tails and Disney's Petsburg USA have made her a welcome face to audiences around the world. Dr. Carol was credited as a consultant on ABC's Genesis Award Winner Incredible Animal Tales.

Dr. Carol has been featured in USA Today, USA Weekend, The Los Angeles Times and the New York Daily News. She has contributed columns to "Trends", the highly respected journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, DVM Magazine, Dog Fancy, Natural Dog, Dog World, Veterinary Economics Magazine, The Washington Enquirer, Cat Fancy, Puppies USA, Groomer to Groomer, Icelandic Horse and Travel, and Equine Athlete. Her editorial contributions also include In Style Magazine, Womans World and Icon Magazine, as well as Fit Magazine and The National Enquirer.

Guest Category: Arts, Literature, Health & Lifestyle, Alternative Health, Medicine
Guest Occupation: Literacy Expert, Public Speaker, Teacher Educator, Author, Consultant
Guest Biography:

Whether she is addressing an auditorium full of educators or sitting on the floor helping first graders find their way into the pages of a great book, Angela Maiers’ message is the same. Literacy changes lives. As a teacher educator, author and consultant, Angela has spent the past twenty-two years working diligently to help learners of all ages succeed by recognizing their power as readers, writers, and global communicators.

Today, Angela is at the forefront of Web 2.0 technologies and keeping her eye toward Web 3.0. An active blogger and social media evangelist, she is deeply committed to helping learners of all ages understand the transformational power of literacy and the potential of technology as a vehicle and platform for their success in school and beyond. Concerned that nearly a billion people in the world lack basic literacy, she believes the time is now to lay the groundwork for a new vision literacy education; one with world changing implications.

Her outspoken and passionate advocacy for innovative education, has made her a featured contributor and author in the Employee Engagement Handbook, The Age of Conversations 1, 2, and 3, The Social Media Explorer Forum and Blog, a top contributor on Education Week’s LeaderTalk. Her latest books, The Habitudes and The Passion Driven Classroom, have inspired readers everywhere with lessons and ideas necessary to find their way on the social web and this newly flattened world.

Guest Category: Arts, Literature, Education, Courses & Training, Education Technology
Guest Occupation: Professional Football - All-time Reception Leader in NFL Europe, retired American Football Wide Receiver, High School Football Coach, holds the Husky records for touchdowns in a season
Guest Biography:

Mario Bailey (born November 30, 1970) is a retired American football wide receiver who is the all-time reception leader in NFL Europe. He played for the Frankfurt Galaxy from 1995 through 2000 and was a favorite player for the local German fans. He was originally drafted by the Houston Oilers in the sixth round of the 1992 NFL Draft.[1] He was also drafted by the Orlando Rage of the XFL with the 52nd pick in the 2001 XFL Draft. In 2003 Bailey played in the Arena Football League with the Detroit Fury. Bailey is a former high school football coach at Franklin High School in Seattle, Washington. He was a member of the Seattle Seahawks High School Coaches Council.

Bailey had a record breaking career playing for the University of Washington Huskies from 1989 to 1991, and played a key role on the 1991 Washington National Championship team. Bailey holds the Husky records for touchdowns in a season (18), career (30) and shares the record with several others for touchdowns in a game.
 

Guest Category: Education, Sports & Recreation, Professional, High School
Guest Occupation: Professional Basketball Coach, Third-year Head Coach for Chaminade University of Honolulu
Guest Biography:

Third-year head coach Eric Bovaird is continuing the winning tradition of men's basketball at Chaminade University of Honolulu.

In only his second season, he guided the Silverswords to the 2013 NCAA West Regional in Bellingham, Wash. He also took CUH to the championship game of the inaugural PacWest Conference Basketball Tournament in Azusa, Calif.

Having perhaps the toughest schedule in NCAA Division II annually certainly prepares the Swords for the postseason - none more than playing in the EA Sports Maui Invitational, which features some of the best Division I college programs from around the nation and televised across the nation on the ESPN family of networks.

The buzz of the 2012 version was the Swords' first round upset of Texas, considered to be one of the greatest wins since the historic 1982 victory over No. 1 Virginia. The win over the Longhorns sent the social media world a blaze. It was even one of the trending topic on Twitter.

In addition to playing three Division I heavyweights on Maui, Bovaird, along with CUH Athletics Director, Bill Villa, added a fourth Division I foe. This time with the neighboring University of Hawai`i, the state's only Division I school which is less than a mile away from the Chaminade campus.

Guest Category: Sports & Recreation, Professional, College
Guest Occupation: America's #1 Integrative Cardiologist, Attending Physician, Director of Medical Education, Director of Echocardiography, Published Author
Guest Biography:

Dr. Stephen Sinatra is a highly respected and sought-after cardiologist whose integrative approach to treating cardiovascular disease has revitalized patients with even the most advanced forms of illness.

His expertise is grounded in more than 30 years of clinical practice, research, and study beginning as an attending physician at Manchester Memorial Hospital (Eastern Connecticut Health Network). His career there included nine years as chief of cardiology, 18 years as director of medical education, seven years as director of echocardiography, three years as director of cardiac rehabilitation, and one year as director of the weight reducing program. In 1987, Dr. Sinatra founded the New England Heart Center. Through it, he became a well-known advocate of combining conventional medical treatments for heart disease with complementary nutritional, anti-aging, and psychological therapies.

Dr. Sinatra’s written works include more than a dozen books, including The Great Cholesterol Myth, Reverse Heart Disease Now, and Heartbreak & Heart Disease, as well as dozens of contributions to peer-reviewed medical journals such as the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Heart Disease, CT Medicine, and the Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation. He also wrote the monthly newsletter Heart, Health & Nutrition for more than 15 years.

Guest Category: Arts, Literature, Education, Courses & Training, Health & Lifestyle, Alternative Health, Medicine
Guest Occupation: Motivational Self-Healer, Activist for Human Potential, Stage and Screen Actor
Guest Biography:

On April 1st, 2013, Gabriel Cordell, 42, embarked on a journey from sea to shining sea. From the Pacific to the Atlantic, the final destination will be his home town of West Hempstead, New York, where he will have rolled over 3,100 miles.

Gabriel Cordell (born Suheil Aghabi) was born in Tripoli, Libya in 1970. The Aghabi family would then migrate to the United States in January 1976, where they found their first home in New York.

Growing up on Long Island, Cordell attended Chestnut Street Elementary, West Hempstead Middle School, and high school where he played JV and Varsity football, while studying Karate for over 11 years. At the age of 13, he also began working in the family business as they ran a number of delis in the New York area.

In 1992, Cordell was on the way to his first professional audition when his life was for ever changed. Only a mile and a half away from home, another driver had failed to stop at a red light. Crashing into the driver's side of his jeep, the vehicle flipped, ejecting him 6 feet into the air, where he hit a telephone pole with his back and crushed his spinal cord at the sixth thoracic vertebrate.

After 4 months of recovery and physical rehabilitation at the Rusk Institute at New York University, Cordell continued to pursue his dream of being an actor, now as a paraplegic.

Having landed numerous roles both on stage and screen, Cordell is now on a mission to be the first person to roll across the United States in a standard wheelchair. He will be the subject of a feature length documentary called, Roll With Me: A Journey Across America.

"I have always believed that my accident was an accident, but it wasn't by accident." ~ Gabriel Cordell

Guest Category: Arts, Performing Arts, Health & Lifestyle, Fitness & Exercise, Self Help, Motivational, TV & Film
Guest Occupation: High Profile Celebrity Attorney, Civil Advocate, Judge Pro Tempore and Neutral Case Evaluator for the Circuit Court of Fairfax County, Virginia and a Commissioner in Chancery for that Court, Author of "What Were You Thinking???"
Guest Biography:

Mark A. Barondess is a member of Funk & Bolton, P.A., resident in the Annapolis office and a member of the firm's Local Government Practice Group.

A trial lawyer for roughly 25 years, Mr. Barondess has earned a reputation as one of the most aggressive civil advocates in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. He has tried complex cases in state and federal courts throughout the country. As a defense attorney, Mr. Barondess has a diverse practice, concentrating in the fields of commercial litigation, partnership and contractual rights litigation, fiduciary rights litigation, medical and legal malpractice litigation, real estate and construction litigation, and local government litigation. He also has substantial experience in complex and high-profile domestic relations litigation. Mr. Barondess holds the preeminent "AV" rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

For many years, Mr. Barondess has represented the interests of CNN broadcaster Larry King and his affiliated companies as general counsel. Other high-profile clients have included a former Presidential candidate, an Academy Award winning actress, a Grammy Award winner, various sports legends and several Olympic Gold Medalists. Mr. Barondess has also represented members of Congress and senior officials in the Federal Executive Branch of Government.

Mr. Barondess recently represented a major public utility in a complex state court claim brought by a publicly traded company seeking in excess of $500 million in damages. Mr. Barondess also recently defended Academy Award winner Spencer Tracy's daughter in a jury trial resulting in an award of damages of $2 on a claim of over $3 million in damages and further secured for his client the ownership of the actual Oscar statues awarded Spencer Tracy.

Mr. Barondess serves as a Judge Pro Tempore and Neutral Case Evaluator for the Circuit Court of Fairfax County, Virginia, and is a Commissioner in Chancery for that Court. He also has served as a member of the Fifth District Disciplinary Committee of the Virginia State Bar.

Since 1994, Mr. Barondess has served on the Board of Directors of the Larry King Cardiac Foundation. In addition, Mr. Barondess serves as general counsel for the Larry King Cardiac Foundation and as general counsel for and a Member of the Board of Directors of the We are Family Foundation. He also serves on the Board of Ambassadors of The Johns Hopkins Project Restore, and is an active supporter of the Nancy Davis Foundation and The Race to Erase MS.

Mr. Barondess authored the book What were you Thinking?? which provides sound, practical advice on separation and divorce negotiations.

Guest Category: Arts, Literature, Business, Legal
Guest Occupation: Geriatrician, Clinical Instructor and Teacher at UCSF, Owns a Consultive Practice, Geriatric-Health Writer
Guest Biography:

Dr. Leslie Kernisan has been practicing geriatrics since 2006, and is board-certified in Internal Medicine and in Geriatric Medicine. She’s always particularly enjoyed caring for elders living at home. She also has a deep interest in educating and supporting family caregivers, and collaborated with a leading website for family caregivers, Caring.com, from 2008-2013.

Along with her consultative practice and geriatric-health writing, she’s a clinical instructor in the University of California, San Francisco, (UCSF) Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, and regularly teaches UCSF students.

Dr. Kernisan is a graduate of Princeton University and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and completed her Internal Medicine residency and geriatrics fellowship at UCSF. She holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley.

Keen to improve the health care system for elders and their caregivers, Dr. Kernisan has additionally pursued three years of geriatrics research fellowship at UCSF, studying epidemiology, biostatistics, health systems, and quality improvement. Her research on health care quality was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2009; another paper on caregiver information-seeking was published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research in 2010.

From 2010-2012 Dr. Kernisan was a geriatrician at the Over 60 Health Center in Berkeley. During her last nine months there, she also served as its medical director, overseeing clinical care.

When not thinking about better medical care for America’s elderly, Dr. Kernisan enjoys music, reading, and exploring the Bay Area with her spouse and two young children.

Read Dr. Kernisan’s Caring.com articles on various geriatric and medical topics. Dr. Kernisan also blogs for other clinicians about geriatrics and technology

Guest Category: Arts, Literature, Education, Courses & Training, Health & Lifestyle, Kids & Family, Medicine
Guest Occupation: Dentist, Inventor, Patent Holder, Microdentistry Expert, Director of the Texas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies, Adjunct Associate Professor
Guest Biography:

Dr. Rainey received his dental degree from the University of Texas, Houston. He is the director of the Texas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies and is a past president of the Corpus Christi chapter of the Academy of General Dentistry. He is an adjunct associate professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Dentistry at San Antonio. As an innovator of modern Minimally Invasive and Air Abrasive dentistry, he has contributed to developing a scientific approach to operative dentistry. His innovations in microdentistry have resulted in six patents granted to date. In addition to lecturing world wide, he has authored numerous publications, focusing on microdentistry and previously undocumented tooth structures. A descendant of the original pioneering families who settled Texas, Dr. Rainey maintains a private practice in Refugio, Texas.

Guest Category: Arts, Design, Education, Courses & Training, Health & Lifestyle, Medicine, Science
Guest Occupation: WND’s Senior Staff Reporter, Senior Managing Director at Gilford Securities, #1 New York Times Bestseller author of the BLOCKBUSTERS: THE OBAMA NATION & UNFIT FOR COMMAND
Guest Biography:

Jerome R. Corsi, a Harvard Ph.D., has authored many books, including No. 1 N.Y. Times bestsellers The Obama Nation and Unfit for Command. Along with serving as WND’s senior staff reporter, Corsi is a senior managing director at Gilford Securities.

Dr. Corsi is a #1 New York Times Bestseller author of the BLOCKBUSTERS: THE OBAMA NATION, UNFIT FOR COMMAND--SWIFT BOAT VETERANS SPEAK OUT AGAINST JOHN KERRY, BAD SAMARITANS and now , his latest book: TRICKS THAT GAVE OBAMA THE WHITE HOUSE AGAIN----the inside story of the GOP debacle and how it can be avoided.

Dr. Corsi has also appeared on FOX NEWS ön MSNBC and on numerous radio shows, covering immigration issues, economic issues, Iran and presidential politics.

Guest Category: Arts, Literature, Business, Management, News, Politics & Government, National, World, TV & Film
Guest Occupation: Holistic Psychologist, Public Speaker, Life Coach, Therapist, Author of "Evolve", Developed a unique integrative Holistic Platform called Psychapressure
Guest Biography:

Mark Abadi is a Holistic Psychologist, Public Speaker, Life Coach, Therapist and Author working with health and wellbeing from a multi-disciplinary perspective. After a chance meeting with a spiritual teacher at age 15, Mark began his inner exploration through meditation and philosophical investigation. Twenty years later, he now teaches advanced meditation across the globe, offers individual personal development sessions, and writes on the subject of Science, Spirituality and Self. While completing two Degrees, BSc in Psychology and a Masters in Occupational Health Psychology in Great Britain, he observed a gap in the curriculum, the holistic nature of being was missing. Applying research techniques he dove into the study of complementary holistic therapy techniques, including reflexology, nutrition, aromatherapy and deep tissue massage. He later went on to work with energy field scanning machines, and spent 10 years researching the interactive nature of the body’s energy systems. He is an expert in the interaction of the mind, body matrix and at maximising change through a multileveled therapy practice. With a great interest in how space resonates with Human health, happiness and wellbeing.

Along the way he realised his ability to disseminate intricate theory in a fun, entertaining and creative way. He was a born performer, making the complex simple and exciting. His passion for the truth and reality comes through in his live performances and now his writings. Having lectured at international conferences on energy medicine and holistic integrated health, he was invited to host several conferences and teach on the new module in Energy Medicine, part of the Masters in Wellness at RMIT University in Australia.

Mark also developed a unique integrative holistic platform called Psychapressure, providing space for people to shift their non-serving habit patterns. This is an interactive journey into the person’s pain to allow them to ‘burn in the fires of change’. Its principles include: there is nothing to fix, simple self acceptance, honoring your emotions and surrendering to the truth of who you are. 

In November 2012 after many years of working, Mark published his first book ‘evolve’.

Guest Category: Arts, Performing Arts, Literature, Health & Lifestyle, Energy Healing, Psychology, Science, Spiritual
Guest Occupation: Earth Keeper, Wisdom Teacher, Healer, Visionary, Author, Singer/Songwriter, Ceremonial Leader, Millennium Award Winner
Guest Biography:

Brooke Medicine Eagle is an Earth Keeper, wisdom teacher, healer, visionary, singer/songwriter, catalyst for wholeness, and ceremonial leader. She is the best selling author of "Buffalo Woman Comes Singing" and "The Last Ghost Dance". In January, 2000, in recognition of her remarkable contributions for bridging cultural gaps in our world, Medicine Eagle was one of only 30 people to receive the special Magical Blend Millennium Award along with the Dalai Lama, Mikhail Gorbachev, Jean Houston, Oprah Winfrey, Deepak Chopra, and others. Brooke focuses part of her love and joy into the healing power of music, and she is also a sacred ecologist with a focus on living a harmonious and sustainable lifestyle dedicated to preserving our sacred waters and honoring Mother Earth.
 

Guest Category: Arts, Literature, Health & Lifestyle, Energy Healing, Music, Spiritual, Meditation, Mystic & Seer
Guest Occupation: Communications Manager, Public Relations and Events Manager, Media and Group Organizer, Marathon Runner, Group Marathon Team Leader, member of the Board of the European Coalition Against Covert Harassment
Guest Biography:

Melanie is German and lives in Brussels. During two decades, she has gained valuable experience in public relations and events management of international associations. Her former positions involved close cooperation with the European Institutions and organisation of numerous international conferences and trade shows. Melanie has a proven track record in working with high-level authorities such as the European Commission and the European Parliament, the organisation of network meetings, needs assessment and implementation for particular “client groups” as well as successfully carrying out pan-European and interregional projects with the aim of promoting international cooperation.

In her last position, she has worked as the Communications Manager of a European navigation satellite system developed by the European Space Agency (ESA). Prior to this, she was the Public Relations and Events Officer at a European Foundation committed to the improvement of rights and situations of youth at risk. The organisation is acting as a lobbying and advocacy platform towards the European Union.

For most of her life, she was a passionate marathon runner. Melanie has been the team leader of various group marathons she organised for awareness- and fund-raising benefiting children charities or homeless persons’ refuge projects.

To her great regret, such activity is now infeasible due to the physiological damage and debility suffered as a consequence of being a victim of electronic terrorism.

As a convinced European, Melanie is is profoundly attached to the fundamental European principles of peace, justice and freedom, as expressed by the European Union in its Anthem.

« Europe, may your peoples flourish,
Let the common banner rise!
Stars of gold and dark blue skies
Are the colours that we prize. »

Melanie Vritchan is currently a member of the Board of the European Coalition Against Covert Harassment.

Guest Category: Business, Marketing, Management, Health & Lifestyle, Fitness & Exercise, Politics & Government, Technology
Guest Occupation: Founder and Director of VetWow, International Speaker, Consultant for the movie "The Invisible War," Advocate for Veterans, former Army Linguist
Guest Biography:

Susan Avila-Smith is a former Army linguist who has experienced both MST (Military Sexual Trauma) and PTSD (Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder). As a veterans' advocate for those with MST and PTSD she has to her credits approximately 4,000 claims settled on behalf of fellow veterans suffering from MST, PTSD or both.

Founder and Director of VetWow, Ms. Susan Avila-Smith is a sought-after media guest who has spoken to international audiences about the challenges faced by survivors of Military Sexual Trauma - sexual harassment, assault and rape while serving on active duty. She has appeared on CNN, Good Morning America, MSNBC, 60 Minutes, Dateline NBC, 20/20, NPR, Time, Newsweek, The New York Times and others, as well as testifying at the House Military Subcommittee on Military Sexual Trauma. From VAMC health care to the VARO benefits system, she has discussed both their benefits and failures from the perspective of MST victims. Currently, she trains other advocates to help with this work. And realizing that American service personnel's needs were too often being ignored by the military and the government, she formed VetWow; the leading grassroots non-partisan organization, which addresses the needs of American service members and veterans.

Susan extends herself with courage, revealing something few MST survivors can express. In telling the story of her personal trauma and subsequent struggle, she opens the door to an insider's view of the hostile world confronting victims of MST. Her battles with bureaucrats for rightful recognition and compensation for her permanent disabilities trigger disgust and anger in those learning about the reality of the very system that is supposed to care for her and others with MST.

Ms. Avila-Smith's Active Duty training, her experience of reporting both DV and MST while in the Military, of being treated for years by Washington State's best counselors, of obtaining VA Benefits, and her extensive contact with other Active Duty and Veteran MST survivors as well as her participation in the 60-day National Center for PTSD's Women's Trauma Recovery Program (WTRP) give her an inside view of the real issues surrounding MST that is not offered anywhere else.

"I have changed victim's lives by helping them apply for and win their VA benefits, and I have had an extraordinary life over the past 15 years because of it. I have learned much and want to share this knowledge with people who can teach or do this work. By working on my personal PTSD issues, helping others, and sharing my experience; I have become healthier."

Since leaving the military, she has been a tireless advocate for veterans, and women veterans in particular. Ms. Avila-Smith is well-versed on the effects of PTSD. She speaks to these issues, as well as the increasing rates of suicide, substance abuse and homelessness among our service members. Her work is funded out of pocket.

Guest Category: Business, Legal, Health & Lifestyle, Alternative Health, Self Help
Guest Occupation: Academy and Emmy Award Nominated Documentary Film Director
Guest Biography:

KIRBY DICK is an Academy and Emmy Award nominated documentary director. His most recent film, OUTRAGE, which was nominated for an Emmy and released by Magnolia Pictures, is a searing indictment of the hypocrisy of powerful closeted politicians and the political and media institutions that protect them. In 2006 he directed THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED, released by IFC Films. A breakthrough investigation of the highly secretive MPAA film ratings system, the film compelled the MPAA to make long overdue changes in the way it rates films.

The Invisible War Movie PosterDick's prior film, TWIST OF FAITH, is the powerful story of a man confronting the trauma of his past sexual abuse by a Catholic priest. Produced for HBO, TWIST OF FAITH received a 2004 Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature. Dick's other films include, DERRIDA, a complex portrait of the world-renowned French philosopher Jacques Derrida, which won the Golden Gate Award at the San Francisco Film Festival, and the internationally acclaimed SICK: THE LIFE & DEATH OF BOB FLANAGAN, SUPERMASOCHIST, which won the Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and the Grand Prize at the Los Angeles Film Festival.

Guest Category: TV & Film
Guest Occupation: Executive Director of the National Center for Creative Aging (NCCA), Arts Administration Leader, Published Author, Associate Professor at George Washington University in the Health Sciences Department
Guest Biography:

Dr. Gay HannaGay Powell Hanna, Ph.D., M.F.A., an arts administration leader with 30 years management experience in the arts, education and health related program services, is the executive director of the National Center for Creative Aging (NCCA), an affiliate of George Washington University. NCCA is an interdisciplinary nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering an understanding of the vital relationship between creative expression and the quality of life for older people regardless of ethnic, economic status or level of physical or cognitive functioning. NCCA provides professional development and technical assistance including service as a clearinghouse for best practices, research and policy development to encourage and sustain arts and humanities program in various community and health care settings.

Previously Dr. Hanna served as the executive director of the Society for the Arts in Health from 2003 through May 2007. Through faculty positions at Florida State University and University of South Florida from 1987 to 2003, Dr. Hanna directed VSA Arts of Florida, an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, providing arts education programs for people with disabilities including people with chronic illness. In 2001, she established the Florida Center for Creative Aging at the Florida Policy Exchange Center on Aging at the University of South Florida to address quality of life issues. As a contributing author to numerous articles and books, Dr. Hanna was the lead author of a recently published white paper produced by the National Endowment for the Arts, The Arts and Human Development, Framing A National Research Agenda For The Arts, Lifelong Learning, And Individual Well-Being (November 2011). Dr. Hanna is an associate professor at George Washington University in the Health Sciences Department. She holds a Ph. D. in arts education with a specialization in arts administration focusing on underserved communities from Florida State University; a M.F.A. in sculpture from the University of Georgia; and a bachelor of arts degree, magna cum laude in studio art, from Old Dominion University. She also holds certification in program evaluation from Florida State University and a nonprofit management executive certificate from Georgetown University.

Guest Category: Arts, Performing Arts, Literature, Visual Arts, Business, Education, Courses & Training, Health & Lifestyle, Medicine
Guest Occupation: Developed Brain-Nutrient Supplement "EMPowerplus-Q96"
Guest Biography:

Breakthrough Brain Health for Optimal Mental Clarity and Mood Management

Tony Stephan has a rare tragedy-to-triumph story about the mental health of loved ones as he developed a brain-nutrient supplement - internationally tested over 15 years - with unprecedented results.

This is a huge boost for one's optimal mental and physical health, especially stress coping as effects anxiety, blood pressure, anger, digestion, skin health, insomnia, brain fog, big mood swings, and afflicted mental health worthy of a "check up from the neck up": depression, bipolar, ADD/ADHD, addiction/OCD, trauma, autism, fibromyalgia, migraines, and many other brain-body conditions.

If you have loved ones suffering from debilitating mental health, Tony's story will give you hope with an opportunity to truly help. Since 1996, Tony's 'brain food' has benefited tens of thousands of people in over sixty countries.

Guest Category: Health & Lifestyle, Alternative Health, Nutrition
Guest Occupation: Spiritual Channel, Author of "I Am Thyron," Casting Director, Film Producer
Guest Biography:

Emmy nominated casting director Craig Campobasso is writing, producing directing his Short Film Stranger at the Pentagon based on the popular UFO book about Created Being Valiant Thor (from Venus) who lived at the Pentagon under the Eisenhower Administration. This film is in post production.

His first book The Autobiography of an ExtraTerrestrial Saga: I AM Thyron is about the star seed program currently underway on Earth from Melchizedek.

It was at age 26, when Craig had a spiritual awakening with Master Teachers (including Melchizedek, the Universe’s University of 490 planets in an outer space city) and he began receiving communications from other dimensions. His ‘universally awake’ training is still active now, 27 years after initial contact.

Join Star Gate Round Table as this fascinating story/interview unfolds. There will be an opportunity to call in and ask your questions.

Guest Category: Arts, Performing Arts, Literature, Spiritual, Medium & Channeling, TV & Film
Guest Occupation: Actor, Writer, Director, Home Theatre and Sound System Builder
Guest Biography:

Radames Pera now Radames Pera was born in New York City in 1960. He moved to Hollywood with his mother in 1963 so she could pursue her acting career (their first apartment was around the corner from the historic Chinese Theater on Hollywood Blvd.). In 1967 Radames was discovered by director Daniel Mann and cast as Stavros, the dying son of Anthony Quinn and Irene Papas in A Dream of Kings (1968). His mother found him an agent and he ended up guest-starring in several TV shows in the late 1960s and 1970s. An early live television appearance was as Oliver Twist on The Red Skelton Show (1969). For the first few years of his career he tended to be cast in roles as the sensitive or troubled boy. This reputation led to his landing the co-starring role of the Shaolin monk, "Grasshopper" in the seminal TV series Kung Fu (1972) and later as the writer/poet John Jr. (and Mary Ingalls' fiancée) in Little House on the Prairie (1975).

In the summer of 1978 Radames began his three-year intensive study of acting and directing with Stella Adler, first in L.A. and then at her Conservatory in New York City. While in New York he portrayed Alan Bates' estranged son in the British feature film, Very Like a Whale (1981).

After returning to Los Angeles in 1981 Radames then discovered for himself the painful reality that nearly every child actor faces: "The Business" was done with him. Because he was no longer a "child actor" and was now (un-)officially an "ex-child star" he was basically un-hirable! Even though he was as the top of his game, experience and training wise, casting executives were unable to see beyond their pidgeon-hole. As strange as this might sound, imagine being on the receiving end of it!

Radames' last feature film role was working opposite Charlie Sheen, Patrick Swayze and Lea Thompson as the Soviet Radar Tracking Expert, Sgt. Stepan Gorsky in John Milius' Red Dawn (1984). That same year he wed his wife, Marsha Mann. His last TV role was working with Stacy Keach as a Nazi vigilante youth-gang leader in The New Mike Hammer (1985).

In 1988 he started his own business designing and installing home theaters and residential sound systems. In 1993 he successfully moved his family and business to Portland, Oregon, then returned to Southern California in 2002, living in Ventura from 2002-2004. Since the end of '04 Radames has been a resident of Austin, Texas, where he has continued pursuing his writing and directing talents.
 

Guest Category: Arts, Design, Performing Arts, Literature, TV & Film