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Matt Forbeck is all that and so much more. He grew up in Wisconsin as what he describes as a wimpy kid, too short and not overly healthy. He took to gaming at a pretty early age and has grown to be a game creator, author and award-winning storyteller.   Matt has been designing games now for over 35 years. He tells us how he believes that many of the most successful games today have stories to tell, and he loves to create some of the most successful ones. What I find most intriguing about Matt is that he clearly is absolutely totally happy in his work. For most of Matt's career he has worked for himself and continues today to be an independent freelancer.   Matt and his wife have five children, including a set of quadruplets. The quadruplets are 23 and Matt's oldest son is 28 and is following in his father's footsteps.   During our conversation we touch on interesting topics such as trust and work ethics. I know you will find this episode stimulating and worth listening to more than once.     About the Guest:   Matt Forbeck is an award-winning and New York Times-bestselling author and game designer of over thirty-five novels and countless other books and games. His projects have won a Peabody Award, a Scribe Award, and numerous ENnies and Origins Awards. He is also the president of the Diana Jones Award Foundation, which celebrates excellence in gaming.    Matt has made a living full-time on games and fiction since 1989, when he graduated from the Residential College at the University of Michigan with a degree in Creative Writing. With the exception of a four-year stint as the president of Pinnacle Entertainment Group and a year and a half as the director of the adventure games division of Human Head Studios, he has spent his career as an independent freelancer.   Matt has designed collectible card games, roleplaying games, miniatures games, board games, interactive fiction, interactive audiobooks, games for museum installations, and logic systems for toys. He has directed voiceover work and written short fiction, comic books, novels, screenplays, and video game scripts and stories. His work has been translated into at least 15 languages.   His latest work includes the Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game Core Rulebook, the Spider-Verse Expansion, Monster Academy (novels and board game), the Shotguns & Sorcery 5E Sourcebook based on his novels, and the Minecraft: Roll for Adventure game books. He is the father of five, including a set of quadruplets. He lives in Beloit, Wisconsin, with his wife and a rotating cast of college-age children. For more about him and his work, visit Forbeck.com.   Ways to connect with Matt:   Twitter: https://twitter.com/mforbeck Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/forbeck Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/forbeck.com Threads: https://www.threads.net/@mforbeck Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mforbeck/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/forbeck/ Website: https://www.forbeck.com/     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 episode of unstoppable mindset today. We get to play games. Well, not really, but we'll try. Our guest is Matt Forbeck, who is an award winning author. He is a game designer and all sorts of other kinds of things that I'm sure he's going to tell us about, and we actually just before we started the the episode, we were talking about how one might explore making more games accessible for blind and persons with other disabilities. It's, it's a challenge, and there, there are a lot of tricks. But anyway, Matt, I want to welcome you to unstoppable mindset. We're glad you're here.   Matt Forbeck ** 02:02 Well, thank you, Michael for inviting me and having me on. I appreciate it.   Speaker 1 ** 02:06 I think we're going to have a lot of fun, and I think it'll work out really well. I'm I am sure of that. So why don't we start just out of curiosity, why don't you tell us kind of about the early Matt, growing up?   Matt Forbeck ** 02:18 Uh, well, I grew up. I was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I grew up in a little town called Beloit, Wisconsin, which actually live in now, despite having moved away for 13 years at one point, and I had terrible asthma, I was a sick and short kid, and with the advent of medication, I finally started to be healthy when I was around nine, and Part of that, I started getting into playing games, right? Because when you're sick, you do a lot of sitting around rather than running around. So I did a lot of reading and playing games and things like that. I happen to grow up in the part of the world where Dungeons and Dragons was invented, which is in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, about 30 miles from where I live. And because of that I was I started going to conventions and playing games and such, when I was about 12 or 13 years old. I started doing it when I was a little bit older. I started doing it professionally, and started doing it when I was in college. And amazingly enough, even to my own astonishment, I've made a career out of it.   Speaker 1 ** 03:17 Where did you go to college? I went to the University   Matt Forbeck ** 03:21 of Michigan over in Ann Arbor. I had a great time there. There's a wonderful little college, Beloit College, in my hometown here, and most of my family has gone to UW Milwaukee over the years. My parents met at Marquette in Milwaukee, but I wanted to get the heck out of the area, so I went to Michigan, and then found myself coming back as soon as we started having   Speaker 1 ** 03:42 kids well, and of course, I would presume that when you were at the University of Michigan, you rooted for them and against Ohio State. That was   Matt Forbeck ** 03:50 kind of, you know, if you did it the other way around, they back out of town. So, yeah, I was always kind of astonished, though, because having grown up in Wisconsin, where every sports team was a losing team when I was growing up, including the Packers, for decades. You know, we were just happy to be playing. They were more excuse to have beers than they were to cheer on teams. And I went to Michigan where they were, they were angry if the team wasn't up by two touchdowns. You know, at any point, I'm like, You guys are silly. This is we're here for fun.   Speaker 1 ** 04:17 But it is amazing how seriously some people take sports. I remember being in New Zealand helping the Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind. Well now 22 years ago, it's 2003 and the America's Cup had just finished before we got there, and in America beat New Zealand, and the people in New Zealand were just irate. They were complaining that the government didn't put enough money into the design of the boat and helping with the with the yacht and all that. It was just amazing how seriously people take it, yeah,   Matt Forbeck ** 04:58 once, I mean, it becomes a part of your. Identity in a lot of ways, right for many people, and I've never had to worry about that too much. I've got other things on my mind, but there you go.   Speaker 1 ** 05:08 Well, I do like it when the Dodgers win, and my wife did her graduate work at USC, and so I like it when the Trojans win, but it's not the end of the world, and you do need to keep it in perspective. I I do wish more people would I know once I delivered a speech in brether County, Kentucky, and I was told that when I started the speech had to end no later than preferably exactly at 6:30pm not a minute later, because it was the night of the NCAA Basketball Championship, and the Kentucky Wildcats were in the championship, and at 630 everyone was going to get up and leave and go home to watch the game. So I ended at 630 and literally, by 631 I timed it. The gym was empty and it was full to start with.   Matt Forbeck ** 06:02 People were probably, you know, counting down on their watches, just to make sure, right?   Speaker 1 ** 06:06 Oh, I'm sure they were. What do you do? It's, it is kind of fun. Well, so why did you decide to get started in games? What? What? What attracted to you, to it as a young person, much less later on?   Matt Forbeck ** 06:21 Well, I was, yeah, I was an awkward kid, kind of nerdy and, you know, glasses and asthma and all that kind of stuff. And games were the kind of thing where, if you didn't know how to interact with people, you could sit down at a table across them and you could practice. You can say, okay, we're all here. We've got this kind of a magic circle around us where we've agreed to take this one silly activity seriously for a short period of time, right? And it may be that you're having fun during that activity, but you know, there's, there's no reason that rolling dice or moving things around on a table should be taken seriously. It's all just for fun, right? But for that moment, you actually just like Las Vegas Exactly, right? When there's money on the line, it's different, but if you're just doing it for grins. You know, it was a good way for me to learn how to interact with people of all sorts and of different ages. And I really enjoyed playing the games, and I really wanted to be a writer, too. And a lot of these things interacted with story at a very basic level. So breaking in as a writer is tough, but it turned out breaking as a game designer, wasn't nearly his stuff, so I started out over there instead, because it was a very young field at the time, right? D and D is now 50 years old, so I've been doing this 35 years, which means I started around professionally and even doing it before that, I started in the period when the game and that industry were only like 10 or 15 years old, so yeah, weren't quite as much competition in those   Speaker 1 ** 07:43 days. I remember some of the early games that I did play, that I could play, were DOS based games, adventure. You're familiar with adventure? Yeah, oh, yeah. Then later, Zork and all that. And I still think those are fun games. And I the reason I like a lot of those kinds of games is they really make you think, which I think most games do, even though the video even the video games and so on, they they help your or can help your reactions, but they're designed by people who do try to make you think,   Matt Forbeck ** 08:15 yeah. I mean, we basically are designing puzzles for people to solve, even if they're story puzzles or graphic puzzles or sound puzzles or whatever, you know, even spatial puzzles. There the idea is to give somebody something fun that is intriguing to play with, then you end up coming with story and after that, because after a while, even the most most exciting mechanics get dull, right? I mean, you start out shooting spaceships, but you can only shoot spaceships for so long, or you start out playing Tetris, and you only put shapes together for so long before it doesn't mean anything that then you start adding in story to give people a reason to keep playing right and a reason to keep going through these things. And I've written a lot of video games over the years, basically with that kind of a philosophy, is give people nuggets of story, give them a plot to work their way through, and reward them for getting through different stages, and they will pretty much follow you through anything. It's amazing.   Michael Hingson ** 09:09 Is that true Dungeons and Dragons too?   Matt Forbeck ** 09:13 It is. All of the stories are less structured there. If you're doing a video game, you know you the team has a lot of control over you. Give the player a limited amount of control to do things, but if you're playing around a table with people, it's more of a cooperative kind of experience, where we're all kind of coming up with a story, the narrator or the Game Master, the Dungeon Master, sets the stage for everything, but then the players have a lot of leeway doing that, and they will always screw things up for you, too. No matter what you think is going to happen, the players will do something different, because they're individuals, and they're all amazing people. That's actually to me, one of the fun things about doing tabletop games is that, you know, the computer can only react in a limited number of ways, whereas a human narrator and actually change things quite drastically and roll. With whatever people come up with, and that makes it tremendous fun.   Speaker 1 ** 10:04 Do you think AI is going to enter into all that and maybe improve some of the   Matt Forbeck ** 10:09 old stuff? It's going to add your end to it, whether it's an ad, it's going to approve it as a large question. Yeah. So I've been ranting about AI quite a bit lately with my friends and family. But, you know, I think the problem with AI, it can be very helpful a lot of ways, but I think it's being oversold. And I think it's especially when it's being oversold for thing, for ways for people to replace writers and creative thinking, Yeah, you know, you're taking the fun out of everything. I mean, the one thing I like to say is if, if you can't be bothered to write this thing that you want to communicate to me, I'm not sure why I should be bothered to read this thing well.   Speaker 1 ** 10:48 And I think that AI will will evolve in whatever way it does. But the fact of the matter is, So do people. And I think that, in fact, people are always going to be necessary to make the process really work? AI can only do and computers can only do so much. I mean, even Ray Kurzweil talks about the singularity when people and computer brains are married, but that still means that you're going to have the human element. So it's not all going to be the computer. And I'm not ready to totally buy into to what Ray says. And I used to work for Ray, so I mean, I know Ray Well, but, but the but the bottom line is, I think that, in fact, people are always going to be able to be kind of the, the mainstay of it, as long as we allow that, if we, if we give AI too much power, then over time, it'll take more power, and that's a problem, but that's up to us to deal with?   Matt Forbeck ** 11:41 No, I totally agree with that. I just think right now, there's a very large faction of people who it's in their economic interest to oversell these things. You know, people are making chips. They're building server farms. A lot of them are being transferred from people are doing blockchain just a few years ago, and they see it as the hot new thing. The difference is that AI actually has a lot of good uses. There's some amazing things will come out of llms and such. But I again, people are over the people are selling this to us. Are often over promising things, right?   Speaker 1 ** 12:11 Yeah, well, they're not only over promising but they're they're really misdirecting people. But the other side of it is that, that, in fact, AI as a concept and as a technology is here, and we have control over how we use it. I've said a couple times on this this podcast, and I've said to others, I remember when I first started hearing about AI, I heard about the the fact that teachers were bemoaning the pack, that kids were writing their papers just using AI and turning them in, and it wasn't always easy to tell whether it was something that was written by AI or was written by the student. And I come from a little bit different view than I think a lot of people do. And my view basically is, let the kids write it if with AI, if that's what they're going to do, but then what the teacher needs to do is to take one period, for example, and give every student in that class the opportunity to come up and defend whatever paper they have. And the real question is, can they defend the paper? Which means, have they really learned the subject, or are they just relying on AI,   Matt Forbeck ** 13:18 yeah, I agree with that. I think the trouble is, a lot of people, children, you know, who are developing their abilities and their morals about this stuff, they use it as just a way to complete the assignment, right? And many of them don't even read what they turn in, right, right? Just know that they've got something here that will so again, if you can't be bothered to read the thing that you manufactured, you're not learning anything about it,   Speaker 1 ** 13:39 which is why, if you are forced to defend it, it's going to become pretty obvious pretty fast, whether you really know it or not. Now, I've used AI on a number of occasions in various ways, but I use it to maybe give me ideas or prepare something that I then modify and shape. And I may even interact with AI a couple of times, but I'm definitely involved with the process all the way down the line, because it still has to be something that I'm responsible for.   Matt Forbeck ** 14:09 I agree. I mean, the whole point of doing these things is for people to connect with each other, right? I want to learn about the ideas you have in your head. I want to see how they jive with ones in my head. But if I'm just getting something that's being spit out by a machine and not you, and not being curated by you at any point, that doesn't seem very useful, right? So if you're the more involved people are in it, the more useful it is.   Speaker 1 ** 14:31 Well, I agree, and you know, I think again, it's a tool, and we have to decide how the tool is going to be used, which is always the way it ought to be. Right?   Matt Forbeck ** 14:42 Exactly, although sometimes it's large corporations deciding,   Speaker 1 ** 14:45 yeah, well, there's that too. Well, individuals,   Matt Forbeck ** 14:49 we get to make our own choices. Though you're right,   Speaker 1 ** 14:51 yes, and should Well, so, so when did you start bringing writing into what you. Did, and make that a really significant part of what you did?   Matt Forbeck ** 15:03 Well, pretty early on, I mean, I started doing one of the first things I did was a gaming zine, which was basically just a print magazine that was like, you know, 32 pages, black and white, about the different tabletop games. So we were writing those in the days, design and writing are very closely linked when it comes to tabletop games and even in video games. The trick of course is that designing a game and writing the rules are actually two separate sets of skills. So one of the first professional gig I ever had during writing was in games was some friends of mine had designed a game for a company called Mayfair games, which went on to do sellers of contain, which is a big, uh, entry level game, and but they needed somebody to write the rules, so they called me over, showed me how to play the game. I took notes and I I wrote it down in an easy to understand, clear way that people had just picked up the box. Could then pick it up and teach themselves how to play, right? So that was early on how I did it. But the neat thing about that is it also taught me to think about game design. I'm like, when I work on games, I think about, who is this game going to be for, and how are we going to teach it to them? Because if they can't learn the game, there's no point of the game at all, right?   Speaker 1 ** 16:18 And and so I'm right? I'm a firm believer that a lot of technical writers don't do a very good job of technical writing, and they write way over people's heads. I remember the first time I had to write, well, actually, I mentioned I worked for Kurzweil. I was involved with a project where Ray Kurzweil had developed his original omniprent optical character recognition system. And I and the National Federation of the Blind created with him a project to put machines around the country so that blind people could use them and give back to Ray by the time we were all done, recommendations as to what needed to go in the final first production model of the machine. So I had to write a training manual to teach people how to use it. And I wrote this manual, and I was always of the opinion that it had to be pretty readable and usable by people who didn't have a lot of technical knowledge. So I wrote the manual, gave it to somebody to read, and said, Follow the directions and and work with the machine and all that. And they did, and I was in another room, and they were playing with it for a couple of hours, and they came in and they said, I'm having a problem. I can't figure out how to turn off the machine. And it turns out that I had forgotten to put in the instruction to turn off the machine. And it wasn't totally trivial. There were steps you had to go through. It was a Data General Nova two computer, and you had to turn it off the right way and the whole system off the appropriate way, or you could, could mess everything up. So there was a process to doing it. So I wrote it in, and it was fine. But, you know, I've always been a believer that the textbooks are way too boring. Having a master's degree in physics, I am of the opinion that physics textbook writers, who are usually pretty famous and knowledgeable scientists, ought to include with all the text and the technical stuff they want to put in, they should put in stories about what they did in you bring people in, draw them into the whole thing, rather than just spewing out a bunch of technical facts.   Matt Forbeck ** 18:23 No, I agree. My my first calculus professor was a guy who actually explained how Newton and Leipzig actually came up with calculus, and then he would, you know, draw everything on the board and turn around say, and isn't that amazing? And you were, like, just absolutely enamored with the idea of how they had done these things, right? Yeah. And what you're doing there, when you, when you, when you give the instructions to somebody and say, try this out. That's a very big part of gaming, actually, because what we do this thing called play testing, where we take something before it's ready to be shown to the public, and we give it to other people and say, try this out. See how it works. Let me know when you're starting out of your first playing you play with like your family and friends and people will be brutal with you and give you hints about how you can improve things. But then, even when you get to the rules you're you send those out cold to people, or, you know, if you're a big company, you watch them through a two way mirror or one way mirror, and say, Hey, let's see how they react to everything. And then you take notes, and you try to make it better every time you go through. And when I'm teaching people to play games at conventions, for instance, I will often say to them, please ask questions if you don't understand anything, that doesn't mean you're dumb. Means I didn't explain it well enough, right? And my job as a person writing these rules is to explain it as well as I humanly can so it can't be misconstrued or misinterpreted. Now that doesn't mean you can correct everything. Somebody's always got like, Oh, I missed that sentence, you know, whatever. But you do that over and over so you can try to make it as clear and concise as possible, yeah.   Speaker 1 ** 19:52 Well, you have somewhat of a built in group of people to help if you let your kids get involved. Involved. So how old are your kids?   Matt Forbeck ** 20:03 My eldest is 26 he'll be 27 in January. Marty is a game designer, actually works with me on the marble tabletop role playing game, and we have a new book coming out, game book for Minecraft, called Minecraft role for adventure, that's coming out on July 7, I think, and the rest of the kids are 23 we have 423 year olds instead of quadruplets, one of whom is actually going into game design as well, and the other says two are still in college, and one has moved off to the work in the woods. He's a very woodsy boy. Likes to do environmental education with people.   Speaker 1 ** 20:39 Wow. Well, see, but you, but you still have a good group of potential game designers or game critics anyway.   Matt Forbeck ** 20:47 Oh, we all play games together. We have a great time. We do weekly game nights here. Sometimes they're movie nights, sometimes they're just pizza nights, but we shoot for game and pizza   Speaker 1 ** 20:56 if we get lucky and your wife goes along with all this too.   Matt Forbeck ** 21:00 She does. She doesn't go to the game conventions and stuff as much, and she's not as hardcore of a gamer, but she likes hanging out with the kids and doing everything with us. We have a great time.   Speaker 1 ** 21:10 That's that's pretty cool. Well, you, you've got, you've got to build an audience of some sorts, and that's neat that a couple of them are involved in it as well. So they really like what dad does, yeah,   Matt Forbeck ** 21:23 yeah. We, I started taking them each to conventions, which are, you know, large gatherings gamers in real life. The biggest one is Gen Con, which happens in Indianapolis in August. And last year, I think, we had 72,000 people show up. And I started taking the kids when they were 10 years old, and my wife would come up with them then. And, you know, 10 years old is a lot. 72,000 people is a lot for a 10 year old. So she can mention one day and then to a park the next day, you know, decompress a lot, and then come back on Saturday and then leave on Sunday or whatever, so that we didn't have them too over stimulated. But they really grown to love it. I mean, it's part of our annual family traditions in the summer, is to go do these conventions and play lots of games with each other and meet new people too well.   Speaker 1 ** 22:08 And I like the way you put it. The games are really puzzles, which they are, and it's and it's fun. If people would approach it that way, no matter what the game is, they're, they're aspects of puzzles involved in most everything that has to do with the game, and that's what makes it so fun.   Matt Forbeck ** 22:25 Exactly, no. The interesting thing is, when you're playing with other people, the other people are changing the puzzles from their end that you have to solve on your end. And sometimes the puzzle is, how do I beat this person, or how do I defeat their strategy, or how do I make an alliance with somebody else so we can win? And it's really always very intriguing. There's so many different types of games. There's nowadays, there's like something like 50 to 100 new board games that come out and tabletop games every month, right? It's just like a fire hose. It's almost like, when I was starting out as a novelist, I would go into Barnes and Noble or borders and go, Oh my gosh, look at all these books. And now I do the same thing about games. It's just, it's incredible. Nobody, no one person, could keep up with all of them.   Speaker 1 ** 23:06 Yeah, yeah, yeah, way too much. I would love to explore playing more video games, but I don't. I don't own a lot of the technology, although I'm sure that there are any number of them that can be played on a computer, but we'll have to really explore and see if we can find some. I know there are some that are accessible for like blind people with screen readers. I know that some people have written a few, which is kind of cool. Yeah.   Matt Forbeck ** 23:36 And Xbox has got a new controller out that's meant to be accessible to large amount of people. I'm not sure, all the different aspects of it, but that's done pretty well, too   Speaker 1 ** 23:44 well. And again, it comes down to making it a priority to put all of that stuff in. It's not like it's magic to do. It's just that people don't know how to do it. But I also think something else, which is, if you really make the products more usable, let's say by blind people with screen readers. You may be especially if it's well promoted, surprised. I'm not you necessarily, but people might well be surprised as to how many others might take advantage of it so that they don't necessarily have to look at the screen, or that you're forced to listen as well as look in order to figure out what's going on or take actions.   Matt Forbeck ** 24:29 No, definitely true. It's, you know, people audio books are a massive thing nowadays. Games tend to fall further behind that way, but it's become this incredible thing that obviously, blind people get a great use out of but my wife is addicted to audio books now. She actually does more of those than she does reading. I mean, I technically think they're both reading. It's just one's done with yours and one's done with your eyes.   Speaker 1 ** 24:51 Yeah, there's but there's some stuff, whether you're using your eyes or your fingers and reading braille, there's something about reading a book that way that's. Even so a little bit different than listening to it. Yeah, and there's you're drawn in in some ways, in terms of actually reading that you're not necessarily as drawn into when you're when you're listening to it, but still, really good audio book readers can help draw you in, which is important, too,   Matt Forbeck ** 25:19 very much. So yeah, I think the main difference for reading, whether it's, you know, again, through Braille or through traditional print, is that you can stop. You can do it at your own pace. You can go back and look at things very easily, or read or check things, read things very easily. That you know, if you're reading, if you're doing an audio book, it just goes on and it's straight on, boom, boom, boom, pace. You can say, Wait, I'm going to put this down here. What was that thing? I remember back there? It was like three pages back, but it's really important, let me go check that right.   Speaker 1 ** 25:50 There are some technologies that allow blind people and low vision people and others, like people with dyslexia to use an audio book and actually be able to navigate two different sections of it. But it's not something that is generally available to the whole world, at least to the level that it is for blind people. But I can, I can use readers that are made to be able to accept the different formats and go back and look at pages, go back and look at headings, and even create bookmarks to bookmark things like you would normally by using a pen or a pencil or something like that. So there are ways to do some of that. So again, the technology is making strides.   Matt Forbeck ** 26:37 That's fantastic. Actually, it's wonderful. Just, yeah, it's great. I actually, you know, I lost half the vision of my right eye during back through an autoimmune disease about 13 years ago, and I've always had poor vision. So I'm a big fan of any kind of way to make things easier,   Speaker 1 ** 26:54 like that. Well, there, there are things that that are available. It's pretty amazing. A guy named George curser. Curser created a lot of it years ago, and it's called the DAISY format. And the whole idea behind it is that you can actually create a book. In addition to the audio tracks, there are XML files that literally give you the ability to move and navigate around the book, depending on how it's created, as final level as you choose.   Matt Forbeck ** 27:25 Oh, that's That's amazing. That's fantastic. I'm actually really glad to hear that.   Speaker 1 ** 27:28 So, yeah, it is kind of fun. So there's a lot of technology that's that's doing a lot of different sorts of things and and it helps. But um, so for you, in terms of dealing with, with the games, you've, you've written games, but you've, you've actually written some novels as well, right?   Matt Forbeck ** 27:50 Yeah, I've got like 30, it depends on how you count a novel, right? Okay, like some of my books are to pick a path books, right? Choose Your Own Adventure type stuff. So, but I've got 35 traditional novels written or more, I guess, now, I lost track a while ago, and probably another dozen of these interactive fiction books as well. So, and I like doing those. I've also written things like Marvel encyclopedias and Avengers encyclopedias and all sorts of different pop culture books. And, you know, I like playing in different worlds. I like writing science fiction, fantasy, even modern stuff. And most of it, for me comes down to telling stories, right? If you like to tell stories, you can tell stories through a game or book or audio play or a TV show or a comic, or I've done, you know, interactive museum, games and displays, things like that. The main thing is really a story. I mean, if you're comfortable sitting down at a bar and having a drink with somebody, doesn't have to be alcohol, just sitting down and telling stories with each other for fun. That's where the core of it all is really   Speaker 1 ** 28:58 right. Tell me about interactive fiction book.   Matt Forbeck ** 29:01 Sure, a lot of these are basically just done, like flow charts, kind of like the original Zork and adventure that you were talking about where you I actually, I was just last year, I brought rose Estes, who's the inventor of the endless quest books, which were a cross between Dungeons and Dragons, and choose your own adventure books. She would write the whole thing out page by page on a typewriter, and then, in order to shuffle the pages around so that people wouldn't just read straight through them, she'd throw them all up in the air and then just put them back in whatever order they happen to be. But essentially, you read a section of a book, you get to the end, and it gives you a choice. Would you like to go this way or that way? Would you like to go beat up this goblin? Or would you like to make friends with this warrior over here? If you want to do one of these things, go do page xx, right? Got it. So then you turn to that page and you go, boom, some, actually, some of the endless quest books I know were turned into audio books, right? And I actually, I. Um, oddly, have written a couple Dungeons and Dragons, interactive books, audio books that have only been released in French, right? Because there's a company called Looney l, u n, i, i that has this little handheld device that's for children, that has an A and a B button and a volume button. And you, you know, you get to the point that says, if you want to do this, push a, if you want to do that, push B, and the kids can go through these interactive stories and and, you know, there's ones for clue and Dungeons and Dragons and all sorts of other licenses, and some original stories too. But that way there's usually, like, you know, it depends on the story, but sometimes there's, like, 10 to 20 different endings. A lot of them are like, Oh no, you've been killed. Go back to where you started, right? And if you're lucky, the longer ones are, the more fun ones. And you get to, you know, save the kingdom and rescue the people and make good friends and all that good stuff,   Michael Hingson ** 30:59 yeah, and maybe fall in love with the princess or Prince.   Matt Forbeck ** 31:02 Yeah, exactly right. It all depends on the genre and what you're working in. But the idea is to give people some some choices over how they want the story to go. You're like, Well, do you want to investigate this dark, cold closet over here, or would you rather go running outside and playing around? And some of them can seem like very innocent choices, and other ones are like, well, uh, 10 ton weight just fell on. You go back to the last thing.   Speaker 1 ** 31:23 So that dark hole closet can be a good thing or a bad thing,   Matt Forbeck ** 31:28 exactly. And the trick is to make the deaths the bad endings, actually just as entertaining as anything else, right? And then people go, Well, I got beat, and I gotta go back and try that again. So yeah, if they just get the good ending all the way through, they often won't go back and look at all the terrible ones. So it's fun to trick them sometimes and have them go into terrible spots. And I like to put this one page in books too that sometimes says, How did you get here? You've been cheating there. This book, this page, is actually not led to from any other part of the book. You're just flipping   Speaker 1 ** 31:59 through. Cheater, cheater book, do what you   Matt Forbeck ** 32:04 want, but if you want to play it the right way, go back.   Speaker 1 ** 32:07 Kid, if you want to play the game. Yeah, exactly. On the other hand, some people are nosy.   Matt Forbeck ** 32:15 You know, I was always a kid who would poke around and wanted to see how things were, so I'm sure I would have found that myself but absolutely related, you know,   Speaker 1 ** 32:23 yeah, I had a general science teacher who brought in a test one day, and he gave it to everyone. And so he came over to me because it was, it was a printed test. He said, Well, I'm not going to give you the test, because the first thing it says is, read all the instructions, read, read the test through before you pass it, before you take it. And he said, most people won't do that. And he said, I know you would. And the last question on the test is answer, only question one.   Matt Forbeck ** 32:55 That's great. Yeah, that's a good one. Yeah,   Speaker 1 ** 32:57 that was cute. And he said, I know that. I that there's no way you would, would would fall for that, because you would say, Okay, let's read the instructions and then read the whole test. That's what it said. And the instruction were, just read the whole test before you start. And people won't do that.   Matt Forbeck ** 33:13 No, they'll go through, take the whole thing. They get there and go, oh, did I get there? Was a, there's a game publisher. I think it was Steve Jackson Games, when they were looking for people, write for them, or design stuff for them, or submit stuff to them, would have something toward the end of the instructions that would say, put like a the letter seven, or put seven a on page one right, and that way they would know if you had read the instructions, if you hadn't bothered to Read the instructions, they wouldn't bother reading anything else.   Speaker 1 ** 33:42 Yeah, which is fair, because the a little harsh, well, but, but, you know, we often don't learn enough to pay attention to details. I know that when I was taking physics in college, that was stressed so often it isn't enough to get the numbers right. If you don't get the units right as well. Then you're, you're not really paying attention to the details. And paying attention to the details is so important.   Matt Forbeck ** 34:07 That's how they crash from those Mars rovers, wasn't it? They somebody messed up the units, but going back and forth between metric and, yeah, and Imperial and, well, you know, it cost somebody a lot of money at one point. Yeah. Yeah. What do you   Speaker 1 ** 34:21 this is kind of the way it goes. Well, tell me, yeah. Well, they do matter, no matter what people think, sometimes they do matter. Well, tell me about the Diana Jones award. First of all, of course, the logical question for many people is, who is Diana Jones? Yeah, Diana Jones doesn't exist, right? That's There you go. She's part game somewhere? No, no, it doesn't be in a game somewhere.   Matt Forbeck ** 34:43 Then now there's actually an author named Diana Wynne Jones, who's written some amazing fantasy stories, including Howell's Moving Castle, which has turned into a wonderful anime movie, but it has nothing to do with her or any other person. Because originally, the Diana Jones award came about. Because a friend of mine, James Wallace, had somehow stumbled across a trophy that fell into his hands, and it was a pub trivia trophy that used to be used between two different gaming companies in the UK, and one of those was TSR, UK, the United Kingdom department. And at one point, the company had laid off everybody in that division just say, Okay, we're closing it all down. So the guys went and burned a lot of the stuff that they had, including a copy of the Indiana Jones role playing game, and the only part of the logo that was left said Diana Jones. And for some reason, they put this in a in a fiberglass or Plexiglas pyramid, put it on a base, a wooden base, and it said the Diana Jones award trophy, right? And this was the trophy that they used they passed back and forth as a joke for their pub trivia contest. Fell into James's hands, and he decided, You know what, we're going to give this out for the most excellent thing in gaming every year. And we've now done this. This will be 25 years this summer. We do it at the Wednesday night before Gen Con, which starts on Thursday, usually at the end of July or early August. And as part of that, actually, about five years ago, we started, one of the guys suggested we should do something called the emerging designers program. So we actually became a 501, c3, so we could take donations. And now we take four designers every year, fly them in from wherever they happen to be in the world, and put them up in a hotel, give them a badge the show, introduce them to everybody, give them an honorarium so they can afford to skip work for a week and try to help launch their careers. I mean, these are people that are in the first three years of their design careers, and we try to work mostly with marginalized or et cetera, people who need a little bit more representation in the industry too. Although we can select anybody, and it's been really well received, it's been amazing. And there's a group called the bundle of holding which sells tabletop role playing game PDFs, and they've donated 10s of 1000s of dollars every year for us to be able to do this. And it's kind of funny, because I never thought I'd be end up running a nonprofit, but here I'm just the guy who writes checks to the different to the emerging designer program. Folks are much more tied into that community that I am. But one of the real reasons I wanted to do something like that or be involved with it, because if you wander around with these conventions and you notice that it starts getting very gray after a while, right? It's you're like, oh, there's no new people coming in. It's all older people. I we didn't I didn't want us to all end up as like the Grandpa, grandpa doing the HO model railroad stuff in the basement, right? This dying hobby that only people in their 60s and 70s care about. So bringing in fresh people, fresh voices, I think, is very important, and hopefully we're doing some good with that. It's been a lot of fun either way.   Speaker 1 ** 37:59 Well, I have you had some success with it? Yeah, we've   Matt Forbeck ** 38:02 had, well, let's see. I think we've got like 14 people. We've brought in some have already gone on to do some amazing things. I mean, it's only been a few years, so it's hard to tell if they're gonna be legends in their time, but again, having them as models for other people to look at and say, Oh, maybe I could do that. That's been a great thing. The other well, coincidentally, Dungeons and Dragons is having its best 10 year streak in its history right now, and probably is the best selling it's ever been. So coinciding with that, we've seen a lot more diversity and a lot more people showing up to these wonderful conventions and playing these kinds of games. There's also been an advent of this thing called actual play, which is the biggest one, is a group called Critical Role, which is a whole bunch of voice actors who do different cartoons and video games and such, and they play D and D with each other, and then they record the games, and they produce them on YouTube and for podcasts. And these guys are amazing. There's a couple of other ones too, like dimension 20 and glass cannon, the critical role guys actually sold out a live performance at Wembley Arena last summer. Wow. And dimension. Dimension 20 sold out Madison Square Garden. I'm like, if you'd have told me 20 years ago that you know you could sell out an entire rock stadium to have people watch you play Dungeons and Dragons, I would have laughed. I mean, there's no way it would have been possible. But now, you know, people are very much interested in this. It's kind of wild, and it's, it's fun to be a part of that. At some level,   Speaker 1 ** 39:31 how does the audience get drawn in to something like that? Because they are watching it, but there must be something that draws them in.   Matt Forbeck ** 39:39 Yeah, part of it is that you have some really skilled some actors are very funny, very traumatic and very skilled at improvisation, right? So the the dungeon master or Game Master will sit there and present them with an idea or whatever. They come up each with their own characters. They put them in wonderful, strong voices. They kind of inhabit the roles in a way that an actor. A really top level actor would, as opposed to just, you know, me sitting around a table with my friends. And because of that, they become compelling, right? My Marty and my his wife and I were actually at a convention in Columbus, Ohio last weekend, and this group called the McElroy family, actually, they do my brother, my brother and me, which is a hit podcast, but they also do an actual play podcast called The Adventure zone, where they just play different games. And they are so funny. These guys are just some of the best comedians you'll ever hear. And so them playing, they actually played our Marvel game for a five game session, or a five podcast session, or whatever, and it was just stunningly fun to listen to. People are really talented mess around with something that we built right it's very edifying to see people enjoying something that you worked on.   Speaker 1 ** 40:51 Do you find that the audiences get drawn in and they're actually sort of playing the game along, or as well? And may disagree with what some of the choices are that people make?   Matt Forbeck ** 41:02 Oh, sure. But I mean, if the choices are made from a point of the character that's been expressed, that people are following along and they they already like the character, they might go, Oh, those mean, you know that guy, there are some characters they love to hate. There are some people they're they're angry at whatever, but they always really appreciate the actors. I mean, the actors have become celebrities in their own right. They've they sell millions of dollars for the comic books and animated TV shows and all these amazing things affiliated with their actual play stuff. And it's, I think it, part of it is because, it's because it makes the games more accessible. Some people are intimidated by these games. So it's not really, you know, from a from a physical disability kind of point. It's more of a it makes it more accessible for people to be nervous, to try these things on their own, or don't really quite get how they work. They can just sit down and pop up YouTube or their podcast program and listen into people doing a really good job at it. The unfortunate problem is that the converse of that is, when you're watching somebody do that good of a job at it, it's actually hard to live up to that right. Most people who play these games are just having fun with their friends around a table. They're not performing for, you know, 10s of 1000s, if not hundreds of 1000s of people. So there's a different level of investments, really, at that point, and some people have been known to be cowed by that, by that, or daunted by that.   Speaker 1 ** 42:28 You work on a lot of different things. I gather at the same time. What do you what do you think about that? How do you like working on a lot of different projects? Or do you, do you more focus on one thing, but you've got several things going on, so you'll work on something for one day, then you'll work on something else. Or how do you how do you do it all?   Matt Forbeck ** 42:47 That's a good question. I would love to just focus on one thing at a time. Now, you know the trouble is, I'm a freelancer, right? I don't set my I don't always get to say what I want to work on. I haven't had to look for work for over a decade, though, which has been great. People just come to me with interesting things. The trouble is that when you're a freelancer, people come in and say, Hey, let's work on this. I'm like, Yeah, tell me when you're ready to start. And you do that with like, 10 different people, and they don't always line up in sequence properly, right? Yeah? Sometimes somebody comes up and says, I need this now. And I'm like, Yeah, but I'm in the middle of this other thing right now, so I need to not sleep for another week, and I need to try to figure out how I'm going to put this in between other things I'm working on. And I have noticed that after I finish a project, it takes me about a day or three to just jump track. So if I really need to, I can do little bits here and there, but to just fully get my brain wrapped around everything I'm doing for a very complex project, takes me a day or three to say, Okay, now I'm ready to start this next thing and really devote myself to it. Otherwise, it's more juggling right now, having had all those kids, probably has prepared me to juggle. So I'm used to having short attention span theater going on in my head at all times, because I have to jump back and forth between things. But it is. It's a challenge, and it's a skill that you develop over time where you're like, Okay, I can put this one away here and work on this one here for a little while. Like today, yeah, I knew I was going to talk to you, Michael. So I actually had lined up another podcast that a friend of mine wanted to do with me. I said, Let's do them on the same day. This way I'm not interrupting my workflow so much, right? Makes sense? You know, try to gang those all together and the other little fiddly bits I need to do for administration on a day. Then I'm like, Okay, this is not a day off. It's just a day off from that kind of work. It's a day I'm focusing on this aspect of what I do.   Speaker 1 ** 44:39 But that's a actually brings up an interesting point. Do you ever take a day off or do what do you do when you're when you deciding that you don't want to do gaming for a while?   Matt Forbeck ** 44:49 Yeah, I actually kind of terrible. But you know, you know, my wife will often drag me off to places and say we're going to go do this when. Yes, we have a family cabin up north in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan that we go to. Although, you know, my habit there is, I'll work. I'll start work in the morning on a laptop or iPad until my battery runs out, and then I shut it down, put on a charger, and then I go out and swim with everybody for the rest of the day. So it depends if I'm on a deadline or not, and I'm almost always on a deadline, but there are times I could take weekends off there. One of the great things of being a freelancer, though, and especially being a stay at home father, which is part of what I was doing, is that when things come up during the middle of the week, I could say, oh, sure, I can be flexible, right? The trouble is that I have to pay for that time on my weekends, a lot of the time, so I don't really get a lot of weekends off. On the other hand, I'm not I'm not committed to having to work every day of the week either, right? I need to go do doctor appointments, or we want to run off to Great America and do a theme park or whatever. I can do that anytime I want to. It's just I have to make up the time at other points during the week. Does your wife work? She does. She was a school social worker for many years, and now as a recruiter at a local technical college here called Black Hawk tech. And she's amazing, right? She's fantastic. She has always liked working. The only time she stopped working was for about a year and a half after the quads were born, I guess, two years. And that was the only time I ever took a job working with anybody else, because we needed the health insurance, so I we always got it through her. And then when she said, Well, I'm gonna stay home with the kids, which made tons of sense, I went and took a job with a video game company up in Madison, Wisconsin called Human Head Studios for about 18 months, 20 months. And then the moment she told me she was thinking about going back to work, I'm like, Oh, good, I can we can Cobra for 18 months and pay for our own health insurance, and I'm giving notice this week, and, you know, we'll work. I left on good terms that everybody. I still talk to them and whatever, but I very much like being my own boss and not worrying about what other people are going to tell me to do. I work with a lot of clients, which means I have a lot of people telling me what to do. But you know, if it turns out bad, I can walk I can walk away. If it turns out good, hopefully we get to do things together, like the the gig I've been working out with Marvel, I guess, has been going on for like, four years now, with pretty continuous work with them, and I'm enjoying every bit of it. They're great people to work with.   Speaker 1 ** 47:19 Now, you were the president of Pinnacle entertainment for a little while. Tell me about that.   Matt Forbeck ** 47:24 I was, that was a small gaming company I started up with a guy named Shane Hensley, who was another tabletop game designer. Our big game was something called Dead Lands, which was a Western zombie cowboy kind of thing. Oh gosh, Western horror. So. And it was pretty much a, you know, nobody was doing Western horror back in those days. So we thought, Oh, this is safe. And to give you an example of parallel development, we were six months into development, and another company, White Wolf, which had done a game called Vampire the Masquerade, announced that they were doing Werewolf the Wild West. And we're like, you gotta be kidding me, right? Fortunately, we still released our game three months before there, so everybody thought we were copying them, rather than the other way around. But the fact is, we were. We both just came up with the idea independently. Right? When you work in creative fields, often, if somebody wants to show you something, you say, I'd like to look at you have to sign a waiver first that says, If I do something like this, you can't sue me. And it's not because people are trying to rip you off. It's because they may actually be working on something similar, right already. Because we're all, you know, swimming in the same cultural pool. We're all, you know, eating the same cultural soup. We're watching or watching movies, playing games, doing whatever, reading books. And so it's not unusual that some of us will come up with similar ideas   Speaker 1 ** 48:45 well, and it's not surprising that from time to time, two different people are going to come up with somewhat similar concepts. So that's not a big surprise, exactly, but   Matt Forbeck ** 48:56 you don't want people getting litigious over it, like no, you don't be accused of ripping anybody off, right? You just want to be as upfront with people. With people. And I don't think I've ever actually seen somebody, at least in gaming, in tabletop games, rip somebody off like that. Just say, Oh, that's a great idea. We're stealing that it's easier to pay somebody to just say, Yes, that's a great idea. We'll buy that from you, right? As opposed to trying to do something unseemly and criminal?   Speaker 1 ** 49:24 Yeah, there's, there's something to be said for having real honor in the whole process.   Matt Forbeck ** 49:30 Yeah, I agree, and I think that especially if you're trying to have a long term career in any field that follows you, if you get a reputation for being somebody who plays dirty, nobody wants to play with you in the future, and I've always found it to be best to be as straightforward with people and honest, especially professionally, just to make sure that they trust you. Before my quadruplets were born, you could have set your clock by me as a freelancer, I never missed a deadline ever, and since then, I've probably it's a. Rare earth thing to make a deadline, because, you know, family stuff happens, and you know, there's just no controlling it. But whenever something does happen, I just call people up and say, hey, look, it's going to be another week or two. This is what's going on. And because I have a good reputation for completing the job and finishing quality work, they don't mind. They're like, Oh, okay, I know you're going to get this to me. You're not just trying to dodge me. So they're willing to wait a couple weeks if they need to, to get to get what they need. And I'm very grateful to them for that. And I'm the worst thing somebody can do is what do, what I call turtling down, which is when it's like, Oh no, I'm late. And then, you know, they cut off all communication. They don't talk to anybody. They just kind of try to disappear as much as they can. And we all, all adults, understand that things happen in your life. It's okay. We can cut you some slack every now and then, but if you just try to vanish, that's not even possible.   Speaker 1 ** 50:54 No, there's a lot to be there's a lot to be said for trust and and it's so important, I think in most anything that we do, and I have found in so many ways, that there's nothing better than really earning someone's trust, and they earning your trust. And it's something I talk about in my books, like when live with a guide dog, live like a guide dog, which is my newest book, it talks a lot about trust, because when you're working with a guide dog, you're really building a team, and each member of the team has a specific job to do, and as the leader of the team, it's my job to also learn how to communicate with the other member of the team. But the reality is, it still comes down to ultimately, trust, because I and I do believe that dogs do love unconditionally, but they don't trust unconditionally. But the difference between dogs and people is that people that dogs are much more open to trust, for the most part, unless they've just been totally traumatized by something, but they're more open to trust. And there's a lesson to be learned there. No, I   Matt Forbeck ** 52:03 absolutely agree with that. I think, I think most people in general are trustworthy, but as you say, a lot of them have trauma in their past that makes it difficult for them to open themselves up to that. So that's actually a pretty wonderful way to think about things. I like that,   Speaker 1 ** 52:17 yeah, well, I think that trust is is so important. And I know when I worked in professional sales, it was all about trust. In fact, whenever I interviewed people for jobs, I always asked them what they were going to sell, and only one person ever answered me the way. I really hoped that everybody would answer when I said, So, tell me what you're going to be selling. He said, The only thing I have to really sell is myself and my word, and nothing else. It really matters. Everything else is stuff. What you have is stuff. It's me selling myself and my word, and you have to, and I would expect you to back me up. And my response was, as long as you're being trustworthy, then you're going to get my backing all the way. And he was my most successful salesperson for a lot of reasons, because he got it.   Matt Forbeck ** 53:08 Yeah, that's amazing. I mean, I mean, I've worked with people sourcing different things too, for sales, and if you can rely on somebody to, especially when things go wrong, to come through for you. And to be honest with you about, you know, there's really that's a hard thing to find. If you can't depend on your sources for what you're building, then you can't depend on anything. Everything else falls apart.   Speaker 1 ** 53:29 It does. You've got to start at the beginning. And if people can't earn your trust, and you earn theirs, there's a problem somewhere, and it's just not going to work.   Matt Forbeck ** 53:39 Yeah, I just generally think people are decent and want to help. I mean, I can't tell you how many times I've had issues. Car breaks down the road in Wisconsin. Here, if somebody's car goes in the ditch, everybody stops and just hauls them out. It's what you do when the quads were born, my stepmother came up with a sign up sheet, a booklet that she actually had spiral bound, that people could sign up every three three hours to help come over and feed and bathe, diaper, whatever the kids and we had 30 to 35 volunteers coming in every week. Wow, to help us out with that was amazing, right? They just each pick slots, feeding slots, and come in and help us out. I had to take the 2am feeding, and my wife had to take the 5am feeding by ourselves. But the rest of the week we had lots and lots of help, and we were those kids became the surrogate grandchildren for, you know, 30 to 35 women and couples really, around the entire area, and it was fantastic. Probably couldn't have survived   Speaker 1 ** 54:38 without it. And the other part about it is that all those volunteers loved it, because you all appreciated each other, and it was always all about helping and assisting.   Matt Forbeck ** 54:48 No, we appreciate them greatly. But you know every most of them, like 99% of them, whatever were women, 95 women who are ready for grandchildren and didn't have them. Had grandchildren, and they weren't in the area, right? And they had that, that love they wanted to share, and they just loved the opportunity to do it. It was, I'm choking up here talking about such a great time for us in   Speaker 1 ** 55:11 that way. Now I'm assuming today, nobody has to do diaper duty with the quads, right?   Matt Forbeck ** 55:16 Not until they have their own kids. Just checking, just checking, thankfully, think we're that is long in our past,   Speaker 1 ** 55:23 is it? Is it coming fairly soon for anybody in the future?   Matt Forbeck ** 55:27 Oh, I don't know. That's really entirely up to them. We would love to have grandchildren, but you know, it all comes in its own time. They're not doing no well. I, one of my sons is married, so it's possible, right? And one of my other sons has a long term girlfriend, so that's possible, but, you know, who knows? Hopefully they're they have them when they're ready. I always say, if you have kids and you want them, that's great. If you have, if you don't have kids and you don't want them, that's great. It's when you cross the two things that,   Speaker 1 ** 55:57 yeah, trouble, yeah, that's that is, that is a problem. But you really like working with yourself. You love the entre

In this episode of “This Is Purdue,” we're talking to Sutton Tyson, producer for CBS News.   As a proud Purdue College of Liberal Arts alumna, Sutton is a rising talent in the broadcast journalism field. She's currently the booking producer for “The Takeout With Major Garrett” and previously served as spokeswoman in the FBI National Press Office, covering national security, criminal activity and counterintelligence issues. And through these roles, she's gained expert insights into a rapidly evolving media industry.  In this episode, you will:  Learn how traditional news networks are tailoring their content strategies to meet various demographics, like Gen Z, where they are leveraging streaming, podcasts and social media  Find out more about Sutton's journey from Purdue to working for the FBI National Press Office in Washington, D.C., where she learned how to work under pressure and communicate effectively during crisis events  Hear what it's like to be a producer for a major network like CBS News — including engaging with high-profile guests and covering breaking news in a 24-hour cycle, like the U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter collision over the Potomac River  Explore Sutton's advice for prioritizing mental health, well-being and work-life balance, especially when working in the news industry  Discover the foundational skills she learned while studying communication at Purdue, like cultivating meaningful relationships to set herself up for career success  Don't miss this engaging, informative episode with a Boilermaker who's helping shape the vital news and content we consume on air and online!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

211 - Henry Paul (the Outlaws, Blackhawk) In episode 211 of “Have Guitar Will Travel”, presented by Vintage Guitar Magazine, host James Patrick Regan speaks with singer and guitarist with both Outlaws and Blackhawk, Henry Paul. In their conversation Henry discusses how he keeps the two bands material straight often touring with both band on coinciding dates. Henry takes us through his musical upbringing talking about his hero's early on and gives us insight as to what the music scene was like in Tampa in the ‘60's and early '70's having bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman's nearby and going to see the Beatles at Shea Stadium. Henry takes us through the formation of the Outlaws and what it was like to be band with a huge hit “Green Grass and High Tides”. Henry talks about his retirement and having his son taking the band over and what it's like touring in his 70's with his son in the band. Henry discusses moving to Nashville in 1990 ahead of the masses. Henry describes his guitar travels starting at a young age playing Gibson and Martin's and eventually getting a white Gibson ES 330 like his hero Richie Furay. Henry also talks about Gurian guitars one of his favorites. Henry tells us a bit about his car collection. Henry finally tells us about his book “the Last Outlaw” that's available now and why he's written it. To find out more about Henry you can go to his website: henrypaul.com Please subscribe, like, comment, share and review this podcast! #VintageGuitarMagazine #HenryPaul #TheOutlaws #JamesPatrickRegan #GibsonGuitar #theDeadlies #GibsonES330 #Blackhawk #haveguitarwilltravelpodcast #HGWT #theLastOutlaw #GreenGrassandHighTides #LynyrdSkynyrd #tourlife Please like, comment, and share this podcast! Download Link

Post-Gazette high school sports insiders Mike White and Keith Barnes recap a busy week in football news around the WPIAL and City League. What do the guys make of Shady Side Academy's controversial forfeit to Clairton? Should there be repercussions? Why was the offensive battle between North Catholic and Blackhawk one of the highlights of the week? And how has the Cougars' Brayden McCarthy been able to lead the district in rushing despite his team frequently playing from behind? What have Southmoreland's Dawson Wolfe and Ringgold's Amoni Ward done to get the guys' attention? And who do they like in the highlight games of this week, including Penn-Trafford vs. Woodland Hills; Aliquippa vs. Mars; and Thomas Jefferson vs. Avonworth?

Episode 196 - Chris Kruger - Black Hawk Helicopters, Multiple Deployments, Anger and Fear, Lessons for DadsAbout the authorChris Kruger grew up just outside Spokane, Washington, and joined the Army before turning 21, driven by a sense of purpose and a thirst for challenge. Over the next 22 years, he forged a diverse and demanding military career—starting as an infantryman and eventually becoming a Blackhawk maintenance test pilot. His journey took him from Basic Training and Airborne School at Fort Benning to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he completed an impressive lineup of elite training programs, including Amphibious Reconnaissance School, Ranger School, HALO and HALO Jumpmaster, and Flight School, among others. Along the way, he earned the Expert and Combat Infantryman Badges, a Bronze Star, a Meritorious Service Medal, and several other honors. Chris deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Far East, spending more than five and a half years overseas—experiences that deeply shaped his outlook on leadership, resilience, and life. After retiring, he turned to writing as a way to unpack and give meaning to those intense years. What began as personal reflection quickly became a mission to reach others walking similar paths. Today, Chris lives in Huntsville, Alabama, with his wife Genevieve and their two daughters, Charlize and Isabelle—writing from a place of survival, strength, and connection. Together, Chris and Genevieve are active in their local church and committed to encouraging others to overcome life's hardships, expanding their reach through writing and a forthcoming podcast aimed at inspiring healing, faith, and perseverance.Book: Walking Away from the Ledge: A Soldier's MemoirWalking Away from the Ledge is a hard-hitting, no-BS military memoir that goes beyond the battlefield to expose the raw truth of war, survival, and self-destruction. With an unapologetic voice and brutal honesty, Chris takes readers deep inside the challenging world of an Army Ranger, the brotherhood that holds soldiers together, and the personal demons that threaten to tear them apart.More than a war story, this book is about what happens when the fight doesn't end—the toll of combat, the grip of addiction, and the struggle to hold onto love when everything else is falling apart. This memoir hits hard, digs deep, and refuses to look away.https://a.co/d/4nhPNiR___https://dadspace.camusic provided by Blue Dot SessionsSong: The Big Ten https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/258270

>Join Jocko Underground< Norm Hooten was a U.S. Army Special Forces soldier (a Green Beret) who became well known because of his role in the Battle of Mogadishu in October 1993, the operation later depicted in the book and film Black Hawk Down.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/jocko-podcast/exclusive-content

The Battle of Mogadishu, known by many as "Black Hawk Down," lasted roughly 18 hours and cost the lives of 18 Americans and one Malaysian, along with many more allied troops wounded. Somali casualties were far higher, with some estimates nearing 700 dead or injured. Jonathan Carroll, author of Beyond Black Hawk Down, points out that this was just one day in a nearly two-and-a-half-year operation. He joins host and Editor-in-Chief JP Clark to discuss what he has deemed the most ambitious attempt in history to rebuild a nation—the first country to be called a "failed state" after a brutal civil war. Carroll concludes that Somalia offers crucial lessons on the need for a clear strategy and that the events there foreshadowed challenges later faced in Iraq and Afghanistan. In my view, Somalia isn't an example of why we shouldn't intervene... Somali is an example of don't go in without a strategy on how to get there. Jonathan Carroll is an Associate Professor of Military History at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, a doctoral graduate of Texas A&M University and a former infantry officer in the Irish Defence Forces, Jonathan specializes in analyzing modern military operation with a current focus on the military history of 1990s conflict and stabilization operations. In addition to his recent work on the intervention in Somalia, Jonathan is working on research projects focusing on the UNAMIR mission during the Rwandan Genocide, and the UN/NATO intervention during the Bosnian War.  The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo Description: A "technical" vehicle in Mogadishu at the time of the UNOSOM I mission 1992-1993. Photo Credit: CT Snow from Hsinchu, Taiwan via Wikipedia.org

In this episode of Curing with Sound, we explore how focused ultrasound is being studied as a treatment for depression and anxiety, told through the perspectives of both a leading researcher and a veteran who experienced it firsthand. Noah Philip, MD, is a professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University's Alpert Medical School and a leading expert on focused ultrasound neuromodulation for psychiatric conditions. He discusses his research using low-intensity focused ultrasound to modulate the amygdala for the treatment of depression and anxiety in veterans. Joining him is Nick Marinelli, an Iraq War veteran and Black Hawk mechanic who participated in Dr. Philip's revolutionary clinical trial after struggling with depression and anxiety for over a decade following his deployment. Nick shares his experience receiving focused ultrasound treatments and the immediate improvements he noticed in his daily mood and his ability to be present with his family, particularly during meaningful moments like his daughter's kindergarten graduation. Discussion highlights: Revolutionary Mental Health Technology: Discover how focused ultrasound neuromodulation offers millimeter-scale precision to target deep brain structures like the amygdala. This noninvasive alternative to traditional psychiatric treatments has the potential to transform mental healthcare for treatment-resistant conditions. From Research to Real-World Impact: Hear about Dr. Philip's advocacy efforts, including his 2024 congressional briefing to expand access to focused ultrasound treatments, and the upcoming four-year VA-funded trial aimed at optimizing dosing strategies for clinical implementation across underserved communities. EPISODE TRANSCRIPT ---------------------------- QUESTIONS? Email podcast@fusfoundation.org if you have a question or comment about the show, or if you would you like to connect about future guest appearances.  Email info@fusfoundation.org if you have questions about focused ultrasound or the Foundation.  FUSF SOCIAL MEDIA LinkedIn X Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube FUSF WEBSITE https://www.fusfoundation.org SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTER https://www.fusfoundation.org/newsletter-signup/ READ THE LATEST NEWSLETTER https://www.fusfoundation.org/the-foundation/news-media/newsletter/ DOWNLOAD "THE TUMOR" BY JOHN GRISHAM (FREE E-BOOK) https://www.fusfoundation.org/read-the-tumor-by-john-grisham/

Welcome to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and in partnership with Vertical Valor Magazine.Listen closely for your chance to win awesome prizes from Heli Life! Throughout 2025, every episode of The Hangar Z Podcast will reveal a secret word. Once you catch it, head to contests.verticalhelicasts.com to enter!On today's episode of The Hangar Z Podcast, Jack Schonely and guest host Bryan Smith are honored to welcome Tony Lumpkin, call sign “Lumpy,” for a compelling conversation.Tony has a truly unique aviation background, having flown multiple airframes across military and civilian sectors. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Tony was commissioned into the U.S. Marine Corps where he piloted the CH-46 and completed three tours in Iraq. He shares some of his incredible experiences and lessons learned from flying in the sandbox.But his story doesn't end there. He later transferred into the U.S. Coast Guard where he piloted a Black Hawk, conducting high-risk rescues. After his military service, Tony invited Bryan to join him on a one-of-a-kind flying assignment: piloting a helicopter off a luxury cruise ship in one of the most stunning and unforgiving places on earth, Antarctica.A big thank you to Bryan Smith for leading this insightful conversation with his friend “Lumpy.”Please don't forget to like, share, and subscribe to the Hangar Z Podcast. We appreciate your support.Thank you to our sponsors Precision Aviation Group, Spectrolab  and Robinson Helicopter.

Send us a textIn the second episode on the Black Hawk Down incident we will listen in on the Senate as it debates two seperate amendments concerning the operations in Somalia. The McCain Amendment that would have cut off all funding to the operation immediately and the Byrd Amendment that gave the President a six month time table to bring the operation to a conclusion. This would be a mix of Republicans and Democrats on both sides of this debate. Bob Dole and Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell would be on the same side, siding with the President, and Senator Robert Byrd , in favor of giving the President six months to bring the operation to a close. It was a fascinating debate.  Questions or comments at , Randalrgw1@aol.com , https://twitter.com/randal_wallace , and http://www.randalwallace.com/Please Leave us a review at wherever you get your podcastsThanks for listening!!

Sintonía: "Baba hastanede" - Baba Zula"Barra Barra" (utilizada en la BSO de "Black Hawk derribado" ("Black Hawk Down", Ridley Scott, 2001), "Hey Anta", "Verité", "Ho Cherie Cherie" y "Garab", extraídas de "Made in Medina" (Barclay/Universal, 2000) del músico y compositor argelino Rachid TahaTodas las músicas compuestas e interpretadas por Rachid Taha"Gerekli segler", "Sipa 04", "Zaniye oyun havasi", "Zerzevat adam" y "Özgur ruh (dub), extraídas de "Duble Oryantal" (Doublemoon, 2005) de los turcos Baba Zula (con Mad Professor)Todas las músicas compuestas e interpretadas por Baba ZulaEscuchar audio

Meet Maryann Pagano, CEO of BlackHawk Data. For Maryann, leadership begins with authenticity—“I am just me.” As CEO, she focuses on guiding and mentoring others, drawing on her own experiences to help employees develop and grow.. At BlackHawk Data, values fuel every decision—from hiring to culture to giving back. Maryann encourages employees to think about their legacy, recognizes them in ways that matter most, and leads with consistency that builds trust and drives performance. In a fast-changing market, she believes success comes from staying true to core values while pivoting quickly to adapt and thrive.

Send us a textWorried AI will take your Investment Banking job? There's no avoiding AI these days, so how do you understand it, use it to your advantage, and outperform it in Investment Banking and high finance roles?We asked our community for their toughest questions about the future of finance careers in the age of AI, and sat down for 30 minutes with former Blackhawk helicopter pilot and 30-year Wall Street veteran Frank Van Buren to give you our real answers, LIVE.In this live session, we answered the questions:-  Which AI systems are (and aren't) being adopted across Investment Banks?-  What is the impact on M&A, modeling, and junior roles?-  Which skills are becoming a must-have, and which are being made obsolete?-  Should I learn coding languages like Python?-  What is the future of AI in trading and investing?-  What is the value of client relationships in the post-AI era?-  How can senior employees stay relevant and employable in this changing environment?-  What are the risks and dangers of using AI in finance?-  What college major should I choose if I want to get a job?-  How can I stand out as a candidate in the future job market?-  What should I say in interviews to land the offer?Watch to learn how to AI-proof your finance career, get hired, and stay relevant.For a 14 day FREE Trial of Macabacus, click HERE For 20% off Deleteme, use the code TWSS or click the link HERE! Our Investment Banking and Private Equity Foundations course is LIVEnow with our M&A course included! Shop our LIBRARY of Self Paced Online Courses HEREJoin the Fixed Income Sales and Trading waitlist HERE Our content is for informational purposes only. You should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

Welcome to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and in partnership with Vertical Valor Magazine.Listen closely for your chance to win awesome prizes from Heli Life! Throughout 2025, every episode of The Hangar Z Podcast will reveal a secret word. Once you catch it, head to contests.verticalhelicasts.com to enter!On today's episode of The Hangar Z Podcast, Jack Schonely and guest host Bryan Smith are honored to welcome Tony Lumpkin, call sign “Lumpy,” for a compelling conversation.Tony has a truly unique aviation background, having flown multiple airframes across military and civilian sectors. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Tony was commissioned into the U.S. Marine Corps where he piloted the CH-46 and completed three tours in Iraq. He shares some of his incredible experiences and lessons learned from flying in the sandbox. But his story doesn't end there. He later transferred into the U.S. Coast Guard where he piloted a Black Hawk, conducting high-risk rescues. After his military service, Tony invited Bryan to join him on a one-of-a-kind flying assignment: piloting a helicopter off a luxury cruise ship in one of the most stunning and unforgiving places on earth, Antarctica. A big thank you to Bryan Smith for leading this insightful conversation with his friend “Lumpy.”Please don't forget to like, share, and subscribe to the Hangar Z Podcast. We appreciate your support.Thank you to our sponsors Night Flight Concepts, Summit Aviation and Robinson Helicopter.

Send us a textThis is the first of two episodes looking back on the situation in Somalia. In this episode we will hear from both President Bill Clinton and Senate Republican Leader Bob Dole , and we will directly from the pilot, Michael Durant, himself as he relives his experience in Mogadishu in several interviews.  This is the story of Black Hawk Down and the Battle of Mogadishu. Here is the Wikipedia write up on the military operation: The Battle of Mogadishu (Somali: Maalintii Rangers, lit.'Day of the Rangers'), also known as the Black Hawk Down Incident, was part of Operation Gothic Serpent. It was fought on 3–4 October 1993, in Mogadishu, Somalia, between forces of the United States—supported by UNOSOM II—against Somali National Alliance (SNA) fighters and other insurgents in south Mogadishu.On 3 October 1993, U.S. forces planned to seize two of Aidid's top lieutenants during a meeting deep in the city. The raid was only intended to last an hour but morphed into an overnight standoff and rescue operation extending into the daylight hours of the next day. As the operation was ongoing, Somali insurgents shot down three American Black Hawk helicopters using RPG-7s, with two crashing deep in hostile territory, resulting in the capture of an American pilot.[17] A desperate defense of the two downed helicopters began and fighting lasted through the night to defend the survivors of the crashes. No battle since the Vietnam War had killed so many U.S. troops.[19] Casualties included 18 dead American soldiers and 73 wounded,[20] with Malaysian forces suffering one death and seven wounded, and Pakistani forces two injuries.[21] Somali casualties, a mixture of insurgents and civilians, were far higher; most estimates are between 133 and 700 dead.[18][10]After the battle, dead US troops were dragged through the streets by enraged Somalis, an act that was broadcast on American television to public outcry. The operation was ended the next year.  Questions or comments at , Randalrgw1@aol.com , https://twitter.com/randal_wallace , and http://www.randalwallace.com/Please Leave us a review at wherever you get your podcastsThanks for listening!!

On this episode of the BiggerPockets Money podcast Mindy and Scott are joined by Beau Webb. Beau went from flying Blackhawk helicopters in the Army to achieving financial independence in his 30s through a diversified investment strategy that goes way beyond basic index funds. Beau built wealth through real estate, and savvy use of military benefits while still crushing it in traditional markets. But here's what makes his story even more powerful - he's living proof that you CAN retire early in just ten years if you save and invest strategically. His approach blends real estate investing, the smart use of military benefits, and disciplined plays in traditional markets. The result? Multiple streams of income that comfortably cover his lifestyle — all without tapping his retirement accounts. Beau's story proves that you can reach FI in as little as ten years, not by living on rice and beans, but by leveraging creative financing, making intentional moves, and thinking bigger than conventional financial advice allows. This Episode Covers: The exact house hacking strategies Beau used to build his first income streams Creative financing techniques that work even with limited starting capital How to maximize VA loan benefits for accelerated wealth building Why mobile home parks and self-storage became Beau's secret weapons Building multiple income streams that cover lifestyle costs without touching retirement accounts Diversification strategies across real estate and traditional markets The ten-year FI timeline: realistic expectations vs. extreme sacrifice How to leverage unique advantages (military or otherwise) for faster wealth building And SO much more! 00:00 Introduction to Today's Guest 01:14 Military Background and Financial Beginnings 05:42 First Steps into Real Estate 07:52 House Hacking  10:34 First Duplex Purchase 16:17 Expanding the Real Estate Portfolio 19:42 Diverse Investment Strategies 21:38 Seller Financing  28:28 Expanding the Portfolio 31:49 Achieving Financial Independence 34:36 Life as a Full-Time Investor 37:47 Connect with Beau! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Episode of No Brains No Headache Podcast the guys are back in studio to discuss:Dangers of drivingTaylor Swift's new albumThe Jonas BrothersKid Ump at MLB game upset usDarkness RetreatSandwich Etiquette Black Hawk Down plot holeFantasy Football SeasonOlympics of SiblingsCome see us at the Belle Mehus Auditorium on Saturday, September 13 for a stand up comedy show featuring John Kennedy, David Standal and Sampson Hurley! Tickets: https://www.bismarckeventcenter.com/events/2025/no-brains-no-headache-podcastThank you for listening!Follow No Brains No Headache on social media and make sure to follow, rate, and review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts. Subscribe + rate + review.Spotify. Follow along.iHeartRadio. Or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.New episode every Tuesday!Twitter. https://twitter.com/nbnhpodcastInstagram. https://www.instagram.com/nobrains_noheadache/Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/nbnhpodcastYouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQbXoHzYhhDigOaNXVYdK3gTik Tok. @NBNHPodcast

Yes, AOL dial-up internet is still a thing, but not for much longer. We reminisce on the "good" old days of the internet and how far we've come. Plus, we had some big news in the AI world this week and so much more. Watch on YouTube! - Notnerd.com and Notpicks.com INTRO (00:00) AI Stuff, should we cover more or less? Let us know in the comments (03:30) MAIN TOPIC: Pour one out for dial-up (05:45) AOL ditching dial-up service, a relic of the internet in the '90s and early '00s AOL Sound Board AOL Wikipedia Net Zero Dialup still kicking - maybe not, but they have a website The Commodore 64 is back DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK:  Shared Photo Albums (17:30) JUST THE HEADLINES: (25:05) Starbucks asks customers in South Korea to stop bringing printers and desktop computers into stores Jellyfish swarm forces French nuclear plant to shut Astrophysicist proposes paperclip-sized spacecraft could travel at lightspeed to a black hole Microsoft sued for discontinuing Windows 10 support Autonomous AI-guided Black Hawk helicopter tested to fight wildfires Xerox buys Lexmark for $1.5 billion as print industry clings to relevance US to expedite plan for nuclear reactor on the moon LISTENER MAIL: Todd - Magnets and computers (28:05) TAKES: Here's everything OpenAI announced at its GPT-5 event (03:30) OpenAI announces massive US government partnership - Anthropic is giving Claude to the U.S. government for $1 as AI companies try to win key agencies (36:20) Elon Musk's xAI releases Grok 4 for free globally, challenges OpenAI's GPT-5 launch (39:25) Reddit will block the Internet Archive (44:45) Microsoft Patch Tuesday August 2025 (46:40) BONUS ODD TAKE: Lex.games (49:25) PICKS OF THE WEEK:  Dave: Amazon Kindle Colorsoft 16 GB (newest model) – With color display and adjustable warm light – No Ads – Black (51:10) Nate: Flat Plug Power Strip Surge Protector, 5ft Ultra Thin Extension Cord with 4 USB Wall Charger(2 USB C Port), 6 Widely-Spaced Outlets Power Strip Compact for Travel, Office, Dorm Room Essentials (White) (54:50) RAMAZON PURCHASE OF THE WEEK (57:15)

What's up with kids these days? Meet Drew Cotton and Andrew Larson. Mr. Larson is fresh into the retirement scene but together, the two men served as professors at Black Hawk College in Galva, Illinois. They've seen it all. And they confidently say, we're in good hands. *** Show notes and Links *** Subscribe to AgEmerge here: https://www.youtube.com/c/AgSolutionsNetwork Watch another outstanding educator, Dr. Dwayne Beck, here: https://youtu.be/1JlTPcoKB0M Ag Solutions Network Socials: https://www.agsolutionsnetwork.com/agemergepodcast https://www.facebook.com/ASN.farm https://www.linkedin.com/company/agsolutionsnetwork https://twitter.com/POWER2GRO https://www.instagram.com/agsolutionsnetwork/ Ag Solutions Network website: https://www.agsolutionsnetwork.com/ Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we'll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to contactus@asn.farm we'd love to hear from you. *** Show notes and Links *** Monte Bottens hosts interns and classes from Black Hawk multiple times throughout the year. The three guys talk all about the unique learning approach Black Hawk provides and the depth of experience students have under their belts by graduation. Drew Cotton is the Co-Department Chair for the Agriculture Department at Black Hawk College. He focuses on agribusiness education. Prior to Black Hawk, Mr. Cotton studied Animal Sciences at the University of Florida and completed undergrad at Kansas State University. Mr. Cotton leads the Agribusiness Club and coaches the Agricultural Business and Horse Judging teams. With his peers and students, Mr. Cotton has coached and guided wins with the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Judging Conference Sweepstakes Awards. Andrew Larson: We thank Mr. Larson for his military service, prior to becoming an instructor. He recently retired after teaching at Black Hawk College for 27 years. He earned a Master's of Science in Nutrient Management and Crop Production from the University of Illinois in 1998 after completing his undergrad from the Illinois State University in Environmental Sciences and Protection in 1994. While at Black Hawk, Mr. Larson served as a full-time instructor in the agriculture department of Black Hawk College. He taught production, marketing and management of agriculture curriculums. He's secured places of employment for over 500 graduates in the agriculture industry. And provided leadership to place and supervise over 100 internships. Mr. Larson managed a 25-acre college agronomy lab, coached college soil and crop judging teams, and also served as Advisor for the Trap Shooting Club. He was the lead Investigator for Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity grant that supported a four-acre sustainable agriculture research plot and conducted numerous field trials annually in the agronomy lab. He designed subsurface drainage system in the agronomy lab to implement nutrient management study; facilitated installation of a bio-reactor.

On this week's Film Sack Podcast, the story of one hundred and sixty elite U.S. soldiers who dropped into Mogadishu in October 1993 to capture two top lieutenants of a renegade warlord, but found themselves in a desperate battle with a large force of heavily armed Somalis. Well that all seems...kinda serious. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's Film Sack Podcast, the story of one hundred and sixty elite U.S. soldiers who dropped into Mogadishu in October 1993 to capture two top lieutenants of a renegade warlord, but found themselves in a desperate battle with a large force of heavily armed Somalis. Well that all seems...kinda serious. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have three stories for you this week: The FAA has finally unveiled its proposed rule for Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations, an update to the story about a drone collision in Kerrville Texas, and we have some major leaks about the DJI Mini 5 ProThe FAA has released its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, or NPRM, for Beyond Visual Line of Sight, or BVLOS, operations. This is a massive deal for our drone industry. For years, complex BVLOS operations have required a slow, case-by-case waiver process. This new rule aims to create a standardized, scalable framework to normalize these flights. The proposal is designed to unlock the economic potential of drones in areas like package delivery, agriculture, and infrastructure inspection.So, what's in the proposal? There's a ton. We're working on a full video debrief of the NPRM now, but here are some points: • Operations will be at or below 400 feet, • Aircraft up to 1,320 lbs, • All operators would need FAA approval for the area where they intend to fly. They would identify the boundaries and the approximate number of daily operations, as well as takeoff, landing, and loading areas, if applicable, • All drones would need Remote ID and lighting, • BVLOS drones could be operated over people in different situations, • There are security requirements for BVLOS operators, • BVLOS operators may not need ANY FAA certificates.What we haven't seen in the NPRM so far is: • Any mention of network remote ID, • and any mention of extended visual line of sight for Part 107 operators.Next up, An update to the Helicopter and Drone mid-air out of Kerrville, Texas last month.During the catastrophic floods in Kerrville, Texas, on July 7th, a military UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing after colliding with a drone. Initial reports immediately blamed an unauthorized civilian drone violating the active Temporary Flight Restriction, or TFR. We reported this as it was reported by others, stating that the drone appeared to be an unauthorized flight in the TFR.However, testimony at a state hearing later clarified what really happened. The drone involved was actually an AUTHORIZED search and rescue drone that is alleged to have malfunctioned. According to the report, it “flew too high, stalled, and then collided with the helicopter”. Last up are some DJI leaks! It looks like we're getting our first real glimpse of the DJI Mini 5 Pro, thanks to some leaked images of the product box and a new render. And if these specs are real, this could be a game-changer for the mini drone category. The box confirms a 1-inch image sensor capable of shooting up to 4K/120fps video. That would be quite an upgrade from the 1/1.3-inch sensor in the Mini 4 Pro. The leak also points to a gimbal with 225 degrees of rotation for more flexible camera movements, a 48mm medium-telephoto mode, and Nightscape Omnidirectional Obstacle Sensing that uses a forward-facing LiDAR sensor. But here's the most important detail, and it's what's MISSING from the box. The Mini 4 Pro box clearly stated "Less Than 249 g," but that text is nowhere to be found on this new leak. With a bigger sensor and a LiDAR unit, it's very possible the Mini 5 Pro will tip the scales over that magic 250-gram mark. This would have major implications for pilots who rely on the regulatory freedom of the sub-250g category. https://dronexl.co/2025/08/05/faa-unveils-proposed-bvlos-rule-drone/https://dronexl.co/2025/08/03/dji-mini-5-pro-key-features-box-confirms/https://dronexl.co/2025/07/31/authorized-drone-disrupts-rescue-helicopter-kerrville/

PTSD, US Army Delta Force, Black Hawk Down Movie, Special Episode. For retired U.S. Army Command Sgt. Major Tom Satterly, the battlefield was never truly left behind. With 25 years of service, 20 of them in the elite "Delta Force". Satterly became a living legend in the world of Special Operations. He was on the ground during the infamous "Battle of Mogadishu", the same firefight portrayed in the movie "Black Hawk Down". But it wasn't the bullets or the RPGs that almost ended him, it was the silence that followed. In the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast promoted across their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms. “PTSD is a battle I never trained for,” Tom said in a this special episode of the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast. “I came home with invisible wounds. And those were the hardest to face.” The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast interview, available for free on their website, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more podcast platforms. The Battle of Mogadishu: The Real “Black Hawk Down” On October 3, 1993, during "Operation Gothic Serpent", U.S. forces set out to capture top lieutenants of Somali warlord General Mohammed Farah Aidid. What was meant to be a 60-minute raid turned into a harrowing overnight firefight. Somali fighters shot down two Black Hawk helicopters, and a desperate rescue mission followed. Eighteen American soldiers were killed, 73 wounded, and the event left lasting scars on everyone involved. PTSD, US Army Delta Force, Black Hawk Down Movie, Special Episode. Tom Satterly was there, fighting through the chaos, leading men under fire, and witnessing scenes that would haunt him for years. The movie "Black Hawk Down", while powerful, barely scratches the surface of the reality those soldiers endured. Look for supporting stories about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin . “That wasn't just a movie for us,” Tom recalled. “That was our life. And some of us didn't come back the same.” After the Guns Fell Silent: Life After Special Forces Tom's accomplishments in combat earned him some of the highest military honors, including a Silver Star and four Bronze Stars (one with valor). He also played a role in the mission that captured Saddam Hussein. But after retiring, Tom began a darker mission, battling severe PTSD, survivor's guilt, and depression. “I almost ended it all,” he shared. “I hit rock bottom. I felt like a failure, not as a soldier, but as a man.” Available for free on their website and streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms. That personal reckoning became the turning point for Tom and his wife, Jen Satterly. Together, they co-founded the All Secure Foundation, a non-profit built to support Special Operations veterans and their families during their transition to civilian life. PTSD, US Army Delta Force, Black Hawk Down Movie, Special Episode. The Mission of All Secure Foundation “In the military, ‘All Secure' means everyone's accounted for,” Tom explained. “It means safety. But for us, it's a promise that no one gets left behind. Not anymore.” The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast episode is available for free on their website , Apple Podcasts , Spotify and most major podcast platforms. The All Secure Foundation provides: Retreats - tailored to Special Operations veterans and their spouses Six-week mind and body resets - to heal trauma holistically Coaching and community - for couples learning to reconnect A forthcoming healing guide - specifically designed for SOF families Get updates on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, their website and many major podcast platforms. Tom's story and his candid discussions about PTSD have resonated deeply with thousands. His bestselling book, All Secure: A Special Operations Soldier's Fight to Survive on the Battlefield and the Homefront, pulls back the curtain on the quiet, destructive aftermath of war. PTSD, US Army Delta Force, Black Hawk Down Movie, Special Episode. Resilience, Recovery, and Responsibility The journey from "Delta Force" operator to nonprofit founder wasn't linear. It was messy. “I realized I'd been wearing a mask for years,” Tom said. “You can survive a gunfight, but still die inside if you don't get help.” You can listen to his stories and interview on our website for free in addition to platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and other major podcast platforms. Through All Secure Foundation, Tom and Jen are shifting the conversation. They're showing warriors, and their families, that asking for help isn't weakness. It's courage. It's leadership. PTSD, US Army Delta Force, Black Hawk Down Movie, Special Episode. “Special Operators are trained to fight and win,” Jen added. “But no one trains them for home life, for marriage, for healing. That's where we come in.” A Special Episode Worth Hearing Tom Satterly's powerful insights are featured in a special podcast episode you can stream now for free on their website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major platforms. It's a raw, unfiltered conversation about war, survival, and the importance of community. “The silence after war,” Tom says, “is often louder than the fight itself. But healing is possible. And no one has to do it alone.” Whether you're a veteran, a first responder, a spouse, or someone who cares about them, Tom's story, and the mission of All Secure Foundation, is one worth following. PTSD, US Army Delta Force, Black Hawk Down Movie, Special Episode. The full podcast episode is streaming now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and across Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Because every warrior deserves to hear two words, All Secure. Be sure to check out our website . Be sure to follow us on MeWe , X , Instagram , Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin and other social media platforms for the latest episodes and news. You can help contribute money to make the Gunrunner Movie . The film that Hollywood won't touch. It is about a now Retired Police Officer that was shot 6 times while investigating Gunrunning. He died 3 times during Medical treatment and was resuscitated. You can join the fight by giving a monetary “gift” to help ensure the making of his film at agunrunnerfilm.com . Background song Hurricane is used with permission from the band Dark Horse Flyer. You can contact John J. “Jay” Wiley by email at Jay@letradio.com , or learn more about him on their website . Get the latest news articles, without all the bias and spin, from the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on Medium , which is free. Find a wide variety of great podcasts online at The Podcast Zone Facebook Page , look for the one with the bright green logo. PTSD, US Army Delta Force, Black Hawk Down Movie, Special Episode. Attributions All Secure Foundation Wikipedia US Army Amazon Wikipedia

You probably know Mary Louise Kelly's voice as the co-host of NPR's All Things Considered. But you may not know that the veteran journalist has faced her fair share of challenges – from discovering she had severe hearing loss at 40 to making an agonizing choice between work and motherhood while reporting from a Black Hawk helicopter over Baghdad. In this episode, recorded live at the 2025 Aspen Ideas Festival, Sophie dives deep with the former national security correspondent, whose tales from the front lines are almost as exciting as her tales of falling madly in love in her fifties. Here are her songs: Debbie Gibson - Only in My Dreams James Baskett - Zip a Dee Doo Dah Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion Oasis - Champagne Supernova Natasha Bedingfield - Unwritten Ylvis - The Fox What Does The Fox Say Bellamy Brothers - Let Your Love Flow Tracy Chapman - Give Me One Reason

By request, it's the smooth sounds of Blackhawk's 1994 hit "Every Once in a While". The instrumentation, the vocals, and the overall sound are all Blackhawk. But how do all these things lend support to these lyrics' understated confidence?And while you're at it, why not roll over to Melton's other podcast, Propaniacs: A King of the Hill Podcast? He publishes an episode every now and then...

This week, we talk about the Blackhawk helicopter crash report, the damage an unfortunate rumor about a college student caused, and the frightening prospect of necessary, useful data being stifled or simply going away. Then, for our main segment, Ben and Kenny go over the infamous Columbus poltergeist case, an incident from 1984 involving, you guessed it, a young woman with some issues who was suddenly haunted by a mysterious force. Tina Resch was consistently underestimated by "experts" who looked into the case after some photos of a flying phone rocketed Tina's adopted family into the national spotlight. The Amazing Randi was not allowed on the property, but we have information from plenty of other sources, including Resch herself, that she was faking the incidents. Still, this self-debunked case has much to teach us about how the sensationalism around a supposed supernatural event can take over lives.

Estados Unidos y México acordaron una prórroga de 90 días para negociar en este plazo un acuerdo sobre los aranceles del 30% con los que había amenazado Trump a principios de julio, y que entrarían en vigor hoy 1 de agosto. Para Trump el acuerdo implica que México ponga fin de inmediato a las barreras comerciales no arancelarias, aunque no especificó cuáles ni explicó muy bien de qué habla. Aún así, tanto Trump como Claudia Sheinbaum y Marcelo Ebrard, celebraron el acuerdo y aseguraron que la comunicación entre ambos países es muy buena.La Junta Nacional de Seguridad del Transporte estadounidense arrancó una audiencia pública de tres días para determinar qué causó el choque entre un helicóptero Black Hawk del Ejército y un avión regional de American Airlines a principios de este año, que provocó la muerte de 67 personas. Entre las revelaciones que más han llamado la atención, está que la Torre de Control del Aeropuerto Nacional Reagan no advirtió al avión sobre la trayectoria del Black Hawk antes del accidente, únicamente lo hizo con los pilotos del Ejército.Además… La Secretaría de Marina incautó un centro de vigilancia clandestino conectado al C4 oficial; Iberdrola vendió todas sus actividades en México a Cox; Al menos 23 personas resultaron heridas luego de que un juego de feria fallara en Arabia Saudita; Donald Trump llegó a un acuerdo para reducir aranceles a Pakistán; La Casa Blanca usó el meme del verano de Jet2 para promocionar la deportación de migrantes; Y Justin Trudeau y Katy Perry están dando mucho de qué hablar. Y para #ElVasoMedioLleno… Un equipo de científicos descubrió que los orígenes de la papa moderna se remontan al tomate.Para enterarte de más noticias como estas, síguenos en redes sociales. Estamos en todas las plataformas como @telokwento. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An NTSB hearing reveals troubling findings about the last moments before a Blackhawk helicopter collided with a passenger jet in Washington, D.C. Officials evaluate evacuation procedures after a tsunami scare. And Congress considers a bill that would bar lawmakers from trading stocks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Fed is keeping interest rates as they are. Dozens of criminal cases in Boston have been tossed in the past couple weeks because public defenders needed more money; a pay raise has been issued. Kamala Harris announces she will not run for governor of California. Second day of hearing between the Blackhawk and the passenger plane that killed multiple people was yesterday. The New York man who shot and killed four people bought the gun from his supervisor who worked at a Vegas casino. Trump is still being asked if he will pardon Diddy.  

In this powerful episode of The Final Percent Podcast, Greg Kimble sits down with a remarkable guest best known as The Muscle—a man with a story that flips fear into fuel, trauma into triumph, and helicopters into healing. From standing under a Blackhawk flyover at a Limitless event to overcoming crippling fear of flying, this episode dives deep into how one man rewired his brain by taking control—literally—of his life and a helicopter. Discover how a terrifying fear of heights transformed into a passion for flight, presence, and purpose. But it goes deeper. You'll hear a moving tribute to his late father, and the unforgettable speech he gave during Man in the Arena about putting yourself first—not out of selfishness, but out of necessity. Learn how self-love, presence, and prioritizing your health isn't just personal development… it's survival, leadership, and legacy. We also explore: Why helicopters are safer than planes How being fully present can change your life The dangers of noble sacrifice without self-care Entrepreneurship and customer journey in the age of AI Why mentorship is the fast track to success (and how much you should invest) The mindset shift every man and entrepreneur needs to hear This is more than just a podcast episode—this is a wake-up call for anyone trying to be everything for everyone without being anything for themselves.

Don't Stop Believing, Part 2 A sermon by Pastor Richard Sfameni, Lead Pastor at Victory Church, in Providence, RI. Opening and Welcome Greeting and response (“Amen. You may be seated. Praise the Lord…”) Appreciation for worship and participation Importance of authentic worship regardless of personal trial Your worship may inspire others seeing you worship through struggles Introduction to the Message Continuation of last week's sermon: “Don't Stop Believing” Central theme: The importance of faith Church communications and resources Plan to distribute more tools (study notes, questions, etc.) Request for members' contact information for improved communication Emphasis: Church is not just about large attendance, but engagement and making disciples The Church's Mission A. Contrast: Mere attendance vs. engagement and discipleship Mission to make disciples, not just fill seats Desire for everyone to participate in the mission Illustration: “Church is not a show” Story of the complaining church family and the child's remark Clarification: True purpose is the kingdom of God and being a church on mission Textual Foundation: Hebrews 12:1–4 Reading the passage: Call to run the race with endurance Surrounded by a “cloud of witnesses” Laying aside every weight and sin Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of faith Enduring hostility/persecution Context of Hebrews Audience: New Jewish believers facing persecution and discouragement Emphasis on Jesus' supremacy (greater than Moses, angels, law, etc.) Faith as a central theme—challenge to keep believing despite opposition The Value and Battle for Faith The cost and value of faith Faith is precious and under attack by the enemy Analogy: No one protects garbage; faith is worth guarding Scriptural support: 1 Peter 1:6–7 Faith tested by trials is more precious than gold Faith defined as taking God at His word, trusting His promises The devil's strategy Destroy faith to win the war for your soul Example: Peter's denial—Jesus prayed for his faith, not his flawless behavior Faith enables recovery from failure; without faith, all is lost Restoration possible in every area if faith remains Encouragement Against Discouragement Relating to listeners facing severe trials Message: Keep running, keep believing, keep trusting God Faith Lessons from Hebrews 12:1–4 Prompt: “I need to learn more about faith.” Faith as Armor and Protection Theme connection: VBS and the armor of God Shield of faith in spiritual warfare Attack of the enemy represented as “fiery darts” Practical reminder: The armor and shield are necessary for those following Christ Emphasis on being targeted by the enemy after choosing Christ Review of Main Points on Faith (from Hebrews 11 and 12) Examples of Faith Long-distance race imagery—a “cloud of witnesses” Heroes of faith in Hebrews 11: Overcame challenges through faith Romans 15:4—Scripture written for our learning and hope Hindrances of Faith Laying aside “every weight and sin” Illustration: Man with backpack in church = symbolic of carrying burdens Every person has weights unique to them; these hinder the race Philippians 3:12–14—Forgetting the past, pressing to the future Weights may be past hurts, offenses, or nostalgia for “good old days” God grants “divine forgetfulness;” past loses its sting through grace Warning: Some people's lives are diminished by holding onto the past Everyone gets hurt—must let go of past to move forward Analogy of car: Rear view mirror vs. windshield Not just bad things—even good things can keep you from the best Example from business literature: Jim Collins' “stop doing list” Need for focus and discipline; not every opportunity is for you Living With Focus and Purpose Personal examples (Clergy Day, Black Hawk helicopter story) Temptation to take on too much, even good things, but must focus on God's specific calling Pastor's personal callings—pastoring, discipling, international ministry Not every door is yours to walk through The Perseverance of Faith (Major Point) Key emphasis: Learning to persevere/endure Life of faith is a marathon, not a sprint Everyone must run their race for a lifetime Many start but give up because of opposition/discouragement Greek word “hupomonē”—active, determined perseverance despite hardship Perseverance needed in all areas: marriage, raising kids, ministry, career Illustrations: Father-son story—Elmer MacLurkin (a joke to show the importance of perseverance) Famous perseverance quote: Winston Churchill—“Never, never, never give up” Bible college anecdote: “Never, never, never quit”—words that rang true over time Practical encouragement Heroes like Noah and Abraham persevered over decades for God's promise Breakthroughs often come after the hardest trials—don't quit before your breakthrough God's grace picks you up after you fall; faith enables you to keep going Closing Exhortation and Prayer The way to persevere: Prayer and the Word Grace for endurance comes through prayer, worship, and Scripture Not about willpower, but about God's grace working in you Ministry anecdote: “You can quit Sunday afternoon, just show up Monday morning.” Final appeals Don't quit: on God, on relationships, on dreams, on your walk Don't miss your breakthrough—greatest attacks precede the next season Reiterate: “Don't quit. Don't give up. Never, never, never quit.” Closing prayer Ask God to ignite and strengthen the people's hearts with truth Call for going forward, not quitting, renewed by God's grace in word and prayer Recap: The critical, non-negotiable importance of daily connection to God's Word and prayer  

The origin of Henry Winkler's signature Fonzie move! Dr. Bobb's heartwarming tales of the Ohio State Fair! And did we mention the HIP, NEW Blackhawk era? It's all right here in Blackhawk #230! Chapters (00:00:00) - Oh, My!(00:00:17) - Blackhawk 230(00:04:09) - Jumping the Shark(00:07:23) - The New Blackhawk: Digging Their New Secret Identities(00:11:13) - Henry Winkler On The Fonz(00:12:36) - The Black Hawks in Crisis #(00:16:07) - Skyrim: The Swedish Slum(00:18:54) - Circus Island(00:21:18) - The Leaper(00:25:48) - Have You Already Befriended a Swedish Girl?(00:26:13) - The Emperor's Goons Training(00:28:16) - Gargantua In The Knights of Sea Crossover(00:29:07) - Monsieur Machine At The Ohio State Fair(00:32:47) - How To Ruin a Carousel(00:36:41) - Gargantua Gets a Plasma infusion(00:38:06) - Equipment and their use(00:40:01) - Working at the University of Maryland College Library, which had no books(00:41:46) - He Digs The Boat Bit The Most(00:42:44) - Chop Chop vs The Emperor(00:45:05) - Black Hawk vs Duck(00:46:12) - The Secret Life Of Stanislaus(00:49:46) - Atomic breakdown of gold in '(00:50:49) - Stanislaus vs the Golden Centurion(00:54:29) - Stanley the Golden Centurion(00:58:32) - Black Hawk: The End of an Era

Dr. John Holcomb is one of the most legendary trauma surgeons alive. He shares untold details from Black Hawk Down, where he operated for over 30 hours straight during the infamous battle in Somalia in 1993. He opens up about the chaos, grit, and brutal realities of combat medicine — and how that moment shifted his mission for life.Now, he's focused on saving lives before patients even reach the hospital. From pioneering blood delivery systems to taking five trips to the frontlines of Ukraine, Dr. Holcomb's work is reshaping modern trauma care.This is more than a war story — it's a raw look at courage, purpose, humility and what it means to serve on the edge of life and death.

In a time of summer when news is light the guys still manage to put together a decent episode were they discuss Soderbloms spot with the team, minor signings, Foligno our captain, Blackhawk game grades, and Mount Rushmore of Stanley Cup Era Role Players. (0:00) Intro(3:27) Arvid Soderblom gets his arbitration hearing scheduled and the guys discuss what the ruling could be and if there is a chance they get a deal done before hand and avoid that nastiness. (5:06) The guys discuss Louis Crevier and goaltender Stanislav Berezhnoy to two year deals. The latter leads to a discussion of the Hawks goaltending depth and that there could be some hard calls to be made down the line which is always a good thing. (12:12) Nick Foligno played host to some of the younger Hawks in Sudbury and while the photos make him seem like a proud father, the guys talk about how important Foligno is to this team and developing the new culture in the Blackhawks locker room.(18:07) Connor Bedard and Spencer Knight get named pretty high on a few NHL list. Tanner and Jarom argue if Spencer Knight was ripped off or if he was placed exactly where he belongs among goalies under 25 years old.(23:22) The Hawks released the latest episode of Every Shift and because it revolved around the draft and development camp it only makes sense the guys take the time to complain about the draft process.(27:21) The NHL Schedule is here so Jarom picked out a few Hawks games that seemed important and then the guys graded them on how must watch TV those games are. Tanner reads the list of NHL.com must see games and lets say there was a lot of disagreements from the guys on those. (46:55) The guys wrap up the show picking their Mount Rushmore for Stanley Cup Era Role playersHosts:Jarom @ZachJaromTanner @BroliethegoalieX: @WCBPodcastInstagram: @WCBPodcastFacebook: WCBPodcast..#nhl #hockey #blackhawks #icehockey #chicagoblackhawks #podcast 

BEST OF TST: Many things come in threes, from the concept of body-mind-spirit to birth-life-death, and thus the various trinities found around the world from the dominant Christian conception to the Indian Trimurti. There is a universality to this truth, which can be found in everything from mass shootings to plane crashes. The spiritual side of these things is the human side, too, because when horrible things happen we see ourselves and loved ones in the dead; we pray, donate, hold candles, and think about life and death. The long-standing conspiratorial element to this fact has also just been reinforced by former FBI agent Jonathan Gilliam, who was on Fox News over the weekend to say that the recent plane-helicopter crashes “will often happen in threes or more,” and so we should expect to possibly see another one in the coming weeks. This belief that things happen in threes is rooted in psychological patterns, pop culture, and cultural superstitions, where people perceive a connection between events due to our tendency to recognize these patterns. This idea is reinforced by the significance of the number three in various aspects of life, such as religion and folklore, which adds to its mystery. Despite plane crashes becoming less common, the more attention we place on them the more even minor incidents, like a small plane in Palo Alto running off the runway over the weekend, become proof of the triplicity mystique. If another larger incident occurs, the Palo Alto story may be forgotten. The pattern in societal and psychological terms comes in threes before the cycle restarts: shock, curiosity, and digging for answers that never come (outside personal bias) leads to disinterest from short attention spans so that we forget, or think we have all the answers, and so move on to the next shocking episode be it a storm, assassination, shooting, or plane crash. When analyzing these types of stories, context matters too, along with numbers and names which become like reading the green code of the Matrix. This was certainly the case with #286 and Luigi Mangione. The American Airlines flight 5342, which took off from Kansas's Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport for DC's Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was carrying 64 people, while the UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter, from the 12th Air Battalion, that slammed into its side was carrying 3 - (67 overall = 13). ATC attempted to contact the helicopter prior to collision, but after a short response and silence, “13 seconds later” disaster struck. The runway cleared for landing was 33, which was shut down after. The plane type was a CRJ-700.The Learjet 55 that crashed in Philadelphia was carrying 6 crew and a child, for a total of 7 deaths, although other outlets have reported the child's mother died in the crash too. 19 others were injured. Others reported seven died in total, including a person on the ground. The FAA initially reported two people onboard, but corrected the report. The little girl had received medical care at a Shriners Hospital for Children 12 miles from the airport. The plane was headed to Tijuana, after a layover in Missouri at the Springfield-Branson National Airport. It seems slightly more than coincidence that the two major aviation incidents this past week have a connection to Super Bowl 59 next week. The Philadelphia Eagles will play the Kansas City Chiefs, who are actually located in Kansas City Missouri, a city split between two states. Some of the skaters onboard the AA flight were from Missoula, Montana. One of the major game storylines of the big game is that Patrick Mahomes has passed Joe Montana for second most playoff wins behind Tom Brady at 35 with his 7 Super Bowls. As already discussed on a previous show: “If we can pull a mythological narrative together… it could be between the Secret Chiefs, i.e., Deep State, and the symbolic bird of America, i.e., the eagle. The big game is being played at Caesars super dome, named after the entertainment casino company that uses a golden caesar for their logo. As this relates to politics we find Trump pushing the golden age of America narrative just weeks before the game, and we find the orange-yellow man fulfilling the promise of restoring order and even expanding America's territories, pricelessly what the first Augustus promised Rome. And funny enough, this Roman period was called Pax Romana, the golden age.” It is also odd that around Super Bowl time these types of aviation incidents, and some would argue sacrifices, are common in recent years. In January 2024, a Boeing 737-9 MAX made an emergency landing after the door plug blew out mid-flight, causing a cascade of criticism and public awareness. Just after the game there was a massacre at the winning celebration. As reported on a previous show: “NBC News reported at 9:44am Thursday 15th, 2024, 23 were injured and 2 were taken into custody = 25. At 10:17am Yahoo reported 22 injured and 3 taken into custody = 25. The numbers 25-22 was the final score of the game. The 3 arrested were out of a group of 10 questioned = 13, and 10-3 was the Halftime score of the Super Bowl.”During the week of the big game in 2023 a series of UFOs were tracked, shot down, and reported on in a national hysteria. Going back to 2020, January 26, the Sikorsky S-76B helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant and his 13-year old daughter crashed, killing 9 in total. It's odd enough Kobe was previously in a commercial for Nike where there was a helicopter crash via a bomb, or that Legends of Chamberlain Heights seemingly predicted the same incident just a few years before, but consider the following: the Sikorsky S-76B (SB 7+6=13) that killed Kobe was also meant to transport VIPs like himself, in likeness to the Black Hawk in Washington which was designed to carry VIPs. Both incidents occurred just prior to the Super Bowl. Sikorsky is also the same company that has MATRIX(tm) autonomy systems for Black Hawk helicopters, something DARPA was planning to test in 2025. In other words, remote controlled systems, which, coupled with the lack of response from the helicopter to ATC, formulates a conspiracy that either the technology failed or it has been used to create an incident and sacrifice the pilots in the process; the helicopter was officially on a “proficiency training flight.” Considering the recent drone hysteria, too, it is likely these objects were authorized by the FAA as an experiment to test AI-autonomy and situational awareness as part of a project called Convergence. On the other hand, viral conspiracy suggests there was no plane in Philadelphia because there was limited to no debris, essentially meaning it was a missile instead. The plane, however, was tipped at 45 degrees traveling at over 460mph and depending at 5-10 thousand feet per 60 seconds. For a small plane, with explosive medical equipment, it makes sense the entire thing was incinerated, or that the limited debris was exploded outward, not inward, far away from the crater. “I think the most important bit of evidence that we've seen so far is the doorbell video showing the aircraft descending at an incredible angle,” Arthur Wolk, an aviation expert, told NBC10. “Almost 45 degrees, which means that the airplane was out of control. No pilot would voluntarily descend any airplane at that angle. That probably resulted in the airplane striking the ground at over 400 knots and probably 5 or even 10,000 feet a minute going down that fast. So, something overtook this flight crew.”*The is the FREE archive, which includes advertisements. If you want an ad-free experience, you can subscribe below underneath the show description.-FREE ARCHIVE (w. ads)SUBSCRIPTION ARCHIVEX / TWITTER FACEBOOKWEBSITECashApp: $rdgable EMAIL: rdgable@yahoo.com / TSTRadio@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-secret-teachings--5328407/support.

descriptionGrease Panarisi, 10 Percent True Episode 73 Part 3⸻0:00 intro teaser (pulling offensive - the man with 4 brains)4:30 welcome back Grease 6:55 impressions of a wing EWO in early days of Strike Eagle 12:57 ALQ-135/ALR-56 issues (from Desert Storm) addressed? 15:50 F-111 any better? 16:52 ALQ-131 endorsed!17:22 tasking and deployment reflections following Desert Storm -AEF concept23:26 deployments/learning?27:10 Viper stats and blowing motors30:00 Thoughts on CSAR in the wake of Desert Storm perceived shortcomings 31:50 employment/ROE/improv?33:50 on the job threat assessment?35:03 theatre ramifications of Blackhawk shoot down and a Strike Eagle guy's view on it 43:08 Support the Channel!!43:38 Turkish hosts47:03 Balkan deployment 54:45 employing gbu-24 59:25 gbu-15 and agm-130?1:01:25 facing 2 weeks of war in Balkans with Desert Storm experience in the bag1:04:55 thoughts on the “stick monkeys”1:08:25 expanding upon “the man with 4 brains”1:14:50 how do you do that?!1:16:22 maxing out potential? 1:18:05 correlation between leadership and tactical prowess?1:24:58 Test Pilot School1:32:35 evaluating the Mig-15 as a personal (private) aircraft1:36:00 any knowledge at this point about existing Mig experts in the AF?1:40:40 most “useful” part of course?1:45:35 WSO skills in the mix, other students and A-101:50:15 Test pilot hates mathematics 1:55:20 “W+12” graduation guest speaker2:00:24 guest test at China Lake?2:02:30 rounding out and part 4 preview

It's Die Hard in a war zone!This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK…it's war! Not just on screen, but also between Phil and Liam, have very different opinions about this divisive film!During a disastrous mission in Somalia, a group of U.S. soldiers find themselves besieged by scores of enemy militia in the city of Mogadishu, a situation that is compounded when not one but two Black Hawk helicopters crash in the middle of the war zone. With the situation worsening by the minute, inexperienced Staff Sgt Matt Eversman (Josh Hartnett) must use all his skills and determination to bring his men home, save the pilots, and honor the Army Ranger credo: ‘No Man Left Behind'. As our hosts debate the relative merits and demerits of this undeniably powerful picture, the conversation also widens into a larger discussion of whether any film can legitimately be an anti-war movie or whether all war films are inherently propagandistic on some level. The boys also discuss some of their own brushes with military personnel and how that informed their views about this film…and Phil even recounts his own experience of flying in a Black Hawk! As always, events culminate with the Die Hard Oscars and the Double Jeopardy trivia quiz. Helo heads rise up! TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GfBkC3qs78At the time of release, BLACK HAWK DOWN is available to stream on Netflix, Hoopla and Kanopy and is available rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms, as well as on physical media!Click here to subscribe to our Patreon feed 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES!www.patreon.com/48hoursofbuddymovies Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Bodyslam.net's Max Dinenberg and Blackhawk as they run down all the results and recap all the action from AEW's All In Texas!#AEWAllIn #AEW #Wrestling #ProWrestling #Bodyslam

The Blackhawks are back! That can mean only one thing - the return of some ridiculous accents. Join David and Peter as they cover the first issue of the 1970s revival of Blackhawk. HAWKAAAAAA!!   Email us at theearth2podcast@gmail.com Facebook www.facebook.com/theearth2podcast Instagram www.instagram.com/theearth2podcast Twitter www.twitter.com/podcast_earth2 Leave us a Voicemail at www.speakpipe.com/theearth2podcast And we're now on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/theearth2podcast.bsky.social   #dccomics #dcmultiverse #Blackhawk

today we bring you Part 3 of my Summer 2011 conversation with the late, great Marty Pasko. In this installment, we explore Marty's work from the 1980s, including his run on Blackhawk, and get his sharp perspective on what was then the big unknown — the launch of DC's New 52. Marty had a lot to say about how that relaunch might alter the company's history and how it stacked up against past reinventions of the DC Universe.We also take a hard look back at the Silver and Bronze Age stewardship of Superman under controversial editor Mort Weisinger — including Weisinger's infamous treatment of co-creator Jerry Siegel and his iron grip on the Man of Steel's mythos.Plus, you'll get a behind-the-scenes peek at the origins of DC's beloved reprint formats — the 80-Page Giants and 100-Page Spectaculars. Where did the idea come from? Why did they work? And what legacy did they leave? This is essential listening for anyone who loves DC Comics history — as told by someone who lived it.

Was Dennis Rodman a good wrestler?. Raven and Mr Perfect arrive. Was the 1997 audience ready for cruiserweights?. Retirements, wives turning on husbands, & more! ApronBump.com to watch and listen to all full episodes! Want to be featured on a future episode? Leave a voicemail using the "Send a Voicemail" button on ApronBump.com! Follow me at: @ApronBump on Twitter https://twitter.com/ApronBump @Apron_Bump on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/Apron_Bump/ @ApronBump on Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@apronbump?lang=en “Apron Bump” on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Apron-Bump-1… “Apron Bump” on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/ApronBump Enjoy this era of WCW? Catch up on the entire timeline at: https://www.apronbump.com/category/wrestling-wars-of-the-90s/ Join the Discord!  https://discord.gg/whcUgwDT Grab some Apron Bump merch! https://the-apron-bump-podcast.creator-spring.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out Blackhawk and the Blackhawk Walker; live on YouTube and Twitch! For everything Blackhawk Walker, check out: https://pillar.io/blackhawkwalker @BlackhawkWalker on X: https://x.com/BlackhawkWalker Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Blackhawkwalker/videos Watch on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/blackhawkwalker

This week military historian Dr. Jonathan Carroll drops in to talk about Black Hawk Down and his new book Beyond Black Hawk Down: Intervention, Nation-Building, and Insurgency in Somalia, 1992-1995.About our guest:Jonathan Carroll is a former officer in the Irish Defence Forces who earned a PhD from Texas A&M University. He is an associate professor of military history at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.

Welcome to Who Are You?, the only O-Negative sci-fi watchcast! Laura and Xhafer take a movie break to review one of the films that inspired the visual and tonal style of BSG, Black Hawk Down. Laura and Xhafer talk fonts. Laura appreciates good dust CGI. Xhafer refuses to sign in to Tumblr. Content warning: War stuff. This episode gets heavy, so if you're not in the mood, we understand. We'll see you next week for more BSG!

Voicemail: 951-292-4377;  The Tens and Aces Podcast;  Poker floor ruling follow-up;  Berlin Wall at Main Street Station;  Borgata renovation;  100x odds;  Black Hawk advice;  The benefits of a player's card;  You Can Bet on That Vibe

In this episode with Matt Cox, Michael McAlister reveals how a massive federal grow-op hunt—including Blackhawk helicopters, ATF raids, and RICO charges—upended his life. He survived a near-fatal off-road crash, federal prison, and the betrayal of his own lawyer. Through survival tactics and mental resilience, he turned his sentence into a turning point—writing a true-crime book (“Catch 420”) and redefining his purpose behind bars.Catch 420 https://a.co/d/5APWlbHhttps://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/catch-420-mikal-mkali/1146500122Get 50% sitewide for a limited time. Just visit https://GhostBed.com/cox and use code COX at checkout.Do you want to be a guest? Fill out the form https://forms.gle/5H7FnhvMHKtUnq7k7Send me an email here: insidetruecrime@gmail.comDo you extra clips and behind the scenes content?Subscribe to my Patreon: https://patreon.com/InsideTrueCrime Follow me on all socials!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insidetruecrime/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@matthewcoxtruecrimeDo you want a custom painting done by me? Check out my Etsy Store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/coxpopartListen to my True Crime Podcasts anywhere: https://anchor.fm/mattcox Check out my true crime books! Shark in the Housing Pool: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0851KBYCFBent: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BV4GC7TMIt's Insanity: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KFYXKK8Devil Exposed: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TH1WT5GDevil Exposed (The Abridgment): https://www.amazon.com/dp/1070682438The Program: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0858W4G3KBailout: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bailout-matthew-cox/1142275402Dude, Where's My Hand-Grenade?: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BXNFHBDF/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1678623676&sr=1-1Checkout my disturbingly twisted satiric novel!Stranger Danger: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BSWQP3WXIf you would like to support me directly, I accept donations here:Paypal: https://www.paypal.me/MattCox69Cashapp: $coxcon69

Episode 389 Show Notes Topic of the show: On this week's show, AG and RH discuss recent changes in how VFR only towers provide radar approach services to pilots.  Who has responsibility for approaches in the airspace, what facilities can provide radar services, and why is the change important for pilots to understand?  We also discuss VFR vectors, pinch hitter courses, and how a malfunctioning instrument caused a Blackhawk to stray into enemy territory.  This was a fun show!  Enjoy! Timely Feedback: 1. Patron BGK sent audio and asked about our ATC equipment wishlist. 2. Patron CL sent information about some publication changes.  Notice here: https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_info/aeronav/safety_alerts/media/VIS_25-03_CN_Product_Terminations_eff_Aug_2025.pdf Aeronautical Chart Users' Guide: https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_info/aeronav/digital_products/aero_guide/ 3. Patron AA sends words of inspiration for AG and his instrument making endeavor. Feedback 1. Patron SG shared a story about ATC helping a non pilot safely land.  Check out this article on “Pinch Hitter” courses.   https://www.aopa.org/training-and-safety/online-learning/safety-spotlights/pinch-hitter 2. SGAC Patron SA wants to know if VFR airplanes get penalty vectors. 3. Patron SRD shares a story of two lieutenants, a map, and a malfunctioning instrument near the North Korean DMZ.  Have a great week and thanks for listening!  Visit our website at OpposingBases.com You can support our show using Patreon or visiting our support page on the website.  Keep the feedback coming, it drives the show! Don't be shy, use the “Send Audio to AG and RH” button on the website and record an audio message. Or you can send us comments or questions to feedback@opposingbases.com.  Music bumpers by audionautix.com.  Third party audio provided by liveatc.net.  Legal Notice The views and opinions expressed on Opposing Bases Air Traffic Talk are for entertainment purposes only and do not represent the views, opinions, or official positions of the FAA, Penguin Airlines, or the United States Army.  Episodes shall not be recorded or transcribed without express written consent. For official guidance on laws, rules, and regulations, consult an aviation attorney or certified flight instructor.

GS#1004 Summary: This week host Fred Greene speaks with Caleb Kroloff, Director of Metal & Woods R&D for PXG to discuss the new PXG Wildcat set, designed for beginner golfers and those with slower swing speeds. We also discuss the latest innovations in golf equipment, including hybrids, irons, and the new Blackhawk putter. Caleb explores the design philosophy behind these clubs, the importance of fitting for golfers of all skill levels, and the introduction of the Secret Weapon mini driver. The discussion highlights how these advancements aim to enhance the golfing experience for both beginners and seasoned players. Learn more at PXG.com/smarter. See ad info below for 20% off your entire order!Get more when your visit the refreshed golfsmarter.com!Introduce an Upcoming Episode: Receive free gifts for recording a show opening by clicking on "Record Your Show Open Here!" tab on the right side of golfsmarter.com. Watch Daily Video Highlights from Our Interviews: Follow @golfsmarter on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube daily to see our highlights and helpful insights from our interviews on the podcast. Post a Review: you'll receive three free gifts when you post an honest review about Golf Smarter the podcast.Fill Out a Listener Survey: It only takes a few minutes to fill out our survey, which helps us to better serve your interests in the podcast. You'll receive a free link to Tony Manzoni's video and Justin Tang's summary of Tony's Lost Fundamental on pdf!This episode is brought to you by PXG. Schedule your fitting today and for a limited time you could save up to 20% on your ENTIRE order! Head over to PXG.com/smarter. Restrictions apply, see site for details.Visit tourstriker.com/TSGA and use the code GOLFSMARTER to get your first month of the Tour Striker GolfAcademy Online free, plus instant access to two bonus courses—'The Recipe for Better Golf' and 'Bombs: How to Consistently Smash the Driver”: a $194 value for free.This episode is sponsored by Indeed. Please visit indeed.com/GOLFSMARTER and get a $75 SPONSORED JOB CREDIT. Terms and conditions apply.   This episode is sponsored by HIMS. Start your free online visit today HIMS.com/golfsmarter and received personalized ED treatment options.This episode is also sponsored by SelectQuote. Make sure you get the right life insurance for YOU, for LESS, at selectquote.com/golfsmarter today and get started. 

America's defense industrial base is woefully behind production on new advanced weapons systems, and slow to deliver those systems to strategic allies like Taiwan. The axis of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea is shifting the global balance of military capabilities in their favor. All of this adds up to what defense expert Brad Bowman calls the most dangerous geostrategic threat for the United States since 1945. He joined Rep. Crenshaw to cover bureaucratic and legislative reforms that would reinvigorate America's defense industry and speed up weapons deliveries to our allies. He gives an analysis of the Chinese military's strengths and weaknesses in an invasion of Taiwan. And he discusses the policy options for arming Mexico against the drug cartels.   Brad Bowman serves as senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, where he focuses on U.S. defense strategy and policy. He has served as a national security advisor to members of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees, as well as an active duty U.S. Army officer, Black Hawk pilot, and assistant professor at West Point. Follow him on X at @Brad_L_Bowman.

Everyone's worried about Bill Belichick, hating on Katy Perry, Jeff Ulbrich's cringe presser, Ana De Armas can do better than Tom Cruise, Maz's PNC Park visit, Jim's Picks: Most Overrated #1 Hits, and the guy who is selling the Pope Francis autographed baseball joins us. Jordon Hudson is not hot enough to act this entitled. Stephen Belichick's wife shades Jordon after Nikki Glaser defended her. Her old classmates are saying that it is "on brand" for Bill Belichick's new girl/assistant/muse/silly rabbit. A real-life PornHub video played out in Florida. A woman was arrested after hooking up with her stepson. Jeff Ulbrich, DC of the Atlanta Falcons, gave the cringiest press conference after his son pranked Shedeur Sanders. This is Tom Mazawey's world. We're just living in it. He's going to the Detroit Pistons game tonight so his time is limited. He hasn't been able to hold a scintillating conversation about Bill Belichick. Maz's insiders had a lot of info about the guy falling in Pittsburgh at PNC Park.  Why is no one talking about the Black Hawk helicopter crash? Was it suicide? Was it intentional? Just finish the damn investigation already. Word on the street is you couldn't mosh at AC/DC. How many 60-year-olds mosh anyway? We call Randy Kaplan, the dude who got a baseball signed by The Pope. The baseball is now up for auction. A new Bonerline. Talk Tuah is dying a slow internet death. Kanye is suing the dentist because he got Ye hooked on nitrous oxide.  Kanye booted off of Twitch in less than 7 minutes. Drew is still fascinated about the Drake & Kendrick Lamar beef. Paul America on Max. How long can these tools stick around? Drew wants to inject fat into the Kardashians overnight to make sure they're over. Ana De Armas is letting Tom Cruise marinate inside her. Everyone hates Katy Perry now. Jim's Picks: TOP 10 MOST OVERRATED BILLBOARD #1 HITS. If you'd like to help support the show… consider subscribing to our YouTube Channel, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (The Drew Lane Show, Marc Fellhauer, Trudi Daniels, Jim Bentley and BranDon).