Zoe Nightingale

Meet Morgan Moves around the creator of "bad art." I met him playing a chess game against Mopar, the wonderful wizard of East Jesus. Morgan is so lovey, bright, thoughtful and a has a degenerative eye problem that doesn't allow him to really see faces so he's dedicated his life to making real time drawings of them. He made one for me, and it was certainly charming. He has many tricks up his sleeves and a wonderful outlook on love and monogamy. Find him @morganmovesaround Don't forget to write me a review on iTunes! itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/zoe-n…id886045028?mt=2 Don't forget to join my Patreon campaign for secret episodes www.patreon.com/zoenightingale Don't forget to check out all my writing on the www.cools.com cools.com/author/zoe/ New episodes from The Iboga Wellness Center start next month and until then I have MORE Slab City for you, Hurray!!! Music: Pink Moon: Nick Drake Slab City Song: Randall from Slab City Edited by Emily Brodtman (www.emilybrodtman.com)

Gun Control is a sticky, tricky, very bad no good topic and I feel like we're up to our necks in quicksand and the NRA and special interest groups are shoveling my sand in our face as we try to dig ourselves free. I grew up with a bunch of Jews reading books, who could barely hook up a VCR to the TV if their life depended on it, let alone kill a deer, so far be it from me to understand the kind of mentality one would have to need to protect the right to personally own something that can kill. I don't like guns because I am the kind of nit wit who would accidentally remove herself from the gene pool by shooting herself, and end up looking like Goldie Hawn in Death Becomes Her. Listen, I get it, they're sexy, and they make your clit tingle just a lil bit, but that doesn't mean I think that anyone should have them. I'm not going to even toss my hat in the ring and voice my opinion more than say they scare me and I think that any kind of automatic ANYTHING should be off the market and carry heavy penalities in a

Welcome to the Slab City Library and The Goonies Farm! All run with love and donation and sheer ingenuity by people who are fed up of trying to fit into society's whims. It's incredible to see how people can organize and create when left to their own devices. I'll let them speak for themselves but I must tell you the people who created these safe spaces are very special and the main thing I took away from it was the desire to want to learn how to grow my own food, it's insane how removed we all from the processes involved to grow things we put inside of our bodies. Don't forget to write me a review on iTunes! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/zoe-nightingale/id886045028?mt=2 Don't forget to join my Patreon campaign for secret episodes https://www.patreon.com/zoenightingale Don't forget to check out all my writing on the www.cools.com https://cools.com/author/zoe/ Don't forget to check out The Goonies Facebook page/amazon wish list https://www.facebook.com/sustainablelivingoffgridd/ Don't forget to check out

I met this wonderful wizard wandering around the art collection of East Jesus in Slab City. This place in bananas. There's huge climbing sculptures that have boxes of free weed at the top, kinetic moving art everywhere built out of old disposed metal and plastic of every day human use. It's fucking awesome. Mopar was hanging out playing chess and drinking red wine in a goblet smoking weed out of an actual Sherlock Holmes pipe. HE IS SO COOL. The brightest blue eyes, and one of the most expressive faces I have ever had the pleasure of talking too. I love Slab City, it's full of men like him who have a heart of gold and stories until the cows come home. The main message I got here was 1. Everything is an illusion 2. We are all connected beings 3. Why would you slave your life away working to own things that provide you no pleasure? Either way go pay Mopar a visit, and tell him Zoe sent you and get one of his hugs, he hugs you inside and out. Song: Bittersweet Symphony the Verve Edited by Emily Brodtman PATREON!

So...how did I end up in Slab City...? Well..it's a long story. But the short version is a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to go to an anarchy festival next door to a meth head campground where people would be exploding home made bombs and setting cars on fire and I said....maybe? But my curiosity about Slab City had started years ago because let me just give you a brief description of what it is. Slab City is a plot of land that is still technically up for grabs out in the middle of nowhere 3 hours past Indio (Coachella) in California. Travelers, veterans, retirees, anarchists, transgenders, renegades from the law, meth heads, artists, counter culture champions, musicians, families, anyone and everyone can be found here in this tiny little oasis in the desert. There is no plumbing, electricity, mail, police, or taxes. It's a perfect little ecosystem of what can happen when humans are left to organize themselves from scratch and find ways to live in Harmony with nature while having their basic food, shelt

So concludes my time at Mid West Fur Confurence 2017. I want to say a huge thank you to KP and Corey who are featured in this podcast, they are the main organizers (volunteer) and have been in the business of fandom for over 20 years. The main thing I learned from here is that when you have community, you are happy. When you have childish laughter in your heart, you are happy. When you don't take yourself too seriously, life is better. I send you so much love through the invisible airwaves this valentines day, wherever you are remember that all you need to do is love yourself and everyone else will follow suit. People come and they go, but if you really know that who you are is full of love and is constantly striving to learn more and to be a better version of yourself then fuck cupid. HAPPY VALENTINES DAY BABIES! Love Zoe Your eternal valentine Edited by Emily Brodtman www.emilybrodtman.com music: sat morning cartoons by Emily Brodtman Exit - Sing Out - Cat Stevens find all my articles https://cools.com/sing

Episode 3 is here! Today we go inside the mysterious world of the Dealers Den, where anything and everything to do with fandom can be purchased. From laminated personalized name tags, to full on fur suits to tails and ears and noses and ears and shoes and anything your little heart could desire. Something you should know: SPH - specially placed hole, this is what people in the fandom call the holes they have built into their suits so they can get jiggy with one another. Enjoy everyone! Stay warm Edited by Emily Brodtman Check out all my writing at the www.cools.com https://cools.com/sex-trends-2018/ Don't forget to leave me a review on iTunes! Don't forget you can contribute to the costs of making this show at my Patreon campaign! Find the hoof shoes at @choascostumes Find ugly puppy: @ugly_puppy Find Lemon Brat: www.lemonbrat.com @lemonbrat Find PocketWolf @pocketwolfsuits

Next up we meet Orion, a wonderful 20 year old EMT who was at the midwest Fur Con with his Maker. He is a Sergal, a blended dragon character who is dopey, loving and a little like Pepe le peu. Enjoy! Music: Fantasy Mariah Carey Wanna Be - Michael Jackson Edited by: Emily Brodtman

Welcome to the wonderful world of furry fandom, a magical world where everyone looks like some version of your favorite cartoon character and you can be literally anything, or anyone you want to be. Now, I know some of you may not understand this world, and neither really do I, but it doesn't matter because its just another way for people in this world to connect, find love, find friends, and express their creativity. It's not about sex, it's not lunatics who think that they actually are a dragon, it's people who have found a "fursona" that allows them to access parts of their personality that they otherwise wouldn't have been able to. I have ALOT of interviews, and I'm excited to roll these out for you week by week, as always I'll be posting around Thursday/Friday every week, and I hope you are as excited as I am to open the door to this hidden world. Music: The Puppy Song Atomic Dog - George Clinton Born to be Wild - Stephen Wolf Edited by Emily Brodtman - www.emilybrodtman.com I have a new job at the cools

I met Caleb when he was panhandling outside 711, and I was walking my friends brand new black lab puppy (SO FUCKING CUTE) and I caught a bit of his giant blue saucer eyes beneath his hoodie and I just wanted to adopt him. Young, funny, quick, sly he's just great. I spent awhile with him, bought him a pack of cigs and gave him my card if he was ever in trouble...randomly two days later I was walking down the street and who do I see but young Caleb sitting on 6th ave trying to collect enough coin to buy a small bag of weed. What happened next is going to be an on going series where I try to get this beautiful human back on some semblance of a life track or at least find him a warm place to get high in. Winter time in NYC is brutal, and no matter how much money you have, you can be giving more, that can be clothes, time, money, food, or just eye contact and respect. There is no reason that with the insane amount of wealth floating around this great city that anyone should have to sleep on the street. Also I have

Back to basics, back to where I belong. In a broke down NJ poorly lit convention center surrounded by Porn Stars and the people who love them, and the last frontier for DVD sales. I don't know why I love places like this so much. It's full of such wonderfully weird people, and no one gives a FUCK. There is a freedom, and a overt grime that allows everyone there to relax. The moment you step inside those doors everyone is on the same playing field. Everyone's like yeah, I'm a pervert, I admit it, and so are you so let's have a great time. The thing that always gets me is the insane amount of money that is being tossed around this industry. People are making serious money, and in super creative ways. Ok, so maybe someone is going to be able to see the inside of your small intestine...but every job has it's ups and downs. I met a ton of fascinating people, and I'm going to be doing longer interviews with a Instagram influencers (1.2 million followers!!) named "lethal lips" who is famous for being one of the only

It's day 7 and I have gone to the Burning Man Lost and Found in search of my phone which I lost day 1 (duh)and I have gone to find it. This was my very first time there and I must tell you it was one of the most pleasant and organized experiences I have ever had in my actual life anywhere. I had the very best time asking people WHAT they had lost and WHERE ..somebody lost a JET PACK. I am not joking. It was just hilarious. So I was waiting in line for literally forever and was still coming down off a massive night of mushrooms and pirate ships and dance floor battles and didn't notice when a dog the bounty hunter lookin dude covered in tats with a bleach blonde hair had a tiny tea cup long haired black and brown Chihauhua sticking out of his murse. Now, this would normally not bring about such an intense reaction from me, but I have NEVER seen anything living from nature there except for one misfortunate insident with a rouge bird and one single bumble bee all which caused great confusion and wonderment for e

It's the last day of Burning Man and I am wandering through the skeletal remains of the Robot Heart graveyard. The sun has just come up, and the sky is an orgy of orange. As I stare and wonder about the wasted potential of this generation and watch drug fueled men chase beautiful costume queen Instagram addicts, I feel two very large hands on my bear chest. I look to find the source of the foreign intruder and it belongs the glowing Cherub like face of Miles Matthewson. A man so full of the kind of innocent silly positive energy that you instantly sort of fall in love with his lackadaisical carefree white privilege. I met him wearing a panda onesie wandering the furthest outreaches of deep playa and in order to not become another extinct bear I have zipped it down all the way to my cervix (exposing my bear chest) So there I was winding my own business for ONCE and was stopped by this Adonis like man and his super cool east London girlfriend (she wasn't even dressed up she was in like cool brunch clothes and o

It's day 8 of the Burn. I have lost everything and everyone on purpose for I decided last minute to let my grumpy, drained, bedraggled, rag tag team of core friends drive off without me, so I could watch for the Temple burn for first time in 7 years. So I sent them home(with their faces that looked like a cats asshole) with all my Lisa frank colored belongings (beside a minions covered toothbrush, a small bottle of coconut oil and my microphones)and ventured out alone into the desert to see what else the universe could throw at my sleepy face. I ended up meeting two amazing men who were Temple Guardians. Which means they are men who guard the temple to make sure that it's safe for everyone especially during it's burn. I got a chance to talk to them about a really bizarre surreal thing that had happened the day before, which was someone ran head first into the fire as the Man burned on Saturday night. Burning man is dangerous, it's physically brutal and an emotional roller coaster. Most years someone either ge

Three years ago I brought my entire family to Burning Man. Everyone thought I was crazy. Why would you bring your family to the one place where you're supposed to be free of all your "default" worlds staples...So what happens when you take 5 east coast super jews whose idea of camping includes 4,000 Egyptian sateen blend sheets and a penchant for obsessing over food, logistics, weather and being on time and leave them helpless to fend for themselves in a desert populated with 70,000 insane asylum escapees with only ME as their way finder? MAGIC BABY. I have been plotting for this moment basically my whole life. I have always been different, always been the fly in my families ointment. While they love me, they’ve never really understood what the deviled egg I was ever wearing, saying, doing. My resistance to getting a “real job” my failure to get a masters. My insistence on spending my life traveling like dandelion spore in the wind. While they have always supported me, they have always questioned me, rolled t

Transgender issues are something I don't take lightly and try to approach with as much love and understanding as I have in my body. I cannot imagine the bravery it would take to stand up for the gender you know you are but do not match physically and hormonally. There are over 700,000 people who identify as transgender in the U.S and as people feel more support from the culture at large that number grows and grows. This is the first person I have ever interviewed on this subject but it's one I've always been fascinated with and am going to keep exploring. What makes up gender. Who decides what constitutes masculine and feminine. Why do we have such rigid and defined ideas of what people should look like and why does it bother people so much when people confront those definitions with their own new blended ones? For some reason when I think about this, it makes me imagine goddess's in their celestial kitchen, whipping up new humans and breathing little soul balls into babies and getting distracted by a unicorn

I just love old dudes at the burn. They always have one weird accessory, some kind of military jacket, hiking boots and a shit eating grin on their face. I found this lovely, beautiful man waiting to get his photo taken by my mothers BOYFRIEND. Yes. My mother has a boyfriend, and they met online (common interest, burning man) and then had their first date on PLAYA. I mean come on. He has his on golf cart. I love him. Nick King, or the Soul Doctor, has been taking photos at center camp for the last 7 years. He always has a line waiting to have their photo taken so I posted up with my mom and stuck my microphone to the next up in line and this is what I found! A simply lovely, 80 year old retired Ranger (not BS burning man ranger, i mean knife in teeth, gilly suit ranger) who had been a land mine installer in three round of Vietnam. Heavy stuff. I'll let him speak for himself, but this man had the most jovial voice and a twinkle in his eye. If he can do it, so can you. No more excuses everyone. Come see for you

Burning man episodes start now! First up the minds behind Big Imagination try to explain to me why they thought it was a good idea to chop up a giant 1977 air bus, and close down roads from the Mohave Desert to Black Rock city...so they could put half the cock pit of a plane on the ground. The thing is so massive, so heavy, so unimaginably large...and I know most things at the burn are just for the fuck of it, but never has it been this expensive, and this much of an undertaking with such medium results. I would rather them bring a 747 sized black rubber cock down the road. Who wants to be in a plane? I hate being in planes. I'll tell you what's an impressive art car. It's a giant purple and pink piñata, built on a fucking crane, that has lollipops that rise up out of it's belly with a platform disco ball candy dance floor. It cost 20k all in. But I wanted to put my judgements away and give them a chance to explain to me exactly what kind of Peyote they must have been smoking when they decided...hey! I know,

I love Rennaissance festivals. Why? Because it's full of people who usually are hiding behind a 4chan handle or on Reddit chat threads arguing about whether the Hobbit is a better movie than Starwars. It's just fabulous. People are happy, full of turkey legs, and have a commitment to costuming and role playing that I admire. It's probably my 11 years of circus/theatre camp and my years of playing Dungeons and Dragons that allows me to to blend seamlessly with these kind of people. It's neat. It's a wonderful escape from the actual reality of the 4 headless horsemen who are disguised as Hurricanes, earthquakes and orange man babies. This episode won't really teach you anything new, but it will maybe remind you that behind any facade, there is a heart that is searching to connect with the world around it. We are all in this together, we all just use different tools to shield us from the world. Edited by Emily Brodtman

I learn something new about my family every time we have dinner. The question of nature vs. nurture is always buzzing around my head anytime i'm with home because growing up I always felt like I was the fly in their ointment, But with age I have had the pleasure of being able to see how not only am I their genetic copy but how deep the connective tissue is that ties us together. This year has been a series of brutally challenging lessons for me. I lost two people who I felt were the building blocks of my life. People I loved with every cell of my body. To say I've struggled with accepting this, would be an understatement. I am at my core a little hermit crab (who hates finding a new shell) and when it comes to the people and things I love, I just want to grab them and pull them into my shell and keep them there with me forever, even if we've both outgrown it. The struggle has been real and after this burning man I felt like that fire engine haired girl in Run Lola Run...like i'd been sprinting my entire life