Podcasts about Blarney Stone

Sue and her brother Jeff took their dad on the trip of a lifetime back to Ireland, where his father grew up. They found the childhood home of Sue's grandfather, they kissed the Blarney Stone and the adventure is just beginning!

Sue and her brother Jeff took their dad on the trip of a lifetime back to Ireland, where his father grew up. They found the childhood home of Sue's grandfather, they kissed the Blarney Stone and the adventure is just beginning!

Join Harry as he takes pop's most energetic twins, Jedward, through their time on X Factor, Simon Cowell coming around to them, and former Prime Minister Gordon Brown apologising to them. As they're twins Harry also tests if they posses any psychic powers! We keep to the Irish theme as we learnt all about the Blarney Stone thanks to Blarney Castle's Paul O'Sullivan. Find out more, including their amazing gardens full of dangerous plants at blarneycastle.ie Harry's on his New Bits & Greatest Hits tour right now so head to harryhill.co.uk to find out where you can see him live.  We always want to hear from you on the show so please send in your jokes, TV theme tunes lyrics, or maybe you have a minor irritation you wish to share.  Send them via voice note to harry@arewethereyetpod.co.uk and any that feature will be sent an Are We There Yet? badge.  Website: www.harryhill.co.uk Instagram: @mrharryhill YouTube: @harryhillshow Producer Neil Fearn A 'Keep it Light Media' production All enquiries: HELLO@KEEPITLIGHTMEDIA.COM Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Solve crimes with the great detective in "Sherlock Holmes Short Stories." Featuring classic tales by Arthur Conan Doyle, this podcast brings you the brilliant deductions and thrilling adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to the world of Holmes, these timeless mysteries will keep you captivated.

It's FRIENDS AND RIVALS EPISODE 186 and we are all Irish today! So grab a Guinness and the nearest Hot Mess, and don't worry about enjoying a drink because it's 10AM somewhere. All of us are convinced that if our teams make the playoffs, they'll be bounced out quicker than a kiss on the Blarney Stone, so we might just have some very special episodes instead. So grab a shot with our friend Brian, have a pint with Steve who will probably drink it in circles or something ridiculous, or go for a pitcher with Joey Gallo and tune in to FRIENDS AND RIVALS EPISODE 186!

Ben Maller & Danny G. have Mail Bag fun for your Sunday! All questions sent in by new listeners & P1's of the #MallerMilitia! Download, subscribe, and remember that sharing is caring (unless it's an STD.) Follow Danny G. @DannyGradio and Ben on Twitter @BenMaller and listen to the original terrestrial radio edition of "Ben Maller Show," Monday-Friday on Fox Sports Radio, 2a-6a ET, 11p-3a PT!...Follow, rate & review "The Fifth Hour!" #BenMaller See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's topics range from the Curse of the Blarney Stone, to un-digitizing your life and revealing our 2025 resolutions. Let us know what you thought of this episode in the comments! Follow on insta - @weeklypeepod

We begin this episode with advice about staying safe while planting a lip lock on the Blarney Stone. In the Medicare Advantage Minute article, we learn that giant MA purveyor Aetna has had three downward earnings projection adjustments lately. This has cost the CEO his job. In the Medicare Wikipedia page, the Feds spend a lot of time projecting the solvency or insolvency of Medicare. Finally, Toni King fields a question from a liver transplant candidate: how will Medicare pay for the necessary home care post surgery? Toni's answer: they will pay nothing. Contact me at: DBJ@MLMMailbag.com (Most severe critic: A+)   Inspired by: "MEDICARE FOR THE LAZY MAN 2024; Simplest & Easiest Guide Ever!" on Amazon.com. Return to leave a short customer review & help future readers. Official website: https://www.MedicareForTheLazyMan.com.

Want to captivate your audience like never before? In this episode of the Communication Queens podcast, host Kimberly Spencer passionately explores the transformative power of storytelling for visionary leaders, speakers, service providers, and podcasters. With her engaging and energetic style, Kimberly illustrates how compelling narratives can boost visibility, influence, and income, particularly during podcast interviews. She shares the legend of the Blarney Stone to highlight the captivating nature of stories and contrasts this with the dry delivery of mere facts and figures. Kimberly also delves into the psychological and social significance of storytelling, promoting her upcoming book, "Make Every Podcast Want You," set for release on International Podcast Day.

Send us a textIn this episode Grandma Edward Jeffrey Hill and Grandma Tamara Snell Mulford Hill take an exciting cruise to the British Isles.  Their attempt to kiss the Blarney Stone in order to receive the gift of eloquence is interrupted by the Rotund Bald Man with the Ugly Mustache. After several adventures with the Pirate Pilot things look bleak. Will Bigfoot be able to save them?  You'll have to listen to find out. 

Send us a textIn this episode Grandma Edward Jeffrey Hill and Grandma Tamara Snell Mulford Hill take an exciting cruise to the British Isles.  This episode gives background to the exciting Bigfoot story about kissing the Blarney Stone and receiving the gift of eloquence (aka, the gift of gab). 

Irisch gut! – Folge 45 Blarney CastleIn dieser Folge geht es um einen ganz besonderen Stein, um eine Belagerung durch Oliver Cromwell, um eine Hexe und um Übernatürliches. Das alles in wunderbarer Kulisse einer altehrwürdigen Burg. Blarney Castle ist der Schauplatz – und Paul O'Sullivan erzählt uns von den zahlreichen Geschichte aus der Geschichte in Irlands historischem Osten ganz in der Nähe von Cork. Am bekanntesten ist die Burg sicher durch den Blarney Stone und seine magischen Kräfte: Man sagt, wer ihn küsst, erlangt de Kunst der Beredsamkeit und kann fließend und frei sprechen – kein Wunder also, dass auch Politiker und Versicherungsvertreter Stammgäste sind. Und kein Wunder, dass Paul O'Sullivan uns so begeisternd an diesen Geschichten teilhaben lässt. Shownotes:Irlands historischer Osten https://www.ireland.com/de-de/destinations/experiences/irelands-ancient-east/Blarney Castle and Gardens https://blarneycastle.ie/                                                      Blarney Stone https://www.ireland.com/de-de/things-to-do/attractions/blarney-castle-blarney-stone/Middleton Distillery https://www.jamesonwhiskey.com/en-ie/visit-our-distilleries/midleton-distillery-cork/Spike Island https://www.spikeislandcork.ie/Elizabeth Fort https://www.corkcity.ie/en/elizabeth-fort/Cork City Gaol https://corkcitygaol.com/English Market https://www.ireland.com/de-de/things-to-do/attractions/the-english-market/Cobh Titanic Experience https://www.titanicexperiencecobh.ie/Cobh Heritage Centre https://cobhheritage.com/                                

Colleen Slaughter is all the above title says and more. She was born in Michigan, raised in Kentucky and then spent time in various parts of the world, but she always wanted to put down roots in France where she now resides.   Her story of getting to the point of operating her own business as an executive coach and transformational leader/facilitator is an interesting one I think you will enjoy hearing. Over the past 15 years she has coached people from large companies, NGOs and other organizations that have sought her expertise to help leaders grow and, as Colleen puts it, become empowered to make bolder moves. What Colleen does and what her efforts mean will become clear to you as you listen to what she has to say.   During our time together Colleen talks about what all of us can do to become more grounded and ourselves discover how to make “bolder moves”. You also can learn more about her and what she does by visiting www.boldermoves.com.   About the Guest:   Transforming leaders worldwide to unlock their true potential and create meaningful impact. With over 20 years of experience as a Transformational Facilitator and Executive Coach, I help leaders understand their worth at a profound level, creating a ripple effect of purpose and service throughout their organizations and lives. By empowering them to make bolder moves, I assist my clients in transcending limiting beliefs and self-doubt, unleashing their innate power to achieve remarkable results. Collaborating with Fortune 500 companies, NGOs, and nonprofits across 60 countries, I bring a global and deeper perspective to leadership development. Specializing in leadership effectiveness, change management, resilience, emotional intelligence and agility, conflict transformation, communication savvy, and personal influence, I provide a calming and open space for meaningful personal insights and enhanced working relationships. Join me on the journey of transformative leadership, aligning purpose, articulating precise goals, and igniting your drive and influence to inspire others towards collective success and fulfillment. Let's make a difference together.   Ways to connect with Colleen:   LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleenslaughter/ Twitter:  @CSlaughterCoach   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 also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.   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 ** 01:20 Hello, and welcome to unstoppable mindset. This is our latest episode, we're glad you're with us. It is 2024. And we're really happy about that. And we've got a lot of exciting things to talk about today. Our guest is Colleen Slaughter, who is a transformational leadership coach. And one of the things in reading Collins bio that I really reacted to and love was that she mentioned that I'm going to really want to know more about it, that she helps leaders make bolder decisions, which I think is really pretty cool. People need to make more bolder decisions. Well in the world, people need to make more decisions in general and not wait for others to do it. But that's another story. And we'll probably get into that too. And Colleen has a new book that she is working on and getting ready to publish. And that's going to be pretty exciting. So we'll talk about that. Lots to talk about today. Needless to say, So Colleen, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're really glad you're here.   Colleen Slaughter ** 02:23 How much Michael, thank you for that. Welcome. And yeah, I didn't hear that before that that was interesting for you. So looking forward to dive in? Well,   Michael Hingson ** 02:30 I was reading the bio today. And that just jumped out at me and I had read it before. But today, it just really jumped out. And I think it's such an interesting and absolutely appropriate concept and thing to deal with the whole idea of making bolder decisions and in reality in our world today, as I think about it making decisions in general because too many people. Well, I don't know whether I really want to decide that. What do you think and people don't make decisions? And that's unfortunate, and gets too many people in trouble? I would I would think you would say   Colleen Slaughter ** 03:09 for me, yeah. So I think there's I'm just reflecting for a moment about ways to approach the question, I've got to two different things that seem to jump out of me. One is to say, I think people are making decisions all the time. That's how we act, right? Are we going to go left? We're going to go right? And therefore we're going to go back? Right? What I think is missing. And this is what I sense you're getting at is the boldness in their decisions, but boldness not necessarily meaning huge or big things they're doing. But things that require courage, right? Most of which, of course, one look at my website or the things I've sent, which show that being more authentic, finding our own voice standing up for what's important to us. All these things are where I think the world is lacking in journey. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 04:01 I think you're right, people are always making decisions, do we go left or go? Right? Do we go do we stop? And so many of those are just kind of automatic decisions. But when it comes to really making a decision that you know, is going to make some sort of major change or have some sort of major effect in what you do. Or you realize, well, this is going to affect other people or what are other people going to think of me from making that decision as opposed to it being an automatic decision. That's where it gets interesting.   Colleen Slaughter ** 04:38 Yeah, totally more intentional about what they're doing. Right. And   Michael Hingson ** 04:42 the whole idea of more intentional decisions or not. And not making a decision is of course a decision but that's not really a good thing. And then you get mad when things don't go the way you want. Well, you didn't make a decision and you didn't choose to deal with it. Whatever it is,   Colleen Slaughter ** 04:58 well Indeed, indeed. Well, let's   Michael Hingson ** 05:02 start a little bit more in the past. Tell me a little bit about the younger Coleen, where you came from what you did growing up and how you kind of ended up where you are. Because you're, you're not anywhere near where we are in Kansas. That's yeah, you're not in Kansas anymore.   Colleen Slaughter ** 05:23 anymore at all, that's for sure. Although I did come from another case state. So I grew up in Kentucky, where and I grew up in Louisville, actually, although I was born in Michigan. I was born in Grand Rapids. That came to Kentucky relatively quickly after I was born.   Michael Hingson ** 05:44 And the rest of your family came with you. You didn't go by yourself. Yes,   Colleen Slaughter ** 05:47 my mom actually my mother, my hands, my mom and growing up in New Jersey, and one of seven kids typical Irish Catholic. When she became pregnant with me, she was sent to go live with one of her sisters who was in Michigan. So it was the three of us if you will, that then made the drive to Louisville to meet yet another sister and her husband. And what was starting to be then their children as well. Ah, so that was the start and then how was I I was similar to what you might be picking up now is pretty spunky. Putting pretty big for me yet also loving music into sports. I used to play T ball and softball. And yeah, I'd like to write even then I remember writing books and getting awards. And but I had this yearning, you know, I just have this really strong intuition I was always given, which has been one of the determinants for my course in life overall. And so when it came time for high school, and you know how it is typically in the States with foreign languages, we don't start them in my view early enough. Yeah, so high school, given the option of French, Spanish or German and for me at that moment, there was no question it was going to be French. And then at the earliest opportunity, I came over here, by the way, so everybody knows I do live Italy only live in France, but I've had a series of back and forth with the states about 20 years of that but just to backup that I had fallen in love with the notion of France came to Paris to do an internship I found that Wow, is this completely different than anything it woke me up especially coming from Kentucky with all due respect to everybody, all my friends and family there. And I just wanted to come back there was something in me that woke up. And because what I found is that when I'm here I have quite a different work, right? i My clients are different because of the mix of nationality because of the mix of language, friends coming from all over the world and even former America you know, even fellow Americans I mean, who, who also share this International Love. So in a nutshell, that's how I ended up here. Of course, there's more I can say to fill in the dots but curiosity, it intuition, and there's that word again, boldness or courage is essentially how it ended up here.   Michael Hingson ** 08:25 So did you go to college?   Colleen Slaughter ** 08:29 I did. I went to University of Kentucky. Okay, I'm a wildcat. more ways than one. I used to say that at a Toastmasters meeting like yeah, okay. Yeah, I went to University of Kentucky, majored in French, at two degrees, French and in business management. And the French piece was because in high school, a former graduate had come back and talk to the French club and said, Whatever you do, don't stop taking the language, it will seem like other things are more important, but don't stop taking it. And I followed her advice and so glad that I did. Of course, it helped tremendously with with the choice that I made afterward. But I went there at but I that was my undergrad, and then from graduate school, I actually went to a school and for avid to two schools in France. So I have done two graduate degrees in France.   Michael Hingson ** 09:20 Now, when did you graduate with your undergraduate degree?   Colleen Slaughter ** 09:23 That was a 9090 90. Okay. Sorry. That was my that was my high school 94 I graduated with the undergraduate degree.   Michael Hingson ** 09:32 Got it. The reason I asked is, was probably about 10 or 11 years later, and I don't remember now when, but I was invited to go to Brevard County, Kentucky to do a speech. And the speech was because of being in the World Trade Center and all that, of course, but the speech was to an event was an awards assembly at school. district and breath are County. And what they did is they gave everyone who had attained at least a C average from sixth grade on they gave them an award. And B the the higher your grade point average. And the longer you did it then the more notice you got until at the end, there were actually four students who had a 4.0 GPA from sixth grade all the way through high school. But when I was preparing for this speech, they said we're starting at five o'clock with all the awards and all that and your speech, but you have to be done by 630. You cannot go a minute beyond 630. So whenever you start, you have to end your speech at 630. And the reason is, it was the day of the NCAA March Madness final championship. And the Wildcats are one of the two teams in the championship basketball country and there was no way anyone would stay in that gymnasium where the speech was and the whole event was taking place after 630. And at 630. We ended and by 631 The place was empty. I was   Colleen Slaughter ** 11:18 of course you know, Kevin growing up in Louisville. There's a big rivalry the University of Louisville in the University of Kentucky Yeah, right. Oh, well. ovalized.   Michael Hingson ** 11:27 I was wondering when you were gonna get back to that. Louisville. Yeah. Yeah,   Colleen Slaughter ** 11:30 so low. So the Cardinals and the cats right at cards and cats, as we say over there. So that's the big the big talk, particularly around this time of year. I   Michael Hingson ** 11:40 also had the pleasure one year of being in North Carolina, when March Madness was about to begin. And of course there you have Duke NC State and University of North Carolina. Yeah.   Colleen Slaughter ** 11:56 I lived the last time I lived in the States. Oh, did you North Carolina, or you're welcome. My girls are born in Raleigh. So Wow. Yeah. Right there and the triangle where all of those goals are.   Michael Hingson ** 12:10 So do you miss basketball?   Colleen Slaughter ** 12:13 You know, I used to play actually, that was one of the sports I played in grade school. And um, no, I like to watch it. But I'm not. I just never had the habit of well, let me get back on that. What I tend to watch now is I watch soccer World Cup soccer, women or men, particularly women, because my daughter is really into soccer now. Oh, good. And I had the joy of seeing the women's team, the US women's team play when it was here in Lyon, the finals? And of course, they won that year. And yeah, that was I think it was 19. I'm not mistaken. So but no, I don't actually miss basketball. But if I did, I could you know, thanks to the internet. You can watch it quite accessible if I want to.   Michael Hingson ** 12:58 Yeah, that's, it's kind of interesting. Well, of course, on New Year's in 2024. At the Rose Bowl, we had Michigan and Alabama, in football, which I think was quite the contest. And and Michigan won that. So it's interesting because they were number one in the rankings. And then in the Sugar Bowl, Texas, and Washington played in Washington was number two, and they won. So it's actually going to be number one. And number two, or will it was one and two going into the championship, which I guess is on the eighth of January. So it's just it's just interesting, all the sports stuff.   Colleen Slaughter ** 13:44 Well, we can there's lots of metaphors. I have a dear colleague, who goes around the world talking about resilience and picking up habits of resilience, and he will often use the metaphor of the sports psychology. So yeah, there's a lot we can have areas in life where we can bring that in.   Michael Hingson ** 14:02 Yeah, it definitely does play into it. Well, so you went to college, and you got two degrees and all that. And what did you do after college?   Colleen Slaughter ** 14:13 Well, just before the end of college, I met a Frenchman in Kentucky. So he became a great reason or excuse, depending on I guess, how we look at it to get to France again. Because I spent a couple of years then going back and forth between France and the US because at that point, I didn't have working papers have the right to live here. And as a typical American, in my experience, it's much more American what I'm about to say than it is French, which is that I had no idea what I wanted to do when I got out of school. That's not very French. They pick it out at 18. When they do the baccalaureate, you know, big exam. They pretty much determine their life from that. But not me. I had no idea so I was just grabbing it jobs that came up Long and being an Anglo fun, you know, English mother tongue. Even with high unemployment in France became pretty easy, relatively easy to go from one job to the next. So I found myself going back and forth across the Atlantic for several years. You know, coming to France with a pile of money, I made waitressing, for example, finding a job with pharmaceutical industry, going back to the States, because I ran out of some money or whatever it was. So I had this pattern going. Until at one point, I was working with a Canadian stock brokerage company. I won't say the name because I didn't have working papers. But here's what I can tell you is the woman that was there in charge of the admin piece. She suggested she was on the phone with her best friend at the Irish embassy, talking about how can we get Coleen actually working here legally. And a friend at the embassy said, but Colleen, that's Irish.   Michael Hingson ** 15:58 I was just thinking that. Yeah.   Colleen Slaughter ** 16:02 And the woman that I was working with asked me this, oh, no, just my grandmother was born there. But you know, it was ages ago, she hasn't been that person at the embassy says, oh, yeah, she couldn't be Irish. And that was like, what do they say a worm in my ear that just stayed with me for a while. And then when I my next trip back to the States, I did all the paperwork proving that. And the here we talk about boldness, right? I think so. But I had a, I did all this paperwork proving that I'm her granddaughter and from woman through the lineage of women, because it was she's my maternal grandmother, there was extra paperwork involved multiple states involved. But at the end, I ended up with two passports, which has facilitated quite a lot because because it's allowed me to live a big part of my vision, which is establishing myself in Europe.   Michael Hingson ** 16:59 And what happened to the Frenchman you met in Kentucky, ah,   Colleen Slaughter ** 17:03 forgot about him. Now, we stayed together for quite a while, like seven years, and then that we outgrew that, let's say and moved on went on our separate ways. Yeah. But it was, it was a nice. It was a period where of course, in early 20s, like many of us, I was really looking for myself, yeah, did a geographic to try to get away from some things I didn't want to look like, which is really typical on the greater geographic, and that's fine. But the cool part is in doing that, of course, everywhere I go, there I am. So it's not about getting away from myself ever. Like coming here has completely changed my life. And in terms of the perspective I have, from this side of the world. And, and the people that I meet, who are obviously from everywhere, I've traveled quite a bit. So in many, many ways I went from feels like I've become much more of a prism, meaning I have multiple views multiple ways to see things.   Michael Hingson ** 18:13 Well, and it gives you a lot more perspective,   Colleen Slaughter ** 18:16 as well. Exactly. And that's, that's the been one of the biggest tools I have as a coach as well. And when I'm helping teams and helping leaders step into their vision and what they find fulfilling. Yeah, to be able to see things in different ways, like you're saying with the multiple perspectives through through, for example, for you the metaphor of a prism that comes in very handy.   Michael Hingson ** 18:41 So is there a significant other in Colin's life these days?   Colleen Slaughter ** 18:44 Is there a sundial? Well, that's a Ford question.   Michael Hingson ** 18:47 I'm nosy aren't I?   18:49 Quite nosy indeed.   Michael Hingson ** 18:52 Well, you said you had two little girls.   Colleen Slaughter ** 18:55 I do have two girls, I can say that. They're my significant others. Why don't we say that my dates always my 13 year old and my 10 year old. There you go. There we go. Now, I've been through quite a bit of transformation these last four years. So just the fact that I'm even having my own apartment and a country that's not mine. And there's quite a streak of independence in me, because   Michael Hingson ** 19:21 you're kind of making it yours though. Which is fair. Yes, I   Colleen Slaughter ** 19:26 am. But I also think more more of a citizen of the world. That's how I see myself more than anything. Yeah. American, partial Irish, the fire Enos of the Irish.   Michael Hingson ** 19:37 Well, there you go. And that's why you make bold decisions. That's right. So how did you get into coaching? So you worked for a stock company for   Colleen Slaughter ** 19:49 a while and of the jobs? I did? Yeah, indeed. Um, well, I have this group of friends that were very inspiring for me and one of them in a real The loving way, kind of challenged me and let me know that she was shocked that I had been doing the job I was doing not at the stock brokerage firm, but something else I was doing, which was well below my competency level. And she nudged me and said, you know, you can be so much more. And she said, loving way I didn't feel criticized, I could really hear it and step into it. And at that time, a few women in that group, were going back to school. So I realized that the thing for me to do was to go back and get my MBA. So I did that I got into a school that's well known here in France, it's actually quite known internationally. And at that point, again, I didn't know what to do. Here I am with not knowing what I wanted to do. But I knew that with an MBA, I would have a much easier time not knowing what I wanted to do. And I got into consulting, management consulting, I gotta say, I didn't want to get into consulting, because I've heard horror stories about it, taking over your life, not having any kind of balance, never sleeping, etc. But I loved it. I traveled the world with this little boutique Parisian consulting firm. My first time I went to Japan and South Korea, I was back in the US regularly. So I got to see family quite often. And it was through that boutique firm that I first heard about coaching. And as with most things in my life, the bigger things that I've ever done. As I mentioned earlier, a lot of it I do through intuition. And so what happened when I first heard of coaching is my whole body lit up. It just had this big expansive experience. I said, that is me. And I know, that's me. But I was early 30s, finding all kinds of other things I could do before I mean, how could I possibly think of switching careers now and I'm in the middle of this, I can't stop and switch. And so it went on for a few years, which I think again, if we talk about life, stage stages of life is pretty typical. But then I ended up at a crossroads, I was back in the States, really wanting to come back to France. And I coached myself and said, you can go back to France. But first you're going to make a step change in your career. Because that career there, the first one that I was so holding on to and not wanting to change, actually, I didn't stop complaining about it. And so I said, Okay, you go back, but you're gonna go back on different terms. And I did my homework, I picked out the coaching school to go to, at first I was going to do coaching school as a feather in my hat, a way to have go back into corporate world and human resources, for example. And midway through that coaching school, I knew, forget the Father, this is the whole hat. This is what I want to do. It just, there just wasn't a question. I mean, one thing I will say and of course, it's been a learning curve, all of it both. Being a coach, being a better coach, but you know, evolving. I mean, my level of coaching evolves as I grow as a person, but also learning how to run a business and have a successful business. All of it's been a learning curve, which just by the nature of a learning curve, probably is clear, it has not always been easy, right? But I can't imagine like the gift in it is I don't have a job I'll do when I retire like this is what I'm gonna do this is I don't need to think about another career to have something else to grow into. This is it. I'm very happy to keep doing this forever. And that's a wonderful gift. Yeah. Yeah. So that's how that's how I got into it. That's how I felt. I figured it out, went to coaching school, still thought I'd sidestep it a little bit by going into HR and then had yet again, another lightbulb moment where no, this is actually going to be the full deal. Well,   Michael Hingson ** 24:15 it's good that you're able to, to actually be a person who recognizes that and who listens to her intuition. And although it sounds like you had to be dragged a little bit kicking and screaming because you kept taking little sidestep sewing, I'm not sure about this. And then something comes along and says, Yeah, you really are and then eventually you decide to so she really wanted   Colleen Slaughter ** 24:44 to do exactly what I wrote about and one of my bolder moves in the book too. That's hilarious, but it's true. And even for the major in the NBA, even though it was always was my dream to have my own business. And even though that school is well known for entrepreneur, it's entrepreneur or ship program. I initially chose a whole different major. And then it was only once the term got started. And I finally lightbulb moment again, what am I doing? And I went and talked to the professor of the entrepreneurship program. And I was able to get into it, even though I had missed some of the classes. But exactly there's a part of me rebelling, that I'm rebelling against my young good, right? That's like, why not just follow the science? Follow the, you know, the ET movie, follow the Reese's Pieces? Just follow them. They're there. Right?   Michael Hingson ** 25:35 You know, come on, don't don't make life so difficult for yourself.   Colleen Slaughter ** 25:40 Exactly. Exactly. But that to your point earlier, right. That's what a lot of us do. That's, that's my whole thing was my coaching. And actually, anything that I'm writing is all about just being true to ourselves with a capital S, right? Just who, what? What are the Reese's Pieces we're seeing? And just follow those just go forward?   Michael Hingson ** 26:02 Sounds like a good life lesson you finally learned? I did indeed, yeah. And have you really learned it?   Colleen Slaughter ** 26:10 Have I really learned it? I would say I am learning it i? Again, they're some of the biggest things I've done. Now what I didn't say I said a little bit. But for example, when I went to this MBA, which is a top school I had applied as an administrative assistant. And I'm not by any means shape or form dodging administration, administrative assistants. Not at all. But for me, it was something I could do pretty much in my sleep. Yeah, but I've chosen it as a very safe job. Just easy peasy, not stressing me out. And when people hear that I went from such a role into this top MBA program. Most of the time mouse draw, they can't believe it, because how could this school, you know, let let a secretary in? Or how could it be that I actually was that smart or whatever, whatever is the thinking. But here's my take on it. I knew that it was the right thing for me to do to apply. And I could feel it. And I knew that my job was just to apply. The rest wasn't my business, the rest was going to work itself out. And essentially, that's what happened. And so I do learn the lesson. I would say most of the time, I'm armed with courage. I'm armed with honesty. I just had an insight today about something in my life where I wasn't being honest with myself, but I didn't know it. Right. They say denial, you know, not the river in Egypt. But the real denial, you know, it's there to protect us. And sometimes we know what we know when we need to know it. But at other moments, it's true that we can make excuses install. So I think the main thing is staying open and honest with ourselves.   Michael Hingson ** 28:06 Yeah, and it is. It's, it's sometimes it's a challenge to come to that realization. But it sounds like you mostly have do you. Do you analyze or do any kind of introspection everyday thinking about what happened, like on a given day, or just in what's going on and use that as a springboard to try to help you decide what you're going to do? Or how you improve? Or does this just sort of happen?   Colleen Slaughter ** 28:35 That's a good question. Um, so I'll say like the German say, Yeah, mine. I don't know if you speak any German, but yeah, it means yes and no. Yes. I like that word. I find it.   28:48 I love it. Yeah.   Colleen Slaughter ** 28:52 Yes, and that. Not I'm not just a coach by profession. But again, I really feel born to do this. So it's part of my nature, to want to develop myself as a human. So it's both if one were to come in my place and see my bookshelves, they are full of self development stuff, whether it's as physical as a yoga certification I have as intellectual as the organizational change programs I've been on or as philosophical right as Buddhism or whatnot that I'm a practicing Buddhists, but there's a lot that I subscribe to. But the idea is that there's a lot here that mostly shows what I've been up to in my life. So it's not just a career for me, it's who I am. And that said, I do have a really strong meditation practice. Twice a day I meditate it helps me step back from my life and get that balcony which I hear you say and my words, get that balcony view of what's going on. I don't necessarily I do analyze it. I'm told that I have a very light It, Rapid Mind, but I also feel into it. Because that's something I've learned mostly through my professional life. But I use it all over is also to go by energy and feeling, which has a lot to do with intuition about what feels right, where something might be off. What feels good to me what doesn't. And that's what I mean. Earlier today, I had an insight about a situation I was accepting, without realizing that it didn't really feel good to me, but I was accepting it because of part of the way I was programmed. And so as I uncover my own mechanisms, coping mechanisms and what's behind them, and what's driving me. Of course, I get clearer, I feel better that and it also equips me to be to help other people do the same.   Michael Hingson ** 30:58 Yeah, and I think that the whole idea of self analysis or introspection isn't necessarily, you go from one thing to another thing to another thing, and then a solution pops out. But that you take the time, at the end of the day, or at some point, or maybe even more than one time during the day to just kind of think about what's going on. And as you point out, meditate, and let the brain and the body really communicate with each other, rather than just trying to run pill mill through whatever's going on in the course of the day. And if we do that, we tend to be a whole lot better grounded.   Colleen Slaughter ** 31:40 Oh, no question. And I make much better choices for myself for others, and much more in alignment, we talk about being in alignment with ourselves. It's no question. Yeah, it's changed my life. And I resisted, there's another thing I resisted for a long time is meditation. The stages I went through to finally get to a place of sitting there for twice twice a day. quite comical, quite comical when I think about it, that in yoga, that yoga and journaling, because I also journal every day, and there are some days where I just get busy, and are tired, and I don't do it. But I always noticed the difference. The next day, I noticed a difference in how I sleep, I noticed the difference. And you know, the yoginis Yogi's call, it should DVT in the mind where it's really racing, I noticed that and the quality of my life goes down. I just and I maybe I'm just getting old. I don't know. But I'm at a place where I just want to feel serene, like, that's what's important to me, is serenity. And there's a lot of things that go into serene serenity, I don't just want to sit on the beach meditating all the time, although that's not a bad idea. But the main driver to help me get there is definitely as you were saying earlier, the choices I make. And I make the better choices when I come from a place of Center, which the practices I listed helped me get to.   Michael Hingson ** 33:08 So for you, the bottom line is you ended up going into leadership and transformational coaching. It doesn't sound like that was the original plan. But but you   Colleen Slaughter ** 33:21 original plan. In my path. Yeah. Do you want to hear how I got here? Sure. Kind of coaching. Okay. So I had been working with an MCC, which is a master certified coach. And I worked with her practice for quite a while I had different hats on there, talk about hats again, I like to use metaphors, one of which was recruiting in North America recruiting for her firm. And I learned about a company that has become one of my biggest clients. But this company does a lot of exactly that transformation, but not transformation. So here can be a misnomer, like just take a pause. And I have been recruited before for interviews to run, quote, transformation programs. And I show up to the interview. And we're talking about two completely different things with the idea of transformation. So the transformation I'm referring to is really about the human transformation. Because myself and my colleagues and those who founded this firm, I'm talking about the new firm that I'm talking about the way I founded my company, the way I know in my bones is the way I'm supposed to be coaching me my path. In that transformation. We're talking about humans developing into better versions of themselves. And indeed, that is how we see leaders improving. We improve as leaders when we were approved As humans, and there's a lot of people that have myths around what leadership is what it isn't. But at the end of the day, it literally is about stepping into who we really are and inspiring others to do the same. And so that's the transformation that I'm talking about. And that's how I got into it. And then I started working with all these other coaches and facilitators that were at really living the work, as we call it, they're walking the talk. The bar was really high. It scared me the bejesus out of me, can I really be good enough for this? I was used to being, you know, top top and what I was doing before and then I go into this group, and I wasn't so tarp at first, and it's been a journey. But again, that's that whole idea of caterpillar to butterfly, it's like, are we going to stay a caterpillar? Or do we want to take our wings and fly? And if we're going to want to fly off, we have to be willing to go through that process.   Michael Hingson ** 36:01 Now, where are you doing all this? Having gone back to France?   Colleen Slaughter ** 36:07 Yes, I Well, I did some of it from Raleigh. Actually, a lot of the at first, some of the trainings were taking place in Amsterdam, so did quite a bit in Amsterdam. But now I'm at a place where it's not only that particular group that I learned from and grow with, but a lot of other like minded souls. So there's a lot of us that are connected in the world. A lot of it can be virtual. Yeah. And, and so most of it is over here, but not all of   Michael Hingson ** 36:36 it. So how long have you now been in the coaching world, if you will? Oh, gosh, okay.   Colleen Slaughter ** 36:43 I started coaching school in September of Oh, eight and actually went in Boulder, Colorado, so not so far from you. And I graduated in May of Oh, nine. Okay, so I was already coaching between January and May of oh nine. But officially graduated as a coach may of oh nine, and started my business in June of Oh, nine. So what is that poster? 16   Michael Hingson ** 37:09 years and a half years? Yeah, 14 and a half years getting toward 15. There you go.   Colleen Slaughter ** 37:15 And I was at first also having my children, which was not a straightforward process for me. So that took a while. And so I was kind of dabbling in coaching, having my children dabbling in coaching, having my children. So it was really not until about 10 years ago, yeah, 910 years ago, where I started really getting serious about my business.   Michael Hingson ** 37:43 And you've not looked back.   Colleen Slaughter ** 37:46 I haven't looked back. And I've just tell you what, I've had a year of a lot of flux 23 was flux for me, what do I mean by that? Easily can make a list of 12 to 15 things or people which were removed from me, some of which hurt a lot. And some of which involved key clients, my business accountants, et cetera. But there wasn't a question about giving up. There just wasn't a question. I mean, I'm a big girl, I've learned to be a big girl with my big girl pants on and I know about cutting back and, and not having all the frills that I might like to have, but I didn't. I didn't give up and I knew that I would never, for me, this is me. I would never be happy, fully employed. By company, I just that would I would feel like I'm caged.   Michael Hingson ** 38:43 Yeah, so you wanted to be your own person and have your own company. And there's, there's a lot to be said for that.   Colleen Slaughter ** 38:50 There. Is it scary at times for sure. Well, sure, that's when our client when the clients are having problems, right. When the economy's down, obviously that will affect and then the challenge is about, of course, how to build a business that resist that. And, and stay inspired. But the same inspiring part for me, is there because I'm not doing what I'm doing for the money or for the business. I'm doing what I'm doing because it feels very much like a sole purpose.   Michael Hingson ** 39:23 And that's a commitment that is great to get to because when you can really say that, I mean, the money is helpful in a lot of ways and all that but still, when it ultimately comes back down to purpose. That That means a lot, especially when you recognize it.   Colleen Slaughter ** 39:42 Yeah, it's the whole what I say to my clients, which is true when we are really in touch with our why or purpose. That means our heart is engaged, not just the rational mind. So then it's I get out of bed on the hard days not just because I have to pay my bills which is We've all been there. And I've been there many times. But wow, what a sad way live if we do that for a long time. But when we can get out of bed, on the harder days, because I believe in us, and I know I can help people. And I know that I can make the world better, one leader at a time, or one team at a time, or one organization at a time, that changes everything.   Michael Hingson ** 40:25 What are some of the? Well, let's see, how do I want to say it? What do you think the biggest need of leaders that you coach and work with today is?   Colleen Slaughter ** 40:36 Oh, perfect. Well, that's a great segue actually what we were just talking about, because it's meaning, that's what I find is meaning, meaning and belonging, which go together. And so what does that look like? I mean, I believe it was the Center for Disease Control. And now I didn't see these numbers myself, I heard about this. So that's the caveat. That they've come out with the number one now, disease killer in the States, as loneliness, since COVID, is loneliness. And because since COVID, most of us are now virtual, we don't see you live humans all the time, or connect with humans in a, in a in a meaningful way. A lot of my clients, and I work with a lot of smart people, which I love keeps me on my toes. And one of the dangers of us, you know, the Smart Cookies, is that we very often can just operate from left brain or rational mind. Now, the left brain is wonderful, it keeps us in facts, it keeps us going really fast. It keeps us on results. But unfortunately, if we only spend all our time there first is exhausting. But the second thing is we miss out on that connective piece, which we can only get when we slow down. When we have more meaningful conversations when we connect with our heart, and when we all are agreeing on why we're doing what we're doing our purpose and our values. So that is the piece that is most meaningful to use a play on words, but it's true. Meaning is most meaningful for leaders today. And and that's why I love what I do usually start off workshops or coaching with people that just want to get there and get fast, get good results, let's go and bite them in the sun. Some of the exercises where it's required that they show vulnerability, it's required that they slow down, that they connect with each other through conversation in ways in depths that they're not used to. At first there can be some resistance, in fact, there often is, but they're very shortly into it. The energy in the room is extremely high. They're very loud and boisterous and laughing and smiles and, and I hear it constantly, every time. Oh my gosh, this feels so good. We were missing this. And last week, last week or two weeks ago, I was in Morocco with a with a team, a newly formed team. And their leader went up and he was sharing the strategy after and he goes after that exercise we just did together where all of us were vulnerable with each other and connecting. I've just saved 50% of my time. Now we're going to have a much more efficient collaboration together. It was amazing, because he was one of the ones and we were preparing the day together. He was reticent about embarking on some of these exercises where vulnerability and connection would be highlighted. But now he's a winner when exercising and he's a winner and he sees how that works. Along with the rational, logical mind.   Michael Hingson ** 43:47 How does the CDC loneliness play into that?   Colleen Slaughter ** 43:53 How does it play into that because when people are connecting from their true selves, like we started off talking about this earlier, right at the very beginning of our conversation, when people are revealing their true selves. Now, I don't mean naked and I don't mean they have to share their deepest fear necessarily right, but sharing more of who they are with each other opening themselves up to vulnerability that allows for greater connection which help which is naturally flows they have a greater sense of belonging. And that is the antidote to loneliness, finding meaning and connection. They say that you know, addiction and I know that's a whole nother topic, but I have to tell you, what's close to my heart are the adult children of addicts and alcoholics, etc. So we can go there or don't have to but here's what's really interesting. They say that the anecdote to addiction is not sobriety. It is connection.   Michael Hingson ** 44:56 I would buy that Now, here's a kind of odd question in a way. So you mentioned COVID. And all the the nuances and innuendos around COVID. Do you think that connection really means it has to be in person? Or can it be virtual as well.   Colleen Slaughter ** 45:21 It can be virtual for sure. I have some best friends around the world, literally, I have never met in person, literally, and we know each other inside out. I know that they get me completely and I get them. And we've never met a person.   Michael Hingson ** 45:39 The reason I asked the question is I hear all the time about people saying, We've got to get back together, we can't, we get fatigued from just doing things in zoom, or we, we can't just do it virtually, we have to be in person. And for me, personally, I see value in doing some things in person, like as a as a public speaker, I would prefer to do a speech in person than doing it over zoom. But the reason is, for me, I get audio cues from listening to an audience when I'm standing there with them, that I wouldn't get over zoom. And so I get feedback. But by the same token, I have believed that we can connect virtually pretty much as well as we can if we're doing it in person. So that's why I asked the question, because I think that we, we worry too much about some things and don't really focus on The Connectional part of it, if that makes sense. So   Colleen Slaughter ** 46:45 indeed. So it's about quality, not quantity. First of all, right. And in my words, what I heard you say, which I agree with, but just putting them in my words, meeting in person doesn't serve a whole lot if we're not going to actually connect with each other. Right? meeting virtually can be very meaningful when we connect with each other connect with each other. Right? Exactly. So in COVID, as an example, my colleagues and I had all learned about facilitating workshops online, we had never done this before, we didn't know if we could create the same sense of connection as we do in person, it was a great learning curve, we found we can definitely create connection, we can do that. And at least on the workshop front, it does not replace the in person effect of being with each other. Sure. So, but even before COVID, 99% of my coaching that I've done one on one with people that was that has always been virtual nearly. And I do have one great local client. And if he's listening, Hi, Tom. And I take the metro every couple of weeks and go meet with him in his office. That said, he's definitely an Annamalai, in the sense of most everyone else that I work with would be virtual. So I was used to the virtual space before COVID even hit and used to creating that connection. And I think, yeah, I mean, part of them Sorry for interrupting you. I just realized that's part of who I am. I mean, people who know me know, I mean, the elephant in the living room. I'm deep, I'm authentic. Some people love it. They love that what you see is what you got, some people are running like a bull in a china shop for people who don't want to be authentic. But that's always been part of who I am. So whether they're it's virtual or in person, that's gonna be me anyway. So maybe I'm just different.   Michael Hingson ** 48:49 Yeah, I hear what you're saying. And for me, virtual has never been a significant problem. Because I've worked for a number of companies where I have had to work remotely. Rather than being in the office, I've had to work remotely because they're in one side of the country or somewhere else, and they're not anywhere near where I am. And so I've grown quite used to it. So when we had to lock down, it never really bothered me a lot other than I couldn't travel and speak. But still, the reality is that we're a lot more flexible than we give ourselves credit for, if we choose to do it that way. Indeed. So it is it is it is a challenge. And   Colleen Slaughter ** 49:34 there's always pros and cons to everything Sure. And save money with a virtual but you might be missing out on the connection piece. So you can you know, et cetera. There's different things you can pick and choose but it's a great it's a great add on to have in our pocket in terms of ways to interact with each other. Yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 49:55 So in the world, where you Are human development and in in that whole space, what are some of the big topics that you deal with or that people are talking about today? Yeah,   Colleen Slaughter ** 50:07 good question. Well, ownership is a huge one, ownership, because there's a fear, particularly when we're doing workshops, or even the coaching where there's a lot of kumbaya moments, right? We're all hugging on each other, liking each other, and we walk away and nothing concrete gets done, where there's one Benton that develops. So therefore, ownership is a really big one that they most teams with under complete understanding, want to see how we can get them to do that. And what's the magic sauce again, it's that why it's co creating our why. Because when I truly believe in something, and I've had a say, in what that something is, I'm going to own it. So ownership is a big piece. Another thing is breaking down silos. How do we do that? Connection and meaning, that's another thing courageous conversations go with a silo breaking down to. So silos is a big one, new teams coming together. I mean, look at it's a VUCA world we live in, right, the volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous. So nearly every team I work with is some form of a newly constructed team. And so there's a lot of how do we make this team at a real team that wants to be not just thrown together, but want to work together to be productive? Those are some of the key topics. And then of course, there's burnout? And how do we keep these people at the top of their game and wanting to come to work? So there's a lot around resilience as well?   Michael Hingson ** 51:41 Well, and I was just thinking, when you were when you were describing all this about ownership in another way, all too often, we try to take ownership of something that we shouldn't try to own but share, and let other people also have their part of the ownership of whatever it is, you know, I'm a firm believer in the No person is an island or should be, and that we should all connected, we should all find ways to work together a lot more than we do.   Colleen Slaughter ** 52:11 For sure, there's no question. But you know, and again, if I may, having that dictated or kind of oppose from top down, in my experience, is fertile ground for people to say yes, but me No, meaning it's not something that will stick. So when they can actually genuinely have a say, and there's a co creation happening in the way forward. That's where ownership can come in. And an authenticity around really wanting to be part of this whole movement, which we often call it the movement, the program, change program, the new team, whatever it is, that is the name, we're giving this particular initiative, right?   Michael Hingson ** 52:58 Well, for people listening, what's maybe a step that they could take to start to have more meaning in their lives and feel like they're having more meaning in their lives and in their work and so on?   Colleen Slaughter ** 53:11 Yeah, that's great. Well, the first thing would be to check in, we talked about some of those balcony moments, some of those pauses in the day to see what's happening for me, what am I drawn to what lights me up? Where do I get the most joy, and to look to spend more time doing those things or incorporating more of them in our lives, as science tells us the energy that feels bubbly, and expansive is positive energy, that means follow the good stuff. Whereas when it's prickly and icky, not good for us, limited as much as possible. So literally, just by listening to ourselves, just like we started this, this conversation, listening to ourselves, listening to what feels good, but in a healthy way, not in the unhealthy coping mechanism bar. And looking to do more of that. I mean, there was this I'm gonna forget her name. And I mean this with respect this wonderful Japanese woman, and I'm forgetting her name, but she talks about sparking joy, right with organizing your home. And she, gosh, there's a whole way to fold. There's a whole way to present that she came up with. But this phrase of sparking joy has meant a lot to me. And I often look at how can we just a lot of us higher achievers want to go from zero to 100 like this, and we think if we don't make it to 100, we've somehow failed, which is a whole nother conversation because I don't believe in failure. But instead of putting that kind of pressure on ourselves, where can we just augment our joy by 2%? Where can we find just 2% more meaning? And if we just look at these tiny little ways each day to bring in more, because joy and meaning go together, by the way, so does gratitude. Gratitude goes in there. And there's another idea is is doing gratitude list or just becoming more aware of what we're grateful for. Those are some really quick ways that on our own, let's say without help, that we can start digging into more meaning and cultivating more that in our lives.   Michael Hingson ** 55:21 And I would augment that to say, let yourself feel the joy, take the time to feel the joy, and to enjoy what's happening. Because that's going to help fill your body and your spirit. And you'll be able to deal with so many more things in a very positive way. Rather than just letting everything overwhelm you, whatever comes along, that's joyful, or that makes you feel good. There's something wrong with that. You don't have to set it aside for another time, take a minute and let yourself feel the joy. Indeed, well, you are writing a book, do you want to tell us a little bit about that?   Colleen Slaughter ** 56:09 I feel like I'm writing and I'm writing and I'm writing I'm writing.   Michael Hingson ** 56:12 That goes?   Colleen Slaughter ** 56:13 Yes. It's like it's a thing ever gonna see the light of day, I am at the very, very last part. Just before I'm handing this over to the editors, and the for production, and then for launching, and I'm thrilled I've been doing a boulder move of the week. For the last decade, I can't believe it. I'm February, March of this year, it's going to be 10 years, I've been doing a boulder move of the week, which goes out to my mailing list. And I'll give you just in case your listeners want to hear what that is the link for that I'll give it a minute. But I wanted to do a book during COVID, I was feeling really low. And I thought I know I love to write. This is my craft. And I want to show myself I'm also a writer, and basically was act of self love to start it. What I found was the bolder moves themselves have evolved over the 10 years as I've evolved, they used to be like when I started my business, it was very much about sales, and what do you want me to be so that I can make more money. And it's evolved, like I've already mentioned about stepping into my purpose, and I'm not going to be something for someone else. If it means not being me, let me put it that way, I will only be myself. And so the bolder move themselves when I started writing the book, they've also evolved even in the three and a half years since I started this process. So it's been an amazing journey, just writing it, I think you would know that to my call the whole process. And I'm thrilled to say it's a collection of bolder moves. And I mentioned earlier about the caterpillar, the working title right now is the caterpillars journey 365 moves to Boulder leadership. And by the way, bold is a word that of course Michael given I've been talking about a lot today, I was actually using boulder 10 years ago, because it just described a lot more of who I am and my journey, and also what it takes to be truly authentic, especially in this world, where there's just so much uncertainty. So that's my book. And if by chance you'd love to sign up, I'd love to have you I'd love to be of service in this way that I do a bolder move of the week, it's no more than three lines. I don't sell because I don't like getting emails of that nature to myself. But if you go to my website, which is bolder, BOL, Dr. mov es bolder, moves.com, you'll see in the first fold, you can click on yes, I want transformation, and you'll be brought where you can just put your first name and your email. And again, delighted be of service in that way. And if you are, if you do choose to do that, you'll have more information on the specific dates of when my book comes out. I'm   Michael Hingson ** 59:06 gonna go do it.   59:10 That's cool. That's sweet.   Michael Hingson ** 59:13 Well, I think it's I think it's relevant and important. And I'm always can can we look at past bold moves as well? Oh,   Colleen Slaughter ** 59:20 that's a good question. Not yet. Not yet. But I can see if we can put that together. But I can tell you that when the book comes out, you're gonna have 360 65 of   Michael Hingson ** 59:29 them. Yeah. Well, I was thinking though, that if you've been doing boulder moves every week for 10 years, that's now well, if we go by the numbers, and if it's 10 years, that's 520. So there are more there. But it would be interesting, since you've sent them out they must be somewhere it'd be kind of fun to be able to go back in. Yeah, well,   Colleen Slaughter ** 59:49 I can my team has them for sure. We don't have them. I don't believe out but for sure what what you would notice in the early bolder moves. Thank you caught that more transaction general things, right? More transactional ideas like? I don't know, I'll throw something out perform better. For example, I don't know, I don't even know if that's a bolder move, but something to that degree. Well, now you're gonna find things like forgive. You're gonna find things like remember your divinity, right? I mean, it's not all going to be more spiritually themed. It's not, right. But there are a lot more meaning involved in the bolder moves up today. And the ones that you'll find in the book, for sure.   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:38 Well, I think it's cool. And I am gonna go sign up when we're done here. But if people want to reach out and and maybe explore how we you work with them, and so on, obviously, there's Bolder moves.com. But is that the best way to reach out to you? Or how can they contact you? And yeah,   Colleen Slaughter ** 1:00:55 well, they can either find me on LinkedIn, So Colleen Slaughter or my email, which is Colleen. And that's c o l l e e n. So two L's into ease and at boldermoves.com. And I'd be delighted.   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:13 And again, good Irish name. What more can we ask   Colleen Slaughter ** 1:01:16 for? Yeah, little Irish maiden.   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:21 I was in Ireland, doing some work with the Irish guy dog school back in 2003. We spent a couple of weeks over there. And I did not go kiss the Blarney Stone but, but definitely enjoyed Ireland a lot. Yeah. Never Never did meet a leprechaun. I was kind of hoping to do that. But   Colleen Slaughter ** 1:01:38 that's funny. Yeah, I was just in an Irish event a few weeks ago with Irish embassy here. I just I do love being I've only been there a few times. So I always I often say I'm not really Irish. I just have an Irish passport. Because I want to be respectful of the quote, real Irish people. But I love being around. They're just so nice. It just this is such a relaxed. There's that word authentic. I enjoy it.   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:04 I hear you. And that's what I found over there as well. Well, I want to thank you for being with us and taking all this time. And definitely when the book comes out, we're gonna have to do everything we can to help tell the world about it. So you keep me posted on on all of that. Will there be an audio version? Of course, those of us who are prejudiced about that? I hope so I'm   Colleen Slaughter ** 1:02:28 working with on it. She's suggesting that we do an audio version? Yes, please do. You would like that. Okay, cool.   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:34 I would well, I'm prejudiced. But I would Yeah, that would be great.   Colleen Slaughter ** 1:02:38 Yeah. And I'm looking at creating an app as well. So that, because it's a Dale, it's not really a daily reader, but there are different moves, and no one's probably going to read it from cover to cover or listen to it cover to cover. But if you can get it in different. You know, one day get a different one for sure. Your inbox something of that nature. That   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:00 would be cool. Well, thank you very much for being here. And I want to thank you for listening out there. I want you to know, we really appreciate it. I would appreciate any thoughts. And I'm sure Colleen would as well. We'll share anything we hear. And we would love to hear from you about your thoughts about today. I do ask that if you would please give us a five star rating wherever you're listening to us. We really appreciate your ratings and your reviews a lot. And also for all of you and Colleen, you as well. If you know of anyone else who might be a good guest for unstoppable mindset, we want to hear from you. We are always looking for more people to come and be with us and tell stories and have a great conversation because that's what this is all about. So please don't hesitate to recommend folks who want to come on. And again, I want to just thank you all for being here and for being a part of this today in Killeen. Once again, for you, thanks very much. This has been a lot of fun. So thank you   Colleen Slaughter ** 1:04:01 has been Thank you. And we I don't know if you were both wearing blue shirts. Almost the same color. So we both got the memo. Yeah, here we are together hosting. It's been a lot of fun. And   Michael Hingson ** 1:04:14 for me it's a little bit more random because I didn't look at my shirt this morning. No, but   Colleen Slaughter ** 1:04:19 it's funny. Great minds think alike. For sure.   Michael Hingson ** 1:04:23 Well, thanks for being here.   Colleen Slaughter ** 1:04:25 All right, take good care. Nice to meet you. I'd speak more and thank you everybody for listening.   **Michael Hingson ** 1:04:36 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com . AccessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for Listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

Join Cheryl Lee - That Radio Chick on STILL ROCKIN' IT for news, reviews, music and interviews with some of our favourite Australian musicians.When the chords of "Power and the Passion" resonate, one can't help but be transported to a time of potent political statements wrapped in rock anthems. That's the kind of evocative power my guest, Jim Moginie of Midnight Oil, brings to our podcast. We take a stroll down memory lane with him, as he recalls the band's storied past and their electrifying performance at Bluesfest in the throes of a pandemic. Jim's personal journey from an adopted child in conservative Sydney to a music icon is no less compelling, shaping not only his art but his world view. And as we discuss his memoir, we uncover the layers of a song that's as relevant today as it was decades ago.Beyond the stage lights and guitar riffs, there's a rich tapestry of Irish music that's close to Jim's heart, and it runs through our conversation like a vibrant thread. The intimate pub sessions, the storytelling—they're all part of a cultural legacy that he holds dear. Our episode transcends mere chords and lyrics, touching on the shared human experiences: confronting fears, the hard-won lessons of personal failures, and the growth that comes from them. As Jim talks about the upcoming film "The Hardest Line", we explore the sustaining power of music and the indelible marks it leaves on our lives. Join us for a session that's as much about the man behind the music as it is about the enduring beat of rock 'n' roll.What has Jim Moginie been up to lately ... lets's find out!Get out when you can, support local music and I'll see you down the front!!Visit: ThatRadioChick.com.au

Welcome to the Instant Trivia podcast episode 1164, where we ask the best trivia on the Internet. Round 1. Category: Mtv Video Of The Year Artists 1: 1988:"Need You Tonight/Meditate". INXS. 2: 2009:"Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)". Beyoncé. 3: 1984:"You Might Think". The Cars. 4: 2004:"Hey Ya!". OutKast. 5: 1993:"Jeremy". Pearl Jam. Round 2. Category: Classic Country Music 1: In 1963 Johnny Cash sang, "And it" this, this, this, "the ring of fire, the ring of fire". burns, burns, burns. 2: No "Dumb Blonde" (the name of her first hit in 1967), this buxom beauty was Country Music Entertainer of the Year in 1978. (Dolly) Parton. 3: In 1953 "Your Cheatin' Heart" was a big hit for this country singer who lived fast and died young that same year. Hank Williams, Sr.. 4: In a 1975 crossover hit, Freddy Fender put this word before his "Days" and "Nights". Wasted. 5: This country music legend didn't weigh "Sixteen Tons", but he was known as "The Ol' Pea Picker". Tennessee Ernie Ford. Round 3. Category: Egypt 1: It was closed June 6, 1967 and re-opened June 5, 1975. The Suez Canal. 2: Construction of this began in 1960 and cost about $1 billion. the Aswan Dam. 3: 1 of 3 men who each built one of the pyramids of Giza. (1 of) Cheops (Khufu) or (Khefren and Mykerinos). 4: Though this dam controls the Nile's flood waters, some say it's harmed the environment. Aswan High Dam. 5: While the pharaohs built ancient wonders, Ferdinand de Lesseps built this "modern" one. the Suez Canal. Round 4. Category: Fold It 5 Ways 1: Kids make these from 1 sheet of typing paper; they use a lot less fuel than a Cessna. Paper airplane. 2: The word origami means "paper folding" in this language. Japanese. 3: It's black and white and read all over; it's also the perfect size to make a hat. Newspaper. 4: Complex snout folds are needed to make this animal, whose next Chinese year is 2007. Pig/boar. 5: A square sheet of paper can become a star to put on a Christmas tree, a triangle becomes this Jewish star. Star of David. Round 5. Category: A World To Kiss 1: In this French pilgrimage city, many have kissed the stone in the cave where St. Bernadette had her vision. Lourdes. 2: In Spanish churches, besamanos and besapiés are the customs of kissing these 2 parts of religious statues. the hands and the feet. 3: Kissing this at a castle in County Cork will get you the gift of gab, or so they say. the Blarney Stone. 4: In the 1930s newly single women were known to kiss the Washoe County courthouse pillars in this divorce-friendly Nevada city. Reno. 5: It's traditional at this venerable state university to streak across the space known as the Lawn and kiss the Homer statue. University of Virginia. Thanks for listening! Come back tomorrow for more exciting trivia!Special thanks to https://blog.feedspot.com/trivia_podcasts/ AI Voices used

After last week's trip to the Blarney Stone in Ireland, Ty has acquired the Gift of Gab! Immediately after returning to the states he knocked out an entire script in one sitting and brought a copy for the boys to read. Mikey is skeptical about the origin of the works, FreqHandy refuses to be a part of the reading in Sachmo is just happy to be involved. All this and much much more!

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and information you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  It's St. Patrick's Day and the Cardinals could use a little luck of the Irish to keep everyone in one piece.  Keynan Middleton went down this week, a troubling injury in an area where the Cards actually have some depth.  Oli Marmol found a pot of gold mid-week as the Cardinals extended him for two years.  Is this really a big deal and does it change much of anything?  And do spring training stats start counting now that there are just 10 days left?  Daniel (@C70) and David (@iPopEditor) are wearing the green and talking the red!

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 17, 2024 is: blarney • BLAR-nee • noun Blarney refers to false but charming talk that often flatters the listener. // The bartender laughingly asked her gregarious patron if anyone ever believed his blarney. See the entry > Examples: “Some tales are mundane, like the song about Molly Malone: ‘In Dublin fair city, the girls are so pretty …' Did such a woman ever exist? There's a record of a Mary Malone who lived (and died) in the 17th century. She was likely both a fishmonger and a lady of the night. … Some tales are blarney. Blarney Castle dates to 1446, and there's a slab of carboniferous limestone near the top. It's said to be the stone used by Jacob as a pillow when he dreamt of a ladder to heaven. Others say Clíodhna, Queen of the Banshees, told Cormac Laidir MacCarthy to kiss the stone so he would be eloquent when defending his home in the court of Queen Elizabeth.” — Kevin Fisher-Paulson, The San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2023 Did you know? The village of Blarney in County Cork, Ireland, is home to Blarney Castle, and in the southern wall of that edifice lies the famous Blarney Stone. Legend has it that anyone who kisses the Blarney Stone will gain the gift of skillful flattery, but that gift must be attained at the price of some limber maneuvering—you have to lie down and hang your head over a precipice to reach and kiss the stone. One story claims the word blarney gained popularity as a word for “flattery” after Queen Elizabeth I of England used it to describe the flowery (but apparently less than honest) cajolery of McCarthy Mor, who was then the lord of Blarney Castle.

Grab a pint, don your green, and enjoy a trio of St. Patrick's Day old time radio mysteries. First, Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce investigate a murder at one of Ireland's landmarks in "The Adventure of the Blarney Stone" from The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (originally aired on Mutual on March 18, 1946). Then, George Valentine tries to prevent a spectral eviction in "The Ghost of Ireland Betty" from Let George Do It (originally aired on Mutual on September 27, 1954). Finally, Paladin comes to the aid of an Irishman accused of robbery and murder in "Irish Luck" (originally aired on CBS on April 24, 1960).

We honor St. Patrick's Day with a special two-part bedtime story set in Ireland. In this story Grandpa Edward Jeffrey Hill and Grandma Tamara Snell Mulford Hill take a cruise to the British Isles.  This episode gives background to an exciting Bigfoot story about kissing the Blarney Stone and receiving the gift of eloquence (aka, the gift of gab).

In honor of St. Patrick's Day the bedtime story tells of when  Grandpa Edward Jeffrey Hill and Grandma Tamara Snell Mulford Hill visited Ireland.  Their attempt to kiss the Blarney Stone in order to receive the gift of eloquence is interrupted by the Rotund Bald Man with the Ugly Mustache. After several adventures with the Pirate Pilot things look bleak. Will Bigfoot be able to save them?  You'll have to listen to find out.

Mikey and Ty join the HabitRats for a St Patrick's Day pregame and find out about the Blarney Stone. We also discuss the recent AI generated event in Scotland called “The Wonka Experience” which gave the world a new Roald Dahl character known only as The Unknown, the famous tomato famine and much much more!

The Lux Radio Theatre - Top O' The Morning 1952 Announcer-John Milton Kennedy Ann Blyth, Dennis Day, Barry Fitzgerald Dennis Day solves the theft of the Blarney Stone!

Described as an experimental and genre-defying podcast recorded entirely live in support of an-inside-joke-within-an-inside-joke narrative weaves a tangled web of wackiness and weirdness. On Episode 604 of Trick or Treat Radio we discuss Cobweb, the latest film from the South Korean Maestro Kim Jee-woon! We also talk about all the Killer Klowns we know, we have a surprising revelation about a famous character actor, and we have fun with Google Maps! So grab your director's megaphone, convince your cast that your film isn't a fequel, and strap on for the world's most dangerous podcast!Stuff we talk about: James Hong, the “Asian Persuasion”, high energy old dudes, The Blarney Stone, Leitrims, Moynihans, Power and Glory, Mos Eisley Cantina, fun with Google Maps, Dead of Winter Fest, Rough House Publishing, Mina Rose, Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game, name all the klowns, sequel prequel requel equel geekquel and fequel, communism is like poop, Ralphus, nitrous balloons, Midnight Madness, Eddie Deezen, Michael J. Fox, David Naughton, Liev Schreiber, Paul Reubens, Dirk Blocker, Poltergeist, Richard Tyson, 3 O'clock High, Doogie Kamealoha, M.D., Doogie Schnauzer, Doogie Trouser, Barry Bostwick, Snowpiercer, The Host, Parasite, The Quiet Family, The Happiness of the Katakuris, I Saw the Devil, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Hausu, Kim Jee-woon, Cobweb, Terror Firmer, Shadow of the Vampire, Ed Wood, Blair Witch Project: Book of Shadows, movie within a movie, Star Wars movies over two hours, Goldface, Captain Amerigo Vespucci, one-take film scenes, The Constitution, Deadpool, Rob Liefield, Berberian Sound Studio, the Dangerously Aroused Goblin, art or commodity, Director's Cuts, Death Rattle, $5 buy in for the verdict, Soapdish, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Poor Things, Yorgos Lanthimos, Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Here For Blood, Brother Business, Edge and Christian, Ravage, Soundwave, Jetfire, Grimlock, Go-Bots, and don't violate my childhood bro.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/trickortreatradioJoin our Discord Community: discord.trickortreatradio.comSend Email/Voicemail: mailto:podcast@trickortreatradio.comVisit our website: http://trickortreatradio.comStart your own podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=386Use our Amazon link: http://amzn.to/2CTdZzKFB Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/trickortreatradioTwitter: http://twitter.com/TrickTreatRadioFacebook: http://facebook.com/TrickOrTreatRadioYouTube: http://youtube.com/TrickOrTreatRadioInstagram: http://instagram.com/TrickorTreatRadioSupport the show

Hear about a week-long road trip from Dublin to Cork through southeastern Ireland as the Amateur Traveler talks to Amber Hagerty from AmberEverywhere.com about this out-of-the-way corner of Ireland. https://amateurtraveler.com/dublin-to-cork-road-trip-in-southeastern-ireland/ Day 1: Dublin to Wicklow Morning: Arrive in Dublin and explore the city. Visit Bar 1661 for the best Irish coffee and Trinity College to admire the campus. Afternoon: Indulge in some delicious ice cream at Murphy's on Wicklow Street in Temple Bar. Evening: Rent a car and drive south to Bray. Enjoy a stroll along the promenade, have dinner at a local restaurant like Daata, and consider doing the cliff walk to Greystones for breathtaking views. Day 2: Exploring Wicklow Morning: Visit Enniskerry, a charming town with a picturesque setting used to film "Disenchanted". Midday: Explore Powerscourt Estate and Gardens, known for its stunning landscapes and themed gardens. Afternoon: Drive to Glendalough and embark on the Spinc Trail for a scenic hike with panoramic views. Evening: Consider staying overnight in Glendalough, perhaps trying out glamping for a unique experience. Day 3: Road Trip to Wexford Morning: Drive through the Wicklow Gap for breathtaking views of the Wicklow Mountains. Midday: Make a stop in Wicklow Town to visit the historic jail and explore the seaside harbor. Afternoon: Enjoy brunch at LoCo Grocer in Arklow and relax on Brittas Bay Beach. Evening: Arrive in Wexford City and consider attending a performance at the National Opera House. Day 4: Salty Islands and Waterford Morning: Take a ferry to the Salty Islands (book far in advance) for a unique birdwatching experience, especially to see puffins. Midday: Return to Kilmore Quay and indulge in a sauna experience at Salty Sauna. Afternoon: Drive to Waterford City and visit the House of Waterford Crystal for a tour and souvenir shopping. Evening: Dine at a local restaurant like the Seagull Bakery for delicious sourdough bread and pastries. Day 5: Exploring Tramore Morning: Start your day with a stroll through the charming seaside town of Tramore. Enjoy the picturesque hilly streets and take in the coastal atmosphere. Mid-morning: Head down to the seafront and take a leisurely walk along the boardwalk, perfect for families with kids. Explore the expansive sandy beach, keeping in mind that it may be covered by the tide at certain times. Afternoon: Visit the Japanese Gardens dedicated to Lafcadio Hearn, an Irish travel writer with a fascinating connection to Tramore. Learn about his life and legacy while enjoying the serene beauty of the gardens. Late Afternoon/Evening: Spend the rest of the day soaking in the laid-back atmosphere of this charming coastal town. Day 6: Outdoor Adventures in Waterford Morning: Embark on the Waterford Greenway, a scenic route along a converted train line. Choose to walk or cycle along this picturesque path, taking in views of aqueducts, lush greenery, and charming tunnels. Afternoon: Explore the stunning hike to Coumshingaun Lough. Enjoy breathtaking views of the lake and surrounding cliffs, but exercise caution if the weather is foggy. Opt for the shorter hike to the lake if visibility is poor. Late Afternoon/Evening: Return to Tramore or continue exploring the Waterford area at your leisure. Consider dining at a local restaurant or relaxing at your accommodation after a day of outdoor adventures. Day 7: Discovering the Copper Coast Morning: Drive along the scenic Copper Coast, a UNESCO Geopark known for its geological and cultural significance. Stop at Bunmahon Beach to enjoy the sandy shores and explore the dunes. Midday: Continue southward to discover the secluded Tra na mBó Beach, hidden among the cliffs. Spend some peaceful moments soaking in the natural beauty of this hidden gem. Afternoon: Explore the charming town of Dungarvan, known for its vibrant atmosphere and delicious churros. Consider starting your journey back towards Cork, taking in the scenic views along the way. Evening: Arrive in Cork and settle into your accommodation. Consider dining at a local restaurant or enjoying a relaxing evening in the city. Day 8: Exploring Cork City and Surroundings Morning: Visit Cobh, a picturesque town just outside of Cork, known for its colorful houses and historic landmarks such as St. Colman's Cathedral and Spike Island. Mid-morning: Embark on the Ballycotton Cliff Walk for stunning coastal views and invigorating sea air. Enjoy a leisurely stroll along the cliffs, taking in the natural beauty of the coastline. Afternoon: Explore Blarney Castle and its beautiful gardens, and consider kissing the Blarney Stone for the gift of eloquence. Take your time to explore the castle grounds and enjoy the surrounding scenery. Late Afternoon/Evening: Return to Cork City and visit Elizabeth Fort for panoramic views of the city and the River Lee. Enjoy a pint of Guinness or a cup of tea at a local pub, such as O'Sho, and savor the relaxed atmosphere. Night: Consider ending your trip with a visit to the Shelbourne Bar in the Victorian quarter for a taste of Whiskey. Reflect on your journey through southeastern Ireland and savor the memories made along the way.

Today is not only St Valentine's Day but Ash Wednesday too. Rumour has it the phrase 'Kiss me I'm irish' comes from Americans kissing the Blarney Stone. So we sent Henry McKean to Cork and he sent us this report...

Welcome to the Instant Trivia podcast episode 1030, where we ask the best trivia on the Internet. Round 1. Category: How Touching! 1: It's the usual name for the kind of zoo where you can stroke--and sometimes even feed--young animals. a petting zoo. 2: Literally French for "touched", this expression indicates a hit in fencing. touché. 3: When Sir Walter Scott wrote, "Have I not licked the black stone of that ancient castle?" he meant this fabled object. the Blarney Stone. 4: It's been reported that the Elle Macpherson figure in this London museum was attracting gropers. Madame Tussauds. 5: It's good luck to touch a bronze statue of a turtle named Testudo at this East Coast school. University of Maryland. Round 2. Category: Willie Nelson 1: For the past 3 years, Willie Nelson has put on charity concerts for the benefit of these workers. farm workers. 2: Willie Nelson's own recording studio and golf course, called "Cut and Putt", are in this Texas capital. Austin. 3: In 1 song Willie says they're his heroes; in another he urges "don't let your babies grow up to be" them. cowboys. 4: Willie's only Top-10 solo hit on the pop charts was in 1982 with the remake of this Elvis song. "Always on My Mind". 5: His "Red-Headed Stranger" album gave him his 1st crossover hit, this colorful, tearful tune. "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain". Round 3. Category: 3-Letter Spanish Words 1: No bull, it's "Bravo!". Ole!. 2: In 1980 Roberto Duran said to Sugar Ray Leonard, "No" this, meaning "no more". Mas. 3: Old Mexican movies and telenovelas end with this 3-letter word. Fin. 4: Domingo, Lunes or Martes, for example. Dia. 5: In Spanish it means "with"; in English, "against". Con. Round 4. Category: Presidential Music? 1: He had a string of No. 1 hits with his brothers, including "ABC", as well as solo No. 1s, like "Black Or White". Michael Jackson. 2: President Obama's got a friend in this "You've Got A Friend" singer who performed at Obama's second inaugural. James Taylor. 3: She co-wrote "Ring Of Fire" for future hubby Johnny Cash. (June) Carter. 4: "Atomic Dog" and "Nubian Nut" are solo hits by this giant of funk music. George Clinton. 5: Gavin Rossdale (Gwen Stefani's ex) is the lead singer of this British band. Bush. Round 5. Category: Historic America 1: A fine collection of Haida and Tlingit totem poles was toted to Sitka National Historic Park in this state. Alaska. 2: This Washington, D.C. house, once the residence of Harry Truman, is named for the founder of the Washington Globe. Blair House. 3: Williamsburg and this last Revolutionary War battle site are part of Virginia's "Historic Triangle". Yorktown. 4: The Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. use this founder's Savannah, Georgia birthplace as a national program center. Juliette Low. 5: Splendors of the Gilded Age adorn the Lightner Museum, once a Gilded Age hotel in this oldest Florida city. St. Augustine. Thanks for listening! Come back tomorrow for more exciting trivia!Special thanks to https://blog.feedspot.com/trivia_podcasts/ AI Voices used

There's no telling what could happen after you listen to this episode.  Are you going to live out all your dreams or is the world going to end in a fiery inferno?  The answer lies within.Support the showhunchbunny.com

Dan's back from The Emerald Isle and he shared his experiences! Visit the country through his eyes and travel with him to The Guinness Brewery in Dublin to Ross Castle in Killarney. He also shared his experience kissing the Blarney Stone!

In this episode Grandma Edward Jeffrey Hill and Grandma Tamara Snell Mulford Hill take a cruise to the British Isles.  Their attempt to kiss the Blarney Stone in order to receive the gift of eloquence is interrupted by the Rotund Bald Man with the Ugly Mustache. After several adventures with the Pirate Pilo things look bleak. Will Bigfoot be able to save them?  You'll have to listen to find out.   

In this episode Grandma Edward Jeffrey Hill and Grandma Tamara Snell Mulford Hill take a cruise to the British Isles.  This episode gives background to the exciting Bigfoot story about kissing the Blarney Stone and receiving the gift of eloquence (aka, the gift of gab).  

Blarney Stone

We're in Cork, Ireland, with Amber Haggerty of AmberEverywhere.com. We talk about kissing the Blarney Stone, attending the Midsummer Festival, and getting amazing views of the city from Elizabeth Fort.  Show notes are at https://WeTravelThere.com/cork Bluffworks' stylish clothing is designed with the modern traveler in mind. It is wrinkle-resistant, machine washable, and very comfortable with hidden pockets to protect your valuables. Save 10% with our promo code at WeTravelThere.com/bluffworks

We're going to hear the tales of a descendant of the Selkie Clan who kissed the Blarney Stone! And you're gonna find out what cannabis does for her MS, Autism, ADHD, and brain injury! Don't miss this enchanting discussion with Dr. Paula Macfie. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cannabaverum/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cannabaverum/support

We are rounding off this series of episodes today with a bang: Jenny and Sarah read Chris' favourite books! They discuss Wicked by Gregory Maguire and Self-Portrait with Boy by Rachel Lyon. Get in touchTwitter | Instagram | TikTok | Website | Voice messageBooks mentionedUnwell Women by Elinor CleghornBirds of America by Lorrie MooreI Am Homeless If This Is Not My Home by Lorrie MooreHow to Breathe Underwater by Julie OrringerInto Thin Air by Jon Krakauer Somebody's Daughter by Ashley C Ford Talking As Fast As I Can by Lauren Graham Open Water by Caleb Azumah NelsonWicked by Gregory Maguire Self-Portrait With Boy by Rachel Lyon Black Butterflies by Priscillla Morris Other stuff mentioned The Blarney Stone in Ireland Film Jen was thinking of was Can You Ever Forgive Me Support The Bookcast ClubYou can support the podcast on Patreon. Our tiers start at £2 a month. Rewards include early access to the podcast, 'close friends' feed on Instagram, monthly bonus episodes, tailored book recommendations and books in the post.  You can now try our bonus tier FREE for 7 days. If you would like to make a one-off donation you can do so on Ko-fi.  A free way to show your support is to mention us on social media, rate us on Spotify or review us on Apple Podcasts.NewsletterSign up to our monthly newsletter on Substack for more book recommendations, reviews, new releases, podcast recommendations and the latest podcast news.  Come and chat to us in the comments.Support the show

Please SHARE this episode with someone who loves old time radio shows like you do! And get FREE full-length pulp audiobooks, pulp eBooks, and old-time radio shows by emailing WeirdDarkness@RadioArchives.com!IN THIS EPISODE: It's a double-dose of mystery from the greatest detective ever – in “The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes!” First up, it's a story originally aired February 11, 1946 entitled, “The Guideless Gypsy” – where Holmes and Watson find good companionship in a gypsy camp. But they also find kidnapping, attempted murder, and a beautiful girl who gives up her life for Holmes! And later, it's an episode from March 18, 1946 called “The Adventure of the Blarney Stone” – where Sherlock Holmes "takes the law into his own hands" when a murder takes place at Blarney Castle. The victim was trying to kiss the Blarney Stone. And after our first story, I'll tell you a bit about the radio show itself and its very interesting history.SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…The stories in this episode were provided by http://RadioArchives.com Weird Darkness Retro Radio theme by Storyblocks.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46Find out how to escape eternal darkness at https://weirddarkness.com/eternaldarkness WeirdDarkness® - is a production and trademark of Marlar House Productions. Copyright, Weird Darkness, 2023.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/archives/15947This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/3655291/advertisement

New Twitter address- @1001podcast Follow Us! ANDROID USERS- 1001 Stories From The Old West- https://toppodcast.com/podcast_feeds/1001-stories-from-the-old-west/ 1001 Radio Crime Solvers- https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a60ec356-c7d0-4535-b276-1282990e46ba/1001-radio-crime-solvers 1001's Best of Jack London- https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vQURMMzA0OTMyMjE1Mg/episode/ZGZjY2U4ZmUtNzMzYi0xMWVkLWE3NzUtMmY1MGNmNGFiNDVh?hl=en&ved=2ahUKEwifjrqi8-L7AhViM1kFHQ1nA_EQjrkEegQICRAI&ep=6 1001 Radio Days right here at Google Podcasts FREE: https://podcasts.google.com/search/1001%20radio%20days 1001 Classic Short Stories & Tales at Google Podcasts https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vQURMNzU3MzM0Mjg0NQ== 1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries at Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/search/1001%20heroes 1001 Sherlock Holmes Stories (& Tales from Arthur Conan Doyle) https://podcasts.google.com/search/1001%20sherlock%20holmes 1001 Ghost Stories & Tales of the Macabre on Spotify: https://podcasts.google.com/search/1001%20ghost%20stories 1001 Stories for the Road on Google Podcasts https://podcasts.google.com/search/1001%20stories%20for%20the%20road Enjoy 1001 Greatest Love Stories on Google Podcasts https://podcasts.google.com/search/1001%20greatest%20love%20stories 1001 History's Best Storytellers: (author interviews) on Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/show/1001-historys-best-storytellers APPLE USERS Catch 1001 Stories From The Old West- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-stories-from-the-old-west/id1613213865 Catch 1001's Best of Jack London- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-best-of-jack-london/id1656939169 Catch 1001 Radio Crime Solvers- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-radio-crime-solvers/id1657397371 Catch 1001 Heroes on any Apple Device here (Free): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-heroes-legends-histories-mysteries-podcast/id956154836?mt=2  Catch 1001 CLASSIC SHORT STORIES at Apple Podcast App Now: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-classic-short-stories-tales/id1078098622 Catch 1001 Stories for the Road at Apple Podcast now:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-stories-for-the-road/id1227478901 NEW Enjoy 1001 Greatest Love Stories on Apple Devices here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-greatest-love-stories/id1485751552 Catch 1001 RADIO DAYS now at Apple iTunes!  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-radio-days/id1405045413?mt=2 NEW 1001 Ghost Stories & Tales of the Macabre is now playing at Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-ghost-stories-tales-of-the-macabre/id1516332327 NEW Enjoy 1001 History's Best Storytellers (Interviews) on Apple Devices here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-historys-best-storytellers/id1483649026 NEW Enjoy 1001 Sherlock Holmes Stories and The Best of Arthur Conan Doyle https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-sherlock-holmes-stories-best-sir-arthur-conan/id1534427618 Get all of our shows at one website: https://.1001storiespodcast.com REVIEWS NEEDED . My email works as well for comments: 1001storiespodcast@gmail.com SUPPORT OUR SHOW BY BECOMING A PATRON! https://.patreon.com/1001storiesnetwork. Its time I started asking for support! Thank you. Its a few dollars a month OR a one time. (Any amount is appreciated). YOUR REVIEWS ARE NEEDED AND APPRECIATED! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why is Yr. Obt. Svt. not part of this podcast?  Aren't you glad I'm not?The Culture Clash series has – from the feedback we've heard – been well received.  Thus far it's been Americans talking to our comrades in performance management arms about their experience in their home country and in North America.  What we've not had is someone from another country talking to his countrymen.  This podcast deviates from that model because my Objectively Younger, Taller, Smarter and Subjectively Better Looking Brother From Other Parents is from India and is speaking with two of his Indian friends, Kishore Mukkamala and Sumit Deo.  It was – and this was quite difficult for someone who has figuratively kissed the Blarney Stone – my idea to redact myself and Natalie and Tim from the podcast as we simply don't have the background to do justice to this episode, thus, Celvin as the host.One of the things that makes this such an interesting episode is that Celvin really understands the immigrants journey – all three of them have had very different experiences and yet all three have had ones that are awfully close.  Because of this, I think you, oh Gentle Listener, will find nuance and understanding in this episode that may very well be unique.  They came for opportunity.  They left for family.One of the things that I found so interesting about this podcast (your hosts and our guests listen to all of our episodes before they go live, the former for OMG-is-this-any-good and the latter for OMG-am-I-going-to-get-fired-over-this-content) is the effort and challenges Sumit and Kishore underwent as they came to the States and built a life only to return to their homeland.  Their reasons differ slightly but commonly share the threads of family ties and duty.  One cannot but admire their undoubtedly hard (have a listen to what they had to go through to get into this country and work here – it ain't easy) decisions, for this is what real men (and women but c'mon, they are quite literally guys) willingly sacrifice for their families.Their paths here (and I include Celvin) are interesting, their careers varied, their love of Essbase similar.   They are inspiring stories and (for once) I as a listener was quite moved.  I am sorry they left the States as I would very much like to meet them in person. A couple of key things to listen for:  guns, sports (American sports), movies (Hollywood is more accurate than one might imagine), personal space, Americans' openness and friendliness, and just where are the servants.   A world united by Enid BlytonAt the end of every episode we (well, Celvin this time) ask our guests who in history they'd like to have dinner with, what they like to read, and the movies that they like in an attempt to know the real person.I am as a native born American, somewhat taken aback by the well-read nature of our guests in this series.  Kishore and Sumit are from their answers, people whose interests go far beyond just work and sports (I fear I do a disservice to my fellow Americans but let's be real:  how many philosophers does your average USAian list in his I'd-like-to-have-dinner-with-this-person) .   But most importantly, how many Americans are fans of the Famous Five?  Hah!  I am.  Well, I think the Secret Seven were better, but the Famous Five are just fine as well.  I'm not sure if listening to this podcast will convince you to dive into the really quite magical world of Enid Blyton, but if you have children, I urge you to dip your to

In today's episode we will be covering over 50 different Free things you can do all over Las Vegas. From DTLV to the Las Vegas strip and even local casino and events you can visit without having to dig in your wallet. We mention fun places too like the Las Vegas sign & Tips about it. The Bellagio and different free things to do there like the Fountains/The Conservatory & Even the worlds largest chocolate fountain. The Different Atriums around Las Vegas. 7 Magic Mountains, Container Park DTLV, Fremont Street Experience & Viva vision screen, The Volcano at mirage, Level Up at MGM, The Dueling Piano Bars & Why they can be so much fun, El Cortez historic walkway, Ethel M's Chocolate Factory in Henderson, We Even Mention Mt Charleston, Red Rock & The Hoover Dam. The Lake of Dreams show at wynn. Different Lounges and very cool scenic spots around Las Vegas. Free services to get around town like the downtown loop & The Free Trams. The Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian, Area15, The Gold & Silver Pawn Shop as seen on TV, The Free Circus acts at Circus Circus, The Flamingo Wildlife Habitat, The M&M Store & The Coca-Cola Store at the showcase mall, The Hershey's Chocolate Store at NYNY, The Linq Promanade, A Very Unique Bass Pro Shops & Mermaid Aquarium at The Silverton, Big Elvis, The Coolest Escalatora in Las Vegas at the caesar's forum shoppes, The Art's District & 1st Friday, The Graffiti Alley DTLV, The Pinball Hall of Fame, Casino Hopping, Sight Seeing, People Watching, Hand Of Faith at The Golden Nugget, Free Line Dancing Lessons at Gilly's at Treasure Island, The Blarney Stone at The D, The Berlin Wall/Antique Slots & Winston Churchill Pool Table at Main Street Station. Plus so much more for you to take advantage of all throughout Sin City. Please let us know what free things have you done on this list? Also let us know which Freebies were new to you. Cheers & Enjoy!   Check out The New FREE VegasNearMe App & It's got everything you need to See & know before you go to Las Vegas, Enjoy

Gaffes are few and far between for most adults with working prefrontal cortexes. But for the president of the United States, gaffes are what keeps each and every day copacetic, at least by his standards. For most remaining Americans, it appears that President Joseph Robinette Biden is one big piece of bad luck. And maybe that is why he took a four-day holiday over to Ireland. He was in search of the Blarney Stone, but he demonstrated he would rather kiss young children instead. Either way, the gaffes abounded from the eejit.

In this episode Maggie tells the girls about when homosexuals were fired from government during the Lavender Scare. and Lexi tells them the history of the Blarney Stone.

So what is ME, you may ask? Read on. Our guest this episode is James Davis who lives North of ME in Washington State. He began life in the Midwest and lived there until he and his mother moved to Colorado to get Mom out of an abusive relationship.   James tells us how he went to college where he majored in history, a subject he hated in high school. It's interesting how often our perspectives change and in James' case, History became quite interesting for him. He then went into teaching, but as he puts it to us, he began experiencing “brain fog” and eventually had to cease teaching as a career.   It took years for him to learn what was happening to him. By the time he learned that he had a disease called ME, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis he had decided to commit suicide. He couldn't kill himself, however, without first talking about his decision with his wife. She convinced him not to leave the Earth quite yet and, eventually, he discovered what was going on with him. Our episode with James concludes with some great life observations from him such as not letting severe depression overwhelm you.   James had many times in his life where he could have just given up and bowed out. He did not. Unstoppable? Yes. James is easy to listen to and his stories are engaging. I hope you enjoy what he has to say including how he now serves on the board of ME International, an accessiBe customer.     About the Guest:   I was born in the Midwest and spent a majority of my youth moving around Illinois and Missouri. I spent some time in California and Colorado as well. I grew up in an ultra-conservative environment, but that never set well with me because I was always curious and wanting to know more. Asking the why of something was discouraged. I spent most of my youth exploring woods and creeks around places we lived. Those are my fondest memories of my youth. My earliest memory is with my dad. It was at night and we were parked next to a beach. My dad carried me down these large rocks with a flashlight. He was whispering to me, but I don't really remember what he was saying, only that he was excited. When we reached the sandy bottom, he shined his light under the rocks where I was amazed to see these little crabs scurrying about.  He reached under there and pulled one out. It was clearly agitated looking for something to latch onto with its claw. I loved seeing this tiny creature for the first time. My dad snatched me up into his other arm and climbed back up the rocks to our car. He sat me down and whispered, “Watch this” and proceeded to make my mother and sister scream in horror as he dangled the crab toward them. We laughed heartily at their expense. Not sure why that memory stuck with me, but it has definitely influenced my sense of humor.   My father was murdered when I was 16. My mother went from one abusive husband to another. One of them was a mean alcoholic and tried to stab me one day over some drunken delusion. After a brief altercation where I defended myself with a greasy cast iron skillet, I decided I had more than enough. I packed a duffle bag and hitched a ride to the nearest town where I spent some time couch surfing and being homeless. I was 16 years old when I left home. I went through a rather destructive phase and abused drugs and alcohol for some time and barely showed up for school. This went on for about a year before my mother found me and asked me to move to Colorado with her. She was trying to get away from her abusive husband, but she wouldn't leave without me, so I moved to Colorado with her and my siblings. I am not entirely certain what it was about the change of environments, but being in the mountains was a life affirming moment that had a profound impression on me. I stopped my delinquency and enrolled in an at-risk school where I finished my high school diploma. Many years later I would come back to teach there. I spent a lot of time biking, backpacking and fishing. I loved to fly fish but I was never especially good at it. I used to scout trails for overnight hikes for the Boy Scouts up in the mountains. I hiked the Grand Canyon, which was both amazing and grueling. I was not well prepared for the extremes. At the top of the South Rim it snowed 4 inches my first night there. I had foolishly decided to not bring a tent and sleep under the stars to save weight in my pack. Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep. After a hike to the bottom of the canyon, I was pleasantly surprised to find a balmy 70 degrees. It had been several days since I had a shower, so the first thing I wanted to do is wash myself. I made a foolish error of leaving my pack at my campsite while washing up along the river only to return and find a wild turkey had consumed an entire bag of granola leaving me short on food for my trip out. It was not a fun hike out. The last mile was excruciating and I was practically crawling. I heard it was called the wall by marathon runners where you have exhausted all of your energy reserves. This same feeling of exhaustion would revisit me years later, but not from over exertion or a turkey stealing my food. After I graduated from high school, I did end up going to college. I was the first in my family to attend college and I loved academics. If I hadn't become ill, I imagine I would probably still be taking classes to this day. My first school was South Western Illinois. I was an honor student, president of the Poetry club and editor of the school magazine. I started my first non-profit with some college friends called The River Foundation. Our thinking was we wanted a venue for novice writers to hone their skills to hopefully someday become professional writers. It was a lot of fun and work, but it fell apart when my college partners decided to go overseas for school or run off and get married. I completed an Associate of arts degree from here and then later moved to Colorado and attended Mesa University for my History degree with a teaching certificate. I was in the honors program here as well and on the editing staff of the literary magazine. This is where I developed a love of Bronze Age Cultures and did my honor's thesis on gender representation in Minoan art and iconography. After college, I was all set to teach high school until I became seriously ill. There were days I was so exhausted I could not lift myself out of bed. I had no idea what was wrong with me and neither did my doctors. At first, they thought I had AIDS, which was really scary. They tested me 3 times over the course of a year, but it was always negative. All my tests where fairly normal with some results just outside normal ranges. Nobody had any idea so I went through a period where new drugs where being thrown at me, some only exacerbating my illness. I remember taking Lyrica for the chronic pain. It helped at first, but over time made me have violent episodes. I am one of those types of people who love their dogs like their own children, so when I felt an urge to strike my dog, I knew something serious was wrong. Needless to say, I was weened quickly off that medicine. I can't remember all the drugs I was given in those years but they were numerous. I think in total, 8 anti-depressants were tried on me all of them made me feel worse. One, made me so agoraphobic, I couldn't leave my house. This dart board medical approach went on for several years being shuffled between specialists without ever having any answers. I was unable to work due to the horrible brain fog and memory problems, chronic pain, sleepless nights and a whole host of persistent symptoms. You can't really teach history if you can't remember the names of the historical figures. Hell, I often forgot the names of close family members. I remember thinking I had to have some horrible disease that was going to kill me any day. Between the unknowing, the chronic pain, the loss of my cognitive function, which was something I deemed very important to me, I just became overwhelmed and decided to end my life. I made a plan that I could carry out unassisted, but before I would execute my plan, I knew I had to make my wife understand my decision. She was such a sweet person and definitely would have blamed herself. I knew I couldn't do that to her. I thought because she saw my daily struggle, she would be sympathetic. Boy was I wrong. After a long conversation and some tearful chastisement, we came to the agreement that I would not give up until all avenues were exhausted to find some answers to this illness. It took several more years before I was finally diagnosed and it happened by pure accident. Because I was unable to work, I decided I needed something constructive to do with my time and was looking into ways of making money. I felt an enormous amount of guilt for not being able to contribute financially. While I was unable to do anything remotely physical, I had a pretty solid background with computers. I had worked several years as a webmaster in the mid 90s. So I started scouring the internet for ideas and ended up reading about a writer in the UK that was making a living writing. In his blog, he was discussing his illness and how it prevented him from working which led him to become a writer. As I read his description of his illness, I was floored that his symptoms were nearly identical to my own. I brought this to the attention of my physician who sent me to some specialists in Denver for a battery of tests and I was finally given a name to what had been plaquing me for years; Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. It was such a weird combination of emotions as I was elated to have a name to put to this horrible thing, but dismayed that little was known and there was no known cure or treatment. At the very least, I thought it would alleviate some of the shame people were making me feel because, if medicine recognized it, so should they. Things improved somewhat after getting a diagnosis. At least some of my symptoms were being treated and I learned how to cope better. I began writing in earnest and finished 2 fantasy books of a trilogy. Guardians of the Grove, and Daughter of the Forest. It was nice to feel accomplishment again despite the daily struggle to get by. I had trouble performing tasks for my basic necessities, but my wife was very supportive and did a lot to help me on a daily basis. I don't think I could have survived without her help. It certainly wasn't the life I envisioned for myself, but there was enough quality in it to keep me moving forward. Several years after my ME diagnosis, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. I was only 47 at the time. It really felt like I was cursed at this point. Between ME and the cancer, I was an emotional wreck. These two illnesses robbed me of my ability to become the person I was raised to be. I was raised in that traditional Midwest home where the “man” was to be the breadwinner and work hard for his family, the protector, and all that John Wayne sort of mentality. I didn't talk about my pain, my illness, the struggles I had, all of it was endured silently. My wife of course knew, she was there and could see it first hand, but that wasn't true for everyone else. When I was able to be around family and friends, I was always at my best, because that is the only time I was capable of leaving our home. When I was asked how I was feeling, it was always met with a smile and some pleasantry. This is how I was raised. You simply didn't burden others with your personal tribulations and as a man I wasn't allowed to show weakness. I remember when I was seven years old, I cut open my hand and had to get seven stitches. I was rewarded with money afterwards because I “took it like a man” and didn't cry.   Now, I have cancer and faced with some tough decisions. Unbeknownst to me, my wife's family began to openly question our relationship as I was a drain on their daughter. Now, these people are not mean spirited or malicious, they had genuine concern for the welfare of their daughter, sibling, niece etc. I can't fault them for their concern. It's not like I hadn't raised the same questions with myself. I often thought my wife deserved more than I could offer. My wife however, wasn't responsive to this, but she also has severe co-dependency with her family. She wants to make sure they are happy with her and approve of her. The enormous amount of pressure they put on her, eventually wore her down and they talked her into leaving me and file for divorce. This was happening while I was in the hospital undergoing surgery to save my life. To them, I simply wasn't living up to my duty as a man in our society.   I often wondered if I hadn't clung to those same beliefs, and spoke up about the numerous problems I was going through if it would have made a difference in their minds. I of course have no way of answering that question, but I have become a little more open about discussing my illness. I am not very good at it, but I do endeavor to be honest about my ailment. The expectation that as a man of my generation, I am to suffer in silence and manage to be a provider and protector no matter the personal cost is an unrealistic view. When I was going to college, I tended bar at a local pub. It was mostly retired factory workers who spent their whole lives being providers. Every last one of them were miserable wrecks drinking the days among strangers waiting to die. It was a sad realization and when I became ill, I realized I was trying to be one of them. It's a hard thing to come to terms with when you realize much of what you've been taught is a fallacy. Once I was able to find Facebook forums discussing ME, I almost never saw men among the posters. We were silent visitors lurking among the group trying to find some glimmer of hope for treatment options. It is a difficult struggle for many men to overcome our socialization and reach out for help. It is somewhat opposite for women, who are often deemed to have mental issues. That they are somehow fragile, emotional, and susceptible to delusions. These biases have kept thousands of suffering patients from getting proper care. But this is often the case for many diseases. It wasn't that different for patients in the early days of Multiple Sclerosis or even AIDS. Social biases caused many to suffer unfairly. This is why I joined ME International so I could help educate people with the science and numerous studies concerning ME in hope that we could get beyond the bias and move our understanding of ME forward. My philosophy in life is rather simple. I don't fight the current to be in a place I think I am supposed to be, but rather look for happiness where life takes me. So, once everything settled down from my cancer, I ended up packing up and moving to live in the Pacific Northwest. It has awoken that same sensation I felt when I first moved to Colorado. It's a place where I can feel alive even with this disease. Getting outdoors more often and implementing new diet regimens has increased my ability to function. I am nowhere near the days of backpacking 20 miles over mountainous terrain, but I can manage some short trips if I plan them well and allow recovery time. I often overdo things and end up on my back for days or weeks, but I am living life. When I built my first home, I put a stained-glass kit in the window of my front door that read, “May you live all the days of your life”. That is what I do. I have taken up photography to share all this beauty surrounding me. Every year I make a Calendar of my traveling pictures and give them to loved ones for Christmas. I am able to work a part time job because they allow me to work when I am capable. It feels nice to earn something even if a small amount. I volunteer on the board of ME International to give back to other ME patients and I stay far away from any family stress. I wake up and have my antioxidant shake and listen to some meditation and be thankful for the life I live. While it isn't the life I thought I was going to be living, I have found a place where some happiness can exist, and that is enough.         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 also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.   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  01:20 Hi, there, and thanks for joining us once again on unstoppable mindset. I'm your host, Mike Hingson. And I wish you a pleasant day, wherever you happen to be. Today, we get to talk with James Davis. And he has got a great story to tell a challenging story at times. But I think a very inspirational story. He has been through a lot. He's helped a lot of people. And I met him through accessiBe. In fact, he has been working with our nonprofit partner, Sheldon Lewis, who we got to interview on the podcast, gosh, a long time ago now. And so Sheldon suggested that we should chat we have and James agreed to come on the podcast. So James, welcome to unstoppable mindset.   James Davis  02:09 Thank you glad to be here.   Michael Hingson  02:11 Well, we're really pleased and honored that you were able to join us. So tell us a little bit about you growing up, I love to start that way and just kind of let people talk about their, their world growing up. And I know you had a pretty big challenge. So I'll leave it to you.   James Davis  02:26 Well, I was born in East St. Louis, and I grew up in our area around St. Louis most of my life and some of the Midwest boy and moved around a lot didn't stay in any particular place for any length of time. And yeah, it's a mom went through several marriages. And so you know, I had some challenges with that. And yeah,   Michael Hingson  02:56 what what year were you born?   James Davis  02:58 66.   Michael Hingson  03:00 Okay, well, I beat you by a few years. I was born in Chicago in 1950. So, Midwest also, I moved to California when I was five. But my wife constantly told me no matter what, you weren't here for your first five years, so you're not a native.   James Davis  03:18 I did live in California for a couple years when I was apparently from about 18 months old to about two and a half, three years old. Something like that. My mom said in Santa Barbara. Oh,   Michael Hingson  03:30 well, that's a great place to live. Yeah. And   James Davis  03:33 it's actually my earliest memory because I remember my dad pulling alongside this rocky area next to a beach. And he wanted to show me so she grabbed a flashlight, it was getting dark. And we went down to the beach and he looked underneath these rocks and pulled out a little crab. And which I thought was just great, you know? And suddenly he said watch this. And he carried me back up to the car and proceeded to scare my mother and my older sister half to death with this crab and that's my earliest memory in life. And it's probably also where I get my honor a sense of humor as well.   Michael Hingson  04:16 Well, no, no one recency humor isn't isn't is the big problem. But that was kind of cruel to do but what happened to the crab?   James Davis  04:26 He put it back and then we'll Okay. Remember, it was just a little rock crab or something? Yeah.   Michael Hingson  04:32 Yeah. Well, you So you moved around a fair amount, obviously and so on. And eventually you? You went high school and went to college and all that.   James Davis  04:42 Yes. So I Well, my dad died when I was 16. He was killed in a bar. And then so for about a year or so there I was in just self destruct mode and dropped Go to school. And then my mom got with a guy that was an alcoholic. So I ended up leaving home. And I think I was about 16. When that happened, almost 17. So kind of lived on the streets for a while. And then my mom came to me and said, you know, let's move to Colorado because he was wanting to get away from this guy. And so I agreed, and yeah, and that's that moved sort of changed my life at that point. And I got back into school and finished high school and went on to college.   Michael Hingson  05:36 What did you major in?   James Davis  05:40 I ended up majoring in history, which is a little ironic because I hated history in high school. But what I realized was what I hated about history in high school was It was always my football coaches that were teaching the history and they didn't care much about history, there was no passion. They were all about the football. And so yeah, so when I got to college, you know, the professor's you know, they were passionate about it. And I realized what a fascinating topic it was in. Yeah, so I just fell in love with history.   Michael Hingson  06:17 You just made me think of the fact that a couple of days ago, we interviewed musician Kenny Aronoff and Kenny was and is a drummer, and grew up not really excited about rock, playing in classical orchestras and so on, and then decided he didn't really like classical nearly as much as rock and more modern music. And, and so he, he switched and has been extremely successful. But I hear what you're saying, you know, sometimes our attitudes changed in one way or another. So you like history today?   James Davis  06:53 Well, yeah, love history. Favorite is Bronze Age. So ancient history.   Michael Hingson  06:59 Now, why do you like the Bronze Age?   James Davis  07:03 You know, it's, it's one civilization was really sort of coming into its own, you know. And, and I find that very fascinating. It was a big melting pot, especially in the Mediterranean region. And so what really got me into it was how religion, how they adopted each other's deities and to each other's regions, and it just sort of CO opted them. And it's just a very fascinating development to me, you know, how that came about?   Michael Hingson  07:38 Then Christianity came along and sort of messed up the whole deity thing a little bit.   James Davis  07:45 Yeah, a monkey wrench in there, for sure. Well, you   Michael Hingson  07:47 know, on the other hand, we do progress. And there's value in doing that, and growing and recognizing, hopefully, what God's about. But that's, that's, of course, another whole story. So what did you do after college?   James Davis  08:02 So I did start teaching history at some high schools out there. In Colorado, I was living in Colorado at the time. And because of what happened in my youth, I was really wanting to go to these at risk youth centers, you know, like Job Corps, and there was a place called our five where I also graduated from, and I started working there with them as well. And so yeah, that's what I just started teaching. I just loved it.   Michael Hingson  08:40 Yeah. It's, it's extremely rewarding. And I've always been of the opinion that teachers never get paid or rewarded nearly enough for the work that they do. So I have a secondary teaching credential, but jobs took me in other directions. So I haven't taught professionally as it were. But I think that, you know, in a lot of ways I've always been teaching, so I appreciate what you're saying. So how long did you teach? Or do you still   James Davis  09:11 know I forced retirement so to speak, in 2009, I was having I had been having for several years, some problems, some health problems, and I wasn't sure what was going on. And it really sort of came to head around 2009 And I just the brain fog that I was experienced was so severe, that I really could have I was struggling to keep dates and times names in my head. And so it wasn't good for me to be a teacher in my mind because I wasn't able to present the material properly to the students. At least that's what I was thinking in my head and then it's probably true so so I just quit and and then I You know, I struggled for a couple years and depression and all of that trying to figure out I thought I was dying. I mean, I, I was so sick that, you know, I couldn't even get out of bed some days. And I've never knew any sort of illness that would do this. And doctors have no idea I go to them every few months trying to figure this out. And there was nothing. So yeah, so I just put me into a really deep depression.   Michael Hingson  10:27 What happened? Well,   James Davis  10:31 you know, I was the biggest part of my depression was twofold, one, chronic pain. And the chronic illness itself was very hard to deal with on a daily basis. And then the other thing was, is not been able to contribute to our household, a wife, and, you know, the kids that kids are old enough to move out at that point, but I was, just wasn't in a good place. And I just couldn't see a path forward. And plus, you know, think that I want to die anytime anyway, because I was so sick, that I decided to take on myself to do it myself. So I made a plan. And I was going to, just in the suffering of all this and let my wife move on. And, but I knew I couldn't do it without talking that over with her first because she is such a sensitive person that she would have thought that it was her fault that I did this. And I just couldn't do that to her. So I sat her down, I thought she would be sympathetic, cuz she knew how sick I was. She wasn't very sympathetic. She was actually quite mad at me. And so anyway, we talked and she made me promise not to do anything until we exhausted all of the medical avenues that we could. And so that started me on another journey of trying to figure out what was wrong with me. And   Michael Hingson  12:01 that sounds like it took a while to really figure out.   James Davis  12:06 Yeah, I wasn't diagnosed until 2013. And it didn't happen by accident. I was trying to figure out what I could do to bring some income into our house. Because I knew I couldn't do anything physical. But you know, I had some pretty good computer skills. And you know, I had my education. So I was like, just scouring the internet trying to find something I could do, you know, as I'm able to do it. And I ran across this blog from a young man in Great Britain, or the UK. And as I was reading it, he was talking about how he had become a writer because of his illness. And I thought this is promising. And then he started going through all the problems that he was suffering. And I was just going down and reading this, every single one of the things that he was talking about that he had, I had except for like, one out of like, 15 symptoms. And I was like, wow, that can't be a coincidence. So it took that information, you know, and he said he had me and I took all this to my doctor. And I said, What do you think, is like, I don't know, I have never heard of it. So he sent me to Denver University Hospital, and I went over there. And they did a battery of tests and sent me back and said, I had my LG conceptual immediate mellitus. And that that was the turning point for me, I guess.   Michael Hingson  13:38 So what is me?   James Davis  13:39 Good question. You know, they don't know for sure. I mean, there's a lot of, there's a lot of things that they know about it, but they don't know the actual costs for certain. In my case, it's believed that it was from the Epstein Barr Virus that triggered a post viral thing which happens to a lot of people, some people's, it's one of the herpes simplex viruses, and but it seems to be a post viral illness. not that different from long COVID symptoms are very similar. You know, they've also, with all this research they've been doing, they've just also discovered that Epstein Barr Virus is also associated with multiple sclerosis. And there might be a connection with that disease as well, which has a similar set of symptoms. So to me, and you know, this is just my personal view. It seems to be some sort of post viral illness. And if it's not treated early, caught early and treated early. I don't haven't heard of anybody actually recovering from it. If they hadn't caught it early, but you know, it causes severe fatigue with it. hauled penny or Pam, sometimes it's a post exhaustion, malaise or post exhaust. So I'm horrible with these acronyms. Yeah. It's an exhaustion from anything. It doesn't have to be physical, it could be stress causes exhaustion. And that's one of the key things, chronic pain, muscle pain, joint pain causes a problems with the endocrine system. So our immune system slightly off, T cells don't function quite well. The mitochondria does it produce the right energy, that's one of the big things that they're trying to figure out. So there's a lot of little things and it's just basically a complete system. Everything in your system is off, not by a whole lot, the buy enough to make everything feel horrible.   Michael Hingson  15:56 So once they diagnosed that in you, what were they able to do? Or what were you able to do about it?   James Davis  16:04 So there is no treatment, per se, there's, there's so there's no cure, there's, there's not a whole lot they can do except treat symptoms. So, you know, I was put on some pain pills for the chronic pain, and, you know, and then I started, I developed diabetes in that process, because, you know, my endocrine system was stressed. And so, you know, treated me for that. So they just treat you for the symptoms that you have. And then, but then I started doing my own research. And because you know, my doctor, he admitted he knew nothing about the disease, but he was willing to try anything. So I do I appreciated that. And so I got on the internet started searching and, and I bumped into some forums on Facebook that had information. So what I started to do was some anti antioxidants. So I do a morning antioxidant shake, you know, with my green tea, and some Reishi Mushrooms and stuff and, and I put all that together. And that's how I start my day is trying to get the anti inflammatories into my body. So that's been a big help and make sure the other biggest thing that is getting rest, because sleep deprivation can be a really serious problem for people with me. So those two things really changed the quality of my life.   Michael Hingson  17:33 So I assume you still though do experience chronic pain and so on? Or are you able to deal with most of it?   James Davis  17:43 Yeah, the chronic pain thing has been troublesome because of the opioids Of course. So I've been taking them in for shoot 12 years or more, and actually more 14 years. So at one point, when I went to my doctor, I said, you know, he kept bumping up my dosage, and I was at 10 milligrams. And so you know, it's, it's, I don't want to keep going down that path because that the efficacy is going to fade. And I don't want to keep taking more of this medicine. So he sent me to a neurologist. And the neurologist started me on three different pain pills that I would rotate every three weeks. So it was the Vikatan equivalent oxy, and I forget what the third one was. And so I was doing that I did that for a very brief time, I realized that I was getting dependent on it in a way that was very unhealthy. And so I took myself off of it. And from that point on I realized I had to manage it myself. So what I've learned over the years so I don't end up getting an addiction problem is I just take the minimal amount that I need just to get through the really rough patches. So I only take all my pain gets above a five and in no other time I never take it more than two or three days at a time. So so I've had to manage that aspect of it quite a bit.   Michael Hingson  19:19 Have you have you found any kind of natural remedies or not necessarily Western medicine kinds of things that help or have you looked into any of that?   James Davis  19:30 I have you know, I took I've tried marijuana both ingestion and smoking and it just wasn't effective for me and a lot of people it does help but for me it didn't you know it it was made me sleepy. So it just made me non functional. And you know, they tried me on some stuff like Lyrica and Gabapentin which Aren't opioid based but the Lyrica ended up making me horribly violent. It's just the weirdest thing because I'm a very passive kind of person. And, and I remember the day I sort of just had this epiphany of what was going on, as I was sitting there watching some television, I had this large dog who was, you know, tall, about 90 pounds and, and whenever he wanted to go to the bathroom, he would block up and lay his head on my lap. And when he did that, I just had this urge to strike at him. And I love my pet, I would never hit my pet. And that freaked me out. And I realized that it was the medicine, so I had to get off of that, and it was helping some. And so that was a benefit. But the side effects were just too much. Trying to take some of the other stuff I've tried. Magnesium helps a lot with with my cramping, muscle cramps, and some of the muscle pain. So I do some magnesium. But I can't take any of the B vitamins, I have this weird thing that when I take certain vitamins, it causes a really bad brain fog to occur. And I'm not sure why that's not that common. It's just something weird with me, I guess. So I've been very limited by try stuff all the time, I've got a whole cabinet over there of supplements and stuff that I try.   Michael Hingson  21:29 Well, but through all of it, you, you obviously didn't go off and execute the plan that you are going to execute. And I bet your wife is pretty happy about that.   James Davis  21:40 Yes, yes, you know, we ended up moving out to the Pacific Northwest, we live in Washington now. And that has been a bit of a game changer for me, it's I feel revitalized. It's new area. It's beautiful here that the country is just gorgeous. And so whenever I'm able, we take these little trips, you know, an hour here a couple hours here and just check out new parks and whatever, you know, beaches and all these beautiful locations. And that led me getting back into photography, I was in photography, when I was really young, I lived with a photographer for a while. And so I got back into photography and, and having that creative outlet has been wonderful, especially for countering depression. Because along with the depression from this illness, you know, I was, for my entire life, I've had seasonal affective disorder. So in the wintertime, it gets really brutal for me. And that photography, and those creative outlets I've found, and some, you know, some lights, some of those daylight stuff, I use all of those techniques. And that keeps me in a better place.   Michael Hingson  22:58 So are you are you still married? Is all that working out? Or?   James Davis  23:03 Yeah, I still still with my wife, and it's great. Yeah, she's a manager at apartment complex. And they've allowed me to work part time, you know, 1015 hours a week, just doing some maintenance stuff, like I take care of their security cameras for more computer tech stuff. And so yes, I'm able to contribute a little something to, to our little home here.   Michael Hingson  23:31 Well, you know, the, the thing that comes to mind is clearly in some senses, you're different, right? You have what people would classify, and I assume that you would, would also agree it's classified as a disability. And as I tell people disability does not mean lack of ability. It's a characteristic. And I've made the case on this podcast many times that not one single person on this planet is without a disability. The problem for most people is their light dependent and you don't do well when it gets dark. Some of us don't have that problem. But you know, you you are different. How does that affect both how you look at yourself or how people treat you what kind of biases and stuff do you encounter because you do have chronic pain and, and the things that you have?   James Davis  24:27 You know, I think the most difficult part of having m e is people only see you when you're when you have the energy and ability to get out and about. So they're only seeing you at your very best. They don't see you. When you come home and you're in bed for three days afterwards, right there. They don't experience that part of your life. So there's this tendency of people believing that there's nothing wrong with you. And I know when me first started Being diagnosed. More broadly, it was mostly women, I think somewhere around 70% or more people diagnosed with the illness is women. And so there was a tendency to treat woman women as that it was all in her head, you know, we have this, especially, you know, 40 years ago is, is very prevalent in the medical community, if they couldn't diagnose something that it had to be mental mental issue. That's what that's been a huge problem there. And then for me, I know, the men that have me, I just recently, like, a year or two ago, joined a men's forum on Facebook. And it really hit home how isolated men become, because, you know, especially men of my age, you know, we're taught that you're supposed to be the provider for your family, you know, and you have to be the protector and all of these things, you have that social construct, and you can't live up to that having me it's just impossible. And that, I think that shame that I felt over that was the worst emotional aspect of this disease is this shame that I felt. And then you know, of course, everybody's not being very sympathetic towards you, because they're only seeing at your best. So, you know, it's just just a bad place to be. So I've learned to not be so silent about it being more open about my illness. Because of that people understand that. Yeah, I am sick, and there's nothing I can do about it.   Michael Hingson  26:45 And you learned not to be so hard on yourself. Yes, yes. It's really part of the issue.   James Davis  26:53 It is definitely in ours. I was brought up watching John Wayne movies, and that's the kind of man I was supposed to be, you know, you get a job at the steel mill, you know, and you raise a family go to church on Sundays, and that's your life. And I was just too curious. And yeah, it just wasn't the thing for me. So.   Michael Hingson  27:19 So you, you deal with it?   James Davis  27:21 Yeah, yeah, you just you find a path forward and then move along.   Michael Hingson  27:25 And it is about learning. And it's always about education. And a lot of times when we find that we're not feeling very positive. If we don't grow, and we don't learn, we never figure out ways to deal with it. And that sends us down a spiral that isn't good, either.   James Davis  27:44 Yes. Well,   Michael Hingson  27:46 so you talked about photography. So do you do photography now professionally, or anything like that? Or what do you do in that regard?   James Davis  27:55 Yeah, I do it in the classification that they call an enthusiast. So I don't typically make money on it. But I do have some decent equipment. That $5,000 of photography equipment that professionals I mean, the guys that do this professionally, they have 50 100 grand in equipment, it's really expensive way out of my budget. It's taken me five years to build up what I've got. So yeah, I do that. And the nice thing that I do with that is because when we have family and friends that come out and visit us, you know, I take visit, I take pictures of their visit and all the places that we go to, and then for Christmas, every year, we make these little books through Shutterfly, you know, I just create these books and send it to them as a Christmas present to thank them as more of a thank you for their visit, and little memory. And then I also do calendars that we send all of our, our families, my wife's family, my family, so do you ever   Michael Hingson  28:58 sell any of it? Or is it all just basically for fun and to help you and reward you?   James Davis  29:06 It's been more as a fun thing to do. And, and for me, you know, it's personal enjoyment and that creative outlet. But, you know, I have several family members saying that I should try to make money at it. And I guess I want to look into it. I just haven't at this point because it's just, it's just been, you know, it's something I enjoy doing. It's like, if you enjoy walking on the beach, you don't just walk on the beach. So I joined started registered photography, right. So   Michael Hingson  29:38 similar interests that you mentioned a little bit about the fact that you like to write and so on, tell me more about that if you would.   James Davis  29:46 So, in college, I started writing in b&n poetry clubs, and ended up on literary magazines of both college So I want to. And so that really sort of stir my desire to write, you can't really make money at poetry. Do be honest, I'm not that great at poetry. I just love doing it as a personal exercise expungement motions and that sort of thing. But I ended up trying my hand at writing novels, and I did have written two novels to date. And I'm currently working on the third of a trilogy. So, and my favorite genre has always been, I think one of my first books that I ever read was The Hobbit. I love fantasy genres. So. So I wrote some fantasy books. But thing that I did differently was I used my history background, especially with my love of Minoan culture, as part of my world build worldbuilding. So I have these these matriarchal cultures in my book that that, that i is the focus of the book. And so it's yeah, it's, it's, that's been really fun and rewarding.   Michael Hingson  31:11 Have you so you publish them? I assume? Did you do it yourself? Or do you have a publisher   James Davis  31:16 self published? Just, yeah, I don't really promote myself, have a really hard time promoting myself on anything. I'm just not a salesperson at all.   Michael Hingson  31:27 Well, you know, what, if people liked the books, there's probably some value in it. Are you selling some, you know,   James Davis  31:34 a get these little trickle sales. So I get, you know, like, one, two, probably, maybe 10 or 12 books sell a year, something like that, you know, not a lot, but just kind of trickles in? Well, everybody has reviewed it and loved it. So   Michael Hingson  31:52 well, there's a message there somewhere, I would think,   James Davis  31:55 yeah, yeah, I think they're good books. Well,   Michael Hingson  31:58 and obviously, if you've had good reviews, somebody else does. So maybe, maybe you'll get some visibility because of our podcasts, because we certainly will be glad to feature the book covers and so on as part of what we do, which is, which is, which is great. Love to do that. So when will your next one be finished?   James Davis  32:20 You know, so hard, because the brain fog that I get from the enemy is very prohibitive to writing creatively. So, you know, and so I can't say for sure, you know, I was hoping to actually have it done last year. So, you know, it'd be nice if I could have it done by next summer, but there's no guarantee of that.   Michael Hingson  32:43 When was your first one published?   James Davis  32:46 My first one was published in 2014. I think then my second one I published in 2017. So it's taken me about four years to write a book. So I'm a little overdue for my third book.   Michael Hingson  33:00 There you go. What was the name of the first one?   James Davis  33:03 Guardians of the grove? The boatman Chronicles,   Michael Hingson  33:07 Guardians of the Grove, gr O. V. Okay. And what was the second one?   James Davis  33:12 Daughter of the forest?   Michael Hingson  33:15 Okay. And the third one, we'll have to wait till it comes out.   James Davis  33:19 Yeah, I haven't got a name for that yet. Because currently to see how the story unfolds?   Michael Hingson  33:25 Well, that's actually an interesting topic. Because a lot of times I find in talking to writers, especially when they're dealing with fiction, sometimes you never know where the book is gonna take you the characters take over. And it becomes a, perhaps a whole different thing than what you originally thought, but at the same time, it becomes a better thing than maybe what you thought.   James Davis  33:48 Yeah. I mean, I had my core characters, my first thing I did was I sat down with my core characters, like four main characters, and I, and I mapped them out what kind of personality they were going to have. And then the next thing I did was kind of build by my mythos of the of the world. So what was the religions? What's the politics and all of this? So when I was done with a world building, that's when I started writing. And you do realize that the structure that you gave that character in the beginning really dictates if you're doing it organically, at least really dictates how they progress in the story. And things that you thought were going to work actually don't work and you got to shift gears, and that I didn't mind that it's actually been kind of a rewarding thing to experience X. I didn't know that was and I'm not sure if all writers experienced that. But that's certainly been the case for me.   Michael Hingson  34:48 Well, and you know, it's, it's fun. I have not written fiction. I've written two books so far. And we just submitted a draft of a third one But it's been nonfiction I haven't figured out how to do for me fiction yet, and I had just haven't come up with it. So maybe one of these days that will happen, because I think there's, I love fiction because in reality fiction a lot of times is really an author speaking to us about their ideas and their attitudes and so on. And they use a fictional setting, but the reality is, it still is something that can teach us a whole lot.   James Davis  35:30 Yeah, yeah, I think if you got strong characters, that's definitely the case. One of the things that really sort of had this character who was a mother, who, whose husband gets killed early on, and, and I wasn't gonna plan on doing a therapy, it was just more of a catalyst for my book. But, you know, the feedback that I get got from that first book, everybody loves her character. So I had to rewrite her to continue her story arc through the whole series, because she was so loved so well. So those things happen as well.   Michael Hingson  36:05 Again, a message, isn't it? Which is, which is cool. Well, I know I'm excited to hear about the new one when it comes and I will have to go hunt down the the first two. You've published them as Kindle books, have you created audio versions, by any chance?   James Davis  36:21 There's an audio version of the first book. I was haven't got an audio version of the second book. I was going to use the same woman that did the first book, but I have lost the ability to get in touch with her. So I've got to find somebody to do that part for me to door.   Michael Hingson  36:40 So is that first one on Audible? Yes, it is. Okay, great. Well, that's, I will go hunted down. Yeah. And I hope that you're able to, to get the second one done in an audio format as well, that will be fun. You don't want to leave people hanging, you know?   James Davis  37:00 Yeah, no, that's everything I read. They said, You know, if you're doing a trilogy, like I'm doing, you don't really have good sales until you finished it, because nobody wants to start a series and ended up like, you know, like George Martin right now, where everybody has been waiting for, you know, over a decade for the book, you know, it's so good. So hopefully, I'll get them all out and get them all in audio here soon.   Michael Hingson  37:24 Yeah. Well, George Martin had several books out. And of course, he also was fortunate to have a TV series come out of it, too.   James Davis  37:32 Oh, yeah. He's amazing. Writer. So lots of respect there.   Michael Hingson  37:36 Yeah. So I love people with imaginations. I, I've been a Harry Potter fan. And I would love to see JK Rowling do something to continue that although I don't know that she will. But you know, the original seven books. And then there was a play, which I think wasn't really as imaginative as the the first seven. Of course, she's also written under another name to publish some detective stories. And she's clearly a good writer.   James Davis  38:05 Yeah, yeah. She's got an amazing story. Yeah, I love her work.   Michael Hingson  38:10 Yeah. And she's very creative. And she does good mysteries. So when I can't figure out a mystery, and we get to the end, and I really didn't figure it out. I love that.   James Davis  38:22 Yeah, that's hard to do these days.   Michael Hingson  38:25 It is. A lot of times, I'm able to figure it out before the end, when you're dealing with a mystery, but a good mystery is a puzzle. And yeah, maybe you can figure it out. So I in some, I enjoy figuring out because it really tests my brain, but then the ones where I don't figure it out. I can't say that I can complain about that. Because obviously, they did a good job. As long as when I go back and look at it afterward, I can see that the clues were really there to get it. Right. I just didn't, you know, they they hidden and didn't, I won't say hid them. But they put them in so well that you don't necessarily see it, which is   James Davis  39:05 subtle. What I really irritates me about other authors is when they take a character and they to advance the plot, they make the character do something that's out of character. Yeah. Without a catalyst. Right. You know, when somebody's a very passive person, and, you know, something tragic happens and they they become more aggressive, right? That's fine. But if nothing happens, they just all of a sudden become aggressive, then there's no reason for that. Except you're trying to make the plot move your characters follow the plot instead of your characters driving the plot. Are you Yeah.   Michael Hingson  39:45 Are you trying to do it to sell? Yeah, and do you think you got to do that and good character analysis and good character development? I would, I would think, tell you not to just go off and change a character unless you Something as you said, as a catalyst that makes it happen.   James Davis  40:03 Yeah. The other thing that seems to be very big these days is love triangles. And I really get annoyed with those. Yeah, some of them are done really well, and I enjoy them. But most of their doubt are gag. They just seem to be forced. And it's just trying to create drama where it doesn't need to be. Oh, whether   Michael Hingson  40:20 I would call it a love triangle. Have you ever read any of the Stephanie Plum series Janet Ivanovic?   James Davis  40:26 I have not.   Michael Hingson  40:28 Stephanie Plum is a well she became a bounty hunter in Trenton, New Jersey. They're funny mysteries. They're really clever. And she has a guy that she's involved with. But then she's also working with another almost superhero type bounty hunter Ranger who likes her as well. It's not really a love triangle, but it's really fun to to watch the byplay between all of these three of them. And there have now been 29 Stephanie Plum books and they're absolutely hilarious. So if you want an escape, you should go read Stephanie Plum the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Ivana, which they're really fun. It's definitely plum. That's her character. The first book is called one for the money. And the second is to for the dough. And it goes from there. They're they're really funny. And she's kept it very well.   James Davis  41:26 Yeah, one of my first humorous books that I've read was Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Yes. An old college buddy turned me on to that. And yeah, that was just hilarious. I just love the irreverent humor.   Michael Hingson  41:39 Do not abuse a mouse   James Davis  41:44 that never ever read. Island. Oh, yes, Robert. Yeah, I don't think he would go over today very well. I mean, his stuff was pretty, pretty cutting edge for the time.   Michael Hingson  41:55 My favorite science fiction books still is the Moon is a Harsh Mistress by him. I think it's the most imaginative book he wrote. I like it better than Stranger in a Strange Land. It's always been my favorite book since I first read it soon after it came out. And I didn't even realize at the time, all about it. But I've read it a lot. And I absolutely enjoy it. It's one of my favorite books. Well, it's my favorite books, my favorite science fiction book.   James Davis  42:24 I always enjoy the fact cow in some of his books. He liked to kill off all the lawyers in the revolutions that he had always found that a little amusing.   Michael Hingson  42:35 Well, you know what the problem is, they keep coming back. It's cool. Well, so. So what do you do today, with your life and all that.   James Davis  42:50 Just basically, the photography, the little bit of work I do around here around the apartment complex. And, you know, we like to travel when I'm able, you know, that's the big thing. We've got a big map, down in the entryway into our apartment, and it's got all these little pins in it from all the different places we visited in Washington and Oregon. And so filling that map in has been my major endeavor these days.   Michael Hingson  43:20 What's the favorite place that you visited here or elsewhere in the world?   James Davis  43:24 My favorite place in the whole world was probably new cranes in Ireland. That was phenomenal. That was really, really the main house. Oh. So it's a it's a giant tomb was dome shaped tomb. And you get this really narrow entrance into it into this big rock chamber. So you get these huge monolithic rocks that have drawings on them and stuff and work your way in the inside, there's like these three separate chambers. And, of course, we don't really know exactly what the culture what all this meant culturally to the time because you know, we're talking 1000s of years ago. And, but it's perfectly aligned with the winter solstice. So the light on the shortest day of the year, shines directly into the back of the tomb, and reflects into those three little chambers in there. And going in there, and just sort of seeing all that in realizing that people from the Stone Age built this huge, huge structure. And it was just amazing. You know, it was It predates the pyramids, so.   Michael Hingson  44:39 So have you ever happened to be there on December 21?   James Davis  44:42 No, I guess it's very, very difficult to get to get a place in there on that date, because it's very tiny to get in. Probably 20 People at the most could fit in there.   Michael Hingson  44:55 Well, of course one has to ask since you've been to Ireland and so on, did you kiss The Blarney Stone.   James Davis  45:01 I went to the Blarney Stone, but I'm such a germaphobe there was no way I was guessing.   Michael Hingson  45:06 I hear you I had been to Ireland. I did not kiss the Blarney Stone either. Nope, not gonna do that too. Too risky. I understand you have to be somewhat of a contortionist to do it anyway.   James Davis  45:17 Yeah. Can't have to lean down and stick your head into a hole or something.   Michael Hingson  45:24 I don't need that. That's okay. No, I think they're, they're more important things to do. I loved Ireland. I very much enjoyed our two weeks there. I was there. Oh, gosh, it's been since 2003. I was there to do some speaking for Irish guide dogs. And that's the same year I was there. It was very enjoyable time. I loved it. And had had haggis pie while I was in Ireland. And enjoyed it. But I liked Ireland.   James Davis  45:56 We were planning our because I had been with my now wife for about five years, already six years maybe. And her family really wanted some sort of traditional structure in our lives as like, okay, let's just go get married. But I don't want to have to deal with inviting family. So we decided to have a trip to Ireland get married in Ireland and do a honeymoon in Ireland. But you can't do that in Ireland. Because you got to be living in the county for 30 days prior to getting married. It's part of their laws. And so then I called England, you know, the England section of UK and I said, Can we do that? They're like, No, there was like 20 days there. So then I called Scotland and called the town in Inverness, Scotland. They were like, yeah, just come on over just have two witnesses get married same day, didn't have any problems with it. So that's what happens. We flew in to Manchester, did a beeline to Scotland got married and then took a cut went over to Belfast and did our two weeks in Ireland.   Michael Hingson  47:08 We, I did a number of speeches over there, we actually had some interactions with Waterford I have a statue of it's actually a double statue was supposed to be a person and a dog but they only had dogs at the time. But I have this this whole very sophisticated platform that has two dogs facing each other. And then literally in print and in Braille it says as one Mike and Roselle, who, of course, was always the dog who was with me in the World Trade Center. And it's nice Waterford Crystal thing, which is really pretty cool. Wow, that is nice. Now that Irish guide dogs people were very kind about that and in all in setting that up. So it was wonderful to do that. I've not been to Scotland and I've not been to England, but I have been Ireland so but I've been to New Zealand. I love New Zealand.   James Davis  48:02 You know, we we thought about taking a trip to New Zealand. But after taking the trip to the UK, I realized that long plane flights do not agree with me for you know, like that was really kind of Miami was just starting to come on. So I wasn't really bad yet. But I was bi that was really rough on my body. So I haven't been on flights yet.   Michael Hingson  48:30 Now I understand that you work with an organization me International?   James Davis  48:34 Yes. When I one of the forums that I got hooked up with on the internet was me International, and a few others, a men's forum and in the advocacy is one of them. So anyway, so I got hooked up with them and and talking to one of the ladies on there, and she was helping me out with some vitamin supplements and whatnot. Colleen and yeah, and one thing led to another and they're like, well, you should join the board if you want. And so I joined the board and became a board member, probably eight months ago or something like that now.   Michael Hingson  49:11 So So what do you do with them now.   James Davis  49:14 So a sitting member of the board, and probably in January, there's going to be new officer positions, I'll probably fill in the role of the vice president that time. And then the other thing that I do form is maintain their website. I just recently did an upgrade to the website and updated it.   Michael Hingson  49:38 And that, of course is how you got connected with accessibe as I understand it.   James Davis  49:43 Yes. So we knew we wanted to have an app on there that helps people navigate the site because you know, one of the things with me people is they tend to be very sensitive to bright colors. And so we were looking at how to manage that. I mean the site it's selfies very pale. You know, it's very subtle colors. But everybody's a little bit different. So we wanted to have an application that would handle that. And one of our board members from Australia, she recommended that I looked into accessiBe being called accessibe. And they turned me on to talking to Sheldon. And yeah, and that turned out to be a great conversation. And we had been going with accessibe ever since cars have been working out. Good so far. I mean, everybody's been very happy with the site. Very happy with the accessibe program. Yeah, no complaints. It's all been positive so far.   Michael Hingson  50:45 Have you? Well, do you put videos and other things like that on the website?   James Davis  50:52 There are a few videos. They're more just information. More than just visual, right? It's just more of there are a few of them more about the history of the disease and how it's progressed over the years that our understanding of the disease?   Michael Hingson  51:12 Have you looked into working with accessibe to address the issue of either having audio descriptions of the video parts that aren't necessarily discussed about or for deaf and hard of hearing people anything regarding closed captioning or captioning of the the word so that people who can't hear it can also then at least read the text?   James Davis  51:37 You know, I don't? I haven't personally, but maybe Colleen or David might have done it because David's been talking to Sheldon too. But no, I have not. And they're the ones that put the video together. So I'm not really sure if that's in the progress or not definitely worth   James Davis  51:55 Me international.org Yes, yeah.   Michael Hingson  51:55 looking at, because accessibe has a whole department and a whole group of people under what you would find on the accessibe website called Access flow, that can help with the things that the artificial intelligent widget itself doesn't do. So it would be good to really try to be inclusive with that stuff is if the opportunity is there. I don't know anything about how all that works, in terms of costs for a nonprofit. And you know, you bring up a good point that me international isn't me international.org?   Michael Hingson  52:32 So the the cost for using accessibe isn't there. And I don't know how it works for the access flow stuff. But it would be worth exploring that to be sure to get the other inclusive parts up to make the website fully available.   James Davis  52:49 Yeah, one of the things that we're working with right now is trying to get the different apps to make sure they're friendly with one another. Also, because we're International, trying to get the website translated. So we got a translation app. And it's not been as friendly as accessibe's, trying to get all that stuff worked out at the moment. But you know, it's, it's having me, I can't devote 40 hours a week to this, I have to do it all for five hours here and there. And you know, whenever I can, so   Michael Hingson  53:17 yeah, well, I, you know, I suggest you explore that with Sheldon let him do some of the heavy lifting to help but he can get you in touch with the right people to explore that. But the whole idea is to make the website inclusive and nowadays is becoming more of a relevant thing to try to make websites work for everyone. And of course, for for us who happen to have a disability as we know, even the CDC says 25% of all Americans have some sort of disability. S

One brother attempts to acknowledge his in-the-moment feelings; the other ends up running from them. Can you guess which? Michael is in between ramens. Will deadnames Starry. Also: your tippy-top self, the Blarney Stone, Westport, ruining albums forever, summer camp, pillies, & more. Instagram https://instagram.com/badbrotherspodcast  Apple https://apple.co/2JeSUIr Spotify https://sptfy.com/badbrotherspod   Bad Brothers Pod Michael and Will Browning Port Orchard (& Gig Harbor) (& Tacoma, Seattle, Puyallup, Wenatchee, etc), Washington's Finest Podcast  

Here's what you missed on Love is Blind: Zach finds his Bliss, Paul finds out he's dating his mom, and Josh finds the audacity. Chris and Lauren have LOTS to discuss.

Grab your four leaf clovers and don your greenest clothes, beardos! This week Joe, Jay, and Anthony are stocking the aisles up with everything St. Patty's day (minus the religion). The Blarney Stone has blessed us with the gift of gab, and we're putting it to good use!Episode artwork by Aaron Choi @ https://theaaronchoi.com/My Therapist Ghosted Me @ https://mtgmpod.komi.io/Opening Theme: Bandero by Noah SmithLicense code: O6VTYHIBMCB1DGGEJack & Patrick O'Conner's Pub House and eatery in Dublin but not the REAL Dublin: The Brightness Surrounds by Ben McElroyLicense Code: M4VWJCKQPTE4WFCRClosing Theme: Happy Feels by All Good FolksLicense code: OC4AHE7KSNMDLCBP

Kevin and Legs get a film assignment, the NFL makes some moves, and oh, yeah, it's time for the best sporting event of the year!All that and more, this week on Just Press Play.Show notes and more can be found on our website.Music provided by TRUTH and Scantron 2020.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's a Conspiracy! Season 5, Episode 14! St Paddy's 5(!) The Blarney Stone and Are Lucky Charms Irish?   Andrew, Charlie, and Greg discuss topics: The Blarney Stone and Are Lucky Charms Irish?   It's a Conspiracy! is proud to be a part of the Albert Podcast Network: AlbertaPodcastNetwork.com   Links: The Blarney Stone Why Do People Kiss the Blarney Stone?   Are Lucky Charms Irish? 10 Supposedly Irish Things That Aren't Remotely Irish Three Irish-themed brands that aren't actually Irish   What Are We Drinking? Andrew is drinking Double Darkness Stout from Campio Brewing Charlie is drinking Irish Red Ale from Sea Change  Greg is drinking Fire Chief's Red Ale from Pump House Brewery --- Patreon / Instagram / Twitter / Facebook Merch available at ScreamFamily.com (We'll get ya sorted) Questions, comments, or feedback? Email the show at itsaconspiracy@protonmail.com

Luann Koester taught high school language arts, as well as college composition for over 26 years. A fellow of the National and Colorado Writing Projects, she considers herself a writer teaching writers.  Luann graduated Cum Laude from Colorado State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, received a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Colorado College, and a Post Graduate Certificate of Expertise in Writing from the University of Denver. In 2003 and 2021, she was recognized by the Boettcher Foundation as a Boettcher Educator. And In 2009, MIT (Massachusetts  Institute of Technology) named her an MIT Influential Educator. Recently retired, Luann enjoys teaching, traveling, spending time with her immediate and extended families, writing, and playing golf.  In addition to her children's book, Gran Kissed the Blarney Stone, Luann is a published poet and novelist. Her latest book, just out, is a novel for young adults, Hawk's Cry.  Luann lives on a cattle ranch near White Butte Creek in Northeastern Colorado. More: https://www.booksendwriting.com/ For video versions of this podcast, subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBP81nfbKnDRjs-Nar9LNe20138AiPyP8 Mark Stevens' website: https://www.writermarkstevens.com/ Intro Music by Moby Gratis: https://mobygratis.com/ Outro Music by Dan-o-Songs: https://danosongs.com/  

#228: The boys recap their steakhouse MEAT UP with the Slices, as well as their time together on vacation, including their intimate Blue Lagoon experience in Iceland and Skeery's hard pass on kissing the Blarney Stone in Ireland; a cab driver pulled a Scamboni on Brody; the boys criticize people's TSA bucket return etiquette or lack thereof; Skeery is convinced he saw George Clooney and Amal while on a boat tour in Lake Como, ItalySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Top O the Thursday mornin to ya! The GVG is coming correct on St. Patrick's Day with ENEMY of the podcast Mike Mulloy as we draft "Irish People!" Now pour some whiskey in that coffee and get ready to kiss the Blarney Stone with your ears! It's a fuuuuun one.  Guest:    Mike Mulloy @handsomeadult IG: @fakemikemulloy   Support the show! Join the All Fantasy Everything Patreon for ad-free episodes, mailbags, and video pre-rolls. Check it all out at www.patreon.com/AllFantasy.   Follow the Good Vibes Gang on social media: Ian Karmel @IanKarmel IG: @IanKarmel Sean Jordan @SeanSJordan IG: @SeancougarmelonJordan David Gborie IG: @Coolguyjokes87 Mars Mel @marsmel IG: @mars.mel See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.