Akil and Hong welcome DSPS director Jana Garnett to talk about helping students, how things have changed for DSPS as a result of COVID, and why she ended up in the career path she did; the episode finishes with additional conversations on topics ranging from music, hamburgers, and "The Chi" on Showtime.
Mentioned in this episode:
SBCC DSPS: https://www.sbcc.edu/dsps/, dspshelp@sbcc.edu
Padaro Beach Grill: https://www.padarobeachgrill.com/
SoCal Indo Food: https://www.facebook.com/groups/socalindofood/
Sama Sama: http://samasamakitchen.com/
Demi Lovato - Anyone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW3aJ-3SEVU
Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher: https://phoebebridgers.bandcamp.com/album/punisher
The Chi - https://www.sho.com/the-chi
Movies for Mental Health: https://www.artwithimpact.org/event/santa-barbara-city-college-presents-movies-for-mental-health-online/
Captions provided by Zoom
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Hong Lieu: Hello and welcome to another episode of The kettle SPC bucket of voices a podcast highlighting that unique voices that comprise our campus culture and how we're all working together to serve our students in the community at large.
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Hong Lieu: As usual, I'm driving my coast to kill Hill and they were honored to welcome Jana Garnett from DSP s to the show. Jana, welcome.
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Jana Garnett: Thank you so much. I feel very privileged that you've invited me to your third episode. So thank you very much.
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Hong Lieu: It was happy to have you.
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Akil Hill: Bro. Yes, definitely. Happy to have a year.
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Hong Lieu: Because we know how important USPS is to our campus and the services you provide to our students. I know the students that you serve absolutely appreciate what you do.
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Hong Lieu: So for folks that might not be as familiar with what you do, give us a little rundown of the SPS and what it does what it does. First of all, the SPS is disability services and programs for students.
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Jana Garnett: Yes, thank you for for spelling that out, so to speak, it's overused acronyms. So
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Jana Garnett: So we are the designated department by the College to determine reasonable accommodations for students was verified disabilities. And I know that's a mouthful but
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Jana Garnett: Essentially, the Federal law requires that every college have such a program so that students have equal access to instruction and that's under the Americans with Disabilities Act and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. So
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Jana Garnett: That's the the you know the bureaucratic side of things, but we're basically a high touch program. We work very closely with students that are
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Jana Garnett: Comfortable self disclosing a disability. So as you know college is quite different than the K 12 system and in order to get services in college, you have to be
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Jana Garnett: Has to be voluntary and it has to be based on self disclosure and those can be barriers in and of themselves, but we serve anywhere from 10 to 15% of the credit campus at any given time.
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Jana Garnett: So, you know, I think you wanted me to talk a little bit about some of the challenges of going remote. Is that, is that correct
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Hong Lieu: Yeah, cuz we I mean we kick off the news and events and in terms of news and events for your department. I think you're just constantly
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Hong Lieu: Something just constantly come up. There's not like specific events, you have to tailor around. It's just a year, you know, yours is more like a constant flow.
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Hong Lieu: So just just kind of how how your operations have changed your how you're adjusting or how things have to kind of adjust. I mean,
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Hong Lieu: We talked about barriers to go into school and now you have even barriers to reaching out to the students that were looking to you in the first place. So in terms of
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Hong Lieu: Folks being leaders coming to your door and ask for help, that's not as available as it was before. So I'm sure a lot of things have changed.
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Jana Garnett: Absolutely. Thank you for being sensitive to that it. I have to admit, it was really frightening. At first, you know, it was just
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Jana Garnett: As people saying, you know, no one really signed up for this right and we were all in it together. I know that's overused, but it's true. And I think I'd want to start first by just thanking my my team. It takes a team. It takes a village.
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Jana Garnett: FRC the faculty Resource Center has really worked hard. It Hong. You've done a lot in terms of accessibility. So everyone's working really well together to make this possible, but
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Jana Garnett: I mentioned were a high touch program. And so I think that was what made it most challenging to convert to remote services.
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Jana Garnett: I'm happy to say that we've really transitioned. Well, and we're still offering disability counseling. And we're doing that via phone or zoom whatever the student prefers
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Jana Garnett: We're still finding students eligible for services on a daily basis. We have students applying and having an interactive meeting with a disability counselor to be found eligible
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Jana Garnett: We're working hard to give our students the tools that they need to communicate with their instructors about what accommodations, they're approved for and it's done in a very confidential fashion and
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Jana Garnett: In addition to that, we've been able to continue offering what we call strategies tutors. So we don't have discipline specific tutors.
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Jana Garnett: Our funding doesn't allow for that. But we have tutors that we specially trained and so we're still able to offer those services remotely and
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Jana Garnett: We still have an alternate media specialist that's providing audiobooks for our students. And that's being done through email and phone and
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Jana Garnett: Also, we're able to provide American Sign Language ASL interpreting and real time captioning when it's appropriate for a student as an accommodation. So we're still really able to deliver you know most if not all of our services.
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Jana Garnett: Of course, I think we all worry about what we don't know. Right. Like I don't know who's not finding us or who doesn't know that we're still there. And that's really the key is making sure we're advertising. This helps
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Jana Garnett: You know, marketing and making sure people know we're still doing what we do.
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Hong Lieu: Yeah, that was one of the questions I had in terms of how folks find you primarily in terms of you know that because it isn't more something where they know about the SPS as an acronym or as a
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Hong Lieu: As a department on campus or is it something where they get word of mouth from other students or just kind of browsing around like you know the student center and they see something then ask what's up.
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Jana Garnett: Um, I think. Fortunately, we have a very educated population. And I think, you know, so many of our students that are coming in from our local high schools or
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Jana Garnett: Outside of the area. They've probably already been served and so they know through their case management system that they will have the same. We work very closely with our local schools and we were able to do a lot of that before.
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Jana Garnett: And before the shutdown. So those students already are connected
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Jana Garnett: And then, you know, students that are maybe non traditional older or just now finding out about their disability or their men their medical condition.
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Jana Garnett: They're finding out from the community that the services that are available and we do everything we can to jump on to any sort of communication that the college is is putting out there on the website.
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Jana Garnett: So I'm probably missing something. But that's generally it
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Akil Hill: Great. I had one quick question as well. You mentioned about how students have to self disclose. And I was wondering if you can actually just speak a little bit on
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Akil Hill: The challenges of students doing that.
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Akil Hill: In terms of some of the barriers that are created because students aren't comfortable with that.
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Akil Hill: And then how do you are if you can also maybe just give a little bit of advice on how
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Akil Hill: To navigate that space for certain students who may have learning disabilities or they feel like they have learning disabilities but they're either shy or bashful or, you know,
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Jana Garnett: Well, I think a kill you probably just identified a barrier that I hadn't even thought about yet. So thank you. And I can now be proactive.
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Jana Garnett: In the past, when we are face to face. We spent a lot of time going into classrooms invited by instructors to really talk about our program and to really normalize it.
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Jana Garnett: And honestly, every time I did a presentation of that type. I would get at least two or three students from that one class that came to the SPS
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Jana Garnett: And so I think what I'm going to need to do is make sure that our instructors know that we can still do that remotely. So, so you just identified a blind spot for me and I will act on that later today.
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Jana Garnett: Because we can still do that very effectively just entering a class, you know, a classroom, a zoom meeting and present but
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Jana Garnett: You know, I think there's constant work around this topic. And the reason for that is, first of all students don't really
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Jana Garnett: Always understand what it means to have a disability, what the definition of that is and when you know the definition
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Jana Garnett: It becomes much broader and it incorporates so many more people. And then when you add in the idea of temporary accommodations or temporary disabilities. When you like have a medical condition you break a leg skiing or skateboarding. Those are all under that umbrella of disability. So
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Jana Garnett: You know, it's a it's a physical or mental impairment that impacts a major life activity.
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Jana Garnett: So when I go to classrooms and I speak I talk about, well, what the heck are major life activities and I try to get the students to give those answers and it really helps them open up their mind in terms of what it means to be disabled.
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Jana Garnett: Walking breathing eating reading, going to school. Those are all major life activities and if there's something that's a barrier to that you're probably going to qualify for services.
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Jana Garnett: Whether it's a learning disability, you know, and we serve mostly students with invisible disabilities. Right. And that's key we use that term a lot
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Jana Garnett: Students with medical conditions, a large number of students with mental health conditions psychological disabilities autism right ADHD is significant.
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Jana Garnett: And then you throw in
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Jana Garnett: students with learning disabilities as well as hearing impaired vision impaired and mobility impaired. So it's a very large group of people and it touches all of our lives. We all know somebody that would fit that definition and be provided services.
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Hong Lieu: Yeah, so not only are you very high touch as you as you say. But you also have to cover such a broad kind of spectrum of student that is coming in for service.
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Hong Lieu: So in terms of covering all those bases. It's got to be just, it's, it's just an i mean i that I've done most respect for the work you do in the department department you you run just because
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Hong Lieu: It, it runs the gamut and and and in these times where you don't have that extra kind of level of contacting to reach out. Yeah, you really have to not just
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Hong Lieu: Expand what you already been doing which is Herculean but then add that extra complexity layer on top of it of continuing to kind of meet the standards that you've set for yourself. You know for yourselves to kind of provide that level of service and it's it's it's pretty incredible.
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Yeah.
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Akil Hill: I would definitely echo those that same sentiment. Um, I always enjoy walking into DSP. So for those of you don't know it's located in the students service building
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Akil Hill: It's the entrance right that's facing the parking lot on your right hand side when you walk in and the staff there is amazing. Special shout out to Christian. He's one of my good friends but everyone's super cordial real respectful super knowledgeable. So it's one of my
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Akil Hill: favorite places to step into I don't go there often, but when I do that, it's always I always leave feeling better than when I came in.
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Jana Garnett: Oh, thank you, that's nice to hear. And you know, I have to say I'm I feel so lucky. And I'm not just giving lip service up you know my job. Our job in our, in our office is so
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Jana Garnett: Stimulating and interesting because it's it's gray area, I say to the team. You know, there are no absolutes. There's no, there's no yeses or knows it's all based on the data that you're given.
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Jana Garnett: And and looking at it through a particular lens to make sure that what we do is reasonable and when we deny something we have to be able to demonstrate a deliberative process as how we arrived at that denial
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Jana Garnett: And frankly, MIT students coming in every day with new diagnoses, we've never heard of. And we have to work really quickly on the fly to figure out what does that mean as a student in a classroom. How does that impact learning so it's it's a lot of fun. And we're learning every day.
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Hong Lieu: Yeah, it is nice that you know because I know when I went to school, which wasn't that long ago, but it just seems like
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Hong Lieu: Things weren't as kind of available. I mean, I'm sure there were services there. I mean, the laws have been what they have been for quite a while now, but it just didn't seem as accessible in a lot of ways where
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Hong Lieu: Maybe I mean welcoming isn't the word, but it just didn't know where to go. I didn't know where to start. I mean, you know, it just was one of those things where
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Hong Lieu: It just seemed I knew that they had services on campus but I kind of never knew how to kind of get that first exposure interaction with
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Hong Lieu: And here I'm just walking around NSPCC, you know, when we were walking around NSPCC just, I mean, there, there were just flyers.
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Hong Lieu: little nuggets in there where I can pull that picture a lot easier. Like, around, around midterms and finals, you have the test taking flyers out, you know, for if you if you have any kind of consideration. Come, contact us like there.
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Hong Lieu: I feel like maybe it's just here NSPCC specifically. But in general, I feel like there, there has been kind of the people have been stepping up in that regard to kind of reach out to students get them the help they need.
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Jana Garnett: Yeah, I think, you know, we can thank the civil rights movement, I mean we just celebrated the 30 year anniversary of ADA and people understand that it's a right, you know, and
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Jana Garnett: It really helps because they come in knowing what they need and what they're entitled to. And it helps to get people in the door, and I appreciate it so gay da
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Akil Hill: Yeah, I also too, I also was thinking a little bit of our minds to how I mean I'm a lot older than I don't know about a lot older, let me just take that back.
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Akil Hill: I am older than one and and and I remember just some of the stigmas that came with that where I feel now, it's
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Akil Hill: What we've done it, or what your crew has done a great job at is normalizing it and and making people feel welcome, where when
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Akil Hill: You know, when I was growing up, it was that's you know you didn't want to let anyone know that you were, you were, you were suffering or you had problems and you couldn't
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Akil Hill: Focus or whatever the situation may be you. You internalize that and I think this is
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Akil Hill: Really such a great asset to the college where it's just you know just normalizing it. And for me, I've been at the college for about 17 years and one of the first people that kind of touched me that worked in the SPS was Henry read
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Akil Hill: And he was so moving in a lot of ways. And I just wanted to, you know, can't bring up and talk about the SPS at Santa Barbara City College and not mention his name. So I'm just great job of normalizing what people are going through on the days in the days out within your department, Jenna.
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Jana Garnett: Thank you bring up Henry. He was I'm grateful I really got to know him right before I came on board and what a role model and inspiration.
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Jana Garnett: Could get very emotional about that very quickly, but students still come in asking for Henry and that says a lot, you know, now we have to break the news. And that's really challenging, but he his legacy lives on. I'll tell you right now, look at what you just said.
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Jana Garnett: Yeah, thanks.
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Hong Lieu: And and even in terms of stigma with disabilities culturally as a Chinese kid growing up. I mean, we were always. It was always grin and bear, you know, suck it up grin and bear
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Hong Lieu: Don't talk about anything. It's going on with you just suck it up persevere, but that is a magnet manifesting a lot of internalized trauma down the line. You know, so I feel like
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Hong Lieu: I'm hoping the Chinese parents are better with that today. But, you know, just for me, even as a slightly younger person.
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Hong Lieu: Nick, you
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Akil Hill: don't brag on number I
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Hong Lieu: Was that was all definitely there too. So it was one of those things were being able to kind of just find someone that you can have a conversation with
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Hong Lieu: And just talk about what's going on and then see where you go from there. It's. That's a big step for a lot of people. And I feel like that's that's a nice a nice service as well. So I guess quickly.
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Hong Lieu: Best way for folks to get in touch with you now in terms of if they have any questions or comments or anything.
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Jana Garnett: On it. Yes, we're answering our phones right now tend to three Monday through Thursday and Friday.
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Jana Garnett: Shoot. I'm embarrassed to say if it's I think it's 10 to one but don't quote me on that. It's on our website. But you can call we answer the phones if we don't answer the phone, you'll get a call back within a very short time period.
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Jana Garnett: We also have DSP s help at SP C d.edu we're checking that throughout the day constantly and responding to any quite a any type of question or inquiry.
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Jana Garnett: So we are getting back to students immediately. I'm also just emailing any one of the counselors that's listed on the website is perfectly fine to will check the email and get right back at you and that's it.
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Hong Lieu: So once again, that's the SPS help@spc.edu or nspcc.edu slash D SPS and yeah give you
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Jana Garnett: A number if you wanted some 805-730-4164 that's our direct line and that will be answered.
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Hong Lieu: And it's always nice to to call the number and get someone answering on the other end.
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Jana Garnett: makes a huge difference. It took us a little while to get that in place that we were where they are now and we're glad to phone is ringing
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Hong Lieu: Excellent. Okay.
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Akil Hill: I had one other last question before. Before we move on to the next segment and and that is how did you find yourself in this line of work and
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Akil Hill: What it kind of means to you.
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Jana Garnett: Wow. Loaded question, Akil
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Jana Garnett: You know, you should, yeah. You go through life and you and fortunately for me. I ended up with a career that I definitely was not necessarily conscious of or considering as a child, but I can do some reverse engineering and sort of figure it out.
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Jana Garnett: I grew up in a household of four kids, a single mom twin brother and two sisters and one of my sisters had some very significant mental health and other types of disabilities.
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Jana Garnett: So I grew up in a house that, for lack of a better word was at times very tumultuous and chaotic and it definitely informed me and wired me a certain way and honestly not in any negative way, but all positive because it just, it really
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Jana Garnett: Gave me a perspective and a sensitivity that you can't learn in school or you can't buy whereas I really saw
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Jana Garnett: People as people and recognizing that we're all wired differently and that mental health and disability is a part of diversity. It doesn't scare me.
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Jana Garnett: I am just very comfortable around differences because that's the word we still use and it just, I just had an inclination. And so it just kind of unfolded in that way that I
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Jana Garnett: Got my teaching credential and then I thought, Oh my gosh, I can't just teach in a general classroom I need to really work with students with disabilities and make a difference. And here I am.
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Akil Hill: What's great sounds like it sounds like your profession shows you
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Jana Garnett: You know, thank you for some
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Jana Garnett: Yeah yeah
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Jana Garnett: Absolutely true. Absolutely true.
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Hong Lieu: And there is a lot to be said for like early like growing up experiences that kind of inform our lives. Later on that we're not aware of at the time.
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Hong Lieu: Like, not all of us have the spark of inspiration and that just drives us forever. A lot of it is just a little nugget to pick up here and they're growing up.
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Hong Lieu: And then you come back to me like, oh yeah, I really did enjoy this younger, I totally forgot about it. You know, so
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Hong Lieu: So there's, there are there are both pastor, it's good that that as long as you hang on to those meaningful kind of morsels of knowledge.
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Hong Lieu: And really kind of cherish them, then they'll, they'll come back and they'll, they'll come back around, for sure. So there's definitely something to be said for that.
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Jana Garnett: I have wonderful memories of my mom bringing community to our household. We were the hub of the community because she wanted my sister to be included and it worked. It worked for everybody. Yeah.
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Hong Lieu: Yeah, my house was the opposite where my mom didn't want anybody coming over. If any of my friends came over, she looked him up and down like they're probably going to rob us. You bet you, you don't want to come in around anymore.
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Hong Lieu: So, but that that actually informed me as well because I would go out to friends houses and go to other places and hang out and do so that kind of I saw, I found can be in other ways.
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Hong Lieu: By hanging out at people's houses. I mean, that's how I found out about weekend kickbacks and barbecues was going to friends houses and they were doing that. Where's my mom. I mean, I didn't even
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Hong Lieu: Barbecue my house until I was like probably 2829 or something. I had to bring like a portable Weber, because we don't have a barbecue. You know, like so.
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Hong Lieu: Yeah, so there's, it's always those experiences. You never know how that manifests later on in life. But then, you know, when you look back on it, no matter what happens.
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Hong Lieu: There, there are ways to kind of extract positive aspects from really any situation like me growing up, or the SLA with really strict parents, but you know, I have two sisters that were really
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Hong Lieu: Really kind of kept me on the right path. And then I also learned a lot about kind of like for myself on my bootstraps and being resourceful.
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Hong Lieu: And you know that that is kind of fed me. Well, later on in life, as well as I've come to like sell out and live the affluent life in Santa Barbara just
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Akil Hill: Well, the funny thing is, hon. I used to work with my mother and at the Public Library and, you know, my mom was like, the same way is like I hardly ever had friends over.
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Akil Hill: And she was always like, boy go outside and play but or like if you see me like laying around the house too long. She's like, and you need to go outside, so
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Akil Hill: Kudos to mom for making me a natural an extrovert I cuz I probably wouldn't. I probably would have been a lot different. If she wasn't always kicking me out of the house, you know,
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Hong Lieu: Right, I can't, I can't imagine her not wanting people at the house he so sociable, you know, like
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Akil Hill: Yeah I know, it's, that's interesting. Yeah.
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Akil Hill: Yeah yeah
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Hong Lieu: Thank you for that. Jana, that that it will be a new ongoing segment of what what brought you to SPC, see what brought you to Santa Barbara. So what did you grow up around here. Where did you grow up.
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Jana Garnett: Well, honestly, I think if I tell you where I grew up, you'll understand why I ended up here. I grew up in Hawaii.
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Jana Garnett: Remember starting to get ready to apply to colleges and my cousin was visiting from San Francisco. And he said, you got to apply to UCSB
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Jana Garnett: And it's just like here. And I went, Okay. And back then it was a lot easier to get in and I applied to one school and I got into UCSB. And you know what, once you move to Santa Barbara. That's it. I mean, I moved away from this town for
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Jana Garnett: Jeez. How many years just a handful years three or so. And I had to come back. So this is my new Hawaii.
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Hong Lieu: Yeah, I went to Cal Poly in a garden as an engineering major and I think, think back about that now. Like, like I said, it hasn't been that long. But if I try to apply today, they would just laugh at my application just throw it out the window. You know, like
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Hong Lieu: Know extracurriculars reasonable as a tease reasonable GPA, but nothing exceptional at all. And like, yeah.
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Hong Lieu: So,
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Hong Lieu: I got lucky. For sure.
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Jana Garnett: Somehow I spoke kitchen and it still got me in
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Hong Lieu: Alright, moving on to our next section, our, uh, our food and any memorable meals even recently section.
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Hong Lieu: Anybody, you want to start
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Hong Lieu: Kill
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Akil Hill: I wish I had something super elegant to discuss here, I
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Akil Hill: Think
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Akil Hill: I'm gonna keep it basic but sometimes I think we've already talked about. Sometimes the basic food that is the hardest food to actually cook but uh I live in cart and so I stopped at Panera grill.
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Akil Hill: And, you know, most people that are locals in the area they know exactly where that's at a lot a
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Akil Hill: Lot of people come to that or area just because of the beach. But I stopped in there. Two nights ago and I ordered a there was a tuna melt.
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Akil Hill: And and i think was like the crunchy bread, the melted cheese.
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Akil Hill: Just that was that really stood out. I was like, after I just took the first bite that sound of that.
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Hong Lieu: Bread.
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Akil Hill: Yeah, you guys know what I'm talking about.
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Hong Lieu: Oh, yeah.
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Akil Hill: That crunch and it hit the spot. So if you're up in the Santa Barbara area or even if you're you live locally, it's definitely worth checking out. I was looking at what other people are ordering the tater tots looked amazing.
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Akil Hill: I guess they're also known for their case ideas, my daughter was all fired up.
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Akil Hill: For that, and the shakes look good. I believe it's the owner of the same order as the habit.
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Akil Hill: And so the food was was was really on par And I was also it's so interesting. Now, in light of the whole Kobe thing you know you when you go into restaurants you
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Akil Hill: I think by default you automatically look to see how the setup is, you know, to me, like, okay, are people, you know, six feet apart is there markers on the ground and all I think all that stuff matters. Now, you know, and things that
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Akil Hill: That will make you actually go into the eating experience. I'll say that right because you realize okay they're doing a good job of following the rules, the food you know experiences. Good. And so
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Akil Hill: I'm just mindful of those things when I walk in, but yeah, that's where I ate at if you're in town.
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Akil Hill: Make a trip out there support, support local business that habit is a local business started out, we actually can go either
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Akil Hill: And that place that one is still there. It's always interesting when you travel and you see them like in places like that you would never think that they would be, you know, so
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Akil Hill: That's my mill.
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Hong Lieu: Yeah, cuz then they haven't agreed as a secret menu items they still have the chili or you can get a Chilean fries or Chilean stuff and they have a hot dog. Yeah, they split the hot dog in the middle, before they put on the flat top so it kind of gets grilled on the other side, but
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Akil Hill: They buy it.
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Hong Lieu: And they have astronomy, too, but they have a strong meet the one in Santa Barbara, as well, I believe, but yeah.
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Akil Hill: I used to
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Hong Lieu: I still go to that one ugly to specifically for the chili and the hot dog. Yeah.
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Jana Garnett: I didn't know about that special menu.
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Hong Lieu: Well yeah, I guess it's because that's what they served when they started so they stay kept it there. But then when they went to franchised out
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Hong Lieu: But then if you go to the other habits. They have the. Have you read the fried chicken sandwich at the other habits that thing is pretty good. It's like it's
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Jana Garnett: I mean, you know, I had that I agree it's good.
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Hong Lieu: Yeah, I wish they would bring that over here.
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Akil Hill: Gentlemen, it is is Han is so much younger than us.
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Hong Lieu: He's
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Akil Hill: Part of the generation that's all about the secret menu.
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Hong Lieu: When we were growing up, there was no such you just saw what you saw you eight which you ain't
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Akil Hill: Nothing like where's the secret menu.
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Hong Lieu: I have no
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Hong Lieu: I am not all about the
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Hong Lieu: secret menu, but I will definitely like learn that to appreciate it, because it doesn't make sense to me from a business standpoint, why you have a secret menu, because
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Hong Lieu: You buy the ingredients to use them. So if you have a secret menu, you're not like you know some of the Chinese restaurant, you have the Chinese menu.
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Hong Lieu: And it's like, those are your most exotic ingredients. They're going to be like sitting in the back of rotting. If you don't serve them. So you should tell everybody you have them.
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Hong Lieu: If you
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Hong Lieu: If you have bitter melon and you're walking fridge.
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Hong Lieu: That bitter melon not gonna last forever. Please tell people you have bitter melon, you know,
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Hong Lieu: It's not some exotic thing where it's, you know, like that's so I'm yeah I'm an old soul to so that's probably what
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Hong Lieu: So,
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Akil Hill: When I come over to your house after KOBE I'm going to ask you what you have on your secret menu.
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Akil Hill: Yeah.
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Hong Lieu: My pantry is an open book, whatever is there any ticket.
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Hong Lieu: I'm not trying to conserve RBC. Yeah, but I mean, I appreciate it. It's a nice little like easter egg, so to speak. And I will say also say about the beach grill.
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Hong Lieu: If someone with a young, young child that is a great place for kids like they're not every restaurant is kid friendly. I mean, they all are. But they are you know you don't want to take your kids to certain restaurants.
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Hong Lieu: And I have no qualms about taking them. They're like, there's a big sand pit, there's
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Hong Lieu: plenty of space to run around, there's this other kids running around. I don't feel, you know, like I'm doing something crazy. So yeah, I do. Like, that's all I do wish there was some kind of beach access because you look out the fence and you see the beach, literally.
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Hong Lieu: 10 feet away. Yeah. And I yeah but those are small quibbles. It's a great place
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Akil Hill: Yeah, the tables are far apart to they did a great job. They move some tables around. And so, yeah, it's definitely a spot to still go
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Akil Hill: In and if you're just trying to feel like you want to get outside the house and you've been cooped up for a while but and you want to eat out that that definitely and you have kids. That's definitely the spot.
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Jana Garnett: Yeah, well I'm gonna piggyback on a keels answer about, you know, food and
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Jana Garnett: I I'm not the best guest for this conversation. I actually am really spelled I'm married to a certified chef. So he does all the cooking and I'm really lucky and it's really hard to go out at right now and you're
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Jana Garnett: Not able to sit inside and have that experience. So we eat a lot at home but
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Jana Garnett: Honestly, I've simple taste, and when he makes a homemade burger.
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Akil Hill: I'm as happy as, oh yeah.
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Jana Garnett: happy as can be in the only thing we've really been doing out and I love it is Lily. Lily tacos that, sorry.
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Jana Garnett: A minimum of once a week, we
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Jana Garnett: Love it. It's great food. It's consistently good, you know, and fast and inexpensive.
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Hong Lieu: I haven't been in the wedding Glee to yet. I forgot that they were there. But yeah, they opened the now target closet used to be the Kmart closet. That's right.
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Jana Garnett: Exactly, yeah.
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Hong Lieu: So what can we talk. Can we talk burger nuances also for a second. I mean, are you medium rare, medium, you know, like, Do you have a preference there.
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Jana Garnett: It's got to be pretty medium. Yeah. And that's definitely a little war between my husband and myself, you know,
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Jana Garnett: A lot of red and I don't so he knows how to make it.
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Jana Garnett: makes me very happy. I'm very lucky.
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Hong Lieu: I was shredded I'm a shredded lettuce person.
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Hong Lieu: And then, you know, so that's that's why, like the habit, a lot because they do shredded lettuce in and out. I do love but the leaf lettuce is not as, you know,
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Jana Garnett: Not the same butter lettuce guy.
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Oh,
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Akil Hill: She's trying, she's trying to take a she tried to take it up notches on
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Akil Hill: The avocado in on it.
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Hong Lieu: Oh no, that's, that's a nice, that's a nice to have a game that avocado on there. Sometimes I'll go no mail with avocado, but then when I get both. I did. I truly feel like a sellout because I'm like this is the truth true bourgeoisie.
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Hong Lieu: Leo and avocado on
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Akil Hill: On the secret menu. Obviously you
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Hong Lieu: Know at the at the other habits, they call it what the Santa Barbara burger or something like avocado. So that is kind of, you know, like a pseudo secret menu item that you know so
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Akil Hill: I'm like,
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Akil Hill: My palate has changed a little bit. I grew up in my home everything had to be well done. It was like, don't give me any pink don't definitely don't give me any blood but
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Akil Hill: So I kind of moved as I've gotten older to maybe like a medium. But, uh, in most
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Akil Hill: Black homes. It's everything is well done. They're not. You're not trying to go anything that that is showing blood or or pink. It's not done. If it's pink that's that's what how I grew up in that and I got that from my father, who was always like he wanted to cook.
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Jana Garnett: That works for me.
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Hong Lieu: Oh yeah, my, my dad when he first time and take him to like a quote unquote fancy steakhouse. Well done, and wanted a one. And they looked at him like
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Hong Lieu: He's
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Hong Lieu: hurt somebody. And I was like, no, no.
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Hong Lieu: No, we don't have a one. But you know, that's when you grew up on we grew up on a Sizzler Danny's, you know, like, that's, that's it.
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Jana Garnett: Yeah.
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Jana Garnett: That was a special night out.
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Hong Lieu: Oh yeah. Silver was special for me the first time I saw you can eat.
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Akil Hill: Yeah.
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Hong Lieu: It just felt like I felt like I'd arrived, I was like, this is the American dream that they were telling me about like this. Yes.
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Hong Lieu: You got to toast, you get the toast.
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Hong Lieu: I feel bad. Oh no, the cheese toast.
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Akil Hill: Toast. Yeah.
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Hong Lieu: Oh yeah and and especially the restaurants in town. This isn't our town here with that tree in the back of the head, the tree. Oh, yeah.
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Akil Hill: I remember I had that's the same, same thing. I'm a similar was like, you're going to a nice sit down dinner, you know. But as I got older, I realized I think I went back and I'm like, man, the shrimp or just all bread.
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Hong Lieu: It's all integrated, especially when you start buying your own ingredients and you like imagine what the little shrimp look like
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Hong Lieu: Yeah, and you're like, oh my goodness this is barely like I can't imagine what this looks like swimming or anything. You know, because if
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Hong Lieu: You see, like these share a lot, especially in Santa Barbara, home of the spot on spot problems are like exquisite. You know, like, if you look at these little, these little half pink guys already cooked in the bag. You're like, What is going on here. Yeah.
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Akil Hill: It reminds it reminds me of like, you know, when you're little and even elementary school, and every like your desk. You thought everything was big. And then when you got a little bit older, you went back to the elementary school and you're like, how do I fit in that desk like
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Akil Hill: There's like that same kind of like
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Akil Hill: Metaphor, where it was like, it looks so big, when you're little but then when you got older, you start to realize things you're like, Wait a minute, you know,
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Hong Lieu: I was duped, ya know, and as a kid I love fried food. I love the breading and then as you get older. Need more of a you realize how many
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Hong Lieu: Places use that burning to mask then for you already have the ingredient. You know, like a whereas the spawn is like barely kisses some hot water than it's on your plate.
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Hong Lieu: Or something like that, you know,
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Hong Lieu: Where those places like the thing, the thing is like caked in breading just fried to death. And they're like, oh, it's still good. I mean, you know, it's like it's like pizza even bad pizza, pizza. So
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Hong Lieu: All right, so I'm I'm next. And I am going to put this in the show notes. It was there was an Indonesian place my wife heard about them on Facebook.
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Hong Lieu: And they they think they're based out in LA somewhere and they'd come up to Santa Barbara once a week, and they will bring in an eating food.
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Hong Lieu: That you order off of their website. So I will put that in the menu is pretty good, but it also gave me a chance to shout out the Indian food, we have in town, which is sama sama downtown on State Street.
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Hong Lieu: They do a good job i mean it's it's not. It's like
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Hong Lieu: I wouldn't say like highfalutin because it's not like this, like, you know, snooty atmosphere. It's really casual kind of place, but they use really good ingredients and they, you know, they do a good job with their food.
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Hong Lieu: But the the Facebook delivery person is kind of a, it's more of a home style classic kind of Indonesian preparation, but they do like that now Sega rang the bell rang, and
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Hong Lieu: Various curries and pancakes and stuff too. So I'll put a link to the Facebook.
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Hong Lieu: In I think it's so count indo something last night, my wife. I don't have social media is I'm kind of limited here I'm just going second enough little my wife knows, but also sama sama kitchen in Santa Barbara.
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Hong Lieu: And it's nice to highlight, kind of like Southeast Asian cuisines that are just tie
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Hong Lieu: And now the enemies because being, to me, seems to be more prominent than it used to be even but it used to be just Thai food for but now
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Hong Lieu: Indonesian gets gets its own, you know, gets has a little segment and, you know, tie the enemies Cambodian flavors are starting to come out more and more
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Hong Lieu: So it's kinda nice gives me a chance to highlight some little, the little nuances and differences in the different styles and cookie.
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Hong Lieu: Between you know when it's all when it was all just time which you know I love Thai food as well. So I'm not saying anything about that. But just kind of little shout out to sama sama doing that little, little different little spin on things.
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Jana Garnett: Is this summit.
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Jana Garnett: Doing the outside Dining or just to live.
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Hong Lieu: Yes.
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Hong Lieu: They are open for they have the seating outside and they are still doing takeout. And I'm sure everyone's doing to the right now because of the grub hub and doordash and all that. Yeah, they do have some dining
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Hong Lieu: And I haven't even had a chance to go out to state since they've done all the prominent stuff. I haven't been yet but I'm curious how it how it is not
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Jana Garnett: Answered admit that I've done that.
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Akil Hill: I know
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Jana Garnett: Keep it closed off like that. It just, it really works.
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Hong Lieu: Yeah, and, and especially because you know the the businesses.
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Hong Lieu: It just, it just feels more vibrant, like when I drive by and look around and see people walking down the street bicyclists plenty of room for people to maneuver.
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Hong Lieu: But it does, it does kind of give a little bit of vibrancy were like a certain way or has that we're right around the idea like your area where there's a lot of foot traffic, but it does seem to have expanded the foot traffic out to the rest of state, which is nice.
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Hong Lieu: Because they definitely need
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Akil Hill: Yeah, I haven't been I haven't been, but I think, you know, like similar Santa Monica, how they kind of shut everything down.
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Akil Hill: I think that's what kind of Santa Barbara needs in some regard you know because downtown with prior to it seemed like it was
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Akil Hill: almost becoming like a ghost town and and you know I think if we can really want to take away from the whole coven situation is
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Akil Hill: Just, you know, relationships and and community longing for that a little bit more. Since we're so isolated that hopefully we can return to that place where it really is about that, where it's about
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Akil Hill: Being together in in, you know, blocking certain streets off so people can congregate and hang out and be with each other, you know. And so hopefully it they keep it. I've driven obviously past it, but I haven't actually physically walk through it and but I heard it's it's really
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Akil Hill: A nice place to kind of hang out at so
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Hong Lieu: And the New Economic. Economic Development person they got in Santa Barbara. He came from Santa Monica, so I can see where maybe he Yeah he
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Hong Lieu: Is in there. I mean, there's two prominent. It was kind of a one of those landmarks growing up for me in downtown LA. So to kind of recreate that atmosphere of being on walk through not worried about vehicle traffic. It's pretty nice.
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Hong Lieu: All right, now we're on to the to the homestretch here where we're going to talk about just meaningful piece of culture that has impacted our lives.
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Hong Lieu: Jana, do you want to be this off this week since Rocco to brought up the rear so
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Jana Garnett: Here, um, I gave us a lot of thought it's it's
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Jana Garnett: You know, a cultural topic. That means a lot to me right now. And, you know, keep in mind that I have two college age daughter so that obviously has an influence on on my realm, but I really thought the since music is so pervasive in our society.
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Jana Garnett: That I would focus on that because it seems right now that there are a lot of young pop stars musicians that are really becoming
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Jana Garnett: The voice and the advocates for mental health.
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Jana Garnett: And I think that's going to really going back to that first conversation we had about the stigma and the barriers about becoming part of the program where you have to self identify, we can get people talking about mental health. We've removed those barriers so
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Jana Garnett: Watching the Grammys, not long ago with Demi Lovato and hearing her saying her song anyone. Have you guys heard that song.
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Akil Hill: Mm hmm.
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Jana Garnett: And that live performance. It just, it just pierced my soul, for lack of a better word, it was almost haunting to hear her sing that song. If you could feel
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Jana Garnett: How vulnerable. She was you could feel
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Jana Garnett: That it was very authentic. It was real. And there was this pain and isolation and loneliness in her song and and she's really come out and used her
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Jana Garnett: This she's used her fame as an opportunity, a platform to really speak about mental health, whether it be bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, she's a real advocate for for getting help seeking treatment medication if it's appropriate.
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Jana Garnett: Self care.
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Jana Garnett: You know, and I think it wasn't long ago where celebrities and musicians, really, it was more about fame and fortune. And I think that's really changed and I'm excited about the change
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Jana Garnett: And it takes courage, but there's so many young people coming out and speaking on behalf of mental health because of their own experience or normalizing it
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Jana Garnett: Selena Gomez Lady Gaga. I mean, the list just goes on and I did actually pull out a couple of lines, you know, on that song anyone. I mean, Demi Lovato says, nobody's listening to me.
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Jana Garnett: I need someone, Lord, please send me anyone and. And to me, that's just how astute a person with
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Jana Garnett: A mental health condition can feel so isolated and if they're not able to reach out for help, you know, we lose we lose lives. And this is an opportunity to save lives. And so it means a lot to me.
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Jana Garnett: It really made me reflect on just working at City College and DSP s i mean i just did our data.
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Jana Garnett: And 23% of our students that are registered in the SPS 23% have a psychological disability or mental health condition.
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Jana Garnett: And two years ago 18% so I mean this is the fastest growing exponentially growing area of need, and it is global. So, um,
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Jana Garnett: I remember in an interview that Demi Lovato did recently she just wanted first statements that says it all. I think that's important that if I use my voice for more than just singing
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Jana Garnett: And I just know how important it is to use my platform to help others and to share my story in hopes that it inspires people to either get into recovery.
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Jana Garnett: Or better themselves and she's really helped. I think people see the connection between substance use and mental health conditions and how they they coexist.
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Jana Garnett: So that's, that's what I want to talk about. I'm really passionate about it and it gives me so much hope.
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Hong Lieu: And
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Hong Lieu: And it's nice. You mentioned. Now, I mean she she realizes that as a musician. She has a platform.
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Hong Lieu: And if you look at you know the way things kind of in the past, maybe were before. I mean, definitely work for, and it puts changing now.
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Hong Lieu: Is that more more musicians and they're just more musicians and more platforms, more people are have had opportunity to be heard.
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Hong Lieu: And more people are able to speak out on their own experiences you we have a you know the the diversity of kind of musical choices out there is a lot to kind of take in, but the same time.
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Hong Lieu: More folks are getting that platform unable to kind of write songs and sing and speak on things that they're that their intimate with and know a lot about
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Hong Lieu: And so we're just learning about so many more things. I mean,
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Hong Lieu: Just, just knowing this, like the pop stars like they made the model. So it wasn't you know 3040 years ago there were no there weren't that many female pop stars. You know, like there.
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Hong Lieu: And now you're getting so you're getting more female representation, you're seeing more non binary you've seen you know all
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Hong Lieu: LGBT Q voices out there and just all these all these musicians and just creative folks with platform is speaking on the issues that are important to them.
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Hong Lieu: And bringing us on those things out of the forefront is important because
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Hong Lieu: Yeah, you know, when I was growing up, it was, it was sex, drugs, and rock and roll and in the grand scheme of things, not only is that not important, it's detrimental and and hurtful to to a lot of people around.
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Hong Lieu: That that that whole culture. So it was. I mean, there were probably still kind of pulling ourselves out of the rubble.
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Hong Lieu: Of the destruction that was robbed from certain musicians getting a platform when maybe we should have broadened the voices. Then, and had an opportunity for more people to speak.
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Hong Lieu: You know, I mean, they, they used to always have those like women and rock issues are like rolling stone.
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Hong Lieu: Like you you condensed it down to one issue and you you give them. You give one platform a year, so to speak, like this is our women in rock.
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Hong Lieu: Issue for the year. But now it's not like that. Now, now, I mean, women are running are dominating rock music. They're like the most inventive rock music that I listen to in terms of guitar, bass stuff is with
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Hong Lieu: With bands you know with with all kinds of representation in the band like if I if I hear a band of all guys at this point, you really have to do something crazy to to impress me because it's been done and done and done and
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Hong Lieu: And really kind of going outside the box is
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Hong Lieu: Not something they're great at, you know, like, I mean it's not their fault. It's just that they don't have to, you know, like it's nothing. They're doing wrong. I'm not saying
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Hong Lieu: That, like, you know, they're limited, it's not it's not an issue of better or worse, it's an issue of your surroundings and now your upbringing, all your experiences inform
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Hong Lieu: What you're bringing to your platform as a creative person and and I'm just ready to hear about the platforms and voices of more
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Hong Lieu: Kind of a broader spectrum of the world. And that's what we're getting. And it's really refreshing. So to highlight Demi Lovato who's made it as a
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Hong Lieu: Big Time pop star playing the Grammys and still able to speak on these really personal issues is is like really nice. It's just makes me feel good about about music.
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Akil Hill: Thank you. I mean, I also want to echo the same
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Akil Hill: Sentiments, I think it was super courageous about what she's doing is, I mean, we've all kind of been led to believe that
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Akil Hill: Once you make it. You got to start them, you have the line like you got the money. Everything is going to be okay.
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Akil Hill: And so, and we know that that's a false narrative. And it's really, I commend her for being vulnerable and taking the initiative to say, hey, look.
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Akil Hill: You know I'm in this space and outwardly looking into the situation I have everything that people would deem as being successful. And I'm still struggling with this and and so what I actually kind of hearing that is like, it's not the accumulation of
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Akil Hill: Of wealth or our wealth like cars possessions. That's really important in that it's more about community healing being heard, having
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Akil Hill: Someone you can confide in. These are the things that matters the most. And, and so I think a lot of that gets lost because people are trying to move units were trying to make sales so
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Akil Hill: I commend her for that. And I, and I want to thank you for sharing that. Because that needs to be heard.
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Akil Hill: That just because you acquire more doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to be happier. In fact, like I think was big. You said it more money, more problems. So you got to recognize that
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Hong Lieu: And it's a good point to make, because even as as me growing up a really poor, you know, poor person in LA.
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Hong Lieu: I would look around and like, well, when I get rich, it'll be better or I'll look at something like, well that's because you're rich, you know, and in the, in hindsight, I see it now. It's not because they're not because they were rich
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Hong Lieu: I mean, it doesn't help. Absolutely. Is it is it an advantage. Yes, but does it does it buy happiness. Does it, does it lead to contentment. Absolutely not, you know, and it does lead to more problems a lot
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Hong Lieu: I mean, a lot of the stress just exacerbates as with various you know factors and
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Hong Lieu: wealth accumulation definitely is there. So, so now I mean even now, I'm not rich, so to speak, but I do have I don't worry about certain things I worried about when I was a kid.
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Hong Lieu: And do I feel happier. Yes. I mean, but am I at the contentment level that I thought I would be at No. You know, like there's
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Hong Lieu: There's so much work that still has to be done. And so much kind of self improvement and self reflection and self realization. And then along with community around you so yeah that's that's a definitely a salient point right. Thank you.
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Akil Hill: So what you got.
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Akil Hill: What do you got for us on would you
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Hong Lieu: All right, I'm gonna piggyback on Janice pick and my my pic for this week is Phoebe bridges. She's a musician from LA. She has a new album called Punisher out
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Hong Lieu: And it's really good. I mean, the intro. I mean the one of the best closing tracks. I've heard a recent memory. So just and then. But then, Charles good album is good.
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Hong Lieu: She's she played it. So last year, and I got to see her live and she puts on a great live show too. So when when live shows kick up again.
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Hong Lieu: postcode. Be sure to check out your favorite artists and she was definitely a great live musician. But one of the reasons I chose her is because
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Hong Lieu: She put out a couple years ago called stranger the ops and she had a single off that called motion sickness and it was kind of her big hits, quote unquote, you know, so to speak. Turns out that that song was about
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Hong Lieu: A relationship, she had with another musician.
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Hong Lieu: Bryan Adams, who is kind of a big deal. In the end, and like turns out he was a letter, he was a terrible person.
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Hong Lieu: So it will it. No one knew it at the time that it came out, it was about him, but she came out in interviews after the fact that said it was about him.
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Hong Lieu: And I, and it just kind of really kind of pinpointed to me.
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Hong Lieu: That you know with these with musicians getting more of a platform and speaking out. I mean, we are in a kind of a turning point moment in a lot of ways.
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Hong Lieu: And I think music is dealing with that right now. There was, there was a la record label have burger records that recently shut out shut down last week.
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Hong Lieu: Because of some sexual misconduct allegations and things of that sort. And I mean, personally for me.
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Hong Lieu: I grew up, like, you know, on the first kind of music scene that really broke me and was like the Krusty punk scene, you know, like the hardcore punks.
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Hong Lieu: And that was a scene built on. I mean, it was there was some terrible people in there.
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Hong Lieu: But at the at the outer core of it. The one that really rocked me and was politics. It was like big picture.
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Hong Lieu: Like you really, I really believe that music could change the world. You know, like in now looking back on it, it's pretty naive, but at the time it was really all encompassing you really did believe
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Hong Lieu: That people just needed to hear about these things, you know, and so and and but at the same time, it was a dangerous seem like the hardcore music reputation wasn't without
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Hong Lieu: You know whether there was a reason that people thought it was kind of dangerous because you see fights all the time. You see people getting like
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Hong Lieu: I saw in the trailer trash can and smashing his head people getting job there.
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Hong Lieu: There was a intermingling of all these people like skinheads and you know like skinheads that weren't racist can hasn't were racist escape kids and all that.
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Hong Lieu: So it was just a lot of a lot of things butting heads, but it was very over so it was easy to tell easy to stay out of trouble.
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Hong Lieu: If I say away from this group I stayed away from that group. If I had a couple friends that were with me, then I would be okay.
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Hong Lieu: So when I when we transitioned, you know, as I got older and gotten went to college and Sam Lewis, like I mentioned before, and gone beyond and continue to live shows
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Hong Lieu: The scene changed, it was still kind of DIY do it yourself.
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Hong Lieu: But the idea of like Independent Music You know became this like indie quote unquote, and then it became email, quote unquote, I mean,
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Hong Lieu: I guess now we're so post genre like everybody makes everything these labels don't mean as much as they used to.
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Hong Lieu: But back then, there were clear delineation. And so as I segue into this quote unquote in the email stuff.
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Hong Lieu: I was like, oh, this is much more relaxing. You know, like there's no mosh pits, you can just sit you can sit down in front of artists and listen to a show and
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Hong Lieu: It seems so kind of like it was such a breath of fresh air compared to the punk stuff. I grew up, you grew up with and and now looking back on it.
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Hong Lieu: And hearing all these stories of people coming out about how how musicians were Harassing people, grooming people all this stuff.
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Hong Lieu: It, it makes it sicker and a lot of ways because like I said at the hardcore shows it was easy to see.
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Hong Lieu: Who the troublemakers where it was easy to see. And it was also easy to see where the trauma was coming from. You go to these people's houses and like
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Hong Lieu: You know, you might have a parent who's addicted to drugs, you might have a parent who's kind of working all the time, there were different factors there but you could you could always always kind of
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Hong Lieu: Get a lay of the land, so to speak, but with it. The things that are the stories that are coming out about the the music scene of the around the turn of the century that the clinical indie indie stuff.
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Hong Lieu: It's so much more insidious because it's all secretive. It's all like, you know, there's an outer facade and then behind the scenes. There's all this
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Hong Lieu: Luxury going on. And I mean, I wasn't cool enough to get into any of those inner circles which you know blessing in disguise. But at the same time. Yeah, so
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Hong Lieu: But, but knowing, knowing that it just makes it so much worse. You know, like I you know when you when you when you weigh things out.
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Hong Lieu: These kinds of travel. I mean, we, I think people knew, but we are we have learned a lot about trauma because trauma and you know like these are things are self perpetuating
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Hong Lieu: That the destruction that you are wreaking on people's lives on everything. It's like it's just terrible. I mean, it just, it really made me think like
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Hong Lieu: In hindsight, this, this is way worse because these are these are traumas that people had to carry invisibly behind the scenes for so long.
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Hong Lieu: You know, the people were afraid to speak out people that want to speak up felt powerless to do so. I mean, if I was going to trash cans smashed on my head. At least I you know I could deal with it in the moment you know like I could tell somebody.
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Hong Lieu: You see them smash attract ahead, it's pretty obvious that that happened.
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Hong Lieu: But these are stories that I mean people getting gas lit you telling people someone's story. They don't believe you. I mean,
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Hong Lieu: This is heartbreaking. It's just so terrible especially coming, you know, going from Pumped like something like in the email which is
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Hong Lieu: mellower and more focused on the individual. I like mice. I brought the politics up because you knew the music can change like
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Hong Lieu: It wasn't gonna overthrow the democratic, you know, like, or the you know that the capitalistic stronghold that we kind of that that's not gonna happen.
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Hong Lieu: But you at least start with the independent and email music that you could become a better person, like an individual
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Hong Lieu: You know, and really kind of reached kind of the emotive core of yourself and to see that that a lot of these artists who are kind of
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Hong Lieu: inspiring me to be a better person were also terrorizing other people and making them absolutely just shells of themselves.
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Hong Lieu: Because of selfishness is just, it just really hurts. Because like that was the thing about the punk scene that was so important.
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Hong Lieu: Was did you the genuineness like you have enough, you may have nothing but at least you stand for what you believe in, and you're actually forthright with that.
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Hong Lieu: But all this like behind the scenes like million things 2 million people, you know, like so. It's absolutely the famous thing.
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Hong Lieu: The biggest example of being a poser that I can think of, you know, like
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Hong Lieu: It's it's it's really rough. I mean, yeah, it's just thinking about now makes me kind of angry and I wish I really wish. I wish I could have done more. But I didn't know and and even the people that didn't know
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Hong Lieu: feel powerless. At the same time, so it's it's it's tough because i mean i i guess you know like I
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Hong Lieu: The music really moved me to be a better person and be a better like, you know, to, to express myself you know itself romantically and like in that, in that respect, better
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Hong Lieu: So like, you know, like in and in early, early to mid 20s, like, you know, relationships, and the weather there. They have a heightened importance, you know, now, now I can look back and be like,
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Hong Lieu: Wait a little bit, you know, but in the moment. Everything's like everything's like life or death and you're thrashing around. It's like that late high school early college scene. It's like it's really thick.
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Hong Lieu: You know, and it's like, and it's like, I remember telling my wife specifically like
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Hong Lieu: Just test me you know like the idea of this like this test me relationship that's that's the thing I was kind of getting it is like
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Hong Lieu: The test me relationship is like, it's like it's like a break in case of emergency. It's not to be used lightly.
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Hong Lieu: You know, and so to see like these artists, kind of, they were throwing around the test me and then going around and being treacherous and like hurting people like you can't you can't do that. You know, it's a
427
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Hong Lieu: Betrayal, like the the test me was so important to me and in hindsight it was
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Hong Lieu: They were throwing it around like that was what they were doing a GROUP people, they would like meet on the internet. Be like test me I'll be that I'll be the man that changes your life and just destroying their lives like oh it's it's infuriating.
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Akil Hill: It's
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00:55:49.230 --> 00:55:54.750
Hong Lieu: I mean it's, it's, yeah, it's hard to put into words but just just listen to the bridges or her new album.
431
00:55:55.410 --> 00:56:03.480
Hong Lieu: And just a lot of it is just little mundane observations of our life on tour. Just, just being a person growing up, which is really nice. I mean, she has some poignant
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Hong Lieu: poignant moments tues and little heartfelt touches like songs about songs about romance and stuff like that. Like, it's a good album that like a voice of someone growing up right now.
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Hong Lieu: And just how nice it is. Like I said to have to give people those platforms to speak, speak their truth.
434
00:56:19.020 --> 00:56:23.850
Hong Lieu: Because let someone speak their truth and just, just look at it that way. No more putting people on pedestals no more.
435
00:56:24.150 --> 00:56:30.210
Hong Lieu: Pulling all this meeting out and thinking it's one way when ends up being a totally insidious terrible other way like
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00:56:30.570 --> 00:56:38.010
Hong Lieu: These, these new artists that are coming out these musicians, they're just they're just honest and that's it's really refreshing and and and they're and they're trying their best.
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00:56:38.280 --> 00:56:48.180
Hong Lieu: To be honest and consistent throughout where, you know, like there's there's no secret Green Room shenanigans going on if they say, if they say there there's, you know, not doing
438
00:56:48.660 --> 00:56:55.440
Hong Lieu: drugs or drinking and they're actually not, you know, like it's it's kind of nice kind of nice. Yeah, it's really nice, actually.
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00:56:56.100 --> 00:57:00.120
Hong Lieu: Because a lot of times, you know, in those in those days, I, I felt like I had to
440
00:57:00.930 --> 00:57:13.170
Hong Lieu: You know, pull my way to fit in, like if there's a there's a show going on like I like chug 334 days before I go in and show that, like, I'm not that I'm not like the other dirty Asian guys like I really cool, you know, like, I'm cool like
441
00:57:14.130 --> 00:57:19.230
Hong Lieu: So much unnecessary so much unnecessary like culture, like, you know, like, yeah, it's
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00:57:19.710 --> 00:57:20.550
Akil Hill: Well, you are cool on
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00:57:20.580 --> 00:57:22.230
Hong Lieu: Your hockey. Definitely. No, no, no.
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00:57:22.470 --> 00:57:33.840
Hong Lieu: No, no, I, I take. I mean, I'm happy to be uncool. But I know about cool things like that's not something that's like, that's when we talk about food. I tell everyone I like, I like to eat at a lot of places, but I have no taste. You know, like
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00:57:35.550 --> 00:57:37.260
Hong Lieu: I'll go to McDonald's right now and he
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00:57:37.350 --> 00:57:38.700
Hong Lieu: Teaches us and not even think
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00:57:38.730 --> 00:57:39.570
Jana Garnett: twice about it like I
448
00:57:39.720 --> 00:57:50.550
Hong Lieu: Know taste just like with with musical stuff. I know a lot about cool things. But you see me to show you know i'm not i'm not with the in crowd. I'm absolutely the least Cooper's in there, but I do don't have a good time.
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00:57:54.570 --> 00:57:55.080
Hong Lieu: Yeah.
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Akil Hill: That's great.
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Akil Hill: Well, for my piece I'm actually going to I picked a TV show over the this past weekend.
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00:58:06.720 --> 00:58:12.510
Akil Hill: About my wife and I, we binge watched a show on Showtime. It's called the shy.
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00:58:13.590 --> 00:58:26.790
Akil Hill: And man i i i think i started last Friday. He started last Friday, AND WE WERE CAUGHT UP BY THE WEEKEND, THERE'S they're currently in Aaron, it's three seasons.
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00:58:28.020 --> 00:58:37.620
Akil Hill: It's a, it's a drama and off the producer creator. Her name is Lena Wait he, I believe, is how do you pronounce your last name.
455
00:58:38.850 --> 00:58:43.230
Akil Hill: And it's a great story. It's so funny how it ties in
456
00:58:44.820 --> 00:58:50.730
Akil Hill: To a lot of the things that we were discussing today, but it basically takes place in Chicago, hence the name the shy.
457
00:58:51.210 --> 00:59:03.600
Akil Hill: And it's a really intricate story woven between, like, maybe I think about six or seven different characters and she does an amazing job at bringing out social issues.
458
00:59:04.500 --> 00:59:23.910
Akil Hill: Me today, like we were discussing about mental health and there's a there's a few episodes just dedicated to that, where one of the kids have witness a tragic event. And there are talking to him about like, you're going to need counseling and for a lot of black people.
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Akil Hill: Yeah, he happens to be black, but for a lot, a lot, a lot of white people there. There's a whole discussion around that about counseling and what that looks like. And if you go
460
00:59:35.100 --> 00:59:47.310
Akil Hill: You're less of a you're less of a man if you're a boy or we don't do that in this House, but then she talks about a whole slew of different issues like Jennifer cation crime PTSD.
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00:59:48.450 --> 00:59:58.680
Akil Hill: They talk about she talks about faith. She talks about redemption. One of the main characters is a Vietnam vet and he goes through the struggles
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00:59:59.430 --> 01:00:07.950
Akil Hill: Of being looked down upon by the people in the community from returning back from the war because he was dealing with, you know, PTS D.
463
01:00:08.790 --> 01:00:20.610
Akil Hill: But then there's redemption and his character and you see kind of like what he's battling and she just doesn't know remarkable job at tackling things that are relevant.
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01:00:21.960 --> 01:00:25.440
Akil Hill: I think it airs on Showtime on Sunday nights, so
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01:00:26.580 --> 01:00:29.790
Akil Hill: But I can't, I can't speak enough about
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01:00:31.080 --> 01:00:39.090
Akil Hill: How she just doesn't amazing job she actually was the first black woman to win Primetime Emmy Award for standing writing
467
01:00:39.600 --> 01:00:42.510
Akil Hill: For comedy. She had a series prior to that shy called
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01:00:43.050 --> 01:00:56.220
Akil Hill: master of none. And it was from 2015 to 2017 and just like it's really great to see that the cast and people actually cashed in our roles are, are people of color. So you can see people's
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01:00:58.140 --> 01:01:02.130
Akil Hill: You know you can relate to people that
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01:01:05.130 --> 01:01:22.620
Akil Hill: That have maybe who may grow up in a different environment from you because obviously Chicago inner city, but the similarities of someone who's growing up in the suburbs can still relate to that because they're like, you know, you can see yourself in the characters and it's great.
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01:01:25.650 --> 01:01:27.420
Jana Garnett: I have not heard of that show. I'm on it.
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01:01:28.230 --> 01:01:34.770
Hong Lieu: Yeah, I, I saw master of none saw. I saw a couple episodes of she wrote. And she was really good. She started in as well.
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01:01:35.010 --> 01:01:43.740
Hong Lieu: Yeah, I was looking for the shy but Showtime is my like one streaming gap, like I have HBO if Disney I have Netflix and Hulu, I need to get access to Showtime somehow
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01:01:45.270 --> 01:01:55.020
Akil Hill: You know, I had seen it for a while and and I just was like, I don't know. I don't know. And then I was looking for something and it just, it's, it's just very well written.
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01:01:56.400 --> 01:02:06.450
Akil Hill: It. What, what good thing is they follow these three kids that are there was basically this starts off with is a tragic event someone's someone's killed and then
476
01:02:06.750 --> 01:02:14.400
Akil Hill: All the characters are all intermingled and then they have these three high school or this. They start off in junior high. Now they're in high school, because we're in season three.
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01:02:15.330 --> 01:02:25.920
Akil Hill: But the writing for them is so spot on. There's a character, his name is Papa and man. If I could just every time I see him. I'm like, and that's exactly how I was when I was in high school, so I see myself.
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01:02:26.610 --> 01:02:39.180
Akil Hill: And him and his character. And so I got. That's my plug. That's my piece. It's definitely worth checking out. Give it a few episodes. Is he kind of is a little bit slower at beginning, but it gets really good
479
01:02:39.780 --> 01:02:46.260
Hong Lieu: And that's and that's a good point to raises that you know in terms of the environments may be different in your city Chicago versus, you know, Santa Barbara, whatever, but
480
01:02:46.620 --> 01:02:54.390
Hong Lieu: The universality of humanity. You know, like we're all individuals who are all different, but the same time, we all, there are so many common threads that we all, you know,
481
01:02:54.780 --> 01:03:05.340
Akil Hill: Absolutely. And we have to honestly like I think this is a part of it is, is being able to see ourselves and other people in different circumstances, you know,
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01:03:06.390 --> 01:03:22.710
Akil Hill: And you know, I just think that, you know, by simply reducing it down to a black and white issue is never a good thing. You know, we need to try to find more humanity and each other, see ourselves in each other a whole lot more and
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01:03:24.600 --> 01:03:28.800
Akil Hill: For for for us just to move forward to a better place. I really believe in that.
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01:03:30.960 --> 01:03:31.470
Nice.
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01:03:33.360 --> 01:03:35.100
Hong Lieu: Yes, a salient point again.
486
01:03:36.150 --> 01:03:37.770
Hong Lieu: Nothing but nothing but gems from Akil today.
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01:03:40.980 --> 01:03:48.450
Hong Lieu: Yes. Well, that brings us brings us to the close of another episode of the kiddo voices. Thank you. Jana, so much for coming.
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01:03:48.480 --> 01:03:49.920
Akil Hill: Yes, thank you so much, Jenna.
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01:03:50.340 --> 01:03:51.900
Jana Garnett: Hey, can I make a quick plug for some
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01:03:51.930 --> 01:04:02.610
Jana Garnett: Of course, absolutely. Oh, thank you. I want just to let those listening know that we are going to be Co sponsoring our second annual
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01:04:03.000 --> 01:04:08.130
Jana Garnett: Movies for mental health event. So Becky being in the well and myself are working together.
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Jana Garnett: And it's going to be on Wednesday, September 16 at 4pm for obviously remote and we'll be doing a lot of promoting and advertising throughout the school, but essentially movies for mental health is
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01:04:23.580 --> 01:04:35.610
Jana Garnett: If there's a nonprofit called art with impact and their whole mission is to create space for people to talk about their mental health and
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Jana Garnett: Their tagline is everyone has a mental health story and talking about it should not be taboo. And the way it works. It's a very simple concept is
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01:04:46.350 --> 01:04:56.640
Jana Garnett: We show very short student made films and we very carefully select those films from their inventory of their archives
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01:04:57.000 --> 01:05:07.230
Jana Garnett: And it starts the dialogues. It's very interactive. So the people that participate will be interacting about what they saw. And what it how it worked for them or resonated with them.
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Jana Garnett: And then we have mental health professionals participating to provide appropriate support as well as a professional panel to also share about resources in our community. So we're excited about that and just keep your eyes open and we'll send out as much info as we can.
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01:05:23.940 --> 01:05:28.530
Hong Lieu: Is there a place to go for more info right now like a website or anything, or is it just going to come out over email.
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01:05:28.800 --> 01:05:44.250
Jana Garnett: It's going to come out really soon. We just finished the the marketing package. So we'll be using every all the platforms, the social media platforms at the college offers as well. But you could probably I think even if you go to the well website. It's probably up right about now as well.
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01:05:45.180 --> 01:05:48.390
Hong Lieu: Excellent. I'll see if I can find anything and put something in the show notes as well.
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01:05:48.630 --> 01:05:51.780
Hong Lieu: Thank you. Sounds like a great event. Yeah, second annual you said
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01:05:51.870 --> 01:05:56.250
Jana Garnett: So second annual we did it last fall. We had a great turnout. It was well received.
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01:05:57.600 --> 01:06:00.300
Akil Hill: Alright, sounds good. September 16 at four o'clock.
504
01:06:02.550 --> 01:06:03.420
Akil Hill: Out. Yeah.
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01:06:03.450 --> 01:06:16.380
Hong Lieu: Everybody does have a mental story, whether personally or someone you know or something. I mean, there's these kind of traumas and things of sorts, or they're all around us. So just kind of good chance to reflect and kind of talk about things. That's a great event.
506
01:06:17.100 --> 01:06:18.480
Jana Garnett: Thanks again. It's been a pleasure.
507
01:06:19.170 --> 01:06:19.710
Akil Hill: A lot of fun.
508
01:06:21.060 --> 01:06:21.690
Jana Garnett: Yes.
509
01:06:22.110 --> 01:06:23.130
Hong Lieu: Thank you all very much.
510
01:06:23.130 --> 01:06:23.550
Akil Hill: Thank you.
511
01:06:24.060 --> 01:06:26.190
Hong Lieu: And yes, take care. Until next time.
512
01:06:26.580 --> 01:06:26.970
Yeah.