Baker Street With Thom Pollard

On April 18, 2014 the silence of Everest was forever rocked by a devastating serac avalanche that took the lives of 16 souls. In an instant, all that was ever believed about Everest changed. The gigantic block of ice was believed to be the size of a six story apartment building. As it tumbled down over the steep wall of the west shoulder of Everest, it smashed into thousands of pieces, many the size of small cars, and exploded into the Khumbu Icefall.Climbing through the Khumbu Icefall that morning were over 100 individuals, most of them Sherpa porters and cooks, who worked for the many guiding outfits that catered to clients such as myself with the dream of climbing Mount Everest.I was sleeping in my tent at Base Camp that morning, about a mile from, but in direct view of where the tragedy took place. My guest, Jim Geiger, was in the tent directly next to mine. I was filming Jim on his quest to climb Mount Everest. I was filming a documentary about Jim on that fateful day. Jim, 68, was endeavoring to be the

Barry Katz is a modern day renaissance man. He is also funny as hell. Smart. Successful. Humble beginnings. I met Barry in high school, where we competed on swim teams from neighboring towns, then went on to compete together on the Boston University Swim Team. Barry's beginnings are inauspicious: he was a high school bully. A swim coach - who happened to be my AAU coach - spotted Barry serving detention one day and said 'kid, come swim with my team and I'll get your 9 million hours of detention wiped out.' Barry was officially born. He is a successful talent agent, helped jumpstart the careers of comedians Dave Chappelle, Tracey Morgan, Jay Mohr, Jim Breuer, Louis CK...need I say more? Hell, just that he worked with Jim Gaffigan is enough for me. He has brokered 100 TV development deals, Executive Produced over 50 television specials....  Barry got his career off to a start in Boston, as a student at Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Services at Boston University, and - well, yo

When I first started climbing back in my late 20’s I wanted to mix my newfound love of the mountains with my career….  It was my dream to bring the two together, so that I could make a living doing what I love, that being a filmmaker or cameraman filming on mountains around the world. It’s taken me many places, including four expeditions to Mount Everest.The Highpointers with the Bargo Brothers is a new PBS television program premiering in July 2020 fefaturing my two guests, Branndon and Greg Bargo, who explore the United States by climbing the highest point in all 50 states. They invite local experts and some of the country's most interesting people to join them as they discover the best that each state has to offer.I was fortunate enough to be featured in Episode 3 of The Highpointers, climbing to the summit of New Hampshire's highest point, Mount Washington. It's a wonderful episode. Our interview talks about their program and about all the work that it took to make it to this point. They&ap

I awoke today to news of an old college buddy, my first roommate, who is very sick. I had coincidentally had a dream about him last night, where I hugged him and told him that I was sorry I hadn't stayed in touch over the years. I also was attacked on social media by someone I thought was my friend, who went insane when he heard me make a comment about Donald Trump bragging about his genius in a supposed cognitive test. I'm learning a lot about people these days...All I can say is that I CAN DO BETTER. On this, the anniversary of my mom's birth, I share some thoughts on the world at large, on how I can only focus on me, not anyone else, in making the world a better place. Please listen. Please share. Peace and love,Thom Dharma PollardSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/thehappinessquotient)

THIS IS A MUST LISTEN for all interested in current events, about how an elementary school in the most violent neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York has virtually transformed thousands of lives.This is a story about two separate worlds intersecting to make something beautiful. About an amazing elementary school that gives hope where there is only hopelessness and despair. It’s a story about a now decades old friendship formed out of a seemingly random encounter. When one man, a black man, my second guest, was bringing his 14 year old son, a talented 6’ 8 basketball recruit from East NY, meets a young white assistant director of admissions, graduate of Harvard’s graduate school of education, working at a top prep school in New England, where the son had been recruited to play. Normally, there would be no reason at all to mention whether any of my guests were black, or white, or of any cultural background, because it doesn’t matter….unless it’s pertinent to the story. In this case, while the friendship of these tw

The 2019 expedition to solve the mystery of who climbed Everest first changed many lives, is now the subject of a new film called LOST ON EVEREST, is the cover article in the July issue of National Geographic Magazine and is the subject of a book by NY Times Best Selling author and professional climber Mark Synnott. The Third Pole will be released in the spring of 2021. One of the chapters of Synnott's book is called The Day Everest Broke, and describes in heartbreaking detail the story of some of the eleven people who lost their lives on May 23, 2019. This gripping episode features Mark Synnott, who takes us on a journey to Everest and how the project started and how it turned into the history making expedition for all the world to see.Everything you thought you ever knew about Mount Everest will change when you listen to this interview with New York Times Best Selling Author and professional climber Mark Synnott. In 2019 Mark and I made a blood pact to go to Everest to try to solve the most enduring my

This episode begins with the sounds of Barred owls calling in the New Hampshire night, as I muse about my sudden illness on Mount Everest in 2019. The wisdom of the owls is apt for Episode 10 as we recall the words of wise men from our past, including Albert Einstein, Halie Salassie and Bob Marley. On the question of racial discrimination, Haile Salassie in a speech said to those who will learn, this further lesson:"That until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned; That until there are no longer first-class and second-class citizens of any nation; That until the color of a man's skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes; That until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all without regard to race; That until that day, the dream of lasting peace and world citizenship and the rule of international morality will remain but a fleeting illusion, to be pursued but never attained; And until the ignob

(THESE NOTES WILL BE UPDATED)Mickey Raphael was given his first harmonica by an uncle who said if you can play Oh, Suzanna I'll give you the harmonica. Mickey would go on to play a whole lot more than that, having been Willie Nelson's harmonica player for over 46 years. He's played with the likes of Townes Van Zandt, Chris Stapleton, Tom Morello, Paul Simon, Snoop Dogg, Engelbert Humperdinck, Leon Bridges, Neil Young, Norah Jones, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Duane Eddy, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Leon Russell...DO I NEED TO SAY MORE? Mickey's story is a perfect fit for Baker Street with Thom Pollard. He picked up the harmonica and knew that he was destined to be a pro. His early influences include Sonny Boy Williamson, Sonny Terry & Brownie Mcghee and the legendary bluesman Paul Butterfield, with whom he soon became friends. Mickey tells a great story about playing with Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine fame, and how he introduced Tom's mom to Willie. Mickey's website is a

On June 8, 1924, two British mountaineers by the name of George Mallory and Sandy Irvine were seen at an altitude of over 28,000 feet 'headed toward the top' of Mount Everest by team member Noel Odell. At the time it was the highest any person had ever climbed before. After a few minutes, clouds obscured Odell's view of them and they disappeared, never to be seen again.  29 years later, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay successfully summited Mount Everest, on May 29, 1953. While they were the first to survive the epic ascent, many wondered if perhaps Mallory and Irvine might have been the first to actually stand on the top of what was known as The Third Pole. 75 years after the disappearance of Mallory & Irvine, a team of filmmakers and mountain climbers discovered the frozen body of Mallory at 26,750 feet. The team was looking for the camera they were known to be carrying that day. If the film could be safely brought down and developed, perhaps there would be summit photos. To this day

When we encounter tragedy or a traumatic event in life, it often times opens up a portal through which we can gain a new perspective of life. We actually learn through the experience and can become more wise in the process.In today's episode I interview photographer, adventurer and wilderness educator Oscar Manguy. We caught up with him at his home in a remote location in Finland, talked to him about his life in the outdoors, photography, and of the ritual of drinking Maté,is a traditional South American caffeine-rich infused drink.Visit Oscar's website at oscarmanguy.com or his Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/oscar.manguy/Music for this episode is courtesy of Reverend Freakchild's album The Bodhisattva Blues. Visit here to purchase this amazing album: https://blind-raccoon.lnk.to/BodhisattvaSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/thehappinessquotient)

Ever look out the window at work or in school and wish you were out there doing something big, living out your dreams? That is what this episode is about. We meet a man who used to do that. Then decided that enough was enough.Adventurer and three time Guinness Book of World Record holder Mike Reid says you don’t have to be gifted or talented. You don’t need anything given to you. If you refuse to take ‘no’ for an answer, anyone can achieve their dreams. As a child Mike was bullied. He experienced a horrible divorce as a young child. He used to look at the Guinness Book of World Records and think that these are people he will never be. Growing up in inner city Philadelphia he experienced the invisible barriers that hold people from ever having hope or ever getting out of their situation. But, he realized that dreams take massive amounts of persistence and dedication.While Mike has many amazing stories of adventure, today we’ll focus on his first ever kayak across the Sea of Japan with an experienced kayak guid

During this time, when the world seems to be going insane, we can lose our minds or keep our act together, or PROSPER! I don’t know about you, but when this stuff happens and we look at the super macro of it, click a few down on the pull down tabs of life, I like what is happening. Don’t get me wrong, I hate the devastation it’s having on life and millions of people and businesses in the world. But, beyond this, I feel like I’ve never been busier in taking advantage of this time.In Episode 4 of Season 2 I draw a distinction of this time and how people handle it with the book by Viktor Frankl called Man’s Search For Meaning. Frankl was a survivor of a concentration camp during World War II and observed that different reactions to life in these camps had a significant impact on one’s life during and beyond the concentration camps. Frankl concludes from his experience that a prisoner's psychological reactions are not solely the result of the conditions of his life, but also from the freedom of choice he alw

This one is about the heroes...well, two at least. Both of them would say PHOOEY, I'm no hero...  So, let's just say it’s about how people are getting by. Specifically, it's about the small business owners, faced with the gut wrenching decisions they have to make when faced with going out of business, laying off employees...survival.This Heroes of the Quarantine Culture on Baker Street with Thom Pollard welcomes two incredible individuals on the front line of the economy. Peter Dunn is President of Topdrawer, a Japanese-American company with over a dozens stores in the US and Japan which sells “tools for nomads,” including minimalist canvas backpacks and carry bags, portable speakers, eyeglasses, Bento boxes; anything and everything you might need while traveling. Please visit https://topdrawershop.com/  Peter had to make some gut-wrenching decisions when the COVID-19 stay at home orders swept across the land. When he made the decision to temporarily close the stories, he shut down 90% of their

There is a romance to uncertain times. In the undulations and valleys that we experience in life we are given an opportunity to learn new ways to do things. Much like the relationship between a master and his student, experiences offer us an opportunity to see things from a different angle. This episode isnt about making guitars, per se, but about making a dream come true….about finding a muse and following it to completion. We'll be talking with Tom Thiel, an entrepreneur who spent his life in pursuit of a craft. He has built over 500 instruments. Built a sound company. He knows that by trial and error one learns things, masters them. This man creates 'serious wood products.'We'll also meet a piece of wood called DragonTongue. It's worth a listen for those who wish to master a talent. Music from the episode comes from none other than the amazing Reverend Freakchild. His new album, called The Bodhisattva Blues, can be pre-ordered beginning April 1, 2020 right here:http://www.www-rever

YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST, PEOPLE: Today on Baker Street with Thom Pollard I welcome the ever talented bluesman and Buddhist practitioner Reverend Freakchild. We'll talk about everything under the sun, as well as listen cuts off his new album called The Bodhisattva Blues. His insight and music will cover everything from the blues to drugs, to the Coronavirus pandemic, the Grateful Dead, to Buddhist philosophy from the Buddha himself to Naropa University, where the Reverend is studying for a masters in divinity. Let's ease the pain of the current quarantine culture which has impacted all of our lives and celebrate the pains of a pandemic that has united us as a world community. SUPPORT OUR MUSICIANS: The Bodhisattva Blues can be pre-ordered beginning April 1, 2020 right here:http://www.www-reverendfreakchild.org/the-bodhisattva-bluesThe album officially releases on April 10th...GET THE BLUES. GET THE BODHISATTVA BLUESMany thanks to the Reverend's publicist Betsie Brown of Blind Racoon, LLC. You ca

If you think this episode is making a statement about my personal political preferences with this photo you're HIGHLY mistaken. Like me, if you're actually breathing, you know that the collective consciousness of the US political landscape is deeply divided. What's the old saying? War is not healthy for children and other living things? How does the current political divisiveness affect you? Does it raise your heart rate when you hear the detritus of political squabbling blurt out of your tv or radio? Well, here's a bit of help from a prominent Jungian analyst, Dr. Nathan Schwartz-Salant. Let's call it a modern day survival guide for those of us wondering if there's light at the end of the tunnel. I interviewed him recently asking him to shed some light on the state of affairs, and how we can keep our feet on the ground when it appears that the world has lost its mind.One thing for sure, is that this is a changing time. As Americans look to find suitable candidates to elect as pr

In Episode 18 we got to meet Nathanael Smiley Tejeda, who gave up his Make-a-Wish grant to help his now former high school build a new weight room. That was back in August of 2019. This past December the weight room was finally unveiled. I called Smiley at his college in Springfield, Massachusetts, where he is starting his second semester of freshman year at Springfield College. Smiley talks about being in remission from Hodgkin Lymphoma, how exciting it was to unveil the new weight room and life in general. I also interview Lynda Pearson, one of Smiley's grantors at Make-a-Wish.Every 4 days Make-A-Wish® New Hampshire grants the wish of a child diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition in New Hampshire. We believe that a wish experience can be a game-changer. This one belief guides us in everything we do. It inspires us to grant wishes that change the lives of the kids we serve. Here's a link to their site:https://nh.wish.org/Only a small percentage of our listeners are from NH, so if you&

This is a special BONUS EPISODE of Baker Street:THE BUSHFIRES CURRENTLY RAVAGING AUSTRALIA ARE NOT ONLY OUT OF CONTROL IN ALMOST EVERY AUSTRALIAN STATE BUT THEY ARE COMPLETELY UNPRECEDENTED, AND OF A MAGNITUDE THATS NEVER BEEN EXPERIENCED. This tragic loss of life, property and infrastructure has been declared a national state of disaster.  In this Bonus Episode I interview Scott Salmon, owner of Nautilus Effects Systems based in Canberra Australia. (ABN 605 277 208 29). Scott's business is based around building guitar systems for musicians, and retailing mostly guitar effects and accessories. His home page is here: https://nautiluseffectssystems.comI interviewed Scott on February 14, 2020 from the United States via WhatsApp. Scott was at his work in Canberra, Australia. His story is BEYOND INSPIRING. This is about COMMUNITY and EVERYONE can help.  Scott and a couple colleagues recently started a campaign aimed to donate money directly to the communities and animals affected in all those states as best t

For anyone concerned about suicide, contact the National Crisis Line.800-273-8255 (TALK)This is a crisis line for EVERYONEVeterans Press 1 - for expedited service, specifically for veterans EPISODE 27:Today’s topic cuts close to the bone. If you’ve listened to Episode 23, called Don’t Tell a Lie, Your Life Depends on It, I talk about the suicide of my brother, my best friend, a beautiful, kind soul that broke so many hearts. In Episode 27 we’re talking about suicide. Why does it happen, you might ask? Well, a person who commits suicide feels marginalized in some way. They can’t seem any conceivable path forward other than suicide. The pain is so unbearable, that they can’t imagine ever coming out of it, there is no path forward. Everything is hopeless, there is no escape, and "I am of no use to anyone."  For those who have never thought about suicide it’s hard to imagine what it’s like to feel that way, and therefore so many assumptions are made about people who make this choice, because it is a cho

This episode is a n instant classic, exploring not only the beauty of Australia but the inner journey of discovery and enlightenment with my good friend and fan of this podcast, Rod McCurdy. This episode summarizes exactly why Baker Street with Thom Pollard exists in the first place.A recent sojourn to Australia unearthed a serendipitous encounter with Aboriginal musician George Dow, who masterfully demonstrated his didgeridoo. We discuss the hunter versus farmer hypothesis, first written about by author Thom Harmann. is a proposed explanation of the nature of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) first suggested by radio host Thom Hartmann in his book Attention Deficit Disorder: a Different Perception. This hypothesis proposes that ADHD represents a lack of adaptation of members of hunter-gatherer societies to their transformation into farming societies. Hartmann developed the idea first as a mental model after his own son was diagnosed with ADHD, stating, "It's not hard science, and was