November 7, 2024 • 42 mins
Step right into the thrilling world of magic and drama! Join us as we get up close with the captivating Gabriella Lester, a magician and fire-eating stuntwoman whose daring acts will leave you on the edge of your seat. Inspired by legends like Houdini and David Blaine, Gabriella shares her electrifying journey from Vancouver to the iconic Magic Castle in Los Angeles. Discover how her teenage dream of performing from a crane became a reality and what it’s like to be part of the supportive and enchanting magic community.
As the eve of a pivotal election approaches, we share the collective anticipation and gratitude for the tireless volunteers, especially those supporting Kamala Harris. Reflect on the powerful impact of Michelle Obama’s recent speech, and explore the influence of Gen Z voters who are reshaping the political landscape with their resilience and determination. In these uncertain times, the importance of unity and community becomes ever more pressing, and we examine the broader themes that underscore our political discourse.
We then switch gears to our animal rescue segment with the touching tale of Peanut the squirrel and the advocacy for Peanuts Law, aimed at safeguarding sanctuary animals. Dive into quirky news with our "two scams and a slap" segment, where truth and fiction blend seamlessly in outrageous scenarios. From tales of rescued pups to bizarre headlines, this episode is a delightful mix of magic, politics, and compassion that inspires listeners to engage and take action in their communities.
AMAZON
Compassion Kind
PATREON
SLAP the Power is written and produced by Rick Barrio Dill (@rickbarriodill) and Aja Nikiya (@compassioncurator). Associate Producer Bri Coorey (@bri_beats). Audio and Video engineering and studio facilities provided by SLAP Studios LA (@SLAPStudiosLA) with distribution through our collective home for progress in art and media, SLAP the Network (@SLAPtheNetwork).
If you have ideas for a show you want to hear or see, or you would like to be a featured guest artist on our show, please email us at info@slapthepower.com
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The crane was a wicked experience.
It was part of my goal when Iwas 14, I think, and I had drawn
sketches of wanting to do itfrom a crane and it was all
liability.
You're a minor.
I wanted to set myself on fire,like you shouldn't do that.
And then I got the opportunityfrom a small company.
They had had some bigexhibition on Vancouver Island,
just a part of town where theycould let things like this slide
(00:20):
, and I was like perfect, I'llbring my my rigors, I'll make
sure it's safe.
Speaker 4 (00:23):
Pray it's safe and we made it happen all right, the
world may not need anotherpodcast, but it can definitely
(00:46):
use a slap.
Welcome to Slap to Power, theshow that crosses artists who
use their powers for progress.
I'm Rick Barriodil.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
And I'm Asia Nakia.
Speaker 4 (00:55):
On the show today.
Artistry and magic are in theair here at Slap Studios as we
hit the eve of the mostimportant election of our
lifetimes.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
And then we have our interview today with none other
than Gabriella Lester.
She is a magician, afire-eating stuntwoman,
modern-day Houdini.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
We hit our new animal rescue segment, pause for
Progress, where we talk aboutthe tragic loss of Peanut the
squirrel and a new law in hishonor to protect sanctuary
animals.
Peanut the squirrel and a newlaw in his honor to protect
sanctuary animals Peanuts Law.
Humane Animal Protection Act andthen, after that, we have some
adoptable pups from some of ourlatest rescues here in the Los
(01:35):
Angeles area.
And, a little later, two scamsand a slap where we take three
crazy batshit events, two ofwhich are fake, but one is real,
and one of the two of us learnin real time with you, the
listener, which one is a trueslap in the face of reality.
All right, but first we'reproud to report the Kamala
Harris volunteer office hereright next door Last Friday, the
Friday before that, the Fridaybefore that, and we are on the
(01:56):
eve of the election here tonight, or election day here, but
we're proud to report thatthey've done over a hundred
thousand door knocks everyweekend, and 30% of that is from
California.
So, uh, when everyone ishearing this episode, it'll be
hopefully after the election onWednesday.
Uh, we're obviously hoping forgood news, but we're also
(02:17):
speaking to our future selves.
So, uh, in that we say, uh, nomatter what happens, uh, there's
going to need to be somecollective therapy.
So love yourself and someoneelse, as we always say, and make
sure to take care of each other.
And, yes, stay safe out there.
Okay, so it is the eve and howare you feeling?
(02:38):
Asia, I mean the most importantof our, the most important
election of our lifetime.
Right here is finally the nightbefore.
How are you feeling?
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Yeah, I mean, I don't even know how to describe how I
feel right now.
I'm nervous and I'm anxious.
I'm excited.
I'm working on my mass exodusfrom the United States, if I
need to.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
There's just a lot going on in my head right now.
Yeah, it's like on one level itis extreme for a lot of people
that say, oh well, he was inoffice for four years and, you
know, nothing bad happenedexcept for trying to overthrow
the government.
No, I don't want to jinxanything, so I'm not, you know,
I that that's where I'm prepared.
(03:20):
I'm with you.
I'm just preparing for thereality of.
I think everybody's tired ofthe noise and I think it's kind
of feeling like that level ofnoise has.
I think the dam is broken.
I feel like Michelle Obama'sspeech putting the human, female
, woman everything Americanexperience, woman, everything
(03:46):
american experience on how takemy body and you know, and
seriously, and I feel like thatresonated in a way that kamala
unfortunately cannot do.
She can't, she has to be, shehas to be tough in a man's world
prime, you know so, and aprosecutor, and no matter what
they're gonna, they're gonnadinginger for a lot of things.
But I think the human elementkind of happened where it did
(04:10):
break through, at least to me itfelt like that.
And the tony hinchcliffe sect,which again, even elongating
that we talked about it on thelast episode um, shout out to
tony hinchcliffe.
I'm a fan of roast comedy andwe were like, you know, it was
just juxtaposed over, I think,at a time you know where it was
like he was just doing his set,right, you know, and to some
(04:32):
degree Right, but it only itwasn't a set anymore.
But I do think that had aprofound effect on the dam
breaking, just even on the evebefore.
So we'll see how it turns out.
I also think, you know, we'regonna, we're gonna stay as sort
of current and live as we can onthe socials, on our social
media channels and things likethat, which is awesome, um, and
(04:55):
it's you know, there's a goodchance.
We're not gonna know, you know,tomorrow night, so even on
wednesday, when this comes out,uh, you may not know the
listener, but again, um, youknow, be be kind.
I think one of the things thatwe've realized from this whole
experience having the harrisoffice next door we talked about
this is is that, uh, no matterwhat happens, there's gonna,
(05:17):
we're gonna need to cometogether and have you know and
and there's a lot of kick-assRepublicans that have helped,
will have helped put Kamala inoffice, and I think that that is
awesome, like when she says Iwill give you a seat at the
table, then that means, I think,everybody, there's some therapy
that needs to go on, becausethere's a whole MAGA faction
(05:39):
that has no concept that hecould lose unless it was rigged.
But there's a ton of saneRepublicans that are tired of
the noise and I'd love to beable to have a conversation with
them, and so that's part of oneof the other pods that we're
working on secret classifiedproject.
(06:01):
But we're working on anotherone with a, with a, uh, massive,
massive producer on just thatside of things, on the on the we
we dare walk, you know, on therepublican side, because, it's
funny, I got dinged over theweekend.
I did, I did a post about thisand, uh, I think the rap that I
(06:21):
give is always towardsrepublican lawmakers, republican
voters, I think are, arethere's a lot if we I think
there's a lot of the ones thatdid vote for kamala are the ones
that are like, no, I could.
This is, you know, fascism is abit too far, taking a woman's
reproductive rights a bit toofar, that I feel like there's a.
There's this therapy that needsto happen after, no matter what
(06:44):
happens with this election, andwe, we've got a, you know, we
got the holidays certifications,electoral certifications.
You know, december 11th, Ithink, is one, and then, of
course, january 6th, but January3rd is the new Congress and
let's again well, let's hope foruh hakeem jeffries as a speaker
(07:07):
, so that we know, uh, we'regoing to certify the election,
because that's the other thing.
The plan is to not have itcertified right right.
And then yet gen z has showed upso many times there was a.
There was I think it was ahashtag that was started.
I saw it yesterday where it wasthis was awesome.
(07:27):
I saw it yesterday where theywere like Trump is losing in
Pennsylvania and, uh, that thetrend was.
Or they were saying that therewas election subversion, that's
what it was.
They were saying that there waselection interference in
Philadelphia real heavy, just Imean.
Interference in philadelphiareal heavy, just I mean and
(07:47):
beaten on that.
And the trend started that hemust be losing hashtag.
He must be losing, and I almostfeel like I want to believe we
live in a world where that isnot a joke if hashtags were ever
real.
Yeah, this should be the onelosing that's why they're
claiming voter fraud, right,because, uh, although they claim
(08:08):
voter fraud when they win too,which is really odd.
But anyway, I, I do, um, youknow, so I appreciate.
I appreciate the opportunitythat we've had, you know, to uh,
be next to the energy and thestories and the reasons that
people are taking their voteseriously, and so you know it's
(08:28):
been a true privilege.
No matter what happens, it'sbeen really awesome having them
next door.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
No, absolutely, and I mean either way.
You know we need a way forward,which I think we're all going
to have to support each other inone way or another, you know,
no matter how this turns out.
So I am very glad we got tomeet and be around such positive
energy, I mean such lights andyou know that'll continue no
matter what.
(08:52):
You know, whatever happens, weall still have to stick together
and move forward in some way.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
We're still here, Hallelujah, and you know, one of
the things that helps with thatis uh uh, dogs, or, yes, you
know one might say, paws allover you.
So uh yeah, it's a.
You like that how you see itall right so I look forward to
this in the show outlines.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
This week's a big one , so yeah, this one, this is a
big one.
So you know, recently, uh, wehad a megaar animal on social
media named Peanut.
He was a squirrel in New York,had a very loving family living
in a sanctuary with a buddynamed Fred, a little raccoon
(09:37):
friend, lovely couple that youknow basically rescued these
animals.
That basically rescued theseanimals and unfortunately, the
DEC of New York came in in afull raid as if they were doing
a drug bust, spent who knows howmany dollars of taxpayers'
money to go and raid this home,confiscate the animals and
(10:00):
during this confiscation processsomebody gets bit by peanut the
squirrel, which makes a lot ofsense.
I mean, I would have bit themtoo if I was peanut the squirrel
, yeah, um, but while while thisis, all happening yeah, I mean
as a human being I probablywould have bit them.
um, so they took them and theyeuthanized both animals because
(10:24):
of this bite, because they saidthat the only way that they
could test for rabies was toeuthanize the animals.
Now, this is problematic in somany different ways.
Number one we haven't had asquirrel with rabies since, I
believe, 1971.
Like, I mean, this is not athing you know we have other,
cruelty for cruelty, like I mean.
Speaker 4 (10:44):
This is not a thing.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
You know we have other cruelty, yeah, we.
We have other animals that are,you know, um carrying rabies,
but squirrels are not at the topof that list.
I promise you that.
So number one, that'sproblematic.
Number two, I mean, even if theanimal was rabid, we have a
quarantine process in place.
This is what we do at our localshelters.
We do it in sanctuaries.
All the time there's a holdingperiod.
(11:07):
Rabies symptoms are veryobvious.
You know when an animal israbid, I mean it's not difficult
.
They could have handled this ina much different approach,
where they actually held on tothe animal to see if they were
actually rabid.
If they made it past their 10to 14 day quarantine period no
(11:27):
symptoms, they go back home totheir sanctuary and live the
rest of their lives.
So this was just a devastatingblow to anybody that was
following Peanut the Squirrel.
I mean hundreds of thousands offollowers, I mean 700,000, I
think.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
Yeah, because it's the system, you know, it's the
system performing animal crueltyon itself, which is yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
And by the department of environmental conservation.
I mean, it's just, but theseare the same things we run into
every time and you know, and Ithink it had a lot to do with
making an example out of thesefolks, and I think there's this
deeply rooted animosity towardswhen we're showing a nuisance
(12:11):
animal or we're publicizing ormaking these rodents or these
animals that might not be at thetop of our we love dogs chain.
So I think it was justunbelievably cruel to do this.
Speaker 4 (12:27):
Squirrels got personality.
I feel like Samuel Jackson laiddown the law in Pulp Fiction on
the rule Squirrels gotpersonality, raccoons got
personality.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
And you see it in their videos.
A hundred percent.
Speaker 4 (12:40):
You showed it to me and I was like that is a, like
you said, it's a sentient beingand look, I get it.
It's easy to be callous, youknow, and it's all.
What does it care about asquirrel?
But this is why I think there'sso much.
I think this is why so manypeople are coming together is
because, no, no, no, no, thehumanity that's come on, that's
(13:08):
a basic part of what it's knowand our humanity on not being
you know inhumane right toanimals, yeah, and.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
And where do we stop, you know, like where?
What gives us the right to takea life so easily without a
proper protocol?
Speaker 4 (13:16):
they were raiding this house and they were just.
They were just doing it becausethey were pissed off, and a lot
of these people that are sortof over militarized and things
like that are people that need alot of therapy.
You know themselves, yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
And I mean.
I always hate to use the Karenyou know name and comment here,
but I'm going to because it wasa call in from a woman that has
a literal Instagram handle thatsays I hate squirrels.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
That has a literal Instagram handle that says I
hate squirrels.
I mean in what psychotic world.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Do you have time?
To have a complete Instagramhandle.
Against hating an animal thatdoes nothing but play in parks
and plant seeds that help NewYork stay green and help you
breathe fresh air.
It's like I struggle with that.
Speaker 4 (14:03):
Now, this is the cool thing, too is this is why we
wanted to put it in in thesegment as well is people are
doing something about this.
Yes, they are doing something.
They are moving the needle onthis, and so tell our listeners
what that is yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
so you know as tragic as this is, and you know the
world is devastated aboutPeanuts' loss, but the one piece
of good news out of this isthat they've enacted a new law
called Peanuts' Law and it'sbasically a humane law to help
protect these sanctuary animalsand also to put more
(14:37):
stipulations in place If thereis some thought that there is a
rabid animal or someone gets bit.
They are saying to have athree-day waiting period before
they euthanize.
Three days is it the best?
No, but it's something.
It's moving the needle in adirection that's positive and
also adding in extra layers ofprotection for sanctuary animals
(15:00):
.
So we've got Peanuts Law.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
And then was there a.
Was there a?
There was a fundraiser ortrying to get to a, oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
Huge, huge fundraiser going on now, which I'm
assuming is going towards thisnew law and also towards the
sanctuary.
Um, I mean, people are peopleare really rallying for this.
How can people find it?
We'll have peanuts handle inhere.
If you are interested inhelping with the fundraising and
spreading the word, yeah, um,and it's not just about peanut,
it's about how we respect andcare for animals and how we
(15:32):
decide when we can take a life.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
I mean, it's just all those people that have been
getting involved and reallyalmost have peanut.
I think it's two-thirds of theway towards their fundraising
goals.
So, uh, yeah, you talk aboutartistry and magic.
Um, that's it right there.
So, and on artistry and magic,coming up after the break, a
real live magician in slabstudios, gabriella lester.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
We are so stoked to have her here coming up gambling
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I'm Norman Chad.
I know gambling.
I've played blackjack and poker.
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(16:17):
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Speaker 4 (16:32):
All right joining us for the interview today.
We are honored to have in thestudio Gabriella Lester,
magician.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
Yes, Hi, thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 4 (16:42):
Yes, yes, yes.
Now, how long have you been inLA?
Speaker 1 (16:45):
A couple months.
Speaker 4 (16:46):
Fresh off the boat, fresh, fresh.
First of all, I think magickeeps you at the root of what
joy and young you know.
I think in a lot of ways, butI've always been blown away by
the sort of folklore and thelegend of Houdini and David
Blaine.
You see them do these bigthings.
But we have Magic Castle here.
(17:07):
And when Asia was pitching theidea for you for the interview,
I was like well, ask her if shehas been to the Magic Castle and
Asia was like oh yeah, she'sdone it three times and I was
like oh shit all right, let'stalk let's talk.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Let's talk like because she is legit.
Speaker 4 (17:24):
Yeah, that's great yeah so, and to be fresh off the
boat and to have done that, sotell, tell us about how your uh
experience has been your andwhere you're from.
You're from vancouver, but andyou've been here three months it
was it via Vancouver or wereyou somewhere before here?
Speaker 1 (17:39):
Yeah, that came directly from Vancouver.
I was born in South Africa, butI spent the majority of my life
in Vancouver, and now I'm here.
Speaker 4 (17:46):
Nice, nice, nice.
And is it magic thatspecifically brought you here?
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Yes, yeah, for the most part.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
Is it the magic castle?
Is that one of the things Imean most part?
Is it the magic castle?
Is that one of the things Imean.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
It's got to be right for my little kid heart.
I think the castle plays a bigrole in that.
I mean right now I live acrossthe street.
I can see the castle.
I did too for a while I livelike right next door to the.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
We live next to the castle and just just walking by
it on any night, you're likecome on man coolest building
yeah, now are there as manysecret stuff like inside there,
because I know as soon as you,in order to get in.
For those that don't know, theMagic Castle, tell them.
Tell them what the Magic Castleis.
You're a magician.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
Tell them what the Magic Castle is, sure, yeah,
selling pitch.
The Magic Castle it's an oldbuilding.
It was built in around the1900s and it's been family-run,
essentially, and it's aninvite-only, exclusive club for
the greatest magicians in theworld and it is Disneyland for
adults, basically.
Speaker 4 (18:37):
Yeah, when you walk in I don't want to do any kind
of spoiler alerts or something,but the whole place feels like
it's got hidden stuff.
And then from the folklore,like reading about it on how
there's stuff underneath,there's all these what do you
call them?
The blueprints of some of thegreatest tricks and stuff like
(18:59):
that.
What is what was your?
How did you get into there?
Because you have to be invited,and were you pitching them?
Or how did you?
Yeah, how did that happen?
Speaker 1 (19:07):
Yeah, I'm really fortunate in that sense the
castle was, as a kid, like abucket list goal of oh, I want
to visit this place.
One day it's a dream.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
Yeah, it's amazing to just visit.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
And fortunately for me, I performed there first
before ever visiting.
Speaker 4 (19:21):
But I was what room.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
The palace, the main stage.
Speaker 4 (19:28):
Okay, what else?
Speaker 1 (19:29):
I was 17 the first time I performed there, and it's
21 and over, so I couldn'tleave the backstage stage area.
So my first couple of weeks atthe castle was all backstage.
I didn't see the building forlike another year.
So my only introduction to thecastle was being backstage,
being on stage, going backstage,being on stage and leaving, and
then it took a few months or acouple of years before they're
(19:50):
like, okay, just let her roam.
So I did it all in reverse.
Speaker 4 (19:54):
That's amazing, though Now by letter Rome.
Um, so I did it all in reverse.
That's amazing, though now, bybeing backstage, did you and I?
Speaker 3 (20:01):
apologize, asia, I know how excited.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
You know he's very excited about the magic castle.
Magic castle makes me happy,your best life yeah, no, it is,
it is.
It's amazing like, like, likeyou, everywhere you go in it, uh
, you know you get a differentroom and you get.
You just get different types ofmagic, magic slide of hand,
like the full-on kind of thing.
But did you, by being backstageand everything, were you sort
(20:25):
of just absorbing by osmosis, ordid you have specific goals?
Or were they hiding, were theyblocking stuff off?
Like, are people veryprotective with their?
I mean, I would imagine, withtheir tricks and stuff like that
inside the industry we'repretty open, I think it's kind
of the only way to learn, andthe magic industry is very much
one degree of separation.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
Everyone knows everyone and within that realm
it's a, it's like in a hugeextended family, so most people
are collaborating and sharingand backstage at the castles, a
group of the best magicians inthe world all collaborating and
talking and sharing, and mostpeople have been very gracious
and taking me under their wingor sharing things with me, and
I've grown up in the industry,so it's like having a a bunch of
dads that's amazing.
(21:04):
That's so cool and a few weirduncles.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
But yeah, yeah, well, definitely, yeah, there's.
There's the odd uncles out inthe hallway doing the sleight of
hand and telling you yourbirthday.
Now, when you were a kid, didyou always want to be a magician
?
Speaker 1 (21:22):
Yeah, I decided probably at 10 or 11.
I had a lot of passions andhobbies as a kid and I just knew
early on that whatever I wantedto do, I wanted to do to the
fullest extent.
So when I found magic and itbecame something I couldn't let
(21:42):
go, I just was like, well, thisis my life now, and I haven't
stopped since.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
What is your claim to fame?
Current trick?
Probably the upside downstraitjacket escape.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
I was definitely going to ask about that.
Yeah, so it's the Harry Houdiniupside down suspended
straitjacket escape.
So essentially, I'm in astraitjacket, I get suspended
upside down, and I've done it intheaters, and then I just
recently did it from a crane atabout 100 feet or so.
Speaker 4 (21:58):
Amazing.
Do you have to get insurancefor the crane or what is?
Speaker 1 (22:03):
I should have how does this go down?
Speaker 4 (22:05):
It's a different question how does this go down?
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Yeah, the crane was a wicked experience.
It was part of my goal when Iwas.
I did it first at 14, I thinkand I had drawn sketches of
wanting to do it from a craneand it was all liability.
You're a miner.
I wanted to set myself on fire.
You shouldn't do that.
Maybe be an adult first.
And then I got the opportunityfrom a small company that had
(22:28):
some big exhibition on VancouverIsland and it was just a part
of town where they could letthings like this slide, and I
was like perfect, I'll bring myriggers.
Speaker 4 (22:41):
I'll make sure it's safe.
Pray, it's safe and we made ithappen.
Wow, that's cool.
That's cool.
Now I presume you're working onyour next masterpiece or a
group of masterpieces.
Is there anything that you cankind of like?
What's what gives you the mostexcitement now, off of, say, a
project that you're creating ora new trick that you're creating
or working on?
Speaker 1 (22:57):
yeah, I think I'm at an interesting point now where
I've, you know, the straightjackets a harry houdini thing
and some of the other effectsI've done are, you know, were
created by some of the greatestperformers in the industry, and
I'm at a point now where I'mtrying to develop the things
that are my gabriella lester,this or that.
So, and the greatest thing withmagic is, you can make anything
possible.
So now I'm just going what'sthe most impossible thing in the
world that I can do and findinga way to make it possible.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
What is the most impossible thing in the world?
Can we just?
Speaker 2 (23:24):
coin it.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
I'm just taking that that's your first.
Maybe it's not your first bestquote, but that one should be
somewhere.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
It should be somewhere.
Speaker 3 (23:33):
I absolutely love that, and I'm just so fast.
Okay, so I'm now, I'm gonnageek out, it's my turn.
So I am just fascinated by youknow, Houdini.
And I mean, where?
Let's backtrack to theinspiration on Houdini for a
minute.
What, what compelled you towant to sort of either follow in
(23:55):
that footstep or become, youknow, a female Houdini?
I mean, what inspired you?
How did you get there?
Speaker 1 (24:03):
Yeah, I mean, one of my favorite things about magic
is the history of magic and as akid I was a total nerd for that
and I knew, you know, to createthis person that I wanted to be
, to create this big characterin the magic industry, I'd
really have to study the historyto see what worked, and Houdini
was one of the best at doingthat.
He was a businessman and aperformer and could strategize
(24:23):
and everything about him was thetotal package and that's what
led him to get to where he was.
So I fell in love with Houdiniat an early age and I just knew
that I had to try and integratewhat he did somehow and just
take the job.
You know, I was a kid doing cartricks, essentially before that
, and I got asked around 13.
My school was.
What happened was my school wasconnected with a fundraiser and
(24:45):
they're like hey, we're doingthis fundraiser for children in
developing countries with severe, acute malnutrition.
We'd like, if you could performand tell the story and maybe do
a cute little car trick or asponge ball routine or something
, and we'd like to showcase you.
And I went you know what, whatif I did this thing?
And I was sitting in thekitchen with my mom.
As a 13-year-old, I'd be likeMom, I'm going to hang upside
down in a straightjacket.
(25:06):
And she's like, yeah, no,you're not, and it started from
nothing.
I went to the playground andhung upside down on monkey bars
at first and then got into acircus gym and then just kept
kind of building my way up untilthe performance day.
But it really was somethingfrom nothing.
And now we're here.
Speaker 3 (25:27):
There's just something like so poetic to me
about getting yourself untangledand you know out of this
situation in such a quick.
There's something metaphoricabout it.
Speaker 4 (25:37):
Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing about
life.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
It's like I think that's what, what, what
gravitates me to it, because I'mabsolutely horrified of heights
.
I have a very big fear ofheights, which is crazy, because
I do a lot of crazy thingsaround the world that involve
heights, um, but I'm just alwaysfascinated by things like that.
But the draw for me is likethis just escape from whatever
(26:00):
is holding you, you know,whatever is the barrier,
whatever is holding you down,and being able to get free.
There's something just sobeautiful about that that I
think leads into like you knowwhat's your cause?
Like, why are you doing this?
So my next question is what isyour cause?
Why are you doing this?
Why, why?
Speaker 4 (26:17):
are you doing this so ?
So my next question is what isyour cause?
Speaker 1 (26:18):
why, are you?
Speaker 3 (26:19):
doing this?
Why are you doing?
Speaker 1 (26:20):
this.
Yeah, I think the mostimportant thing for me is to
become the role model that Iwish I had when I was a kid.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
The magic industry is very so I was gonna ask yeah,
yeah, do you have a female rolemodel?
You never did not necessarily.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
I've had plenty of people that I've looked up to
growing up.
Speaker 4 (26:35):
But Magicians, yeah.
People magicians yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
Or men or anything.
It's a really male-dominatedindustry.
So for me when I was looking up, it was hard to know off the
gate that this was something Icould do, because there was no
one that looked like me or waslike me that had done it before.
So it's really important formeians that happen to be women
now and that number and thatdemographic is definitely
(26:58):
growing, but there certainlyhasn't been a female Houdini or
a female Copperfield ever or ina long time, and it's just about
finding ways to do that anddoing it the right way.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
So is that your mission?
Speaker 1 (27:08):
I think so.
Speaker 4 (27:09):
Nice, if you were to look five years from now, what
way do you see yourself?
Do you see yourself levitatingover the luxor?
Speaker 1 (27:16):
I mean with a few more tattoos maybe gotta work on
your eight pack yeah, um, yeah,I I think a little bit of
everything.
I want to tour, I want to do tv,um, and I I'd like to just kind
of build that.
All you know, what I like tosay is I want to get as high up
the mountain as I can, but I'dlike to build it too and go up
(27:38):
there the right way, and I thinkit's kind of in building my
brand and who I want to be isI've become really addicted to
just having real conversationsnow and I think, back in the day
, a hundred years ago, you know,you could say I'm not going to
be helped by anything and I'mgoing to do all these impossible
things and I'm going to walkthrough a wall and I'm going to
set myself on fire.
And nowadays I think we careless about that and probably
(27:58):
more about just having a realconversations and being a real
human being.
So, I don't think I need to doall these deadly crazy things.
I think I just need to be realand that's kind of more
impossible nowadays than allthis other crazy stuff.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
That's amazing.
Have you studied on thetechnical side?
Cause that's also somethingthat blows me away is like the
devotion, Like I've heard DavidBlaine talk about.
You know a lot of the trainingand the technical side of things
and the guys at the MagicCastle just, for example, just
their sleight of hand and stuffthat is done.
(28:31):
It's just it's a lifetime ofkind of like you know stuff, Do
you?
Is that something that you'reworking on as well?
Is that?
How does that come about?
Because I understand beingdriven to be the magician, but
then some of it you gotta, yougotta just grind and work it
right to get the body to do thetechnical part yeah, so that's
kind of where I started, I thinkwith most magicians.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
They kind of start with cards and they either stay
there or change.
I fell in love with cards as akid.
It was my whole world.
Speaker 4 (28:58):
I love card tricks.
Speaker 1 (28:59):
I was always, I think , going to stay in that realm
and be a card magician.
And when I was around the sameage, just before the straight
jacket, I got a carpal tunneldiagnosis because I was
practicing so much and for likesix months I had to wear braces
on both of my hands as a kid inschool.
They're like you can't writeyou, you are not allowed to do
magic.
Speaker 4 (29:16):
You have to stop.
I was doing it so much.
It was a straight jacket.
It was holding you back.
It was holding you back.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
So I was like why don't I do escapes instead for a
while while my hands heal,Cause that makes sense.
Speaker 4 (29:27):
Yeah, other than being driven, and this is
probably an all-consumingoccupation, I would imagine.
But what else do you do?
Speaker 1 (29:37):
It's hard, it kind of takes over my whole life.
But the benefit for me, I think, is I still have lots of
passions and I love being abeginner and I love learning new
things.
So I can kind of let thatfixation go at times and try
other things and work towardsother things.
And I get so much of it becauseit's my whole life, it's my
(29:59):
full-time job, so I'm performingall the time and working all
the time, and then I can kind ofput that in a little box and
work on other things and spendhours on the floor just
listening to vinyls and drinkingtea.
Speaker 4 (30:05):
Oh nice, I like that.
What's your favorite vinyls?
Speaker 1 (30:10):
Cold Spring Harbor by Billy Joel, his first vinyl.
All right, okay.
Speaker 4 (30:17):
What's the next most immediate thing?
If people want to get a hold ofyou or follow you, what do you
have going on right now onlinewhere people can get involved
and follow your work?
Speaker 1 (30:26):
Yeah, so through my social media, which is just my
name at the Gabriella Lester,it's kind of where I post most
of my shows.
I'm performing all the time, sothere's lots of places.
You can see that.
In terms of next big thing,that has a special place in my
heart, I'm going to be doing aTEDx talk in January.
Speaker 3 (30:40):
Hey, no big deal.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
And that's just kind of a total left turn for me in
what I've been doing.
So that's going to be aninteresting point in my career
to shift a little bit.
Is it different in what you'redoing in public speaking or
different in what you're doingin the subject matter?
Subject matter, and it's tiedinto my career.
I think my topic is you knowwhy doing what you love matters,
how it can change your life andstuff like that.
So it's just integrating somepersonal stories with how a
(31:04):
passion has got me througheverything I've been through in
life that's fantastic, that'skiller and, as a newly birthed
angeleno, uh, how do you likeLos Angeles?
It's interesting.
I think that's the perfect wordto sum it up.
I spent a lot of time travelingback and forth here over the
past couple of years before Ijust figured it was best to be
(31:25):
here.
And you know, I'm from a smallsuburb just out of Vancouver.
That's kind of where I've grownup and it's always been.
You know, big fish and verysmall pond.
I've kind of been the onlyperson really doing much Hanging
upside down in a straightjacket?
Speaker 4 (31:37):
Yeah, I would imagine .
Speaker 1 (31:38):
And here people are like yeah, well, I do that most
Wednesdays.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
They're like I just did that yesterday.
What's next?
Speaker 4 (31:45):
So I'm very little fish again my delivery guys.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
Well, you won't hear that from me.
I will not be hanging from abuilding, Unless I'm rescuing a
dog.
Speaker 4 (31:54):
Then maybe which you would easily do, which maybe.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
I will have to you know at some point if there's a
dog and I need someone tosuspend from something I'm going
to call you for that.
Yeah, I'll do anything for adog.
Speaker 4 (32:07):
I do like the sort of nature of the spectacle,
because David Blaine in a lot ofthese you know encasing himself
in a block of ice for I don'tknow two weeks or whatever it is
that he fucking does.
It would always be amazing tome because it was a spectacle.
He put himself in the middle ofTimes Square, or that was, I
think, the Criss Angel thing.
It was like above the Lexor.
Do you like Criss Angel?
(32:29):
I do Okay.
Cool Is his magic like superrespected.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
He was always kind of the badass bad boy of magic so
I think he's gone through phases.
Speaker 4 (32:42):
Yeah, Is he still?
Has he got a residency?
Speaker 1 (32:44):
Yeah, I think he's playing in Hollywood now.
He's still on residency, ohcool Dope.
Speaker 4 (32:48):
I always loved it.
The television show was reallykiller, and you're like how do
you do that?
How do you do that?
How do you do that and how doyou do that?
How do you do that?
How do you do that?
And what part of LA are you in,though?
Because that's the other thingI was going to ask you.
I'm in Hollywood, Okay yeah,we're in Hollywood too.
Hollywood's, you know.
Love, love, love, love LosAngeles.
(33:09):
I could go on all day about thelove for Los Angeles, but it
comes at a price.
Yeah, you know it comes at aprice.
Yeah, you know it comes at aprice.
And managing that and I don'tmean actually like a literal
price, you know.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
I mean when you're.
Speaker 4 (33:22):
Everybody here is in the industry to some way, like
we're talking about.
You know, like the Uberdriver's got a set at the Laugh.
Factory you know, after hedrops us off and he's crushing.
You know, I love that though.
I love that kind of delusional,like energy, where everybody's
leaning forward and chasingsomething.
Yeah, you know the chasing, themagic yeah, yeah, this town is
(33:44):
magic so well, gabriella lester,thank you so much for coming by
and uh, we would love to keepin touch with you and uh, if and
if you're developing a trick Ithink in my head I see like a
spectacle of it with we can drawsome attention to some dogs
when we solve the LA sheltercrisis.
Yeah, we got a shelter crisisin LA that we want to make poof
(34:05):
disappear.
We need to make it disappear.
So I feel like we can do acrossing here that could be
really, really badass, and seeand uh see, if we can get some
some insurance for that for thatcrane Right.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
Oh, we start with the real problems.
Speaker 3 (34:18):
Yeah, we start with the real problems and we create
a spectacle of it.
I mean it's such a beautiful,metaphoric, poetic way to to
bring uh attention to a cause.
Speaker 4 (34:30):
Yeah, and entertain.
Yeah, you know, while bringingyeah and be entertained.
Well, thank you for coming on.
Speaker 1 (34:35):
Of course.
Thank you, guys so much.
Speaker 4 (34:37):
Thank you Thanks.
Speaker 5 (34:40):
Hi, I'm Anjali Bhimani and I'm Julia Bianco and
we are so excited to bebringing you our new creative
baby, the Character SelectPodcast.
Speaker 2 (34:50):
I've wanted to save the world since I was four.
There has been no characterlike him up to that point, and
there really hasn't been acharacter since.
Speaker 5 (34:56):
Every episode of Character Select, we're going to
be taking fantastic video gameperformances and talking about
what makes them tick, what makesthem exciting as players, as
performers, as sound designers,as casting directors.
Speaker 1 (35:06):
That was I feel like I've been ambushed.
I don't even have a podcast totalk about a video game.
Speaker 5 (35:13):
So there's a big old love fest here.
That's how we start this andyou're just gonna have to deal
with it.
Recognized by the 2013 editionof the Guinness World Book of
Records, gamers Edition, as themost prolific female video game
voice actor in the world.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
You know it's a special project when you hold
onto the people you created itwith.
Careers are born by being inthe right place at the right
time.
Where you can't control theright time, but you can control
the right place.
Speaker 4 (35:41):
How cool was that?
Like my love, I mean.
I know, sorry, I came in reallyhot.
You know I came in hot.
The Magic Castle is a specialplace obviously to, I think to
all magicians.
Speaker 3 (35:56):
I just find it kind of ironic that you asked me
maybe, like my first week here,had I been to the Magic Castle,
and then, lo and behold, we haveGabriella here just kicking
butt and being a magician.
I mean amazing.
Speaker 4 (36:07):
That's what we do here.
We can manifest and shit yo.
Speaker 3 (36:10):
Just artists of different kinds, and I mean
magic.
Speaker 4 (36:16):
That's just up here.
Literal and source magic iswhat we had, absolutely.
Speaker 3 (36:22):
And, just you know, women, empowerment and all the
amazing things she's doing andgiving a chance, and I think,
like the one little note thatI'll leave it on, is the thing
that I love about magic is thatit transcends everything.
It transcends classes andlanguages and barriers.
Like you know, music anddancing it doesn't matter where
you are.
Anybody can be watching magicand be in awe, and I think
(36:44):
that's the beauty of magic.
And so I just, I just loved theinterview.
She's just a rock star, 20years old.
Speaker 4 (36:51):
I'm like what so I would give anything to be that
confident at that age and justso comfortable in my own skin at
that age.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
She was just born to be a magician.
I mean, that's it, that's it.
It's clear.
How cool is that.
Speaker 4 (37:04):
Tell me about the pup situation.
Speaker 3 (37:06):
So our pup situation.
So everyone knows I've beendoing some rescues while I've
been here in LA and my first tworescue babies, pluto and Tiny.
Pluto is in foster care rightnow, but he is also up for
adoption and we're going to showsome beautiful clips of him.
He is a five-month-old,beautiful beige, green-eyed baby
boy looking for a home.
(37:27):
And then our little baby, tiny,who was with him.
She just went into her hometrial.
So she is in her adoptive home.
If everything goes well andit's her favorite place to be,
we will sign off and, you know,officially adopt her.
We also have our three kittens,our fence kitties that we've
talked about a few times.
Our three fence kitties arealso all in home trials, which
(37:50):
leaves Pluto, cole and Gypsyavailable for adoption.
So we're gonna.
We're gonna try and find themsome homes if anybody can share,
if anyone's interested and howthey find it.
Please let us know you can findthem on compassionkindorg,
available for adoption, but wewill also place a link in our
episode and in our bio links onsocial media.
Speaker 4 (38:13):
Yes, I love that, alright.
And before we go, two scams andour bio links on social media.
Yes, I love that, all right.
And before we go, two scams anda slap.
I love it when I get to do thispart.
We take three batshit crazyevents, two of which are fake,
but one is real and only one ofthe two of us knows in real time
.
So you, the listener, are goingto experience this at the same
(38:33):
time with Miss Asia Nakia, andour producer, bree, has sent me
things that I'm actually gettingfor the first time as I read
them.
So here we go.
One of these things is a slapin the face, reality, asia Nakia
.
Number one California town bansselfies to preserve natural
beauty.
To preserve natural beauty.
(38:55):
Number two NASA accidentallydiscovers ancient Martian
civilization underneath Mars.
And number three woman sharesher home with 1,100 cats.
That's a lot of cats, I mean.
I bet you that home smellsawesome.
Speaker 3 (39:12):
That's a lot of cats.
Speaker 4 (39:13):
That's a lot of cats, like a lot of just cats, just
sitting there in the corner likefiling their nails.
Speaker 3 (39:18):
Yeah, yeah, creating an army yeah, uh, yeah.
Speaker 4 (39:23):
So what do you think?
Number one california townsbanning selfies.
Number two nasa discoversancient marchant civilization.
And number three a woman sharesher home with 1,100 cats.
Speaker 3 (39:33):
Oh man, you know, as an animal rescuer I've seen some
crazy, crazy shit, so I amgoing to go with the cat lady.
Speaker 4 (39:45):
You are.
I think you're 2-0.
Now you beat me.
Yes, you are correct.
Indeed, 67-year-old LinneaLattanzio.
It's 1,100 cats.
Now, this is a quote.
I've taken in and lived with28,000 cats.
That's probably a record.
Como, yeah, si, si, si.
So apparently there's.
(40:07):
The Cat House on the Kings iswhere the sanctuary is now that
she has, and it's currently hometo 800 adult cats and 300
kittens, which have all beentaken either in as feral or
abandoned animals based incalifornia, of course, fucking
liberals, lefties, crazies.
Uh, the sanctuary allows itsresidents to roam freely around
(40:28):
the 12 acre land, which is wegot a shout out to california,
see that was yeah yeah, shoutout to california I?
Speaker 3 (40:34):
I mean, that's where you know.
My, my rescue brain was likeare all of these animals spayed
and neutered?
Are they okay?
Speaker 4 (40:40):
Do we?
Speaker 3 (40:40):
have ample food?
Do we have enough sanctuaryroom?
But 12 acres is a good amountof space, so they're probably
okay.
But now I feel like I have togo take a visit and investigate.
I mean, she's in Cali.
Speaker 4 (40:52):
I might need to make a trip over there but I'm hoping
she's doing good work.
Speaker 3 (40:56):
I'm hoping the cats are comfy and filing their nails
and scratching whatever theywant and living their best cat
lives.
Speaker 4 (41:03):
I tell you what when I saw that the sanctuary was
there, it made a lot more sensethan trying to do that in a one
bedroom in Reseda?
Speaker 3 (41:12):
yes, 1100 in a one bedroom apartment in LA would
have really stopped me in mytracks yeah, absolutely all
right.
Speaker 4 (41:20):
That's our show for this week.
Check our show bio and all theshow notes for all the links and
stuff from this episode.
Uh, we also even got a?
Uh, some fun things that we'readding.
They're new each week, so makesure to check it out.
Hit the subscribe button allthat shit that people say to do
um and uh but, most importantly,uh, reach out, like we said,
(41:41):
because it's uh, it's animportant time and I think you
got to take care of each otherand we do have to uh, start
start healing what's been goingon for the last couple of years.
So, love yourself and somebodyelse.
We'll see you next week.
Slap the power is a slap network.
It's written and produced byRick Barriodil and Asia Nakia.
Our senior producer is BreeCorey, audio and video editing
(42:02):
by Asher Freidberg and BreeCorey, and studio facilities
provided by Slap Studios LA and360Pod Studios.
If you're into online powerscrolling, like we are, don't
forget to follow Slap the Poweron twitter, tiktok, youtube and
probably pinterest soon foraccess to full episodes, bonus
content and more.
And if you're as full of hottakes and crazy ideas as we are,
(42:23):
please think about dropping usa review to help boost this
episode and you can help blow upthe group chat by sharing with
friends, family or random shitposters on the internet.
You want in on the conversationand if you're interested in
being a guest on the show,please email info at
slapthepowercom.
The crane was a wicked experience.
It was part of my goal when Iwas 14, I think, and I had drawn
sketches of wanting to do itfrom a crane and it was all
liability.
You're a minor.
I wanted to set myself on fire,like you shouldn't do that.
And then I got the opportunityfrom a small company.
They had had some bigexhibition on Vancouver Island,
just a part of town where theycould let things like this slide
(00:20):
, and I was like perfect, I'llbring my my rigors, I'll make
sure it's safe.
Speaker 4 (00:23):
Pray it's safe and we made it happen all right, the
world may not need anotherpodcast, but it can definitely
(00:46):
use a slap.
Welcome to Slap to Power, theshow that crosses artists who
use their powers for progress.
I'm Rick Barriodil.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
And I'm Asia Nakia.
Speaker 4 (00:55):
On the show today.
Artistry and magic are in theair here at Slap Studios as we
hit the eve of the mostimportant election of our
lifetimes.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
And then we have our interview today with none other
than Gabriella Lester.
She is a magician, afire-eating stuntwoman,
modern-day Houdini.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
We hit our new animal rescue segment, pause for
Progress, where we talk aboutthe tragic loss of Peanut the
squirrel and a new law in hishonor to protect sanctuary
animals.
Peanut the squirrel and a newlaw in his honor to protect
sanctuary animals Peanuts Law.
Humane Animal Protection Act andthen, after that, we have some
adoptable pups from some of ourlatest rescues here in the Los
(01:35):
Angeles area.
And, a little later, two scamsand a slap where we take three
crazy batshit events, two ofwhich are fake, but one is real,
and one of the two of us learnin real time with you, the
listener, which one is a trueslap in the face of reality.
All right, but first we'reproud to report the Kamala
Harris volunteer office hereright next door Last Friday, the
Friday before that, the Fridaybefore that, and we are on the
(01:56):
eve of the election here tonight, or election day here, but
we're proud to report thatthey've done over a hundred
thousand door knocks everyweekend, and 30% of that is from
California.
So, uh, when everyone ishearing this episode, it'll be
hopefully after the election onWednesday.
Uh, we're obviously hoping forgood news, but we're also
(02:17):
speaking to our future selves.
So, uh, in that we say, uh, nomatter what happens, uh, there's
going to need to be somecollective therapy.
So love yourself and someoneelse, as we always say, and make
sure to take care of each other.
And, yes, stay safe out there.
Okay, so it is the eve and howare you feeling?
(02:38):
Asia, I mean the most importantof our, the most important
election of our lifetime.
Right here is finally the nightbefore.
How are you feeling?
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Yeah, I mean, I don't even know how to describe how I
feel right now.
I'm nervous and I'm anxious.
I'm excited.
I'm working on my mass exodusfrom the United States, if I
need to.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
There's just a lot going on in my head right now.
Yeah, it's like on one level itis extreme for a lot of people
that say, oh well, he was inoffice for four years and, you
know, nothing bad happenedexcept for trying to overthrow
the government.
No, I don't want to jinxanything, so I'm not, you know,
I that that's where I'm prepared.
(03:20):
I'm with you.
I'm just preparing for thereality of.
I think everybody's tired ofthe noise and I think it's kind
of feeling like that level ofnoise has.
I think the dam is broken.
I feel like Michelle Obama'sspeech putting the human, female
, woman everything Americanexperience, woman, everything
(03:46):
american experience on how takemy body and you know, and
seriously, and I feel like thatresonated in a way that kamala
unfortunately cannot do.
She can't, she has to be, shehas to be tough in a man's world
prime, you know so, and aprosecutor, and no matter what
they're gonna, they're gonnadinginger for a lot of things.
But I think the human elementkind of happened where it did
(04:10):
break through, at least to me itfelt like that.
And the tony hinchcliffe sect,which again, even elongating
that we talked about it on thelast episode um, shout out to
tony hinchcliffe.
I'm a fan of roast comedy andwe were like, you know, it was
just juxtaposed over, I think,at a time you know where it was
like he was just doing his set,right, you know, and to some
(04:32):
degree Right, but it only itwasn't a set anymore.
But I do think that had aprofound effect on the dam
breaking, just even on the evebefore.
So we'll see how it turns out.
I also think, you know, we'regonna, we're gonna stay as sort
of current and live as we can onthe socials, on our social
media channels and things likethat, which is awesome, um, and
(04:55):
it's you know, there's a goodchance.
We're not gonna know, you know,tomorrow night, so even on
wednesday, when this comes out,uh, you may not know the
listener, but again, um, youknow, be be kind.
I think one of the things thatwe've realized from this whole
experience having the harrisoffice next door we talked about
this is is that, uh, no matterwhat happens, there's gonna,
(05:17):
we're gonna need to cometogether and have you know and
and there's a lot of kick-assRepublicans that have helped,
will have helped put Kamala inoffice, and I think that that is
awesome, like when she says Iwill give you a seat at the
table, then that means, I think,everybody, there's some therapy
that needs to go on, becausethere's a whole MAGA faction
(05:39):
that has no concept that hecould lose unless it was rigged.
But there's a ton of saneRepublicans that are tired of
the noise and I'd love to beable to have a conversation with
them, and so that's part of oneof the other pods that we're
working on secret classifiedproject.
(06:01):
But we're working on anotherone with a, with a, uh, massive,
massive producer on just thatside of things, on the on the we
we dare walk, you know, on therepublican side, because, it's
funny, I got dinged over theweekend.
I did, I did a post about thisand, uh, I think the rap that I
(06:21):
give is always towardsrepublican lawmakers, republican
voters, I think are, arethere's a lot if we I think
there's a lot of the ones thatdid vote for kamala are the ones
that are like, no, I could.
This is, you know, fascism is abit too far, taking a woman's
reproductive rights a bit toofar, that I feel like there's a.
There's this therapy that needsto happen after, no matter what
(06:44):
happens with this election, andwe, we've got a, you know, we
got the holidays certifications,electoral certifications.
You know, december 11th, Ithink, is one, and then, of
course, january 6th, but January3rd is the new Congress and
let's again well, let's hope foruh hakeem jeffries as a speaker
(07:07):
, so that we know, uh, we'regoing to certify the election,
because that's the other thing.
The plan is to not have itcertified right right.
And then yet gen z has showed upso many times there was a.
There was I think it was ahashtag that was started.
I saw it yesterday where it wasthis was awesome.
(07:27):
I saw it yesterday where theywere like Trump is losing in
Pennsylvania and, uh, that thetrend was.
Or they were saying that therewas election subversion, that's
what it was.
They were saying that there waselection interference in
Philadelphia real heavy, just Imean.
Interference in philadelphiareal heavy, just I mean and
(07:47):
beaten on that.
And the trend started that hemust be losing hashtag.
He must be losing, and I almostfeel like I want to believe we
live in a world where that isnot a joke if hashtags were ever
real.
Yeah, this should be the onelosing that's why they're
claiming voter fraud, right,because, uh, although they claim
(08:08):
voter fraud when they win too,which is really odd.
But anyway, I, I do, um, youknow, so I appreciate.
I appreciate the opportunitythat we've had, you know, to uh,
be next to the energy and thestories and the reasons that
people are taking their voteseriously, and so you know it's
(08:28):
been a true privilege.
No matter what happens, it'sbeen really awesome having them
next door.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
No, absolutely, and I mean either way.
You know we need a way forward,which I think we're all going
to have to support each other inone way or another, you know,
no matter how this turns out.
So I am very glad we got tomeet and be around such positive
energy, I mean such lights andyou know that'll continue no
matter what.
(08:52):
You know, whatever happens, weall still have to stick together
and move forward in some way.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
We're still here, Hallelujah, and you know, one of
the things that helps with thatis uh uh, dogs, or, yes, you
know one might say, paws allover you.
So uh yeah, it's a.
You like that how you see itall right so I look forward to
this in the show outlines.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
This week's a big one , so yeah, this one, this is a
big one.
So you know, recently, uh, wehad a megaar animal on social
media named Peanut.
He was a squirrel in New York,had a very loving family living
in a sanctuary with a buddynamed Fred, a little raccoon
(09:37):
friend, lovely couple that youknow basically rescued these
animals.
That basically rescued theseanimals and unfortunately, the
DEC of New York came in in afull raid as if they were doing
a drug bust, spent who knows howmany dollars of taxpayers'
money to go and raid this home,confiscate the animals and
(10:00):
during this confiscation processsomebody gets bit by peanut the
squirrel, which makes a lot ofsense.
I mean, I would have bit themtoo if I was peanut the squirrel
, yeah, um, but while while thisis, all happening yeah, I mean
as a human being I probablywould have bit them.
um, so they took them and theyeuthanized both animals because
(10:24):
of this bite, because they saidthat the only way that they
could test for rabies was toeuthanize the animals.
Now, this is problematic in somany different ways.
Number one we haven't had asquirrel with rabies since, I
believe, 1971.
Like, I mean, this is not athing you know we have other,
cruelty for cruelty, like I mean.
Speaker 4 (10:44):
This is not a thing.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
You know we have other cruelty, yeah, we.
We have other animals that are,you know, um carrying rabies,
but squirrels are not at the topof that list.
I promise you that.
So number one, that'sproblematic.
Number two, I mean, even if theanimal was rabid, we have a
quarantine process in place.
This is what we do at our localshelters.
We do it in sanctuaries.
All the time there's a holdingperiod.
(11:07):
Rabies symptoms are veryobvious.
You know when an animal israbid, I mean it's not difficult
.
They could have handled this ina much different approach,
where they actually held on tothe animal to see if they were
actually rabid.
If they made it past their 10to 14 day quarantine period no
(11:27):
symptoms, they go back home totheir sanctuary and live the
rest of their lives.
So this was just a devastatingblow to anybody that was
following Peanut the Squirrel.
I mean hundreds of thousands offollowers, I mean 700,000, I
think.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
Yeah, because it's the system, you know, it's the
system performing animal crueltyon itself, which is yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
And by the department of environmental conservation.
I mean, it's just, but theseare the same things we run into
every time and you know, and Ithink it had a lot to do with
making an example out of thesefolks, and I think there's this
deeply rooted animosity towardswhen we're showing a nuisance
(12:11):
animal or we're publicizing ormaking these rodents or these
animals that might not be at thetop of our we love dogs chain.
So I think it was justunbelievably cruel to do this.
Speaker 4 (12:27):
Squirrels got personality.
I feel like Samuel Jackson laiddown the law in Pulp Fiction on
the rule Squirrels gotpersonality, raccoons got
personality.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
And you see it in their videos.
A hundred percent.
Speaker 4 (12:40):
You showed it to me and I was like that is a, like
you said, it's a sentient beingand look, I get it.
It's easy to be callous, youknow, and it's all.
What does it care about asquirrel?
But this is why I think there'sso much.
I think this is why so manypeople are coming together is
because, no, no, no, no, thehumanity that's come on, that's
(13:08):
a basic part of what it's knowand our humanity on not being
you know inhumane right toanimals, yeah, and.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
And where do we stop, you know, like where?
What gives us the right to takea life so easily without a
proper protocol?
Speaker 4 (13:16):
they were raiding this house and they were just.
They were just doing it becausethey were pissed off, and a lot
of these people that are sortof over militarized and things
like that are people that need alot of therapy.
You know themselves, yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
And I mean.
I always hate to use the Karenyou know name and comment here,
but I'm going to because it wasa call in from a woman that has
a literal Instagram handle thatsays I hate squirrels.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
That has a literal Instagram handle that says I
hate squirrels.
I mean in what psychotic world.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Do you have time?
To have a complete Instagramhandle.
Against hating an animal thatdoes nothing but play in parks
and plant seeds that help NewYork stay green and help you
breathe fresh air.
It's like I struggle with that.
Speaker 4 (14:03):
Now, this is the cool thing, too is this is why we
wanted to put it in in thesegment as well is people are
doing something about this.
Yes, they are doing something.
They are moving the needle onthis, and so tell our listeners
what that is yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
so you know as tragic as this is, and you know the
world is devastated aboutPeanuts' loss, but the one piece
of good news out of this isthat they've enacted a new law
called Peanuts' Law and it'sbasically a humane law to help
protect these sanctuary animalsand also to put more
(14:37):
stipulations in place If thereis some thought that there is a
rabid animal or someone gets bit.
They are saying to have athree-day waiting period before
they euthanize.
Three days is it the best?
No, but it's something.
It's moving the needle in adirection that's positive and
also adding in extra layers ofprotection for sanctuary animals
(15:00):
.
So we've got Peanuts Law.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
And then was there a.
Was there a?
There was a fundraiser ortrying to get to a, oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
Huge, huge fundraiser going on now, which I'm
assuming is going towards thisnew law and also towards the
sanctuary.
Um, I mean, people are peopleare really rallying for this.
How can people find it?
We'll have peanuts handle inhere.
If you are interested inhelping with the fundraising and
spreading the word, yeah, um,and it's not just about peanut,
it's about how we respect andcare for animals and how we
(15:32):
decide when we can take a life.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
I mean, it's just all those people that have been
getting involved and reallyalmost have peanut.
I think it's two-thirds of theway towards their fundraising
goals.
So, uh, yeah, you talk aboutartistry and magic.
Um, that's it right there.
So, and on artistry and magic,coming up after the break, a
real live magician in slabstudios, gabriella lester.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
We are so stoked to have her here coming up gambling
is part of the culture of amerSince even before we were
America.
I'm Norman Chad.
I know gambling.
I've played blackjack and poker.
I've bet sports and horse races.
I've even hit the slot machinesat a Pahrump, nevada 7-Eleven.
(16:17):
You say gambling, I sayGambling Mad.
So join me on Gambling Mad withNorman Chad.
Wherever you find your podcasts.
Follow us on socials atGambling Mad Show or on Gambling
Mad with Norman Chad whereveryou find your podcasts.
Follow us on socials, atGambling Mad Show or at Gambling
Mad Norman Chad at YouTube.
Speaker 4 (16:32):
All right joining us for the interview today.
We are honored to have in thestudio Gabriella Lester,
magician.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
Yes, Hi, thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 4 (16:42):
Yes, yes, yes.
Now, how long have you been inLA?
Speaker 1 (16:45):
A couple months.
Speaker 4 (16:46):
Fresh off the boat, fresh, fresh.
First of all, I think magickeeps you at the root of what
joy and young you know.
I think in a lot of ways, butI've always been blown away by
the sort of folklore and thelegend of Houdini and David
Blaine.
You see them do these bigthings.
But we have Magic Castle here.
(17:07):
And when Asia was pitching theidea for you for the interview,
I was like well, ask her if shehas been to the Magic Castle and
Asia was like oh yeah, she'sdone it three times and I was
like oh shit all right, let'stalk let's talk.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Let's talk like because she is legit.
Speaker 4 (17:24):
Yeah, that's great yeah so, and to be fresh off the
boat and to have done that, sotell, tell us about how your uh
experience has been your andwhere you're from.
You're from vancouver, but andyou've been here three months it
was it via Vancouver or wereyou somewhere before here?
Speaker 1 (17:39):
Yeah, that came directly from Vancouver.
I was born in South Africa, butI spent the majority of my life
in Vancouver, and now I'm here.
Speaker 4 (17:46):
Nice, nice, nice.
And is it magic thatspecifically brought you here?
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Yes, yeah, for the most part.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
Is it the magic castle?
Is that one of the things Imean most part?
Is it the magic castle?
Is that one of the things Imean.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
It's got to be right for my little kid heart.
I think the castle plays a bigrole in that.
I mean right now I live acrossthe street.
I can see the castle.
I did too for a while I livelike right next door to the.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
We live next to the castle and just just walking by
it on any night, you're likecome on man coolest building
yeah, now are there as manysecret stuff like inside there,
because I know as soon as you,in order to get in.
For those that don't know, theMagic Castle, tell them.
Tell them what the Magic Castleis.
You're a magician.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
Tell them what the Magic Castle is, sure, yeah,
selling pitch.
The Magic Castle it's an oldbuilding.
It was built in around the1900s and it's been family-run,
essentially, and it's aninvite-only, exclusive club for
the greatest magicians in theworld and it is Disneyland for
adults, basically.
Speaker 4 (18:37):
Yeah, when you walk in I don't want to do any kind
of spoiler alerts or something,but the whole place feels like
it's got hidden stuff.
And then from the folklore,like reading about it on how
there's stuff underneath,there's all these what do you
call them?
The blueprints of some of thegreatest tricks and stuff like
(18:59):
that.
What is what was your?
How did you get into there?
Because you have to be invited,and were you pitching them?
Or how did you?
Yeah, how did that happen?
Speaker 1 (19:07):
Yeah, I'm really fortunate in that sense the
castle was, as a kid, like abucket list goal of oh, I want
to visit this place.
One day it's a dream.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
Yeah, it's amazing to just visit.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
And fortunately for me, I performed there first
before ever visiting.
Speaker 4 (19:21):
But I was what room.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
The palace, the main stage.
Speaker 4 (19:28):
Okay, what else?
Speaker 1 (19:29):
I was 17 the first time I performed there, and it's
21 and over, so I couldn'tleave the backstage stage area.
So my first couple of weeks atthe castle was all backstage.
I didn't see the building forlike another year.
So my only introduction to thecastle was being backstage,
being on stage, going backstage,being on stage and leaving, and
then it took a few months or acouple of years before they're
(19:50):
like, okay, just let her roam.
So I did it all in reverse.
Speaker 4 (19:54):
That's amazing, though Now by letter Rome.
Um, so I did it all in reverse.
That's amazing, though now, bybeing backstage, did you and I?
Speaker 3 (20:01):
apologize, asia, I know how excited.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
You know he's very excited about the magic castle.
Magic castle makes me happy,your best life yeah, no, it is,
it is.
It's amazing like, like, likeyou, everywhere you go in it, uh
, you know you get a differentroom and you get.
You just get different types ofmagic, magic slide of hand,
like the full-on kind of thing.
But did you, by being backstageand everything, were you sort
(20:25):
of just absorbing by osmosis, ordid you have specific goals?
Or were they hiding, were theyblocking stuff off?
Like, are people veryprotective with their?
I mean, I would imagine, withtheir tricks and stuff like that
inside the industry we'repretty open, I think it's kind
of the only way to learn, andthe magic industry is very much
one degree of separation.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
Everyone knows everyone and within that realm
it's a, it's like in a hugeextended family, so most people
are collaborating and sharingand backstage at the castles, a
group of the best magicians inthe world all collaborating and
talking and sharing, and mostpeople have been very gracious
and taking me under their wingor sharing things with me, and
I've grown up in the industry,so it's like having a a bunch of
dads that's amazing.
(21:04):
That's so cool and a few weirduncles.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
But yeah, yeah, well, definitely, yeah, there's.
There's the odd uncles out inthe hallway doing the sleight of
hand and telling you yourbirthday.
Now, when you were a kid, didyou always want to be a magician
?
Speaker 1 (21:22):
Yeah, I decided probably at 10 or 11.
I had a lot of passions andhobbies as a kid and I just knew
early on that whatever I wantedto do, I wanted to do to the
fullest extent.
So when I found magic and itbecame something I couldn't let
(21:42):
go, I just was like, well, thisis my life now, and I haven't
stopped since.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
What is your claim to fame?
Current trick?
Probably the upside downstraitjacket escape.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
I was definitely going to ask about that.
Yeah, so it's the Harry Houdiniupside down suspended
straitjacket escape.
So essentially, I'm in astraitjacket, I get suspended
upside down, and I've done it intheaters, and then I just
recently did it from a crane atabout 100 feet or so.
Speaker 4 (21:58):
Amazing.
Do you have to get insurancefor the crane or what is?
Speaker 1 (22:03):
I should have how does this go down?
Speaker 4 (22:05):
It's a different question how does this go down?
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Yeah, the crane was a wicked experience.
It was part of my goal when Iwas.
I did it first at 14, I thinkand I had drawn sketches of
wanting to do it from a craneand it was all liability.
You're a miner.
I wanted to set myself on fire.
You shouldn't do that.
Maybe be an adult first.
And then I got the opportunityfrom a small company that had
(22:28):
some big exhibition on VancouverIsland and it was just a part
of town where they could letthings like this slide, and I
was like perfect, I'll bring myriggers.
Speaker 4 (22:41):
I'll make sure it's safe.
Pray, it's safe and we made ithappen.
Wow, that's cool.
That's cool.
Now I presume you're working onyour next masterpiece or a
group of masterpieces.
Is there anything that you cankind of like?
What's what gives you the mostexcitement now, off of, say, a
project that you're creating ora new trick that you're creating
or working on?
Speaker 1 (22:57):
yeah, I think I'm at an interesting point now where
I've, you know, the straightjackets a harry houdini thing
and some of the other effectsI've done are, you know, were
created by some of the greatestperformers in the industry, and
I'm at a point now where I'mtrying to develop the things
that are my gabriella lester,this or that.
So, and the greatest thing withmagic is, you can make anything
possible.
So now I'm just going what'sthe most impossible thing in the
world that I can do and findinga way to make it possible.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
What is the most impossible thing in the world?
Can we just?
Speaker 2 (23:24):
coin it.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
I'm just taking that that's your first.
Maybe it's not your first bestquote, but that one should be
somewhere.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
It should be somewhere.
Speaker 3 (23:33):
I absolutely love that, and I'm just so fast.
Okay, so I'm now, I'm gonnageek out, it's my turn.
So I am just fascinated by youknow, Houdini.
And I mean, where?
Let's backtrack to theinspiration on Houdini for a
minute.
What, what compelled you towant to sort of either follow in
(23:55):
that footstep or become, youknow, a female Houdini?
I mean, what inspired you?
How did you get there?
Speaker 1 (24:03):
Yeah, I mean, one of my favorite things about magic
is the history of magic and as akid I was a total nerd for that
and I knew, you know, to createthis person that I wanted to be
, to create this big characterin the magic industry, I'd
really have to study the historyto see what worked, and Houdini
was one of the best at doingthat.
He was a businessman and aperformer and could strategize
(24:23):
and everything about him was thetotal package and that's what
led him to get to where he was.
So I fell in love with Houdiniat an early age and I just knew
that I had to try and integratewhat he did somehow and just
take the job.
You know, I was a kid doing cartricks, essentially before that
, and I got asked around 13.
My school was.
What happened was my school wasconnected with a fundraiser and
(24:45):
they're like hey, we're doingthis fundraiser for children in
developing countries with severe, acute malnutrition.
We'd like, if you could performand tell the story and maybe do
a cute little car trick or asponge ball routine or something
, and we'd like to showcase you.
And I went you know what, whatif I did this thing?
And I was sitting in thekitchen with my mom.
As a 13-year-old, I'd be likeMom, I'm going to hang upside
down in a straightjacket.
(25:06):
And she's like, yeah, no,you're not, and it started from
nothing.
I went to the playground andhung upside down on monkey bars
at first and then got into acircus gym and then just kept
kind of building my way up untilthe performance day.
But it really was somethingfrom nothing.
And now we're here.
Speaker 3 (25:27):
There's just something like so poetic to me
about getting yourself untangledand you know out of this
situation in such a quick.
There's something metaphoricabout it.
Speaker 4 (25:37):
Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing about
life.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
It's like I think that's what, what, what
gravitates me to it, because I'mabsolutely horrified of heights
.
I have a very big fear ofheights, which is crazy, because
I do a lot of crazy thingsaround the world that involve
heights, um, but I'm just alwaysfascinated by things like that.
But the draw for me is likethis just escape from whatever
(26:00):
is holding you, you know,whatever is the barrier,
whatever is holding you down,and being able to get free.
There's something just sobeautiful about that that I
think leads into like you knowwhat's your cause?
Like, why are you doing this?
So my next question is what isyour cause?
Why are you doing this?
Why, why?
Speaker 4 (26:17):
are you doing this so ?
So my next question is what isyour cause?
Speaker 1 (26:18):
why, are you?
Speaker 3 (26:19):
doing this?
Why are you doing?
Speaker 1 (26:20):
this.
Yeah, I think the mostimportant thing for me is to
become the role model that Iwish I had when I was a kid.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
The magic industry is very so I was gonna ask yeah,
yeah, do you have a female rolemodel?
You never did not necessarily.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
I've had plenty of people that I've looked up to
growing up.
Speaker 4 (26:35):
But Magicians, yeah.
People magicians yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
Or men or anything.
It's a really male-dominatedindustry.
So for me when I was looking up, it was hard to know off the
gate that this was something Icould do, because there was no
one that looked like me or waslike me that had done it before.
So it's really important formeians that happen to be women
now and that number and thatdemographic is definitely
(26:58):
growing, but there certainlyhasn't been a female Houdini or
a female Copperfield ever or ina long time, and it's just about
finding ways to do that anddoing it the right way.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
So is that your mission?
Speaker 1 (27:08):
I think so.
Speaker 4 (27:09):
Nice, if you were to look five years from now, what
way do you see yourself?
Do you see yourself levitatingover the luxor?
Speaker 1 (27:16):
I mean with a few more tattoos maybe gotta work on
your eight pack yeah, um, yeah,I I think a little bit of
everything.
I want to tour, I want to do tv,um, and I I'd like to just kind
of build that.
All you know, what I like tosay is I want to get as high up
the mountain as I can, but I'dlike to build it too and go up
(27:38):
there the right way, and I thinkit's kind of in building my
brand and who I want to be isI've become really addicted to
just having real conversationsnow and I think, back in the day
, a hundred years ago, you know,you could say I'm not going to
be helped by anything and I'mgoing to do all these impossible
things and I'm going to walkthrough a wall and I'm going to
set myself on fire.
And nowadays I think we careless about that and probably
(27:58):
more about just having a realconversations and being a real
human being.
So, I don't think I need to doall these deadly crazy things.
I think I just need to be realand that's kind of more
impossible nowadays than allthis other crazy stuff.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
That's amazing.
Have you studied on thetechnical side?
Cause that's also somethingthat blows me away is like the
devotion, Like I've heard DavidBlaine talk about.
You know a lot of the trainingand the technical side of things
and the guys at the MagicCastle just, for example, just
their sleight of hand and stuffthat is done.
(28:31):
It's just it's a lifetime ofkind of like you know stuff, Do
you?
Is that something that you'reworking on as well?
Is that?
How does that come about?
Because I understand beingdriven to be the magician, but
then some of it you gotta, yougotta just grind and work it
right to get the body to do thetechnical part yeah, so that's
kind of where I started, I thinkwith most magicians.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
They kind of start with cards and they either stay
there or change.
I fell in love with cards as akid.
It was my whole world.
Speaker 4 (28:58):
I love card tricks.
Speaker 1 (28:59):
I was always, I think , going to stay in that realm
and be a card magician.
And when I was around the sameage, just before the straight
jacket, I got a carpal tunneldiagnosis because I was
practicing so much and for likesix months I had to wear braces
on both of my hands as a kid inschool.
They're like you can't writeyou, you are not allowed to do
magic.
Speaker 4 (29:16):
You have to stop.
I was doing it so much.
It was a straight jacket.
It was holding you back.
It was holding you back.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
So I was like why don't I do escapes instead for a
while while my hands heal,Cause that makes sense.
Speaker 4 (29:27):
Yeah, other than being driven, and this is
probably an all-consumingoccupation, I would imagine.
But what else do you do?
Speaker 1 (29:37):
It's hard, it kind of takes over my whole life.
But the benefit for me, I think, is I still have lots of
passions and I love being abeginner and I love learning new
things.
So I can kind of let thatfixation go at times and try
other things and work towardsother things.
And I get so much of it becauseit's my whole life, it's my
(29:59):
full-time job, so I'm performingall the time and working all
the time, and then I can kind ofput that in a little box and
work on other things and spendhours on the floor just
listening to vinyls and drinkingtea.
Speaker 4 (30:05):
Oh nice, I like that.
What's your favorite vinyls?
Speaker 1 (30:10):
Cold Spring Harbor by Billy Joel, his first vinyl.
All right, okay.
Speaker 4 (30:17):
What's the next most immediate thing?
If people want to get a hold ofyou or follow you, what do you
have going on right now onlinewhere people can get involved
and follow your work?
Speaker 1 (30:26):
Yeah, so through my social media, which is just my
name at the Gabriella Lester,it's kind of where I post most
of my shows.
I'm performing all the time, sothere's lots of places.
You can see that.
In terms of next big thing,that has a special place in my
heart, I'm going to be doing aTEDx talk in January.
Speaker 3 (30:40):
Hey, no big deal.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
And that's just kind of a total left turn for me in
what I've been doing.
So that's going to be aninteresting point in my career
to shift a little bit.
Is it different in what you'redoing in public speaking or
different in what you're doingin the subject matter?
Subject matter, and it's tiedinto my career.
I think my topic is you knowwhy doing what you love matters,
how it can change your life andstuff like that.
So it's just integrating somepersonal stories with how a
(31:04):
passion has got me througheverything I've been through in
life that's fantastic, that'skiller and, as a newly birthed
angeleno, uh, how do you likeLos Angeles?
It's interesting.
I think that's the perfect wordto sum it up.
I spent a lot of time travelingback and forth here over the
past couple of years before Ijust figured it was best to be
(31:25):
here.
And you know, I'm from a smallsuburb just out of Vancouver.
That's kind of where I've grownup and it's always been.
You know, big fish and verysmall pond.
I've kind of been the onlyperson really doing much Hanging
upside down in a straightjacket?
Speaker 4 (31:37):
Yeah, I would imagine .
Speaker 1 (31:38):
And here people are like yeah, well, I do that most
Wednesdays.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
They're like I just did that yesterday.
What's next?
Speaker 4 (31:45):
So I'm very little fish again my delivery guys.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
Well, you won't hear that from me.
I will not be hanging from abuilding, Unless I'm rescuing a
dog.
Speaker 4 (31:54):
Then maybe which you would easily do, which maybe.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
I will have to you know at some point if there's a
dog and I need someone tosuspend from something I'm going
to call you for that.
Yeah, I'll do anything for adog.
Speaker 4 (32:07):
I do like the sort of nature of the spectacle,
because David Blaine in a lot ofthese you know encasing himself
in a block of ice for I don'tknow two weeks or whatever it is
that he fucking does.
It would always be amazing tome because it was a spectacle.
He put himself in the middle ofTimes Square, or that was, I
think, the Criss Angel thing.
It was like above the Lexor.
Do you like Criss Angel?
(32:29):
I do Okay.
Cool Is his magic like superrespected.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
He was always kind of the badass bad boy of magic so
I think he's gone through phases.
Speaker 4 (32:42):
Yeah, Is he still?
Has he got a residency?
Speaker 1 (32:44):
Yeah, I think he's playing in Hollywood now.
He's still on residency, ohcool Dope.
Speaker 4 (32:48):
I always loved it.
The television show was reallykiller, and you're like how do
you do that?
How do you do that?
How do you do that and how doyou do that?
How do you do that?
How do you do that?
And what part of LA are you in,though?
Because that's the other thingI was going to ask you.
I'm in Hollywood, Okay yeah,we're in Hollywood too.
Hollywood's, you know.
Love, love, love, love LosAngeles.
(33:09):
I could go on all day about thelove for Los Angeles, but it
comes at a price.
Yeah, you know it comes at aprice.
Yeah, you know it comes at aprice.
And managing that and I don'tmean actually like a literal
price, you know.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
I mean when you're.
Speaker 4 (33:22):
Everybody here is in the industry to some way, like
we're talking about.
You know, like the Uberdriver's got a set at the Laugh.
Factory you know, after hedrops us off and he's crushing.
You know, I love that though.
I love that kind of delusional,like energy, where everybody's
leaning forward and chasingsomething.
Yeah, you know the chasing, themagic yeah, yeah, this town is
(33:44):
magic so well, gabriella lester,thank you so much for coming by
and uh, we would love to keepin touch with you and uh, if and
if you're developing a trick Ithink in my head I see like a
spectacle of it with we can drawsome attention to some dogs
when we solve the LA sheltercrisis.
Yeah, we got a shelter crisisin LA that we want to make poof
(34:05):
disappear.
We need to make it disappear.
So I feel like we can do acrossing here that could be
really, really badass, and seeand uh see, if we can get some
some insurance for that for thatcrane Right.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
Oh, we start with the real problems.
Speaker 3 (34:18):
Yeah, we start with the real problems and we create
a spectacle of it.
I mean it's such a beautiful,metaphoric, poetic way to to
bring uh attention to a cause.
Speaker 4 (34:30):
Yeah, and entertain.
Yeah, you know, while bringingyeah and be entertained.
Well, thank you for coming on.
Speaker 1 (34:35):
Of course.
Thank you, guys so much.
Speaker 4 (34:37):
Thank you Thanks.
Speaker 5 (34:40):
Hi, I'm Anjali Bhimani and I'm Julia Bianco and
we are so excited to bebringing you our new creative
baby, the Character SelectPodcast.
Speaker 2 (34:50):
I've wanted to save the world since I was four.
There has been no characterlike him up to that point, and
there really hasn't been acharacter since.
Speaker 5 (34:56):
Every episode of Character Select, we're going to
be taking fantastic video gameperformances and talking about
what makes them tick, what makesthem exciting as players, as
performers, as sound designers,as casting directors.
Speaker 1 (35:06):
That was I feel like I've been ambushed.
I don't even have a podcast totalk about a video game.
Speaker 5 (35:13):
So there's a big old love fest here.
That's how we start this andyou're just gonna have to deal
with it.
Recognized by the 2013 editionof the Guinness World Book of
Records, gamers Edition, as themost prolific female video game
voice actor in the world.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
You know it's a special project when you hold
onto the people you created itwith.
Careers are born by being inthe right place at the right
time.
Where you can't control theright time, but you can control
the right place.
Speaker 4 (35:41):
How cool was that?
Like my love, I mean.
I know, sorry, I came in reallyhot.
You know I came in hot.
The Magic Castle is a specialplace obviously to, I think to
all magicians.
Speaker 3 (35:56):
I just find it kind of ironic that you asked me
maybe, like my first week here,had I been to the Magic Castle,
and then, lo and behold, we haveGabriella here just kicking
butt and being a magician.
I mean amazing.
Speaker 4 (36:07):
That's what we do here.
We can manifest and shit yo.
Speaker 3 (36:10):
Just artists of different kinds, and I mean
magic.
Speaker 4 (36:16):
That's just up here.
Literal and source magic iswhat we had, absolutely.
Speaker 3 (36:22):
And, just you know, women, empowerment and all the
amazing things she's doing andgiving a chance, and I think,
like the one little note thatI'll leave it on, is the thing
that I love about magic is thatit transcends everything.
It transcends classes andlanguages and barriers.
Like you know, music anddancing it doesn't matter where
you are.
Anybody can be watching magicand be in awe, and I think
(36:44):
that's the beauty of magic.
And so I just, I just loved theinterview.
She's just a rock star, 20years old.
Speaker 4 (36:51):
I'm like what so I would give anything to be that
confident at that age and justso comfortable in my own skin at
that age.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
She was just born to be a magician.
I mean, that's it, that's it.
It's clear.
How cool is that.
Speaker 4 (37:04):
Tell me about the pup situation.
Speaker 3 (37:06):
So our pup situation.
So everyone knows I've beendoing some rescues while I've
been here in LA and my first tworescue babies, pluto and Tiny.
Pluto is in foster care rightnow, but he is also up for
adoption and we're going to showsome beautiful clips of him.
He is a five-month-old,beautiful beige, green-eyed baby
boy looking for a home.
(37:27):
And then our little baby, tiny,who was with him.
She just went into her hometrial.
So she is in her adoptive home.
If everything goes well andit's her favorite place to be,
we will sign off and, you know,officially adopt her.
We also have our three kittens,our fence kitties that we've
talked about a few times.
Our three fence kitties arealso all in home trials, which
(37:50):
leaves Pluto, cole and Gypsyavailable for adoption.
So we're gonna.
We're gonna try and find themsome homes if anybody can share,
if anyone's interested and howthey find it.
Please let us know you can findthem on compassionkindorg,
available for adoption, but wewill also place a link in our
episode and in our bio links onsocial media.
Speaker 4 (38:13):
Yes, I love that, alright.
And before we go, two scams andour bio links on social media.
Yes, I love that, all right.
And before we go, two scams anda slap.
I love it when I get to do thispart.
We take three batshit crazyevents, two of which are fake,
but one is real and only one ofthe two of us knows in real time
.
So you, the listener, are goingto experience this at the same
(38:33):
time with Miss Asia Nakia, andour producer, bree, has sent me
things that I'm actually gettingfor the first time as I read
them.
So here we go.
One of these things is a slapin the face, reality, asia Nakia
.
Number one California town bansselfies to preserve natural
beauty.
To preserve natural beauty.
(38:55):
Number two NASA accidentallydiscovers ancient Martian
civilization underneath Mars.
And number three woman sharesher home with 1,100 cats.
That's a lot of cats, I mean.
I bet you that home smellsawesome.
Speaker 3 (39:12):
That's a lot of cats.
Speaker 4 (39:13):
That's a lot of cats, like a lot of just cats, just
sitting there in the corner likefiling their nails.
Speaker 3 (39:18):
Yeah, yeah, creating an army yeah, uh, yeah.
Speaker 4 (39:23):
So what do you think?
Number one california townsbanning selfies.
Number two nasa discoversancient marchant civilization.
And number three a woman sharesher home with 1,100 cats.
Speaker 3 (39:33):
Oh man, you know, as an animal rescuer I've seen some
crazy, crazy shit, so I amgoing to go with the cat lady.
Speaker 4 (39:45):
You are.
I think you're 2-0.
Now you beat me.
Yes, you are correct.
Indeed, 67-year-old LinneaLattanzio.
It's 1,100 cats.
Now, this is a quote.
I've taken in and lived with28,000 cats.
That's probably a record.
Como, yeah, si, si, si.
So apparently there's.
(40:07):
The Cat House on the Kings iswhere the sanctuary is now that
she has, and it's currently hometo 800 adult cats and 300
kittens, which have all beentaken either in as feral or
abandoned animals based incalifornia, of course, fucking
liberals, lefties, crazies.
Uh, the sanctuary allows itsresidents to roam freely around
(40:28):
the 12 acre land, which is wegot a shout out to california,
see that was yeah yeah, shoutout to california I?
Speaker 3 (40:34):
I mean, that's where you know.
My, my rescue brain was likeare all of these animals spayed
and neutered?
Are they okay?
Speaker 4 (40:40):
Do we?
Speaker 3 (40:40):
have ample food?
Do we have enough sanctuaryroom?
But 12 acres is a good amountof space, so they're probably
okay.
But now I feel like I have togo take a visit and investigate.
I mean, she's in Cali.
Speaker 4 (40:52):
I might need to make a trip over there but I'm hoping
she's doing good work.
Speaker 3 (40:56):
I'm hoping the cats are comfy and filing their nails
and scratching whatever theywant and living their best cat
lives.
Speaker 4 (41:03):
I tell you what when I saw that the sanctuary was
there, it made a lot more sensethan trying to do that in a one
bedroom in Reseda?
Speaker 3 (41:12):
yes, 1100 in a one bedroom apartment in LA would
have really stopped me in mytracks yeah, absolutely all
right.
Speaker 4 (41:20):
That's our show for this week.
Check our show bio and all theshow notes for all the links and
stuff from this episode.
Uh, we also even got a?
Uh, some fun things that we'readding.
They're new each week, so makesure to check it out.
Hit the subscribe button allthat shit that people say to do
um and uh but, most importantly,uh, reach out, like we said,
(41:41):
because it's uh, it's animportant time and I think you
got to take care of each otherand we do have to uh, start
start healing what's been goingon for the last couple of years.
So, love yourself and somebodyelse.
We'll see you next week.
Slap the power is a slap network.
It's written and produced byRick Barriodil and Asia Nakia.
Our senior producer is BreeCorey, audio and video editing
(42:02):
by Asher Freidberg and BreeCorey, and studio facilities
provided by Slap Studios LA and360Pod Studios.
If you're into online powerscrolling, like we are, don't
forget to follow Slap the Poweron twitter, tiktok, youtube and
probably pinterest soon foraccess to full episodes, bonus
content and more.
And if you're as full of hottakes and crazy ideas as we are,
(42:23):
please think about dropping usa review to help boost this
episode and you can help blow upthe group chat by sharing with
friends, family or random shitposters on the internet.
You want in on the conversationand if you're interested in
being a guest on the show,please email info at
slapthepowercom.
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