Podcasts about any american

(2:00) Helene on Earth — Devastation, Aftermath, and Climate Change GriftWATCH - raging rivers and the AquaFence that saved a hospital on an islandDamage estimates are comparable to money given to Ukraine - what will Feds do?Where's the National Guard as people stranded on roofs, some died — it's abroadIdeally, how show a free society handle thisClimate grifters are indifferent to the loss of life and property and are concerned that Trump may damage Paris Accord and UN agenda.  Then it dawns on them that they have nothing to worry about.  Even if Trump did the unexpected — something, anything — they point out it can be COUNTERED AT THE LOCAL LEVELMichael Mann, false climate prophet for profit, is undeterred in his false predictions about hurricane seasonOn to the next grift…methane…as Biden bureaucracy funds nearly $1 BILLION to find methane emissions and tasks BLM to do something about it.  You know where this story leads.NEW! FrankenChicken(56:56) Update on baby Liam, listener comments, TN lithium production concerns, and another prayer requests (1:04:33) NewsDem Senator issues bill to add 6 more seats to pack Supreme Court.  Why only 6 more?John Kerry says it out loud: First Amendment is IN THE WAY of THEIR GOVERNINGWSJ (at WEF) bemoans "we were the gatekeepers".  Even with censorship we now see through the propaganda(1:16:37) NPR Rails Against Constitutional Sheriffs As they throw the usual litany of libelous labels, their total ignorance of, and contempt for, the Constitution has never been more transparent (1:26:35) Listener comments - EV fires from flooding, Battery Storage Site fires from flooding, Lithium pollution in TN, Methane, CO2, and more (1:40:44) Replacing the WestVienna, Austria - population incensed over luxury apartments for "arrivals", far better than AustriansOne of world's largest shipping companies stops delivery to Haiti.   Gangs were shooting at the container shipsBiden/Lala shown to release over 650,000 criminals into USA(1:52:20) It's Pre-Season for the Fantasy Germ Games as MAGA Cheers RedfieldJD Vance gets thrown out of restaurant for politics.  MAGA Media condemns but forgets when we ALL got thrown out of restaurants for lockdown and mask nonsense during Trump administrationCanada fines Amish for not downloading a Covid app for smartphones.  How many ways is this insane?Trump discovers what "phone apps" are — something for "really smart people"Boris Johnson, England's Chief Medical Officer try to walk back their tyranny.  Why aren't ANY American politicians scared?Trump's "EPIC CDC Endorsement" — MAGA Media sycophant and prostitute Darren Beattie, Revolver, thinks Trump's CDC Director Redfield's endorsement is a "win" — ONLY if you don't care about a repeat of 2020.  Beattie blames "hysterical women" for the lockdown.  That's a new one.SIDS (Sudden Infant Deaths) surged after the TrumpShotsCDC is now using the PCR "test" on wastewater.  Like "climate computer models", junk science and lies that are the foundation of the MacGuffins(2:33:56) Israel Moves to Eliminate Cash — Harbinger of Global Governance AGAIN Canada and USA say they're not moving ahead with CBDC.  Israel shows the global Mark of the Beast agenda is full on.  Criminal penalties for cash and prohibition of possession (2:51:05)  Listener commentsFind out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.comIf you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-showOr you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to DavidKnight.gold for great deals on physical gold/silverFor 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to TrendsJournal.com and enter the code KNIGHTBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-david-knight-show--2653468/support.

(2:00) Helene on Earth — Devastation, Aftermath, and Climate Change GriftWATCH - raging rivers and the AquaFence that saved a hospital on an islandDamage estimates are comparable to money given to Ukraine - what will Feds do?Where's the National Guard as people stranded on roofs, some died — it's abroadIdeally, how show a free society handle thisClimate grifters are indifferent to the loss of life and property and are concerned that Trump may damage Paris Accord and UN agenda.  Then it dawns on them that they have nothing to worry about.  Even if Trump did the unexpected — something, anything — they point out it can be COUNTERED AT THE LOCAL LEVELMichael Mann, false climate prophet for profit, is undeterred in his false predictions about hurricane seasonOn to the next grift…methane…as Biden bureaucracy funds nearly $1 BILLION to find methane emissions and tasks BLM to do something about it.  You know where this story leads.NEW! FrankenChicken(56:56) Update on baby Liam, listener comments, TN lithium production concerns, and another prayer requests (1:04:33) NewsDem Senator issues bill to add 6 more seats to pack Supreme Court.  Why only 6 more?John Kerry says it out loud: First Amendment is IN THE WAY of THEIR GOVERNINGWSJ (at WEF) bemoans "we were the gatekeepers".  Even with censorship we now see through the propaganda(1:16:37) NPR Rails Against Constitutional Sheriffs As they throw the usual litany of libelous labels, their total ignorance of, and contempt for, the Constitution has never been more transparent (1:26:35) Listener comments - EV fires from flooding, Battery Storage Site fires from flooding, Lithium pollution in TN, Methane, CO2, and more (1:40:44) Replacing the WestVienna, Austria - population incensed over luxury apartments for "arrivals", far better than AustriansOne of world's largest shipping companies stops delivery to Haiti.   Gangs were shooting at the container shipsBiden/Lala shown to release over 650,000 criminals into USA(1:52:20) It's Pre-Season for the Fantasy Germ Games as MAGA Cheers RedfieldJD Vance gets thrown out of restaurant for politics.  MAGA Media condemns but forgets when we ALL got thrown out of restaurants for lockdown and mask nonsense during Trump administrationCanada fines Amish for not downloading a Covid app for smartphones.  How many ways is this insane?Trump discovers what "phone apps" are — something for "really smart people"Boris Johnson, England's Chief Medical Officer try to walk back their tyranny.  Why aren't ANY American politicians scared?Trump's "EPIC CDC Endorsement" — MAGA Media sycophant and prostitute Darren Beattie, Revolver, thinks Trump's CDC Director Redfield's endorsement is a "win" — ONLY if you don't care about a repeat of 2020.  Beattie blames "hysterical women" for the lockdown.  That's a new one.SIDS (Sudden Infant Deaths) surged after the TrumpShotsCDC is now using the PCR "test" on wastewater.  Like "climate computer models", junk science and lies that are the foundation of the MacGuffins(2:33:56) Israel Moves to Eliminate Cash — Harbinger of Global Governance AGAIN Canada and USA say they're not moving ahead with CBDC.  Israel shows the global Mark of the Beast agenda is full on.  Criminal penalties for cash and prohibition of possession (2:51:05)  Listener commentsFind out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.comIf you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-showOr you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to DavidKnight.gold for great deals on physical gold/silverFor 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to TrendsJournal.com and enter the code KNIGHTBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-david-knight-show--5282736/support.

If you thought the COVID Lockdowns of 2020 were bad, just wait until they lock down your MONEY. The 100 year experiment in central banking, fiat currency and Keynesian economics is about to end as de-dollarization accelerates. This is creating crushing inflation and the recent market ‘crash' turned correction which is threatening the household economy for every American.The real crash will likely be POST election 2024 and it will be painful for MANY but the biggest danger is not economic - its the emergence of an EVEN worse fiat currency - the CBDC which introduces mass surveillance & control into fiat mix.The mission now is to STOP these CBDC's before they start and amazingly - more and more people are recognizing GOLD and Silver as the lifeboats on the Titanic!Paul Stone is a regular contributor on The Shannon Joy Show and today he will show us that we do NOT have to become victims in the fallout of the coming collapse.ANY American can begin to prepare and today Paul will join us LIVE to answer your questions!!_______________________________Show Resources & Links:Colonial Metals Group is a valued sponsor of the SJ Show! Set up a SAFE & Secure IRA or 401k with a company who shares your values and supports this show! Learn about your options HERE ——> https://colonialmetalsgroup.com/joyFollow Paul on Twitter: @The_PaulStoneSubscribe to Paul's Substack: https://substack.com/@thepaulstone?r=fuu7w&utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-pagePirate Money By Kevin Freemanhttps://piratemoneybook.comDaniel Horowitz Kevin Freeman Podcasthttps://rumble.com/v5a2xx1-how-red-states-can-practically-make-gold-and-silver-functional-money.html23 States Move To Recognize Gold As Legal Tenderhttps://thedailyguardian.com/23-us-states-move-to-recognize-gold-and-silver-as-legal-tender/FORBES - The Gold Standard Is Backhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/steveforbes/2024/05/21/the-signs-are-there-the-gold-standard-is-coming-back/#:~:text=“With%20all%20thy%20getting%2C%20get%20understanding.%22&text=It's%20hard%20to%20believe%2C%20but,a%20gold%2Dbased%20monetary%20system.Louisiana Reaffirms Gold & Silver As Legal Tenderhttps:/ Extra special bonus from Field of Greens!!!!Plug in the promo code SHANNON for an additional 15% off your purchase!Go to www.fieldofgreens.com to shop and save! Support the Show.Please Support Our Sponsors! Achieve financial independence with Colonial Metals Group!!! Set up a SAFE & Secure IRA or 401k with a company who shares your values and supports this show! Learn about your options HERE ——>https://colonialmetalsgroup.com/joy Get FIT and healthy with your daily serving of Field of Greens!!! Go to www.fieldofgreens.com and use the promo code JOY for 15% off! For TOTAL phone security and privacy check out our sponsors at Connecta Mobil! Visit them TODAY at www.Phone123.com/Joy Or talk to a real person by calling: 941-246-2156

“History teaches us that financial bubbles—especially those inflated by central banks—always burst. The longer this bubble stretches, the more catastrophic its eventual collapse will be” ~ Paul StoneIt seems that our financial system is hanging by a thread.Political instability is threatening our families and life savings.NEITHER political party is serious about addressing the debt.We're COMPLETELY on our own.Paul Stone is a regular contributor on The Shannon Joy Show and today he will show us that we do NOT have to become victims in the fallout of the coming collapse.ANY American can begin to prepare and today Paul will join us LIVE to answer your questions!!_______________________________Show Resources & Links:Colonial Metals Group is a valued sponsor of the SJ Show! Set up a SAFE & Secure IRA or 401k with a company who shares your values and supports this show! Learn about your options HERE ——> https://colonialmetalsgroup.com/joyFollow Paul on Twitter: @The_PaulStoneSubscribe to Paul's Substack: https://substack.com/@thepaulstone?r=fuu7w&utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-pageRead Paul's Latest Newsletter: A Poor Man With LOTS Of Moneyhttps://open.substack.com/pub/thepaulstone/p/a-poor-man-with-lots-of-money?r=fuu7w&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web_________________________________Please Support Our Sponsors:Tickets for The Summit For Truth & Wellness on Saturday August 17th are selling FAST!Join us LIVE in Rochester, NY to see Steve Deace, Dr. Pierre Kory, Dr. Mary Talley Bowden & Jeffrey Tucker! Get your tickets today at www.summitfortruth.comSPECIAL OFFER: Get a FREE bottle of Nano Powered Omega-3's with your purchase of The Liver Health Formula!Go to GetLiverHelp.com/Joy to grab your supply and save your liver!!Get your daily Native Path Collagen supplement at 45% off NOW! GETNATIVEPATH.com/joy Extra special bonus from Field of Greens!!!!Plug in the promo code SHANNON for an additional 15% off your purchase!Go to www.fieldofgreens.com to shop and save! Support the Show.Please Support Our Sponsors! Achieve financial independence with Colonial Metals Group!!! Set up a SAFE & Secure IRA or 401k with a company who shares your values and supports this show! Learn about your options HERE ——>https://colonialmetalsgroup.com/joy Get FIT and healthy with your daily serving of Field of Greens!!! Go to www.fieldofgreens.com and use the promo code JOY for 15% off! For TOTAL phone security and privacy check out our sponsors at Connecta Mobil! Visit them TODAY at www.Phone123.com/Joy Or talk to a real person by calling: 941-246-2156

Well, you heard it live tonight, June 27, 2024. You heard a total smackdown of the worst president in American history by the best we've ever produced! Any American voter

Are Guantanamo Bay Terrorists Treated Better than J6 Prisoners?Clarity from Chaos special guest: Tim Rivers, author of The American Gulag Chronicles. Part One: Letters from Prison The American Gulag Chronicles: Letters from Prison is a collection of the prisoner's dispatches over the past nearly two years as pretrial defendants from squalid, inexplicably cruel conditions in jails across the country that will leave a hard-forgotten scar on our Nation's conscience for many years. This book is a Chronicle of those represent the bellwether of this storm for conservative dominance – a group of people who are being imprisoned and persecuted for a cause they believe in by a government that views them as enemies of the state. This book is their story in their own words, written by their own hands.  The American people need to read “The American Gulag Chronicles” and spread awareness of what has happened and what is happening to the patriots in this Republic we hold dear. What happened to them could potentially happen to ANY AMERICAN!” Part Two: Art of Confinement Coming in December of 2023! PLUG BOOK: The American Gulag Chronicles Tim Rivers, author of The American Gulag Chronicles was a retired IT engineer, Fortune 100 executive and writer.   Together with Marie Goodwyn, J6 mother and activist, they created J6 Patriot News, telling America up to date information about the state and mistreatment of these patriots and how they could help them. In 2022 he founded THE AMERICAN GULAG CHRONICLES and began publishing the letters, art and stories of America's new political prisoners to the public. FIND HIS WEBSITE HERE:FIND HIS TWITTER HERE:Support the show"Wherever you find yourself is exactly and precisely where God wills you to be" Follow us on X: @CFC30290 Follow us on Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-3123766 Website: https://clarityfromchaospodcast.buzzsprout.com/ Thanks for listening to Clarity from Chaos

0:00 Statement 12:45 Highly Complex Issues - Nations that turn away from God will lose his protection - #Israel has become pro-abortion, LGBT, child mutilations, satanic infiltration - Israeli intelligence ALLOWED #Hamas to attack Israel - Israel needs pretext to escalate war on Iran to stop Iran's nuclear weapons program - Barack Obama, an enemy of the West, seeks total destruction of Israel and the USA - #Trump is pro-Israel, but #Democrats are largely allied with Hamas and Hezbollah - #Obama provided billions in CASH to Iran, to restart its nuclear weapons program - Once Iran obtains nuclear weapons, it will strike Israel with nukes - #Biden has provided at least $6 billion more to Iran - #Iran is funding Hamas weapons, rockets and personnel - Any American who voted for Democrats VOTED to support funding for Hamas - Israel is an anti-gun nation with no Second Amendment - Israeli citizens were disarmed by the government, and could not defend themselves - Israeli government also assaulted its own citizens with #vaccine bioweapons - Israel threatens to obliterate #Gaza in retaliation - In response to Gaza attacks, Palestinians everywhere will REVOLT - Expect terror attacks against #Jewish temples and places of worship across Western cities - Cities in the USA, Canada, Australia and Europe are about to erupt with a Palestinian uprising - If the USA and Israel do not beg God for forgiveness and reject Satanism, they will BOTH be destroyed For more updates, visit: http://www.brighteon.com/channel/hrreport NaturalNews videos would not be possible without you, as always we remain passionately dedicated to our mission of educating people all over the world on the subject of natural healing remedies and personal liberty (food freedom, medical freedom, the freedom of speech, etc.). Together, we're helping create a better world, with more honest food labeling, reduced chemical contamination, the avoidance of toxic heavy metals and vastly increased scientific transparency. ▶️ Every dollar you spend at the Health Ranger Store goes toward helping us achieve important science and content goals for humanity: https://www.healthrangerstore.com/ ▶️ Sign Up For Our Newsletter: https://www.naturalnews.com/Readerregistration.html ▶️ Brighteon: https://www.brighteon.com/channels/hrreport ▶️ Join Our Social Network: https://brighteon.social/@HealthRanger ▶️ Check In Stock Products at: https://PrepWithMike.com

I loathe what Russia is doing to Ukraine. It's wrong. It's criminal. They've forced millions of people to become refugees while killing thousands of people and leveling entire cities. Countries should be supporting Ukraine. That's not the rub. The rub is that Ukraine has now received $15.2 billion (not the $8 billion people keep quoting) while it would cost just $1 billion to completely solve the water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi. It would cost $1.5 billion to do the same in Flint, Michigan. And it continues to seem, in the words of Tupac, that this place has money for war, but won't feed the poor. It's despicable and dangerous that ANY American city would be without clean water. People in Jackson are literally being told to shower with their mouths closed. What are we doing here? How could that be? Yes, every single statewide official in Mississippi is a Republican, but this is more than a partisan fight. The US government needs to own problems like this and just pay what's needed to permanently fix them.

In Episode 29, Michael and Julian talk about1.     Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard.  They are both splendid places to go in the Summer. Beaches, lighthouses, and hikes are the highlights2.     Small-Town American Museums. Both of us love small-town museums. Any American town of almost any size has one, and they are great places for understanding American culture.3.     A Grand Tour. Julian talks about his forthcoming Grand Tour across Europe. Michael talks about the podcasts he is going to record and edit in Julian's absence. Other Show NotesLearn more about how America's culture developed in Julian Bishop's High, Wide, and Handsome.Available here to buy as a paperback, ebook, or audiobookExcerpts, reviews, and more available hereConnect with Julian via:FacebookInstagramTwitterLinkedInConnect with Michael viaTwitterLinkedIn

Are you a grown adult? Are you capable of making your own decisions? Are you capable of making GOOD decisions, INFORMED decisions? Can you distinguish between fact and fiction? Most Americans over the age of 20 (I REALLY want to say 25) can answer YES to any of those questions. Any American who is trying to make their way in the world under their own steam instead of living off the government teat should be able to answer YES to ALL of those questions. The government doesn't think so. The government thinks you are too irresponsible, too childish, too dependent on them, and ultimately too INDOCTRINATED to answer YES to those questions. Let's talk about how the government wants to treat you like you're 5 years old and make all your decisions for you. They want to be your daddy and tell you THEY know what's best for you. That is the very OPPOSITE of the principles upon which that very government was founded. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sandhillsmedia/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sandhillsmedia/support

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned Americans in Ukraine on Friday to leave within one to two days, spelling out what a Russian attack on the country could look like -- and that civilians could die. "Any American in Ukraine should leave as soon as possible, and in any event in the next 24 to 48 hours," Sullivan said. "We obviously cannot predict the future, we don't know exactly what is going to happen. But the risk is now high enough and the threat is now immediate enough that this is what prudence demands." "If a Russian attack on Ukraine proceeds, it is likely to begin with aerial bombings and missile attacks that could obviously kill civilians without regard to their nationality. A subsequent ground invasion would obviously involve the onslaught of a massive force," he continued.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

Any American with a brain can see inflation is slamming all of us and from every angle. It's not just the price of gasoline. Inflation is affecting food, cars, TVs, transportation – every aspect of the U.S. economy – thanks to the “geniuses” in Washington D.C. They have launched an all-out attack on our free market system designed to ultimately cause it (and our financial lives) to collapse! You must protect yourself! Graham Ledger speaks with the CEO of Beverly Hills Precious Metals Exchange, Andrew Sorchini, about why gold and silver is the best way to insulate our micro-economies from the finical disaster that will occur in our lifetimes. Call 866-346-5325 and tell them that Graham Ledger, The Ledger Report sent you. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What You Need to Know is Stephen A. Smith was right before he apologized. Stephen A. Smith opens Tuesday's 'First Take' with apology for Shohei Ohtani comments. Any American or foreigner should see It is a privilege to play baseball in America. And why not take the time to learn English? It's not unreasonable. We got to have more confidence in America!  Alex Newman, journalist and author, talks about the declining public opinion of public education. Also, there is a world-wide economic crisis on the horizon. Alex has all the information you need to know. Check out his writing at The New American, Liberty Sentinel, and The Epoch Times. John Schlafly, lawyer, editor, and financial officer for the Phyllis Schlafly Eagles, gives a preview of this week's Schlafly Report column: Vaccine Police Roll Up Their Sleeves. Also, John weighs in on the brouhaha over the MLB All Star Game, Shohei Ohtani, and the narrative built around racism toward Asian Americans. Plus: CPAC recap! Wrap Up: We have to know how to fight: Want to Save America? Don't Act Like a Conservative - by Abigail Shrier - The Truth Fairy Langford criticized.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The instant #1 New York Times bestseller. In time for the twentieth anniversary of 9/11, master storyteller Alan Gratz (Refugee) delivers a pulse-pounding and unforgettable take on history and hope, revenge and fear -- and the stunning links between the past and present. Alan Gratz is one of today's bestselling children's authors of books inspired by history--Scholastic Press is proud to publish GROUND ZERO by Alan Gratz (on sale February 2, 2021; ages 9-12). Any American adult can tell you where they were on 9/11. However, a new generation of Americans don't have that memory. To them, the horrific events of that day are simply history. In time for the twentieth anniversary, master storyteller Alan Gratz (Refugee) delivers a pulse-pounding and unforgettable take on history and hope, revenge and fear – and the stunning links between the past and present.

On this episode, we invited CIGNA Market President for Georgia and Alabama, Bryan Holgerson to explain how CIGNA is leading the way to help protect customers, clients, communities, health care providers, and their own employees from the COVID-19 pandemic, including its Customer Protection Program which safeguards customers from surprise bills by out-of-network providers for care related to COVID-19 treatment. Bryan shares Cigna's Express Scripts' new program to ensure Americans can continue to afford their prescription medications during the COVID-19 pandemic. Any American who loses health care coverage as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic can use Express Scripts Parachute Rx to secure many of their medications at affordable and predictable prices. Bryan explains how CIGNA is waiving cost-sharing for COVID-19 diagnostic testing, telehealth screenings, and treatment. And finally, Bryan will tell you about CIGNA's efforts to honor COVID-19 front line responders through the Cigna Foundation along with the New York Life Foundation, The Brave of Heart Fund which provides monetary grants to survivors of front-line U.S. healthcare workers who give their lives in the fight against COVID-19.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Facebook, I wrote regarding the George Floyd riots, "I understand why people are angry, but does anyone think that widespread destruction and theft is justified? To my surprise, most people answered "Yes." Perhaps I was unclear, so Rejoice and I made this video/podcast to clarify my question. It's best to see the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obwDt5s6WLo However, the audio-only version makes sense.  About privilege Many white people love to tell other white people to shut because white people can't talk because of white privilege. These white people never seem to see the hypocrisy of their statements.  We all forget that all Americans are EXTREMELY PRIVILEGED. Yes, even brown Americans. If you disagree, I'll invite any American to spend a year in Rejoice's village. Oh, wait. It was destroyed by Boko Haram. Fine, in a nearby village. Most humans would do anything to switch places with ANY American, even one with a lot of melanin is in their skin or a tiny bank account. Most Americans are in the world's top 10%. Americans have no sense of perspective. We're spoiled brats. I'm all in favor of progress and I know protests can help get us there. But violence on innocent people is never justified. But some people think seem to think it is. Let's how you feel when Boko Haram burns down your village in the name of some higher cause.

Maggie Haberman of the New York Times believes somehow that American journalists face the same threats as Iranian journalists because President Trump refers to American journalists as “enemies of the people.” Any American journalist who believes that is living in bubble of delusion.

A year on from launching the GDS podcast, senior creative writers Angus Montgomery and Sarah Stewart talk about their jobs.   The pair discuss their career paths and the role of writers in government and how clear writing can help people to do their jobs better.     Angus Montgomery: Hello, and welcome to the latest episode of the Government Digital Service podcast. My name is Angus Montgomery and I’m a Senior Writer at GDS. And for this episode of the podcast, I’m joined by my colleague Sarah Stewart.    Sarah Stewart: Hello. I’m also a Senior Writer at GDS.    Angus Montgomery: So our voices might sound quite familiar because both Sarah and I, with our colleague Laura, have been on all the episodes of the GDS podcasts that we’ve done so far and as part of those episodes, we’ve been interviewing people across GDS and across government about their work and talking about the things that they do to help transform government and to build digital services and to make things better for users.    And, we realised that we’re nearly a year into this podcast now, I think this is our 11th episode, and we haven’t actually properly introduced ourselves and talk about what we do, and how our work contributes to digital transformation across government and helps everyone in GDS and across government do their jobs better. So that’s what we intend to do with this podcast.   Sarah Stewart: And we’re also going to be sharing our top tips for clear writing, which we’ve put together over the past 3 years of working at GDS, so we’ll be sharing those with you as well.   Angus Montgomery: Yeah, so Sarah and I, just as a bit of background, we’re both Creative Writers at the Government Digital Service. We both joined on the same day. Can you remember what day that was? Testing you.    Sarah Stewart: It was May 23rd.    Angus Montgomery: I thought it was the 22nd.    Sarah Stewart: Strong start.    Angus Montgomery: Sarah’s memory is better than mine. May 23rd 2016. And we work as part of a team called the Creative Team in GDS.    And we’re in a team that also has people like filmmakers, production experts, graphic designers, Graham Higgins, who’s also in the room with us, who is doing the production of this podcast and is one of our filmmakers, and audio production and all sorts of other amazing things as well.   And our role, the role of our team, is to help everyone in GDS, from Director General down throughout the organisation of all parts talk about their work, communicate their work and explain what it’s doing to help government work better and to make things better for users.   Sarah Stewart: Don’t sell us short, Angus. We also write at a ministerial level as well. So it’s from Minister down.   Angus Montgomery: So, yeah what we want to do with this podcast as Sarah has already talked about, is explain a bit about our jobs and what we’re here to do, talk a bit about writing and communication and why it’s important and to give our ten top tips, pieces of guidance, principles, whatever it is that you want to call them about how to write and communicate more clearly.    So that’s what we’re going to do. But before we kick that off...Sarah, can you tell me a little bit about what your background is and how you came to work at GDS?   Sarah Stewart: Well I don’t know how far we should go back - but at school, the only 2 things that I thought I was good at and enjoyed were English and rounders. And there’s not much you can do with rounders, so I pursued English. I read English at university, came down to London, did my postgrad down here. Became a journalist. Hated every second of it. I was a business journalist and it was a generally terrible experience for me. Although I did pick up some useful things, like always carry a notebook and pen with you, which I still do to this day.    Angus Montgomery: How’s your shorthand?   Sarah Stewart: It is non-existent. And also about libel as well, that was an important lesson.   Angus Montgomery: Oh yeah, that’s very important.   Sarah Stewart: And then I was lucky enough to get a job working at Shelter, which is a housing and homelessness charity and they also campaign for better housing rights and conditions. And I was a Content Writer and Producer there, so I launched their advice Youtube channel, I edited their advice on their website, I launched their advice sound clips, and I edited their blog as well, of case studies.   And then after a couple of years, I found out about the job at GDS.   Angus Montgomery: What attracted you to GDS?   Sarah Stewart: Funny story actually, I had never heard of GDS before applying. I was at Shelter and someone that I worked with left the job advert on my desk with a post-it that said ‘this is the kind of job you can go for in a few years time’ and I thought ‘Screw that, I'll apply for it now.’    It wasn’t really my ambition to work in government, but it kind of worked out well. I really enjoy what we do now. But you did know about GDS before you joined.   Angus Montgomery: I did. So my background was similar in the sense that I was a journalist, I hadn’t worked doing anything else actually, I’d been a journalist my entire career   Sarah Stewart: And you liked it?   Angus Montgomery: Uh, yeah. I mean like...Liked is not a strong word.   Sarah Stewart:...liked it more than I did? Did you cry in the loos everyday like I did?   Angus Montgomery: No, that’s really unpleasant and horrible. I’m sorry that you went through that. But there might have been some loo crying at certain stages. I think the thing about journalism, as you sort of implied, is that when it’s good, it’s really fun and it is a great industry to work in.    And you can do lots of different things, and lots of exciting things and meet lots of interesting people. It is really really tough. And when it’s bad, it is very very unpleasant and a difficult environment to work in.    So I was working for a website called Design Week, which covers the UK design industry. Around the time I became editor was around the time that GDS was setting up and launching and getting a really big profile. And was winning awards like a D&AD black pencil and the design of the year awards, so obviously it was a really really big design story. And I got to know some of the design team in GDS, and I was you know obviously, while that was happening, an observer of what was happening, I was reading all the blog posts, I was looking at all the posters and all the other communication that it was putting out    Sarah Stewart: Oh my god, you’re really putting me to shame.   Angus Montgomery: But GDS was a really big story, it looked really interesting to me, was hugely appealing in the sense that of, something similar to what you said, this was an organisation that was serving the whole nation.    And an organisation that was very clearly there to do something good. It was there to help government work better for users and for everyone, for civil servants and everyone. Being involved in something like that was really really appealing, and remains really really appealing, it’s why I still come to work everyday.   Before we get onto the kind of, the writing aspect and the top tips, the kind of the educational part of this podcast, what is it that you enjoy most about working at GDS and what do you find most satisfying?   Sarah Stewart: That’s a good question. I’m lucky to say that they are quite a few things that I enjoy. I like the fact that when I write, and that can be if I’m drafting a speech or writing a presentation or helping someone edit a policy document or write a ministerial forward, that I’m actually doing something that’s important to the idea of democracy, because in order for people to make good decisions, they need to know what the facts are. And I like that I can ask the difficult questions that get to the facts, I like that I can challenge people and say ‘no, you need to include more detail’, I can say ‘you should leave this out because it’s maybe not the right time to come out and say this particular thing.’   I love the feeling when someone, maybe this is a bit self-indulgent, but when someone is delivering a speech that I’ve written, it’s like the best feeling in the world, because I’m naturally introverted and I know that these words aren’t my words, but when a joke goes down really well and the audience laughs or when you, you know, when the key message has been hit and people understand it and an action is taken, that’s massively rewarding.    But there’s... I get so much pleasure from just the act of writing. I mean when I’m not doing it at GDS, I’m doing it in my spare time. There’s just something really satisfying, I guess like mathematicians, when they do a sum correctly or they workout a formula and it and it all works out wonderfully well, it’s writing a sentence that flows beautifully and is truthful and you know, moves people to do something or to consider something in a different way.    So I don’t think there’s really one part that I don’t enjoy. I mean I hate meetings, but doesn’t everyone? What, how about you?   Angus Montgomery: I think something similar. Although I’m kind of less wedded in a weird way to the craft of writing. I mean writing, it’s not something that I don’t enjoy but I kind of, I don’t get a huge amount of pleasure in a sense from, like constructing a sentence or the kind of technical aspects of it. But the thing I enjoy most is, I really like the idea that writing is structured thinking.    So when you write something down, you need to be really clear and it needs to be really structured and it needs to make sense. And so the thing I get most satisfaction from is, when you’re working with someone to help them explain a difficult concept that can exist maybe only in their own head, and they’re explaining it in a way that they can’t fully articulate, you’re just about understanding it.  And there’s that breakthrough moment when you write something down and you show it to them and they go ‘yes, that’s exactly what I’m trying to say!’     Sarah Stewart: Yeah.   Angus Montgomery: ‘That makes total sense, that’s exactly what I’m trying to do’. That to me is the really satisfying part of this, is like getting. And I suppose corollary to that is the fact that we work with really intelligent, really nice people as well, but really super intelligent people that are really driven and really focussed on what they’re doing, and have these really complex things going on in their heads.   And maybe because they are so close to that work, the aren’t always capable or don’t always find it easy to communicate as clearly as possible. And that’s really our role is to go in there and say, ‘right, let me inside your head, let me inside all those really deep technical details and All the different things that you’re thinking about. And I will help you communicate this clearly’.    Sarah Stewart: Yeah.   Angus Montgomery: And like that to me is the really satisfying part, it’s like being the bridge between this really intelligent person who has a really complicated idea, and the person who needs to understand that.   At the risk of asking I suppose a cliched question, tell me about your day-to-day, and what it is that you actually do, and what it is that we do and what we write and produce?   Sarah Stewart: Yeah, so we write a whole host of things. So there’s obviously the kind of straightforward written content, so blog posts, press articles, op-eds. I tend to...   Angus Montgomery: What’s an op-ed?   Sarah Stewart: Oh sorry. Good question. It’s, well actually I was, I…   Angus Montgomery: I don’t know the answer to this actually, which is why I…   Sarah Stewart: It’s either…So there are some people who think it’s an opinion editorial. So someone just speaking about a subject that they know. Other people think that it means ‘opposite the editorial page’ But basically what we take it to mean, and what I’m doing I think, is writing an opinion piece so…   Angus Montgomery: For a newspaper or magazine.   Sarah Stewart: Yeah for a newspaper or a magazine. And so I’ll be writing on behalf of somebody, I don’t think it’s any secret to say that you know in government, there are speech writers and there are other...people like us exist in order to kind of help Senior Civil Servants communicate.    So, I tend to specialise in speeches but we also write presentations for people across GDS, we might be writing forewords for strategy papers, we might be editing, you know, policy documents, but that’s a very small part of what we do I think. And we also write scripts for animations and films and do things like podcasts.   Angus Montgomery: So we wanted to give you ten principles that help us communicate clearly, and that we think you might benefit from as well. And some of them are you know, things that might seem obvious and some of them may be are a bit more left field. But they are all things that we kind of, help us to our day-to-day jobs.    So without further ado, Sarah do you want to give us point one and tell us a little bit about it?   Sarah Stewart: OK so my first principle is: Establish ‘The Point’. Before you write anything, whether it’s a speech, a blog post, a presentation, a love letter – establish what the point of your writing is. And ‘The Point’ comprises two parts – and I’m thinking of trademarking this actually, it’s: What you want you want to say and why it needs to be said. We’ll come onto audience in just a second.    So once you’ve established what the point is, write it on a post-it note, stick it at the top of your doc. It will be your guiding star. It will keep you relevant, it will keep you focused and if you can’t figure out what the point is, don’t write. Don’t agree to do the speech. Don’t agree to do the presentation. The chances are you’ll come up with the point at a future date, but if you’re really struggling to establish what it is that you want to say and the reason for saying it, just don’t do it. You’ll waste people’s time and wasting people’s time is a sin.    Angus Montgomery: Point three of the point, I think. You’ve got what you want to say and why you want to say it but also who you want to say it to.The audience, as you mentioned,  is an important thing. You have to assume that the thing you’re saying is interesting to someone or to a group of people, and then you have to work out who that group of people is. Knowing that will help you work out the best way of communicating your message. It might be that the thing you want to say or write is best done as a blog post, or it might best done as a film, or best done presentation or it might be better to draw it as a picture and create a poster of it. Knowing the what, the why and who you’re trying to tell it to, will help you shape your message and the way you’re communicating your message.    My first point so number 2 of our principles is, ‘write it like you’d say it’. So I mentioned earlier about a big part of our role, or the main part of our role is to help organisations, this organisation, communicate in a human voice.   To me a human voice is the voice that you would use to describe something to a friend when you’re you know, having lunch or at the pub or at the park or whatever. Like if this is that thing about like, if you’re trying to describe a really difficult technical concept, then think about how you would explain it to a friend or to your mum or to you know, son or daughter or whatever it might be.   And then write down the way that you would do that. So it shouldn’t be really that much difference between the written word and the spoken word. Although obviously you’ll have far fewer sort of ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’ and all those sorts of things.   But like a human voice written on page should sound like speech to me. So when you read something, it should sound like someone is saying it to you, someone is speaking to you in the way that, in a sort of slightly informal, kind of suppose, kind of friendly tone of voice but in a way that’s understandable and relatable.   And that really helps you to, I think, get away from what can be a quite, there can be a formality about the written word, and I think that this is again, why some people find writing quite a sort of scary prospect, is it can feel like you have to use the longest most complex, most impressive words possible.    And actually you really don’t. You need to use the shortest, clearest, simplest words possible just as you would if you were trying to explain something verbally really clearly. So write it like you’d say it, and the way, a thing that can help you to do that is, as you’re writing something down, read it out.   Does it make sense if you say it out loud? Does it make sense if you say it in your head? Does that article that you’ve written sound like something you would naturally say? If it does, then you’re broadly along the right lines I think.   Sarah Stewart: That’s a good tip. And it neatly links it my next point, which is ‘don’t try and sound clever’.   Essentially what you want to be is clear and concise and don’t over do it. Don’t try and impress anyone because you are probably doing something that is impressive. You probably have all the vocabulary you need to express it clearly. Leave it there.    This reminds me of a good quote by the investor Charlie Munger. He said ‘if you want to be thought of as a good guy, be a good guy.’ So if you want to come across as smart, then be smart and explain what you’re doing. But don’t go out there having an agenda that you have to come across as something. It’s inauthentic.    You see it, particularly in academic writing. People who are so in that world become - it’s almost impossible to cut through what they’re saying. For example, my friend sent me the abstract of his book and his opening sentence was 58 words long with no punctuation. I could individually pick out what every single word meant, I knew the meaning of each word but in the syntax, in that sentence, I had no idea what was going on. And I was trying to give positive feedback and I said look I’m really sorry, I don’t know what it is you’re trying to say and he said: ‘Oh, well, it’s written for academics’ - well, presumably at some point you want other people to read it!    Angus Montgomery: Sometimes in this organisation as well, people say ‘oh it’s written for Senior Civil Servants’ or it’s written for a particular audience or it’s written someone whose a specialist, but they are people too. When you’re a senior civil servant, you don’t suddenly become this person who communicates in a really arcane fashion or understands things in a really complex fashion. You’re also a person who needs to understand things really, really quickly, so being able to write things down and explain things in a clear and accessible fashion is appropriate for any reader, regardless of who they are.    Sarah Stewart: Yeah, actually there’s a really good discussion if you want some further reading or further listening. It’s Stephen Pinker in conversation with Ian McEwan on academic writing and the importance of clear writing. So after you’ve listened to this podcast, do give it a watch it’s on YouTube.    Angus Montgomery: Which leads nicely, these are segueing quite nicely together I think, to my point or my next point. Which is something that we say quite a lot at GDS, which is ‘show the thing’. And by that we mean if you’re talking about something or you’re trying to tell someone about a product or a service or a thing, just show it.   Explain how it works, say what it is, don’t use metaphors, don’t try to dress it up, don’t try to make it sound like it’s doing things that it isn’t. Just explain what it does.   Because as you’ve just said, if the thing that you’ve built or the thing that you’re trying to describe is valuable and worth talking about, then all you need to do is explain it clearly and it will do the work for you.    You don’t need to dress it up, you don’t need to put marketing on it, you don’t need to you know make it sound like it’s the incredible next you know, use loads of adjectives like ‘stunning’ and ‘life changing’. You just need to show it and if it’s a worthwhile thing then the reader will understand that and accept that and will be on board with it.   So show the thing, talk about it as clearly as possible, say what it does, and that’s all you need to do. That’s basically it.   Sarah Stewart: I’ve come up with an original next principle, Angus. Burn! Which is about feedback and welcoming feedback and a sub point of this, is the message: you are not your writing.    So the other day, some kids came in for work experience. Can I call them kids? Some students came in for work experience and I spoke to them about my job and writing more generally. And a question they asked was ‘what do you do when someone gives you really bad feedback about your writing?’ I think the most important and first thing that you should learn and it’s the most difficult thing that writers have to come to terms with is: you are not your writing.    Yes, it has come out of your head and through your hands and is informed by the experiences you’ve had, but once it leaves you, it is a separate entity. And once you have that disconnect, that it is a separate entity, you stop being precious about it and you start thinking about the work and the work is the most important thing.    So, when someone says to you ‘this is a really confusing piece of writing’ or ‘this is a really confusing essay ‘ or ‘this is a muddled blog post’, they are not saying ‘you are a terrible person.’ They are not saying ‘you’re an imbecile’ or ‘you are a failure as a writer’. They are saying ‘this is muddled’ ‘this is confusing’. It doesn't feel good to be criticised or to have negative feedback, but it’s a gift. It’s an opportunity for you to...   Angus Montgomery: Feedback is a gift   Sarah Stewart: It really is. I was thinking about the best advice I was ever given as a writer which was being told, when I was a journalist, which is probably why I hated it so much, that I was a rubbish writer. So I think I needed to hear that things weren’t very good or I would have been writing, you know, like a crazy woman for the rest of my life. You need feedback, you need to welcome that in. Because it’s always about the work, it’s never really about you, and it’s never even about you when you’re writing memoir or yoru autobiography, it’s still a separate thing.   Angus Montgomery: That leads, leads very neatly into my next point.   Which is another GDSism, something that we say quite a lot at GDS which is, ‘the team is the editor’.   And before I got into this, because it’s a common thing we say at GDS, I should probably give a shoutout to some of the original Creative Team and Creative Writers at GDS, who you know we’re standing on the shoulders of giants and all that stuff, a lot of certainly my ways of working and thinking have come from these people.   So people like Giles Turnbull, Ella Fitzsimmons, Matt Sheret, Amy McNichol and this is the thing I used to hear a lot from them, ‘the team is the editor’ and that means, to pick up on exactly your point, we’re not doing this writing on our own, like we are the writer kind of in charge ultimately of the document or the piece of writing that will go out but we’re working in collaboration with a lot of other people.   So we could be working in collaboration with the person who has developed the idea or product or service or whatever it is that we’re trying to communicate. We’ll be working with a comms specialist who will be thinking about what’s the best way to best place to publish this.    You might be working with someone who edits the blog. And we’re working with the rest of our team as well because we’re not working in isolation. Pretty much everything that I write, I share with you and I think vice versa.    And you have to, you’re nothing without an editor. A writer is nothing without a good editor. No book that you have read and no newspaper article that you’ve read and no film that you’ve seen and no commercial you’ve seen on TV is just a result of a single writer...   Sarah Stewart: That’s so…   Angus Montgomery: ...with their vision.   Sarah Stewart: Yeah, that’s so true. And I think that’s why people get so put off writing as well because they seem, people think of writers as, like, strange creatures inspired that they you know, get hit on the head by muse and are able to write perfect prose.   But it goes through loads and loads and loads of editing to get that kind of pure, perfect sentence.    Angus Montgomery: So ‘the team is the editor’ and the editor is the unsung hero of writing as well. They are the person in the background that is making all these things work. The reason people give feedback isn’t because they want to undermine you or attack you, it’s because they want to make the work better. And you have to welcome that and find that as well. As a writer it’s really important not to isolate yourself and do it on your own, and plough away and...   Sarah Stewart: It is nerve-wracking to share your work and you do have to be aware of when, for example, say I’m writing a speech, it’s not unusual to have twenty people in the document all feeding in their ideas and you have to be able to distinguish: what is a ‘showstopper’ so a fact that needs to go in or something that has to come out because it’s incorrect, what’s personal opinion and what’s style. And if you have a really clear idea of that, there does come a point where you can say, ‘Actually, no, I’ve taken in everything I need to take in and I’m happy with the piece now.’   Just to add to that, sharing with the team and the team is the editor, of all things I’ve written and shared with you or shared with the team, I’ve never had a case where it’s been made worse by a suggestion, the work has always improved.   Angus Montgomery: If the person who is giving you feedback understands what this piece of writing is trying to do and that person is sort of vaguely competent, then they will give you useful constructive feedback.    Sarah Stewart: I feel like maybe we’re rambling on this or maybe I’m rambling on this, but In terms of feedback givers, it’s very easy to criticise someone. It’s very easy to say ‘this isn’t good’. It takes intelligence to say what’s not quite working about it. So when you are giving feedback to someone, really consider, first of all, of course, their feelings because you don’t want to come across as, well you don’t want to be an awful person, but what’s useful for them to know about this. And we’ve got some fantastic posters around the office on how to give feedback effectively. So just make sure that if you’re required to give feedback, you’re doing it in an intelligent, kind way.   Angus Montgomery: In a constructive fashion.   Sarah Stewart: Yes, better.    Angus Montgomery: and your next point?   Sarah Stewart:... is to ‘read’. Reading is as important as writing. If you want to be a really good writer, you have to read lots and you should read good things. You know like the classics like Nabokov, James Joyce and Jane Austen. Yes of course you should read them because they’re fantastic, and it’s a pleasure to read a good writer.    But also, just  don’t be too much of a snob about it.Read a Mills and Boon book, read Fifty Shades of Grey, and again no shade on E.L James because she’s a multi-millionaire doing what she loves.   Angus Montgomery: It takes skill to write that stuff surely.   Sarah Stewart: Yeah. In particular I would say read poetry. Not only because I think it’s super cool, poetry can teach you a lot about conveying complex ideas in a very short space of time and you know, we’re you know kids of the digital age, we don’t have a very long attention span so understanding how to kind of compress ideas is very important.   But poetry can teach you a lot about the music of a sentence. And especially for speech writing, it’s particularly important. A poem can teach you about the sound of words, the meter, how a piece scans, it’s called scansion. So there’s no alchemy to writing really well, it is just about practicing writing and reading.    Angus Montgomery: Any poem in particular or poet in particular?   Sarah Stewart: Well...good question. I would recommend the Confessional poets, so like Sylvia Plath. But actually, do you know what? Any American poet from the 1950s onwards because American poetry in particular, they have a way of, I say ‘they’ in a very general sense, I would recommend the Confessional School and the New York School in particular  – – as you’ve asked – because they just say it how it is.    And also the Beat poets as well, although they can talk a lot in abstraction, you can learn a lot by their directness.   Angus Montgomery: Yeah.    Sarah Stewart: So yeah. Ginsberg, Kerouac.   Angus Montgomery: Yeah.   Sarah Stewart: Frank O'Hara.   Angus Montgomery: Very minimal viable words.    My next principle, next tip, is quite a practical one. And it’s something that might not work for everyone, but I find really really helpful, which is to never start with a blank page.   So if you’re writing something, the scariest thing is when you kind of open up a Word doc or a Google doc or have a physical sheet of blank paper in front of you, and you’re like ‘oh my god, what do I do with this now?’ like ‘I need to turn this from this blank sheet into a speech or an article or a blog post or a presentation or whatever it might be.    And that blankness is the most terrifying part of this and starting is the most terrifying part of any project and writing is no different. So the way that I deal with that is when I have a blank page in front of me, I immediately go to Google or other search engines are available obviously, and or previous pieces that I’ve done that are similar, copy paste and just throw as much text as I can on to that page, that even if it’s only tangentially similar, gives me something to work from.   So that I’m not starting from scratch, so that I have something to bounce ideas off of or something re-work or something that guides me in the right direction, and also takes away that fear of you know, just having a totally blank page in front of you.   Sarah Stewart: I do that all the time actually. If I’m writing a speech for example, I always write ‘good morning or good afternoon everyone’. And then if anyone asks me if I’ve made any progress, I can at least say I’ve made a start!   Angus Montgomery: Yeah exactly. The vital start is there.    Sarah Stewart: Yeah. It’s psychologically important to have something down on paper.    Angus Montgomery: Yeah.    Sarah Stewart: You’re right.   Angus Montgomery: So I think it’s that, it’s that starting and then sort of flowing, flowing from there basically.    Sarah Stewart: Yeah.   Angus Montgomery: And what’s your next principle?   Sarah Stewart: So my next principle I’ve entitled, ‘enough is enough’. So just don’t overdo it. Just write enough, and enough doesn’t mean writing an epic poem nor does it mean writing a haiku. Sorry, there are a lot of poetry allusions in this – but it means writing enough to get the job done.    And the poet Frank O’Hara had a lovely quote about, you should read it, it’s called...it’s in a piece of writing that he called Personism: A Manifesto. And he describes writing and how effective writing is wearing a piece of clothing so it fits you perfectly, so it does exactly the job that it’s meant to do.    Angus Montgomery: It’s showing the thing.   Sarah Stewart: And you might ‘show the thing’...it’s a very confusing analogy.    Angus Montgomery: It’s a very confusing mixing, we’re mixing several metaphors here to prove a point.   Sarah Stewart: Yeah.   Angus Montgomery: But yeah. And bringing me, without really a segue in this one, but bringing us nicely nevertheless to the final point which is, ‘stay human’.   And this is not necessarily a writing point, this is something obviously that we should be all doing all the time in whatever work we do, but the reason I’m talking about it, and we’ve touched on this several times, writing isn’t something that we just do in isolation on our own    Writing our, the writing that we do is helping one person, one human being, convey a message to another person, another human being or a group of them. And the people in that process are really really important, like the written word is important, but the people in that process are the most important parts.   So just when we’re dealing with people, we always try to be as nice and humble and listen as much as we can and advice and guide and all those sorts of things. But just try and do it nicely because it can be a stressful situation for people.  So thank you Sarah.   Sarah Stewart: Thank you Angus. This has been nice, hasn’t it?   Angus Montgomery: This has been nice.   Sarah Stewart: So that brings us to the end of our 10 principles. This podcast will be embedded into a blog post, which will be published on the GDS blog. Please leave your comments for clear writing and any advice that you have for others.   Angus Montgomery: Thank you for listening to the latest episode of the GDS podcast. We hope you enjoyed it and if you want to listen to previous episodes that we’ve done or what to subscribe for the future, then please just do to wherever it is that you download your podcasts from and hit the subscribe button.   And we hope to have you as a listener again soon.    Sarah Stewart: Farewell.   

005: Tension Released March 26, 2019 In this episode, Anne talks about her tension issues with the third swatch of the Master Hand Knitter Program, plus a correction, music to knit by, projects she's been working on, a charity knitting opportunity, and the first giveaway of the podcast! A Correction In the last episode, Anne planned to knit the ribbing for swatch 2 of the Master Hand Knitting Program in smaller needles, but a listener pointed out that the instructions spell out that you should use the same needles. So, thank you to Julie for saving Anne from having to reknit the swatch! Progress on Swatch 3 Swatch three is a seed-stitch swatch, but without proper, consistent tension, gaps appear at the transition from purl to knit. After many attempts resulting in slow improvement, Anne has decided to stop knitting the swatch and, instead, will be knitting a seed stitch scarf, which should give her plenty of practice without ruining the yarn she needs for her MHK swatches! On and Off the Needles Anne has a lot on the needles right now, including her second attempt at Sencilla, by Shireen Nadir; Nejiri, by Yumiko Sakurai; and the Bonte Mitts, by Joyce Riemens. Listen to the episode to hear how they are progressing! The only project Anne finished since the last podcast was a modified version of the Juniper Cowl, available on the Berroco Website. For information on how she altered the pattern from a standard cowl to one that warms her shoulders as well, you'll have to listen to the podcast! The Big Knit UK While there's been little progress on "real" projects, Anne has been busy participating in The Big Knit by knitting 5 mini hats a day from March 15 to April 6. (So far, so good, as of the day this episode launches!) These tiny hats are a great way to turn scrap yarn into funding for Age UK. American knitters: if you would like to contribute to the cause, Anne is leaving April 2, 2019 for the UK and is happy to take your hats along, but you have to act fast to get the hats to herby April 1!! Send her an email at anne @ familypodcasts . com to get the mailing address when you're ready. Any American knitters who mails her 10 hats by April 1 will be thanked with a set of stitchmarkers from the inventory that remains from her former business. (While supplies last.) Knitters in the UK have until July to submit their mini hats through their local Age UK. Additionally, many knitting stores are acting as collection points. Anne will be taking her hats, and any she receives from listeners, to donate at Wool in Bath. Product Review: Ginger DPNs and Crochet Hooks A few days ago, Anne wrote a blog post singing the praises of Knitter's Pride Ginger line of needles and hooks. Check it out. Giveaway!! Our first giveaway is underway! The deadline to enter is April 18, and you must listen to this episode of the podcast to find out how to enter. This hank of Selkie Sport from Dragonfly Fibers and two sets of DPNs from Knitter's Pride could be yours if you win! The giveaway is a hank of Selkie Sport from Dragonfly Fibers and two sets of DPNs from Knitter's Pride. The Selkie Sport is 70% blue faced Leicester wool and 30% silk in the Denali colorway. It's a joy to work with and the range of blues is utterly blissful. This giaveaway is open to anyone who lives anywhere the USPS delivers, including international listeners. If I can get it to you by going to my post office, you can enter to win! The next episode should release on April 23, and I'll pick the winner as I record, so look for episode 6 to hear if you've won! Featured Music The first song featured was "Ma Jeewanaye" by H. R. Jothipala and is available at the Free Music Archive. The second song was West in Africa by a South African man named John Bartmann, also available from the Free Music Archive. If you are a musician who would like a song featured on the program, or if you have comments or feedback, please contact the show at anne@familypodcasts.com. Support the Show You can help support this show by buying your laundry and dishwashing detergents through Dropps, like I do! It comes to my door every quarter without my having to worry about it. The pods use no plastic--not even in their packaging--and they work. And at half the price I had been paying for pods, the switch was a no-brainer for me. Give them a try and a portion of the price will support the podcast at no additional cost to you! Social Media You can follow Anne on Instagram or Ravelry as @ithoughtiknewhow. She posts articles related to knitting and yarn on the Facebook Group and on Twitter as @ThoughtIKhewHow. Subscribe to the podcast through iTunes or the podcast app of your choice. There is now a Ravelry Group for the show. Be sure to join and introduce yourself!

Recruiting Services Review Part 3 https://youtu.be/MumoMU0gLQU In the Recruiting Services Review Part 3, we talk about part of the lack of education that these services provide. The first couple of episodes in this series talked about things you can do for yourself better than someone else can do them for you. However, any service, no matter how much it costs, needs to educate you about "The Clearinghouse" and "financial aid." When I talk to a parent or a player who has signed up with a recruiting service and they have never heard of "The Clearinghouse" or "financial aid", I really wonder what these recruiting services are doing. So let's just say you've got one of those cute profiles with your highlight video and you're "connecting" with coaches all over the country.  Maybe these schools are even interested in you. So many people think the being a baller is enough.  Well beside the fact that there are a lot of ballers out there, you have to do more than just be a good player. "The Clearinghouse" "The Clearinghouse" verifies your eligibility to compete. If you want to play at a NCAA school and you're not registered for the NCAA Clearinghouse, then what are you waiting for?  If you want to play at a NAIA school, then you need to register for the NAIA Clearinghouse.  It doesn't matter if you've taken the SAT or not.  It doesn't matter how old you are.  You should do that and you should do it today.  If the Clearinghouse doesn't clear you, you can't play. If you can't play, you probably can't get a scholarship. You don't want to wait until the last minute. If you are registered for the Clearinghouse, it makes things so much easier for coaches to recruit you. You don't want to make it hard for a coach to recruit you. Financial Aid This part doesn't apply to international athletes, but it is so important for American athletes.  If you aren't 100% locked into the financial aid process, then you're missing out. Again, it doesn't matter how old you are.  Understanding financial aid and how it works is critical to making college more affordable and in some cases putting money in your pocket. Every school and every level works differently, but if your recruiting service isn't educating you about the financial aid process then you could be missing out on THOUSANDS of dollars.  It doesn't matter if you're a top D1 athlete or not. The financial aid process is important for ANY American athlete who wants to play collegiate sports.  The better understanding you have of the process, the more educated you can be about your decisions.  

"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."  Napoleon, the Pig, Animal Farm, by George Orwell Freedom of the press is precious.  It is axiomatic.  It's platitudinous.  We all say we want a free press.  But we must first define what that means. Does a reporter have a 1st Amendment right to ask a politician a question?  If the 1st Amendment carries any meaning at all, it means ANY American may ask questions and demand answers from government officials.  The public has every right to know the answers to questions asked and it is only under very special circumstances that answers to questions may be withheld.  Whether or not a government official provides a satisfactory answer to the question is another matter entirely. The duty of a free and independent press is to ask those questions and report on the answers.  Editors, commentators, and pundits can ruminate the adequacy or inadequacy of the answers, perhaps leading to more probing questions. Are there any obligations requires in order for the 1st Amendment to be honored?  The Constitution doesn't explicitly say, but generally accepted public manners and decorum are widely recognized and understood, even if not explicitly stated. When CNN's Jim Acosta participates in press briefings, he has the right to ask any question he'd like to ask.  He's under no requirement to ask his questions in any particular way.  He is simply free to ask questions.  That is his right. It is the President's right to answer the question however he chooses to answer it.  That's his right. In the case of Jim Acosta, there have been countless instances where he has monopolized the microphone and engaged in arguments, debates and lectures with Trump Administration officials as well as the President himself. The 1st Amendment does not guarantee the right of the free press to disrupt news media briefings.  On numerous occasions, Acosta begins by asking a question and then arguing with the answer.  The briefing room in not a place where arguments are supposed to take place.  That's the function of editorial columns, opinion pages, or commentary programs. When any member of the media disrupts a press briefing, bringing attention to themselves, the public and the 1st Amendment are ill served.  These distractions mean other news agencies will not have the opportunity to ask their questions.  It sensationalizes and controversializes these briefings as footage depicting the "principled journalist holding the powerful accountable to the truth" makes its way into the news cycle.  The media itself should NEVER be the news.  When it becomes the news, as in the case of Jim Acosta, it is shameless, selfish, self-promotion. Does Acosta have a 1st Amendment right to be in the briefing room if he is going to behave in such a disruptive and self-promoting manner?  It would seem not.  He may have a 5th Amendment right to due process before he is booted, as a court appears to have decided, but a 1st Amendment right?  No. And how could it be otherwise?  If the Constitution guaranteed Acosta's right to be a member of the White House Press Corps, that would mean every American shares that same right.  If they don't share it in equal measure, then we truly have reached that moment in Orwell's Animal Farm where some are more equal than others. The Trump Administration suspended Acosta's access to the White House.  In response, CNN filed a lawsuit against the White House on 1st Amendment grounds.  The White House is arguing there is no 1st Amendment right to be in a White House briefing to ask questions.  They are arguing that the President has the right to block or admit any reporter or news agency he wishes.  This is probably true in a strict legal sense, but would be politically unwise to carry out in practice. Having said that, the White House has to make judgments every day with respect to access in the Briefing Room.  While Acosta has no 1st Amendment right to the press briefing personally, and the Constitution does not mandate that the President meet with the press regularly or even at all, there have to be terms and conditions for access to a briefing. There is nothing wrong, in fact it is altogether fitting for the White House to have ground rules for such access, which if they are violated, take reasonable steps to discipline the violators.  This is at the core of Acosta's suspension. When CNN filed for Acosta's reinstatement citing the 1st Amendment, the claim is frivolous, despite being supported by other news organizations, including Fox News. By joining in the lawsuit, Fox News made it very clear that they support disruptive behavior.  Bad idea.  The Fox News decision appears to be due to a group think mentality within the DC press corps.  Fox bowed to peer pressure, circling the wagons around Acosta in an expression of professional solidarity, wrapping themselves in the 1st Amendment of the Constitution, which doesn't even apply to this case. Fox News and the rest of the DC press should be ashamed of themselves.  The President doesn't have to hold daily press briefings.  But when he does hold them, he has a right to include anyone he wants.

Please pass this on to Any American you know it’s not about me its about the message This is Conservative Britain 2018 under Theresa May more concerned about making sure she doesn’t upset vocal ethnic minorities including the Gay population than the majority of its citizens

There are more than a few of u "bozos" out there in FaceBook Land that are stinking up the joint w/this Bernie Sandwich Shit! I gotta tell u, this ain't the time or place - as of RIGHT NOW! Why? DONALD TRUMP, That's why, Turkeys! I'm a hard-assed Progressive who knows when to make a strategic retreat and when to charge hard.Trump will be the GOP nominee & he's nothing more than the Corleone family heading straight for the White House with no regard for ANY American nicety, tradition or historical landmark. This is the underworld versus the rest of us citizens. Bernie Sanders ain't the cat to take on something like this. He'll get cut to ribbons.   No, the times call for a ball-busting, domineering dominatrix - in Hillary Clinton those criteria are more than fulfilled. Hillary was born to run against someone precisely like DONALD TRUMP. Hillary will have Trump's balls by Oct. and shove them down his throat by Nov.!! Dan, cut the shit out! 1 more Bernie Sanders video and I'm gonna take out my Voodoo doll (w/ur picture on it) & start sticking pins in it, daily!  Really doesn't matter, because after this Sat., Feb. 27th & NEXT TUESDAY, SUPER TUESDAY (March 1st), It's gonna become real goddamned obvious that Madam Secretary will be kicking it into high gear. She'll be leaving Bernie in the dust. This ain't gonna be that long of a slog as the so-called clever pundits would have us believe. No way, Amigos! Starting this Sat./Feb. 27th - we have South Carolina & then March 1st - Alabama - Arkansas - Georgia - Oklahoma - Tennessee - Texas - Virginia & I'll Include Minnesota - close to Hillary's home state of Illinois! Just to pile it on even further - On March 5th you have Kansas, Nebraska, Louisiana & Kentucky. By this time Hillary will have insurmountable lead (she already has close to 400 Super Delegate VOTES, alone!).