Life in Bomb City Podcast: Recent Episodes
Life in Bomb City
Aaron Faver and Dr. Beth Rodriguez from the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department at Amarillo College visit about regional and national topics including: politics, policy, psychology, national security, etc.
Special thank you to FM90 for allowing us to record in their studios and the Blue Johnnies and Nine Inch Nails for allowing us to use their music.
Special Host Frank Bellizzi, historian at Amarillo College, visits with Dr. Brian Ingrassia, historian at West Texas A&M University about the largely unknown history of automobiles being drawn to and used in Amarillo before many people realize.
Aaron and Beth discuss whether or not everything is meant to have a place in the future.
Aaron and Beth visit about "memory," how it works differently among age groups, and the purposes it serves as we remember the attacks on America on September 11, 2001.
Aaron visits with Taylor Moore, former CIA Officer and now author, about Taylor's brand new book, "Down Range." The book comes out today, August 3rd, 2021. Go pick up a copy.
Aaron hosts a special guest, Jackie Kingston, to visit about each of our top 5 pieces of legislation passed in the recent Texas legislative session.
Aaron and Beth visit about the soon to be released report about Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, and the search for intelligent life.
Aaron and Beth talk to Officer Maurice Jackson about music, ministry and human understanding.
Aaron and Beth visit about Campus Carry and the Second Amendment. Hypothetical nightmare scenarios, and comfortability with what is cultural.
Aaron and Beth visit about AntiRacism, Social Behavior, and Public Policy Making in the time of... (fill in the blank). Complexity abounds and compels.
Finally back in the studio, Aaron and Beth visit about the social and behavioral reactions to the pandemic.
Aaron and Beth invite Frank Bellizzi on to visit with Dr. Wade Shaffer of West Texas A&M University to compare and contrast the characters, times, and politics of Presidents Andrew Jackson and Donald J. Trump. We talk about social polarization, business culture, military culture, and the cross sections of where Bernie Sanders fits into the questions surrounding populism.
Aaron and Beth sit down with local entrepreneurs and businessmen, Austin Sharp and Zane Oliver of Mays, Inc. and KORE Real Estate to discuss commercial real estate development in Amarillo. Generational wealth and poverty are discussed, as well as what it means to add value to our community and economy.
Aaron and Beth sit down with Bill Heizer, who has been working as a paramedic, along with other responsibilities, for the last 34 years. Bill discusses what he sees when he's working a scene in which someone is overdosing on opioids,whether it be a controlled prescription drug, heroine or some other illicit opioid. He also discusses what to do when someone is overdosing. Always call for help first.
Aaron and Beth sit down with Shaun Lakey, a creative artist of lenses for Snapchat and Instagram. Shaun has established himself at the age of 20 as an international player in this not often publicized, but abundantly used, world of social media. He has over 1.5 billion views on Snapchat, and his lenses keep on getting more and more popular.
Topics discussed include: -Impact of Social Media -How Shaun got into this line of work -Augmented Reality and its future uses -Rap and Hip-Hop -Stories about Nike and RCA approaching Shaun
In this episode, Aaron and Beth sit down with fellow faculty members, Frank Bellizzi, who teaches American History within the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department, and Amy Presley, who is the Program Director for Amarillo College's FM90. Discussion in this episode centers around films that relate to the holiday season, why those films are classics, as well as some of the history and political issues surrounding some of them.
Films discussed include: A Christmas Story (2003) Lethal Weapon (1987) Die Hard (1988) National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) Elf (2003)
In this episode, Aaron and Beth visit with two special guests from the world of criminal interdiction. This is the second episode in the trilogy being done over the Opioid Crisis, and the guests go into some of the details about investigating, identifying targets for cold stops, and interacting with departments and agencies involved at the state and federal levels in order to successfully interdict the illicit supply line of opioids on America's interstates and highways.
In this episode, Beth and Aaron sit down with a very special guest, Representative Four Price of the Texas House of Representatives. Rep. Price served as Chair of the Select Committee on Opioids and Substance Abuse in the interim period prior to the 86th Texas Legislature, and he discusses the findings of the report generated from that committee, as well as the headway that was made in the last legislative session in 2019. This is the first episode in a trilogy tackling this issue.
In this episode, Beth and Aaron visit about what they've done during this interim period of the podcast, as well as upcoming episode topics. We will also be introducing our listeners to several of our fellow colleagues. Future episodes: 1. Policymaking and opioids 2. Law Enforcement and opioids 3. Treatment and opioids 4. Suicide Among Adolescents 5. Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy 6. The Impeachment Inquiries and potentialities related to it 7. Psychological and political themes in movies
Aaron and Beth sit down with Xcel Energy Spokesman, Wes Reeves, to visit about the company's groundbreaking initiative to be carbon emissions free by 2050.
The conversation includes topics concerning the environment and electricity, local/regional/national public policy, energy markets, international affairs, oil and gas, and national security.
Aaron and Beth sit down with former Amarillo Mayor Paul Harpole to visit about everything from economic growth, downtown Amarillo renovations, problems associated with labeling entire generations, to the Vietnam War.
Aaron and Beth visit with Gwen Hicks of Amarillo Angels about foster care, the system, and what we can do to work to improve the lives and opportunities of success for kids, their families, and our community.
Aaron Faver and Dr. Beth Rodriguez from the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department at Amarillo College visit about topics ranging from local, regional, and national politics and policy, psychology, and a variety of other issues.