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A bestselling computer book and a mayor's office may seem worlds apart, but Dan Gookin's path connects them through curiosity, clear communication, and public service. I talk with the DOS for Dummies author and Coeur d'Alene mayor about making technical writing useful, challenging industries that resist new ideas, and finding success by improving work others do poorly. Dan also shares why he entered local politics, how transparency and community engagement built public trust, and why responsible leadership often means asking the questions others overlook. We close by exploring political division, religious freedom, social media algorithms, and the need to reduce online anger without losing the internet's benefits. Highlights: 00:06:48 - Why leaving your comfort zone creates growth. 00:11:07 - How doing something better can become a business. 00:12:39 - Why writing for beginners changed computer publishing. 00:27:06 - How transparency concerns led Dan into politics. 00:37:30 - Why responsiveness helped Dan earn public trust. 00:54:49 - How social media fuels anger and division. About the Guest: Dan Gookin is the mayor-elect of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, having won election in November 2025 after serving on the City Council since 2011. Known as a fiscal conservative, outspoken advocate for government transparency, and a committed budget hawk who asks tough questions, he is often described as “the lone voice of reason” on the council, consistently championing the public and the “little guy” against bureaucracy. Gookin views his public service as protecting individual rights. He prides himself on listening to all perspectives, welcoming alternative viewpoints, remaining open to new information, and never being a rubber-stamp vote. Professionally, Gookin is known as a writer and online trainer. He has been writing about technology since the early days of personal computing, combining his humor with a passion for gadgets to create informative and entertaining books. He authored the groundbreaking DOS For Dummies in 1991—the world's fastest-selling computer book at the time and the title that launched the iconic For Dummies series, now a publishing phenomenon. With more than 170 titles to his credit, over 12 million copies in print, and translations into more than 30 languages, his popular works include PCs and Laptops For Dummies, Android For Dummies, Word For Dummies, and C For Dummies. He maintains two helpful websites, wambooli.com and c-for-dummies.com. He creates online courses for LinkedIn Learning on diverse topics, and in 2020 published Running for Local Office For Dummies. Gookin graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a BA in Communications/Visual Arts and minors in cognitive psychology and theatrical design. He put his creative talents to work as artistic director of the Lake City Playhouse, where he designed sets, lighting, and directed many productions between 1997 and 2002. First and foremost, Dan considers himself a father who raised four boys in Idaho. Gookin resides in Coeur d'Alene with his wife, Brie, along with various children and pets. In his leisure time, he enjoys woodworking, playing the piano, riding his bike, cooking, gardening, and making lists of things he enjoys doing along with occasionally annoying those who think that they're important. Ways to connect with Dan**:** LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-gookin-46995713/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/dangookin About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson  00:04 What if the biggest thing holding you back isn't what's in front of you, but rather what you believe? Welcome to Unstoppable Mindset, where inclusion, diversity, and the unexpected meet. I'm your host, Michael Hingston, speaker, author, and advocate for inclusion and possibilities. This podcast explores how the beliefs we carry shape the way we live, lead, and connect with others. Each week, I talk with people who challenge assumptions, face adversity head-on, and show what's possible when we choose curiosity over fear. Together, we focus on mindset, resilience, and the small shifts that lead to meaningful change. Let's get started. Hello there, everyone. Welcome to another episode of Unstoppable Mindset. I am your host, Michael Hingston, and today we get to chat with Dan Gookin. Do you know who Dan Gookin is? Probably not, but you will by the time we're done. But I will tell you one thing about Dan. He was elected mayor of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, in November of 2025. I think Dan, you're the first political person as such that we have had on, which is kind of cool. I'm really honored to to have you here, and and we can spend the the whole time picking on on other politicians, but there's no need to do that. I mean, what good does it do? It's a waste of time. But I want to welcome you to Unstoppable Mindset, and Dan, thanks very much for being here. Dan Gookin  01:44 Thank you, Michael. Thank you for having me on. Michael Hingson  01:46 Well, this will, I think, really be a lot of fun. I'm sorry that you guys aren't getting a lot of snow up there. My brother-in-law has been keeping me posted on the lack of snow, so today here we're expecting a temperature at about 70 degrees. Last week it got up to 39. So I don't know. There's something going on with the climate. Dan Gookin  02:10 Something. Michael Hingson  02:11 Yeah, whatever it is. Speaker 1  02:13 Well, there was a name for that. Michael Hingson  02:15 Yeah, yeah. If if there were enough people, would only believe it. But that's another story. You are right. Well, thanks very much for being here. Why don't we start? Tell me about the early Dan growing up and all that. Speaker 1  02:31 So I grew up in San Diego, California. Good place. I still say San Michael Hingson  02:35 Diego has the best weather in the country. Speaker 1  02:38 They do. It's changed a little bit as everything has, but I escaped from there back in 1991. Went up to Washington State because I was doing some work with Microsoft, and then decided that that was Seattle was another big city. So we kept looking east and finally landed in Idaho in Coeur d'Alene because it's pretty. Michael Hingson  03:01 It's a nice area. So you you did your schooling and all that down in San Diego. Speaker 1  03:06 Yeah, I graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a degree in communication visual arts. That was in 1983. Michael Hingson  03:13 Cool, wow. I've spent many a a day down in San Diego. I lived in Vista for six years, so I'm familiar with the area. Yeah, I liked Vista. Vista was a nice place to be. You Speaker 1  03:24 did a radio show out of Vista. Did you for a while? Yeah, computer call-in show. So that was way back. Michael Hingson  03:32 What did you discuss, or just anything dealing with computers? I Speaker 1  03:36 was editing a magazine, a local computer magazine at the time, and we purchased an hour, and so I would drive from my home in Tierra Santa all the way up to Vista to be in this little tiny radio station, where we would do call-ins. And sometimes people would call in, and I would help them solve their computer problems. And sometimes I had to talk to myself for Michael Hingson  03:57 an hour. And and and did you get answers when you talk to yourself. Speaker 1  04:02 No, but I got really hoarse. Ah, okay. Michael Hingson  04:04 Well, you know, just just checking. Well, that's cool. Well, I guess we could tell everyone that, among other things, Dan is also the author of a number of books, including DOS for Dummies. I still like DOS. Thank you. I I like DOS. I've just always enjoyed it. Although, I have to admit, Windows has progressed a whole lot more. But I always liked DOS. Speaker 1  04:27 Yes, it was good, and and it was its complexity or its a rudeness, I shall say. Yeah, that's a good. Sold the book because you had to type. You had to know the commands in Windows. You can kind of look and point and do all this stuff, but in DOS, you had to know the commands and type the commands, and people wouldn't-they couldn't remember. There were all these options, and so we sold a lot of books doing that. It's still, like I said, I I like it too. I like the command line because it's faster if you know what you have to type. Yeah, it takes less time to type. Than it does to look around, point and shoot with the mouse. Michael Hingson  05:04 Yeah, there are a number of blind people on some list serves that I am part of that every so often something regarding DOS comes up, which is I think kind of cool. Speaker 1  05:15 Yep, hasn't gone away. It's it's still lurking in there somewhere. Michael Hingson  05:19 It is still a kind of the basic underpinning foundation of a lot of Windows, isn't it? Speaker 1  05:25 Well, Windows actually does run on top of it still. If you if you when you start a program in Windows, you're actually issuing a text command. So inside there is a long text command that is issued that gets everything running. It's just that you're configuring that from a graphical perspective, Michael Hingson  05:44 right? Yeah, but but it is still running. DOS essentially runs under Windows, which is which is something that is is relevant. So I guess we could blame that on Bill Gates, Speaker 1  05:57 or credit him. I don't know. Michael Hingson  05:58 Or yeah, yeah, one of the other. Well, so you you graduated, you moved to Seattle. As you said, it is a big city, although you know it's kind of hard to fight Pike's fish market. Speaker 1  06:11 Well, there's there's the fun and charming parts of of Seattle that I really enjoyed. So I mean, I can't say that you know it was a horrible city. The thing I admired about Seattle the most was that Seattle would occasionally not take itself seriously, and I liked that it had a sense of humor and that people there were generally good natured. San Diego was a little bit more uptight, you know, fair weather fans, that kind of stuff, where Seattle was more of a community, and I admired that greatly. Michael Hingson  06:43 And there used to be a lot of rain up there. Speaker 1  06:45 Not as much as people say. That's kind of their reputation. The Pacific Northwest we do have. So I moved from Southern California where you have 360 days of sun a year to Pacific Northwest where you have 180, so it was kind of a shock from that point of view. It's mostly like today; it's overcast. It's just there's no sun, so that's the big difference. Michael Hingson  07:10 And then you moved up to Idaho, and and how many days of sun or not sun are there a year? Speaker 1  07:16 Oh, still about 180. 180. Uh huh. But it's you know so you get used to it after a while, and when the sun comes out, you're all happy, and it's like, look, the sun's out, everything's pretty. Michael Hingson  07:27 Yeah, fair. Yeah. So when you were in San Diego and so on, what did you want to do or be when you grew up? Speaker 1  07:36 So originally, I wanted to be a doctor, and then I had the misfortune of being in a hospital, and I said I don't ever want to be back here, and changed my mind and figured I would be a writer. So for years I started writing and submitting things to magazines, trying to work on books and stuff. I mean I wrote a few books, and they say that you have to get about a million words of junk out before you actually are a good writer. So I I worked on that for a long time, and got to the point where I I actually had a reputation with some of the editors in the magazines who would write me back personal notes instead of the generic you know dismissal, and so that was working really well. But then what happened in 1984 was I wrote something for the local computer flyer, and they liked that, and it got published, and that was what really started the career for tech because tech wanted people who knew how to write, so that was good timing. Michael Hingson  08:35 Yeah, so many technical manuals are just so boring. I really wish people would learn how to write more interesting books. Of course, I say that about textbooks as well. I am of the opinion that having a master's degree in physics and having read many a physics book, the and there are so few of them. The best books are the ones where the authors have put some actual personal stories in to draw people in with human interest parts of the science, and I wish more people would do that. Speaker 1  09:03 And that was my point too. It was like these books are dull and boring. And the problem I had because I was writing computer books at the time, I had a computer book literary agent. There is such a thing, and it's it's backwards in that industry though, because the publisher says what they want a book on, and then they have you write the book on the topic, and so I was doing that for many years. But I did not like the fact that they would edit my books to make them dry, and the editors would actually complain to me and say, "There's too much personality in here. You can't have this. It was like it was like they thought that was a built-in feature of the book, and my protest was, "Well, no. Let's make them interesting. Let's use real life examples. Let's have some personality in there. Let's have some interaction with the with the reader. And they didn't like that until DOS for Dummies came around, and the publisher was willing to change the paradigm. Michael Hingson  09:55 Jeez, yeah, it's so unfortunate. They they think they know. Everything there is to know, and the reality is they don't. Speaker 1  10:04 That's the way it is with just about any industry. You know that I think the corporate mentality is kind of to resist innovation, even in the most innovative industries, until something crazy comes along. And I think that's why in Silicon Valley you had all these startups. You know, if you look, if you trace the lineage of a lot of the big companies, they started at other big companies that were unwilling to do the crazy ideas these guys had, and so they went off. I mean, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak left Hewlett Packard and started up Apple Computer, and I'm pretty sure there's probably been some engineers from Apple Computer who've left and started up their own company and becoming Michael Hingson  10:43 well. And Bill Gates is essentially the same way. It's it's he started out doing something, but he attracted people's attention by some of the other things that he did. Speaker 1  10:53 Yep. Michael Hingson  10:54 And that was was very relevant. But I I hear what you're saying. It makes perfect sense because people just don't like to be innovative and don't like change, and and that's unfortunate that we have so many people that just, as much as they talk about the fact that change is everywhere, they don't like it. Speaker 1  11:10 No, it's well, I think yeah, we we get in our comfort zone, and you don't grow out in the comfort zone. So I like to challenge myself and do interesting things like become mayor, and you know you leave your comfort zone. And what what can I do here, or how can I do this better? Michael Hingson  11:26 Yeah, well, and that makes makes perfect sense. Well, what got you started writing about technology? Just because you were writing that that one article there, or those articles that got interest on the part of a publisher, or what? Speaker 1  11:41 What got me started was that I got paid. Ah, Michael Hingson  11:44 good point. Speaker 1  11:45 You know, they they paid me, and then you know, as as someone who was you know using a computer at the time, and they were called microcomputers, and they were really primitive compared to what we have today. Oh yeah, I I used it to write. So, and the the problem with that was that the the documents, the manuals that we talk about, were so dry and boring, and eventually, all of a sudden, it would dawn on me: it's like, well, this is what it's trying to say. So why don't they just come out and say it this way, or why don't they use an analogy and try to explain it in that manner instead of coming at it from this hardcore technical? And that was what really turned off a lot of people, so it motivated me to want to do it better, and that's kind of what I tell the kids, like my kids. I say you should start up a business. That's really the best way to get successful is start up your own business and become famous like that. And they're well, what business should I start up? I said that the easiest way is to find something that you like, something that's being done poorly, and just do it better. Yeah, and that's really a lot of the the creative, insanely genius stuff that's happened throughout the world is just someone who does something routine but does it better. Michael Hingson  12:52 And that's really the operative part about it, and and the real key. I think you're you're absolutely right. Find something that people aren't doing well, and by the time you get creative enough to figure that out, you're well on your way. Speaker 1  13:05 Yep. So that's that's what I did. Michael Hingson  13:08 Yeah. And so you started going off and and writing a variety of things. What what actually got you to write Dos for Dummies? What specifically? That's first of all, I love the the title of all the Four Dummies books. I think it makes sense. But what got you started in writing DOS for Dummies directly? Speaker 1  13:27 Well, I I knew that there was an appetite out there for beginner computer books, but the publishing industry would not publish beginning computer books because they said beginners don't buy computer books. And I explained to them, well, your problem is you don't write beginner computer books. You write something and you call it, you know, the easy guide to whatever, but the content of it is not written for a beginner. Maybe the first chapter is very condescending and patronizing, and then the rest of it is just technical garbage. So I said you have to keep that tone throughout the entire text. You have to identify who it is you're writing to, as who's a smart person who may just not get it, and explain it to them, and just keep going. And that was the problem. So I I did originally called it the Idiots Guide for DOS, which was based after the Idiots Guide to Volkswagen Repair. My dad had a copy of that, and I thought, well, what a brilliant idea. Michael Hingson  14:20 Yeah. Speaker 1  14:21 And so the publisher saw me speak at a conference, and where I was bemoaning the fact that the books were so boring, and they kept editing out my personality. And then went to to him, and and he's like, "This is great. Your outline that you have for this book is perfect. Except we want to call it DOS for Dummies. I thought, like a lot of other people, that was condescending and patronizing, but that it's an alliteration, so that's what they go with. And then he said to make it a reference. Don't make it a tutorial because, and this is brilliant, these people don't want to learn anything; they just want to do their job. Yeah, that makes sense. So that was and that was it, and we put a lot of humor in it. You know, people would tell me that they'd read the book on the subway, and you know, you'd see someone laughing reading a computer book. That's weird, but there would just be enough humor, and I'd use Mad Magazine as my inspiration. So it was kind of like us versus the nerds, and and that was what really founded the whole thing, and I tell you what, it caught on. I did not think it would. There was no way we were planning on writing a book that would sell, you know, 8 million copies. We were just thinking, well, this is going to be fun. Let's just do this, get it out of our system, and then go back to writing boring books. Michael Hingson  15:36 Made the publisher very happy. Speaker 1  15:39 Oh yeah, they were printing Gold bricks, yeah. Michael Hingson  15:43 That, of course, was the real key. Well, that started a brand, didn't it? Speaker 1  15:47 Oh yeah, they did. There was no intention to do that, but then they they followed that up with Max for Dummies and a bunch of other titles that were just very popular at the time. AOL for Dummies, you know, Windows for Dummies eventually came out, and that was the King for Dummies book. But yeah, they have and they have it on all topics. I've even so as someone who is you know starting in government, I got Robert's Rules for Dummies, which you know you've been to a meeting, you know they follow Robert's Rules, which is very dry and boring, but it's it's important. And Robert's Rules for Dummies is a good example of a For Dummies book because it explains everything carefully. Lots of humor in there, and so there's a lot of them. Wine for Dummies was another one that I really liked. I thought they did a good job. Golf for Dummies. There's a there's on every topic. There's a For Dummies book. Michael Hingson  16:37 How many of them did you write? Speaker 1  16:40 Only wrote the ones with my names on them, but probably about 40 separate titles. So over the years, most of them have been rewrites. So technology changes. So there have been 16 editions of Word for Dummies, and 13 editions of PCs for Dummies. There were four editions of DOS for Dummies. So you're you're always writing new editions, so all totaled 180 separate titles. But individual titles, without not counting multiple editions, right? About 60. Michael Hingson  17:09 Wow. Speaker 1  17:10 Yeah. Yeah, Michael Hingson  17:10 and I can appreciate that that books like Word for Dummies or even iPhones for Dummies has to change over time. Speaker 1  17:19 Yeah. Well, some of them. I mean, I've been doing a kind of a review on on YouTube. I've been doing short videos highlighting some of the goofy images that I put in the books over the years. And way back about 20 years ago, I think I was updating these titles once a year. They would say, "We need a new version of this. We need a new version of this. And at the time, technology was just. I mean, they were cranking out new stuff all the time. Michael Hingson  17:44 So, who's written AI for Dummies? Speaker 1  17:47 I don't know, but that is a title, so I wouldn't be Michael Hingson  17:50 surprised. Speaker 1  17:51 It should write itself, though. You think about Michael Hingson  17:53 it. Yeah, you you know, they they really should do that. It should write itself. Speaker 1  17:56 Someone told me once that they they they wanted to do a manual in my style, so they directed AI to write something in the style of Dan Gukan, and apparently AI can do that. So, am I going to get paid? I don't know. Michael Hingson  18:10 Well, that's another story, of course. Yeah, but still, it it is a it's a it's a great franchise. It's a great brand all the way around, and I know different people have written different different kinds of books like that, but still, the the fact is we need that in the world, and and I agree with you, especially that it's good to put humor and personality into it. And I really wish more people would do that. I really wish that would go into the the textbook world, but it hasn't yet. Speaker 1  18:37 No, that's that, and that's a different planet. I tried to break into that world, and that academia is is it's different. It is weird. Michael Hingson  18:44 Yeah, there are just not that many people who can get away with it like Richard Feynman did with some of the things that he did in physics, and even there, his his books were a little boring at times. But still, Speaker 1  18:56 he was awesome. His of course, his his autobiography is a lot of fun. Michael Hingson  19:00 Yeah, surely you're joking, mr. Fineman. Speaker 1  19:03 Exactly. Michael Hingson  19:04 Adventures of yeah, it is. I I keep it around. I've got an audio copy of it, and every so often I will go back and read parts of it. It's a it's a great book. Speaker 1  19:14 He's kind of an inspiration to me, especially in the area of government. And one of the parts of his book where he was on the panel that was reviewing textbooks for, I think, the state of California, and he noticed that one of the books was blank; it was empty, and he was the only one on the panel who did it. And I kind of echo that often in government because I'm occasionally the only person who actually reads some of the material they provide. Yeah, and and those kind of moments are classic. I love those. You know, when you can say, "Well, as everyone notices, you know, page 14 is blank, and they all madly flip to page 14, like, "Oh my gosh, how did you find this? Well, I, I did my job. I read the thing. Michael Hingson  19:54 I had a roommate in college, and we at that time we were using the Berkeley Physics series. I don't know. Whether that even still exists anymore, but different professors from Berkeley wrote various books, and the guy who wrote the book on waves, I had a roommate who was reading that book, and he searched vigorously to try to find a single misspelling of a word in the whole book. Wow! He finally found one. He said there really was one in the book. Kind of makes you wonder if that was deliberate, but but he actually found one. But it took him most of the quarter we had the book to find it. But but he did. Speaker 1  20:33 Excellent. Yeah, I got to say that's that's an art form. I used to work in a publishing house, and we would pore over books looking for spelling errors and mistakes and punctuation and all this stuff and of course you don't find them until the book's actually printed. Michael Hingson  20:46 Of course not. Yeah, yeah. Now it's it should be easier, but it's not, and they still don't come out until the book is already published and it's out there, and then you find out what isn't right. Speaker 1  20:58 Right. Michael Hingson  21:00 I suppose that gives the publisher an excuse to republish the book and make more money. Speaker 1  21:05 Well, yeah, it depends. It's if it is selling. If it doesn't sell, then obviously the the mistake's going to linger out there. Of course, with digital copies, they can update it right away, but not with a print book. Michael Hingson  21:17 Yeah, nowadays there's so many print books that are done pretty much on demand, so that if you want a copy, unless it's just something where they're selling literally millions a month, the book is available on demand. Although there's a little bit of a lag time to get it, my book Thunderdog, which is the story of Roselle and me in the World Trade Center, is is still selling pretty well, but it is more printed on demand by Thomas Nelson than now Harper Collins. Speaker 1  21:46 Yeah, Michael Hingson  21:47 and I understand that as long as it's available, I'm not going to complain. Speaker 1  21:51 And they and they they prefer to sell it that way as opposed to printing out 5000 copies they have to store somewhere. So Michael Hingson  21:56 right, yeah, they don't have to pay for storage and they just print it, and so it takes an extra week to get somewhere. That's fine. We can cope with that as long as it's available, and then that's all that really matters. Speaker 1  22:08 Yeah. Michael Hingson  22:09 But you've written a lot of books. How come so many? Because they're not all for dummies. Ah, okay. Speaker 1  22:16 Well, it just you know that was my profession, and that's what I did. And so, and I had a good agent who would find me a lot of work, so yeah, they would come up and they would want me to write a book on this or that, and a lot of it was because at the time in that industry I had a name and a reputation. I'm also very fast, so and that that kind of surprises people. In fact, there's some someone who accuses me of having a ghostwriter, which I do not. It's just I've been doing it so long, and you know, when I started, my agent said that he said the more you do this, the faster you'll get, the better you'll get. So, whereas in the original book, the first book I wrote took about six months to to write. I've written books in less than a month. It really depends. It depends on the topic, how well I know the topic, but also I do a lot of organizing with an outline, and so I will will work with an outline almost until it's down to the paragraph level, and then that makes it really easy to write the book, especially a technology book where there's a lot of cross references, and this sequence, you know, assuming someone's reading it front to back is really important, so you got to make sure that you touch upon things and do it in the right order. And then that's so yeah. I just got really good at it, which annoyed a lot of my fellow authors because as I was writing and I would get faster and faster, the contracts would start demanding the books in a more expedient manner, so other authors would complain to me and say, "You know, I have to write this book, and they're only giving me three months to do it. They're blaming me because I can do it in three months, and they figure everyone can do it in three months. So that was fun. Michael Hingson  23:54 Have you had books that someone asked you to write where you really didn't know much of anything about the subject, and you had to spend more time researching it, or you just spend time researching it, but you still did that very quickly. Speaker 1  24:06 Yeah, when I first started, that was pretty much the case. In fact, I talked with a guy who he had written the like the best-selling DBase three book. So DBase was a database way back in DOS, and it was the most popular database program, and he wrote the number one best-selling DBase three book that everyone who used that that program would buy, and he told me that he knew nothing about it when he signed the contract. So the the process of writing the book involved this intense deep dive into finding out what it is the program does, and then working on that. Of course, in those days, the books, the software came with a manual, so it was possible to go through the manual and see what the thing was capable of, and maybe get a few hints about that. But the books were not just a rephrase. The manual; they were a little bit better, the project oriented, whatever. So there was one one book that I did on a program called Super Card for the Macintosh, and it was the it was the there was no documentation, and I could call up the developer and I could ask him. So that was that was a tool I could use if I had access to the developer. I could call them up and I could say, "Okay, so I'm I'm doing this. What can you tell me that's like a secret or that is not obvious? And they love to share that stuff. Sure, I just write it all down, and then that that'll make the book better. If you could get through the the gatekeepers and get into where the nerds were, then you could get a lot of good information, and they were happy to share it. I did a few books on OS two that were like that, where I finally was able to escape into the lab and ask them. And the the guy they were so friendly, and they're like, "Oh, you got to tell him this, this, this, this. You know, we we couldn't put this in the manual. You have to tell him this, and so you write a great book. But of course, OS two, no one used it, so no one bought the book. Michael Hingson  26:05 Yeah, yeah, OS two was not one of those things that everybody loved. If Speaker 2  26:13 you enjoy Unstoppable Mindset and would like to help us continue bringing these conversations to you each week, we've created a way for you to support the show. Your contribution helps us cover production costs and continue sharing stories, insights, and ideas that inspire people to live with purpose and possibility. If supporting the podcast feels right for you, you'll find the link in the show notes. Thank you for being part of the unstoppable mindset community. Michael Hingson  26:46 I remember when I was a student at UC Irvine. I wasn't an information computer science major. I was physics major, but several people took ICS one, two, and three, which was a three quarter course, or well, it was a year course, and the the book they used was Introduction to Computer Programming by Ken Ingram. And what was fun about that was that on the first day of class, the professor would come in and he'd say, "Okay, I want you to read chapter one of information of introduction to computer programming by Ken Ingram. It's the textbook we're going to use. I want you to read that before our next class. And of course, most everyone had not touched the book prior to that. And what he didn't say was that that first chapter took up half the book. Speaker 1  27:40 I like it. Michael Hingson  27:43 Yeah, I know. Wasn't that? And I, I, I heard about it. I, I never did get the book, and I didn't get it transcribed into Braille. But I thought that was cute. Chapter one was half the book. Speaker 1  27:53 No one would have suspected chapter one's an easy chapter. It's four pages. Right, supposed to be right. I think it was like Michael Hingson  28:00 180 pages. It was amazing. Michael Hingson  28:03 I'm not sure whether Ingram had a sense of humor or what, but anyway, there you go. But yeah, that that was kind of kind of amazing. So you you wrote all these books and you continue to do that, but somewhere along the line, you got interested in doing things in politics. What was that all about? Speaker 1  28:25 Well, that was frustrating. Not Michael Hingson  28:28 bad, Speaker 1  28:29 because I. So I think a lot of people are kind of interested. They follow politics. If I call up my mom in San Diego, she has to complain to me about you know the mayor of San Diego and what the city council is doing and and it's it's common it's just I think I think the most most people who are active in in their community know a little bit about politics or whatever and in my case I had just moved from the county here near Courtland and then I'd moved into the city, and I had heard that there was someone was buying up properties in my neighborhood, and I thought that was curious, and I wanted to see if this was something that you know are they going to tear down houses? What are they going to do? So I started researching using the the county website to see who was own who owned these properties, and it was a place called the Lake City Development Corporation, and I thought, well, I need to find out what that is, and it turned out that was an urban renewal agency that was formed by the city of Cortland, and I started reading the statutes and I started reading their minutes and finding out what it is they do, and while on the surface it sounded really fun, there were a lot of curious things that I didn't like. A lot of non-transparent things, a lot of things where you know they're spending public money on what I thought were frivolous things, and so I started asking questions. I started coming to meetings, and they're missing. Was that they pushed back, and so I just something triggered me, and I had a red flag, and I just started going after it. We started, we formed a group of people who were all interested in this, and we would meet regularly and go over what was going on with the government. We'd find issues regarding transparency and spending, and lots of interesting stuff. Never really anything nefarious. Never anything that would. But just a lot of stuff that, as we let the public know about what was going on, they would become outraged and they would say, "Wait a second! They're spending millions of dollars on this, and you know, with property taxes so high, and what is this, and why is it affecting me? And and so I went to the city council meetings here in Portland, and I was frustrated because no one else seemed to get it. And I would look at them, and they would have some issue that would come up, and everyone on the council-there were six members on the council-they would all vote in unison, and no one had asked a question. And I would say, "Well, wait a second, why aren't they asking a question about this, or why aren't they concerned about this, or what about the side effects of this? And so I started writing articles for the paper. I eventually did videos and to speak to various groups and such because I was like, we got to hold government accountable. So I ran for office in ran for the city council in 2007, and I lost. And then I ran in 2009, and I lost, but only by like 29 votes. And then I was done at that point. I really didn't want to do it again because running for office is a pain. Michael Hingson  31:33 Yeah. And Speaker 1  31:34 then they had this huge thing where all of a sudden they were going to redo a park without a public vote, and I wanted a public vote. Lots of people wanted to vote on it, but no, they were going to do it, and they didn't care what the public thought. So they made me run. They made me run a third time, and I won. And I've been on the city council ever since. And then, of course, well, since last November when I got kicked up to the mayor seat, which is where I'm sitting Right now, strange journey. Michael Hingson  32:04 Well, yeah, but on the other hand, there is something to be said for transparency, and there's somebody something to be said for somebody who really wants to look out for what what people want and what people are doing. I I got involved. Well, I've not run for public office, but I've been very much involved in political kinds of things because I've been involved in the blindness world since early 1970s, and the National Federation of the Blind has had for well now, gosh, more than 50 years or around 50 years, what used to be called the March on Washington. Now it's called the Washington Seminar, which is a an event that takes place every year, where several 100 blind people descend on Washington and go off and visit legislators. And the idea is to really get them to understand what the needs of blind people are and try to get them to vote on issues that directly relate to issues concerning us, and sometimes they do. Although it's gotten a lot harder to get things passed, especially in the last eight or nine years. But still, that it it has to be done. But I remember, among other things, I was living in Massachusetts when I first started going, and among other things, we we went and saw the Speaker of the House, who was Tip O'Neill at the time, which was kind of fun. And what an interesting, what a charismatic guy! Didn't matter what party he was with; it was a charismatic guy. And we also visited people like Senator at the time Paul Songis, and what was interesting about him was we we talked about our issues, and it was the end of the day, and then suddenly he said, you know, I'm not going anywhere for the next few minutes. Do you guys have time? And we ended up just talking for about an hour and a half about his view of of and our views of what Massachusetts needed to do, not only for blind people but just in general, it was just fascinating. There weren't very many politicians who would do that. Speaker 1  34:08 That's awesome. Yeah, I liked him. I liked Tungus a lot. Michael Hingson  34:12 Yeah, I wish he'd been able to run for president, but he got cancer, and that's that's unfortunate. Yeah, but because I think that he's one of those people who would do what really needed to be done and do it the right way. Speaker 1  34:26 In other words, the people who never win. Yeah, that's unfortunately Michael Hingson  34:31 really the case, isn't it? Speaker 2  34:33 Yeah, Speaker 1  34:33 yeah. Michael Hingson  34:34 But but you got to do that. Speaker 1  34:36 Yeah. Michael Hingson  34:38 So you you know, but you you hopefully you'll make a big difference, and maybe you'll be able to get people to believe in climate change. Oh, did I say that Speaker 1  34:48 this year? Nah, Michael Hingson  34:53 not unless you predict snow when it actually comes. Speaker 1  34:56 That and that and that's the key. Yeah, Michael Hingson  34:59 yeah. No, I understand, but it but it is fascinating. I you know I I enjoy the concept of politics. I enjoy people who really have a vested interest in making government go well, but it is so unfortunate that we don't see that much of it, which is just too bad. Speaker 1  35:18 There are a lot of good dedicated people out there. I think so. Of course, the the problem is is you know, like they say, politics is sports for the uncoordinated, and it's drama for the ugly. But the the thing is, the people who really do a good job, who are out there doing what you want them to do, they don't get the headlines. It's the noisemakers. It's the extremists. It's the people who are going to have some obnoxious opinion because that that gets everyone's attention. You know, the the guy out there who's doing the job, who's putting in the time, representing the citizens, and making his community a better place. You know, you're never going to read that guy in the paper, unfortunately. Michael Hingson  35:59 Yeah, and that's also part of the problem: is that the media looks for all the drama rather than really looking to to represent the the average citizen and what they truly want and need. Speaker 1  36:10 So those don't the actual the things don't make headlines. In fact, it was a it was really funny. There was a guy who was elected to the state house from this county, and one of his campaign platforms, he was going to repeal all the useless laws, all the things that are still on the books. That you know, just we don't need those laws anymore. They're old. They're outdated, and he did that for about a week, and it doesn't make headlines. So here he is, you know, doing this, doing the job that you think they they would want to do and making government more effective, no one cared. I remember there was one year where we actually we cut property taxes here in the city, and I thought, wow, everyone's going to come up and say thank you. No, no one did. So it's like, what's the motivation? If you go, they say, I want you to be I want you to be my mayor and I want you to work to cut that budget and so you cut the budget and then no one says thank you. Michael Hingson  37:08 We got Tom Steyer here in California who wants to become governor and he's talking about all these things that he's going to do. He's going to get electric utility rates lowered by a significant amount. He's going to encourage and bring competition to the electric grid industry, and he talks about lowering housing costs by building a million homes and doing so many things. And every time I hear his campaign commercials, the thing that I keep asking myself is, haven't we learned anything? And no offense to Donald Trump, but Donald Trump made a lot of promises that we're not seeing. Steyer is making a lot of promises that he has yet to say how he's going to pull any of them off. Speaker 1  37:56 Oh yeah, and that's and that's the thing is you got to. There's so much. There's only so much you can do. But you can you when you campaign, they can say anything. Of course, I know they might as well just say free ice cream and ponies for everyone. Michael Hingson  38:07 Yeah, and and that's almost essentially what's happening. And I'm not saying that he'd be a bad governor. I I haven't researched him enough, but the commercials just don't do anything to make me thrilled because he's not saying how he's going to do any of it, and and that's what I really want to know. Speaker 1  38:25 Yeah, I didn't when I when I ran this campaign, I didn't really promise anything that was sexy at all. I said, you know, I'm going to work on a policy manual. I'm going to increase the amount of information and transparency, and it was like nothing that you want to put on a bumper sticker, but I still won. I mean, there were people who were in the race who were promising this and that, and they were going to do this and all this stuff, and somehow I eked it out. Michael Hingson  38:51 Why do you think you won? Speaker 1  38:52 Name recognition, Michael Hingson  38:54 okay, Speaker 1  38:55 and that's and that's pretty much that's a lot of what politics is is is just the the name recognition. You can win on that. I also do have a reputation. I mean, being on council for 14 years and being often called the lone voice of reason, like I said earlier, I'm the one who asked that obvious question. Yeah, and people are in the audience are going, "Well, thank you. Someone's finally asking what what they wanted to ask, and so there was there was that, and and I also, you know, I I do return my emails. I answer the phone calls. I make sure that I'm I'm available. So you know, and I think that that reputation kind of spread itself around that that I would be responsive. It didn't mean that I actually did anything because the you know the powers are really limited. So if someone wanted you know they want to put in a stop sign somewhere, I'll go visit them, and we'll look at the thing, and we'll look at the traffic data, and all this stuff. But there may not be a stop sign there. Still, I showed enough time that I paid attention to them, and I responded to them, and you know, we'll see what we can do. That's the best you can say. Michael Hingson  39:55 And if it didn't happen that there was a stop sign, but there was a good reason for it. I would suspect that you would be the kind of person who would say, "Here's why it didn't happen. Speaker 1  40:03 Right, exactly, and and to explain that for and a lot of people don't understand things like that because it's easy to get defensive with government because sometimes it can be so colossally stupid. Yeah, but but it's just as long as you have that explanation, and sometimes it's it's really it's refreshing because then they hear the answer and they're good with it, so we have a problem here with there's noise on the freeway because they're expanding the freeway, and a lot of people are upset, so they call city hall, but it's not our project; it's the state highway district. So you know, it's like I can do only what I can do, but it's still you know, if you're the only elected official who bothered to reply to them and told them, you know, I hear what you're saying. I'm going to do whatever we can. Sometimes that makes people happy. They may not be happy in the big picture, but at least they got a response. Michael Hingson  40:48 And when you discover something that's relevant, I'll bet you are the kind of person who would then initiate another letter saying, "Here's why it didn't work, or "Here's why it will work. Speaker 1  40:59 Right, and I do follow up. So I did. In that case, I wrote a letter to the governor and said, "You know, is there anything you can do? And then I forwarded the letter on to the person who had contacted me and said, "Okay, this is the best I can do. Let's let's see what he can do. So yeah, Speaker 1  41:14 yeah. Michael Hingson  41:15 I'm I'm curious. You mentioned that property taxes did get lowered once in Cordellane, but nothing. No one ever did anything with that. How come? Speaker 1  41:23 Well, no. It's just we we did. We we kept them. You got you got them lowered. Michael Hingson  41:27 But but why didn't anybody pay attention to that? Speaker 1  41:30 No. Well, see, I'm sure they paid attention to it. We are only one entity on your property tax bill, so there's there's a few. Ah, good Michael Hingson  41:39 point. Speaker 1  41:39 We might have been the the one who kept it down, but the other ones may have kept it up. And then there's all the the formula is really complex, and so it could be that you know their assess property assessment went up, a lot of other things that would have happened that would have affected it. But like I said, I mean we made a big to do about it, saying hey look we worked, we cut the budget. We kept it flat for all you guys, and then no one said anything. But you know that that's it's discouraging, but it doesn't discourage me from continuing to try because I'll always try. Michael Hingson  42:12 You can only do what you can do, but at least at least you're doing it. Yeah. Now, if you want to live in a state where the taxes are very interesting, move to New Jersey, yeah, where we lived, the the taxes every town, every city had its own property taxes. You could live on a street, yeah, you could live on a street where you had a property tax of some amount, and if you walked across to the other side of the street, the property tax would be twice what yours was because the border runs right down the middle of the street. Speaker 1  42:45 That's crazy. Michael Hingson  42:47 We thought it was. Yeah, we thought it was kind of interesting, but we fortunately never had too horrible of property taxes in Westfield. But still, we heard about some other places that had some some horrible property taxes, but you know it's it's what what you have. Speaker 1  43:07 Yep. Michael Hingson  43:08 So you were in the city council for 14 years. What made you decide that you were going to run for mayor? Because you had to do that. You had to make that decision. Speaker 1  43:17 Yeah, didn't want to. You know, wasn't on my on my dance card to like, oh, next step up is going to be mayor. It was more of there was frustration that I had because the the past couple of mayors, good men, good people, but I always wanted to do more. I mean, being on the council, it was frustrating because I wanted a little more leadership out of the center seat wasn't seeing that, and then I worked earlier last year. I called up a bunch of people to see if they'd be willing to do the job. You know, good strong community members who would be provide the leadership and had the name recognition required to do the job, and no one wanted to do it. So I was like, okay, well, I'll I'll see if I can do it. I still have two years left on my council term, so if I lost, I'd still be part of the process. But there ended up being four people in that race, so it was pretty crowded. Which to me, you know, if if you're running if you run unopposed, it's pretty much a sign that people kind of like the way things are going. They're not they're not upset with you. Generally, if you have one opponent, you're considered that you know oh well good you know I get to compete for for the job or someone else is unhappy. But if you have a lot of opponents, it generally means that the public isn't happy with what's going on and they want to see some change. So there were four people in the race. I won with like 38% of the vote, so that's wow, Michael Hingson  44:45 yeah. Well, but clearly you're different than a lot of people. For example, you're a member of the Kootenay County Republican Central Committee, and yeah, and they sued you for defamation. What was all that about? Speaker 1  44:59 Well. So we had an episode here where the first of all the local Republican Party decided that running partisan races wasn't enough; that they wanted to get involved with nonpartisan races. And in Idaho, a lot of the local offices are nonpartisan. So city council is nonpartisan, school districts are nonpartisan. You know, water district, highway district, all these smaller local offices, and we have a community college here called North Idaho College. And the Senate committee decided that they would start to what they call rating and vetting candidates to determine who was the most conservative. And while a lot of Republicans appreciate that and they want to know who the real conservative is. The central committee realized that it was a way for them to exercise political power, because when people would get their recommendations, that would be the person who would win. And so they got power mad, and in my opinion, they hijacked the trustees of our local community college, and pretty much almost ran the thing into a ground. It was the it's the only college a community college in the history of the country that's ever been put on probation for disaccreditation due to board governance. Normally, when you disaccredit a college, you're disaccrediting it because of financial reasons, or something else, but or academics. Never, never has it happened that the board has been so crazy that the the ACL ACCU whatever it is the accreditation agency for community colleges has said, "What we're gonna we're gonna pull away your credentials, and all your students will not be receiving college credit. So, I mean, what what this board did that was endorsed by the local Republican Party, the extremists on the party, they they fired the president for no reason. They they started running up the bills, increasing the athletics budget. The board meetings were just pure chaos. Employees would leave. The local high schools stopped their their co education programs. It was just crazy. Wow! And and a lot of people didn't really understand what was going on. So I did a YouTube channel called Kootenay Rants, and Kootenay is the name of our county. Michael Hingson  47:20 Kootenay, yeah. I said Kootenay. Sorry about that. Speaker 1  47:22 It's no, it's okay. It's it could be either way. Who knows? Up north, they do say Kootenai, so we don't know. But anyway, this really got under the skin of the central committee because I pinned the blame on what was going on at the college on them, which is was justified, and I would not make anything up. Instead, I would just put in highlights from the meetings and say, "Here's what's happening, and here's the crazy stuff. You know, trustees yelling at members of the audience, making fun of them. You know, interrupting people, saying just weird, strange things. I mean, it just-it was odd. It was so bizarre, and so it was easy for me to make these videos. My background is in communications, and I know video production, so I was able to put together these videos on a YouTube channel, and you know, hundreds of people in the county would start watching them, including the central committee that did not like that I was exposing what I consider to be their corruption and their the the fact that I think they were responsible for this and they didn't like that so they accused me of defamation basically mean tweets because I would tweet about them and their nonsense and it was like they they made a big to do out of it because I was running for re-election for city council, so they came to a city council meeting to serve me, and you know recorded it and put it up on the internet and all this other stuff that that was just crazy. But my insurance company fortunately decided to represent me, and they just they thought the the suit was without merit. They don't say frivolous. They say without merit. Without Michael Hingson  49:04 merit. No, yeah. Speaker 1  49:05 And so yeah. And so eventually, now the suit is over, and I figured I would either win in court or it would be dismissed. But the insurance company settled, and I it was against my wishes. I said no. I said don't settle with these people. But the insurance company did settle, and I made sure that, as part of the settlement, that they would not say that I agreed to it, or that I said I was wrong, or I apologized, or anything. No, the insurance company just didn't want to waste any more money, so they decided to settle. They wrote a check. I don't know what it cost the central committee. As a member of the central committee, it has never been reported to the committee how much money they spent on that? Because it's it's pretty much the the Republican Central Committee of Kootenay County is pretty much a tyranny run by one guy and a personality cult, and there are members of the committee. There are some good Republicans such as myself on the committee who do believe in transparency and limited government and all those Ronald Reagan things. But there are these extremists on there who are just nutballs, and so there's a group of us here called North Idaho Republicans who are working to counter their insanity. And we've done a good job, but we need to do more work, and that's the story of the KCRCC. And they sued me for defamation. Michael Hingson  50:21 That's kind of crazy, though. Nevertheless, Speaker 3  50:23 of course. Michael Hingson  50:24 And it's only kind Speaker 1  50:26 of that. I wasn't laying awake. I mean, occasionally someone would call me up and they would say, "So what's the case? What's the what's happening with a lawsuit? And I'd say, "Well, a lawsuit. I said, "Oh yeah, that's right. They're suing me. I mean, it was never really. I was never obligated for it. Michael Hingson  50:39 Yeah. Well, so just out of curiosity, since the Republicans were doing this, where were the Democrats in all of that? Speaker 1  50:47 Well, we don't really have a lot of Democrats. That's Michael Hingson  50:49 what I was wondering. Yeah, Speaker 1  50:51 and so and and I always used to joke. I would say that the the Democrats, the Kootenai County Democrats, are looking for a new meeting location, and if anyone has a spare closet, got it. You let them know. No, they're they're all they're all very nice people. Michael Hingson  51:05 Yeah, Speaker 1  51:05 but they're they are in an extreme minority, and unfortunately, they they do try. So last time they had a body for every seat up for election, but they don't really come close. And it's a lot of it comes down to name recognition, but you also have a lot of red blue state refugees who come here. You have a lot of COVID refugees who came here, and so Idaho is very red. Kootenay County is very red, and it would take a tremendous amount of effort to to have a Democrat win here. We do have Democrats in the legislature, not a lot, but we do have them, and the the National Democratic Party is unwilling to spend a lot of money here because they know they're going to lose. So that's what I hear from them. But they are they are generally nice people. I mean, like you said, you if you wanted to vote for me here and you're a Democrat, I'd happily accept the vote. It's a nonpartisan position. We don't deal with those big divisive issues that you know that you you see on the news. Yeah, we're pretty much community-minded people, and I appreciate anyone who is. I do fight the KCRCC because I don't see them as community-minded, and that's one of the issues. Michael Hingson  52:18 Yeah. Well, it's it's unfortunate that that people are that way, but I I see it all too often in so many different ways. I mean, we face it with even in the blindness world with so many things where there ought to be major improvements and there ought to be defenses of the civil rights of blind people. For example, some of the rideshare programs don't do a lot to train their drivers about the fact that in reality they're obligated to take blind people with guide dogs, and oh, there's there is a fair amount of that, and it's and and the companies aren't willing to do anything about it, and we have to keep fighting it, which is just too bad. But there's just so many stuff, and there are so many people who just have these hidden agendas, or they just what it really comes down to is we don't want anybody telling us what to do, Speaker 1  53:09 right? Michael Hingson  53:11 And that's what it really comes down to. So, do you find that that religion gets into any of it at all, like with the conservative Christian movement or any of that, Speaker 1  53:24 there well, there's I do not like the politicization of the church. Michael Hingson  53:29 Yeah, Speaker 1  53:30 my favorite quote on that is that politics poisons the purity of the church. So I think we should keep the separation of church and state as much as possible, but there are you know politically motivated, politically active pastors, and I just I I think that's that's not the proper role of religion. I know that that there's kind of a battle going on in the far right about you know how much religion or how much that should should should be involved in politics in the public arena. In fact, there's a little across from the Costco up here. There is a little yard sign in front of some business that says "Vote Bible, and I always think that's kind of. I mean, I understand what the sentiment is, and I would always want to think that the people who we elect are good moral people. You know, Adam said that our Constitution is best suited for a moral people. I don't believe that means that there's morality in the Constitution. I believe there's morality in people, Michael Hingson  54:32 right? Speaker 1  54:33 And we do want people who have good ethics and good morals in public office, and it's very obvious when that doesn't happen. But I do not think. I think the purpose of our Constitution and the First Amendment is to ensure that we all have the the right to enjoy whatever religion we want, and we don't want to pick favorites. And so, what I see with a lot of these people is that they want to pick a favorite. Michael Hingson  54:55 Yeah, Speaker 1  54:56 they they not only want to pick the first religion, but they want. Everyone to go to the same church and the same service and sit in the same pew. Yeah, and that's not going to happen in any church. It's not going to happen in any denomination of any church. And then, and see, that's the other question: is if you know if you're going to insist that this is a Christian nation, it's like okay, but which denomination is it? Catholic? Is it Protestant? Is it Mormon? I mean, I you know you tell me because it's just going to be this incredible knot of worms, which is why I think the genius of the founders was that you know the the clause about religion is is two things: it gives you the freedom to exercise your own religion, and it also restricts the government from declaring that there's a religion. Yeah, and I think the far right kind of misses that when they when they take the message of we like moral people in office, but to dictate the morals to someone else is wrong. Michael Hingson  55:52 You know, I and it was Tolstoy who once said the biggest problem with Christianity is that people don't practice it, and I I see that so often. It's it is so unfortunate, but it is Speaker 1  56:03 there. Yeah. So that is a tough one. Michael Hingson  56:07 So if you could change one thing in the world, what would it be? I'd Speaker 1  56:12 get rid of the internet in a heartbeat. Specifically, social media. I think the the problem with social media is it amplifies our immaturities, and that is a huge issue. the The solution to that is to make the the publishers responsible for the content. So, in other words, Facebook could be sued for anything that someone puts on Facebook, and that would terrify Facebook, but it would terrify them to the point that they would actually regulate themselves and and start dialing back. I mean, I can say 20 years ago or so, when I whenever I was first on Facebook, I would go on there and I would see my kids, and they'd be playing a ball game or they'd be over at a friend's house. You'd see birthdays, vacations. It was just kind of like it was a social thing. You go on there now, and it's politics, and it's like this person deserved to be shot, and it's just-it's so-it's so extreme, and it's so rude. And you know, some of the stuff they said about me is not very nice, but I think that if we're going to solve one problem in the world, we really need to dial back all the animosity that's on the inter

What does it actually look like to honor your elders instead of just showing up on Sunday morning? Shepley Osman, son of pastor Jim Osman, tackles that question directly in this Sunday school lesson from 1 Timothy 5:17-21.Working through three commands Paul gives Timothy, Osman shows that a healthy church actively participates in the work of its elders in three ways. Pay your preachers, since those who labor at preaching and teaching are worthy of double honor. Protect your elders, refusing to receive an accusation against them apart from two or three witnesses. And purify your leadership, publicly rebuking any elder who continues in unrepentant sin so the whole church stays healthy.Osman closes with Paul's charge to carry out these commands without partiality, done in the presence of God, Christ, and the elect angels, and traces how favoritism toward one elder over another can quietly undermine the same system meant to bring joy to both elders and congregation.Speaking as an elder's son with decades in this congregation, Osman offers both an honest word of thanks to Kootenai's elders and a clear challenge for the congregation to keep taking these responsibilities seriously. ★ Support this podcast ★

What does it actually look like to honor your elders instead of just showing up on Sunday morning? Shepley Osman, son of pastor Jim Osman, tackles that question directly in this Sunday school lesson from 1 Timothy 5:17-21.Working through three commands Paul gives Timothy, Osman shows that a healthy church actively participates in the work of its elders in three ways. Pay your preachers, since those who labor at preaching and teaching are worthy of double honor. Protect your elders, refusing to receive an accusation against them apart from two or three witnesses. And purify your leadership, publicly rebuking any elder who continues in unrepentant sin so the whole church stays healthy.Osman closes with Paul's charge to carry out these commands without partiality, done in the presence of God, Christ, and the elect angels, and traces how favoritism toward one elder over another can quietly undermine the same system meant to bring joy to both elders and congregation.Speaking as an elder's son with decades in this congregation, Osman offers both an honest word of thanks to Kootenai's elders and a clear challenge for the congregation to keep taking these responsibilities seriously. ★ Support this podcast ★

Join us as we talk to Executive Director Abby Light and Program Coordinator Mary Hanlin and dive into the powerful vision behind the Living Lake Project, an inspiring new initiative through the Coeur d'Alene Arts & Culture Alliance that brings artists, environmental leaders, and community voices together in support of Lake Coeur d'Alene and its watershed. The Living Lake Project is a 15-month immersive artist fellowship connecting creativity with environmental stewardship, inviting artists from across Kootenai, Benewah, and Shoshone Counties to explore the history, science, culture, and future of our region's most vital natural resource. Through collaboration, storytelling, and artistic expression, the project aims to make complex environmental issues more accessible, personal, and deeply human.  We talk about the role of art in sparking awareness and dialogue, the importance of honoring Indigenous knowledge and local history, and how creative voices can help communities better understand and protect the waters that connect us all. From mining impacts and water quality challenges to public engagement and artistic collaboration, this conversation highlights how creativity can become a catalyst for stewardship and change.  To learn more about the Living Lake Project and follow the artists involved, visit artsandculturecda.org or social media @livinglakeproject.

Muslims around the world are marking the end of Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. It's a time of prayer, fasting, and spiritual rejuvenation. Among those participating is a handful of Native Americans who have a unique relationship with Islam. We’ll speak with some Native Muslims about their faith and how they confront renewed animosity toward their beliefs as rhetoric from elected leaders and others increases. We’ll also get Indigenous perspectives on increasing tensions between the United States and Cuba. President Donald Trump threatens to take over the country. A U.S. blockade is exacerbating Cuba's long-standing energy crisis, shutting citizens off from many of the basics of daily life. GUESTS Megan Kalk (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe), Muslim convert Jamila Southwind (Keeseekoose First Nation), Muslim, mother, and former translator Raymond Matt (Crow Creek Sioux and Salish and Kootenai), Muslim Revert and father José Barreiro (Taíno), journalist, former editor of Akwesasne Notes, and scholar emeritus at the Smithsonian Institution Break 1 Music: Round Dance (song) Black Lodge (artist) Enter the Circle – Pow-Wow Songs (album) Break 2 Music: Lowlands (song) Blue Moon Marquee (artist) Scream, Holler, and Howl (album)

Muslims around the world are marking the end of Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. It's a time of prayer, fasting, and spiritual rejuvenation. Among those participating is a handful of Native Americans who have a unique relationship with Islam. We’ll speak with some Native Muslims about their faith and how they confront renewed animosity toward their beliefs as rhetoric from elected leaders and others increases. We’ll also get Indigenous perspectives on increasing tensions between the United States and Cuba. President Donald Trump threatens to take over the country. A U.S. blockade is exacerbating Cuba's long-standing energy crisis, shutting citizens off from many of the basics of daily life. GUESTS Megan Kalk (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe), Muslim convert Jamila Southwind (Keeseekoose First Nation), Muslim, mother, and former translator Raymond Matt (Crow Creek Sioux and Salish and Kootenai), Muslim Revert and father José Barreiro (Taíno), journalist, former editor of Akwesasne Notes, and scholar emeritus at the Smithsonian Institution Break 1 Music: Round Dance (song) Black Lodge (artist) Enter the Circle – Pow-Wow Songs (album) Break 2 Music: Lowlands (song) Blue Moon Marquee (artist) Scream, Holler, and Howl (album)

For 15 years, one nonprofit has been spreading joy by delivering birthday cakes to people in need.

Cardiovascular programs often evolve over time — but without intentional structure, silos can form, creating operational and strategic challenges. In this episode, Joel Sauer, MBA, executive vice president of consulting at MedAxiom, is joined by Kootenai Health's Kevin Kavanaugh, MD, cardiologist, and Rhonda Powell, MBA, CNMT, executive director of the cardiovascular division. They discuss their journey to formalize dyad leadership and unify inpatient and outpatient cardiovascular operations. They share how MedAxiom supported this transformation through a comprehensive assessment and strategic guidance to build a cardiovascular institute structure tailored to their organization.

Jermain Charlo, a young mother from Montana, vanished in 2018 after a night out with her ex-boyfriend. Her last confirmed movements were captured on surveillance footage, but what happened to Jermain remains a mystery. 23-year-old Jermain Charlo lived on the Flathead Reservation as a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes. Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss the disappearance of Jermain Charlo. Jermain had two sons, Jacob and Thomas, with her ex-boyfriend, Michael DeFrance. Michael and Jermain had a rocky relationship, and he was arrested twice for domestic violence. The two went out on the night Jermain disappeared, and her cell phone data didn't match Michael's story to the police. But to date, he has not been named a suspect, and no one has been held accountable for her disappearance. You can help support the show at patreon.com/truecrimeallthetimeVisit the show's website at truecrimeallthetime.com for contact, merchandise, and donation informationAn Emash Digital productionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The scariest clown to ever appear on screen drives a storyline involving a fictional tribe in Maine. “IT: Welcome to Derry” uses horror writer Stephen King's 1986 novel as a jumping off point. The hit HBO Max miniseries provides a new Native American theme to the plot with some veteran Native talent in front of and behind the camara. It is one of the notable projects from 2025, a list that also includes Sterlin Harjo's “The Lowdown”, the TIFF Best Canadian Feature winner, “Uiksaringitara,” and SXSW Documentary Feature Special Jury Award winner, “Remaining Native.” We'll recall some of the best film and TV projects from the year and see what's in store for 2026. GUESTS Johnnie Jae (Otoe-Missouria and Choctaw), founder of Red Pop! News  Jason Asenap (Comanche and Muscogee), writer, critic, and filmmaker Sunrise Tippeconnie (Commanche, Navajo and Cherokee), director of programming at deadCenter Film and co-host of the Reel Indigenous Podcast Kimberly Guerrero (Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and Salish and Kootenai), actress, screenwriter, and professor at the University of California, Riverside Favorite films and television shows of the year Sunrise Tippeconnie: Tiger – (documentary short), director Loren Waters  Drowned Land – (documentary), director Colleen Thurston Legend of Fry-Roti: Rise of the Dough – (short film), director Sabrina Saleha Free Leonard Peltier – (documentary), directors Jesse Short Bull and David France Siren of the Wood – (short film), director Christopher Corsy Jason Asenap: Tiger – (short doc), director Lauren Waters Endless Cookie – (animated film), directors Seth Scriver and Peter Scriver Remaining Native – (documentary), director Paige Bethmann The Lowdown – (television show), creator Sterlin Harjo Johnnie Jae: Guardian of the Land – (documentary), director LaRonn Katchia Inkwo for When the Starving Return – (animated short), director Amanda Strong Pow! – (animated short), director Joey Clift Courage – (documentary short), director Eric Michael Hernandez Uiksaringitara (Wrong Husband) – (feature film), director Zacharias KunukHere’s an extended interview with IT: Welcome to Derry star Kimberly Guerrero speaking on her role of Rose in the television series. She starts off describing her early career in Hollywood. https://nativeamericacalling-offload-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/123125-Kimberly-Guerrero-web-audio.wav

The scariest clown to ever appear on screen drives a storyline involving a fictional tribe in Maine. “IT: Welcome to Derry” uses horror writer Stephen King's 1986 novel as a jumping off point. The hit HBO Max miniseries provides a new Native American theme to the plot with some veteran Native talent in front of and behind the camara. It is one of the notable projects from 2025, a list that also includes Sterlin Harjo's “The Lowdown”, the TIFF Best Canadian Feature winner, “Uiksaringitara,” and SXSW Documentary Feature Special Jury Award winner, “Remaining Native.” We'll recall some of the best film and TV projects from the year and see what's in store for 2026. GUESTS Johnnie Jae (Otoe-Missouria and Choctaw), founder of Red Pop! News  Jason Asenap (Comanche and Muscogee), writer, critic, and filmmaker Sunrise Tippeconnie (Commanche, Navajo and Cherokee), director of programming at deadCenter Film and co-host of the Reel Indigenous Podcast Kimberly Guerrero (Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and Salish and Kootenai), actress, screenwriter, and professor at the University of California, Riverside Favorite films and television shows of the year Sunrise Tippeconnie: Tiger – (documentary short), director Loren Waters Drowned Land – (documentary), director Colleen Thurston Legend of Fry-Roti: Rise of the Dough – (short film), director Sabrina Saleha Free Leonard Peltier – (documentary), directors Jesse Short Bull and David France Siren of the Wood – (short film), director Christopher Corsy Jason Asenap: Tiger – (short doc), director Lauren Waters Endless Cookie – (animated film), directors Seth Scriver and Peter Scriver Remaining Native – (documentary), director Paige Bethmann The Lowdown – (television show), creator Sterlin Harjo Johnnie Jae: Guardian of the Land – (documentary), director LaRonn Katchia Inkwo for When the Starving Return – (animated short), director Amanda Strong Pow! – (animated short), director Joey Clift Courage – (documentary short), director Eric Michael Hernandez Uiksaringitara (Wrong Husband) – (feature film), director Zacharias Kunuk Here’s an extended interview with “IT: Welcome to Derry” star Kimberly Guerrero speaking on her role of Rose in the television series. She starts off describing her early career in Hollywood. https://nativeamericacalling-offload-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/123125-Kimberly-Guerrero-web-audio.wav

The FBI releases some surprising new information obtained from Keyes, including more maps. Josh begins connecting a handful of those maps to facts, theories, tips, and potential victims. This episode was written, researched, and produced by Josh Hallmark. With research by: Jordan Taylor, Michelle Tooker, and Kathleen S. TROVA TRIP to ICELANDLearn more and/or reserve your spot at https://trovatrip.com/trip/europe/iceland/iceland-with-josh-hallmark-jun-2026   PATREONThis is a Studio BOTH/AND production:  www.truecrimebullshit.com / bothand.fyi  For an ad-free experience: www.patreon.com/studiobothand  RESOURCESNAMUSThe Charley ProjectSPONSORS:Uncommon Goods: Get 15% off at www.UncommonGoods.com/TCBSCornbread Hemp: Get %30 off your first order by using promo code TCBS at www.cornbreadhemp.com/TCBSBetterHelp: Get 10% off your first month at www.BetterHelp.com/TCBQuince: Get free shipping at www.Quince.com/TCBSMusic by: LaBon. Featured music by: Sarah Belkner Patreon producers: Amy Basil, Kendall C., Heather Horton-Whedon, Sherri D, Kirsten Hoffman, Dale Akstin, Stephanie Taylor, Lydia Rodarte Quayle, Drew Vipond, Amelia Hancock, Christina Sisson, Nicole & Dennis Henry, Jillian Natale, Lana Halladay, Rural Juror, Tuesdi Woodworth, Zack Ignatowicz Warren, Kathleen S, Annette L, Casey Jensen-Richardson, SC, Benjamin Cioppa-Fong, Trista, Nichole, Asch Fish, Becky C, Pink, JenJ, Corey D, Robin, Carol, Jordan M, Kate Lussier, John Comrie, Kathy Nation, Carrie, Jordan T, Bethany, Lauren Ferri, Emily Payne, Tori Myers, Sabrina Abbott, Megan Inman, Meaghan Daigle, Ashley Kuplin, Michael Randall, DeWayne C, Jen, Justin Runion, Trixie.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-bullsh--3588169/support.

Kootenai Creek Trail by Wild Montana

In this episode KJ covers the legend of the sea monster known as the Cadborosaurus. WJ covers several Bigfoot accounts that go from strange to stranger. And finally we will cover some great listener mail. Please join us! Thank you for listening! www.bigfootterrorinthewoods.com Produced by: "Bigfoot Terror in the Woods L.L.C."

Electronic, Country, Reggae, HipHop, Techno, Alt Rock, Classical, Folk, Indie, Jazz, and Folk from musicians from the Ojibwe, Peguis, Zapoteca, Nisenan, Mandan, the Three Affiliated Tribes (Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara), Mohawk, Cheroke, Salish, Kootenai, Metis, Lil'wat, Mi'kmaq, Oglala Lakota, Innu, Aztec and Shoshone Nations. Brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Tunes From Turtle Island⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Pantheon Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you like the music you hear, go out and buy/stream some of it. :) All these artists need your support. Tracks on this week's show are: Natasha Fisher - Prove Me Right William Prince - On Rolls The Wheel Africa Express & Django Django & Mare Advertencia & Seye Adelekan - Raise A Galsss SCND CRCL & Darksiderz & CGK - Black Heart Raultrasound & Deuce Eclipse - Pom Pom White White Buffalo - Red Hat Man (alligator Alcatraz) Dawn Avery & Wilhelmina Smith - Onenh'sa Monica Taylor & Craig Skinner & Bob Wiles & Cody Canada & Greg Jacobs - Used To Be Yvng Vin - River Russell Wallace and Snukwa7 - Thunder Beings Richard McKay - South By Southwest Sunsetto - Your Big Break Brettyn Rose - Wild West Wicahpi Olowan & Juliana Brown Eyes - Ruthless Time Arkadia Jazz All-Stars & Steve Turre & Bob Stewart & James Zollar & John Clark - King Porter Stomp Kessy Blacksmith - Nuitsheuan All songs on this podcast are owned by the artist(s) and are used for educational purposes only. All songs can be found for purchase or streaming wherever you get your great music. Please pick up these amazing tracks and support these artists. More info on the show ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here

Read beyond the headlines! Support Local Journalism https://www.spokesman.com/podcastoffer

On this week's edition of the North Idaho Prepcast, Ryan Scaggs and Brandon Baney marvel at the 50-point performances of Kootenai's Chris Moore and Coeur du Christ's Ben Connelly, and the rash of 40-point performances lately.The North Idaho Prepcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and wherever else you listen to podcasts.Follow our North Idaho Prepcast team on Twitter: @idahosports, @brandon_baney, @NIdahoGameNightLike our Facebook pageFor more Idaho high school sports coverage, visit www.idahosports.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel

Dive into our conversation with Whisper Camel Means, a wildlife biologist from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, as she illuminates the critical role of Indigenous knowledge in wildlife conservation. Discover the stark realities facing Turtle Island's wildlife, explore the rich history of the Salish and Kootenai peoples [https://csktribes.org/], and learn how we can alter our behaviors to coexist harmoniously with our non-human relatives. This episode, recorded at the end of last year, is a profound reminder of our interdependence with nature and a call to action for preserving the legacy of our planet's diverse ecosystems for generations to come. For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Whisper Camel-Means is the Division Manager of the Division of Fish, Wildlife, Recreation and Conservation in the Natural Resources Department for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes on the Flathead Reservation [https://csktribes.org/] in Western Montana. She is a wildlife biologist by training and now an administrator over multiple disciplines including restoration of the Bison Range for the Tribes [https://bisonrange.org/about/]. She works on outreach projects and climate change planning. She is an enrolled tribal member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Carry Kim, Co-Host of EcoJustice Radio. An advocate for ecosystem restoration, Indigenous lifeways, and a new humanity born of connection and compassion, she is a long-time volunteer for SoCal350, member of Ecosystem Restoration Camps, and a co-founder of the Soil Sponge Collective, a grassroots community organization dedicated to big and small scale regeneration of Mother Earth. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Executive Producer and Intro: Jack Eidt Hosted by Carry Kim Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 203

Starting Saturday, August 3rd, campfires are banned in Northwest Montana as Stage 1 fire restrictions take effect in Flathead and Lincoln counties, Flathead and Kootenai forests, Glacier National Park, and state lands. Even after Tuesday's rainfall, hot weather is on the horizon with highs in the upper 90s and a heat advisory in place. No new fires have been reported, but current fires are being closely monitored. Expect smoke from Oregon fires to impact Western Montana. A big thank you to our headline sponsor for the News Now podcast, Loren's Auto Repair! They combine skill with integrity resulting in auto service & repair of the highest caliber. Discover them in Ashley Square Mall at 1309 Hwy 2 West in Kalispell Montana, or learn more at lorensauto.com.Visit DailyInterLake.com to stay up-to-date with the latest breaking news from the Flathead Valley and beyond. Support local journalism and please consider subscribing to us. Watch this podcast and more on our YouTube Channel. And follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X. Subscribe to all our other DIL pods! Keep up with northwest Montana sports on Keeping Score, dig into stories with Deep Dive, and jam out to local musicians with Press Play. Got a news tip, want to place an ad, or sponsor this podcast? Contact us

Marc Eberlein, Kootenai County Commissioner Seat 1 2024 Primary Candidate answers questions from moderator Helo Hancock.

Bat Masterson, Kootenai County Commissioner Seat 1 2024 Primary Candidate answers questions from moderator Helo Hancock.

Dale Gibboney, Kootenai County Commissioner Seat 1 2024 Primary Candidate answers questions from moderator Tyrel Stevenson.

John Padula, Kootenai County Commissioner Seat 1 2024 Primary Candidate answers questions from moderator Helo Hancock.

This episode, host Dallas Ingram discusses a habitat restoration project in Idaho with Dr. Shawn Young. The project aims to restore the floodplain habitat in the Kootenai River basin and will benefit the several threatened and endangered species including the white sturgeon and burbot.To learn more about the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho visit Kootenai.org and to learn about their conservation aquaculture visit https://enr.osbar.org/files/2018/09/KootenaiTribeConservationAquaculture-1.pdf

SPECIAL GUEST: Dan Wilson for Kootenai County Sheriff 2024

Kootenai County has experienced several years of explosive growth and so has the Kootenai County Jail. The jail is overcrowded and understaffed, which creates stressful working conditions for sheriff's deputies and support staff. Chris and Ken meet with Sheriff Bob Norris and Jail Program Director John McSwain to discuss how Rocket—a trained and certified Brittany Spaniel therapy dog—has made a difference in the department's morale and public relations.

It's YOUR time to #EdUp In this episode, President Series #253 & 254, & part of an EdUp Tribal Colleges & Universities (TCUs) Mini Series, YOUR guests are Dr. Cynthia Lindquist, President, Cankdeska Cikana Community College, & Dr. Sandra Boham Salish, President, Kootenai College YOUR hosts are Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠ & Dr. Erica J Moore, Vice President for Indigenous Institutional Transformation Listen in to #EdUp! Thank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp! Connect with YOUR #EdUp Team - Elvin Freytes & Dr. Joe Sallustio ● Join YOUR #EdUp community at The EdUp Experience! We make education YOUR business! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/edup/message

Chris, Greg, and Ken welcome Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris back to the virtual bar for an update on the state of law enforcement in the region..One Man Stands At the Intersection of Crime and Culture

It's YOUR time to #EdUp In this episode, recorded LIVE from ⁠⁠⁠⁠Jenzabar's Annual Meeting (JAM)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 2023 conference in Orlando, Florida YOUR guest is Al Anderson, CIO, Salish Kootenai College YOUR guest cohost is Jeff Elliott, Director of Product Management at Jenzabar YOUR host is ⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠⁠⁠⁠ Listen in to #EdUp! Thank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp! Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - ⁠⁠⁠⁠Elvin Freytes⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠⁠⁠⁠ ● Join YOUR EdUp community at ⁠⁠⁠⁠The EdUp Experience⁠⁠⁠⁠! We make education YOUR business! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/edup/message

Kootenai Co. Sheriff candidate Dan Wilson sits down with pastors Chris and Ken to discuss Dan's beliefs, ideas, and qualifications to be the next county sheriff.[Official Website] Dan Wilson for Kootenai County Sheriff 2024[Video] Dan Wilson for Kootenai County Sheriff 2024[Social media @theidahosheriff] X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Rumble

Summary:Casey Whalen, a local independent journalist, sits with Idaho Speaks to present an issue he felt you, the Idaho Voter, needed to hear.Community Issues time is time given to community members who wish to have an un-filtered opportunity to present their views directly to the listeners.  In this issue, Casey presents his experience with the Kootenai County Human Rights Task Force and events following the Pride in the Park Event held a few years back. Links:If you would like to follow more of Casey's reporting, please visit his substance publication at: Caseywhalen.substack.com.

Summary:Ed Bejarana introduces Tommy LaPonsey, who is running for Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Commissioner.Tommy LaPonsey talks about his background and why he decided to run for office. He says that he moved to Idaho from California because he wanted to raise his family in a better environment. He also has 29 years of experience in the fire serviEd Bejarana asks Tommy LaPonsey about his personal and professional qualifications. Tommy LaPonsey says that he is passionate about public service and wants to make a difference in the community. He also has a lot of experience in the fire service, including running a busy fire station and responding to large-scale brush fires.Ed Bejarana and Tommy LaPonsey discuss some of the specific issues facing the Cooney County Fire and Rescue Department. Tommy LaPonsey says that he is committed to maintaining the department's high standards of training and service. He also wants to make sure that the department is prepared to handle the challenges of growth in the community.To learn more about Tommy, visit: tommy4kootenaifire.com

Summary:In this insightful episode of Idaho Speaks, we sit down with Commissioner Bruce Mattare to discuss the urgency and importance of the Open Space & Park Development Bond in Kootenai County. As one of the most rapidly expanding counties in the Pacific Northwest, Kootenai faces pressing challenges and opportunities regarding land preservation and development.Key Points:Historical Perspective: The Rathdrum Prairie's Significance - Commissioner Mattare traces back to 2008 when county officials first recognized the pressures of growth on the Rathdrum Prairie. They saw the looming threats to the drinking water supply and anticipated transportation and infrastructure issues.The Current Challenge: With a decade of even more intense growth, the stakes have risen. The county's open spaces, which many residents treasure, are under threat from development.Voters' Decision: Kootenai County Commissioners believe in a democratic approach, putting the choice in the hands of the citizens. The bond proposes to tackle traffic and congestion issues, create more parks, connect recreational trails, and safeguard the precious drinking water supply by acquiring land above the Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer.Economic and Social Implications: Beyond the environmental concerns, Commissioner Mattare emphasizes the broader implications of the bond for the county's social fabric and economic well-being.Call to Action: Every vote counts! The Commissioner stresses the importance of community engagement, urging residents to be informed, proactive, and to exercise their democratic right in this crucial decision for the county's future.Kootenai County stands at a crossroads. The choices made today will shape its landscapes, communities, and quality of life for generations to come. What are YOUR thoughts on this topic?  You can call the Voters Voice line and share your thoughts, call (208) 352-6433 or email your thoughts to hello@idahospeak.com.Link to Bond Info in Kootenai County Website:  https://bit.ly/44gfILyLink to Open Space & Park Development Bond Website:  kcbondinfo.comLink to Facebook Page for Open Space & Park Development Bond:  facebook.com/kcbondinfo/

A federal judge has blocked what would have been a decade-long project logging nearly 4000 acres in northwest Montana.

On this week's episode, Brandon Tanguma and Dominic Hobson discuss: Dominic's Near-Death Experiences A Brandon Poop Story NFL Talk JRo's Threesome Wrestling Talk Mr. X's Questions of the Week Have a question? Send it to CurveballandCS@gmail.com Follow us on social media: https://linktr.ee/CurveballsandCS

Kootenai County Sheriff, Bob Norris, sits down with Brian to discuss issues in the nation and how Law Enforcement in Kootenai County is responding.-Interview with Sheriff Bob Norris of Kootenai County-Sheriff Norris's understanding of the Constitution and how he applies that to his law enforcement duties-Counties that have moved from an elected to appointed Sheriff-Federal government agencies and how the county interacts-The open southern border and how that impacts Kootenai County-Sheriff's role in election integrity-Sheriff Norris's view of why cities like Seattle and LA have devolved into crime and filth, and how Kootenai is different

Brent Shares his views on national, state, and local politics, and describes the potential of Idaho. He also talks about some of the accomplishments of the KCRCC, and how he applies his leadership philosophy in his billet.Sponsor:Derek at Consumer Credit Auditors can fix your credit score and help you save money with lower interest rates.  Call (208) 601-6069.  Visit consumercreditauditors.com for more information.Idaho Speaks is a listener supported production and we need your help in covering costs.  Please visit idahospeaks.com/support to give with a secure credit card transaction.Idaho Speaks is looking to expand our staff of reporters and hosts.  If you are comfortable attending public meetings and recording your thoughts, please call Ed at (208) 209-7170 or email hello@idahospeaks.com to start the conversation.Are you an ambitious small business owner? Discover "Entrepreneur's Feast: Navigating Small Business Challenges with the Business Buffet" by Ed Bejarana - a game-changer for your entrepreneurial journey. Empower your business potential; order your copy on Amazon or learn more at www.businessbuffetpodcast.com. Embrace growth and make an impact. With "Entrepreneur's Feast”, it is time to Eat Hearty in Business! 

Paul Mahlow, running for the Kootenai County Hospital District Board of Trustees, sits with Idaho Speaks to talk about his vision and ideas.  We discuss the hospital going private and the impact it will have on public health and what actions he, as a trustee, could take on the matter.Sponsor:For your computer repair and computer network needs, call Joe with F1 for Help at (208) 687-0183.  Visit www.f1forhelp.net for more information.

Summer & Ed talk about Tim Plass, Tom Hanley, Judy Meyer, and Regina McCrea who are running for the Kootenai County Library Board of Trustees.  In this episode Idaho Speaks takes a position on who to support for these seats.  We also discuss important issues for consideration when voting.SponsorFor a Liberty and Freedom viewpoint in your North Idaho News, visit TheBushnellReport.com to get the “right” point of view.

Tom Hanley sits with Summer & Ed with Idaho Speaks to talk about his run to become a Kootenai County Library Board of Trustee.  We talk about his views on what type of books should be purchased by the library and what to do with books that do not meet the state's definition of sexually explicit.  To learn more about Tom and his campaign, please visit votehanley.com.Another website referenced: CleanBooks4Kids.com.Link to the state code reference in the discussion:  Title 18-1514:  https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/Title18/T18CH15/SECT18-1514/Title 18-1517:  https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/Title18/T18CH15/SECT18-1517/SponsorDerek at Consumer Credit Auditors can fix your credit score and help you save money with lower interest rates.  Call (208) 601-6069.  Visit consumercreditauditors.com for more information.

Tim Plass sits with Summer & Ed with Idaho Speaks to talk about his run to become a Kootenai County Library Board of Trustee.  We talk about his views on what type of books should be purchased by the library and what to do with books that do not meet the state's definition of sexually explicit.  To learn more about Tim and his campaign, please visit voteplass.com.Link to the state code reference in the discussion:  Title 18-1514:  https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/Title18/T18CH15/SECT18-1514/Title 18-1517:  https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/Title18/T18CH15/SECT18-1517/SponsorWest Coast Frames offers a variety of picture frames, posters and custom frame options.  Visit www.westcoastframes.com and shop online for your next custom frame.

In today's episode WJ and KJ, deliver another podcast of high strangeness. In crypids in the news and other oddities, KJ reviews the legend of Leprechauns. Bill covers a creepy encounter from the hot bed of Kootenai National forest from some Elk Hunters. And some great listener mail. Please join us! Thank you for listening!www.bigfootterrorinthewoods.comProduced by: "Bigfoot Terror in the Woods L.L.C."

Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/416  Presented By: Range Meal Bars, Yellowstone Teton, Trxstle, Stonefly Nets Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors  Dave Blackburn takes us on a journey through the Kootenai River in Montana. Discover the rich history of Kootenai, learn the secrets of when to fish for the best catch, and explore the various fishing techniques you can use there. Dave also shares some hilarious anecdotes, such as teaching Hollywood star Richard Dreyfuss how to cast on the set of Always. Find out how you can book a guided trip with him. And don't miss out on the grand finale where Dave delivers a fantastic banjo performance to complete our Kootenai experience. Kootenai River Show Notes with Dave Blackburn 5:24 - Dave tells the story of how he got into fly fishing. His teacher in the sixth grade taught fly tying classes. He started tying flies at age nine. 6:10 - He went to West Virginia University and participated in a placement program for foresters.  He was inspired to work in the Bighorn National Forest after seeing the movie Jeremiah Johnson, which depicted the Rocky Mountains. 6:40 - Dave was a backcountry ranger in the Cloud Peak primitive area and met his wife there. They visited his wife's family in Libby, Montana, where he discovered the Kootenai River. 7:54 - He talks about the first time he went fly fishing for native rainbows in the Kootenai River. He used a Mustad 94833. 10:23 - He describes the Kootenai River. He also talks about the impoundment of Libby Dam in 1974, which created a 90-mile lake and became home to various species of fish, including Kokanee salmon, rainbows, and cutthroats. 13:38 - I ask him about the best months to fish at the Kootenai River. He talks about the flows of the river mimicking a natural hydrograph due to the endangered status of the white sturgeon. 15:18 - He met with the technical management team along with the Fish, Wildlife & Parks and agreed to stop power peaking to prevent the sturgeon from becoming endangered. 16:15 - The green drakes have come back since the power peaking stopped. Green drakes can be seen around the second or third week of July. 17:46 - Dave shares a brief history of Kootenai and what the area is known for. The name Kootenai originated from French trappers to refer to the deer robes that the Kootenay Indians would tan. 19:34 - Libby is home to a historical museum. There is also the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness which is a grizzly bear habitat. 21:15 - He talks about the seasonal progression of hatches on the river. They have this thing they call a happy hour hatch. 22:58 - He discusses the various ways of fishing on the river, including float fishing, walk-wading, swing, and Euro nymphing. Dry fly fishing is the most popular way to fish at Kootenai River. 26:53 - He talks about fish size at Kootenai River. He mentions the 29-pound rainbow caught at the Kootenai River. 30:24 - The films River Wild and The Revenant were shot in Kootenai falls. 30:43 - He met Steven Spielberg when the film Always was shot in the Kootenai National Forest and around Libby in the 1980s. He had an opportunity to teach Richard Dreyfuss how to cast on the set and also had lunch with Holly Hunter and Dreyfuss. 33:03 - He talks about their 30-inch club and the incidental catches on bull trout. The biggest bull trout they've ever taken was about 41-inch bull trout, probably about 25 pounds. 35:31 - He discusses native fish management. The Redband rainbows currently do not have Endangered Species Act (ESA) protection, unlike the bull trout and white sturgeon. 38:22 - He talks about fishing trips at Kootenai. He says that a 3-day trip would be ideal when visiting Kootenai. Kootenai is the second largest river in the state. 42:35 - He talks about their lodging at Kootenai Angler and that time when they built their first rental cabin in '92 under $15,000. 43:25 - He shares that time when Meryl Streep wanted to stay in their cabin during their filming of The River Wild. 44:15 - Now they have a total of four cabins and an onsite restaurant that is open to the public. 45:20 - He describes what their busy summer looks like in the cabin and the drift trips they do. The floatable section of the Kootenai with the exception of the falls is 50 miles. 49:03 - Kootenai River is less famous than the Madison River or Big Horn. The traffic is unlike in other areas, and Dave thinks that is Kootenai's saving grace. 50:55 - There are a lot of places where people can camp along the river. 52:51 - He talks about the Kootenai Falls. 55:01 - Dave runs a full-service package for those who plan to visit Kootenai. 56:02 - He talks about the possibility of hooking big-sized rainbows. Streamer fishing is the most effective way to catch big rainbows. His head guide, Joe, caught a 32-inch rainbow on a hopper dropper rig. 58:04 - Jeff Currier was up in Kootenai fishing with him a while back. They used the SA stillwater line. Jeff caught a 9-pound rainbow using a Scientific Angler Stillwater camo. We had him in our first Traveled series episode. 58:50 - He applied Jeff's technique when he went to Iceland.   1:00:15 - They provide gear and flies in their guided trips. He's a Winston Pro Staff, so he carries Winston rods in the boat. For those who want to use their own gear, he gives tips on what gear to bring. 1:01:52 - They also offer last-minute guided trips. 1:02:31 - Their peak season is from August to early September. 1:04:38 - He talks about what the Fish, Wildlife & Parks' bull trout regulations. 1:07:47 - I mention our previous episode with Derek Bird of Fly Fusion Magazine. 1:09:06 - Dave mentions the possibility of catching a Westslope cutthroat trout. 1:11:07 - It's time for the two-minute drill. I ask Dave for some online resources where people could dig in more about Kootenai. Dave recommends the Libby Heritage Museum and the Libby Chamber of Commerce. 1:11:31 - He also recommends Sources of the River for those who want to dig deeper into history. 1:11:47 - Dave was a regional director of Montana Trout Unlimited and the Fishing Outfitters Association of Montana. 1:12:29 - He tells us about that time when he took American author John Gierach up on the Elk River in the late ‘80s. He also went fishing again with John two years ago in the Kootenai. 1:13:50 - He talks about the Sheldon Mountain Boys and gives us a fantastic banjo performance to cap off today's podcast. 1:14:20 - I mention our episode with Brandon Molzahn who also plays the banjo. 1:16:40 - He also plays with the band called Boulder Creek. Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/416 

One photographic exhibit at the National Museum of the American Indian packs three powerful essays from Native photographers: the culture and people of the Genizaro in New Mexico, diversity and complexity faced by couples weighing blood quantum as they build a family, and the Navajo heroes and community during the worst days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Today on Native America Calling, we guide you through the “Developing Stories” exhibit with Tailyr Irvine (Salish and Kootenai), photojournalist and co-founder of Indigenous Photograph; Donovan Quintero (Diné), assistant editor at the Navajo Times; and Russel Albert Daniels (Diné and Ho-Chunk).

Anne Taylor, who is the chief public defender of Kootenai county Idaho is the lawyer who has been tasked with the uphill battle of defending Bryan Kohberger as he faces a burglary charge and four homicide charges. However, there are now reports of a potential conflict of interest as Anne Taylor and her office has also represented two of the parents of murdered college students. Will this cause an issue moving forward? Let's dive in and take a look. (commercial at 8:30)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Kohberger attorney's office defended Moscow victims' parents | Idaho Statesman

Anne Taylor, who is the chief public defender of Kootenai county Idaho is the lawyer who has been tasked with the uphill battle of defending Bryan Kohberger as he faces a burglary charge and four homicide charges. However, there are now reports of a potential conflict of interest as Anne Taylor and her office has also represented two of the parents of murdered college students. Will this cause an issue moving forward? Let's dive in and take a look. (commercial at 8:30)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Kohberger attorney's office defended Moscow victims' parents | Idaho Statesman

Scott talks with Bjorn Handeen, a long-time listener who is now the Idaho Republican Party Region 1 Chairman. The two talk about Handeen's efforts to translate his knowledge of American foreign policy into results by focusing on local politicians. Unlike some of the big names in today's Congress, politicians on the county and state levels are often totally uninformed about international issues, which can make them relatively open-minded if only you're able to get in their ear. Handeen says you'll be surprised how much access you'll get to local legislators if you just start showing up. They talk about when democratic institutions can be an effective tool in the non-interventionist effort. And they also look back and reflect on Scott's early interviews.  Discussed on the show: The Sorrows of Empire by Chalmers Johnson  Nemesis by Chalmers Johnson  Newspapers.com “Korean War at 69: Truman, Treaties, and the Bricker Amendment” (Antiwar.com) Bjorn Handeen is the Idaho Republican Party Region 1 Chairman representing Boundary, Bonner, Kootenai, Shoshone and Benewah Counties. He's also a longtime listener of the Scott Horton Show. Follow him on Twitter @BjornHandeen This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott. Get Scott's interviews before anyone else! Subscribe to the Substack. Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjY Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Download Episode. Scott talks with Bjorn Handeen, a long-time listener who is now the Idaho Republican Party Region 1 Chairman. The two talk about Handeen's efforts to translate his knowledge of American foreign policy into results by focusing on local politicians. Unlike some of the big names in today's Congress, politicians on the county and state levels are often totally uninformed about international issues, which can make them relatively open-minded if only you're able to get in their ear. Handeen says you'll be surprised how much access you'll get to local legislators if you just start showing up. They talk about when democratic institutions can be an effective tool in the non-interventionist effort. And they also look back and reflect on Scott's early interviews.  Discussed on the show: The Sorrows of Empire by Chalmers Johnson  Nemesis by Chalmers Johnson  Newspapers.com “Korean War at 69: Truman, Treaties, and the Bricker Amendment” (Antiwar.com) Bjorn Handeen is the Idaho Republican Party Region 1 Chairman representing Boundary, Bonner, Kootenai, Shoshone and Benewah Counties. He's also a longtime listener of the Scott Horton Show. Follow him on Twitter @BjornHandeen This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott. Get Scott's interviews before anyone else! Subscribe to the Substack. Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjY

If you are interested in talking about running for office or learning more about the KCRCC rating and vetting system, please email Rob Barrans at vicechair@kootenaigop.org.Here is the link for the Rating and Vetting packet:  http://bit.ly/3htqawSSponsors:For your computer repair and computer network needs, call Joe with F1 for Help at (208) 687-0183.  Visit www.f1forhelp.net for more information.Do you have something so say?  Interested in learning more about publishing on the Idaho Speaks Network?  Our nation was built on ideas and your idea could be the next political advancement for Idaho.  Call Ed at (208) 209-7170 or email hello@idahospeaks.com to start the conversation.

To learn more about the Kootenai Health Organizational Structure change, please visit https://www.kh.org/501c3/.The learn more about Summer and The Bushnell Report, please visit thebushnellreport.com.  You can also find The Bushnell Report on Facebook by visiting facebook.com/thebushnellreport.Would you like to bring your podcast to the Idaho Speaks Network?  Do you feel you have a message that voters are not getting to hear? Please call Ed at (208) 209-7170 to start the conversation.Idaho Speaks is a listener supported production.  Please visit idahospeaks.com/support to learn more about how to help the program.