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“Happy Face” star Annaleigh Ashford is telling Drew about the thrilling new series based on a real life serial killer. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Send us a textOur picks when it comes to TV, Movies, TikTok, Instagram and all things entertainment.This week's episode covered (list below in no particular order):The StudioHappy FaceRunning PointAdolescenceHot TopicsDR Night Club TragedyTariffs: Buy NowWill Smith's New Album
Hot Topics: Onijah Robinson in back and looking great! Mia Thorton confirms she moved to ATL. Ashley Darby shouldn't be allowed to sing. Brittany announces that Cruz has autism. Brett Fairley Tik Tok/IG baby mama drama. Ally Lewber finally addresses her breakup with James Kennedy.Greg's Recs for the week: Below Deck Down Under. The White Lotus. Happy Face.Demetria's Recs for the week: The Life List. Wicked. Dying for Sex.Follow Us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/escapingrealitypodcast/
Bob is joined by the daughter of serial killer Keith Jesperson, known as the Happy Face Killer. Melissa discusses her journey through life after discovering at the age of 15 that her father was a monster. We discuss her book, podcast, and her involvement in the new Paramount+ series "Happy Face". Follow Melissa on Instagram @melissag.moore The majority of the funding of our work comes directly from listeners, through our Patreon community. To join Patreon, click THIS LINK. At the $5/month level you'll get access to lots of Patreon Only BONUS EPISODES, Ad Free versions of all episodes, an hour of Patreon Exclusive video content every week, and our new weekly podcast “Pre-Game”, which drops every Wednesday. Not to mention early access to some episodes and the ability to watch and participate in interviews live. Today's Sponsors: 1st Phorm – Get free shipping on all orders over $75, and new customers get the 1st Phorm app for free for 30 days with purchase. You'll receive an email with the app offer after your purchase. Get started on your fitness goals today at 1stPhorm.com/truth
Here's the updated preview with no bold formatting:Season 29 Episode 28: "Payback Is A Beast"DONMEGA is back and bringing the fury with Episode #172 of Am I On The Air?, your go-to source for everything hot in TV and movies. This week, we're tearing into the latest headlines from March 26 – April 1, 2025, and trust us—payback never looked this good.We've got non-spoiler thoughts on the gritty drama "A Working Man" and the delightfully bizarre dark comedy "Death of a Unicorn." Are these films worth your time, or should they stay buried? You'll get the verdict right here.On the TV side, we're digging into the chilling new series Happy Face, plus the internet-shaking buzz surrounding the Avengers: Doomsday casting news. Superheroes, serial killers, and unicorns? Yeah, this episode has it all.With his sharp insight, humor, and years of podcasting experience, DONMEGA brings another can't-miss episode of Am I On The Air? Whether you're a die-hard fan or just need to know what to watch next—this is the show for you.Hit play and let's break it all down—because payback... is a beast. #AWorkingMan #DeathOfAUnicorn #HappyFace #AvengersDoomsday #AIOTA #PopCulturePros
INTRO (00:23): Kathleen opens the show drinking a Captain Jack Pilsner from Olde Mecklenburg Brewery in Charlotte. She reviews her weekend in Virginia Beach VA and Charlotte NC, eating Carolina BBQ and touring an aircraft carrier. TOUR NEWS: See Kathleen live on her “Day Drinking Tour.” COURT NEWS (14:53): Kathleen shares news on Anne Murray's Lifetime Achievement Juno Award, Morgan Wallen's in the hot seat after his Saturday Night Live appearance, Jelly Roll has gotten rid of his iPhone, Post Malone buys a horse named “Ashtray,” and Snoop Dogg is partnering with Dr. Dre to open the “Still G.I.N Lounge” in Nashville. TASTING MENU (3:43): Kathleen Doritos Late Night Jalapeno Popper chips and Orion Sweet Corn Turtle chips. UPDATES (33:25): Kathleen shares updates on Chimp Crazy Tonia Haddix's federal sentencing, the Just Stop Oil organization announces that it will cease museum actions, the first Millennial Saint sits in rest awaiting his canonization, and 23andMe goes bankrupt. HOLY SHIT THEY FOUND IT (51:22) : Kathleen reveals the discovery of a Pampas cat on a trail camera in Chile, and rare otters are discovered in England. FRONT PAGE PUB NEWS (53:23): Kathleen shares articles on Fireball Whiskey's senior promotion, Johnny Mathis' retirement after 70 years of touring, the Sundance Film Festival is leaving Utah for Boulder CO, Bar Louie has filed for bankruptcy, White House Faith Officer Paula White is offering paid celestial blessings if donations are made before Easter, Elon Musk has sold X to his AI company, Prince Harry is accused of bullying a charity, and a naked woman has a meltdown in the DFW Airport. WHAT ARE WE WATCHING (27:03): Kathleen recommends watching March Madness basketball games, and “Happy Face” on Paramount Plus. FEEL GOOD STORY (1:15:30): Kathleen reads about the world's oldest cat Millie turning 30 years old.
Send us a textSeason 29 Episode 28 "Payback Is A Beast" - On this Episode we breakdown all the news in TV and Movies from 3/26/25-4/1/25, We have Non-Spoiler Movie thoughts on "A Working Man" "Death Of A Unicorn" PLUS TV Notes on Happy Face, Avengers Doomsday Casting and so much more...The Regular Guy Movie ShowIn this podcast, three longtime friends revisit the movies they grew up with to...Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showwww.AmIOnTheAir.comFollow on Twitter at @AmIOnTheAirLike us on Facebook at Facebook.com/AmIOnTheAirFollow on TikTok, Instagram and YouTubeSupport the Show on Cashapp $DONMEGA and Venmo at @DONMEGA
On episode of The Movie Podcast, Daniel and Shahbaz are joined by Annaleigh Ashford and Khiyla Aynne to discuss their original drama series HAPPY FACE. The series is inspired by the true-life story of Melissa G. Moore; the critically acclaimed Happy Face podcast from iHeartPodcasts and Moore; and the autobiography Shattered Silence, written by Moore with M. Bridget Cook. Jumping off from Moore's true-life story, the Paramount+ Original Series follows Melissa (Ashford) and her incarcerated father, known as the Happy Face Killer (Dennis Quaid). After decades of no contact, he finally finds a way to force himself back into his daughter's life. In a race against the clock, Melissa must find out if an innocent man is going to be put to death for a crime her father committed. Throughout, she discovers the impact her father had on his victims' families and must face a reckoning of her own identity. Happy Face is now streaming on Paramount+ with new episodes weekly. Watch and listen to The Movie Podcast now on all podcast platforms, YouTube, and TheMoviePodcast.ca Contact: hello@themoviepodcast.ca FOLLOW US Daniel on X, Instagram, Letterboxd Shahbaz on X, Instagram, and Letterboxd Anthony on X, Instagram, and Letterboxd The Movie Podcast on X, Instagram, TikTok, Discord, and Rotten Tomatoes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Diane chats with IKE BARINHOLTZ about THE STUDIO, the sharp, funny, inside Hollywood comedy on AppleTV+. Then Andy and Diane discuss MIDCENTURY MODERN, the new Hulu comedy from the creators of WILL & GRACE, THE PITT's super-emo episode, and murder mysteries LONG BRIGHT RIVER and HAPPY FACE.
#Actor #DennisQuaid chats about his role as #serialkiller #HappyFace in the new #ParamountPlus docuseries #HappyFace #Celebrity #interview #TonyToscano #ScreenChatter #TheAlamo #Innerspace #DayAfterTomorrow #Dragonheart
#Actress #AnnaleighAshford chats about her role in the new #ParamountPlus series #HappyFace based on a true story and co-starring #DennisQuaid #Celebrity #interview #TonyToscano #ScreenChatter
Listen to this week's episode of the Dateline: True Crime Weekly podcast with Andrea Canning. A verdict in the trial of a North Dakota woman accused of stabbing her roommate to death with a pocket knife nearly 20 years ago. In Michigan a retrial begins for a woman accused of setting her husband on fire and then running him over with her van. The latest in the Karen Read and Bryan Kohberger cases. Plus, actor Dennis Quaid talks about his experience playing the Happy Face serial killer. Find out more about the cases covered each week here: www.datelinetruecrimeweekly.com
Laura continues to unravel the scripted Paramount+ show with Renée Williams which is based on Melissa Moore's life as the daughter of serial killer Keith Jesperson. Listen as Laura and Renée highlight the early warning signs of a serial killer's behaviour, what we can learn from family members of serial killers and whether they should profit from making a show like this. Don't miss this in-depth analysis you won't find anywhere else. Happy Face premiered globally on Paramount+ on March 20, 2025. For more expert insight, in-depth conversations, extra episodes and videos, live monthly events with Laura and to be a part a fast growing, dynamic and empowering community join the Crime Analyst Squad: www.patreon.com/CrimeAnalyst #TaunjaBennet #DaunSlagle #CynthiaLynRose #LaurieAnnPentland #PatriciaSkiple #SuzanneKjellenberg #Angelasurbrize #JulieWinningham #CrimeAnalyst #TrueCrime #Podcast #Expert #MelissaMoore #KeithJesperson #HappyFace #Paramount #SerialKiller Clips https://youtu.be/NMT5cTdNAiY?si=ZfKL0YxRNPCgHrVU Sources Real Crime Profile: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-crime-profile/id1081244497?i=1000412655531 Happy Face Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/childhood/id1434649680?i=1000420623506 Melissa's Book Shattered Silence: Amazon.com: Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer's Daughter: 9781462117758: Melissa G. Moore, M. Bridget Cook-Burch: Books https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/crime/happy-face-killer-paramount-series-b2715250.html You can support Laura by voting for Crime Analyst in the Listener's Choice Award—every vote helps amplify her vital work. Vote here: https://bit.ly/VoteCrimeAnalyst REGISTER For Laura's 2025 Masterclasses: bit.ly/40iv3v3 laurarichardspa@gmail.com More Training Info: www.dashriskchecklist.com www.thelaurarichards.com YouTube, Socials and Website YouTube @crimeanalyst Facebook Crime Analyst Podcast Instagram @crimeanalyst @laurarichards999 Threads @crimeanalyst X @thecrimeanalyst @laurarichards999 TikTok @crimeanalystpod Website www.crime-analyst.com Leave a Review https://www.crime-analyst.com/reviews/new/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A verdict in the trial of a North Dakota woman accused of stabbing her roommate to death with a pocket knife nearly 20 years ago. In Michigan a retrial begins for a woman accused of setting her husband on fire and then running him over with her van. The latest in the Karen Read and Bryan Kohberger cases. Plus, actor Dennis Quaid talks about his experience playing the Happy Face serial killer. Find out more about the cases covered each week here: www.datelinetruecrimeweekly.com
No episódio de hoje do DerivadoCast, mergulhamos nos finais impactantes das grandes séries do momento!
In this unforgettable episode, we sit down with Maria Semander Crawford to discuss The Empty Chair, a short film that tells the story of her sister Elena's murder by little-known serial killer Coral Eugene Watts—and the decades-long fight for justice that followed.This isn't your typical true crime tale. It's a deeply personal, emotional journey about grief, advocacy, and how one family refused to be silenced by a broken system. Maria opens up about the day her sister was murdered, the years of legal hurdles her family faced, and the extraordinary activism of their mother, Harriet Semander.Along the way, we also discuss:Marvel's mega-livestream casting chaosThe cartoon apocalypse trend (seriously, what are they doing to Mickey Mouse?)TV picks including Happy Face, The Pitt, and moreA Looney Tunes movie that surprisingly hits the apocalypse vibes
Muppeturgy's Adam Grosswirth returns to talk about Shondaland's latest show for Netflix, The Residence, which takes us behind the scenes at the White House via a murder mystery -- but could the stellar cast make up for a too-long runtime and not-funny-enough writing? Do we have an Only Murders In The West Wing copycat problem? And should you bother watching? We went Around The Dial with The Righteous Gemstones, Smash on Broadway, and B-B-B-B-Bosch: Legacy's swan-song season, and Adam hoped he could train the panel to vote a first-season Murder, She Wrote into the Canon. Project Runway won, Netflix lost, and it came down to the wire in a very (equalizer) challenging Game Time. Grab that Audubon off the windowsill and have a listen! GUESTS
Im “SJ Weekly” besprechen wir wöchentlich News aus dem Serien- und Filmbereich, die Euch und uns besonders interessieren. Diesmal geht es beispielsweise um ein Event zu fünf Jahren Disney+ und den baldigen Serienstart von “Call My Agent Berlin”. Aber auch die neuen Abo-Modelle von Paramount+ wollen wir nicht unerwähnt lassen. Dazu gibt es Neuigkeiten von einem “The Big Bang Theory”-Spin-off namens “Stuart Fails to Save the Universe”, dem Erfolg von “Adolescence” bei Netflix, einer geplanten Videospielumsetzung, Casting zum nächsten “Prison Break” und vielleicht eine Netflix-Alternative zu “The White Lotus” von Tina Fey. Im Review-Bereich geht es um “The Residence”, “The Studio”, “Side Quest” und “Happy Face”. Natürlich verraten wir auch, was demnächst in Deutschland startet. Also ganz viel Spaß beim Reinhören und Entdecken! Timestamps:News0:00:00 Adam auf dem Disney Event0:10:00 Paramount+ führt neue Preisstrukturen ein0:14:00 Big Bang Spin-off - erste Bilder0:16:30 Adolescence, White Lotus bei Netflix? 0:21:00 Split Fiction Film, Severance S3, Prison Break RebootReviews 0:26:00 Resident, Happy Face0:34:00 The Studio, Side Quest0:41:00 Neustarts der WocheHanna Twitter/ X: https://twitter.com/HannaHuge Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mediawhore.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mediawhore Adam: Twitter/ X: https://twitter.com/AwesomeArndt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awesomearndt/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AwesomeArndt Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dan Fienberg, TV critic from The Hollywood Reporter, joins Nick to talk about the current season of Top Chef in Canada (a nod to Dan's Canadian roots), the upcoming season of The White Lotus, and to review several new shows and documentaries including Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror, Long Bright River, and Happy Face starring Dennis Quaid. Later, Esmeralda Leon and Nick continue The Great Pop Culture Quiz with a round of questions focused on that fabulous decade—the 1980s. They also discuss the unexpected acting career of Curt Smith from Tears for Fears (yes, he appeared on Psych), and they look back on the marketing disaster that was New Coke. [Ep 335]
Kova, Stephanie and Spoiler Steve discuss Magazine Dreams, Conclave and Strange Darling! 00:01:45 - Intro | Weekend Box Office estimates, Novocain, New Hunger Games Book, Sydney Sweeny doing a Reddit Story, Bourne Franchise being shopped around, Meet the Parents 4 finds a director, Colin Farrell cast as Sgt Rock, Happy Face, & The Pitt 01:04:28 - Strange Darling 01:40:02 - Conclave 02:18:42 - Magazine Dreams If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us on Patreon Listen to our reviews of both The Godfather and Godfather Part II or listen to our bundle >>Here
Siobhan Synnot and Hayley Campbell join Leila Nathoo to talk about This City is Ours, The Residence and Happy Face.
Adapted from Melissa Moore's true-crime podcast and her memoir Shattered Silence, Happy Face explores the story of a serial killer's daughter grappling with her father's crimes. While the original podcast delivered firsthand accounts, this dramatized series takes liberties, introducing new storylines and plot twists not present in Moore's real experience. Tune in as we discuss whether these elements serve the narrative or undercut the authenticity that made Moore's podcast and book so compelling. Welcome to Today's Episode!
TV Reviewer James Dempsey joined Seán Moncrieff for the weekly TV review slot, TV on the Radio…
Ian and Hannah review the biggest new films and bingeable shows on UK streaming services for the week beginning Friday 21st March 2025, including:Cordelia Cupp, an eccentric detective, arrives at the White House in order to solve a murder which happened during a state dinner. Starring Uzo Aduba and Jim Halpert, The Residence is on Netflix.Happy Face, on Paramount+, is the story of Melissa Jesperson-Moore, who at 15 discovered that her father, Keith Hunter Jesperson, was the serial murderer known as the Happy Face Killer. Adapted from the hit 2018 podcast.As brutal as ever, the highly-anticipated third season of Gangs of London, starring Joe Cole and Sope Dirisu, arrives on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV.10 comedians. One rule. Do not laugh. Jimmy Carr has assembled ten of the UK's funniest people in one room and set them the challenge of making each other laugh, without laughing themselves in Amazon Prime Video's Last One Laughing UK.Follow Bingewatch on all major podcast players for your weekly rundown of the best binge-worthy shows across Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and more.Remember to leave a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts, Podchaser and Goodpods AND you can now show your support and leave a tip for Ian and Hannah.You can also stay in touch with the team via Twitter AND if you like Bingewatch but you're looking for a specific review, check out BITESIZE BINGEWATCH, our sister show making it easier to get the bits you want!If you're a brand interested in sponsorship or collabs, email hello@podcastsbyliam.com and chat to us now!
Laura breaks down the new Paramount+ true crime scripted show Happy Face with Renée Williams, CEO of the National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC). The drama is “inspired by the true story life story” of Melissa Moore, daughter of Keith Jesperson, who gave himself the moniker Happy Face. Adapted from Melissa's 2018 podcast Happy Face, and her 2009 autobiography Shattered Silence, co-written with M. Bridget Cook, it stars Dennis Quaid and Annaleigh Ashford. Happy Face premieres globally on Paramount+ on March 20, 2025. For more expert insight, in-depth conversations, extra episodes and videos, live monthly events with Laura and to be a part a fast growing, dynamic and empowering community join the Crime Analyst Squad: www.patreon.com/CrimeAnalyst #TaunjaBennet #DaunSlagle #CynthiaLynRose #LaurieAnnPentland #PatriciaSkiple #SuzanneKjellenberg #Angelasurbrize #JulieWinningham #CrimeAnalyst #TrueCrime #Podcast #Expert #MelissaMoore #KeithJesperson #HappyFace #Paramount #SerialKiller Clips https://youtu.be/1e2bUS9ROrw?si=_bjDhK_KceW4RZi3 https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=904525863501264 https://youtu.be/fd_nOFtTpyA?si=vvGVg6WmN81c0vga Sources Real Crime Profile: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-crime-profile/id1081244497?i=1000412655531 Happy Face Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/childhood/id1434649680?i=1000420623506 Melissa's Book Shattered Silence: Amazon.com: Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer's Daughter: 9781462117758: Melissa G. Moore, M. Bridget Cook-Burch: Books https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/crime/happy-face-killer-paramount-series-b2715250.html You can support Laura by voting for Crime Analyst in the Listener's Choice Award—every vote helps amplify her vital work. Vote here: https://bit.ly/VoteCrimeAnalyst REGISTER For Laura's 2025 Masterclasses: bit.ly/40iv3v3 laurarichardspa@gmail.com More Training Info: www.dashriskchecklist.com www.thelaurarichards.com YouTube, Socials and Website YouTube @crimeanalyst Facebook Crime Analyst Podcast Instagram @crimeanalyst @laurarichards999 Threads @crimeanalyst X @thecrimeanalyst @laurarichards999 TikTok @crimeanalystpod Website www.crime-analyst.com Leave a Review https://www.crime-analyst.com/reviews/new/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
LinkedIn Editor-in-Chief Dan Roth breaks down what skills are on the rise and what traits companies and workers are prioritizing in today's tough job market. Also, Dennis Quaid joins to discuss his new series ‘Happy Face,' in which he plays a serial killer behind bars. Plus, Michelle Monaghan stops by to catch up and talk about Season 3 of ‘The White Lotus.'
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams splashed down off the Florida coast after spending more than nine months aboard the International Space Station—far longer than their planned eight-day mission. Their extended stay was due to a malfunction with Boeing's Starliner. Dr. Tom Marshburn, a veteran astronaut, joins us to discuss their return and what's next. From "Home Alone" to "City Slickers," Daniel Stern has been a Hollywood staple for decades. In his new book, "Home and Alone," he shares personal stories about his biggest roles, career highs, and lessons learned. Comedian Whitney Cummings, co-creator of "Two Broke Girls" and star of "Whitney," is back on the road for the second year of her "Big Baby" tour. Fresh off welcoming her first child, she brings her unfiltered take on motherhood and everyday life to the stage. Tony Award winner Annaleigh Ashford takes on the real-life story of Melissa Moore in Happy Face, a Paramount+ true crime drama about a woman who discovers her father is a notorious serial killer. She joins "CBS Mornings" to discuss the gripping series and working alongside Dennis Quaid. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Holmberg's Morning Sickness - Tuesday March 18, 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Holmberg's Morning Sickness - Tuesday March 18, 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Holmberg's Morning Sickness - Tuesday March 18, 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Holmberg's Morning Sickness - Tuesday March 18, 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hello and welcome to Episode 452 of the Geektown Radio Podcast! Dave is joined this week by Gray. ready to dive into the latest updates and conversations around TV shows, films, and more.TV Show Highlights and Film ReviewsGray shares his recent viewing journey, starting with the emotional finale of "Big Boys" on Channel 4, praising the show for its heartfelt conclusion and strong scripting by Jack Rooke. This ties into a broader discussion on well-rounded TV arcs, as he also covers "Hacks" Season 3 and the ever-evolving "Dexter: Original Sin," noting its mixed critical reception. The conversation then veers towards other compelling series like "Unforgotten" and "Patience," both lauded for their nuanced storytelling.On a cinematic note, Gray reminisces his recent film escapades, including Cameron Diaz's return in "Back in Action" alongside Jamie Foxx, and a casual yet amusing trip to see "Bridget Jones." Dave follows up with insights on "The Electric State," starring Chris Pratt and Millie Bobby Brown, dissecting its mixed reviews and the controversy surrounding its hefty production budget.New TV Series to Look Out ForBoth Dave and Gray move on to some new series and specials worth noting. "Win or Lose," a Pixar original, and Apple's "Surface" receive mentions for their engaging plots and unique story-telling methods. "Severance" also comes up, with Dave critiquing its pacing while still appreciating its overall brilliance.For genre TV lovers, there's much to anticipate. The much-loved series like "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" sees renewal, promising continued adventures. On the cancellations side, "Cruel Intentions" meets its end after just one season on Prime Video, prompting speculations on why it failed to capture viewers' attention.Casting News and Anticipated ReturnsGray and Dave delve into the plethora of casting news, including Matthew McFadgen in "Legacy of Spies" and exciting prospects for "Dexter Resurrection" starring big names like Neil Patrick Harris and Peter Dinklage. They discuss potential shifts in the series narratives with these additions and ponder on how these changes might reflect in viewership.Moreover, the upcoming "Lanterns" series geared towards a blend of superhero and crime drama tropes piques interest, while the new "9-1-1 Nashville" spin-off starring Chris O'Donnell promises more firehouse drama mixed with music vibes, given its Nashville setting.Weekly Viewing HighlightsFinally, mark your calendars for the upcoming gems hitting screens next week, including the return of "Marlowe Murder Club," "Gangs of London," and the intriguing "Happy Face" on Paramount+. Dave plans to check out these alongside the returning "9-1-1" series and the new crime drama "This City is Ours" on BBC One.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/geektown. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Gangs Of London star Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù is our guest on this week's show (32:20) as we suit up for another instalment of bloody murder on the streets of the capital in Season 3 (1:20:55). Plus, we're testing the boundaries of paternal relations in Happy Face on Paramount+ (1:12:59), in which Annaleigh Ashford stars as the daughter of Dennis Quaid's serial killer, and going on the lam with Siobhan Finneran in protective custody thriller Protection on ITV (1:28:52).(Episode 328)Note: time stamps are approximate as the ads throw them out, so are only meant as a guide. If you want to avoid this and would like the podcast entirely ad-free (as well as 17 hours early, with a second weekly show and spoiler specials) then sign up to Pilot+!
Bill Frost (CityWeekly.net, X96 Radio From Hell) and Tommy Milagro (SlamWrestling.net) talk Anora on Hulu, Good American Family, Happy Face, The Residence, Daredevil: Born Again, Mythic Quest, Ted Lasso: The Return, Landman S2, Pokerface: Back in April, R.I.P. Cruel Intentions, Dateline: Lori Vallow Daybell, Rasslin' News, The White Lotus, Devil In the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke, The Righteous Gemstones, The Dexter Expanded Universe, and more. Drinking: Cherny Bock Dark Czech Lager from OFFICIAL TV Tan sponsor Bohemian Brewery.* Yell at us (or order a TV Tan T-shirt) @TVTanPodcast on Threads, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, or Gmail.* Rate us: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, YouTube, Amazon Podcasts, Audible, etc.
On this special episode of Post Mortem, Host Anne-Marie Green sits down with Melissa G. Moore, who at 15, discovered that her father was the prolific serial killer known as Happy Face. She's joined by Jennifer Cacicio, the Executive Producer of a new Paramount+ series, HAPPY FACE, that is inspired by Melissa's true-life story and stars Annaleigh Ashford and Dennis Quaid. They discuss Melissa's evolving relationship with her father, having her brain scanned to determine if she was a psychopath, and how she has connected with other relatives of killers. Don't miss the two-episode premiere of HAPPY FACE, streaming March 20 exclusively on Paramount+, with new episodes every Thursday. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Diese Woche spricht der Eismann über "Unschuldig - Mr. Bates gegen die Post", "Türsteher - Wächter der Nacht", "The Residence", "My Strange Addiction", "Happy Face" und "1979 - Aufstieg des Islamismus". Pssst...: Abonnieren und Weitersagen ist erlaubt! (wir sagen's auch nicht weiter...)Abonnieren auf Spotify, Apple & Co sowie RSS-Feed: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dievorschauKontakt: dievorschau@wunschliste.deEin Service von http://www.wunschliste.de Und hier geht's direkt zum TOHUWAPODCAST: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tohuwapodcast
Happy Face. Morons in the News. New Wedding Rules. Everyone Needs a Laugh. Whatever Happened to the George Forman Grill? The Dog That Ate Everything. Talkback Callers. Overrated Foods. Can You Believe This? From the Vault. Tater Tots.
Not that anybody asked but this week we did our research and started a True Crime Podcast because we're talking about Disney Characters who have clearly left bodies in their wake. What will make our final Top 3 list this week? Expect the secret host of NPR's Serial, weeping at Ally Pally and the most litigious episode yet.We mentioned a lot of Podcasts on this week's episode. Here's a list: Serial, Magic Sponge, S-Town, Death In Ice Valley, Lazarus Heist, Gladiator, Confronting OJ Simpson, Happy Face, Behind The Bastards and Phoebe's FallYou can find the trailers for our choices, and other things referenced, on this youtube playlist.You can become a friend of the podcast over at Patreon where you. can get bonus episodes, swag and the knowledge you're helping to keep the podcast goingYou can buy our merch over at TeepublicYou can sign up to our newsletter over on SubStackFollow us on Instagram thepodcastnobodyaskedforFollow us on Threads: @thepodcastnobodyaskedforFollow us on Bluesky: @thepodcastnobodyaskedfor.co.ukFollow us on TikTok: @nobodyasked4podFollow us on Facebook: /nobodyasked4podLeave us a review, including any ideas you have for future episodes on Apple Podcast or Podchaser
This week the boys are back and you wont believe it but the ARC Ambassador Zachary is back too. This week we cover a few things including what our ARC Ambassador has been up to of the past few months and a little bit into what our tax dollars are being spent on for the past few years with our tax dollars. Listen in to find out more.Check us out on all social media at time for another podcast or check out our website at timeforanother.comSend us an email at timeforanotherpodcast@gmail.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/time-for-another/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
On this episode of THE HOT MIC, Jeff Sneider and John Rocha discuss the big entertainment news of the week including Netflix revealing its 2025 slate withe first looks at its projects, Benedict Cumberbatch revealing he is in Avengers: Doomsday while Chris Evans revealing he is out of it, the MJ Biopic is a mess, Jake Gyllenhaal leading a new M. Night Shyamalan movie, Anthony Mackie's comments about Captain America 4, The Russos running X-Men franchise, no Superman Super Bowl trailer, the Magazine Dreams, Sinners and Happy Face trailers, Tarantino talking 2019 as the last year of real movies, the Sofia Gascon vs Fernanda Torres Oscars drama, Companion review and more.#Superman #Marvel #Oscars #TheHotMic #JohnRocha #JeffSneider ____________________________________________________________________________________Chapters:0:00 Intro and Rundown1:58 Netflix Reveals 2025 Slate- What Stood Out to Jeff and John?11:41 John Leguizamo Cast in Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey"15:43 Jake Gyllenhaal to Star in Next M. Night Shyamalan Movie22:20 No 'Superman' Trailer in Super Bowl - Why is WB Making This Decision?27:54 John and Jeff Debate if WB Should Promote Superman on Joe Rogan Experience33:42 Anthony Mackie's Captain America 4 Comments- Much Ado About Nothing???44:28 Chris Evans Says He Is Not in Doomsday, But Doctor Strange is In It Now46:30 BREAKING: Jeff Sneider Reveals Harris Dickinson Considered for Cyclops in X-Men50:40 Will The Russos Really Run X-Men for the MCU?53:00 Brandon Sklenar Rumored for NOVA Series Lead, Rocha's Rumors58:53 Karla Sofía Gascon's Racist and Islamaphobic Tweets Resurface from 20201:11:39 Michael Jackson Biopic Is A "Dumpster Fire" with Reshoots of Third Act1:16:20 Matthew Lillard and Scott Foley in 'Scream 7'1:18:20 Zack Cregger Officially Doing a Resident Evil Reboot1:19:28 Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds New Controversial Updates1:23:10 Magazine Dreams, Sinners Trailers1:28:22 Quentin Tarantino's Comments about Studios Killing Release Windows1:30:35 Streamlabs and Superchat QuestionsFollow John Rocha: @therochasays Follow Jeff Sneider: @TheInSneider
Erica (The Surreality Podcast) and myself are back together, this time to discuss Heidi Montag's controversial plastic surgery in The Hills ! for more episodes, head over to patreonwww.patreon.com/shorejustinefollow Erica @SurrealitypodFollow me @ShoreStorePod@Jjustineelizabeth Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hello Interactors,The weight of winter up north can have its cozy comforts, but cold, damp, and dark can take a toll. We also continue to face a convergence of daunting global challenges — climate change, inequality, political instability, and health crises — each amplifying the other straining our ability to find meaningful and sustainable solutions. So much for ‘Happy Holidays'.A recent article on avoiding despair turned to the concept of “tragic optimism.” This can sometimes be offered as a way to avoid our human tendency to seek “doom and gloom” while also not succumbing to “toxic positivity.” These topics struck me as a decent lens to kick off this winter's focus: human behavior. Let's unpack the emotional geographies that shape us. How do spaces and norms influence how we feel, process, and express emotions? SPACES, SMILES, AND SOCIAL SCRIPTSWhen I was in seventh grade, I was the lead in our middle school musical, Bye Bye Birdy. It featured the song, Put on a Happy Face that employed this cheery, but pushy, line: “Spread sunshine, all over the place…just put on a happy face.”Dick van Dyke played the starring role on Broadway from 1960-61 earning him an Tony award. He then appeared in the movie in 1963, launching him to stardom. In that role, many other roles, and in real life, he is a man who appears perpetually happy. Even now at age 98!But under that smile, lurks a darker side. Soon after his early success, Van Dyke became an alcoholic. The alcohol may have helped him put on a happy face society expected, but it came at a price. This insistence on relentless optimism regardless of circumstances is called “toxic positivity” — and it's more than a personal behavior. It reflects societal norms that prioritize surface-level harmony over emotional complexity. These norms shape how we navigate feelings and influence our individual well-being. But shared spaces, like our workplaces or homes also influence these emotional dynamics. Have you ever walked into a place knowing how you were expected to act? At work, you might slap on a smile and say “I'm fine” even when you're not. At home, you might feel the pressure to play the part of the cheerful parent, partner, or roommate. These emotional scripts don't come out of nowhere — they're baked into our cultural expectations about what different spaces are “for”.Geographer Yi-Fu Tuan explains that spaces acquire “moral properties” through societal norms, values, and cultural narratives. Workplaces, seen as sites of productivity, often suppress emotions like frustration, while homes, idealized as places of comfort, pressure individuals to adopt roles like nurturing parent or cheerful partner. These norms shape how people are expected to behave and feel within these spaces.America itself, as a cultural and geographic entity, carries its own "moral properties." These are reinforced by media narratives that frame the nation as a land of optimism, resilience, and emotional stability, projecting these expectations onto its citizens and then exported to the world to consume.Take one of the most-watched television programs in America from 1962 to 1992, Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show. His late-night TV persona was examined in a recent New York Times piece by Jason Zinoman. He described Carson as America's calm, neutral host, soothing the nation with his polite humor. He wasn't just a TV personality; he was part of a larger cultural push for emotional stability, especially during times of uncertainty. His show became a space where people could escape the messiness of real emotions.But these expectations aren't just about comfort — they're about control. By promoting harmony and cheer, society nudges us toward emotional conformity, discouraging anything that might feel too “messy” or unpredictable.This pressure doesn't fall on everyone equally. Women often bear the brunt of emotional labor, expected to keep things “pleasant” for others. Cultural geographer Linda McDowell highlights how professional women are frequently required to maintain an upbeat attitude at work, regardless of personal circumstances. This expectation extends beyond the workplace, shaping how women are perceived and allowed to express themselves.On The Tonight Show, Joan Rivers, a trailblazing comedian, faced this constraint. Despite her sharp, satirical wit, Rivers was often limited to lighthearted banter and self-deprecating humor to align with Johnny Carson's carefully neutral persona. Similarly, Carol Wayne, as the flirtatious “Matinee Lady,” reinforced the idea that women on the show were there to amuse or adorn, not disrupt. These portrayals reflected societal norms that confined women to roles as caretakers or decorative figures, both publicly and privately.SUPPRESSING SORROW WITH A SMILE SUCKSPutting on a happy face might seem harmless, but it can take a toll. When we suppress feelings like sadness, frustration, or anger, they don't just disappear — they build up, creating stress. They can even impact our physical health. Neuroscientists have shown that suppressing emotions can increase activity in the brain's fear center (the amygdala) while dampening the rational, problem-solving parts (like the prefrontal cortex). Basically, pretending you're okay when you're not can mess with your head and your body.James J. Gross, a psychologist and leading researcher in emotion regulation, has shown that suppressing emotions can heighten stress levels, activate the brain's fear center (the amygdala), and disrupt cognitive processes critical for resilience and problem-solving. Recent brain imaging studies by Wang and Zhang (2023) support this, demonstrating that expressive suppression, where feelings are actively withheld, triggers heightened amygdala activity and diminished prefrontal regulation. These findings highlight the significant physiological toll of emotional suppression, further validating Gross's work.Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor and existential psychologist, offers a valuable framework for regulating these emotions with his concept of “tragic optimism.” Frankl introduced tragic heroism in his 1978 book, The Unheard Cry for Meaning, drawing on the existential and Greek tragic tradition of resilience in the face of suffering. He later expanded this with tragic optimism in a 1984 essay, emphasizing hope and meaning-making even amidst life's inevitable hardships. Drawing on his experiences from the Holocaust, he explores the human ability to confront inevitable suffering while maintaining hope and finding meaning. For Frankl, this approach was not about denying pain but about embracing life's full spectrum — its joys and its tragedies — as integral to human existence.But his view of suffering has been criticized as overly universal and idealistic, assuming that all individuals can derive purpose from adversity. His emphasis on personal responsibility may inadvertently shift blame onto individuals for not overcoming circumstances beyond their control. Constant pressure by systemic oppression can exist even in a society that claims to be free. Migrant women in caregiving roles, as McDowell highlights, often lack the freedom to balance suffering and hope on their own terms. Instead, they are required to project resilience and positivity, even under exploitative conditions, effectively masking systemic inequities. Similarly, Joan Rivers and Carol Wayne were cast into narrow roles that demanded cheerfulness, ensuring they complemented rather than challenged societal norms. These portrayals reflected the broader expectation that women embody emotional steadiness, regardless of personal circumstances.Frankl's insights remind us that the ability to engage with hardship meaningfully is a privilege that societal expectations often deny to those at the margins. Understanding the toll of suppression and the uneven distribution of emotional freedom is crucial in challenging the norms that perpetuate these dynamics.COMBATING CONFORMITY WITH COMMUNITYThankfully, norms aren't set in stone — they can be, and have been, resisted and redefined. Sara Ahmed, a feminist scholar, critiques what she calls the “happiness duty.” She shows how this duty pressures marginalized groups to appear cheerful, suppressing feelings like anger or pain to uphold the status quo. Movements like Black Lives Matter reject this demand, openly expressing grief and frustration to confront systemic injustice. Through “collective effervescence”, as sociologist Émile Durkheim describes, collective emotions in protests turn individual pain into powerful demands for change. Ahmed and Durkheim offer examples of how breaking free from the pressure to "stay positive" transforms emotions into tools for meaningful resistance.But even this kind of resistance can make those in power uncomfortable, so they demand order, calm, and happiness. When collective effervescence calls people to, as Public Enemy's song decries, ‘fight the powers that be', another collective encourages everyone to spread ‘sunshine all over the place, and just put on a happy face.' But in the face of this “toxic positivity” that Public Enemy mocks as, “'People, people we are the same'”, they respond ‘No, we're not the same / 'Cause we don't know the game'. They can't justify putting on a happy face when most of America refuses to wrestle with poverty and race. Summoning an inner Johnny Carson can be seen by some as not a neutral, but as just another way to paternally placate — to pat down incivility. It can be seen more like Jack Nicholson's infamous “Here's Johnny!” in The Shining — a menacing veneer of cheer masking a deep, dark, and discomforting societal reality.Ananya Roy, a geographer and urban theorist, takes a hard look at this in her work on the “rescue industry.” In Poverty Capital, she critiques how even well-intentioned aid organizations often portray marginalized communities as helpless and in need of saving, while ignoring the structural problems that keep them oppressed. These narratives don't just undermine real change — they also place emotional expectations on those being "rescued." They demand gratitude and resilience while leaving the bigger systems of inequality intact.Roy's work shows how this approach reflects a long history of paternalism and American exceptionalism, where those in power maintain control by shaping how others should act and feel.Geography plays a big part in how these expectations are enforced. Relief camps, aid programs, and even microfinance initiatives often create spaces where people are expected to behave a certain way — thankful, hopeful, and compliant. In the U.S., similar patterns show up in low-income neighborhoods, where anger or frustration is often punished, reinforcing norms that demand harmony and silence over real emotional expression.If we want to resist these dynamics, we need to rethink the spaces where care and support happen. Instead of controlling emotions or enforcing positivity, these spaces should allow for shared agency and the full range of human feelings. By rejecting savior narratives and making room for emotions like grief and anger, communities can start to challenge the systems that hold them back and move toward real change.From Johnny Carson's seemingly cheerful neutrality to the "happiness duty" imposed on marginalized groups, societal norms can slowly prioritize control over connection, faux harmony over brutal honesty. But resistance is possible. Movements like Black Lives Matter, the Women's March, Chile's protests for constitutional reform, and Hong Kong's pro-democracy demonstrations highlight how group effervescence can channel collective emotions into impactful resistance. However, these movements also reveal the limits of protest alone in achieving enduring change. Systemic barriers to change require sustained efforts beyond the initial wave of mobilization.As Ananya Roy reminds us, breaking free from narratives of saviorism and exceptionalism requires not just challenging these norms but rethinking the spaces where they take root. How can we build geographies of care that empower, rather than constrain? Perhaps the answer lies in acknowledging that resistance begins with feeling — and making space for emotions, no matter how “messy” they might seem. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit interplace.io
Ryan Hamilton jokes about New Yorkers in his Netflix special, "Happy Face".
This Time Around, Melissa and Kate are discussing Everwood #403 Put On A Happy Face. Nearly everyone in Everwood is trying to hide their real feelings this week after Amy learns that Ephram has moved in with Bright and Reid, Andy tries to find a new normal with Nina, and Hannah accompanies Bright to a kegger. Follow us on Instagram Artwork - Kathryn Olivieri Music - "Adventures of the Deaf Dreamer (INSTRUMENTAL)" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com
Hazel hat gebacken, Thomas testet die Ergebnisse. Inhalt: 00:00 Wie muss ein Keks sein? 07:35 Keks-Facts 10:10 Kategorien & Thomas Backerfahrung 19:54 Butterplätzchen mit Marmelade 29:55 Schokoli 36:04 Mailänderli & Brunsli 42:27 Vanillekipferl & Zimtsterne 48:25 Geruchstest & Pfeffernüsse 55:53 Spekulatius & Biberli 1:02:58 Auswertung & Filmempfehlungen Zeitstempel können variieren. Crumpet https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crumpet * Thomas spricht von einem „Spit Bucket“, den benutzen Schauspieler:innen teils bei Drehs, wenn sie sehr viel essen müssen und nicht alles ausspucken wollen Deutsche essen im Schnitt 9 kg Kekse pro Jahr https://www.berliner-zeitung.de/die-deutschen-sind-ein-volk-von-kruemelmonstern-neun-kilo-des-knusprigen-kleingebaecks-vertilgt-jeder-im-jahr-so-nebenbei-je-zarter-desto-kruemeliger-der-keks-li.7019 Für zwei Brauereien gibt es bei den strengen Kölsch-Regelungen Ausnahmen https://www.focus.de/panorama/welt/nur-bei-zwei-brauereien-gibt-es-fuer-ganz-strenge-koelsch-regeln-eine-ausnahme_id_201456361.html#:~:text=Kölsch%2DBrauereien%2C%20die%20nicht%20in,Brühl%20wird%20Bischoff%20Kölsch%20hergestellt. Die getestesten Kekse sind, nach der Reihenfolge der Bewertung (mit Schlussplatzierung in Klammern) • Husarenkrapfen (4. Platz) • Schokoli (7. Platz) • Mailänderli (6. Platz) • Brunzli (2. Platz) • Vanillekipferl (3. Platz) • Zimtstern (1. Platz) • Pfeffernuss (4. Platz) • Spekulatius (5. Platz) • Biberli (1. Platz) Viel Spaß Shops: https://vielspass.gmbh/collections/alle Thomas spricht von „Happy Face“, der Film, den er meint, heißt aber „Smiley Face“ https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/smiley_face Thomas empfiehlt „Alien: Romulus“ Du möchtest mehr über unsere Werbepartner erfahren? Hier findest du alle Infos & Rabatte: https://linktr.ee/hoererlebnis Du möchtest Werbung in diesem Podcast schalten? Dann erfahre hier mehr über die Werbemöglichkeiten bei Seven.One Audio: https://www.seven.one/portfolio/sevenone-audio
Ryan Hamilton jokes about being single in his Netflix special, "Happy Face".
She is indeed a book whisperer and a great storyteller. Our guest this time is Bridget Cook-Birch. Bridget grew up, as she says, being a tom boy. However, she also had an insatiable appetite for reading as much as she could even from an early age. She will tell us about her growing up years and So I will leave that for her. She had a near death experience that showed her that she had a greater purpose in life than she thought. She found it when she began to write. To date she has written several bestselling books and she has helped others to successfully create and tell their stories. Bridget is firmly convinced that stories of all kinds are an extremely part of all our lives and that we should tell them. We get to learn much about today's publishing industry and how we can each begin our own story-telling journey. I am sure you will leave this episode and possibly be more ready to tell your own story. If you are, by the way, I would love you to reach out to me at michaelhi@accessibe.com to arrange a time for us to discuss you coming on Unstoppable Mindset. Enjoy this episode with Bridget. About the Guest: Bridget Cook-Burch's clients call her “The Book Whisperer”. She is a New York Times & Wall Street Journal bestselling author, mentor, trainer, mamma-bear humanitarian, and speaker known for riveting stories of transformation. Her powerful work has been showcased on Oprah, Dateline, CNN, GMA, The History Channel, NPR and in People among many others. She is the CEO and Founder of YourInspiredStory.com and Inspired Legacy Publishing. Bridget is also a co-founder and former executive director of SHEROES United, a non-profit organization that helps women and girls rise from trauma. As a leader, storyteller, trainer and humanitarian, her greatest passion is helping others to discover the importance of their own story, and to become leaders in their own communities, and worldwide. Bridget's many national bestsellers include Divine Turbulence; The Witness Wore Red; Shattered Silence; Skinhead Confessions; Leading Women; and also Living Proof. Bridget invites you to believe in the power of your story to change the world. Join her writers' retreats and leadership retreats in Utah, Italy, Ireland and more. Find out more at www.YourInspiredStory.com and www.SHEROESUnited.org. Ways to connect with Bridget: Linkedin: Bridget Cook-Burch “The Book Whisperer” - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbridgetcookburch/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bridgetcookburch Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bridgetcookburch YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@inspiredlegacypublishing 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, hi once again, wherever you happen to be, I want to welcome you to unstoppable mindset. Today we get to visit with someone who is known as the book whisperer. How about that? Bridget Cook-Birch writes a lot of stories. She writes a lot of books. She is a storyteller, and I love that about Bridget because I believe that everyone in the world has stories to tell that they can tell, and if they don't necessarily know how to tell the stories themselves, they should seek people who can help them bring the stories out into the open for people to hear however they want to do that. But I think we should never be afraid of telling our stories whatever they happen to be. So this is going to be, needless to say, a fun podcast episode to do, because stories really is what it's all about. So with that Bridget Welcome to unstoppable mindset, we're really glad you're here. Bridget Cook-Birch ** 02:18 Thank you, Michael. I'm so honored to be here, and I cannot wait, because I know we're going to have so much fun. And I've, as Michael Hingson ** 02:24 I've told a number of people, the only hard and fast rule on this podcast, and it's what I've really only made up in the last few months, but it is, we both have to have fun, or there's no sense doing it so. And the other part of that, I suppose, is that listeners have to have fun too, so we'll work on that. We need to make it fun for them and and that's as good as it gets. Well, let's start a little bit by maybe you telling us kind of the story about the early Bridget, growing up and all that. Bridget Cook-Birch ** 02:52 The early Bridget, oh, that's scary. Michael Hingson ** 02:55 Early Bridget, Bridget Cook-Birch ** 02:58 well, the early Bridget was adopted by two extraordinary beings, Dick and Pat whirling, who were just amazing folks. But I did have three sets of parents by the time I was six months old, and I didn't know that. Unconsciously there, there were a lot of belief systems like, oh, I can't really trust because the big people will always leave. And so I was pretty firely independent, but they were very patient with me, and I had some amazing siblings, and I read books like crazy. So I was one of those nerds that was a tomboy whenever I was outside. So I play football and climb trees and mountains and, you know, play with rattlesnakes and all the fun stuff. And then when I would go home, I would read every book I could get my hands on, read out the school library, read out the bookmobile, and my mom would let me go downtown to read out the public library. So I read a lot, and I read a lot of things that many people didn't read until they were college age, but they were important to me, and I was profoundly affected by some of those early stories, like the Diary of Anne Frank and Uncle Tom's Cabin and To Kill a Mockingbird. And I think deep down, it inspired within me to do storytelling that could change the world. So Michael Hingson ** 04:31 now you got me curious. Tell me about playing with a rattlesnake. Bridget Cook-Birch ** 04:36 Well, we lived up against the Rocky Mountains, and we were kind of in a deserted area. And where was this? What's that? Michael Hingson ** 04:46 Where were you? Bridget Cook-Birch ** 04:47 I was in Brigham City, Utah, in Utah. Okay, great. All places. My folks had adopted me from, Laramie, Wyoming. And yeah, my folks were from Detroit originally, and they. Came out so my dad, who was an engineer, could work on the Minutemen missile. And, yeah, so he was a, he was a cowboy in in always, except he wasn't from here. Yep, he wore the cowboy boots and a belt buckle the size of Texas and a 10 gallon hat. And loved to take us on historical, you know, sites all around the West. So Michael Hingson ** 05:26 So playing with rattlesnakes, playing with rattlesnakes. Bridget Cook-Birch ** 05:28 Yep, we we used to climb up into the mountains behind our house, and they were full of rattlesnakes. When I was little, I didn't understand that the baby rattlesnakes were actually more poisonous. I just thought they were kind of cute. So I would do a little playing around with them, until I found out that that that was not the smartest thing. Michael Hingson ** 05:53 Did you ever get bit by one? Bridget Cook-Birch ** 05:54 You know what? I never did. I think it's because I have a lot of affination for nature. I had a lot of peace when I was out in nature, and it seems like I never got bit or scratched or anything else. So I was very blessed. We will tell you that, because there is no way that a ambulance would have made it up the mountain, and the baby rattlers are actually more poisonous than the adults, so Michael Hingson ** 06:23 they're more prone to strike because they don't really have, or at least they haven't yet developed some of the things that they will learn later. But yeah, that is true. My brother in law, so my what my late wife and her family grew up in Fontana and Rialto in California, also sort of on the the lower desert, but lots of things around. And one day, my brother in law, Gary, came into the house holding a black widow spider, and was showing off to everybody. And of course, everyone was just freaked out. And so he then took it outside and let it go, but still, he carried this black widow spider into the house fearlessly. Wow, that Bridget Cook-Birch ** 07:13 I was not as fearless of spiders. I could handle snakes quite a bit, but no spiders. I would just run screaming from spiders. Michael Hingson ** 07:22 I have occasionally been in a position where I ended up sitting very close to spiders and didn't know it, but, but nevertheless, I and black widows, among other things, when I was growing up on the desert in Palmdale, that's sort of the high desert, and we had a lot of critters. Of course, my favorites were tortoises, and we had several tortoises come up to our house, and if you decided to live with us for a little while, which is fun. Now we don't see tortoises anymore, unfortunately. Bridget Cook-Birch ** 07:51 Oh, that's too bad, but I do know that they don't bite poisonously, but you still have to watch for them biting you. Well, tortoises, tortoises, Michael Hingson ** 08:01 you know, there's tortoises and terrapins, which are sometimes called snapping turtles, but tortoises generally won't if you're friendly and and don't do anything that you you shouldn't do to an animal or anyone else. One of the things that I did was fed them lettuce and rose petals and occasionally cantaloupe. And even when they weren't eating, if I would put my hand down in front of a tortoises nose and then slide my finger under the nose, they would stick their head out of the shell to get their neck scratched. They loved it. Oh, yeah, tortoises can be very friendly. Oh, that's awesome. Yeah, they're they were fun. And we, we had them a fair amount. And then after growing up and living on the East Coast and coming back to California, we we didn't really have so much with tortoises, it's unfortunate. They're more endangered, I think, than they were, but really enjoy them, which was a lot of fun. Bridget Cook-Birch ** 09:00 Yeah, there's a lot of things that our kids don't have as easy access to, in terms of animals and nature that we once did. Yeah, I hope that shifts. I hope that changes Michael Hingson ** 09:12 I do too. I think we also need to learn not to be afraid of so many things. I mean, I would say you'd be cautious around rattlesnakes, but I think fear is one of the biggest problems that we face, because animals can sense when you're afraid, like people say, if you're caught out somewhere with a bear or with a wolf or or even dogs that tend to Be aggressive, they're going to be more. So if you're showing fear, Bridget Cook-Birch ** 09:45 I'll tell you what. I had a situation up in mountain green. I was a single mom, and I had my sweet husband. Now I was dating. We had so much snow that our dog. Were walking out of this the fence, and so he put up like a little compound, and so that they couldn't walk walk out, and a wolf jumped over the fence to get to the dog food, but then couldn't jump back out. And I, you know, and I had kids, and I have Mama Bear instinct when it comes to kids, to my dog, so I ended up having to open every door in the house that led outside to the other and and then finally opened the sliding glass door so the wolf could go all the way through my house and up through and and escape, but that was a pretty harrowing experience. But you said we have to be careful about fear, because they do sense that. And you know that because of all you know your your dogs, and I'm sure that you've had pretty intense connections with certain animals Michael Hingson ** 10:57 well, and I value that a great deal. And in fact, later this year, we're publishing a new book called Live like a guide dog, true stories from a blind man and his dogs about being brave, overcoming adversity and walking in faith. And the idea is that I use lessons that I've learned directly from all of my dogs on my wife's service dog, Fantasia, to deal with fear. And I'm it's the first time I've really started to work to try to teach people that they don't need to be, as I call it, blinded by fear or paralyzed by fear, that you can use fear as a very powerful tool to help you and that you can use it to help you focus. It isn't to say don't be afraid, but it is a question of how you're afraid and what you do with it. So yeah, I'd be really concerned about a loose wolf or cat in my yard, but I think that the thing to do is to figure out how to deal with it and and try to be peaceful with it. And mostly you can do that unless there's some disease around that, like rabies, that you don't and they don't have any control over and having gotten but mostly, I think we really can learn to be a lot more focused and use fear as a very powerful supportive tool than not. So it is, is something that will be out later this year. It's going to be out in August, and I'm looking forward to it. People have seen links to it. We've already tindalled. The publisher has already put out some pre order links and so on, and people are saying very kind things about it with so I hope it'll be as successful as thunder dog was back in 2011 which was my Bridget Cook-Birch ** 12:38 first question to say, I can't wait to read this one, because I really enjoyed thunder dog. I enjoyed the storytelling. I enjoyed the teaching that you did with it. Some of those stories, though were were really something in the stairwell, but also when you were out of the building, and you did use fear in a in a smart way and saved people's lives like that was incredible. Well, Michael Hingson ** 13:05 thank you. And I think that that's really what's important. And I realized when the pandemic occurred that I've been talking about not being afraid for song, but never really worked to try to help people learn how to control fear. So that's what it's about helping people. I'm and really enjoying being able to have the opportunity to get people to understand we're all better than we think we are. Bridget Cook-Birch ** 13:32 I would agree with that 1,000% Michael Hingson ** 13:36 so you want you went off? Did you go to college? I did, Bridget Cook-Birch ** 13:41 I started off at University of Utah, and then I ended up at Utah State, little more smaller school that I liked better for just a few different reasons, but especially because I could just be immersed in nature, like the canyon was right there in my backyard, and I spent a lot of time up in the canyon. And so I went to, I've got a BS and a BA. I took political science and Russian language and all different, all different aspects. I got a couple different minors as as well as a couple majors and and loved it. Nothing in English, nothing on writing. So it all had to do, really, with with human relations and international relations. So it was one of those things that I thought I would do, until I began writing, and now I incorporate all of it. Michael Hingson ** 14:34 So what did you do after college? Bridget Cook-Birch ** 14:37 Well, I got married, and that's Michael Hingson ** 14:41 a full time job. Yes, Bridget Cook-Birch ** 14:43 while I was while I was in college, I had a pretty intense near death experience that solidified my faith in God in a really remarkable way. But it also I've, I've talked to a lot of people who've had near. Experiences and shared death experiences, and it seems like you you often come back with a gift, and the gift that I came back with was to be able to see people's stories in an extraordinary way. And I can almost like they'll be telling me a story, and I can see the threads of it and how that could be used for a speech, or how it could be written into a book, and how it could be, you know, even more compelling in the way that it's told. And and so I was, I was able to see that, and after college, I was able to start writing and working on some of these stories. So it really turned out to be a boon and a blessing for me. Michael Hingson ** 15:44 If you want to, can you tell us a little bit about what happened with your near death experience? Bridget Cook-Birch ** 15:50 Yeah, there was a time I was afraid to talk about it because it was so sacred, yeah, but I was also worried that, you know, people might think I was crazy. I hadn't in the beginning. When it first happened, I was in my early 20s. I was working three jobs and going to school and overworking. I got very, very ill and ended up in in the hospital and listening to a couple nurses outside in the corridor saying, this girl's not going to make it until morning. And Michael, I don't know how you felt in the tower, except from what you wrote in the book, but the one thing I knew was that I had not fulfilled the measure of my creation, and I had no idea what that was. I was pretty clueless for a college student, had big dreams, but I didn't know what the fulfillment of my my creation was, but I just knew I hadn't done it yet, and I was so sad that I wasn't going to have that opportunity. And you know, I had what I would call intercessory prayers, my mother really praying to save my life. And I had other people that were praying and and I had a I had actually two figures that filled my room, one I know is an angel, and then one that for me was definitely Jesus Christ, my Creator, and he told me that I was being given a second chance at life, and I didn't take any of it for granted and and the for the first time in days, I fell into a real deep sleep. My fever came down, and when the nurse came in, she's giving me more intravenous antibiotics because I've been so sick. And I told her, I just had this knowledge, like I said, you can give me every single one of these antibiotics, but not this one. It's killing me. And she thought I was a fruitcake, you know, she's like, this is the only thing saving your life. We thought you were going to be gone. And I'm like, No, I can have every one of these, but not this one. And fortunately, I had a doctor who had patients who'd had other experiences, and he listened and he says, well, we might as well take her off this one. She's on the rest of these. And because of that, I was able to walk out of the hospital in the next 24 hours under my own power. So Michael Hingson ** 18:25 did they ever decide that you were allergic to it, or explanation Bridget Cook-Birch ** 18:30 deeply allergic to one of those intravenous antibiotics? The moment they took me off, I started doing better. Wow. So it was pretty crazy. Michael Hingson ** 18:41 Yeah. Well, you know my experience from Thunder dog, where I heard God's voice in in chapter 10 of thunder dog, and that was as real as it could get. And it's one of the things that led me to believe that when one door closes, a window opens, as Alexander Graham Bell once said, and the whole point is that there are things to do, and I didn't even worry about trying to figure out what they were what I needed to do was to look at opportunities as they came along and Do something with them. Of course, the next day after September 11, so on the 12th, Karen, my wife, said, You want to really call Guide Dogs for the Blind and tell them what happened, because several of them had visited us in the World Trade Center. So I did, and that led to the Director of Public Information wanting to do a story. And also she said, you're going to get visible on TV, I bet, where do you want to be first? And I wasn't thinking so. I just said, Larry King Live. And on the 14th of September, we had the first of five interviews on Larry King Live. And you know, the issue is that, again, that led to people starting to call and. And saying, We really would like you to come on and speak to us and talk to us and tell us what we should learn about September 11 and such things. And so I decided to start doing that. And I realized if I could tell people about what happened and teach them how to move forward from September 11, if I could teach people more about blindness and what guide dogs are all about and such than it was worth doing. And that's exactly what I did, and I've been doing it ever since. And then the pandemic came, and some things changed, but we continue to move on. And now I'm actually starting to ramp up speaking again, and looking for more speaking engagements to to help with the the income process, because not ready to retire yet, and don't have the money to retire yet. So anybody who needs a speaker out there, I'd love to talk with you about it. But you know, the the issue is that God gives us the opportunities, and that's really important to deal with. So anyway, I think we really do need to look at opportunities that come. And I really appreciate you talking about what you experienced, because it certainly told you that there's more to do. And I think that for all of us, there's a lot more that we can do, if we would but listen and and ponder and think about and look at what's happening in our lives to be able to move forward. Bridget Cook-Birch ** 21:36 I would agree with that 1,000% and hopefully it doesn't have to take a Mack truck or a near death experience for us to recognize like, what a gift life really is and what a gift our story is, and how we can serve and support and lift one another. Michael Hingson ** 21:55 Yeah, absolutely. And I think it's really important that we do focus on the stories and so well, tell me a little bit more about you and stories. You you believe that words can change the world and that we all should be telling stories. Talk more about that, and also just about the whole idea of when we're talking about stories. Do we really want to talk about the stories that limit us, and do we focus on those, or the stories of possibilities, or does it really even matter? Bridget Cook-Birch ** 22:30 Oh, I'll tell you what it does matter. I've seen it over and over again, but I'll tell you a little history of how I discovered that. Uh, so after my near death experience, my husband and I moved to Denver, Colorado, and I had the opportunity to work as a PR consultant for a company called community learning centers, and I got to interview high risk kids, gang youth and others, but especially the ones who had turned their life around. And I was listening to stories that so different from how I had grown up that I was fascinated, but I also saw how the stories that we tell ourselves are the most important stories, and I began to see incredible patterns from that, and from that, I thought I would write a fictional book, like a story of forgiveness and redemption, and was even writing this book and and then I had a dream about this book, but it was different than what I had been writing. And in my dream, the book was about, you know, a gang, gang member who had left his gang had a huge price tag on his head, and in the dream, it was a skinhead. And I didn't know anything about skinheads, because the the kids I worked with in Denver were Bloods and Crips and we stra Familia and several others, but not any white supremacists. I had to do all kinds of research and discover their ideology. And then, you know, it was fascinating. Michael was to to have this dream and have to do this research find out more. And then I come across this guy's website, and he was looking for someone to write his life story that I had been writing from this dream. So to make a long story short, I recognized something guided and divine about stories, at least in terms of of where I was finding them, because they continued to find me. And a woman read his book and and she reached out to me, and she said, You know, I think if someone could take a story of darkness and create something of hope and healing, it would be you. And then she told me that she was the. Happy Face serial killer's daughter and asked if I would write her story. And I gotta tell you what. You know, it was difficult enough for me to write the skinhead story, but I learned and grew so much so I wasn't afraid of the story. I just didn't know how I was going to write something of hope and healing about a serial killer's daughter and and then I interviewed her, and I also received a lot of just inspirational downloads on how to write the book and, and I will tell you, because we chose to be of service. And I think this is really important for anybody who's choosing to write a book, is who are you writing to and how do you want to reach them, because when you choose to write a book to be of service, especially in non fiction. You know, in fiction, there's all different reasons to write education and entertainment, but in non fiction, we have, we have different levels that we can go to and and we chose to be of service. And I think because of that, that book did extraordinary things, and continues to it was on Oprah and Dr Phil and CNN and Good Morning America, and it still remains in the top true crime. And it's transformational true crime, because it was not only the victim story, but the rise of Melissa from victim to Victor. Now she's a producer in LA she's been doing tremendous things. I'm her biggest fan, except for her family and and I gotta tell you just that writing that book and seeing what could happen with a story that could change the world, it changed me and and it made me more open to seeing how one person could change the world. And I got to write my next story was of a woman who was the 19th wife of 65 women right here in our country, and she got married to the Prophet of the FLDS Church, which was an extreme organization, and and they were trafficking children in the name of God. And there were a lot of good and innocent people in that group, and then there were nefarious leaders. But I saw the power of this one woman, Rebecca Musser, to help dismantle an organized crime unit in the name of God, and she put Warren Jeffs behind bars for life plus 20 years. And it wasn't all her. There was a huge team. And there was these amazing you know, like attorneys and Texas Rangers and AGs office members, you know, down in Texas, and they all work together along with other witnesses. But she was a primary player. And what was really cool about that, Michael, I'll tell you, is, is Warren Jeffs had outlawed the color red because that was supposed to be the color that Christ would wear when he came again. And so none of his people were allowed to have red cars or red toys or red clothing. And every time that Rebecca testified more than 20 times in a court of law, she came Sasha and in and in some sort of red which I loved, because it was her way of telling this, this man who said he would break her, that she you know, that he did not break her and and it was really lovely. But the last time she went to testify, she had to face Warren Jeffs on her own because he had fired his attorneys. And I know that she was petrified on the inside, but she she comes into court, and she's wearing this beautiful red suit, and she turns around to be sworn in at the end, sees the galley, and I'll never forget, because I was sitting in the galley watching her, and the whole galley was filled with with red red ties on the Texas Rangers and red flowers and women's hair and, you know, red dresses. And I, I witnessed firsthand the power of one woman to change the world again. And ever since then, I've just been recognizing more and more things about story, and I've written some really incredible books since then. But I wanted to share a quote with you, because you asked about, you know, the stories that we tell ourselves, and another author that I love. He was a professor, Harold Goddard, and he said the destiny of the world is determined less by the battles lost and won than by the stories it loves and believes in. And my question to the world is, so are you? Are you going to let. Those stories that you love and believe in be stories of limitation or of possibility. And I've been able to see what happens when someone says, All right, I'm gonna begin to tell myself stories of possibility. Michael Hingson ** 30:17 How true and so eloquently said. And the the issue is that we we limit ourselves. I've told people on this podcast a number of times that I used to always say to myself, I'm my own worst critic when I'm thinking about things. And I realized over the last year, wrong thing to say. We need to get out of the negative mindset so much in most everything that we do, and I now say I'm my own best teacher, because in reality, I'm the only one who can teach me things, people can offer and give information, but I'm my own best teacher, and I should approach everything that way. And I think more of us should really approach life from a learning and an adventure standpoint, because life really is an adventure, and it's there to give us the opportunity to learn. If we but we'll do it, Bridget Cook-Birch ** 31:10 I would agree 1,000% it is an adventure, and I think, I think a lot of us will stay in this just just barely getting by, you know, scraping by, whether it's physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, financially, that we hold ourselves in in a box and we're afraid to venture out in the last few years like I love that you realize that people needed a way to overcome fear and really be able to face it and lean into it. And the last several years in our country, we've we've just been facing some things that have made fear come straight up in our face. I think there's a reason for that. I think all things happen for a reason, and it's time for humanity to be able to move beyond fear and to use it as a tool, as you mentioned, but but also as a stepping stone to so many greater things, including, you know, not not having to tear one another down. We've, we've been very territorial, and some of that is, you know, 1000s of years in our DNA of creating an us versus them so we can protect ourselves. And, you know, we've, we've held a lot of judgment for others, but there's this unique and beautiful thing that happens when we let down our walls. And yeah, we still need to discern. We need to, you know, if somebody tells us who they are, we need to believe them. But I also think there's so much good in people, and if we can begin to lift one another up, all the boats rise together, that humanity has some really exciting things in store. Michael Hingson ** 32:57 We have been experiencing in so many ways from some of our political leaders, and I sort of put leaders in quotation marks, but we've been seeing so much fear. And the other thing is that a lot of people say, Well, I trust what this guy says. I trust what that guy says. And my response is, why do you trust them? Well, because he talks to me, he says what I want to hear again, whoever it is that they're talking about, and my response is, and where it gets back to the whole issue of fear is, how much of it do you verify? And it doesn't matter what political side you're on, how much of it do you really think about and analyze and really look at what one person or everyone is saying right now, I'm in California. We have the the one of the Senate races going on, and there are two major Democrats running, and one is Adam Schiff, who was involved in, of course, the whole issue of the investigation of January 6. And the other one is a woman named Katie Porter. And Adam Schiff's commercials oftentimes talk about, well, they play segments of speeches, and they do other things, and they talk about his accomplishments. And Katie Porter talks about, she doesn't take political PAC money, or federal or large corporate PAC money and other things like that. And when I heard a few of the commercials on both sides, I step back and I say, what is this person really done? Why do I want to vote for this person just because they don't take PAC money or what have they accomplished? What have they done to show me that they're truly going to be able to make our world better than than it is? And I think that it's my obligation as a voter to really look at that. And again, it doesn't matter whether it is in the Democratic side or the Republicans. Side, we really have to analyze, and if we do that, we won't be nearly as fearful of so many things as we are today. Bridget Cook-Birch ** 35:08 I would agree with that. I'm I love what you have to say about that, because a lot of things have to do with tearing one another down, or, like you said, the fear based. But you know, what is someone's track record in building something, in creating something. So that's a very good point. Michael, Michael Hingson ** 35:29 well, I think that we we really need to look at more than just listening to words. It's our job to to think about, to synthesize, to internalize and come up with answers based on everything, rather than relying on what some people say. I love all these conspiracy theorists all over the place are are so amazing. And you know, I don't know what to say, other than prove it, and Bridget Cook-Birch ** 36:03 right know is that they know how to use the power of story. They just happen to be using it to tear people down. And if we're not careful, we can get sucked into a rabbit hole. And I love what you said, like more than words. What are they doing? But also, I think it's important for us to do our own research, not believe something just because everybody else says it. In fact, Michael, I had a funny experience last, last year, the year before, when some of these conspiracy theories were really hitting some high points. And there was a lot going on in terms of of human trafficking and and some of these world power theories on that. And, you know, we found out some of these were true in terms of of, you know, some high profile celebrities that got in trouble, when, when some things were going down. But was interesting because I I found out that I was on a hit list that was going out to many people that were going down these rabbit holes of conspiracy theories. And I was grateful that they were trying to do the work, but they accidentally put me on the other sheet, like, here's the enemies that we're going to go after, and then here are those people that actually will do the journalism and the research, and they'll help to bring it down. And I was supposed to be on the journalism and research and writing books that will help to bring you, know, bring down some of these monolithic crime units, and I ended up being accidentally put on the other list. And luckily, a friend of mine said, whoa, whoa, wait a minute before they publish the list. And she says she's actually see supposed to be on the on the other list. But I thought how quickly my reputation could have been ruined a split second, and that that is happening all across the United States, all across the world, and so that's why we have to stand for our own stories, because sometimes we're going to be put on the wrong list, or someone's going to hate something that we have to say. But But I also think it's, it's really important for us to take a stand for something. You know, we're really good at taking stands against things. But what are we what are we good at taking a stand for? Michael Hingson ** 38:35 Yeah, so tell me, what do you think the deepest need is that humans have, and what do stories have to do with it? Bridget Cook-Birch ** 38:44 I honestly deep question. It is a deep question, but it's cool, because I get to see it every day. So I'm glad that you asked that the deepest need that I see humans need is for significance. They need to know that they're here for a reason, that they're wanted, that they're needed, that they're seen and heard and valued by someone, and stories can go such a long way in doing this has to start inside of us, because whatever stories we're telling ourselves, we write the script for other people to treat us that way. I see that over and over as well. But then there's also, how do I present myself and my stories out in the world. Doesn't mean that everybody has to write a book or be a best selling author, but every day, we tell stories. We tell stories to ourselves. We tell stories to our spouses. We tell stories to our bosses and the people that are in our chain of command, or our associates. We tell stories to the the grocery clerk, and and and stories are really remarkable in their power. We were just talking about conspiracy theories, and I think we're seeing some huge things happening the last couple years in Russia too, how Russia was able, just like we've seen in the last several World Wars and other altercations, where propaganda could sway an entire nation to go up against their neighbor, who a lot of them were family members, and to believe lies about that neighboring nation. And so stories are relevant. They are important. Ever since we were around the campfire, you know, as early education of humans took place in the storytelling. At that point, we learned our roles, our responsibilities, what was possible, what we believed was impossible. And the beautiful thing is that we continue to show that we're way beyond what we once thought was impossible, and now the question is, is you know, what are we going to do with it? But stories are vital to humankind, Michael Hingson ** 41:13 and we should appreciate them and love them and and use them to allow us to teach ourselves more things. You know, you talked earlier about fiction isn't so much about service. And I'm not totally sure I would say that. I think that the Yeah, fiction is intended to entertain. So a lot of non fiction, but, but the issue is, I think of books like the Harry Potter series, which really are so inspirational and offer so many lessons that all of us can use. And the reality is, some people say, Well, yeah, it's fiction. Well, really, so what? How many times do we hear about people who have done so many things that no one thought they or anyone can do. And one of my favorite stories is, of course, it was said for many years that no one could break the four minute mile. You would die before you could make the break the four minute mile, until Roger Banister did it in what 1956 I think it was, or 57 and then everybody started to do it, but people said that he would die before he would be able to do that, and it was a medical impossibility. But the reality is, he believed that he could, and he did, Bridget Cook-Birch ** 42:33 I agree and and how beautiful that, that all of a sudden, he broke that entire barrier of beliefs for people. And I love that you mentioned Harry Potter. I love JK Rowling. I do too. I love what she's created. And she's done what a lot of people considered impossible, you know, a single mom with a little baby and that she had to care for, and she's riding on cocktail napkins, you know, on the train rides and and doing things. And she did something so extraordinary and reinvigorated an entire world, children and adults to want to read again. And how, how beautiful that is. And you're right, there's, there's so many lessons and other things and she does more than entertain, and I would agree with that. I also just want to share too that, you know, our world has changed quite a bit, and in which the literature for young people doesn't include as many of those profound elements of lessons and morals and friendships, and what do we do? There's a lot of darker elements to our entertainment for young people. And the one thing that I would caution in that is I can't tell you how many people you know who I've helped with their stories and write their books and other things, and they were heavily influenced by the media of that time, in that day. And so, you know, it's one of those things where I still think it's important for writers to be able to influence young people towards believing in themselves, believing in possibilities, and to believe that light can be greater than the darkness. I think we all need that right now. Michael Hingson ** 44:28 I love Stephen King. I think he's a very creative writer, but I don't like to read nearly as much of the dark stuff as I used to. But I also think that he, like so many people, demonstrates a lot of creativity, especially in some of his earlier books, in a lot of different ways. And so I can appreciate that. And I think that any good author is one that you have to look just beyond the words to. What's going on in the story, what kind of creative things that that they bring to it. And he clearly is a good storyteller. Bridget Cook-Birch ** 45:08 He's extremely talented. Yeah, he's jealous as I am, but charts talented, that's for sure, jealous Michael Hingson ** 45:15 as I am. And, you know? And then there are others. Go to the Western Louis L'Amour and Zane gray. Now, Zane Gray, of course, long time ago, but one of the neat things about Zane Gray was, and is, with his stories, he's so descriptive, he draws you in and makes you feel like you're in the country he's writing about, and he talks so much about the land in the country that he he makes you feel you're there, which is so cool. Bridget Cook-Birch ** 45:46 Oh, that's neat. I you know what? I've not read a lot of Zane Gray. I think only one or two of his back in the day, but I read a lot of Louis L'Amour Yeah. Also add Zane gray to my readers list. Michael Hingson ** 45:58 I keep looking every so often, in case I find that there's a little and more book I haven't read because I really enjoy his writing. And yeah, a lot of them are all the same sort of basic plot, but, and it's the but, it's the difference, and his stories are all so good, Bridget Cook-Birch ** 46:14 yeah. And it's interesting about Zayn gray too, finding out that he was a dentist, and always wonder like when he was working in people's mouths, was he, was he crafting plots and storylines, and, you know, other things, I think, and Michael Hingson ** 46:29 telling stories? Yeah, now you mentioned once that Warren Buffett has an interesting quote that you think is extremely valuable. What is that? Bridget Cook-Birch ** 46:38 Well, Warren Buffett, as as most people know, has been this incredibly influential business leader. Michael Hingson ** 46:47 Talk about being a bright and creative guy, a bright and creative guy who's Bridget Cook-Birch ** 46:51 who's worth so much more than any of us can not any of us, but many of us can conceptualize. And one of the things he's famous for teaching is, you know, if you want to be worth several times more in your lifetime, learn how to express yourself on paper and in person. So he truly believed in the power of story, and I think we've seen that through some of the smartest CEOs of our generation have been the creative storytellers, you know, the ones who who recognize the power of story, and then we're able to put that together. Apple is one of those, those fabulous examples of, you know, when they would fail and then when they could succeed spectacularly is when the storytelling got as good as the technology. The storytelling beam even better than the technology for that particular year, but they've been able to shine because of it. Michael Hingson ** 47:57 Well, when Steve Jobs really started expressing his vision and talking about what a piece of technology should do and could do, and motivated people to then make it happen. That's so important, I think in an organization, Bridget Cook-Birch ** 48:15 I think so too. I think so too. And I think we're going to be seeing more and more of that, and sometimes we see when, when some of these leaders fail, you know, they they tell too big of a story, and they can't manage the expectations, or they fall flat in the storytelling, or they hurt someone in the storytelling, which actually ends up not doing them good in the long run, but I think what's important is, can you be inspiring? Can you motivate? And can you be your word when you're when you're choosing to use those stories for for a greater good? Michael Hingson ** 48:55 Another thing that's coming up, and I was going to call it the elephant in the room, but that's not fair to it. It's not fair to do that. But what about the whole issue of AI and chat, GPT and so on? Where do you see that that fits into the world today and going forward? Bridget Cook-Birch ** 49:11 Well, that's a fascinating question. And you know, who asked me this the most are some of the young people when I'm on their podcast and I sound so old, like a grandma, and I am Grandma, you know, I'm a Mimi but, but the but these young podcasters, they want to know too, like, hey, you've been around the block. What do you think about AI? And I'm going to tell you something. There's some people who are completely against it, and they feel like we're going to hell in a hand basket really quickly because of AI and and then there are those who are saying, Hey, this is the end all, be all. And, you know, we shouldn't, and couldn't be doing anything without it. And I'm going to tell you, I'm I'm in the middle. I'm going to tell you why. Um, the reason I think that there is merit to AI is that there's certain things that it's going to do so much more quickly for us. It's going to help us with ideas, and in terms of writing, it's going to help us edit more quickly so we can communicate better. Where we run into trouble is if we're asking AI to be our brain, to be our creativity, to be our thinker. And sometimes people get really nervous about that, because they think kids will use AI and that they won't think on their own. But I will tell you this, the kids I've been seeing, even the young ones with AI, it sparks their imagination greater. They're asking smarter questions. They're wanting to see more. They're coming alive with a fire of creativity. They're not relegated to, oh, you couldn't spell a word to save your life. Well, this will spell the word for me, but I want to tell this story, and I want the graphics to look this way, and I want to create a movie and and it it enables the human imagination to take off. All I would say is, don't let it be your brain. Michael Hingson ** 51:13 I had the honor to talk with someone a couple weeks ago, a gentleman named Glenn Gao, who's a e business coach and supports AI a great deal. He would agree with you and and me, by the way, I believe the same. One of the things that that he said was that he went to a company who wanted his coaching, and they talked about AI, and one day the CEO called his major people together and said, Take the day and study AI and then come back to my I think it was, the next day, and tell us how we should incorporate AI in one way or another, chat, GPT or whatever, into our business. And the creative, incredible ideas that people came back with the next day totally astounded the CEO, and they put things in place, and it improved the company a great deal, because the idea still is it shouldn't be the job of artificial intelligence, I think, no matter how advanced it gets, to be the end all and be all, as you said, it is Still something where I think there's a component of us that we're not going to be able to to create in the near future. Dr Ray Kurzweil would say, We'll join the human brain with with a computer, and that will change all that. I'm not convinced of that. And I know Ray, I used to work for him. I think that the reality is that artificial intelligence is a tool, and I think in the classroom, if teachers embrace it correctly, what they will do, if they think that students are starting to really use it to create their papers is teachers will get more creative and say, Okay, class, everyone's turned in their papers. Now I'm going to call on each of you, and you have a minute and a half to defend your paper in front of the whole class. I mean, there are ways to deal with it, to make sure that the students are really still doing what they should do. And I've used chat GPT to help compose some things that I've worked on. And for me, I get all that I can, I think, from the artificial intelligence system, and then I turn it into my own work by by changing things, adding things that AI didn't catch and I know making a much better article because I started using something else to help me, and I just view it as a collaborative effort, a team, and AI as part of the team. Bridget Cook-Birch ** 53:53 And sometimes it can provide a really valuable framework for the imagination to take fire. So I, yeah, I'm with you on that. I think that there's a lot of beautiful things that can be used for Michael Hingson ** 54:08 and I think over time, we'll realize that it's, it's such a big hot issue right now, but, you know, the internet was a big hot issue, and we still have the dark web today, and it's it's there with us, but people, by and large, have now accepted the value of the internet and what it can bring I have always believed it's a wonderful treasure trove of information, so I have a lot of fun exploring the internet. Haven't ever been to the dark web. Don't know where it is, and if I ever found it and I discovered it wasn't accessible, I'd see who I could go off and sue because they didn't make it accessible, but that's another story. That's my conspiracy for the day. Bridget Cook-Birch ** 54:47 That's your conspiracy for the day. I've hired private detectives to go on the dark web to research situations for safety for my authors. But that's as far as I've gone. Michael Hingson ** 54:58 I have. No idea how to get to the dark web or, you know, I mean, I can conceptually, intellectually understand the process, but would have no idea where to go to find it. So I have to, you'll have to tell me when we're done here. I've always been curious, but I hear what you're saying. And the reality is that the internet and AI are two tools that can enhance what we do so much, and I think people will eventually recognize that and will become better for it. Bridget Cook-Birch ** 55:34 I think so too, and again, I just think we have to have faith in each other in humankind and in our own imagination. Yeah, Michael Hingson ** 55:45 we just have to work on it, and we have to recognize and think it through and then take action. And we can learn to do that very well. I love to tell people, the best thing I think anyone could do is to take time at the end of the day and while you're falling asleep, think about what happened that day. Think about what worked, what didn't work, and even what worked, what could you do better with it? I never talk about failure, so the things that didn't work aren't failures. It's a learning experience, and we grow from it. And I think we can do that, but I think that it's what we have to do to become better than we are, and we can do that every single day, which is, for me, such a cool idea, and what I like to do. Well, what are some of the problems that you think exists in the world today that we as individuals can change? 56:34 How's that for a general Michael Hingson ** 56:36 question, for you question, Bridget Cook-Birch ** 56:37 Michael, Well, honestly, it's, it's pretty crazy. It's pretty wonderful. I I remember sometimes that I have felt helpless in the world when something has happened, particularly like in terms of of humankind, right? Sometimes there was a crime committed, and I felt helpless. Sometimes there was like a school shooting, and I felt helpless, a world disaster, and I felt helpless and I wanted to serve and do something in some capacity, and then I get asked to write a story, or I get asked to help an author, and it's just like God brings me a story to show for one thing for me to let down my judgments and and to see that there are so many solutions out there. So one of the things I'll I'll just say, is that you at talk about conspiracy theories, there is an author that I'm working with who has this tremendous story, and I can't tell you all about it today, but I'll, I'll be singing his praises to high heaven in in a few months. But what I will tell you is he had to come across one of the the roughest and nefarious conspiracy theorists of our time, and and he learned to own his voice, and he learned to be able to tell the truth In a really beautiful, extraordinary way, and part of that was was creating something that made other conspiracy theorists think twice before they were going to tell lies about individuals or families just for their own agenda or to make their own money. That's powerful. You know, when someone can use their own personal story to bring down a conspiracy theorist who's making millions of dollars based on those conspiracies that that tells you, again, the power of one person. I'm seeing world leaders do extraordinary things in terms of, how do we lift one another on the planet? How do we take care of our planet? As you know, nature is so important. Animals are so important. How are we going to take care of that? I love that you are one of those authors who in terms of accessibility and making sure that that people are being taken care of in all their forms. You're you're one that brings solutions. So I love that. Can I share story? Michael Hingson ** 59:29 Oh, sure. Bridget Cook-Birch ** 59:31 Okay, so one of the things we've been facing, as we've been discussing, is the last several years, this predilection for humankind to tear down one another in our fear. And I had the opportunity to work with an extraordinary person. His name is Gary Lee price, and he faced a lot of that tearing down when he was a child. He had. A mother and stepfather who he lost through murder suicide on an army base in Mannheim, Germany, and he and his baby brother were shipped from the frying pan back into a couple of horrific situations, and Gary himself faced all kinds of abuse, the worst kinds of abuse and and really a slavery in his own house and, and part of it was because the adults were working nights and they didn't know that he was being tortured and abused. And instead of becoming a horrific, violent, bitter person, Gary found God, and he found art, and he became a very famous painter in his area by the time he was in high school, but was when he found this three dimensional miracle called clay that all of a sudden his imagination took flight literally, and he's, to this day, created 1000s of sculptures that lift humankind, and they're in corporate offices and arboretums and churches and outside the Vatican and in the Hong Kong library like they are all over But in terms of solving human problems or inspiring our solving of problems. Gary was asked to create a symbol that was inspired by Dr Victor Frankel. And you know who that is, right? So he had survived four Nazi concentration camps in three years, and he lost his entire family to the gas chambers, into illness and and he got out, and he wrote this extraordinary book, Man's Search for Meaning. And in that book, eventually, and also when he would teach in the United States, he would say, you know, in the United States, it's wonderful that you have the Statue of Liberty on the East Coast. And he said, but in Vienna, we learned that that Liberty itself is not the only answer. You need to have responsibility, because without responsibility, there is no liberty. And you know, he'd seen irresponsibility and anarchy and dictatorship and annihilation. And so anyway, Dr Stephen Covey thought, wouldn't it be awesome to honor Dr Frankel with creating a symbol of the statue of responsibility, and Gary created this symbol. And after everything he'd been through as a child, when he was thinking, what is a symbol that can inspire all of humankind? And it was the symbol of one hand reaching down to grasp another to lift it up. And he says, Sometimes we're the hand reaching down, and sometimes we're the hand reaching up. And here's the COVID, Michael. In our lifetime, in fact, very soon from now, we will be seeing the beginning of the building of the statue of responsibility, and it will be 305 feet tall to match the Statue of Liberty, and it will have interactive museums and discussions for children, like, what does responsibility mean? And there's, there's many other things, but this is one of the ways that stories can change the world for the better, and symbols and art and imagination can lift us rather than destroy us, Michael Hingson ** 1:03:47 and it should be that way. Well, tell me you've written a number of books that have become bestsellers. How does that happen that they become bestsellers? Bridget Cook-Birch ** 1:03:58 Well, it can happen a number of different ways, especially you've probably noticed, but publishing has changed tremendously over the last 20 years. Yes, and there used to be a time when traditional publishing was pretty much the only way, and there were a few people who wrote books and and and they would do their best to get it out there. And if it was accepted by traditional publishing, it was such a glorious thing, but most people only sold between 250 and 300 books in their lifetime. And then we had the advent of Amazon, and then we had the advent of self publishing, which I'm not going chronological self publishing, it's been around for a long time. Vanity press, also for a long time, and also indie publishing, which helps to create every service you would get through traditional publishing, but you get to keep your own intellectual property and most. Of your proceeds, rather than the lion's share going to traditional and I've had the luxury and pleasure of being able to work on all sides of that like my first two books were published through a small publisher who took a chance and shattered silence when it was on. Oprah became their number one best seller for two years in a row. So it was a win for them, and it was a huge win for me. And then my third book, when it came out, we had a New York agent, and she negotiated an incredible deal with a chat and Grand Central publishing, which was one of their publishing labels underneath a shet so one of the largest publishers in the entire world, and I got to see all the beautiful machinations that New York publishing offers, all the services, all the wonders of that and the credibility that goes along with it, and and also, since that time, I've also been able to help people with national and international bestsellers on Amazon, and that's a different ball game. It's different than a New York Times or a Wall Street Journal bestseller, and it has to do with there's there's two aspects of it is, number one, making sure that all the information is set up well, and that you're in the right categories, and that you're being seen and being visible. And then the other part of the strategy is that you know, you get everyone that's in your inner circle and anyone and everybody in your family and friends and everything else, to purchase your book on the same day, close to the same time, because it raises your visibility in the ranks. And you want to become a hot, new best seller on Amazon. You want other people's eyes to be able to see it. And if you're lucky enough to have an international team, then you can often become an international bestseller and be seen in countries like France and Australia and Canada and and other things. So it's it can be a game and and you've gotta be careful, because in every every industry, they're scammers, yeah. And in terms of of indie publishing and self publishing and traditional publishing, there are scammers out there, and you've got to watch it, but it's it's a smart and fun business. Part of the business strategy in terms of pre launch, launch and post launch, you just need to make sure that you're working with reputable people who care about the longevity of your book, not just a flash in the pan, but something that's going to serve people and have a ripple effect, you know, you hope for 50 years from now, right? And that someone halfway across the world can be absolutely inspired by your book, yeah. Michael Hingson ** 1:08:01 And whenever I get comments from people, even today, some 13 years later, and I think that will continue to happen. But who say I read your book and it's it's such a joy to hear that I'm able to help inspire people and show them something, because it's about it's about them, it's not about me, and that's really the way it should be. Well, last question for you, what's one thing that you would advise someone who wants to write a book for the first time and maybe is a little bit reluctant to do it, Bridget Cook-Birch ** 1:08:39 so fiction or non fiction? Yes. Okay, I usually have a little different answer, but I will tell you this for whoever your main character is. So if it's non fiction, that main character is going to be you. If it's fiction, you will have an aspect of yourself in that character, but I highly recommend that you put together a chronological timeline, because every good story has backstory, and then it has the current story, and then it also has where you're taking the reader and the journey that you're taking them on. And a lot of times when we're thinking of stories, or writing stories, or writing about our own stories, we'll take down little bits and pieces, but we don't always remember the order in which they happened, or why we reacted a certain way, or certain things happened. When we put together a chronology for our character, there's so much magic that happens. You see patterns of story like, oh, we had this conversation, and then he said this, and I reacted this way, and then I got this phone call, and I said, Yes, and all of a sudden we realized, wow, there were five things that raised the stakes, that built up the tension, that. Created a change in the decision and a commitment to that change, or whatever it might might be, and we understand ourselves better, or we understand our characters better, but we can also tell a much better story to our readers, Michael Hingson ** 1:10:20 makes perfect sense. And as I think back on thunder dog, although I didn't up front specifically thinking the way you're talking about that is the way the book actually ended up not only being written, but I had the tools that really did go in chronological order. So I was guided to do it, I guess, but it was a lot of fun, and certainly now with the new book, live like a guide dog. We, we definitely spent a lot of time on making sure that it that we did things in a very chronological way, and looked at it a lot of times, kept going back over
Hour 1: The Tara Show - “Kamala's Backwards Border Policies” “Kamala Is FAKE!” “You Better Bring Your ID To The Airport Unless You're A Terrorist” “Put On A Happy Face, Your Being Recognized When you Fly”
The SDR Show (Sex, Drugs, & Rock-n-Roll Show) w/Ralph Sutton & Big Jay Oakerson
Ryan Hamilton joins Ralph Sutton and Dov Davidoff and they discuss Ryan Hamilton growing up in Idaho, working as a newspaper columnist at 14 years old, his internship at a blueberry farm, not wanting to be categorized as a mormon comedian, Dov and Ryan cringing over old comedy clips of themselves, Ryan Hamilton's relationship with Amy Schumer, being there for the Oscar's slap with Will Smith and Chris Rock, working with Seinfeld, getting hit by a bus in 2022, Ryan Hamilton's first concert, first drug and first sexual experience and so much more!(Air Date: September 18th, 2024)Support our sponsors!YoDelta.com - Use promo code: Gas to get 25% off!To advertise your product or service on GaS Digital podcasts please go to TheADSide.com and click on "Advertisers" for more information!The SDR Show merchandise is available at https://podcastmerch.com/collections/the-sdr-showYou can watch The SDR Show LIVE for FREE every Wednesday and Saturday at 9pm ET at GaSDigitalNetwork.com/LIVEOnce you're there you can sign up at GaSDigitalNetwork.com with promo code: SDR for discount on your subscription which will give you access to every SDR show ever recorded! On top of that you'll also have the same access to ALL the shows that GaS Digital Network has to offer!Follow the whole show on social media!Ryan HamiltonTwitter: https://twitter.com/RyanHamiltonInstagram: https://instagram.com/RyanHamiltoneDov DavidoffTwitter: https://twitter.com/DovDavidoffInstagram: https://instagram.com/DovDavidoffRalph SuttonTwitter: https://twitter.com/iamralphsuttonInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamralphsutton/The SDR ShowTwitter: https://twitter.com/theSDRshowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesdrshow/GaS Digital NetworkTwitter: https://twitter.com/gasdigitalInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/gasdigital/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Being bullied as young person by school mates is never going to be enough of a reason to kill 8 women. Convicted of three murders Keith Jesperson is suspected of killing at least 5 more women. Thinking about tying victims to the back of your semi truck with a chain and dragging them behind you to scrape off their faces and finger prints as evidence is a level of evil thats hard to imagine. This is some of the stories of the Happy Face Killer.