The Unraveling: How Your Reality Is Made Up

Mica Ringo

A psychological cat-and-mouse game — but who is the cat, and who is the mouse? The stories we consume become the realities we live in. But who is telling the story… and why? A tale of deception and betrayal, The Unraveling pulls back the curtain on Hollywood’s reality-making machine — revealing how predators hide in plain sight and manufacture the narratives they want us to believe. Follow the evidence to uncover what’s truth… and what’s illusion. By understanding the tactics of psychological manipulation, we can begin dismantling their influence — in our media, our institutions, and our own minds. Because inside the dream factory, reality itself is under construction — and nothing is what it seems.

Episodes

  1. Episode 5: Congratulations! We're Closed.

    12/06/2025

    Episode 5: Congratulations! We're Closed.

    (Trigger Warning at 4 min.) The kids in Liberia are shocked to learn Strongheart is moving to Texas and leaving them behind. Their permanent home of healing is converted into a surf hostel. Some of the kids stay on to work while the owners try to generate a tourism industry in Liberia from the ground up. But why didn't Strongheart report the sale? And why is the Pope involved? Contact: micajringo@ pm dot me Show Notes: Cori Shepherd Stern, American Refugee - https://youtu.be/9dolEOdduNU?t=2466 2012 Form 990 - https://app.candid.org/profile/8940934/the-strongheart-group-26-2190101?activeTab=7 Strongheart House - https://web.archive.org/web/20120831205113/http://www.strongheartfellowship.org/shhouse.php Volunteer Describes Experience - https://share.google/1xdd1O98rgLMDonXO Stern's Quote "It's so twisted" and "hate masquerading as love" - https://kitchentablecult.com/2023/07/14/s5e14-shiny-happy-people-part-2-cori-shepherd-stern/ Daniel Hopkins Interview https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2014/10/12/ebola-wipes-out-liberia-surf-camp-plan/ BBC Profile - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-18523721 Time - https://time.com/119491/liberia-goes-from-warzone-to-surfing-mecca/ On Surfari w Shane and Shannon McIntyre: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBgwdsqCavk Cori on "Being a Producer" - https://kitchentablecult.com/2023/07/14/s5e14-shiny-happy-people-part-2-cori-shepherd-stern/ Alphanso Appleton: 2009 Reuters Video - https://web.archive.org/web/20210720192441/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zDpO1YT8uk BYU Profile - https://kealakai.byuh.edu/campus-community/capturing-a-full-life Audio Interview - Therapist Uncensored https://therapistuncensored.com/episodes/tu109-this-is-resilience-in-action-with-guest-alphanso-appleton/ French Interview - https://observers.france24.com/en/20140609-surfing-waves-liberia-robersport-beach Poetry - # [Strongheart](https://alphansosworldofpoetry.blogspot.com/2011/01/strongheart.html) https://www.theinertia.com/surf/the-thriving-surf-culture-and-perfect-empty-lineups-of-west-africa/ https://www.surfer.com/news/survivors-surf-club Sean Brody Sean Brody as Messiah - https://web.archive.org/web/20140709020418/https://kwepunha.com/team/ Surfing Prevents Conflict: https://m.naharnet.com/stories/en/131993-liberia-on-the-crest-of-a-wave-as-surfing-takes-off Touting political connections and community ties: https://1library.net/article/brody-social-impact-business-sustainable-stoke-transitions-sustainability.qvpnoedq General Background - https://htmedge.blogspot.com/2012/11/sean-brody-from-liberia.html Published Credits - https://www.stokecertified.com/team/sean-brody/ ESPN Post - https://web.archive.org/web/20130105214238/http://espn.go.com/action/surfing/blog/_/post/8676924/the-rise-liberia Scholas Occurentes: Sean Brody and Pope - https://youtu.be/MOrIV9AkCkQ?t=4241 Surfers Visit Vatican - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8JZCOcZK1o Scandals: https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2020/10/24/financial-and-operational-questions-surround-scholas-occurentes-pontifical-foundation/ https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/246398/does-a-pontifical-foundation-use-pope-francis-to-spread-gender-ideology Kwepunha Surf Retreat - first page in wayback machine is March 11, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20130608131233/https://kwepunha.com/ https://web.archive.org/web/20131013203158/http://kwepunha.com/vision/https://web.archive.org/web/20140710015040/http://www.kwepunha.com/properties/ Grace Freeman Interview - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIZsVkVybOQ Liberia Tourism: https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20151022-the-making-of-child-surfers-not-child-soldiers https://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/destinations/africa/chasing-adventure-corners-world/ https://bubblegumclub.co.za/community/the-emergence-of-liberias-surfing-culture https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/san-diegans-try-to-save-liberia-surf-shop-after-ebola/62635/ Circumstantial Indicators of Trafficking: https://www.ungm.org/Shared/KnowledgeCenter/Pages/OpInd https://www.ungm.org/Shared/KnowledgeCenter/Pages/SHTFLResources Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-unraveling/donations

    45 min
  2. Episode 4: Stern's Tots

    11/15/2025

    Episode 4: Stern's Tots

    What's worse than promising needy kids a full ride to college but only giving them a laptop battery? Promising them a permanent home base of healing.... that isn't so permanent. Or healing. Show Notes: Grace Freeman Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIZsVkVybOQ Lovetta on US Homelessness - sourceid=&smenu=87&twindow=Default&mad=No&sdetail=719&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1846&hn=oakhillgazette&he=.net Cori on Lovetta seeing photographs of African women: https://youtu.be/e7L4xJ6TCmc?t=2621 Blog with Spanking Comments https://web.archive.org/web/20231203083412/https://kingsemantics.blogspot.com/2009/07/young-liberians-urged-to-forget.html 2007 Living in Austin - https://web.archive.org/web/20071107052517/http://www.txconferenceforwomen.org/conference/speakers.htm#conto Lovettas Drive to Help Others - http://www.strongheartfellowship.org/lovettaconto.php Coco Chanel Reference in Article Full of Lies - https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts/the-art-of-war-1.599900 The next mlk - https://web.archive.org/web/20071111004842/http://www.strongheartfellowship.org/press.php https://web.archive.org/web/20160104084549/https://medhum.med.nyu.edu/view/12400/20071111004837/http://www.strongheartfellowship.org/lovettaconto.php Cori Recruiting Volunteers in Blog Commments - https://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/ten-days-in-south-america-recipe.html#recipe Volunteer Blog:https://web.archive.org/web/20140103114840/http://janajohnsonhealingworks.com/ Therapist Uncensored Volunteer Comments https://therapistuncensored.com/episodes/tu109-this-is-resilience-in-action-with-guest-alphanso-appleton/ 2010 990 - https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/262190101/2011_12_EO%2F26-2190101_990EZ_201012 2011 - 990 https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/262190101/2014_09_EO%2F26-2190101_990EZ_201112 Bringing Down the House Clip: https://youtu.be/Sh8ZsnzoZMU?t=289 https://web.archive.org/web/20120112042013/http://www.strongheartfellowship.org/shhouse.php Volunteer Blog Entries: Sept 21: https://kundaliniinliberia.blogspot.com/2011/09/september-20-liberia.html Sept 23 - https://kundaliniinliberia.blogspot.com/2011/09/september-23-liberia.html Sep 24 - https://kundaliniinliberia.blogspot.com/2011/09/september-24-liberia.html Sep 26 - https://kundaliniinliberia.blogspot.com/2011/09/september-26-liberia.html Oct 6 - https://kundaliniinliberia.blogspot.com/2011/10/october-6.html 12 Hour Excursion on Bad Roads: https://kundaliniinliberia.blogspot.com/2011/10/liberia-october-10.html Asking for donations/praising press coverage - https://kundaliniinliberia.blogspot.com/2011/10/ Orphanage Tourism/Trafficking: https://www.ipu.org/news/voices-and-videos/2025-03/orphanage-trafficking-hidden-crisis-aided-good-intentions https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-tourism/articles/10.3389/frsut.2023.1177091/full#B51 https://www.abta.com/sustainability/human-rights/orphanage-tourism Surf Retreat: https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20151022-the-making-of-child-surfers-not-child-soldiers Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-unraveling/donations

    53 min
  3. Episode 3: Psych Ward to Savior

    11/08/2025

    Episode 3: Psych Ward to Savior

    Cori Shepherd Stern, former psych patient turned Hollywood producer, has reinvented herself as a humanitarian. Through her non-profit Strongheart, she recruited a 15 year old Lovetta Conto as the first fellow and primary fundraiser. Selling homemade jewelry made from spent bullets, together they rake in more than a quarter million dollars in the first 3 years, but where does that money go? Show Notes: emirates article https://voice.laverne.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2018/11/2015-Fall.pdf Comparing refugee child's looks to satirized cartoon characters - https://girlseeksworld.wordpress.com/2006/01/19/160/ Deceptive Fundraising for Orphans - https://web.archive.org/web/20090301191712/http://www.givemeaning.com/project/stronghearttina "Except for Us" plea - https://girlseeksworld.wordpress.com/2009/09/26/why-im-in-africa/ Strongheart House: Ten Days Trip - https://web.archive.org/web/20081120145807/http://www.strongheartfellowship.org/tendays.php https://web.archive.org/web/20090414112432/http://www.strongheartfellowship.org:80/tendays.php https://web.archive.org/web/20090425173625/http://www.strongheartfellowship.org/shhouse.php Curriculum - https://web.archive.org/web/20090425173625/http://www.strongheartfellowship.org/curriculum.php How it Works - https://web.archive.org/web/20090306003310/http://www.strongheartfellowship.org/howworks.php Grace Freeman Interview - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIZsVkVybOQ Director's Blog: Recounting Separation and homelessness - https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2018/03/07/people-in-your-la-jolla-neighborhood-meet-oscar-nominated-cori-shepherd-stern/ - My big deal, no longer homeless - https://girlseeksworld.wordpress.com/2013/01/10/today/ Liberia: Westerners in Liberia are a rare breed - [https://www.wabash.edu/magazine/index.cfm?news_id=8942] Therapist Volunteer First Hand Account - https://therapistuncensored.com/episodes/tu109-this-is-resilience-in-action-with-guest-alphanso-appleton/ Rape Culture - https://world.time.com/2012/04/30/history-of-violence-struggling-with-the-legacy-of-rape-in-liberia/ President's Comments on Lack of Rape Prosecutions - https://www.un.org/en/chronicle/article/when-things-fall-apart Robertsport, rebel stronghold: https://www.wastedtalentmag.com/blog/2024/12/30/a-year-in-review-2-the-5th-county/ Audit - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CoSA_tsA_WglA2_As2A86v7ysdkgjRj4/view?usp=sharing Emirates Article citing tourism - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w9WY_c298BuDhC6T8iubiPujEm7pFwHm/view?usp=sharing Phase One Accomplishments 2008 990 Tax Form - https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/262190101/2010_12_EO%2F26-2190101_990EZ_200812 2009 990 Tax Form - https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/262190101/2010_12_EO%2F26-2190101_990EZ_200912 Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-unraveling/donations

    38 min
  4. Episode 2: American Refugee

    11/01/2025

    Episode 2: American Refugee

    After leaving Hollywood, Cori Shepherd Stern rebrands herself as an “American refugee” in Africa. Always a talent scout, she selects several minor refugee children and eventually gains custody of them. Promoting their stories in the press turns camera time into credibility, the kind that opens doors to elite global circles, from the Clintons to the World Bank. Sources: https://www.telluridefilmfestival.org/show/showroom# https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/politics-news/hillary-clinton-abortion-documentary-zurawski-v-texas-1235988766/ https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/la-jolla-light/ https://kitchentablecult.com/2023/07/14/s5e14-shiny-happy-people-part-2-cori-shepherd-stern/ Director's Blog: https://girlseeksworld.wordpress.com/2003/01/24/40/ - First trip to Ivory Coast https://girlseeksworld.wordpress.com/2003/01/30/45/ - Extremely Dangerous https://girlseeksworld.wordpress.com/2003/03/31/59/ - Trip 2 https://girlseeksworld.wordpress.com/2009/09/26/why-im-in-africa/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/73034471@N00/210740637/ - Description of NatGeo camerman Book: Lethal Decisions https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Lethal_Decisions/RbwpEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 ABC Person of the Week: https://tvnews.vanderbilt.edu/broadcasts/816962 https://www.unicef.org/child-rights-convention/convention-text-childrens-version https://www.unicef.org/media/96136/file/Childrens-Rights-Business-Principles-2012.pdf Evelyn Apoko CNN - CNN: https://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/23/world/africa/uganda-war-survivor https://www.npr.org/2006/12/23/6668530/group-seeks-to-aid-ugandas-youngest-victims https://www.greeleytribune.com/2009/05/19/liberian-shares-lesson-at-franklin-middle-school/ Lovetta Conto https://web.archive.org/web/20110701155008/http://strongheartfellowship.org/documents/LiberiaGlobalReport.pdf Chosen for Strongheart - https://morganhilltimes.com/from-civil-war-refugee-camp-to-jewelry-designer/ LA Times - https://www.latimes.com/archives/blogs/all-the-rage/story/2008-11-26/adventures-in-gift-giving-akawelle-jewelry https://carlottasplendor.blogspot.com/2010/08/lovetta-conto.html UN Rights of the Child - https://downloads.unicef.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/UNCRC_united_nations_convention_on_the_rights_of_the_child.pdf Lovetta Audio pulled from: Lovetta Conto Tedx from Liberia - https://youtu.be/AHMuOSIF0iM?si=bKQGy8B_cQl5sh8_&t=318 with Dalai Lama: https://youtu.be/uokdokgi-34?si=rucoe6tpK8QKBLYn Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-unraveling/donations

    1h 3m
  5. Episode 1: What Would You Do?

    10/24/2025

    Episode 1: What Would You Do?

    By all appearances, Oscar nominated director Cori Shepherd Stern was both a Hollywood hit maker and a humanitarian. Whether it was directing Shiny, Happy, People for Amazon Prime, arranging medical care for African kids in extreme need, or starting a home for Liberian refugees, she developed a reputation for tackling the hardest cases in the hardest places. So why is she framing the star of her latest show, a whistleblower, for a crime? Targeted unjustly, Mica Ringo sets out to investigate. Listen while each thread pulled unravels a shocking world of power and deceit where loyalty is currency and truth is a liability. How far would they go for a lie? And how far would you go for the truth? And what exactly was the nature of her relationship with a 16 year old Ryan Gosling? A tale of deception and betrayal — and the high-stakes power games that define our perception of truth Part investigation, part cultural commentary and part audio diary - The Unraveling examines the tactics of manipulation, power, and psychological warfare — and what it takes to break free from the covert influence that controls us in our media, our institutions, and our own minds. Inquiries: Mx. Mica Ringo (ze/zir) email: micajringo at pm.me www.micaringo.com Shownotes and Sources: Sarah Brown https://www.sarahbrown.net/transcript Sarah Brown Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xvILg8mYgI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mLdm8E3xCk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eejtMrYRS_4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIhGC9qoW5I Haim Saban, Shuki Levy and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/10/haim-saban-power-rangers-hillary-clinton-top-donor/ Animation World Quiz: https://www.awn.com/animationworld/so-you-wanna-be-animation-executive CNN Ryan Gosling Story: https://www.cnn.com/2015/03/06/sport/sailing-class-afloat-breaker-high/index.html Breaker High Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUPx-EqvAMY&list=PLV4Ztn9euy7Q2AnT5-ky0iKmdAxXcyPEY&index=1 Cori Shepherd Stern Interview on Kitchen Table Cult Podcast: https://kitchentablecult.com/2023/07/14/s5e14-shiny-happy-people-part-2-cori-shepherd-stern/ Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-unraveling/donations

    54 min

Ratings & Reviews

3
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

A psychological cat-and-mouse game — but who is the cat, and who is the mouse? The stories we consume become the realities we live in. But who is telling the story… and why? A tale of deception and betrayal, The Unraveling pulls back the curtain on Hollywood’s reality-making machine — revealing how predators hide in plain sight and manufacture the narratives they want us to believe. Follow the evidence to uncover what’s truth… and what’s illusion. By understanding the tactics of psychological manipulation, we can begin dismantling their influence — in our media, our institutions, and our own minds. Because inside the dream factory, reality itself is under construction — and nothing is what it seems.