The Michael Ostrolenk Show

Peter O’Brien on Terrorism & Cyber Threats

Michael — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:26:39 +0000

Peter O’Brien has more than 30 years of successful leadership, management and planning experience in leading organizations from a handful to several thousand, from a single site to orchestrating simultaneous operations at three-dozen locations on four separate continents. Mr. O’Brien’s Navy career included ten years at sea, more than a dozen years stationed overseas and multiple deployments, providing the opportunity to study, practice and execute the widest possible range of leadership and planning skills. He has participated in planning and execution of military operations from the tactical to the strategic level in the Middle East, North Africa and East Asia. He is a recognized SME in strategic planning, intelligence, the Middle East and the Far East

On the show we cover-

Defining the Threats very clearly ‘terrorism & cyber’ against America and U.S. interests
Moving from GWOT frame to identifying specific actors and groups
Afghanistan, Taliban, Tribes, War Lords, Al Qaeda, Pakistan and India
Somalia, Ethiopia, Islamic Courts and Al Shabaab
National interests, transparency in U.S policy and the Constitution
President’s Fireside Chats and the need to explain to American’s the perceived threats and possible responses
AUMF and the need for a Declaration of War
Cyber threats; individuals, criminal organizations, terrorist groups and nation states

Dave Asprey on Having A Healthier and Happier Baby

Michael — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:15:46 +0000

Dave is President of Smart Life Forum, an 18-year-old nonprofit group focused on optimal wellness and longevity. His writing has been published in the New York Times and Salon.com. Companies like Cisco Systems and Google have invited him to speak to employees about health. In the 90s, Dave applied problem solving techniques from the computer networking industry to solve his own health problems, losing 100 lbs. and keeping it off permanently. In the process, he became an expert in nutrition and metabolic function. He holds an MBA from Wharton and a BS from Cal State.

On the show we cover:

Transgenerational Influence on genetic expression
Are we progressing or regressing in our ability to reproduce
Pre-conception health and wellness planing including diet, environment, nutrition and stress management
toxins in the food and animal husbandry
Medicalization of birth
toxins in the environment ‘going green in the home’
The need for interdisciplinary studies
Optimal conditions for birth (home, centers, hospitals)
Nervous system survive or thrive mode ( sympathetic or parasympathetic dominance)
Birth psychology ( birth and nervous system imprinting)
Inner Balance from HeartMath
Transpersonal Psychology, Dr. Stan Groff and Holotropic Breathwork
Mother’s communication with the fetus
Grandmother influences on conception (lineage)

Websites mentioned

Better Baby Book – http://www.betterbabybook.com
Bullet Proof Executive – http://www.bulletproofexec.com
The Association for Prenatal & Perinatal Psychology and Health – http://birthpsychology.com
Dr Stan Grof http://www.stanislavgrof.com
HeartMath Inner Balance http://www.upgradedself.com/tech/heartmath-inner-balance-app.html

Ben King, Armor Down – Working with Veterans with Meditation and Yoga

Michael — Fri, 10 May 2013 01:52:15 +0000

Ben returned from Iraq in 2007. For six months he was flying high. Then the euphoria of returning home wore off and he was left with sleepless nights and a surprising amount of stress and physical discomfort. He spent the next 2 years worth of trial and error trying to figure out how to use mindfulness and exercise to calm his mind and realign his body for a civilian lifestyle. The Army taught him how to up armor his mind and body for War. He taught himself how to Armor Down.

On the show we cover:

War stress
Yoga and sleep
Art of Peace by Morihei Ueshiba and Armor Down Blog
Mindfulness Meditation; developing the witness and creating inner peace
Happy Wife, Happy Life
SEAL’s CDR Mark Divine & Rob DuBois on warriorship and meditation
Memorial Day Event

Armor Down - http://armordown.blogspot.com

Eric Wolterstorff on Social Trauma

Michael — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 17:04:06 +0000

Eric Wolterstorff is an expert on societal and individual responses to traumatic events. He has founded three businesses and spent over 25 years helping leaders manage crises, including post-Katrina New Orleans, Germany, and Indonesia; and has been conducting social trauma analyses on the US, Germany, Israel, Japan, and Rwanda. He is current focusing on governance relationships between wealthy countries and developing countries responding to impending threats, current crises, or large-scale traumas.

On the show we cover:

* Trauma and Stress

* Belief & Awareness

* Second Memory- unwinding trauma in the body/mind

* Creating new habits

* Catharsis and Somatic management

* Sympathetic and Parasympathetic nervous system

* Flight, Flee & Freeze

* Creating boundaries

More information about Shifting Cultures

Peter O’Brien on U.S. Intelligence Reform

Michael — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 06:14:35 +0000

On the show we cover-

* Tactical and Strategic Intelligence
* Japan pre-World War 2
* Al Qaida pre- 9/11
* Interdisciplinary approach to intelligence
* Inductive and Deductive Reasoning
* Institutional and Cultural Reform
* Reorganization in Light of Budgetary Constraints and Threat Analysis

Col. Douglas Macgregor on 21st Century U.S. Military, Part 2

Michael — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 20:58:00 +0000

Col. Douglas Macgregor, USA (Ret.) is a decorated combat veteran with a Ph.D. in international relations from UVA. He is the author of Breaking the Phalanx Warrior’s Rage: The Great Tank Battle of 73 Easting and Tranformation Under Fire and is a frequent guest on television and radio news shows.

On the show we cover-

Sec Def Hagel and the possibility for real reform
Industrial vs. Post Industrial Military Establishment
Integrating Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) with Maneuver , Strike and Sustainment Capabilities
Joint Force Structure
Force reductions ( numbers do not equal strength)
National Guard
Budget restraints, strategic needs and economic power

Derek Leebaert on U.S. Foreign Policy

Michael — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:15:28 +0000

Derek Leebaert, who has taught foreign policy at Georgetown University for fifteen years, is a partner in the Swiss management consulting firm, MAP AG. His previous books include The Fifty-Year Wound: How America’s Cold War Victory Shapes Our World (2002) and To Dare and to Conquer: Special Operations and the Destiny of Nations from Achilles to Al Qaeda (2006). He is also a coauthor of the MIT Press trilogy on the information technology revolution, and a founding editor of International Security and The International Economy, as well as editorial board member of European Security. He served in the US Marine Corps Reserve and is a director of the U.S. Army Historical Foundation, Providence Hospital in Washington, D.C., and of other public service institutions.

In the interview we discuss;

- Command and Control Management philosophy applied to foreign policy

- Can the U.S. fix the world; creating it in our image?

- Vietnam and Afghanistan- a critique

- Use of Special Operations Forces

- Neoconservatism

- Iran, the U.S. and Israel

- State propaganda and an informed citizenry

-Asia Pivot

-A more traditional foreign policy as the U.S. way forward

- A new paradigm of engaging the world: Post industrial / Post Command and Control ?

Powerful Peace with Mike German, U.S. Counter-Terrorism

Michael — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 21:57:25 +0000

Michael Ostrolenk joins ret- SEAL Rob DuBois as a co-host for Powerful Peace Radio. They talk with Mike German who prior to joining the ACLU, served sixteen-years as a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, where he specialized in domestic terrorism and covert operations. He authored, ”Thinking Like a Terrorist: Insights of a Former FBI Undercover Agent”

In the interview they discuss:

-Constitutional rights in the age of terror
- The need to protect national security whistleblowers against retaliation
- Why is it important to think like a terrorist
- Terrorism as a political tactic
- What are the real threats in America today

Col. Douglas Macgregor on Pentagon Reform

Michael — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 22:20:13 +0000

On the show we cover-

Cold War as extension of World War Two
Liberal interventionism
Global War on Terror as mistaken conception
Al Queda; Afghanistan, Pakistan , North Africa, Iraq, Philippines
Threats v. Opportunities (black and white thinking v. multiperspectival thinking)
Arab/ Muslim Awakening
Iran as boogeyman, Hezbollah in Lebanon
U.S. alliances

O’Brien, DuBois, & Ostrolenk on Intelligence Reform

Michael — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 18:56:42 +0000

In this special edition of the Michael Ostrolenk Show, Michael co-hosts Power Peace Radio with Rob DuBois. Their guest is intelligence expert Peter O’Brien and they discuss improving national security intelligence by learning from past mistakes as well as implementing an interdisciplinary team approach and using different types of thinking.

Dave Asprey, Bullet Proof Executive on Bio-Hacking

Michael — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 23:43:02 +0000

Dave Asprey is a Silicon Valley investor, computer security expert, and entrepreneur who spent 15 years and $250,000 to hack his own biology. Some of the topics discussed in this interview include: Noorotropics, EQ, non-ordinary states of consciousness, perinatal psychology, Holotropic Breathwork, coffee, Epi-Genetics, sleep, sex and making babies. Dave’s websites mentioned during the show are Bullet Proof Executive & Better Baby Book.

From the Bullet Proof Executive:

What is the Art of Biohacking?

Hack Your Biology and Bio-chemistry for more focus, better health, and happiness
Use Technology to get Immediate Feedback From Your Performance, Diet, Sleep, etc.

How to Keep Your Brain From Turning Off?

After meetings, Dave didn’t remember half the things that happened. He began to play FreeCell, and found out some days he could play and others he couldn’t. Hence, the need to a better diet, practices, and supplements.
Provigil increases your ability to focus and it is profound what you can do. It is a prescription medicine. The military uses it for fighter pilots in replacement of methamphetamine to stay up for 40-50 hours.
Aniracetam is our new Upgraded Brain
MCT Oil reverses disease in studies, as seen on our podcast episode #

Sleep Hacking?

Sleep is controlled by the reptilian brain
Improve the quality of your sleep, and you can recover faster
More good stress and good food during the day helps you have higher quality sleep
After your nervous system learns, your body knows you are not going to die and will be able to sleep less.

Holotropic Breath-work

Imitates LSD and you experience very strong visionary state
Dave learned a lot about himself. Answering questions like: Why am I here? What is holding me back?

MDMA & PTSD. Empowering individuals to heal themselves.

Michael — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 05:06:31 +0000

Rick Doblin, PhD founded the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies in 1986 and joins Michael for a conversation about the history and effectiveness of psychedelic drugs in psychotherapeutic treatment. Essentially banned by federal law and regulation for decades, research in this promising field is resuming, with notable success in treating PTSD in soldiers using MDMA-assisted psycho-therapy. Learn more about this modality offering hope to those with this chronic illness, at http://mdmaptsd.org/.

Powerful Peace, Live from DC

Michael — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 07:19:52 +0000

SPECIAL EDITION: D.C. needs solutions; Robert DuBois has them. America’s policymakers brought the author of Powerful Peace to Washington so they could learn in person this Retired Navy SEAL’s game-changing “lessons on peace from a lifetime at war.” The Michael Ostrolenk show is bringing to you exclusive audio from this live briefing—before an audience of those shaping the future direction of the United States—held on September 5, 2012 in our nation’s capital.

Powerful Peace from Battlefield to Classroom & Boardroom to Bedroom.

Michael — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 05:19:26 +0000

Back by popular demand for a fourth interview is Retired Navy Seal Robert DuBois, author of Powerful Peace, the book revolutionizing conflict prevention concepts needed now more than ever in our increasingly polarized world with escalating harmful consequences of the antiquated us vs. them paradigm. In today’s podcast Michael and Robert explore the compelling examples of how these ideas are taking hold – not only to ease international relations but in every level of society. Powerful Peace is a game-changer in the classroom, boardroom, battlefield, and bedroom, explains Mr. Dubois.

Michael and Rob will exercise your mind in this conversation with something to pique everyone’s interest: “cause a pause,” wideminding, oxytocin, Stephen Covey, “brown belt syndrome”, political fundraising, Stalin, fisticuffs, Japanese train fights, and much more! There’s even a cameo by Bruce Lee.

Learn more at PowerfulPeace.net about Rob’s book and his work to promote smart power, cultural competency and ultimately stop the needless harm and loss resulting from misplaced and unbridled hate.

Man Up and Humble Down

Michael — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 04:18:04 +0000

Retired Navy SEAL and author of Powerful Peace Robert DuBois is back for part III (part I, part II) of the conversation with Michael Ostrolenk. In this podcast Rob emphasizes that a meaningful peace between individuals, groups, or countries requires dialog, trust, respect, and recognizing the dignity of unfamiliar cultures and individuals. In summary, man up and be accountable for one’s mistakes and humble down to listen & learn from others’ points of view. Rob depicts his gradual realization of these truths through vivid glimpses of his journeys across the globe. Hard lessons learned from Turkish bars, make-shift strip clubs, and Perdue Chicken all come to light in today’s exchange. Learn more at PowerfulPeace.net about Rob’s book and his work to promote smart power, cultural competency and ultimately stop the needless harm and loss resulting from misplaced and unbridled hate.

Keeping the peace is more than the ability to kick ass.

Michael — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 03:07:49 +0000

Establishing global security requires a holistic approach not just a superiority in breaking things, explains retired Navy SEAL Robert DuBois in part II (part I, part III) of his conversation with Michael Ostrolenk. To illustrate this (and in a nod to the late Stephen Covey) Rob divides his book, Powerful Peace, into four sections: body, mind, heart, and soul. In addition to discussing these 4 divisions of the book, Rob reveals a personal experience from Abu Ghraib prison that prompted a greater appreciation of alternate perspectives. Learn more at PowerfulPeace.net about Rob’s book and his work to promote smart power, cultural competency and ultimately stop the needless harm and loss resulting from misplaced and unbridled hate.

Moving from “Us vs. Them” to Powerful Peace

Michael — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 18:23:52 +0000

Retired Navy SEAL Robert DuBois witnessed the September 11th attack on America live on TV while deployed in an Arab country. No cheers were heard from the Arab SEALs watching in the same room with Rob and his American SEAL team. The Arab SEALs were appalled and angered by this terrorist act of war. It isn’t simply “us versus them” realized Rob. In this podcast with Michael, Rob recounts this and other “lessons on peace from a lifetime at war,” the subtitle of his book Powerful Peace. The two dimensional “us versus them” paradigm that’s dominated human history is antiquated and irrelevant in today’s connected world. It’s time to become accountable for the consequences of irresponsible use of force, explains Mr. DuBois. Learn more at PowerfulPeace.net about Rob’s book and his work to promote smart power, cultural competency and ultimately stop the needless harm and loss resulting from misplaced and unbridled hate.

Ruck.us – politics transcending partisan constraints

Michael — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 05:13:15 +0000

Americans’ distaste for politics does not mean they are apathetic to solving our countries problems, but rather feel powerless to affect change within a broken system. They are insulted by the expectation of blind allegiance to one party or the other. In today’s podcast “reformed lawyer and political operative” Nathan Daschle talks with Michael about his new project, www.Ruck.us, an online community allowing concerned citizens to transcend party politics and participate in issue-oriented discussions and activism. Mr. Daschle, formerly General Counsel then Executive Director of the Democratic Governors Association learned first-hand of the inadequacy of the status quo.

Olympic weightlifting, Cross-fit, Nutrition, & … Grammar?

Michael — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 06:04:36 +0000

How do these topics intersect? Find out and join Michael as he interviews Greg Everett, co-host of The Paleo Solution podcast, owner of Catalyst Athletics, co-founder of The Performance Menu, and author of “the best book available on Olympic weightlifting”: Olympic Weightlifting: A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches.

Should you worry about Real ID?

Michael — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 05:02:04 +0000

“I have nothing to hide so I’m not concerned about federal and international efforts to catalog my personal information.” Many shrug off Real ID laws using such rational, but in this podcast, Mark Lerner of http://www.ConstitutionalAlliance.org, debunks this reasoning and explains why law abiding citizens must work to stop these attacks on personal liberty and privacy. Lerner, an expert in constitutional law, also gives an update on the current status of laws mandating biometric data collection, sharing, and mining.

The Fat Burning Man

Michael — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 06:25:42 +0000

Michael’s guest in this podcast is Fat Burning Man (and renaissance man) Abel James. He’s an author, coach and host of the popular Fat Burning Man Show podcast. Abel, a recovering vegetarian – explains his lifelong journey leading him to the truth about the conventional wisdom concerning nutrition. Now, through his podcast and Lean Body System he is dedicated to spreading the word to help curb our country’s growing health crisis caused largely by poor nutrition. Also an accomplished musician, Abel is the author of The Musical Brain which explores the evolution of Music, its ubiquity in our lives, and how it intertwines with human psychology.

How about Energy Psychology? Exploring the science of an emerging paradigm.

Michael — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 06:46:58 +0000

This is the 4th installment in the “Transformational Pathways: Integrating mind body approaches to thriving not just surviving” podcast series with Michael Ostrolenk and Doctor Craig Weiner of ChiroZone.net. Today they explore the world of energy psychology – a subset of energy medicine – a variety of healing modalities including EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing), EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), & TFT (Thought Field Therapy). In addition to giving a historical overview of this field, Dr. Weiner provides resources for further exploration, including eftuniverse.com and tapyourpower.net.

The choreography of holistic thinking and right brain aerobics

Michael — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 07:06:42 +0000

Are you neglecting your right brain? Modern society generally financially rewards left brain analytical thinking over right brain creativity. But Dr. Craig Weiner sees a “rightward turn” coming as the 21st century workplace is demanding more creative and outside-the-box thinking in synthesis with the left brain’s linear and logical skill set. In Part 3 of “Transformational Pathways: Integrating mind body approaches to thriving not just surviving” Michael and Dr. Craig Weiner discuss how you can achieve a more “right brain activated state” with right brain aerobics and the improvements this change can make in your health, career, and personal life.

The Moral Molecule: a union of economics and biology

Michael — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 07:07:50 +0000

Is there a biologic basis for trust? What implications does biology have for the economic relationships between humans? In this podcast Michael visits with Paul Zak, Ph.D. a pioneer in the discipline of neuroeconomics. They answer these two questions (and many more) as they delve into Dr. Zak’s research – and self experimentation – with the human hormone oxytocin, which is also the subject of his book, “The Moral Molecule.” In addition to economic behavior, this simple 9 amino acid sequence may influence the paradoxes of human interaction like why our species engages in courageous acts of compassion yet also perpetrates violence. To learn about these many facets of oxytocin (and hear why Dr. Zak won’t shake your hand) you’ll want to listen to their entire conversation.

To Diagnose or Not Diagnose: the implications are critical

Michael — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 00:45:06 +0000

Dr. Craig Weiner is back with Michael for the second podcast in the series,“Transformational Pathways: Integrating mind body approaches to thriving not just surviving. In this episode they examine the pros and cons of today’s paradigm of diagnosis, its health ramifications for patients, and how this art and science can be advanced through a more holistic approach instead of simply a practice in “following the algorithm” to decide which drug to prescribe. Learn more about Dr. Weiner and his practice at http://www.ChiroZone.net/. Click here to hear Part 1 of this conversation.