The Other Side of The Tracks

Rafe and Steve talk to Professor of Religious Studies, Steve Stopke about Rumspringa, celebrity worship, Thanksgiving arguments, Preacher's daughters and Steve's predilection for wearing a bathrobe to class. Along the way, they also discuss this episode's topic: Religion.

Religion has depth and breadth that could not possibly be fully explored in a two hour podcast. The fellas make an honest attempt to provide an overview of the major religions of the world, both past and present, and address the modern day issues that relate to them. To help guide their discussion, they have enlisted Steve Stopke, a Professor of Religious Studies at Fontbonne University. Professor Stopke also has a degree in Biology, so he has the bonafides required to approach this topic from both a scientific and spiritual viewpoint.

Religion can be a very inflammatory subject to broach. Religion taps into the core beliefs and value systems of a person and any challenge to these viewpoints can be met with massive emotional resistance. All we ask is that you listen with an open mind and understand that what you hear are different viewpoints about religion. Big thanks to Professor Stopke for approaching every religion with respect, authenticity, thoughtfulness, and tact.

Steve Stopke has been an Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Fontbonne University for 23 years. He holds a Masters in Religious Studies from Washington University, a Bachelor in Biology from the University of Missouri, and an MBA in Accounting. He also loves Guinness.

Kevin Bobby Devine is an Improviser and professional wrestling expert from St. Louis. Kevin performs at The Improv Shop in St. Louis, Missouri, with IS house team Burnside. https://www.facebook.com/kevin.b.devine

Rafe and Steve interview Chris and Travis from We Are Live radio show and talk about everything from casting a Tyler Perry Batman Movie, to almost fighting Hodor in a Kmart. In between, they talk about the topic of building your own creative idea from a grass-roots effort into a successful business.

Speaking of the building-from-grass-roots topic, this our 3rd episode and a faulty wire caused a slightly annoying clicking sound about 40 minutes in. The guests and content were too good to scrap the episode, we have fixed the problem so bear with us and don't leave snarky, clever comments about the audio glitch or Jason our producer might lose his mind and move up into the mountains again.

Chris Denman and Travis Terrell co-host and co-created We are live! on CBS Sports Radio 920AM 105.7 HD-2 FM St. Louis www.insidestl.com for more information.

Check out their podcast https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/we-are-live-travis-terrell/id1052759370?mt=2

Website: http://www.weareliveradio.com/

Music by Grandhouse: https://grandhouse.bandcamp.com/

Rafe and Steve have an open, personal, and honest conversation with comedian Tina Dybal about the topic of addiction and all of the struggles that come with it. In between, they also talk about Belorussian anchor babies, gross fermented foods, crazy behind-the-scenes tales working in hospital surgery, and the infamous "Suh-Dude" viral video.

A word from Rafe:

This topic is near and dear to my heart as I have had my own personal struggles with the demons of addiction. I commend Tina on her honesty and bravery in having a straightforward, visceral, and raw discussion about the power of addiction and the fight for recovery. If you are struggling with addiction of any kind, I promise you that you are not alone. Check out the links below and remember that every day is an opportunity to make a big change.

Stay in touch with Tina at: https://www.facebook.com/tina.dybal?fref=ts

Links to help with addiction and recovery:

Alcoholics Anonymous

http://www.aa.org/pages/en_US/find-local-aa

Narcotics Anonymous

http://www.na.org/?ID=phoneline

Here is a list of hotline and helplines that can get you into addiction treatment, or to a safe place to wait for help. Please note that not all hotlines are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you don’t get in touch with a live person, keep calling and move down the list.

1. 1-800-999-9999 National Directory of Hotlines and Crisis Intervention Centers
2. 1-800-662-HELP Drug and Alcohol Rehab/Treatment Referral Service
3. Alcoholics Anonymous 24 hour helplines by zip code
4. Narcotics Anonymous hotlines and helplines
5. 1-800-356-9996 Al-Anon & Alateen crisis line
6. 1-800-COCAINE National Cocaine Hotline, 24-hour counseling and referral
7. 1-800-9-HEROIN National Heroin Hotline
8. 1-888-MARIJUA National Marijuana Hotline
9. 1-800-273-TALK National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
10. 1-800-WORKPLACE Drug-Free Workplace Help

Rafe and Steve talk to "Hazard to Ya Booty" Funk Band members Ryan Stewart and Pat Alexander about Ricardo Montalbán's second grade experience, altitude sickness, and the globally common comedic language of bowel control. (It actually does relate to the topic, but if you want to skip the stories about #2, then start at 25:00 minutes in). Along the way, they also discuss this episode's topic: Destiny or Free Will?

Ryan and Pat were great guests and we delved into some fantastic conversation about income inequality, politics, hard work in comedy/music, and answering your life's calling. Check out Hazard to Ya' Booty's album "The Precipice" on iTunes, Amazon, or Spotify.

Check out and follow HTYB on their Facebook page and get updates for upcoming shows including May 28 at Schlafly Bottleworks and May29 at Atomic Cowboy as part of Mound City Music Fest!

https://www.facebook.com/hazardtoyabooty/

Music featured in this episode include:

"The Precipice" - https://open.spotify.com/track/5tzOu1TuSe7cBRs83qsWd2

"Simple Things" - https://open.spotify.com/track/0mMcTrAVhhEr1Hl0S4IaFa

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