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We're back with another On the Journey episode! We had a fascinating conversation with Living Joyfully Network member Ari Lambie. Ari is a mom of three young children and she spoke with us about her journey. We talked about the philosophy of learning, the fallibilism of humans, creativity, children’s social development as well as their capability, and a lot more. It was a really rich conversation and we hope you find it helpful! Watch the video of our conversation on YouTube. THINGS WE MENTION IN THIS EPISODE We invite you to join us in the Living Joyfully Network, a warm and welcoming online community of like-hearted parents. It's a non-judgmental space where you can steep in these unconventional ideas around parenting, relationships, and learning, and explore what they might look like day-to-day in your uniquely wonderful family. We offer a free month trial so you can see if it's a good fit for you. Click here to join us. Sign up to our mailing list on Substack to receive our email newsletters as well as new articles about learning, parenting, and so much more! Check out our website, livingjoyfully.ca for more information about exploring unschooling and navigating relationships. EPISODE TRANSCRIPT ANNA: Hello everyone, I’m Anna Brown with Living Joyfully, and today I’m joined by my co-host Erika Ellis and Pam Larcchia, as well as our special guest today, Ari Lambie. Hello to you all. Before we get started, I just want to mention the Living Joyfully Network. It’s a lovely place where you can find support at any stage of your journey, and I feel so lucky to get to hang out with so many amazing people from all over the world. If you’d like to join us, we’ll put the link in show notes, and you can also go to our website livingjoyfully.ca, and there’s a link right on the home page. I am so excited that Ari is here with us today. She is one of those amazing members of the Network I was just mentioning, and it’s been so fun getting to know her and her family. She loves to dive into all the nuances, and that is my favorite, so I’m very excited. Ari, just to get us started, can you tell us a little bit about you and your family and what everyone’s interested in right now? ARI: Sure. Well, thanks so much for having me. I’m really grateful to be here. I am Ari, and I’m part of a family of five. We live in Portland, Oregon. My husband, Joaquin, is a critical care doctor, so he spends a lot of time taking care of people and solving challenging problems, but he’s also really fun. He brings a lot of light energy to the house. He likes to cook, which I love. I mean, I don’t love cooking, so I love that he cooks. He also likes to garden and play sports and come up with challenging ideas and concepts that are away from the norm, which is our favorite thing to talk about. We’ve been together for 20 years, and we just love talking about the ideas he comes up with, which makes me think hard and come back with either a new way of thinking or challenging him with a new idea. So, that’s what we spend a lot of time doing when we have time to ourselves. My nine-year-old daughter likes to come in on those conversations sometimes. She really likes figuring out the world, talking about it. She likes to read. One of her interests is unusual animals, particularly marine animals. She’s taught me a ton about all these animals I’ve never heard of. She also likes to bake and do some crafty things. She likes to watch Minecraft videos and hang with friends. She spends a lot of time with her friends. My seven-year-old is just this fantastic person of expression. She loves to draw. She loves to listen to music. She’s teaching herself how to play some music. She loves stories and is really good at telling stories. And she expresses herself with her body, too. She’s really athletic, and she gives the biggest, best hugs that you’ll ever feel. My five-year-old, she’s really into pretend play. We play a lot of games together. She loves to be a pet in a pet store, and I come and have to buy her because she’s the most special pet in the store. Or we’ll play that we’re both shape-shifting dragons, and we have to defend against the other dragons. So that’s kind of her jam. She also likes to cook, and she’s really into numbers right now. She’s always figuring out how they go together, how they count up. So that’s been fun to play with her, too. We all like to move. We’re all pretty physical. One of our favorite games is tag. When we go to the park, we will almost inevitably end up playing some form of freeze tag. We’ve invented lots of different games of freeze tag. Me, I like to move outdoors. Hiking is probably one of my favorite hobbies right now. I also like to journal, and craft, and do art here and there. I spend most of my time hanging out with my kids and figuring out life. I’m loving it. It’s so nice. PAM: It’s so great to hear about everybody. I feel like we say this every time, but it’s just so fun to hear the different kinds of expressions of each person, yet as you’re listening, you can see how they weave together. Like you were even saying, oh she likes to join in cooking. This one likes to join in on conversations. There’s so many pieces. What I always love is just how it’s a beautiful expression of the idea of a family of individuals. How we can all be living together and being ourselves. Like you said, you’re very busy with parenting and figuring all those pieces out, and also you have the things that you enjoy doing, and that you notice you enjoy doing, and bringing those where they weave in to all the different pieces. So, I just, I love unschooling families. ERIKA: I love that too, and yeah, it’s just making me think about, people are different, and how when we have these different individuals in our families, how we learn from each other, and I think initially when I went into parenting, I was thinking they’ll be a lot like me, and they’ll just learn from me kind of thing. I didn’t realize quite how much interconnected learning there would be, just because we’re all so different. I didn’t realize how different they could be, and I think, each child you add is just a whole new layer of learning for everyone in the family. So, I love that for sure. PAM: I think for me, that’s been one of the big shifts, was recognizing the individuals, right? As a family, we’re going to do this, and as a family, we’re going to do that, and then recognizing that legitimately doesn’t work for some of us, and that was kind of an eye-opening moment. Okay, so the next question. We are very interested to hear a bit more about how you discovered unschooling, and what ideas and people have influenced you so far along the way, because, you know, the journey keeps going, doesn’t it? ARI: Yeah, I don’t think it’ll ever end. So, my interest in unschooling started about four years ago, when I read a book by a physicist named David Deutsch. He talked about a lot of physics concepts that are beyond me, but he also talks about this philosophy or understanding of knowledge, and how knowledge grows, and it really shook up my understanding, but made it clearer to me what I believed, it made it make more sense. And he draws a lot on a 20th century philosopher, Karl Popper, who coined the term, the bucket mind theory, I guess it is. So, thinking about the mind as a bucket, where you pour knowledge in, which is wrong, but it’s how a lot of us think about how knowledge is passed from one person to another. It’s just this receiving process, where someone tells you information, and you receive it, but Deutsch and Popper challenge this and say, learning is actually a creative process. And it happens when we have a conflict in our mind, two things that are incompatible, as simple as a desire. I want this, and I don’t have it yet, or I want to understand this, and I don’t yet, and then what we do in our mind is we come up with ideas that can reconcile the conflict, or solve the conflict, and we use our knowledge to criticize all the ideas we come up with. A lot of this is subconscious, but we’re criticizing our ideas, and picking the one that is the best explanation, and then we try it out, and then we see how the world responds, and we learn more information. This idea just made so much sense to me. They apply it to a larger scale, how humans as a species gain knowledge, and how science advances, but it also applies to the individual, so that really got me thinking. I realized that school is so much based on the bucket theory of pouring knowledge in, and it doesn’t really allow for as much of this creative trying, or see your ideas are as valid as anybody’s, let’s hear more about them, so that was a big knock against school for me. Deutsch also talks about the fallibilism of humans, that we’re just, most of our ideas are wrong. We don’t know anything for sure, and school sends the message, at least I got the message in school, that we’re telling you information, this is how it is, and it’s not going to change, we’re the authority here. I think that’s a real disservice, because the truth is that knowledge is always changing, the truth is, these are our best explanations right now, but in the future, we’ll probably prove most of this wrong. And so I think it’s dangerous to tell kids, this is how it is, don’t think that it could be different So, you combine these ideas of creativity, that learning is about creativity, and that our ideas are always coming up with better explanations, replacing things, and it shows the big problem with ever forcing a person to think a certain way, or to do a certain thing, because even when you think you’re telling somebody to do something because it’s in their best interest, you’re probably wrong. We just don’t know enough about the world, or about that particular person, and then you’re also taking away their ability to come up with their own ideas, and test them out. That’s how they’re going to learn about their interfacing with the world, and how they want to be, and the best understanding that they can come to. You stunt human progress, because you’re limiting ideas, new ideas for us to test out. Those were all big epiphanies for me, this new way of thinking, and I was like okay, so we should avoid forcing people as much as possible. It changed my view on society really. But I still wasn’t sure that it could apply to children. I had a five-year-old, a three-year-old, and a baby at the time, and I was telling them what to do a lot, and so I was like how do you apply this to, does this even apply to children. So, I did some research, and I was like yes, people are doing this. Kids are full humans, they can be seen as creative knowledge growers as much as anybody, in fact they’re more creative, because they haven’t learned to criticize as much. I found John Holt, I found Peter Gray, I found you all, I found the term unschooling, and I was like wow, this is possible. So, I talked with the family, presented it to my oldest, who was in kindergarten at the time, and our life was not as interesting as it was before they started preschool and kindergarten, I was not feeling, I don’t know, not as full myself, schlepping them places, and just dealing with the, let’s get to places on time energy. My oldest was starting to get a little bored with her experience in kindergarten, and she was all for staying home and continuing to play, so that’s when we started. ANNA: All right, see, this is exciting though, because I think it’s so interesting, that idea that he was talking about, and that you were looking into that, how it really does systematically shut down that creative mind, that critical thinking mind. What a disservice, it really is. That’s why it’s so hard for me when, and I know it feels to people like such a radical concept, but I just think, oh my gosh, how does it not make sense, you can see it happening, and I think it’s just so fascinating. I love that this idea was related to adults. And still I think for many people it’s that resistance, but can it be for kids? I see that with so many interesting people that are putting interesting ideas out in the world, and so often are not applying to children, and I just think, whoa, you’re really missing the boat, one, because kids have so much to teach us, and they bring such creativity to things, but I just think, wow, you are missing that the ideas definitely apply to kids. That was very interesting, thank you. PAM: The part that really bubbled up for me, that connected, because I feel like that’s something that I learned so strongly at school, that still gets in my way, so yeah, maybe it might be partly personality-based, but the idea of having the right answer first before acting. That is something I learned watching my kids, but still, it’s so ingrained. I have to literally remember, and which is why I talk pretty often, and I don’t know if we’ve shared it yet, the Baby Steps episode from the Living Joyfully Podcast, but Baby Steps have become a mantra for me to remind myself to think, just as you were describing, what’s my best interpretation or thought or idea about this thing that I am feeling a push with? And go try it, and see what I learned, because I’ll learn more by trying it, more that I can take back, rather than just intellectually trying to solve it completely to the end, before I ever actually take it out in the world and see what it looks like. So, I’ve spent all that time trying to figure it out, versus experimenting. I think maybe it looks like this, boom, go try it, learn some more, come back and, ooh, I’m going to tweak it a little bit more from what I learned, how things unfolded in that moment, and I’m going to take that idea out into the world and test it, that just makes so much sense. It is how I saw, even though my kids were in school for a handful of years before they came home, but yeah, that period was just, like, releasing the crud, right. The crud that they had been absorbing, so their own kind of de-schooling, but mistakes still were not yet this huge, horrible thing to them. They didn't even see them as mistakes, they just said, oh, that didn’t work as I expected, let me bring that information, tweak it, and try it a little bit differently next time, or two minutes from now when I want to keep pushing down this path. For me to recognize that mistakes aren’t literally bad, they’re just more learning, they’re just more context to the situation that I’m pulling in, And that, to me, that’s where the creativity lies, because the more little bits of information I have, or if we think about learning as a web, the more little connections I’ve got, the more creative I can be, because I have more pieces to play with, to bring together. It reminds me, you were talking about the discussions you and your husband love to have about very interesting things, it’s like, oh, let’s pull it apart this way, what if we look at it this way, what if we go way over here, and what would that look like, let’s go try it, or even if it’s a mind experiment. It’s just so fun and creative, and that’s what learning is, versus the, oh my gosh, here’s the bucket, take the fire hose, all the stuff you’re supposed to memorize and implement, because it’s the right way. Anyway, yes, so fun. ERIKA: I feel like I’m going to be thinking about some of these for a while, it’s very interesting, and kind of a unique path to get to unschooling. I don’t know if I’ve heard this exact story before, which is really fun. It was making me think, that idea of, you’re probably wrong, it could be a really good one to kind of play around with, because that’s so not what we learned growing up. It was, there’s one answer, that’s what the fact is. Then I was thinking back, and I remember in school, learning in science or something, we would learn something that people used to believe, like spontaneous generation, or something, where now we think how could they have been so clueless? I remember having the thought at that time, so what about now, don’t you think people in the future are going to be like, how could they have been so clueless back then? So, I had that thought, but then you don’t really have a chance to play around with that. Everything is taught as facts now, and I just remember being, like, how will we know which ones of these are completely wrong, that we’re learning right now? And so it is really interesting, and I think maybe approaching my kids with the idea that I’m probably wrong about what I think I know about whatever it is, I think that could be helpful. It might also make it more challenging to know what to say sometimes. I think I grew up in that environment of, you listen to the person, and they know what’s true, and that’s it. It feels super expansive to kind of shift that. ARI: Yeah, I love all that. I think the way we try to come at our kids is not with that authority of, we know what’s best, but we have some ideas. We have stories that we’ve experienced, and we try to look at our kids. Are they interested in hearing from us about this topic? And when you were talking, Pam, I was thinking about how the internal versus external processor, how maybe you go try things out, and that’s how you test ideas and criticize them and come up with better ones. A lot of people like to process them against the knowledge they have in their head or maybe go read about stuff. I love how you all talk about these different kinds of processing. Some people want to talk to other people. The problem with the mindset that we learn in school is that talking to another person means asking an authority for the answer when it could mean let’s bounce some ideas around, like, what do you think of my ideas? Tell me your ideas. Let’s come up with what’s the best one to try, you know? PAM: Yeah, or cheating, right? Then don’t talk to them about it. It does very much say you have to learn it all, and you have to regurgitate it this way. Just imagine external processors. You can’t talk to the teacher. You can’t talk to the other students in the classroom, and do you have a lot of time for processing outside of the school hours? That was something that surprised me when my kids first came home, because we went from very scheduled and busy and stuff, right, and I thought, oh, well, we’re not going to school anymore. We have all this time to do other things, but then to realize that, they’re like, no, thank you. No, thank you. They spend so much more time just processing and engaging in what they were interested in, much more than I was kind of expecting. I thought, oh, I’m going to have to keep them busy, and that too is personality-based. Some people like to, but that’s the difference. Even when we went to, say, the Science Center, seeing the difference between how they moved through exhibits and just the whole environment versus how the school kids in the exhibit right beside us were moving through it. They had no control, no agency over that pace, and they didn’t even get to choose what they were trying to process because they had the little worksheet that said, at this exhibit, when you do X, what happens. There was no time then to be creative with what is actually catching your attention. What would you like to focus on versus, what somebody else, authority, is telling you. These are the important bits that you need to be picking out of that, right? ANNA: Right, which I think makes you question things too, if you’re picking up different things than what the authority is picking up. I think a piece of my journey that’s related to this is, just kind of toying with the whole subjective reality piece, which I think was really the foundation for my understanding of how different people are. I do a lot of internal thinking about all the things, and that was really it for me. Oh, things that feel like a fact, we are experiencing differently. So there was this nuance to the fact. The fact is that it’s 40 degrees outside. I’m cold, someone else is hot. Okay, so we have a fact, but we have how we’re interacting with that fact. A dramatic example of one nation’s terrorist is another nation’s hero. There’s a fact of what happened, but the interpretation of the fact is so subjective, and so it was just this idea of, wow, we are experiencing the very same things very differently because we’re all so different. That just really changed so many things about the way I related to my kids, related to the people in my life. Then we’ve just built on that as we’ve talked about relationships, but I think it’s all related. And I think school really stifles that understanding because it’s trying to put everything in a very neat box. And again, I think it can make kids kind of doubt themselves too, because they’re seeing different things that are just as important, but that aren’t being highlighted on the worksheet. ERIKA: I think the younger kids, especially, like, when you’re describing being able to talk things through and that everyone’s ideas have value. I feel like it gets more like that when you get into college and beyond where people actually want to talk and professors want to hash things out. I mean, not everyone, but some. But younger kids, you’re not ready for it. You know, you need me to dump all this information into your bucket because you don’t know anything yet. And so I think that’s so interesting that if we question that, kids have so many ideas and are so open to that. ARI: Simply the idea that they might know what they want. They’re having this subjective experience and they have unique wants. But no, we want to take them to this class and this activity and they shouldn’t be watching this TV. There’s just this idea that we know better what they want. PAM: Right. We don’t trust. Like you said, we just can’t know. We can’t. And I think that’s why when we talk so often about this de-schooling phase of the journey, how so much of it we recognize quickly enough is our work to do. Because we are questioning some of these more basic ideas and then playing with them and seeing how they unfold. Here’s the school’s conventional ideas and here’s, for lack of a better phrase, unschooling’s unconventional ideas. And it’s not about just taking those on wholesale as your new set of rules to follow, et cetera. Because then you don’t get that richness. You don’t get that understanding. You’re not playing around with them to see how they make sense for you. But to take this, like you were saying, that makes sense to me. Does this apply to children? And then looking to your children and playing around with some of those ideas and then seeing how they actually unfold is how you learn how capable kids really are and how they can have an idea of subjectively what they want this experience to be. Notice that it’s different from the experience we were kind of hoping they were going to have. But letting it play out and seeing, oh, look how super valuable that was for them, for who they are as that unique human being versus, yeah, sure, I could have said, oh, no, but do it this way, but do it this way. And they would have taken that in, but they would have taken it as my interpretation. And then, yes, you get into all the, oh, does that mean I’m wrong? Does that mean I can’t think through this properly? I should be thinking about it and seeing and being interested in what they think, et cetera. So there’s all that piece that comes along when they didn’t get to play around with the one thing that they were super interested in about it all. ERIKA: The next question we had is how you have shared on the network about how trust has been harder to find related to your children’s social development more than physical or intellectual development. I was hoping you could share a little bit about that journey and what has helped you in that area. ARI: Yeah, it’s been really interesting to watch in myself how I have no qualms about the kids climbing up structures and maybe taking a tumble, playing sports and making mistakes. I see that as part of their physical development. And with intellectual, academic stuff, it was pretty easy for me to make the paradigm shift of if they follow their interests and their problem solving, they’re going to be able to lead their way here. But when it came to social stuff, the moment my kid said something mean on the playground and I’m worried what the other kid is going to think, I immediately tense up and rush to intervene. Even if my kids like making a suggestion for a game to a stranger on the playground, I feel myself, oh no, what if, I don’t know if she asked it in the right way. What if the other kid says no and I’m so untrusting of their social exploration, it’s been really interesting. And so with all of your help, I’ve been exploring why that is and where I can go with it. I think that the social stuff has always been really hard for me, or the hardest part for me. And so, in a way, I wish I had more help with it. And so I want to help my kids. And this is how I know how to help is to jump in and tell them what to do. I also think that in our society, and I’ve noticed it, in particular in the homeschool spheres, there’s this real desire for everyone to play nice. I think even families keep their kids out of school to avoid bullying and terrible behavior, which is legitimate. But then it makes these expectations in the play spaces of, we don’t accept certain behaviors. And so we have less tolerance of their developmental journey in this social stuff. They’re supposed to know how to act now, which I think is really interesting. And so I feel that social pressure. And then the third piece, I think, is that I feel like my impact on the world, my desire to bring certain energy, certain positivity to the world is intertwined with how my kids act, how my kids are in the world. And so if they do something socially that I don’t like, if they do something that might hurt someone, or behave in a way that is not how I would carry myself, then I think that’s a problem, because I am too connected. So there are those three pieces that I’ve tried to work through. I think the first one, as far as me wanting to intervene, because social stuff is hard for me, I’ve unpacked as like, would little Ari have wanted more instructions, more judgment, telling me how to act? Or would I have wanted curiosity and more questions like, what’s going on for you? Compassion, trying to understand what’s going on. And an acknowledgement that we don’t know the right way, there’s no right way to act, right? Language like, this is not okay, or we don’t do that. That doesn’t fit in my sphere anymore. It’s more about, what was this experience? And do you want to process it with me? That’s the energy I would like to bring to my kids. It’s still a struggle. I get triggered all the time. But I try to think back on what would have helped me and looking into my kids eyes, what is going to be helpful for them now? Is it judgment? Is it instruction? Or is it this openness and acknowledgement that you’re on a journey and you don’t have to get it right now. First of all, there is no right, but also, it’s just a long learning process. And then with the social expectations, I’ve tried to surround myself with people who are interested in trusting their kids more. And I found some beautiful people. And that’s been helpful. I acknowledge that we don’t want our kids to be hurt. So we still want to talk to our kids about and inform them if somebody else is being impacted by their behavior. I try to just have a lot of conversations without judgment around that. And I think helping our kids through difficult social situations by being okay. Helping our kids know that hurt is going to happen and that I’m here for you and what do we want to do about it? Instead of mom should have prevented that. I think there’s just so much more nuance to their social development than kids should have these instructions of how to treat other people. Because social interactions are really complicated. And then, my biggest aha, I think, has been untangling my impact from my kids’ impact. I think there’s a story that I have. And I think a lot of people believe that our kids are part of our way of making the world a better place. We’re raising our kids to be good people so that the world can be a better place. And the moment, this statement came into my head that my children are not my agents to make the world a better place. It’s like, whoa, that’s me. That’s about my actions. And they are full people. And I am here to support them in becoming who they are. That has been a really helpful aha moment for me. ANNA: Yeah, that one’s huge. And I think that is interesting, because I think we do often put things on children that are really ours to carry. It is okay for me to say I want to be this change agent myself, but this idea that our kids can do that is super interesting. But something when you were talking earlier to just the idea of, we tend to focus so intently on behaviors that we really do miss those nuances of needs that are happening underneath of that. And so when we’re solely focused on, even just the labeling of bullying behavior, it’s like, oh, there’s so much underneath of that. Now, granted, in a school environment, they don’t have the tools or the time or the people that can work with that. So, I totally get wanting to get kids out of an environment like that that doesn’t feel safe. But when we have engaged parents with kids, we’re able to dig under that to see, oh, is this actually not a good environment? Have we not eaten? Is there something else going on? We can look at all these pieces. And when we’re having that kind of conversation with our kids, they’re actually learning about their own triggers, like, okay, I don’t do well in large crowds, or I need to eat before we do something, or I can only last two hours. That’s so much more productive for everyone, for the family and the group as a whole. But for the individual to have the space to learn about themselves in that way, when they’re young, is so valuable. I also feel for you because I’ve been there feeling that like, oh, that’s not what I would say. That’s not how I would have handled that. And I love just being able to help myself, find that compassion for the person and really see them and have really seen so many people just kind of melt under that and just feel really held. And have a real learning opportunity of what was happening for them in that moment. There were just so many interesting things about that. PAM: So many. I mean, it really is the piece, maybe I’m reiterating again, but that piece of how much they’re learning about themselves, having the space to process that, spaces in that doesn’t mean literally leaving them alone, because that’s what we feel we’re supposed to do or anything. We have the conversations and they’re like, I don’t want you to come jumping in if you see, I want to try this, this and this. But you’ve made that plan beforehand. This is an experiment that you’re running. This is how you’re trying and how you’re going to learn more about all the pieces. Because like you were saying, there’s just so much context to every moment. Maybe one park day, everything goes fine, there are no big blow ups or anything. And, the next one, there’s clashes. And to be able to chat more about the context of those moments. And if you don’t have as much of a chatter, we’re still observing. I think that was one of the things too, so often was seeing that, like you talked about finding a group of engaged parents, Ari. And I think that makes a huge difference because so often it was the parents all off in one area and then the kids just off on their own. And I was often one of the only parents who would hang out with the kids. They’re fun. But because we saw what was going on, we could have meaningful conversations after about it. When they did this, how are you feeling? Or we have enough information and context to have meaningful conversations to process through which they can learn. I was really hungry or I was frustrated because like three interactions ago, something happened that I was stewing about that came with me. So my cup was almost full. And this one little thing which I could have moved through 90 percent of the time just kind of filled me up and I exploded because of that. Those are all such valuable pieces to learn about ourselves. And for them to learn about us, like moving forward that they can bring that you can then prep for it. Like you were saying, eating before you go, noticing the time and maybe even having like a code word for when it’s time. There were times when I’m like, we’ll totally just blame this all on me or whatever. Like I’ll come up and say, oh, we have to go, we have to go. And we’ll have prearranged it before that, that they’re going to want to go at this point. Or if we see something happen, but then I am able to just pull them out of it. We are just learning so much every time we just try something out and see it takes us right back to where you started. I try something out and see how it unfolds and what do we learn from it? And yes, it applies here too. But yeah, socially, that can be a hard place to take these ideas or a more challenging place to take these ideas. Because there are so many social roles. And like you said, you kind of have to find the people who are also willing to engage with social situations in the same kind of way. ERIKA: It is so interesting. I think it’s just an area that triggers us, because of our own experiences and how you’re describing that social life was hard for you. Then that’s so triggering. I have the same experience with my kids. I don’t want them to lose their friends. I want them to be accepted and I want them to not be rejected. And there are these very kind of almost scary feelings that can come up for me. It feels very urgent that this go well. And I just hope that they say the right thing. It’s a panicky feeling that can come up for me. But just like everything else, there’s no one right way, which you mentioned, which I think is so huge. That doesn’t even seem possibly true at the beginning. But then it’s like, well, of course, there’s not one right way to behave socially. And that it requires learning like anything else in life. And so just being open to it, they’re going to try things and see how it turns out. And that’s just how humans learn. And that’s okay. That’s safe. It's been really interesting to sit with the reality of that. My oldest does a lot of processing of social things with me. That has been very enjoyable to have things occur and him to notice things he didn’t the first time, after our discussion. So he’ll be like, so and so is really making me mad right now, he’s furious. And I’m like, oh, my gosh, what’s going on? But then he’ll bring things up. I think he probably didn’t sleep well, you know, just the context pieces or we don’t know. Maybe I could provide information. His mom’s been out of town all week or just different things. There are things that go on with people, maybe it’s hormones. And so we’ve talked about hormones and maybe it’s all these different things. And so just kind of giving everyone more space, I guess, to make mistakes socially and that to be like, and we’re still okay. And we can make repairs. It’s such a different feeling and story than I had when I was growing up. I feel like the validation I got from my mom was kind of like, that’s a mean person. It wasn’t about, I wonder what’s going on with them. It was more, no one should talk to you like that. They must be a mean person kind of feeling. Maybe she didn’t use those words, but that was what I internalized about it. So, yeah, I totally appreciate that this area is so hard sometimes. I really enjoy hearing you process about it and just opening up to, there’s no one right way, even here. ANNA: Yeah. Something you said too, that I think a lot of us deal with is we take our childhood experiences and I mean, of course, because they’re a part of us, right? And so they become these triggers in these situations with our kids. But I think it’s so important to remember how different the environment is for our kids. You are there to have those conversations and those nuanced pieces. And it is so different. And almost the stakes, while they still feel high, I know what you’re saying, Erika, they are lower. In the sense of my experience of school was just me having to go to this place and figure it all out on my own. I had a close relationship with my mom, but she didn’t know anything about school or the politics of school or what was happening at school. And so I didn’t even bring that to her. I think it’s so different when we’re with our kids more in this weaving in and out of our lives day to day, where they just have that space to talk about their feelings and what’s happening with it. And even if they’re not kids that share every little bit, there’s just some different nuances there related to how we support our kids. So it’s always important for me to remember, that was my experience. And it was so hard because I didn’t have the support. But I guess that’s what I liked about what you said, too, Ari, asking what would I have wanted? Would I really have wanted somebody to jump in and tell me what to do? Or would I have wanted this nonjudgmental space with somebody to help me figure it out for myself? I thought that was really interesting. ARI: I think it’s one of the most rewarding parts of parenting in this way that our kids come to us to process. Like you were describing, Erika, when they just see a moment and they know that it’s always an opportunity to process with mom or anybody here. It’s just a beautifully different environment. PAM: It just reminds me of, I always remember the drive home from Girl Guides meetings. That was always a big processing time. But what stood out for me often was just like you were saying, Erika. It’s like, oh, so-and-so seemed like really out of sorts today or whatever, whatever. And she would be explaining to me, yeah, because X, because Y. Where I feel this defensive mama bear come up. But I got to the space where I could just recognize that in me. Doesn’t make it wrong either, right? Nothing, it’s not wrong, wrong. It’s just recognizing that experience. And then when I just put a little sentence out there, I get the whole context and the understanding. And I was like, oh, yeah. That’s the human being I want to be. ANNA: Whoa, right? It’s not getting defensive. Being able to see other people’s experience. And also, just be able to make that repair if it's needed. Or be open to repair if something’s happened to us. I think it’s a big difference. And it’s a learning process, right? It’s not perfect for any of us at any age. And so this expectation that kids are going to be perfect doesn’t make sense, but it’s creating that environment where that’s possible. And I feel like even, Ari, some of the stuff you’ve talked about on the network, you’ve seen changes in them as they’ve had this freedom. Especially your oldest to really be understood in some of the ways that she was approaching situations. So I think that was really cool. ARI: Absolutely. ANNA: Well, thank you so much. This was a lot of fun and I just really, really enjoyed it. And we hope everybody enjoyed our conversation, maybe had a little aha moment or picked up on some ideas to consider for your own personal journey. And of course, if you enjoy these conversations and want to come hang out with us, we’d love to have you join us at the Living Joyfully Network. It is really such an amazing group of people connecting and having thoughtful conversations about all the things that we encounter in life, our own and our kids and all the things. So we invite you to check it out and see if it fits with our free month offer. And you’ll find the link in the show notes or you can go to livingjoyfully.ca and the link is on the homepage. But thank you so much again for joining us. It was just really great to hang out with you all. ARI: Thank you for having me. PAM: Thank you, Ari. ERIKA: Thank you so much, Ari.

We're talking about the pressure kids feel to follow the “right” path — good grades, university, dream job — and why real life rarely works that way. We get into how differently kids learn, why effort matters more than straight A's, and why creative problem-solving might matter more than memorization in an AI world.We also dive into neurodivergent thinking, cheat-sheet debates, getting kicked out of Girl Guides, and the weird freedom of growing up in the '80s roaming neighborhoods unsupervised. Plus: the teachers who make kids love school, why every version of our kids is only “for now,” and the endless cycle of appointments, sports injuries, and growing pains that comes with raising teens in Toronto.Keywordseducation, parenting, creativity, school system, learning styles, neurodivergent, shortcuts, cheating, future of education, parenting tipsKey topicsTraditional vs. modern education approachesNeurodivergent learning styles and creativityThe role of shortcuts and support in learningParenting tips for fostering independence and effortThe impact of school environment on kids' happiness Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Runnin’ down the show: Back in the STUDIO! Hurray for Openin’ Day! Local lake picks and tricks! // Regional Roundup: Straits bottomfish and coastal halibut 4/30! // The BeauMac TECH Line: Mark Boardman of vortexoptics.com New Vortex Talons and turkeys Vortex Relay Network and VEIL4000 Thermal // Picks of the week! Karly Skakun FishQCL.com Girl Guide! Why coming up to the Queen Charlottes in MAY is the MOVE!

This week on the Your Morning Podcast, we speak with Chase Infiniti, Lucy Halliday and Ann Dowd about their brand-new show ‘The Testaments’ – a spinoff of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale.’ Then, Lindsey is joined by the Girl Guides of Canada, and Anne-Marie sits down with newly elected NDP leader Avi Lewis.

Girlguiding has told transgender girls they must soon leave its clubs, following a Supreme Court ruling on biological sex, but why was the Girl Guides set up just for girls? Adam Fleming speaks to Janie Hampton, who has written a book on the organisation's history.

The organising body of the Girl Guides says that trans girls - biological males - will have to leave by the 6th September to conform with a ruling by the Supreme Court last year. Whatever the perceived rights and wrongs of this decision, it's another chapter in the debate about whether we need single sex groups at all, from the Brownies to the gentleman's club. We look into the history of the Girl Guides and the Scouts; hear what the law says about single sex organisations and ask whether girls really do better when boys aren't around?Presenter: Adam Fleming Production team: Lucy Proctor, Simon Tullet and Tom Gillett Studio manager: Andrew Mills Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman Editor: Richard Vadon

This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.On today's edition of The Briefing, Dr. Mohler discusses the death of Leonid Radvinsky, the dark turn in Cesar Chavez's story, how history discloses the truth, and the defense of biology by Girl Guides and its lack of controversy.Part I (00:14 – 12:30)Part II (12:30 – 14:44)6 Takeaways From the Times Investigation Into Cesar Chavez by The New York Times (Sarah Hurtes and Manny Fernandez)Part III (14:44 – 20:21)Part IV (20:21 – 25:59)Sign up to receive The Briefing in your inbox every weekday morning.Follow Dr. Mohler:X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeFor more information on The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, go to sbts.edu.For more information on Boyce College, just go to BoyceCollege.com.To write Dr. Mohler or submit a question for The Mailbox, go here.

If your nervous system has been begging for a little softness lately, this episode is for you. This week we're sharing our Cozy Girls Guide with all the little things that make life feel slower, warmer, and more enjoyable. From our favorite cozy products, to YouTube ambience, routines, and the mindsets that help us romanticize everyday life.We're talking about the cozy things that help us reset, recharge, and make ordinary days feel a little more magical.If you've been craving a slower vibe, this is your permission slip to lean all the way in.FOLLOW US ON SOCIALS! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/literallysamepodcast?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LiterallySamePodcast/videos

Juliette Gordon Low was a classic Southern Belle when she married her handsome prince. But she learned the hard way that "happily ever after" is a harmful fantasy. We can do better for girls, she said: and we must. Rallying all the women around her, she founded Girl Scouts of America, empowering girls to build strength and character, and blaze new trails. Her global impact today is immeasurable. Join us on location at the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace Museum in Savannah, Georgia for this inspiring story of how women change the world. ________________ GET INVOLVED! Check out the World Association of Girl Scouts & Girl Guides and Girl Scouts of America. Buy cookies from your local girl scouts! Get the delightful 1913 Girl Scout Handbook ⁠HERE⁠, or read a free digital copy ⁠HERE⁠. Join us on our next adventure! ⁠⁠What'sHerName TOURS⁠⁠. This episode was recorded by Marc Nelson on location at the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace Museum in Savannah, Georgia. Special thanks to Shannon Browning-Mullis, Kate Walker, and Kristin Mikels, and to the participants of our 2025 What'sHerName Savannah Tour who joined in the fun! Music featured in this episode: Serenade Op. 6 by Josef Suk, Monumental Journey by Jesse Gallagher, William Tell Overture b Rossini, Blue Danube Waltz and Vienna Blood Waltz by Strauss, Serenade by Schubert, Remembering Her by Esther Abrami, songs from 1956 Sing Together, Songs Girl Scouts Sing, and Annie Laurie by the 1924 National Quartet at the Library of Congress. Civil War sounds effects by Richard E Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is it really possible to have an “acidic vagina” from taking too many probiotics? Why are we often sold a “Barbie doll” version of what our anatomy “should” look like? And, how do you actually start exercising as a self-proclaimed “lazy girl”? In this episode, Claire and Dr Mariam speak to Dr Mandy Hagstrom, an accredited exercise scientist and Associate Professor at UNSW, to find out how to get the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to exercise. They discuss the “weekend warrior” approach, why women might need less exercise than men to see the same longevity benefits and they explore cardio vs weight training. They also talk about why your exercise timing doesn't actually matter, debunking the social media myth that fasted morning workouts are the magic pill for fat loss. Plus, in Med School, we dive into the world of "spicy" vaginas. We look at the viral claim of "acidic vagina" syndrome, whether you can actually overdose on probiotics and why your lady parts are essentially a self-cleaning oven that doesn't need micromanaging. And, in our Quick Consult, Dr Mariam answers Amelia’s question about whether it’s normal for her vulva to be wrinkly or discoloured. We strip away the expectations and celebrate the "50 shades of beige, pink and purple" that make up real, healthy anatomy. EPISODE RESOURCES If you want to learn more about the topics discussed in today’s show, check out these helpful links: The Vulva Gallery: An educational platform and community celebrating vulva diversity. MOVE by Mamamia Health Direct - Physical Activity Guidelines NSFW: Here's what a vagina actually looks like Flip Through My Flaps GET IN TOUCH Sign up to the Well Newsletter to receive your weekly dose of trusted health expertise without the medical jargon. Ask a question of our experts or share your story, feedback, or dilemma - you can send it anonymously here, email here or leave us a voice note here. Ask The Doc: Ask us a question in The Waiting Room. Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok. Support independent women’s media by becoming a Mamamia subscriber CREDITS Hosts: Claire Murphy and Dr Mariam Guest: Dr Mandy Hagstrom Senior Producers: Claire Murphy and Sally Best Audio Producer: Scott Stronach Video Producer: Julian Rosario Social Producer: Elly Moore Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.Information discussed in Well. is for education purposes only and is not intended to provide professional medical advice. Listeners should seek their own medical advice, specific to their circumstances, from their treating doctor or health care professional. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Support the show: https://www.mamamia.com.au/mplus/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When done poorly, conferences tend to be a brief glimmer of fun and inspo and then fade once we get back home - we forget the details and don't implement what we learned. But when done well, with proper planning - conferences can be LIFE CHANGING! It can be a chance to meet dream mentors and find dream jobs, up level your life and learn things that put you on a whole new trajectory. All it takes is a little extra thought and effort, so today I'm sharing my top 3 game changing tips for: 1. getting trips to conferences paid for: flight, hotel, food, etc 2. how to meet up with said dream jobs and mentors 3. networking turn offs: what to do and what not to do+ miscellaneous logistical tips IG: @drconniewang, @justaquickpinch

How do you feel about parents who sell their kid's fundraising activities at work? There are some strong opinions out there. Plus: It's a Would You Rather Wednesday - would you rather only babies or dogs like you? Couples who have THIS nighttime routine reports to having happier marriages than those who don't A local lottery winner is breaking Nat's code of lotto ethics

The new Chief Commissioner of the Irish Girl Guides is from Carrigaline. Aisling Claffey Healion is proud of the skills girls learn by taking part but, most of all, the life skills they gain through socializing, she tells PJ. See also here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shelly is a member of the Climate Change Choir that campaigned at the last federal election targeting marginal climate-sensitive seats.She is also a thorn in the side of local council, agitating for accessible tram stops along Sydney Road, Brunswick, in Melbourne's inner north.Shelly is a lifelong member of the Girl Guides, whose principles include freedom-of-speech and anti- discrimination. Women develop self leadership skills and learn the importance of strengthening values.She is part of the Alternatives to Violence worldwide project that is active in 128 countries. It is a community movement that offers a personal development program, where individuals chose non-violent pathways through play-based activities.Shelly Van Derwerff is a practising occupational therapist.

The ultimate guide you need to listen to if you ant to start eating whole foods & have a fresh approach to healthy eating!! ⭐️ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After many many *many* people asked, begged, harassed and shouted, the girls are back with their award-winning segment, "Am I the A**h*le" which they invented and Reddit then copied it. Tune in to find out what the girls think about all your conundrums and for god's sake weigh in in the comments. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok: @twofreaksnoticePS We have noted the Podcast category in the Golden Globes and hope to attend and win next year. Please support us in this venture.Watch the full episode here!

This week we look at Christmas, clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan; attempted coup in Benin; Country of the week - Northern Ireland;  Males banned from Girl Guides; Rob Smith - The Body God Gives; The end of trial by jury?;  Climate Change - Deforestation in Indonesia; the humility of Mitchell Starc; The Queens Gambit and Nona Gaprindashvili; Radiohead and Gaelic Psalm 9; Rainn Wilson and Alex O'Connor;  Conversations with Geoff Bullock; Suffering with Steve Laws; and the Final Word.with music from Bob Dylan, Colin Buchanan,  Stiff Little Fingers, Anonymous Ulster, Radiohead, Back Gaelic Psalm Singers; Geoff Bullock;  and the Gettys.

Justice Secretary David Lammy has announced plans for a sweeping range of reforms to criminal courts in England and Wales. The proposals include scrapping jury trials for cases where sentences are likely to be less than three years and for trials involving ‘particularly technical and lengthy fraud and financial offences'. They will only be kept for the most serious offences, including murder, robbery and rape. However there are fears that the proposed changes will have a disproportionate impact on women, whether as victims or when accused of a crime and then particularly for women of colour. Nuala McGovern discusses the reforms with Fiona Rutherford, Chief Executive of legal reform charity Justice, barrister Emma Torr, Co-chief of Appeal, a law practice dedicated to challenging wrongful convictions, and Val Castell, Deputy National Chair of the Magistrates' Association. A petition has been launched calling for a national endometriosis registry to track and audit data on diagnosis, treatment and surgery outcomes. It's been spearheaded by Jessica Smith, who, like an estimated one and a half million women in the UK, suffers with endometriosis, a condition which occurs when the tissue, similar to the lining of the uterus, grows in other places, such as the ovaries and the fallopian tubes. Campaigners say the level of care is a post code lottery, with long wait lists and that by streamlining this information some of the gaps in care could be eliminated. Jessica joins Nuala along with Professor Ranee Thakar, President of the Royal College of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians.The Women's Institute has announced a big change - from next April it will no longer offer membership to transgender women. The UK Supreme Court earlier this year ruled that the legal definition of a woman can only be based on biological sex. This comes the day after it was announced that transgender girls can no longer join the Girl Guides, Brownies or Rainbows. The Women's Institute says it's decision comes with the ‘utmost regret.' Melissa Green, Chief Executive of the National Federation of Women's Institutes explains why they came to this decision. The BBC's political correspondent Phil Sim gives the background.Do you like everything to be perfect for Christmas dinner party hosting – the spotless house, the elaborate menu, the Instagram-worthy table setting? But what if the secret to a great dinner party isn't perfection, but scruffy hosting – a trend that is apparently transforming the way we gather together and makes stress-free dinner parties more attainable - perhaps a one-pot dinner, mismatched cutlery, toys under the table or children running around screaming. Helen Thorn, Comedian, Podcaster and one half of Scummy Mummies tells Nuala why she embraces this type of hosting. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Andrea Kidd

Julia Hartley-Brewer is joined by ex-Conservative Government adviser Claire Pearsall to go through the top stories of the day. Russia is prepared to go to war with Europe, Vladimir Putin has declared, as he accused European leaders of trying to scupper his peace talks with the US. The Russian president rejected the latest peace plan for Ukraine ahead of a meeting with Trump's envoys behind closed doors in Moscow. Meanwhile, Nigel Farage has reportedly let slip that he would be open to doing a deal with the Tories, and trans girls, i.e. BOYS, will not be allowed to join the Girl Guides or Brownies... Good, they are boys. Finally, some common sense. All that and much more on The Julia Hartley-Brewer Podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

overthinking? insecure? welcome to the guide to dating like a HOTTIE

VIDEO https://youtu.be/nV8MISIkNYA -- flow > force || how to stay driven without burning out, work with your rhythms and actually achieve more Soul in Progress Community https://stan.store/soulinprogress

In Keep Canada Weird Jordan and Aaron Airport explore the weird and offbeat Canadian news stories from the past week. In this episode your hosts discuss; Manitoba's ‘Home Security Camera' Registry Scammers pretending to be Girl Guides the broken hearts at the Gander Airport The Winnipeg family scammed twice COYOTE ATTACK BC!!!! Series Links Keep Canada Weird Series: ⁠https://www.thecanadiangothic.com/keep-canada-weird⁠ Send a voice memo:⁠ www.thecanadiangothic.com/contact⁠ Join the Keep Canada Weird Discussion Group: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/keepcanadaweird⁠ Provide feedback and comments on the episode: ⁠thecanadiangothic.com/contact⁠ Subscribe to the show: ⁠thecanadiangothic.com/subscribe⁠ Contact: Website:⁠ https://www.thecanadiangothic.com⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/TheCanadianGothic⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/nighttimepod⁠ Support the show: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nighttimepodcast⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Keep Canada Weird Jordan and Aaron Airport explore the weird and offbeat Canadian news stories from the past week. In this episode your hosts discuss; Manitoba's ‘Home Security Camera' Registry Scammers pretending to be Girl Guides the broken hearts at the Gander Airport The Winnipeg family scammed twice COYOTE ATTACK BC!!!! Series Links Keep Canada Weird Series: ⁠https://www.thecanadiangothic.com/keep-canada-weird⁠ Send a voice memo:⁠ www.thecanadiangothic.com/contact⁠ Join the Keep Canada Weird Discussion Group: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/keepcanadaweird⁠ Provide feedback and comments on the episode: ⁠thecanadiangothic.com/contact⁠ Subscribe to the show: ⁠thecanadiangothic.com/subscribe⁠ Contact: Website:⁠ https://www.thecanadiangothic.com⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/TheCanadianGothic⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/nighttimepod⁠ Support the show: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nighttimepodcast⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us a textCorie dedicates this episode to the late matriarch “Mama Doreen,” whose Girl Guides guard-of-honour in a packed Tacarigua church sparked a bigger conversation: the crisis of community and how strong institutions can pull Trinidad & Tobago back from its apparent moral decline. Anchored by memories from the funeral and repass—hymns, kaiso, and hard truths—Corie argues that movements like Girl Guides, Brownies, Scouts, Cadets, school bands, and the Police Band don't just “nice up” events; they form citizens, bridge generations, and repair trust between youth and the State.We salute bandmaster Anthony “Mr” Prospect and explore what Independence parades actually mean, why cancelling them matters, and how pageantry signals “we are us.” We touch this year's National Awards, asking how we value cultural workers next to sport and politics. In the music lane: Leon “Smooth” Edwards' iconic Panorama moments; why brass belongs in our sound; and a canon defence of Shorty—“Endless Vibrations,” “Om Shanti,” and the unfinished business of credit. There's a lively detour into Scorch's 101 soca list—criteria, crowd reaction vs cultural impact—and a real-life car-ride debate about youth music vs parents' music. We also reason through police-in-schools optics, state-of-emergency fatigue, and how uniformed performance (yes, send the Police Band into communities playing the youths' songs) can soften hardened lines.It's gratitude, history, and kaiso—offered for Mama, inspired by the Girl Guides, and focused on rebuilding the institutions that can steady a wobbling society. Click the link in my bio for the full episode. #coriesheppardpodcast00:21 World Song / Girl Guides opening01:34 Dedication to “Mama Doreen” & why this episode19:27 Hymn that still speaks (“…humble themselves…”)22:08 Kaiso at the repass, institutions we're losing30:21 Police Band IG clip & the power of performance36:57 Youth music vs parents' music (the school-run debate)40:25 Kaiso set: in loving memory43:51 Who is Anthony “Mr” Prospect? (bio + legacy)1:00:11 Republic/Independence, awards, and culture as culture1:10:27 Leon “Smooth” Edwards & iconic Panorama moments1:13:46 Independence kaiso, Scorch 101 criteria, why Shorty matters1:27:31 “Oom Shanti” & the case for compensation/credit1:29:17 DNA—Mama's favourite; why some songs live forever1:32:39 “Dedicated to Memory” (Rudder) & roll call of greats1:38:39 “My Way” — final tribute to Mama Doreen

After weeks of calling for a new pipeline, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is about to announce a new energy infrastructure project. For the first time in more than 6 years, the United States government is shutting down. Portland, Oregon is preparing to receive the National Guard after US President Donald Trump calls city "war ravaged". At least 69 people are dead after a powerful 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the Philippines. The Global Sumud Flotilla says it has been approached by Israeli military vessel, after coming within 150 nautical miles of Gaza's shoreline. Minimum wage rises in 5 Canadian provinces, leaving Alberta with the lowest hourly wage in the country. New online scam targets Girl Guide cookie lovers in BC and Ontario.

Sept. 29, 2025: Guest host Charis Hogg in for Jas Johal Feds officially declare Bishnoi gang as terrorist entity (0:00) Guest: Kash Heed, former Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General of B.C, and former Chief Constable of the West Vancouver Police Department Can Larry Campbell help address challenges in the Downtown Eastside? (6:34) Guest: Sarah Blyth, Advocate for the DTES and Executive Director of the Overdose Prevention Society Vancouver Layoffs at Vancouver City Hall: necessary savings or desperate cost-cutting? (13:03) Guest: Dan Fumano, City Columnist for Vancouver Sun and The Province Are Vancouver City Hall's cost-cutting measures reckless? (20:45) Guest: Rebecca Bligh, Vancouver City councillor and mayoral candidate Is WestJet saying goodbye to reclining seats in economy class? (28:13) Guest: Claire Newell, President of Travel Best Bets Trump threatens outsourced film production with 100% tariffs (37:44) Guest: Rick Forchuk, TV Week Magazine columnist and CKNW contributor How to safely buy Girl Guide cookies without getting scammed (45:19) Guest: Diamond Isinger, provincial spokesperson for B.C. Girl Guides Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back! And we're back for at least another year thanks to the legends at Rotacloud!!!And what a way to welcome us back with none other than the beyond epic, deep thinking and hilarious Gina Knight, Head of People at Flat Iron.Gina brings a big dose of warmth, humour, and honesty as she takes us from reception desk chaos to Ibiza career pact holidays, via Girl Guide hooch smuggling and a heated broccoli debate.This episode is proof that hospitality is never boring and that laughter really is part of the job description.What you'll hear in this episode:The Apron Rebellion – Why Flatiron's team said “thanks, but not good enough” and turned old aprons into hammocks, handbags and… dresses.Reception life uncensored – Gina and Phil swap war stories about demanding guests, room shortages, and the eternal question: how do you like your broccoli?Girl Guides & Hooch – Life lessons from leadership at 12 years oldThe Ibiza Pact – How Gina's “if you get a new job, I get a new job” deal ended in both friends quittingThe Beef Bank – Yes, Flatiron literally gives managers a monthly allowance called the Beef Bank. Spoiler: it doesn't involve storing steaks in a vault (Although Phil may have thought this)Key Takeaways:Listening gets results: Sometimes it's as simple as changing aprons or challenging your team to upcycle them into fashionHospitality teaches resilience: From riots to ridiculous complaints, it's all character building (and occasionally comedy gold).Neurodiversity is a strength: Gina shares how dyslexia and ADHD traits fuel her creativity and communication.Careers aren't straight lines: Say yes, pivot, Ibiza, repeat.Kindness still wins: Even after chaos, communities show up with coffee, cake, and compassion.Quotes we loved:“We redesigned the aprons… and the team went, thanks, but that's not good enough. Make them sustainable. Cue: hammocks, handbags, cushions, and dresses.”“At 12, I was responsible for six Girl Guides. I'd like to say I was sensible… but I did sneak in a couple of bottles of Hooch.”“How do you like your broccoli, Phil?”“I wanted to go to Ibiza, so I told my best mate we both had to get new jobs. We both did. Mission accomplished.”“I thought the Beef Bank was actual beef in a bank… but apparently, it's money you can spend on PlayStation vouchers or pillows.”A joyful, laugh-out-loud episode awaits about people, positivity, and why soggy broccoli nearly broke the internet.Show PartnersA big shout out to Today's show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.Try RotaCloud's time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.com/philThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

I am a Girl Guide.我是女童軍 I am a Girl Guide dressed in blue, These are the actions I must do: Salute to the king, Curtsey to the queen, And turn my back to the washing-machine. ----- 雙語廣播營成果發表 (114年8月9日第一組) Let's Learn About National Education Radio (Scene: A school classroom. The teacher is talking with the students.) Teacher: When was the last time you listened to the radio? Student 1: I listened in the car! Student 2: I listened before bed! Student 3: I don't remember… Teacher: That's okay! Today, we will learn about a special radio station. It is called National Education Radio — or NER. Student 1: Where is it? Teacher: It is in Nanhai Park (南海園區). Many people go there to walk and exercise. Student 2: What does the building look like? Teacher: The NER building looks like an old Chinese palace. It has red columns and a green roof. It is a very beautiful place in Taipei. Student 3: When did it start? Teacher: NER started in 1960. It is part of the MOE (教育部) — the Ministry of Education. Student 1: Why was it made? Teacher: At first, it helped students and teachers. Now, it does more things! Student 2: Like what? Teacher: NER shares news about culture and education. It answers questions. It gives good ideas and helps people learn. Student 3: Does it have fun programs? Teacher: Yes! It has many great programs. They also won the Golden Bell Awards. (金鐘獎) Student 1: Wow! That's cool! Teacher: There is also a fun place called the Sound Story Studio (聲音故事館). Student 2: What can we do there? Teacher: You can see old photos, play games, and make your own recording! All Students: Wow! Can we go visit? Teacher: Yes! Come and join us in the world of sound! 介紹國立教育廣播電台 （場景：學校教室。老師正在和學生交談。） 老師：你上次聽廣播是什麼時候？ 學生1：我在車上聽的！ 學生2：我睡前聽的！ 學生3：我不記得了… 老師：沒關係！今天，我們將了解一個特殊的廣播電台。它被稱為國立教育廣播電台——或NER。 學生1：它在哪裡？ 老師：在南海園區。許多人去那裡散步和運動。 學生2：這棟建築物是什麼樣子的？ 老師：NER大樓看起來就像一座古老的中國宮殿。它有紅色的柱子和綠色的屋頂。這是台北一個非常美麗的地方。 學生3：什麼時候開始的？ 老師：NER 始於 1960 年。它是教育部 (MOE) 的一部分。 學生 1：為什麼有教育電台呢？ 老師：首先，它對學生和老師都有幫助。現在，它可以做更多的事情！ 學生 2：比如什麼？ 老師：NER分享有關文化和教育的新聞。它回答師生的問題。它提供了好的點子並幫助人們學習。 學生3：有好玩的節目嗎？ 老師：是的！它有很多很棒的節目而且也獲得了金鐘獎喔！ 學生 1：哇！這很酷！ 師：還有一個好玩的地方，叫聲音故事館。 學生2：我們可以在那裡做什麼？ 老師：你可以看舊照片，玩遊戲，還可以錄下自己的錄音！ 全體學生：哇！我們可以去參觀嗎？ 老師：當然可以！快來加入我們聲音的世界 ----- #每周六雙語麻吉同學會 #每周日英語童謠童話小森林 #想要無廣告收聽更多節目請點選教育電台雙語頻道 #每周六、日更新 ----- Apple｜Spotify｜Google｜KKBOX｜Firstory｜SoundOn 搜尋訂閱：NER Kids -----

A high-school hockey player forced to lead his sister's Girl Guide troop.Subscribe and review on Apple Podcasts

You know that girl that's always put together so effortlessly? That can be you too!! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Step into "Spookers—Goth Girl Heaven," where a flirty goth waitress teases and tempts a shy listener with dark humor, playful banter, and tantalizing drinks. Get swept up in her bewitching charm and discover a night that promises more than just cocktails. Can you handle her version of fun?

Episode #379: “It's a different migration story,” reflects Amy Hardingson, speaking about her enduring connection to her Burmese heritage, a thread stretching across generations. Her great-grandmother, Hilda, embodied this love, embarking on the perilous Great Trek during World War II to India in 1941. A member of the Eurasian community in Burma, Hilda fled with her three-year-old daughter and seven-month-old son (Amy's grandfather). After losing her husband to malaria during the arduous journey, Hilda and her children were interned by the Japanese in a concentration camp for over a year. Their survival ultimately led them from war-ravaged Burma to the UK in 1947, initiating their family's diaspora story.Growing up mixed-race in the UK, Amy wrestled with a complex identity, often feeling her lived experience didn't conform to societal expectations. She faced intrusive questions and battled “mixed-race imposter-syndrome and anxiety.” Through researching Hilda's family tree, Amy unearthed a mixed heritage stretching back to the beginnings of British colonialism, a revelation that was incredibly healing and reshaped her self-understanding.Amy actively cultivates this rich connection for her daughter, Lucy, through cultural immersion like cooking authentic Burmese food and reading engaging bilingual books. Lucy, at nine, has also enthusiastically embraced this legacy by undertaking a “charity badge” for Girl Guides, choosing to fundraise for Better Burma following the coup. She raised £170, directly aiding 160 different families. This act gifted Lucy a powerful “sense of agency and direct living connection to her Burmese heritage,” says Amy, demonstrating “how every little bit of money helps.”Amy understands that embracing one's heritage, despite external pressures and historical erasures, is important. For her, “untangling that internalized racism is really important to help you to actually forge that sense of self and identity in a healthy and holistic way.” She believes this journey, like a delicate thread, can be repaired, strengthened, and woven into something new, showcasing an evolving identity across time.

In this episode of Wander Lounge, we're joined by Kelly Lewis — serial entrepreneur, global traveler, and the visionary behind Go! Girl Guides, Damesly, and the Women's Travel Fest. With over a decade spent disrupting the travel industry and empowering women to see the world on their own terms, Kelly brings a powerhouse perspective on what it really takes to build a life of freedom, impact, and creativity. We dive into the story behind her best-selling book Tell Her She Can't, how she scaled multiple 6-figure businesses from pure passion, and why her newest venture — Portland's Wine Spa — just landed a spot on Time Magazine's World's Greatest Places list. Whether you're dreaming of your next solo trip or building something big from scratch, this episode will leave you fired up to say YES to your own wild ideas. Connect With Us: Ariel Travis: @wander_lounge and www.wanderloungepodcast.com Kelly Lewis: @gokellylewis and @winespa_pdx

Last time we spoke about the battle along the Wusong Creek. The situation was dire for the Chinese defenders, who faced overwhelming odds. Among them was Ogishima, a Japanese soldier who experienced the brutal reality of war firsthand. Amidst the chaos, battles erupted along the Wusong Creek, where both sides suffered heavy casualties. Chinese forces, despite being greatly outnumbered in terms of tactical superiority, demonstrated extraordinary resilience, fighting bravely even when retreat was necessary. As the battle raged on, tactics evolved; Chinese troops fortified defenses and implemented guerrilla warfare strategies. The soldiers transformed the landscape into a fortification, turning abandoned buildings into strongholds. October brought a fresh wave of violence. The Japanese pressed their attack, unleashing superior firepower that gradually saw them conquer Dachang.    #161 The Battle of Shanghai #6: the 800 heroes who defended the Sihang Warehouse Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. Before the fall of Dachang, despite the threat of court-martial for anyone abandoning their posts, a general withdrawal of all Chinese forces in the Jiangwan salient was already in progress. As early as the night between October 24 and 25, the divisions within the salient had been ordered to move their baggage trains and support services back southwest across Suzhou Creek, utilizing the Zhongshan Bridge and Jessfield Railway Bridge. As the fighting intensified north of Zhabei in the subsequent days, the flow of soldiers, vehicles, and pack animals continued. By the night between October 26 and 27, the Chinese completely vacated metropolitan Shanghai north of Suzhou Creek. A foreign journalist wrot “The enormous Chinese army simply melted away and at dawn the Japanese found themselves facing empty positions. The two armies were no longer in contact.” During their retreat from Zhabei, the Chinese systematically set fire to thousands of shops and homes, implementing a scorched earth policy. At 7:00 am on October 27, eight narrow columns of smoke cut across the horizon from one end of Zhabei to the other. Two hours later, these columns had transformed into “huge black pillars stretching towards the azure sky.” By afternoon, a massive wall of smoke stretched four miles long, rising thousands of feet into the air. In the words of a German advisor, it was a fire “of unimaginable extent” that raged out of control for several days, repeatedly threatening to spill into the International Settlement. Refugees who had left Zhabei weeks or months earlier, hoping to return now that the fighting seemed to be over, were devastated to see their homes consumed by an immense sea of flames. The Japanese Army, or more specifically the doctrine guiding it in the field, failed in two significant ways by allowing some of China's best divisions to escape the trap they had set for them. First, on the evening of October 26, after taking Dachang, the Japanese columns could have advanced across Zhabei right to the edge of the International Settlement. Instead, they followed orders and ceased their advance at the line they had reached at sunset. German advisor Borchardt wrote “The only explanation for this is the lack of independent thinking among junior Japanese commanders and their fear of deviating even slightly from a meticulously detailed attack plan.  Since the Japanese focused on rallying and reorganizing their forces after the fall of Dachang, they missed an opportunity for a victory so decisive that the Chinese would have been forced to give up their continued resistance in Shanghai.” If the Japanese made their first mistake by leaving a door open for the enemy to escape, they committed a second error by failing to notice that the enemy was using that door. Although Japanese reconnaissance planes monitored the two main bridges utilized by the Chinese to retreat and even deployed parachute flares to detect movements at night, they inexplicably failed to observe the Chinese withdrawal. The retreat was executed precisely as planned, with every piece of artillery withdrawn. This allowed the Chinese to occupy prepared positions south of Suzhou Creek and around Nanxiang, enabling them to continue the fight another day. Despite their missteps, the Japanese initially celebrated their conquest of Zhabei as a victory, placing thousands of small Rising Sun flags throughout the district's ruins. Amid this sea of white and red, the only relatively intact structure, the Four Banks' Warehouse, starkly reminded them that the Chinese still maintained a foothold north of Suzhou Creek. Rumors began to circulate that the soldiers inside had vowed to fight to the death. The Japanese came to realize that their triumph in Zhabei would be perceived as flawed and would even resemble a defeat as long as the warehouse remained in Chinese hands. It was back on October 26, Chiang Kai-shek ordered all forces in Shanghai to withdraw to the western rural region. To facilitate a safe retreat, a rearguard was necessary, as is standard in military withdrawals. Chiang issued orders to General Gu Zhutong, the acting commander of the 3rd Military Region, to leave the 88th Division behind, not only to buy time for the retreating forces but also to stage a final grand stand in front of the Shanghai International Settlement. This was a last-ditch effort to gain international support, as the nine Great Powers were set to convene on November 6. However, General Gu Zhutong was personally attached to the 88th Division, and thus reluctant to abandon them. It's worth noting that he was acting commander in this position because his next post was to lead the 88th Division. Therefore, he telegrammed the divisional commander at the time, General Sun Yuanliang, who also opposed the plan to leave the 88th Division behind. While neither Gu Zhutong nor Sun Yuanliang were willing to disobey orders from the Generalissimo, Sun proposed a solution: They could leave a portion of the troops behind, just not the entire 88th Division. In his words, “How many people we sacrifice would not make a difference; it would achieve the same purpose.” Sun suggested leaving behind a single regiment from the 88th Division to defend one or two heavily fortified positions. Gu Zhutong agreed to this plan, and at that time, the 88th Divisional Headquarters was located at the Sihang Warehouse. The Sihang Warehouse is a six-story concrete building situated in the Zhabei district, just north of Suzhou Creek, at the northwestern edge of the New Lese Bridge. The warehouse was constructed collaboratively by four banks, hence the name "Sihang," which translates to "four banks." Directly across Suzhou Creek lies the Shanghai International Settlement, a neutral territory where Western foreigners resided. The fighting would occur literally just across the creek, forcing Western observers to witness the heroic last stand that China would make in Shanghai up close. For those who might not be aware, there is an outstanding film titled “The Eight Hundred.” I even reviewed the movie on my channel, the Pacific War Channel, on YouTube. The film excellently captures the remarkable situation, depicting an extravagant city on one side of a river, filled with entertainment, casinos, bars, and restaurants. The international community enjoys their vibrant lives, full of colors and lights, while on the other side lies a literal warzone. The Sihang Warehouse stands there, bullet-ridden, as the Japanese continuously attempt to storm it against the Chinese defenders. It's a compelling film worth checking out, feel free to take a look at my review as well! Returning to the story, Sun Yuanliang reconsidered and believed that leaving an entire regiment was excessive. Instead, he opted to leave behind an over-strength battalion. The 1st Battalion of the 524th Regiment was chosen for this task. A young colonel, Xie Jinyuan, who was also new to the 88th Division, volunteered to lead the battalion. No one who had met Xie Jinyuan could doubt that he was the ideal choice to lead the battalion that would stay behind, holed up inside the Sihang Warehouse in a corner of Zhabei, demonstrating to both the domestic and international audience that China remained resolute in its resistance against Japanese aggression. The 32-year-old graduate of the elite Central Military Academy, who had been stationed in Shanghai with the 88th Division since hostilities began in August, was a soldier to the core. He stood as straight as a bayonet, and according to a foreign correspondent who met him, even while wearing a mask, he was unmistakably a military man. In the correspondent's words, he represented “modern China stripped for action.” Upon receiving his assignment on the night of October 26, Xie Jinyuan went directly to the warehouse and was pleased with what he found. It resembled a virtual fortress. Each of its walls was pockmarked with numerous rifle slots, ensuring that attacking infantry would face a barrage of fire from the building's well-defended positions. It was evident that once the Japanese arrived, they would surround the structure on three sides; however, a link remained to the International Settlement to the south across Lese Bridge. British forward positions were as close as 40 feet away, and with careful maneuvering and a bit of luck, it was likely that the injured could be evacuated under the cover of darkness. From a tactical standpoint, it was an ideal location.   Still, improvements were possible, and Xie ordered the soldiers already present to work through the night to enhance their defenses. They had an ample supply of large bags filled with wheat and corn at their disposal, which served as excellent substitutes for sandbags. Xie Jinyuan's first challenge was to rally the soldiers of the 524th Regiment's 1st Battalion to occupy the warehouse positions. This was a complex task, given the short notice, as the companies and platoons were scattered throughout Zhabei, and some had unknowingly begun moving west with the rest of the Chinese Army, unaware of the orders their battalion had received. Throughout the night, Xie and his second-in-command, Yang Ruifu, dispatched orderlies through the blazing streets in search of their men amidst the throng of retreating soldiers. Eventually, their efforts bore fruit. By 9:00 a.m. on October 27, the last remaining soldiers of the battalion arrived at the warehouse. By then, Xie Jinyuan's force consisted of just over 400 officers and soldiers. This was a minuscule number compared to the might of the Japanese military, and they were immediately put to the test. Xie was unfamiliar with the men under his command, effectively being thrown into the deep end, so to speak. The location chosen for their stand was, of course, the Sihang Warehouse. The 1st Battalion originally comprised eight hundred men, but casualties incurred during the Battle of Shanghai had reduced their numbers to just 452 soldiers before the defense of the Sihang Warehouse began. Each soldier was armed with either a Hanyang 88 or Chiang Kai-shek rifle, an 8mm Mauser, grenades, a German M1935 Stahlhelm, a gas mask, and they also had some Czech ZB vz.26 light machine guns, along with four Type 24 Maxim guns. They would face off against the forces of the 3rd IJA Division, commanded by General Iwane Matsui, as well as the 10th Battalion, 8th, and 9th Companies of the Shanghai Special Naval Landing Force under Captain Okochi Denshichi. The Japanese forces were further bolstered by approximately 260 sailors from the Yokosuka 2nd Independent SNLF Company and another 200 sailors from the Kure 1st SNLF 2nd Company. Additionally, the 8th and 9th Companies of the Shanghai SNLF, originally attached to the 4th Artillery Battalion, would provide support with howitzers and mountain guns. In total, around 980 infantrymen from the reinforced 10th Battalion of the Shanghai SNLF, along with another 200 artillerymen from the 8th and 9th Companies, were involved in the Japanese assault on the Sihang Warehouse. Xie Jinyuan consolidated his battalion's defenses inside the Sihang Warehouse, believing it would provide his men the highest chance of holding out for as long as possible. He correctly assessed that the Imperial Japanese Army would be unable to use their heaviest artillery, aerial bombardment, gas attacks, or naval guns for fear of accidentally striking the International Settlement. It's important to remember that this was 1937, and the Empire of Japan was not willing to risk open warfare with Western nations until 1941. What the Japanese did have access to were armored vehicles, such as the Type 94 tankettes. The Japanese infantry were equipped with various weapons, including the Arisaka Type 38 rifle, Type 11 and Type 96 light machine guns, the Nambu Type 14 pistol, Type 92 heavy machine gun, Type 97 grenade, Type 89 grenade discharger, and the Type 93 flamethrower. On October 27, various companies of the battalion reached the Sihang Warehouse after a fighting withdrawal. By this point, they numbered 414 men, who essentially volunteered for a suicide mission and were later acknowledged by Chiang Kai-shek for their “exemplary soldierly conduct.” The 1st Battalion was commanded by Army Major Yang Ruifu, and their forces included the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Companies, as well as a Machine Gun Company, totaling 452 men once the remaining soldiers arrived. Due to two months of intense fighting in Shanghai, many of the German-trained elite troops had been killed or wounded, leaving the majority of the reinforcements at the Sihang Warehouse to be garrison troops from the surrounding provinces. Many of these soldiers came from the 5th Regiment of the Hubei Province Garrison, which meant that many were also inexperienced recruits. On October 27, news began to circulate throughout Shanghai that Chinese forces were still resisting the Japanese in the Zhabei district at the Sihang Warehouse. At 4 a.m., a Girl Guide named Yang Huimin approached a British guard at a post at the Chinese end of the New Lese Bridge, where she noticed a British soldier tossing a pack of cigarettes into the warehouse. Yang asked the soldier what he was doing, and he informed her that there was a battalion of Chinese soldiers inside. She then wrote a message and requested that the soldier place it inside a cigarette box and toss it over. Soon, the Chinese tossed back the cigarette box with a message indicating they needed food, ammunition, and lubricant for their weapons. Yang then left the bridge and began pleading for help at the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce, but no one believed her story. Xie Jinyuan deployed the 1st Company, led by Captain Tao Xingchun, on the right side of the warehouse along Tibet Road. The 3rd Company, led by Shi Meihao, was stationed on the left across from the Bank of Communications building, while the 2nd Company, commanded by Deng Ying, held the other sides. Two heavy Type 24 Maxim machine guns were mounted on the roof of the Sihang Warehouse, with additional machine guns distributed among each company. A forward platoon from each company was sent out to provide early warning of any enemy attack. Furthermore, Xie ordered his combat engineers to place remote-detonated charges in front of the warehouse. His units were strategically dispersed with rifles and machine guns throughout the warehouse and on the rooftop. They reinforced the building with bags of sand, corn, and beans, and razed surrounding structures to create a deadly killing field. At 7:30 am an advance outpost reported seeing Japanese marines near the North Train Station, and 45 minutes later, it confirmed that the enemy's flag was flying over that building. The Chinese soldiers were ordered to engage the advancing IJA 3rd division, and over the next two hours, they executed a fighting retreat back toward the warehouse. A brief pause ensued, during which the Chinese defenders prepared themselves, with some taking up positions on the various floors of the warehouse and others crouching behind an outer wall surrounding the building. At 1:00 pm a Japanese column approached the warehouse, confidently marching down the middle of the road behind a large Rising Sun banner. It appeared more like a victory parade than a tactical maneuver. Once they were in range, the Chinese officers ordered their men to fire. Five Japanese soldiers fell, causing the rest of the column to scramble for cover. Within an hour, the Japanese had amassed enough troops to attempt a storming assault on the warehouse. A sizable force surrounded the building, unleashing so much firepower that the Chinese were forced to abandon the outer wall and retreat to the warehouse itself. Although the defenses remained solid, the crisis was far from over, and the attackers appeared to have gained dangerous momentum The first bloodshed occurred when ten IJA soldiers were killed while attempting to secure fortifications around the warehouse that had been rigged with explosives. At 2 p.m., a National Revolutionary Army  platoon led by Yin Qiucheng exchanged fire with approximately fifty IJA troops. By 3 pm, an IJA company consisting of around 194 men launched an attack on the warehouse from the west. During this engagement, the 3rd Company commander, Shi Meihao, was shot in the face but continued to lead the defense until he was shot again in the leg. Meanwhile, about seventy IJA soldiers took cover in a blind spot just southwest of the warehouse. In response, the NRA climbed to the rooftop and threw grenades at the IJA, killing seven and wounding twenty. The initial assault by the IJA was a failure, prompting them to set fire to the northwestern section of the warehouse, where fuel and lumber were stored. By 5 pm., firefighter efforts had extinguished the blaze, as the IJA were preoccupied with looting the Zhabei area. At this point, Yang Ruifu, the second-in-command, commanded a dozen soldiers to rush to the roof and lob hand grenades at the Japanese forces below. This counterattack halted the Japanese advance. As the Japanese withdrew, they left behind seven dead. Much of the fighting was closely watched by excited Chinese on the other side of the 60-yard Suzhou Creek. Each time news spread of another Japanese soldier being killed, a triumphant cheer erupted from the crowd. At 9 pm, battalion commander Yang Ruifu assessed that there would likely be no further IJA attacks that day and ordered the NRA to repair their fortifications and eat their meals. However, no one slept that night. The NRA suffered two deaths and four wounded, while the IJA reported seventeen dead and twenty wounded. Foreign correspondents witnessed the battle from the safety of Suzhou Creek, enjoying a front-row seat to the harsh reality of urban combat. One reporter observed a small group of Japanese soldiers cautiously approaching the warehouse, navigating through the broken masonry and twisted metal. Crawling from cover to cover, it took them 50 minutes to traverse just 50 yards. The Chinese defenders, watching from concealed vantage points, had been monitoring their movements all along. Once the Japanese party was close enough, the defenders unleashed a barrage of hand grenades. After the dust settled, they used their rifles to finish off anyone still able to move. Several Japanese attempting to rescue their wounded comrades were also killed. It was a war without mercy. Even after darkness fell over the warehouse, there was no time for sleep. The soldiers worked tirelessly to repair damages and reinforce their positions.  The next morning, Xie Jinyuan contacted the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce for assistance, having received their phone number from Yang Huimin. At 7 am on October 28, Japanese bombers began to circle the warehouse but refrained from dropping any bombs for fear of hitting the International Settlement. Surrounding the rooftops of nearby buildings was a sea of Rising Sun flags, serving to intimidate the NRA and signal that they were encircled. By 8 am, Xie delivered a pep talk to the defenders and noticed an IJA squad advancing along the Suzhou Creek. According to Yang Ruifu's memoirs, Xie picked up a rifle and shot one of the IJA soldiers from over a kilometer away, halting the squad's advance. At 3 pm, it began to rain as the IJA launched a major attack on the west side of the warehouse, taking control of the Bank of Communications building. From there, they deployed machine guns and cannons to bombard the north face of the warehouse. However, the cannons were unable to significantly damage the six-foot-thick walls, and the Japanese troops in the bank building were easily suppressed by the defenders on the warehouse roof, who enjoyed a superior vantage point. After two hours of fighting, the Japanese gave up on the attack but managed to cut electricity and water to the warehouse. Yang Ruifu ordered strict rationing, with each company placing its water reserves under guard and collecting urine in large barrels for firefighting purposes if necessary. Witnessing the fierce Chinese resistance, the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce was invigorated, and news of the stand quickly spread via radio. Crowds of 30,000 people gathered along the southern bank of the Suzhou Creek, cheering the defenders on. In response, ten truckloads of aid were donated by Shanghai citizens, making their way over the bridge to the warehouse throughout the night. The defenders received food, fruit, clothing, utensils, and letters of support from the citizens. A few journalists attempted to visit, but due to the commanding officers being busy, they only managed to meet with Lei Xiong, the Machine Gun Company commander. Xie Jinyuan also utilized the same trucks to transport ten wounded men into the International Settlement. During these truck transit actions, three NRA soldiers were killed by Japanese sharpshooters. Yang Huimin courageously ran to the warehouse to personally deliver the Republic of China flag to Xie Jinyuan. Upon receiving the flag, Xie was asked by a reporter about his plans, to which he simply replied, “Defend to the death.” Yang Huimin then requested a list of the soldiers' names to announce to the entire country. However, Xie was reluctant to provide this information, fearing it would reveal his actual numbers and prompt the Japanese to storm the warehouse. Instead, he wrote down 800 names from the original 524th Regiment's roster. Thus, the legend of the “800 Heroes” was born. The next morning, the Republic of China flag was hoisted on a thirteen-foot pole atop the Sihang Warehouse. Since Yang Huimin had only delivered the flag without a pole, the defenders constructed a makeshift pole using two bamboo culms tied together, holding a flag-raising ceremony. Crowds gathered in the International Settlement, reaching up to thirty thousand in number, shouting “Zhōnghuá Mínguó wànsu!” (Long live the Republic of China). Japanese aircraft attempted to destroy the flag with strafing fire but were unsuccessful and were forced to retreat due to anti-aircraft fire. At noon, the IJA launched their largest offensive to date, attacking the warehouse from all directions with Type 94 tankettes and cannons. The 3rd NRA Company was pushed out of their defensive lines to the base of the warehouse and then further into the warehouse itself. The IJA's cannon fire chipped away at the warehouse structure, creating new firing ports on the windowless west wall. The Japanese attempted to scale the walls to the second floor using ladders. Xie Jinyuan was positioned near a window when two IJA soldiers managed to climb into the second floor beside him. He choked the first soldier to death and shot the other while kicking over the ladder they had used. The situation became dire as a platoon of IJA soldiers began placing explosives to breach the west wall. As the battle raged on, the IJA platoon continued planting explosives at the base of the west wall in an effort to breach it. When the Chinese defenders noticed what they were doing, 21-year-old Private Chen Shusheng, armed with a grenade vest, jumped from a second-story window onto the IJA platoon that was planting the explosives. His suicide attack killed himself and twenty Japanese soldiers below. The fighting continued until darkness fell, with waves of IJA soldiers storming the warehouse using armored vehicles. Ultimately, the IJA had to abandon their assault and began digging a tunnel towards the warehouse with an excavator. In response, posters emerged in the International Settlement, showcasing the movement of the IJA to the NRA. At 7 am, on October 30, the IJA recommenced their attacks, this time employing heavy artillery, firing approximately one shell per second throughout the day. The NRA responded by reinforcing the warehouse with additional sandbags. As night approached, the IJA utilized floodlights to illuminate the warehouse, allowing their artillery fire to continue unabated. Despite the overwhelming firepower, the defenders still managed to destroy some of the IJA's armored vehicles. The International Settlement exerted pressure on the IJA to cease the artillery fire, as it was dangerously close to their area. They informed the IJA that they would attempt to persuade the NRA to end their defense. A petition was sent to Chiang Kai-shek to stop the fighting for humanitarian reasons. By this point, the defense of the Sihang Warehouse had accomplished all its objectives. The NRA forces in Shanghai had successfully redeployed to more favorable positions in the rural west. Moreover, the defense of the warehouse had garnered significant attention from the Western world. Consequently, Chiang Kai-shek authorized a retreat. Chiang Kai-shek ordered the battalion to retreat into the foreign concession and to rejoin the 88th Division, which was now fighting in western Shanghai. A meeting was arranged with British General Telfer-Smollet and Yan Hu of the Shanghai Auxiliary Police to facilitate the retreat. The 524th Regiment would retreat to the International Settlement by crossing the New Lese Bridge. The 3rd IJA Division commander, Matsui Iwane, was notified of this plan and agreed, promising to allow the defenders to retreat unharmed, although he would ultimately not fulfill this promise. At midnight on November 1, Xie Jinyuan led the retreat of 376 men out of the warehouse and across the New Lese Bridge into the International Settlement. Ten NRA soldiers had been killed, and twenty-seven were too wounded to move; those soldiers volunteered to stay behind and man the machine guns on the rooftop to provide cover for the retreat. During the crossing, ten additional NRA soldiers were wounded by IJA sharpshooter fire. By 2 a.m. on November 1, the retreat was complete, marking the end of the defense of the Sihang Warehouse. After the battle, Xie Jinyuan reported that more than 100 Japanese troops had been killed by the defenders. General Sun Yuanliang stated, “Enemy corpses in the vicinity of Sihang Warehouse totaled approximately two hundred.” Xie Jimin claimed, “More than 200 enemy troops were killed and countless others were wounded. Two enemy tanks were also destroyed, and two more were damaged. The number of enemies was based on the daily counts obtained by observation posts.” The NRA suffered ten deaths and thirty-seven wounded, while the IJA incurred an estimated two hundred killed, along with several others wounded. However, a Japanese report indicated that after the SNLF 10th Battalion stormed the Sihang Warehouse, they found only 80 Chinese corpses. As of 2022, historians now estimate that 377 Chinese soldiers managed to retreat, suggesting that the actual death toll for the Chinese was likely around 33. The Battle of Shanghai was arguably unwinnable for the Chinese from the outset. It was only a matter of time before the Japanese would gain the upper hand due to their material and technological advantages. As the fighting dragged on, with the Japanese capturing stronghold after stronghold in the countryside surrounding the city, the immense toll exacted on the defenders led a growing number of Chinese generals to question the wisdom of clinging to a city that was ultimately destined to fall. They pushed for a more comprehensive withdrawal rather than the tactical retreat from Zhabei and Jiangwan that had already taken place. Otherwise, thousands more soldiers would die in vain. Moreover, there were serious concerns about morale taking a devastating hit, which could compromise China's ability to continue the fight. This was becoming a pressing issue. Chinese troops, who had initially entered the battle with an upbeat and patriotic spirit, gradually lost their fervor as casualties mounted in a seemingly hopeless battle. Once a division was reduced to one-third of its original strength, it was sent to the rear for reorganization and replenishment before being returned to the frontline. Most soldiers perceived the odds of survival as heavily stacked against them. Despite regular visits to the front, Chiang Kai-shek remained largely unaware of these grim realities. Officers who understood the true conditions in the trenches were also familiar with the supreme commander's stubborn nature and his determination to defend Shanghai to the bitter end. Given the circumstances, they felt it unwise to reveal the full truth to him. This charade could not continue indefinitely. In some units, the situation was deteriorating so rapidly that it became increasingly likely soldiers would simply abandon their positions. With mutiny looming as a possibility, senior commanders sought to persuade Chiang Kai-shek that a complete withdrawal of all Chinese troops from the Shanghai area to a fortified line stretching from Suzhou to Jiaxing, a city about 35 miles to the south, was the only viable option. In early November, General Bai Chongxi informed Chiang that the officers at the front could no longer control their men and that a pullback would serve as a face-saving measure, forestalling potential rebellion within the ranks. However, nothing they said seemed to impress Chiang Kai-shek. General Li Zongren, another officer who had previously attempted to advocate for a retreat, realized that arguing with the man at the top was futile. “War plans were decided by him personally, and no one else was allowed to say anything,” Li noted in his memoirs. Despite this, there were moments when Chiang appeared tantalizingly close to being swayed by the views of his lieutenants. As early as the first days of October, he seemed to favor a withdrawal from the front, only to reverse his decision later. A similar situation arose late in the month when Chiang called a meeting with his frontline commanders in a train carriage at Songjiang Railway Station, southwest of Shanghai. Before his arrival, the generals discussed the battle and concluded they could do little against the enemy's superior firepower. Upon Chiang's arrival, Zhang Fakui, the commander of the troops in Pudong, suggested moving ten divisions to prepared positions further in the rear, where defense would be easier than in Shanghai. The majority agreed with this proposal. At this point, Madame Chiang Kai-shek made her entrance, dressed in an expensive fur coat and fresh from a visit to the Shanghai front. “If we can hold Shanghai for ten more days,” she declared, “China will win international sympathy.” She was vague about the specifics but seemed to be referring to the upcoming Brussels conference. This declaration galvanized Chiang. “Shanghai must be held at all costs,” he asserted with firm conviction, as if that had been his sentiment all along. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. As Chinese troops retreated across Suzhou Creek, a small battalion under Colonel Xie Jinyuan held their ground, transforming the warehouse into a fortress. Despite fierce attacks, including artillery and tank assaults, they showcased unparalleled bravery. Reinforced by messages of support from locals, spirits soared. Amidst mounting casualties, they persisted until a strategic retreat was ordered. As dawn broke on November 1, Xie led the remaining troops to safety, leaving behind a legacy of valor that inspired future generations. Thus, the "800 Heroes" legend was born.

Episode 120: OUR SEASON 5 FINALE!!!!Feeling like you're in your unlucky era? Because same. But we're flipping the script. In this episode, we're diving into Lucky Girl Energy—what it really means, why it's more than just a TikTok trend, and how to actually tap into it.We break down the five core principles of living a “lucky girl” life—from believing it before you see it, to choosing your circle wisely. This is not about toxic positivity or blind luck. It's about mindset, confidence, and creating your own magic.

England's female football team – the Lionesses - have reached the final of Euro 2025. Giles is intrigued to know who is following their progress. A government initiative to limit public services to UK billionaires prompts an idea…what other mundane day to day activities should billionaires be prohibited from doing? Riding the top deck of a bus? If there is an art to holiday packing, Esther has mastered it – one pillow, one can of WD40 and a knife. Job done! What would a resourceful Girl Guide do with such a collection of items…fashion a 'think positive' badge perhaps?Lastly, dear old King Charles has launched a range beard grooming products. No comedy in that…none whatsoever. Anyone for a jar of royal goolie washer?Please do get in touch with any comments or questions: noidea@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team get together in person for once to discuss parliament breaking for recess, the scrapping of the water regulator 'Ofwat', Kemi Badenoch raising tories from the dead in her reshuffle and Reform's 'big' law and order policy ideas... Then they chat about the 72 new badges available to girl guides, the 6 million dollar banana artwork eaten again and pay tribute to late great Pauline Richards, the world's longest serving KFC worker.  If you enjoy the podcast, please give us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and make sure you subscribe there so you don't miss an episode! For updates on the show, make sure you're following Have I Got News for You on Instagram, TikTok and X (formerly known as twitter) and get in touch with us there using #HIGNFYpod or emailing podcasts@hattrick.com.  Your hosts are Jack Harris Queenie Miller  Emerald Paston  And Mike Rayment The Producer is Diggory Waite The Executive Producer is Claire Broughton The Music is by Big George In the News This Week is a Hat Trick Podcast

An “honour killing” in Pakistan has drawn outrage after going viral, the U.S. exits UNESCO, unhappy that the organisation is too political, and new skills badges for Girl Guides: are they wacky, weird, woke or wise? Adam Gilchrist shares details on these stories with Lester Kiewit. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is a podcast of the CapeTalk breakfast show. This programme is your authentic Cape Town wake-up call. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is informative, enlightening and accessible. The team’s ability to spot & share relevant and unusual stories make the programme inclusive and thought-provoking. Don’t miss the popular World View feature at 7:45am daily. Listen out for #LesterInYourLounge which is an outside broadcast – from the home of a listener in a different part of Cape Town - on the first Wednesday of every month. This show introduces you to interesting Capetonians as well as their favourite communities, habits, local personalities and neighbourhood news. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit. Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays between 06:00 and 09:00 (SA Time) to Good Morning CapeTalk with Lester Kiewit broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/xGkqLbT or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/f9Eeb7i Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bongani Bingwa crosses to the UK for our daily check-in with Adam Gilchrist. On today’s World View: outrage in Pakistan after a disturbing video of an alleged honour killing goes viral, sparking renewed calls for justice and legal reform. In the United States, the government has officially withdrawn from UNESCO once again, claiming the organisation has become too politicised. And finally, a fresh debate in the UK as the Girl Guides introduce a new range of skills badges, some are calling them woke, others wise, but most agree they’re certainly unconventional. 702 Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa is broadcast on 702, a Johannesburg based talk radio station. Bongani makes sense of the news, interviews the key newsmakers of the day, and holds those in power to account on your behalf. The team bring you all you need to know to start your day Thank you for listening to a podcast from 702 Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 06:00 and 09:00 (SA Time) to Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa broadcast on 702: https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/36edSLV or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/zEcM35T Subscribe to the 702 Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week the Maier's get together on a Monday afternoon to discuss: back alley action, MRI, anxiety, maturing, land acknowledgment, Justin returns, Girl Guides, SOW, and performance anxiety. Reach Us:  @kmaemaier  @chrismaierbc  @hwywhoney  hwywhoney@gmail.com

Send us a textThis week, we're diving headfirst into the emotional rollercoaster that is being a girl—and spoiler alert: it's a full-time job with zero PTO, hormonal chaos, and overpriced skincare. We're talking spray tans as therapy, backseat babysitting, outfit meltdowns, mascara-induced rage, and why a $7 deodorant should be considered a luxury item.BUT we're also shouting out the best parts—like glam nights, bikini boxes (yes, really), the magic of girlhood, and how we can go from Adam Sandler to smokeshow in 10 minutes flat. We also debate the ultimate question: is there a single show everyone agrees on? (It's not The White Lotus, apparently.)Basically, it's all things estrogen-fueled, deeply relatable, and aggressively girly—in the best way.Grab your Diet Coke and your lash curler, we're getting into it.Hug Your People, and Then Hug Them Again Find us here: Instagram Website Tiktok Our latest merchandise DROP

The Ultimate Healing Girl Era Guide (No, We're Not Downloading Hinge) Today's episode is for the girlies going through it — maybe it's your first breakup, maybe your heart's still hurting months later, or maybe you're just entering your healing era and everyone keeps asking why you're not back on the apps yet ...Well guess what? You're not “behind.” You don't need a new boyfriend. You need you right now. And this episode is your cozy little corner of the internet to feel seen, heard, and so validated.FOLLOW TRIN :⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IG @trinitytondeleir⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok @trinitytondeleir⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube: trinity tondeleir⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Trin's Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠JOIN OUR HGW GROUP CHAT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUBMIT TO THE WELLNESS CAFE:- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠write in for the HGW hangout summer episodes!!!!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ASK TRIN!! advice session form

The Ultimate Healing Girl Era Guide (No, We're Not Downloading Hinge) Today's episode is for the girlies going through it — maybe it's your first breakup, maybe your heart's still hurting months later, or maybe you're just entering your healing era and everyone keeps asking why you're not back on the apps yet ...Well guess what? You're not “behind.” You don't need a new boyfriend. You need you right now. And this episode is your cozy little corner of the internet to feel seen, heard, and so validated.FOLLOW TRIN :⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IG @trinitytondeleir⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok @trinitytondeleir⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube: trinity tondeleir⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Trin's Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠JOIN OUR HGW GROUP CHAT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUBMIT TO THE WELLNESS CAFE:- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠write in for the HGW hangout summer episodes!!!!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ASK TRIN!! advice session form

373 Making Space and Time To Truly Enjoy Life In life we will often be distracted with things we feel like we have to do: Go to University, get a normal job from 9-5, participate in every extra curricular activity that is presented to us, and in doing so we fail to take into account what we need. We need community, we need to experience the beauty of the world we live in, we need to live not just survive.  In today's episode Sarah Elkins and Joyce Perrin discuss the many adventures they both have lived through and the lessons they learned on their journeys.    Highlights Even across the generations, across cultures, across the globe, we are far more similar than we think. Choosing to create, contribute, and belong in community. When consumed with activity, you will not know how to be at peace and love the world you share with others.  Savor the moments of teaching, do not rush it, you never know how much time you have left.    Quotes “It's not how much you have, it's how much you share and give that really defines you.” “I think these kinds of skills, and giving the children responsibility is a good thing. But what I'm seeing happen is the children are so busy with all their curricular activities plus their homework they have to do, they have very little time to do anything else.”    Dear Listeners it is now your turn, No matter what age you are right now, what is something that you are willing to do that you haven't done before? What's something that's been an itch for you that you haven't been able to scratch? Because now is the time. Don't wait any longer. Don't face regret in your future. If we're going to have the same conversation a year from now and you're going to regret the same things you regret now, then something needs to change.    And, as always, thank you for listening.      About Joyce Joyce Perrin's early fascination with the 1950s Lands and Peoples book series sparked a lifelong curiosity about different countries and cultures. When she represented Canada at an international Girl Guide camp at age 17 and met her role model, Lady Baden-Powell, Baden-Powell's quote, “Happiness comes not from what we have but from what we give and what we share,” became her guiding light. Her nursing career led her into hospital administration and consulting. Still, a life change prompted her to pack up all her belongings at age 57 and embark on a solo global journey across 187 countries and territories. After many years of amazing adventures, she settled in Panama, where she co-founded the Panama Hospice and Respite Foundation. Returning to Canada at age 80, despite several health challenges, including blindness in one eye and breast cancer, Joyce published her book Ants in My Pants: One Woman's Unexpected Adventures Across Seven Continents. Now 88, she resides in Pickering, just east of Toronto, and finds purpose in supporting fellow cancer survivors, volunteering with health teams and encouraging people, through her book and speaking engagements, to pursue their passions, no matter their age. Be sure to check out Joyce's LinkedIn and Facebook! As well as her Website! About Sarah "Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision." In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I've realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don't realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they're sharing them with. My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home. The audiobook, Your Stories Don't Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available! Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana. Be sure to check out the Storytelling For Professionals Course as well to make sure you nail that next interview!

On this episode we get to meet and listen to Sydney Elaine Butler. I definitely believe Sydney is unstoppable for many reasons. First, growing up she had a speech disability as she will describe to us. Also, however, along the way she was diagnosed with other disabilities including being on the autism spectrum. Like all of us who are different from the “norm” Sydney had her share of challenges from others. However, she learned to deal with them and move forward.   In college she decided to get a degree in business and eventually she determined to enter the human resources field. After being out of college for only a bit over a year and during the time of the pandemic, Sydney formed her own company, Accessible Creates. She consults with companies and company leaders primarily about disabilities and she helps to create better retention and overall attitudinal environments for employees with disabilities.   We discuss many of the issues faced in the workplace and beyond by people with disabilities. I believe you will find Sydney's views and attitudes quite refreshing and often innovative. I hope Sydney has offered some takeaways you can use in your own worlds.       About the Guest:   HR Professional | Founder, Speaker, and HR/DEIA Consultant at Accessible Creates | DEIB Facilitator | They/Them Pronouns   It is Sydney's understanding that their professional purpose must be to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to be successful regardless of barriers in their way and that they must as a professional remove these barriers. Sydney conducts training and consulting for other companies on how to be more Accessible and Inclusive from a Human approach and how to recruit and retain more diverse individuals through the lens of Intersectionality/Human Resources as well as other areas of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in an authentic manner at the company they founded called Accessible Creates due to understanding the barriers that exist within the workplace for diverse individuals.   Ways to connect with Sydney:   https://linktr.ee/sydneyelainebutler Website: https://www.accessiblecreates.ca/   About the Host:   Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/   https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening!   Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast   If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset .   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review   Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.       Transcription Notes:   Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Well and a gracious hello to you, wherever you happen to be today, I am Michael Hingson, and you are listening to unstoppable mindset where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected mean, and it's deliberately called that, as I've explained a few times before, because most of the time when people talk about diversity, they never talk about disabilities. They talk about sexual orientation and gender and race and so on, but disabilities get left out. In fact, I talked to one person on this podcast who said, when I observed you don't mention disabilities. Oh, that social justice. It isn't the same. Heck, it's not anyway. Leaving that aside for the moment. Our guest today is someone I've been looking forward to chatting with for a while. In her name is Sydney. Elaine Butler, and Sydney is in Canada, and she has formed a company actually called accessible creates Cindy. Sydney is very familiar with disability. She has some and I'll leave that to her, to you know, to talk about, but she brings an empathy and understanding. I think that's extremely important, and that all of you will appreciate listening to. So let's get on with it. And Sydney, I want to welcome you to unstoppable mindset and really glad you're here.   Sydney Elaine Butler ** 02:43 Thank you so much for having me. Michael, well,   Speaker 1 ** 02:46 it's my pleasure, and we're really glad that you're able to finally get here. We've been working on this for a while, and we've had to postpone a few times. Sydney's had one thing or another going on, but that's okay. We, we, we are unstoppable, so we always find a way to succeed, right? Exactly. Well, why don't you tell us a little bit, maybe, about the early Sydney, growing up and some of those things. Yes, to start at   Sydney Elaine Butler ** 03:11 the beginning, right? Oh, where do I start? Um, so growing up, I first knew I had a speech impediment, and so I couldn't say my R's properly, and sometimes I would speak too fast. Sometimes still do tell me to slow down if I need to, but I sometimes I wouldn't speak because I was too scared to say my R is wrong and to speak too quickly. And so I had to go to speech therapy from a young age, and didn't understand that it was really different. You know, I just realized that all my other classmates living class to go do this, but it was mindful, and it's what I knew. I also walked on my tippy toes a lot. So then I had to start going to physical therapy, and I was also playing soccer, and my parents told me a lot of different things to get me active and to get out there. And then we also the Girl Guides of Canada, which is like, equivalent to Girl Scouts in America. And so I enjoyed that, and that's when I started to really find, find my voice and find what I'd like to do, and start becoming more outgoing and starting to exploit when things   Speaker 1 ** 04:27 Ah, okay, so was the speech impediment a manifestation of something else or what?   Sydney Elaine Butler ** 04:36 Yeah, so my dad also had a speech impediment growing up. I think it was just, it wasn't, I think in hindsight, it was tied to my neurodivergency, but didn't really know what that meant at the time, and at the time, we've seen a separate and knew that, I think a lot of people think that the speech impediments, i. Or something you go out of and think about a lot of kids have speech impediments, and so sometimes now it still manifests as I stutter sometimes, because then my brain goes too fast and my mouth can't catch up. Yeah. And so just realizing that my brain thinks a little differently, and I think that had a part to   Speaker 1 ** 05:17 play in well. So along the way, you discovered that you were also involved with other disabilities, I guess,   Speaker 2 ** 05:25 yes, and so I think I also I kind of had depression when I was in high school. And so I think that led to me not knowing, you know, if I wanted to be alive or not, frankly. And so back to other disabilities and understanding that all these different things. So like, I felt like had to almost do the camouflage and blend in to like, for example, I say, would hang out with the nerds and be more nerdy, or hanging over the jocks and be more of a jock. And it didn't really have a sense of self. I think that played a role in that, in my mental health and being having other disabilities.   Michael Hingson ** 06:08 How did your parents handle all of that?   Speaker 2 ** 06:12 I think they just treated me as you know, their child, you know, and they, for example, they would want me to go on to teach therapy. Oh, I need physical therapy now, because I'm walking my tippy toes and my my calf were too tight. And so they just did the best they could, and tried, you know, a lot of people, I think they never tried Kindle that was different. They just okay, this is what city needs to do the best and he can. And so I am very thankful for them for that, because I never felt like I was different. I just knew I had needed to get different things to be successful, but I didn't really know the details and the depth of what was happening.   Speaker 1 ** 06:55 When, when did you figure all of that out? Or when did doctors or whatever, finally come up with a diagnosis that made sense.   Speaker 2 ** 07:05 Yeah, I think when my after, shortly after, I started college, and I was like, kind of, I'm still living at home, but really think that kind of becoming more independent, seeing that I could do some things I could do really well, and other things I was struggling with, and then going to the doctors, explaining the things I was experiencing, and really understanding that, oh, okay, this and that, you know, finding out what is happening with me and how to best help myself and help and being patient with myself. Because I think a lot of times you can get so frustrated because you don't know exactly what's wrong, but you know something's wrong. And so I think by getting that, helping doctors, and getting help, even just expressing my limitations, and also I was, at the same time myself, helping kids, teens and hours with disabilities, and I related to them so much. And so I think that's what prompted me to go to the doctors in the first place and be like, I relate more to this population. Why is this and why am I so good at my job working with these individuals, we were others that I felt like, I was like, don't and so just seeing that, oh, yeah, that makes more sense, that, you know, autistic and all these different things that make up who I am,   Speaker 1 ** 08:22 right? So how long ago was it that you were in college?   Speaker 2 ** 08:28 I was so I was in college. I started in 2015 okay? And I graduated in 2018 and then I went to university from 2018 to 2020 because my college actually offered, the university offered a duty completion program, and so that was really beneficial. So   Speaker 1 ** 08:46 you were fairly recent in in the process, I've had some people on unstoppable mindset who were in their 30s before someone was able to accurately diagnose that they were different because they had autism, and I know that it is, for example, autism, and I know that for the longest time, people just didn't know how to to understand it or describe it. So at least in a sense, I guess although it still took a while for them to figure out with you still it was, it was better that it happened now than years ago when they weren't able to explain it or or even really understand it.   Speaker 2 ** 09:32 Yeah, and I think this is misconception that I think previously in the years, like you said, it was more like either there was very specific criteria around what they thought autism was, but now we understand it's a spectrum and how it impacts, you know, people that you know, males versus females. And so I think it's like, oh, you know, the lack of empathy is seen associated with autism. But like you said at the beginning, I have lots of empathy. And I think have hyper empathy, you should have to use a thing in females that are autistic.   Speaker 1 ** 10:07 Okay, so what did you get your college and university degrees in?   Speaker 2 ** 10:13 Yeah, so I studied Business Administration, human resources. So my aunt actually, she was human resources on a cruise ship. And I thought at first, when I was applying for university and in college, I because at college first, because I thought I was actually going to be environmentalist, because I high level. I've always wanted to change the world. So I thought, you know, with climate change and global warming was like, I want to be an advocate and talk about, you know, what's it better do to help the planet? But I didn't have the math grades for that. That was one of my strong suits and so. But I also took business as an elective in school. Like, oh, this seems like an interesting elective. I'll take it, and actually did quite well in it. And I like people helping people. And I thought, you know human resources, even though we know they mostly help the employer, I can also help people in the workplace. And there's so many different diverse aspects of human resources. And so that's why I decided to study human resources in school.   Michael Hingson ** 11:18 You just avoided the math part of business, huh?   Speaker 2 ** 11:20 There is, there was still math in business. But it's funny because I actually took statistics during my college and that that math made a lot of sense to me, like my brain. I became a statistics tutor, actually, and it was so funny seeing the one eight, the 180 of how I did math in high school versus how? And now I'm doing math while also paying for COVID Now,   Speaker 1 ** 11:46 well, at least you made it through, yes, which is, which is pretty cool. So when you, when you got out of college and university, what did you do? How soon? Well, let me just ask, What did you do? Start with that. So   Speaker 2 ** 12:05 I graduated from university in 2020, December, and so that was quite a challenge, as you can imagine, because I was actually supposed to have an internship that summer, and then the world shut down. And I remember I had an interview on my mom's birthday, March 18, which is the day the world shut down. And then they sent me an email that Friday and said, if it wasn't for the pandemic, for what's the COVID variant of the COVID virus that's going around, you would be getting the shop. This is a tip, but unfortunately, now we're closing our doors because of the pandemic. Yeah? And that was very frustrating, because I was like, I could have had this traditional and it was HR. Was it HR position mixed with statistics, and I just mentioned my love of statistics. And so it was going to be perfect, right? But it didn't happen. And so then I had another interview the last week of before I graduated from my degree. And again, I said, if you just had a little bit more experience in human resources, you would have got the job. And so if I got that job back when I had the internship, I would have bought this job. And I was very frustrated and but I didn't let that stop me. I was like, Okay, what kind of HR jobs do I want to have? What impact do I want to leave on human resources? Because right now, the market is a mess. You know, a lot of people losing their jobs and don't have jobs and love companies are still closed from the pandemic, because we're still very much in the thick of it in December of 2020, and so I started attending human resource webinars, volunteering with other we actually have a local HR association here where you can get your designation from, and I was part of it, and they got a discount because I was a student not too long ago. And instead of volunteering with them, seeing how I consist, and then they actually had a big conference, and I met someone there that helped them. He had to take down 500 emails. He's like, Oh, can you take down 500 emails? Because we're not going to finish this webinar on time. Can you take down 500 emails? And I'm there, kind of with my new COVID Puppy in bed, because I didn't have my camera on, just taking down all the emails. He said, Oh, can you send it to me? And so I sent him the email. And so actually worked at the HR startup. He had a little bit because he messaged me. He's like, I'm impressed that you took down this email so fast. Do you want to come work at an HR startup with me? And at the time, new grad, wanted to get my feet wet. Want to see what happens. And so I joined there, um, but he was bootstrapping, and so he can only pay me peanuts, basically. And I was also, he's, like, he's, I encourage you to look for traditional work, but you can also get getting some experience here. I. And so I did that. And then also, then I actually applied for summer job, virtually and remotely, for a nonprofit organization called Skills for change. And I was like, I'm passionate about accessibility and disability inclusion and HR and human resources. And I was their HR clerk for eight weeks because the Canadian government actually paid for it. They have a Canada Summer Jobs Program, but they gained funding, and I made the recruitment process more accessible. I during Obama's session, I talked about disability pride month, because I was there during Disability Pride Month, and really that I posted that on LinkedIn and some research like, Hey, do you want to come speak about neurodiversity in the workplace? I saw your presentation that you posted on LinkedIn, and I was like, okay, so I did that. And I really liked doing presentations and so and then I realized I could do more by starting my own company. I applied for a traditional job still, but maybe I can get my foot in the door by starting my own company doing little trainings about HR, disability inclusion, neurodiversity. What does that look like? And, yeah,   Speaker 1 ** 16:15 so when did you so that's how you started accessible creates.   Speaker 2 ** 16:18 It was kind of informally starting accessible creates, you know, just like, it was kind of like planting the seed, I say. But then it was just like, I also, I was like, maybe I can make like, wellness bracelets as well. And like, they all these different things, and make fidget toys, and have all these different proponents. And then it kind of branched off to okay, I can do presentations. Oh, I think people also looking for consultants that have a unique skill set to look at policies and procedure, to look at job descriptions. And so it kind of took off into a world of itself,   Speaker 1 ** 16:53 all right, well, and so you're, you're still doing it.   Speaker 2 ** 16:59 Yes, it's going to be three years a month from today, actually. Wow, August 31   Michael Hingson ** 17:06 Wow. It'll be how long on August 31   17:09 two years, three years, which is cool.   Speaker 1 ** 17:13 Well, so you're, you're obviously having some, some good success with it.   Speaker 2 ** 17:20 I feel very lucky, but I'm also like, the amount of nos you get as a business owner or someone just trying to put your services out there, like, this is what I have to offer. And so I feel you're so lucky. You got all these opportunities on like, the amount of people that say no to me, or, you know, the things you don't see behind the scenes. And so just keeping at it and building my network and building my connections is so important. And so and finding people, I think sometimes, as business owners and entrepreneurs, we want to help everyone, but we can't help everyone, right? And so finding that niche, okay, who can I really support here in this area?   Speaker 1 ** 17:59 So what are you finding? Are the areas or the kinds of places where you specialize?   Speaker 2 ** 18:05 Yeah, I found like, because, again, I have that human resources background and so leveraging that. I think it's funny because when I first started it as, okay, my I'm going to do, I was kind of advertising as I have HR knowledge with like, also have this expertise of disability understanding, disability inclusion, accessibility in neurodiversity. And now it's kind of been like, now people like, Oh, you're the neuro diversity person that talks about neurodiversity there in Canada or talks about disability inclusion. I can also do human resource consulting. They're like, oh, we need an HR consultant, but we want to sprinkle in those other things. And so people that are looking for that niche is really cool and really impactful, and also looking at policies and procedures, I think is because it's a huge undertaking and to really and so finding the niche of clients that they know they need to modify the policies and procedures, but they just kind of overwhelmed, and don't know where to start. And so that's where I come in, yeah.   Speaker 1 ** 19:08 And so you're able to help create policy or modify policy. And yes, what's, what's probably, would you say the biggest misconception that you have encountered when you're dealing with companies regarding the whole idea of disabilities,   Speaker 2 ** 19:26 yeah, I think the biggest misconception is that it's only the entry level position that people with disabilities want jobs, especially because actually most people with disabilities that actually were more likely to get post secondary education and to continue getting educated. And so it's really interesting to see the bias that employers have against people with disabilities. And think, Oh, you get, you know, this funding from the government to help, you know, pay people with disabilities that can't work, but that's not enough money. They're like, Oh, that's enough money you can live on that you can. Live on that and really understanding that if someone wants to work, they should be able to work. And that accommodation is not you getting more to do your job, it's leveling the playing field to make sure you can do your job and be successful at your job, and everyone deserves that. And   Speaker 1 ** 20:17 how are you able to change attitudes and perceptions about that?   Speaker 2 ** 20:24 Yeah, I really kind of challenge like, Oh, what do you currently think of disability, you know, and really making them think internally and like, you don't have to say it out loud. You don't have to, you know, just getting them thinking, why do you have this misconception of disability? What does what disability representation Have you seen in media, right? And so what really challenging what they think of when they think of disability. And so I remember, I was actually talking about HR strategy and accessibility strategy and merging them together at a conference I spoke at last year. And I was like, Oh, I left my cane at home. You can't tell today. And there was such because they were kind of like they were paying attention. But they weren't, like, folio paying attention. You can tell them about folio paying attention. So I made that joke, and then everyone was kind of like, there was like, a little bit of Lacher in silence, and then they were completely interested. It's like, okay. They're like, Oh, yeah, wait. Why did I, you know, have this misconception of what a disability looks like? And so it's like, let's get get into it,   Speaker 1 ** 21:31 and at least then you're able to open the discussion. You know, I've talked about it on unstoppable mindset a few times, but I have a different definition of disability than than most people. And I'll explain very briefly. People keep saying to me, well, disability, I say, disability doesn't mean a lack of ability. And they say, Well, of course it does, because disability starts with dis, and I say, Well, okay, but what about disciple, discern, discreet and so on. They all start with this, and they're not negative. No, disability isn't a lack of ability. And over the last year, a few things have happened that caused me to to come up with a different definition. And mainly it came about because I was at a hotel in Hollywood, California last year at three in the afternoon when we lost power in and around the hotel, and suddenly everybody started to scream, and they're running around trying to find or reaching for flashlights and smartphones and so on. And I realized disability is something that everyone has sighted. People have a disability, and their disability is their light dependent and and the reality is that we need to recognize that, in fact, everyone has a disability. Every single person with eyesight has the disability of being light dependent. Now, at the same time, you cover up your disability, because Thomas Edison invented the electric light bulb, and we have worked so hard to create light on demand that disabilities are covered up. Disability of light dependence is covered up. It is until it can't be, because suddenly the power goes out or whatever. But the reality is, everyone in this world has a disability. The thing is that disability is a characteristic that manifests itself differently for different people. It doesn't mean, though, that you don't have it. Of course, most sighted people won't necessarily buy into that, until suddenly they're stuck without light for a good period of time. It doesn't change the fact, though, that their disability gets covered up.   Speaker 2 ** 23:50 That's that's a very good point. Michael, I think again, that what is the perception of what a disability actually is and how someone interacts with it, and then how it impacts how someone shows up in the world and how the world views them. And so I think really understanding that, again, it's a spectrum it impacts, and then this is so many different types of disabilities, and what does it actually mean to be disabled?   Speaker 1 ** 24:19 Well, and that's and that's exactly it. That's why I use the definition that everyone has a disability. It's just that it manifests itself differently for different people. And we need to start to recognize that, and if we really intellectually recognize that, then we begin to change our thought about what a disability is and recognize that maybe it has nothing to do with how well people think or how well people can work. We just need to use and find alternatives when necessary. I mean, look at look. At most buildings, office buildings, they have lights so that people can see where to go, to walk down a corridor, or they have Windows people can look out, or sometimes open for heater or whatever. But typically, they don't necessarily open, but they have a lot of different kinds of things to accommodate light dependent people, computer monitors, but they won't necessarily buy a screen reader for a person who is blind, even though that screen reader might not even cost as much as a monitor. Today, you have coffee machines that are touch screen we provide so many accommodations for employees based solely on eyesight, for example, or right handedness, or any number of other kinds of things. And we we really need to learn as a society to move beyond that. But that's where the challenge is, of course, isn't it?   Speaker 2 ** 25:58 Yes, I think it's a we're constantly making accommodations and making adjustments or making things easier for humans, you know. And how does accessibility play a role in that, and making sure that everyone has the ability to access what they need to access, and to do it the best way they can.   Speaker 1 ** 26:19 So how would you in and, of course, I've, I've perhaps messed this up by coming up with the definition of disability that I did. How would you find accessibility? How would you define it? Today,   Speaker 2 ** 26:34 I feel like disability is more like I feel like people think it's like the medical condition you have or the experience you have, but I really think it's like the barriers that people put in place, you know, and like the editorial barriers someone's values is towards someone that looks different or appears different, someone's barrier the barriers to accessing different tools and different resources and really understanding that in disability can be permanent, it can be temporary, it can be situational, kind of like you were getting at with that everyone has a disability and that it it can it looks different every day, and that there's No one size fits all right, have disability, and it's embedded ability as a spectrum.   Michael Hingson ** 27:26 So then, how would you find accessibility?   Speaker 2 ** 27:30 Yeah, so I think accessibility is synonymous for a lot of people, for people providing access, for people with disabilities, but I define accessibility as people have resources they need to do their day to day or to be successful girls that have a disability or not,   Speaker 1 ** 27:52 Right? And it's all about education, isn't it?   27:58 Yes?   Speaker 1 ** 28:02 So in the HR world, what could, what could HR do, and how can we deal with making human resources more accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities?   Speaker 2 ** 28:19 I think right now, Human Resources HR is trained to really, oh, look, we recruit, we want to recruit more people with disabilities. We want to hire more people with disabilities, but understand that there's 25% only 25% of people that have disability actually disclose in the workplace that they have a disability, and disclose to human resources they have a disability. And meanwhile, there's probably a lot more than that in the organization and in the workplace. And so we're looking, okay, what are your retention strategies look like for developing people that have, you know, disabilities? What is, why is, you know, looking at management? Why is it? Oh, you're doing good this job, this promote you to management. Okay, not everyone wants to become a manager, or it isn't, you know, have the skills become a manager. Okay? What a you know? What other approaches you can use to develop an employee? How can you look at your culture to evaluate how people with disabilities are treated and how they feel? Is it is in finding out where those gaps are, or most people with disabilities having those issues with management, because management's not understanding how to better accommodate and support employees with disabilities. Is it the co workers making that experience as human resources themselves causing these issues, and really figuring out where the issues lie for that particular organization, and increasing learning how to better increase retention?   Speaker 1 ** 29:41 So what do you? What do you do with accessible creates and so on, to really help in the education process and to helping with with truly having more of a higher retention for persons with disabilities? Yes.   Speaker 2 ** 29:57 So I, for example. To audit the policies and procedures, see how they regards to accessibility. They have any language around accessibility, because a lot of organizations, you know, there's the ADA in America, and they have that in their policies and procedures. Meanwhile, the ADA is just the bare minimum and just coming to actually get a lawsuit. But what are the best practices you're actually implementing? Do you have an accommodation policy procedure so people know how that can be accommodated, and managers and resources know how to best accommodate that employee, you know, and then also providing provide coaching. So brand coaching, if you know, for example, for the narrative version to our disabled employee and they need a bit more assistance knowing how to better advocate for their rights and advocate for themselves in the workplace. So also working in conjunction doing a management training on okay, if your employee comes to you with this information, what, what do you do and how to address that, and how to make sure that someone feels safe enough to disclose or discuss disclose that they need support from you to better do their job, yeah?   Speaker 1 ** 31:01 How do you deal with the employer, or even someone in HR, but somebody in authority at a company that says, Well, yeah, you raise good points and we'll implement them, but it takes time. We just can't jump into it.   Speaker 2 ** 31:18 Yeah? I I say, you know, like good things take time, but really understanding that, I think a lot of times, sometimes they scared to make the wrong choice and make the wrong decision. But I think also, just like by not doing anything and not taking the time to do things, take time, we all know this, and being able to be transparent with your employees. Hey, we're implementing this thing. Because I think a lot of times management, or, you know, human resources, are doing these good initiatives, but they're not communicating that to the fellow employees what's being done. And so I think just being transparent and being able to be flexible and be open with, you know, the employees, and being honest, yeah,   Speaker 1 ** 32:06 it is hard, because people really tend to think that we got to move slow. But the reality is, if you don't take the leap and start recognizing you're treating some people in a substandard way, and make the conscious effort to change it, then you won't. I mean, we have, we have seen so many shifts in the world. Smartphones came along, and everyone adopted them very quickly, because they saw the value of it. And I've dealt with people who are interested in making their internet websites more accessible, and some of them say, well, we got to do it, because if we don't, we'll get sued. And some people say, and rightly so, we've got to do it because it's the right thing to do. But when you then switch that to Well, what about hiring people with disabilities and so on, or what about changing attitudes within your organization? It's Well, that just takes more time, and I question whether it really should take more time, or should you really adopt a policy and then work to bring people up to it. Yeah,   Speaker 2 ** 33:23 I think it's kind of a mix of both, you know, I think it's obviously, it's going to take time, but also, what are you putting in place to get it most efficiently and get it as quickly as possible, to make it as much people understand, to make to really break down those barriers and to get people having these discussions and having these conversations and just challenging what the norm was in the organization, and why do we have these preconceptions of what disability is in the workplace, and disability inclusion and things are going to take time, and that's okay, but Really understanding okay how are you saying yourself and your organization are for the best success to better support all people in the organization? And   Speaker 1 ** 34:08 that's really the issue, isn't it? Because it's all about conversation. It's all about education. And the biggest problem I see in general in terms of dealing with people with disabilities within organizations or anywhere with the law, with whatever is that we just don't engage in the conversation, and probably some of that is fear. Oh my gosh. I don't want to become blind like them, and it could happen to me. I gotta avoid that, or or any other disability I might end up in a wheelchair. I don't want to do that. And so there's, there is a level of fear that enters into it, but also it is just having the conversation and starting to really make people more aware of you. What disabilities really are and what they're not, and doing more of a concerted effort to make that conversation happen, I think we'll do more to help educate and get people to move and realize maybe our attitudes and our ideas aren't what we thought they should be. Yeah,   Speaker 2 ** 35:19 and it's like understanding, why is there that fear? You know, it's like because of what how media portrays it. It's because of stories you've heard, you know. And we all have our different struggles, you know, going back to your point about what you said, you know, we all have disability in some ways. We all have different struggles. We're all human beings. We all have good and bad days. And so what is the fear stem from? And, you know, people, a lot of people, are scared to say the wrong thing, but the worst thing you can say is nothing at all, right? And, you know, and so I think, like, well, I don't want to say the wrong thing about disability. I don't want to, you know, the cancel culture, or wherever they call, you know, these days, yeah. And so it's just like, the worst thing you can do is not say anything, because, you know, just negative your own growth and the organization's growth by not even wanting to make those mistakes. And you know the difference between intention and impact. You know, it's maybe so impact someone if you say the wrong thing, but be like, Hey, I'm learning. You know, even if you're a management or human resources, I'm learning every day. Can you know I'm going to make mistakes? And again, that transparency piece is so important, because we all know we're humans, we're going to make mistakes. And I think sometimes an organization, they really put managers and human resources on a pedestal that it shouldn't be the case because Ken, we're all human. At the end of the day, we're all, you know, here to do a job, and we're going to make mistakes, and that's okay. And so really coming off the pedestal be like, I'm learning. I want to do better how you know, and being vocal and being transparent about that is so crucial.   Speaker 1 ** 36:56 I think you raise a really good point. And I think that that the issue is, as you said, saying nothing is the worst thing that you can do. But I also think whether some of us who have disabilities, in the traditional sense of the word, if I'm going to use that, some of us don't want to be teachers. We're tired of having to explain. But the reality is, we are the best teachers. We are other than are. We're the best information providers, and we really should understand and be patient, because if we know that really, people behave as they do because it's an educational issue and they haven't got the education, who's in a better position than we are to address that and and so I agree with what you're saying. One of the things that I hear all the time is, well, you're visually impaired, which I think is the worst thing that anyone can say about anyone who has any kind of eyesight issue. We're not visually impaired, visually we're not different. We're not visually different and impaired, we are not it's like Deaf people have learned if you say deaf or hearing impaired, they're they're liable to execute you on the spot. They recognize that it's deaf or hard of hearing and slowly, although not nearly fast enough, blind people are starting to learn visually impaired is the wrong thing to say, because it contributes to the lack of understanding. Because you say impaired and we're not blind, and low vision is a lot more relevant, and certainly not not negative. But if we aren't willing to help educate, then we're doing our own disservice to all   Speaker 2 ** 38:47 of us. Yeah, I think to your point that you know, it's like, sometimes we're tired of explaining things and don't want to advocate, but we're the best teachers, and we're also giving that space to it's like, do you want to share? Do you want to talk about your experiences? Do you feel comfortable? Do you feel up to talking about it? Hey, I don't feel like talking about it right now. Little time, and that's really okay, or little time, oh, I'm willing to educate you today and explain my experiences to you. And so I think there's sometimes too much pressure that of people like, oh, I always say, I'm like, ask people questions. People want to answer your questions, but they don't have capacity. You don't have the energy to answer your questions. That's okay. But hey, another time and be okay with that. Yeah. And I think just giving as human beings, giving each other compassion and giving each other that grace so important to drive this work forward.   Speaker 1 ** 39:46 Well, I think it is important to to find a mutually agreeable time. And maybe that's part of the discussion is I really would rather not talk about this now. Can we set up a time to talk about it and and. So working toward that, I think, is extremely important to be able to do, because we are going to be, by definition, the best educators in terms of disabilities. And you can also get different people with a disability who will say different things. There are still some people who like visually impaired, but that's what the professionals have ingrained at us, and it's a process to get that out of our psyche and recognize that it's low vision and blind and not visually impaired. I would prefer just blind. For anyone who has lost enough eyesight that they have to use alternatives to print to be able to function, I would prefer just to use blind. But the reality is that's probably a larger step than most people are willing to take today. So blind and low vision works for a while, but at some point, we're going to have to recognize there's nothing wrong with being blind or there's nothing wrong with being in a wheelchair, or there's nothing wrong with being deaf or being a person somewhere on the autism spectrum, there's nothing wrong with any of those. It's just that we're going to do things differently than you're used to? Yeah,   Speaker 2 ** 41:22 I think language is so important too, because, like, the you know what the professionals say, what the all the research is saying, but it's a What does that person identify with? But you know what they identify and what is their experience like? And really talking to them, to, you know it's like. And I think a lot of times we we even when we're educated, this is my personal experience. This is how I want to identify with a person with a disability, or I identify as a disabled person, you know, we preface that, and so I always make this joke. I'm like, people like, oh, do I say he's visually impaired? Do I say, you know, he's low vision? Do I say he's blind? It's like, well, his name is Michael, so call him Michael, you know, yeah,   Speaker 1 ** 42:04 and, and you can always ask, yeah, but his name is Michael, and that's really the issue. One of the discussions that I've been involved with of late is sort of related to the whole first person language. It's about descriptions. I notice in your bio you have a description, long, brown, curly hair, wearing a silver necklace and a red blouse. What do you think about the whole concept of providing or needing to provide, descriptions, especially if you're in a meeting with people who don't see   Speaker 2 ** 42:42 Yeah, I think it's important. And I think and asking the person, do you want a description? I think, I think there you go. I think sometimes, by people want to just, it's politically acceptable, but really talking to the person, hey, do you need to pick up description to me, but what will make you most feel most comfortable? He was asking that to anyone. What can I do in this meeting to make you feel most comfortable? What do you require of me to get the best experience out of this? And so just asking the person, and   Speaker 1 ** 43:14 that's really the key, isn't it. There's nothing wrong with asking personally. I don't need descriptions. Now, I've never been able to see with eyes, so it's never been an issue for me. But I do know that there are people who have become blind later in life who may want descriptions and and that's fine. The other side of it is, is it really going to add value say to a meeting? That is, does a description of a person really make you more comfortable? And I don't, you know, I don't know the answer to that for a lot of people. I do know, for me, it just takes time away from the meeting. But that's but that's me, and I understand that the one of the reasons I brought it up was that a couple of weeks ago, I was involved in the meeting, and after the meeting, one of the people wrote to everyone who was there and said, You know, I went online trying to find descriptive words for people with disabilities to provide those same descriptions for people with disabilities, but I can't find them, and most of us said, Why do you need them? Because the reality is, there are a lot of different disabilities. There's no one real answer, and I do agree that we shouldn't hide who we are, but we can take this descriptive symbolism and and beat it to death so often too. Does it really make sense to have descriptors of people with with a disability?   Speaker 2 ** 44:58 Yeah, I think I. Yeah, it's like, what, who is the person you know getting and what does that look like? And so I think understanding that, I feel like there's so many things and so much information coming out about disability right now, how to be most inclusive, that sometimes we forget the nuance of just the human experience, yeah, and   Speaker 1 ** 45:23 yeah, well, and that's what we essentially told the person who asked the question, that it's not and a number of people did. It's not really relevant to do it for disabilities as such. But I think your point is, is also well taken. You can always ask, and if somebody wants a description, then give them a description and and then move on. But it is, it is something that I I've been in meetings, and I've heard way too often you'll have 10 or 12 people in the meeting, and they're asked without finding out whether people want it when you first speak, give a description of yourself. By the time you're done with that, you've wasted another 10 or 12 minutes of the meeting, which is only an hour long anyway. And what have you really gained from that? And and again, I understand that there are some people who might like that, because they used to see but I but I think that we can take it to an extreme, which doesn't help. Yeah, I think   Speaker 2 ** 46:31 really understanding, what are the needs? What are the what's the reason behind the meeting? What are the needs of the meeting? Who's attending the meeting? Do they know? Do they do the people need it? They not need it. And again, providing even, like, for example, closed captions. But like, I think closed captions are so important in the thing like, oh, it's for people only, people that are hard of hearing and but it's like, for example, sometimes it's like, oh, it's better for me to process information if I see it written, instead of just hearing it or hearing it and seeing it. And so it's a cool what is it adding to the meeting instead of, you know, yeah, what's the value   Speaker 1 ** 47:13 and things like closed captioning? I absolutely can understand. And I think that meetings should have closed captions. And I don't care what the meeting is, we should get into that habit. And the other, the other thing I would would say is that, again, descriptions are a different situation, because what does it really add to the meeting and but again, some people may really want it. So it's a it's a question to ask and then go from there. But I would say closed captions. Another one is one of my favorites. Somebody created this terminology, no Braille, no meeting. That is to say, especially when a blind person, for example, is involved. But I would say in general, it would be better to do this, and that is, if you're going to have a meeting, don't bring handouts to the meeting, disseminate them in advance. Because if you have a meeting and you're giving people handouts and you're talking, they've got to split their time between listening to you and reading the handout. And I don't care what handout it is, you could take a few minutes early enough to disseminate handouts so that people can all be prepared. But especially that works for people like me who aren't going to read those handouts, because you're going to create them from a copy or anyway, or you're going to print them in a multiple way, but probably don't have access to a Braille embosser or some way to get them to me. And so the reality is that documentation should be provided in advance, and I think again, it's a habit that we should all get into, then we don't have to worry about it when somebody comes along who really needs to have those, those services.   Speaker 2 ** 49:03 Yeah, I completely agree. I remember, I think I started doing that a couple years ago. It was like, why I even myself? You know, I like to be okay with the agenda. I like to know the agenda, know what we're going to talk about. And so I have Knowing that ahead of time is so important. And you we all have such busy lives, so even if you don't have a like you said, traditional disability is going to help you better prepare for that meeting and feel more at ease going into that meeting and going into this conversation. And it helps everyone at the end of the day.   Speaker 1 ** 49:34 Sure, it does. Were you ever treated poorly or have any real challenges because of the fact that you have a disability?   Speaker 2 ** 49:44 Yeah, I think, like I mentioned the beginning, my, my speech impediment, my, I think people would make fun of my the way I would speak and so, and I just like, I don't talk like that. You can, you know. And. That made me feel very uneasy. And then also, going back to, you know, dealing with depression in high school, people didn't understand, really, what it was to have depression, and so like, Oh, it's just all in your head. Or, like, and then I would kind of do some kind of reckless thing because I didn't like I said I didn't care if I lived or died. And so they were like, oh, and kind of make fun of me and or use it to their advantage to put me in other situations that weren't not the best for me. And so this also led to complex PTSD, and so just understanding that when sometimes people don't fully understand something that more likely to make fun of you, and not because, again, the impact work is intent, right? So sometimes they just kids being silly and not knowing really what they're doing, but sometimes in demolition attack of using someone's disability against them, right?   Speaker 1 ** 51:06 As as you may know, I worked in the World Trade Center and escaped after, well, on September 11, after the buildings were hit, and people, even to this day, say to me, Well, you didn't know what happened, did you? And I said, No, not at the time. Well, of course, you didn't, because you couldn't see it. They revert to that type, even though, in reality, the building where it was struck was 18 floors above us on the other side of the building. And so one of the things that I say to people is, well, the last time I checked Superman and X ray vision are fiction, and the fact of the matter is, on my side of the building, no one knew what happened when we were going down the stairs. Not one single person anywhere around us knew what happened, because they were all on the other side of the building from where the plane was hit, and typically many floors below where the plane was hit. So of course, nobody saw it, but, but they want to revert to type when it comes to dealing with, say, a person who's blind. Well, of course, you couldn't see it, so you wouldn't know. And that is just unfortunate, because, again, I think it contributes or comes from the lack of education. Yeah,   Speaker 2 ** 52:21 I think a lot of the whenever someone says something, sometimes it just like becomes for that misunderstanding, the missing, that the lack of education. That's why education is so important. In disability, you're talking about anything because, and sometimes I feel like people almost like the fear or the unknown fill in those gaps, and it can cause huge problems. Yeah,   Speaker 1 ** 52:48 what is one thing that you wished people knew? Well, it's really two questions, one about disabilities and the other is about accessibility.   Speaker 2 ** 53:00 I think I wish for people knew about disabilities, is that I think the ability that it's a spectrum and that impacts people differently, and can impact impact the individual themselves differently every day again. You know, for example, if I didn't get enough sleep, it could contribute to other environments, factors that make my conditions act up, and for accessibility, I think that, yes, accessibility is an ominous with, you know, people with disabilities and giving resources people with disabilities, but accessibility allows us all to have the resources And the tools we need to be successful, and that it's kind of the bare minimum of what you should be doing. Yeah.   Speaker 1 ** 53:50 And I think for me, if there were one thing I wish people knew about disabilities, is it's okay to ask. It's okay to want to know more. And I always will. If people ask me a question, I will, I will answer. One of the things that I encounter often is I'll be anywhere from an airport to a hotel to a store, and a child wants to come up and pet my guide dog. And the parents will say, Oh, don't go pet that dog. That dog might bite you don't know anything about that dog, as opposed to saying it's a guide dog and the dog is working. Now, some people do say that, but a lot of people don't. For me, my policy is if I hear a child asking, especially when parents respond in the negative way, I will always stop take the harness off. Say no, it does okay. They can visit with the dog, and then it gives me the chance to to say when the harness is on, the dog is working. It's got a job to do, because the dog make sure that I walk safely. But the dog. Dog isn't going to bite you, and I don't want you to be afraid of dogs just because, but you should always ask. It's okay to ask and do that. I think that's that's really important, but oftentimes parents continue to create a fear level that we don't need to have. So if a child wants to interact with my dog, I will always stop. If an adult wants to. If I have time, I will stop, and if I don't, I will not stop. And I'll say, here's why I'm in. I'm in a hurry. I've got to get here. I really don't have time. I wish I did, but I will, whenever I can, I will stop and let people interact. I'll take the harness off because the dog needs to relax too, and the dog knows when the harness comes off, they can visit, and they know that they're supposed to focus. But even so, when somebody pets pets, a dog, even in harness, they're going to look, because the dog really likes the attention. So it's a matter of of dealing with it. But by the same token, the bottom line is that I think, again, it's all about education. So I don't mind letting people pet the dog, but only when the harness is off. When I've had a couple of times that people would ask, and I say, not right this moment. And then they go right ahead and pet the dog. And I know that they pet the dog because the dog is looking and I can feel the leash move. And when that happens, I will give the dog not a hard one, but a leash correction, saying, leave it. And the people will say, Oh, don't yell at the dog. I was the one that was petting the dog and said, No, you don't understand. You got the dog in trouble. The dog knows better. I'll deal with the dog, then I'll deal with you. But, but, you know, it's, it's an educational process, but with kids, I'll always stop. I think it's important that children learn what guide dogs are and that that they are friendly. The only thing I would say is, I hope they're not holding an ice cream cone at the time, because they'll lose the ice cream cone. What would you tell your teenage self if you could go back right now and do that?   Speaker 2 ** 57:01 I would tell my teenage self that be authentically you, because, like I said, I felt like I was a chameleon in high school. And so by being more me, embracing my differences, embracing who I am, embracing all these different things that make up who Cindy is, and really living into that, and also giving myself with a bit more grace and compassion, because I guess I could do some things and things I couldn't do, and now understanding okay, there's some things I can do and Some things I can't do, and that's okay, and that I'm worthy, and that I think, yeah, I think that's it   Speaker 1 ** 57:49 okay. I think that's fair. Well, if people would like to reach out to you, maybe take advantage of your your services and so on, and interact. How do they do that?   Speaker 2 ** 58:01 You You can send me this. I have a form or a website that you can fill out, and my website is and my website is accessible, creates.ca   Speaker 1 ** 58:10 so accessible creates.ca so they can go there, and they can reach out and so on and and take it from there. Yes. And they can write you and ask you all sorts of questions,   Sydney Elaine Butler ** 58:23 if they choose, if they choose.   Speaker 1 ** 58:25 Well, Sydney, I want to thank you for being here. This has been a lot of fun and educational, and I've learned a lot, and I really appreciate your time. I'm glad we finally were able to make this happen, and I hope all of you out there come away with a little bit of a different view of disabilities and all of us who typically experience that then, then you had before. Love to hear your thoughts. Love to get an idea of what you think. Please feel free to reach out to me. You can reach me at Michael h i@accessibe.com that's m, I C H, A, E, L, H, I at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, I b, e.com, or you can go to our podcast page, w, w, w, dot Michael hingson.com/podcast, and Michael Hinkson is spelled M, I C H, A, E, L, H, I N, G, s, O n.com/podcast, wherever you're listening or watching on YouTube, please give us a five star rating. We value your ratings, and would really appreciate you taking the time to rate and comment. We love your comments. We love getting your feedback, and so would definitely appreciate you doing that. If you know of anyone who ought to be a guest on our show, our podcast and Sydney, including you, if you know anyone who ought to be a guest, please let us know. Reach out, introduce us. We're always looking for people who want to become guests on unstoppable mindset. And so with that again, Sydney, I want to thank you for being here. This has been a. A lot of fun. Any last words that you want to say?   Speaker 2 ** 1:00:03 Yes again. Thank you so much, Michael for having me on your podcast, and I look forward to seeing how I hope. I look forward to keeping in touch and seeing other conversations   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:20 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com . AccessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for Listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

Season 9 Episode 1!!! We are back!! Tired of being a pushover? This episode of the Coach Speaks podcast is all about setting boundaries and reclaiming your power. In season nine, episode one, Coach discusses the importance of saying no and prioritizing your own needs. Ready to stop being a doormat? We've got the resources to help you along the way! Check out our library of ebooks for tips and strategies on setting healthy boundaries. Resources and SpotFund INFORMATION  linktr.ee/Thesolecoach

We let Girl Guides get up to the wildest stuff. From age-inappropriate field trips, handsy ghosts, and the return of the Half-Perched House, this episode has us riled up!   Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, lack of consent, medical mistreatment, capital punishment, execution, and sex.    Housekeeping - Recommendation: This week, Amanda recommends  - Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests' books, and more at https://spiritspodcast.com/books - Call to Action:    Sponsors - BetterHelp is an online therapy service. Get 10% off your first month at https://betterhelp.com/spirits   Find Us Online - Website & Transcripts: https://spiritspodcast.com - Patreon: https://patreon.com/spiritspodcast - Merch: https://spiritspodcast.com/merch - Instagram: https://instagram.com/spiritspodcast - Twitter: https://twitter.com/spiritspodcast - Tumblr: https://spiritspodcast.tumblr.com - Goodreads: https://goodreads.com/group/show/205387   Cast & Crew - Co-Hosts: Julia Schifini and Amanda McLoughlin - Editor: Bren Frederick - Music: Brandon Grugle, based on "Danger Storm" by Kevin MacLeod - Artwork: Allyson Wakeman - Multitude: https://multitude.productions   About Us Spirits is a boozy podcast about mythology, legends, and folklore. Every episode, co-hosts Julia and Amanda mix a drink and discuss a new story or character from a wide range of places, eras, and cultures. Learn brand-new stories and enjoy retellings of your favorite myths, served over ice every week, on Spirits.

Buckle up, because things are getting seriously twisted! With Trevin busy prepping a top-secret Halloween special and gearing up for his Berkshires Podcast Festival appearance, Amanda calls in a favor from longtime friend of the show, Alecia from Twisted and Uncorked. This episode kicks off with our signature Dreadful Dilemmas, diving into the wild world of reality TV. Amanda can't get enough of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and Trevin is even having heated debates at home over the binge-watching! Meanwhile, Alecia brings her Canadian flair to the table, sharing her obsession with Girl Guide cookies—particularly those irresistible thin mints. But the real twist comes when Trevin surprises Amanda and Alecia with a brand-new game he created just for this episode: Twisted Sounds. The two go head-to-head in this thrilling audio puzzle game, where each round features clues about infamous crimes, cults, conspiracies, hauntings, and cryptids. Think you can outsmart the hosts? Play along and test your skills! Later, Amanda shares a wild story about a hot-headed Long Island man with a love for his oversized truck, while Alecia recounts a tale of a young man from the UK who found the most bizarre hiding spot. Both stories highlight the recklessness of men behind the wheel—and they're sure to make you think twice about who's on the road! Tune in, laugh along, and stay safe out there—because these guys might just be around the corner. Today's Stories: Short Tow on Long Island An Unbearable Criminal (Discussions include: Selling Sunset, TV time, binge watching, girl scout cookies, marketing, soft-swapping, Netflix, Dyatlov Pass, Big Foot, Mothman, Jonestown Massacre, Conjuring, Heaven's Gate,  D.B. Cooper, Winchester Mystery House, Roswell, New Mexico, Russel Laiosa, Silverado, Masculinity, Joshua Dobson, Rochdale, Teddy Bear, Manchester, Going Viral, Twisted Sounds) Join our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/livelaughlarcenydoomedcrew For ad-free episodes and lots of other bonus content, join our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/LiveLaughLarceny  Check out our website: HereFollow us on Instagram: HereFollow us on Facebook: HereFollow us on TikTok: HereFollow us on Twitter: Here  If you have a crime you'd like to hear on our show OR have a personal petty story, email us at livelaughlarceny@gmail.com or send us a DM on any of our socials!