Going Lunar with Special Guest Q'Raun

Brutality and Blunder...So It Goes

We're joined by good friend of the podcast Nick in this somber episode about the Uvalde shooting and American gun culture in general. The tragedy at Uvalde is just the latest in what's become a uniquely horrific American tradition of mass shootings, particularly inside of schools. If the shooting wasn't bad enough, details of the total cowardice and incompetence of the responding officers is only adding to the moral rage people are feeling about what unfolded on that day. It's not the happiest of podcasts, but we felt it was necessary for us to share some of our thoughts on what happened. We hope you get something out of this conversation but more importantly, we hope you continue to feel mad (as our buddy Nick says on this show). Our intro song is Fuck a Proud Boy by Kind Eyes [https://open.spotify.com/track/5qQ79s8gMS3PrCVYdRrZaP?si=2581285c433840d8] Our closing song is Party by Bad Bunny and Rauw Alejandro [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9XrXnfJPsk]

Going Lunar with Special Guest Q'Raun

The Young God Q'Raun [https://www.qraun.art] is back on the podcast! Q'Raun is a great friend of the pod who you guys may remember from our earlier episode (Season 2, Episode 10 [https://loosecrew.buzzsprout.com/1150400/9088295]). He is a local artist in every sense of the word; he paints, designs shirts and of course makes music. Q'Raun is set to release his latest project Lunar this upcoming weekend (5/29) and he's joining us today to tell us all about it. Q is even playing two of his songs on this very episode, days before they drop! Grab your red cup, get the headphones and get ready to enjoy some vibes on this special Memorial Day weekend episode! Q'Raun will be having a listening session this Sunday May 29th at 7pm (9003 Rhode Island Ave, College Park MD) and all are invited. We will be there as well! Our intro song is Power by Q'Raun [https://soundcloud.com/qraun-music/power?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing] The first song we played from Lunar is ATM, the second song is All Gods Bleed and the last song is Phases. You'll be able to listen to all of these songs and more when Lunar drops on May 29th Our closing song is noRegular by Q'Raun [https://soundcloud.com/qraunraps/noregular?in=qraunraps/sets/soul2&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing]

Investing and Business Talk with Elmer

We're joined on this episode by our good friend Elmer [https://www.instagram.com/rodriguez.inv/] who operates El Paraiso Restaurant [https://www.toasttab.com/elparaisorestaurant%26bakery/v3/?mode=fulfillment] in Reistertown and also invests in real estate. Elmer talks to us about running his restaurant and how he began investing in real estate. He offers very valuable practical advice for anyone who might be interested in investing, or simply making money. This episode is definitely worth a listen, so grab your beer and make sure to have a notebook and pen handy too! The intro song is Pourquoi pas by Miel de Montagne [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVe5dlpj-oY]. The closing songs are Can't Tell Me Nothing [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E58qLXBfLrs] and Flashing Lights [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAz3rnLGthg] by Kanye West.

Bukele and the Gangs

We're discussing a subject that's personal for us in this episode. Nayib Bukele is the populist President of El Salvador who enjoys wide popular approval from the Salvadoran people, but has also been consistently criticized for some of his anti-democratic actions as President. The weekend of March 26th saw the most public violence carried out by gangs since the end of the Salvadoran civil war in 1992 and President Bukele has responded with a wave of arrests and suspensions of due process protections. Javier, Doug and Jay are all of Salvadoran descent and have all watched Bukele's presidency with keen interest. We discuss the history of violence in El Salvador, the rise of the gangs, the truce negotiated in 2012, how Bukele came to power, and his response to the recent spike in violence. We also discuss Bukele's presidency in general, and to what extent we're worried about his potential for authoritarianism. Grab your drink and join us in this important discussion! The introductory song is Adentro by Calle 13 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ7mt30A6aY]. The closing songs are Linda Muchachita [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXajSWmPLPM] and Las Salvadorenas [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py1LnLz4Jzg] by Hermanos Flores The video clips used in this episode are below: * "Bukele threatens reprisals to El Salvador gangs over spike in violence" Al Jazeera English [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yapm5U7Ikus] * "Nayib Bukele a las pandillas 'No habra comida ni en las cárceles'" JPMas [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dHKizh_ohw8] The clip of the young woman describing what she thinks should be done about the gangs comes from NPR's Radio Ambulante [https://radioambulante.org] podcast. The episode is called The Truce [https://radioambulante.org/en/audio-en/the-truce] and it gives an excellent detailed account of the truce negotiated in 2012 and the fallout that came after it was reported. If you'd like to learn more about the specific subjects we covered in this episode, below are some excellent resources: * Colonel Maximiliano Hernandez Martinez [https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Maximiliano_Hernández_Mart%C3%ADnez] (article) * In the Name of the People: El Salvador's Civil War (documentary) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHO-WiiZba0] * Killed in El Salvador: An American Story (documentary and New York Times article) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E_-VwWXKLU] * Ross Kemp on Gangs: El Salvador MS13 (documentary) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwwj2Ut6c7s] * Bukele: Hero or Dictator of the Most Violent Country in the World (short video) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udPhYK3nRRE] * Nayib Bukele's interview with Al Jazeera [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYxgaAys32M] * Nayib Bukele's interview with Tucker Carlson [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pAzth4f-vs] * President Bukele: El Salvador's Authoritarian Ruler (hour-long discussion) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=437x6Hc41n4]

Our Favorite Songs with Special Guest Trish

We're joined again in this episode by special guest Trish, and we're all sharing three songs that have some special meaning to us. We experience all different ranges of emotions here so get ready for a fun one. Grab your headphones or put the volume up on your car speakers and enjoy the music! Our intro song is Subelo by Anuel AA, Mike Towers and Jhay Cortez [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4_W-R3iPJ8] Our closing songs are: 1. Lamento Boliviano by Los Enanitos Verdes [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D9rRrBtLHU] 2. Fiesta Cumbiambera by Aniceto Molina [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vPlBwvJHmQ] 3. Pa'lla Voy by Marc Anthony [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EarnVR8_Og]