Anida Yoeu Ali is an old friend and Cambodian American artist who practices the Muslim faith and has ancestry from Malay, Cham, Khmer, and Thai communities. I was lucky to catch her in Los Angeles before her upcoming solo show at the Vincent Price Art Museum. We talked about what she's bringing to the museum, her beginnings and transformations as an artist, her faith, family and more. The Buddhist Bug runs 9/26/26 through 5/22/27 Vincent Price Art Museum @ East Los Angeles College 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez, Monterey Park, CA 91754 Opening Reception Saturday, September 26, 2026 from 2 to 5 pm featuring a blessing from Khmer monks, traditional Khmer dancing, and Anida performing as the Buddhist Bug (wear Orange!) From her website: Born in Battambang in 1974 and raised in Chicago, Anida is an interdisciplinary artist working across performance, installation, new media, public encounters, and political agitation. She treats in-betweenness as a generative space rather than a problem, and she sees performance as a way of reinventing the self and projecting larger-than-life personas free from the representations imposed on her. She's the co-founder of Studio Revolt, an artist-run media lab that has agitated the White House and won festival awards while operating without a fixed studio. Her work has been exhibited at Haus der Kunst, Palais de Tokyo, the Smithsonian, Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, and the Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design, and held in public and private collections. She received the 2024 Arts Innovator Award, the 2020 Art Matters Fellowship, and the 2015 Sovereign Asian Art Prize, holds an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, serves as Senior Artist-in-Residence at the University of Washington Bothell, and works between the Asia-Pacific region and the US from her base in Tacoma.

Rabbi Herschel Aberson is a rabbi with encyclopedic knowledge of Judaism, history, and theology, and an ability to break down complex ideas into digestible nuggets of wisdom. However, I worry that he's too smart for his own good, a phrase he's heard countless times before. He received his ordination from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies and holds an MA in Middle Eastern Studies from Ben Gurion University of the Negev, a Certificate in Education from the American Jewish University, and a BA in Anthropology from Muhlenberg College. He began his rabbinic career in 2019 at Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley in Phoenix, Arizona. Rabbi Brodie has also been teaching at the Miller Intro to Judaism Program since 2022 and is currently based in Van Nuys, California. In addition to his rabbinic work, Rabbi Brodie studies vocal performance at LA Pierce College in Woodland Hills, CA, combining his passion for Jewish education with his love of music and performance. In this interview, we talked about what it takes to become a rabbi, what it's like to be a spiritual leader and lead a congregation, Jewish theology, how the Holocaust impacts Jewish identity today, his take on the Israel-Palestine conflict, and much more.

Jaden Pan is a transgender documentary and reality TV producer based in Los Angeles. For years, we were roommates, and yet, I had no idea about the depth of Jaden’s gender story. He carries the rare privilege of being able to choose how, when, and to whom he shares that part of his life. In this conversation, I finally got to ask the questions: What was his journey like? How did his understanding of gender evolve over time? And what helped him make it through? Jaden opens up about his path, one marked by courage, curiosity, and transformation. Today, he's not just thriving professionally but also focused on his health, financial freedom, and personal growth. His story is a reminder that we’re all evolving, and we all have the potential to rewrite our narratives.

Glenn Gershan has lived with cerebral palsy since birth. He cannot speak, and instead communicates by typing messages on his phone or through his computer. The format of the conversations goes something like.. I ask questions, wait for him to type or gesture his response, and then interpret that response out loud. The footage is 99% unedited and honest to the experience of sitting down with him. This was an incredibly unique and important interview for me. I understand not many will have the patience or will to absorb this type of content, but I had so much fun doing it! Glenn chats about what his "disability" means to him, his relationship with his mother, losing his father, dating, his day-to-day routine, etc. He's got the most affectionate reactions, and surprise stories like how he used to work on a porn set, gambling in Vegas, or meeting the Wizard of Westwood. Many things about this interview surprised me, and reaffirmed to me how beautiful life is in all its forms.

Saifennasr "Versátil" Ismail is a Capoeira Mestre, mental health counselor, polyglot, and IT professional with over 30 years of global teaching experience. Raised in a polygamist family in Detroit and the Middle East, he overcame sexual trauma that initially hindered his connection with others. His journey led him to mental health and Capoeira, where he finds teaching opportunities in every moment and movement. His insights cover religion, spirituality, sexual repression in the Middle East, and how wartime behaviors shape culture and politics.

I asked Mark Ehlert about his suicide attempt of a gunshot to the head on September 12, 2004. We talked about the circumstances and his mindset surrounding it, and we went through the physical, mental, and spiritual recovery afterward. It's fascinating to me how one builds their life back together after such an incident. Mark shows an impressive level of self-awareness and tells incredible stories of the body, mind, and spirit's reactions to his actions. Mark is now a community activist, a mental health advocate, and a motivational speaker about suicide prevention.

I spoke with Danny Cocke about his journey with stage 4 colon cancer, surviving testicular cancer, near-death experiences, ayahuasca, spirituality, his music career, and the healthcare system. This conversation offers insight and hope for anyone facing terminal illness or mortality. Follow Danny’s updates and upcoming cancer education resources on Instagram: @healthycellwarrior. Instagram: @dannycocke Website: dannycocke.com