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Send us a textThis week on the show!To fog hides more than just monsters... it hides a bad movie in:Return to Silent HillPrepare your case and experience the ultimate trial. You have 90 minutes to prove your innocence or face execution. Chris Pratt stars in: MercyHis revolution was televised based on the true story that held a nation hostage comes:Dead Mans Wireand finally With leading up to the Oscars and my season finale's best films of the year, I will be adding 1 movie a week that I may have missed in 2025. This week: A life you don't notice until it ends. In the Netflix best picture nominee:Train DreamsReady for my Verdict? Let's get into it!*Support the show by leaving a review on Apple podcast or Spotify! *You can now listen to The Movie Wire on YouTube! Listen and subscribe here!Make sure you check out The Super Familiar Podcast!Listen Here followed, or subscribed to The Cultworthy Cinema Podcast and The Movie Wire's crossover show Back 2 the Balcony, now is your time, because this week, we have a special episode where we go back in time to the Nickelodeon show Rated K: For Kids By Kids where Roger and Gene stop by to discuss some hot movies of that year! Watch HereSupport the show
This week we cover Siskel an Ebert's appearance on the Nickelodeon program - RATED K FOR KIDS, BY KIDS. Running in the latter half of the 1980's , the show featured film reviews done by kids - and in this very special episode they were joined by ROGER AND GENE!Check it out!SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony
On this edition of The Blazers Balcony, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Brooke Olzendam and Casey Holdahl discuss...• The Trail Blazers losing three-straight after winning four-straight• Another rough start, this time versus the Celtics in Boston• Poor free throw shooting and turnovers leading to a loss versus the Wizards in Washington DC• The factors that made Tuesday's game versus the Wizards more difficult than it might have initially appeared• Deni Avdija returning (again) to Washington DC and the way he view his job as a professional athlete• Appreciation for the way Tiago Splitter deals with the media• Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen to race off at the 2026 Rising Star Game at the 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend
Brian Miller and Rev. Dr. Brian Tracy keep the January theme rolling—escaping the tyranny of the urgent—but this episode zeroes in on leadership coaching: why leaders get stuck, what beliefs jam the gears, and how a coach helps a leader climb out of survival mode and back into purpose. It opens with some playful "Brian spelling reform" banter (the Y can repent), then turns into a surprisingly practical coaching framework for leaders who feel like every week is "sludging through the mud." Key Highlights Why leaders stall out: Many leaders know the hill they want to take… but their Monday–Friday reality feels like mud, and they can't translate vision into Tuesday afternoon. Triple-loop coaching lens: Brian frames the problem as actions → strategy → identity. Tracy agrees most leaders stay stuck at the surface level (tweaking actions) without addressing strategy or identity. Balcony view: They talk about moving leaders from minutiae to perspective using "psychological distancing" and future-oriented questions: "Where do you want this to be in 5 years?" "What would 10-years-from-now you tell you to focus on?" Unsticking the gear: Brian describes a coaching move that creates safety—"I'm not holding you to this"—to help a frozen leader name a first step and regain momentum. Beliefs that sabotage leaders: Scarcity vs. abundance (closed-handed vs. open-handed leadership) "If I'm the leader, I should know everything" (which kills curiosity and learning) "If I'm leading right, there won't be complaints" (spoiler: change creates complaints) Takeaways Coaching gives leaders a place where every sentence isn't a grenade. In leadership, words carry 10x weight; coaching offers a safe lab to think out loud without collateral damage. A good leader reviews and prunes. Tracy describes doing a regular "stop/start" review twice a year because clutter expands like glitter—once it's in the room, it's everywhere. Don't build everything around yourself. Brian reflects on leaving "holes" when he exited organizations earlier in life—and names that as a leadership mistake. Healthy leadership equips others until the organization can run without you. Empowerment is the job. Tracy grounds it in Ephesians 4: leaders equip others to do the work, not hoard the work to feel needed. Criticism isn't a sign you're failing—sometimes it's proof you're leading. If you're changing anything meaningful, pushback is part of the fee. Even Jesus had bad Yelp reviews. Memorable Lines & Moments "Survival" as a strategy is still a strategy… just a terrible one. "The more authority you give away, the more authority you have." "If I'm successful, it's not because I got the job done—it's because they got it done." Moneyball reference: "The first guy through the wall always gets beat up." (Accurate, and also why most people prefer to be the second guy.)
Send us a textThis week on the show!Fear is the new faith in the follow to last year's film, comes: 28 Years Later: The Bone TempleDeFang the police! In the new vampire flick:Night PatrolOn vacation your free to follow your heart in the Netflix original People We Meet on Vacationand finally Count the money. Count it again. Count on no one. Matt Damon and Ben Afflect star in another Netflix original:The Rip*Support the show by leaving a review on Apple podcast or Spotify! *You can now listen to The Movie Wire on YouTube! Listen and subscribe here!Make sure you check out The Gaming Views Podcast!Watch Here followed, or subscribed to The Cultworthy Cinema Podcast and The Movie Wire's crossover show Back 2 the Balcony, now is your time, because this week, we tackle the 1996 family adventure film. Alaska.Listen HereSupport the show
This week we cover the 1996 adventure film - ALASKA!Jake Barnes moves his daughter and son to Alaska and earns money by ferrying supplies to locations throughout the state. His daughter loves it, but her brother doesn't, and he can't wait to leave. However, they join forces to look for their father when they learn that he has gone down in an airplane accident. The official search party is called off and Jake is assumed dead, but the children will have none of it, and go off on their own into the Alaskan wilderness.SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony
On this edition of The Blazers Balcony, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers reporters Brooke Olzendam and Casey Holdahl discuss...• The Trail Blazers having the best record in the NBA since the start of 2026• Having a good team to root for • Donovan Clingan taking a big step this season• Jerami Grant picking up right where he left off• Whether the Blazers can get out of the play-in and get into the playoffs• Putting wins above individual performances• The reasons to think Portland's recent success is sustainable • Deni Avdija finishing fifth in 2026 NBA All-Star starters fan voting but finishing seventh in the total vote• Winter days, Brooke going to a live taping of the Drew Barrymore Show, the things we say that no one else understands, Jon Lovitz gifs, Deni's ice cream, Duop's British accent and Cameo requests, turtlenecks and "shackets," Mark Normand has a wife and baby, New Brunswick to New York
Some challenges don't fail because we lack intelligence, expertise, or good intentions. They fail because the systems meant to hold them — the structures, relationships, and shared stories — aren't strong enough to carry the weight.In this episode of On the Balcony, Michael Koehler sits down with Tim O'Brien to explore one of the most quietly powerful ideas in Adaptive Leadership: the holding environment.At the center of the conversation is a real public case — Gina Raimondo's leadership of pension reform in Rhode Island — where the technical problem was solvable, but the adaptive challenge was immense. Retirements, livelihoods, and deeply held beliefs were at stake. Data alone couldn't move the system. Logic was not enough for people to absorb the loss.What made progress possible was the deliberate construction of a holding environment — one capable of containing fear, grief, anger, and conflict long enough for new meaning to emerge.Tim and Michael use this case to unpack what holding environments really are — not abstract "safe spaces," but designed conditions that help people stay in hard conversations without fleeing, fixing, or polarizing.What You'll Explore in This EpisodeWhat a holding environment actually is. Holding environments are the structures, relationships, and shared stories that make it possible for people to engage adaptive challenges without becoming too overwhelmed. As Tim describes it, a holding environment is not about removing distress — it's about recognizing and legitimizing what people are already carrying.The three components of a holding environment. The conversation explores structures and boundaries (time limits, spatial design, process clarity, and role boundaries all matter — from how long a meeting lasts, to who holds the microphone, to how a forum is framed); relationships both horizontal and vertical (holding environments depend on the quality of relationships among peers and the relationship between people and authority — trust, legitimacy, and containment travel through these relational channels); and story, meaning, and purpose (facts matter, but they must be held within a shared narrative — in Rhode Island, Raimondo's "Truth in Numbers" report didn't just inform, it created a common reality people could argue within, rather than argue about).The Rhode Island pension reform case. The episode walks through how Raimondo resisted the pressure to act as a technical savior and instead orchestrated a process where loss could be named, anger expressed, and responsibility shared. Public forums, clear data, and repeated engagement weren't accidental — they were elements of a holding environment intentionally designed to stretch the system's capacity.Why some systems collapse under pressure. Many organizations already have holding environments — but not ones strong enough for the challenges they're facing. When the heat exceeds the container, people disengage, scapegoat, or polarize. Exercising leadership often means strengthening the container rather than supplying answers.Holding environments vs. psychological safety. The conversation distinguishes between team-level psychological safety and the broader, more demanding work of holding environments — especially in public or cross-boundary systems where authority is diffuse and stakes are high.Quotes from This Episode"A holding environment might be a place where one's inner world is recognized, legitimized, or validated." — Tim O'Brien"She creates a space where cognitive and emotional turmoil could give way to meaning. People are upset, angry, full of rage — but something has to be done." — Tim O'Brien"They're not forging lifelong relationships, but on this particular issue they're meeting the other people who are implicated —...
On this edition of The Blazers Balcony, Brooke Olzendam and Casey Holdahl discuss...• The Trail Blazers ending a five-game winning streak and a four-game homestand with a loss to the Knicks• Losing Deni Avdija to a back injury in the fourth quarter of the loss to New York• Trail Blazers, more shorthanded than usual, come up short versus the Warriors • If the Blazers lost to the Warriors so no one would have to do a non-Brooke post-game interview• Figuring out how to play with Avdija out of the lineup and if they're at a breaking point with regard to injuries• Jrue Holiday's return and the potential for other players to rejoin the rotation with four of the next five games at home• The upcoming schedule the next two weeks• the potholes are getting worse, Portland's locker room debating which language is the most beautiful, sci-fi sucks, Brooke's plea for "Heated Rivalry," retelling the Nikki Glasser/Ian Karmel Golden Globes Trail Blazers joke, Brooke meets Sean Penn, "I love wrinkly old men," absence resulting in annoyance, "the bad back broadcast," friend group chat etiquette, comp ticket etiquette and just keeping your mouth shut
Send us a textThis week on the show!5 years ago, the world ended. That was just the beginning in the sequel to the 2020 film comes: Greenland 2Volunteers are needed Daisy Ridley stars in Zak Hilditch's: We Bury the Deadand finally Now available to rent or buy and is part of the movie wire catch up. Hope is the only thing; they have based on a true story comes:Not Without Hopeready for my verdict. Let's get into it. *Support the show by leaving a review on Apple podcast or Spotify! *You can now listen to The Movie Wire on YouTube! Listen and subscribe here!Make sure you check out The Super Familiar with the Wilson's Podcast!Watch Here followed, or subscribed to The Cultworthy Cinema Podcast and The Movie Wire's crossover show Back 2 the Balcony, now is your time, because this week, we kick off the new season and play tribute with a special episode to remember Rob Reiner and his legacy. Listen HereSupport the show
This week we take a break from movie reviews and pay tribute to the late, great Rob Reiner. We discuss his films that were released during the time of Siskel and Ebert's TV run, as well as the critiques given.We Miss You Rob!SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony
Time to take a look across the city. Bill Charlap Trio-All Across The City Maria Schafer-It Could Happen To You Kenny Dorham -My Ideal Hampton Hawkes Trio-Autumn In New York Andre Previn-I Could Write A Book Steve Tyrell-Cry John Coltrane-A Love Supreme Barney Kessel-Embraceable You Shelly Manne-Summertime Ben Webster-Georgia On My Mind
Send us a textThis week on the show!Life doesn't always land the punchline, Will Arnett and Laura Dern star in:Is This Thing On?Something's wrong with Ben and he's not monkeying around in: PrimateAnd finally A teen must face morality or acceptance in Charlie Polinger's:The Plague Ready for my verdict. Let's get into it!*Support the show by leaving a review on Apple podcast or Spotify! *You can now listen to The Movie Wire on YouTube! Listen and subscribe here!Make sure you check out The Super Familiar with the Wilson's Podcast!Watch Here followed, or subscribed to The Cultworthy Cinema Podcast and The Movie Wire's crossover show Back 2 the Balcony, now is your time, because this week, we wrap up the 2025 season for our Awards Show for movies from this season!Listen HereSupport the show
This week we continue our annual tradition of awarding our favorite and least favorite films, performers, directors and critiques of season 2!Thanks to all our listeners and supporters for another great year!See you in season 3!SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony
On this edition of The Blazers Balcony, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Brooke Olzendam and Casey Holdahl discuss...• The Trail Blazers starting a three-game road trip with the loss to the Thunder• Spending New Years in Oklahoma City• Deni Avdija, Shaedon Sharpe and Donovan Clingan leading the way• Bouncing back to defeat the Pelicans in New Orleans• One of the best wins of the season versus the Spurs in San Antonio• Deni's birthday triple-double and Donovan's career-high versus the Spurs• A rare blowout versus the Jazz on Monday to start a home-heavy January • Deni Avdija is doing a bit of everything and is finally being recognized for his efforts• Cornhole competition, Donovan's three-point shooting, Caleb Love keeps shooting, post-game interview adjustments and Brooke sitting out the trip to San Francisco
Season 2 of On the Balcony continues by looking sideways — exploring frameworks that stretch Adaptive Leadership into new terrain.In this episode, Michael Koehler sits down with Judit Teichert, Managing Director and Partner at KONU Germany. Judit's work is shaped by her background as a licensed psychotherapist trained in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and more than a decade of coaching and facilitation around adaptive leadership and adult development with teams and organizations across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the U.S.The conversation explores a question that sits quietly underneath so much leadership work: If we already understand the challenge, why is change still so hard?Judit's answer: insight alone isn't enough. We need practice — repeated iterations that build new pathways, not just in our thinking, but in our emotions, behaviors, and relationships. Change requires more than understanding. It requires reps.This episode also spends time with loss — not as something to fix or rush past, but as something that needs to be named, held, and lived through if change is going to last.Stay With What You're LearningEach episode, we send a short reflection and one resource to go deeper — things we don't include in the show.Sign up for the On the Balcony newsletter: konu.org/balconyWhat You'll Explore in This EpisodeThe triangle of change: thinking, feeling, actingHow cognitive behavioral therapy offers multiple entry points into change — and why limiting ourselves to "thinking our way" into new behavior often falls short.Why insight isn't enoughThe gap between understanding a pattern and actually changing it. Why we underestimate how many iterations — how many "reps" — real change requires.Practice as pathway-buildingThe metaphor of building a road through a jungle: the first time you take a new route, everything is unfamiliar and threatening. Only through repetition does a path become a highway.Managing loss in organizationsWhy naming loss is both diagnosis and intervention. How holding space — without rushing to solutions — allows groups to grieve and then reorient on their own terms.The role of ritual and structure in griefWhat we can learn from cultural and religious traditions about allocating time and space for mourning — and why organizations often skip this step.Reframing loss as sacrificeHow, after grief has been processed, framing loss as "in service of something bigger" can restore meaning and commitment.A live example from client workHow one organization combined adaptive leadership diagnosis with CBT-informed skills practice — role-playing difficult conversations repeatedly to build new muscles for candor.Quotes from This Episode"I think sometimes we underestimate how much practice, how many flight hours or reps it takes to actually change." — Judit Teichert"When you take a new route the first time, you're in a deep jungle. You don't know what the next step looks like. That's why it feels so tense and sometimes threatening to do something you've never learned to do before." — Judit Teichert"Paradoxically, one of the strategies to manage loss is not to manage — but to hold." — Judit Teichert"Grief and sadness — their function is to support us to reorient. If we don't take that time, we're clinging to something and we cannot wholeheartedly commit to something new." — Judit Teichert"There's a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it. And there's like the absence of any drama in that sentence. That's one of the biggest changes." — Judit...
This week we cover the cult classic - TRAPPED IN PARADISE!Fresh out of prison, Alvin (Dana Carvey) and Dave Firpo (Jon Lovitz) pull their brother Bill (Nicolas Cage) back into a life of crime. But the siblings' foolproof bank heist takes a tailspin when Alvin gets lost in the getaway car. That's how the criminal nitwits wind up trapped in the snowbound burg of Paradise, Pa., on Christmas Eve with a bag full of stolen cash. With suspicious police on one side and hospitable townsfolk on the other, could a change of heart be far away?SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony
Send us a textHappy New Year!This week on the show!It's a movie they are dying to remake Jack Black and Paul Rudd star in: AnacondaCan you keep a secret? Sydney Sweeny and Amanda Seyfried star in:The Housemaidand finally RRRRR... you ready for this? SpongeBob returns in:The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants. Ready for my verdict? Let's get into it!*Support the show by leaving a review on Apple podcast or Spotify! *You can now listen to The Movie Wire on YouTube! Listen and subscribe here!Make sure you check out The Super Familiar with the Wilson's Podcast!Watch Here followed, or subscribed to The Cultworthy Cinema Podcast and The Movie Wire's crossover show Back 2 the Balcony, now is your time, because this week, we wrap up this holiday with the 1994 Christmas film Trapped in Paradise.Listen Here Support the show
The future is looking bright for solar energy in Virginia. Michael Pope reports about one initiative members of the General Assembly are about to consider.
In this episode we're breaking down some of the headlines and Italian news stories you may have heard about recently. We're talking about food and a hot-button housing issue that affects just about everyone, so that means it's a long episode!In this episode we talk about how Italian cuisine has been added to UNESCO's "Intangible Cultural Heritage" list and the reactions that has garnered. We also discuss the housing crisis happening in Italy, and what it means for Italian residents as well as tourists. If you enjoyed this episode, please follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a review!If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on onlyabag.com, by email at onlyabagpodcast@gmail.com, on Instagram, or Bluesky. For more info, check out our articles on onlyabag.com and read our Substack Letters from the Balcony. Want to help the podcast? You can check out all of our affiliate links here! If you book through any of them, we receive a small commission, and it helps to keep us going! You can also donate to Only a Bag on ko-fi.com to keep the podcast going! As always, thank you all so much for listening.x Darcy and Nathaniel Only A Bag
THE ARTISTIC AND ROMANTIC BOND BETWEEN BERTHE MORISOT AND ÉDOUARD MANETColleague Sebastian Smee. Berthe Morisot and her sister Edma were talented painters from a haute bourgeois family who successfully exhibited at the Salon, though society expected them to eventually prioritize marriage over art. In 1869, the unmarried Berthe met Édouard Manet at the Louvre, leading to a complex relationship that resembled a Jane Austen novel. Manet, struck by Berthe's dark, Spanish features, asked her to pose for his painting The Balcony. Although Manet was married to Suzanne—a Dutch pianist he had wed under complicated circumstances involving a hidden son—he and Berthe engaged in a mutual flirtation. Their families became close, attending weekly soirées together, but Manet's marriage remained an impediment to any romantic union with Berthe. Despite the social restrictions requiring chaperones, Manet's influence drove Berthe's artistic development, just as her presence influenced his work. NUMBER 2 1872
This week we tackle the review of Siskel and Ebert on the film BETTER OFF DEAD. Lane Meyer (John Cusack) is a teen with a peculiar family and a bizarre fixation with his girlfriend, Beth (Amanda Wyss). When Beth dumps Lane, he decides to kill himself, making bumbling attempts at suicide. Outside of his morbid endeavors, Lane spends time with his oddball buddy, Charles (Curtis Armstrong), and befriends Monique (Diane Franklin), a visiting French student. Eventually, Lane resolves to race Beth's obnoxious new beau on the ski slopes, with unexpected results. SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony
This episode is a continuation of our last episode, a rerun of our first episode of 2025 "The Wide World of Italian Christmas Sweets (or, Wintertime Treats)." We hadn't planned on coming out any episodes this week, but then we thought better of it, it's the holiday season after all. We hope you're all enjoying the holidays or just chilling out at home! We'll be back next week with brand new episodes, happy holidays! If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts! If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on onlyabag.com, by email at onlyabagpodcast@gmail.com, on Instagram, or Bluesky. For more info, check out our articles on onlyabag.com and read our Substack Letters from the Balcony. Want to help the podcast? You can check out all of our affiliate links here! If you book through any of them, we receive a small commission, and it helps to keep us going! You can also donate to Only a Bag on ko-fi.com to keep the podcast going! As always, thank you all so much for listening.x Darcy and Nathaniel Only A Bag
Send us a textMerry Christmas and welcome to the last episode of 2025! This week on the show!The Sully family are introduced to a new threat in James Cameron's third installment:Avatar: Fire and AshA story about the people you love, and how to survive them, in:Ella McKayInspired by a legend. Bound by a dream and good times never seemed so good. Hugh jackman and Kate Hudson star in: Song Sung Blue and finally Deliver us from evil…Nick Cage stars in:The Carpenter's sonReady for my verdict. Let's get into it!*Support the show by leaving a review on Apple podcast or Spotify! *You can now listen to The Movie Wire on YouTube! Listen and subscribe here!Make sure you check out The Super Familiar with the Wilson's Podcast!Watch Here followed, or subscribed to The Cultworthy Cinema Podcast and The Movie Wire's crossover show Back 2 the Balcony, now is your time, because this week, we wrap up this holiday with the 1994 Christmas film Trapped in Paradise.Listen Here Support the show
Last week we said that, because we're taking a week-long break for the holidays, we wouldn't be putting out any episodes this week, but then we thought "that's not the holiday spirit!" So, this episode is a rerun of our first episode of 2025, "The Wide World of Italian Christmas Sweets (or, Wintertime Treats)!" In fact, it's the first half of that hour-ish long episode. The second half is coming to you on Friday. Happy holidays! If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts! If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on onlyabag.com, by email at onlyabagpodcast@gmail.com, on Instagram, or Bluesky. For more info, check out our articles on onlyabag.com and read our Substack Letters from the Balcony. Want to help the podcast? You can check out all of our affiliate links here! If you book through any of them, we receive a small commission, and it helps to keep us going! You can also donate to Only a Bag on ko-fi.com to keep the podcast going! As always, thank you all so much for listening.x Darcy and Nathaniel Only A Bag
WARNING: Sensitive Santa Claus data in this episode. If your kiddos are expecting a visit from Santa this year (and listening), this episode may not be appropriate.Today we're talking about the bones of St. Nicholas! These bones, entombed in Bari, exude a mysterious liquid and, according to legend, have done so for hundreds of years. We'll also talk about some of the other dark history related to St. Nick including how his bones came to be in Bari, why there are bits of him in Venice, and tales from his life in Anatolia (modern day Antalya, Turkey). If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts! If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on onlyabag.com, by email at onlyabagpodcast@gmail.com, on Instagram, or Bluesky. For more info, check out our articles on onlyabag.com and read our Substack Letters from the Balcony. Want to help the podcast? You can check out all of our affiliate links here! If you book through any of them, we receive a small commission, and it helps to keep us going! You can also donate to Only a Bag on ko-fi.com to keep the podcast going! As always, thank you all so much for listening.x Darcy and Nathaniel Only A Bag
Send us a textThis week on the show!This Christmas you better be good or Santa's going to show you a slay. In the remake to the 1984 film: Silent Night, Deadly NightHe works in mysterious ways and its one hell of a murder in the Netflix exclusive Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery Everybody knows Jay Kelly, but Jay Kelly doesn't know himself. George Clooney and Adam Sandler star in another Netflix exclusive: Jay Kellyand finally What does it take to become a legend. Sydney Sweeny takes on the role of Christy Martin in: Christy. Ready for my verdict. Let's get into it. *Support the show by leaving a review on Apple podcast or Spotify! *You can now listen to The Movie Wire on YouTube! Listen and subscribe here!Make sure you check out The Super Familiar with the Wilson's Podcast!Listen Here followed, or subscribed to The Cultworthy Cinema Podcast and The Movie Wire's crossover show Back 2 the Balcony, now is your time, because this week, we cover the 1994 Denis Leary Christmas film, The RefListen HereSupport the show
This week we tackle the holiday classic - THE REF! Denis Leary plays an unfortunate cat burglar, who is abandonded by his partner in the middle of a heist and is forced to take an irritating Connecticut couple (Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis) hostage. He soon finds that he got more than he bargained for when the couple's blackmailing son and despicable in-laws step into the picture. Before long they're driving him nuts with their petty bickering and family problems. The only way for him to survive is to be their referee and resolve their differences before he can be nabbed by the police.SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony
"Our default way of being is so strong, and the more depleted we are, the more likely we are to fall back to these default patterns." - Meg Durham In this final episode of The School of Wellbeing, Meg is interviewed by friend and colleague, David Bott, in a warm, honest and often hilarious reflection on the year that was. Together they explore the messy moments, the quiet wins and the stories behind the work. From people-pleasing when depleted, to balcony moments and co-reflection, to advocating as a parent and recognising the crumbs of impact that keep us going. Along the way, Meg shares the phrases that have saved her, and why doing less, but doing it better, matters more than ever. This conversation is a reminder that wellbeing is not about perfection, but about being deliberate, human and connected in the work we do. ---- Chapter Markers: 00:00 Turning the tables and setting the scene 02:18 What changes when Meg becomes the guest 05:40 The wetsuit story and default modes under pressure 10:51 A massage misadventure and people-pleasing when tired 16:02 The omelette incident and learning to pivot 19:27 What these moments teach us about depletion 20:59 Balcony moments, co-reflection and sentence starters 24:50 A real reflection on the year that was 25:42 Parenting, advocacy and uncomfortable conversations 29:38 The phrases that have saved Meg this year 30:59 What “kicking ten” looks like now 32:18 The crumb theory and invisible impact 37:47 Shifting seasons and reclaiming energy 40:25 Ocean swims, perspective and joy 46:48 Moments of pride from 2025 49:28 Looking ahead to 2026 ---- Deliberate Actions: Notice your default patterns of thinking and behaving when you are depleted. Create regular balcony moments through reflection or co-reflection. Have a few go-to mantras when life feels hard. ---- Episode 159 Shownotes - Click here. ---- David Bott Website | LinkedIn | Instagram ---- Meg Durham - Website | LinkedIn | Instagram Weekly Newsletter - Subscribe here Speaker Request - Complete the booking form to start the conversation. ---- ** The School of Wellbeing is one of Australia's best health and wellbeing podcasts for teachers, educators and school leaders! **
In today's episode we're talking about walking trees and holiday demons! First, we're in a small town in Basilicata called Satriano di Lucania, where trees come to life and process through town as a part of their Carnevale celebration in February. The Walking Forest, or Foresta che Cammina, is a little-known celebration about reestablishing a relationship with the Earth and protecting the climate for future generations. Then we go to the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region to talk about three Krampus parades, called Krampuslauf. These parades have ended for 2025, but there are a few other Krampus events, you can find a list of them on the Trentino da Vivere website.The official website for the Walking Forest (Foresta che Cammina) in Satriano di Lucania, Basilicata is carnevaledisatriano.it. Here is a link to the the weeks long volunteering opportunity for people 18-30 years old, Volontari da tutta Europa per la Foresta che Cammina. This page is only in Italian, so you may need a translator in your browser. Websites with more info for each of the Krampus celebrations we talk about are listed below:Val di Fassa - visittrentino.infoSkiing Krampuses at Dolomiti Superski - dolomitisuperski.comToblach - south-tirol.comKastelruth - suedtirol.infoIf you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts! If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on onlyabag.com, by email at onlyabagpodcast@gmail.com, on Instagram, or Bluesky. For more info, check out our articles on onlyabag.com and read our Substack Letters from the Balcony. Want to help the podcast? You can check out all of our affiliate links here! If you book through any of them, we receive a small commission, and it helps to keep us going! You can also donate to Only a Bag on ko-fi.com to keep the podcast going! As always, thank you all so much for listening.x Darcy and Nathaniel Only A Bag
Season 2 of On the Balcony continues by looking sideways — exploring frameworks that stretch Adaptive Leadership into new terrain.In this episode, Michael Koehler is joined by Dr. Mary C. Gentile, creator and director of Giving Voice to Values (GVV) and longtime professor of ethics and leadership. Mary's work centers on a deceptively simple but deeply challenging question: How do we actually act on our values when it matters most?GVV begins with a clear premise: most of us already know what we believe is right. The real challenge is not ethical analysis — it's ethical action.Throughout the conversation, Mary and Michael explore why good people so often stay silent, how organizations normalize small compromises, and what it takes to prepare ourselves to speak with clarity, credibility, and courage when the moment arrives.As Mary describes it, GVV is less about persuasion and more about practice and rehearsal — building the capacity to respond before we're under pressure.What You'll Explore in This EpisodeWhy knowing isn't the problemGVV challenges the assumption that ethical failure stems from moral confusion. Instead, it asks what gets in the way after we know what we believe.Acting into clarityRather than waiting for confidence or certainty, GVV emphasizes practice. By scripting, rehearsing, and testing our responses, we grow into new ways of thinking and acting.A different starting questionInstead of asking “What's the right thing to do?”, GVV begins with:“If I were going to act on my values, what would I say and do?”Anticipating pushbackMary shares how effective values-driven action requires anticipating resistance — the rationalizations, pressures, and fears that show up in real systems — and preparing responses that are grounded and practical.How GVV complements Adaptive LeadershipBoth frameworks support leaders in:acting amid uncertaintynavigating authority and risktolerating loss and resistancetaking responsibility without certaintyAsking powerful questionsExperimenting and learningGVV adds a practice-based bridge between values and action — especially in moments when silence feels safer.Voice, identity, and courageMary reflects on how speaking up is shaped by role, identity, and context — and how playing to one's strengths (asking questions, telling stories, naming stakes) makes action more possible.Quotes from This Episode“Giving Voice to Values is not about persuading people to be more ethical. It's about preparing people to act on the values they already hold.”— Dr. Mary C. Gentile“If you don't remember anything else about Giving Voice to Values, remember this: it's about asking a different question.”— Dr. Mary C. Gentile“The folks who study positive deviance have a good phrase. They say, if you want to have an impact on people's behavior, rather than asking them to think their way into a different way of acting, it's more impactful to ask them to act their way into a different way of thinking.”— Dr. Mary C. Gentile“We justify what we do, not by belief in its efficacy, but by an acceptance of its necessity.”— Karl Weick, Small Wins: Redefining the Scale of Social Problems (shared by Dr. Mary C. Gentile)Links & ResourcesGiving Voice to Values
On the latest episode of The Blazers Balcony, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Brooke Olzendam and Casey Holdahl discuss...• The Trail Blazers defeating the Warriors for the third time this season at Moda Center on Sunday • Winning the season series versus the Warriors for the first time since the 2020-21 season• Jerami Grant, Shaedon Sharpe and Deni Avdija all having impressive performances versus Golden State• Finally overcoming a great shooting night from Steph Curry after not doing so for a decade• A great crowd Sunday at Moda Center• The team's new "box" award for defense that they're giving out after every game• A supportive locker room• Good vibes in the gym even after losses• Hoping that Jrue Holiday and Matisse Thybulle are able to return some time soon• Decorating for the holidays after returning from a road trip, trying to keep it fair when no one really cares, Steph Curry as Nicole Kidman, "LEBRON" Blazers license plates, Cheri O'Terri is not Rachel Dratch
Send us a textThis week on the show!Alex from the Talking Smac Podcast joins me to discuss two brand new movies!Come for the presents and stay for the baggage Michelle Pfeiffer stars in the Prime Video exclusive: Oh. What. Fun. Along with,Anyone can survive five nights. This time, there will be no second chances in: Five Nights at Freddy's 2Ready for my verdict? Let's get into it!*Support the show by leaving a review on Apple podcast or Spotify! *You can now listen to The Movie Wire on YouTube! Listen and subscribe here!Make sure you check out The Gaming Views PodcastListen Here followed, or subscribed to The Cultworthy Cinema Podcast and The Movie Wire's crossover show Back 2 the Balcony, now is your time, because this week, we cover the 1997 film, House of Yes. Listen Here Support the show
This week we celebrate our 100th episode by appreciating our fans (and our critics) before we get into the critique of the 1997 film THE HOUSE OF YES! Jackie-O is anxiously awaiting the visit of her brother home for Thanksgiving, but isn't expecting him to bring a friend — and she's even more shocked to learn that this friend is his fiance. It soon becomes clear that her obsession with Jackie Kennedy is nothing compared to her obsession with her brother, and she isn't the only member of the family with problems. THANK YOU for helping us get to 100 episode!SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony
Dan Silverman, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Balcony, joined me to discuss how the firm is tokenizing billions in real estate on the Avalanche blockchain. Topics:- Bergen County NJ tokenizing $240 Billion in Property on Balcony's Platform - Balcony Partners With Chainlink - Real Estate tokenization - current state and future outlook - Different ways blockchain can be used in the Real Estate process Brought to you by
On this edition of The Blazers Balcony, presented by Spirit Moutain Casino, Brooke Olzendam and Casey Holdahl discuss...• The Trail Blazers starting a four-game trip with a close loss to the Raptors in Toronto• Portland rallying in the fourth quarter in Toronto but unable to overcome missed free throws (and at least one missed call)• The Blazers bouncing back by winning in Cleveland on the second night of a back-to-back• The pre-game film session in Cleveland that helped Portland get the win• Portland players refusing to give up even in losses• Free throws, free throws and more free throws• Finishing the trip on Friday versus the Pistons and Sunday versus the Grizzlies• RoboCop statues, telling someone they're tall in an elevator might be part of our evolution, sit down Matisse and how long can you keep Lil' Caesars pizza
Send us a textThis week on the show!They are back with a twissssst, in:v Zootopia 2 An American actor in Tokyo struggling to find purpose lands an unusual gig, working for a Japanese rental family agency, in: Rental familyand finally The sequel to the already forgettable 2022 Netflix film comes: Troll 2Ready for my verdict. Let's get into it. *Support the show by leaving a review on Apple podcast or Spotify! *You can now listen to The Movie Wire on YouTube! Listen and subscribe here!Make sure you tune in to the Talking Smac Podcast where I join Josh and Alex to discuss Wicked: For GoodListen Here If you haven't followed or subscribed to The Cultworthy Cinema Podcast and The Movie Wire's crossover show Back 2 the Balcony, now is your time, because this week, we cover Disney's 1987 classic Dirty Dancing!Listen HereSupport the show
In this episode, I sit down with Hayley Lever, Chief Executive of Greater Manchester Moving, to explore what authentic leadership really looks like when you're trying to create systemic change. Hayley has been one of the biggest influences on how I think about leadership, culture, and the power of creating environments where people can truly thrive. We dive deep into Hayley's newly published book on leadership, 'Leading from the Balcony', discussing everything from the courage it takes to question cultural norms, to the daily act of resistance required when you're committed to doing things differently. This conversation is raw, honest, and packed with practical wisdom about what it really takes to lead with integrity in a complex world. My three Key Takeaways:Leadership is a practice, not a position – True leadership happens in the micro moments of everyday interactions, not just in boardrooms or through positional power. Everyone has the capacity to lead when we create the conditions that unlock that potential.Positive disruption requires courage and support – Creating meaningful change means challenging entrenched processes and cultural norms, but you can't do it alone. The environment around you—whether that's your chair, your board, your funders, or your team—either enables or constrains your ability to lead authentically.Accountability and care go hand in hand – Creating a thriving culture isn't about making everything easy; it's about being candid, caring, and challenging. It means having difficult conversations with honesty whilst making people feel valued and supported. And crucially, it means being vulnerable enough to admit when you'll fall short.If you're interested in exploring these ideas further and connecting with others who are passionate about systems leadership, complexity or ecological approaches to human advancement, join The Guild of Ecological Explorers by heading to www.thetalentequation.co.uk and clicking the 'join a learning group' button.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-talent-equation-podcast--2186775/support.Ready to explore these ideas further? Join The Guild of Ecological Explorers – a community of practitioners committed to deepening their understanding of ecological dynamics and constraints-led approaches. Head to www.thetalentequation.co.uk and click the 'Join a Learning Group' button to become part of this transformative conversation
A Kentucky couple now faces murder charges after a man was thrown from a second-story balcony in Elizabethtown and later died. A dead man is now the focus of a Virginia investigation after his own car was towed twice over 15 days with his body left unnoticed in the back seat. Drew Nelson reports.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A couple is behind bars accused of hurling their helpless elderly neighbor off their balcony to his death...in an unprovoked attack cops say. Almost a half-dozen Florida firefighters/EMTS are caged accused of torturing a teen & fellow firefighter in a horrific hazing incident. Plus, a woman who was supposed to uphold the law accused of violating it big time! Jennifer Gould reports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week we tackle the 80's classic DIRTY DANCING!Baby (Jennifer Grey) is one listless summer away from the Peace Corps. Hoping to enjoy her youth while it lasts, she's disappointed when her summer plans deposit her at a sleepy resort in the Catskills with her parents. Her luck turns around, however, when the resort's dance instructor, Johnny (Patrick Swayze), enlists Baby as his new partner, and the two fall in love. Baby's father forbids her from seeing Johnny, but she's determined to help him perform the last big dance of the summer.SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony
Send us a textThis week on the show!You will be changed...just not like in the first one... in the second installment of:Wicked: For GoodWhen they took his family, he took revenge in this sequel to the unique 2022 film:Sisu: Road to RevengeAnd finally I don't like you anymore, if only you were dead, a dark trip from director Osgood Perkins, or is it in Keeper Ready for my verdict. Let's get into it!*Support the show by leaving a review on Apple podcast or Spotify! *You can now listen to The Movie Wire on YouTube! Listen and subscribe here!Make sure you tune in to the Talking Smac Podcast where I join Josh and Alex to discuss Wicked: For GoodListen Here If you haven't followed or subscribed to The Cultworthy Cinema Podcast and The Movie Wire's crossover show Back 2 the Balcony, now is your time, because this week, we cover Disney's 1987 classic Dirty Dancing!Listen HereSupport the show
Will cheap, DIY solar reach American renters? In Germany, millions of people plug solar panels directly into wall outlets like any other appliance, but in the US, red tape makes it ludicrously costly. I chat with Cora Stryker of Bright Saver about how “balcony solar” (AKA “plug-in solar”) is booming in Europe and making its way to America, starting in Utah. We discuss the technical and safety issues, the regulatory hurdles, and the solar “gateway drug” effect. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.volts.wtf/subscribe
On this edition of The Blazers Balcony, Brooke Olzendam and Casey Holdahl discuss...• Arriving in Oklahoma City for a Sunday game versus the Thunder• The ridiculousness of having a five-game road trip, returning home to play a back-to-back, then heading back out for three more games• Finally winning a game in San Francisco Friday night versus the Warriors and whether it's the end of an era• Needing everyone to contribute when you're trying to break losing streaks when you're incredibly shorthanded • Donovan Clingan going beast mode• Caleb Love and Sidy Cissoko making a difference on two-way contracts• Deni Avdija Most Improved AND a first-time All-Star? • Toumani Camara taking on off-court responsibilities and having is best game of the season versus Golden State• Sidy shouts out Shae, Brooke's boutique shuts down, big glasses, Duop the Sweetest, a different brand of leadership and old boyfriends catching strays
Send us a textThis week on the show!Millions hunt. One runs. Everyone watches. Glen Powell stars in: The Running ManUnlock the illusion in: Now You See Me: Now You Don'tPlaytime just got real in the prime video exclusive: PlaydateAnd finally You can only choose one in this early review of: Eternity (releases in theaters on November 26th.) Ready for my verdict? Let's get into it. *Support the show by leaving a review on Apple podcast or Spotify! *You can now listen to The Movie Wire on YouTube! Listen and subscribe here!Make sure you check out The Sugar-Coated Murder PodcastListen Here If you haven't followed or subscribed to The Cultworthy Cinema Podcast and The Movie Wire's crossover show Back 2 the Balcony, now is your time, because this week, we cover Disney's 1991's Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken. Listen HereSupport the show
On this edition of The Blazers Balcony, presented by Spirt Mountain Casino, Brooke Olzendam and Casey Holdahl discuss...• Starting the five-game trip with two losses... but not feeling bad about it• Going cold down the stretch versus the Heat in Miami• Losing on a buzzer-beater to the Magic in Orlando• Upcoming games versus the Pelicans, Rockets (in the NBA Cup!) and Mavericks• Only one "bad" loss in the first 10 games• Deni Avdija continues to play at an All-Star level• Brooke gets hit in the head in Miami• Hitting Casey where it hurts (sandwiches)• The pool should be open• Who should get bylines for broadcast stories
On the latest edition of The Blazers Balcony, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Brooke Olzendam and Casey Holdahl discuss...• The Trail Blazers losing to a short-handed, second game of a back-to-back Lakers squad Monday night at Moda Center• Wins versus the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz• Trying to win when the shots aren't falling• Injuries to Matisse Thybulle and Blake Wesley catching up to the team• The upcoming game versus the Thunder leading into a five-game road trip• Cubano sandwiches, tall people in elevators and sitting out road trips
Berthe Morisot and Édouard Manet: Art, Affection, and the Struggle Against Bourgeois Expectations. Sebastian Smee discusses how the Impressionists lived amidst the violence of the 1870 Franco-Prussian War. Berthe Morisot came from the wealthy haute bourgeoisie and, along with her sister Edma, became a serious painter, successfully exhibiting at the Salon. However, women of their background were expected to marry and give up painting. Berthe, still unmarried at 29 in 1869, was devoted to her art when she met Édouard Manet at the Louvre. Manet was captivated by Berthe and invited her to pose for The Balcony. Despite precautions, a mutual flirtation developed, though Manet was married to Suzanne, which stood as an impediment.