The 'Total Clarity' Podcast

Ep. 41 Writers of New York - The 'Total Clarity' Podcast

We're back in Manhattan for the month of March and digging into another arts theme: writing! NYC has a rich history of literary talent living in the city and feeding off of its inspiring culture. We bop around the borough (plus one spot in BK!) to visit just a small cross section of homes where writers were either born or lived in during their lifetime, and even one rumored to be spending their afterlife!

Use of Force - Angel Alvarez

"Use of Force" is a sub-series of the podcast where we highlight one instance of police use of force in New York City over the past decade along the route we're walking for the week. The name refers to the Use of Force reports the NYPD generates each year where descriptions of these events are compiled. This week we discuss an August 2010 event involving Louis Soto (deceased) and Angel Alvarez, 23. Soto and Alvarez were involved in a late night altercation at a barbeque and guns were drawn.  Soto was killed by Alvarez; police shot Alvarez 23 times along with three civilian bystanders and a fellow officer. For more information including a mapping of lethal force in New York over the past decade, visit:  

 

https://highleyvarlet.com/posts/Use_of_Force

Ep. 40 The Loose Ends, Queens with Paul DiBenedetto - The 'Total Clarity Podcast

We're starting to see real progress on our year-long walk around New York City, as this week represents our final all-Queens marathon! This route is all about hitting areas in Queens we've missed previously, touching the Northeast (Douglaston, Little Neck, Bayside) and Southeast (Rochdale, Brookville, Springfield Gardens) corners of the borough. Joining us this week is Bayside Historical Society President and Bayside native Paul Dibenedetto. We talk the history of the Historical Society, the struggles of single family homes and NYC zoning laws, as well as how COVID has impacted Paul's work in film production. It's also been 5 weeks, so we have our latest mileage report to share!

Use of Force - Shereese Francis

"Use of Force" is a sub-series of the podcast where we highlight one instance of lethal use of force in New York City over the past decade along the route we're walking for the week. The name refers to the Use of Force reports the NYPD generates each year where descriptions of these events are compiled. This week we discuss the 2012 death of Shereese Francis, 30. Francis was suffocated to death by four NYPD officers after her family had called 311 to get her metal health assistance.  For more information including a mapping of lethal force in New York over the past decade, visit:  

 

https://highleyvarlet.com/posts/Use_of_Force

Ep. 39 Hip-Hop in Queens with Miss Mar - The 'Total Clarity' Podcast

It's our second of three music-themed walks around NYC, and this week we spanned the entire borough of Queens to visit five havens of hip-hop: Queensbridge, Corona, Jamaica, Hollis and St. Albans. We were joined for our walk through Queensbridge by the fantastic Miss Mar, a young MC with over a decade plus of music already to her name. We talk growing up in the borough, her hip-hop beginnings, the state of the music scene and her clothing company, The Cool Table NYC.   

 

**CLARIFICATION** On the topic of Kiing Shooter's death @ 46:20 - Shooter passed away due to cirrhosis and possible COVID-19 complications. Miss Mar provided the following information after the interview: “When I [Miss Mar] first heard of Kiing Shooters death, it was portrayed as if he had gotten shot but there was never no explanation as to why he got shot, simply an assumption made by several outsiders looking in; this gives the idea that, there is always rap beef in the hip-hop industry - that is so real - it leads to people losing their life. Please note, Shooter passed away due to health complications. Our deep condolences to his family always.” More info on his wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiing_Shooter

Use of Force - Edgar Owens

"Use of Force" is a sub-series of the podcast where we highlight one instance of lethal use of force in New York City over the past decade along the route we're walking for the week. The name refers to the Use of Force reports the NYPD generates each year where descriptions of these events are compiled. This week we discuss the 2012 death of Edgar Owens, 46. Owens was shot by an MTA police officer John Barnett after he stabbed Barnett in the eye with a knife.  For more information including a mapping of lethal force in New York over the past decade, visit:  

 

https://highleyvarlet.com/posts/Use_of_Force

Ep. 38 Queens Movie Locations with Frank Lin - The 'Total Clarity' Podcast

New York City has been the setting for thousands upon thousands of films over cinema's history. This week, we tackle three with strong ties to Queens - Men in Black, Goodfellas and Coming to America. Joining us to discuss the filming locations is actor, Queens native, and best accountant in New York City (our opinion) Frank Lin. We also take a deep dive into the world of taxes during the exceptional age of COVID. 

Use of Force - Brian Simonsen

"Use of Force" is a sub-series of the podcast where we highlight one instance of lethal use of force in New York City over the past decade along the route we're walking for the week. The name refers to the Use of Force reports the NYPD generates each year where descriptions of these events are compiled. This week we discuss the 2019 death of Brian Simonsen, 42. Simonsen, an NYPD detective, was killed by friendly fire while responding to a robbery call at a cell phone store.  For more information including a mapping of lethal force in New York over the past decade, visit:  

 

https://highleyvarlet.com/posts/Use_of_Force

Ep. 37 The Two Racetracks (Blizzard Edition) - The 'Total Clarity' Podcast

It was a wild week for 'Total Clarity' as we walked 5 marathons through the biggest snowfall NYC has seen in 5 years! We talk at length about what it's like to walk all day through a blizzard, plus the intended theme of the week: a visit to New York's two racetracks, Belmont and Aqueduct. 

Use of Force - Jeffrey Ragland

"Use of Force" is a sub-series of the podcast where we highlight one instance of lethal use of force in New York City over the past decade along the route we're walking for the week. The name refers to the Use of Force reports the NYPD generates each year where descriptions of these events are compiled. This week we discuss the 2014 death of Jeffrey Ragland, 50. Ragland, a former corrections officer, was shot by an off-duty corrections officer during an altercation with a mutual romantic partner.  For more information including a mapping of lethal force in New York over the past decade, visit:  

 

https://highleyvarlet.com/posts/Use_of_Force