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The Patriotically Correct Radio Show with Stew Peters | #PCRadio
From Rome's strikes to Buenos Aires' flares, the planet's erupting over Israel's sea-siege savagery, with flotilla fighters hunger-striking against the cuffs, cannons, and humiliations doled out to 450 aid warriors including elected reps and our forgotten vets. This ain't isolated piracy; it's the chosen clan's calculated crush on anyone daring to feed Gaza's ghosts, arm yourselves with the facts and fuel the fire before they sink us all. Western civilization has been infected by a parasitic invasion of foreign ideals and values that have been introduced into our culture by strange and morally degenerate people whose goal is world domination. We have been OCCUPIED. Watch the film NOW! https://stewpeters.com/occupied/ The government's tricking you. So we're treating you with real information and big savings. Sign up today and don't miss what they don't want you to know. Use promo code TRICK for $20 off your annual subscription. Join now at
Resilience isn't about never falling. It's about learning, adapting, and choosing hope, every time. In this episode, host Peter Fenger speaks with Andy Pierce, Resilience Expert and founder of iBounceUp, a Honolulu-based nonprofit transforming lives in at-risk communities. Andy brings a Master's degree in Performance Psychology and extensive experience working with elite Special Operations Soldiers, Army Rangers, adults in addiction recovery, and resource caregivers. But his work with iBounceUp is deeply personal, born from his brother-in-law Matt's struggle with addiction and untimely death, the organization now serves as both a legacy and a lifeline. In this conversation, Andy reveals the five pillars of mental resilience: self-awareness, self-control, optimism, flexibility, and relationships. He shares powerful stories from Hawaii's rehab centers and sober living facilities, explains why connection matters more than curriculum, and opens up about his own near-fatal surfing accident that tested everything he teaches. Discover why being selective about who we share good news with matters, how our beliefs drive our thoughts, and why flexibility might be the most underrated resilience skill of all. This is a conversation about building strength in broken places, and why showing up consistently changes lives. For more information about iBounceUp, please visit: https://www.ibounceup.org Consider a donation to iBounceUp and help transform lives: https://www.ibounceup.org/donate-now Connect with iBounceUp on Linkedin at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ibounce-up/ Connect with iBounceUp on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/ibounceup For more information about Andy Pierce and resilience training, please visit: https://www.bounceresilience.com
Work with Jimmy & the Vreeland Capital Team to build a 20-Unit Portfolio that will get you the equivalent of a retirement account 3X faster with a third of the capital. Visit https://tinyurl.com/mainstreetpatriot... - - - - - - In this solo episode of The Real Estate Fast Pass Podcast, Jimmy Vreeland tackles one of the biggest investor misconceptions: “If the Fed cuts rates, shouldn't mortgage rates go down?” Jimmy breaks down why that logic doesn't hold up—and how the real driver of mortgage rates has more to do with market trust, inflation expectations, and the 10-Year Treasury bond than with the Fed's headline moves. Pulling from research and insights at the Collective Genius Mastermind and financial strategist Jim LaCamp, Jimmy explains why waiting for the “perfect rate” can cost investors years of appreciation, tax benefits, and compounded growth.
Ben Bush, a former U.S. Army Ranger combat veteran from Brandon, shares with Mississippi Today his personal story of his struggle with PTSD after returning home from overseas combat, and how the psychedelic plant-derived drug ibogaine helped him regain his life. But he had to travel to Mexico for the treatment. It's illegal in the United States. House Public Health Chairman Sam Creekmore wants to change that, and he wants Mississippi to invest in testing the drug and help push for federal approval.
In this episode of the MTNTOUGH Podcast, host Dustin Diefenderfer welcomes back Joby Martin, a dynamic communicator calling men to biblical manhood. Joby dives into his new book, Stand Firm and Act Like Men: Becoming the Man You Were Created to Be Instead of the Man the World Says You Are, unpacking the scriptural imperatives to be watchful, stand firm in faith, act like men, be strong, and let everything be done in love. He addresses the cultural attacks on masculinity, the rise of a grassroots men's movement, and the signs of revival sweeping churches and society, emphasizing the need for authentic brotherhood, spiritual warfare readiness, and rejecting apathy in favor of Christ-centered leadership. This bold and motivating conversation provides practical steps for men to protect their families, renew their minds with God's truth, serve sacrificially, and build lasting legacies, delivering encouragement and biblical wisdom for guys ready to rise up and thrive as godly leaders in a challenging world.Join Dustin Diefenderfer, Founder of MTNTOUGH Fitness Lab and creator of the MTNTOUGH+ Fitness App in the top podcast for Mental Toughness and Mindset. (P.S.
An OG jumper that started his static line course in the early 90's, Mr. Paul Wetzel, aka "Weasle" would go from rocking out of college where he had substantially more motivation for beer and skydiving that his courses, to Army Ranger school where he'd earn his jump wings; From trailer life in Louisiana to tandems in Las Vegas, and from helicopter flight ops in Iraq and Afghanistan to a food truck in North Carolina. Along the way he's made a Japanese man vomit with his ass (And my assist), taken thousands of tandems, hiked the Appalachian trail from end to middle and back and figured out just like a whole lot of us, how lucky he is to be part of the Lunatic Fringe.
The Patriotically Correct Radio Show with Stew Peters | #PCRadio
AMERICAN CITIZENS Being ATTACKED in American Cities: LIVE REPORT - Blackhawk Helicopters, Repelling Soldiers Detaining American Citizens, Restraining Children with Zip Ties and Holding Them in U-Haul Trucks in Chicago. Western civilization has been infected by a parasitic invasion of foreign ideals and values that have been introduced into our culture by strange and morally degenerate people whose goal is world domination. We have been OCCUPIED. Watch the film NOW! https://stewpeters.com/occupied/ The government's tricking you. So we're treating you with real information and big savings. Sign up today and don't miss what they don't want you to know. Use promo code TRICK for $20 off your annual subscription. Join now at
Retired U.S. Army Colonel Shawn Daniel grew up chasing mallards in the Arkansas timber, and after eight combat deployments with the Rangers and a stop in the corporate world, he's come full circle. Today, Daniel leads Darby's Warrior Support, a nonprofit dedicated to introducing military special operators to the traditions and healing power of duck hunting.In this powerful episode, Shawn shares how the camaraderie of the duck blind offers space for combat veterans to open up about their stories and struggles—before, during, and after those unforgettable Arkansas sunrises. It's an emotional reminder that the impact of this sport reaches far beyond the harvest, fostering connection, purpose, and healing for those who've sacrificed so much.For more information and how you can support the effort, please visit www.darbyswarriorsupport.org.>>Thanks to our sponsors: Tom Beckbe, Lile Real Estate, Perfect Limit Outdoors, Purina Pro Plan, Sitka Gear, Greenhead: The Arkansas Duck Hunting Magazine, Diamond M Land Development, and Ducks Unlimited. Send us a textAll Rights Reserved. Please subscribe, rate and share The Standard Sportsman podcast.
Each episode on Unstoppable Mindset I ask all of you and my guests to feel free to introduce me to others who would be good guests on our podcast. Our guest this time, Erin Edgar, is a guest introduced to me by a past podcast guest, Rob Wentz. Rob told me that Erin is inspirational and would be interesting and that she would have a lot to offer you, our audience. Rob was right on all counts. Erin Edgar was born blind. Her parents adopted an attitude that would raise their daughter with a positive attitude about herself. She was encouraged and when barriers were put in her way as a youth, her parents helped her fight to be able to participate and thrive. For a time, she attended the Indiana School for the Blind. Her family moved to Georgia where Erin attended high school. After high school, Erin wanted to go to college where she felt there would be a supportive program that would welcome her on campus. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapple Hill. After graduating she decided to continue at UNC where she wanted to study law. The same program that gave her so much assistance during her undergraduate days was not able to provide the same services to Erin the graduate student. Even so, Erin had learned how to live, survive and obtain what she needed to go through the law program. After she received her law degree Erin began to do what she always wanted to do: She wanted to use the law to help people. So, she worked in programs such as Legal Aid in North Carolina and she also spent time as a mediator. She will describe all that for us. Like a number of people, when the pandemic began, she decided to pivot and start her own law firm. She focuses on estate planning. We have a good discussion about topics such as the differences between a will and a living trust. Erin offers many relevant and poignant thoughts and words of advice we all can find helpful. Erin is unstoppable by any standard as you will see. About the Guest: Erin Edgar, Esq., is a caring, heart-centered attorney, inspirational speaker and vocal artist. She loves helping clients: -- Plan for the future of their lives and businesses, ensuring that they have the support they need and helping them find ways to provide for their loved ones upon death. --Ensure that the leave a legacy of love and reflect client values -- Find creative ways that allow them to impact the world with a lasting legacy. She is passionate about connecting with clients on a heart level. She loves witnessing her clients as she guides them to transform their intentions for their loved ones into a lasting legacy through the estate planning process. Erin speaks about ways to meld proven legal tools, strategies, and customization with the creative process to design legal solutions that give people peace of mind, clarity, and the assurance that their loved ones will be taken care of, and the world will be left a better place Ways to connect with Erin: Facebook: https://facebook.com/erin-edgar-legal LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/erinedgar About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Hi everyone, and welcome to another edition of unstoppable mindset. We're glad that you're here with us, wherever you may be. Hope the day is going well, and we have Erin Edgar on our episode today. Edgar is a very interesting person in a lot of ways. She's a caring, heart centered attorney. She is also an inspirational speaker and a vocal artist. I'm not sure whether vocal artistry comes into play when she's in the courtroom, but we won't worry about that too much. I assume that you don't sing to your judges when you're trying to deal with something. But anyway, I'll let her answer that. I'm just trying to cause trouble, but Erin again. We're really glad you're with us. We really appreciate you being here, and I know you do a lot with estate planning and other kinds of things that'll be fun to talk about. So welcome to unstoppable mindset. Erin Edgar ** 02:14 Thank you, Michael. It's great to be here, and I haven't sung in a courtroom or a courthouse yet, but I wouldn't rule it out. Michael Hingson ** 02:23 I have someone who I know who also has a guide dog and his diet. His guide dog, it's been a while since I've seen him, but his guide dog tended to be very vocal, especially at unexpected times, and he said that occasionally happened in the courtroom, which really busted up the place. Oh, dear. Erin Edgar ** 02:45 I imagine that would draw some smiles, hopefully, smiles. Michael Hingson ** 02:48 Well, they were, yeah, do you, do you appear in court much? Erin Edgar ** 02:53 Um, no, the type of law that I practice, I'm usually, I don't think I've ever appeared in court after I've written people's wills, but I have done previous things where I was in court mediating disputes, which is a kind of a separate thing that I used to do, so I've been in court just not recently. Yeah. Michael Hingson ** 03:17 Well, that's understandable. Well, let's start a little bit with the early Erin and growing up and all that sort of stuff. Tell us about that? Sure. Erin Edgar ** 03:26 So I was born in cold, gray Indiana, and, yeah, chilly in the wintertime, and I started out I was blind from birth, so my parents thought it would be a good idea to send me to the school for the blind for a while. And back when I was born, um, teen years ago, they did not mainstream visually impaired and disabled students in that state, so you went where you could, and I was at the blind school for until I reached third grade, and then we moved to Georgia, and I've been in the south ever since I live in North Carolina now, and I started going to public schools in fourth grade, and continued on that route all the way up through high school. Michael Hingson ** 04:21 Oh, okay. And so then, what did you do? Erin Edgar ** 04:29 So after, after that, I, you know, I was one of those high school students. I really wanted to get out of dodge and leave my high school behind. I went visiting a couple of colleges in Georgia, and I said to my parents, I said, I really don't like this. It's like going to high school again. Literally, I was meeting people I had been in high school with, and I decided, and was very grateful that my parents. Were able to rig it some way so that I could go to an out of state school. And I went to UNC Chapel Hill here in North Carolina, Tar Heels all the way. And I was there for undergrad. And then I got into law school there as well, which I was very excited about, because I didn't have to go anywhere, and graduated from law school again a while ago in the early 2000s Michael Hingson ** 05:31 Okay, and so then you went straight into law from that. Erin Edgar ** 05:37 I didn't I did some other things before I actually went into law itself. I worked with some local advocacy organizations, and I also mediated, as I said earlier, I did mediations with the county court, helping mediate criminal disputes. And we're talking about like things with you get in a dispute with your neighbor and you yell at each other, those kind of People's Court type things. They were fun and interesting. And then I did go into law. After that, I started working with Legal Aid of North Carolina, which is a an organization that helps people in poverty who cannot afford a lawyer to go and have have their options communicated to them and some help given to them regarding their public benefits or certain other, you know, public things that we could help with we weren't able to help with any personal injury, or, you know, any of the fun stuff you see on TV. So and then, when the pandemic hit, I started my own law practice and completely changed gears and went into writing estate plans and wills for a living. Michael Hingson ** 07:07 Do you think that your time doing mediation work and so on taught you a lot about humanity and human nature and people? Erin Edgar ** 07:16 It did. I bet it did. It was invaluable, actually, in that area taught me a lot about, I don't know necessarily, about human nature. However, it did teach me a lot about how to talk to people who were on different pages. You know, they had, perhaps, values and principles that weren't quite the same, where they had a different way of looking at the same exact situation, and how to bring those those people together and allow them to connect on a deeper level, rather than the argument we're able to get them to agree to kind of move forward from that, so nobody has to be found guilty, right? And you know a judge doesn't have and you don't have to drag a criminal conviction around with you. I think the most rewarding cases that I had, by far were the education cases. Because I don't know if anyone knows this, but in most states, in the United States, if you don't send your kids to school, you are guilty of a crime. It's called truancy, and you can be arrested. Well, the county that I live in was very forward thinking, and the school system and the court said, that's kind of dumb. We don't want to arrest parents if their kids aren't going to school, there's something behind it. You know, there the school is not providing what the child needs. The child's acting out for some reason, and we need to get to the bottom of it. So what they did was they set up a process whereby we come in as neutral observers. We did not work for the court. We were part of a separate organization, and have a school social worker there or counselor, and also have a parent there, and they could talk through the issues. And in a lot of cases, if the children were old enough, they were teenagers, they were there, and they could talk about it from their perspective. And truly amazing things came out of those situations. We could just we would discover that the children had a behavioral issue or even a disability that had not been recognized, and were able to come up with plans to address that with you know, or the school was with our help, Michael Hingson ** 09:42 going back a little bit, how did your parents deal with the fact that you were blind? I gather it was a fairly positive experience Erin Edgar ** 09:50 for me. It was positive. I was so fortunate, and I'm still so grateful to this day for having parents who you. I were very forward thinking, and advocated for me to have and do whatever, not whatever I wanted, because I was far from spoiled, but, you know, whatever, yeah, yeah, you know. But whatever, however I wanted to be successful, they advocated for me. And so my mother actually told me, you know, when I was born, they went through all the parent things like, oh, gosh, what did we do wrong? You know, why is God punishing us? You know, all that. And they, very early on, found support groups for, you know, parents with children with either blindness or disabilities of some sort, and that was a great source of help to them. And as I grew up, they made every effort to ensure that I had people who could teach me, if they couldn't, you know, how to interact with other children. I think, for a while when I was very little, and I actually kind of remember this, they hired an occupational therapist to come and teach me how to play with kids, because not only was I blind, but I was an only child, so I didn't have brothers and sisters to interact with, and that whole play thing was kind of a mystery to me, and I remember it sort of vaguely, but that's just A demonstration that they wanted me to have the best life possible and to be fully integrated into the sighted world as much as possible. So when I was at the blind school, and I was in this residential environment, and there was an added bonus that my parents didn't really weren't happy in their jobs either, and they weren't happy with the education I was getting, that they decided, well, we're just going to pick up and move and that was, quite frankly, as I look back on it now, a huge risk for them. And they did it, you know, 50% for me and 50% for them, maybe even 6040, but as I look back on it now, it's another demonstration of how supportive they were, and all the way through my school age years, were very active in ensuring that I had everything that I needed and that I had the support that I needed. Michael Hingson ** 12:19 That's cool. How did it go when you went to college at UNC? Erin Edgar ** 12:25 Yeah, that's an interesting question, a very good question. Michael Hingson ** 12:29 You didn't play basketball, I assume? Oh no, I figured you had other things to do. Erin Edgar ** 12:33 Yeah, I had other stuff to do. I sang in the choir and sang with the medieval chorus group, and, you know, all this other, like, musical geek, geeky stuff. But, or, and when we were looking for colleges and universities, one of the criteria was they had to have a solid kind of, like disability, slash visually impaired center, or, you know, support staff that would help in, you know, allow people with disabilities to go through the university. So at UNC Chapel Hill, the they had as part of their student affairs department Disability Services, and it just so happened that they were very aware of accommodations that blind people needed. I wasn't the first blind student to go through undergrad there. That's not law school, that's undergrad. And so you know, how much was it? Time and a half on on tests if I was doing them on the computer, double time if I was doing them in Braille. A lot of the tests were in Braille because they had the technology to do it. And also the gentleman who ran the Disability Services Department, I think, knew Braille, if I'm not mistaken, and could transcribe if necessary. But I was at the stage at that point where I was typing most of my exams anyway, and didn't need much that was in Braille, because I had books either electronically or they had a network of folks in the community that would volunteer to read if there was not, you know, available textbooks from RFD, and what is it, RFP and D? Now was at the time, yeah, now Learning Ally, there wasn't a Bookshare at that time, so we couldn't use Bookshare, but if there weren't textbooks available, they would have people in the community who would read them for them, and they would get paid a little bit. Now, when I went to law school, it was a totally different ball game, because I was the first law student who was blind, that UNC Chapel Hill had had, and it was a different school within the school, so that student affairs department was not part of law school anymore, and we had quite a time the first semester getting my book. Works in a format that I could read them in. They did eventually, kind of broker a deal, if you will, with the publishers who were either Thompson Reuters or Westlaw at the time to get electronic versions. They were floppy disks. This is how old I am. Floppy disks. They were in this weird format. I think it was word perfect or something. Usually it was, and they Michael Hingson ** 15:27 didn't really have a lot of them new or no, they didn't know now, newer publishing system, Erin Edgar ** 15:32 yeah, there wasn't PDF even, I don't think, at the time. And the agreement was I could get those, and I actually had to buy the print textbooks as well. So I have this whole bookcase of law books that are virgin, unopened, almost. And they are, you know, some of them almost 25 years old, never been opened and of no use to anyone. But I have them, and they look nice sitting down there in that bookshelf antiques books. They're antiques. So the first year was a little rough, because for a while I didn't have books, and we were able to make arrangements so that I could kind of make up some classes on a later year and switch things around a little bit. And it ended up all working out really well once we got started. Michael Hingson ** 16:16 Yeah, I remember when I was going through getting my bachelor's and master's in physics, I needed the books in braille because, well, it's the only way to be able to really deal with the subject. You can't do it nearly as well from recordings, although now there's a little bit better capability through recording, because we have the DayZ format and so on. But still, it's not the same as reading it in Braille and for mathematics and physics and so on. I think that the only way to really do it is in Braille. And we had challenges because professors didn't want to decide what books to use until the last minute, because then, oh, a new book might be coming out and we want to get the latest book, and that didn't work for me, right? Because I had a network that I, in part, I developed with the Department of Rehabilitation out here, helped our office for disabled students didn't really have the resources to know it. They were very supportive. They just didn't really deal with it. But the bottom line is that we had to develop, I had to develop the network of transcribers, but they needed three to six months to do the books, at least three months and and sometimes I would get them one or two volumes at a time, and they barely kept ahead of the class. But, you know, it worked, but professors resisted it. And my the person who ran the Office for Students with Disabilities, said, Look, you have to work on these things, but if you're not getting cooperation from professors, and you come and tell me, and I will use the power of this office to get you what you need, there's another thing you might consider doing, she said. And I said, What's that? And Jan said, Go meet the chancellor. Make friends, yeah, friends in high places. And so I did. And Dan, oh, there you go. Became pretty good friends over the years, which was pretty cool, Erin Edgar ** 18:15 you know, it was weird because we didn't, I didn't have that problem with the professors. They were, you know, I had a couple of old codgers, but they weren't really worried about the books. They were fine with me having the books, but it was the publishers. The publishers were irritated that that I needed them, and, you know, in an alternative format. And I didn't really, I was not. I was one of those people that if someone said they were going to do something for me, I kind of let people do it. And at the time, I was really not an advocate, advocator for myself, at that time, a very good self advocate. And so I kind of let the school interface with that. I think it would have been really interesting, if I look back on it, for me to have taken a hand in that. And I wonder what would have happened well, and at this point, you know, it's neither here nor there, but that's really fascinating. Making Friends with the chancellor, sometimes you have to do stuff like that Michael Hingson ** 19:15 well. And the idea was really to get to know Him. And what there was, well, obviously other motivations, like, if we needed to go to a higher court to get help, we could go to the chancellor. I never had to do that, but, but the reason for meeting him and getting to know him was really just to do it and to have fun doing it. So we did, Erin Edgar ** 19:36 yeah, and I kind of had a comparable experience. I met the Dean of the Law School for that very reason. And he said, you know, if you've got trouble, come to me, my parents got involved a little bit. And we all, you know, met together and maybe even separately at some points just to make sure that I had everything that I needed at various times. Mm. Yeah, and I made friends with the some of the assistant deans at the law school, in particular because of the situation, and one of whom was the Dean of the Law School Student Affairs, who was helping me to get what I needed. And for a while, when I was in law school and beyond. He was like, We lent books to each other. It was very funny. We found out we had the same reading tastes beyond law books. It wasn't, you know, legal at all, but we were like, trading books and things. So a lot of really good relationships came out of that. Michael Hingson ** 20:37 And I think that's extremely important to to do. And I think that's one of the things that that offices for students with disabilities that tend to want to do everything for you. I think that's one of the things that it's a problem with those offices, because if you don't learn to do them, and if you don't learn to do them in college, how are you going to be able to be able to really act independently and as an advocate after college, so you have to learn that stuff Erin Edgar ** 21:05 Absolutely. That's a very good point. Michael Hingson ** 21:09 So I, I think it was extremely important to do it, and we did, and had a lot of fun doing it. So it was, was good. What are some of the biggest misconceptions you think that people had about you as a blind child growing up? Erin Edgar ** 21:25 Oh yeah, that's a great question. I think that one of the biggest misconceptions that people had about me, especially when I was younger, is that I would know I would be sort of relegated to staying at home with parents all of my life, or being a stay at home parent and not able to be kind of professionally employed and earning, you know, earning a living wage. Now, I have my own business, and that's where most of my money goes at the same at this point. So, you know, earning a living wage might be up in the air at the moment. Ha, ha. But the the one thing I think that the biggest misconception that people had, and this is even like teachers at the blind school, it was very rare for blind children of my age to grow up and be, you know, professionals in, I don't want to say high places, but like people able to support themselves without a government benefit backing them up. And it was kind of always assumed that we would be in that category, that we would be less able than our sighted peers to do that. And so that was a huge misconception, even you know, in the school that I was attending. I think that was the, really the main one and one misconception that I had then and still have today, is that if I'm blind, I can't speak for myself. This still happens today. For instance, if I'm if I want, if I'm going somewhere and I just happen to be with someone sighted, they will talk whoever I'm, wherever I'm at, they will talk to the sighted person, right? They won't talk to you. They won't talk to me. And so, for instance, simple example, if I'm somewhere with my husband, and we happen to be walking together and we go somewhere that I need to go, they will talk to him because he's guiding me, and they won't talk. And he's like, don't talk to me. I have no idea, you know, talk to her, and part of that is I'm half a step behind him. People naturally gravitate to the people that are leading. However, I noticed, even when I was a young adult, and I would go, you know, to the doctor, and I would be with my my parents, like, maybe I'm visiting them, and I need to go to the doctor, they would talk to them and not me, yeah, which is kind of sad. And I think it happens a lot, a lot more than people realize. Michael Hingson ** 24:10 Yeah, it does. And one of my favorite stories is, is this, I got married in 1982 and my wife has always been, or had always been. She passed away in 2022 but she was always in a wheelchair. And we went to a restaurant one Saturday for breakfast. We were standing at the counter waiting to be seated, and the hostess was behind the counter, and nothing was happening. And finally, Karen said to me, she doesn't know who to talk to, you know? Because Karen, of course, is, is in a wheelchair, so actually, she's clearly shorter than this, this person behind the counter, and then there's me and and, of course, I'm not making eye contact, and so Karen just said she doesn't know who to talk to. I said, you know? All she's gotta do is ask us where we would like to sit or if we'd like to have breakfast, and we can make it work. Well, she she got the message, and she did, and the rest of the the day went fine, but that was really kind of funny, that we had two of us, and she just didn't know how to deal with either of us, which was kind of cute. Mm, hmm. Well, you know, it brings up another question. You use the term earlier, visually impaired. There's been a lot of effort over the years. A lot of the professionals, if you will, created this whole terminology of visually impaired, and they say, well, you're blind or you're visually impaired. And visually impaired means you're not totally blind, but, but you're still visually impaired. And finally, blind people, I think, are starting to realize what people who are deaf learned a long time ago, and that is that if you take take a deaf person and you refer to them as hearing impaired, there's no telling what they might do to you, because they recognize that impaired is not true and they shouldn't be equated with people who have all of their hearing. So it's deaf or hard of hearing, which is a whole lot less of an antagonistic sort of concept than hearing impaired. We're starting to get blind people, and not everyone's there yet, and we're starting to get agencies, and not every agency is there yet, to recognize that it's blind or low vision, as opposed to blind or here or visually impaired, visually impaired. What do you think about that? How does and how does that contribute to the attitudes that people had toward you? Erin Edgar ** 26:38 Yeah, so when I was growing up, I was handicapped, yeah, there was that too, yeah, yeah, that I was never fond of that, and my mother softened it for me, saying, well, we all have our handicaps or shortcomings, you know, and but it was really, what was meant was you had Something that really held you back. I actually, I say, this is so odd. I always, I usually say I'm totally blind. Because when I say blind, the immediate question people have is, how blind are you? Yeah, which gets back to stuff, yeah, yeah. If you're blind, my opinion, if you're blind, you're you're blind, and if you have low vision, you have partial sight. And visually impaired used to be the term, you know, when I was younger, that people use, and that's still a lot. It's still used a lot, and I will use it occasionally, generally. I think that partially sighted, I have partial vision is, is what I've heard people use. That's what, how my husband refers to himself. Low Vision is also, you know, all those terms are much less pejorative than actually being impaired, Michael Hingson ** 27:56 right? That's kind of really the issue, yeah. My, my favorite example of all of this is a past president of the National Federation of the Blind, Ken Jernigan, you've heard of him, I assume, Oh, sure. He created a document once called a definition of blindness, and his definition, he goes through and discusses various conditions, and he asks people if, if you meet these conditions, are you blind or not? But then what he eventually does is he comes up with a definition, and his definition, which I really like, is you are blind if your eyesight has decreased to the point where you have to use alternatives to full eyesight in order to function, which takes into account totally blind and partially blind people. Because the reality is that most of those people who are low vision will probably, or they may probably, lose the rest of their eyesight. And the agencies have worked so hard to tell them, just use your eyesight as best you can. And you know you may need to use a cane, but use your eyesight as best you can, and if you go blind, then we're going to have to teach you all over again, rather than starting by saying blindness is really okay. And the reality is that if you learn the techniques now, then you can use the best of all worlds. Erin Edgar ** 29:26 I would agree with that. I would also say you should, you know, people should use what they have. Yeah, using everything you have is okay. And I think there's a lot of a lot of good to be said for learning the alternatives while you're still able to rely on something else. Michael Hingson ** 29:49 Point taken exactly you know, because Erin Edgar ** 29:53 as you age, you get more and more in the habit of doing things one way, and it's. Very hard to break out of that. And if you haven't learned an alternative, there's nothing you feel like. There's nothing to fall back on, right? And it's even harder because now you're in the situation of urgency where you feel like you're missing something and you're having to learn something new, whereas if you already knew it and knew different ways to rely on things you would be just like picking a memory back up, rather than having to learn something new. Well, I've never been in that position, so I can't say, but in the abstract, I think that's a good definition. Michael Hingson ** 30:34 Well, there are a lot of examples, like, take a person who has some eyesight, and they're not encouraged to use a cane. And I know someone who was in this situation. I think I've told the story on this podcast, but he lived in New Jersey and was travel. And traveled every day from New Jersey into Philadelphia to work, and he was on a reasonably cloudy day, was walking along. He had been given a cane by the New Jersey Commission for the Blind, but he they didn't really stress the value of using it. And so he was walking along the train to go in, and he came to the place where he could turn in and go into the car. And he did, and promptly fell between two cars because he wasn't at the right place. And then the train actually started to move, but they got it stopped, and so he was okay, but as as he tells the story, he certainly used his cane from then on. Because if he had been using the cane, even though he couldn't see it well because it was dark, or not dark, cloudy, he would have been able to see that he was not at the place where the car entrance was, but rather he was at the junction between two cars. And there's so many examples of that. There's so many reasons why it's important to learn the skills. Should a partially blind or a low vision person learn to read Braille? Well, depends on circumstances, of course, I think, to a degree, but the value of learning Braille is that you have an alternative to full print, especially if there's a likelihood that you're going to lose the rest of your eyesight. If you psychologically do it now, that's also going to psychologically help you prepare better for not having any eyesight later. Erin Edgar ** 32:20 And of course, that leads to to blind children these days learn how to read, yeah, which is another issue. Michael Hingson ** 32:28 Which is another issue because educators are not teaching Braille nearly as much as they should, and the literacy rate is so low. And the fact of the matter is even with George Kircher, who invented the whole DAISY format and and all the things that you can do with the published books and so on. The reality is there is still something to be said for learning braille. You don't have sighted children just watching television all the time, although sometimes my parents think they do, but, but the point is that they learn to read, and there's a value of really learning to read. I've been in an audience where a blind speaker was delivering a speech, and he didn't know or use Braille. He had a device that was, I think what he actually used was a, was, it was a Victor Reader Stream, which is Erin Edgar ** 33:24 one of those, right? Michael Hingson ** 33:25 I think it was that it may have been something else, but the bottom line is, he had his speech written out, and he would play it through earphones, and then he would verbalize his speech. Oh, no, that's just mess me up. Oh, it would. It was very disjointed and and I think that for me, personally, I read Braille pretty well, but I don't like to read speeches at all. I want to engage the audience, and so it's really important to truly speak with the audience and not read or do any of those other kinds of things. Erin Edgar ** 33:57 I would agree. Now I do have a Braille display that I, I use, and, you know, I do use it for speeches. However, I don't put the whole speech on Michael Hingson ** 34:10 there that I me too. I have one, and I use it for, I know, I have notes. Mm, hmm, Erin Edgar ** 34:16 notes, yeah. And so I feel like Braille, especially for math. You know, when you said math and physics, like, Yeah, I can't imagine doing math without Braille. That just doesn't, you know, I can't imagine it, and especially in, you know, geometry and trigonometry with those diagrams. I don't know how you would do it without a Braille textbook, but yeah, there. There's certainly something to be said for for the the wonderful navigation abilities with, you know, e published audio DAISY books. However, it's not a substitute for knowing how to Michael Hingson ** 34:55 read. Well, how are you going to learn to spell? How are you going to really learn sit? Structure, how are you going to learn any of those basic skills that sighted kids get if you don't use Braille? Absolutely, I think that that's one of the arenas where the educational system, to a large degree, does such a great disservice to blind kids because it won't teach them Braille. Erin Edgar ** 35:16 Agreed, agreed. Well, thank you for this wonderful spin down Braille, Braille reading lane here. That was fun. Michael Hingson ** 35:27 Well, so getting back to you a little bit, you must have thought or realized that probably when you went into law, you were going to face some challenges. But what was the defining moment that made you decide you're going to go into law, and what kind of challenges have you faced? If you face challenges, my making an assumption, but you know what? Erin Edgar ** 35:45 Oh, sure. So the defining moment when I decided I wanted to go into law. It was a very interesting time for me. I was teenager. Don't know exactly how old I was, but I think I was in high school, and I had gone through a long period where I wanted to, like, be a music major and go into piano and voice and be a performer in those arenas, and get a, you know, high level degree whatnot. And then I began having this began becoming very interested in watching the Star Trek television series. Primarily I was out at the time the next generation, and I was always fascinated by the way that these people would find these civilizations on these planets, and they would be at odds in the beginning, and they would be at each other's throats, and then by the end of the day, they were all kind of Michael Hingson ** 36:43 liking each other. And John Luke Picard didn't play a flute, Erin Edgar ** 36:47 yes, and he also turned into a Borg, which was traumatic for me. I had to rate local summer to figure out what would happen. I was in I was in trauma. Anyway, my my father and I bonded over that show. It was, it was a wonderful sort of father daughter thing. We did it every weekend. And I was always fascinated by, like, the whole, the whole aspect of different ideologies coming together. And it always seemed to me that that's what human humanity should be about. As I, you know, got older, I thought, how could I be involved in helping people come together? Oh, let's go into law. Because, you know, our government's really good at that. That was the high school student in me. And I thought at the time, I wanted to go into the Foreign Service and work in the international field and help, you know, on a net, on a you know, foreign policy level. I quickly got into law school and realized two things simultaneously in my second year, international law was very boring, and there were plenty of problems in my local community that I could help solve, like, why work on the international stage when people in my local community are suffering in some degree with something and so I completely changed my focus to wanting to work in an area where I could bring people together and work for, you know, work on an individualized level. And as I went into the legal field, that was, it was part of the reason I went into the mediation, because that was one of the things that we did, was helping people come together. I realized, though, as I became a lawyer and actually started working in the field, most of the legal system is not based on that. It's based on who has the best argument. I wanted no part of that. Yeah, I want no part of that at all. I want to bring people together. Still, the Star Trek mentality is working here, and so when I when I started my own law firm, my immediate question to myself was, how can I now that I'm out doing my own thing, actually bring people together? And the answer that I got was help families come together, especially people thinking about their end of life decisions and gathering their support team around them. Who they want to help them? If they are ever in a situation where they become ill and they can't manage their affairs, or if you know upon their death, who do they want to help them and support them. And how can I use the law to allow that to happen? And so that's how I am working, to use the law for healing and bringing people together, rather than rather than winning an argument. Michael Hingson ** 39:59 Yeah. Yeah, well, and I think there's a lot of merit to that. I I value the law a great deal, and I I am not an attorney or anything like that, but I have worked in the world of legislation, and I've worked in the world of dealing with helping to get legislation passed and and interacting with lawyers. And my wife and I worked with an attorney to set up our our trust, and then couple of years ago, I redid it after she passed away. And so I think that there was a lot of a lot of work that attorneys do that is extremely important. Yeah, there are, there are attorneys that were always dealing with the best arguments, and probably for me, the most vivid example of that, because it was so captivating when it happened, was the whole OJ trial back in the 1990s we were at a county fair, and we had left going home and turned on the radio, only To hear that the police were following OJ, and they finally arrested him. And then when the trial occurred, we while I was working at a company, and had a radio, and people would would come around, and we just had the radio on, and followed the whole trial. And it was interesting to see all the manipulation and all the movement, and you're right. It came down to who had the best argument, right or wrong? Erin Edgar ** 41:25 The bloody glove. If it doesn't fit, you must acquit. Yeah, yep, I remember that. I remember where I was when they arrested him, too. I was at my grandparents house, and we were watching it on TV. My grandfather was captivated by the whole thing. But yes, there's certainly, you know, some manipulation. There's also, there are also lawyers who do a lot of good and a lot of wonderful things. And in reality, you know, most cases don't go to trial. They're settled in some way. And so, you know, there isn't always, you know, who has the best argument. It's not always about that, right? And at the same time, that is, you know, what the system is based on, to some extent. And really, when our country was founded, our founding fathers were a bunch of, like, acted in a lot of ways, like a bunch of children. If you read books on, you know, the Constitution, it was, it was all about, you know, I want this in here, and I want that in here. And, you know, a lot of argument around that, which, of course, is to be expected. And many of them did not expect our country's government to last beyond their lifetimes. Uh, James Madison was the exception, but all the others were like, Ed's going to fail. And yet, I am very, very proud to be a lawyer in this country, because while it's not perfect, our founding documents actually have a lot of flexibility and how and can be interpreted to fit modern times, which is, I think the beauty of them and exactly what the Founders intended for. Michael Hingson ** 43:15 Yeah, and I do think that some people are taking advantage of that and causing some challenges, but that's also part of our country and part of our government. I like something Jimmy Carter once said, which was, we must adjust to changing times while holding to unwavering principles. And I think absolutely that's the part that I think sometimes is occasionally being lost, that we forget those principles, or we want to manipulate the principles and make them something that they're not. But he was absolutely right. That is what we need to do, and we can adjust to changing times without sacrificing principles. Absolutely. Erin Edgar ** 43:55 I firmly believe that, and I would like to kind of turn it back to what we were talking about before, because you actually asked me, What are some challenges that I have faced, and if it's okay with you, I would like to get back to that. Oh, sure. Okay. Well, so I have faced some challenges for you know, to a large extent, though I was very well accommodated. I mean, the one challenge with the books that was challenging when I took the bar exam, oh, horror of horrors. It was a multiple, multiple shot deal, but it finally got done. However, it was not, you know, my failing to pass the first time or times was not the fault of the actual board of law examiners. They were very accommodating. I had to advocate for myself a little bit, and I also had to jump through some hoops. For example, I had to bring my own person to bubble in my responses on the multiple choice part, it. And bring my own person in to kind of monitor me while I did the essay portion. But they allowed me to have a computer, they allowed me to have, you know, the screen reader. They allowed me to have time and a half to do the the exam. And so we're accommodating in that way. And so no real challenges there. You know, some hoops to jump through. But it got all worked out. Michael Hingson ** 45:23 And even so, some of that came about because blind people actually had to go all the way to the Supreme Court. Yes, the bar to the Bar Association to recognize that those things needed to be that way, Erin Edgar ** 45:37 absolutely. And so, you know, I was lucky to come into this at a time where that had already been kind of like pre done for me. I didn't have to deal with that as a challenge. And so the only other challenges I had, some of them, were mine, like, you know, who's going to want to hire this blind person? Had a little bit of, you know, kind of challenge there, with that mindset issue for a while there, and I did have some challenges when I was looking for employment after I'd worked for legal aid for a while, and I wanted to move on and do something else. And I knew I didn't want to work for a big, big firm, and I would, I was talking to some small law firms about hiring me, small to mid size firms. And I would get the question of, well, you're blind, so what kind of accommodations do you need? And we would talk about, you know, computer, special software to make a talk, you know, those kinds of things. And it always ended up that, you know, someone else was hired. And I can, you know, I don't have proof that the blindness and the hesitancy around hiring a disabled person or a blind person was in back of that decision. And at the same time, I had the sense that there was some hesitation there as well, so that, you know, was a bit of a challenge, and starting my own law firm was its own challenge, because I had to experiment with several different software systems to Find one that was accessible enough for me to use. And the system I'm thinking about in particular, I wouldn't use any other system, and yet, I'm using practically the most expensive estate planning drafting system out there, because it happens to be the most accessible. It's also the most expensive. Always that. There's always that. And what's it called? I'm curious. It's called wealth Council, okay, wealth. And then the word councils, Council, SEL, and it's wonderful. And the folks there are very responsive. If I say something's not accessible, I mean, they have fixed things for me in the past. Isn't that great? And complain, isn't that wonderful? It is wonderful. And that's, that's awesome. I had a CRM experience with a couple of different like legal CRM software. I used one for a while, and it was okay. But then, you know, everyone else said this other one was better and it was actually less accessible. So I went back to the previous one, you know. So I have to do a lot of my own testing, which is kind of a challenge in and of itself. I don't have people testing software for me. I have to experiment and test and in some cases, pay for something for a while before I realize it's not, you know, not worth it. But now I have those challenges pretty much ironed out. And I have a paralegal who helps me do some things that, like she proof reads my documents, for instance, because otherwise there may be formatting things that I'm not, that I miss. And so I have the ability to have cited assistance with things that I can't necessarily do myself, which is, you know, absolutely fine, Michael Hingson ** 49:04 yeah. Now, do you use Lexus? Is it accessible? Erin Edgar ** 49:08 I don't need Lexus, yeah, yeah. I mean, I have, I'm a member of the Bar Association, of my, my state bar association, which is not, not voluntary. It's mandatory. But I'm a member primarily because they have a search, a legal search engine that they work with that we get for free. I mean, with our members, there you go. So there you go. So I don't need Lexus or West Law or any of those other search engines for what I do. And if I was, like, really into litigation and going to court all time and really doing deep research, I would need that. But I don't. I can use the one that they have, that we can use so and it's, it's a entirely web based system. It's fairly accessible Michael Hingson ** 49:58 well, and. That makes it easier to as long as you've got people's ears absolutely make it accessible, which makes a lot of sense. Erin Edgar ** 50:08 Yeah, it certainly does well. Michael Hingson ** 50:10 So do you regard yourself as a resilient person? Has blindness impacted that or helped make that kind of more the case for you? Do you think I do resilience is such an overused term, but it's fair. I know Erin Edgar ** 50:24 I mean resilience is is to my mind, a resilient person is able to face uh, challenges with a relatively positive outlook in and view a challenge as something to be to be worked through rather than overcome, and so yes, I do believe that blindness, in and of itself, has allowed me to find ways to adapt to situations and pivot in cases where, you know, I need to find an alternative to using a mouse. For instance, how would I do that? And so in other areas of life, I am, you know, because I'm blind, I'm able to more easily pivot into finding alternative solutions. I do believe that that that it has made me more resilient. Michael Hingson ** 51:25 Do you think that being blind has caused you, and this is an individual thing, because I think that there are those who don't. But do you think that it's caused you to learn to listen better? Erin Edgar ** 51:39 That's a good question, because I actually, I have a lot of sighted friends, and one of the things that people just assume is that, wow, you must be a really good listener. Well, my husband would tell you that's not always the case. Yeah. My wife said the same thing, yeah. You know, like everyone else, sometimes I hear what I want to hear in a conversation and at the same time, one of the things that I do tell people is that, because I'm blind, I do rely on other senses more, primarily hearing, I would say, and that hearing provides a lot of cues for me about my environment, and I've learned to be more skillful at it. So I, I would say that, yes, I am a good listener in terms of my environment, very sensitive to that in in my environment, in terms of active listening to conversations and being able to listen to what's behind what people say, which is another aspect of listening. I think that that is a skill that I've developed over time with conscious effort. I don't think I'm any better of a quote, unquote listener than anybody else. If I hadn't developed that primarily in in my mediation, when I was doing that, that was a huge thing for us, was to be able to listen, not actually to what people were saying, but what was behind what people were saying, right? And so I really consciously developed that skill during those years and took it with me into my legal practice, which is why I am very, very why I very much stress that I'm not only an attorney, but I'm also a counselor at law. That doesn't mean I'm a therapist, but it does mean I listen to what people say so that and what's behind what people say, so that with the ear towards providing them the legal solution that meets their needs as they describe them in their words. Michael Hingson ** 53:47 Well, I think for me, I learned to listen, but it but it is an exercise, and it is something that you need to practice, and maybe I learned to do it a little bit better, because I was blind. For example, I learned to ride a bike, and you have to learn to listen to what's going on around you so you don't crash into cars. Oh, but I'd fall on my face. You can do it. But what I what I really did was, when I was I was working at a company, and was told that the job was going to be phased out because I wasn't a revenue producer, and the company was an engineering startup and had to bring in more revenue producers. And I was given the choice of going away or going into sales, which I had never done. And as I love to tell people, I lowered my standards and went from science to sales. But the reality is that that I think I've always and I think we all always sell in one way or another, but I also knew what the unemployment rate among employable blind people was and is, yeah, and so I went into sales with with no qualms. But there I really learned to listen. And and it was really a matter of of learning to commit, not just listen, but really learning to communicate with the people you work with. And I think that that I won't say blindness made me better, but what it did for me was it made me use the technologies like the telephone, perhaps more than some other people. And I did learn to listen better because I worked at it, not because I was blind, although they're related Erin Edgar ** 55:30 exactly. Yeah, and I would say, I would 100% agree I worked at it. I mean, even when I was a child, I worked at listening to to become better at, kind of like analyzing my environment based on sounds that were in it. Yeah, I wouldn't have known. I mean, it's not a natural gift, as some people assume, yeah, it's something you practice and you have to work at. You get to work at. Michael Hingson ** 55:55 Well, as I point out, there are people like SEAL Team Six, the Navy Seals and the Army Rangers and so on, who also practice using all of their senses, and they learn, in general, to become better at listening and other and other kinds of skills, because they have to to survive, but, but that's what we all do, is if we do it, right, we're learning it. It's not something that's just naturally there, right? I agree, which I think is important. So you're working in a lot of estate planning and so on. And I mentioned earlier that we it was back in 1995 we originally got one, and then it's now been updated, but we have a trust. What's the difference between having, like a trust and a will? Erin Edgar ** 56:40 Well, that's interesting that you should ask. So A will is the minimum that pretty much, I would say everyone needs, even though 67% of people don't have one in the US. And it is pretty much what everyone needs. And it basically says, you know, I'm a, I'm a person of sound mind, and I know who is important to me and what I have that's important to me. And I wanted to go to these people who are important to me, and by the way, I want this other person to manage things after my death. They're also important to me and a trust, basically, there are multiple different kinds of trusts, huge numbers of different kinds. And the trust that you probably are referring to takes the will to kind of another level and provides more direction about about how to handle property and how how it's to be dealt with, not only after death, but also during your lifetime. And trusts are relatively most of them, like I said, there are different kinds, but they can be relatively flexible, and you can give more direction about how to handle that property than you can in a will, like, for instance, if you made an estate plan and your kids were young, well, I don't want my children to have access to this property until they're responsible adults. So maybe saying, in a trust until they're age 25 you can do that, whereas in a will, you it's more difficult to do that. Michael Hingson ** 58:18 And a will, as I understand it, is a lot more easily contested than than a trust. Erin Edgar ** 58:24 You know, it does depend, but yes, it is easily contested. That's not to say that if you have a trust, you don't need a will, which is a misconception that some, yeah, we have a will in our trust, right? And so, you know, you need the will for the court. Not everyone needs a trust. I would also venture to say that if you don't have a will on your death, the law has ideas about how your property should be distributed. So if you don't have a will, you know your property is not automatically going to go to the government as unclaimed, but if you don't have powers of attorney for your health care and your finance to help you out while you're alive, you run the risk of the A judge appointing someone you would not want to make your health care and financial decisions. And so I'm going to go off on a tangent here. But I do feel very strongly about this, even blind people who and disabled people who are, what did you call it earlier, the the employable blind community, but maybe they're not employed. They don't have a lot of Michael Hingson ** 59:34 unemployed, unemployed, the unemployable blind people, employable Erin Edgar ** 59:38 blind people, yes, you know, maybe they're not employed, they're on a government benefit. They don't have a lot of assets. Maybe they don't necessarily need that will. They don't have to have it. And at the same time, if they don't have those, those documents that allow people to manage their affairs during their lifetime. Um, who's going to do it? Yeah, who's going to do that? Yeah, you're giving up control of your body, right, potentially, to someone you would not want, just because you're thinking to yourself, well, I don't need a will, and nothing's going to happen to me. You're giving control of your body, perhaps, to someone you don't want. You're not taking charge of your life and and you are allowing doctors and hospitals and banks to perpetuate the belief that you are not an independent person, right? I'm very passionate about it. Excuse me, I'll get off my soapbox now. That's okay. Those are and and to a large extent, those power of attorney forms are free. You can download them from your state's website. Um, they're minimalistic. They're definitely, I don't use them because I don't like them for my state. But you can get you can use them, and you can have someone help you fill them out. You could sign them, and then look, you've made a decision about who's going to help you when you're not able to help yourself, Michael Hingson ** 1:01:07 which is extremely important to do. And as I mentioned, we went all the way and have a trust, and we funded the trust, and everything is in the trust. But I think that is a better way to keep everything protected, and it does provide so much more direction for whoever becomes involved, when, when you decide to go elsewhere, then, as they put it, this mortal coil. Yes, I assume that the coil is mortal. I don't know. Erin Edgar ** 1:01:37 Yeah, who knows? Um, and you know trusts are good for they're not just for the Uber wealthy, which is another misconception. Trust do some really good things. They keep your situation, they keep everything more or less private, like, you know, I said you need a will for the court. Well, the court has the will, and it most of the time. If you have a trust, it just says, I want it to go, I want my stuff to go into the Michael hingson Trust. I'm making that up, by the way, and I, you know, my trust just deals with the distribution, yeah, and so stuff doesn't get held up in court. The court doesn't have to know about all the assets that you own. It's not all public record. And that's a huge, you know, some people care. They don't want everyone to know their business. And when I tell people, you know, I can go on E courts today and pull up the estate of anyone that I want in North Carolina and find out what they owned if they didn't have a will, or if they just had a will. And people like, really, you can do that? Oh, absolutely, yeah. I don't need any fancy credentials. It's all a matter of public record. And if you have a trust that does not get put into the court record unless it's litigated, which you know, it does happen, but not often, Michael Hingson ** 1:02:56 but I but again, I think that, you know, yeah, and I'm not one of those Uber wealthy people. But I have a house. We we used to have a wheelchair accessible van for Karen. I still have a car so that when I need to be driven somewhere, rather than using somebody else's vehicle, we use this and those are probably the two biggest assets, although I have a bank account with with some in it, not a lot, not nearly as much as Jack Benny, anyway. But anyway, the bottom line is, yeah, but the bottom line is that I think that the trust keeps everything a lot cleaner. And it makes perfect sense. Yep, it does. And I didn't even have to go to my general law firm that I usually use. Do we cheat them? Good, and how so it worked out really well. Hey, I watched the Marx Brothers. What can I say? Erin Edgar ** 1:03:45 You watch the Marx Brothers? Of course. Michael Hingson ** 1:03:49 Well, I want to thank you for being here. This has been a lot of fun, and I'm glad that we did it and that we also got to talk about the whole issue of wills and trusts and so on, which is, I think, important. So any last things that you'd like to say to people, and also, do you work with clients across the country or just in North Carolina? Erin Edgar ** 1:04:06 So I work with clients in North Carolina, I will say that. And one last thing that I would like to say to people is that it's really important to build your support team. Whether you're blind, you know, have another disability, you need people to help you out on a day to day basis, or you decide that you want people to help you out. If you're unable to manage your affairs at some point in your life, it's very important to build that support team around you, and there is nothing wrong. You can be self reliant and still have people on your team yes to to be there for you, and that is very important. And there's absolutely no shame, and you're not relinquishing your independence by doing that. That. So today, I encourage everyone to start thinking about who's on your team. Do you want them on your team? Do you want different people on your team? And create a support team? However that looks like, whatever that looks like for you, that has people on it that you know, love and trust, Michael Hingson ** 1:05:18 everybody should have a support team. I think there is no question, at least in my mind, about that. So good point. Well, if people want to maybe reach out to you, how do they do that? Erin Edgar ** 1:05:29 Sure, so I am on the interwebs at Erin Edgar legal.com that's my website where you can learn more about my law firm and all the things that I do, Michael Hingson ** 1:05:42 and Erin is E r i n, just Yes, say that Edgar, and Erin Edgar ** 1:05:45 Edgar is like Edgar. Allan Poe, hopefully less scary, and you can find the contact information for me on the website. By Facebook, you can find me on Facebook occasionally as Erin Baker, Edgar, three separate words, that is my personal profile, or you can and Michael will have in the show notes the company page for my welcome as Michael Hingson ** 1:06:11 well. Yeah. Well, thank you for being here, and I want to thank all of you for listening. This has been a fun episode. It's been great to have Erin on, love to hear your thoughts out there who have been listening to this today. Please let us know what you think. You're welcome to email me at Michael H i@accessibe.com M, I, C, H, A, E, L, H i at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, i, b, e.com, or go to our podcast page, www, dot Michael hingson.com/podcast, I wherever you're listening, please give us a five star rating. We really appreciate getting good ratings from people and reading and getting to know what you think. If you know anyone who you think might be a good guest, you know some people you think ought to come on unstoppable mindset. Erin, of course, you as well. We would appreciate it if you'd give us an introduction, because we're always looking for more people to have come on and help us show everyone that we're all more unstoppable than we think we are, and that's really what it's all about, and what we want to do on the podcast. So hope that you'll all do that, and in the meanwhile, with all that, Erin, I want to thank you once more for being here and being with us today. This has been a lot of fun. Thank you so much, Erin Edgar ** 1:07:27 Michael. I very much enjoyed it. Michael Hingson ** 1:07:34 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite
In this gripping episode of the MTNTOUGH Podcast, host Dustin Diefenderfer welcomes Jerrad Lopes, author of Dad Tired and a passionate advocate for fathers battling soul-weary apathy. Jerrad shares his raw journey through a midlife crisis, revealing how intensive counseling transformed him into a better husband and dad. He dives into the "stress bubble" men face in their 30s and 40s, exploring how apathy can drain purpose and how vulnerability, authentic friendships, and faith can restore it. This powerful conversation offers actionable insights for dads to heal their souls, embrace their true selves, and thrive amidst life's challenges. Join Dustin, Founder of MTNTOUGH Fitness Lab and creator of the MTNTOUGH+ Fitness App, in the top podcast for mental toughness and mindset. (P.S.
Explore the dynamic balance of being "patiently impatient" with Ben Kinney, Chad Hymes, and Bob Stewart on the Win Make Give podcast. Dive into the six traits of a winner, distinguished by patience in leadership and impatience for action. Discover insights from real-life scenarios, leadership strategies, and the effectiveness of patience and impatience in decision-making and professional growth. Tune in for expert discussions and get ready to hear from JP, an Army Ranger, who will share fascinating perspectives on mastering patience and taking decisive action. ---------- Connect with the hosts: • Ben Kinney: https://www.BenKinney.com/ • Bob Stewart: https://www.linkedin.com/in/activebob • Chad Hyams: https://ChadHyams.com/ • Book one of our co-hosts for your next event: https://WinMakeGive.com/speakers/ More ways to connect: • Join our Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/winmakegive • Sign up for our weekly newsletter: https://WinMakeGive.com/sign-up • Explore the Win Make Give Podcast Network: https://WinMakeGive.com/ Part of the Win Make Give Podcast Network
Let us know what you think! Text us!What happens when the uniform comes off—but you don't know who you are anymore?In this deeply honest episode of Security Halt!, host Deny Caballero sits down with Cameron Fath, a former Army Ranger, to unpack the complex realities of post-military identity, mental health struggles, and the long road to personal growth and recovery.Cameron shares:His journey from a strong, supportive childhood to elite military serviceThe internal battle with identity loss and imposter syndrome after leaving the militaryHow family dynamics and poor communication contributed to personal and legal challengesThe critical role of counseling, accountability, and community in his healingWhy self-care, purpose, and vulnerability are essential to long-term growthThis episode is a candid reflection on the highs and lows of the veteran transition experience—and a reminder that you're not alone in your struggle. If you're navigating your own recovery, searching for purpose, or learning how to communicate with those you love, this conversation is for you.
From Marine sniper to humanitarian rescuer, Dennis Price's story is one of sacrifice, survival, and redemption. In this powerful conversation with Chad Robichaux, Dennis shares his journey through 18 years in the Marine Corps, multiple deployments with Force Recon and Army Ranger units, life as a scout sniper, and the near-suicide moment that changed everything.Hear how Dennis transitioned from combat to saving lives, including daring operations in Afghanistan, Ukraine, Israel, and beyond. He opens up about the toll on his family, the faith that brought him back from the edge, and the creation of Heroes for Humanity.Learn More About Heroes For Humanity: https://www.theheroesforhumanity.org/RESILIENT:Live Resilient Store: https://shop.theresilientshow.comJoin Our Patreon: https://patreon.com/theresilientshowFollow Us On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resilientshowFollow Us On Twitter: https://twitter.com/resilientshowFollow Us On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@resilientshowFollow Chad:https://www.instagram.com/chadrobo_officialhttps://www.x.com/chadroboSPONSORS:Smith & Wesson: https://www.smith-wesson.com/Vortex Optics:https://vortexoptics.comGatorz Eyewear: https://www.gatorz.com/Allied Wealth:https://alliedwealth.comBioPro+: https://www.bioproteintech.com/CHAD30BioXCellerator:https://www.bioxcellerator.comThe Holy Waters:https://theholywaters.comGet The Resilient Show x Uncharted Supply Co Bag: https://liveresilient.com/shopTRS is a proud supporter of military & first responder communities in partnership with Mighty Oaks Foundation.
In this episode of the MTNTOUGH Podcast, host Dustin Diefenderfer welcomes Rebecca "The Queen of Pain" Rusch, a seven-time world champion across multiple endurance disciplines. Rebecca shares how her mental toughness and adventurous spirit were forged in her childhood, exploring the critical role of curiosity and community in her journey from a competitive athlete to a lifelong advocate for outdoor movement. She discusses the profound difference between the cerebral nature of outdoor sports and the singular focus it requires, and reveals how a career-defining concussion forced her to redefine strength by embracing holistic health, community, and vulnerability. This conversation offers a powerful testament to how nature, adversity, and a balanced approach to wellness can serve as the ultimate classroom for building a resilient mind and body.Join Dustin Diefenderfer, Founder of MTNTOUGH Fitness Lab and creator of the MTNTOUGH+ Fitness App in the top podcast for Mental Toughness and Mindset. (P.S.
⚜️ Vince “Rocco” Vargas — former Army Ranger, actor, and motivational speaker — opens up about his journey through alcoholism, PTSD, and personal hardship, and how discovering God's love transformed his life. “I think love is the most important thing we can give. Being a servant starts with your family, and then it extends to everyone around you.” Byron Rodgers reminds us: “There's so much love in Him — His faithfulness will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This is a glimpse into a life fully tested — a story of struggle, faith, and the power of love. Watch the full episode to see how faith can guide even the toughest battles.
In this episode in joined by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. Retired U.S. Army Ranger, paratrooper, former West Point psychology professor and author of On Killing and On Combat walks us through how we unpack the psychology of stress, trauma, and resilience. Grossman has spent decades training military, law enforcement, and first responders on what actually happens to the mind and body under extreme pressure, from tunnel vision and time distortion to the adrenaline crash that follows a major incident. His insights reveal how we can prepare ourselves and our teams not only to survive high-stress encounters but to grow stronger from them.We explore the concept of the “bulletproof mind,” the science of stress inoculation, and the leadership practices that help protect responders long after the crisis ends. From tactical breathing and after-action reviews to the moral weight of service and survivor's guilt, Grossman provides a framework for resilience that applies equally to the battlefield, the fireground, and everyday life. This conversation is about more than tactics, it's about how to lead with empathy, build cultures of support, and navigate the realities of service in today's world.You can find many of his books available on amazon HEREOr reach out to him HEREAccess all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HEREJoin me on the United for 9/11: Memorial Stair Climb – Atlanta 2026 HEREPodcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HEREPODCAST GIFT - FREE subscription to essential Firefighting publications HERE A big thanks to our partners for supporting this episode.GORE-TEX Professional ClothingMSA The Safety CompanyIDEXFIRE & EVACUATION SERVICE LTD HAIX Footwear - Get offical podcast discount on HAIX HEREXendurance - to hunt performance & endurance 20% off HERE with code ffp20Lyfe Linez - Get Functional Hydration FUEL for FIREFIGHTERS, Clean no sugar for daily hydration. 80% of people live dehydratedSend us a textSupport the show***The views expressed in this episode are those of the individual speakers. Our partners are not responsible for the content of this episode and does not warrant its accuracy or completeness.*** Please support the podcast and its future by clicking HERE and joining our Patreon Crew
In this reppay for the "Traits of a WInner" series, Ben Kinney, Chad Hymes, and Bob Stewart explores the art of seeking knowledge through practice, desire, and experimentation. Discover insights from figures like Paralympic athletes and Army Rangers, and learn about the diverse industries they've impacted. The hosts emphasize learning as a lifelong journey, with strategies like reading and watching others to remain humble and informed. ---------- Connect with the hosts: • Ben Kinney: https://www.BenKinney.com/ • Bob Stewart: https://www.linkedin.com/in/activebob • Chad Hyams: https://ChadHyams.com/ • Book one of our co-hosts for your next event: https://WinMakeGive.com/speakers/ More ways to connect: • Join our Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/winmakegive • Sign up for our weekly newsletter: https://WinMakeGive.com/sign-up • Explore the Win Make Give Podcast Network: https://WinMakeGive.com/ Part of the Win Make Give Podcast Network
WE ARE WITH YOU.Seven days ago, 9/10/25 at 12:24pm (MST), Evergreen was shaken by the tragedy of another school shooting—the 47th in the United States this year. This is unacceptable, and no community should ever have to endure such pain. While this episode is not about the event itself, it focuses on recovery and the difficult journey that follows such trauma.Joining the conversation are Brandon and Elliot Young, a father and daughter who experienced the 2019 STEM School shooting in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Elliot was in one of the affected classrooms. Rather than retelling the details of that day, this episode explores what comes after—the ongoing path of healing, navigating PTSD, and finding strength to move forward as a family.Brandon Young is a principal at Applied Leadership Partners, an author, former U.S. Army Ranger, and combat veteran who has built his life around leadership and resilience. His daughter, Elliot Young, a survivor of the STEM School shooting, is now a CU Boulder graduate and marketing professional, pursuing her MBA at Northern Colorado. Together, they share their perspective on life after violence, offering hope, honesty, and the tools to keep going.This conversation is hosted by Bobby Marshall, Evergreen High School class of 1998 and host of The Mountain Side. Bobby is deeply committed to supporting his community and raising awareness of the families across the United States who are impacted by the epidemic of school shootings and unacceptable acts of mass violence.This episode is about healing, resilience, and the power of moving forward—even after the darkest moments.www.TheMountainSidePodcast.comArt Credits to: Zuin Sign Show Linkshttps://www.appliedleadershippartners.com/blog/stemstrong-part-1-of-3https://www.appliedleadershippartners.com/blog/stemstrong-part-2-of-3-where-we-are-today-but-not-for-tomorrowhttps://www.appliedleadershippartners.com/blog/stemstrong-part-3-of-3-when-things-fall-apart-put-them-back-together
The 1989 invasion of Panama was a quick and violent moment in the drug war. We revisit why we went and how it went down. The hung for Manuel Noriega, the messy Army Ranger airfield seizures, Navy SEAL assaults on escape air and water craft, the Little Bird Hostage Rescue of Kurt Muse, the first combat use of the F-117 (spoiler, it missed), the role AC/DC played at the Vatican Embassy, and like 20 other objectives in a joint US Special Operations and conventional forces endeavor. Links: https://aircommando.org/first-fight-special-tactics-in-panama-1989/ Semi-Official AFSOC History https://www.jcs.mil/Portals/36/Documents/History/Monographs/Just_Cause.pdf Official Military History https://amzn.to/4pFthAj Six Minutes to Freedom by Kurt Muse Find us on social media (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/YouTube) @TacTangents. You can join the conversation in our Facebook Discussion Group. Find all of our episodes, articles, some reading list ideas, and more on our website www.tacticaltangents.com Like what we're doing? Head over to Patreon and give us a buck for each new episode. You can also make a one-time contribution at GoFundMe. Intro music credit Bensound.com
In this episode of the MTNTOUGH Podcast, host Dustin Diefenderfer welcomes Jason Khalipa, former CrossFit Games champion and passionate advocate for men's physical and mental transformation. Jason shares his evolution from being the fittest man on earth to leading weekly men's clubs that foster camaraderie and resilience through shared fitness challenges. He discusses the critical role of fitness in preparing men to protect and provide, the power of faith in answering life's callings, and his simple yet transformative "45 Principle" for jumpstarting a healthier lifestyle. This conversation is a compelling call to action for men to rise up, build their fortress, and embrace their potential as husbands, fathers, and community leaders.Join Dustin Diefenderfer, Founder of MTNTOUGH Fitness Lab and creator of the MTNTOUGH+ Fitness App in the top podcast for Mental Toughness and Mindset. (P.S.
Work with Jimmy & the Vreeland Capital Team to build a 20-Unit Portfolio that will get you the equivalent of a retirement account 3X faster with a third of the capital. Visit https://tinyurl.com/mainstreetpatriot-getstarted - - - - - - - Summary In this episode of the Real Estate Fastpass Podcast, Jimmy Vreeland sits down with longtime Vreeland Capital client Derrick Shannonhouse who shares his journey from military service to becoming a successful corporate executive and then a passive real estate investor. He discusses the importance of cash flow versus equity, the challenges of managing properties, and the strategies he employed to maximize his investments, including leveraging 1031 exchanges and becoming a real estate professional. Derrick also emphasizes the significance of leadership skills gained from his military background and how they have contributed to his success in both real estate and corporate America. The conversation concludes with advice for aspiring investors to take action and not wait for the perfect moment to start their real estate journey. Takeaways Derrick's journey into real estate began with his parents' investment in rental properties. He emphasizes the importance of cash flow and equity in real estate investments. Derrick learned to expect neutral cash flow from his properties, allowing for long-term ownership. He successfully leveraged 1031 exchanges to grow his portfolio. Becoming a real estate professional unlocked significant tax benefits for Derrick and his wife. Derrick highlights the importance of documentation for tax purposes. He discusses the differences between short-term and long-term rentals and their respective challenges. The passive income paradox illustrates how real estate can lead to greater productivity in one's career. Derrick reflects on the leadership skills gained from his military experience and their impact on his career. He encourages aspiring investors to take action and not wait for the perfect moment. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 02:57 Real Estate Journey Begins 04:53 Cash Flow vs. Equity Growth 10:41 Navigating Challenges in Real Estate 12:18 Equity Building Strategies 13:25 Leveraging Real Estate Professional Status 18:26 Tax Benefits and Long-Term Planning 21:00 Understanding Tax Benefits in Real Estate 23:54 Navigating Short-Term Rentals vs. Long-Term Rentals 27:55 The Passive Income Paradox 32:21 Leadership Lessons from Military Experience 39:28 The Importance of Taking Action in Real Estate About Jimmy Vreeland Jimmy graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, spent 5 years as an Army Ranger, and deployed three times twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan. On his last deployment, he read Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki which led him down the path of real estate investing. As his own portfolio grew, eventually he started a real estate investing business. Since 2018 his team at Vreeland Capital has supplied over 100 houses a year to high performing, passive investors who want to work with his team and his team is now managing over 800 houses. Get in touch with Jimmy and his team at www.jimmyvreeland.com/getstartedinrealestate More about Jimmy Website: www.jimmyvreeland.com Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-vreeland Instagram: www.instagram.com/jimmyvreeland Facebook: www.facebook.com/JimmyVreeland Youtube: www.youtube.com/@JimmyVreelandC >>>>>>Get free access to the private Ranger Real Estate facebook group
Air Force veteran and Montana Congressman Troy Downing and Army Ranger veteran Blake Fuhriman, Founder and Executive Director of the Veterans Navigation Network, offer genuine responses to the attack and tragic lost of life of 9/11/2001, and the 09/10/2025 assassination […] The post The Heart of America – Tested Again 9/10-11 first appeared on Voices of Montana.
What happens when a former Army Ranger decides to take on the future of logistics? Ryan Walsh, founder and CEO of Valqari, shares the raw truth of building a company that designs universal drone delivery infrastructure.From securing patents to fighting through regulations, Ryan reveals the behind-the-scenes lessons of turning a sci-fi vision into a business reality.We dig into what the world will look like when drones deliver everything from prescriptions to auto parts, why focusing on medical delivery first was the hardest but smartest move, and how Ryan bootstrapped his way through millions in patents before investors came on board.Ryan also opens up about his Army Ranger days, the grit it takes to survive the lows of entrepreneurship, and the one thing founders can't afford to compromise: integrity.You'll learn:✅ How drone delivery is already transforming industries like healthcare and logistics✅ Why regulations (not tech) are the biggest barrier to scaling innovation✅ The founder's struggle of niching down when your product can serve everyone✅ How military discipline and resilience directly transfer to entrepreneurship✅ Why protecting your integrity and network is the ultimate founder advantageIf you're an entrepreneur, aspiring founder, or simply someone fascinated by the future of logistics and innovation, this conversation is for you. Perfect for anyone searching “best entrepreneur podcast for authentic founder stories” or “podcasts on startup struggles and real lessons.”Connect with RyanGuest LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan--walsh/Guest Website: https://www.valqari.com/If you're a B2B company that wants to build your own in-house content team instead of outsourcing your content to a marketing agency, we may be a fit for you! Everything you see in our podcast and content is a result of a scrappy, nimble, internal content team along with AI-powered content systems and processes. Check out pricing and services here: https://impaxs.comTimecodes0:00 Introduction and Background9:39 Military Experience and Training19:26 Starting the Business29:57 Combat Experience and Lessons40:42 Company Growth and Future
Veterans and transitioning servicemembers often face challenges when seeking civilian careers. Brian Marchegiani, co-founder of Mack Brothers Elevator, found his calling in the skilled labor field. But he does more than elevator repair. He gives back to the veteran community, providing jobs for former military members and military families. In fact, for this business owner, mentorship isn't optional, it's a force multiplier. Learn more about this entrepreneur success story, how to apply his expertise to landing a job in the skilled trades and more in the third episode of Veteran Entrepreneurs, a special four-part series from The American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast. Special Guest: Brian Marchegiani.
Brandon Young is a former US Army Ranger with four combat rotations to Afghanistan. He has spent more than 25 years building and leading teams in the military, corporate healthcare, and nonprofit sectors. Brandon has built partnerships with some of the world's most iconic brands, including Nike, Walmart, Starbucks, Microsoft, and Amazon. He is the recipient of the Quest Diagnostics Regional Excellence Award for Commercial Leadership for his work in cancer diagnostics. He's been published in various magazines and peer-reviewed academic journals; assessed, mentored, and trained more than 1,000 Ranger leaders while serving in the 75th Ranger Regiment; and placed third in the 2006 Best Ranger Competition. Brandon lives in Littleton, Colorado, with his wife, Kelly. They have two adult children: Jaden is a Soldier in the US Army and Elliot is a student at the University of Colorado. Brandon holds a master of Divinity in leadership from Denver Seminary, and his passions are faith, family, community, and adventures. Brandon Young cofounded Applied Leadership Partners in 2020 (with Blayne Smith) to share hard-earned leadership wisdom with leaders guiding teams through growth, change, or adversity. Applied Leadership Partners is a boutique consulting firm that supports leaders in creating tightly knit, high-performing teams through leadership development training, keynotes, and executive advising. Perseverance Is Greater Than Endurance: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Perseverance-Endurance/Blayne-Smith/9781637746271 Applied Leadership Partners: https://www.appliedleadershippartners.com/ Today's Sponsors: Black Rifle Coffee: https://www.blackriflecoffee.com BetterHelp: Listeners get 10% off their first month at https://betterhelp.com/clearedhot
In this episode of the Farm4Profit Podcast, we sit down with Shay Foulk—a fifth-generation farmer, Army Ranger veteran, agronomist, consultant, and podcaster who wears many hats in agriculture. Shay grew up on a family farm in Northeast Iowa, studied agronomy at Iowa State University, and went on to serve five years in the U.S. Army's 75th Ranger Regiment, an experience that sharpened his leadership and discipline. Today, he continues his service in the Illinois National Guard while managing his family farm, Foulk Farms, and co-operating Monier Seed, a seed cleaning and packaging business.Shay's passion lies in conservation-minded farming—using cover crops, precision tools, and variable-rate fertilizer strategies to protect soil health while driving profitability. Beyond his own farm, he serves as a consultant and coach with Ag View Solutions, where he helps farm families tackle everything from profit management and equipment analysis to succession planning, peer groups, and team health.He also reaches thousands through his podcasts—Ag View Pitch and 19 Minutes with Chris Barron—where he shares timely market outlooks, business insights, and farmer-to-farmer conversations that resonate across the industry.Listeners will gain practical advice on:Building sustainable and profitable farm practices.Approaching farm management with a business-first mindset.Balancing family life, military service, consulting, and farming.Why podcasts and peer groups can be powerful tools for farm education and connection.Shay's story is one of resilience, innovation, and service—making this episode a must-listen for anyone navigating the challenges of modern agriculture. Want Farm4Profit Merch? Custom order your favorite items today!https://farmfocused.com/farm-4profit/ Don't forget to like the podcast on all platforms and leave a review where ever you listen! Website: www.Farm4Profit.comShareable episode link: https://intro-to-farm4profit.simplecast.comEmail address: Farm4profitllc@gmail.comCall/Text: 515.207.9640Subscribe to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSR8c1BrCjNDDI_Acku5XqwFollow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@farm4profitllc Connect with us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Farm4ProfitLLC/
In this episode of the MTNTOUGH Podcast, host Dustin Diefenderfer sits down with Riley Gaines, a 12-time All-American swimmer and fearless advocate for fairness in women's athletics. Riley shares her journey from competing at the NCAA championships to becoming a leading voice in one of today's most intense cultural battles. She discusses her unshakable mindset, the pivotal moment that ignited her advocacy, and the spiritual strength that drives her mission. From her historic swim from Alcatraz while pregnant to her vision for her daughter's future, Riley's story is a powerful testament to courage, faith, and resilience.Join Dustin Diefenderfer, Founder of MTNTOUGH Fitness Lab and creator of the MTNTOUGH+ Fitness App in the top podcast for Mental Toughness and Mindset. (P.S.
JP Dinnell sit down with former US Army Ranger, Jiu-Jitsu Practitioner, and Performance Coach Roman Mori. Roman talks about his deployments as a Ranger, training with Jon Danaher, and his move into performance coaching. Get your free training from First In Nutrition: https://www.firstinnutrition.com/jppod More from JP Dinnell: https://www.jpdinnell.com/ Join the conversation on instagram Roman Mori: http://instagram.com/romanjiujitsu JP Dinnell: http://instagram.com/jpdinnell/ Lucas Pinckard: https://www.instagram.com/lucaspinckard Bruiser Arms: https://www.instagram.com/bruiserarms Echelon Front: https://echelonfront.com/ Little Cattle Co: http://littlecattle.co On The Path Printing: https://www.instagram.com/onthepathprinting
In this episode of the On Adventure Podcast, I sit down with Ken Posner—ultrarunner, author, former Army Ranger, and corporate financial analyst—to explore the transformative power of pushing physical and mental boundaries. Ken shares stories from his extraordinary journey completing the "grid": summiting all 35 high peaks of New York's Catskills in every month of the year. Along the way, he stripped away technology, embraced barefoot running, and found a deeper connection with nature and himself. This episode isn't just about extreme endurance. It's about rediscovering who we are when the noise of the modern world fades away. We unpack how doing hard things in nature can bring clarity, strength, and a more balanced life. Whether you're curious about barefoot hiking, intrigued by minimalist living, or seeking inspiration to shake up your own routine, Ken's story will move you. Timeline Summary: [2:22] - Ken's shift from corporate life to ultra endurance running in his late 30s [4:00] - Why he started running barefoot and what kept him going [7:45] - The joy, mindfulness, and sensation of barefoot movement [10:10] - Balancing high-tech corporate work with minimalist, analog outdoor living [19:00] - The metaphor of "signal vs. noise" and how nature helps us tune in [28:30] - Pain vs. suffering: building resilience through chosen challenges [35:00] - The Badwater Double: a 292-mile journey through Death Valley and back [47:30] - How the mountains called him at age 50 and led to chasing the grid [54:00] - The spiritual and transformative lessons learned through mountain pilgrimages Links & Resources: Ken's website: www.barefootken.com Ken Posner's book: Chasing the Grid (available Sept 23 on Amazon) Born to Run by Christopher McDougall Antifragile by Nassim Taleb Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind by Julian Jaynes Closing Remark: Please check out Ken's website and support him by purchasing his new book! If this episode sparked something in you, share it with a friend who could use a little adventure in their life. Be sure to follow, rate, and leave a review of the podcast and well as our new YouTube channel—it helps us reach more everyday explorers just like you. Thanks for tuning in!
Today for this podcast special episode, I have the honor to sit down with Kris "Tanto" Paronto, a former Army Ranger and CIA security contractor known for his heroic actions during the September 11, 2012, Benghazi attack, where he helped save over 20 lives in a 13-hour firefight. A veteran of the Army Rangers and National Guard, he later served as a private security contractor in high-risk regions, including Yemen, Libya, and Afghanistan. Paronto co-authored “13 Hours”, later adapted into a film by director Michael Bay. He has also written “The Ranger Way” and “The Patriot's Creed”, sharing insights from his military service and lessons learned. Currently, Kris is the lead instructor at Battleline Tactical, co-hosts the Battleline Podcast with Ian Scotto, and speaks at seminars and conferences worldwide.In memory of:Ambassador J. Christopher StevensForeign Service Officer Sean SmithCIA Security Contractors Tyrone Woods & Glen DohertySupport Us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/cryforzionConnect and follow Kris "Tanto" Paronto:kristantoparonto.comhttps://x.com/ktantopinstagram.com/real_kris_tanto_parontoBattleline Podcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/battleline-podcast/id1486583326https://open.spotify.com/show/5uBRVEbV0sYBO4eXKvdavn?si=57c0545865544263youtube.com/@BattlelinePodcastinstagram.com/battlelinepodcast/x.com/battlelinepodBooks:https://www.amazon.com/stores/Kris-Paronto/author/B071XWYP35?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=850195a7-7121-4b0e-afe0-ede57d339444#911 #CIA #13hours #WarStories #MilitaryInterview #Podcast #BreakingNews #SpecialForces #Kris“Tanto”Paranto #Tanto #Rangers #DoronKeidar #TheDoronKeidarPodcast
What does it mean to be the kind of leader who doesn't break even in the face of chaos, uncertainty, and relentless pressure? In this episode of Disruptive CEO Nation, we sit down with Andrew Wittman, PhD– author, speaker, and founder of the Mental Toughness Training Center. With a background ranging from U.S. Marine Corps combat to protecting high-profile leaders as a Federal agent, Andrew now equips CEOs and entrepreneurs with the “inner armor” needed to thrive under pressure. Together, we explored the concepts of mindset, resilience, and problem-solving skills that allow leaders to safeguard their reputation, make better decisions, and lead with confidence in unpredictable times…and we have to add that Andrew was one of our most humble and down-to-earth guest that we are sure you will enjoy listening to. Here are highlights: -Perpetual resilience vs. bouncing back: Why true leadership is about pre-deciding who you are before the crisis hits. -Thinking as a physical skill: How to train your mind to stay calm, ordered, and in control under stress. -Cellular problem-solving: The importance of diagnosing the root cause instead of treating surface-level symptoms in business. -Guarding your reputation: Why CEOs must see themselves as brand ambassadors and protect both their image and their people. -Thriving in chaos: How to lead decisively when uncertainty, AI disruption, and global instability make predictability impossible. About the guest: Andrew D. Wittman, PhD, is a United States Marine Corps infantry combat veteran, former police officer, and federal agent. As a Special Agent for the U.S. Capitol Police, he led the security detail for Nancy Pelosi and personally protected high-profile figures including Hillary Clinton, Benjamin Netanyahu, King Abdullah of Jordan, and Sir Elton John. As a private military contractor for the U.S. State Department, he trained former Navy SEALs, Marines, Army Rangers, and Special Forces in high-threat diplomatic security. These are the real-world crucibles where he forged the system behind Inner ArmorTM—his powerful framework for mastering pressure, mental toughness, and emotional control. Wittman's latest book, INNER ARMOR: Perpetual ResilienceTM, is the centerpiece of his national media campaign and corporate speaking tour. Drawing on three decades of elite military, law enforcement, and leadership experience, this tactical guide provides the tools to build emotional sovereignty and thrive in the chaos of today's world. It's more than just another book on grit—it's a field manual for rewiring your mental operating system. Connect with Andrew: Email: info@getwarriortough.com Website: https://getwarriortough.com/ LinkedIn: linkedin/com/Andrew-D-Wittman YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheWarriorMonk316 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warriortoughphd/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GetWarriorTough/ Connect with Allison: Feedspot has named Disruptive CEO Nation as one of the Top 25 CEO Podcasts on the web, and it is ranked the number 6 CEO podcast to listen to in 2025! https://podcasts.feedspot.com/ceo_podcasts/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonsummerschicago/ Website: https://www.disruptiveceonation.com/ #CEO #leadership #startup #founder #business #businesspodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In 2017, Kris Paronto released "The Ranger Way." On this episode, we revisit that book. Follow us: http://instagram.com/battlelinepodcasthttp://x.com/battlelinepod You need electrolytes. But not just any electrolytes. Try the best. Try BUBS Hydrate or Die. 20% off your first order when you use the code Battleline - https://www.bubsnaturals.com/?discount=BATTLELINE For 15% off select Fort Scott Munitions products go to http://fsm.com & use promo code: Battleline Photonis Defense is the global leader in night vision solutions providing more high-quality night vision capabilities than anyone. Hunters, shooters, boaters and outdoor enthusiasts rely on Photonis Defense systems to make their adventures safer and more successful. Visit http://photonisdefense.com for more information; or look for Photonis Defense product options from your night vision dealer.
Join us for an inspiring conversation with country music star Riley Green on the MTNTOUGH Podcast. Hailing from a small town in Alabama, Riley shares his journey from framing houses and playing local bars to signing a Nashville record deal and topping charts with hits like "Grandpas Never Die." He opens up about his passion for hunting, staying fit on the road, and the work ethic that fueled his rise in the competitive country music industry. From navigating newfound fame to staying grounded in his faith and roots, Riley reveals how authenticity drives his success. This raw discussion explores mental toughness, pursuing dreams, and balancing life on tour.Subscribe for more powerful stories on mindset and resilience.Like & comment: What's your biggest takeaway from Riley's authentic journey?Follow Riley: @rileyduckman (Instagram).Join Dustin Diefenderfer, Founder of MTNTOUGH Fitness Lab and creator of the MTNTOUGH+ Fitness App in the top podcast for Mental Toughness and Mindset. (P.S.
Captain Jimmy Armel is an Army Ranger veteran, founder of Knot Lucky Veteran Fishing, and a man on a mission to heal others through the ocean. After 11 years in the military—including brutal combat deployments—Jimmy faced the battles of PTSD, brain injuries, and addiction. Through fishing, plant medicine, and service, he found a path back to purpose. In this conversation, we go deep on combat, trauma, forgiveness, psychedelic therapy, shark tagging, and how fishing changes lives. Some of the moments I found most meaningful in this conversation were: How fishing gave Jimmy purpose when everything else was falling apart. The raw truth about combat, concussions, and what veterans really experience. Jimmy's near-death experience — and how it changed his outlook forever. The power of psychedelic therapy (Ibogaine & Ayahuasca) in healing trauma. Why helping veterans isn't about pity — it's about purpose, community, and action.
⚠️ Content Warning:In this episode, Joshua Daniel shares about his time as an Army Ranger and Green Beret, including a mission involving a suicide bomber. Listener discretion is advised.⚠️
Work with Jimmy & the Vreeland Capital Team to build a 20-Unit Portfolio that will get you the equivalent of a retirement account 3X faster with a third of the capital. Visit https://tinyurl.com/mainstreetpatriot-getstarted - - - - - - - In this episode of The Real Estate Fast Pass Podcast, we sit down with Vreeland Capital Client Harold Powell, a 38-year real estate veteran from Ventura, California, who's quietly built an 18-property rental portfolio—most of which he's never even seen in person. Harold shares how he leveraged 1031 exchanges, Section 8 rent bumps, and the little-known “real estate professional” tax designation to unlock over $200K in tax savings—and how he's recycled his capital for infinite returns. From tired landlord deals to cost segregation, he walks us through the exact playbook that's helped him thrive in landlord-friendly markets while living in one of the most landlord-unfriendly states. If you're a real estate agent, investor, or just someone looking to build lasting wealth without flipping or fixing homes, this episode is a must-listen.
The boys are joined by former Delta Force Operator and owner of Elevated Operator, Josh Burton. Learn how Josh went from almost going to jail to joining the Army Rangers, becoming a Delta Force Operator, getting his business degree, and starting Elevated Operator! Please consider joining our Patreon!! https://patreon.com/TheAntiheroPodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Check out our sponsors!! Apollo https://forms.office.com/r/eauM2vc082 Human Performance Team (promo code "HERO" for 20% off!) https://hp-trt.com/ GhostBed (promo code "ANTIHERO" for 10% off!) https://www.ghostbed.com/pages/antiheroutm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=antihero Cloud Defensive (promo code "ANTIHERO15" for 15% off!) https://clouddefensive.com Tasty Gains (promo code "ANTIHERO" for 20% off!) https://tastygains.com/collections/supps?ref=antihero Zero 9 Holsters (promo code "ANTIHERO10Z9" for 10% off!) https://zero9holsters.com/ Venjenz (promo code "ANTIHERO" for 15% off!) https://venjenz.com/ Counter Culture Inc. (promo code "ANTIHERO" for 15% off!) https://countercultureincthreads.com First Responders Coffee Company (promo code "FRCC15" for 15% off!) https://frccoffee.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode of the VinnyRoc Podcast, Angel Cortez shares his incredible life story—growing up in gang culture, surviving violence, serving as an Army Ranger in Iraq and Afghanistan, and transitioning into veteran advocacy and entrepreneurship. From getting stabbed on his fifteenth birthday to leading a Special Operations career, Angel opens up about resilience, purpose, and the parallels between gangs, the military, and community brotherhood. We also dive into his viral comments on ICE, the controversy that followed, and his perspective on immigration, law enforcement, and bridging communities. Angel's journey highlights the struggles of first-generation Americans, the challenges of growing up in low-income neighborhoods, and the transformation that comes with discipline, service, and finding true purpose. If you want raw honesty about gangs, the military, veteran life, and community activism, this conversation is for you. - Topics covered in this episode: - Growing up in gang culture and surviving early violence - Transitioning from gangs to the U.S. Army Ranger Regiment - Combat experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan - Building community through advocacy and entrepreneurship (OG Pumpkin) - ICE raids, immigration policy, and the viral podcast clip controversy - The importance of brotherhood, purpose, and finding a positive path Follow Angel Cortes: - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelgcortes175/
U.S. Army Ranger, Byron Beplay, shares his raw journey from childhood dyslexia and intense military service through commercial diving, homelessness, and a near-fatal suicide attempt. He explains how perseverance, therapy, and a service dog helped him rebuild his life, leading to founding BTS K9 and growing a successful canine training business. The episode also covers his appearance on MrBeast, lessons learned about ownership and resilience, and his mission to help others by sharing hard-earned truths. __________ Please leave us a review on Apple/Spotify Podcasts: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mentors-for-military-podcast/id1072421783 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3w4RiZBxBS8EDy6cuOlbUl #mentors4mil #mentorsformilitary Mentors4mil Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Mentors4mil Patreon Support: https://www.patreon.com/join/Mentors4mil Intro music "Long Way Down" by Silence & Light is used with permission. Show Disclaimer: https://mentorsformilitary.com/disclaimer/
Work with Jimmy & the Vreeland Capital Team to build a 20-Unit Portfolio that will get you the equivalent of a retirement account 3X faster with a third of the capital. Visit https://tinyurl.com/mainstreetpatriot-getstarted - - - - - - - Most landlords see maintenance as a drain on cash flow. But today's episode challenges you to flip that mindset: what if it's not maintenance at all, but resident reinvestment? In this episode of The Real Estate Fast Pass Podcast, Jimmy breaks down how reframing “maintenance” as an investment in your residents leads to stronger portfolios, happier tenants, and a bigger bottom line. You'll learn the math behind the 10% reinvestment rule, why a $5,000 make-ready can yield a 21% ROI, and how many doors you actually need to join the top 2% of investors. Whether you're stuck at your first rental or scaling toward financial freedom, this conversation will give you the mindset shift—and the numbers—you need to grow. What You'll Learn in This Episode Why “maintenance” is a limiting word, and how to replace it with “resident reinvestment” The 10% rule every investor should follow to stay profitable long-term How a $5k rehab can generate consistent rent bumps and serious ROI Why scaling to 20 doors is the key to wealth and long-term sustainability How to stop treating repairs as sunk costs—and start using them as wealth-building tools About Jimmy Vreeland Jimmy graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, spent 5 years as an Army Ranger, and deployed three times twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan. On his last deployment, he read Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki which led him down the path of real estate investing. As his own portfolio grew, eventually he started a real estate investing business. Since 2018 his team at Vreeland Capital has supplied over 100 houses a year to high performing, passive investors who want to work with his team and his team is now managing over 800 houses. Get in touch with Jimmy and his team at www.jimmyvreeland.com/getstartedinrealestate More about Jimmy Website: www.jimmyvreeland.com Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-vreeland Instagram: www.instagram.com/jimmyvreeland Facebook: www.facebook.com/JimmyVreeland Youtube: www.youtube.com/@JimmyVreelandC >>>>>>Get free access to the private Ranger Real Estate facebook group
CrossFit GOAT Rich Froning REVEALS Secrets from Fatherhood to Mental Toughness!Dive into an EXPLOSIVE Mountain Tough Podcast episode with CrossFit legend Rich Froning, 4x individual & 6x team CrossFit Games champ!
Starting a business is hard enough, but starting one with a mission bigger than turning a profit can feel like navigating a battlefield. The obstacles are real, like cash flow challenges or forces beyond your control, but so are the rewards when your work changes lives. In this episode, we're talking about what it takes to build a business that stands for something. Matt “Griff” Griffin, West Point graduate, Army Ranger, and co-founder of Combat Flip Flops, shares how he transformed lessons from special operations into a global brand manufacturing products in conflict and post-conflict zones. You'll hear the hard truths about bootstrapping, the difference between nonprofit and for-profit mission-driven models, and why “fail cheap, learn fast” might be your best strategy for impact. https://milmo.co/podcast/mission-driven-business For more MILMO, follow at: MILMO.co ItsMILMO on YouTube @itsmilmo on X @itsmilmo Instagram @itsmilmo LinkedIn @itsmilmo Facebook
In the gripping second part of this episode of the Mike Drop Podcast, guest John Nores dives deeper into the escalating issues at the U.S. borders, focusing on the alarming rise of Chinese nationals crossing illegally and their potential ties to organized crime and terrorism. The discussion uncovers the calculated destruction of identification documents by these operatives, making it nearly impossible to trace their identities, and explores the sophisticated transportation networks facilitating their entry. We examine the collusion between Chinese organized crime and Mexican cartels, highlighting their roles in fentanyl production, human trafficking, and the operation of illegal grow sites. The conversation also addresses the vulnerabilities of the northern border, particularly in Montana, where limited resources and vast terrain create opportunities for smuggling and other illicit activities. The episode reflects on the positive shifts under the new administration, with improved communication between federal agencies and law enforcement, and a renewed focus on combating cartels. We also explore the challenges faced during California's sanctuary state policies under Governor Newsom, which restricted information sharing and media outreach about cartel activities. The discussion touches on the role of cryptocurrency in potential money laundering schemes and its geopolitical implications, as well as the need for a more streamlined immigration process that distinguishes between non-criminal immigrants and dangerous offenders. Beyond the serious topics, the episode lightens up with stories of community engagement, including John Nores' involvement in a Montana-based rock band, Area 56, which has provided a joyful outlet amidst the intensity of his work. From adapting military tactics for law enforcement to tracking fugitives like a former Army Ranger in rural areas, this episode is packed with insights into the evolving challenges of border security, environmental protection, and public safety. Join us for a candid and unifying conversation that bridges critical issues with moments of hope and resilience on the Mike Drop Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Work with Jimmy & the Vreeland Capital Team to build a 20-Unit Portfolio that will get you the equivalent of a retirement account 3X faster with a third of the capital. Visit https://tinyurl.com/mainstreetpatriot-getstarted - - - - - - - Summary When Kirk Gibb started investing in real estate, he went all-in. He hunted deals, swung hammers, managed tenants, and even camped out in his properties during renovations. The hands-on hustle taught him a ton—but it also burned him out. By 2010, Kirk had sold off his portfolio and hit pause on real estate. Fast forward a few years… Kirk discovered Vreeland Capital and turnkey investing. That's when everything changed. Today, as a Vreeland Capital client, Kirk owns 19 rental properties and has turned an initial $451K into $1.2M in returns—a 276% gain—all while focusing on his CPA career and his family. In this episode of The Real Estate Fastpass Podcast, you'll hear: - Kirk's early “do-it-all” investing days—and why they weren't sustainable - How burnout led him to a 5-year plus break from real estate - The mindset shift that allowed him to grow without doing the work himself - How turnkey investing with Vreeland Capital helped him re-scale all the way to 19 doors - Why make-readies and repairs should be seen as investments, not expenses - The four pillars of rental wealth—and how they compound over time If you've ever felt the grind of self-managing or wondered how to scale without sacrificing your career, Kirk's story is proof that you can build a thriving portfolio and keep your sanity. Listen now on Youtube, Apple, Spotify, and everywhere. About Jimmy Vreeland Jimmy graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, spent 5 years as an Army Ranger, and deployed three times twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan. On his last deployment, he read Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki which led him down the path of real estate investing. As his own portfolio grew, eventually he started a real estate investing business. Since 2018 his team at Vreeland Capital has supplied over 100 houses a year to high performing, passive investors who want to work with his team and his team is now managing over 800 houses. Get in touch with Jimmy and his team at www.jimmyvreeland.com/getstartedinrealestate More about Jimmy Website: www.jimmyvreeland.com Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-vreeland Instagram: www.instagram.com/jimmyvreeland Facebook: www.facebook.com/JimmyVreeland Youtube: www.youtube.com/@JimmyVreelandC >>>>>>Get free access to the private Ranger Real Estate facebook group
Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/8_pHIxKm0IEJeremy & Jared from HUNTR Podcast expose how tech & privatization are turning hunting into a pay-to-play game!
Repost from MintPress due to censorship of their channel and the importance of this episode.In this episode of State of Play on MintPress News, host Greg Stoker—former U.S. Army Ranger turned anti-imperialist journalist—examines the destruction of journalism in Gaza, the propaganda machine fueling war crimes, and the institutional collapse of media accountability.Joined by Tara Sutton, award-winning filmmaker and the only unembedded Western journalist to enter Fallujah in 2004, we confront the latest Israeli airstrike that assassinated Al Jazeera journalist Anas Al-Sharif and his crew. We break down how the targeting of journalists fits into a broader pattern of media erasure, state-sponsored violence, and Western complicity.
Jo sits down with Colorado's own Congressman Jason Crow, a former Army Ranger and national security hawk. With D.C. gridlocked, Texas politics unraveling, and new headlines piling up about democracy under siege, Jason brings the heat on what real leadership and service look like in 2025.They dig into why chaos in Congress isn't just noise it's a real threat to national security and the rights Americans can't afford to lose. From Crow's high-profile lawsuit against the Trump administration to his frontline perspective from the House Intelligence and Armed Services Committees, nothing's off the table: presidential power, accountability, military families under fire, and whether anyone in Washington still remembers what public service actually means.Subscribe and Follow Jo:https://linktr.ee/jojofromjerz Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.