Podcasts about Cloak

In this week's episode, I take a look back at the movies and streaming shows I watched in Summer 2025. This coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Ghost in the Serpent, Book #1 in the Ghost Armor series, (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) at my Payhip store: FALLSERPENT50 The coupon code is valid through September 15, 2025 (please note the shorter expiration date). So if you need a new audiobook this fall, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 267 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is September 5, 2025 and today I'm doing a review roundup of the movies and streaming shows I saw in Summer 2025. Before we do that, we will have Coupon of the Week and a progress update on my current writing and audiobook projects. First up, this week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Ghost in the Serpent, Book One in the Ghost Armor series (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) at my Payhip store. That is FALLSERPENT50. This coupon code will be valid through September 15th, 2025 (exactly one week). So if you need a new audiobook to listen to as we head into fall, we have got you covered. Now for an update on my current writing and audiobook projects. I am pleased to report that the rough draft of Blade of Flames, which will be the first book in my new Blades of Ruin epic fantasy series is finished. The rough draft came at about 90,000 words long, which was what I was aiming for. Next up, I will be writing a short story set as sort of a bonus in that plot line called Thunder Hammer and that will be the backstory of one of the characters in Blade of Flames. And when Blade of Flames comes out (which will hopefully be later this September), newsletter subscribers will get a free ebook copy of Thunder Hammer. So this is an excellent time to subscribe to my newsletter. I am also 8,000 words into Cloak of Worlds. At long last, I am coming back to the Cloak Mage series after nearly a year's absence. Longtime listeners will know the reason was that I had five unfinished series and I wanted to spend the summer of 2025 finishing the unfinished ones and focusing up so I will only have three ongoing series at any given time. I'm hoping Blade of Flames will come out before the end of September and Cloak of Worlds before the end of October, and after that I will be able to return to the Rivah series at long last. In audiobook news, recording is finished on Shield of Power. That will be excellently narrated by Brad Wills and hopefully once it gets through processing and quality assurance and everything, it should be showing up on the various audiobook stores before too much longer. Hollis McCarthy is about halfway through the recording of Ghost in the Siege, which was, as you know, the last book in the Ghost Armor series that just came out. And if all goes well, the audiobook should be coming out probably in October once everything is done with recording and quality assurance and all that. So that is where I'm at with my current writing and audiobook projects. 00:02:34 Main Topic: Summer 2025 Movie/TV Roundup So without further ado, let's head into our main topic. The end of summer is nigh, which means this time for my summer movie review roundup. As is usual for the summer, I saw a lot of movies, so this will be one of the longer episodes. For some reason I ended up watching a bunch of westerns. As always, the movies are ranked from least favorite to most favorite. The grades of course are totally subjective and based on nothing more than my own opinions, impressions, and interpretations. Now on to the movies. First up is the Austin Powers trilogy, the three movies of which came out in 1997, 1999, and 2002. The Austin Powers movies came out just as the Internet really got going in terms of mass adoption, which is likewise why so many Austin Powers and Dr. Evil memes are embedded in online culture. Despite that, I had never really seen any of them all the way through. They've been on in the background on TBS or whatever quite a bit when I visited people, but I've never seen them all. But I happened upon a DVD of the trilogy for $0.25 (USD), so I decided for 25 cents I would give it a go. I would say the movies were funny, albeit not particularly good. Obviously the Austin Powers movies are a parody of the James Bond movies. The movies kind of watch like an extended series of Saturday Night Live skits, only loosely connected, like the skit is what if Dr. Evil had a son named Scott who wasn't impressed with him or another skit was what if a British agent from the ‘60s arrives in the ‘90s and experiences culture clash? What if Dr. Evil didn't understand the concept of inflation and demanded only a million dollars from the United Nations? What if Dr. Evil was actually Austin's brother and they went to school together at Spy Academy? Michael Caine was pretty great as Austin's father. Overall, funny but fairly incoherent. Overall grade: C- Next up is Horrible Bosses, a very dark and very raunchy comedy from about 14 years ago. It came out in 2011. Interestingly, this movie reflects what I think is one of the major crises of the contemporary era, frequent failures of leadership at all levels of society. In the movie Nick, Dale, and Kurt are lifelong friends living in LA and all three of them have truly horrible bosses in their place of employment, ranging from a sociopathic finance director, the company founder's cokehead son, and a boorish dentist with a tendency to sexual harassment. At the bar, they fantasize about killing their horrible bosses and then mutually decide to do something about it. Obviously, they'd all be prime suspects in the murder of their own bosses, but if they killed each other's bosses, that would allow them to establish airtight alibis. However, since Nick, Dale and Kurt are not as bright as they think they are, it all goes hilariously wrong very quickly. Bob Hope has a hilarious cameo. If the best “crude comedies” I've seen are Anchorman, Zoolander, Tropic Thunder, and Dodgeball, and the worst one was MacGruber, I'd say Horrible Bosses lands about in the middle. Overall grade: C Next up is Cowboys and Aliens, which came out in 2011. Now I almost saw this in 2011 when it came out, but I was too busy to go to the theater in July of 2011, so I finally saw it here in 2025 and I would say this was almost a great movie, like the performances were great, the concept was great, the scenery was great, the special effects were great, and the story was packed full of really interesting ideas, but somehow they just didn't coalesce. I'm not entirely sure why. I think upon reflection, it was that the movie is just too overcrowded with too many characters and too many subplots. Anyway, Daniel Craig portrays a man who wakes up with no memory in the Old West, with a mysterious bracelet locked around his wrist. He makes his way to the town of Atonement, and promptly gets arrested because he is apparently a notorious outlaw (which he doesn't remember). While he is locked in jail, space aliens attack the town. The aliens, for unknown reasons, abduct many of the townspeople, and Daniel Craig's character, who is named Jake even if he doesn't remember it, must lead the town's effort to recover their abducted citizens. Harrison's Ford has an excellent performance as this awful cattle baron who nonetheless has virtues of courage and fortitude that you can't help but admire. An excellent performance. That said, the movie was just too packed, and I thought it would work better as a novel. After I watched the movie, it turned out that it was indeed based off a graphic novel. Novels and graphic novels allow for a far more complex story than a movie, and I don't think this movie quite managed to handle the transition from a graphic novel to a film. Overall grade: C Next up is Heads of State, which came out in 2025. This was kind of a stupid movie. However, the fundamental question of any movie, shouted to the audience by Russell Crow in Gladiator is, “are you not entertained?!?” I was thoroughly entertained watching this, so entertained I actually watched it twice. Not everything has to be Shakespeare or a profound meditation on the unresolvable conflicts inherent within human nature. Anyway, John Cena plays Will Derringer, newly elected President of the United States. Idris Elba plays Sam Clark, who has now been the UK Prime Minister for the last six years. Derringer was an action star who parleyed his celebrity into elected office (in the same way Arnold Schwarzenegger did), while Clarke is an army veteran who worked his way up through the UK's political system. Needless to say, the cheerful Derringer and the grim Clarke take an immediate dislike to each other. However, they'll have to team up when Air Force One is shot down, stranding them in eastern Europe. They'll have to make their way home while evading their enemies to unravel the conspiracy that threatens world peace. So half action thriller, half buddy road trip comedy. The premise really doesn't work if you think about it too much for more than thirty seconds, but the movie was funny and I enjoyed it. Jack Quaid really stole his scenes as a crazy but hyper-competent CIA officer. Overall grade: C+ Next up, Captain America: Brave New World, which came out in 2025 and I think this movie ended up on the good side of middling. You can definitely tell it went through a lot of reshoots and retooling, and I suspect the various film industry strikes hit it like a freight train. But we ended up with a reasonably solid superhero thriller. Sam Wilson is now Captain America. He's not superhuman the way Steve Rogers was and doesn't have magic powers or anything, so he kind of fights like the Mandalorian – a very capable fighter who relies on excellent armor. Meanwhile, in the grand American political tradition of failing upward, Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, who spent years persecuting The Hulk and whose meddling caused the Avengers to disband right before Thanos attacked, has now been elected President. To Wilson's surprise, Ross reaches out and wants him to restart the Avengers. But Ross (as we know) did a lot of shady black ops stuff for years, and one of his projects is coming back to haunt him. Wilson finds himself in the middle of a shadowy conspiracy, and it's up to him to figure out what's going on before it's too late. I was amused that lifelong government apparatchik Ross wanted to restart the Avengers, because when the Avengers had their biggest victory in Avengers: Endgame, they were essentially unsanctioned vigilantes bankrolled by a rogue tech billionaire. Overall grade: B- Next up is Ironheart, which came out in 2025. I'd say Ironheart was about 40% very weird and 60% quite good. It's sort of like the modern version of Dr. Faustus. The show got some flak on the Internet from the crossfire between the usual culture war people, but the key to understanding it is to realize that Riri Williams AKA Ironheart is in fact an antihero who's tottering on the edge of becoming a full-blown supervillain. Like Tony Stark, she's a once-in-a-generation scientific talent, but while she doesn't have Stark's alcohol problems, she's emotionally unstable, immature, ruthless, indifferent to collateral damage and consequences, and suffering from severe PTSD after her best friend and stepfather were killed in a drive-by shooting. This volatile mix gets her thrown out of MIT after her experiments cause too much destruction, and she has to go home to Chicago. To get the funds to keep working on her Iron Man armor, she turns to crime, and falls in with a gang of high-end thieves led by a mysterious figure named Hood. It turns out that Hood has actual magic powers, which both disturbs and fascinates Riri. However, Hood got his magic in a pact with a mysterious dark force. When a job goes bad, Riri gains the enmity of Hood and has to go on the run. It also turns out Hood's dark master has become very interested in Riri, which might be a lot more dangerous for everyone in the long run. Overall, I'd say this is about in the same vein as Agatha All Along, an interesting show constructed around a very morally questionable protagonist. Overall grade: B Next up is A Minecraft movie, which came out in 2024. I have to admit, I've never actually played Minecraft, so I know very little about the game and its ecosystem, only what I've generally absorbed by glancing at the news. That said, I think the movie held together quite well, and wasn't deserving of the general disdain it got in the press. (No doubt the $950 million box office compensated for any hurt feelings.) One of the many downsides of rapid technological change in the last fifty years is that the Boomers and Gen X and the Millennials and Gen Z and Gen Alpha have had such radically different formative experiences in childhood that it's harder to relate to each other. Growing up in the 1980s was a wildly different experience than growing up in the 2010s, and growing up in the 2010s was an even more wildly different experience than growing up in the 1960s. Smartphones and social media were dominant in 2020, barely starting in 2010, and implausible science fiction in 2000 and earlier, and so it was like the different generations grew up on different planets, because in some sense they actually did. (A five-year-old relative of mine just started school, and the descriptions of his school compared to what I remember of school really do sound like different planets entirely.) The Minecraft game and A Minecraft Movie might be one of those generation-locked experiences. Anyway, this has gotten very deep digression for what was essentially a portal-based LitRPG movie. A group of people experiencing various life difficulties in a rural Idaho town get sucked into the Minecraft world through a magic portal. There they must combine forces and learn to work together to master the Minecraft world to save it from an evil sorceress. As always, the fundamental question of any movie is the one that Russell Crowe's character shouted to the audience in Gladiator back in 2000. “Are you not entertained?” I admit I was entertained when watching A Minecraft Movie since it was funny and I recognized a lot of the video game mechanics, even though I've never actually played Minecraft. Like, Castlevania II had a night/day cycle the way Minecraft does, and Castlevania II was forty years ago. But that was another digression! I did enjoy A Minecraft Movie. It was kind of crazy, but it committed to the craziness and maintained a consistent creative vision, and I was entertained. Though I did think it was impressive how Jack Black's agent managed to insist that he sing several different times. Overall grade: B Next up is Back to School, which came out in 1986 and this is one of the better ‘80s comedies I've seen. Rodney Dangerfield plays Thornton Melon, who never went to college and is the wealthy owner of a chain of plus-sized clothing stores. His son Jason is attending Great Lakes University, and after Thornton's unfaithful gold-digging wife leaves him (Thornton is mostly relieved by this development), he decides to go visit his son. He quickly discovers that Jason is flailing at college, and decides to enroll to help out his son. Wacky adventures ensue! I quite enjoyed this. The fictional “Great Lakes University” was largely shot at UW-Madison in Wisconsin, which I found amusing because I spent a lot of time at UW-Madison several decades ago as a temporary IT employee. I liked seeing the characters walk past a place where I'd eat lunch outside when the day was nice, that kind of thing. Also, I'm very familiar with how the sausage gets made in higher ed. There's a scene where the dean is asking why Thornton is qualified to enter college, and then it cuts to the dean cheerfully overseeing the groundbreaking of the new Thornton Melon Hall which Thornton just donated, and I laughed so hard I almost hurt myself, because that is exactly how higher ed works. The movie had some pointless nudity, but it was only a few seconds and no doubt gets cut in network broadcasts. Overall grade: B Next up is Whiskey Galore, which came out in 1949 and this is a comedy set in Scotland during World War II. The villagers living on an isolated island have no whiskey due to wartime rationing. However, when a government ship carrying 50,000 cases of whiskey runs aground near the island, wacky hijinks ensue. I have to admit the first half of the movie was very slow and deliberate, gradually setting up all the pieces for later. Then, once the shipwreck happens, things pick up and the movie gets much funnier. Definitely worth watching both as a good comedy movie and an artifact of its time. A modicum of historical knowledge is required – if you don't know what the Home Guard is, you might have to do some Googling to understand the context of some of the scenes. Regrettably, the version I watched did not have captioning, so I had to pay really close attention to understand what the characters were saying, because some of the accents were very strong. Overall grade: B Next up is Happy Gilmore 2, which came out in 2025. This was dumb and overstuffed with celebrity cameos but thoroughly hilarious and I say this even though it uses one of my least favorite story tropes, namely “hero of previous movie is now a middle age loser.” However, the movie leads into it for comedy. When Happy Gilmore accidentally kills his wife with a line drive, he spirals into alcoholism and despair. But his five children still love him, and when his talented daughter needs tuition for school, Happy attempts to shake off his despair and go back to golf to win the money. But Happy soon stumbles onto a sinister conspiracy led by an evil CEO to transform the game of golf into his own personal profit center. Happy must team up with his old nemesis Shooter McGavin to save golf itself from the evil CEO. Amusingly, as I've said before, the best Adam Sandler movies are almost medieval. In medieval fables, it was common for a clever peasant to outwit pompous lords, corrupt priests, and greedy merchants. The best Adam Sandler protagonist remains an everyman who outwits the modern equivalent of pompous lords and corrupt priests, in this case an evil CEO. Overall grade: B+ Next up is Superman, which came out in 2025 and I thought this was pretty good and very funny at times. I think it caught the essential nature of Superman. Like, Superman should be a Lawful Good character. If he was a Dungeons and Dragons character, he would be a paladin. People on the Internet tend to take the characterization of superheroes seriously to perhaps an unhealthy degree, but it seems the best characterization of Superman is as an earnest, slightly dorky Boy Scout who goes around doing good deeds. The contrast of that good-hearted earnestness with his godlike abilities that would allow him to easily conquer and rule the world is what makes for an interesting character. I also appreciated how the movie dispensed with the overused trope of the Origin Story and just got down to business. In this movie, Lex Luthor is obsessed with destroying Superman and is willing to use both super-advanced technology and engineered geopolitical conflict to do it. Superman, because he's essentially a decent person, doesn't comprehend just how depraved Luthor is, and how far Luthor is willing to go out of petty spite. (Ironically, a billionaire willing to destroy the world out of petty spite is alas, quite realistic). Guy Gardener (“Jerkish Green Lantern”) and the extremely competent and the extremely exasperated Mr. Terrific definitely stole all their scenes. The director of the movie, James Gunn, was quite famously fired from Disney in 2018 for offensive jokes he had made on Twitter back when he was an edgy young filmmaker with an alcohol problem. I suppose Mr. Gunn can rest content knowing that Superman made more money than any Marvel movie released this year. Overall grade: A-   Next up is Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, which came out in 1988. This was a very strange movie, but nonetheless, one with an ambitious premise, strong performances, and a strong artistic vision. It's set in post WWII Los Angeles, and “toons” (basically cartoon characters) live and work alongside humans. Private eye Eddie Valiant hates toons since one of them killed his brother five years ago. However, he's hired by the head of a studio who's having trouble with one of his toon actors, Roger Rabbit. Roger's worried his wife Jessica is having an affair, and Valiant obtains pictures of Jessica playing patty cake (not a euphemism, they actually were playing patty cake) with another man. Roger has an emotional breakdown, and soon the other man winds up dead, and Roger insists he's innocent. Valiant and Roger find themselves sucked into a dangerous conspiracy overseen by a ruthless mastermind. This movie was such an interesting cultural artifact. It perfectly follows the structure of a ‘40s film noir movie, but with cartoons, and the dissonance between film noir and the cheerfulness of the toons was embraced and used as a frequently source of comedy. In fact, when the grim and dour Valiant uses the toons' comedy techniques as a tactical improvisation in a moment of mortal peril, it's both hilarious and awesome. Christopher Lloyd's performance as the villainous Judge Doom was amazing. (I don't think it's a spoiler to say that he's villainous, because his character is named Judge Doom and he's literally wearing a black hat.) Like, his performance perfectly captures something monstrous that is trying very hard to pretend to be human and not quite getting it right. And the amount of work it must have taken to make this movie staggers the mind. Nowadays, having live actors interact with cartoon characters is expensive, but not unduly so. It's a frequent technique. You see it all the time in commercials when a housewife is smiling at an animated roll of paper towels or something, and Marvel's essentially been doing it for years. But this was 1988! Computer animation was still a ways off. They had to shoot the movie on analog film, and then hand-draw all the animation and successfully match it to the live film. It wouldn't have worked without the performance of Bob Hoskins as Eddie Valiant, who plays everything perfectly straight in the same way Michael Caine did in A Muppet Christmas Carol. So kind of a strange movie, but definitely worth watching. And it has both Disney and Warner Brothers animated characters in the same movie, which is something we will never, ever see again. Overall grade: A Next up is K-Pop Demon Hunters, which came out in 2025. Like Who framed Roger Rabbit?, this is a very strange movie, but nonetheless with a clear and focused artistic vision. It is a cultural artifact that provides a fascinating look into a world of which I have no knowledge or interest, namely K-pop bands and their dueling fandoms. Anyway, the plot is that for millennia, female Korean musicians have used the magic of their voices to keep the demons locked away in a demon world. The current incarnation is a three-woman K-Pop group called Huntrix, and they are on the verge of sealing away the demons forever. Naturally, the Demon King doesn't like this, so one of his cleverer minions comes up with a plan. They'll start a Demon K-Pop Boy Band! Disguised as humans, the demon K-Pop group will win away Huntrix's fans, allowing them to breach the barrier and devour the world. However, one of the Huntrix musicians is half-demon, and she starts falling for the lead demon in the boy band, who is handsome and of course has a dark and troubled past. Essentially a musical K-drama follows. I have to admit I know practically nothing about K-Pop groups and their dueling fandoms, other than the fact that they exist. However, this was an interesting movie to watch. The animation was excellent, it did have a focused vision, and there were some funny bits. Overall grade: A Next up is Clarkson's Farm Season Four, which came out in 2025. A long time ago in the ‘90s, I watched the episode of Frasier where Frasier and Niles attempt to open a restaurant and it all goes horribly (yet hilariously) wrong. At the time, I had no money, but I promised myself that I would never invest in a restaurant. Nothing I have seen or learned in the subsequent thirty years has ever changed that decision. Season 4 of Clarkson's Farm is basically Jeremy Clarkson, like Frasier and Niles, attempting to open a restaurant, specifically a British pub. On paper it's a good idea, since Clarkson can provide the pub with food produced from his own farm and other local farmers. However, it's an enormous logistical nightmare, and Clarkson must deal with miles of red tape, contractors, and a ballooning budget, all while trying to keep his farm from going under. An excellent and entertaining documentary into the difficulties of both the farming life and food service. I still don't want to own a restaurant! Overall grade: A Next up is Tombstone, which came out in 1993. The Western genre of fiction is interesting because it's limited to such a very specific period of time and geographical region. Like the “Wild West” period that characterizes the Western genre really only lasted as a historical period from about 1865 to roughly 1890. The Western genre was at its most popular in movies from the 1940s and the 1960s, and I wonder if it declined because cultural and demographic changes made it unpopular to romanticize the Old West the way someone like Walt Disney did at Disneyland with “Frontierland.” Of course, the genre lives on in different forms in grittier Western movies, neo-Westerns like Yellowstone and Longmire, and a lot of the genre's conventions apply really well to science fiction. Everyone talks about Firefly being the first Space Western, but The Mandalorian was much more successful and was basically a Western in space (albeit with occasional visits from Space Wizards). Anyway! After that long-winded introduction, let's talk about Tombstone. When Val Kilmer died earlier this year, the news articles mentioned Tombstone as among his best work, so I decided to give it a watch. The plot centers around Wyatt Earp, played by Kurt Russell, who has decided to give up his career in law enforcement and move to Tombstone, Arizona, a silver mining boomtown, in hopes of making his fortune. However, Tombstone is mostly controlled by the Cowboys outlaw gang, and Earp is inevitably drawn into conflict with them. With the help of his brothers and Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer's character), Earp sets out to bring some law and order to Tombstone, whether the Cowboys like it or not. Holliday is in the process of dying from tuberculosis, which makes him a formidable fighter since he knows getting shot will be a less painful and protracted death than the one his illness will bring him. Kilmer plays him as a dissolute, scheming warrior-poet who nonetheless is a very loyal friend. Definitely a classic of the Western genre, and so worth watching. Overall grade: A Next up is Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, the eighth Mission Impossible movie. Of the eight movies, I think the sixth one was the best one, but this one comes in at a close second. It continues on from Dead Reckoning. Ethan Hunt now possesses the key that will unlock the source code of the Entity, the malicious AI (think ChatGPT, but even more obviously evil) that is actively maneuvering the world's nuclear powers into destroying each other so the Entity can rule the remnants of humanity. Unfortunately, the Entity's source code is sitting in a wrecked Russian nuclear sub at the bottom of the Bering Sea. Even more unfortunately, the Entity knows that Hunt has the key and is trying to stop him, even as the Entity's former minion and Hunt's bitter enemy Gabriel seeks to seize control of the Entity for himself. A sense of apocalyptic doom hangs over the movie, which works well to build tension. Once again, the world is doomed, unless Ethan Hunt and his allies can save the day. The tension works extremely well during the movie's underwater sequence, and the final airborne duel between Hunt and Gabriel. I don't know if they're going to make any more Mission Impossible movies after this (they are insanely expensive), but if this is the end, it is a satisfying conclusion for the character of Ethan Hunt and the Impossible Mission Force. Overall grade: A Next up is Deep Cover, which came out in 2025. This is described as a comedy thriller, and I didn't know what to expect when I watched it, but I really enjoyed it. Bryce Dallas Howard plays Kat, a struggling comedy improv teacher living in London. Her best students are Marlon (played by Orlando Bloom), a dedicated character actor who wants to portray gritty realism but keeps getting cast in tacky commercials, and Hugh (played by Nick Mohammed), an awkward IT worker with no social skills whatsoever. One day, the three of them are recruited by Detective Sergeant Billings (played by Sean Bean) of the Metropolitan Police. The Met wants to use improv comedians to do undercover work for minor busts with drug dealers. Since it plays 200 pounds a pop, the trio agrees. Of course, things rapidly spiral out of control, because Kat, Marlon, and Hugh are actually a lot better at improv than they think, and soon they find themselves negotiating with the chief criminals of the London underworld. What follows is a movie that is both very tense and very funny. Kat, Marlon, and Hugh are in way over their heads, and will have to do the best improv of their lives to escape a very grisly fate. Whether Sean Bean dies or not (as is tradition), you will just have to watch the movie and find out. Overall grade: A Next up is Puss in Boots: The Final Wish, which came out in 2022. I don't personally know much about the history of Disney as a corporation, and I don't much care, but I do have several relatives who are very interested in the history of the Disney corporation, and therefore I have picked up some by osmosis. Apparently Disney CEO Michael Eisner forcing out Jeffrey Katzenberg in the 1990s was a very serious mistake, because Katzenberg went on to co-found DreamWorks, which has been Disney's consistent rival for animation for the last thirty years. That's like “CIA Regime Change Blowback” levels of creating your own enemy. Anyway, historical ironies aside, Puss in Boots: The Final Wish was a funny and surprisingly thoughtful animated movie. Puss in Boots is a legendary outlaw and folk hero, but he has used up eight of his nine lives. An ominous bounty hunter who looks like a humanoid wolf begins pursuing him, and the Wolf is able to shrug off the best of Puss In Boots' attacks. Panicked, Puss hides in a retirement home for elderly cats, but then hears rumors of the magical Last Wish. Hoping to use it to get his lives back, Puss In Boots sets off on the quest. It was amusing how Little Jack Horner and Goldilocks and the Three Bears were rival criminal gangs seeking the Last Wish. Overall grade: A Next up is Chicken People, which came out in 2016. A good documentary film gives you a glimpse into an alien world that you would otherwise never visit. In this example, I have absolutely no interest in competitive chicken breeding and will only raise chickens in my backyard if society ever collapses to the level that it becomes necessary for survival. That said, this was a very interesting look into the work of competitive chicken breeding. Apparently, there is an official “American Standard of Perfection” for individual chicken breeds, and the winner of the yearly chicken competition gets the title “Super Grand Champion.” Not Grand Champion, Super Grand Champion! That looks impressive on a resume. It is interesting how chicken breeding is in some sense an elaborate Skinner Box – like you can deliberately set out to breed chickens with the desirable traits on the American Standard of Perfection, but until the chickens are hatched and grow up, you don't know how they're going to turn out, so you need to try again and again and again… Overall grade: A Next up is The Mask of Zoro, which came out in 1998. I saw this in the theatre when it came out 27 years ago, but that was 27 years ago, and I don't have much of a memory of it, save that I liked it. So when I had the chance to watch it again, I did! Anthony Hopkins plays Diego de la Vega, who has the secret identity of Zorro in the final days before Mexico breaks away from the Spanish Empire. With Mexico on the verge of getting its independence, Diego decides to hang up his sword and mask and focus on his beloved wife and daughter. Unfortunately, the military governor Don Montero realizes Diego is Zorro, so has him arrested, kills his wife, and steals his baby daughter to raise as his own. Twenty years later, a bandit named Alejandro loses his brother and best friends to a brutal cavalry commander. It turns out that Montero is returning to California from Spain, and plans to seize control of California as an independent republic (which, of course, will be ruled by him). In the chaos, Diego escapes from prison and encounters a drunken Alejandro, and stops him from a futile attack upon the cavalry commander. He then proposes a pact – Diego will train Alejandro as the next Zorro, and together they can take vengeance upon the men who wronged them. This was a good movie. It was good to see that my taste in movies 27 years ago wasn't terrible. It manages to cram an entire epic plot into only 2 hours and 20 minutes. In some ways it was like a throwback to a ‘40s movie but with modern (for the ‘90s) production values, and some very good swordfights. Overall grade: A Next up is Wick is Pain, which came out in 2025. I've seen all four John Wick movies and enjoyed them thoroughly, though I've never gotten around to any of the spinoffs. Wick is Pain is a documentary about how John Wick went from a doomed indie movie with a $6.5 million hole in its budget to one of the most popular action series of the last few decades. Apparently Keanu Reeves made an offhand joke about how “Wick is pain” and that became the mantra of the cast and crew, because making an action movie that intense really was a painful experience. Definitely worth watching if you enjoyed the John Wick movies or moviemaking in general. Overall grade: A The last movie I saw this summer was Game Night, which came out in 2016. It was a hilarious, if occasionally dark comedy action thriller. Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams play Max and Annie Davis, a married couple who are very competitive and enjoy playing games of all kinds. Jason has an unresolved conflict with his brother Brooks, and one night Brooks invites them over for game night, which Max resents. Halfway through the evening, Brooks is kidnapped, with Max and Annie assume is part of the game. However, Brooks really is involved in something shady. Hilarity ensues, and it's up to Max and Annie to rescue Brooks and stay alive in the process. This was really funny, though a bit dark in places. That said, Max and Annie have a loving and supportive marriage, so it was nice to see something like that portrayed on the screen. Though this also leads to some hilarity, like when Annie accidentally shoots Max in the arm. No spoilers, but the punchline to that particular sequence was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Overall grade: A So no A+ movie this time around, but I still saw a bunch of solid movies I enjoyed. One final note, I have to admit, I've really come to respect Adam Sandler as an entertainer, even if his movies and comedy are not always to my taste. He makes what he wants, makes a lot of money, ensures that his friends get paid, and then occasionally takes on a serious role in someone else's movie when he wants to flex some acting muscles. I am not surprised that nearly everyone who's in the original Happy Gilmore who was still alive wanted to come back for Happy Gilmore 2. So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show enjoyable and perhaps a guide to some good movies to watch. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.  

Off on her own side-quest, Del confronted the threatening figure and discovered it was the ranger she'd been seeking. Del dubbed the ranger “Walker” and they headed towards Bree, but were soon set upon by wargs. Walker was badly hurt, so Del patched him up and they finally arrived at The Prancing Pony inn. They quickly spotted Adam and Guy, but for reasons unknown, Walker immediately moved to attack them and when Del called out to her friends, he turned on her too. Tyler rushed downstairs to see a brawl breaking out before him and the inn on fire. Can Del, Adam, and Guy survive by hiding behind a table that's being hacked to bits?Featuring players Tyler Hewitt, Del Borovic, Guy Bradford, and Adam McNamara, and Dungeon Master Tom McGee.Jesters of Middle-earth streams live every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET on Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/dumbdumbdice)Enjoying Jesters of Middle-earth? - Consider supporting the show for as little as $1 a month to get BTS fun, an ad-free feed, and even add your own character to the podcast! (https://dumbdumbdice.com/join)- Buy merch on our website (https://dumbdumbdice.com/)- Follow us on social media: @dumbdumbdice- Watch our video episodes on YouTube (https://youtube.com/@dumbdumbdice) Artwork by the brilliant Del Borovic- Website & Portfolio (https://delborovic.com/), @deltastic on socialsTheme song by Sound Gallery by Dmitry Taras- YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@soundgallerybydmitrytaras)- Pixabay (https://pixabay.com/music/fantasy-dreamy-childrens-dark-mysterious-halloween-night-scary-creepy-spooky-horror-music-116551/)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episode Notes Sometimes, we wonder if we should change the podcast to be something more palatable to general audiences. But listen, if the X-Men have taught us anything, it's to be weird little freaks, so we are going to continue to do an X-Men podcast that is increasingly about things you wouldn't normally get in an X-Men podcast. Ranked This Episode: Spellbound #4 Mutant Misadventures of Cloak and Dagger #4 Ka-Zar the Savage #10-12 Check out the Battle of the Atom Master Ranking List! New content every week on ComicsXF.com Follow Adam on Twitter @arthurstacy & never try to find Zack! Our theme music is Junk Factory from the X-Men Arcade Game by Seiichi Fukami, Yuji Takenouchi, Junya Nakano, and Ayako Hashimoto. Cover art is by Adam Reck after Dave Cockrum with logo design by Mikey Zee If you want to support the show make sure you rate and review the show or check out our Patreon!

In this week's episode, I look at what goes into a successful theme park, and compare it to the process of creating a compelling story. This coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in the Dragontiarna series at my Payhip store: FALLDRAGON25 The coupon code is valid through September 8, 2025 (please note the shorter expiration date). So if you need a new ebook this fall, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 266 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller and today is August 29th, 2025, and today we are considering if theme parks are like writing. Before we get into this topic, we'll have Coupon of the Week and then a progress update on my current writing projects. This week's coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in the Dragontiarna series at my Payhip store, and that coupon code is FALLDRAGON25. And as always, we'll have the coupon code and links in the show notes for this episode. This coupon code is only valid through September 8, 2025. That's only one week, so if you want to use it, act now. And if you need a new ebook for fall, we have got you covered. Now an update on my current writing projects. I am 63,000 words into Blade of Flames, the first book in my new epic fantasy Blades of Ruin series, and I think 63,000 words puts me about almost two thirds of the way through. I think the book will end up being between 90,000 and 100,000 words, so hopefully we are on track to have that out before the end of September. I'm also 5,000 words into Cloak of Worlds, which will be the 13th book in the Cloak Mage series. And if all goes well, I think that will probably be out in October, towards the end of October, maybe a Halloween book. In audiobook news, recording is still underway for Shield of Power (that will be excellently narrated by Brad Wills); we're coming up on the end of that, so should have some good news on that before too much longer. Recording is underway for Ghost in the Siege, and that will be excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy. So that is where I am at with my current writing and audiobook projects. Some good progress this week. 00:01:53 Main Topic: What Epic Universe Can Teach Us About Creating Memorable Characters Now on to our main topic this week: are theme parks like writing and what theme parks can teach us about creating memorable characters and settings. I have to admit, this is an unusual topic for me because I am not really a theme park person. I have several family members who are interested in the history of Disney Corporation, so I've picked up some through osmosis, but that's essentially it. This topic was suggested by my podcast transcriptionist, and it was an interesting idea, so I thought we would go with it. I don't really know all that much about theme parks. As I mentioned, I'm not really in the target audience and I'm not in the sort of demographic where I would watch, for example, someone's four hour live stream through the latest Disney attraction or whatever. Though I did watch the video that Jenny Nicholson put out last summer about her experience with the Star Wars “hotel”, and I think that was interesting as a piece of essentially documentary journalism depicting a tale of sort of corporate greed and cost cutting and how that can lead to inevitable failure. But that is a bit of a tangent from our main topic, which is whether or not writers can learn anything from theme parks. I did pick up enough through osmosis from the history of Disney to know that in the early days before the Disney Corporation became as sort of corporatized and cost cutting as is now, that when they built a new attraction, the attraction had to be able to tell a story, like there was some sort of a story that needed to be told or an essential narrative that needed to be followed through the layout of the attraction so the guests, if they were paying attention, would be told a story. So apparently the big news in the theme park universe this year is that Universal opened a new theme park called Universal Epic Universe in Florida in May 2025. The park is built on a central hub, which then divides out into five intellectual property based lands like Super Nintendo World with all of the Mario characters. What's interesting is that two of the five lands in the theme park are directly based on content that began as book series, the How to Train Your Island- Isle of Berk (which was originally written by Cressida Cowell) and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and the Ministry of Magic, which was originally written by J.K. Rowling. One other land, The Dark Universe, draws heavily on the Frankenstein story, which was originally written by Mary Shelley (among other creatures like Dracula, who as a character originated in Bram Stoker's novel in the 19th century). Now, what does this have to do with writing? I mean, for most writers, the idea of becoming popular enough that people build theme parks based on your characters is probably a bit unrealistic as a career goal. However, I think there are lessons that can be learned there for writers about holding the interest and compelling readers. All three of the intellectual properties we discussed previously were more often known for their movie adaptations than the books they were originally based upon. But we can learn what makes memorable characters and settings in the book series and how a theme park would draw upon a beloved book series to generate ticket, merchandise, and food sales. I think it is both fair to say and a profound understatement that books, movies, and theme parks are wildly different kinds of art forms. However, the fundamental principles of storytelling, of world building do seem to apply across all three. So let's take a look at some of those principles. Part I: Creating Fictional Worlds Memorably People like distinct and creative worlds that make them feel immersed in something beyond mundane reality, even if that reality is not safe, easy, or pleasant. In all three stories that inspire these theme parks, the main character faces something that no one has before. Harry Potter readers can imagine that they're an owl delivery letter away from arriving at a new school full of friends, magic, and danger. How to Train Your Dragon lets readers soar through the air while rescuing a lovable dragon from a dark fate. Dragon riders are considered to be a special group of people in this world. Frankenstein allows us to imagine a world where humans are powerful enough to have power over life and death itself, though in the grand tradition of science fiction and horror, this always goes horribly wrong. After all, creating an artificial life form did not end particularly well for Victor Frankenstein in the first book. And where this comes into theme parks is that readers want to find a way to be included in the fictional world. In Harry Potter, readers can imagine which house they're sorted into based on personality traits. By choosing a house in the Hogwarts school or magic wands whose components reflect their personalities, they feel more included in the story because they know where they would belong in it. Many, many, many young adult series since then have tried to include some sort of factions or special lands or organizations in their stories for this reason, but it never seems to land quite as well as it did in the Harry Potter series. Though to be honest, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry seems like it would be immediately shut down if any sort of educational authority or ministry of education or department of education ever investigated it because it (laughs) is not a well-run school. In How to Train Your Dragon, dangerous dragons are not only faced, they're befriended and protected. Something frightening becomes a chance to feel powerful and help others. And readers often enjoy reading about dark creatures or villains like Frankenstein's monster because it makes the real world seem more secure or stable by comparison or because they feel like misfits or outcasts and can sympathize with these characters. Now, for writers, specific world building details often are very distinct things that readers remember, sometimes even more than the plot. For myself, that's worked advantageously with several of my different settings where some of the distinct details of the Cloak Games settings or the Half-Elven Thief settings stick in people's minds. For the examples we're talking about here, some readers might remember a biting textbook, a flying broomstick, or what's on the Hogwarts banquet table more than they remember the plots of the individual Harry Potter movies or books. Now for the theme parks, Universal Studios capitalizes on this and makes money by creating merchandise and food items from those moments in the books, and they give visitors an opportunity to buy a nice cold glass of Butterbeer or a t-shirt from their Hogwarts house. And that feels more special than buying a pair of, for example, Mickey Mouse ears because they have a preexisting connection with Harry Potter, and though it's extremely unlikely that any of us will end up owning a theme park, as writers, don't be afraid of adding details like that, very specific details like that to the world building because it does help create a distinctive atmosphere and help the readers connect with the story. Part II: Investing Audiences in Your Characters Now onto part two, investing audiences in your characters. It's a good idea to find a way to make the readers root for your characters. Harry Potter and Toothless the dragon both begin as scrawny, unloved, and unimpressive, but they rise in the face of danger to become brave and important. When characters team up in a structured way, such as Dumbledore's Army or the creation of the Berk Training Academy, it gives the readers a chance to imagine how they could join the main characters and be part of the group. It's also important to remember a character doesn't have to be likable to be memorable, though obviously this often works better for villains. For example, Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter is a very memorable character, even though she's totally unsympathetic and unlikable because she represents a sort of bureaucratic, pettiness, and evil that we inevitably all have to deal with at some point in our lives, whether in school or dealing with various bureaucracies (whether government or corporate) as we get older. Frankenstein's creature likewise isn't always likable, though he is sympathetic because he didn't ask to be created. His creator mistreated him. He tried to fit into human society and totally failed. So while he does many morally reprehensible things like for example, murdering Victor Frankenstein's bride to be, nonetheless he retains an element of sympathy because if he's a monster, it's because Victor Frankenstein created him to be a monster. Even when his decisions aren't ideal or are quite bad, his loneliness and curiosity are still deeply relatable. Part III: Adapting To Grow With Your Audience Now, Part III, adapting to grow with your audience/adding new characters to an existing world or an interconnected series. Don't be afraid to age up your characters and change them across a series. In Harry Potter and How to Train Your Dragons, the characters age through series and face new and more complex challenges. Watching characters change is a great way to make them feel more lifelike and give them new complexities. I was reminded of that very recently with the publication of Ghost in the Siege, where I believe that is the 34th novel with Caina as the main character. Obviously she has changed and grown quite a bit since that first book all those years ago and some part of the plot was Caina coming to terms with how much she's changed and how much she's changed as a result of what she's had to do to save people she cares about, which is kind of an interesting comparison to the fact that I found it a bit challenging to write the book just because Caina has changed so much from her original start in trying to find a way to write that while remaining true to the character. Given how well the book has been received (thanks, everyone!), I think I might have landed on the mark for that one. If you want to continue in the world and write another series in the world, it's usually a good idea to include some carryover characters between the series. I've done that a lot with Frostborn, Sevenfold Sword, Dragontiarna, Dragonskull, and Shield War, where some characters continue over between the series. In the theme park, for example, in the Dark Universe, Dr. Victoria Frankenstein continues the work of her ancestor, Victor Frankenstein. That can also help to remind readers why they like the series so much by bringing back favorite characters. Returning to favorite locations in the series is a way to keep fans engaged, as long as it makes sense or fits the story. Give your books emotionally satisfying, not necessarily happy conclusions. Give them a chance to say goodbye to characters in places they've come to care about. Remember, the ending doesn't have to be happy. It doesn't have to be sad. It can be a bit of both. But what is important above all else is that the ending provides emotional resolution to the emotional conflicts and stakes raised within the story. Anything else and the readers will feel cheated. And now the conclusion. Fortunately, your readers won't have to wait in line for two hours to experience your characters the way that Epic Universe visitors must. But it's a testament to strong writing that people are willing to pay very large sums of money to do that, especially in Florida where the heat and the extreme humidity are constant, especially in summer. It's proof that well-developed settings, memorable characters, and immersive plots are important to readers and go a long way. Although you and I will probably not ever be theme park owners and I do not plan to ever go to Florida and go to Epic Universe, you can learn from how they build and maintain the relationship between their intellectual properties and their paying guests. Remember that you want compelling characters, a good story, and a satisfying conclusion. So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave your review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.  

One of them hates it. The other one thinks it's harmless fun. Who wins? 00:00 | Introduction02:48 | Patron Comments20:42 | About the Episode/Time Capsule24:19 | Trivial Trivia28:45 | Episode Discussion 1:11:21 | The AlamarEmmys!*This is an audio-only feed of K&M's Video Podcast found here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLidGSKPjKhVLDXW-9SDCdmYZR7rvMCIf

FULL C&D ARCHIVES/THANE CONTACT: https://vonupodcast.com/cd DONATE MONERO VIA XMRCHAT: XMRCHAT.COM/PAZNIAradio Please enjoy the newest episode of Thane Riddle's Cloak & Dagger! Tune in every Saturday LIVE at 4pm eastern/3pm central — call in, too! SHOW NOTES: EMAIL SHANE@LIBERTYUNDERATTACK.COM & SEE HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SHARE YOUR STORY! HEALTH LIBERATION/SELF-LIBERATION… The post Cloak & Dagger with Thane Riddle, Episode 11: Privacy News (More Monero FUD, Another Starlink Outage, & Radioactive Shrimp) The Perception of Others, “Urgent” Fan Mail, and NO GUEST appeared first on The Vonu Podcast.

A dutchman and the trail of money has Marlowe seeking after a Cloak of golden feathers. the cloak is over 100 square feet, and worth a fortune. A suspicious character…

A dutchman and the trail of money has Marlowe seeking after a Cloak of golden feathers. the cloak is over 100 square feet, and worth a fortune. A suspicious character…

In the much-delayed final episode of our series on mindset for writers, we take a look at when writers should change course, and talk about the importance of mental flexibility. This coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in the Frostborn series at my Payhip store: AUGUSTFROST The coupon code is valid through September 8, 2025. So if you need a new ebook this summer, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 265 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is August 22nd, 2025, and today we are considering when a writer should change course. This is a new episode. It's the third and final one in the mindset series that I had hoped to finish in June, but it was a very busy summer, and so I ran quite a few reruns of old episodes over the summer, but today I have time to record a full length episode, so we're going to do that and wrap up this series on mindset that we've been doing this summer. We will also do Coupon of the Week and an update on my current writing and audiobook projects. First up is Coupon of the Week and this week's coupon will get you 25% off ebooks in the Frostborn series at my Payhip store, and that code is AUGUSTFROST. As always, the coupon code and the store links will be available in the show notes for this episode, and this coupon code will be valid through September 8th, 2025. So if you need a new ebook to read as we wrap up summer and head into fall, we have got you covered. Now let's do an update on my current writing projects. I'm pleased to report to that Ghost in the Siege, the sixth and final book of the Ghost Armor series, is out. You can get it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Google Play, Smashwords, and my Payhip store. And with that, my Super Summer of Finishing Things is finally complete because I have finished the Shield War series, the Stealth and Spells trilogy, and now the Ghost Armor series. So now that those three series are done, what is next? Right now my main project is Blade of Flames, the first book in a new epic fantasy series that will be set in the Kingdom of Owyllain from my Sevenfold Sword series and I am 29,000 words into that. My secondary project right now is Cloak of Worlds, the 13th book in the Cloak Mage series, and I am 1,000 words into that. So hopefully we will have Blade of Flames come out towards the end of September and Cloak of Worlds come out towards the end of October, if all goes well. So my plan now that I have only three unfinished series is that the Blades of Ruin series (of which Blade Flames is the first one) will be my flagship series, and I'll do one of those every other month and then the month in between I will alternate between writing a Cloak Mage book and a Half-Elven Thief book. I will continue that schedule until one of those series is completed and then I will start a new one because what I learned through 2024 and the first two thirds here of 2025 is that having five unfinished series at the same time is too many. It's hard to keep up in my head and it makes for a really long wait for the readers between the individual entries in the series. So I'm going to stick to just three from now on and as I said, I'll have a flagship series and then two that I will alternate back and forth between in the months between the releases for the flagship series. So that is probably what I'll be doing for the rest of 2025 and hopefully most of 2026, if all goes well. In audiobook news, recording is underway for Shield of Power, which will be excellently narrated by Brad Wills. I've been listening to some chapters from that. Work has just started by Hollis McCarthy on recording Ghost in the Siege, so that will hopefully be an audiobook before too much longer. So that's where I'm at with my current writing and publishing and audiobook projects. 00:03:29 Main Topic: Mindset Series: Changing Course And now to our main topic, the final episode in our mindset series and we talk about changing course. In previous episodes on this topic, I've talked about some of the practical ways to help with distractions, procrastinating, and managing time wasters. In this episode, I'm going to focus on things that derail writers from a mindset perspective. Today we're going to wrap up this series by talking about mental flexibility, knowing when to change course, and how to make those types of decisions without spiraling out. First, we'll discuss a few reasons why mental flexibility is an important attribute to possess and then provide you with five examples of times it has been important for me in my writing career. First, why is having mental flexibility and the ability to change course important? With how fast things change in publishing, you have to be willing to change strategies or discard a strategy that's not working for you. An example is that many people who are familiar with Amazon ads swear by using Amazon keyword ads. After much experimentation, I concluded they weren't very helpful for fiction. The reason for that is I found that for most books that are sold off Amazon, people will sit down and type, for example, “Brandon Sanderson latest book” or “J.D. Robb latest book” or “Stephen King latest book” and so on. If you bid high enough, you can get top of search for those where if you pay $2 a click or $2 for the bid and someone types in “Stephen King latest book”, you can get your book to appear at the top of the page with the ad. However, in practice, what actually happens is the person who sat down to look for “Stephen King latest book” isn't looking for your book, he's looking for Stephen King's latest book. So he or she will simply scroll past the ad result with your book and then click on Stephen King's book. The only way I found that keyword advertising works for fiction is if you write towards very specific tropes and are willing to pay a lot of money for those clicks. For example, you write a romance that's a “slow burn, no spice, enemies to lovers romance”, and there are people who search for exactly those tropes, and if you use keyword ads to bid for that, you could get it, but it's very expensive and it's very difficult to turn a profit. Because of my experiments with this, I saw that although many people say keyword ads are essential, I didn't cling to that piece of advice and switched my Amazon ad focus to having a few more category ads and Audible ads for each title, and that has been pretty nearly profitable most of the time, certainly more profitable than just relying on keyword ads would be. I should note the one exception for that would be that keywords ads do work very well for nonfiction where, for example, my Linux Command Line book, I can pretty easily run ads to it for search terms like “Linux Command Line” or “Linux Command Prompt.” And because people are looking for a nonfiction book on that topic without looking for a specific author, that can work. In keyword ads, I found that for fiction, people are looking for a specific author and want that specific author, whereas for nonfiction, they're looking for the topic and don't care so much about the author, so long as the book has good reviews and looks like the author knows what he or she is talking about. Another reason to be mentally flexible is that something new might actually make things easier for you. I used to work in IT support, and so I fairly often encountered someone who stubbornly clings to the way they learn something. I knew numerous people who memorized a specific way to do a task on their computer and then just stuck to that and avoided doing anything easier, such as, for example, not learning to use keyboard shortcuts. And as you know, if you do a lot of office work, learning keyboard shortcuts like Control + C for copy, Control + V for paste, or Control + Z to undo can save you a whole lot of time over compared to very laboriously clicking through the menus with your mouse. People like that very frequently resist a learning curve in favor of a slower approach because it's working for them, but then they lose out on a faster and easier way to do something. Change is not always good, but sometimes change can be good. And the thing about indie publishing is that change is constant. In a field where change is constant like indie publishing, you can't cling to something that first worked when you started out. Trying new software, learning new skills, and keeping up with changes in ebook platforms is something self-published writers must do. Another reason to retain mental flexibility is you might be missing out on a source of revenue. If you're not willing to change sales strategies when the market changes, you might be missing out on potential readers. For example, as people are tightening their budgets in these times of economic uncertainty, they might be less likely to buy individual books and focus their book spending on a subscription like Kindle Unlimited or Kobo Plus. If you don't have content on those platforms for readers, you're missing out on readers who have shifted their spending. For myself, I only have some of my books on Kindle Unlimited because of the exclusivity requirement, but everything I have on Kobo should be available through Kobo Plus, and typically on any given month on Kobo, at least 60% of my revenue tends to come from Kobo Plus instead of Kobo direct book sales. So that was a place where it was necessary to have the mental flexibility to make a pivot. Another good reason to be mentally flexible is that you might be missing out on something important that the data is showing you. One of the big advantages of being self-published is having access to complex and real-time data instead of having to wait for biannual royalty statements that don't provide information. There are some criticisms that can be leveled at Amazon for how much data they show authors. However, this is light years ahead of the kind of sales data that comes out of traditional publishing for writers where royalty statements were often quite arcane and difficult to understand by design, so the publishers could get away with paying the authors as little as possible. And because you have access to this data, you have basis for solid information, solid decision-making. For example, if one of my series is starting very strong in the UK in its first week of release, I can shift some of my ad spending to UK specific ads. Looking at sales and ad data gives you an opportunity to respond and change your approach. And sales data, even more than reviews, tells you if a book, series, or genre is working for you or if it's time to try something new. It's important not to fall prey to what's called the sunk cost fallacy, where you throw even more time and money on something that isn't profitable in hope of recouping the money that you've already spent. Sometimes it's wise to know when to cut your losses and run. It's probably a better use of your time to focus on the next book or series. Data can tell you which book or series that readers are most excited to see from you. Now that we've talked about the various good reasons that mental flexibility is important, I thought it'd be helpful to show you five times that I've had to use mental flexibility and change course over the course of my career as a writer. #1: Self-publishing. For all that I've been a proponent of self-publishing for the last 14 years, that wasn't always the case. I started out with the goal in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s of being traditionally published. Demonsouled actually was traditionally published along with some short stories. However, for a variety of reasons that I've talked about before, this turned out to be a dead end. Traditional publishing at that time was not interested in fantasy series like mine. I felt like traditional publishing was a dead end, and then I changed my efforts to blogging on computer-based topics. I'm still quite proud of the fact that in 2010, I made a good bit of money from Google Ad Sense off my tech blog, a feat which was difficult then and would probably be impossible now. Then I started to hear about self-publishing through Amazon, which at the time was a very new phenomenon. I started hearing about that in 2009/2010, thereabouts, and I initially wasn't very impressed and I wasn't very impressed with the idea of ebooks altogether. At the time, I had a huge collection of paper books and well, I don't have as many now. I still do have a fair bit of paper books, but at the time, I didn't think that ebooks could be a substitute for traditional paper books. Then at the end of 2010, in fact, the week after Thanksgiving, I bought my first Kindle, a third generation Kindle that was famously called the Kindle Keyboard because they had that little keyboard at the bottom, and I was very impressed with the device. I thought there has got to be a way to make money off this. As I started reading various writers groups, I came across Kindle Direct Publishing, and finally in April of 2011, I decided to give it a go and republished Demonsouled through it, and that's where it all began for me. #2: Learning new skills and adapting. I think one of the biggest parts of why I've been fortunate enough to be able to do this for as long as I have is the willingness to take the time and effort to learn or try something new. I've had to teach myself how to format ebooks in several different programs, how to start first the LLC and then a S Corp, which finally involved realizing I couldn't do it myself and hiring people familiar with the appropriate documentation to do it for me, how to hire narrators and proof audio, how to file 1099s for narrators (that was a whole experience, lemme tell you), how to create a direct sales platform on Payhip, how to create my own book covers in Photoshop, how to make various 3D images myself for those book covers, how to maintain and update my website, how to do Amazon ads, how to do BookBub ads, how to do Facebook ads. So in the past 14 years I've been doing this, I think it's fair to say I've acquired quite a few new skills along the way. Each time I weighed out if not having this skill was holding me back. For example, creating my own covers became an absolute necessity for me after a while because even the most experienced cover designers could not create covers at the pace I published. Well, they could, but it's more accurate to say that the cover designers, the really good cover designers, the ones I wanted to hire, worked so far out in advance that you had to book them nine months to maybe a year in advance. And I eventually came to find that very rigid and constraining to my writing process. A couple of my books have titles that are totally unrelated to what the book is about, just because I had to pick the title like nine months, twelve months out in advance. And while they were very good covers, I did find it a little bit constraining that I had to try and keep the book at least close to what the cover was. If I hadn't changed course and learned how to do it myself, it would've limited how many books I could publish in a year, and likely it would've cost me many thousands a year in lost revenue. Therefore, having the mental flexibility to learn new things is a major skill in self-publishing. And the thing I'm contemplating learning right now is something with video, because short form video seems to be a good way that many authors are connecting with their readers and their audience. It's just that I don't personally use short form video a lot, so I'm wondering if it'd be worth the effort to learn. I think it'd probably be worth the effort to learn, but I haven't decided on how to do that and need to do some more reading, which is another aspect of mental flexibility. #3: Changing pricing strategies. Permafree pricing book for free on ebook platforms was not as common of a strategy when I first started self-publishing in 2011. I mean, people were doing it, but not as many as now. At the time (and to this day, in fact), many people were outraged that thought of giving out an ebook for free and opine that it would devalue their work. The argument was that if you take a year to write a book and then people should at least be willing to pay as much as they would for, for example, a fancy Starbucks coffee. However, this overlooks the reality of economics where that something is only as valuable as people are willing to pay for it. And that in fact is, a good way to get people to pay for your remaining books is if they read the first one for free and then they like it enough that suddenly the remainder of the books in the series will have value for them and hopefully they will buy it. But back in 2011, I decided to give permafree a try because I had series instead of standalones, and it has been one of the most significant ways that people have found my work. If I listened to the sort of old school traditional thinking about pricing ebooks, I would've missed out on this opportunity. #4: Doubling down on audio. At one point, towards the end of, actually towards the middle of 2023, I was considering and had almost decided to give up on producing my own audiobooks due to the significant expense and how much time having to proof them was taking away from my writing. Instead, I thought about ways to make the workload easier. I hired someone to proof the audiobooks for me and then found ways to promote them through deals on platforms like BookBub and Chirp. I started to create more Amazon ads for them and focus on making audiobook anthologies because these are very attractive to people trying to get the most out of their Audible credit each month. Although it's still mainly a tax deduction for me at this point in terms of business value, I would've lost out on a growing revenue source and a big piece of the publishing market if I had given up on audiobooks. #5: And fifth and finally, as I've talked about before, the Stealth and Spells series. This series really challenged me because I had a very specific plan for a multi-book series (I was thinking like seven or eight books originally) and enjoyed writing the first one. However, there were a few problems with it that forced me to take a hard look at the series and change my original plans quite drastically. The series was originally called Sevenfold Sword Online, which confused fans of the original Sevenfold Sword series. I made the choice to change the title to Stealth and Spells Online to make the separation clearer, even though it's a pain to change titles, and that came with some confusion of its own. I also changed the covers to resemble some of the other LitRPG books because it was originally closer in look to some of my epic fantasy covers. These changes did help, but I had to take a cold hard look at the data. Sales and ad data clearly showed that it was time to cut my losses and focus on more profitable series. So I changed my series plans to wrap everything up in the third and final book rather than a multi-book series as I had originally planned and based on reader reception to the third book, I think it went pretty well. Ultimately, you can only plan so much as a writer, and you have to accept that those plans might need to change. One of the best gifts you can give yourself as a writer is the ability to be mentally flexible and not stick with plans, books, or attitudes that aren't working for you. Well, I hope you have enjoyed this mindset series and found it useful to your own situation. So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to the Pul Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes athttps://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave your review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.      

The players are being buried alive and it’s giving us anxiety!! What did Wells and Dolores tell producers they would NEVER do in challenges?! Plus, Wells opens up about being the first player banished on his season. Who does he blame for his fate?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thane Riddle is back with another episode of Cloak & Dagger, the sleekest, sexiest, and most entertaining show on privacy & security in existence! On today's show, Mr. Riddle covers more privacy news. Items like military grade super soakers and other First Realm whackiness… Then, the practical tip is on… The post Cloak & Dagger with Thane Riddle, Episode 10: Privacy News (Military Grade Super Soakers + Other First Realm Whackiness), Shopping Privately, Fan Mail, ECash, Meshtastic vs. Reticulum, & MORE appeared first on The Vonu Podcast.

A psychic detective investigates a Surrey manor haunted by a vicious poltergeist — and meets his match.A 19th‑century ghost‑buster (i.e., a psychic detective) named Flaxman Low is called to a manor in Surrey, England. The estate's owner believes the place is being terrorized by a violent and aggressive poltergeist. When he arrives, Low finds himself going toe-to-toe with this malevolent entity—and things quickly escalate. It's a supernatural showdown in a classic ghostly mansion from CBS Radio Mystery Theater! | #RetroRadio EP0487Join the DARKNESS SYNDICATE: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicateCHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Show Open00:01:30.028 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “The Ghostly Private Eye” (September 27, 1976)00:45:22.208 = Adventures of Ellery Queen, “Nick Knife” (August 01, 1945) ***WD01:09:22.450 = Quiet Please, “Words” (August 23, 1948)01:34:05.343 = Radio City Playhouse, “Only Unto Him” (April 18, 1949)02:02:54.967 = Cat, “Audition Episode – aired during “Suspense” (October 21, 1946) ***WD02:18:52.094 = Ripley's Believe It or Not, “World's Richest Heiress” (1930) ***WD02:19:53.277 = Sam Spade, “Cloak and Dagger Caper” (January 19, 1951) ***WD (LQ)02:47:53.410 = The Sealed Book, “Stranger In The House” (May 06, 1945) ***WD03:17:22.840 = The Shadow, “Death In a Minor Key” (September 29, 1940) ***WD03:46:49.006 = Sleep No More, “Death of Olivier Becaille” and “Fishhead” (December 26, 1955) ***WD04:16:09.082 = BBC Spinechillers, “Meatballs Are Murder” (November 08, 2006)04:29:53.324 = Strange Wills, “Girl In Cell 13” (September 21, 1946)04:59:33.281 = Strange, “Capt Robinson” (1955)05:13:18.475 = Suspense, “Most Dangerous Game” (September 23, 1943)05:43:09.796 = Tales of the Frightened, “Don't Lose Your Head” (1957)05:47:40.503 = The Saint, “Tuba” (January 21, 1951) ***WD06:16:48.271 = Theater Five, “Good Samaritans”(October 15, 1964)06:37:35.606 = Theater 1030, “The Thing In The Hall” (1968-1971) ***WD07:06:58.204 = 2000 Plus, “When Worlds Met” (May 03, 1950) ***WD07:36:00.344 = The Unexpected, “Horoscope” (June 13, 1948)07:50:49.757 = Unsolved Mysteries, “Writing On The Wall” (1936) ***WD08:05:31.669 = Dark Venture, “Miser” (December 09, 1946)08:34:36.969 = The Weird Circle, “Returned” (1944)09:02:06.132 = The Whistler, “Black Magic” (September 18, 1944)09:31:32.349 = Show Close(ADU) = Air Date Unknown(LQ) = Low Quality***WD = Remastered, edited, or cleaned up by Weird Darkness to make the episode more listenable. Audio may not be pristine, but it will be better than the original file which may have been unusable or more difficult to hear without editing.Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music LibraryABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.= = = = =#TrueCrime #Paranormal #ScienceFiction #OldTimeRadio #OTR #OTRHorror #ClassicRadioShows #HorrorRadioShows #VintageRadioDramas #SuspenseRadioClassics #1940sRadioHorror #OldRadioMysteryShows #CreepyOldRadioShows #TrueCrimeRadio #SupernaturalRadioPlays #GoldenAgeRadio #EerieRadioMysteries #MacabreOldTimeRadio #NostalgicThrillers #ClassicCrimePodcast #RetroHorrorPodcast #WeirdDarkness #WeirdDarknessPodcast #RetroRadio #ClassicRadioCUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/WDRR0487

Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker engages the devious Admiral Trench with the aid of a cloaked ship while trying to deliver relief supplies to Christophsis in this episode of our The Clone Wars re-watch.   In this fully armed and operational episode of Podcast Stardust, we discuss: How this episode of The Clone Wars predates all previous episodes of the series, Legacy lines from the original trilogy that were referenced in “Cat and Mouse,” Admiral Trench, the tarantula inspired villain of this episode, How this episode takes inspiration from submarines, Other facts about the ship with the cloaking device, Anakin disobeying orders from Obi-Wan Kenobi, and How unsettled Admiral Yularen was in this episode. For more discussion of The Clone Wars, check out episode 924.   Thanks for joining us for another episode! Subscribe to Podcast Stardust for all your Star Wars news, reviews, and discussion wherever you get your podcasts. And please leave us a five star review on Apple Podcasts.   Find Jay and her cosplay adventures on J.Snips Cosplay on Instagram.   Join us for real time discussion on the RetroZap Discord Server here: RetroZap Discord. Follow us on social media: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube. T-shirts, hoodies, stickers, masks, and posters are available on TeePublic. Find all episodes on RetroZap.com.

I'd be willing to bet you've seen at least one of the handful of videos Billy has posted—a wild mix of hand-to-hand combat fishing and skipping on crack. He's out there winching fish from some of the thickest cover I've ever seen, all while using baits he designed specifically for those conditions.In this episode, Billy breaks down some of the improvements he's made to his older baits and dives into the story behind his two newest creations: the Cloak and the Clide. We also talk about what it's like being a one-man show, hand-making baits one by one while trying to keep up with the high demand.Billy's socials:IG: SkinnerbaitsSite: https://skinnerbaitcompany.com/—Show Sponsor Links—Lake Baccarac Lodge - Don't miss your shot at the bass of a lifetime! Book your trip now at www.lakebaccaraclodge.com or call 8063168382 today!Lake Pro Tackle, your one stop shop for all your tackle needs. A small local shop in Texas that offers premium tackle at great prices. Use code SCALES at checkout to save some money! https://lakeprotackle.comIf you're like us at SNT Media, you know that a reliable pair of pliers isn't just a tool—it's essential. Toit's pliers are precision-engineered to handle everything from hook removals to tough split rings, all with a sleek, corrosion-resistant design that's built to last in any conditions. These are not your average pliers; they're designed by anglers, for anglers. And here's the deal: We're hooking you up with 15% off. Just head over to toitfishing.com and use the code SNT15 at checkout.

Marvel Rivals developers say they have the green light from Marvel for NetEase to create original characters, and they told players to stay tuned. We break down why this feels risky to longtime fans who love the game's connection to Marvel canon, and we compare that approach with how deep cut heroes like Luna Snow and Jeff the Land Shark have pushed players to explore the comics. We look at what this could mean for player trust, brand identity, and long term support, then invite your takes for the next Headlines discussion.00:00 Introduction and what changed for Marvel Rivals00:20 Why original characters raise concerns for fans00:40 Deep cut Marvel picks that already work: Luna Snow, Jeff the Land Shark, Cloak and Dagger01:10 Brand identity versus live service experimentation01:30 Community reactions and what we will cover nextThe studio can add original characters, but that move may clash with what makes the game feel Marvel at its core.Deep cuts create discovery. Players are seeking comics and trades after meeting lesser known characters in game.Original IP opens design freedom but risks comparisons to other hero shooters and could weaken the game's distinct identity.A smart path is to spotlight more obscure Marvel heroes to keep gameplay fresh while preserving the Marvel feel.Community feedback will shape where this goes next, so weigh in for our follow up on Headlines.“Marvel just announced that NetEase can make original characters for Marvel Rivals. The developers told players to stay tuned.”“This game's charm comes from its Marvel roots. Instead of making original characters, pull from deep cut characters.”“Luna Snow. Jeff the shark. I just bought a Cloak and Dagger trade.”If you enjoyed this Geek Freaks Headlines episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a quick review. Share the episode with a friend and tag us with the hashtag #GeekFreaks so we can feature your take on the next show.GeekFreaksPodcast.com is our source for all news covered on the show. Visit: https://geekfreakspodcast.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegeekfreakspodcastThreads: https://www.threads.net/@geekfreakspodcastPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/GeekFreakspodcastTwitter: https://twitter.com/geekfreakspodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/geekfreakspodcast/What do you want to know about Marvel Rivals adding original characters. Send your questions or hot takes and we will read the best ones on the next Geek Freaks Headlines.Geek Freaks Headlines, Marvel Rivals, NetEase, Marvel Games, Luna Snow, Jeff the Land Shark, Cloak and Dagger, Gaming News, Live Service Games, Comic Books, Video Games, Geek Culture, Podcast News, Entertainment News, Community ReactionsTimestamps and TopicsKey TakeawaysMemorable QuotesCall to ActionLinks and ResourcesFollow UsListener QuestionsApple Podcast Tags

Join Thane for another episode of Cloak & Dagger! Thane covers the week in privacy & security news; then takes a good amount of time to cover important definitions in the digital realm, what they mean to you, and the best means for achieving privacy today. Please enjoy. Join us… The post Cloak & Dagger with Thane Riddle, Episode 9: Privacy News (Unstoppable Wallet Rebranding To Eigen Wallet & More IT Outages), Practical Gismo/Gadget Tips, & Fan Mail [P.A.Z.NIA RADIO NETWORK] appeared first on The Vonu Podcast.

Send us a textWelcome to celebrate creativity.  My name is George Bartley, and this is episode 435 - Walt's CloakIt seems that the best way to get useful information from an ai is by using clear and thorough prompts. In other words, the best way to get an answer that is useful is to spend time thinking how to communicate clearly what you want to say - possibly writing down a list of the questions you want to ask - because it is easy to get off-topic.  Sometimes, that might require that you spend a few sentences describing your situation.  This will inevitably get you a better answer.Here I am using perplexity - not my favorite AI - but one that is serviceable enough. To start with, I enter what might seem like a rather long prompt. Some people might feel that it even has unnecessary information, but I have found that's a more information you give the AI.bot the more information it has to go on and the better answer we can give you.So without further ado, my prompt regarding Whitman and Peter Doyle is as follows:Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

Linktree: ⁠https://linktr.ee/Analytic⁠Join The Normandy For Additional Bonus Audio And Visual Content For All Things Nme+! Join Here: ⁠https://ow.ly/msoH50WCu0K⁠Join Analytic Dreamz on the Notorious Mass Effect podcast for an in-depth segment reacting to the Marvel Rivals - Official Cloak and Dagger Polarity Bond Costume Reveal Trailer. Analytic Dreamz dives into the stunning visuals, intricate costume design, and thematic elements of this legendary skin from the "A Fire Upon the Abyss" collection. Explore the dynamic abilities, fan reactions, and cultural impact of Cloak and Dagger's Polarity Bond in Marvel Rivals. Tune in for expert analysis and passionate commentary on gaming and pop culture trends with Analytic Dreamz.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/analytic-dreamz-notorious-mass-effect/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Cloak and Dagger (interlude) by Max Wrestling Podcast

Cloak and Dagger 50-06-18 ep06 The Kachin Story

Join Thane Riddle for another episode of Cloak & Dagger. He covers privacy/security news and tips in the first hour… And in the second hour, DeProgramming Coordinator Rayo2 joins to read and analyze the unpublished book of the gold medal winner in the libertarian special autism Olympics. [DONATE MONERO VIA… The post Cloak & Dagger with Thane Riddle, Episode 8: Privacy/Security News & Tips + “Fun At School” Mockiobook Reading appeared first on The Vonu Podcast.

Exclusive Deals For Reading With Your Kids Listeners! Visit www.zivo.life and use the promo code READ to get 30% off The Better Microalgae – your ultimate daily nutrient boost! Visit www.BigForkBrands.com and use the promo code READ to get 20% off the most delicious pork snacks ever. Visit www.CozyEarth.com and use the promo code READ to get an incredible 41% off their ultra cozy and comfy bedding. Get ready for an exciting episode of Reading with Your Kids that'll spark curiosity and imagination in readers of all ages! We've got two incredible authors sharing their incredible stories that prove learning can be an absolute blast. First up, Rob Renzetti takes us on a wild ride with his middle-grade novel "The Cursed Cloak of the Wretched Wraith" - the final book in his mind-bending series. This isn't your average fantasy story! Rob weaves quantum physics into a hilarious adventure featuring Zenith Maelstrom and his sister exploring a bizarre world called Grabog. With characters like a quantum physics-powered landscape and a Schrödinger's cat, kids will be laughing and learning at the same time. Then, we meet Colleen Paeff and her fascinating non-fiction picture book "Firefly Song," which tells the incredible true story of Lynn Faust, a citizen scientist who discovered synchronous fireflies in the Great Smoky Mountains. Imagine fireflies that flash in magical, synchronized patterns - like living Christmas lights in the forest! Faust's persistence in proving her discovery to skeptical scientists is an inspiring lesson in believing in yourself. Both authors showcase how reading can transport kids to incredible worlds - whether through imaginative fiction or mind-blowing real-life discoveries. They prove that curiosity, persistence, and a love of learning can lead to amazing adventures. Whether you're looking to inspire future scientists, ignite a love of reading, or just enjoy some quality family time, this episode has something for everyone. Grab a book, cuddle up with your kids, and get ready to explore worlds beyond your imagination! Pro tip: These books are perfect for sparking conversations about science, creativity, and never giving up on your dreams. Click here to visit our website – www.ReadingWithYourKids.com Follow Us On Social Media Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/readingwithyourkids Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/readingwithyourkids/ X - https://x.com/jedliemagic LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/reading-with-your-kids-podcast/ Please consider leaving a review of this episode and the podcast on whatever app you are listening on, it really helps!

We're back again with another episode of Liam's Law, where Liam will be joining us to discuss a high profile case every month, and share his advice, guidance and key takeaways for you as employers and HR teams. So this week, of course, we're joined by Liam Barton, Commercial Director here at Insight HR, this time, to discuss a curious case of redundancy!   In this episode we cover... 00:44 Details of the case 02:39 Understanding Redundancy and Its Implications 05:34 The Temptation of Sham Redundancies 08:31 Guidance on Genuine Redundancy Processes 14:25 Factors Influencing Redundancy Decisions 20:47 The Importance of Planning and Communication   About The HR Room Podcast The HR Room Podcast is a series from Insight HR where we talk to business leaders from around Ireland and share advice what's important to you as a HR professional, an employer or people leader.  If you are enjoying these episodes, do please feel free to share them with colleagues, friends and family. And even better, if you can leave us a review, we'd really appreciate it! We love your feedback, we take requests, and we're also here to help with any HR challenges you may have! Requests, feedback and guest suggestions

Send us a textEpisode 561"E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" and "The Haunting of Hill House"Actor Henry ThomasHenry stops by the podcast again to talk ET,  Cloak an Dagger, Mike Flanagan, Comic Cons, the 80's, movies he feels are underrated in his filmography,  The Life of Chuck and so much more. Welcome Back, the awesome- Henry Thomaswww.mmcpodcast.com#henrythomas #ettheextraterrestrial #80smovies #cloakanddagger #mikeflanagan #genx #generationx #creepycon #terrificon #comiccon #comiccons Reach out to Darek Thomas and Monday Morning Critic!Instagram:   / mondaymorningcritic  Facebook:   / mondaymorningcritic  TikTok:   / mondaymorningcritic  Mondaymorningcritic@gmail.com

Welcome back to another sexy episode of Cloak & Dagger with Thane Riddle! Herein, Thane covers recent privacy & security news: the Tea privacy leak & it's implications, Starlink outage, war updates, and the coming “cyber pandemic”. Then, for the practical privacy tip, you'll learn about “foldifying” your life. Even… The post Cloak & Dagger with Thane Riddle: Episode 7, Huge Tea Privacy Leak, War News, Impending False Flags, & “Foldify” Your Life appeared first on The Vonu Podcast.

trange New Worlds S3E3 Review – “Shuttle to Kenfori” Breakdown & Analysis

The prophecies (PLURAL) foretold it all. And he believed it. And then... he made them ALL believe it.Not only does Madi tell you the story of how "The Lonely One" united the Hawaiian Islands in one lifetime (and ALL OF THE DRAMA that brings... you have no idea), but we also talk about Hawaiian warfare, the return of an ancient Hawaiian artifact, AND Hawaiian burial practices.Kamehameha was a force, and his story deserves to be heard. Raised in isolation into a warring island nation, this man was put on this planet to bring them all together. Listen to it all unfold against all odds in this first-but-not-last episode of Hawaiian History.Brook Kapukuniahi Parker's Lecture (Part 1/4) on Kamehameha the Great https://youtu.be/oGX6dUAikFQ?si=KGzhK0GCGlMIHGZ0Keoni Kealoha Alvarez's Documentary "Kapu"https://www.youtube.com/live/2MLWBLmpSOI?si=4moM8LxEOEP2pQPuThe link to the GORGEOUS video by The Office of Hawaiian Affairs Hawaiian Chief's Cloak and Helmet Repatriated After 241 YearsJoin our Patreon for extra content!https://www.patreon.com/c/spillthemeadYou can purchase Spill the Mead merchandise https://www.etsy.com/shop/SpilltheMeadPodcast/Find us on Instagram, and Facebook @spillthemeadpodcastFind Madi @myladygervais on InstagramFind Betsy @betsy.hegge on InstagramFind Coco @spill_it_coco on InstagramFind Gabby @so_dym_gabulous on InstagramFind Chris @chrisrileyhistory on InstagramFind Taylor @tjonesarmoredamma on InstagramMusic is composed by Nicholas Leigh nicholasleighmusic.com

“Shuttle to Kenfori” With Captain Batel facing the possibility of becoming an extra in the 1980s miniseries V, Doctor M'Benga and Spock hatch a plan (no pun intended) to save her by using a rare chimera blossom to combine the residual Gorn DNA in her body with her human DNA. The catch? That very special episode of Blossom only airs in one place, a planet once disputed by the Federation and Klingons. Captain Pike, wanting to play a role in saving his girlfriend, kicks Spock off the mission and assigns himself to accompany M'Benga. When they arrive on Kenfori, they find themselves in an episode of The Walking Dead. But escaping the zombies won't be as easy as they think, thanks to the arrival of Bytha, daughter of Klingon ambassador/mass murderer Dak'Rah, who is determined to exact vengeance on M'Benga. In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our journey through Strange New Worlds with “Shuttle to Kenfori.” We discuss the continuation of M'Benga's story, future paths for Batel, designing TOS-inspired Klingons, insubordination, and a few creative ideas we maybe should keep to ourselves. Chapters Intro (0:00:00) An "Under the Cloak of War" Sequel (00:04:25) The Walking Dead (00:08:59) No Signs of Life (00:14:36) Crafting Klingons (00:21:09) Gorn to Be with You (00:28:10) Insubordinate Ortegas (00:36:02) Trek As a YA Novel (00:41:33) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:48:03) Closing (00:57:21) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

“Shuttle to Kenfori” With Captain Batel facing the possibility of becoming an extra in the 1980s miniseries V, Doctor M'Benga and Spock hatch a plan (no pun intended) to save her by using a rare chimera blossom to combine the residual Gorn DNA in her body with her human DNA. The catch? That very special episode of Blossom only airs in one place, a planet once disputed by the Federation and Klingons. Captain Pike, wanting to play a role in saving his girlfriend, kicks Spock off the mission and assigns himself to accompany M'Benga. When they arrive on Kenfori, they find themselves in an episode of The Walking Dead. But escaping the zombies won't be as easy as they think, thanks to the arrival of Bytha, daughter of Klingon ambassador/mass murderer Dak'Rah, who is determined to exact vengeance on M'Benga. In this episode of Saddle Up! hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our journey through Strange New Worlds with “Shuttle to Kenfori.” We discuss the continuation of M'Benga's story, future paths for Batel, designing TOS-inspired Klingons, insubordination, and a few creative ideas we maybe should keep to ourselves. Chapters Intro (0:00:00) An "Under the Cloak of War" Sequel (00:04:25) The Walking Dead (00:08:59) No Signs of Life (00:14:36) Crafting Klingons (00:21:09) Gorn to Be with You (00:28:10) Insubordinate Ortegas (00:36:02) Trek As a YA Novel (00:41:33) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:48:03) Closing (00:57:21) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

IN THIS episode, WE CONTINUE THIS SERIES TALKING ABOUT THE PARABLE OF the NEW PATCH ON AN OLD CLOAK AND NEW WINE IN old wineskins. And what we can learn about Jesus' parable.

In this week's episode, we have a preview of four of my audiobooks, each of which is the fourth in its respective series. 1.) Ghost in the Razor, narrated by Hollis McCarthy. 2.) Shield of Deception, narrated by Brad Wills. 3.) Orc-Hoard, narrated by Leanne Woodward. 4.) Ghost in the Storm, narrated by Hollis McCarthy. This coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Cloak of Ashes, Book #3 in the Cloak Mage series, (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) at my Payhip store: ASHES50 The coupon code is valid through August 19, 2025. So if you need a new audiobook this summer, we've got you covered!

Episode 119 - FSE - 2025-07-20 - Imagine, for a moment, what it would be like to have a magical Cloak made entirely of intelligent light energy. Let me connect you with your very own 'Energetic Cloak' on my show today. Disclaimer: Please note that all information and content on the UK Health Radio Network, all its radio broadcasts and podcasts are provided by the authors, producers, presenters and companies themselves and is only intended as additional information to your general knowledge. As a service to our listeners/readers our programs/content are for general information and entertainment only.  The UK Health Radio Network does not recommend, endorse, or object to the views, products or topics expressed or discussed by show hosts or their guests, authors and interviewees.  We suggest you always consult with your own professional – personal, medical, financial or legal advisor. So please do not delay or disregard any professional – personal, medical, financial or legal advice received due to something you have heard or read on the UK Health Radio Network.

Hosts Cam Smith and Tyler Orton skip out on a senior officer briefing while tackling the third episode of Strange New Worlds S3, Shuttle to Kenfori. From moss zombies, to Dr. M'Benga's big reveal and Ortegas' insubordination, the duo hit all the key talking points. Join our Facebook page for exclusive content such as videos and bonus episodes.  And you can also visit our blog, or follow us on Twitter and YouTube! Send any other questions, topic ideas or feedback to subspacetransmissionspod@gmail.com! Related Podcast Episodes: Time for a Court Martial! SNW: "Under the Cloak of War" SNW: "Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach"   Join us next time as we review the fourth episode of Strange New Worlds S3, A Space Adventure Hour!

Cloak & Dagger with Thane Riddle is back! Join him for another whirlwind through the most important privacy & security news and practical tips. This week, he gives you the rundown on network privacy as the practical tip: keep your data, location, and life secure, no matter how you connect… The post Cloak & Dagger with Thane Riddle: Episode 6, Privacy & Security News, Networking/Network Privacy Tips, & More! appeared first on The Vonu Podcast.

MAKE WAY FOR OUR FAERIE OVERLORD! That's right, this week the Fixtresses are joined by their dark mistress, their patron saint, their mysterious benefactor - the one and only Gisselle M. Ingan (cue air horns). Gisselle tells her very own original fairy tale - The Cloak of Rainbow Feathers (it's beautiful, fun, and quite the Fairy Tale Fix itself). Abbie follows up with two shorts from the Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brother's Grimm - The Old Beggar Woman & The Three Lazy Sons.

Bingo-bango, nerds! Welcome to episode 186 of Up Yours with More! MODOK is back and gives us his spoiler-free review of Superman! Also, we've got the usual: headlines, our top books from last week, books we're excited for this week, a fun rundown of why Reed Richards feels bad, and the Nerd Hole question of the week: If you could have any two superpowers, what would they be and why?NewsDiamond in the Rough!Image Says Diamond's Goal Is "Stealing" $3,000,000 of Comics From ThemBankruptcy Court Moves Diamond Hearings Till After San Diego Comic-ConAvatar Press Joins Anti-Diamond Liquidation Publisher CoalitionMad Cave Studios makes layoffsDynamite Signs with Simon & SchusterDiamond has to pay...Who's on First?Dynamite Reprints the BoysDC Comics Goes All In with ‘Absolute Evil' This OctoberDC Comics Announces 'DC K.O.' Event!DC Announces 'Gotham Academy: First Year' Comic Book Series!Absolute CatwomanMarvel Comics' Ultimate Universe Approaches Its Endgame…The Age of Revelation Introduces New X-Men and Avengers Teams and Teases Strange Fates for Cloak & Dagger and DeadpoolHUMBLE BUNDLES TO BENEFIT BINC, CBLDF, HERO INITIATIVETHE WINCHESTER BROTHERS ARE BACK IN NEW 'SUPERNATURAL' COMICS FROM DYNAMITEIcv2.com Showbiz Round-UpOther DiscussionTen Things Reed Richards Feels Guilty AboutFind Us Online at the Following Outlets Website :: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠upupandawaycomics.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube :: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/@upupawaycomics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook ::  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/upupawa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠y and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/uuablueash⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram :: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/upupawaycomics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter :: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/upupawaycomics⁠⁠

Send us a textAn innovative businessman and grieving widower, builds a device to connect with the deceased hosts of his favorite radio show! On Episode 677 of Trick or Treat Radio we discuss The Shrouds, the latest film from the maestro David Cronenberg! We also talk about getting caught on camera doing stupid sh*t, people named after different varieties of apples, and high concept sci-fi body horror! So grab your plot at the local high tech graveyard, get ready for some hot new weird ass facts, and strap on for the world's most dangerous podcast!Stuff we talk about: Film marketing crossovers, Marvel, Superman, Wendy's Wednesday Season 2, Greasy Strangler, Salo, Batpussy, this day in horror history, Return of the Ape Man, Robocop, Jaws The Revenge, Michael Keaton, The Laughing Dead, Multiplicity, Mimic 2, Eight Legged Freaks, Big Ass Spider, Tales of the Dead, Mike Vogel, Bates Motel, Cloverfield, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Alex Winter, Freaked, Umbrella Entertainment, Heather Langenkamp, PJ Soles, Halloween, Donald Sutherland, An American Haunting, Jungle Woman, Dead Mans Eyes, Phyllis Diller, Mad Monster Party, The Fat Spy, James Cagney, The Man of a Thousand Faces, Coldplay, vintage Ravenshadow, don't get caught on camera doing stupid shit, Donald Pleasance, Gilbert Gottfried, John Lithgow, Star Wars Radio Dramas, Ed Asner, Ed Begley Jr., Larry Howard, Jabba the Hutt, Red Delicious Paltrow, Coco Crisp, Shea Hillenbrand, euphoria, James Gunn, Zack Snyder, The Shrouds, David Cronenberg, Friday the 13th: The Series, Videodrome, The Fly, Scanners, Naked Lunch, A History of Violence, Crimes of the Future, Brandon Cronenberg, Possessor, Humane, Caitlin Cronenberg, Infinity Pool, Dabney Coleman, Cloak and Dagger, Sheitan, Tombs of the Blind Dead, zombies, mummies, revenants, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, Weird Ass Facts, The Melvins, LolliLove, Jenna Fischer, Revelations, Yeon Sang-ho, Red Delicious Paltrow, Waiting For the Cronenberg Hammer to Drop, Post Boredom Depression, The Shroud of Silent Morbidity, and Nefarious Love Explosion.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/trickortreatradioJoin our Discord Community: discord.trickortreatradio.comSend Email/Voicemail: mailto:podcast@trickortreatradio.comVisit our website: http://trickortreatradio.comStart your own podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=386Use our Amazon link: http://amzn.to/2CTdZzKFB Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/trickortreatradioTwitter: http://twitter.com/TrickTreatRadioFacebook: http://facebook.com/TrickOrTreatRadioYouTube: http://youtube.com/TrickOrTreatRadioInstagram: http://instagram.com/TrickorTreatRadioSupport the show

Big news! The Trump4Sale shop next door to the Office of the President, has just issued an exciting new product: “Trump Fragrance.” Yes, it's officially-certified Trump perfume, allowing you and your loved ones to reek of the essence of The Donald—only $249 for a 3-ounce bottle.I wondered, with so much going on, why is he busy hawking perfume? But then I saw nearly every congressional Republican cravenly cave in to White House demands that they approve Trump's truly stinky budget plan. Ah-ha! They are the perfume's target market! Voting to slash food and health care funding for poor families, just so those dollars can be lavished on tax giveaways for millionaires and billionaires, is extremely unpopular. So Trump was offering them an odoriferous spritz.Some will need gallons of it. Not only did they vote to harm to millions of people, but they rushed back to their districts, loudly demanding that the humanitarian disaster they created be fixed by state and local officials.Then, there is Rep. Rob Bresnahan, a rich Pennsylvania Republican. He owned corporate stock in a big Medicaid provider named Centene, but as a legislative insider Rep. Bresnahan knew that Trump's bill would gut Medicaid and crash Centene's stock value. So, he dumped that stock just one week before the House approved the budget. And, yes, after protecting himself, Rob voted for the Medicaid gut job that caused the stock price to plummet.This is Jim Hightower saying… Even one of Bresnahan's Republican colleagues, Brian Fitzpatrick, was appalled: “We need American leaders who are accountable, transparent, and wholly committed to serving the public—not their stock portfolio,” he said, rightly adding that members of Congress “should be banned from trading individual stocks—period.”Jim Hightower's Lowdown is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jimhightower.substack.com/subscribe

Big news!

The newest episode of Cloak & Dagger is out! Herein, he covers some more crypto news, including Ross Ulbricht's still-shitty operational security; a great piece of fanmail, with lots of resources & links (see show notes below); and then Coordinator Rayo/Mr. Producer joins in the second hour to shoot the… The post Cloak & Dagger with Thane Riddle: Episode 5, Ross Ulbricht's OpSec Still Sucks, Other News, Fan Mail, & Shane/Coordinator Rayo Joins The Show appeared first on The Vonu Podcast.

In this week's episode, we look at five ways writers can avoid the self-destructive mindset trap of "comparisonitis", and five ways that comparing oneself to other writers can be useful. Once again it is time for Coupon of the Week! This coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Cloak of Wolves, Book #2 in the Cloak Mage series, (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) at my Payhip store: WOLVES50 The coupon code is valid through August 5th, 2025. So if you need a new audiobook this summer, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 259 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is July 11th, 2025, and today we are looking at why comparing yourself to other writers is a bad idea. Before that, we will do Coupon of the Week and have an update on my current writing progress. This week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Cloak of Wolves, Book #2 in the Cloak Mage series (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) at my Payhip store, and that is WOLVES50. This coupon code is valid through August 5th, 2025. So if you need a new audiobook to listen to during your travels this summer, we have got you covered. Now let's have an update on my current writing projects. I'm pleased to report that Shield of Power is 100% done, completing the Shield War series. You can get Shield of Power at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Apple Books, Smashwords and my own Payhip store. It's been selling briskly and it's gotten good reviews so far, so thank you very much to everyone who has bought and enjoyed the book. Now that Shield of Power is done, the first third of my Super Summer of Finishing Things is complete. So what's next? My next main project is Stealth and Spells Online: Final Quest. It was originally going to be named Reactant, but I changed the title to Final Quest to emphasize really and truly and definitively that this is the final book in the trilogy. In fact, I'm already done with the rough draft and I am done with the first phase of editing it as of this recording. If you've been listening to the podcast for a long time, you know how I frequently say that if you keep chipping away the novel over a long enough time, sooner or later you'll finish it. That is exactly what happened here. Since October of 2024, I've been writing 500 words a day on Final Quest, and this piled up over time enough so that after Shield of Power came out, I only had 3,000 more words to write to finish Final Quest, and I did that in an afternoon. One more phase of editing on that and then I would like to have Stealth and Spells Online: Final Quest out before July 22nd, if all goes well. I'm also 21,000 words into Ghost in the Siege, which will be my main project once Final Quest is finished. Ghost in the Siege will be the sixth and final book in the Ghost Armor series and will hopefully cap off my Super Summer of Finishing Things. In audiobook news, Shield of Battle (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills) is now out. You can get it at Audible, Amazon, Apple, and Google Play as of this recording. Because of some difficulties with Findaway Voices, it's going to take a little bit longer to get into the other stores, but I'm working on a way to do that and as I mentioned before, Ghost in the Corruption (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy ) is done and just has to finish processing on the various stores, and so hopefully that should be out before too much longer. So that's where I'm at with my current writing and audiobook projects. 00:02:52 Main Topic: Comparison Now let's move right on to our main topic, The Dangers of Comparison. In Episode 257, we started a series on mindset for writers. In some of the previous series I've talked about some of the practical ways to help with distractions, procrastination, and managing time wasters. In this series, we're going to focus on things that derail writers from a mindset perspective because as we know with any endeavor in life, mindset is something like three quarters of the battle where if you convince yourself that you're going to fail before you start, you're probably going to fail. So that's why it's important to have an appropriate mindset to the task at hand. Today we're going to focus on comparing yourself to others, and I will share five reasons it's not a great idea to compare yourself to others aimlessly and how to shift your focus to five more constructive ways to compare your work to other authors. Comparisons are a constant of the reading world. Librarians and Goodreads reviewers talk constantly about “readalikes” or finding books that have similar themes or settings. Book displays and shops and libraries love to group similar books or authors together. People look at the bestseller lists like they're sports scores. Dollar amounts in publishing deals are a constant source of gossip and jealousy. Sometimes comparison is useful, especially when creating ads or finding the right demographics to market to. Other times, it can lead to limiting or self-destructive thoughts. So let's start off with five reasons not to compare yourself to others. #1: It can limit you creatively. It can be easy to look at the bestseller list and try to think of ways to write a similar book. Following publishing trends keeps you from your most creative work and frankly isn't as enjoyable to write and most likely for your readers to read. Also, unless you're a fast writer, the publishing world might have moved on by the time you finished that book. In fact, I just saw a thread on social media about that where the commenter was bemoaning the fact that she used to enjoy what's now called cozy fantasy, but that as the genre has evolved, it's developed established tropes and the writers of it are not willing to variate from those tropes. So you have what she said in her words were dozens of clones of Lattes and Legends and Bookshops and Bone Dusts floating around, which is a tricky thread to balance, I do admit, because you want something that'll appeal to the reader, but then the readers like familiarity. What they really seem to like is familiarity presented to them in a way they've never seen before, which can be a challenge when you are trying to look at the bestseller list and limit yourself creatively. #2: What other people are doing is out of your control. You can't control if a book you think isn't as good as yours is suddenly the runaway hit of the year or an author who isn't experienced as you suddenly gets a movie deal. You can't control their success, so don't worry about it or get upset by it. You can control if you're wasting time online mocking those people or complaining about it, for example. That's a waste of your time and energy and doesn't actually make you feel better in the long run (and possibly in the short run as well). I believe in psychology and in military theory for that matter, there's something called the locus of control where you identify the things that you can control and then you drill in and focus in on the things you can control rather than worrying about the things you can't control. As we said, if an author who wrote a book you don't think is very good or you don't personally like has had a massive amount of success, there's nothing you can do about that and worrying about it is a waste of time and comparing yourself to that writer is also a waste of time. So that's why it's a better idea to focus in on what you can control. #3: You're not being fair to yourself. Comparing yourself to other authors, especially as an aspiring or new author, isn't being fair to yourself. They have years (if not decades) of experience that you don't have. It's like comparing yourself to an ultra-marathoner when you're someone who's just starting to jog and struggling to get all the way around the block, which is some of the tricky parts of someone like me giving advice to new writers because Shield of Power was my 163rd book and Stealth and Spells Online: Final Quest will be my 164th. I've been doing this for a long time, which means I probably know what I'm talking about, but that not everything I do is immediately reproducible by someone who hasn't been doing it as long as I have. If you're writing something that's not as marketable or in a smaller genre, it's not fair to compare yourself to people in the biggest genre or even your own previous work. For example, I can't compare the amount one of my technical books earns to one of my fantasy books. If I did that, it'd be a disappointment. But in reality, my technical books have had steady success and have even been used as textbooks at times (which is always surprising when I discovered that's happened because my Windows Command Line book and my Linux Command Line book have both been used as textbooks at various times, which was a surprise to me because that's not what I expected when I set out to write them, but I'm glad that they've been able to be useful for people). #4: And point number four, which I think is a really important one, someone's online life is only the highlight reel of someone's actual life. Looking at someone's social media accounts isn't a great way to know what they're actually doing or how they're actually doing. Just because they're posting pictures of tropical vacations, speaking at conferences, or showing off shiny new stuff doesn't mean you're seeing the full picture of how they're actually doing. As I said in a recent episode that when I was applying for disability insurance (just in case I need it someday), I learned that writers are actually one of the hardest professions to insure due to their high rates of mental illness and substance abuse. You might see the good stuff, but they might not be posting the challenges that come with their success: increased stress and anxiety, more criticism, the need to hire people and how much time it takes to manage them, more complicated taxes, increased business expenses, and relationship problems from the demands of success. These are all things that can accompany success. You're not getting the whole picture. You need to keep that in mind when you compare yourself to people online. The best fictional example out of this that applies to so many situations is Lord Denethor and the Palantir from Return of the King. If you read the book, Denethor has been using the Palantir for years to spy on Sauron and give advantages to his forces and the soldiers of Gondor. But Sauron is able to manipulate what Denethor sees in the Palantir and has been gradually using this to create an edited version of what Denethor sees in the Palantir, and that drives Denethor to despair and eventual suicide. People talk about the increased rates of mental illness related to social media. Sauron did that deliberately to Denethor through the Palantir. It's a sign of how good J.R.R. Tolkien was a writer that he managed to anticipate the effects that Facebook would have on some people by like 60 years. So always bear that in mind when you're looking at someone online and feeling jealous of them. You are not getting the whole picture and there are more than likely things going on that are difficulties in their life that they just don't talk about. #5: Your time is better spent writing than comparing yourself to other writers. And this is back to our old friend, the locus of control. Looking at other authors' sales ranks and reviews is not a productive use of your time. As I mentioned in the writing adjacent activities series, you need to be purposeful in non-writing tasks that take up your time and make sure you're not pretending they're writing related. If you need to compare sales ranks or some other data point with other authors or something you're actively working on like ad targeting, schedule that time and don't let it turn into an Internet spiral of time wasting. And now to avoid those Internet spirals of time wasting, here are five ways to use comparisons positively and constructively. #1: Number one, getting keywords or demographics for marketing purposes. For sites like BookBub or when creating keyword ads, knowing authors who are similar to you is incredibly helpful and can help you structure your ads. And this doesn't even necessarily require you to read the other author's books to see if they actually compare. There are tools that let you expedite this process. For example, if you look on Amazon at the Also Boughts, you can scroll through some of that and see which other authors and which other books people have bought in addition to your own and then you can test using those for keyword targeting. On Goodreads, people put books in lists or compare books. You can use that data to generate keywords for ad targeting. You can test them very easily. With BookBub ads in particular, if you build a campaign around just a single author and keywords and test the results. You can quickly see whether a specific author generates an appropriate click-through rate for you to use or not. #2: A second way is to find authors you might want to do a promo with. Some authors, especially in the romance genre, do really well with group promotions. Finding other authors that write similar books and are at a similar level of success may be a way to take advantage of that. I've never actually set up a group promo, but I have participated in several of them from time to time with pretty good results. #3: A third way is to better understand reader preferences in a genre. My best story for this is I've gone through six different variations of cover design for the Silent Order series. When I started out, I was using GIMP and stock photo images. GIMP is the free Linux version of Photoshop essentially. After I learned Photoshop, I upgraded to characters on the covers, but they never quite sold quite as well until finally I saw a Penny Arcade comic where they were commenting how they just want to buy books where they have spaceships in close proximity to planets on the covers. And I thought, huh, that makes a lot of sense. So I redesigned all the covers to have a spaceship in close proximity to a planet, and the series immediately started selling a fair bit better with those covers. I would say that was not so much a comparison thing, just a genre preference I stumbled across and then had sort of the moment of enlightenment that I did. But if I had looked at the bestseller list for various science fiction categories, I would have realized that most of the bestsellers had spaceships and planets in close proximity to each other on the cover. So I redesigned all the covers. It was just that I was too fond of the character based covers to give them up until I had that moment of revelation. So all the main books in the series were redesigned to have the spaceship covers, though for the free short stories, I did keep the character covers just because I was giving away the free short stories and I did like the character covers, so I got to have my cake and eat it too, which was nice. #4: Learn from the successes and failures of others. You can learn from what another author does well. For example, Brandon Sanderson is very good at communicating his writing progress and other updates to his fans through weekly video messages on YouTube. Other authors are good at collaborating with other authors, while others make engaging and funny videos that make people more interested in their work. Knowing your own strengths is an important first step. If you're just trying to follow everyone who is a success without first reflecting on that, you'll chase too many options and then can't excel at any of them. You can also learn from when an author responds poorly and how the Internet reacts to it. Understandably, I'm not going to give specific examples here. For myself, I tend to focus on what I do best, which is writing really fast and doing social media updates. I never got into video because I kind of have a face for radio and I just don't enjoy doing video. I don't enjoy editing them. It's a lot of work that I don't really enjoy, so I don't do it. #5: Being informed makes comparisons less emotional. Knowing, for example, that an author was hired to write a book based on an existing outline created by the publisher, and then promised a future book deal with a big marketing budget in a preferred genre as part of the contract makes their cross-genre success seem less surprising and makes you feel less guilty for not being able to do the same on your own as an indie author. It's not a fair comparison because they have advantages that you can't understand without some industry knowledge. For people that compare themselves to me, for example, they should know that I've been writing since I was a teenager a very long time ago. I was an early adopter of self-publishing when it was less competitive and I usually work more than eight hours a day and I generally keep to a very rigid writing schedule. Some authors like me were able to get the rights back to their earlier published works and then self-publish them early on in order to finish a series, which is much less likely to be an option in a contract for a traditionally published author now. If you're just starting out, travel frequently for work, and only have an hour a day to write (and even that is dicey because your partner would rather you spend that time on some other activity because they don't support your writing), you can't possibly compare your writing output to mine. Knowing all this about me explains why it might be harder for you and why you shouldn't feel bad about having a harder time with writing. Comparison has been called “The Thief of Joy” all over social media for many years. That can definitely be true, but like so many things in life, how you respond to something and find ways to help it make you stronger is what really matters. Comparison has its place in the writing world, but it's important to keep it in perspective and not to let it overwhelm you emotionally or keep you from your writing goals or plans. So that is it for talking about comparison. I hope that was helpful and offered some useful tips on how to avoid the trap of comparison-itis. So that's it for this week. Thanks for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.

The full Anarchy Day Weekend transmission on the P.A.Z.NIA Radio Network, originally live July 5th; featuring Cloak & Dagger with Thane Riddle, an LUA Radio classic episode on Committees of Safety and Security Teams with Gary Hunt, and much, much more. Enjoy this very Anarchy Day transmission — and join… The post P.A.Z.NIA Radio Network, Anarchy Day Weekend Transmission: Cloak & Dagger w/ Guest Gabriel Custodiet, Committees of Safety & Security Teams, & More! appeared first on The Vonu Podcast.

Popular artist, author, and evangelist David J Hardie joins me today to talk about personal experiences, local folklore, and upcoming events! We tried this once before (AMAZING conversation, trust me, lol) but the entire file was lost to trying a new recording app... we didn't take those chances this time, and I can't wait to share! Find all things Hardie here:Hardiewear | Clothing and ApparelGet his latest book here:https://a.co/d/eog7tVP Have an experience that you'd like to share?Holler at me: thebumppodcast@gmail.comFeel led to donate to The BUMP Podcast?Check out www.buymeacoffee.com/thebumppodcastWant to be better prepared for whatever life throws at you?Check out www.squatchsurvivalgear.comUse Promo Code: 25bump to save 15% SITE WIDEPick up a copy of my book!https://a.co/d/0S3HttW"Oh, My Soul" Written and Performed by Ray Messer Jr.

Hello to you listening in Shrewsbury, UK!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga.“It doesn't matter how long you have forgotten, only how soon you remember.” (Buddha)We don't often recall our memories with any reliable accuracy. But that's okay. Sharing our stories is not about nailing down the facts of an event or the exact recall of circumstances. Rather, the point of stories is to take the splintered, fractioned, mismatched pieces of our lives and, by telling the stories we need to tell stitch together moments of wholeness.Over my storytelling decades I have to come to realize that I don't need to translate or provide meaning for life events. When I speak my stories from the heart I begin to shift away from painful episodes to heal the suffering I've attached to what those episodes mean or meant. What happens next? By sharing my story maybe I help someone else heal. How do I know? I hear someone say: “What! You, too! I thought I was the only one.” [C.S. Lewis]Like the Badger in Crow and Weasel by Barry Lopez reminds us: “The stories people tell have a way of taking care of them. If stories come to you, care for them. And learn to give them away where they are needed. Sometimes a person needs a story more than food to stay alive. That is why we put these stories in each other's memory. This is how people care for themselves.”Question: What happens when you open the door to retelling a story that you've forgotten but now you remember? You're always invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, would you subscribe and spread the word with a generous 5-star review and comment - it helps us all - and join us next time!Meanwhile, stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website to:✓ Check out Services I Offer,✓ For a no-obligation conversation about your story questions, don't delay - get in touch today,✓ Stay current with Diane as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. 

Enjoy this reupload of our coverage of SNW S2E8 ahead of our S3 coverage coming July 23rd! Welcome to Captain's Pod, a Star Trek companion podcast presented by CinemaSins! This week, the crew review Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 8! Join the crew as Ian recommends you watch an episode of TNG, Aaron goes ship-blind, and they both wonder if they should share any of this with the Ambassador.1) Ten Forward - Thoughts on the episode; what did the crew love and what can go out the airlock! (8:35) 2) The Outtakes- Bloopers and other goodies that didn't make it into the show. Don't tell Section 31! (54:05)The show's hailing frequencies are always open by email at captainspod@cinemasins.comJoin a community of CinemaSinners and Trekkies on the CinemaSins discord:www.discord.gg/cinemasins Want extra *holodeck privileges? Join the Sinclub! https://www.patreon.com/CinemaSins And live long and Podsper! *holodeck and ads not includedAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Scripture Reflection for July 4, 2025: Don't Use Freedom as a Cloak for Vice (recorded earlier) by Priests for Life

Recorded Sunday, June 29, 2025 at St. Paul's Ev. Lutheran Church in Bangor, Wisconsin. "Like" us on Facebook!!

On the newest episode of Cloak & Dagger with Thane Riddle, catch the newest/most important news in the areas of privacy and security, hear Thane's rundown on dark net/decentralized marketplaces; and in the second hour, Thane is joined by Gabriel Custodiet from the Watchman Privacy podcast. Please consider joining us… The post Cloak & Dagger with Thane Riddle: Episode 4, Shrouding/Camouflage, Decentralized Markets, & Guest Gabriel Custodiet from Watchman Privacy appeared first on The Vonu Podcast.

As we gear up for ADA Scientific Sessions and get ready to hear studies and reports from the big diabetes companies, I've decided to highlight something on the other end of the spectrum. College students, seeing a need and developing a solution. Cloak The Poke is all about addressing fear of needles, especially in kids. We'll explain how it works,  more about the team behind it, and their big goals going forward. This podcast is not intended as medical advice. If you have those kinds of questions, please contact your health care provider. More about Cloak the Poke Join us at an upcoming Moms' Night Out event! Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible! Learn more about Gvoke Glucagon Gvoke HypoPen® (glucagon injection): Glucagon Injection For Very Low Blood Sugar (gvokeglucagon.com) Omnipod - Simplify Life Learn about Dexcom  Check out VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures The best way to keep up with Stacey and the show is by signing up for our weekly newsletter: Sign up for our newsletter here Here's where to find us: Facebook (Group) Facebook (Page) Instagram Check out Stacey's books! Learn more about everything at our home page www.diabetes-connections.com  Reach out with questions or comments: info@diabetes-connections.