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John Marvin grew up in Kansas as a member of a family with significant medical experience. John's father, for example, was a family physician in a small Western Kansas town. John describes some about his life and how his thoughts and attitudes were greatly influenced by his father. Late in his high school career John told his dad that he did not want to grow up to be a doctor because, as he put it, he didn't want to work as hard as his father worked. John will explain that to us. As he also put it, his comment came from a young naïve boy.   In college John settled on securing a marketing degree. After college he ended up going deeply into marketing and eventually he entered the optical industry specializing in optometry.   John and I have some wonderful discussions about self growth, leadership and how to help people and companies grow. I got, and I think you will get, many great ideas from John's experiences and that we all will be the better for what John has to say and teach us.       About the Guest:   John D. Marvin is an entrepreneur and dynamic leader with a proven track record of success in healthcare, wellness, and the eyecare industry. As President and CEO of Texas State Optical (TSO), he has transformed the organization into one of the largest and most respected networks of independent optometrists in the United States, generating upwards of $110 million in annual revenue. With over two decades of experience at TSO, John has cultivated a member-owned cooperative that empowers optometrists to operate independently while benefiting from robust centralized support. His leadership has been pivotal in fostering a culture of innovation, professional growth, and exceptional patient care. John's career spans over 40 years, during which he has held executive roles across various industries, including marketing, consulting, and healthcare. His entrepreneurial spirit is evident in his strategic leadership during TSO's transition from a retail chain to a cooperative network in 2001. Under his guidance, TSO shifted its focus from product-driven services to comprehensive medical eyecare, reinforcing its reputation as a patient-centered organization. Beyond TSO, John serves as President of Texas Eyecare Partners and Health and Wellness Consulting. As a lifelong advocate of personal growth, John has studied the transformative power of mindset and the “inner game” of success. His insights into leadership, achievement, and business management have made him a sought-after speaker and certified John Maxwell Professional Coach. John passionately shares his experiences to inspire others to unlock their potential, offering actionable strategies to overcome challenges and drive meaningful change. John's dedication to education and collaboration is evident in his efforts to support emerging professionals in the field of optometry. He has fostered strong relationships with the University of Houston's College of Optometry and the Texas Optometric Association, contributing to scholarships, professional development programs, and initiatives that promote medical optometry. Through his vision and unwavering commitment to excellence, John D. Marvin exemplifies the principles of leadership, empowerment, and innovation, making a lasting impact on the eyecare industry and beyond. Ways to connect John:   https://www.facebook.com/jdmarvin  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdmarvin/  https://www.instagram.com/jdmarvin/ https://tso.com/   About the Host:   Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/   https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening!   Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast   If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset .   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review   Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.       Transcription Notes:   Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Well, hello, everyone. Once again, wherever you happen to be, I'm your host on unstoppable mindset, Mike Hingson, or you can call me Mike, whichever you prefer. And our guest today is John D Marvin. John is an entrepreneur. Has been an entrepreneur for quite a while, and he has been involved in a number of different kind of endeavors over his life. And he's worked, worked in the eye care industry a bunch, and is now in charge of Texas State Optical. We're going to learn more about that and and all the other things I don't know whether I care, does me a whole lot of good directly, but it's fun to talk about anyway. No, no doubt. So John, I want to really welcome you. I'm glad we finally made this work. I'm glad we got a chance to connect. So welcome to unstoppable mindset.   John D Marvin ** 02:13 Well, thank you, Mike. It's a real pleasure to be here.   Michael Hingson ** 02:15 Well, I'm glad that we we get a chance to really talk. We haven't really done too many podcasts on eye care and optical stuff, so I'm glad to be able to do it. But I'd like to start, as I'd love to do so often, tell us about kind of the early John growing up, and go from there.   John D Marvin ** 02:33 Okay, I was born and raised in Kansas. I that that's northern Texas, right? That's northern Texas. That's right, yeah, I actually grew up in western Kansas. I was born in Kansas City, but I grew up in western Kansas, and my father is a family physician, and had the kind of stereotypical country doctor practice small town, 2000 people, and my mother was his office manager for a number of years. And so it was a kind of a family business. And I have three siblings, sisters, and so we grew up in a small Mayberry type town, and it was great riding bicycles till the street lights came on at night, and catching fireflies and all that kind of good stuff. And then I decided to go to school. I chose to go to school in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and graduated, it's an emphasis in marketing and marketing and business administration, and ended up in the ad agency business for a little bit of a time, and just kind of really decided that wasn't for me, and ended up from there going into pharmaceutical sales. And really enjoyed that, and enjoyed the the outside sales aspects of it and calling on doctors. And my territory was western Kansas, so I used to say, and still refer to it as my territory looked like my high school football schedule. So we would go to these small towns. And of course, most everyone out there knew my father, and so the typical problem of trying to get past the front desk was made a little easier because people knew my family, and from that, I ended up taking an administrative, marketing administrators position with a group of surgeons in in Wichita, and that led to introduction and eating some ophthalmologists in Houston. Them and followed a job opportunity I had with them and came to Houston in 1989 I've been here ever since, but it was after four years of working with them, I ended up going out on my own and started my own business, which was Marketing Management Group, which did consumer research, and then we would develop marketing strategies based on that. And one of my clients, early clients, was Texas State Optical. And because of my background in eye care, both in Wichita, Kansas and in Houston, I had a better I got some insight into the consumer. And so the work I did with Texas State Optical was a lot we did a lot of work, and did several studies with them, and that kind of introduced me to the whole group of franchisees that made up the Texas State Optical organization. Subsequently, I helped them organize, the franchisees organize, and in the late 90s, 1999 I was hired by the franchisees to put together a Franchise Association, and through that, ultimately help them acquire the company, purchase it, and from that during that process, was asked if I would be willing to come on board as the new president of the company once they purchased it. And that was in 2001 and I've been president ever since. So here you go. It kind of takes you from Small Town Living to big city operations and a network of about 100 optometry offices.   Michael Hingson ** 06:47 So what exactly is Texas State Optical? Or maybe first, what was it and how is it morphed over time?   John D Marvin ** 06:56 Well, originally it was founded by four brothers in 1936 in Southeast Texas, little town called Beaumont, and famous for a lot of things in that part of the state. One of them is Janis Joplin, the others, Big Bopper and George Jones and but it also was the birthplace of Texas State Optical. And they grew a network of privately owned they owned them all over 300 locations throughout Texas, Mexico, Oklahoma and Arkansas, Louisiana and and then in the early 70s, they sold it to a pharmaceutical company, ironically, the same one that I had worked for when I was calling on western Kansas. But when they sold it, it got converted to a traditional franchise model, and it stayed that way until the franchisees purchased it in 2001 when we I was involved, and we turned it into a brand license business, taking that iconic license that had been around Texas optical since the 30s, 1930s and and then turning around and licensing the use of that brand to young optometrist who wanted to own their own practice, but saw the use of that brand as kind of instant credibility, because a lot of people were familiar with that brand.   Michael Hingson ** 08:40 So what does it provide? What did one of the organization provide under the brand? Well,   John D Marvin ** 08:46 we use the use of the brand, and so you got immediate notoriety in terms of just people's awareness of it, but also we put together kind of a la carte menu of optional services and support and resources that licensees could either take advantage of or not, and it was a really hands off model. We didn't have any, and still don't have any operational control over the way business was done. We We influenced that through best practices and sharing of information, but certainly we didn't require have any requirements of the way that they would operate. Reality is most private practice optometrists operate pretty well, and so we were there to kind of coach and help, but mainly it was them using our brand name, which had a really strong consumer value to it.   Michael Hingson ** 09:44 And so what kind of changes when the franchisees all joined together and bought the company and so on? How have you and they changed it over the years.   John D Marvin ** 09:59 I. I think the biggest change from 1999 to 2001 when they bought it, and to this day, has been the culture of the company. And that is, you know, it's something of a franchise opportunity, yeah, and a lot of your listeners probably either own franchises. Thought about franchises, and you know, it might you and I spent the next year trying to decide we were going to own a franchise. And we'd go out and do all sorts of research, and we'd look into this one and that one, and what kind of industry we want, and we'd finally select one that we were really impressed with. Thought about for great opportunity. We'd pay our $50,000 franchise fee, and about the second or third day of owning that franchise, we would decide that these people don't know anything about this business that we're in, and there's just this inherent adversarial relationship that exists between a franchisee and a franchisor. Some for good reason, some just because of the independent, entrepreneurial nature of a franchisee. Well, when the franchisees owned the company, they owned the franchise, or that adversarial dynamic kind of left. And so now there's nobody to kind of blame except yourself, and people are inclined not to do that as much. And so there was a greater tendency to kind of work together, work through things, come up with solutions to problems or resources that were needed. And it just created a much more homogeneous type of culture, and to the point where our annual meeting we host every year is referred to as our family reunion. And so we gather everyone together. It's really an atmosphere of all of us being as one family, sharing the same kind of core values, and all out to do the same thing, and that is just provide great quality eye care for our communities. And so that, that is a big change. Of course, there's always the things like collective purchasing, education and training. The main difference in those areas are engagement. When you are asked by a franchisor to engage in certain activities, there's that inherent reluctance to do that in our organization. There's an inherent acceptance of it because it comes from a colleague, it comes from others and doctors are more leading doctors than they are being led by some set of suits someplace in the Northeast.   Michael Hingson ** 12:50 Yeah, and that is such an extremely important thing to be able to really make it a family, a disciplined family, but still a family nevertheless, which is kind of cool. I'm curious about something being blind, and having been blind my whole life, and involved with blindness consumer organizations, one of the things that we have found often is that most people in the eye care industry, primarily in the ophthalmological industry, which is kind of a little bit more relevant to us, but tend not to really have a lot of knowledge about blindness and blind people. And so, for example, there are so many stories of a person going into the office of an ophthalmologist, for example, maybe they're losing their eyesight, but the ophthalmologist examines them and for whatever reason, will say things like, you're going blind. I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do, and walk out and never provide any other kinds of resources or knowledge to help the person who's losing eyesight. I don't know whether you see that, given where you are or what your thoughts are on that, but I'd be interested to get your thoughts because it seems to me that there's a lot of opportunity to do significant education about blindness and low vision to recognize that the reality is, blindness isn't the problem. It's people's attitudes traditionally that are the problem.   John D Marvin ** 14:28 That's an excellent point. Mike, I you know my first thoughts are the profession of optometry is really involved in preventing right blindness, and so it's kind of one of the few areas of healthcare that is more prevention oriented than other areas. Most areas are treatment oriented. In other words, you become sick. And then we treat you right, and the profession of optometry is all about we talk to people all the time about protecting your vision and preventing problems from happening. Now, as we see patients that end up either through glaucoma or some form of pathology, retinal issues, start to lose their vision. There comes a point early in that process where they are, frankly, they are outside of the scope of care that an optometrist can provide. So they end up being referred to an ophthalmologist. That being said, there are several optometrists across the country that have decided to devote themselves to low vision, and that's kind of a form of blind and what I would call blindness care, and where it's not complete, there is some level of vision there, but it needs a lot of enhancement, either through equipment or through other types of therapeutics practices. And there are optometrists who say, I'm not going to sell glasses. I'm not going to focus on contacts. I'm going to just provide a low vision clinic. And they're not not there's not a large number of them, but there are some, and what I've experienced in that is it does take a particular type of practitioner to be successful with that. And when I say successful, I mean, to be able to establish the type of patient doctor relationship that actually produces some really positive outcomes and helps people better manage their loss of vision, either whether that's progressive and eventually will become complete, or whether It's stalled at a point where they just cannot function without special aid, like I said, equipment, or some type of therapeutics. And there's just not a lot of people go into Optometry for the refractive side of things, and and so there's, there's not that motivation, really, to learn much about it. We do as an organization. We're very involved with prevent blindness as a national organization, and we'd also have some involvement with low vision clinics that are in the Houston Medical Center. But outside of that, you're right. There's not a whole lot of folks that understand it, probably, or maybe it's just they don't have the patience for it, because it does require a different kind of patient care approach, even   Michael Hingson ** 17:55 so what I wonder is, if there is an opportunity, maybe to provide additional education, so that if your your franchisees, for example, encounter a person who's losing eyesight and they and they realize that that they can help refer them to sources or resources that can assist because part of the problem is that, typically in society, blindness is viewed as such a horrible, devastating thing. And I understand that eyesight is a very wonderful thing, and people want to have it, but the reality is for a variety of reasons that doesn't work for everyone. The problem is that we have so much fear of blindness that we don't tend to deal with and I just wonder if there might be a way to provide some sort of a system or program that would help teach your people that blindness isn't really the end of the world, which is not to say, don't try to prevent it if you can, but when you can't, you can also be an additional source. To say, here are places where you can go, or here are some things that you can learn.   John D Marvin ** 19:16 Well, I do think that it's important, and I'm aware of many, keeping in mind that our members who own locations that use our brand are independent, we have provided them local organizations, clinics, things like that, which help them in referring people that need that kind of help and in education, I think also an important factor is that it's not just the patient that can use that it's the patient's family, because it, while it's perceived as something that you know you. I know that people value their sight, and the thought of losing it and becoming blind is is frightening the individual, but it also is frightening and disruptive to family, who father, mother, wife, husband, son or daughter, to deal with the changes in lifestyle that are required to accommodate that. Loss of vision is significant. You mentioned you've been blind since birth, and that's certainly one group of people, but there's an awful lot of people that end up experiencing blindness when they're in their 30s or 40s, after they've had a large portion of their life with vision. And it's, I don't want to say it's easier by any means. I first of all, I have no right in even suggesting that, but it's a different experience, for sure, not ever having had vision, versus having had it for a number of years and then losing it. And sometimes it might be as scary and frightening for the family around that person as it is the patient themselves. And so we do place a high value on getting people the kind of help and resources they need to better adjust to those changes.   Michael Hingson ** 21:28 Well, when I was born, I actually became blind because of what we now call retinopathy or prematurity, which originally was retro enterofibroplasia, which is harder to spell, but I love the term anyway. At about four months of age, it was discovered that I was blind, and the doctors told my parents they ought to just send me off to a home, because no blind child could ever grow up to be a contributor to society, and all I would do would be a drain on the family and then later on society. And my parents were very unusual in taking the stand that, no, you're wrong. He can grow up to do whatever he wants, and we're going to give him that opportunity. And that was, and really to a very large degree today, still is, a very unusual attitude to take, because we fear blindness so much, and while I appreciate the reality of eyesight is very important for most people, what I would love to see are ways to create more of an understanding so that People understand that blindness isn't the end of the world, and that's what what we see all too often in society in general, which is unfortunate, and you're right. I don't know whether it's easier if you're blind from the outset or become blind later in life. I know any number of people who became blind later in life, who went to programs where philosophically, they were taught blindness was not a problem, and they learned that they could continue to be contributors to society, and they tend to intend to Do that, as opposed to many others from both camps and from birth or not who never understand. Blindness isn't going to be the end of the road if people let it be. So it's it's just one of those conundrums that we end up having to deal with on a regular basis.   John D Marvin ** 23:38 The name of your podcast dealing with mindset, right? A lot of it is exactly that. And if you're find yourself in a you know, the child who's born blind can either have a support system and family and parents that impact his his or her mindset in a way that creates the expectation and understanding that it it doesn't have to be limiting. And same goes with someone who's blind later in life, right? It's a matter of how you look at and decide for yourself. I mean, we all know people that, whether it's a loss of a one of the most five senses, the important senses, sight or hearing, so forth, there is a natural mind. There's one set of mind people that have a mindset that, oh, poor you. Now you've got insurmountable challenges in your life, and this is going to be difficult the rest of your life. And then the other mindset that many parents have recognizing their opportunity they have with their child is to say, yes, that's you. But that doesn't have to define you, that doesn't limit you. You can overcome those things and and I think that that is even in our business, where you have someone who comes into the office and through some type of diagnostic testing, it's determined that they are losing their sight, and that the natural outcome of this progression of pathology will be the total loss of sight. We have the opportunity there, at that point, to affect their mindset, yeah, and to either tell them this is a circumstance that will not limit you or define you, and here are some resources and education materials and opportunities in that area that can help you better understand what you're living with and how that you can overcome that, just from the census standpoint, because It doesn't have to be something you have to overcome in life, per se. It just has to be an accommodation you make, because you can't see when other people can right. And it is all about mindset.   Michael Hingson ** 26:13 It is all about mindset. No doubt about it, you're absolutely correct in that regard. And it is, it is something that we'll all be dealing with for a while, but hopefully over time, the mindset of people will change to recognize that there are always alternatives. Being a Star Trek fan, I love Spock and Kirk who are always talking about there are always options, and there are always ways to get around doing things or to accomplish things that you might not think about, but you have to be multi dimensional in your thought process.   John D Marvin ** 26:52 Well, the other exciting aspect of all of this is the the fact that those with growth mindsets are working diligently on technologies that can actually supplant the deficiency and come up with ways to correct blindness. And so there we may even, in our lifetime, live to a point where the pathological condition that you were born with doesn't have to be permanent. It can be reversed using technology that provides you with as good, if not better, vision than people who weren't born in that same situation.   Michael Hingson ** 27:33 Yeah, the only people who never will come out of it are politicians, because they take dumb pills when they become politicians. So we can pick up them.   John D Marvin ** 27:40 Well, listen, just you could be blind and still be able to see, right? Yeah, that   Michael Hingson ** 27:47 leaves them out. Yeah. No, I understand. I understand they're fun to pick on. But you what? What really made you decide to go into the eye care industry, into that, that whole environment, what, what attracted you to it, or was it just sort of so natural? Well, obviously, that's a mindset. Yeah,   John D Marvin ** 28:10 there's a couple of things. Think the thing that attracted me to kind of eye care in general, and put ophthalmology and Optometry in the same bucket for this. What attracted me to was this whole area of health care that I kind of grew up in with my father and family practice in a small town. Because, you know, my family practice in the 60s and 70s was a whole different discipline than it is today. Oh, I know, you know, especially in a small town where the closest specialist, if you would, is 90 miles away. And so my father had to be what we call today, functionally, you know, a functional medicine, meaning that he had to be able to kind of treat the whole person. I mean, he used to be very proud of the fact that a large percentage of the kids that were in the school that I grew up in, he delivered and so, you know, there was no obstetrician in this small town. So if a woman became pregnant, then he provided her prenatal care. He gave, he delivered the child, and then he gave the provided the pediatric care afterwards. And so having that sense of kind of the global care of of someone kind of gave me a real appreciation for the kind of the system, the the systemic aspects of health. And when I was given an opportunity to get into the eye care business. Because I saw it more as getting into the healthcare business, and even though it was very narrow, defined in eye care, it gave me a connection. And I I'm a big believer that you start down a path and you follow it. And what maybe forest and trees and gardens, they may turn into desert or mountains or valleys or otherwise. So when I started, I really didn't know necessarily where it would go. And I guess you could even back it up and say that my whole entry into the pharmaceutical industry kind of started me down that path and and then that led to being in the practitioner side, which ultimately led to going from ophthalmology into Optometry. I frankly think that all of that background best prepared me to do what I'm doing today, and understanding the whole system of eye care, not just refractions and glasses and contacts, right?   Michael Hingson ** 31:11 Well, you know, and you started out in in the whole marketing world, as opposed to going off and becoming a doctor directly, which which gave you a different perspective. So it really makes sense as to what you're saying and it but you've had exposure to both sides, and that has to really help you in terms of doing the job that you've chosen to do.   John D Marvin ** 31:38 Yeah, I think you're right. I remember having the discussion with my father because as I was like a junior in high school and, and as most juniors you know, you start thinking about what you're going to do when you graduate high school and, and I was graduating high school at a time that I had a draft number given to me, there was a war over in Vietnam that was still going on, and so I, you know, there for a period of time, I didn't know whether I would even have a choice. Yeah, it turns out by the time I actually that last year between junior and senior, the war had really started to wind down. And while I got a draft number, it was very high, and the likelihood of me actually being drafted into service was very low. And so I made some decisions about what I was going to do post high school, and I remember having the discussion with my father about would he be disappointed if I decided I didn't want to be a physician? And he assured me that he wouldn't be disappointed, but he was curious as to why I was not interested in doing that, and I told him, I said, just to be candid, I don't know if I want to work as hard as you do, because at that time, I had spent many Christmases with him, not at home, even though, our town, I mean, you could almost walk to the hospital. Our Town was small enough that, but he was taking care of people in the hospital on Christmas Day or delivering a baby on Christmas Day, and he just, you know, it was clear that in that profession, the way he practiced it in those days was that the patients came first, and the family understood that. And we were all in the doctor business to in that respect, and this whole concept of work life balance was, you know, no one looked at things like that. I mean, everyone understood that this was a commitment that had been made, and it involved the entire family. So I told him, I said, I don't know if I'm willing to do that or not. And so I thought at that time, I decided that I was going to pursue a career in theology, and so that determined where I went to school. And about after my first year in school, I the university I had chosen, their whole theological department was more pastoral, and I wasn't interested in that. I was more evangelical. I was more interested in being an evangelist and and so I not having that in front of me. I decided that it switched to a marketing degree. And it turns out that to be a pretty good evangelist, you got to be a little bit of a marketing person yourself. Anyway, true. So, so I ended up going down that path.   Michael Hingson ** 34:53 Well, I would say if you had chosen the pastoral approach, you would have been working just. Just hard as a doctor. Oh, very much. So, yeah, but I guess I would also ask this whole issue of not working as hard given what you do today, how's that working out for you? Well,   John D Marvin ** 35:14 those were words of a very naive young guy. Yeah, because I didn't take I didn't understand the fact that if you're going to accomplish anything, it's going to require hard work, and you need a family that understands what your what your passion is, and what you've decided to do, and because it is, I mean, no one builds a career by themselves. They they build a career with the involvement and support of other people, and if, if they, if those beliefs aren't aligned, then you're going to end up in conflict and be constantly be torn between what it is you believe you're wanting to do with your life, versus your obligations, your other obligations. And put it   Michael Hingson ** 36:04 that way, well, you've been involved in the whole mindset and activity of being a business leader for a long time. What kind of key lessons have you learned along the way about personal growth?   John D Marvin ** 36:21 I think the thank you for that question. I think the one thing that I have learned, that I've tried to pass on to people is start, begin we I think that we naturally have this reluctance to take risk, because we don't want to fail at anything and and so we kind of take the approach that, well, if I want to pursue something, whether it be personal development or growth or even some profession, I need to know everything there is to know about it before I start it. And that is just not true. The only way you learn is by starting I have a friend and acquaintance who his career and his profession is leading people on climbs of Mount Everest. So that's his job. If you want to climb Mount Everest, I can hook you up with a guy that will help you do it. And it's a fascinating profession that he's in. And I asked him one time, how do you learn how to climb mountains. You know, how do you learn this? He said the only way to learn how to climb mountains is by climbing   Michael Hingson ** 37:46 mountains. I was gonna say, to do it, yes. And   John D Marvin ** 37:49 so I think the number one thing is to start. And if you're committed to it and you start, you'll figure it out. The rest of it, because there are no failures, there's maybe a setback or two, but as long as you keep focused on where you want to be and moving forward and getting better and learning, you'll figure things out. And I think so personal growth is really a decision and a commitment to continual learning, continual improvement and and you're never too late to get started. It's never too late, even if you're at 80 some years of age and maybe limited health wise, you can still start because there's so much, there's so many different resources today that are available to people. I mean, I got an iPad Mike, that's, I bet you I've got three 400 books on it. And, you know, used to be you couldn't have three or 400 books without a library in your house. Now you can have one iPad on a memory card. And I was just, I had a doctor's appointment earlier today, and while I was waiting in the reception, I pulled out my phone and I started reading a book that I'm reading, you know, and I had, didn't have to carry the book The lot of people do, lot of people have, but I was able to do that. And then there's what's available in terms of resources, of books to read are just unlimited. So I think that there's, there's all sorts of opportunities, just a matter of getting started and doing it. Second is consistency. Everybody can start. Few people can be consistent, or few people are consistent. We all know the classic, never if you're if you're someone who goes to a gym and works out, you know. Avoid that gem the first month of the year in January, because it is overrun with people who are starting their new year, and then by February, you also know that you're back to normal, because most people don't stay consistent. So starting and then becoming consistent are the two things that are probably most important, that I've learned   Michael Hingson ** 40:25 well, and that kind of leads to something I was thinking about, and that is the connection between mindset and long term achievement. Because it would seem to me that, as you point out with the gym, the people who create the mindset that I'm going to do this and really decide that that's what they're going to do, are more likely to have analyzed it and made that decision intelligently and then we'll stick with it, than people who just go off and say, I'm going to do it, but really haven't established A mindset, right?   John D Marvin ** 40:59 That's exactly true. And you know, people tend to focus on volume as opposed to continuity. And what I mean by that is people go to the gym and they they put all this intensity into the first day they haven't worked out in weeks or months, or even maybe a few years, and then the next day they're so sore they can't get out of bed and they can't so they decide they're going to take the next day off rest, and then that turns into a week off. And I'm a student of John Maxwell, the author, and he talks about what he calls the rule of five, and he illustrates it by saying that if you have a tree in your backyard that you're wanting to take out, you can take an ax and you can go out there and you can swing that Ax five times, and put down the ax and come back tomorrow morning, hit it five times. Come back tomorrow morning, hit it five times. And over a period of time, that tree will come down, or you can go out there and just try to chop and chop and chop, and that tree will defeat you, because you will run out of energy and you'll be too tired to finish it, but if you'll just be consistent over a time with the rule of five, and he talks about it in any profession, if you want to get good at it, figure out what are the five things you need to do every single day to grow in that direction and to accomplish what you need to accomplish. And so I think that you're right that over a period of time, long term success is not done through intensity. It's done through consistency. And he also says, you know, you're never going to change anything in your life until you change what you do daily? And that is very, very true.   Michael Hingson ** 43:09 I know I haven't really been the greatest at doing a lot of exercising and so on, and a lot of walking, and especially here in the winter, it gets really cold, and so I tend not to do it. But what I figured out, actually, a couple of years ago was we have a wonderful, great room with an island in the middle of it, and I will just put on a book and listen to it and do laps around the bar, and I'll get up to 10 and 15,000 steps a day just walking around the bar. Now it's not going uphill and downhill, but still a lot of good exercise. And I find that not only does that work, but I enjoy it, because I get to read at the same time or do other things. Of course, my dog probably thinks I'm nuts, and my cat, my cat avoids me. But by the same token, you know, it is exercise, and I found that I have no problem really doing that every day, absolutely.   John D Marvin ** 44:12 And you know, we we live in a gym, yeah, and whether it's your room, your great room with an island, or whether it's a backyard or your neighborhood, we lived in a gym. I think that was illustrated in one of the Rocky movies really well when he was held up in northern Russia and just worked out using the materials that were with him. And so there really is no excuse to doing something, and doing something is better than doing nothing at all, and doing something every day will deliver unbelievable results over time.   Michael Hingson ** 44:59 It's a. All about establishing the mindset. Yes, it is. Well, you know, you've done this work for a long time. What kind of advice would you give to people starting out to help them get the mindset and achieve what they want to do with their goals?   John D Marvin ** 45:19 Well, first of all, I think developing and writing a personal growth plan, and I mean writing, setting down and starting, for instance, I made a decision several years ago that I wanted to get better at communication. So that was a decision. And the side of all the things that I wanted to try to commit to developing or growing in or learning, I picked communication. Why did you want as one of it? Because I felt like it was extremely important that you never accomplish, or I didn't believe that I was going to accomplish what I wanted to in life without the ability to communicate well with others, whether that be my spouse or whether it be the people I work with the customers I serve. I wanted to be good at communicating. I wanted to become good at that. I also had a friend tell me one time said, you know, if you will read five books on any subject, you'll know more about that subject than 99% of the people. And so I decided, Okay, I'm going to find five books on communication, and I'm going to commit myself to reading those over the course of the next year. And I just, you know, went out and started trying to determine what are really good books about communication. Some of them I kind of knew, like How to Win Friends and Influence People. That was one that I knew. Okay, I'm going to put that one on the list. Now I need four more, and one of them I knew that John Maxwell had written. So I you know, everybody communicates, but few people connect, and I said, Okay, I'm going to be another one. So I just kind of put together my little library of five books, and I started so I had developed very narrow and limited, but I had developed my own personal growth plan as relates to communication. So as I would tell my grandson, or I would tell a friend, if you want to start on developing a mindset and developing personal growth, sit down and make a plan for what you're going to do. And it's interesting, because if you'll ask people, tell me about your and I do this with people who work for me, and when I'm hiring, tell me about your personal growth plan. What is your personal growth plan? And you know, most people don't even know what I'm talking about, so they start making stuff up, and it becomes real obvious that they don't have one. From my employees, I require that as a part of their job and their annual performance review, we go over their personal growth plan. I want them to become more valuable over the course of this next year, because to themselves, because if they do, then they become more valuable to the company, right? And so I would instruct somebody to sit down and start and make a plan and identify something you want to be better at and and start growing in those areas that that described as starting with communication, has grown now to seven different areas in my life, and I've got at least five, in some cases, more books in each of those areas. And so I've got a very busy personal growth plan that I I work on each year.   Michael Hingson ** 49:12 Do you find that, as you read books on these subjects, as you're dealing with your personal growth, that in reality, you know a lot of the stuff already, at least to a degree. But by the same token, reading what others have written tends to drive the point home a whole lot more. And I ask that from the standpoint of common sense.   John D Marvin ** 49:40 Well, I think so. I mean how to win, which   Michael Hingson ** 49:42 doesn't mean that you don't learn things from the books, but, but a lot of it is, is stuff that you Intuit   John D Marvin ** 49:50 Yeah, I think that you know, a great example that comes to mind is How to Win Friends And yes, people that book, if you read it, it's like, well, yeah, naturally. Of course, but if you read it and you focus, you know, if you read it with the attitude, I want to learn something from this, then you begin to internalize what you're reading. And as you internalize it, you develop more cognitive, a cognitive awareness of it. And what I find super interesting is that book is on my list every year, so I commit myself to read that book every year. So now you know, this year will be probably my 15th, 16th time reading it. What I find fascinating is, I'll read the same chapter I've read, and I'll learn something new, something new, yeah, each time. Because, much like the saying about you can't step in the same stream twice, because it's not the same stream and you're not the same person. Same goes with reading material. You can read that book a second time, and you'll get something out of it, because you're not the same person that you were the first time you read it. And as you mature in your understanding, you get more knowledge out of the reading. Yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 51:17 Which? Which makes perfect sense, which also says a lot about the quality of the author. But you're right. You will always, if you look for new things to learn, you'll find new things to learn absolutely, which is what makes it so cool. And I I tell people all the time, and I'm not sure they always understand it. If I'm not learning at least as much as anybody else by being involved in this podcast, then I'm not doing my job. Because I believe every episode gives me as much, if not more, of an opportunity to learn as guests or all the people who listen, which is why I think it's so much fun, because I think that learning is as fun as it gets.   John D Marvin ** 52:05 It is, I mean, you're absolutely right, you know, they also, there's a you never learn anything quite as well as when you have to teach it, yeah, you know. And in a way, by hosting a podcast, your your preparation for it, you're setting down, your concentration on it forces you to absorb from every interview that you do, and you can't help but walk away with being different than it was when you sat down to start it. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 52:42 one of my favorite books is a science fiction book written by Robert Heinlein. It's called the Moon is a Harsh Mistress. And I don't know whether you read my science fiction. I   John D Marvin ** 52:52 don't, but that sounds interesting. So   Michael Hingson ** 52:54 the basic premise is, it takes place in 2075 there's a hint, and it's all about the moon, which is being controlled by the lunar authority on earth. And it really parallels the American Revolution. The difference is that a computer on the moon, as they put it, wakes up and helps in doing the revolution that eventually gets Moon free from the earth, but one of the major characters is Professor Bernardo dela Paz, who is a teacher. And one of the things that the that the storyteller describes on a regular basis is how Professor dela Paz can teach on basically any subject, as long as he stays at least one lesson ahead of the people who he's teaching, which often does. So he teaches so many different things, but all he does is works to stay just a little bit ahead of the people that he's teaching, so that he can go back and teach it, and of course, as as you and I would say when he's teaching it, he also learns a whole lot more. But I think it's such a clever book.   John D Marvin ** 54:11 It sounds like it science fiction, but if I if that, when that strikes me that'll be one I put down to read.   Michael Hingson ** 54:23 I think it's the I believe it's high lines better. His best book. A lot of people talk about another one called Stranger in a Strange Land, which is about Mars and the earth. But I think that the Moon is a Harsh Mistress. Was his best book, most imaginative book, which is kind of fun, yeah, but you know, it's, it's, it's just one of those things that I've just it's always stuck with me that dela Paz did that well. So over the time, being the president and CEO of Texas State Optical, i. Uhm, how has that shaped or changed your your views on leadership? Because I'm sure you've, you've had lots to do and lots to think about. I'm sure it's had an effect on you.   John D Marvin ** 55:12 Yeah, I, I think the biggest impact has been it's, it's of what it's required of me in in developing my leadership abilities and deep and making those abilities effective towards an outcome. And let me try to shed on that I mentioned earlier. I'm a student of Maxwell, and Maxwell has a definition of leadership is influence, and and he said leadership is is influence. It's nothing more than that. And, and so at first I didn't know what that meant. And then, as he goes on to explain, and it makes sense, oftentimes, you will, the leadership is not a matter of title. It's not a matter of position. Leadership is influence and the ability to influence. And you can walk into a room and you will observe the group, and in one corner, maybe somebody that is obviously the focus of the attention of the others, and that person is exerting leadership influence. They may not be the may not have title, and they may not be in any position of authority over the others, but the others will follow that person, because that person has influence on them. And so I've in my understanding of that, and then trying to live that I've seen that develop in my own ability. And then I have to sit down and say, okay, if I'm going to be a leader of my team, my executives that will report to me, how am I going to provide that influence. And so you begin to break that down and try to figure out because everyone's different. I mean, I I have four people that report to me, each one of them, I will have to affect and influence those people differently. And it starts with understanding them. And so what it's done is it's helped me to really understand that principle that offered by Maxwell, and then how to incorporate that into my life, so that I feel now confident in my ability to be a leader of any group or situation I find myself in, and I've just agreed to accept a new responsibility in a trade association, and I have confidence that I can provide a strong level of leadership, not because I'm the smartest person in the room, but because I have the ability of providing influence over that organization or in that group through better understanding of others that I Have a position over, so to speak. But you know, it's like the best arenas to develop leadership is a volunteer organization, because that's the only way you're going to get anything done, is to have influence, because these people don't have to do anything that you say. And so oftentimes, if you have the authority, you misuse it, and you provide nothing in the way of leadership to a group. That happens all the time.   Michael Hingson ** 59:13 I think that too many, and I use the term in quotes, leaders, think that the whole idea is that they're the boss. Well, bosses are not necessarily leaders, and you're right. Leaders are not necessarily bosses. Directly. It is all about influence. And unfortunately, all too often, the people who have influence may not be the designated leader, but then the leaders or bosses get jealous of those people, which is also extremely unfortunate they don't get it.   John D Marvin ** 59:45 It's a it can be threatening if you're a boss and you've got people that are supposed to report to you and they're listening or being influenced by someone else who may not be. Intentionally trying to subvert the boss. It's just they, they're more effective in that and so that's threatening. And so oftentimes, given that authority, they misuse it. And   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:15 the good leaders, however, when they see that happening, will try to go and understand from in part, the person who's the real influencer, what it is that they need to improve on to be able to be more effective. But that happens so rarely, by comparison to the number of people who are out there.   John D Marvin ** 1:00:38 Yeah, it's too often politics, and I don't mean that in the government sense, but corporate politics determines positions of authority, and you end up with a bunch of very ill equipped people with an awful lot of leadership responsibilities, but lacking in any kind of real leadership skill,   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:02 yeah, which is something that we need to devote more time to teaching, but people also need to be willing to learn it, and that gets to be a challenge. Well, I have to tell you, this has been fun, and I know you have other things to do in the course of the day and enjoying the weather down there, so I want to let you go, but I really have enjoyed having you on and I've enjoyed all the different insights that you've brought. So I really appreciate you being here to do all of that. So maybe we'll have it again. That would be kind of fun.   John D Marvin ** 1:01:41 Well, my I've thoroughly enjoyed this as I mean, you make it so easy to visit. You're You're a tremendous host and good interviewer, good questions. You threw a couple at me there that I had to really stop and think about. And so anytime you'd be willing to have me back. I'd love to join you again sometime.   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:02 Well, I want to thank you, and I want to thank all of you for listening and watching us today. We really appreciate you being here. I'd love to hear your thoughts on today and what we've talked about. You're welcome to email me. It's easy. It's Michael, M, I, C, H, A, E, L, H, I, at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, I V, e.com, or go to our podcast page, which is at www dot Michael hingson.com/podcast, and Michael hingson is spelled M, I, C, H, A, E, L, H, I N, G, S O, n.com/podcast, if you know anyone else who you think ought to be a guest on our podcast, love to hear from you. We're always looking for more people to chat with. And in part, my motivation is I want to learn too. But the more people who come on, the more people we get to learn about who themselves are unstoppable. So please don't hesitate to refer people to it. And you know, John, you as well. We really value that wherever you listening, give us a five star rating. We value that. We appreciate your ratings and and love them. But once again, John, I want to thank you. This has been absolutely fun, and I'm glad you came   John D Marvin ** 1:03:13 well. Thank you. Thank you very much.   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:20 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.

Listen to today's podcast... I found it very hard and often stressful staying connected to family and friends.  Our lives were too busy and setting up time to connect seemed like a major exercise in the calendar shuffle. It wasn't that I didn't want to visit with them, it was just that there never seemed to be enough time to do it all. Now we are physically distancing and I would so love to be visiting, even though I am still just as busy. I loved visiting my grandma, especially when we would just sit and play cards for a while.  I can still remember the family reunions at the local community center with everyone sitting out on the grass, playing baseball and eating all that amazing food that was set out on the picnic tables, or our Christmases where Santa would come to surprise everyone with a gift or two. Take One Action Today To Build Your #Resiliency!      Here are today's Tips For Building Resiliency and Celebrating Visit Your Relatives Day: Family and friends can provide the support system needed to get us through these hardest of times. Visit Your Relatives Day was intended to give us the opportunity to get closer to our relatives, stay connected to family and friends, and to strengthen family ties and relationships. It is still a good day to consider how you are keeping these special connections strong during this time. Even though you can't go and visit them, research suggests that even just viewing photos of family members prompts brain activity that can positively affect how you feel about them and even yourself. Remember, If you like the tips in this briefing, please leave me a review on amazon or in your #alexa app. Don't forget that you can find more tips for coping with mental health issues, by checking out my Live Smart blog at worksmartlivesmart.com #mentalhealth #hr

I have never had the pleasure of having a guest quite like Michele Blood. While still living in Australia Michele was an extremely successful rock singer. One day she was involved in a serious accident while being driven to a gig. Her body was, as she says, quite battered and damaged. What is fascinating about Michele's story is how she discovered the value of positive affirmations that she used to heal everything. As she will tell us, it is not just saying affirmations, but rather it is truly believing what you affirm. Her music became an integral of what healed her.   Since her recovery Michele has traveled the world singing and speaking on stage with many well-known motivational and thought leaders. I leave it to her to tell the story.   During our episode Michele will sing one of her affirmation songs. I hope you are as moved by the song in specific and by Michele's attitude and mindset in general. She teaches us a lot that can have nothing but positives effects on your life.   I look forward to hearing what you have to say about my time with Michele. Don't forget to get her free gifts available only to listeners of the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Is that cool or what?       About the Guest:   Michele Blood is a successful, multi-talented lady. Michele was a successful songwriter and rock singer in Australia and after a near-fatal car accident, while in the hospital with many serious injuries, she created positive Affirmation Songs which not only healed her body but also took her to worldwide success. These Affirmation songs affect the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Lyrics, the left hemisphere, and melody and music, the right hemisphere so the new, positive messages go straight to the subconscious mind. This is why millions of people worldwide have downloaded her Affirmation Power songs. These songs cover healing, success, money, joy, confidence and they uplift the person immediately.   In addition to creating Magnet To Success™ products and seminars worldwide, her public Mystical Success Events have been held in over 26 countries. Michele has co-written and created over 80 books, music CDs, audio programs, TV shows, and videos on positive thought, mind transformation, and meditation.   Michele has appeared in many hundreds of podcasts, radio/tv shows, and magazines globally. After many years of meditation, Michele's Kundalini awakened and transformed her consciousness. Michele now teaches others how to live a Successful Life and experience Divine Oneness. Her Mystical Experience webinars and live streams have assisted people globally to transform their lives to the positive. Through her Teachings and Light Transmissions, people awaken and experience what they say is the impossible. They awaken to their true purpose and begin their path to Enlightenment. She has shared the stage and worked with Bob Proctor, Dr. Deepak Chopra, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Jack Canfield, and many other transformational Authors and Teachers. Her latest book is The Magic Of Affirmation Power and her latest album is Create Miracles: Positive Affirmation Songs To Harmonize your Mind and Life. And her new Magnet To Money App will uplift millions worldwide.   Ways to connect with Michele:   https://www.MicheleBlood.com and https://www.YouTube.com/MicheleBlood   Michele would also love to gift your viewers and listeners her audiobook, "The Magic Of Affirmation Power" Your audience can download this free gift by going to: https://www.MicheleBlood.com/UnstoppableMindset   About the Host:   Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/   https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening!   Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast   If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset .   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review   Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.       Transcription Notes:   Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Hi everyone, and welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected, which is really the most fun part, meet today. We are getting close to winter, and I was just telling our guest Michele Blood that here in Victorville, we had a temperature this morning of 28 degrees. Ah, lovely weather, and all the weather people complain about now it's getting cold in the summer, they complained it was getting hot. You know, you can't please them. I don't know what to say. But anyway, one of these days they'll, they'll decide that whatever happens is is not a bad thing, and they'll stop complaining, I guess. But any Yeah. But anyway, Michele, I want to welcome you to unstoppable mindset. We're really glad you're here. Thank you.   Michele Blood ** 02:06 Michael, I've been so looking forward to this. After reading thunder dog, I'm going to be reading the second book, which is live like a guide dog. I'm going to be reading that after that, I absolutely adore this book, which I'm showing right now, Thunder dog. It's the most inspirational you can't put down. I mean, the lot not just getting down 78 floors of the Twin Towers, 78 stairs. I mean, oh my gosh. But then everything that you've done in between working with you know Ray Kurzweil, who's done a lot of things in the music industry as well. I mean, I mean, I recognized his name straight away. I'm like, all the all the things you've done. I'm just so impressed by and by your life and how inspiring you are. And I just wanted to say that to everybody, he's just, you gotta get his thunder dog book if you haven't yet, and his new book, live like a guide dog, for sure.   Michael Hingson ** 03:02 I I don't know. I haven't totally kept up, but I haven't heard that anybody has yet come out with a music synthesizer that is better than the Kurzweil synthesizer. Now, a lot has happened, and maybe technology has advanced, but I hadn't heard about anything that still beats it.   Michele Blood ** 03:20 Yeah. Yeah. I mean, the fair light was pretty amazing when that first came out, but the Kurzweil, I mean, all any rock musician knows about, yeah, when, when that was first put out, we were just like, oh my gosh, that's amazing, you know, because you could sample sounds and, you know, it was just   Michael Hingson ** 03:39 incredible, and it had a choir built into it. Yeah? Daylight though   Michele Blood ** 03:43 that was, I don't know, think back back in the day, it was like 100 grand, so that's probably why it wasn't as popular. Yeah,   03:51 a little more   Michael Hingson ** 03:52 expensive than the Kurzweil one. Yeah, yeah, our organist at our church where my wife and I went in Irvine and where we got married, our organist had a Kurzweil synthesizer and used it a lot, which was, which was kind of fun, and it was, it was very and it is very impressive all the way around, yeah, but   Michele Blood ** 04:13 just the innovative things that have been done, and you're helping ray with all of the things for the blind as well. Working with Stevie Wonder. I mean, it's just, you're very impressive. You're an inspiration. You are, you are absolutely amazing.   Michael Hingson ** 04:28 Well, thank you. But now let's talk about you a little bit. And you know, you can, you can.   04:35 I didn't show them the cover yet. You can   Michael Hingson ** 04:38 spread any rusty live like a guide dog. Live   04:42 like a guide dog. Needs to cover everybody   Michael Hingson ** 04:45 well, I hope people will get it. I'm we're excited about it. It's been out now a few months. It seems to be selling. We're excited. So hopefully people will read it, and it inspires people a little bit, because it's all about. Are trying to get people to learn to control fear and not let it overwhelm or, as I put it, blind you. But anyway, tell us a little bit about you. Why don't you start with the the early Michele, growing up, and some of those kinds of things, just kind of introduce us to you a little bit.   Michele Blood ** 05:16 Well, I'm an Aussie G'day, everyone. G'day, and, in Australia, I started in the entertainment industry at the age of five, on TV. What   Michael Hingson ** 05:27 did you do? Singing? Oh, okay,   Michele Blood ** 05:31 you know. And then eventually got my, you know, had lots and lots of rock bands I sang in, until eventually I got my own rock band that became very successful. I was the lead singer, one of the main songwriters and the manager of the band. We got a great record label. We had 1000s of people coming to our gigs, and it took years to get there, but I loved it so much, even though it's very, very tough at one stage, we toured for seven years, non stop. I mean, no Christmases, no New Year's eves, because when you're in a rock band, you get paid triple on New Year's Eves and Christmases and stuff like that. Yeah, and you can't really say no until you're really huge. You can't really say no to any gig, because you need the money road crew and sound equipment trucks and all the rest of it so but I feel that my life went on a whole new trajectory after a near fatal truck accident, actually, where I was a passenger with the truck, with all the equipment, and my body was so badly broken, I was In the hospital for months and months and months and and that was the best thing that ever happened to me. I know that sounds crazy everybody, but truly, when you have something so terrible happen to you, and it gets turned around by the Divine, whatever you choose to call God, it gets your life gets turned around and it makes all the difference in the world. So that's the first quarter.   Michael Hingson ** 07:08 Well, you know, I'm really curious. You said something that just strikes a question. I know that a lot of people try to go into entertainment, and most probably aren't overly successful. But why do you think that you were so successful? What what made the rock group and and what you did so successful? Do you have a notion? Well,   Michele Blood ** 07:30 I loved what I did. I was very, very good at it. And not everyone that's good at it's probably other singers in the world that are better than me. But the reason, I think because, I mean, I had some backing vocals on some records, and these female singers were incredible. And one of them said, I know you've got a good voice, Michelle, but I don't know why it's you and not me. And I said, I think it's just that I never gave up, and I was really disciplined. And I, you know, I wasn't on the road of sex, drugs and rock and roll. I was on the road of discipline, making sure that all my band members were disciplined. We worked really, really hard. We rehearsed a lot. We never blew out a gig, not once. So you get a good reputation. And so I started as a cover band, and we would sound just like the records at the time of the 80s. You know, people said that was a band. It sounded like a record. And so then we, we eventually started putting all our originals in and, I mean, I did crazy things, Michael, I went into Time Warner to the A and R people, because I wasn't getting any feedback. It's really hard. You can't just send them a tape to get you know for them to listen to your demos. So I went in as a tap dancing singing telegram. And so the secretary let me go straight into the office, and it was a board meeting, and because she thought, you know, their family had so I was there with flowers and a cake and my ghetto blaster, and I said, Then I did a tap dance, and I made up this song about, you know, this is, this is the band called clapping hands. You're going to sign them, you're going to want them. And this is a singing telegram saying, Listen to this. And that's how I got my first record deal.   Michael Hingson ** 09:24 Creativity counts for something. It   Michele Blood ** 09:25 sure does. You've gotta have guts. And I mean, I by the time I walked out of that office, though I was sweating, I was shaking, but you have to do something to be noticed. And and I think because I love people so much, and because I'd been singing professionally since I was five, which means I was singing for family members and everyone since I was two, apparently getting being put on the kitchen table. And I loved people being happy, and I love loved entertaining. I just loved it. So I think, you know, it's in the stars as. Well, I know that, but I think discipline, hard work eventually never giving up. Yeah, what can I say? Never giving up.   Michael Hingson ** 10:08 Did you so you were a cover band for for a while, which meant you were the the opening band for other groups,   Michele Blood ** 10:17 not as a cover band, well, with the opening act for the pretenders and in excess and a few other bands, when we were an original band and when we had a record label, right, when we had videos on TV, but before that, now we do five to 645, minute sets a night, and we would stay at one big venue, because in back in the day in Australia, the venues were huge for cover bands. You know, four to 6000 people could come in, and we got, we got very, very popular as a cover band, and then we went original. But it took a few years to do that, for sure, but   Michael Hingson ** 10:55 I remember, I remember bands back in the 50s and 60s, like the platters, who actually were the opening band, or they were the band that were the background for other singers. And then somebody discovered these guys really are better than that, and then they became their own group, right?   Michele Blood ** 11:14 Yeah, yeah. It's interesting how, how it all works out. But in Australia, it's, it's a tough way to tour when you're a female singer, because the Aussies are pretty tough. If they don't like you, you can get B canes thrown at you.   Michael Hingson ** 11:32 Yeah, well, those kinds of things do happen. Yes, they did in Boston for for sports teams. I've heard of fans really being very brutal to like the the Patriots. I think when Steve Grogan was the quarterback, they actually booed him off the field once. It was pretty amazing. I don't know. You know that's people take some of these things way too seriously. They   Michele Blood ** 12:00 certainly do. I like what Oscar Wilde said, Life is too serious to be taken seriously. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 12:09 yeah, absolutely, and, but people still do it way too much. Which is, which is, which is a problem. Yes, you know, we need people to take life more like Mark Twain and Will Rogers, by all means, but I can co so you, you had a serious car accident, and as you said, It really broke your body. Tell us what you'd like to about that and and then how you dealt with it, because that, that was quite a, I won't say miraculous. That was quite a marvel. You. You certainly took a leap along the way with that.   Michele Blood ** 12:50 Yeah, it's such a unique story. Um, after you know the truck driver we've been driving for 12 hours from Brisbane to Sydney, from gig to keep and he fell asleep at the wheel just as we reached Sydney, which happened to be right across the road from the best orthopedic specialist hospital in Sydney. So thank you, God, you know. Yeah, there's no coincidences. There's no accidents. So they got me over there really fast, and they had me straight into the operating theater straight away. So, I mean, I had tons of different operations, but what happened was, when you're in physics, that much physical agony, you pass out every few minutes. Mm, hmm, and, but I had people and fans and family putting on audio programs of things I'd never heard of before, Affirmations, Visualization, positive stuff, audio books by motivational speakers, inspirational speakers who I'd never heard of, but one of them got to me, and that was a book by a man called Napoleon Hill who wrote a book called Think and Grow Rich. Grow Rich, right? And I didn't care about hearing about all the millionaires in the 1920s in America, male men. Why would a female, young Australian rock singer care about that? But one chapter in there, he talks about how his infant son was born deaf, and he would go into his infant son's room every single night and do affirmations, auto suggestion, you hear perfectly. You are so loved, and you are so loving, etc, etc. And by the time a little boy was nearly four, he had 30% of his hearing. And you know when you hear something, I've never heard of this before, Michael, but you know when you hear something for the first time and you can feel it that it's true. You've just heard something that you know in the marrow of your bones that that what you've just heard is true. So I said, Okay, I can, I can run. Relate to that, because I know that I've used my willpower and my positive thinking, My I've never said I can't do something, I can't have that drama that I want. I've never said that. I've always said it's all possible. Everything is possible. You just go for it. Michelle, and I'd always just go for it. And I was brought up a Catholic, and I wasn't brought up. I wasn't one of those people that hated the church. I loved it. So I always had a belief in God, because I used to go to mass as a little girl every morning with the nuns, because I was in love with Jesus, and I just felt so I had that spirituality in me, and I think that is what is the backbone. You know, in the Bible, it says you do not need to be strong, because Christ is my strength. Christ is your strength. And so now I know that there is so much more to spirituality than just Jesus, but it was a great start for my faith in my life, and it gave me happiness. And so I just had faith that this would work, so I started doing affirmations, but they didn't work. Michael, do you want to know why? Sure, yeah, we've got nothing else to do today, right? May as well. Hear about it well, because neuroscience has proven now that affirmations do work and they do positive thinking actually does make a difference in the brain, in the neural pathways. It does make a difference. It ignites something in different parts of the brain. But back then, in the 80s, there was no way to prove that, you know, let alone Napoleon Hill in the 1920s but the thing that he said was most important is, you have to believe it. You have to emotionalize it. But I couldn't, Michael, I couldn't emotionalize it because I would. I started an affirmation, I am healed. I know I am. I love myself. I am my friend. Now, none of those things were true, so I thought, but I did want them to be true, so I thought, great, I've got the perfect affirmation. But when you are feeling like you're feeling and the world around you is presenting the opposite of what you're saying. Your doubting mind spits it out and does not believe it. So about two, three weeks after stopping the affirmations, because I realized that didn't work, I literally had a spiritual epiphany, and it was, you know, as a songwriter, Michelle, you can't get a song out of your head, even if it's songs you don't like or jingles from advertising agencies. So sing your affirmations. Because I got my brother to look around for affirmation songs, and he said, there isn't any such thing. And so I started singing,   Speaker 1 ** 17:58 I am healed. I know I am I love myself. I am my friend. And   Michele Blood ** 18:05 I recorded it onto a cassette player, just a cappella over and over again. And that was the beginning. As I listened to that all day, every day I would I started feeling better. I started getting back to my attitude, that I can, I can heal it just I realized. And when I was working with Bob Proctor, he said, you know why that works so well? He said, It's because the left side of the brain is where the lyrics are, the affirmation, the right side the melody. And this is even before I started recording it with music, and so you have a whole brain experience. And the song, the doubting mind doesn't have a chance to reject it. It goes straight into your subconscious mind. So that's how my positive affirmation pop music began. I didn't stop doing my other music, but I did have what they said, even the doctors, even though they're not supposed to say it, they said my healing was miraculous, and I ended up on TV shows and in the press and everything about what I'd been through for inspiration. And that's how it all began.   Michael Hingson ** 19:16 It. It really is all about believing it. It's it is so easy just to say something, but without truly accepting it, without truly making it a part of your psyche. However you do that it, it doesn't mean a thing. Don't   Michele Blood ** 19:32 mean a thing if it ain't something. Yeah, you do have to laugh. Do up, do up, do   Michele Blood ** 19:43 Yeah, music makes the world go around. It does,   Michael Hingson ** 19:48 and it's so important to take it seriously enough that you truly do believe it, and that's what's so important. And clearly. What you did? So what happened you you got healed completely, I would assume from all that had happened,   Michele Blood ** 20:10 yeah, I mean, it's still it still took quite a while, but I was determined. I put my high shoes back on, even though they said, don't wear high shoes. And I never intended for the affirmation music to go out to the public. My one of the band members that I work with and wrote songs with John Beatty, Hi John. He he's in person now in Australia with millions of kids, but anyway, we won't help me. Listens, yeah, we went into the recording studio and we, we just started recording. I was writing a lot of songs, and we started recording tons of different affirmation songs in all different styles of you know, from R and B to just rock to ballads to depending on what the song was about, whether it was about, you know, divine love, more of a ballad, more of a some of them just more rock and roll about being successful. And when the press found out that I was actually doing that, then promoters that were bringing out American very, very big, best selling authors asked me to come and do my singing affirmations in between these people. And I said, No, I don't want to do that. I'm not doing it for the public. Was just for me, my band, to have these positive thoughts. And they said, No, we love it. We love it. We want you to do it. And so my very first gig, I'm in Adelaide, Australia, and there's three and a half 1000 people on a Wednesday that came to this gig that paid over $300 each for a ticket, which I thought was absolutely insane. I didn't know what was going on. And I sang, and got all the people up on stage singing the affirmation songs with me made it into like a mini rock concert. And then Deepak Chopra, this, who I'd never heard of, never met before. Wayne Dyer, who I'd never heard of, never met before. Tony Alessandra, Stuart, wild, they were the speakers, and they couldn't believe it when we went out to dinner that night that I've never heard of any of them. And I said, I'm in rock and roll. I'm not in the motivational world. You know, I've, I've never heard of you, because I've not in that world. And so they were interested in how it all began, and they all said, You've got to tour this around the world. You've got to you've got to release these that we love. What you're doing. The audience is so different. Bob Proctor, though he was the one, when I ended up working with him, the promoters said, you know, we've got this female Australian singer, and you're going to be touring with her? And he said, No, I don't want a female singer. I'm Bob Proctor. I don't need that anyway. The first gig I did with him in Sydney, he came out after, and he said, I didn't want to work with a singer. And I said, good to meet you too, mate. I Yes, how are you? And he said, but no, all kidding aside. He said, My wife and I, Linda, we loved it so much, and I want you to work with me all over the world, doing events. So eventually I end up working with Bob for seven years straight. We wrote books together. We wrote music together. We put on huge events. I took over his business, looked after it, and from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where I lived, and then, and it was just very, very interesting. I've worked in over 26 countries, huge, huge audiences. The biggest one I had was 50,000 people. So to say it was successful is an understatement, but I didn't plan it. I didn't visualize it, but I had always planned on being very well known singer, but it but not to be a positive affirmation or singer. I'd never thought of that, but eventually I went off the grid and started really getting into deep meditation practice and getting off the that whole circuit, because I wanted to find God within me. So that was what happened. And it was fascinating, because it's like working with all these, you know, rock musicians, male rock musicians, and then working with all these male best selling authors. I'm like, I'm always surrounded by the boys.   Michael Hingson ** 24:46 Hey, whatever works, it's, it's interesting though, that that you, you did so much of this, I gather that the audience is reacted very positively, though. Um. Have you heard from anyone that it really changed their life to have encountered you and heard you when you performed? Oh,   Michele Blood ** 25:10 yeah, we've had millions. I mean, we've got a lot of our video video testimonials and testimonials from not just best selling authors that I've worked with, but also from people from all over the world. I work with people in over 32 countries now, and some of them don't even speak English, but they still feel the vibration. And a lot of different people have started singing my songs in different languages, which I allow anyone to do. They don't have to pay me a royalty. They can just do it whatever brings positivity to the world and change within someone, so that they can get out of that rabbit hole. Because you're, you know, your whole podcast about unstoppable mindset. Well, this is such a a great new beginning is to just have to listen to a song. Yeah? And, you know, there's so I've got hundreds of songs to choose from, so it's a good it's a good way to start, because music, you know, like I always say to people, if you have the blues, even though I like blues and I think it's brilliant, but if you have the blues, probably best not to listen to the blues. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 26:21 definitely, definitely true. Well, of course, one has to ask if, if you have one, not necessarily long, but that you want to sing for us all.   Michele Blood ** 26:38 Yeah, I can. I didn't have anything set up. But if you'd like to chat for a minute, I'll just get something set up for you. Well,   Michael Hingson ** 26:45 okay, we can, we can do that. I do. I do agree with you that if you've got the blues, you don't want to listen to the blues. I I personally like happy stuff. I like musicals, especially when they're they're happy musicals. I've always enjoyed that. I do listen and read science fiction and sometimes read some some pretty horrific things. But I've noticed later in my life I'm doing less of that because I, although I like mysteries, I don't like nowadays really graphical or very graphic murder mysteries and things like that, and so people call the kinds of things that I probably typically like cozy mysteries. I wouldn't say that Rex Stout books about neural wolf the private detective are necessarily cozy, but by the same token, they're not the most graphic things, and I've always enjoyed them because they're puzzles. And I love mysteries that are really puzzles that I can become engaged in and try to solve, and musicals I like just because they're fun and and they're they're very happy for the most part. And so again, they're, they're very relevant to to want to listen to. So I, I tend to do that. So it's a lot of fun to keep in the the spirit of reasonably happy and stay away from the blues. Okay,   Michele Blood ** 28:17 I've got something set up now, alright, saying low battery, but oh, sorry. What happened there? There it is. There it is. This song is called synergy. I wrote it with Bob Proctor. Can you hear the music?   Michael Hingson ** 28:35 It's a little low, but yes, go ahead. Better. Yep,   Speaker 1 ** 28:40 there's a way to get it moving, to make it happen, to get high. Can barely flooded in the clouds, join thoughts and let them fly. When your mind joins in with others and all your thoughts to one a US. Energy begins to sizzle and it's energy positive energy synergy. It's energy, hot energy, positive energy turn into synergy. Together, creative power will start to flow. Things begin to happen. You're a church with Synergy. Red Hot energy, positive energy grows into synergy. It's energy, hot energy, positive energy grows into synergy.   Michele Blood ** 29:55 You shine and become magnetic, you'll draw the good. People out the world will be a better place, and everyone will start to shout, face to face, building   Speaker 2 ** 30:12 energy. Taste. The taste is this energy, thoughts, launching into one, a new boss have become this is synergy.   Speaker 1 ** 30:23 It's synergy, red hot energy, positive energy, delta, synergy, it's synergy.   Michael Hingson ** 30:34 There you go. Now   30:36 that's Bob Proctor. Wrote the lyrics for that.   Michael Hingson ** 30:41 But, um, who was the male voice near the end? Oh, the   Michele Blood ** 30:44 male voice was a American guy in who was singing covers in Kuala Lumpur when I lived there, Ah, okay, and I just hired him to come and and do that in the studio in Kuala Lumpur, yeah. But the other affirmation songs are more simple, but they're still got, you know, like a good dance beat, some of them are ballads greeting the day with love in your heart. It just depends on where you want to take your mind that day. Do you want to open your heart? Do you want to be like listen to the persistent song. Do you want to feel more successful? You listen to the success song, which is like 50s, rock and roll. So they're all different. They're all different product, production. So it was a lot of fun changing the different styles for each song depending on the lyrics.   Michael Hingson ** 31:34 Well, if people want to get those affirmation songs and so on, are they available for people to get? Yeah,   Michele Blood ** 31:41 all my albums are sold all over the world, and iTunes, of course, Amazon. My own website is magnet to success. Com. My YouTube channel is Michelle blood.com forward slash YouTube. But I've got lovely giveaways for your for your audience, if you'd like me to share that. Well, we will   Michael Hingson ** 32:03 do that a little bit, okay, but I really appreciate you seeing synergy. I will be, I will be saying that to myself the rest of the day, which is fine, but you know, you mentioned the blues and so on. So here's a question, if somebody is really down and really frustrated, how can they change their life to the positive?   Michele Blood ** 32:31 Well, first of all, even if they are really down, you've got to know, no matter what is going on in your life, that everything is possible for you, and that you can get out of that rabbit hole, and that you are you might feel alone, but you're never alone. Whether you believe in God or you don't believe in God, there is a God and you are looked after. You can pray without begging just giving. One of the most wonderful things you can do is just to start to write down what you're thankful for immediately. If you can say thank you divine, or just thank you for my beautiful life, and if then you can begin to write down what a beautiful life would look like for you, just start writing it down, even though it's not true yet. Like, let's start thinking about what can be done. What do you what sort of friends do you want? What sort of lifestyle do you want? You know, start thinking of others as well. Whenever we can do something, if we can do something every single day that makes somebody else happy, whether it's feeding the homeless or sending funny kitten videos to your friends. You if you can do something every day that brings happiness to somebody else or takes them out of suffering, well, then it'll take you out of yourself. Because if, if it's something emotional that you're going through, that means that you're going to sometimes we do need to go through the emotion, particularly if we're mourning the loss of something or someone that's important and healthy. But it is also important to stop thinking about ourselves so much and look at what can be done for the world. I love I love Saint Vincent de Paul. I love the Salvation Army so much, so you can tithe to them anonymously. If you want to do something you don't know what to do, even if it's just a buck, five bucks, it's really good to tithe to charities that are doing good in the world. And I'm sure there's a charity that you could recommend to us, Michael, that will help with the blind. If you got one, you can recommend?   Michael Hingson ** 34:43 Well, I think there, there really are a number of of places to donate. One of my favorites is the National Federation of the Blind, nfb.org, because it's, it's a consumer organization that fights for the rights of. Of blind people around the United States and actually around the world. And it's the NFB is the largest consumer organization of blind people in this country and, in fact, in the world. But it has made such a difference in the lives of blind people. For example, through the National Federation of blind we completely changed the life insurance industry that refused to provide life insurance for any blind person up until the mid 1980s and when it was finally discovered that they were denying us, not because they had any evidence and actual mathematical models that proved that we were a risk, which is what they're supposed to do. They were doing it strictly out of prejudice. And so now every state in the union, because of the Federation, has actually passed legislation that says you can't discriminate unless you've got real evidence. Well, it's been 40 years, and nobody's come up with evidence that we're a higher risk simply because we're blind or other persons with disabilities, their disabilities directly make them a higher risk. So, you know, that's that's definitely one of my favorite organizations to support. And   Michele Blood ** 36:13 nfb.org everybody. Nfb.org I've written it down for me to start tithing there as well. And,   Michael Hingson ** 36:20 you know, and there, there are so many others. Another organization that I tend to like, it's a very small organization, is advocates for service animal partners asap.org, and and it fights for the rights of people with a variety of disabilities who use service animals, service dogs, to be able to take their dogs with them, where wherever they go, because we're denied. So awesome. So I like asap.org as well.   Michele Blood ** 36:51 I love what you did. I think it was you and Ray and his wife. You were going to a particular restaurant and a a suity maitre d snotty, snooty, wouldn't let you in with your blind dog, with your with your guide dog, right? And and she was really upset the wife. And so you end up gathering quite a few of your friends that are blind, that have guide dogs, and you went in, and he had to oblige and let you all in. And everyone was very nice to you. So that was really good, because that it, it's, it's illegal for them to say you can't come in with your guide dog. It is   Michael Hingson ** 37:28 illegal, and it has been illegal for a long time. One of my favorite stories, which really wasn't a bad story at all, there used to be a restaurant in Boston in Quincy Market called Durgan Park. And Durgan Park was was basically family style, although around the outside of the room they had tables for four but you couldn't sit at one of those tables unless you had four people. Well, we came in one night and there were only three of us and my dog, Holland, and the the host has said, You know what, I'm going to make an exception and let you sit at this table for four so Holland was under the table, and there were three of us, and the waitress came up, and the waitresses at Durgan Park are known as snots. I mean, they're, they're, they're, they're supposed to be really rough and all that. It's just part of the schtick. But she came up and she said, What are you people doing sitting here? And he said, well, the host has put us here. No, she didn't. You're just sitting here. No, she did. It's because of the dog under the table. No, there's no dog under the table. You're not going to make me fall for that. And she walks away, and then she comes back and she said, you're not supposed to be sitting here and all that. I said, Look, there's a dog under the table. Take a look. And it took a while, but I finally got her to look, and there's Holland staring at her with these big brown eyes when she lifts up the the tablecloth, and the next thing I know, she comes back with a big plate. Jurgen Park has very good sized portions of frying rib and says, Can I give this to the dog, oh, and, and normally, I would never do that, but in the for to promote goodwill, I said, Okay, which Hall of love? And, you know, I knew the food there was good, but, you know, it was, it was just one of those great stories. But, yeah, all too often that isn't the way it goes. We see so many challenges with Uber, for example, so many drivers refuse to take blind people or other people with disabilities who have service dogs. It's against the rules, and they say, but it's our car. No, you signed a contract that said that you are going to transport the public, so it is illegal for you to deny us. But they do, and that's one of the things that ASAP, for example, is really working on to address, to get Uber, to recognize that it has to enforce the law like everyone else. But it's a challenge. People come from all sorts of different points of view. You know, with   Michele Blood ** 39:59 the name like. Uber. How could they do that? They're not being very Uber.   40:04 Well, there you go.   Michele Blood ** 40:07 Wow. That's interesting in this day and age. Absolutely, it continues all too often. So many people have slipped into something more comfortable, like a coma. Yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 40:18 Now you and your team have created an app. I think it's called what magnet to money. Tell us about that. Yeah,   Michele Blood ** 40:24 it was interesting. Thanks, Michael. I wanted to do because sometimes people like you were talking earlier, how do they get out of their you know, their depression, or whatever they're going through that they're feeling, how do they get out of that rabbit hole? So if you're feeling that way, and your mindset is in a negative state of mind, and you're emotionally not feeling well, well, then it's very, very challenging for you to want to put on some positive, you know, affirmation music. Because I know when I was in the hospital, if people came in and they were too chirpy. I would couldn't wait for them to go because I wasn't oscillating at that frequency. Yeah, you know. So they're all Oh, hi. And so I thought, wouldn't it be great if we had an app and it would just play? As you know, they can choose the notifications how often it will play. And so Polly fella, Trevor Rogers and Johnny and Dara and myself, we worked really hard, especially Holly fella, to develop this app. And it took about two and a half years to develop it. And it's got morning meditations. It's got tons of affirmations with music underneath. It's got a sleep program to help. As they're sleeping, people are sleeping, I'm very softly saying affirmations and positive you know, feed, feed to their minds. And it's also got notifications, so the magnet to money song will play whatever they want to, so they don't have to even remember to and eventually, like someone the other day, said she was in a bank and she had the magnet to Money App, and she had it as her ringtone as well. And she's in this big bank that was hardly anybody in there, but it was quite chamber ish, Echo ish, and she said, and her phone was on pretty loud. It started, I'm a magnet to money came on really loud, and everyone started laughing. They're like, well, that's sort of, I guess, you know, a good thing to play in a bank. Yeah, works. So, yeah, the magnet to Money App is fantastic. App. It's got so much on it, and it's got an audio book you get for free from myself and Bob Proctor called magnet to money through the sea of unlimited consciousness, one one of our books that we did as an audio book, and we thought we've also got a free app, because that magnet to Money App is only about, I think it's $4 or something A month, but the affirmation power app is free, and on that tons of affirmations, plus my affirmation music videos is on there as well. So that's free, if anybody wants that.   Michael Hingson ** 43:13 So yeah, so is that available with Android and Apple and iPhone? No,   Michele Blood ** 43:17 just, just apple at the moment, because to develop for an Android is much more complicated because there are so many different companies, yeah, yes, whereas Apple, it's just the iPhone, but we do intend to, but it's, you know, we've got the manifestation video app as well, and we've got a New App coming out, which is all my audio books. And I'm doing a new audio book every month, not just my books on audio, but other people's books on audio as well. And then the next step after that, is a prayer app, talking about prayer, how to pray, and for me, teaching people the power of prayer. So it's really lovely to be able to do apps that have got positive, you know, the very, very, you know, if they were to buy all those individual products from me to cost hundreds dollars, and this way it's just a few dollars a month all free for them to get all my positive songs and books and all that sort of thing.   Michael Hingson ** 44:17 How do people search for these apps that in the in the app store. I think   Michele Blood ** 44:22 that if they just go under, look under Michelle blood, okay, under my name, yeah, okay, they'll just come up. I   Michael Hingson ** 44:29 will, I will be doing that this afternoon. I think that's that's pretty cool. You know, in in our world today, we become so materialistic in so many ways, but at the same time, a lot of people have really become students of your affirmations and so on. How did they really become students? And I think even more important, one of the questions that I would ask is. How does it really transform, or did it really transform people's consciousness and set them on a road toward a more spiritual path? Because I think in so many ways, we don't see people doing that, and at the same time, I know there are a lot of people who do, but by the same token, there's so many people who go, oh, this is just all pokem. It doesn't really mean anything, but that's just not true.   Michele Blood ** 45:24 Well, I think it's, it's an interesting question to answer, because there are so many different types of people in the world, and we can't expect to change people. They have to, you know, I don't want anyone to suffer. Michael, first of all, so I think having positive thoughts in their head is going to actually make them think less of themselves, believe it or not, these the way the lyrics are done, and more of joy and sharing and caring about other people, because it is so important to to do that, because people, if they get too much into themselves, Like I say to people, don't buy anything if you're buying it. For someone else to be to compliment you, that's a really good way of deciding what you're going to purchase in your life. If you're doing it to you know, to say, Oh, I've got this really nice car. Look how great I am. But get it if you want a good car. Get it because you want a nice, safe car that's good for the environment, but don't get it so that you will impress other people. Unless you're a real estate agent, they do need good cars, apparently, to drive people around, yeah, I guess so. Drive people around,   Michael Hingson ** 46:35 but, or drive people crazy, yeah,   Michele Blood ** 46:37 but. But I also think it's important that that if you want to, you can't tell someone to be more spiritual. They have to get into a positive frame of mindset first. Because when you're in a positive frame of mindset, you start feeling more of a heart blow, more love. And even if you don't believe in God, you believe in love everybody, I know you do, so whether it's your animal that you love, because every animal is an angel, whether it's nature, smelling the remembering to stop and smell the flowers, remembering to not let yourself complain. Complaining will take you down a rabbit hole of absolute negativity and please. People remember, the only reason you're complaining is because you're feeling fear about losing something or not getting something that you want. And so if you can stop complaining for 28 days straight, you will change your life. And I know that sounds impossible, but many people can do it, because I've seen my students do it. So if you can stop complaining and stop half if you're halfway through a complaint about something or someone or politics or Trump or whatever in the hell it is, stop yourself halfway through and just say, Why am I complaining? And people are complaining because they're in fear. If you can stop and be mindful enough to say, I'm complaining because I'm afraid of something, and I don't want to face it and find out what you're afraid of, the thing that you're afraid of will dissipate. Yeah, it really will. So I think that's a really good place to start listening to the positive songs, for sure, going to every single unstoppable mindset podcast you possibly can go to reading Michael's books, and also, just knowing that you can get out of that rabbit hole, it is totally possible, and I've seen it in people from all different cultures and religious backgrounds all over the world. I've traveled to so many different countries, and have so many different audiences, and everybody wants to be loved and be loved in return. And everybody wants to see other people happy at their core. They really do. We don't want to make people unhappy, do you? So stop complaining.   Michael Hingson ** 49:07 You know, it's, it's interesting that you, you talk about all this, one of the things that we talk a lot about, and you'll see it and live like the guide dog, is that we need to become more introspective. Because if we do and we really look at ourselves daily, and, for example, look at what worked today, what didn't work. Why didn't it work? You eventually get to what was I really afraid of? And if you really stop to think about that and go, I didn't need to be afraid of that, your life will change, which is really, as you're pointing out, what it's all about.   Michele Blood ** 49:44 Excellent, excellent. I'm looking forward to reading that as well, and then I've already told everyone to get thunder dog on all my lists. But now I'll be, after I read the next one, I'll be telling them to read that as well, because we're on the same page. Michael.   Michael Hingson ** 49:59 Tell me a little bit about something I've read in your bio, how you went from affirmations to a full kundalini awakening.   Michele Blood ** 50:09 Well, when I was working with Bob Proctor in Asia, I was saying to him one day, I feel this heart blow like I feel like my heart is out of my chest, and I feel such deep love. And it's not for any person, place or thing. It's for everything, actually, but it's beyond that. It's divine. And he said, you're looking for an enlightened teacher. That's what you need. And I said, Well, where do you find an enlightened teacher, and what exactly is that? And he got me to read Autobiography of a Yogi by Hara mahansa Yogananda. And I'd read it before, but I didn't really get it like I did this time when I read it, and I realized that enlightenment wasn't just one person. People can actually meditate and go into higher states of consciousness, but I wasn't thinking of how is an enlightened being around in this modern world? That can't be right? Because I it must be like unless it's Asia maybe. He said, I don't know. He said, I did have a Canadian man who was enlightened, who taught me for three years before he died, left the body. And he said, you just have to pray for it and know that the teacher and the student will find each other. It took me 14 years of searching all over the world, and eventually I found an enlightened teacher in all places America, and I decided to go off the grid, and I really had to to study with her as a student, because she didn't like us to be on Facebook or social media. She said, you don't want attention on yourself when you're studying with me, because you want to be able to go in deeply. Yeah. So I went off. I studied with her for 12 years, but after the first few years, I went into a full awakening myself, never expecting that. Didn't expect it to happen to me. I thought, how could a rock singer in Australia, have a kundalini awakening, but I did, and now I love to teach mysticism and spirituality and meditation practice to students from all over the world. And I love to do it. I think there's so many tools in the toolbox of life, whatever sort of personality you have, whether you're extremely religious or you just want to have more positive outcome. You want to become healthier. I think meditation practice is good for everybody. You do not have to be religious or think of spirituality to enjoy a quiet mind. It'll slow down your blood pressure. It will give you pump your blood, it'll stop your mind from going down a million rabbit holes where your senses take you. I just think meditation practice is a miraculous, privileged thing to do.   Michael Hingson ** 52:53 I agree. And you know, one of the things that it's a little bit off topic for what you just said, but we were talking earlier about people praying and looking for so many things. I'm amazed at how many people pray to God, telling God what they want and what they think they need. And I'm sitting there whenever I hear about that today, especially, I think, Wait a minute, God already knows that what you need to do is to listen to get the response, and thank God for the response, but people just don't do that. I'm just so amazed at at that. But it's it is so true that we spend too much time not doing the thing that we really need to do, which is listening and talking with God, not talking to God.   Michele Blood ** 53:46 Yeah, that's why I I'm loving recording the new prayer app, because I explain to people what prayer actually is. It's not If you do this for me, God, I'll start, stop eating pizza, yeah? Or maybe trade off. So I teach people what prayer actually is, and it's, it's really the most sacred thing and beautiful thing, and it will uplift you, even if you just, I've got a section where they I'm praying for others, so they can just listen to any different topic of what type of prayer, but the main thing for me was explaining, doing the introduction of what prayer is and how to pray, because so many people have no idea what prayer really is, that communion with your higher self, and once you get to understand what that is, then you can hear that still, small voice you can literally hear through. Ah, your intuition becomes stronger you can and intuition is you being in tune with your higher self. And your higher self is omniscient wisdom. It created everything so it knows what. To tell you to do, and it will bring into your experience everything when you accept, when you can be open and receptive to receive and to give, just sort of let yourself go, just surrender to that divine Higher Self, when you can learn how to do that. That's another thing that I do on this prayer app is teach you what surrender really means and how you can do it. It's not taking your willpower away from you, because everyone that's a gift that we've been given. So we can make good choices in life, sometimes bad choices, but we can use our willpower to get ourselves out of that rabbit hole. So thank you for asking that. Michael, it's   Michael Hingson ** 55:41 extremely important to be able to do that. Well, you mentioned earlier that you had gifts for people listening to this podcast. Love it if you tell us about that,   Michele Blood ** 55:52 yes, yummy gifts. If you go to Michelle. Blood com, it's spelled M, I, C, H, E, L, E, B, L, O, O, O, d.com, forward slash unstoppable mindset. We've called that. We've made that link especially for Michael's podcast. Just for your people, they will get the audio version of one of my favorite books I've written called the magic of affirmation power audio book. They will get that for free, but in that audio book has tons of affirmations you can repeat after me, links to some of my music for free. You'll also get a six week mysticism course, and there are other things as well. I can't remember what they are right now, but they're all on that link.   Michael Hingson ** 56:37 But Michelle blood com slash unstoppable mindset. I thank you for the otter. Appreciate that. Well now if people want to come hear you, I know you do live events and you do zoom events and so on. How can we learn about that? How can people do that?   Michele Blood ** 56:57 Well, they can go to request Divine light.com to find out what is my next event, because I have free events, a lot a lot of free zoom events people can come to, and you'll just get to meet so many happy, lovely people from so many different countries. And we just have a blast together. And you'll be very, very uplifted after everyone, because everyone that comes on are just, we seem to be attracting, over the years, just people that are really, sincerely wanting a better life and to do it, to do good in the world. And I just love them all so much. So if they go to request Divine Light com, they can see where my next free event will be. I mean, it's on Zoom, but I mean when it will be   Michael Hingson ** 57:46 right? Request, divine light. Com, cool. Well, I really appreciate you coming on. And obviously people can go to Michelle blood, com, and there's a lot there, I would assume as well. So hopefully people will go, go check out everything that's there, and we'll take this seriously, because I think there is so much that you have offered. We've had a number of people on unstoppable mindset who talk about everything from reg a to Eastern medicine, meditation and and so many things. They all can't be totally wrong. So from my perspective, they are not wrong. But by the same token, it's fun to be able to get a chance to to have you on. We'll have to do this again, and I'm going to certainly go download the apps and put them on my nice little iPhone and start taking advantage of them. But I really appreciate you coming on and and being with us for an hour today. Well,   Michele Blood ** 58:51 Michael, thank you for the books that you've written and everything that you've done in the world. I just think you're just an inspiration and just a lovely, lovely man. So thank you. It's, it's lovely getting to know you. And I'm just going to tell everyone about these books, because they're amazing, well written as well. Just really, really good.   Michael Hingson ** 59:13 Well, thank you. So, when are you going to do a podcast? I'm going   Michele Blood ** 59:17 to do a podcast with a man called just I just had a brain fart. Thomas Miller, uh, at the moment, his podcast is called subconscious mind mastery, and he's interviewed me quite a few times. We met in person, and I love his outlook on life, about really not saying no to anything that's mystical. And so we're going to start one next year together. He's already got his own, but this will be a different one where we'll go a little deeper, a deeper dive into mysticism. I think we're going to call it well,   Michael Hingson ** 59:55 if he needs a guess for his existing podcast, if he has guests or. You guys have your podcast together. If you ever want a guest, I volunteer. So I'll just, Oh,   Michele Blood ** 1:00:05 I'll tell him today. Goodness, yes,   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:10 I'm, I'm always, I'm always open for that. Oh,   Michele Blood ** 1:00:13 I'll tell him today. Yeah, because you, I love you.   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:18 Well, I want to thank you for being here, and I want to thank all of you for listening. I hope you enjoyed this at least half as much as I did, hopefully as much as I did. This has been a lot of fun and educational, I think, in so many ways, to help us deal with our outlooks on life. I'd love to hear your thoughts about it. Please feel free to email me. Michael h i at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, I b, e.com, or go to our podcast website, w, w, w, dot Michael hingson.com/podcast, and that's m, I, C, H, A, E, L, H, I N, G, s, o, n. So Michael hingson.com/podcast, and wherever you're listening, please give us a five star review. We really value your reviews. But of course, love the five star ones, so if we can, we would really appreciate it if you give us a five star review and and say, say good things about us and and go off and definitely visit Michelle's pages. And, of course, being very prejudiced, go to Michelle blood com slash unstoppable mindset and get some free gifts from her. And if you know of anyone who you think would be a good guest, and Michelle you as well. I'm always looking for podcast guests, so okay, don't hesitate to to refer people to us. We appreciate that a whole lot. So once again, I want to thank you for being here. Michelle, this has been a lot of fun. Thank   Michele Blood ** 1:01:45 you. Michael, God bless you. More love everyone. More Love   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:54   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.

Opie kicks off this live stream from 500 feet above NYC with a wild mix of morning musings! From a rainy night that grounded Doggie’s walk to New York City’s baffling new composting rules—complete with garbage chute dilemmas and skepticism about fines—Opie’s got plenty to unpack. He spills the beans on a harrowing electric scooter crash (don’t worry, he’s back in the game with a giant helmet!), reflects on breaking family cycles, and shares heartfelt stories about guilt, happiness, and his mom’s tough Christmases. Plus, roll calls with the regulars, a fake-out April Fool’s prank, and some spicy takes on tariffs, Tesla, and NYPD horses. It’s raw, real, and all Opie—tune in for the ride!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aries Season Tarot Forecast March 20th - April 18th, 2025 In this episode we dive deep into Aries season, running from March 20th - April 18th, 2025. This season is a major transition point for the entire year! Fresh starts and new beginnings are here. The Sun moves into Aries on March 20th, 2025. Marking the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. Globally recognized as the astrological new year! Universal Energies, Different Seasons Both Northern and Southern Hemispheres experience the same zodiacal energies simultaneously. Farewell Pisces, Hello Aries: Shifting Energies Transition from the compassionate, creative, intuitive energy of Pisces. Aries season ushers in: bravery, ambition, independence, creativity, impulsivity, impatience, quick temper, and headstrong mood swings. Time for Action: From Planning to Doing Aries season is the time to act on plans made during fall and winter. "Go time!" - Plant, do, shift, change, or start! The completion point of 2024 is officially here. March 20th, 2025, marks the true beginning of the new year. The Tangible Shift: Dreams into Action The host's personal favorite transition - the tangible feeling of change. Wake up and things feel different - a call to action on dreams. Simple concept: take dreams and put them into action. Encouragement to take small or large steps forward towards goals. Small steps accumulate over time. The marathon analogy: focus on crossing the finish line, not necessarily being first. Pace yourself. What You Need to Know: The Current Cycle The Nodes of Fate: Pisces/Virgo Axis Continues Influence continues through July 2026. Focus on balancing feelings with astute processing. Discerning between feelings and facts. Navigating new and unusual energies. Importance of a relationship with spirituality. Working to release perfectionism or feelings of futility. Emphasis on tiny and mighty day-to-day actions supported by spiritual practices. Significant Shifts in This Cycle March 27th: Venus Retrograde Enters Pisces Venus passed her halfway point in retrograde. Emergence as the morning star after her "powerwash" from the sun. Evaluate what no longer serves wants, wishes, desires, pleasures, and finances. Potential for insights and answers on how to shift forward. March 29th: New Moon Partial Solar Eclipse in Aries Energetic lightswitch flickering on and off. Offering a truly new fresh start in the astrological house it occupies in your natal chart. This house has undergone a full eclipse season refresh, release, and restart (nodes in Aries/Libra July 2023 - Jan 2025). Exciting and seemingly softer than past eclipses due to prior release work. This eclipse feels like saying yes to an opportunity before feeling fully ready, with the Universe indicating readiness for growth. A "good growth" eclipse versus a painful one. March 29th: Mercury Retrograde Enters Pisces Mercury continues its retrograde journey, moving back into Pisces. Potential feeling of stagnation or moving backward when forward momentum is desired. Feels like revisiting old lessons or losing something again. Backtrack into Pisces may evoke feelings from the distant past. Not just about exes resurfacing, but a final cleanup of "ghosts of Christmases past." March 30th: Neptune Enters Aries - HUGE NEWS! Neptune spends approximately 14 years in a single zodiac sign (168-year cycle). Last time in Aries: 1861-1873. An energy signature no one alive has experienced. High vibration; Neptune as the higher octave of Venus, governing dreams, intuition, spirituality, and delusions. Capacity for cleansing, clearing, and offering massive dream and manifestation potential. Can also bring chaos and destruction for reimagining and rebuilding. Uncertainty about how this new 14-year signature will play out. Old ways are definitely up for destruction. Question: What new dream will we create? Personal impact: Focus on the house Aries occupies in your natal chart for bold new dreams. Emphasis on fresh, strong, new, and spiritually grounded dreams. Abundance flowing from imagination and magic. Call to honor ocean goddesses (and Aphrodite) if it resonates. April 7th: Mercury Stations Direct Relief from communication, schedule, and financial snags. This marks the third pass over the same ground in the last four weeks. Two-week post-shadow period as Mercury regains speed. The third pass offers the final lesson or blessing from recent events. Encouragement to stay present and grounded. Pause and take breaths before responding. Direct station in Pisces: deep feels, tears, release, and healing are prominent. April 12th: Full Moon in Libra Gratitude to the goddesses, eclipse season is over until September! A regular full moon for revealing and releasing (in that order). All clear for spellcasting! Libra focus: balance, people-pleasing, and surface beauty. Community call-out (with a nod to Kali Ma) for individual scales of Justice. April 12th: Venus Direct - WHEEE! Blessed be, Aphrodite is reborn! Stations direct in Pisces, bringing a dreamy quality. Tenderness, emotions, and tears likely herald the healing that has occurred. Tears of growth, gratitude, and honoring the inner child/teen and current soul self. This deep cleanse cycle returns "YOU" to yourself at a heart-centric level. Clarity on what is needed for more joy and abundance. April 16th: Mercury Moves into Aries (Again) The narrative continues, but with forward progress this time. Shift in communication to self-centric intentions stated clearly (possibly bluntly). Universe urging clear communication in leadership roles for self-empowerment and modeling equitable behavior. April 18th: Mars Moves into Leo - Exciting! Boost in physical energy. Inspiration and a fire are reignited. The "fill up" that has been missing. Mars (action, drive) finally in a fire sign (Leo) wired for being out front and adored. Potential for significant progress if small actions have been taken during Sun in Aries. Burning off "slow sads" - a welcome energy shift. The Nutshell Story of This Cycle Key takeaway: Take action. Follow excitement and listen to "no." Decisions won't be clear-cut; balance facts with intuition. Venus recharged, Mercury cleansed, Neptune in a new phase, Mars finally moving comfortably. Listen to your body - it holds the energetic score. Everything is changing for the ultimate best. Embrace evolution and change. "Grab the wheel" and direct the new energies. The path won't be linear, but progress will be made. Stirrings that 2025 is a "mash up of all the best parts of our life thus far" - a wild, liberating, blessed, and manifesting "zine." Supportive Practices for This Cycle Meditate Hydrate Move your body Aim for self-advocacy Aim for equity Anchor in your spirituality Pisces Season Recap & Aries Season Intentions Pisces season offered massive somatic healing potential and deep release. Aries season (Sun in Aries) marks a new beginning: rebirth of leadership, hope, potential, and the fire to ignite something wonderful. Cycle directive: Continue to remain present and focus on your vessel. Aries as the Athlete & Warrior: Prioritizing Your Vessel Aries embodies the athlete and warrior. Cannot stand for, protect, or create effectively without an optimally functioning vessel. Learning from athletes: value of repair, recovery, nutrition, and hydration. This cycle is a collective call to prioritize vessel care. Not about perfectionism, but celebration and respect for the soul's home. Caring for the body is loving and supports desired creations and actions. It's Spring! Emerge from the Underworld Emergence from the darkness may feel overwhelming initially ("too bright and too big"). It's okay to go slow ("throw on some shades"). Cannot stay in the "cave" forever. Take the step out. Evaluation phase is over. Feel the wild unknown where anything is possible Aries Basics: Mantra, Place in Zodiac, Element Aries' mantra: "I am." First sign of the zodiac. Cardinal fire sign. "I Can Do This! Let's Start Something." Aries' inherent drive to initiate. Excellent at starting things - "OFF AND RUNNING." Carries strong manifestation energy due to its "young," "new," and often "naive" energy. Prone to beginner's luck. Aries as the Warrior Wired for battle and a valuable ally. Relentless and fresh energy with "sassy salty vibes." Thrives on feedback and pressure - needs resistance. The analogy of two rams butting heads (establishing dominance, training, communication, play). Balanced vs. Imbalanced Aries In Balance: Fights to protect loved ones and the vulnerable; evolves into a benevolent leader (connection to The Emperor tarot); passionate, driven, enthusiastic, and inspiring. In Imbalance: Egocentric, puts self first; argues to win everything (even trivial matters); immature; stirs things up for the sake of it; needs feedback/pressure (workouts as a constructive outlet). Movement for Aries: Burning Off the Heat Aries energy is hot, fast, and furious and needs movement to release heat. Caution against excessive cardio, which can overheat the system. Analogy to a Jack Russell Terrier: smart, energetic, needs engagement and novelty. Think "neuro festive brains" needing stimulation and interest for focused engagement. Requires both movement and cerebral activity. Hydration and Cooling Foods for Aries Season Hydration is crucial Recommendation: half your body weight in ounces of water daily with a teaspoon of pink salt for electrolyte absorption. Importance of cooling foods: green and mint (all forms). Aries Rules the Head, Eyes, and Adrenals: Wellness Practices Connection to headache/migraine issues. Mention of Unicorn Wellness Studio member practices: headstand preps/headstands (7th chakra connection, fresh perspective), crab series/rabbit pose (playful, grounding, cooling, circulation). In Aries Season, Stop and Ask: What am I thinking but not saying? What messaging is trying to get through? What am I subconsciously blocking or pretending not to know? Wellness Bullet Points for Aries Season: Begin or prioritize a movement pattern (unicornwellnessstudio.com). PRIORITIZE hydration. Meditate (5 min frequency reset or 8 min chakra balance). Set a bedtime (7-10 hours, address FOMO). Put time limits on gaming and social media (reduces energetic "heat"). Make time to play outside in fresh air. Share thoughts and feelings with trusted humans. Increase green intake (juice, meals, mint). Lighten scents (peppermint EO, lemon/wild orange incense Additional Resources: Activate 30 - days Guest Access on UnicornWellnessStudio.com Offering 30-min classical Pilates workouts in alignment to the astrological season and lunar cycles and Tandy's 41-day food reset at this link here in preparation of the astrological new year. My Healing Protocols signature movement series, not included in a Unicorn Wellness Studio membership. Subscribe to Tandy's weekly newsletter for more astrology insights and practical tips. Follow and DM on Instagram @tandy_gutierrez Additional Episodes You Might Enjoy: EP 118: Astrology and Wellness Forecast March 17 - 23 2025 EP 117: Cosmic Chaos: Navigating Retrogrades, Eclipses & Goddess Energy EP 95: Nodes of Fate: Stepping into the Pisces Dream and Leaving Virgo Perfectionism Behind

Nick and Ciarán join us as the hottest trend of 2025 hits Europe: Germany too elects a new suit who simply loves guns and bombs! Plus, your regular scheduled Texas update and TWO war Christmases for the price of one. Get all things Corner Späti: www.operationglad.io Subscribe for two whole bonus episodes a month: https://www.patreon.com/praxiscast Watch streams: https://www.twitch.tv/praxiscast Buy shirts: https://praxiscast.teemill.com/ Follow us: https://bsky.app/profile/praxiscast.bsky.social  Cast: Ciarán - https://bsky.app/profile/ciaran.operationglad.io  Nick - https://bsky.app/profile/lilouzovert.bsky.social  Jamie - https://bsky.app/profile/wizardcubes.bsky.social Rob - https://bsky.app/profile/trufflehog.bsky.social David - https://bsky.app/profile/sanitarynaptime.bsky.social  Alasdair - https://bsky.app/profile/ballistari.bsky.social 

Fluent Fiction - French: Patchwork of Memories: Reuniting Family in Montmartre Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/fr/episode/2025-02-15-23-34-02-fr Story Transcript:Fr: Montmartre est superbe en hiver.En: Montmartre is beautiful in winter.Fr: Les rues pavées sont mouillées par la neige fondue.En: The cobblestone streets are wet from the slushy snow.Fr: Les cafés débordent de gens buvant du chocolat chaud.En: The cafes are overflowing with people drinking hot chocolate.Fr: L'odeur des croissants chauds flotte dans l'air.En: The smell of warm croissants floats in the air.Fr: Élise marche rapidement vers le vieux café du coin, un endroit familier.En: Élise walks quickly towards the old cafe on the corner, a familiar place.Fr: C'est là que ses frères et elle se rencontrent.En: It's where she and her brothers meet.Fr: Élise est une historienne de l'art.En: Élise is an art historian.Fr: Elle aime l'histoire familiale et Montmartre.En: She loves family history and Montmartre.Fr: Aujourd'hui, elle doit affronter un dilemme familial. L'héritage de l'appartement.En: Today, she has to face a family dilemma: the inheritance of the apartment.Fr: Situé dans un vieil immeuble de Montmartre, l'appartement est précieux, plein de souvenirs.En: Located in an old building in Montmartre, the apartment is valuable, full of memories.Fr: Lucien, le frère aîné, veut vendre l'appartement.En: Lucien, the eldest brother, wants to sell the apartment.Fr: Marcel, le cadet, préfère le garder.En: Marcel, the younger brother, prefers to keep it.Fr: Les deux frères sont en désaccord depuis des mois.En: The two brothers have been at odds for months.Fr: Élise veut la paix entre eux.En: Élise wants peace between them.Fr: La tension est palpable.En: The tension is palpable.Fr: C'est le jour de la Saint-Valentin.En: It's Valentine's Day.Fr: Un jour pour célébrer l'amour.En: A day to celebrate love.Fr: Pour Élise, c'est une occasion pour guérir les vieilles blessures.En: For Élise, it's an opportunity to heal old wounds.Fr: Elle arrive au café et voit ses frères.En: She arrives at the cafe and sees her brothers.Fr: Lucien est assis, l'air sévère.En: Lucien is sitting, looking stern.Fr: Marcel regarde par la fenêtre, perdu dans ses pensées.En: Marcel gazes out the window, lost in thought.Fr: « Bonjour », dit Élise en s'asseyant.En: "Hello," says Élise as she sits down.Fr: Ils échangent un regard.En: They exchange a glance.Fr: La tension est forte.En: The tension is strong.Fr: Elle inspire profondément.En: She takes a deep breath.Fr: « J'ai une idée, » commence-t-elle.En: "I have an idea," she begins.Fr: Lucien lève un sourcil.En: Lucien raises an eyebrow.Fr: Élise continue, « L'appartement est spécial pour nous tous.En: Élise continues, "The apartment is special for all of us.Fr: C'est notre enfance. »En: It's our childhood."Fr: Marcel hoche la tête.En: Marcel nods.Fr: Il se souvient des Noëls en famille, des jeux dans le salon.En: He remembers family Christmases, games in the living room.Fr: « Plutôt que de le vendre, gardons-le, » propose Élise.En: "Rather than sell it, let's keep it," proposes Élise.Fr: Lucien fronce les sourcils mais écoute.En: Lucien frowns but listens.Fr: « Faisons-en un refuge familial.En: "Let's make it a family refuge.Fr: Un endroit pour nous retrouver, pour nos enfants. »En: A place to get together, for our children."Fr: Marcel sourit légèrement.En: Marcel smiles slightly.Fr: L'idée lui plaît.En: He likes the idea.Fr: Élise continue, « Nous pouvons le rénover ensemble.En: Élise continues, "We can renovate it together.Fr: Un projet familial. »En: A family project."Fr: Lucien réfléchit.En: Lucien thinks it over.Fr: Il voit là une opportunité de renforcer les liens familiaux.En: He sees an opportunity to strengthen family bonds.Fr: La discussion devient animée mais constructive.En: The discussion becomes animated but constructive.Fr: Chacun exprime ses idées.En: Everyone expresses their ideas.Fr: Finalement, après beaucoup de conversations et quelques tasses de café, ils se mettent d'accord.En: Finally, after a lot of conversations and a few cups of coffee, they reach an agreement.Fr: Ils garderont l'appartement et le rénoveront ensemble.En: They will keep the apartment and renovate it together.Fr: Un hommage à leurs parents.En: A tribute to their parents.Fr: Un lien pour leur famille.En: A bond for their family.Fr: L'ambiance change.En: The atmosphere changes.Fr: Les sourires remplacent les sourcils froncés.En: Frowns are replaced by smiles.Fr: La neige commence à tomber à nouveau dehors.En: The snow begins to fall again outside.Fr: Élise se sent soulagée.En: Élise feels relieved.Fr: Sa famille est à nouveau unie.En: Her family is united once more.Fr: Elle a appris l'importance du compromis.En: She has learned the importance of compromise.Fr: La journée se termine sur une note douce.En: The day ends on a sweet note.Fr: Dans le quartier animé de Montmartre, sous les lumières de la Saint-Valentin, une famille retrouve son unité.En: In the lively neighborhood of Montmartre, under the lights of Valentine's Day, a family finds its unity again.Fr: La paix règne à nouveau.En: Peace reigns once more. Vocabulary Words:cobblestone: les pavésslushy snow: la neige fondueoverflowing: débordentfloats: flotteart historian: historienne de l'artdilemma: le dilemmeinheritance: l'héritagevaluable: précieuxmemories: les souvenirseldest: le frère aînéat odds: en désaccordtension: la tensionpalpable: palpablestern: l'air sévèrelost in thought: perdu dans ses penséesraises an eyebrow: lève un sourcilnods: hoche la têtefrowns: fronce les sourcilsrefuge: un refugerenovate: rénoverbonds: les liensanimated: animéeconstructive: constructivetribute: un hommagerelieved: soulagéecompromise: le compromissweet note: une note doucelively neighborhood: le quartier animéunity: l'unitéreigns: règne

  A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. Tonight on APEX Express Host Miko Lee continues the series on the Asian Prisoner Support Committee's campaign for justice for the APSC 4. The APSC4 are Ke Lam, Peejay Ai, Chanthon Bun and Maria Legarda. All are formerly incarcerated folx who have served their time and are currently incredibly valued leaders, advocates and healers in the community. They are also part of the staff of Asian Prisoner Support Committee and all are at risk of deportation.  In our most recent episode we showcased an interview with all of the APSC4, in our upcoming shows we will center on each person's individual story. Tonight we focus on Maria Legarde. Thank you to the HHREC Podcast for allowing us to re-air a portion of their show, which will be linked in our show notes. Maria's story is also featured in the zine we was girls together by Trần Châu Hà. The zine is on display in the Walking Stories exhibit at Edge on the Square in San Francisco Chinatown until February 28th.  For more information: Thank you to the HHREC Podcast for allowing us to rebroadcast part of their interview with Maria. Asian American Histories of Resistance timeline For tickets to Edge on the Square event APSC 4: https://action.18mr.org/pardonapsc3/ APSC Website: https://www.asianprisonersupport.com/ APSC Donation Page: https://donate.givedirect.org/?cid=13… APSC Get Involved Page: https://www.asianprisonersupport.com/apsc-4 Appreciation to the HHRC Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@thehhrecpodcast83   Twitter:   / asianprisonersc   Facebook:   / asianprisonersupportcommittee   Instagram:   / asianprisonersc     SHOW TRANSCRIPT: APSC4 Part 2: Maria's Story   Opening: [00:00:00] Apex Express Asian Pacific expression. Community and cultural coverage, music and calendar, new visions and voices, coming to you with an Asian Pacific Islander point of view. It's time to get on board the Apex Express.   Ayame Keane-Lee: [00:02:01] Thank you for joining us tonight on Apex Express. Welcome to the second part in our series on the Asian Prisoner Support Committee's Campaign for Justice for the APSC4. The APSC4 are Ke Lam, Peejay Ai , Chanthon Bun, and Maria Legarda. All are formerly incarcerated folks who have served their time and are currently incredibly valued leaders, advocates, and healers in the community. They are also part of the staff of Asian Prisoner Support Committee, and all are at risk of deportation. You can help today by urging Governor Newsom to pardon APSC4, and protect them from deportation, which you can find the links for in our show notes. In our most recent episode, we showcased an interview with all of the APSC4. In our upcoming shows, we will center on each person's individual story. Tonight we focus on Maria Legarda. Thank you to the HHREC podcast for allowing us to re-air a portion of their show, which will be linked in our show notes. Maria's story is also featured in the zine we was girls together by Trần Châu Hà. The zine is on display in the Walking Stories exhibit at Edge on the Square in San Francisco Chinatown until February 28th. You can come view the zine in person at the Walking Stories closing event, arriving with our stories on February 28th, 2025, at Edge on the Square in San Francisco, Chinatown, from 6 to 8 pm. Co presented by Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality, Asian Prisoner Support Committee and Edge on the Square, featuring readings from Asian Prisoner Support Committee's recent anthology, Arriving, Freedom Writings of Asian and Pacific Islanders, along with a panel discussion with the APSC4. Maria's story, the one we'll hear tonight, that is also featured in the exhibit, echoes the broader themes of the Arriving anthology, Where AAPI community members share their journeys through criminalization, deportation, and reentry. These narratives expose the deep entanglement of the prison and immigration systems while humanizing and making visible the resilience of those impacted. The link to RSVP for the event will be included in the show notes, where you can also choose to donate 25 and receive a copy of the anthology. this event marks the closing ceremony of the yearlong exhibition walking stories, but also a commitment to the ongoing work to center the voices and stories of system impacted individuals through the oral testimonies of those still incarcerated and the panel discussion with community leaders of APSC4, a space where storytelling is not just a practice of remembrance, but a demand for justice and an ongoing continuing call to action is created. So join us at arriving with our stories on February 28th, 2025, from 6 to 8 PM at Edge on the Square, 800 Grant Avenue, San Francisco, California. Find the full details in our show notes and at edge on the square. org. Now let's listen to Maria Legarda share her journey content warnings for mentions of sexual violence, substance abuse, death, incarceration, and trauma.   Maria Legarda: [00:05:10] So I grew up in the Philippines, with my grandparents. My first years had the fondest memories there. Couple of years later, we moved to our new home. Had my baby brother and we moved and a couple years later, my sister was born. She had a medical condition when she was born and I saw the change in our household. You know, as she got older, her condition worsened and it took a toll on our family slowly. I withdrew from my folks, detached and I, I built a resentment towards my parents. I was young, this is what we used to have. And this is what's happening now, what's going on. You know, there was no emotional support when we were growing up, me and my brother. The focus was, Trying to get my sister better, you know, but I was young, I was young, and my brother was young for us to understand, you know, what was going on in our household, and, that started the separation between me, my parents, It was tough growing up, I'm the eldest and so I had to be responsible, you know, for my younger siblings and I didn't know. I didn't know what to do. so. When I got older, you know, my dad urged me to go to the U. S., you know, years where our family was in debt. And when I came to the U. S., I saw the opportunity to help my parents actually get out of debt, and help them. I didn't know the cost, the burden that it's going to cost me. being in a different country, and supporting my family alone. And I did everything that I could to help my parents and my siblings, not be in poverty. Not live day to day and have a future for them. but at the same time, being a young adult in America, when I immigrated here, it was after 9/11. So there was a lot of, society was different at that time and finding my place during that time was hard, you know, and I was alone, I was working hard. I was stressed, you know, I didn't have much help. ,and that started the drug use. it was hard for me to assimilate into a culture that it just looks, it's great. You know, being free and being able to experience a lot of different things, but deep down, I don't know how to, Find my place here. You know, I didn't have friends and I have my cousin, And I was dealing with a lot of the tension at home, too You know my mom dealing with my sister's death She passed away Dealing with the money issues dealing with her marriage I was her emotional support, and as a young adult, I don't know how to provide that for my family. And so the drug use became my coping here in a new country with new friends, and I just got tired of being hurt and being pain and, you know, the trauma of losing my sister. How do I deal with that? Losing my family because we were lost, you know, with her. And how do you cope from that?    Drugs became my coping. I was numb. I was happy, you know, because I didn't hurt anymore. and, you know, being alone here in the U. S., I turned to online chatting. That's where friendships, I found friendships in there. I was very young and naive and, You know, I met a man online who said all the right things, words, that I felt loved and cared for, for somebody like me that was so desperate for emotional connection and just to feel loved that was huge for me to find that one person to give me that attention. And so for six months, you know, I felt I was at the happiest in my life because I had somebody to turn to, I had somebody to talk to. And, I felt that I, you know, I have somebody with me that understands what I'm going through, um, when my own family is not there for me because they're too busy trying to take care of their own needs. And, um, you know, we started talking and, after six months, he promised to, um, take me out on a date. and when we met, um, it was fun, you know, for the first time seeing somebody behind, you know, the, the conversations and seeing him in person, it was nice. It's real. Right. And, you know, everything happened so fast at that time that, I was excited, but then there's that fear and, you know, we were on our way to where we were going at, you For our first date and he veered off to a hotel and, you know, in my inexperience you know, I was hoping that, okay, why are we veering off to this? This wasn't part of what we talked about, but things were happening so fast and I was engaged in the conversations and what we're going to do, or we're just going to go and see. And, you know, I was very vulnerable and I went with it. And before I knew it. I was at the hotel, you know, with him and, I was hoping and praying that nothing bad would happen, but unfortunately, you know, I was alone and knowing that it was just me and him soon enough, the inevitable would happen. And our first meeting, our first date, I was raped, you know, and, all the signs were there, you know, that desperate for that human connection and that, you know, I trusted him. I trusted him that, you know, he was a good person, but it happened, after that I went home and I told myself that it didn't happen. Pretended that it didn't happen. my mind and my body just disassociated, you know, from what just happened and, you know, went to bed the next day, went to work, like it never happened, like nothing happened. That intensified my drug use. It was my way of coping. Every time I hurt, every time I'm in pain, I feel pain, I feel hurt. I turned to drugs because it made me numb and it made me function. You know, I am able to function and continue on with the next day. Why? Because I have a family who's waiting for me, that depends on me, and I need to take care of them. and that's how it was for me.    For the next months, few months later, I found out that I was pregnant from the rape. And when I found out I was pregnant, I stopped using. You know, I was torn and at the same time I was still hoping there was still that small hope that what I had with him was real and I was suffering. Now I know that back then I was suffering from post traumatic, battered women's syndrome. I never got help from what happened that day. and so with the baby I have this, thought that maybe if he knew that I was pregnant, that he would come back to me. That's how my mindset was. I wanted my rapist to come back into my life. That's how desperate I was, you know, was alone. And I wasn't in the right state of mind, you know, with deep in my addiction, not being able to think rationally. By the time I, I asked, you know, for help, I asked my parents if they could, um, come and visit me here in the United States. I didn't know how to tell my mom about my addiction, about the rape, that I just needed them and they couldn't be there for me. And with everything else that's going on in my life, I hit, finally hit my rock bottom and I relapse, I relapse and I used, and me using far along in my pregnancy. That night induced my pregnancy, um, induced labor. And so the following morning, I went into premature labor. Again, I was alone in my room when they induced labor. I was in my bathroom and I gave birth to my son. I got him, picked him up, wrapped him in a towel, and when he wasn't breathing, I panicked. Wrapped him in a towel and put him in the room. And after that I went to go take care and get ready for work. What am I supposed to do with my baby not breathing? got ready for work, called the cab so I can go to work. I didn't make it to work because um, the cab driver took me to the hospital because I was so pale and I lost so much blood. And, um, so I stayed in the hospital and later on, um, medical staff was there. and, you know, the cops were there and I was arrested, I was sentenced to 25 years to life, for the death of my son.    I was 24 when I sat in the holding cell of California's biggest women's prison sitting there thinking, this is what. Life is going to be like for me. What is life going to be like for me? How did I get here, you know, and I was, I was in so much denial. You know, I was in so much denial I don't even know where to start. Because at that time, sitting there at that holding cell, I was still in a victim mode. You know, I knew I was responsible for the death of my son, but the extent of it, I couldn't even grasp the severity of how much harm I've caused. And for 14 years, I immersed myself in self help groups to make sure that I understood what happened that night, what happened at that time, you know, 25 years, there's no amount of punishment that I think would, would equate because I give that punishment to myself every single day. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think like, okay, today he would have been 19 years old. I wondered if he was playing basketball, would I take him to football games? Would I take him to baseball games? Like, what would it be like for him? You know, when my parents came to visit, Those were questions like my dad would want it to know, my mom would want it to know, and it's the big elephant in the room, we don't talk about it. But today, um, I hold, I am, you know, I hold responsibility, accountability for all my actions that led to that dreadful night. You know, when, when I went to board and I was found suitable, you know, one of the, one of the programs that, really helped me was, um, We're just to life, you know, forgiveness I have to find forgiveness in myself for what I've done for my past decisions in order for me to move on and make a difference in, you know, for people. If I wanted to help people, how am I supposed to help people if I can't even start healing within me? you know, took all the self help groups so I could have that understanding of where do I need to start in order for me to have a future and so that people around me, I wouldn't hurt anymore the people, those people that are around me. My family, my friends, even people that I don't know that when they see me, they wouldn't get scared of the person that they knew came from prison. You know, that was sentenced to 25 to life for killing her own son. I don't want to be that person. So. I took advantage of all the groups that, you know, were, were offered to us and I earned that second chance. when I went to board and to really deep, look deep in, deep down and where was that anger coming from? You know, why was it so hard for me to ask for help? And the biggest part that I learned was stepping out of denial, acknowledging that the rape happened, that it wasn't my fault, that I could overcome that and, I could take control back, you know, take that back and turn my life around and use that. You know, motivate myself to, find healing and forgiveness.    Today I'm a re-entry consultant for APSC. I help folks that are coming home from jails, from prisons, from detention centers. I help them navigate, you know, in their re entry. You know, coming home from detention, so after I, you after I paroled from CCWF, I knew that I would be, I had an ice hold and I would be detained and ICE came and picked me up in CCWF in 2019. You know, the first day of being free, I was welcomed with shackles, with handcuffs and a waist chain around my waist chain. And, I was walking, you know, into a white van and I drove off to the Holding cell, the ice holding cell, and I was on the road for 72 hours back and forth because they, they have nowhere to, put me, all the ice facility detention centers were, I guess, they were packed and they have no room for me. So they finally made room for me and I was in the Delanto where I stayed for 11 months. And. You know, when I was there, I'm just like Bun said, once they get you there, they ask you sign the paperwork, you deport, or you want to fight your case. And I've met Anoop, Anoop prepared me, you know, for when that day comes, like I just needed to let them know that, no, you're fighting because you have people, the community, the family here fighting alongside you. And that's what I told them. I said, no, I'm not. signing, I will go through the process and it was very, it was a very different experience, you know, with being sentenced to 25 years to life than being told, you have to sign this paper because I'm deporting you back to your country because you're not a citizen. You know, they don't see the changed person. They only see the person that was not born here in the United States. They don't see the person that has a family in the community waiting outside that building. They only see a convicted felon that has an aggravated felony that's not a U.S. citizen that needs to get deported back to the country where they were born. So knowing that every day, and I've always said it, you know, every moment in detention center is like a cliffhanger moment. You'll never know when your day is going to be when you don't come back to the dorm and you get shipped off and get sent to a plane. And then next thing you know, the next phone call your family gets is that you're in a country where you don't know where you're going. So that's what it was like in the detention center.    You know, it was the onset of COVID when I was able to file, a writ because of my medical condition. And by the grace of God, you know, with the community behind me, Anoop too, was very instrumental. I was released Friday when everybody was telling me that you're not going to get released. You know, the cutoff date, the cutoff time is six o'clock and you're not going to get released and you're not going to get a bond hearing. You're not going to you're not going to get released from here. There's just no hope for you. You know, that's what they tell us in, in detention, you know, there's the chances of us being released from detention. Once ICE has a hold of you is very, very slim. So for us, that's. small hope is really just a teeny tiny window for us. But it takes a community, you know, to work together to get us all out. And I have that support with Anoop, with APSC. So at six o'clock on a Friday, when they said that the judge is not going to rule today, you're going to have to wait. And the last, The last process already for people that were getting released were already done. There's, you're, that's it. You're not gonna get it. But 6:30 came. It was after count time. All the tablets in the detention center was ringing and it was a phone call for me and all I saw was my grandma on the other line saying that, she was crying, crying, hysterically crying. And so my heart dropped because I thought, okay, this is it. I'm getting deported, what I didn't know, was Anoop and my grandma were constantly in communication trying to get me out and the judge made a decision a little after six that before five o'clock Saturday morning, they are to release me. And, it took the community, you know, to get, to make that happen. And on April of 2019, I was released from Adelanto and I was released to Los Angeles. I couldn't, parole to San Francisco, to the Bay area because, um, of COVID shelter in place.    Ayame Keane-Lee: [00:23:30] You are listening to 94.1 KPFA and 89.3 KPFB in Berkeley, 88.1 KFCF in Fresno, 97.5 K248BR in Santa Cruz, 94.3 K232FZ in Monterey, and online worldwide at kpfa.org. We'll be right back to Maria's story after we listen to “7,000 Miles” by Ruby Ibarra featuring Ann One.   MUSIC   That was “7,000 Miles” by Ruby Ibarra, featuring Anne One. You are listening to Apex Express. Now let's get back to Maria Legarda ‘s story.   Phillip Winnick: [00:28:19] Um, Maria, how long did you know Anoop throughout this process when you were in the detention center? Um, and how did you manage to get to San Francisco?    Maria Legarda: [00:28:31] So I've known Anoop since 2015, end of 2015, beginning of 2016, right before board. I needed to seek his advice about, you know, my ICE detainer and how long. Like what the process is going to be, if I choose to fight it, if I don't fight it. And around that time, you know, we just had a new president in the Philippines and what would it look like for me if I don't win my case? Like, what are the chances, you know? So that's how we started corresponding, 2015, I prepped for board and then, um, when I got out in 2019, Prior to that, 2018, we started, corresponding frequently, more frequently because, My board date, um, is coming up, and, you know, when they ask me about questions about immigration, like, what do I say, Anoop, like, because the board wants to know everything, just like Bun mentioned before. They want to see the big picture. If we grant you parole, what are you going to do? So when it comes to immigration, like, what are your plans? So I have to have a realistic, it needs to be realistic for me. You know, there's no ifs and buts. I have to like, Anoop, what do I do? And if it's not possible, then I have to have a plan B, you know? So that's how we started corresponding and Anoop guided me in a lot of my preparation. and before I went to Adelanto, he prepped me step by steps on what it It's gonna look like for me once ICE picks me up and everything was on point, you know, they came and got me an R& R, I left around nine o'clock, the white van came and picked me up, I went to Fresno holding cell from there, they're gonna, assign me a, facility, you know, so that's how it started. And then when I ended up in Adelanto after 72 hours, they finally were able to locate me just like, when, you know, Anoop has a way of, you know, it's like a, you know, We have a GPS within us and Anoop just knows where to find us. So finally, you know, my grandma was telling me that Anoop told her that I was in Adelanto and, you know, later on I'm going to be in the system. And so, when I got there, everything that Anoop told me to, like, when you get there and they ask you for your signature, you tell them that, you're fighting your case, this is what's happening. You give them my number and, you know, so that's the step by step process.    And, that's, that's how Anoop got me, situated when I got to Adelanto and in preparing for my, my hearing, he walked me through it too. from the Bay Area, I was all the way to like, what, San Bernardino County in Adelanto and he was guiding me every step of the way. He had some, The Advancing Justice LA kind of like helped me, you know, with representing. Um, so I have extra help, and then preparing for CAT hearing, preparing for, just, you know, the whole time that I was in Adelanto, I was in constant communication with Anoop. Sometimes it's not even about legal support, just emotional support. Like, okay. Anoop you have to, you have to just tell me. Tell me what I'm looking at. Tell me what I need to do. What are my next steps? What are my chances? And that really helped a lot, you know, stepping out of denial. That was my life story or, you know, I'm always in denial. And so this time, like, no, Anoop I need to know, like, what am I looking at? and so when. when it wasn't going, it didn't look well, you know, for me, as far as my hearing, it gave me all my probabilities, And I know what I need to do. So that's how we, I've always, um, until today, I still seek Anoop's advice about everything. you know, not being able to get my ID, like Anoop would be my next step, not being able to get, I said, some paperwork, some documents. So every step of the way in this whole journey, he's always been our, You know, emotional support, legal support, in everything.   Anoop Prasad: [00:32:40] I think what's really amazing and special at APSC is I met most of the staff at APSC when they were incarcerated. And most of the APSC staff first met each other in prison, often when they were just kids. And I think that makes APSC just like such a special place. Um, and I met Maria through Nia Norn, who's our co director and met Maria at CCW Afton prison. Um, and I'd been writing Nia about her ICE hold and her deportation when she was serving a life sentence. and then she over mail introduced me to Maria and I started writing with Maria. and there's this ripple effect of hope and freedom from every person who gets out and Maria has helped so many other people and she got out, get out of prison and out of ICE and same with Bun.That's helped so many other folks in San Quentin and throughout the entire prison system get out. And so it's really amazing seeing folks come home and then come back to get other folks out.    Phillip Winnick: [00:33:33] Yeah, it's incredible. Um, Maria, why don't you tell us about some of the experiences you had, um, helping people out with the APSC?   Maria Legarda: [00:33:41] Oh, where do I start?    Phillip Winnick: [00:33:43] Most memorable, I guess.    Maria Legarda: [00:33:44] Yeah, the most memorable. you know, I've been sober for 20 plus years now and, one of my clients, um, when I introduced myself to her, I always introduced myself as a formerly incarcerated individual because I don't want them to feel that I'm, you know, most of my clients have had traumas and have been judged for a very long time. And I don't want them to think that I'm law enforcement or anything like that. And so I always tell them, oh, hi, my name is Maria and I'm formerly incarcerated. I served 14, 15 years and they're like, what? And so that opens up, you know the, the door and it becomes an easy conversation to have. And so when one of my clients, she told me that Maria, I'm 20 months sober. I was like, Oh, I'm so happy for you. And she's like, really? It's like, yes. Don't you know that it's an accomplishment? It's like, why? It's like, Oh my God, you just give me one day. I'd be the happiest person. And she said, why? Because I'm 20 years sober, 20 plus years sober. You're 20 months. You're going to get to where I'm at. And so that started that conversation and that just bond between us. She's, you know, she, she's worked hard and she needed some help in different aspects of, you know, her trying to get her life together. Like Maria, I need to get my kids. Um, I'm in the process. What do I do? It's like, okay, don't worry. We're going to find you some resources. We're going to find you some, help with the law clinics and see who can take your case. And we'll start from that. It's like, okay. she needs housing. We signed her up for a housing and, it didn't work out for her because she already participated in a similar program. So what we did was, okay, maybe we should start, you know, asking your CPS and this is what we're going to do. So having case plan goals in order for her to see what would best suit her, what she wants to do in life and what she wants for her kids. we worked on that, you know. and her desire to be a substance abuse counselor.​​ The team, actually, I had talked to [unintelligible]. We need to help her get enrolled and she doesn't have, financially, she's struggling. She has three kids on coming back to her. You know, she's getting her custody, her three kids custody back. So, you know, her hands are gonna be full. we need to help her. What do we do? He's like Maria, enroll her. Like, I can? Like, yes, enroll her. I was like, really? I can enroll her? And to me, when my boss said I can enroll her, I was like, oh my god, that's like, you know, you're giving something. Like, that's a gift. It, it doesn't cost a lot, but that's her future. That's the kid's future. And her having, you know, a career after that. She's been on drugs for as long as she remembers, right? So that's the greatest achievement for her at that time to be a substance abuse counselor. And just like, Maria, can you please help me find a class and to be able to do that? That's why I'm doing the work that I do because if I can make a difference, even just by enrolling them, you know, what other programs do that? I don't know if they do that, out of their organization's pocket to sponsor somebody, you know, for higher education. So that was one of my memorable moments helping one of my clients get her classes to become a substance abuse counselor. Thank you.    You know, and then the other one, we had one of our clients struggling with substance abuse and, his wife called me and she's not actually our client, but you know, we're all about family reunification. So if the wife, if the kids are having trouble and they have my phone number, they can reach out to us and we'll help them. Right. And she reached out and she felt really this burden of guilt because. Like Maria, I don't want to turn him in, but like he was drunk and being a, being a domestic violence survivor, right? I told her like, look, the first, that's the best, like, he's not going to be mad at you because you put your daughter's care and your care in your life first before anything and because I know he's a good father to her and a good man to you, besides that, you know, addiction, it creeps up on you and it crept up on him. And I said, you did the right thing. You did the right thing for him, because when the time comes, you were his accountable, accountability partner. So, you guys are both responsible for your daughter, and you did the right thing. And just walking her through that, because the guilt that was eating her up, because the whole family's mad at her because she put him there, she shouldn't have to go through that alone. You know, so, just taking the time, throughout the week and checking up on her. Do you need food? I can, we have pantry available for you. like, do you need diapers formula for the kid, for your daughter? Like, we have somewhere, a place that you can go to, to get some help in these trying times. And she's like, okay, Maria, I'm going. So other than the emotional support and you know, the, other things that she needs, just getting her through that toughest time, there's just no, there's no, amount of like, there's no satisfaction other than seeing a mother and the daughter being together and then now reunited with, you know, them reunited as a family.    Phillip Winnick: [00:39:19] The feeling of you helping people who feel alone in a situation that you are similar to, and that you felt alone in, what is that feeling of being able to give these, these people somebody to talk to who have been through what, what they've been through?   Maria Legarda: [00:39:38] You know, it feels good is not even like amount to it because, um, I always wondered what if somebody, you know, what if somebody took their time, you to ask me, like, Maria, is everything okay? I felt like that could have. You know, that could have made a difference. Maybe not, but I wouldn't know, right. Because of what I went through, but I don't want that to be me. So when people come my way, I, I encounter people and, you know, I get a sense of like, what's going on, you know, like what's going on in your life. Like, you know, to have a conversation and just get to know them just a little bit, Then that's when I know, you know, like, okay, this is what they're going through. So let me just walk them through it. Why? Because some people don't even know that they need that at that moment, at that time. You know, I, I didn't know that maybe, you know, if one of the lifer OGs, you know, and in the beginning of my time, if she didn't make an effort and say like, baby, you know, you can be more than just this around you. There's hope out there for you. And that, gave me that small window of hope that maybe there is a chance for me to get out of this place and see myself outside these walls, right? So when I encounter people and I know that they've been in situations, I don't know exactly what it is, I'll just give some time and just get to know, talk to them just a little bit. Just a little bit to see, like, what is it that you need? Maybe that's, you know, a few seconds would make a difference, right? So if that's what it needs, if that's what somebody needs, a few seconds of my time to deter them from making that one major, decision in their life that's gonna alter the course, right, of their life and go down that path that I went down on, like, that I've gone through, if I can prevent them from that. Then I did my job for that day, not my job, but I did what I'm supposed to do, you know, I felt like I went through all these obstacles in life because I have a purpose now, you know, and it's not about saving everybody, but just being there for that person at that moment when it counts.   Ayame Keane-Lee: [00:42:01] We'll be right back after the next song, “GRLGNG” by Rocky Rivera.   MUSIC   You are listening to Apex Express. That was “GRLGNG” by Rocky Rivera. Thanks again to the HHREC podcast for allowing us to re-air a portion of their show. Let's get back to it.   Phillip Winnick: [00:46:22] That's incredible. And I'm so happy for you that you found that for yourself. Why don't you, you were, you were talking about the support groups a little bit earlier. Why don't you, uh, tell me more about that?    Maria Legarda: [00:46:33] Oh, so APSC, created, me and my director created, community and, re entry empowerment, which stands for CARE. It's APSC's first women's support group for formerly incarcerated women and transgender folks here in the Bay Area. And. You know, after years of incarceration, you know, navigating in, society, right, coming back home, transitioning into society, there's a lot of overwhelming experiences and obstacles that we all go through. And so I know a lot of people. Women need that support, but where do we get that support? So we've been in a lot of re entry groups, support groups, and men have it, like they have it it's, you know, it's available for them, but what about the women? And so when we started it, um, we started with 24 people, asking is this something that you're interested in? And majority of them said, yes, like, we need this because women wear many hats, you know, some are daughters, sisters, mothers, grandmothers, and there's a lot in their lives that they go through. and as formerly incarcerated, not everybody understands what it's like. So for us, you know, it's, we live right next to each other, right? If I need help and I need support, I'm going to knock on the door like, Hey, you got a few minutes. Like, cause I need to talk right now. Like, okay, come on. We'll walk down the yard, walk down and hash it out, talk and, you know, what's going on with you. It's like, I'm going through it. We can just talk. But now being out here, some live in the Bay area, some live in Antioch, some live in Pittsburgh, some live in Dinuba, some live up the mountains, like how do you find that support? Right? Some are tech challenged. They don't know how to zoom. They don't know how to FaceTime. So how do you do that? So we. made it possible for them, you know, to find, to have that space where we can meet every month and check in and see what's happening with it, with each other. You know, what's going on? What kind of support do you need? What resources do you need? Who do you need to get connected with? And, you know, being in that support group for six months, it's like I never left my sisters inside. You know, the bond that we formed, and I know Bun can, you know, relate to this, the bond that we formed, you know, in those walls, it just continued in that Zoom space, you know, and it, recharged, that motivation, that encouragement that we've always looked out for each other when we were inside. So now that we're out here, like, no, it doesn't mean that just because we're all out that we have to stop. So that space being created for us, we were able to reconnect and help each other out and playing phone tag and have text thread messages and emails. And so it just needed to get started. Like, no, this is what we're going to do. This is how we can be there for each other. And so the program was a success. You know, we graduated in December. We started with 24, but due to work conflicts, we graduated with 19 women, who participated and completed the program. We had three in person events. Their whole family came with us with a graduation. And the one thing we wanted for our graduates, our participants, is that to spend a weekend with their family without having to worry about, Oh my God, we're going to have to travel. It's going to cost us money. No. We wanted them to spend time with each other as a unit, as a family, because of all those years that they were separated. Right. And not only that, be in the same space with the sisters that they've left, that they've been celebrating Christmases for two decades that's how much time these women have spent with each other. And now that they're out, they just needed to find a place to, you know, have a reunion. But at the same time, continue what we have when we were inside. Cause it doesn't mean it has to stop. So now with the success of the program, We're getting emails and we're getting, you know, when can we start the next group? When can I participate? When can I come over? Am I going to be able to come to the Bay Area reunion? So there's that hope, you know, that they're not alone because, like we know now it's, you know, these are challenging and difficult times and we're here, you know, we we just. Don't leave any of our sisters behind we just come on we got you just like we've always had each other's backs.   Ayame Keane-Lee: [00:51:18] You can learn more about Maria's story in the zine we was girls together by Trần Châu Hà. It portrays the story that you just heard along with more details. Maria's story is one of many. She's a survivor of gender based violence, forced to migrate to the United States due to the economic consequences of Western imperialism in the Philippines. Migrant women like Maria experience the compounding forces of colonialism, border exclusion, and economic exploitation in the United States, making them even more vulnerable to abusive relationships. In their attempts to survive, these women are usually met with criminal punishment rather than support or care. An estimated 94 percent of those in women's facilities are abuse survivors. In the absence of state sanctioned support, these women turn to one another, building their own networks of care and advocacy for each other's freedom. These networks illuminate the nature in which feminist care work is inherently a practice of racial solidarity between Black, Brown, Indigenous, and API women. The zine we was girls together, seeks to honor Maria's story alongside that of her community of incarcerated women, documenting their solidarity campaigns, mutual aid projects, and life affirming relationships to one another. Thank you so much for joining us. We hope you will have the opportunity to join the live event on February 28th and to take action in support of the APSC4. You can also find out more about Maria and the APSC4 in the Asian American Histories of Resistance Timeline that is both online and in augmented reality form in the gallery. This timeline spans from 1873 to present day. We have interviewed scholar Helen Zia on Apex Express multiple times. She talks about moments that are MIH, or missing in history. In the timeline, Acre, Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality, presents moments of our Asian American story that are MIH. One of those stories is about Maria. Apex Express is a proud member of ACRE, Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality. We are committed to fighting for a more just and equitable world. As Grace Lee Boggs said, We are the leaders we've been waiting for.   Miko Lee: [00:53:26] Please check out our website, kpfa.org. To find out more about our show tonight. We thank all of you listeners out there. Keep resisting, keep organizing, keep creating and sharing your visions with the world because your voices are important. APEX Express is created by Miko Lee, Jalena Keane-Lee, Preeti Mangala Shekar, Anuj Vaidya, Swati Rayasam, Aisa Villarosa, Estella Owoimaha-Church, Gabriel Tangloao, Cheryl Truong and Ayame Keane-Lee.    The post APEX Express – 2.13.25 – Arriving APSC4 Maria's Story appeared first on KPFA.

Happy Thursday, Christmas Fanatics! We're once again double-dropping this week to make up for a few missed weeks in January! This week, all three elves reunite to discuss the 2024 indie film, "Christmas Eve in Miller's Point"! While the movie lacks a plot, Anthony adored it while Julia and Thom did not. Why? Well, this one is more about lived experiences and whether or not you can relate to the holiday celebrations being depicted on screen. That said, while there's no real story to discuss here, it still elicits a good conversation between your three hosts about their individual Christmases going up, Italian holiday traditions, and much more in this festive and warm episode! So settle back, relax, and enjoy as the elves celebrate Christmas like it's 2006! As always, thanks for your love and support, y'all!

I recently sent you two memos about our need for positive hope.“Hollywood's Broken Angel” was the true story of a woman who desperately needed a friend to encourage her.“Hope and a Future” explained how easy it is to recharge the emotional batteries of a friend whose light has dimmed.Positive hope crackles with the vibrant energy of life itself. It radiates honesty, openness, forgiveness, acceptance, optimism, loyalty and love.Positive hope illuminates the heart and drives away the darkness.But there is also such a thing as negative hope. It promises salvation but delivers only hubris, which is desperation disguised as confidence.Negative hope is attractive, addictive, and cruel.Gamblers sitting around a poker table are the perfect portrait of negative hope. They ride a rollercoaster of elation and despair but tell themselves they have a system.A second portrait of negative hope is a lottery ticket, a receipt issued by the government to citizens who pay a voluntary tax because they believe in lucky numbers and are extremely bad at math.Bernie Madoff was a salesman of negative hope. He wore the mask of a self-made billionaire, but behind that mask was a desperate little con man who stole money from innocent people who believed they had been admitted into the inner circle of a genius who had a secret system.The world is full of elegant and attractive people who sell negative hope. One of them will sell you a worthless education by promising you a better-paying job. Another will sell you a garage full of crap by convincing you of the miracle of multilevel marketing. A third will sell you the promise of inner peace by convincing you they have it, and that it can be transferred to you for money.Negative hope is attractive, but you can easily recognize it now that you know what to look for.I'm really glad we got that out of the way because now I've got some great news for you: inner peace is real.And here's some even better news: you can have it for free, no strings attached.Inner peace is honesty, openness, forgiveness, acceptance, optimism, loyalty and love. All of these can be yours for free. But first you have to give them away.It is a simple but fascinating system. The more you give these 7 things to others, the more richly they accumulate in you.Five hundred and eleven Christmases have come and gone since Giovanni Giocondo sent his Christmas letter to a friend in 1513. It said, “No peace lies in the future that is not hidden in this present little instant. Take peace!”Likewise, I say to you, inner peace is hidden in this present little instant.Reach out and take it. It's yours.Roy H. WilliamsWhen roving reporter Rotbart was a financial columnist with The Wall Street Journal, he met a young man named Steve Jobs who left a lasting impression on him. “When I spoke with Jason Schappert,” Rotbart says, “it felt like I was talking with Steve Jobs again.” Jason Schappert recently launched an AI-powered investment platform for middle-class consumers, providing the same insights and tools typically reserved for the ultra-rich. Today you have an opportunity to learn from Jason Schappert about how to identify opportunities, make bold decisions, and leverage your passion as roving reporter Rotbart meets with him at MondayMorningRadio.com

Congratulations! You did it! You made it through Christmas and New Year's! I highly doubt any bereaved person has ever had these words said to them, but today, I say them to all of you. It is tough to be a grieving person during the holidays. It is difficult to see smiling, happy faces that seem to surround you everywhere you go. It can be challenging to spend time with whole families when your own feels utterly broken, but you did it. I really loved this week's podcast with Gwen. When she suggested this topic, I have to admit, I was a little hesitant. I had made it through the holidays. I wasn't sure I really wanted to go back and do a recap, but it turns out, it was very healing to revisit how things went over the past month. I certainly remembered the challenges, but this podcast helped me think about my successes as well. This was our 6th holiday season without Andy, and each one has been unique. We were home for Christmas for the first time and did far more of our 'normal' Christmas traditions. This year, attending church was far more difficult than other Christmases have been. The present opening part of Christmas, on the other hand, was probably the most fun one yet with far more smiles than tears. Talking with Gwen on the podcast this week helped me realize that I can feel a bit of pride for everything that I was able to do, even if sometimes I still shook with sobs. Tears are not signs of failure; they are a healthy emotional release. As you listen to the podcast this week, I invite you to look back on your own holiday season. You may have done all of your normal family traditions. You may have done none of your normal family traditions. You may have been at home with a few people. You may have attended big family gatherings. It doesn't really matter how you spent your time - you made it through. You are still breathing. You are still getting out of bed in the morning. Congratulate yourself. Celebrate. Take a deep breath. You deserve it.

The boys are back in the land of the living after late family Christmases and sickness have tried to stop the show in the New Year but no more! We are talking 15 (count em!) 15 new books from over the last two week. Some surprises are in store this week! Best Books of the Week(s)Daredevil #17, Absolute Superman #3, The New Champions #1 (A first ever double pick!!!!!!)Book Blurbs (They were more than blurbs this week)Batgirl #3, Cable: Love and Chrome #1, The Atom Project #1, JSA #3, Aquaman #1, All New Venom #2, Uncanny X-Men #8, What If?...Galactus Transformed Gambit, Cruel Kingdom #1, The Lucky Devils #1, Absolute Batman #4, Magik #1.Uncle's One More ThingOnly Murders in the Building (Hulu)Murder by Numbers (Nintendo Switch)

We recorded this episode on Sunday, January 5th. Three days after Jill's 34th birthday and two days before so many lives were forever changed with the devastating fires in Los Angeles, a place we both call, or have called, home. We're thinking of the amazing LA community and all those affected by the ongoing fires during this devastating time. Our heart goes out to this city we love so much. And while we know the world could use a laugh right now, we invite you to join us in rewinding to a simpler moment—a time when the only things we mourned were memories of Christmases past. In this week's episode, we catch up after spending the holidays apart on different continents and celebrate Jill's 34th birthday. Is having a birthday during the holidays fun, or does it actually suck? And do the holidays ever get easier? We don't have all the answers, but with open hearts, we remain hopeful and grateful for all that is.

Topics: Tay's Christmas epiphany, why the Taylor's are going back to St. Barths, Christmas morning bacon-gate, dealing with movie dictators and shsh-ers, a woman at the airport Clear said something egregious to TD, the best gift of the seasonSponsor:Quince: Go to Quince.com/taylor for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.Produced by Dear Media.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Alex and James break down the earth shattering news: there's a new steering wheel. Well, for some people. Then they recap their Christmases, talk about hot chicken, and make their resolutions for 2025+++Off Track is part of the SiriusXM Sports Podcast Network. If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more, please give a 5-star rating and leave a review. Subscribe today wherever you stream your podcasts.Want some Off Track swag? Check out our store!Check out our website, www.askofftrack.comSubscribe to our YouTube Channel.Want some advice? Send your questions in for Ask Alex to AskOffTrack@gmail.comFollow us on Twitter at @askofftrack. Or individually at @Hinchtown, @AlexanderRossi, and @TheTimDurham.

Steve hogs the mike on this one, choosing to fly solo for the hour to reflect on Christmases recent and past, old dogs and new, and to remember the one that made his life with hounds possible.  The Grand American Coon Hunt in Orangeburg, South Carolina heads the agenda as the drop of this episode finds the year-opening event a scant three days away. A veteran of 285 podcasts since his first attempt in May of 2019, Fielder takes the liberty to talk about his Plott Hounds, to thank old friends for support and to use the December backdrop to recall bear hunting stories told by Homon Fielder, his dad. This is a comfortable, kick-back-after-holiday-rush-episode that should provide inspiration for a long winter nap.  Happy New Year everyone! We would like to thank those who support this podcast. Special thanks to Alpha Dog Nutrition and Double U Hunting Supply for sponsoring this episode. Want to learn more about Alpha Dog Nutrition? Check out the links below https://www.dusupply.com/alphadog www.dusupply.com https://alphadognutrition.com/   https://www.youtube.com/@DoubleUHuntingSupply/podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You didn't think we would mess with tradition, did you? The main show may be dead, but our hatred never dies. We are back with the 6th annual Enemies List, where we take a look back on our 2024 Enemies and decide if they ate enough crap to have been defeated by us, and we look ahead to 2025 and wish the worst possible years for a select group of people. We also discuss our Christmases and what's been going on with us lately. Enjoy. As you may have heard, we are a Patreon-only show now. You can still get THREE, NEW!! bonus episodes every single month over at patreon.com/blockedparty. We're doing the usual fun stuff over there and having a grand old time. Come join us for the low price of $5/month! You also get access to our entire back catalogue of over 150 bonus episodes, access to our Discord, exclusive merch discounts, and other little fun things from time to time. We also have a FREE 7-day trial if you want to see what you're missing and give it a try before signing up. And as announced on the show, we also have a brand new shirt design to commemorate the end of the show, drawn by our friend Rory Blank. It's awesome and we think you'll like it. Check it out at merch.blockedparty.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve hogs the mike on this one, choosing to fly solo for the hour to reflect on Christmases recent and past, old dogs and new, and to remember the one that made his life with hounds possible. The Grand American Coon Hunt in Orangeburg, South Carolina heads the agenda as the drop of this episode finds the year-opening event a scant three days away.A veteran of 285 podcasts since his first attempt in May of 2019, Fielder takes the liberty to talk about his Plott Hounds, to thank old friends for support and to use the December backdrop to recall bear hunting stories told by Homon Fielder, his dad.This is a comfortable, kick-back-after-holiday-rush-episode that should provide inspiration for a long winter nap.   Happy New Year everyone! We would like to thank those who support this podcast. Special thanks to Alpha Dog Nutrition and Double U Hunting Supply for sponsoring this episode. Want to learn more about Alpha Dog Nutrition? Check out the links belowhttps://www.dusupply.com/alphadogwww.dusupply.comhttps://alphadognutrition.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@DoubleUHuntingSupply/podcasts

Chic couldn't make it because he was too alert while driving. We talked about doing life's annoyances in bulk, our Christmases, and our plans and hopes for the new year.

In this heartfelt recording, Will shares his experiences on one of the most challenging Christmases he has ever had. From revealing the truth about Santa to his daughter and coping with her disappointment, to dealing with unexpected illness in the family, Will reflects on the lessons learned.He emphasizes the importance of gratitude for every single day and the need to celebrate love and togetherness, no matter the circumstances.Will also expresses his hope that his message resonates with others facing similar challenges and offers a sense of solace and connection.Follow The Skeptic Metaphysicians on https://www.instagram.com/skepticmetaphysician_podcast for more motivation and inspiration. Then tag them on Instagram with your favorite part from today's show and they will repost their fav's every week!Other Ways To Connect With Us:Website: https://www.skepticmetaphysician.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SkepticMetaphysicianSupport the Show:Rate/review Us Here: https://lovethepodcast.com/SkepticMetaphysiciansPurchase Merchandise: https://www.skepticmetaphysician.com/storeBuy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SkepticMetaphys 

"The people you work with are people you were just thrown together with. You don't know them. It wasn't your choice. Yet you spend more time with them than you do friends or family.But probably all you've got in common is that you walk on the same bit of carpet for eight hours a day. And so, obviously, when someone comes in who you have a connection with…Yeah. Dawn was a ray of sunshine in my life and it meant a lot. But if I'm really being honest, I never thought it would have a happy ending. I don't know what a happy ending is. Life isn't about endings, is it? It's a series of moments” This week we conclude our UK Office rewatch with a deep dive on the Christmas Special! We check in on our favourite characters, with David on the road, Gareth in the boss's chair, and Dawn and Lee in Florida. We follow their storylines all the way to the crescendo at the Christmas Party to see what happens with Tim and Dawn, and to see if David can finally get a laugh or find some luck in love. And along the way we cover all of the celebrity appearances, Secret Santas, and Austin Powers costumes that go into the episode. Then in the Conference Room we do a quick post-Christmas Ordinary Things segment to check in on Edwin's time in Portland and Alex and Sean's babies first Christmases. And then to close the show we do a quick round of BBC Office Trivia sent in by a friend of the pod in the UK!  Support our show and become a member of Scott's Tots on Patreon! For only $5/month, Tots get ad-free episodes plus exclusive access to our monthly Mailbag episodes where we casually pick through every single message/question/comment we receive. We also have Season 2 of our Ted Lasso podcast Biscuits with the Boss available to our Patrons, as well as our White Lotus Christmas Special, Party Down, and unreleased episodes of this show. Oh, and Tots get access to exclusive channels on our Discord. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Angel Number 222 signifies good fortune in finances, relationships, and career, as well as a reminder to work towards your soul's purpose. Which is exactly what we are wishing for you as we very quickly approach the New Year. Today, we give you one of the best Creepy Account Episodes we have done in a while from our sweet studio in our favorite Christmas PJs. Thank you to everyone that wrote in their stories and thank you for tuning in.if you have a story you would like to share, email it to us at CREEPSANDCRIMES.CA@GMAIL.COM, submit it through the portal on our website WWW.CREEPSANDCRIMESPODCAST.COM, or post it on our REDDIT THREAD!!!! R/CREEPSANDCRIMES under Creepy Account Flag or Susan Stories!!!If you need to Call Susan, schedule your appointment today by texting her at 704-562-3476 and tell her we sent you for a special BESTIES ONLY discount!!!Wishing you all the Merriest of Christmases and Happiest of Holidays... we wouldn't be here without you. Know that you are loved an appreciated - until next time, we love you. Love, Tay & MorganSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tom shares a heartfelt message to contractors who may have found themselves financially strapped this Christmas. Reflecting on his own experiences, he provides actionable insights to help you break the cycle of holiday financial stress and start building a profitable, sustainable business that supports your family and future goals.Episode Highlights:[00:00] - Tom reflects on stressful Christmases and how financial struggles impact family life.[01:25] - The sting of falling short and how reacting out of fear hinders long-term success.[02:52] - The vicious cycle of debt: working half the year just to break even.[04:18] - Changing your financial mindset and habits to create a “new normal.”[05:16] - Daily habits that compound into financial stress or success.[06:14] - The critical role of discipline in business and personal finances.[07:08] - "Don't mess with the money" — Why money discipline is essential to stability.[07:53] - Free resources available: Tom's book, YouTube channel, podcast, and Facebook group.[08:50] - The importance of being an implementer rather than just a consumer of information.[09:16] - Commit to never being in the same financial position again by making real changes.Resources:

This episode was supposed to be about self-care during the holidays...and it turned into a ramble between Stef and Sarah about Christmases past and present, how to cope during the week between Christmas and New Years, and...productivity? We're just here to keep you company this week. So settle in with your cup of hot chocolate and join us for this Christmas Day ramble. Join our growing support community. This community is for you if you want a safe space to work through your daily struggles with food and body image. Community membership includes livestream episode recordings (online), monthly Zoom support meetings, a private Facebook group and member-only Q&A episodes. For more information go to: https://www.patreon.com/lifeafterdiets Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterdietspodcast Email – hello@lifeafterdietspod.com Connect with Stefanie Michele, ED Recovery Coach, Somatic Therapist IT Stef's Binge Recovery Course -- www.iamstefaniemichele.com/iamstefaniemichelecourse Website – www.iamstefaniemichele.com Instagram – www.instagram.com/iamstefaniemichele Connect with Sarah Dosanjh, Author & Psychotherapist Website – www.thebingeeatingtherapist.com Instagram – www.instagram.com/the_binge_eating_therapist YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBingeEatingTherapist Sarah's book I Can't Stop Eating is available on Amazon If you find this episode helpful, you can subscribe to the Life After Diets podcast, leave us a review, and share your thoughts with us on Instagram and YouTube (@lifeafterdietspodcast). Your feedback helps us create content that matters to you.

Christmas Day was always Mary's favorite day of the year and 2020 was no different. She was happy as she watched through the window as her husband made snow angels outside with their grandson. The day seemed perfect despite the fact that her son, Zach had been unable to come home to Indiana from where he was living near his dad in Texas. When Mary's husband came inside, he commented that he had missed numerous phone calls from Mary's ex-husband. Mary immediately panicked, knowing that something must be wrong with Zach. However, never in a million years would Mary have thought that her ex-husband would tell her the devastating news that Zach was dead. He found Zach in his apartment sitting on his couch with his nebulizer machine running. It is now known that Zach died from asthma complications on the evening of December 23rd. I feel like all bereaved parents struggle with the holidays. As I sat in church for Christmas Eve worship, tears flowed freely as I remembered Christmases past and longed for the days when Andy was with us. These days of joy and celebration do not feel very joyful when we are grieving, but then I think of Mary and others like her - parents whose children died on or around Christmas. It just adds another complicated layer to the grief. It would be completely reasonable to think that Mary might want to avoid Christmas entirely. She might want to just hide away during the whole Christmas season, but that is not Mary. Mary's faith has been an inspiration since I met her when she joined one of my support groups through Starlight Ministry in February of this year. Despite Mary's own pain, she has been an amazing listening ear and a source of comfort to all of us who are blessed enough to be in a group with her. After sharing with the group for the past several months, Mary made the decision to share Zach's story on the podcast. When asked if she might want to share Zach's story on the week of Christmas, Mary knew that was perfect timing. Just as Mary's honest presence helps our support group each week, her story will bless each of you as you listen during this hard Christmas week.

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with James Merilatt and Kyle Reese cross talking with Dover. The guys recap their Christmases. James questions if Bo Nix could turn into Mac Jones, a rookie QB with a strong first season but didn’t progress after that? Kyle and James react to Russell Wilson’s struggles from yesterday, is Russell Wilson officially washed up? What does the Chiefs win and locking up the number one seed mean for the Broncos? Is Saturday’s game vs the Bengals a “must win” for the Broncos? How did the Broncos bring the “wrong balls” for their game in New York vs the Jets? The Nuggets were in action on Christmas Day and unfortunately fell in Phoenix. Is the lack of effort, competitiveness and attention to detail a fixable problem for the Nuggets? Do all the Nuggets problems stem from Jamal Murray or are their underlying issues for this team?

Hey friends, it's Amy! Merry Christmas!  This week, I'm sharing reflections from my family's magical holiday moments and the lessons they've reminded me of. The holiday season is a time for togetherness, joy, and making memories—but more than anything, it's a reminder of the power of presence.In this episode, I'll take you through a heartwarming walk down memory lane, from cherished Christmases at my grandparents' trailer to present-day traditions with my kids that fill our hearts with joy. We'll talk about what it means to truly be present in a season that often pulls us in many directions and how we can create moments that our loved ones will cherish for a lifetime.Grab a cup of hot chocolate, cozy up, and let's reflect on what really matters this holiday season!In This Episode, You'll Learn:Why the gift of presence is the most valuable gift you can give.How holiday traditions create lasting memories for your family.A reminder to hold tight to cherished memories, no matter your circumstances.Simple ways to be more present and engaged with your loved ones.Why creating joy and magic for your children can leave a lasting legacy.This holiday season, let's commit to giving the gift of presence. Be there—fully present—for your loved ones and create moments that will last a lifetime.If this episode touched your heart, share it with a friend who needs encouragement this season. And don't forget to join us at Thrive on January 11, 2025, where we'll dive deeper into finding joy, purpose, and resilience in every season.Remember, friends: You are more, and you are made for more. Wishing you a season filled with love, gratitude, and cherished memories!Connect With Us:Website: https://www.youaremore.comFree Download: 5 Steps to Win Through AdversitySocial Media: Follow us on Facebook and InstagramEmail: amy@amywienands.comEpisode Minute By Minute:0:00 – Welcome and reflections on a perfect winter day in Iowa.1:24 – The joy of family traditions and the magic of Christmas memories.2:45 – Amy's nostalgic walk through the neighborhood and memories of Christmas Eve with her grandma.5:00 – Lessons from creating joy as the neighborhood “Griswolds.”7:15 – The importance of being mentally and emotionally present with family.8:45 – A heartfelt challenge to create and hold onto warm holiday memories.10:00 – Stories of family traditions, from Elf on the Shelf adventures to Christmas lights tours.11:30 – Final reflections on cherishing the holiday season and creating a legacy of love.Be intentional, stay focused, and remember you are more!

It's the most wonderful time of the year—when you're permitted (and strongly encouraged) to sip eggnog and pretend you forgot that embarrassing childhood performance of “Jingle Bells” on your parents' camcorder. But guess what? We didn't forget. And we're bringing you something just as classic and cringey—a rerun from two Christmases ago! Join us as we sleigh-ride back in time to an episode packed with questionable decisions and awkward outcomes, like what happens when you attempt to steal a trailer, but you're not too bright or why we should never fiddle about with the weather. It's our Christmas gift to you—and the best part? You can re-gift it guilt-free to your friends, family, or that random coworker who keeps forwarding you cat memes. So, don your ugly sweater, grab a candy cane (or something much stronger), and tune in for a holly-jolly re-gifted serving of The Shallow End. No matter how you celebrate, at least you'll have this greatest hit to amuse you while Uncle Gary attempts his 47th retelling of “The Night Before Christmas.” Merry Reruns! If you would like to advertise on The Shallow End with Schnebly and Toth, contact  advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get ready for a sleigh-load of holiday hilarity as Jay unwraps some of his favorite festive moments from Christmases past! From a bone-chilling encounter with the fan-favorite menace, Santa The Claus, to awkwardly asking a definitely-not-a-soundboard Santa for our wish lists, and even a dramatic reading of a festive fanfic (yes, really), this episode is stuffed like a Christmas stocking with Yuletide chaos.To top it all off, you can spread some holiday cheer with a shopping spree! Head to gillesbone.com and use the code “soniccagedome” for 10% off site-wide, including their awesome new Sonic, Shadow, Metal Sonic, and Rouge apparel. Merry saving!

From an inexplicable force that turned a woman to ashes in her farmhouse, to strange phenomena that transformed a quiet English town into a UFO hotspot, these nine chilling Christmas mysteries continue to baffle investigators and haunt communities long after the holiday decorations were packed away.Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicateInfo on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScreamInfo on the next WEIRDO WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TVIN THIS EPISODE: A nurse was found dead in her bed - and her boyfriend and his nine-year-old son vanished, leaving behind only a truck full of bloodstained presents. (Christmas Murder in Lockhart) *** A little girl vanishes on a winter road trip to Las Vegas, and twenty Christmases later, a detective's search for answers leads to a desperate couple's final confession - but not to the truth about what really happened to two-year-old Nikole Betterson. (Nikole's Christmas Farewell) *** Behind one of the most beloved Christmas poems ever written lies a centuries-old mystery: was "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" penned by a scholarly professor for his children, or did someone else create the story that shaped how we see Santa Claus? (‘Twas The Mystery Before Christmas) *** When Patty Vaughan left her home on Christmas Day 1996, she left behind three children and a trail of mysterious clues - including an abandoned van, suspicious blood stains, and a red work uniform that would puzzle investigators for decades to come. (The Patty Vaughan Vanishing) *** When farmhand John Larson awoke to find soot on his pillow on Christmas morning 1885, he never imagined he'd discover his employer Patrick Rooney dead from smoke inhalation and his wife Matilda mysteriously burned to ash in a perfectly circular hole in their kitchen floor - with no other fire damage to the house. (Matilda Rooney's Christmas Combustion) *** In the quiet town of New London, Connecticut, what began as a simple flat tire on Christmas Eve 1973 turned into one of the community's darkest mysteries when twenty-year-old Kevin Showalter was struck and killed by a driver who vanished into the night - leaving behind a grieving mother, whispers of a cover-up, and questions that would haunt the town for decades. (The Hit And Run Death of Kevin Showalter) *** A teenage girl's first office Christmas party should have been a celebration of new beginnings, but for Rhonda Hinson, it became her last night alive - and the start of a mystery that would puzzle investigators for over forty years. (Rhonda Hinson's Only Office Christmas Party) *** A mother's quick errand turns into a decades-old mystery when Tracy Mertens vanishes from her Birmingham flat days before Christmas, leaving investigators with a yellow Ford Escort, two mysterious men, and questions that remain unanswered to this day. (The Tracy Mertens Mystery) *** On Christmas morning 1964, the quiet town of Warminster, England woke up to strange sounds that would mark the beginning of one of history's most puzzling mysteries - a series of unexplained events that would become known worldwide as 'The Thing. (The Warminster Christmas Thing)CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Disclaimer and Cold Open00:02:56.281 = Show Intro00:07:05.727 = The Warminster Christmas Thing00:14:09.612 = The Tracy Mertens Mystery00:18:03.950 = The Mystery of Matilda Rooney's Christmas Combustion00:22:29.914 = Rhonda Hinson's Only Office Christmas Party00:29:00.119 = Christmas Murder in Lockhart00:31:49.973 = The Holiday Hit-And-Run of Kevin Showalter00:35:21.077 = Nikole's Christmas Farewell00:42:04.732 = The Patty Vaughan Vanishing00:45:28.112 = ‘Twas The Mystery Before Christmas00:51:31.637 = Show CloseOriginally aired: December 21, 2024SOURCES PAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/ChristmasMysteries

Sami & V are back from The White House holiday parties! Despite too much eggnog, they're ready to share their highlights, which include getting to take a photo with Hunter Biden. Revisiting the controversy, V & Sami defend their position on their The Pitfalls of Popularity & Pod Save America episode. Plus, V dives into some holiday lore, recounting the time German and British troops called a ceasefire during WWI and ended up in a carol-singing battle—Pitch Perfect style. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who are the Three Wise Men of Jacksonville and Christmas Presents for the Jaguars are just two of the questions that our hosts Jay & Kee and guest Reece Parkinson ponder in this special festive edition of Teal Talk. Plus Arik, Brian & Walker speak about their favourite Christmases. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Regina Brett is a two-time Pulitzer finalist and the New York Times bestselling author of God Never Blinks. Her latest book is Little Detours and Spiritual Adventures. On today's show, Annmarie and Regina talk about their Catholic upbringings, cancer survival, best and worst Christmases, and what it means to be a slice of God for other people. Episode Sponsors: Loganberry Books – An independently owned and operated bookstore in the historic Larchmere neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. Loganberry features a carefully curated collection of new, used and rare books in all genres for both readers and collectors, with an inventory over 100,000 volumes. Find your next great read and shop online at loganberrrybooks.com. Mac's Backs – A proud Cleveland indie bookstore with three floors for browsing, great online service, and chocolate milkshakes right next door. Find your next great read and shop online at macsbacks.com. Books by Regina Brett Little Detours and Spiritual Adventures God Never Blinks God Is Always Hiring Be the Miracle Other Authors and Titles Mentioned in This Episode: Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, by Lori Gottlieb Here are the trailers for It's a Wonderful Life and White Christmas. Follow Regina Brett: Instagram: @ReginaBrett Facebook: ReginaBrettFans Twitter: @ReginaBrett Substack: @ReginaBrett reginabrett.com Photo Credit: Katie Montague Malone **Writing Workshops and Wish Fulfillment: If you liked this conversation and are interested in writing with other women on retreat, consider joining Annmarie and co-leader Athena Dixon for a writing retreat in Italy in September, 2025. Or you can join Annmarie and co-leader Phyllis Biffle Elmore for a writing retreat in France. You can travel to a beautiful place, meet other wise women, and write your own stories. We'd love to help you make your wishes come true. As of this moment, we only have 2 spots left for France, but you can click this link for $900 off. Enter the password RetreatWriteRepeat and the coupon code is 25AK In 2025, Annmarie is teaching online Tuesday nights for Writing Workshops. Learn more and register HERE. For folks interested in an online Saturday morning writing class, message Annmarie to learn more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a special night tonight as I have a room filled with family, including the return of Lauren, and the Christmas debut of Aurora. Mom, Dad, perhaps an appearance by Anthony, we're just talking about gift-giving etiquette, favorite Christmases, Christmas movies, and taking calls from the audience. Wishing you all the very best that the season has to offer! Watch the full rerun here: https://pilled.net/topic-detail/1068691 Sponsor The Show and Get VIP Perks: https://www.quitefrankly.tv/sponsor Badass QF Apparel: https://tinyurl.com/f3kbkr4s Elevation Blend Coffee: https://tinyurl.com/2p9m8ndb One-Time Tip: http://www.paypal.me/QuiteFranklyLive Send Holiday cards, Letters, and other small gifts, to the Quite Frankly P.O. Box! 15 East Putnam Ave, #356 Greenwich, CT, 06830 Send Crypto: BTC: 1EafWUDPHY6y6HQNBjZ4kLWzQJFnE5k9PK LTC: LRs6my7scMxpTD5j7i8WkgBgxpbjXABYXX ETH: 0x80cd26f708815003F11Bd99310a47069320641fC For Everything Else Quite Frankly: Official Website: http://www.QuiteFrankly.tv Official Forum: https://bit.ly/3SToJFJ Official Telegram: https://t.me/quitefranklytv GUILDED Chat: https://bit.ly/3SmpV4G Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/KCdh92Fn Twitter: @QuiteFranklyTV Gab: @QuiteFrankly Truth: @QuiteFrankly GETTR: @QuiteFrankly Streaming Live On: QuiteFrankly.tv (Powered by Foxhole) FULL Episodes On Demand: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/301gcES iTunes: http://apple.co/2dMURMq Amazon: https://amzn.to/3afgEXZ SoundCloud: http://bit.ly/2dTMD13 Google Play: https://bit.ly/2SMi1SF BitChute: https://bit.ly/2vNSMFq Rumble: https://bit.ly/31h2HUg

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rick gathers some old friends to hear about their childhood Christmases in Spain, Italy, and New Mexico. Then he brings in more friends to describe what you're likely to find this time of year in Austria, Australia, Japan…and Antarctica. Plus, a Brit from Bath explains how the English tradition of wassailing developed as a way to guarantee a good apple harvest — or at least an occasion to enjoy a warm drink with neighbors. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

On this special “politics-free” edition of the show, Dave welcomes longtime friend and amazing writer Jenna Stocker to talk all things Christmas. As the conversation unfolds, Jenna shares stories from her own childhood Christmases and talks about the traditions and values she is imparting to her own children in the hope that they will hold […]

Ex Leeds star Aidy White joins us to reminisce on football during Christmases gone by. Including that glorious day over the Pennines in 2010... EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ nordvpn.com/tsb · Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When you meet Greg Eskridge, you'll notice his smile, how easy it is to talk to him, and you'll lean in when he tells you his story. After being incarcerated for 30 Christmases, he's making this one special. Today, award-winning journalist and storyteller Greg Eskridge reflects on love, family, and what this season means to him.

It’s our last episode of the chrissy extravaganza and our last episode for the year so what better way to celebrate than to bring in our parents Dave and Desley! We go through some truly disastrous family christmases, including the time our brother drove a car into someone’s house… Plus mum and dad’s favourite Christmases with us, and what they’re excited for now that their kids are having kids of their own! It’s a whole lot of O’Halloran goodness! PLUS It’s our last episode for 2024 and we want to say thank YOU so much for listening and we can’t wait to bring you more silly stories, sibling squabbles and shit head kids in 2025! LINKS Follow us on Instagram @lukeandsassyscottpodcast CREDITS: Hosts: Luke And Sassy ScottExecutive Producer: Elise CooperAudio Imaging: Nat Marshall Social Producer: Amy CodeManaging Producer: Sam Cavanagh Find more great podcasts like this at www.listnr.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

[Produced by Hayne Griffin, this episode has Hayne, Robbie Madison and Joey Svendsen]Christmas Playlist   Apple Music I SpotifyFor the final episode of the year, Hayne rounds Joey and Robbie up for some Christmas talk, picking up where they left off last year in "Baby, It's Cold Outside (EP13),"  the last episode these three talked Christmas for an hour.   Today they talk whether or not the brilliance of the movie Four Christmases is all due to Vince Vaughn's humor.  They deliberate on whether Santa and elaborate gift-giving conflicts with the purity of the true Gospel story, and consider if the German tradition of “night of Saint Nick” may be a better option.  The three go in to a bit of the history of that tradition and reflect on Christmases past, how their parents implemented Santa into their childhood christmases and how they have walked this season out with their kids currently as parents themselves.  They also manage to fit in a conversation about a scientific study on guys' need for quality “guy-time.”E-mail the PWNA team here.Theme Song by Stoy Prioleau (aka: Riggy Roc): Apple MusicSend a text to the crew (we may read these on air)Be a Patron / Tip the Host (Venmo)

The Muppets perform the classic Dickens holiday tale, with Kermit the Frog playing Bob Cratchit, the put-upon clerk of stingy Ebenezer Scrooge (Michael Caine). Other Muppets -- Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie Bear and Sam the Eagle -- weave in and out of the story, while Scrooge receives visits from spirits of three Christmases -- past, present and future. They show him the error of his self-serving ways, but the miserable old man seems to be past any hope of redemption and happiness.

Watch on Philo! - Philo.tv/DTHNutrafol.com - promo code 'DECKGIFT' for $10 off your first month subscription + free shipping!GetJoni.com - for 15% off your subscriptionThe movie kicks off by really showcasing an acoustic guitar. They couldn't have more shots of this guitar if they tried. We're in a bar where a woman is singing a lovely version of Here We Come A-Wassailing. Her name is Maggie, and she announces she's about to do a show in Chicago and open for Dalton Blake! But then her manager shows up and tells her that the big opening gig… is off. However, he gives her a new phone with a bunch of fancy apps on it. She responds, “Nah, I've got my reliable flip phone right here, bud.”With no reason to stay in Chicago, she hops in her old van and heads home to Ed's Christmas Tree Farm. It's a family-run lot, and her parents are thrilled to have her back.Cut to New York City, where we meet two siblings who clearly don't like each other and whose dad has just died. Their lawyer is reading the will, and one item in particular catches their attention: a board seat that will go to whichever sibling has a higher net worth at Christmas. He's Archer, and she's Piper. They didn't have a normal childhood or normal Christmases, but they do have a picture of themselves in front of Ed's Christmas Tree Lot.Back at the lot, Maggie's best friend asks her to consider directing the Christmas play.Archer is staring at the picture and decides to search for the lot. He rents a cabin and heads to the lot. When he arrives, he tells Maggie's mom he wants to get a tree for the first time as an adult. She encourages him to cut his own and suggests that he go with Maggie. It turns out he runs the company that created all the fancy apps she hates. When she finds out, she turns on him and gets him out of there as quickly as possible. But when she learns her manager can't book her anywhere, she starts to feel guilty for being mean and goes to apologize. She is shocked to find him putting the Christmas tree outside in a tub of water. When she asks about his family, he avoids the question and gives her baked goods.Maggie begins to open up about her failing career and how her manager is pushing her to embrace the tech. Archer says, “I think it's important to have a balance.” Maybe he's not so bad after all.The next day, Piper and her kids show up. It turns out they had the same idea. The kids join the Christmas play, and Archer gives them a tutorial on his cool app. Maggie realizes, “Oh, that actually is kind of neat.”Maggie and her family start inviting Archer and his family to all the fun Christmas activities, and they're all loving it.The next day, Archer pitches a new app to Maggie—live-streaming performances—and wants Maggie to be on the test stream. There's still a lot to figure out, but she's interested.Maggie's dad gets on social media and talks about the app, which goes viral and causes Archer's net worth to rise. When Piper finds out, she leaves with the kids.Archer has a heart-to-heart with Maggie, and the sparks are flying, but she gets a call from her old manager and considers going back to work with him. Archer thinks that's a bad idea and tells her she's better than that guy.It's the night of the big Christmas play, and they're going to live-stream it on the app. Piper shows up with the kids, and they make up and agree to sit on the board together.Just as the performance is about to start, the power goes out, but that's nothing for some small-town charm. They manage to get the power back up, and the show is a hit. The kids sing, and then it's Maggie's turn. She crushes it, and the app loves her.After she gets off stage, Maggie makes up with Archer, and they share a kiss.

It’s episode 3 of the Luke and Sassy Scott Christmas Extravaganza! In this episode we’re taking you on a trip to mum’s weird Christmas tradition memory lane. Mum had this habit of inviting absolute RANDOS to our Christmases and it used to shit us to tears. Plus we reflect on our late Uncle Pog and how maybe Lukey is becoming the next Uncle Pog and keeping his memory alive. LINKS Follow us on Instagram @lukeandsassyscottpodcast CREDITS: Hosts: Luke And Sassy ScottExecutive Producer: Elise CooperAudio Imaging: Nat Marshall Social Producer: Amy CodeManaging Producer: Sam Cavanagh Find more great podcasts like this at www.listnr.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘Tis the season for Tizzle to get everyone (and their brother) a Bluetooth speaker! While Tish isn't feeling the holiday spirit quite like she used to—back when the whole fam-bam would gather together—there's still nothing quite like a Cyrus Christmas.   In this festive solo episode, Tish and Brandi reminisce about Christmases past and share how things have changed now that everyone is older. Their family would make the perfect Christmas movie, with Dom as Scrooge, insisting there's no Santa, and Miley spreading the magic with stockings for every animal she owns (yes, even her fish). But who would play Tish on the big screen? Don't worry, she'll spill.   They also dive into their favorite (and not-so-favorite) Cyrus family traditions, like Brandi's beloved buttery mashed potatoes and their synchronized holiday dances. They share stories about the best and worst gifts they've ever given, low-budget gift ideas that don't suck, and why Brandi's on the naughty list this year (no gifts for her!).   From White Elephant disasters to questionable boyfriend gift-giving advice, this holiday special is packed with all the cheer (and chaos) you need to get through the season. So grab your hot cocoa (or your beverage of choice), and settle in—this is one holiday hang you won't want to miss!  Don't forget to rate, review, and follow the show! Keep up with us between episodes on our Instagram pages, @tishcyruspurcell, @brandicyrus and @sorrywerecyrus and be sure to leave us a voicemail at 1-516-7-STONER or email videos/photos with your questions to sorrywerecyrus@gmail.com!       Thanks to our awesome sponsor for supporting this episode:    Beam: Get up to 35% off for a limited time when you go to shopbeam.com/cyrus and use code CYRUS at checkout.  Cornbread Hemp: Visit cornbreadhemp.com/CYRUS and use code CYRUS for 30% off your first order.  Integra: Use code SWS at checkout for 15% off your next online purchase at integraboost.com.  iRestore: Unlock your best skin with @iRestorelaser and get 25% off your Illumina Face Mask with the code CYRUS at irestorelaser.com/CYRUS! #irestorepod    This podcast is brought to you by Podcast Nation.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's that time of year again! How about having two Christmases? One here and one with your friends at Puppy Palace? Yipeeeee!

On our third episode of Yoga-ish, we share both joyful and not-so-joyful stories of past Christmases and we offer ideas for navigating the holidays if you are just NOT FEELING it this year. We all have those years -- some more than others -- but it is truly part of being human. What if you treated yourself with compassion and endeavored to find your own pockets of joy, however/whatever they may be? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“There is a million dollars here for the asking!” This is the story of Christmas in the 1920s.  Yeah, the whole decade—why not? One hundred years ago, people were just beginning (or reviving) traditions that are entrenched in our holiday celebrations today. Charitable giving at Christmas is ever present, and the winter of 1920 features the Great Humanitarian Herbert Hoover's efforts to feed children in Europe with his “Invisible Guest” dinners. Another president, “Silent Cal” Coolidge, holds the first National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in 1923, cementing electric tree lights into our celebrations. And carols on the radio are coming into full swing, with live broadcasts from musicians like the Mount Holyoke Carol Choir.  And who can forget America's proud tradition of consumerism? Ok, that didn't start in the 1920s, but this is definitely the decade for some really swell presents. The Great War is over, wages are high, and it's time to buy! Santa Claus himself appears at a 1928 Knoxville parade through the streets and stores, delighting children and business owners alike. After the Crash, Christmases get a bit more economical, so let's celebrate while we still can. Merry Christmas and happy holidays!  ____ Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette  come see a live show get HTDS merch or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks. HTDS is part of the Airwave Media Network.  Interested in advertising on the History That Doesn't Suck? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices