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Submitted by Douglas Newsom on 19 April 2021

Headlined Guests

Headlined Guests that have appeared on BBS Radio TV

Guest Occupation: Biologist, Teacher, Ecologist, Consultant, Entreprenuer, Lecturer, Pioneer, Humanitarian
Guest Biography:

Dave Blume started his ecological training at a young age. He and his father organically grew almost all the food their family ate. This wouldn't be unusual out in a rural setting nowadays, but they did this on a city lot in San Francisco in the mid-sixties!

Dave taught his first ecology class in 1970. He majored in Ecological Biology and Biosystematics at San Francisco State University while doing volunteer fieldwork with a number of non-profits like the Point Reyes Bird Observatory. He put himself through school by teaching backpacking and wildlife biology through open universities during the summers.

In 1978, he was employed by NASA to work on an experimental solar self-sufficient energy, sewage treatment, desalinization plant in the Virgin Islands. After solving many previously persistent problems in this system, he went to work for the Mother Earth News Eco Village in North Carolina where he worked in a team using alternative building techniques. There he constructed a number of unique structures, like a cordwood half dome, that was used as the back half of a greenhouse. He also worked extensively with their alternative energy projects.

When the energy crisis of 1978-9 struck, Dave started the American Homegrown Fuel Co. Inc. It was an educational organization teaching farmers and others how to produce and use low cost alcohol fuel at home or on the farm. Alcohol, a renewable and virtually pollution-free fuel, is used in place of gasoline in automobile engines. AHGF became a small corporation with 15 employees. Dave taught 180 workshops to 7,000 people over a two year period while appearing over 1000 times in print, radio and television.

PBS then asked Dave to put his workshop on television. He spent two years working with PBS to make the 10 part series Alcohol as Fuel, which aired in 1983. To accompany the series he wrote the comprehensive manual on the subject, Alcohol Can Be A Gas! The book and series were so powerful that shortly after the series began to air in San Francisco oil companies threatened to pull out their funding if the series was released to the rest of the PBS network!! PBS caved in and halted the distribution of the series and book.

Alcohol Can Be A Gas, has been completely rewritten after four years of full time research by Dave and his team. Its now available in bookstores and online everywhere and is being hailed as the bible of alcohol fuel production.

Dave went on to consult for a wide array of clients including foreign governments, farmers and food processors in turning waste into fuel, animal feed, carbon dioxide, and valuable industrial products.

Dave founded Planetary Movers Inc in 1984.

1n 1994, he started the community supported agriculture farm, Our Farm.

Our Farm fed approximately 450 people through 150 shares in its CSA at its peak. Annually, it grew as much as 100,000 pounds of food per acre, without a tractor, using only hand tools, on a terraced, 35 degree slope similar to farms in China or Guatemala. Dave used a combination of biointensive and permaculture techniques to produce these impressive yields.

Our Farm was a teaching farm, which hosted over 200 live-in interns and apprentices from all over the world, during its existence.

Guest Category: Earth & Space, Plant & Animals, Science
Guest Occupation: Music Producer, Singer, Producer, Publisher
Guest Biography:

Ron Dante Biography

Ron Dante is one star in the entertainment business that doesn't need a press agent to hype his many accomplishments. He has a room full of platinum albums and Grammy, Clio and Tony Awards to do his talking for him.

Ron Dante is probably best known for his work as a producer for Barry Manilow, Cher, Dionne Warwick, Pat Benatar, Irene Cara, Ray Charles, John Denver, and other major recording artists.

He was the driving force behind Barry Manilow's greatest successes. Their collaboration spawned one hit after another. Dante produced songs that have become landmarks on the pop music scene including "Mandy," "I Write the Songs," the Grammy winning "Copacabana," "Could It Be Magic" and others.

During a tumultuous decade in the record industry in which many stars faded and new ones flickered, Dante's firm guidance helped Manilow achieve unparalleled success. The Dante produced LPs sold more than 60 million copies, accounting for more than $350 million in retail sales at record stores nationwide.

Pop music fans know Ron Dante as the man who performed the #1 single "Sugar, Sugar" which topped the Top 40 charts for weeks and was voted “Song Of The Year'” in 1969 ... an era dominated by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and hard rock.

Lots of music lovers hum Ron Dante's tunes without even knowing it. Dante was the distinctive singing voice in dozens of radio and TV commercials. He has also worked alongside such other stars as Melissa Manchester, Ashford and Simpson and Luther Vandross.

It's Dante's voice you hear singing "You Deserve A Break Today" for McDonald’s. His voice was heard in spots for Coca Cola, American Airlines, Budweiser and dozens of other well-known products. The production firm Dante established to produce commercials won a Clio for its work for Volkswagen.

Theatergoers know Dante for his work on Broadway. He produced "Ain't Misbehavin',” which earned him a Tony for best musical and "Children Of A Lesser God," which took the Tony for best drama. Dante's stage credits also include "Whose Life Is It Anyway?," "Crimes Of The Heart" and "Duet For One". Dante also turned his attention to the printed word. He served as publisher of the prestigious Paris Review for more than two years.

His recent work includes a collaboration with Barry Manilow, singing background on various tracks for the Concord release of Manilow's Here at the Mayflower. Ron has also released Saturday Night Blast, a collection of classic pop songs along with some new Dante originals. Some of the highlights include “Rockin' Robin" (with Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits singing background), "Rock Me Gently" (with writer/performer Andy Kim, who wrote the song, doing background vocals) and "Summer in the City" (featuring Toni Wine, the original female voice of The Archies’ "Sugar, Sugar" singing a duet with Ron.)

For his debut on Digital Musicworks International (DMI), the world’s first full-service, all-digital music label, Ron has produced Rockin’ Christmas Party, Volume 1, featuring himself and such other all-star rock ‘n’ roll hit makers as Lou Christie, Tommy Roe, Gary Lewis, Bobby Vee and Chris Montez. Rockin’ Christmas Party, Volume 1 showcases a sleigh-full of both traditional Christmas songs as well as five new original holiday tunes.

"I never stop keeping busy," Ron says. "My day starts very early and that's okay with me. I enjoy what I do and that makes the long hours and every day worth it."

Guest Category: Arts, Performing Arts, Music
Guest Occupation: Speaker, Designer, Music Artist, Humanitarian, Activist, Doctor of International Law, Producer, Performer, Broadcaster, Lecturer
Guest Biography:

As a unique and multifaceted personality, and a true nexus of the East and West, Shawn Rae is a natural-born global thinker who possesses a well rounded and interestingly refreshing personal appeal. As an individual he has accomplished much, and is noted internationally for his varied contributions as a speaker, a designer, a recording artist, and a humanitarian. Shawn has represented the United States at various national and international events, and has been featured in the media on topics dealing with corporate giving, human rights abuses, matters relating to world trade and technology-related issues affecting mankind. He was selected as one of the Top Ten Speakers in the United States for the Conference on American Ingenuity by the U.S. Department of Commerce and picked as one of four Judges by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office and the Intellectual Property Association (IPO). The IPO is comprised of such prestigious members as General Motors, Lockheed, 3M, and other major corporate and multinational leaders.

Nicknamed Bambi at birth by his relatives and tribe, Shaanshehryar Khan Rae Zagajadoon, was raised until the age of 18 in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains. Historical figures such as Marco Polo, Alexander the Great, and Genghis Khan, among others, once visited his homeland. Noteworthy here is the fact that Shawn inherited from both of his parents a remarkable lineage of Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Jewish, Tibetan, and Chinese ancestry. It was due in large part to his having this multifarious background that Shawn was instilled with a fierce desire to erase international differences and to impact the ways in which human beings care for one another. His heartfelt desire for helping those in need stems from the time he witnessed, in a refugee camp at the age of six, the horrors of homelessness, hunger, disease, and despair. These tragic scenes, etched in his mind, moved him to join with others to alleviate such misery among the suffering peoples of the world.

At the age of seventeen, the United States government invited Shawn from the Far East to study as an exchange student in the United States. He was then sent to Europe and Asia to act as an Ambassador for American Education. A year later, on his own, Shawn traveled back to the U.S., desiring to further his American studies. With this goal in mind he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Administration with an emphasis in Political Science and Economics. Later on, he received his LLB Degree (Juris Doctor) in International Law for the purpose of serving those suffering from human rights abuses in the developing world.

As a recording artist Shawn has just completed a new CD of love songs entitled Songs to Fall in Love…Again. As a designer, he has a line of products that include both a Jewelry Collection and a Perfume Collection known as ONENESS, characterized by a philosophy that “exhorts individuals to challenge themselves to reach beyond the boundaries of ones self, and to awaken to the spirit of oneness inherent in humankind.” In all of these products and other endeavors, Shawn is committed to share in royalties and to dedicate his time and effort in promoting and supporting causes that are in the service of alleviating homelessness, hunger disease, and despair.

Shawn’s motto is, “Challenge yourself…” He feels that anyone can achieve anything if one challenges oneself enough. According to Shawn, “A unified humanity can collectively resolve problems… Divided, we only serve to create them.” Further, Shawn sees, “The challenge is individually and collectively to awaken our true potential for goodness and greatness, and to realize that positive change begins with us.”

Nori Rao is a Producer, former Editor-in Chief of Miracle Journeys Magazine, Radio Talk Show Host, Lecturer, and frequent guest on Radio and Television. She has traveled throughout the world as a Performing Artist, and for several years her choreographed “Contemplative Dance” was an integral part of internationally acclaimed recording artist and composer, Steven Halpern. As a Producer of Expos and Mega-Conventions her list of participants included revolutionary thinkers such as Timothy Leary, “Many Lives, Many Masters” best-selling author Dr. Brian Weiss, “Life After Death” best-selling author Raymond Moody, Ken Keyes, Jr. author of the best-selling “The Hundredth Monkey”, and many other well known and world famous personalities.

 

Guest Category: Arts, Performing Arts, Music
Guest Occupation: Lawyer, SEC, Litigator, Commentator, Author, Speaker, Teacher, Volunteer, Supervisor
Guest Biography:

Mr. Leviton is a co-founding partner of Block & Leviton LLP and focuses his practice on investor protection and shareholder rights matters.  He is also the co-chair of the Firm’s New Case Investigation Team.  After receiving his law degree from the Gonzaga School of Law (cum laude, Editor of the International Law Journal, member of the Moot Court Council), Mr. Leviton attended the Georgetown University Law Center and received a Master’s of Law (LL.M.) in Securities and Financial Regulation (Dean’s Award, 1of 6).  While attending Georgetown, he was the inaugural LL.M. student selected for an externship with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Enforcement Division, in Washington, D.C.  Mr. Leviton is currently a member of the Association of Securities and Exchange Commission Alumni. 

Mr. Leviton has dedicated his practice to upholding shareholder rights.  Prior to forming Block & Leviton, he was an attorney at two of the preeminent securities class action firms in the nation and worked on behalf of numerous institutional and individual investors.  For instance, Mr. Leviton represented several State of Ohio Pension Funds against BP following the largest oil spill in United States history (In re BP plc Securities Litigation, 10-cv-2185 (S.D.Tex.)).  He was also instrumental in recovering $10.5 million in the Welmon v. Chicago Bridge & Iron, 06-CV-01283,securities class action litigation.  In that case, Mr. Leviton represented Fortis Investments, a major European asset management company and, in addition to the monetary settlement, was able to institute numerous corporate governance changes at the company.  In granting the Chicago Bridge & Iron settlement, the Honorable John Sprizzo stated that “Plaintiffs’ Counsel have conducted the litigation and achieved the Settlement with skill, perseverance and diligent advocacy.”  Chicago Bridge & Iron, 06-CV-01283 (June 3, 2008).  Moreover, in the Ong v. Sears Roebuck & Co., 03 C 4142 (N.D. Ill.), securities class action, Mr. Leviton represented the State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS) and helped settle the action for $15.5 million.  He also represented the Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System, the Policemen’s Annuity & Benefit Fund of Chicago, the Central States, Southeast and Southwest Areas Pension Fund in the securities class action against MF Global that recently settled for $90.0 million.  See Rubin v. MF Global, LTD., et al., 08-cv-02233 (S.D.N.Y.).  Likewise, he was a member of the In re VeriSign Securities Litigation, C-02-2270 (N.D. Cal.) team that recovered more than $78.0 million for investors.  Furthermore, Mr. Leviton represented the Oklahoma Firefighter’s Pension and Retirement System in In re Smith & Wesson Corp. Securities Litigation, 07-cv-30238 (D. Mass.).  He has also litigated and settled cases involving SourceCorp, Inc., 04-cv-02351 (N.D. Tex.) (settled for $3.0 million), Xybernaut Corporation, 05-cv-01705 (E.D.Va) (settled for $6.3 million), and Mid-American Waste Management, C-2-97-449 (S.D. Ohio) (settled for $7.5 million).  

Mr. Leviton also has considerable experience litigating cases involving mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and other toxic assets.  For example, he represented the Wyoming State Treasurer’s Office and the Wyoming Retirement System in the In re IndyMac Mortgage-Backed Securities Litigation, 09-Civ.-04583 (S.D.N.Y.), and SURS in an action involving General Electric (In re General Electric Securities Litigation, 09-cv-0195 (S.D.N.Y.)).  Similarly, he represented the Oklahoma Police Pension and Retirement System and the Municipal Police Employees’ Retirement System of Louisiana in the In re BankUnited Financial Corp. Securities Litigation, 08 CIV 22572 (S.D. Fla.) action that recently settled for $3.0 million.  

In addition to his class action experiences, Mr. Leviton has litigated other forms of complex litigation.  For instance, he worked with a former State of New York Attorney General in the defense of an attorney accused of insider trading, which included a criminal referral to the United States Department of Justice.  He was also heavily involved in the representation of four detainees being held at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Station in Cuba.

Mr. Leviton is a frequent commentator and author on issues relating to the federal securities laws and corporate governance issues.  For example, he has been a recurring guest on Rights Radio, including programs entitled “Stock Fraud: How to Get A Portion of Your Money Bank”and “Protecting Shareholder Rights Through Civil Prosecutorial Litigation.”  He was also interviewed and quoted by Securities Law360 in an article entitled “CB&I Settles Securities Class Action for $10 million”.  Likewise, he was the primary author of SEC Litigation Release No. 18638, “SEC Charges Cedric Kushner Promotions and Three of its Officers and Directors with Fraud; Chairman and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer Charged with Filing False Certifications Required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002”and was acknowledged for contribution in a Nebraska Law Review article entitled, “After the Ball is Over:  Investor Remedies in the Wake of the Dot-Com Crash and Recent Corporate Scandals.”  Mr. Leviton was also invited to speak with Georgetown University Law Center students on issues arising when prosecuting securities class action lawsuits.          

Mr. Leviton has always been active in his community as well.  For example, he tutored at-risk children, volunteered at several Rotary Club fundraising events, and participated with the Kiwanis Club’s Mentally Challenged Adults Program.  He was also an Election Supervisor for the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election and the 2010 Mid-Term Elections.

Mr. Leviton is admitted to the Bars of Massachusetts and the District of Columbia and is on voluntary inactive status for the Bars of Washington State and Florida.  He is also a member of the District of Massachusetts, District of the District of Columbia, and Western District of Washington federal courts.

Guest Category: Business, Legal
Guest Occupation: Medical Intuitive, Clairvoyant, Linguist, Writer, Speaker
Guest Biography:

A gifted medical intuitive, Stewart Swerdlow is a clairvoyant who has the ability to see auric fields and personal archetypes as well as read DNA sequences and mind-patterns.

His great-uncle, Yakov Swerdlow, was the first president of the Soviet Union, and his grandfather helped form the Communist Party in the United States in the 1930s. To ensure that his loyalties stayed with the US government, he was "recruited" for specific government mind-control experiments which enhanced his natural abilities.

He spent years in service to various US and foreign government agencies and special interest groups. His mind and body were used for genetic and mind-control experiments which led to severe illness, broken relationships, and premature Kundalini activation.

After several years of deep self-analysis, Stewart merged with higher levels of his multidimensional self, which saved his life. His mission is to help others heal themselves in a positive way, thus avoiding the negativity he experienced.

Stewart, a linguist who speaks ten languages, says that the often considered "unused" 90% portion of the brain is actually in constant communication with the Mind of God, receiving information in the Language of Hyperspace, an interuniversal and interspecies language which consists of color, tone, and archetype.

Because people are not usually trained to understand this language, only a small amount of this information is able to filter through to the conscious mind, mostly in the dream state. By learning Swerdlow Hyperspace Techniques™, you can consciously learn to access this language as well as unlock DNA sequences preprogrammed within you since the beginning of your existence. This new information will give you practical applications, allow you to learn who and what you are, as well as help you understand your reason for being.

Guest Category: Physics & Metaphysics, Psychology, Mental Health, Science, Spiritual, Divination, Psychic & Intuitive, Technology, Theory & Conspiracy
Guest Occupation: Comedian
Guest Biography:

Margaret Cho was born Dec. 5, 1968 and raised in San Francisco. “It was different than any other place on Earth,” she says. “I grew up and went to grammar school on Haight Street during the ’70s. There were old hippies, ex-druggies, burnouts from the ’60s, drag queens, and Chinese people. To say it was a melting pot – that’s the least of it. It was a really confusing, enlightening, wonderful time.”

Her grandfather was a Methodist minister who ran an orphanage in Seoul during the Korean War. Ignoring the traditions of her patriarchal culture, her mother bravely resisted an arranged marriage in Korea and married Margaret’s father who writes joke books – in Korean. “Books like 1001 Jokes for Public Speakers – real corny stuff,” Cho says. “I guess we’re in the same line of work. But we don’t understand each other that way. I don’t know why the things he says are funny and the same for him.”

What Margaret did know is that she didn’t love being a kid. Racing toward adulthood to escape bullying, she began writing jokes for stand up at 14 and professionally performing at age 16. Getting picked on, and feeling disenfranchised, is a subject that’s very near to Margaret’s heart. She has become a sort of “Patron Saint” for Outsiders, speaking for them when they are not able to speak for themselves. “Being bullied influenced my adult life because I grew up too fast. I was in such a hurry to escape that I cheated myself out of a childhood. I didn’t want to go to school any more, didn’t want to be around those people any more. I want to use what happened to me to help other kids.”

Soon after starting her Stand Up career, Margaret won a comedy contest where first prize was opening for Jerry Seinfeld. She moved to Los Angeles in the early ’90s and, still in her early twenties, hit the college circuit, where she immediately became the most booked act in the market and garnered a nomination for “Campus Comedian of The Year.” She performed over 300 concerts within two years. Arsenio Hall introduced her to late night audiences, Bob Hope put her on a prime time special and, seemingly overnight, Margaret Cho became a national celebrity.

Her groundbreaking, controversial, and short-lived ABC sitcom, All-American Girl (1994) soon followed. Oddly, while chosen because of who she was – a non-conformist Korean American woman with liberal views – the powers-that-be then decided they wanted her to “tone it down” for the show. Challenging Margaret’s feelings for both who she was and how she looked, she soon realized that though she was an Executive Producer, it was a battle she would not win. “For fear of being too “ethnic,” the show got so watered down for television that by the end, it was completely lacking in the essence of what I am and what I do.”

The experience was a traumatic one, bringing up unresolved feelings left over from childhood, and Margaret developed an eating disorder as a response to criticism about her body. She was so obsessive in her goal to try to be what she thought others wanted, she landed in the hospital with kidney failure. Through out a period of self-abuse, Margaret continued performing to sold-out audiences across the country in comedy clubs, theaters, and on college campuses, working to channel her anger in to something more positive.

In 1999, her groundbreaking, off Broadway one-woman show, I’m The One That I Want, toured the country to national acclaim and was made into a best-selling book and feature film of the same name. After her experience with All-American Girl, Margaret wanted to make sure she would only have to answer to herself, making sure she was responsible for the distribution and sales of her film, taking a page from what music artist Ani DiFranco did with her Righteous Babe Records. The concert film, which garnered incredible reviews, broke records for most money grossed per print in movie history. In 2001, after the success of her first tour, Cho launched Notorious C.H.O., a smash-hit 37-city national tour that culminated in a sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall. Notorious C.H.O. was recorded and released as a feature film, hailed by the New York Times as “Brilliant!” Both films were acquired by Showtime Cable Networks, and produced by Margaret’s production company, a testament to the success of Margaret’s bold business model.

In March of 2003, Margaret embarked on her third sold-out national tour, Revolution. It was heralded by the Chicago Sun Times as “Her strongest show yet!” and the CD recording was nominated for a Grammy for Comedy Album of the Year. In 2005, Cho released Assassin, which The Chicago Tribune crowed “Packs passion in to each punch.” The concert film premiered in select theatres and on the gay and lesbian premium channel Here! TV in late 2005.

In 2007, Margaret hit the road with Cyndi Lauper, Debbie Harry and Erasure, along with indie faves The Dresden Dolls and The Cliks, to host the True Colors Tour, benefiting the Human Rights Campaign. A true entertainment pioneer, Margaret also created and starred in The Sensuous Woman, a live variety show featuring vaudevillian burlesque and comedy, which she took for an extended off-Broadway run in the fall.

Margaret returned to TV in 2008 on the VH1 series, The Cho Show. Describing it as a ‘reality sitcom,’ Margaret said at the time, “It’s the closest I’ve been able to come on television to what I do as a comic.” The Cho Show followed Margaret, her real parents, and her eccentric entourage through a series of irreverent and outrageous experiences, shaped by Margaret’s ‘anything goes’ brand of stand-up. It was beloved for the audience it was intended for, the ones who maybe don’t quite fit in, who knew Margaret is one of them.

The aptly titled Beautiful came next, exploring the good, bad and ugly in beauty, and the unattractive politicians and marketers who shape our world. The concert premiered in Australia at The Sydney Theater, marking the first time Margaret debuted a tour abroad. While touring through the US, the concert was filmed at the Long Beach theatre, aired as a special on Showtime in 2009, and then released as both a DVD and a book. Venus Zine hailed Margaret, and the show, saying “her fierce activism, which addresses bigger issues such as what it’s like to be demoralized by your country and culture…(left) no subject too taboo for the fearless stand-up queen.”

In 2009 Margaret nabbed a starring role in the comedy/drama series Drop Dead Diva, airing on Lifetime. Now entering its third season, Margaret is enjoying being part of a team, and not necessarily having the sole responsibility for keeping things afloat. “(Drop Dead Diva) is very fulfilling. It’s a lot about the things I talk about, like body image, and women feeling good about themselves, and learning to be visible. It’s very powerful. I also feel relaxed because I am hired to play a role, and it almost feels like a luxury to have a project I care about so much but not have to lead or control anything.” The show stars Brooke Elliott as lawyer Jane Bingum and Margaret as her gal Friday, Terri.

Never one to shy away from a challenge, Margaret stepped right up to the proverbial plate when asked to do Season 11 of the #1 rated Dancing with the Stars. Paired with pro Louie Van Amstel, Margaret was on one of the show’s most controversial seasons, dancing alongside Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, David Hasselhoff, Jennifer Grey and Bristol Palin among others. “I really wanted to do DWTS so much. I love the show and I love dancing. It seemed like it would be very exciting, which it was. It was also very difficult because I was touring as well. Louie and I would travel all week, rehearse during the day, drive back on Sunday nights and sleep in the parking lot of CBS where they filmed the show! It was a very stressful experience but I’d love to do it again.”

Margaret got a very strong reaction to her Rainbow Dancing Dress during a time when the issue of bullying, especially among gay teens, was all over the media. “I am very proud to have been able to wear a gay pride dress on a show that is so conservative. It is a wonderful thing to have every one remember me by, that I took time to acknowledge people who matter to me. I wanted to send an urgent message to gay teenagers to make them feel included and loved. That dress was my statement to them about pride.”

2010 culminated with another high honor, a second Grammy Award nomination for Comedy Album of the Year for Cho Dependent, her incredibly funny collection of music featuring collaborations with Fiona Apple, Andrew Bird, Grant Lee Phillips, Tegan & Sarah, Ben Lee and more. The album received critical acclaim, with The Oregonian stating, “This was a chance to see and hear an already drop-dead funny diva growing, flexing new musical muscle, and fearlessly mature.” The album is funny, yes, but also quite musical, featuring not only her surprisingly strong singing voice, but her skill on the guitar, banjo and dulcimer. “I was inspired to make beautiful music with a comic edge.  Growing up, music was an escape, but also something I was always curious about as an art form. I had a decent amount of musical ability, but also have great musician friends who were very willing to help me. I took this very seriously, taking vocal and guitar lessons while I was touring. I was very devoted to learning and understanding how I could accompany myself.” So much so that she’d pick up lessons at music clinics along the road where her fellow students were 12 year olds who wanted to play the Hives and The Strokes.

Margaret self released Cho Dependent on her own Clownery Records, and was very heartened by the acclaim as there are only a handful of people putting out albums of comedy music: “Weird” Al Yankovic, Flight of the Conchords, The Lonely Island, to name a few, but no women. While thrilled that her hard work was rewarded with the nomination, Margaret still has more music in her, an album tentatively titled Yellow. “It is in its beginning stages. It’s very Beatle-esque at the moment, with songs about race, agedness and ethnicity. Writing lyrics is a different process for me than writing Stand Up. It utilizes the same elements, but it’s a more demanding discipline. You have more freedom with comedy writing than with lyrics, where mathematics comes in to play so the lyrics go with the music.”

Along with the two Grammy nods, Margaret has been recognized in many other areas as well. She was the recipient of the Victory Fund’s 2008 Leadership Award and the first ever Best Comedy Performance Award at the 2007 Asian Excellence Awards. She also received the First Amendment Award from the ACLU of Southern California, and the Intrepid Award from the National Organization for Women (NOW). Throughout her career, she has been honored by GLAAD, American Women in Radio and Television, the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF), the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), and PFLAG for making a significant difference in promoting equal rights for all, regardless of race, sexual orientation or gender identity. In June of 2011, Margaret will be honored by LA Pride, receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award. This award recognizes an individual whose lifetime body of work has left a lasting major imprint on the LGBT community.

“It’s a wonderful thing to be known as a ‘safe haven’ for people. A lot people who come to my shows don’t necessarily consider themselves traditional comedy fans. I seem to be a safe alternative for people who don’t think they’re being represented in society. They come because my point of view satisfies a lot of what needs to be said out there, and that makes me really proud.”

Guest Category: Arts, Performing Arts, Comedy, TV & Film
Guest Occupation: Psychic, Medium, Paranormal Investigator, Speaker, Writer, Author
Guest Biography:

Chip Coffey is an internationally acclaimed psychic, medium, paranormal investigator, speaker and writer. He is the great-grandson of famed Native American medicine woman Minnie Sue Morrow Foster. (He is also distantly related to General Robert E. Lee and Thomas Coffey, an actor who performed with Edwin and John Wilkes Booth.)

Chip was born in Upstate New York, spent much of his childhood in South Carolina, and now resides in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia.

His psychic abilities manifested themselves when he was a young child and, after successful careers in traditional counseling, the entertainment industry and travel management, he began working full-time as a psychic and medium in 2001. Since that time, he has conducted thousands of readings for clients all around the world.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution called Chip "every bit as accurate as John Edward" and InStyle magazine said "Chip Coffey is a cross between John Edward and Dr. Phil...a psychic who doesn't hesitate to tell it like it is." Fate and Fortune, a European magazine, featured an article about Chip's visit to the ruins of the World Trade Center with the widow of a man who died there on 9-11.

Chip hosted Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal, a one hour documentary pilot, followed by three seasons of the groundbreaking series that aired on both A&E and Biography. Psychic Kids aired in numerous international markets, including Canada, Mexico, the UK, Central America, South America, Australia and Norway.

Chip was featured on thirty-one episodes of the popular A&E Network series, Paranormal State.  He also appeared twice on the popular CNN television show, Larry King Live, and has been featured on Good Morning America, Tyra (with Tyra Banks), Entertainment Tonight and The Insider.

Articles that Chip has written have appeared in regional and national publications. His first book, Growing Up Psychic, will be published by Random House in 2012.

He is an avid animal rescue advocate and works with groups across the United States to save animals' lives. Chip also volunteers with various hospice-related organizations. A firm believer in God and His Angels, Chip believes that miracles, great and small, happen each and every day.

Guest Category: Divination, Paranormal, Spiritual, Medium & Channeling, Mystic & Seer, Psychic & Intuitive
Guest Occupation: Jungian, Astrologer, Egyptologist, psychologist, Metaphysician, Mythologian, Archeologist, Researcher, Consultant, Teacher, Author
Guest Biography:

Mary Lomando, is a Jungian Astrologer and Egyptologist. She has over 20 years experience in psychology, metaphysics, and world mythologies. As an archaeo-astrologer, her areas of expertise are ancient Egypt and Peru. A reading with Mary will help clarify your soul's purpose by focusing on karmic relationship patterns, past life experiences and talents, and future potential inherent in the birth chart. Combining both astrological vision and intuitive guidance, she is able to facilitate and guide your personal transformation. Mary has lived and worked in Egypt, where she received her degree in Egyptology. She currently leads trips to Egypt and Peru and is researching the archaeological and astronomical connections between these two ancient civilizations. She began PachaTerra Travel as way to share her love of sacred site travel and Mother Earth with like-minded individuals.

ANCIENT WISDOM/ NEW VISION: PACHA TERRA

PachaTerra ( “One Earth” in the indigenous Quechua language of Peru) is designed as a “Mystery School without walls”, a way to integrate the ancient wisdom encoded in temples and sacred sites around the world with an enlightened vision for the New Earth. Since 1995, Mary has specialized in leading groups to Egypt and Peru. Whether exploring the crystal city of Machu Picchu or meditating at the paws of the sphinx, each one of Mary’s trips is individually designed to enhance the sense of spiritual pilgrimage, as well as the quest for adventure. While assimilating each extraordinary experience, you also have the benefit of traveling in complete safety and comfort. Mary has worked with some of the world's leading teachers, archaeologists, authors, and metaphysicans while living in Egypt. It is her great joy to bring people "Home" to Egypt.
Guest Category: History
Guest Occupation: Animal Lover, Sanctuary Director
Guest Biography:

My journey over the past 14 years has taken me from volunteer who lived in the neighborhood and started out just one or two days a week to Executive Director in 2003.

At any given time I am responsible for the health and well being over 50 plus wolves and wolf dogs… and one little Red Fox Romeo.

I had the pleasure and privilege to work with Raven a beautiful black and silver timber wolf. We spent nearly twelve years as the educational ambassador team for Wild Spirit.

Teaching in schools, clubs, groups any where we were invited all around the southwest. In 2001 Raven joined me as my best man in my wedding to my bride Georgia. Shortly after marriage Raven became my daughter Lakota’s canine uncle of sorts.

Children grow up fast but wolves grow old to quickly, Raven passed Easter morning 2009 fourteen years and seven days old, he will be forever missed.

Over the past three years my small family and a few of my staff have had the opportunity to raise thirteen wolf pups three of which are ambassador wolves in training.

My love affair with living in the woods with wolves has taken me on a roller coaster ride of emotions and wild experiences. I am a privileged man to be able to live this dream and be up close and personal with one of natures more fantastic beasts.

I know that I have seen and done more things with wolves than possibly any other human on planet earth…and for that I am eternally grateful!

Guest Category: Plant & Animals, Spiritual
Guest Occupation: Director, Producer, Designer, Creator, Artist, Photographer, Writer, Screenwriter, Author, Painter
Guest Biography:

Christopher Ciccone’s background runs the gamut from one-man art exhibitions, to directing and design of major concert tours, music videos, and film, to commercial, residential interior and furniture design.



Christopher brings all of these eclectic and critically acclaimed experiences to Art, Photography, Film, Writing, Design and Fashion as well as TV appearances. He has shown his photo’s and paintings on both the east and west coast and Paris. He has also recently released his New York Times Bestselling memoirs “Life With My Sister Madonna”.



Ciccone has done residential and commercial interior design for many restaurants, and was partner/designer for the critically acclaimed restaurants, “Atlantic” and “Central” in Los Angeles, “Oriont” in New York City and 6º in Miami and homes located in New York City, Miami and Los Angeles. He is currently designing a beach front condominium development on Miami Beach and the corporate boxes for the new Millennium Dome in London as well as in the beginning stages of designing a hotel in Costa Rica and one in Istanbul. His furniture design (for Bernhardt ) was chosen to be used in the New York City office of President Bill Clinton. He also served as Editor at Large for “Instinct Magazine.



Originally from Detroit, Christopher attended the University in Michigan studying anthropology and fencing. Since that time, his work has graced the covers of every major design publications throughout the world. His awardwinning work for music video and music tour productions for Madonna is unparalleled and his artwork has been shown in New York and Paris.



Christopher has also shared his talents with such charitable organizations as AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA), New York’s Living With AIDS Foundation, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles just to name a few. In addition to gaining national attention, his work has been recognized in numerous international publications including The Evening Standard, the London Sunday Times, Paris Match and Elle Paris, Elle Décor, Vanity Fair, New York Times, Architectural Digest, Metropolitan Home, Miami Herald, et al….



He also frequently contributes as a writer for Interview and Icon magazines. The designer of Atlantic restaurant in Los Angeles, Christopher maintains a tri-city presence with offices in both New York, Miami and LA. Over the past few years, he has spent his time focusing on film direction and screenwriting, but takes time out to work on special commercial and residential design commissions as well as stage projects. Has appeared on “Top Chef”, Bravo’s top rated reality show as a special guest designer as well as the special guest designer for the premier episode of the Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency.



His New York Times best selling memoirs were published by Simon and Schuster for a July 15, 2008 release and is currently developing a music based reality TV. He also has a retrospective of his paintings, photography and video traveling the country. It is currently viewing at DAP Studios in Los Angeles after hitting Art Basel in Miami in December and HCG Gallery in Dallas in February and moving on the Mexico City in October.

Guest Category: Arts, Design, Fashion, Performing Arts, Visual Arts, TV & Film
Guest Occupation: Host, Producer, Director, Broadcaster, Anchorman
Guest Biography:

Look "Between The Lines" for what's really going on. Barry Kibrick is the host/producer for the 6-time EMMY nominated series Between the Lines

At 24 years of age, Barry Kibrick became one of the youngest anchorman for the ABC affiliated stations when he began his career at KIMO-TV in Anchorage, Alaska. Some of his past credits included being the Executive Producer for the ABC late-night series Into the Night, the late-night ABC series Studio 59, the Los Angeles EMMY Awards Show, and the National EMMY Nomination Ceremony. Barry was the producer for the KNBC-TV EMMY nominated late-night comedy series, It's Fritz, the weekly news satire series What a Week, and the EMMY winning Health Fax series. Barry also produced programs for the Comedy Channel and the Sci-Fi Channel. Kibrick currently hosts, produces and directs series and specials for KLCS-TV, Los Angeles where he made history when all three of his series were nominated for a NATPE IRIS AWARD.

Barry Kibrick is the host/producer for the 6-time EMMY nominated series Between the Lines

Between The Lines features in-depth interviews with distinguished authors, celebrity writers, top screenwriters, directors and award winning columnists and journalists.

Between The Lines is now in its 12th season and is produced at PBS station KLCS-TV in Los Angeles. The series airs on PBS stations throughout the country.

Combining passion, insight and creativity, Barry Kibrick presents the material in the most engaging and entertaining manner possible through his ability to see and read “between the lines” on any topic and share it with others. His distinct, personal, thought-provoking method of conversation brings a refreshingly new style to the genre, often times even surprising the guests with his deep understanding of their work. The results are an intense and entertaining personal relationship between the material, the guests, the viewers and Barry Kibrick.

Barry's guests have included Anne Rice, Mario Puzo, Ray Bradbury, Queen Noor of Jordan, Sir Ridley Scott, Secretary of State Warren Christopher, Kirk Douglas, Jackie Collins, Alvin Toffler, Elmore Leonard, Sidney Sheldon, Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, Presidential advisors Dick Morris and Sidney Blumenthal, Joseph Wambaugh, Richie Havens, Chaka Khan, Erica Jong, Walter Mosley, John Wooden, Cal Ripken, Jr. and hundreds of others. In Los Angeles, Between the Lines airs on PBS station KLCS-TV Saturday evenings at 8:00 PM and Sunday and Tuesday nights at 11:00 PM.

Guest Category: News, TV & Film
Guest Occupation: Author, Writer, Journalist
Guest Biography:

As the Rolling Stones' song lyrics go, "Let me please introduce myself . . ."  

After graduation from SFSU, I wrote natural-based articles for national publications. I wrote about dogs (my first published article “Mobile Mountain Vet,” ran in Dog World, 1986), cats, pet health, human health, and relationships. I also wrote dozens of mini mags (those little books you see at grocery store check out stands). The titles included, “The Healing Power of Love,” “The Healing Power of Cats, “The Magic of Oils, Scents & Candles,” and “Lose 12 lbs in a Week!”  I finally got a lead to write a “real” book--straight from a New York Publisher.

In 1999, I got my first trade cover book contract. Thus, I packed my bags and took a 200 mile move to Lake Tahoe (a place I used to visit in the summers), where I fine-tuned and finished writing The Healing Powers of Vinegar.  I knew nothing about the touted perks of apple cider vinegar but after extensive research, my pantry was full of a variety of vinegars.  And I had penned the bible on vinegar. It later became the most interationally popular books on vinegar--the bestselling health book (for a while) in South Korea.
 
Then, Doctors’ Orders followed. As I wrote in the preface, “One afternoon I lay in bed, cozy in my cabin in the California Sierra, suffering from writer’s block. Brain dead, I turned on a television news program. Suddenly, I was listening to an amazing story about a college student who had interviewed more than 80 cardiologists for his thesis. His ambitious feat inspired me.
 
"I thought, 'What if I interviewed doctors, all types, and wrote a book about their health habits? It would be fascinating to probe medical experts about what they do for their own health.'"
 
Later, I pitched my idea for a book about how doctors stay healthy to my book editor. Two years later, Doctors’ Orders continues to sell worldwide. And I personally follow the holistic docs’ timeless advice to keep a healthy body, mind, and spirit.
 
A few years later, as a single baby boomer living in the mountains, I continue to write about Mother Nature. Surrounded by towering pine trees, nearby the Lake, and amid wildlife I am constantly inspired to create books containing a nature-based element, from health, science, animals, and relationships.  And I use Lake Tahoe as my muse.
 
I am a freelance author-journalist who holds both a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in English (Creative Writing) from San Francisco State University. Over the past 20 years, I have written more than 10 books and hundreds of articles for national and international magazines and websites.  I continue to reside in Northern California--a place that seems to have a hold on me.

Guest Category: Literature, Health & Lifestyle, Alternative Health
Guest Occupation: Author, Teacher, Ramtha Devotee
Guest Biography:

Suzanne was born and raised among the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut in the town of Kent, Connecticut where she attended Kent Center School. She later attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts and Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, graduating with a B. A. in American Civilization in 1983.

Suzanne’s experiences and questions surrounding the sudden and unexpected death of her mother in 1985 resulted in a profound change in the direction of her life. Ultimately these changes led her to Ramtha’s School of Enlightenment in Yelm, Washington where she has been a student since 1988. After five years of teaching numerous academic disciplines at the Children’s School of Excellence (a private, non-profit, K-8 school in Rainier, Washington), Suzanne founded ManyWorlds Press and published Science You-nified!, a middle school curriculum in physics and physiology based upon the teachings of Ramtha.

Suzanne Nichols author of Science You-nified! Physics and Physiology for Masters in the Making - A Science Curriculum for Middle and High School Students Based On the Teachings of Ramtha. Suzanne attended the Berkshire School and Phillips Academy (Andover) and went on to receive a Bachelor’s Degree from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. After having been compelled to move to Seattle "for no rational reason", Suzanne studied vocal jazz at the Cornish Institute and attended her first Ramtha event, in 1988. She has been a passionate student of the Great Work ever since.

Suzanne became a full time teacher for the Children’s School of Excellence at its inception in 1999 at the middle and high school levels, teaching on a wide range of subjects including Literature, Physics (Classical and Quantum), Sacred Geometry, History, and Sexuality Education. In all of her classes she has endeavored to incorporate as much as possible the teachings of Ramtha, for which the student and parent body of CSE have consistently expressed appreciation. The Children’s School continues to be fertile ground for genius and its expression, among the students, faculty, and staff alike. Given that the school stands squarely upon the premise that we are all divine and equal in that divinity, every individual is respected and cultivated towards that experience and reality. In this capacity, CSE stands alone and on the cutting edge of education. This has led Suzanne to choosing this year to dedicate herself primarily to the development of curriculum along these lines

In 2007, Suzanne wrote The Life and Times of Schrodinger’s Cat - A Quantum Tale of Love and Entanglement, her first novel.

Suzanne thoroughly enjoys living off the grid as she has for the last seventeen years, and currently lives in Cinebar, Washington with her husband, Davide Pasquali, their two dogs, Almuc and Shemira, and their cat, Luna Valora Copernica.

Guest Category: Earth & Space, Education, Physics & Metaphysics, Spiritual
Guest Occupation: Author, Speaker, Entreprenuer, Producer, Consultant
Guest Biography:

Mallika Chopra is an author, speaker and founder of a website on personal, social and global wellness. She understands how to harness the power of intention through social media, and to connect people from around the world to improve their own lives, their communities and the planet. She helps other to see the distinction between an intention and a goal, and importance of intention as a spiritual and aspirational component of a goal. She is the daughter of Deepak Chopra.

Mallika Chopra has spent the last ten years working in a variety of capacities in the media world. Her strengths in creating creative content combined with strategic and marketing thinking has allowed her to successfully fuel an entrepreneurial drive in a number of arenas.

Mallika’s first book was 100 Promises to My Baby. As part of her work with the book, she also serves as a spokesperson for UNICEF raising awareness for orphans who have been affected by HIV and AIDS.

Mallika’s second book, 100 Questions From My Child was a natural follow up to 100 Promises to My Baby as it incorporated the next phase of her two daughters development - asking questions.

Mallika is a partner in Chopra Media where she is a co-creator in several television and feature film concepts currently in production. intentblog.com is a project she created with Deepak Chopra, Shekhar Kapur and Gotham Chopra. She is also a partner with Vikram Chatwal and Gotham Chopra in K Lounge in New York.

Mallika was a founder and executive at MyPotential Inc, a multi-media company focused on the self-help industry. Mallika was profiled in several publications, including Forbes, W Magazine, Femina and the LA Times, for her work with MyPotential. Mallika served as one of the first representative for the re-launch of MTV in India, and has also worked with MTV International, Go Network (Disney), and consulted for Yahoo! on marketing and strategic initiatives.

Mallika is a graduate of Brown University, and has an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management. She currently lives in Santa Monica, California, with her husband, Sumant Mandal, and their two daughters, Tara and Leela.

Guest Category: Health & Lifestyle, Self Help, Spiritual
Guest Occupation: Author, Entrepreneur, Coach, Business Consultant
Guest Biography:

Ann Vanino is an entrepreneur who brings a foundation in the public and private sectors and strong skills as a coach to her work. It took a wide variety of experiences for Ann to reach this point in her career, including working at the US Environmental Protection Agency in Washington DC and New York City's Department of Environmental Protection as Assistant Commissioner of Hazardous Materials Programs (managing a hazardous materials emergency response team responding to over 600 chemical emergencies a year), moving from New York City to California where she entered the private sector, becoming an entrepreneur by co-founding an environmental consulting business, transitioning to being a coach and launching Moving Forward

Ann has coached since 1996 and loves her work. Her depth of experience as a manager, understanding of corporate, small business public sector and non profit organizational cultures and her skills as a coach give her an edge in providing results for her clients.

In 1996, Ann Vanino founded Moving Forward Coaching & Consulting. Moving Forward's coaching and consulting guide individuals to career success and fulfillment & organizations to maximum performance.

Moving Forward also specializes in coaching and consulting for workforce development programs. Ann's passion for this work centers on designing youth oriented and market driven workforce development programs and strategies, providing career coaching for young adults and creating collaborative workforce development stakeholder groups.

Leadership on Trial Lessons From The Apprectice by Ann VaninoSince 2000, Ann has written a local, weekly newspaper column, Coaching Corner which guides readers to a fulfilling life. Coaching Corner is also available by email subscription. She is the author of a book, Leadership on Trial: Lessons from The Apprentice, a booklet Achieving Balance in Your Life and two eBooks: Power Stories and Coaching Corner Volume 1. Ann writes The Leadership Blog and a bimonthly eZine, Power at Work. Ann is a member of the Board of Directors of The Antelope Valley Chambers of Commerce. She is currently coordinating a Chamber effort to develop a Community Leadership program and from 2003-2006, chaired the Chamber's Business Education and Services Committee.

She is a member of the Business Advisory Council of the South Valley Work Source Center whose mission is to enhance the economic vitality of the Antelope Valley by providing quality career resources and employment services to job seekers and businesses. Ann is a member of the Board of Directors of The Women's Coalition for World Reform, a nonprofit organization working to preserve civilization, tradition and natural resources. The organization is currently drilling wells to bring safe and sufficient drinking water to the Massai Community in Kenya. Ann is a member of the Los Angeles Chapter of The International Coach Federation and, in 2002, served on its Founding Board of Directors.

Guest Category: Business, Marketing, Management
Guest Occupation: Finance Manager, Credit Issue Specialist
Guest Biography:

Following a career spanning some 15 years in financial services, Joe Stallard has gained valuable insights into the inner workings of the credit and finance industry. His experience includes both the auto industry, where he was the "dreaded" finance manager, and the mortgage industry as a loan officer.

Through the recently launched FreshStartIndy.net website, this "inside information" is freely shared with all. Credit issues - including credit repair, recovering from bankruptcy and dealing with the credit bureaus - are dealt with in a practical, no-nonsense approach sure to get results.

Lifting the shroud of secrecy surrounding the credit and finance world, Joe offers the consumer a common-sense strategy for dealing with real-world issues that impact the majority of people today.

Guest Category: Business, Investing and Finance
Guest Occupation: Theologian, Director, Producer, Humanitarian, Educator, Speaker
Guest Biography:

Mrs. Kucinich is an international advocate for human rights, environmental sustainability and global prosperity. Co-producing GMO film www.GMOfilm.com

Elizabeth’s work parallels that of her husband, Congressman Dennis Kucinich. She traveled with him to the Middle East in 2006 when he met with leaders of Israel, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine immediately after the Israel-Lebanon war. Dennis and Elizabeth also spent time in destroyed communities, listening to people’s stories.

Elizabeth started early to strive for the transformation of an entrenched destructive political culture to one of empowerment, peace and prosperity. She first lobbied the British Parliament at age fourteen; at seventeen she taught in Hungary and at eighteen was offered her first job working for an MP who encountered her hand delivering 600 letters on a school day to MPs on the issue of animal welfare and factory farming. Instead of taking the position, Elizabeth decided to travel alone to India for six months where she fulfilled her dream to work at a Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa) home in Agra and later moved to a village close to the Taj Mahal where she developed a small environment focused education project for Dilat children, providing a safe space for children of all backgrounds to socialize and learn together as equals.

Because of her experiences living with a subsistence farming community in East Africa (2002-2003), working in education, HIV/AIDS prevention, appropriate technology water and energy projects, Mrs. Kucinich formed SHE (Sustainable Holistic Enterprise) in 2006, in partnership with Cleveland based International Partners in Mission. SHE is sponsoring an education project in East Africa. SHE has just started researching comparable models for application in underserved communities in the United States. Elizabeth worked with the Forum for Stable Currencies at the House of Lords, London, and organized the American Monetary Institute's first international conference in Chicago. For Elizabeth, reforming the global debt-based money system is the most pressing issue of our time.

Guest Category: News, Politics & Government
Guest Occupation: Author, MKultra Victim
Guest Biography:

Cathy O'Brien is the author of the amazing book, Access Denied ~ for Reasons of National Security, "concerning a little known tool that 'our' United States Government is covertly, illegally, and un-constitutionally using to implement the New World Order (One World Government). This well-documented tool is a sophisticated and advanced form of behaviour modification (brainwashing) most commonly known as MIND CONTROL. My first-hand knowledge of this TOP SECRET U.S. Government Psychological Warfare technique is drawn from my personal experience as a White House 'Presidential Model' mind-control slave."

Cathy and her daughter, Kelly, were brutally tortured and traumatised by the heads of the American, as well as other, government leaders as a slave of MK-Ultra. Yet she's now free and has got her own mind back. Is Cathy not a perfect example of divine intervention stepping in to rescue her and enabling the truth to be brought into the light of day? It's not surprising that she's had multiple NDEs as a result of what she's endured, because such experiences do seem to give people almost 'super-human' powers to endure and rise above all adversity.

From Wikipedia:

Cathleen Ann O'Brien (born December 4, 1957, Muskegon, Michigan is an American who claims to be a victim of Project MKULTRA, a program funded by the Central Intelligence Agency to research the use of drugs for intelligence purposes. O'Brien made these claims in Trance Formation of America (1995) and Access Denied: For Reasons of National Security (2004) which she co-authored with her husband Mark Phillips. O'Brien is one of many people publicly claiming to have survived "CIA mind control" programs.

There is no credible evidence for O'Brien's memories, which were retrieved through the use of hypnosis. The specific program which she claimed was responsible for her dissociative identity disorder, Project Monarch, is not mentioned in reviews of MKULTRA, its alleged parent program. Because most MKULTRA records were deliberately destroyed in 1973 by order of then CIA Director Richard Helms, it has been difficult, if not impossible, for investigators to gain a complete understanding of the more than 150 individually funded research sub-projects sponsored by MKULTRA and related CIA programs. She also claims recollection of child abuse - to her and her daughter - by international pedophile rings, drug barons and satanists, as part of a sex slave aspect to her 'trauma based mind control programming'. Individuals; from United States, Canadian, Mexican and Saudi Arabian government officials, to stars of the Country and Western music scene; are among those she accuses of these crimes. Investigations into the story produced no credible evidence and numerous inconsistencies.

Guest Category: News, Paranormal, Theory & Conspiracy
Guest Occupation: Ufologist, Hypnotherapist, Lecturer, Consultant
Guest Biography:

Smith began researching the UFO phenomenon in the late 1980's and in 1990 [after 2 years of studies and 1000 hours of internship] received her certification from the California Hypnosis Motivation Institute. In 1990 she expanded her practice to include "abductees," assisting them and encouraging them to work through and cope with their PTSD. [Many of her subjects are referred to her by physicians and psychologists who believe Yvonne's expertise can benefit their patients.]

In 1991 Yvonne founded CERO [Close Encounter Resource Organization] which provides personal attention and maintains active monthly support group meetings where abductees share their thoughts and feelings about their unusual experiences. Her CERO work has kept her in contact with well known non-CERO personalities such as Travis Walton, Linda Cortille, and Jesse Long.

ABC NEWS SPECIAL (TV program)
ABC News selected Yvonne Smith to critique  negative comments made by scientist Stephen Hawking about alien visitations.

INSIDE EDITION (TV program)
Featuring Yvonne Smith & Travis Walton
("Fire In The Sky")

ENCOUNTERS (TV program)
Featuring Yvonne Smith with Jessi & John Long

THE ROSANNE BARR SHOW
Featuring Yvonne Smith & Budd Hopkins

THE JOAN RIVERS SHOW
Featuring Yvonne Smith & Budd Hopkins

In addition to maintaining personal contact with her subjects, since 1991 she has traveled extensively, presenting lectures in the United States at M.I.T. and several other universities... as well as at many American conferences (such as the annual Roswell Celebration)

Comfortable in front of cameras, Yvonne's 25-30 television appearances have included programs such as MSNBC, The Discovery Channel, Encounters, Sightings, The Joan Rivers Show, and The Leeza Show. Having her living room turned into a television "studio" for many hours has been a common occurrence.

While lecturing recently at a government sponsored conference in San Marino, Italy, she was interviewed on Italian television for broadcast both in Italy and also to other European countries.

Many well known radio hosts (such as Art Bell, Paul Harvey and David Viscott) have also had Yvonne as their program guest.

In addition to her many radio and TV. interviews, Yvonne with her CERO organization was the subject of a Disney movie, Alien Encounters (1995). She has frequently been a consultant to directors and actors for movies and television programs in the works.

Guest Category: Paranormal, UFOs, Psychology
Guest Occupation: Filmmaker, Producer, Music Artist
Guest Biography:

Dylan Avery is a filmmaker and the creator of the Loose Change films. He is from Oneonta, New York, and currently lives in Los Angeles, California with his pitbull Gordo.

After discovering Paul Thompson's Terror Timeline in mid-2002, Avery began writing the screenplay for a thriller in which a group of friends discovers a government cover-up of the September 11, 2001 attacks. After having been denied admission[citation needed] twice by Purchase College film school and realizing that creating a full-budget feature was not feasible for an 18-year-old director, he decided instead to make a documentary. This gave rise to the Loose Change series.

Since producing the original, Avery has re-cut the film to remove some of the more controversial claims and he now thinks that orchestrating the attacks was beyond the scope of the Bush administration. However, he still believes that the government had enough foreknowledge of the attacks to have been able to prevent them.

In April, 2008, he moved from Oneonta to San Diego, California.

The final film in the series, Loose Change 9/11: An American Coup, became available on September 22, 2009. It is narrated by Daniel Sunjata and produced by Korey Rowe of Oneonta, New York.

In 2010, Avery worked with teacher, musician, and self-proclaimed coffee addict Wes Davis to create Buzzkill, a film about a 21 day project to stop drinking coffee and caffeine products. It is available on YouTube.

That December, he filmed a music video for Bushwalla's song "I'm Alone" on location at the Salton Sea in Southern California.

In April 2011, he moved to Los Angeles to work at a production house in North Hollywood where he did animation assistance for Discovery Channel's "Reign of the Dinosaurs" (later renamed Dinosaur Revolution) and uncredited research work on Werner Herzog's "Into the Abyss"

That September, shortly after the ten year anniversary, he was interviewed by Alec Baldwin for his "Here's the Thing" podcast. It aired on August 13th, 2012.

After a cross country trip and vacation in Costa Rica, he returned to Los Angeles in January 2012, where he has been freelancing and developing several narrative feature film scripts, one of which is nearing completion and awaiting studio opinion.

He plays guitar and bass, and was in a San Diego band called Acoustic Booze.

Guest Category: Theory & Conspiracy, TV & Film