POPULARITY
Categories
Have you ever wondered whether children choose their parents before birth—or why some children seem to remember what happened before they entered their physical bodies? In this episode of Porch Conversation with CJ, CJ and I answer questions inspired by his story about choosing me to be his mother. We explore his personal spiritual beliefs about pre-birth memories, soul connections, parent selection, difficult childhood experiences, pregnancy loss, infertility, twins, and the infinite possibilities a soul may encounter. The lesson is simple but powerful: No one deserves abuse, loss, or suffering. However, healing can help you discover the strength, purpose, and wisdom that may emerge from what you have survived. Your experiences do not have to define your identity or limit the life you create next. You are not responsible for the pain someone inflicted upon you, and your difficult experiences do not make you less worthy. You can heal, rediscover your light, and decide what your story will mean moving forward. — Shay Founder, Bonding Biology Institute™
Before we jump in: CJ and I are live on YouTube every Tuesday morning at 11am Eastern teaching the Kingdom Writers Workshop, where we're learning to partner with God in our writing instead of doing it on our own.Every session comes with a free worksheet, and the replays are yours for life. Grab yours at https://trainingauthors.com/kingdomwritersA pastor in South Africa wrote a little book in the 1800s. Over a hundred years later it landed on our shelf in Colorado Springs, and it wrecked us. Andrew Murray never knew our names. His words traveled anyway.If you have been wondering whether the book on your heart will ever reach anyone, this one is for you. CJ walks through Matthew 8 and the Roman officer who told Jesus He did not need to come to the house, that He could say the word from where He stood. The word traveled. The healing happened somewhere the speaker never went.Your words can do the same thing. They can reach readers you will never meet, in places you will never go, long after you have forgotten you wrote that chapter.
The most chaotic music ranking game ever gets even better when Josh brings 149 favorite songs, the crew blind-ranks 50 of them, and nobody is safe from getting roasted, surprised, or forced to defend a terrible placement. If you love nostalgic anthems, wild takes, and the kind of music debate that turns into a full-on hangout, this one is for you. DiAndre Robinson hosts with Josh aka J Time, Lydell, CJ, and Amanda as they battle through a sprawling playlist that jumps from 50 Cent and OutKast to Linkin Park, Michael Jackson, Nelly, Ludacris, Kanye, Eminem, and even a few techno and pop curveballs that catch everybody off guard. The rankings get hilariously personal as each person explains why a song lands where it does, whether it is a club memory, a karaoke tradition, a killer verse, or just pure emotional attachment. You'll hear the crew break down:Why some songs feel way bigger than the number they land atThe difference between ranking the song and ranking the videoWhich remixes instantly jump higher than the originalHow nostalgia, lyrics, and cultural impact completely change a song's valueThe exact kind of arguments that happen when a playlist starts exposing everyone's tasteJosh also shares the stories behind his picks, from skating and club nights to the songs that still fire him up today, while the rest of the crew pushes back with their own favorites and brutally honest reactions. Along the way, the conversation spins into favorite TV shows, anime, and movies, making this feel less like a game and more like a group chat you wish you were in. If you grew up on 90s and 2000s music, love competitive banter, or just want to hear a room full of friends try to survive blind ranking a ridiculously eclectic playlist, this episode is an easy win. Press play and see which song claims the top spot, which one gets unfairly buried, and which pick causes the biggest meltdown.
How do you know God is actually calling you to write this book? Not "would it be nice." Not "people keep telling me I should." How do you know it is Him?Most of us are waiting for something unmistakable, and while we wait, we walk right past the ways He has been confirming it for years.In this episode CJ and Shelley walk through five signs you can actually look at. The idea that will not leave you. The material you have already been collecting without calling it that. The story that lines up with the message. The people who keep saying the same thing without ever having met each other. And the fifth one, the sign almost nobody counts, which is usually the clearest confirmation of all.No seminary degree required. No platform required.Have a thought on this episode? Share your comments on YouTube here.
CJ Frazier is a producer, creator, and community leader with a passion for bringing people together through food and storytelling. He has played a key role in building and leading Blackstone's Griddle Crew, growing it into a nationwide community of creators who have helped shape the culture and personality behind the brand. From producing digital content and television to developing creator programs, live events, and brand experiences, CJ has built his career around the idea that the best content creates connection. For him, it's never just about what happens on the screen—it's about the people and community that form around it.
In today's episode, Ben is finally back after spending two weeks in France for his wedding and honeymoon, and he's already way behind on everything he missed. We get into Ken quitting drinking and leaving Ben's wedding early, Spenny taking Greta's spot for the first look, and the Cboys somehow breaking the doors on Steve Hamilton's Koenigsegg. Then Gavin steals Ben's GT3RS and crashes it, Ken buys a new BMW M5, and CJ and Ken nearly sink the HellBoat. Enjoy! Don't sleep on [@ultrapouches]. New customers get 15% Off with code WIDEOPEN at takeultra.com! #UltraPouches #ad To watch the podcast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/LifeWideOpenYT Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening or by using this link: https://bit.ly/LifeWideOpenWithCboysTV If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be amazing! You can text, email, or send this link to a friend: https://bit.ly/LifeWideOpenWithCboysTV You can also check out our main YouTube channel CboysTV: https://www.youtube.com/c/CboysTV
What do you do when you're doing all the “right” classroom management things—and your students are still disruptive?In Episode 358 of Sunday Night Teacher Talk, CJ and Jenn are coming to you from the new Eagle News Network newsroom while they work on transforming the space. CJ is also feeling the reality of teaching four different preps, running a business, traveling, and trying to protect enough energy to keep doing all of it well.This week's questions lead to conversations about some of the hardest parts of teaching: classes that refuse to settle down, students who are years behind academically, protecting instructional time, helping homeschool students transition into traditional school, and figuring out how to take care of yourself when teaching is exhausting you.In this episode:What to do when a disruptive class isn't responding to your systemsHolding the line when students test your consistencyWhen it's appropriate to remove a student from classAddressing behavior without sacrificing everyone else's educationHelping students who are 2–4 grade levels behindWhy relevance leads to beliefBuilding the know, like, and trust factor with struggling studentsSetting boundaries when staff interrupt your classroomHow to develop leadership skills if you're considering administrationWhy great leaders need to be visible and accessibleSupporting homeschool students with learning gapsProtecting a student's confidence while helping them catch upWhat CJ has changed after the first few weeks of schoolProtecting prep time and setting boundaries with studentsRest vs. rejuvenation—and why teachers need bothAdvice for experienced professionals transitioning into teachingWhy getting better at teaching takes timeMaking small improvements that eventually create major changeYou don't have to solve every problem this week. Find the next thing you can improve, hold the line on what matters, protect the energy you need to do the work, and keep stacking small wins.
A 1937 mural in a Springfield, Massachusetts post office is going viral again, with some convinced one figure is holding a time-traveling smartphone. Astronomer Avi Loeb has built a new telescope designed to chemically analyze UAP orbs in real time. Monterey's historic jail just hosted its first public ghost investigation, and a new paranormal convention is headed to Georgia. Also this week: an AI researcher walked away from a lucrative job to warn the public that the people building AI think it could kill everyone by the end of the decade, and a Navy whistleblower alleges pressure from the Pentagon's own UAP office.A newly discovered atmospheric pattern at Saturn's South Pole, a ten-sided wave never recorded there before, is puzzling scientists studying the planet, distinct from its famous 40-year-old northern hexagon. Closer to home, the crisis in low Earth orbit is accelerating: satellites are now dodging collisions on a weekly basis, and scientists warn a single coordination failure could trigger a catastrophic chain reaction in as little as three days.Fifty-nine years after it was filmed, the Patterson-Gimlin footage, the most famous Bigfoot film ever recorded, is getting a brand-new frame-by-frame restoration with zero AI involved, timed to its anniversary. It drops the same week a rival documentary claims newly found rehearsal footage proves the whole thing was staged a year before the famous filming. Jake and CJ dig into both sides of the oldest debate in cryptid history.Jeremy's Book: https://www.amazon.com/U-F-Elmwood-Cosmic-Puzzle/dp/B0GX1GBMZNYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InfiniteRabbitHolePodcastWebsite: https://InfiniteRabbitHole.com
Wes and CJ dig into OpenAI's GPT‑6 Astra; the massive jump in computer use, the wild Blender MCP 3D demos, and whether all the AGI talk actually holds up. Plus Hugging Face's robot duck, Vitest 5 and the arrest behind the shai‑hulud supply chain attacks Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:52 30 Years of JScript: How Microsoft Cloned JavaScript 03:28 Ryan Dahl's Fight to Free the JavaScript Trademark 05:48 The Rise of Micro Ducks and DIY Robotics 13:58 VeriSign Is Killing Third Level .name Domains 18:31 How Many Domains Do You Own? Registrar Pricing and Transfers 21:00 GPT-6 Astra Is Here: Is This Actually AGI? Exploding 3D Rendering Formula 1 Rendering Astra in Three.JS 23:40 Computer Use: Letting AI Draw Our Thumbnail in MS Paint Astra Using MS Paint 33:10 Can AI Edit Video? The DaVinci Resolve MCP Hype 40:18 Blender, 3D Workflows and the Death of Educational Content 47:45 Audacity 4: A Long Overdue Facelift 52:31 Ripping CDs and Owning Your Music Library Again 55:35 Vitest 5: Faster Tests, Benchmarks and Trace View 59:45 Brought to you by Sentry.io 01:00:24 Prompt Injecting Claude Opus 5 With a Malicious Zip File 01:05:46 The Shai-Hulud Hackers Got Arrested: How They Slipped Up 01:09:15 The VS Code Documentary Is Out (and Wes Is In It) 01:11:14 216 Million Spy TVs: LG Is Watching and Listening Disconnect Your LG TV Now 01:17:05 Roku, Walmart and What Your Data Profile Really Knows 01:19:12 Google AI Mode Shows Products 21% More Expensive 01:22:31 Agentic Shopping and the Sameness of AI Taste Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads
On this episode of The Steve Dangle Podcast, 00:00 Kreider and Bolduc sign 21:00 Tomorrow's deadline for deals 38:00 Noah Östlund's new deal 45:00 Chayka's sit down with CJ and Jonas 1:17:00 Drake Batherson's extension 1:25:00 Mark Stone's Vegas extension 1:31:00 Sakic is reinvigorated Come see us at The Course and The Clubhouse!: http://sdpn.ca/events Visit this episode's sponsors: Sign up for a free trial at https://shopify.com/sdp now to grow your business, no matter what stage you're in. Join us on Tuesday September 22, 2026 for a live stream on our YouTube Channel in partnership with the The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation Road Hockey Event. All the proceeds raised during the live go to one winning team, helping them hit their fundraising goal or climb the draft board for a celebrity player on Game Day. There are two ways to get off the bench: register a team at http://pmcfroadhockey.ca/, or just tune in on the 22nd! Watch all episodes of The Steve Dangle Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLk7FZfwCEidkgWpSiHVkYT7HrIzLPXlY Watch clips of The Steve Dangle podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLk7FZfwCEieOJuIrqWyZPWSIJtVMCbLz Buy SDP merch https://sdpnshop.ca/ Visit https://sdpn.ca/schedule to see when our next live stream airs! Check out https://sdpn.ca/events to see The Steve Dangle Podcast live! Watch hockey with us! Live on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLk7FZfwCEifCTX0vkKEaGg9otrW4Zl2k Subscribe to the sdpn YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@sdpn?sub_confirmation=1Join Subscribe to SDP VIP!: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0a0z05HiddEn7k6OGnDprg/join Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/thestevedanglepodcast Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sdpvip/subscribe - Follow us on Twitter: @Steve_Dangle, @AdamWylde, & @JesseBlake Follow us on Instagram: @SteveDangle, @AdamWylde, & @Jesse.Blake Join us on Discord: https://discord.com/invite/MtTmw9rrz7 For general inquiries email: info@sdpn.ca Reach out to https://www.sdpn.ca/sales to connect with our sales team and discuss the opportunity to integrate your brand within our content! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Cinematic Reviews continues its journey through the MCU to prepare for Avengers: Doomsday! On this week's episode, CJ breaks down the Captain Marvel sequel along with a surprise Blockbuster Showdown segment!
Have you been protecting your heart from pain without realizing that the same wall may also be blocking love? In this episode of Porch Conversation with CJ, CJ and I explore spiritual identity, personal healing, energy, manifestation, and what it means to reconnect with the powerful version of yourself beneath your wounds. We discuss why life's challenges may be opportunities for growth and why the journey—not simply the desired result—is essential to your transformation. The lesson is simple but powerful: The heart does not have two doors. You cannot close your heart to pain without also limiting your ability to receive love. You are not broken—you are blocked. When I help you identify and clear those blocks, you can return to the whole, powerful, and loving woman you were always meant to be. You do not need to become someone new to receive healthy love. You need to release the fear, pain, and conditioning preventing you from returning to the truth of who you have always been. — Shay Founder, Bonding Biology Institute™
September 11, 2001, changed Bob Ellis's life, just as it changed mine. Bob was working at the Pentagon that morning and had walked out of the building only minutes before Flight 77 struck the area where his meeting had taken place. You will hear how he immediately became part of the response, helping organize emergency supplies and support for those working at the Pentagon. We also compare our experiences from two different locations that day, Bob at the Pentagon and me at the World Trade Center with my guide dog Roselle. Twenty-five years later, our conversation is about more than remembering 9/11. It is about leadership, teamwork, service, controlling fear, and deciding what we do with the life we have been given. I believe Bob's story offers lessons we can all use when the unexpected happens. Highlights: 05:29-Bob shares how his early life and military support career shaped his path. 23:53-He recalls realizing the first World Trade Center strike was not an accident. 32:59-Bob describes being just 300 yards away when the Pentagon was hit. 37:00-He explains how he helped organize emergency relief supplies within hours. 1:03:54-Michael reflects on survival, fear, and the responsibility to move forward. 1:06:55-Bob shares the lasting life lessons he took from September 11. About the Guest: Bob Ellis is the Vice President, American Logistics Association responsible for Exchange, MWR, Food Service Operations. The native of Fort Walton Beach, Florida began his career with AAFES in 1972. From 1972 through 1984, he held retail management positions as a Branch Manager, and Operations Manager Main Store. In 1985, Ellis began a string of assignments as an Exchange General Manager trainee at Fort Belvoir, VA, and Exchange General Manager, Fort Hamilton, NY and Carlisle Barrack PA, (Army War College). Assignments as Area Retail Manager and General Manager at the former Japan Area Exchange ran from 1989-1992. In 1992, Ellis was transferred to Travis AFB in California as Retail Manager, Main Store. In 1994, Ellis was selected for the General Manager's position at Travis and spent three years assisting in the design and new construction effort of the largest retail Main Store ever constructed by AAFES. From 1997 to 2002, Ellis held the position of Director of AAFES' Washington Office, serving as the principal representative of the Commander, AAFES to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Departments of the Army and the Air Force, Congressional offices and industry representatives. Notable among his accomplishments, Ellis was instrumental in spearheading AAFES support to the Pentagon after the attacks of September 11th. Within 48 hours of the event, AAFES established a mobile exchange in the shadow of the impact site to support rescue workers and investigators with critical need and personal comfort items. After Washington, Ellis moved to AAFES Headquarters' in Dallas to assume the Vice President Specialty and Consumables position. In this role, Ellis was responsible for the SD-C Category Team Managers/Buyers. In August 2003, Ellis took his a position as Vice President of Corporate Planning and Communications where he managed the development of AAFES long range and contingency planning programs, oversight of corporate public affairs and ensured compliance with Department of Defense policy guidance with the goal of preserving and protecting the exchange benefit for soldiers and airmen and their families around the globe. Bob joined the ALA on 31 July 2006 where he continues to serve a role in military resale supporting Exchange, MWR, and Food Service, operations still serving military resale over 51 years continuous service. Ways to connect with Bob**:** You can find more benefits how Branded Riches can help you build your Brand, Product, Business, and Yourself at https://www.BrandedRiches.com Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neryk-davydov Branded Riches Audiobook by Neryk Davydov https://www.audible.com/pd/Branded-Riches-Audiobook/B0GCP9MMRB Branded Riches Book https://www.amazon.com/Branded-Riches-Increase-Income-Irresistible/dp/1987753836 $5 Free Gift for Creating A New Ovato Wallet www.ovatoCoin.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/ 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 Everyone, I am Michael Hingson, the host of Unstoppable Mindset. You've heard my voice for the last 471 episodes, but I'm calling you all out today and asking you to listen to this because we're going to make a special announcement now regarding the next four episodes, starting with 472. We're going to help commemorate the historic events of September 11, 2001. Yes, they're definitely historic, although not necessarily the most positive things that have ever happened. But as many of you may know, I was in the World Trade Center working on September 11, 2001, on the 78th floor of Tower One, and escaped with my guide dog. I've delivered a speech about that, which we put in the first episode of this podcast series back in August of 2021. But this Friday, episode 472 is going to have an updated speech that I delivered just a few years ago at the Marshfield, Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival. That festival is a yearly event celebrating different kinds of things that have happened in American history, and I was invited to come and speak, which I did. I'm going to put that speech up for you as episode 472. I think you'll find it enlightening. It'll teach you something about blindness and blind people. It'll tell you my story, and it'll give you some inspiration that I hope you will find helpful. Next Tuesday, september 8, Michelle Abraham is going to interview me. Michelle is with Amplify You, the company that does all of our back office stuff and helps me with the editing and other things regarding the podcast. Michelle owns her own podcast, and she is going to interview me about September 11th and other kinds of things relating to what I've learned and things that have happened over the past 25 years. She's also going to be putting this up on her podcast Amplify You, so you can find us in a lot of different places. On September 11th, I'm going to chat with Bob Ellis. Bob was in the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, and had literally just walked out the door of the Pentagon when the plane crashed into the Pentagon and did the things and the damage that it did, and of course generated all the things that occurred at the Pentagon. On the 15th of September, I'm going to come back and have a conversation with all of you about lessons that I've learned over the past 25 years, and just reminisce a little bit about all of that. While the podcast is occurring on September 11th, I will be actually in Kilgore, Texas, doing a speech about September 11th. So lots of things going on, I hope you listen to these episodes. I hope that you'll tell everyone that you can about them. I really enjoy all of the support that you've given us over the years, and we're going to continue to do things with Unstoppable Mindset. And of course, as always, if you'd like to come on or know anyone who would, please let us know. We're always looking for guests. Thanks very much. We'll see you on Friday with the first of these four episodes. What if the biggest thing holding you back isn't what's in front of you, but rather what you believe? Welcome to Unstoppable Mindset, where inclusion, diversity, and the unexpected meet. I'm your host, Michael Hingston, speaker, author, and advocate for inclusion and possibilities. This podcast explores how the beliefs we carry shape the way we live, lead, and connect with others. Each week, I talk with people who challenge assumptions, face adversity head-on, and show what's possible when we choose curiosity over fear. Together, we focus on mindset, resilience, and the small shifts that lead to meaningful change. Let's get started. Hi everyone, and welcome to another episode of Unstoppable Mindset. You are listening to us today, or at least I'm assuming you're listening just when this came out. But whenever you're listening, it is today, September 11th, 2026, which is needless to say, a special day. If you have kept up with my podcast from the beginning, you know that I worked in the World Trade Center on September 11th, and ever since then I've been a public speaker, traveling the world, talking about trust, teamwork, leadership, the human-animal bond, and a variety of things. But recently, I met Bob Ellis. Michael Hingson 04:40 Now, Bob, as it turns out, on September 11th worked at the Pentagon, and I have not ever really had the opportunity to talk with someone who was at the Pentagon, especially on September 11th. But we get to chat about that today, and Bob knows our rules, which are basically. He sent me a series of questions that he wants to cover, but we are doing this as a conversation, so we'll probably talk about a lot of the things that he specifically sent. But we can go any old way that Bob wants to go, so that's what we'll we'll make this really fun. And I'm really looking forward to having the opportunity to talk with Bob. So again, welcome to September 11th, and Bob, I want to welcome you to Unstoppable Mindset. We're really glad you're here, Bob Ellis 05:28 Michael. Thank you for inviting me. I know you you've inquired several times, and I've debated it, and and I was just holding it for the right time, and this is the right time-the 25th anniversary of the event. Michael Hingson 05:40 Yeah, it is, and and and as as we've said, if you find anybody who needs a a speaker to come in and speak, let me know. But but for now, we get to chat about you and and hear your story, which I think is the important thing. I think we'll probably talk about both of our stories in the course of the day, no doubt about it. But I really am glad that you are here and that you are able to to talk with us today and and and talk about things. So let's start the way I love to start with people. Let's start at the beginning. Tell me kind of about the early Bob growing up and so on. Let's start with that. Bob Ellis 06:17 Well, I I grew up in let's say grew up until I was four years old. I lived. I was born in Pensacola, Florida. Lived in the Panhandle. Mother and father got divorced, and we moved to Norfolk, Virginia. And it was just my my mother and I until I was 14 years old. And I found out about my dad and found some letters from him and insisted to go see him. And so, between 14 and 15, I made a couple of unauthorized attempts to to make my way to Florida. On the third attempt, I made it, and it was quite a surprise for my father. Ended up living with him and being my closest friend up until I had he had grandkids, we had kids, and so I lived and grew up in the Destin, Fort Worth, Fort Walton area. Went to work, and this is where the story begins. I went to work at Eglin Air Force Base as a as a janitor in a gas station for the Army Air Force Exchange Service, so that I could continue to play high school football and practice, was a great job. It was an opportunity to work with the military, be around the military, and I took great pride in that feeling that that that that while I I wanted to go into the air force and I wanted to fly jets, that opportunity just never presented itself because the Vietnam War was going on and they were banking pilots instead of taking pilots. Anyway, I I ended up staying with the Army Air Force Exchange Service for 34 years. I moved all over the world. I've seen the every AOR and every combat scenario since the Vietnam War. Not in the Vietnam War, but I was in the refugee program, helping with the resettlement back in 1972, 1973. Spent the rest of my career going wherever they sent me, and and and that was from Tokyo, Japan, to to Tuli, Greenland, to California, and ultimately to to Texas. Michael Hingson 08:30 I remember during the Vietnam War, someone called me one day. I was a student at UC Irvine, and there was a refugee camp fairly close to the university, and someone said, and someone said, "There's a blind young man at the sent at the refugee center, and we should go see him. And so we we bought a transistor radio for him and went out to visit with him and spent some time with him, and I never got to see him after that. But I hope I hope he did well. He he seemed like he was doing okay, but he was a little bit lost, needless to say, because it's a whole bunch of people. There are no a lot of people who knew much about blindness and blind people, but I would presume he did reasonably okay. I hope so, but that was the only time I specifically had an involvement with him or anyone at the refugee camps. Later, when I met my wife Karen, she lived, I think, a door down, and she and her parents lived a door down from a Vietnamese couple, and he was a tailor and actually made her wedding dress, which was kind of cool, and so we got to spend a fair amount of time with the Voo's, which was was good, but what's. Interesting for me now, with with now being well so many years later. In November, I will be going to do a speech in Hanoi, so I'm really looking forward to to going over there and and experiencing it. At least it'll be a little bit cooler then than it probably is now. So we'll see, but it'll be it'll be pretty enjoyable to go and again see a different a different part of the world, and I I think we'll be fine. At least that's that's that's the plan. Bob Ellis 10:34 That that that that tour that I had at Eglin Air Force Base with the refugees, will come back to to to 911 2001 and the experiences that I had at that refugee camp replicated in the Pentagon park and lot there in 911. So we'll get to that. I'll explain it further. Michael Hingson 10:56 Yeah, I'm sure it was a a great a great lesson. Where did you do college, or did you Bob Ellis 11:03 went to went to Duke University and the University and the University of Maryland? Michael Hingson 11:10 Okay. Well, at Bob Ellis 11:12 least much of it was correspondence as well, only because I was deployed for for so many years back to back, 17 moves in 34 years. Michael Hingson 11:22 Wow, Duke University. At least you didn't go to one of those other schools in North Carolina. Boy, talk about talk about rivalries and basketball. What a what a group down there. Bob Ellis 11:35 Oh, I know, I know. Michael Hingson 11:38 I once spoke in Kentucky, and the Wildcats were in the NCAA championship that year, and I was asked to speak at an event on the night of the championship. But I was told I had to end by 630. I could not go one second past 630 because the gym I was speaking in was going to clear out. Well, I ended in time so that at 630, what they said was absolutely true. That gym cleared out. Everybody went home to watch the game. Bob Ellis 12:09 That's that's sports. Michael Hingson 12:11 Not sports. It is, but it's okay. I I learned a lot down there and got to meet a number of people, and so it was it was a lot of fun to to do it, and then years later I was in North Carolina when NC State and UNC were playing to see who was going to go into the championship. So again, pretty interesting world, and and sports ruled everything then, so it's okay. It Bob Ellis 12:43 hasn't it hasn't changed at all because my my my daughter I got her graduate studies done at NC State, and it hasn't changed a bit. It's just I'll bet it's just crazy as it's when was 20 3040 years ago, Michael Hingson 12:58 and it shall ever be, won't it? Bob Ellis 13:01 Yeah, yeah. Her undergraduate degree was at University of Texas. This was my son's, and she went on to NC State, and and he went on to medical school in in Houston. Michael Hingson 13:16 Okay. Well, UC Irvine, when I was there, had the championship water polo team, but that's what we had. But they started basketball while I was there, although it wasn't anything huge. But a couple of years ago, they made it to the Sweet 16, and that was kind of fun for UC Irvine. One of these days, it'll go all the way. Bob Ellis 13:40 Yep. Michael Hingson 13:41 Well, anyway, so you you went to college, and and what did you major in? Bob Ellis 13:45 Political science. Michael Hingson 13:47 Okay, political science Bob Ellis 13:48 and business management. With a with my two aspirations, I wanted to. I really wanted to major in in aviation science, but that that wasn't offered. So that's political science and business science, business law. Michael Hingson 14:06 But you were working for the Army Air Force Exchange Service. What is that exactly? Bob Ellis 14:11 Yeah, it's a it's it's it's a non-appropriated funded Service provided all goods. I think of it as the the Walmart or the Target of of the civilian sector, except the Army Air Force Exchange Service has stored everything from stores, every business that you can think of therein, from stores to convenience stores to gas stations to beauty shops and barber shops to dining facilities, franchise Burger Kings, anything that a soldier and his family needs at the base or overseas or in the combat arena, where we were there with it, providing it. It's been a great career. Michael Hingson 14:59 Did you? Do you have any involvement with, especially here in the U.S. the the Randolph Sheppard programs, the blind vending stand operations at any of the facilities? Bob Ellis 15:09 Yep, sure did many many times. We're still working with it. There's there's some issues present right now under the Randolph Shepherd that they're looking at. I don't know what what's going to change, but yes, sir, we were very, very close to that. Michael Hingson 15:24 Yeah, I know there. The current government's looking at it; they want to scale a lot of it back, which would, I think, not be a good thing. I think there's a lot of reasons to keep it, but we'll see. We'll see. We'll see how it goes. But I, the closest I ever came to dealing with anything from AAES was I was invited to speak once at an organizational meeting of the National Property Managers Association in the military. Are you familiar with that? Bob Ellis 15:56 I am. Yes. Michael Hingson 15:57 And when I was asked to come, the Speakers Bureau didn't do a good research job because they told me, "Oh, it's the people who rent apartments and all that. When I got down to the to the event, I will say that the National Property Managers Association certainly serves a nice breakfast. But anyway, the conversation just didn't seem like what I what I was expecting. So I asked somebody, and they told me that the organization was the organization that had complete jurisdiction over anything physical that the government owned, and Bob Ellis 16:30 absolutely Michael Hingson 16:31 that that changed my grass. Sorry, Bob Ellis 16:34 right down to the grass, right down to the grass and the concrete. Michael Hingson 16:37 There you go. Well, it also changed my speech in 10 minutes, but it was fun. They invited me back the next year, so that was good. But it's it's fun when you're you're planning to do a particular speech, and suddenly it turns out it's got to change. It's good to have the flexibility to do that. But I'm I'm glad I had the opportunity to do it, and hopefully we'll have opportunities to do it again, but you have served a lot of different kinds of of services within AAES, and and I assume that's all worked out pretty well. Bob Ellis 17:14 That that worked out very well. Yep, I had I started at the bottom and and climbed as close to the top as I possibly could, but Michael Hingson 17:23 you eventually got the the highest medal that was available for civilians when you retired or after you retired. Bob Ellis 17:31 No, the highest award that I ever received was from my man over the Pentagon 911 support program, which was a nice medoris civilian award. Michael Hingson 17:46 Okay, where is your favorite place to live in the world? Or is that really easy to say? I mean, you've been all over the place and seen a lot of different kinds of places. Don't know how much you got to two of them, but anyway, Bob Ellis 18:00 it wasn't the two places that I that I went overseas, which was Japan and Greenland. Those were the longest tours of my life. Beautiful country in Japan, and and great facilities and support in tuning Greenland. But I would I would guess throughout the United States, I had a great assignment at the Army War College, and I had a great assignment at Travis Air Force Base here in Michael Hingson 18:26 California. Yeah, Bob Ellis 18:28 yeah. Michael Hingson 18:30 I've spoken. Bob Ellis 18:30 My son was born in Japan. He's dual citizen as a result on the Air Force Base, and my daughter was born in California. So it was a great time, mainly because the kids were younger and and and and we were in great climate areas. Michael Hingson 18:48 When people ask me what my favorite place in the United States is, I say everywhere. I I just enjoy meeting people wherever I go in the U.S. It's so many different cultures and customs and ways of doing things. It is so fun to to see all the different places and see how they are. People ask what I like, where I like outside the U.S. And so far, it's been New Zealand. I would say is probably the best, but Japan has to be up there too. I've really enjoyed being in Japan. I've been there a couple times, and I thoroughly enjoyed Bob Ellis 19:23 it. I, I had, I think the most the the greatest thing about the assignments was some of the people I I got to to meet in in my in my tours. One of them would be the Crown Prince of of Thailand, who who is now the king of Thailand, King Rama, got to meet him when he was a pilot, and supported him when when I was at Yokota Air Base, and multiple other celebrities. I I had the opportunity as a kid to attend the funeral. For Douglas MacArthur, and and his his memorial was right across the street in North Virginia from where my mother worked. And 20 years later, I had the opportunity to to meet mrs. Mcarthur, Jean MacArthur, at Gracie Mansion in New York, and I I I wrote protocol. I when it came time for her to to meet me and meet meet her, I got down on one knee and I held her hand and I said, "I want to tell you a little story, ma'am. And she said, "Well, certainly, absolutely. And I told her the story how when the general had died in in 1964, I was required by my my mother to go to the funeral, and the most fascinating person I'd ever seen in my life was herself, and she just got she just turned red. Well, long story short, I was at an army command at Fort Hamilton. The next day, the the group the the installation commander called me over to his office, very angry, but he wanted me to know that I was going to be the first civilian aide for the old lady, which was mrs. Mcarthur, and he had to take one of his lieutenants off. And I got to know the family and and the Mcarthurs as a result of that. So lots of opportunities, just absolutely amazing. 911, and we'll get to it. I got to meet President Bush momentarily, but I I got to meet him and have a short conversation. Michael Hingson 21:32 I got to meet him in 2005. We went to the Oval Office, and we were supposed to have a two minute photo op, but he kept wanting to interact. We ended up talking for about 15 minutes. He kept the Italian ambassador or prime minister waiting, but it was a was a great conversation. I very much enjoyed having the opportunity to meet with him. Bob Ellis 21:53 Yeah, he was remarkable. Michael Hingson 21:54 Yeah, in in so many ways. If Speaker 1 22:00 you enjoy Unstoppable Mindset and would like to help us continue bringing these conversations to you each week, we've created a way for you to support the show. Your contribution helps us cover production costs and continue sharing stories, insights, and ideas that inspire people to live with purpose and possibility. If supporting the podcast feels right for you, you'll find the link in the show notes. Thank you for being part of the Unstoppable Mindset Community. Michael Hingson 22:33 So that's that's pretty cool. So as you were going around to all these different places, what would you say you were learning. Bob Ellis 22:41 I was learning business. I was learning relationships. I was learning marketing. Pretty much anything that you wanted to do as a general manager or a vice president, the exchanges let you do it. You know, until you got too far gone, and they they reel you back in. But I love being able to run multiple businesses on the installation, and and be accountable for them, and run them at a profit, and and at the end of the day, do great things for military families. Michael Hingson 23:16 Wow! So you um, you you've you've had a lot of challenges and and had to learn a lot of different things. Needless to say, but I would would think that you've you've been able to to keep a lot of that and use it. And you know we've referred to September 11 th, and so let's let's get to around that time. The first thing I would ask, and people have asked me, but you're in a better position in theory than I. Did you have any inkling that something like September 11th was going to happen? Bob Ellis 23:53 Well, actually, September 11th was was happening. I left for work about 4:30 in the morning. I lived out in the suburbs in Centerville, Virginia, and it was one of those days that you just wished you didn't have to go to work. It was the as the sun was coming up, it had a little cold breeze to it. The skies were blue. It was just one of those days that you just wanted to sit out in the yard and and relax or go bicycling, whatever. But I did my duty and I drove in to the Washington D.C. area and reported to my office on time, which was right around 5o'clock. My staff showed up around six and some at seven, and my secretary came in, and I don't know exactly what time it was, but it was shortly after, right around 9o'clock in Eastern Time, when the first airplane had hit the the trade center. Michael Hingson 24:49 Yeah, Bob Ellis 24:49 846-940-6846, Yes, right, 846. Yeah, and and so I I went in to look at the. The the television monitor standing there it was just her and I at the time and and and I said that's not an accident and she says how do you know that I said look at the skies that was an airliner they were talking about it was a little small private aviation well I'm a pilot I've been a pilot for 40 years 41 years I knew exactly, you know, that that where it was, what it was doing, and that wasn't a it wasn't an accident. And and my inkling was is that I was in a in rented space in Arlington, Virginia, because we had been moved out because the wedge that got attacked was the one that was still under construction. My office had not been completed there, and and I had a meeting in that wedge at 9o'clock that morning. And my secretary said to me, "You know, Bob, the Pentagon is next. And I paused for a minute and I looked at her and I said, "How in the world could you even imagine that, you know that that that's a fortress? Who would be crazy enough to attack the Pentagon? And she says, I I just I don't want you to go over, you know, just just just do it by phone, which I I probably could have done. And I said, No, I'm I'm going to go over there. If they're going if they're going to attack the Pentagon, I'm going to go down with it, and that was kind of my philosophy. So, in the back of my mind, seeing that airplane hit the Trade Center and her telling me that certainly made me wonder if it wasn't a possibility. Michael Hingson 26:33 So, you didn't. You don't think that anyone, and I've never heard of any such, but that anyone had any advance notice? There wasn't chatter. There wasn't anything that made people suspect what might be getting ready to happen. Bob Ellis 26:47 No, I I I think that is the the worst our country has ever been off guard. It reminds me of you know the the attack on Hawaii and that you know in in Pearl Harbor. We were completely unprepared, and I thought we were completely unprepared on 911. And in fact, after the attack, I knew we were unprepared when I saw the two jets fly over with no armament on the wings. So no, I don't think anybody had any idea. Michael Hingson 27:18 Well, the other side of it, and I've talked about this in in some talks I've given. I talk a lot about trust and teamwork, and like it or not, one of the things that I observe is you had 19 terrorists who functioned well enough as a team that they didn't talk about it. They didn't let anything come out. So no matter how much armament or whatever we might have had, I'm not sure whether we could have predicted that on September 11th, what occurred was going to happen. Bob Ellis 27:49 You know, all the indicators were there. You know, those those 19 trained at private airports, and they and during their training, it was it was reported multiple times that all they were interested in was taking off, not landing. I mean, first clue, you know. Okay. Why would you just be interested? He's taking off an airplane, and and I always found that very curious, and I'd heard it several times. That should have set alarm bells off. Should have. It didn't. Apparently, it did. Michael Hingson 28:20 Good point, and you know the the thing is though that, as as you pointed out, who would have thought that anybody would attack the Pentagon, the fortress that it was? Who Bob Ellis 28:33 yeah, Michael Hingson 28:33 who would have thought? So again, you can only go by what you got, and so nobody, I think, would have ever imagined that. Well, of course, the first plane hit the World Trade Center, and at first, people didn't really know what happened because there were really not very many people who who saw it. In fact, we only have the few photos that were taken by the French photographers who were there for something else, but then a little after nine, the second plane hit, and that changed the dynamic and changed the perspective a lot. Although a bunch of people who started seeing it on TV thought it was just a movie, and it wasn't true, but the second plane hitting changed the attitudes. I think for most people, and that's when people knew something was going on. Bob Ellis 29:24 Yeah, I didn't know anything about the second trade center. I had left my office in Crystal City, and I had headed to the Pentagon. And the meeting, the meeting that I had was with the Army Personnel Chief and several other folks. And as it turned out, that is exactly the window that the airplane flew into. That was ground zero for the for the for the target for the airplane going in just above the first floor for the Pentagon. So I didn't know anything. I was I was trapped at that point. I was trapped. Couldn't go um. Wouldn't go um. Didn't want to go um. And I had lived in New York City for five years, and I was my biggest. I was always impressed by the New York City Fire Department. I mean, they're they're just walking heroes if you've ever seen them. I mean, they were like they were like giants when you got next to them, and that they would they were just superhumans. And I always wondered upon the top floors how in the world you would get a fire put out at the top of the World Trade Center, and and I did not know until two days later when I made it home. That was my first question to my family: How did they get the the fire out at the top of the World Trade Center? And I and and it was repeated to me centers, and I said, What are you talking about? Centers in my family, and they said, "Bob, the World Trade Centers are gone. I said, "I don't understand. How could they be gone? And that was that. That was you know two days later that I found out about that. It was quite a shock to me to learn what it actually while I was on on the Pentagon mission. Michael Hingson 30:58 Well, when the first plane hit. Well, in the second plane, the firefighters were going up the stairs carrying all their equipment, and I had had had known about that and asked people, "Well, why are you or would you be carrying equipment? Because I met I I didn't meet the FDNY people ahead of the World Trade Center attacks, but I did meet with other people to learn about emergency preparedness and so on because I felt as the leader of an office, it was my job to know because I wasn't going to be able to read signs, and I love information, so I was trying to learn all I could, and they told me that where would if you if you had equipment stored in the in the towers, then people would go to it. Firefighters would go to it and get the the equipment. What floor do you put it on? Because no matter what floor you put it on, what if the fire broke out one floor below? You know, you can't get to the equipment. So the only way they could get up the stairs to fight the fires was to carry all of the equipment with them, yep, yep. Not enough is said about those guys in history. No, and I met a number of them coming up the stairs as we were going down, and they wanted to escort me down, and I didn't want them to do that because I knew they were a team, and I I pushed back pretty hard and said, no, you guys go up and we'll go down unless we can help you fight the fires, and they said no. The reason they eventually let me go down without any assistance was I had a friend with me who could see, and I said, "Look, David can see. Don't worry about us. And David and they turned to David and they said, "You're with him. And David said, "Yeah, leave him alone. He's fine. So we went on down, and they went up. I don't know whether the people we interacted with made it down or perished up above. It was about 10 after 10 after nine or so when we got to the 30th floor where we met them. So it was another hour and almost 20 minutes before the tower collapsed, but I don't know where the firefighters were, or how many people from the groups that we interacted with perished, or if they all made it out. I don't know, but Bob Ellis 33:12 yep, I I memorized all those numbers. You know, 189 between the airplane and the Pentagon, 200 injured, but 189. 189 total were 64 on the airplane, 125 in the Pentagon, and I'll never forget those numbers. Yeah, I'll never forget the time. I looked at my watch at 9:17, and and I have to tell you that on 9/11, I always sit very quietly until I get past 917, not 937. I'm sorry, 937. Michael Hingson 33:48 So Bob Ellis 33:48 in the morning. Michael Hingson 33:49 So, how close were you to where the plane came into the Pentagon? Bob Ellis 33:56 About 300 yards. When when it was clear that the meeting wasn't going to happen because the air traffic control system had been shut down. They released us to go back to our our offices, and I was going out the front door. I left about 930. It was supposed to start at nine 930. The generals said we'll just reconvene, and and I agreed. And from his office on on the south portico, I was walking out the front door. Literally, I heard the engines spool up. I had been in the AOR in rail combat munitions, and and I've heard cruise missiles, and and I could hear this one spinning up, and I thought it was a cruise missile, and so when it hit when it hit the building, it was just it was just a horrendous sound. But my first impression was to run to it to see what happened, what what what caused that, and there was nothing there. It was just four or five cars burning and smoke billowing out of the building. And and the the rest turned into a you know a rescue and a a recovery. Michael Hingson 35:08 AOR is what Bob Ellis 35:10 the area of responsibility. Michael Hingson 35:13 Okay, area of responsibility. Okay, Bob Ellis 35:16 yeah, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, wherever we are, it's it's N A O R, and that's your A O R. That's state. That's where you are. So that that's where I encountered first first and only live person coming out of the building, and which was a which was a really big surprise. But I knew that there was something that I I had to do, and and one of the things was to, if he needed assistance, getting him assistance. And there were several people. He was he was he was burned third degree burns over his whole body. He lived. I said one prayer was for him. And as it turned out, he became a a great ambassador. Turned out to be a great friend, and is actually back in the Pentagon to this day, just steps away from his old office as a civilian, went went back on a presidential appointment. Michael Hingson 36:09 So, you mentioned the general a while ago. Was did he survive? Bob Ellis 36:15 No, he was the he was the highest ranking person that we lost in in the entire encounter, and it was the entire office was just instantly vaporized. So he did not survive. Michael Hingson 36:33 Well, so you heard the engines revving up, and you went after you heard the explosion and so on. You went over to see what was going on, and then what did you do? Because it certainly had to be a major surprise and a shock by any standard. Bob Ellis 36:49 Yeah, I went that side of the building, saw the hole in the building, kind of convinced myself it was a cruise missile, but I never heard such a loud engine noise. As it turned out, it was it was two big engines off of a 757 200, and so I immediately tried to figure out you know what can I do? What should I do? Should I even be here? And that's when I saw the colonel coming out of the building, and I was able to walk with him and four others over to the the road, the Washington Boulevard that goes around the Pentagon, and and I sat down on the telephone pole, a light pole that the airplane hit going in. Now I'm a pilot, and and I have to tell you to take an airplane going at Mach point eight seven, and hit a target, hit the building, and not hitting the ground was just absolutely amazing to me. So as they got the colonel into an SUV and and and got him out of the the scene, I sat there. Just it was almost like a movie I was watching. The triage was being set up. The Pentagon was burning. The emergency services units were starting to show up, and we had very intermittent phone capability. And I had I had a a friend, my my the commander that I worked for in Dallas at the time. This secretary's husband was a bodyguard for Secretary Rumsfeld, and and Secretary Rumsfeld was actually carrying litter patients, carrying people out of the debris area and out of the offices. He was actually helping people, and he he realized that something needed to be done. So he gave Jerry a note, a piece of paper. We called them snowflakes, but it was a tablet, and he had listed what needed to be done and what needed to be done now. And Jerry found me sitting over there and gave me that that piece of paper, and it had everything listed on it. He wanted a a tactical field operation in place. He wanted it now, not yesterday. He wanted something in the interim, and it was to provide emergency relief supplies. So I I sat down on that telephone pole and I called our our local dist not local our largest distribution center in the world was down in Newport News, and I got the director on the phone and I said, I have an official order from you coming from the Secretary of Defense, and and don't override, don't just just follow my instructions until we can get to the commander at AFIS headquarters, and so I gave him the list. I just gave him the full list of things that we needed to get rolling, and I called another gentleman that was just across the river, the American Logistics Association, which owned all of the brokers and manufacturers, and I gave him a list of stuff that we needed now, like Gatorade boots. the The surface was over 2000 degrees, and the emergency service boots were melting almost upon contact. So I had I had 1000s, hundreds of 1000s of dollars of equipment. And supplies coming in, and we set up the USO tent, put everything in the USO tent. We raided all the stores in the in the Washington D.C. area. I was able to contact the region manager, and I told him, you know, what we needed to take it off the shelf, put it in the back seat of the cars, don't account for it, and get it to me. And that's what we did the entire first night was setting up the USO trailer, and the next morning I had two tactical field tractor trailers coming up the ramp just as the sun was coming up, and they were loaded with supplies, and that's what stayed in place for the next two months. Over $2 million worth of merchandise, emergency recovery type merchandise, everything from linens to the towels to eye wash, and and and we had to actually have some special boots made out of leather for the dogs because the dogs' feet were so it was it was quite an operation. We ended up well running within within 24 hours of the attack, Michael Hingson 41:04 why is it that you are able to stay pretty focused through all of this? Bob Ellis 41:08 I you know I you know I I've often asked that question. I wanted to go home. Alls I could think of is my kids, my wife. What what are they doing? What are they thinking? They're watching this on the news, and I had I had drifted over to which my car was very close, and it was taped off. The parking lot was taped off. It was a crime scene. There was no going anywhere. There was no transportation. If I wanted to walk 40 miles, I guess I could have, but because I couldn't go anywhere, I had to do something there on the scene, so that's that's that's what I did, and and it wasn't until the next day when the phone started working again, our two star in Dallas was able to get through to me on on my BlackBerry, and he wanted to know what the situation was, and and and I told him, and and he said, what what are we going to do? And I explained to him what we had done already, and he says, "How did you do all of that? I said, "I picked up the phone and I told him I was working for Secretary Rumsfeld, and this is the order. And and he says, "How are we going to pay for all of this? I said, "Sir, this is our finest hour. We're not. We're going to donate. These are all donating goods, and and it really was an interesting. I I just I just don't know. I was compelled. He he he ordered me on that second day to go home, and and I said I had no way to go home. And he said go to the motor pool. I'm going to call the motor pool. He had been the commander of the Air Force One Squadron, so he had a lot of connections in Washington, and he he got me a car, and I went home long enough to change clothes and and and to come back out. So it was it was just out of adrenaline, I think. Somebody had to do something, and and everything that I've told you here today is not written anywhere in history. I own every bit of what happened in in in that story, other than some of the people that were working there. Michael Hingson 43:07 What phone did you use that first day? You said you're you're it was the second day or the next day that you're phoned. So how were you able to communicate? Bob Ellis 43:17 We had Blackberries, and and until the networks got completely overrun, we were able to use it. And and so by the second third day, we we had pretty consistent communication, because the the the commander called me back that same morning, and and he said, you know, he said, how come you haven't been home? And I explained to him, and he says, "Will you do me one favor? And I said, "I would. He said, "Will you go back into the building? Said, "Sir, the building's on fire. He says, "Well, well, you get in the front, and I'm looking at it. He was looking at it on television, and the military clothing store was in the very front, within 100 feet, probably of that door that I went out of. And he says, "Would you see if our people survive, and if the store itself survived? It was sitting near the the area. I went in the store. I went into the building, into the burning building, and was able to look in the door, and I could see that the the room was full of smoke, and the door was locked. So I told him I would assume that our people made it out, alive and okay. And they say that was a, and they did, and they absolutely did. And in fact, everybody that that that that had any kind of supervisory capability around the Beltway, they volunteered to come over and work for me and and operating that facility for 2024 hours a day, seven days a week. Wow! So and not and not to shorten the the question, I wasn't there, but because of what I was doing in the in the Pentagon, my old homestead was at Fort Hamilton. Fort Hamilton picked up the same thing and went over to the Trade Center area, and they gave them a place to put a mobile. Food truck, and they brought supplies in and pretty much supported the firefighters and the and the and the police there. So so we had quite an operation going for a long time. Michael Hingson 45:11 Yeah, and and needed to, but it was interesting and commendable that in both places people were able to focus, and were able to carry out missions. I know at the World Trade Center when the two towers collapsed. Of course, it was it was unexpected, but we know now, of course, why they collapsed. It wasn't that the planes hit; it's that they were they were full of what 36,000 pounds of jet fuel each, and that exploding jet fuel is what damaged the infrastructure of the buildings to cause them to be able to collapse. But as well as at the Pentagon, but very quickly people were able to start to move and deal with issues and put procedures in place that were able to, I'm sure, keep more people from perishing and keep kept more people being able to focus throughout the whole the whole sequence of events. It it certainly was very scary, but it is something that that people like you were able to do. I know for me, the reason I was able to focus was because I had learned what to do in an emergency at the World Trade Center. I spent time with people and I learned how the whole building was structured, so I knew when the building tipped, why it tipped, and and things like that. You Bob Ellis 46:40 felt it. You you felt it. Michael Hingson 46:43 Oh yeah. Oh my god. We moved probably at least 20 feet, and then it came back, and oh my Speaker 2 46:48 god, it Michael Hingson 46:48 got vertical again. It got vertical again, and then a few seconds later, it dropped about six feet because the expansion joints went back to their normal configuration. But Bob Ellis 46:59 we uh we we knew from 937 till about 5o'clock that evening there would be no more survivors. It was over, and and and the dogs were getting depressed because they were they were they were not cadaver dogs. They were recovery dogs, and they were used to fight. And we we actually had ceremonies for the dogs every day, where we sewed flags onto their collars, and they had special water and special food. So they played a big, big role in morale, mine especially. Michael Hingson 47:33 And at the same time, I know people had to do drills to keep the dogs focused because they weren't able to find people, as you said, so they had to do things to give them something to find to keep them happy, which was was so important. Bob Ellis 47:50 Yeah, that we had two two tractor trailers lined up. It was just just two 300 feet from where you went into the damaged area of the Pentagon, and those dogs and their handlers would get up underneath those trailers and sleep, and they would play with the dogs. We actually had some carpets brought out, tarps brought out, and that's kind of where that was kind of their headquarters during 911. We had to make it up as we went along, and and the other interesting part of this story is in 1972 at the at the refugee camp, I was sleeping in the back of a van because there was just no way to go home. It was too it was too far to drive home to turn around and come back at 8o'clock the next morning, and I heard somebody knocking at the door, and and and I and I opened up the door, and it was a military colonel in uniform, and there was a civilian standing there with him. And he says, "Are you part of this operation? And I said, "Yes, sir, I am. He said, "Who are you with? And I said, "The Army Air Force Exchange Service. And and he says, "You're not provided any other facilities. This, I said, that was my choice. And as it turned out, I was speaking to Secretary Rumsfeld during his first administration as Secretary of Defense, and it was interesting that when he found out that what I did in in that program, I won the Indo Indo China Award for service, and then of course you you move ahead to to 2001, and we we knew each other. I had briefed him several times, and we we knew each other in the Pentagon. And that day, he knew that I would know what to do for the support role, and that's why he sent the letter up. And as it turned out, when he retired and and left the Pentagon, he was on a book tour, and and the the general secretary and myself got an invite to come to the book tour with him and and have lunch with him. And he handed me a book and he said, "I want you to have this, but I don't want you to open it up until you, Bob. I don't want you to open it up till you get home. I don't want you to give it to your wife. And and it was like this. Sure, I'm not not a problem, and so I got I got home. You know, this is this is 10 years later, and handed the book to her, and I said, "Open it up. I'm not wasn't allowed, and there's a nice thank you page on the front from Secretary Rums for allowing him to use me on 9/11, and you just you just that's the best reward that I could have ever ever expected. A guy that I just idolized to do that. Michael Hingson 50:26 When you got home, so you weren't able to talk to your wife before you got home, or did you ever get communication so you could call her? Bob Ellis 50:33 No, I didn't. I when I finally got the phone back up and running and got in the car. I had lost the battery, so I said, "I'm gonna be home in in an hour. I'll just be there. But General Wax called up, and she answered the phone. She went. She went sometime during that day and pulled the kids out of the private school, brought them home. She could see my car. It was a yellow SUV, and she could see it in the South parking lot in the news choppers going around. She said that was my car where my spot was, and General Wax got her on the phone and she and and she answered the phone and he said this is C J Wax and she thought that was the call. She thought that was it, and she alls I could do was drop to my knees and and and C J said and it's it's okay. I've ordered him to come home. He's all right. He's running. He's running a a program for us for for recovery. And if he's not there, he should be there shortly. And then by the time I got there, I got to the front step. I'm asking the question about the World Trade Center, how they got the fire out, and I was ordered that I could not go in the house because I smelled like smoke. So, so two minutes before that, I was the most important person in the world, and and then all of a sudden, I was I was back to Bob, and I wasn't going to wear that that suit in the house to to smoke it. So anyway, that's that's how she found out. He he called her up. I asked him. I think I asked him if he would get in touch with her at our last conversation, and he did. Michael Hingson 52:06 Soon after both towers collapsed, like a minute or so later, I called and got through to my wife Karen. I had talked with her before we left our office, and then when we got downstairs, I couldn't get through to her because the circuits were busy, and it was obvious that everyone we learned later was saying goodbye to loved ones, and so the circuits were busy. So after both towers collapsed, I was able to get through to her, and as I tell people, there were tears on both sides of the phone at the when that conversation started, but she was the first one who told us how two aircraft had been crashed into the World Trade Center towers, one to the Pentagon, and at that time, the fourth one was apparently still missing over Pennsylvania, and of course, then it crashed at Shanksville. Bob Ellis 52:52 I love it. Michael Hingson 52:54 Yeah, but we, you know, we talked, so she knew I was okay. Then a friend of ours, Tom Painter, who had been a friend of Karen's at high school out in California, but Tom, over the years, had ended up moving to New Jersey. He came down to stay with her, not knowing until he arrived whether I was in the office that day or out with a customer or what was going on. And of course, then she told him, and so he drove her to the train station to pick me up. When, when I got back out to Westfield, we went home. And you talk about with with dogs. We got in the house, and I took Roselle's harness off because I was going to take her out, and she would have none of it. She ran off, grabbed her favorite tug bone and started playing tug of war with my retired guide dog Linny, and I talked to the veterinarians at Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael the next day, and they said, "Did anything threaten her? And I said, "No, not directly. And they said, "That's why she ran off because it was over. Nothing threatened her. Bob Ellis 53:58 Comfortable. Michael Hingson 53:59 She, they don't. Dogs don't do what if like we do, and so she was comfortable. She was happy. She wanted to play, and then then she did go out. But by the same token, the the whole point was that she was able to deal with with all of it and was able to to focus. Then we got her outside and and came back in, and she ate and and all that. But the the the thing is that she focused all day, and and she did a a wonderful job. And the reason that she focused and did so well was mainly because I worked at keeping her focus by telling her every chance I got. You're a good girl. What a good dog! Good dog. You're doing a great job. Keep going. I did that all the way down the stairs in the World Trade Center, and I was very deliberate about that because I knew she had to sense the fear and what was going on, and I wanted her to know that I was okay and I was going to be there for. Her, which is of course what teamwork and support is all about. You understand that very well. You you proved it in so many ways. I kept working with Roselle and kept her focused, and you know it all it all really went well. I still think one of the most relevant things for me in the World Trade Center. I went down the stairs with a guy named David Frank. David was from our corporate office in California, and David and I were going to be conducting sales seminars that day, teaching some resellers how to sell our products. And we got down to about the 50th floor, so David was there to talk about the the pricing and so on. I was going to do the majority of the presentation because I was going to be their technical contact, anyway, and we got to about the 50th floor, going down, and suddenly David said, "Mike, we're going to die. We're not going to make it out of here. And as I tell people, since I got a teaching credential, I had learned all about the secrets of how to yell at students. So I just said, "Stop it, David. If Roselle and I can go down these stairs, so can you. And he then immediately said that I brought him out of his spunk, and he told me that later as well. But what he told me was that he wanted to walk a floor below me on the stairs and shout up to me everything that he was seeing. He had to take his mind off of what was going on, and so he asked if I cared, and I said, "No, go ahead. That's what you need to do. That's fine. So I got like down to the 48th floor, and he yelled, "47th floor, Mike. All's clear here. Going on down. So we went down several floors that way. Eventually, I got to 45, and he was 44th floor. This is where the Port Authority cafeteria is not stopping. And the reason I mention it is because I think what David did is one of the unsung things that is so important from September 11th. He kept shouting up to me everything that he saw, but the reality is, anyone in the sound of his voice heard that there was someone who was okay going down the stairs, and he had to keep panic out of people's senses for so many individuals, because they just heard him, Mike, 43rd floor, all's good here. Going on down the stairs, all the way down the stairs. He had to have been able to keep so many people focused because he was able to keep his mind off of what was going on by shouting to me, and I think that that's so important, and so I'm. I always tell that story. I've been telling it for many years now because I want people to know what he did to keep so many people focused going down the stairs, and he had to have done that. Bob Ellis 57:31 Well, you know, I have. That's that's the first I've heard that, and and and and I read everything that I followed your story very closely, as well as the colonel who I was so close to, but there there are a couple of stories that are just never mentioned, not talked about, and one of them where we had to do every day. There was an update that the military gave the families an update as to what is happening, what was found, what was recovered, what to expect, and they would bring the kids in to listen to these brutal military briefings. I mean, just you know, these were these were soldiers, these were these were combat folks, and this is the way they briefed. And the therapy dogs were brought in, and there wasn't but about a dozen of them, and I will never forget not only the kids on the floor with the arms around those dogs, but some of the adults were as well. And I thought, what what a moment! That was the most touching moment of my entire life witnessing that. I mean, I could have done without it, but it was it was a very special moment. And then the the other thing that the world doesn't know about is on the second day, I got a I got a phone call from Secretary Rumsfeld's office that the VA was completely out of coffin flags. We had nothing in inventory to to cover the remains or the caskets for burial, and what could I do? And and right right from the Pentagon parking lot, I I called one of the buyers that bought American flags in Dallas, and then I asked her who do you get flags from, and she says it's American Flag Company. I'll give them credit for that, and and I said you need you need to get their entire inventory. We need to get it flown in, whatever expenses cover it, and get them here. The Pentagon doesn't have them, and New York doesn't have them. And those flags came in. They were they were there about that midnight that that that night. Now boxed up, thrown in the bag box, whatever tape they were bound, but everybody that came out later, you know, the recoveries as we got deeper into the debris, that had a had a flag that that came that came from us in the as well as at the Pentagon, and they put two very big special flags in there. I mean, like you see flying over a car dealer. And they hung that on the side of the Pentagon. And if you look at any of the any of the news willers of that time, it was on day two that flag was hanging that that came in with the rest of the other flags. So it was it was quite impressive. You never know what the next moment was going to bring you on you know from my side and and and can I meet the challenge? That was what I constantly worry about. How could I let any of this down? And I've got to do something. And and we were making it up as we went along. Michael Hingson 1:00:33 Yeah, that's all you could do. And so when I go back to Bob Ellis 1:00:37 to to this to this day, you know, we go back. They've got 184 markers. I don't know how many people attend it, but it's it's right in that zone, right outside the building, in that grassy area where they they they've made that memorial. And 184 people, to include I think two infants, are are memorialized there forever, which is very touching. It was a that was a hard place to go back to. Still was New York City when I went to it because I'd never I had never been 20 years 20 years yet 18 years before I ever went to to New York City to see the recovery there. I've never I've not been to the to the to the Pennsylvania field. I plan to go. I want to go. Just hadn't been convenient to get there, but but if I do that, I will have seen all all the sites. Michael Hingson 1:01:26 Yeah, I haven't been to Pennsylvania either. In 2017, I did make it to the World Trade Center Museum. In well, so we moved out of Westfield, and I moved back to California in late January, beginning of February of 2002, to work for Guide Dogs for the Blind and and speak from there. And traveled around and speak. Karen was there for a couple more months selling our home, and then she came out. But in May of 2002, Roselle was going to be honored by Hart's Mountain, the pet food and pet supply company. So, so we went back to New York, and while we were there, I met one of the police officers with with one of the service with one of the rescue dogs that that had been around the World Trade Center, and he arranged for us to get in a vehicle and drive down into the pit that was where the World Trade Center was, and they had built an artificial, well, a temporary road, and they were bringing things up, but we got to go down to what would have been the seventh sublevel, the bottom of the tower, and it was just a for me just imagining it standing in that dirt area in a hole seven stories deep and remembering what what it was like, and then in 2017 I went to the World Trade Center Museum and got to spend a little bit of time there, and of course everything had been rebuilt. The reflecting pool was there, and so on. But it was nothing like what I remembered from having been in the World Trade Center, and I walked around with someone who was able to be aware and describe what was where we were and what was above us, or what part of the building we were in as we walked through the complex. But of course, it was totally different. So it was it was such a strange feeling to experience all of that. But we did it, you know. And so now I've been to the museum, and actually there is a there's an animal exhibit in the basement, and Roselle's collar is is part of that exhibit. We donated that to oh Bob Ellis 1:03:50 really, oh really, oh God, I I was I was thinking that when I asked you that question earlier today, and I was thinking about that that has got to be remarkable, you know that that that's what touched me so much at the period. That the fact that the two of you were such a team, and I read everything that newspapers printed and watched. I guess there was some there was some CBS specials and so forth too, where you were interviewed, and it was it was just it was just absolutely amazing. Michael Hingson 1:04:21 Well, it is. you know, it is a an awe-inspiring sort of thing. And you know, people always say, you know, don't you feel guilty about surviving when so many people didn't? And and I said, no, I I didn't have any control over that. But what I do have control over is having been a survivor. What am I going to do about it? It's my responsibility to decide how I'm going to deal with moving forward after something like that. And of course, the opportunity opened to travel and speak, and so I've been doing it ever since. And I believe my job is. Is to educate people about what happened on September 11th, and let them know t
Two of the three of us are taking Richmond and the points.The number is 32.5. Ethan took the Spiders, Greg took the Spiders, and Layton went the other way mostly so it would not be a clean sweep on our own team.Ethan's framing is the one that stuck: this is not a quiz. This is classwork. Nobody remembers classwork. The quiz comes next week at Vanderbilt.He is also honest that the offense cannot move the needle for him no matter what happens Friday, so he is watching the defense. His one exception: if CJ Bailey throws eight to ten passes of 20-plus air yards, that would be genuinely noteworthy, because he has not been willing to do it even against overmatched opponents.Layton wants swagger back. Against Virginia you saw concern, nervousness and fear from almost everybody for the entire game, and the first thing he is looking for is CJ being CJ again.Greg calls it the ultimate definition of a get right game.The football conversation that matters: Doeren said NC State had to scheme receivers open against Virginia. That is not a formula that survives real competition, so the thing to watch is whether these guys can win one on one. Plus the tight end rotation, more than seven snaps for the young guy, and getting Davion Gause involved.Also the ACC through one week. Florida State is who we thought they were, Cal got blown out by UCLA, Georgia Tech lost to Colorado, and Clemson looked as bad as anybody. Miami and Wake Forest were the most impressive, but Ethan makes the case that Syracuse moved the needle most relative to expectations with Steve Angeli back from the Achilles.And the Wolfpack Warriors uniforms, the Army partnership, and the 25th anniversary of 9/11. Greg was active duty that day.Kickoff is Friday, September 11 at 7:00 PM at Carter-Finley.Follow Tuffy Talk wherever you listen, and catch us live every Monday at 8:30 PM on YouTube.Support the show on Patreon, 12 members-only videos a month plus the members-only rumor chat, $5: patreon.com/c/tuffytalk#NCState #GoPack #Wolfpack #TuffyTalkSend us Fan MailOconee Gold Small Batch BBQ Sauces & RubsDo you LOVE to barbecue? Our sponsor Oconee Gold makes small batch sauces and rubs down in Statham, Georgia, and they've won Flavor of Georgia twice. Use code TUFFYTALK for 15% off your ENTIRE order, every single time you order. #ad Support the showNew episodes every week. Follow the show so you never miss one.
On this week's episode of the Brain Health Podcast, host Dr. Daniel Correa is joined by CJ Daniels, professional football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams and epilepsy advocate. CJ shares his experience growing up with his mother's epilepsy diagnosis and his work with Angels of Epilepsy, a nonprofit dedicated to seizure education, reducing stigma, and supporting people living with epilepsy and their families. Dr. Correa is then joined by Dr. David Spencer, professor of neurology at Oregon Health & Science University, deputy editor of BrainHealth.com, and editor of the newly renamed Brain Health Books series. Dr. Spencer explains drug-resistant epilepsy and discusses why advocacy efforts like CJ's are so important to the epilepsy community. Additional Resources Seizure First Aid Resources Epilepsy Foundation Team Cure Epilepsy Navigating epilepsy: Driving safety and independence with Dr. Proleta Datta We want to hear from you! Have a question or want to hear a topic featured on the Brain & Life Podcast? · Record a voicemail at 612-928-6206 · Email us at podcast@brainhealth.com Social Media Hosts: Dr. Daniel Correa @neurodrcorrea; Dr. Katy Peters @KatyPetersMDPhD
In this episode Divij sits down with Bay Area christian rapper CJ Emulous. CJ discusses his dreams of becoming a NBA star slipping away after a career ending injury. Then turning to the streets and selling narcotics. Eventually getting himself locked up and facing 10-12 years in a Hawaiian prison. Finding himself in solitary confinement he first started reading the bible and found Jesus.Follow Divij!Instagram :https://www.instagram.com/divijvaswani?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@divijvaswani?_r=1&_t=ZT-92MP61DG6yz
#445 Today's Boondoggle- Getting orders for Operation Green Healing with Army Veteran CJ Cowgill
Is it CJ's time to get the bag? Baker Mayfield has agreed to a three-year, $165 million contract extension with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, making it the largest contract in franchise history.. What THAT means for QB-1 in H-Town right now-
In today's episode the boys are holding down the fort while Ben is in Europe, and the B team has been filming videos. CJ and Ken almost sink the HellBoat, Micah has a big dirt bike crash, someone crashed our work truck, and CJ catches someone breaking into his house on camera. Then we get into Shred 80 moving into Big Ken's house, CJ's new gambling outlet, predicting the race order at Shred Fest, and Dr. David proving why he might be the best three-wheeler rider on the internet. Enjoy. Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/WIDEOPEN and use code WIDEOPEN and get $150 if you win your first $5 lineup! Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/wideopen! #squarepod To watch the podcast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/LifeWideOpenYT Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening or by using this link: https://bit.ly/LifeWideOpenWithCboysTV If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be amazing! You can text, email, or send this link to a friend: https://bit.ly/LifeWideOpenWithCboysTV You can also check out our main YouTube channel CboysTV: https://www.youtube.com/c/CboysTV
With a missing CJ, we bring back our good friend Philly to the show as we reach back into our vault to pull those Two Wolves story prompts. Thanks for Listening!Want to show us some love? Support us at: ko-fi.com/rageacrosstheinternetWant to Talk to us?Website: Rage Across the InternetJoin the Forums to get the Code for our discord and come chat with us!Email: rageacrosspodcast@gmail.comTwitter: @rageacrossFacebook: Rage Across the InternetWe've got a YouTube too, check it Right HereSeason 6's Theme: Swirling Storm @royaltyfreeaudiovault
On this episode of Cinematic Reviews, CJ breaks down the Disney+ series Secret Invasion along with the MCU Presidents that held office
This week! Two Nintendo Directs loom on the horizon, Sony's State of Play has some highlights, Double Fine launches their Kickstarter, and Sonic picks up a gun in Fortnite (but it's fine, because it's not actually Sonic). Then it's off to What'cha Been Playing, where Greg wraps up Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy and dives into the Final Fantasy Resonance demo, and CJ works through Onimusha, Blood Dungeon, Sword Art Online, and a very janky, very entertaining Halloween The Game. Join us, won't you? https://youtube.com/live/BAYvns-uqAc News Zelda Direct and a Nintendo Direct this week Nintendo updating games for SW2 — Pikmin 3 and MK8D New NES games added to NSO Sony held a State of Play LEGO PlayStation is real Until Dawn 2 got help from Ad Hoc Studio Keeper is on PS5 (also, the Double Fine Kickstarter) Rhapsody in Scarlet Sonic in Fortnite is a robot so he can use a gun What'cha Been Playing Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy (Greg) Final Fantasy Resonance demo (Greg & CJ) Onimusha: Way of the Sword demo (CJ) Blood Dungeon (CJ) Halloween: The Game (CJ) Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad demo (CJ) Socials P1 Bluesky P1 Discord P1 Twitch P1 Patreon Greg's Twitch Greg's Patreon P1 Facebook P1 YouTube Check out Greg's web series Generation 16 - click here. Thanks for listening! Don't forget to visit our new website at www.playeronepodcast.com. Running time: 01:35:34
What if your child already carries a unique gift—and your own healing determines whether they feel safe enough to express it? In this episode of Porch Conversation with CJ, CJ and I explore past-life memories, spiritual gifts, intuitive energy, parenting, self-belief, and the power every child carries within them. CJ shares why certain technology felt instantly familiar to him and what he believes happens when he receives spiritual information. The lesson is simple but powerful: Every child has their own form of genius, but parents must first heal the fear and emotional wounds they may unknowingly pass down. When you raise your child from wholeness instead of fear, you create a safer space for their confidence, gifts, and authentic identity to emerge. Your child does not need to become another CJ. Your child needs the safety, encouragement, and freedom to discover the unique light already living within them. — Shay Founder, Bonding Biology Institute™
Show NotesThe inconsistencies between the two NT narratives of Judas Iscariott's death has long been a ‘poster child' of bible contradictions. We are prompted to cover it by an excellent video recently released by CJ Cornthwaite who suggests the actual reasons for the differences between the narratives. We discuss CJ's work and try to complement it by digging deeper into: the sport of harmonisation, the third account of the death given by Papias, the OT allusions and a surprising feature of the bible translations. Links:The video recently released by CJ Cornthwaitehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sy6GctdghpQ The article by Rendel Harris on the failure of harmonization:https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/477430 A link for the Papias text:https://www.roger-pearse.com/weblog/tag/judas/ The legend of Ahiquar and the death of Nadan:https://sacred-texts.com/bib/fbe/fbe264.htm Audrey Conrad on the OT allusions, bible refs: Ps. 41:9, John 13:18 & 2Samuel 17:23in "The Fate of Judas" (Toronto Journal of Theology [7] 1992) How to look at the Acts version of the death in all English translations:https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Acts%201%3A18(search in the page for ‘hang') Doubts Aloud Links:Please keep giving feedback and ask questions using: doubtsaloud@gmail.com
Luke thinks if CJ was the guy the would pay him already !
Blind ranking gets ruthless when the room is full of people who actually know their TV. From Avatar: The Last Airbender and CSI: Miami to Frasier, Shameless, SpongeBob, and The Chappelle Show, the crew fights, laughs, and makes some seriously debatable choices as they rank Paramount and Showtime shows from worst to best. Diandre Robinson leads the chaos with Josh, Lydell, and CJ as they show by show, calling out classics, trashing duds, and defending the ones that hit hardest. They break down why some series belong near the top, why a few rankings feel downright disrespectful, and which shows deserve way more love than they got. You'll hear:The wild logic behind blind ranking TV favorites with no safety netHeated takes on cult favorites, sitcoms, dramas, and animated giantsWhy some shows feel iconic the second you say their nameThe argument over what belongs in the top 10 and what should get kicked off the list entirelyIf you love TV debates, nostalgic deep cuts, and watching friends roast each other into honesty, this one delivers. It's funny, loud, and packed with opinions that'll have you shouting at your screen like you're in the room. Perfect for anyone who loves pop culture arguments, classic TV, and a little friendly disrespect with their rankings.
Most business owners do not need more marketing noise. They need a message people understand, a brand people recognize, a clear picture of the customer they serve, and a channel that can produce results repeatedly. In this episode of The CJ Moneyway Show(TM), CJ sits down with Amber Gaige, a third-generation entrepreneur, international bestselling author, Certified StoryBrand Guide, and founder of Far Beyond Marketing. Amber's entrepreneurial education started at eight years old, when her parents turned a request for a puppy into her first lesson in borrowing, selling, marketing, and paying back a business loan with interest. After earning a classical music degree and performing in Europe, Amber returned to her family's plumbing, HVAC, and electrical businesses. There, marketing was not theoretical: if the phone did not ring, people could lose work. That pressure taught her to track results, hold vendors accountable, communicate return on investment, and simplify marketing for operators who do not have time or money to waste. Amber walks CJ through the Four C's of Effective Marketing - Clear Copy, Consistent Branding, Customer Demographics, and Channel Management - and explains why clarity must come before cleverness. The conversation also explores women in male-dominated industries, AI-assisted lead generation, StoryBrand, website ownership, business systems, and what makes a company attractive to a buyer. What You'll Learn • Why a customer should understand what you do and how they benefit almost immediately • How inconsistent logos, colors, fonts, and messaging weaken brand recognition • Why marketing to the wrong audience wastes money, even when the content looks good • How channel management turns one-time customers into repeatable revenue opportunities • Why documented systems, clean books, and repeatable lead generation matter before a sale • How StoryBrand positions the customer as the hero and the company as the guide • Why AI performs best when human judgment gives it clear direction • How faith, respect, hospitality, and service can become operating values - not just brand language Guest Bio Amber Gaige is a third-generation entrepreneur, international bestselling author, Certified StoryBrand Guide, and founder of Far Beyond Marketing. Drawing on experience in family-owned home-service companies, competitive industries, agency leadership, and a private-equity exit, she helps business owners simplify their marketing, clarify their messaging, and build systems designed to generate measurable growth. Guest Links and CTA • Far Beyond Marketing: https://farbeyondmarketing.com/ • Contact / book a conversation: https://farbeyondmarketing.com/contact/ • Email: hello@farbeyondmarketing.com • Free marketing assessment / 2-minute marketing quiz: available through the Far Beyond Marketing website • Book: The Far Beyond Marketing Guidebook: How to Stop Being Duped by Bad Marketing CJ Moneyway Show CTA If this conversation helped you see your marketing more clearly, share it with a business owner who is tired of guessing. Follow and subscribe to The CJ Moneyway Show(TM) for more authentic conversations that build success brick by brick. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Amanda Atwell moderates the debut episode of Locking Horns, where Bobby Burton and CJ Vogel have 60 seconds to defend opposing takes on the biggest Texas football debates. The guys begin by examining whether Steve Sarkisian was hypocritical for calling the return of former NFL players to college football “morally wrong” while Cole Hutson remains on the Longhorns' roster.The debate then turns to season predictions, with Bobby explaining why Texas can finish 12-0 and CJ defending an 11-1 record with a loss at LSU. Plus, they select their Week 1 breakout candidates against Texas State, including Raheem Biles, Derek Williams, Nick Townsend and Derrek Cooper, before Amanda locks in the winning takes and crowns the first Locking Horns champion. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ sits down with leadership coach and former Akamai executive Andy Ellis. They break down why being indispensable can actually hurt your career, why managers shouldn't automatically replace someone who leaves, how hero-villain thinking leads to bad decisions, and what great delegation and leadership actually look like.—SPONSORS:Rillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to replace NetSuite and close faster. With revenue recognition, close management, multi-entity support, and native Stripe and Salesforce integrations, Rillet helps scaling companies run their finance stack in one place. Hundreds of teams, including Windsurf and Mercor, use Rillet to make the zero-day close real. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cjMaximor is an autonomous finance platform that runs order-to-cash, procure-to-pay, the close, cash management, and reporting on self-learning agents instead of a dozen disconnected tools. One PE-backed customer posts 98% of transactions directly to its ERP, with the remaining 2% routed to a human for review. You pay for outcomes, not seats. See it at https://www.maximor.ai/Brex is an intelligent finance platform with AI-powered workflows that enforce expense policies at the point of sale, match receipts automatically, and reduce month-end close from weeks to hours. Thousands of companies, including Anthropic, Coinbase, and DoorDash, already run on Brex. Stop asking A-level finance talent to do B-level admin work. Learn more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAnrok is the sales tax platform that watches your exposure everywhere, automates compliance, and flags risk before it turns into a surprise back-tax letter from a state you've never set foot in. Companies like Anthropic, Notion, and Vanta already trust Anrok to stay ahead of rules that move faster than any spreadsheet can. Talk to a sales tax expert for a personalized exposure estimate at https://www.anrok.com/rtnRightRev is a revenue recognition platform built for the AI economy, helping finance support usage-based pricing, credits, hybrid contracts, seats plus consumption, and whatever commercial model comes next. It gives product teams the freedom to keep innovating without outdated revenue systems slowing them down. Learn how RightRev can help at https://rightrev.com/cjPulley is an equity management platform that lets you issue options, model dilution, and complete 409As without your cap table turning into a spreadsheet disaster. Founders raising, hiring, and scaling use Pulley to keep equity clean and stay focused on building. Learn more or request a demo at https://pulley.com/mostlymetricsEY has been part of Silicon Valley since it was just a valley, helping the most successful names in tech go from startup to exit to megacap. With teams across strategy, tax, audit, and transactions, EY helps you get your financials right early, long before your investors start asking for it. You build the next big thing, and EY will help you build it right. Learn more at https://www.ey.com/techstartups—LINKS: Mostly Talent: https://mostlymetrics.typeform.com/to/cLTxtAsNGuest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/csoandy/Company: https://www.csoandy.com/CJ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Jero and Villain Stories1:43 Welcome to Run the Numbers2:53 Andy's Book: 1% Leadership7:44 Rule 1: Don't Replace People Immediately14:04 Rule 2: Don't Become Indispensable16:02 How Andy Learned to Speak Finance22:35 Rule 3: Don't Tell Yourself Hero/Villain Stories26:59 The 5K Race Mindset Shift31:01 Rule 4: Don't Overspecify Delegation35:59 Rule 5: Don't Obsess Over Your Strengths38:23 The Six Leadership Disciplines43:45 The Vendor Rebuff Email47:45 Why Leaders Avoid Saying No50:28 Story: The Guinness Bartender Promotion53:52 When Metrics Get Gamed54:11 Asking Better Questions Segment59:07 Where to Get the Book
Ticara Geldenhuis, Claire O'Sullivan, Caitlin Eynon, & Molly Paddison join CJ for an Australian roundtable to discuss their time in the WPBL.
Why is Ron so locked in on CJ being that good?
Time to Get Up with an escalation of the situation! Wait until you hear the one word Dabo Sweeney used to describe his game with LSU! This is getting spicy! Then, Houston, we have a problem! D-Day for CJ as the Texans tell him take it or leave it! And, we shuffle off to Buffalo where Alan isn't joshing around, is it now or never for the Bills and their QB?! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Every decision costs something. The hardest decisions are not between good and bad—they are between competing responsibilities, limited resources, uncertain outcomes, and values we do not want to surrender. In this episode of The CJ Moneyway Show, CJ sits down with Dr. Brad C. Anderson, a Canadian science-fiction author, university business educator, former biotechnology professional, and organizational-wisdom researcher. Brad explains how his seemingly different worlds all examine the same question: How do people and institutions make sound decisions when knowledge is not enough? Brad shares what science fiction taught him about imagining life beyond the rules of the ordinary world, what biotechnology revealed about the tension between scientific excellence and business reality, and why the strongest organizations combine different forms of expertise instead of allowing one discipline to dominate. The conversation moves into the heart of Brad's research: knowledge may be necessary, but it becomes insufficient when we do not know enough, when what we believe is wrong, or when two valid facts point toward conflicting actions. Through examples involving quality, budgets, healthcare risk, vaccines, and organizational constraints, Brad shows why wise leadership requires more than having information—it requires navigating trade-offs. CJ and Brad also explore why life is governed by probabilities rather than guarantees, how lost trust changes decision-making, and why values, rationality, and power must be examined together. The result is a thoughtful but practical conversation for entrepreneurs, executives, educators, creators, and anyone responsible for making decisions that affect other people. Because sometimes the challenge is not finding the right answer. It is deciding what cost you are willing to carry—and acting with wisdom when no perfect answer exists. In this episode, you'll learn • Why science fiction can strengthen strategic imagination • How disciplinary arrogance weakens organizations • Why knowledge alone cannot resolve complex trade-offs • The difference between certainty and probability • How trust shapes whether people accept expert guidance • Why values, rationality, and power belong in the same decision framework • How constraints determine what is ethically practical Episode key takeaways • Humility is a strategic capability: your expertise is one piece of the puzzle, not the entire puzzle. • A fact can be true and still be insufficient to determine what should happen next. • Wise decisions reconcile competing truths under real constraints. • Good behavior improves probability; it does not guarantee outcome. • Leaders damage trust when they communicate probability as certainty. • Values without power remain intentions; power without values can become manipulation. • The practical question is not only ‘What is right?' but ‘What is ethically achievable here?' Guest links and CTA block • Brad C. Anderson's website: https://bradanderson2000.com/ • Free open textbook, Developing Organizational and Managerial Wisdom: https://kpu.pressbooks.pub/developingwisdom/ • LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/bcanders • Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0088AJWW6 Public-release note: Do not publish Brad's booking email or telephone number. Use the website and verified professional links above. If this conversation helped you think differently about leadership and decision-making, follow The CJ Moneyway Show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and the Bleav network. Share this episode with a leader facing a decision that has no perfect answer, and visit CJ Moneyway Media for more transformational conversations built brick by brick through authentic stories. Brad C Anderson, organizational wisdom, managerial wisdom, decision making under uncertainty, values rationality power, ethical leadership, leadership trade-offs, probabilistic thinking, organizational constraints, business decision making, multidisciplinary teams, science fiction author, biotechnology leadership, risk communication, trust in experts, complex problem solving, CJ Moneyway Show, Built For Purpose, Bleav Podcast Network Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Hector and CJ host this episode of The Pull List Podcast, covering comic news, recent pulls, standout artwork and writing, spiritual themes in Spider-Man/Hulk: Fire and Brimstone, and a full bracket to determine the best unpowered superhero. The episode moves from Spider-Man, Detective Comics, Absolute Green Arrow, Tailspin, and The Last Driver into a surprisingly thoughtful conversation about Hulk seeking spiritual help before Batman, Nightwing, Black Widow, Cassandra Cain, Iron Man, and more battle their way through the unpowered superhero bracket. Along the way, Hector and CJ bring their usual mix of comics commentary, clean humor, faith discussion, and friendly arguments about what makes a character—and a comic—worth coming back to.
Football is officially here, and the boys are entering the season exactly how you'd expect: fired up, slightly delusional, and already financially invested. Alex opens the episode showing off his new Texans City Edition CJ Stroud jersey, which leads to a full breakdown of jersey etiquette, the pressure of spending real money on a player, Houston's Oilers-inspired look, and whether CJ is about to make that $225 purchase feel like a lifelong investment or a terrible mistake. From there, it's fantasy football season. Alex and David debate the league's draft-order system, whether an eight-team league changes strategy, why David refuses to take Alex's $100 bet, and which running backs and wide receivers belong at the top of the board. Gibbs, Bijan, Saquon, CMC, Jamar Chase, Puka, JSN, Justin Jefferson, Nico Collins, and plenty of personal bias all enter the conversation. Then the guys jump around the NFL, from Aaron Donald joining the Rams' all-in superteam, to whether Los Angeles is championship-or-bust, to the Josh Jacobs situation, to the Texans trading for Keyshon Boutte and the very obvious jokes that come with it. They also get into CJ Stroud contract talk, Texans preseason optimism, and whether Houston's offensive line can make everything work. The episode closes with college football fully on deck. Alex and David break down the LSU vs. SEC eligibility drama, former NFL players trying to return to college, Marcel Reed calling out Texas, Texas A&M expectations, and why Clemson vs. LSU is the true Week 1 appetizer before the football buffet finally begins. Texans jerseys, fantasy draft strategy, Rams hype, NFL controversy, SEC chaos, Aggie confidence, and the sweet relief of knowing football is finally back — pull up a chair and join the conversation.
This Bold prediction article thinks CJ will be benched
The centerpiece of this episode is DHP Episode 253: Academia is a Racket, which CJ produced back in late-February 2023, only about 6 months after he walked away from academia, after spending 22 years of his life in it (6 as a student & 16 as a teacher.) In this episode, CJ mostly avoided the lowest-hanging & widely understood defects of academia in recent decades — ie, the rise to hegemony of once-fringe (even in academia) “Woke” ideology, & the exorbitant costs to the students of getting a college “education.” Instead, drawing from his 22 years inside academia, he mostly focuses on structural (in the true sense of the word) problems inherent in the nature of the institution & the perverse incentives created thereby, which minimize the amount of education (in the true sense of the word) that takes place. Join CJ as he discusses the following problems with modern conventional academia: No real market feedback mechanism to indicate whether a “good education” is being provided. Overspecialization. Rigid credentialism. Too many courses online (especially at the intro/gen-ed level.) Excessive disability accommodations. Private-sector profiteering (off a captive audience & cartelized, non-competitive system.) Administrative bloat. A focus on arbitrary metrics that can be juked/gamed. Degree inflation. The accreditation agencies functioning as a cartel enforcer to artificially restrict entry & reduce competition. Ideology baked into most (if not all) disciplines, in many cases for over a century. The adversarial relationship often automatically created between student & teacher. State & corporate influence & control. Like this episode? Support the DHP on Patreon! Through Labor Day (9/7) of 2026, CJ's running a Back to (Dangerous History) School Special: There will be a 25% discount on the first year of an annual membership at any level of support, or 25% off the first month of a monthly membership (also at any level of support)! If you want to get access to the upcoming multi-hour DHP Bonus Episode “Wooden Walls on the Water,” covering just about everything we know about ancient Greek warships & naval warfare, sign up as one of his Patreon supporters at the Journeyman Scholar-Warrior Level (or higher) — if you're not already one of those excellent individuals who keeps the DHP a going concern, of course!
How do you get students to participate because they actually want to—not just because you called on them?In Episode 357 of Sunday Night Teacher Talk, CJ and Jenn dig into what it takes to build a classroom where students feel known, supported, and confident enough to participate. We talk about showing students you care even if you're not naturally "warm and fuzzy," practical ways to build relationships, and how those relationships eventually turn into stronger engagement.CJ also walks through his classroom management process step-by-step—including exactly how he handles an off-task student and the phone call home that may follow. Plus, we tackle AI-proof writing, guided notes, time management, supporting advanced students, and what to do when students tell you that you're being "too nice."In this episode:Showing students you care without changing your personalityGetting reluctant students to participate in classBuilding confidence before calling on studentsPractical ways to build real teacher-student relationshipsManaging multiple preps, student council, and sub plansCJ's step-by-step response to an off-task studentTurning parent phone calls into partnershipsBalancing slides, instruction, and student engagementMaking middle school writing assignments more AI-proofUsing positive student leaders to improve classroom cultureWhat to do when students say you're "too nice"Challenging advanced and dual-credit studentsAsking admin for behavioral support when a student needs to leave classCreating guided notes that actually help students rememberYou don't have to become a different personality to connect with students. What matters is consistently showing them that you see them, care about them, and are there to help them win.
Grab the Free AI-Ready Contractor Playbook:Every step from this episode — trust signals, pricing transparency, and financing — in one downloadable guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Vnxu41aUHua9eSnFbX8X_B5w9nci2ez1eex-XSZSon0/edit?usp=sharingReady to Add Pricing Transparency to Your Business?Schedule a free demo of The New Flat Rate and see how our menu pricing system gives homeowners the price transparency CJ talks about in this episode — while protecting your margins: https://thenewflatrate.com/demo?hsCtaAttrib=192034463396Free Resource — Revenue Leak Checklist:Find out where you're quietly losing money in your pricing, sales, and customer experience — before your competitors do. Grab the free checklist: https://thenewflatrate.com/revenue-leak-checklist Get Your Free AI Trust Signal Audit from CJ:CJ mentioned this on the episode — it's a full breakdown of the 19 trust signals your business is hitting (and missing), with a 7-, 30-, and 90-day roadmap to fix them. Visit https://kreadiv.io/ to schedule your free AI Trust Signal Audit.In this episode, Natalie Koop and Danielle Putnam sit down with CJ Todd, founder of Kreadiv and one of the only certified AI Trust Signals Partners serving the home service industry. CJ breaks down how homeowners are already using ChatGPT, Claude, and Google AI Overview to find contractors — and what it actually takes to become the trusted recommendation instead of getting skipped. He shares the story of an EV installer who closed a $2,900 job from ChatGPT with $0 in ad spend, the 19 trust signals every contractor's website should be hitting, why online pricing transparency is the single biggest factor that'll make or break contractors in this new era, and why small contractors actually have the advantage over private-equity-backed shops right now. If you've been ignoring AI or wondering if it applies to you, this episode is the wake-up call.Social Media Links:InstagramTNFR- https://www.instagram.com/thenewflatrateCJ Todd- https://www.instagram.com/cjtodd22/ Kreadiv- https://www.instagram.com/kreadiv79/ FacebookTNFR- https://www.facebook.com/TheNewFlatRateKreadiv- https://www.facebook.com/kreadiv79/ LinkedInTNFR- https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-new-flat-rate-inc-/posts/?feedView=allCJ Todd- https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjtodd1/ Kreadiv- https://www.linkedin.com/company/kreadiv79/home/ Links and Resources:https://thenewflatrate.com/https://kreadiv.io/
What if fear, love blocks, and even the family you were born into are all part of your soul's journey toward growth? In this episode of Porch Conversation with CJ, CJ and I explore what it takes to change your life, why love and money blocks may be connected, and how fear can keep you trapped inside an illusion. We also have a deeply spiritual conversation about God, divine protection, death, motherhood, and CJ's belief that children choose their mothers before birth. The lesson is simple but powerful: You cannot create a different life by giving up your power or waiting for change to happen. You must align your beliefs with your actions, seek the right support, heal the wounds keeping you stuck, and focus your energy on the life and love you want to receive. You do not have to live in fear or remain trapped by the beliefs that shaped your past. You can reclaim your power, heal your internal blocks, and trust that the light within you is greater than anything outside of you. — Shay Founder, Bonding Biology Institute™
Brent & Johnny welcome Grammy, CMA, and ACM nominated songwriter, C.J. Field, to The Challenge! Together, they craft 5-6 different conceptual angles for writing a song titled, "Last Minute Roses". C.J. quickly established himself as a sought-after songwriter, working with Ashley McBryde and other notable musicians. He co-wrote the song "Home Sweet Highway" with Ashley and Blue Foley, which was included in Ashley's Grammy, ACM, and CMA-nominated album "Girl Going Nowhere". CJ continues to collaborate with Ashley, Aaron Lewis, D. Vincent Williams, Marla Cannon-Goodman, Trent Tomlinson and more. As an artist, he's shared the stage with musicians like Ira Dean, Trombone Shorty, Bela Fleck, and Amy Helm. Connect with C.J. Field Here: Facebook: @CJFieldOfficial Instagram: @cj_field TikTok: @CJFieldOfficial YouTube: @CJFieldMusic Website: https://cjfieldofficial.com The C.L.I.M.B. Show is dedicated to helping singers, songwriters, indie artists and industry pros "Create Leverage In The Music Business." We want you to win! About the hosts: Brent Baxter is an award-winning hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson (“Monday Morning Church”), Randy Travis, Lady A, Joe Nichols, Ray Stevens, Gord Bamford and more. He helps songwriters turn pro by helping them WRITE like a pro, DO BUSINESS like a pro and CONNECT to the pros. You can find Brent at SongwritingPro.com/Baxter and SongwritingPro.com. Johnny Dwinell owns Daredevil Production and helps artists increase their streams, blow up their video views, sell more live show tickets, and get discovered by new fans, TV and music industry pros. Daredevil has worked with artists including Collin Raye, Tracy Lawrence, Ty Herndon, Ronnie McDowell and others. You can find Johnny at TheCLIMBshow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome to The CJ Moneyway Show, powered by CJ Moneyway Media and the Bleav Network—where purpose is the blueprint and legacy is the goal. Struggling to generate a meaningful return from Google Ads? You are not alone. In this episode, CJ Moneyway sits down with John Horn, CEO of StubGroup, a digital advertising agency specializing in paid media management, Google Ads optimization, account suspension recovery, and advertising compliance. According to John, StubGroup has helped more than 2,000 clients generate over $400 million in revenue by navigating the complexities of pay-per-click advertising and creating campaigns focused on measurable business results. John explains why many paid advertising campaigns fail, how poor targeting and weak conversion tracking can drain marketing budgets, and why hiring the least expensive advertising provider can create greater costs over time. CJ and John also examine one of the most stressful challenges advertisers face: Google Ads account suspensions. John shares why accounts are suspended, the mistakes businesses commonly make when appealing, and how advertisers can build more compliant and resilient campaigns. In This Episode Why many Google Ads campaigns fail to generate a strong return Common PPC mistakes made by small and midsized businesses The danger of choosing paid advertising support based only on price How tracking, targeting, and landing pages affect profitability What causes Google Ads account suspensions How businesses can reduce advertising compliance risks The StubGroup approach to transparency and campaign optimization Google Ads strategies for specialized and niche industries The role of AI and automation in digital advertising How businesses can use paid media to scale responsibly John Horn's advice for companies struggling to improve PPC performance Paid advertising should not be treated as a shortcut. It should be managed as a measurable business system—with clear objectives, accurate data, continuous optimization, and a realistic understanding of customer acquisition costs. Plus, stay tuned for the QuickFire Round, where John answers five rapid-fire questions with the first response that comes to mind. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Solar asset management inside a 35-year ownership model: CJ Colavito and Jay Smith of Standard Solar explain what it actually takes to own distributed generation projects for decades, from evaluating tracker and inverter reliability to redesigning inverter specs around eventual failure.In this episode of Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague sits down with CJ Colavito, General Manager of Integrated Project Teams, and Jay Smith, VP of Operations and Maintenance and Asset Management, to discuss what they have learned from developing, building, owning, and operating commercial and community solar projects.The conversation goes deep on one of the biggest challenges facing the solar industry: how to balance cost, performance, reliability, and long-term asset value.Tim, CJ, and Jay also discuss:• Why thorough project diligence can reduce delays, change orders, and budget overruns• Standard Solar's integrated project team model and its focus on execution excellence• The challenges of rooftop solar and why project scale matters• Connector reliability, wire management, and lessons from thermal events• What Standard Solar looks for when selecting tracker technology• Tracker reliability, maintenance, snow shedding, and hail protection• Standard Solar's approach to inverter selection and long-term reliability• Why inverter failures can have a much greater financial impact than the initial equipment cost• The importance of manufacturer support and warranties over the life of a project• How changing supply-chain and foreign entity requirements are affecting equipment decisions• Adding AC-coupled batteries to existing community solar projects• How Standard Solar is adapting its business as the solar market and technology continue to evolveThe episode comes at an important moment for the industry. As solar portfolios grow and assets age, the focus is increasingly shifting from simply adding megawatts to ensuring those assets can perform reliably over the long term. Listen to the full conversation for an inside look at how an experienced solar owner-operator thinks about technology, reliability, O&M, project execution, and the future of distributed solar.Connect with Guest Jay Smith LinkedInCJ Colavito LinkedInStandard Solar Website Support the showConnect with Tim Clean Power Hour Clean Power Hour on YouTubeTim on TwitterTim on LinkedIn Email tim@cleanpowerhour.com Review Clean Power Hour on Apple PodcastsThe Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.comCorporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America's number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com
This week! We dig into Hideo Kojima turning 63, Brick Shop's 3,509-piece original Xbox set, the reported overhaul of Horizon Hunter's Gathering, and the Golden Axe TV show. Then it's the games: Greg on F1 25 and Screamer, and CJ on Fortnite, 1000xRESIST, Splatoon Raiders, and Detroit: Become Human. Plus listener questions on fastest game drop-offs, imports we want localized, fixing old EGM scores, and starting a kid on NES games. Join us, won't you? https://youtube.com/live/JYXpIw7q69o News Golden Axe show premieres in September Hideo Kojima turns 63 Brick Shop's 3,509-piece original Xbox set Horizon Hunter's Gathering reportedly being reworked What'cha Been Playing EA Sports F1 25 (Greg) Screamer (Greg) Fortnite (CJ) 1000xRESIST (CJ) Splatoon Raiders (CJ) Detroit: Become Human (CJ) Other Terranigma revival announced for modern platforms Sonic the Hedgehog OST — Starlight Zone (end-of-episode music) Socials Player One Podcast on Bluesky Player One Podcast Discord Player One Podcast on Twitch Player One Podcast on Patreon Greg's Twitch Greg's Patreon Player One Podcast on Facebook Player One Podcast on YouTube Thanks for listening! Don't forget to visit our new web site at www.playeronepodcast.com. Running time: 01:27:40
In today's episode, I sit down with former NBA players Tarik Black and CJ Miles to discuss storytelling, authenticity, mentorship, and the transition from professional basketball into new pursuits. CJ explains why the best storytellers must live the story first and how years on the court shaped his creative work as a writer and photographer. Tarik shares lessons from Kobe Bryant, including how purpose, passion, and strong mentors can guide the next chapter. We also talk about the humility required to become a beginner again, the value of integrity in business, and how curiosity transforms fear, challenges old assumptions, and creates a path toward growth and lasting expertise.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Scott and CJ break down Stripe's $7B acquisition of OpenRouter, the SvelteKit 3 release candidate, and their first look at TanStack Charts. Plus Zed's new Delta editor, stealing reasoning traces from proprietary LLM APIs, why dark mode toggles only need two states, and all 43 quintillion Rubik's cube states in your browser. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 02:20 SvelteKit 3 Release Candidate 07:43 Video editor recs Casey Faris 09:58 TanStack Charts First Look TanStack Charts TanStack Charts implementations of every official shadcn/ui chart 14:24 Ponytail AI Tool 17:22 Zed Delta Editor Introducing Delta 23:44 Stripe acquires OpenRouter for $7B+ 29:27 Stealing Reasoning Traces from Proprietary LLM APIs 35:03 First look at Cursor's GitHub killer 42:34 Dark Mode UX Discussion 46:40 Brought to you by Sentry! 48:34 Should AI respond in plain language? 52:57 Swamp Club Automation 01:02:37 Fight AI slop with this anti-slop plugin 01:03:39 Rubik's Cube Permutations 01:05:02 Hackweek Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads
This episode is a segment from the big Patreon Supporters-Only Bonus DHP episode CJ is currently working on, “Wooden Walls on the Water,” which will be a multi-hour deep-dive into virtually everything we know about Greek navies (especially the Athenian navy, about which we know the most) in the 5th century BC, including – but not limited to: the design & construction of triremes, the logistical & financial burdens of building & maintaining a large fleet of them, the experience of the crew, & the tactics & experience of battle, with some historical examples of important Greek naval engagements. This particular segment focuses on the oarsmen, who usually comprised more than 3/4 of a trireme’s total complement of 200 men. Join CJ as he discusses the three levels of rowers on an Athenian trireme — thalamites, zygites, & thranites — and the uncomfortable, exhausting, dangerous, & often downright disgusting conditions they dealt with when deployed on a trireme, even before they faced the hazards of battle. Like this episode? Support the DHP on Patreon! Through Labor Day (9/7) of 2026, CJ's running a Back to (Dangerous History) School Special: There will be a 25% discount on the first year of an annual membership at any level of support, or 25% off the first month of a monthly membership (also at any level of support)! If you want to get access to the full, multi-hour Patreon Bonus Episode “Wooden Walls on the Water,” from which this little segment was excerpted, sign up as one of his Patreon supporters at the Journeyman Scholar-Warrior Level (or higher), if you’re not already one of those excellent individuals who keeps the DHP a going concern. Just use coupon code 826 when signing up! You can also throw CJ a $ tip via Paypal here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=D6VUYSYQ4EU6LThrow CJ a $ tip via Venmo here: https://www.venmo.com/u/dangerousmedia Or throw CJ a BTC tip here: bc1qfrz9erz7dqazh9rhz3j7nv696nl52ux8unw79z Amazon Affiliate Links (buy ANYTHING – not just these specific items – from Amazon using any of these links & CJ gets a small commission at no cost to you!) A Naval History of the Pelopponesian War by Marc DeSantis A War Like No Other by Victor Davis Hanson Syracuse 415-413 BC by Nic Fields Links Support the Dangerous History Podcast via Patreon Subscribe to the Dangerous History Podcast Youtube Channel Follow CJ on Twitter/X CJ's PO Box Address (For Sending Him Items — Including, but not Limited to — Sacks of Gold Doubloons, Pieces of Eight, Freeze-Dried Flapjacks, etc. ) CJ Killmer Dangerous Media Productions 704 E Moody Blvd #43 Bunnell, FL 32110
In this episode of the Sports Gambling Podcast, Sean Green and CJ Sullivan react to the NFL transfer portal news and injury news. Sean and CJ also announce their best NFL futures bets with special guest Jeff Erickson. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In this episode of the Sports Gambling Podcast, Sean Green and CJ Sullivan discuss the MLB slate for the weekend and recap the NFL preseason games for the day. Also, joining the show is Colby Dant to give his best futures pick in CFB. Sean and CJ play Tale of the Tape and give their best bets for the night. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
If you support us on Patreon, you may know that we have been doing Aftershows weekly for many years. We are releasing Aftershows from the past (two years old) on Fridays for everyone's enjoyment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDD0Rdib0FU The Professionals Aftershow This aftershow goes deep into Deep Space 9 trivia—will our hosts escape alive and with points on the board? CJ has never seen the show, so of course, he's on his own team against Greg and Phil. Thanks to our good friend Mike for the quiz. If you have an idea for a game we can play in the Aftershow, email it to us at playeronepodcast@gmail.com! Thanks for your support!