Summary & Transcript Below…
Introduction and Background of Steve Freed
- Jason Schwartz hosts another episode of Maui Neutral Zone, featuring Steve Freid, a well-known local TV personality with a long-running show called Life on Maui.
- Steve Freid has been involved in Maui media for over 12 years and is recognized for interviewing a variety of interesting guests, including politicians, activists, and cultural figures.
- The conversation highlights the shift from traditional studio setups to Zoom-based productions, emphasizing the ease of recording, editing, and sharing shows digitally via platforms like YouTube and Facebook without copyright issues.
- Steve shares nostalgic reflections on growing up during the Beatles’ era and recounts interviews with notable historical figures, such as a WMCA radio reporter who witnessed major events like the Beatles’ Shea Stadium concert and Malcolm X’s assassination.
- Both hosts acknowledge the wealth of talent and remarkable personalities residing on Maui, including celebrities and local leaders who contribute to the island’s rich cultural fabric.
- [05:23 → 16:12]
Maui’s Unique Cultural and Environmental Landscape
- Steve explains his interviewing style: focusing on values, empathy, and elevating conversations rather than attacking viewpoints. He believes in creating understanding through dialogue.
- Steve’s personal history includes running for political office as a Green Party candidate in the early 2000s, advocating ahead of his time for renewable energy and sustainability.
- Maui’s transformation over the years is discussed, notably the disappearance of sugarcane fields by 2004 due to environmental concerns and land transitions toward diversified agriculture such as oranges, watermelon, and coffee.
- There is a strong emphasis on preserving Maui’s open spaces and designated agricultural land to maintain environmental integrity amid development pressures and climate change realities.
- The hosts reflect on the contrast between mainland work ethics and Maui’s laid-back lifestyle, while recognizing hardworking immigrants who bring vitality and dedication to the island community.
- [16:12 → 29:30]
Steve Freid’s Varied Career Journey
- Steve shares his eclectic professional background: hypnotherapist, massage therapist, video store owner (two stores in Philadelphia), and later a TV and radio host on Maui.
- His love of movies and storytelling is a lifelong passion. He enjoys watching award-winning films and long-form series that develop complex narratives over multiple seasons.
- Popular streaming shows and movies discussed include The Power of the Dog (Netflix), Yellowstone (Peacock), and The Spy (Netflix), highlighting the evolving landscape of entertainment consumption.
- Steve notes the technological shift from physical video stores to streaming platforms like Netflix, appreciating how technology has made films more accessible.
- The hosts reminisce about pre-digital communication, emphasizing how social interaction and persistence were necessary before the era of cell phones and instant messaging.
- [29:30 → 37:14]
Challenges of Modern Bureaucracy and Community Support
- The discussion shifts to social issues, including the difficulties faced by homeless individuals navigating mental health evaluations and court systems.
- Steve expresses frustration with government inefficiencies and the overwhelming demand for social services, underscoring the importance of community-led initiatives and conversations like the one they are having.
- Jason mentions influential guests from past shows, such as Joe Sugarman, a successful entrepreneur who advocated for bold business strategies and left a notable legacy on Maui.
- The conversation highlights Maui’s remoteness as both a blessing and a challenge, with isolation providing protection from some mainland issues but also necessitating strong local resourcefulness.
- [37:14 → 46:47]
Maui During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Local Lifestyle
- The hosts update on Maui’s gradual reopening post-pandemic: as of February 22, vaccination cards are no longer required for dining, and mask mandates have been lifted.
- Maui’s stringent arrival screening protocols helped mitigate COVID-19 spread compared to the mainland, allowing residents to enjoy less crowded beaches and a sense of “breathing room” akin to the 1990s and early 2000s.
- Steve describes his daily routine, including swimming and walking along the beach while listening to audiobooks from the free Hawaii library app, Libby.
- The discussion touches on how digital technology can enhance everyday life, especially for older adults adapting to smartphones and streaming services.
- They debate the high costs of cable TV and the shift toward smartphone-based media consumption.
- [46:47 → 53:46]
Personal Reflections and Relationships
- Steve recounts his time living in Thailand for a year and a half after turning 60, explaining it was partly for financial reasons but ultimately he missed Maui and returned.
- He shares a touching story of meeting his wife, Rod, at a kirtan (spiritual gathering), describing their love at first sight and the importance of non-attachment in their relationship’s foundation.
- The hosts reminisce about notable Maui residents and artists such as Bob and Risa Whiting, and the influence of significant cultural figures connected to the island, including the Jewish theater heritage in Philadelphia linked to Steve’s family.
- Steve emphasizes the importance of passing on positive messages and serving as role models for younger generations, especially in a world with decreasing attention spans.
- [53:46 → 58:00]
Vision for Maui’s Cultural Future and Closing Thoughts
- Both hosts express enthusiasm for collaborating to promote Maui’s arts, culture, and environmental sustainability through their media platforms—lifeonmaui.com and mauiartsandmusic.org.
- Steve describes his relaxed lifestyle and healthy habits, including his daily large smoothies and occasional bagels with coffee on Sundays.
- The conversation concludes with mutual appreciation and encouragement for continuing to deliver positive, thoughtful content that showcases Maui’s unique environment and community spirit.
- Jason invites viewers to explore Steve’s interviews and the broader Maui arts and music scene online, reinforcing the island’s role as a global cultural beacon despite its geographic isolation.
Key Insights
- Steve Freid is a veteran Maui media personality who emphasizes empathy, cultural values, and elevating dialogue in his interviews.
- Maui’s environmental transition from mono-crop agriculture (sugarcane) to diversified sustainable farming reflects a broader ecological consciousness.
- Technology and media consumption have dramatically evolved, with streaming services replacing traditional video rental stores and cable TV.
- Maui’s geographic isolation provides both protective advantages and challenges in terms of resources and social services.
- Community and culture on Maui are enriched by a diverse mix of locals, immigrants, artists, and celebrities who contribute to the island’s identity.
- Personal stories, such as Steve’s relationship and lifestyle, highlight the island’s slower pace and emphasis on well-being.
- Digital tools like Zoom and platforms like YouTube and Libby enable creative content sharing and community engagement, crucial during and post-pandemic.
- There is a shared vision among local media figures to promote Maui’s arts and culture as a model for sustainable living and positive social impact.
Timeline Table of Notable Life Events and Career Milestones
| Year / Period | Event / Milestone |
|---|---|
| Early 1950s | Steve Freed born and raised in Philadelphia area |
| 1988 | Moved to Maui |
| Early 1990s | Owned two video stores in Philadelphia |
| 1994 | Ran for mayor and then council on Maui as Green Party candidate |
| 2004 | Active Maui media personality, observing environmental changes (sugarcane fields) |
| After 60th birthday | Lived in Thailand for 1.5 years |
| 2010s – Present | Hosting Life on Maui TV/radio show, interviewing local and national figures |
| 2022 | Maui reopening post-COVID mandates, continued media production |
Summary of Media and Technology Workflow for Maui Shows
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| Recording | Zoom used to record video interviews |
| Editing | Final Cut Pro to add credits and titles |
| Exporting | Export as MP4 file |
| Uploading | Upload to YouTube for storage and sharing |
| Sharing | Link YouTube videos to Facebook and relevant websites (mauineutralzone.com, mauiartsandmusic.org) |
| Copyright Management | Uploading via YouTube prevents Facebook copyright claims |
Notable Media Content References
| Title | Platform | Description / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The Power of the Dog | Netflix | Steve’s favorite film of the year; complex character played by Benedict Cumberbatch |
| Yellowstone | Peacock | Multi-season drama starring Kevin Costner |
| The Spy | Netflix | Series starring Sacha Baron Cohen as an Israeli spy |
| True Grit (remake) | Netflix | Coen brothers film starring Jeff Bridges and newcomer Hailee Steinfeld |
| Fargo | Film/TV | Classic Coen brothers crime drama referenced as favorite |
| O Brother, Where Art Thou | Film | Coen brothers film featuring George Clooney |
Final Remarks
This episode offers a rich blend of personal narrative, local Maui cultural insight, media production techniques, and reflections on technology and societal shifts. Steve Freed emerges as a respected figure dedicated to fostering meaningful dialogue and showcasing Maui’s vibrant community through thoughtful interviews and storytelling. The discussion underscores the importance of preserving Maui’s environment and cultural heritage while embracing modern media’s capacity to connect and inspire both local and global audiences.
00:00
[Music] hello hi everyone and welcome to another neutral zone maui neutral zone dot com i’m your host jason schwartz this is show number i think 136 of this series we’ve been doing since 2018 wow time flies little coven two-year thing we’ve been doing zoom i like zoom i can have a guest like my beautiful guest here on screen to my left but uh you guys this is steve freed many of you already know steve aloha steve aloha and and i want to say uh it’s great to be interviewed because i
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had my life on maui show for 12 years and uh in that time i only switched roles once really joe marshall’s ex-girlfriend interviewed me uh many many years ago so um well that’s interesting i wanted the audience to know my guest steve freed has a show had a show i think of it as has all you got to do is do another one and you’re doing it life on maui and he has had some real fun guests as i look through the your lists of things i said oh there’s all our great people around and you’ve
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had we’ll talk about that and so you have been sort of another show i think of us all as sort of a team of maui people doing productions that the world needs to see yes well you’re invited to actually link up the maui arts and music association website so you can showcase to the world and do more new shows in fact i’d like you to do an interview or two of me and so you talk about switching roles whatever we’ll call it i’ll do it on zoom i’ll do i’ll do the same thing on zoom exactly and then you
02:23
realize that’s exactly what’s going on now in our world and remember when uh all of us said oh we need a camera a studio and now we sit at home and we hit a button we hit record and yeah that’s amazing so how do you how do you can um make the file smize small enough to post on uh facebook i am a wizard that’s how i do it no uh what i do is i record it in zoom zoom creates excuse guys and and there’s a techno term mp4 file and then i put it into final cut i put credits front and back
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in my credits and then titles and then i export it as an mp4 and i load it up to youtube and then i link it from youtube to my two pages mauineutralzone.com and uh that then goes into mauiaartsonmusic.com mauiaartsonmusic.org under the video section that’s where i’m going to be inviting you because i that’s what i’m thinking is all of us need to be shown it that mp4 file goes up to youtube youtube holds big things and then i just put the link into facebook and up it comes with everything i put on youtube
03:52
oh i see and by doing it that way quote facebook can’t claim ownership because when you put it directly up to facebook they say oh those images we all know you put them up we own them we can ah unless they have a prior thing you know they all have this thing about copyright and who’s gonna sue who you know i remember who was that to sue me so you blew those the beatles am i that old to remember that sumi yes of course we’re that old i mean i i was um 16 when the beatles came on ed sullivan
04:35
because i was born in 1953. so i was 16 years old when the beatles came on ed sullivan and i watched it and i watched it live and you wouldn’t be surprised i was almost 16 but i was 14 born in 1951. in fact i have a guy that i interviewed who is a wmca radio reporter in new york who was at the foot of the stairs when the beatles got down there the day they went to shea stadium wow he was also in the front row when malcolm x was assassinated and ran to maui and hid for 50 years mauka i if you
05:23
ever go guy work anyway we have a maui you know it we have amazing people here don’t we we have amazing people here i mean clint eastwood lives here willie nelson lives here woody harrelson lives here now now paul simon lives here mick fleetwood lives here bob rock pacquiao but we also have yes steve freed you know what i’ve discovered and you know is in the woodwork here they’re amazing people and that’s what i do on my show i like to interview people that are interesting you see me do a series up close and
06:05
personal forever interviewing politicians or people that want to get involved and i decided to do a show about values and put politics aside i was going to do a political show but i thought let me just interview things that i think and people that are interesting and valuable because that’s our maui culture that’s what makes maui strong is all these people and i’ve interviewed a guy that runs boys to men and a doctor who’s into non-violent communication and yep and then you have those you have guests
06:40
and i’ve been injured yet marianne williamson on right and you had i yeah i had marian williamson you know private residential candidate yeah i interviewed three green party candidates three or four of them and you know i mix it up and have fun but i know that the whole goal is to elevate the conversation and make it a better world and i’m not an attacking guy you too you’re a gentleman you know no i am and i always like to remind people don’t mistake my gentleness for weakness that
07:18
could be a mistake but i don’t carry a sword and not like in the clint east you know what harrison ford remember the lit raiders of the lost ark guys and he just takes out his gun and shoots him but no i like talking to people because i really find i’m sure you do also that when you sit and relax with people you and you like them and they will suddenly what problems could we have when we both want to solve it when we have empathy for the other people and why they’re bringing their ideas to the table
07:56
we want to solve the problems you know yes we do yeah absolutely so if you’re not doing your show oh yeah i hope that you will i hope that you will reawaken well i’ll i’ll enter i’ll i’ll make a point to interview you and maybe i’ll maybe that will be uh a thing for me maybe i’ll interview people on zoom well you know when i started doing it on zoom people said oh this is awkward and now like now you’re on screen with me and we have this ability to change the thing you can go up and go
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here and there show other things on screen it’s much easier right much easier well maybe this this zoom session will inspire me to do other shows i haven’t i haven’t thought of that before um and maybe i’ll talk to you before about later about how to record and blah blah blah but um yeah this this this is inspiring to me good and you know what’s inspiring to me that you were willing to come on my show you know some people think uh oh jason he’s gonna go wind up and punch because
09:20
you know they see that i i actually you know have some ideas going on so if they come on they’re worried if they have any loose things but uh you came on you didn’t really know like i could ask you about your life and you’d say boy you’d say oh that’s interesting how did you come to mao what were you doing before you were a great television personality well thank you um uh well i moved to maui 18 years ago my uh pr prior place that i grew up was in philadelphia yeah like ariel
10:00
yeah uh huh yeah yeah i grew up in philadelphia the suburbs of philadelphia i grew up in the beginning the the first uh up until second grade we lived in west philly but then we moved out to the suburbs to a beautiful modern house i mean oh my god it was just beautiful and modern and my father is an artist and my mom made jewelry and they both had studios in the basement and um that’s uh that’s arielle lived in philly central philly when she was growing up and she was like miss 950 club remember all the things going
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on with american bandstand yeah of course ariel was miss everything there and then you know it’s so funny i philadelphia was has its own original music sound it’s really oh absolutely well i think of the ojs and and uh that’s smooth really beautiful the sole survivors came from philadelphia oh yeah survivors yeah and steve freed my my uncle and aunt lived in huntingdon valley so i guess that was sort of almost yes you know so and philadelphia was always interesting because you drive this way and you go to
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pennsylvania dutch country and yeah i had a friend out in pittsburgh you know yes father on the steel company it’s interesting how all these they named the library and uh the hospital after his dad his father you remember amp that made semiconductors for the war it was his father and so he grew up as a trust child and he used to think because i i had a mother that was if something was like ah things aren’t going perfect she’d throw money at me so he thought i was a chess trust child
12:06
and um philadelphia and pittsburgh and new york we have a different kind of a work ethic than out here you know i mean oh well there’s no question there’s no question about that except my girlfriend rodney oh yeah um she she has an immigrant mentality and she works hard well and loves it and loves it they’re that like some might say uh jason what do you do for a living well i do uh radio and tv shows sounds big but you can see this is a radio and tv show we’re doing now so but for all
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these years we gotta love it and i haven’t gotten paid so you really gotta love it if i was in hollywood you know people would be but out here in maui it’s been uh just a love story you know i remember when i was doing mortgages i i guess you weren’t really here when i did people don’t remember way back when i was uh i i moved here 18 years ago so were you doing mortgages before that yeah i was in real estate after also a little bit but mortgages where i was helping local people really wasn’t into getting
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people from the mainland to come by here and rent to us at high prices that are now right so that was my thing and i did just enough to keep the okay and i was you know doing shows and talking out in 1994 i ran for actually council but mayor and i switched to council race people don’t know i was the green party candidate a few times [Music] and you know when it wasn’t fashionable and you said renewable energy and someone did go oh there’s radicals we talked about things that they talk
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about now before it was fashionable you know wait so 2004 i’m trying to remember maui was was maui beautiful in 2004 oh it was it was absolutely beautiful and and uh [Music] you know we had sugar cane fields at that time well i’m laughing because 2004 sugarcane fields where are they now they’re they’re no longer existing that’s right for the people in the world we decided burning sugarcane wasn’t good at a company a pension fund bought a majority of land there in central valley
14:50
yeah but but one of the things i loved including the sugar cane fields because you know i’ve i’ve lived in kihei so i didn’t get uh hit by the pollution that they from the burning um um so you know i just loved all the open land and it’s still that way there’s still a lot of open land on now and and it’s designated to stay that way and my pono is in the middle of one unbelievable amount of transition but they’ve got all kinds of things growing and some would say they’re only
15:37
still mono cropping they only grow well i like to think that they’re at their first stages of taking land that was horribly one crop depleting the soil and having to do something with it again that’s for another show but all that land will stay beautiful except now you’re looking to see rows of oranges and watermelon yes and coffee the question of where that product is gonna go we’ll see but it’s incredibly beautiful and it’s incredibly going to stay that way there are designated areas that are not going
16:12
to be housed ah that’s so wonderful to hear that’s so wonderful to hear and more coming you know i think as we’re all getting more educated to uh the realities of these climate things areas that have houses are like wait a minute are we gonna buy a house where we have to like drive our boat up to the back door because the water is now up here they talk about you know like in kiev along the water i always am wondering why are they building new new houses on the shore when they know it already runs across the street and up
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to yeah ccc what kind of work did you do before were you a tv guy or because you know so here here’s the progression of what i i did i was a hypnotherapist a video store owner i i owned two video stores uh one in the city and one in the suburbs um and um and then i was huh back east in in philly okay and um then i was a massage therapist for 10 years i had a an amazing clientele i mean i i i did very well with massage therapy i worked in two two or three different chiropractors offices and i had a private practice
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where people would come to my house i also went to other people’s house or apartments and um i had a i had a thriving practice and uh so in the video store the video store i i opened one in the city on oxford circle and one in the suburbs in norbert and um i love movies love love love movies and to this day i love movies and i love watching the award you know especially the academy awards and uh you know it’s a part of my life and unfortunately rod a shares that with me you know she she loves good movies
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and good series and all of that do you have amazon prime no i have netflix i want you to know uh thank you very much amazon for the free shipping i mean some things you just can’t get on maui it’s nice to have free shipping because of b but the movies there’s some little but all you have to do is spend more than 25 dollars uh on an order and you get free shipping depends what company yeah i know or amazon oh i’m talking about yeah and even amazon uh the reason i get it is the movies and the everything just makes
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it easy so i’ve really gotten into these longer series you really learn plot development when someone’s got a seven season series and you watch it in like a short time and you get the story plot and you see how you start from the end and you work backwards and weave this story out there are some incredible the man in the high castle about hitler and what if the germans won the war what would happen if the germans got the east and the japanese got the west yes or you know they have one on peacock
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called yellowstone you see a guy like kevin costner in an epic you know that’s just it’s like seasons long with these characters oh so that’s on peacock yeah yellowstone yeah i’ll i’ll watch that i’ll watch that and you know but there’s amazing stuff on there i watch this one well i don’t even go off on a tangent but movies i love movies also yeah the things that we thought were science fiction that became science fact in our lifetime yes you know you all beat me up scotty and
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talking into the thing in your hand yes does this qualify for this it sure does it sure does yeah i and and my favorite i think i i would have to say my favorite of movie of the year is the power of the dog uh it’s on netflix and um it’s up for more academy awards than any other movie this year right i saw that it was so i was going to watch it um good yeah watch it and don’t and and benedict cumberbatch is a real real bastard and and some people turn off the movie halfway because he
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plays such a bastard um so just stick it out because it has a good ending it has a good ending when you say such a bastard i think of daniel day lewis and the streets of new york i think of some of these real well as well as um there will be blood he played a real bastard what a bastard oh my god the bastards of the movies on the tv huh yeah what is his name first name is benedick right i’ve seen him in things i remember seeing him in the thing and thinking is that what dennis quaid or one of those not
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dennis quaid maybe i forgot who was another actor that was maybe a decade or two ago and i saw that he was like a younger version he’s quite an interesting actor i’ve seen him a lot of different roles yeah another series that we just absolutely loved is uh the spy on netflix it’s it’s it’s the spy on netflix and sasha baron cohen plays an israeli spy and uh he does an amazing acting job and i saw it i understand isn’t it exciting to see these i mean it’s like when you watch jack krasinski
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who was on the office as whatever he was do these dramatic roles and series it’s really you know over the years i used to like looking at old movies and seeing in the background oh there’s yule brenner and stephen boyd and all these lead actors that william shatner all the rest of them you know tv series like the rifleman you go or clue gallagher and you know all these old nick adams and the rebel maybe new people don’t know them but they know the people that were on these shows that are now the patriarchs and you know
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son my younger son and he’s he’s he’s also in the he he makes movies mostly life on maui.com you see people are going to now go there and when we get you hooked to our maui arts and music website the whole world will find it easier i believe that we how many people are like steve freed nobody we should share the greats of our island past and present and many of them you know we the digital age and all that a lot of people proprietary but in the lifetimes that we’ve had here we are the shoulders that the
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kids are going to stand on so i kind of feel the importance of what you do and what i do to continue to deliver a message as a role model will and show role models to our young people who someone said we’re now we’re not now we can’t concentrate on 12 seconds we’re down to eight after eight seconds our attention is lost another another movie i really want to recommend is the remake of true grit um it’s also on netflix um and um it’s directed by the coen brothers and it stars jeff bridges matt damon
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um and a newcomer called haley seinfeld who does an amazing job as the gir as the little girl and um it’s directed by the coen brothers if i didn’t say that already and yeah jeff bridges i always love and also when you say the coen brothers there’s a new one that’s up power of the dog about the tragedy of macbeth was one of the coen brothers by himself and they were one of the coen brothers yeah do you think their movies had a sort of flavor two brothers do you think you oh absolutely the the the two
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brothers together are are better than the one brother uh so i mean some of my favorite movies by the coen brothers are fargo and and oh what a tremendous movie oh my god and um and um of course oh brother or art thou with george clooney yeah they’re great well you know it’s interesting staying in the video sir you were owning them but you weren’t there watching them all day though right sometimes no no no i had usually had music videos on i was going to say oh you had a crew oh i don’t i don’t know i i had managers
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in both stores and uh other employees um and uh yeah i i i love the v owning the video stores i really did did you jump out before they went to dvds and then oh yeah i jumped out just before blockbuster opened i was just gonna say well talk about technology taking industries and going yeah i mean i i i can’t but every time i watch netflix it’s like it’s amazing to me that they can stream movies you know so many movies yeah and series yeah and there’s some people that still want to get those
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discs it’s interesting why do you want them to send you a disk well because i like to watch it on a dvd so i can pause it well you can pause it online in fact you can go away and we’ll come back to it and it’ll be exactly where you left it even absolutely absolutely the kids now i mean i love when kids say well you didn’t have cell phones well how did you communicate with each other we talked to each other we’d see each other and stuff yeah well we we had land lines you know i remember chef gordon may
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remember this i was so persistent on trying to reach him here when i first got here we didn’t have answer machines then or if we did it was way back there and it was like when he called me he said man you are the most persistent guy that’s why i called you back and i thought in this day and age you you go to one machine and then you get hello oh it’s a machine then you got five choices and then from five you go to another subset and it’s upset and you and then you get to the machine that
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says we don’t have any room on this machine sorry yeah right right even even digitally that there there there’s some sometimes i get that message even digital and and you know hopefully fortunately you haven’t too much experience uh going after the food stamps and the government programs but i can tell you you wonder which comes first the frustration of the people or the thing that they’re not getting that there’s you know we’re living in a world where you know you don’t know where the
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problem really is like they put a guy into jail this is the funniest not so funny step imagine they evaluate you for your mental health you have 95 court cases and you really are been frustrated four years of homeless and they say well you could be dangerous to society we’re going to hold you for 30 days while they hold you for 30 days your vehicles and things with all your stuff have been totally ransacked and you don’t know it of course and you’re going to get out of this and now what you thought was a
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difficult life and they’re trying to find out if this person is saying his life is now shredded what’s that you know so he tried watch this guy try i’ve tried and still trying to help him you know you think look the people aren’t doing the job and they’re gone we have 83 people a day to help we don’t have the time to help the phones are busy but that’s why we’re breathing here people like you and me talking to other people making i think every guest i’m sure you
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had was trying to make this a better world i look up at your people like joe sugarman absolutely people used to live on maui right on kiava kapoor beach i love to see what he told me he said to me what you do is you ask for forgiveness not permission that’s how i’ve made my fortune and i thought that’s interesting you know him i remember all his amazing books about sales and direct marketing oh yeah yeah he was the first one to accept a credit card on the phone he he he was uh blue blocker sunglasses
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he was the first one to accept credit cards on the phone oh yeah yeah he was a nice guy i liked him years ago massage ariel used to do massage for him and the wife and wongi there’s some great and interesting there’s there are a lot of amazing people who live on this small island in the middle of the pacific further these eyes these hawaiian islands are farther from uh any they’re they’re the most remote islands in the world i always like to say we’re the most remote land mass in the world
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when i was first doing my logo for the non-profit this guy made a picture of our our logo as the island looking from the west coast we we are the most remote land mass in the world that means if there’s an explosion somewhere unless it’s in tonga but if it’s the world and all that craziness i’m very grateful to live here because um you know a lot of especially with the pandemic there’s a lot that goes on in the mainland that doesn’t necessarily affect us yeah and uh just as a reference point
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for everyone watching february 22nd 2 2 2 2 2 our mayor is uh letting us go into dining establishments and not ask for vaccination cards so it’s starting to open up again and the governor has declared also that uh you know you don’t have to wear masks as of i think monday so the world is beginning to open up and breathe again uh that’s that’s i’m so happy like you said we’re here we have them screening and everything before people come here imagine on the mainland where people could come from
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everywhere well they can they can drive from one place to another which makes a big difference because that can make a huge difference because you have to get onto an airplane so they require you be tested and you know oh yeah so we have a bunch of screens before people arrive and we still have people you know that come but we are blessed we are so blessed and i must also say i enjoyed i’m sure you walking on the beaches and going through places with so many less people it felt like 1990 and 2004
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there was a breathing room it was exciting and and i i go almost every day to kiava kapoor beach and uh my my new thing just in the last say year or two is that um [Music] i swim and then i walk along the beach listening to audiobooks provided free by the hawaii library system because you can get an app called libby on your phone and uh you can borrow audio books for free you have that too i do yeah wonderful i just haven’t had the beach but now i was gonna walk with you and we’ll talk live sometime and put your book down but
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it’s a beautiful place to live in maui to get to walk out and libby’s a great system see a lot of these things people don’t know i kept thinking maybe we should do a series that shows old people that are still into their flip phones the magic and how their whole world could be in a smartphone they could even put the remote control on their tv in there or that you know i always just amazed people buy tvs and then they get and they pay for tv but they can take their phone get what they want on the phone
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take a cord and see it so i think you’re in transition you wonder how long can cable companies get the unbelievable amount of money there’s old people paying two hundred dollars a month because they get tv and internet and a couple of premium channels yeah yep and so when you say libby that really that’s something everyone should hear libby’s name yes everyone in hawaii should hear about libby that because it’s a free app on your phone and it’s it’s totally free here’s another question you’ll go well
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but how does he put his butt from the air i go whoop like this when you return message in your email and you use tie words and i thought you’ve had a real fascination with thailand and uh well i lived there for a year and a half so when i when i was when i was 60 um okay okay so this goes back a couple years um no no but but uh when when i first went to thailand i went with my previous girlfriend adele and um and then i went back without adele and i found a girlfriend a thai girlfriend who had a house
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on on in thailand in a thai village and um so when i got to 60 and i i needed to conserve my income and as we all know you can live for much less in thailand so um i um i moved to thailand just after my 60th birthday i had a big going away party and barry sultanoff barry sultanoff said you’ll be back and of course i i did come back so because you know all the time that i was in thailand i really missed maui i really missed maui and uh even with the thai girlfriend with the house and the thai village
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i i just really missed maui and um so i i came back a year and a half later happy to have you back we’ve had you remember bob and risa whiting and everybody oh my god they lived in thailand as well yeah i i did an interview with them right at their apartment in thailand yeah do you know that i was actually i lived in wales and i went to the airport with a lady that was a psychic reading on the psychic network to pick up her friends from woodstock bob and risa when they came to maui the first time
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they lived in woodstock before that yeah their daughter still yeah and uh wow they were amazing people weren’t there’s another they they were they were amazing people both dead now but yes um they were amazing people i i i really love them and and i’ll tell you an amazing story my grandfather was leon berger was the director of the jewish theater in philadelphia marie schwartz was one of the main actors okay marie schwartz raised risa right and reason i had a schwartz thing going on yeah oh that’s right that’s right i’m
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a schwartz right well i talked about that the can you imagine being born to a big actor in the yiddish theater as a child yeah and bob such an eloquent gentleman he’s he was very eloquent beautiful well spoken very just well-spoken i actually have a video of him doing inherit the wind in the courtroom here in maui and you know it’s really funny know these guys a long time it’s hard for me to even think that i’ve been here since 1988 as wow you’ve been here since 1988 so 1988
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1998 2008 so you’ve been here for 34 years 34 years wow and i came as this environmental that because i ran for politics right was labeled radical because i liked solar panels and thought we should recycle and be self-sustainable and decentralized and stuff isn’t that funny it’s very helpful it is yeah so ahead of our time in fact on another show i’ll i’ll tell maybe the story about pundy everyone sees pundy panda yoko uchi is a guy who was in construction his family had a bakery on venue i don’t know if
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you knew that right there in vineyard but and then he got into real estate and raised a lot of money and was big real estate guy and when they were building the cultural center he told me this story he went to peter baldwin and he said here’s how you’re going to get money from the client who are you pick out your 10 biggest customers got it okay and remind them how much good sales do and that you’re really looking forward to them giving a 10 000 whatever donation to this cultural center that’s how they
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raised the big money and then i met him i was a dishwasher pundi now he’s in stone we talked about environmental things because i booked the cultural center new year’s eve new year’s day the first year and we were going to be doing things with all the hotels and then pundi got a stroke and so i lost my champion on the rodney dangerfield maui we had plans 30 years ago so it’s like isn’t that amazing yeah well i don’t know what made me think of that i love i love the maui arts and cultural center i haven’t been
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there in a while because of covid but um it’s opening up yeah isn’t it exciting to think that on a little island we get amazing it’s the shows here people oh my god amazing shows right people come here i guess they come here for the tourism also but who would think that this little speck the most remote land mass in the world is such a beacon that it attracts people oh yeah may we send them home with more than just a suntan let’s give them some environmental things and go wow i want to do this at home turn
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philadelphia into maui yes okay well you know uh i’ll i’ll you know we can talk about uh me interviewing you um oh yeah yeah and uh you know maybe we’ll do that in a in a couple weeks and uh huh yeah yeah i look forward to it i still you know you said you lived in thailand a lot about you that to me is really the foundation i don’t know where maybe it’s your nice jewish upbringing like me you’re just a decent level-headed guy who has a beautiful and sensitive wife she has a name that uh
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that doesn’t make me think should you say she thinks like an immigrant you’re where she from she’s from bolivia so her her her her name you know her given name is elizabeth arcianega and um you know a maui name is rodney i always wonder when i think about people and names she’s such a nice lady like you say she’s i still have that new york thing about on time i mean drives people a little crazy because i’m too too precise too precise but um i’m i’m fortunate she’s really
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the love of my life it was love at first sight we met at a kirtan many years ago and i took one look at her and i was in love and um and and um you know dreaming bear another person i’ve interviewed i don’t know if you’ve interviewed him he’s been on my show too yeah that’s okay all we gotta do so streaming bear was at this uh kirtan it was a uh what what’s that uh prem baba very close to uh ramdas’s house and um so it was a beautiful living room and rod a came in and she sat down right
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right next to me and it was love at first sight and i i haven’t experienced that since i was five years old in the kinder in kindergarten i i had um i i was in love with this little blonde girl and um so it was love at first sight and what i can say what i can say is that um [Music] roddy caught up to me you know in a couple weeks you know she she she loved me in a couple weeks but it was love at first sight for me but one thing that i i really attribute to the miracle of this relationship was
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that i wasn’t attached to whether she loved me or not and if things didn’t work out i just felt very unattached it was like um okay if things work out they work out if they don’t work out they they won’t work out and i feel like it was with that that that that’s how things we fell in love with each other i love those that’s uh you know it’s the other thing about it for a butterfly if it’s meant to be there it’ll come back yes that’s right it’s a beautiful thing you talk about
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ramdas how many people say oh ramdas lives down the street this way prem bob is over there we got a little ananda das a few great poets here w.s merton and the environmental people and what a place this maui i mean dreaming bears a good poet too oh yeah well you know you know he’s on the big island now oh i didn’t know that he has a piece of land on the big island and it’s like 25 acres and he’s developing his own thing there has been yeah we haven’t met amazing people we have amazing people
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and you know little island in the middle of the pacific well you know you carry that good energy steve thank you i mean what made me think i want to have steve freed on my show is because i i figure people are going to find my shows and when they do they’re going to look through the guests and who do i think is an important part of my world steve free and i want to do i do i want to do a plug for my website it’s lifeonmaui.com lifeonmaui.com and you can find all of my interviews on lifeonmaui.com
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and at your place we’re going to put life on maui.com with you or however you want on our maui arts and music website because i believe the cultural center is maliarts.org it is not by mistake that i’m maui arts and music.org pundi and like i said pandy and i talked about it then he got sick and i lost my champion but by design we’re a little late but never too late because it seems like now might just be just in fact to do the things that i’m just excited and when you mention things that you can hear
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it triggers me that we’ve got it all here and we can be an example to the world and you’re part of me absolutely thank you yeah we can be a part of it when you look at the interviews that i’ve done just like i look at the interviews you’ve done we’re delivering i think positive messages and we’ve been doing it before it was fashionable but right now with all that’s going in the world our positivity i want you on that team because that’s what you are you’re a stable like this is me of course
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stable gentleman who listens and thinks and gives people space to be and you’re a great host for that reason and you ask you know questions that let people be comfortable enough to tell a story that they wouldn’t otherwise be telling thank you what would you like what do you think about the future anything you want to do that you want our audience to know uh no i’m just enjoying my lifestyle i’m a night owl i stay up late at night i get up late in the morning and um i love i love my rhythm
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i love my rhythm i i i i make a a enormous smoothie in the morning i’ll tell you the ingredients um carrot juice green juice protein powder kale um pineapple banana blueberries and strawberries and that all goes into a an enormous smoothie i have a big big thing and um uh i i drink that while i’m eating breakfast and i i also make mate every day uh but uh but sunday and raw day comes over that’s it’s the one day a week that she takes off the whole day and so um that’s the one day that i have
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eggs with kale and um and um bagels nice jewish boy bagels and that’s the one day a week i drink coffee and i love my life i go to the beach almost every day uh and um i i i i love my life so you made a bucket list and in the bucket is maui and you are in the bucket i mean i’m in the bucket yeah people have bucket lists you know but um we live in maui it kind of makes a the bucket list a little funny isn’t it absolutely okay so um you’ve been a great guest thanks for just being here
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and be casual and that’s really wanted to show i wanted to introduce them to you now they can go to those interviews and be comfortable that they’ve got a friend going in you know yes okay well thank you thank you steve and thank all you guys for joining us we will see you again okay aloha [Music] you
