The Peripheral

This week I discuss sex, dating, and staying safe with Maeve and Jeremy from the Sexland podcast. They are very colorful, upbeat and real when it comes to finding a partner.  We recorded in person which changes the dynamic of the conversation. This is less storytelling and more informative for anyone who is single, divorced, or wants to make a change in their sex life.

I'm joined by Steven who does the Is This Adulting Podcast. He shares his struggles with depression and anxiety throughout his life. He talks about his suicide attempt, what led to it, and how it molds his perceptions today. He's a fun-loving guy who doesn't hold back.  https://www.facebook.com/IsThisAdulting/ @isthis_adulting

On this episode, I speak with Blue who is a 16-year old transitioning from female to male. I'm sure I ask a lot of questions that may be obvious to most. Blue is very kind and patient as he speaks about his struggles and successes.  I learned a lot from Blue and hope you do too.

It is said that the five most stressful life events are divorce, moving, major illness, job loss, and the death of a loved one. We search for answers and understanding in any crisis for closure and justice. The death of a loved one puts our lives in a tailspin where logic is gone and emotion takes over. This episode I speak with Julie about her father and Jolene about her brother.  When there isn'...

Jennifer joins me for this week's episode about sexual harassment in the workplace and out in public. It's a topic that is getting more attention in the media with much debate on what is and isn't considered harassment.  I feel Jennifer's story embodies the feelings that most women have. We do go off topic a bit but I thought it was informative and needed to be heard. Last thing, I had some audio...

On this week's episode, we dive into near death experiences and learn more about how health facilities treat patients. Jess shares her story about suicide and being revived. Shawn has pancreatitis and put into a medically induced coma. Our final guest Lucy, who host's the podcast S'laughter, talks about her mother-in-law being taken by the state and the madness that ensues.

On average 3 women are murdered every day by their husband or partner. According to the national domestic abuse center, 1 in 4 women are victims of abuse. Please find thehotline.org  or call 1-800-799-7233 On this week's episode, we cover domestic abuse. Our guest Megan gives a story arc of her relationship from beginning to end. It starts with little digs her boyfriend would make to alienation fr...

You ever wonder what the prequel to the Peripheral was?  Aaron and I have shared many of our own personal stories on the podcast but I wanted to hear listener stories. This was my first interview I did almost a year ago after asking listeners for tragic stories in their lives. Being an IT guy myself, I'm always drawn to cyber crime or scandals and this story was so unbelievable to me that I had to...

Things happen to us in life that we just can not plan for. Most of the time we can recover quickly and pick up where we left off. The bodies we occupy can be uncooperative and fragile. Doctors are not perfect and don't always have the answers we need. When you know something is wrong, please be persistent when speaking with any medical professional. Strokes affect 800,000 people in the US alone. C...

I hear a lot of people say their OCD is kicking in and have seen memes on the internet for OCD people ranging from perfectly placed dominoes to OCD tests. Most of what we see or hear about OCD misrepresents the condition and does a disservice to the people who struggle with it. Sarah shares her experience with OCD and how therapy has impacted her.

Anytime we suffer a terrible tragedy we always second guess, point fingers, and place blame. On this episode, I speak with Rob who suffered the loss of a child while living in China. When his daughter Anne got sick, Rob took Anne to every hospital and doctor he could. The environment, culture and even the healthcare system all become barriers he had to overcome in an attempt to save his daughter....

It's hard to wrap your head around the untold number of unreported rapes that happen. It also might be hard for some to understand why we don't report when we've been assaulted or raped. In this episode I speak with two guests who talk about the aftermath of reporting their attacks. The results should shed light on why victims hesitate to report this crime.

I've never had much exposure to eating disorders and did not understand the havoc they wreak on the human body. On this episode I speak with Kristel and Lauren who both suffer from bulimia. This wasn't an easy episode for me to do and I know it wasn't easy for them. I hope anyone listening gains an understanding that eating disorders are a combination of compulsion, addiction and many other disord...

For this episode I speak with Ruckus who walks me through the underground world of male sex work. It's a casual conversation about how he keeps himself safe while still delivering services to new clients.  Forewarning, this episode covers adult themes that may not be suitable for bosses or co-workers in a professional environment ;)

I've always felt slightly alienated during the holidays. Everyone seems to love the time they get to spend with their families.  I rarely speak with my mother and try to avoid family get togethers at all costs. Instead I make time for people that I feel truly love and support me, my friends and my wife. I haven't gone so far as to cut off any family but I do speak with two guests who have.

I'm turning 40 so this week I'd like to give the listeners what they want. Apparently "my story" is in high demand.  I talk about all the times I was arrested, my drug use and give personal details about my teen years.  I'll take you through some of the events that have molded my views and perceptions on life. I hope listeners gain some understanding and empathy for even the most troubled individu...

Inspired by Art Bell's Ghost to Ghost I bring you 3 terrifying listener stories that will leave you questioning everything you believe.  Danielle kicks us off with a story about a little boy who is upset that his photos have been taken down.  Lindsay gets a visit from an old co-worker who doesn't realize her shift has ended.  Denise who is struggling with health concerns receives a warning from so...

Where do we really go when we sleep?  What, really, are our dreams?  Do you dread falling asleep at night? Maybe you know something is waiting for you once your consciousness slips into that darker astral plane. Over 70 million Americans suffer from sleeping disorders and that number is in the billions worldwide. Sleep and brain wave studies attempt to unlock the secrets of the human mind but they...

Chronic pain is a medical condition doctors have struggled to treat. When medicines like oxycodone and hydrocodone hit the market, they seemed like a near-magic answer.  As doctors were assured by manufacturers that these new drugs weren't addictive, they prescribed them freely.  What doctors didn't know was they were all made from heroin; by the time manufacturers were brought to court, it was to...

For almost 60 years marijuana has been a Schedule I drug, prohibited by the government like heroin from 1937 until 1996, when California first allowed marijuana to be legally used for medical purposes. For nearly 5,000 years before that, however—including immediately prior to making it illegal—marijuana was in common use.  Racism, misinformation, and social conditioning are among the obstacles tod...

Ever question the bounds of forgiveness and love?  Natalia Aggiano suffered the murder of her mother at the hands of her father. Yet that isn't all there is to this story. Natalia will grant the ultimate forgiveness while being attacked for it. She'll go on to fulfill her mother's wishes of being an organ donor and give someone else a chance at life. https://amzn.com/178219360X http://theforgivene...

At 17, my guest Erin from Australia gets her first real job. Her boss trusts her enough to give her access to his computer. But when he leaves for a week and asks her to get promo photos, she's horrified by what she finds amidst his files. My second guest, Erinn from the U.K., shares a candid account of the sexual and physical abuse she endured as a child. We cover some very disturbing topics on t...

My guest Ann has experienced a lifelong struggle with bipolar disorder that results in extreme mood swings and depression. With the sudden loss of her young son, she embarks on a personal journey that reveals an unwavering inner strength.

The Silk Road was famed in days of old as a mysterious, magical route to purchase exotic goods from then little-known India and China.  The Silk Road of modern times, built on the Dark Web by a troubled libertarian tech whiz, became a dark route to purchase anything illegal - from drugs to weapons to much worse. My guest Broc talks about his journey down the Silk Road to addiction, his plummet to...

On this episode I'm joined by Mary from Brisbane, Australia, who was brought up Jehovah's Witness. She talks about being raised believing the end of the world was near and only the anointed had seats in heaven. Because of her struggles with god and family, she ends up leaving home at 15 to fend for herself on the streets. The miracle of her story is how she survived and flourished after such an ex...