Podcasts about lifetime members

— Tuned In is an inspiring story of one man's relentless pursuit of a dream, and a revealing testimony to the power of music in all our lives. The unique confluence of Jim Wilson's two careers - piano technician/confidant to the stars and a globally successful recording artist - has led to extraordinary experiences with some of the world's most exalted music legends: singing Beatle songs with Paul McCartney, limo rides with Elton John, road trips with Carole King, and horseback riding with Dan Fogelberg. But beyond this everyman's unique telling of intimate celebrity tales, Tuned In is an inspiring story of one man's relentless pursuit of a dream, and a revealing testimony to the power of music in all our lives. Emerging from a troubled childhood in a broken West Texas home, a young man moves to Los Angeles to pursue fame and fortune as a singer-songwriter. He soon strays from his mission when his piano tuning sideline blossoms into a career as piano technician to the entertainment industry's biggest names. His help in the development of the world's first MIDI-adapter for acoustic piano leads to him sharing adventures, sessions, meals, and laughs with dozens of his childhood heroes. His front row seat provides him with a rare and fascinating view into their creative processes. But when his world is shattered by his dearest friend's sudden and untimely death, he is forced to question the true meaning of success. He returns to his heart's purpose, takes a leap into the unknown, and sets out on a solo career, recording and performing his signature style of piano-featured instrumentals. Valeria interviews Jim Wilson — He is an Acclaimed Composer and Performer — the author of TUNED IN: Memoirs Of A Piano Man: Behind The Scenes With Music Legends And Finding The Artist Within. Jim Wilson could have simply dismissed himself as a competent piano tuner-technician, even an exceptional one. But he was, and is, so much more. From a broken home in Amarillo, Texas to a multi-award-winning recording artist, Jim Wilson's journey is a captivating tale of showbiz glamour, personal tragedy, self-discovery, and dogged determination. And, as is typical of Jim Wilson, he's turned out to be a pretty good wordsmith. Tuned-In: Memoirs of a Piano Man is a page-turner and a life-changer. It's a self-help book in the form of an autobiography. It is entertaining, revealing and full of lessons for musicians, fans, and all readers. Jim Wilson's life direction was set when he was given a guitar at age 7, then began composing songs at age 9. Soon after moving from West Texas to LA in his early 20's, he gained a reputation as a respected piano technician, catering to the highest echelon of the music industry. Jim helped develop the first MIDI-adapter for acoustic piano in the 80's, which became an instant hit with artists and studios around the world.  It was the shocking, untimely death of his closest friend that forced Jim to question the whole purpose of his life. With the love and support of his musical heroes — most significantly his friend and mentor, Dan Fogelberg — Jim set out on a solo career, composing, recording and performing his signature style of piano-featured instrumentals. Four of Jim's ten recordings have hit the Billboard Top-20, he's had two PBS specials, and his music has been streamed over 75 million times by fans around the globe. He was recently made a “Lifetime Member” of the Recording Academy. He enjoys scuba diving, skiing, pilot lessons, and mountain biking. Tuned In is Jim's first book. To learn more about Jim Wilson and his work, please visit: https://jimwilsonmusic.com/

  Cybersecurity Response Plan w/ Frank Grimmelmann of ACTRA   - AZ TRT S06 EP03 (264) 2-9-2025                 What We Learned This Week ACTRA Arizona Cyber Threat Response Alliance Cyber threats affect everyone from Gov't to business to private and growing Companies need to be responsive with speed to be effective + share information of attacks ACTRA has members from both government and private sector ACTRA helped create a state cybersecurity response model that other states can use     Guest: Frank Grimmelmann https://www.actraaz.org/actra/leadership President & CEO/Intelligence Liaison Officer   Mr. Grimmelmann also serves as Co-Chair (together with Arizona's Chief Information Security Officer) for the Arizona Cybersecurity Team (‘ACT'), created through the Governor's Executive Order signed in March 2018. He also serves as a Founding Member of the National Leadership Group for the Information Sharing & Analysis Organization Standards Organization (‘ISAO SO') at the University of Texas San Antonio (UTSA), created under the President's Executive Order 13691 in February 2015. As ACTRA's leader, Mr. Grimmelmann was invited as the first private sector representative in the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center (ACTIC) and served as its first private sector Executive Board representative from 2014-2019. He presently acts as ACTRA's designated private sector liaison to ACTRA's Key Agency and other non-Member Stakeholders.    Mr. Grimmelmann served four terms as AZ InfraGard's President from 2009-2012, serves today on numerous academic advisory boards, co-Chairs the Greater Phoenix Chamber's Cybersecurity Workforce Collaborative initiative, and is an engaged Member of the Arizona Technology Council's Cybersecurity Advisory Board.  In 2019, Mr. Grimmelmann was honored by the FBI, and the Board of Directors of both ACTRA and Arizona InfraGard as the first recipient of Arizona InfraGard's ‘Visionary Award' for creating the ACTRA framework  over his last 2 terms as Arizona InfraGard's President, and ACTRA's resulting collaboration between law enforcement/ intelligence agencies/USCYBERCOM, and its public, private and academic organizations over the past 7 years.   He was simultaneously recognized by the FBI's then Deputy Director for his contribution over the years. He remains an active Member of InfraGard since 2003 and an active Lifetime Member of the FBI Citizens Academy since 2006.   Since 2002 he has devoted his full-time attention to protecting our nation's critical infrastructure and national security interests, through eliminating unnecessary silos that hinder communication, allowing  us to respond to today's increasing threat from our cyber adversaries, and in turn permitting ACTRA's Member Organizations to protect their critical infrastructure and our national security interests, while protecting their organization's assets .   Educationally, he holds a dual MBA in International Business and Finance from the University of California at Berkeley and brings decades of experience as a senior executive in finance, healthcare and government, prior to focusing on Cybersecurity in response to 9/11.          Notes:   Seg 2   Cyber threats affect everybody, business, personal, and government. Cyber crime is a fact of life that we need to live with it, but stay ahead.   Criminals are on the offense and only have to be correct 1% of the time. Everybody else is playing defense and has to be right 100% of the time.   AI is an advanced tool that is turned out to be a two edge sword, can help and hurt. AI can only catch so much but can give a few of what is going on.   This is a matter of national security, dealing with homeland security and many other departments of the government.   You have threat intelligence to determine roles on how you're going to handle hackers and ransom ware. Hackers can be local or foreign.   All companies need a cyber policy and some sort of rapid tactical response.   Cyber attacks are an ever growing threat to people and businesses, and continue to surge in 2024. There was 107% surge in malware attacks.   These are on corporate computers, computers at work or home computers or even Home devices like Ring. You get a text through devices, phishing attacks.   Company business email can be compromised in an attack, people's passwords come out and it leads to millions of dollars in losses. Elderly people are very vulnerable, 353,000 attacks.   You have supply chain threats by terrorist and nation state actors. There was a recent attack on United Healthcare for 100 million. People‘s information was exposed. This led to a $22 million ransom payment.   Cyber attacks cause $2.9 billion in damages. Companies are paying ransom to faceless criminals. Very tough for the FBI to be tracking down on these criminals and try to fend off the extortion of stolen data.   Payments for ransom could be made through Bitcoin, which is difficult to trace, though it leaves somewhat of a forensic trail. Constant need for regulation and oversight from the government.   Famous incident last year was not even an attack, but the Crowdstrike software update. ACTRA had a quick response that day. One that helps clients and partners recover fast. In a similar instant, Delta was down for weeks with computer problems.   When you think about what goes on with banks back to 2008 - what loans they have on balance sheet and then off balance sheet securitized - not regulated like normal loans.   Issues with underwriting standards on loans. Not even sure what can be affected in a Cyber attack. Off balance sheet loans and debt is similar to crypto or Bitcoin where it is not being regulated.   PPD-41 was a directive to show responsibilities of government agencies and dealing in cyber. You had homeland security as a defensive arm to protect the nation's assets.   Enforcement is done in the US by the FBI. Overseas it's done by US Cyber Command.     Seg 3   Frank background in the 1990s in private business, worked in healthcare. Then was the chief info officer and the only 2000s at clinical in Stanford. Healthcare is very vulnerable.   Post 9/11 he worked with FBI outreach program called InfraGuard on how to share intelligence with cyber threats. Needs to be treated like terrorism or criminal acts, though they're taking stolen IP. Need to move to a more stable world.   2011 study was done by government organizations to review the process and make recommendations on how to deal with counterterrorism and cyber.   90% of the critical infrastructure in the US is in the private sector. They do need Fed level help, but have also have a local response. Cyber threat actors move quickly and act like a terrorist organization.   General Stanley McChrystal had a great quote, ‘It takes a network to defeat a network.' Cybersecurity is everyone's problem. You need education and organization. This is a 5th generation problem and you have to be adaptive.   ACTRA is a nonprofit dealing with cyber security. They've got pillars of empowerment, trust technology and intelligence. Need for the private companies to develop to train and recruit to handle this threat.   They created a model which allows to bring the fight on offense - and all work together sharing information. Virtual response team, small and big with the private sector as a partner.   ACTRA is a hub for info, and keeps its member information private. Some members are public like Arizona State. Actual model can be used for the rest of the nation. Government and private cannot do it alone. Not all states have this type of organization, but probably need it.     Seg 4   ACTRA started in January 2013. Give U.S. states a model for cyber security. Collective defense and share information with public and private organizations. The goal is to breakdown silos between government and the corporate world.   Not just a thing tank, has an active model. Review of ACTRA model is best in the country and a good hub for response and info.   In 2015, they helped Wisconsin create their own state organization for cyber threats. Soon after, Maryland created one using ACTRA as a model. Needs to be an effort of collaboration, merge the construct of entrepreneur spirit to take action.   So the government cyber threats are handled nationally at a Fort Meade, where the NSA is.   Frank's background in business in finance and healthcare fields.   Info is useless if not used for action. You need actionable intelligence that is current to take down a threat. You need more than continuing education and certificates for people, must go beyond this.   Virtual response team like a local militia who can help protect assets. Going after cyber criminals can be a little bit like a whack a mole.   Overtime, hopefully there will be a national strategy for info sharing. A type of decentralized and local organization that work with government.   The private sector owns the vast amount of data so they have to determine who they're going to share it with and how.   Defend vs Cyber fast while still working within the spirit of the law.       Seg. 1 Clips from Related Shows: Cybersecurity, Disruption, Blockchain & Terrorism w Ari Redbord of TRM Labs - BRT S02 EP31 (78) 8-1-2021     What We Learned This Week Cybersecurity is extremely important industry for national security TRM Labs startup in cyber-security, monitors blockchain OFAC - Gov't administers economic and trade sanctions Ransomeware – specific breach, takeover of a computer system, holds data hostage Programatic Money Laundering – bad guys create new addresses, create ‘shell' companies   Guest: Ari Redbord, Head of Legal and Government Affairs w/ TRM Labs https://www.linkedin.com/in/ari-redbord-4054381b4/ https://www.trmlabs.com/post/trm-labs-appoints-ari-redbord-as-head-of-legal-government-affairs   Ari is formerly a US Attorney, and worked in the Treasury Department, now advises the Government on cybersecurity, and Blockchain. Cybersecurity is a fast growing and extremely important industry for national security, and corporate interests. There are Nation States acting as bad players in the cyber realm and targeting the US Government and US business. We discuss the advancements in technology on cyber crime, blockchain, crypto, and online fraud. How is the FBI dealing with Ransomware, and other cyber attacks on prime targets like the Colonial Pipeline, or other big corps. What Regulations are coming in banking, and Fintech, with KYC (Know Your Customer), plus the big banks like JP Morgan Chase and Goldman are on board.  What the blockchain ledger can help solve in security, to monitor criminal activity in real time with the help of crypto exchanges like Coinbase.  Lastly, what TRM Labs does for clients, how they advise, operate, and who they work with.   Full Show: HERE     Phishing, Malware & Cybersecurity - Try Not to Get Pwned - BRT S02 EP47 (94) 11-21-2021   What We Learned This Week:   Have I been Pwned? Means have I been breached / hacked – did someone hack my email or website Phishing – most common type of email threat, like when you receive a strange email with a link – Do Not Open – DELETE (and alert other office staff of the email) Ramsonware – hack your website, or data – hold it hostage for an extortion ‘ransom' payment Dark Web – where stolen data, & info is being bought & sold VPN Connections – direct and secure   Guests: Vince Matteo, Seven Layer Networks, Inc. https://sevenlayers.com/ Vince Matteo is a certified penetration tester, a security researcher, and a senior consultant at Seven Layers (.com) where he focuses on securing small businesses.  Vince is the author of "Hacking 101 – A Beginner's Guide to Penetration Testing", he's a bug bounty hunter with 17 published critical vulnerabilities, and he's presented talks on offensive hacking at security conferences -- most recently GrrCON in Grand Rapids, MI and BSides in College Station, TX.  Outside of work, Vince is an accomplished endurance athlete, an Ironman age group champion, and in his spare time, you can find him in the desert -- training for the next hundred-mile ultramarathon.    Full Show: HERE     Biotech Shows: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/Biotech-Life+Sciences-Science   AZ Tech Council Shows:  https://brt-show.libsyn.com/size/5/?search=az+tech+council *Includes Best of AZ Tech Council show from 2/12/2023   Tech Topic: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/Tech-Startup-VC-Cybersecurity-Energy-Science  Best of Tech: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/size/5/?search=best+of+tech   ‘Best Of' Topic: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/Best+of+BRT      Thanks for Listening. Please Subscribe to the AZ TRT Podcast.     AZ Tech Roundtable 2.0 with Matt Battaglia The show where Entrepreneurs, Top Executives, Founders, and Investors come to share insights about the future of business.  AZ TRT 2.0 looks at the new trends in business, & how classic industries are evolving.  Common Topics Discussed: Startups, Founders, Funds & Venture Capital, Business, Entrepreneurship, Biotech, Blockchain / Crypto, Executive Comp, Investing, Stocks, Real Estate + Alternative Investments, and more…    AZ TRT Podcast Home Page: http://aztrtshow.com/ ‘Best Of' AZ TRT Podcast: Click Here Podcast on Google: Click Here Podcast on Spotify: Click Here                    More Info: https://www.economicknight.com/azpodcast/ KFNX Info: https://1100kfnx.com/weekend-featured-shows/     Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the Hosts, Guests and Speakers, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent (or affiliates, members, managers, employees or partners), or any Station, Podcast Platform, Website or Social Media that this show may air on. All information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes. Nothing said on this program should be considered advice or recommendations in: business, legal, real estate, crypto, tax accounting, investment, etc. Always seek the advice of a professional in all business ventures, including but not limited to: investments, tax, loans, legal, accounting, real estate, crypto, contracts, sales, marketing, other business arrangements, etc.  

Today we were delighted to welcome Dr. Carolyn Kissane, Associate Dean of Graduate Programs and Global Affairs at NYU's Center for Global Affairs. Dr. Kissane is a Lifetime Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a Senior Fellow at the George H.W. Bush Foundation for US-China Relations, Co-Host of “The Clean Energy Revolution” Podcast, and Founding Director of NYU's Energy, Climate Justice, and Sustainability Lab. Carolyn earned her Ph.D. in Comparative Education and Political Science from Columbia University and has been with NYU since 2004. Her research focuses on energy, sustainability innovation and policy, and cybersecurity. We were thrilled to connect with Carolyn for an insightful discussion on energy and global affairs. In our conversation, Carolyn provides background on NYU's energy studies, its interdisciplinary approach, and the growing importance of understanding the connection between energy systems, economic security, and human security. Carolyn shares observations on the increasing focus on climate and energy security at the Council on Foreign Relations, especially with regards to trade and tariffs. We explore the changing dynamics of oil markets, the ineffectiveness of sanctions, the increase of rule-breaking in international trade, shifting student perceptions of energy, global energy dynamics and the U.S.'s competitive advantage due to its abundance of natural gas resources. We touch on Carolyn's experiences in Kazakhstan, the severity of the energy crisis in Europe and Germany's economic struggles, the difficulty of reversing these challenges due to regulatory and high energy costs, how bureaucratic challenges and regulatory barriers are slowing down development in Europe and the US, Javier Milei's political appeal, US energy competitiveness, and much more. We ended by asking Carolyn for her vision of climate policy leadership ten years from now. It was a broad-based discussion and we're thankful to Carolyn for sharing her time and unique insights. Mike Bradley kicked us off by highlighting broader equity market volatility, the beginning of Q3 Energy sector reporting, and observations regarding this week's plunge in crude oil price. On the broader equity market front, ASML Holding's stock priced plunged due to their semiconductor orders noticeably missing estimates which in turn pressured the “hot” Technology sector lower. Liberty Energy and SLB will be the first two oil service companies reporting Q3 results this week with investors focused on their NAM oil service activity & pricing outlook and international revenue guidance. On the crude oil front, WTI price plunged ~$5/bbl (~$70/bbl) this week due to three interrelated issues: Mideast supply concerns, a reduction in global oil demand estimates, and Brent oil traders recently repositioning themselves from a “net short” to a “net long” managed money futures trading position. Jeff Tillery added to Mike's comments and emphasized that the narrow range analysts are predicting for oil prices in 2025 is unlikely to be accurate and to consider the potential factors that could drive prices either higher or lower than consensus. We greatly enjoyed our global discussion with Carolyn today and hope you find it as interesting as we did. Our best to you all!

Check out Dr. Castagnini Podcast at:https://behindthebitepodcast.com/course/In her own words:There was really never a question that I was going to spend my life trying to help people who were in pain or suffering feel or get better. I just somehow knew it was something I was going to do.Perhaps others saw that in me as well. When I was in high school, my friend's dad saw an ad in a local paper for teen advice columnists, he told my friend I should apply because everyone was always coming to me for advice. So, out came the hefty typewriter, and off went my application. Before I knew it, I was writing a teen advice column.My Education....The University of California Santa Cruz was where I realized that I wanted to pursue a career in mental health. Starting with my first psychology course, I just "knew".Initially, I thought I wanted to pursue medical school and become a psychiatrist. So, while I majored in psychology, I also took the courses required for medical school. I even took the MCAT's. But, then something hit me as I was knee-deep into med school applications: I truly loved all of my psychology courses. I loved experiencing actual clinical work during an upper-division course.This led me to do something completely unexpected: I switched gears and applied only to graduate programs in clinical psychology.After two years at UCSC, and one year studying on exchange at the University of British Columbia, I earned my BA in Psychology, graduating with honors.2 years later, I was inducted into Psi Chi, the National Honors Society for Psychology, as a Lifetime Member, and earned my MA in Clinical Psychology, with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University.I completed my doctoral studies at the University of Southern California, where I earned my PhD in Counseling Psychology.My Career....After graduate school, I was a postdoctoral resident at Kaiser Permanente. I spent the following 15 years as a staff psychologist in the adult psychiatry department while also running my own small private practice one day a week.While at Kaiser, I was the lead eating disorder specialist in my department.As the years went on, I realized that I wanted to continue doing clinical work. But, I also wanted the opportunity to do something different. Something that had a bigger, wider reach.So, I left Kaiser in October of 2019 to open my practice full-time.And Here We Are...I love that I have an opportunity to start something truly meaningful and personally near and dear to my heart.This podcast is for those of you out there who are: struggling with disordered eating....a full blown eating disorder....yo-yo dieting and struggling with weight.....body image issues.....feel like you can only be happy if you lose weight or look a certain way....or are just plain feeling trapped in a life where you can't make peace with food or your body.I was there. For years. And when I was going through my struggles, podcasts just did not exist. I wish they had. I needed to know that other people were going through what I was. I needed to hear about what types of help are out there..even help besides therapy. I needed to hear other people just talk about it. To know I was not alone. To hear that recovery is possible.I have worked with enough patients over the years to know that once you get information....once you gain the knowledge and awareness....things can start to change. But you need to hear it first.So, I am trying to get this information heard. I am trying to help from beyond the couch in this next chapter. I can only do so much from behind 4 walls---time to break them down and help more people now.I welcome you to join me and listen.I welcome you with open arms and an open ear. This podcast is for you...tell me what you want to know and hear.I'm also listening.To your health, welcome! Please leave a review or send us a Voice note letting us know what you enjoyed at:Back2Basics reconnecting to the essence of YOU (podpage.com)Follow us on IG and FB @Back2BasicsPodcast

An award-winning composer and performer who has had several albums in the Billboard Top 20, two PBS specials, and his top five songs on Spotify alone have a combined total of over a million streams. Based in Los Angeles, he is a Lifetime Member of the Recording Academy, and has authored a book that just came out last month titled, “Tuned In: Memoirs of a Piano Man,” which has hit Number 1 on Amazon in multiple categories and gotten over 40 endorsements from A-list celebrities, including the likes of David Foster, Barry Manilow, Diane Warren, Martin Short, Ray Romano, and Ed Begley, Jr., among others.

Mark Lye (X: @letitflye) – is a former PGAT player and Lifetime Member. He also spent almost two decades as a commentator/analyst for ‘The Golf Channel' and Sirius Radio. Mark is one of the few that can offer an insider look into the life of a professional golfer and a behind the curtain view of the PGAT and professional golf. Mark won early in his career on the Australasian Tour, played the PGAT for almost two decades (1977-1991) where he won the Bank of Boston Classic, and went on to play the Champions Tour. Affiliates: Books by Rande Somma Why Do We Call Them Leaders?: https://amzn.to/3VIhDI6 Leadersh!t: https://amzn.to/3VY4zib The Stack System is the ultimate device to use when looking to biohack your swing speed. Co-developed by ‘The Savant of Speed' – Dr. Sasho MacKenzie, and PING engineer Marty Jertsen, it is a device that every golfer can utilize to increase their swing speed. The Stack System uses AI to ensure that your development is as efficient as possible. To order The Stack you can do so on their website at www.thestacksystem.com. Be sure to use the discount code GOLF360 to receive your special discount. Sponsors: Get your 15% discount on your next order of JustThrive Probiotic at https://justthrivehealth.com/ (use code: GOLF360) Looking to play one of the best golf courses in the Hilton Head Island area? Be sure to check out Old South Golf Links and have one of your best golf experiences ever https://www.oldsouthgolf.com/

Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with Jim Wilson, Award Winning Composer, Pianist & Recording Artist, Author, “Tuned-In: Memoirs of a Piano Man” About Harvey's guest:Today's special guest, Jim Wilson, is a multi-award winning composer, pianist, concert and recording artist who has just released a fascinating, entertaining and insightful memoir entitled, “Tuned-In: Memoirs of a Piano Man: Behind the Scenes with Music Legends and Finding the Artist Within”.   As a young man, he moved from his home in Texas to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a songwriter, musician and performer.  But his ambitions took a major detour when his sideline job as a piano tuner blossomed into a hugely successful career as a piano technician for some of the greatest music artists of our generation, including Burt Bacharach, Elton John, Phil Collins, Quincy Jones, Bruce Springsteen, Carole King, Paul McCartney, Lionel Richie, David Foster, Dan Fogelberg – and believe me, I'm just scratching the surface.   Our guest got to know many of his legendary clients very well, and through his book, we get an up-close-and-personal glimpse into their lives off-stage.  Following the sudden death of a dear friend, and with the encouragement of music superstar Dan Fogelberg, our guest made the life-altering decision to confront his insecurities and anxieties, emerge from the sidelines and follow his dreams and step into the limelight as a music artist in his own right.  And what a career he's had.  He played keyboards, served as music director, and was frequently the opening act on tour for Stephen Bishop for 16 years.   He's recorded 10 piano-featured instrumental albums, 4 of which have hit the Billboard Top 20: “Northern Seascapes”, “Cape of Good Hope”, “Remembrance” and his beautiful tribute album to the late Dan Fogelberg, entitled, “Leader of the Band”.  Some of my other favourite albums are “My First Christmas With You”, “Playing Favourites”, and “My Mother's Son”.  Our guest has had 2 PBS specials: “Cape of Good Hope and Other Musical Portraits”, and “Jim Wilson: A Place in my Heart”.  And his music has been streamed close to 80 million times by fans around the world.  He was elected to the Board of Governors of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, and he was recently made a “Lifetime Member” of the Recording Academy.   For more interviews and podcasts go to: https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com/ To learn more about Jim Wilson, go to:https://jimwilsonmusic.com/https://www.facebook.com/jimwilsonmusichttps://www.instagram.com/jimwilsonmusic/https://twitter.com/jimwilsonmusichttps://www.youtube.com/user/JimWilsonianhttps://open.spotify.com/artist/7BfVtwOGofJ7r3I8GIBuGf?si=3fc94bcce4344c6chttps://music.apple.com/us/artist/jim-wilson/6668521 #JimWilson    #harveybrownstoneinterviews

Check out our conversation with actress Cindy Marinangel as we learn about her one woman show Dietrich and more about her journey to become an actress. Cindy Marinangel is an international actress, a Lifetime Member of The Actors Studio (having studied under Mark Rydell, the late Martin Landau, Ellen Burstyn and Alec Baldwin) as well as a Chicago Second City Conservatory graduate (Stephen Colbert, Nia Vardalos, etc.). She was in UPtv's holiday special BEVERLY HILLS CHRISTMAS with Dean Cain and has had leading roles on stage since kindergarten when she played her first queen. Cindy continued the boards in Chicago, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Berlin, Los Angeles and New York in straight plays, dance shows as well as musicals. She has originated over twelve roles in new plays to rave reviews, most recently playing Misti in NY's New Circle Theatre's workshop production of FRACTURED. During Covid, Cindy purchased the rights to DIETRICH, the acclaimed, 75-minute, solo show - with - music that she produces and stars in. She has sung as Marlene Dietrich in Times Square for International Peace Day and performs an hour-long cabaret show as the international icon, having performed nine shows over three days at the Mid Atlantic Air Show's World War II weekend in their Officer's Club. Cindy is also a voice over artist. Her uniquely deep voice was personally chosen by Beyonce's family to narrate her international half - hour special for E! Entertainment. Cindy voiced two characters in the number one video game BRUTAL LEGENDS with Jack Black, Ozzie Osbourne and other rock legends. Cindy is the owner of Angel Baker Productions and with her international, creative team wrote, produced, and starred in an award-winning short film about a soul connection through lifetimes called ETERNAL WALTZ. The film was sponsored in part by the Johann Strauss Foundation of Germany and has garnered thirteen awards to date. Among those, she and her cast won “Best Acting Ensemble- Short” in the Culver City Film Festival, “Best Director” in the Amsterdam Around International Festival, “Best Female Film- Mini Movie”, as well as “Best Cinematography- Mini Movie” in the iHollywood Film Festival. ETERNAL WALTZ was screened in the Action On Festival in Las Vegas. Cindy is a competitive ballroom dancer with a passion for Latin dancing. She graduated Cum Laude from Purdue University and is an avid cat rescuer who maintains an animal-free diet. Mitch Levine (Director) is a film and stage director and actor, led the Directors Unit of the legendary Actors Studio, was a Juilliard Fellow and the first James Cameron Directing Fellow at the AFI. His film, SHADOWS, a story of love and loss during the Holocaust, Mitch directed GOD HELP US! starring the late, great Ed Asner, the documentaries HUNGRY IS THE TIGER and MORPHING GRAVITY and the drama INCONFIDENCE (Cannes 2015). He directed the epic Bicentennial Celebration of the University of Virginia, was Artistic Supervisor of the Philip Glass/Robert Wilson opera, EINSTEIN ON THE BEACH, collaborated with Peter Gabriel and Moses Pendleton on PASSION, directed A DREAM WITHIN A DREAM for PRT, Jean Anouilh's ANTIGONE for the Williamstown Theatre Festival and Arthur Kopit's WINGS. In New York, he directed SORRY! at Circle Rep, AMORPHOUS GEORGE for MCC and the revival of Lyle Kessler'sORPHANS. Mitch was the host of AFI's GREAT FILMMAKERS series and of REFUGEE VOICES IN FILM in Cannes. He runs The Film Festival Group, consults with filmmakers around the world and served as a Special Representative to the United Nations. The late Willard Manus was a playwright, journalist and novelist who was a member of the Playwright/Director unit of The Actors Studio. His most recent plays were JOE AND MARILYN: A LOVE STORY, FRANK, AND AVA (now a motion picture) and WHO KILLED COMRADE RABBIT? His best-known novel was Mott the Hopple from which the 1970's British rock band took its name. CINDY MARINANGEL is DIETRICH for three nights at A Guest Production in The Other Space at Santa Monica Playhouse April 2, 9, 16 TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE @ EVENT BRITE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dietrich... #dietrich #cindymarinangel #onewomanshow #broadway #offbroadway #podcast #interview #conversation #actor #actress

Welcome back friends, today we have a Lifetime Member who will share stories of the past legends with a Bear Creek dog scattered in at the end. If you find this information of some interest and are not already a member of the association. please sign up to become one. ABTCHA.net God Bless and Go Black

The New Year's Resolutioners are here and it's up to YOU whether you are the studio they're going to fail at OR if your studio is the one they are going to stick to for life.  You've heard us talk about this before but this time of year is the time that sets apart the RICH studios and the POOR studios. Those people who are walking in your door starting their trials and setting their New Year's Intentions is where it all begins.  This year we're giving you everything to make sure it's the LAST TIME that your members need to start again. On today's poddy, we're talking all about how to transfer that signature offer and turn it INTO a rollover. Forget the 20-30% retention rate myth, we're getting you to 80 PERCENT. You'll hear:  How to reverse engineer and attract your PERFECT member The FOUR activities we created to ensure that our newbies were COMMITTED to our studio How to keep your TEAM motivated to KEEP your members on board as well … and a whole lot more  Download our customisable STARTER PASS here. If you want to do some reading over the summer be sure to check out Hooked and Atomic Habits. Want to find out more about our onboarding process that helps KEEP retention? Listen here. WANT MORE: To say thank you for listening to the pod we're offering a FREE GROWTH GAME PLAN for your gym or fitness studio, which you can book in here Find out more about working with Geronimo at thegeronimoacademy.com Want to follow along behind the scenes? Check out @thegeronimoacademy and @hey.doza

Welcome to a special edition of the 14th Ask Me Anything (AMA) episode, part of Huberman Lab Premium. This episode is a recording of a live stream AMA, originally exclusive to our Annual and Lifetime Members. We've decided to make the full-length version available to everyone, including non-members of Huberman Lab Premium. Huberman Lab Premium was launched for two main reasons. First, it was launched in order to raise support for the main Huberman Lab podcast — which will continue to come out every Monday at zero-cost. Second, it was launched as a means to raise funds for important scientific research. A significant portion of proceeds from the Huberman Lab Premium subscription will fund human research (not animal models) selected by Dr. Huberman, with a dollar-for-dollar match from the Tiny Foundation. If you're not yet a member but enjoyed this full-length livestream AMA, we invite you to join Huberman Lab Premium. By subscribing, you'll gain access to exclusive benefits including our regular monthly full-length AMA episodes, AMA transcripts, podcast episode transcripts, early access to live events and more. Additionally, a significant portion of your membership proceeds contributes to advancing human scientific research. You can learn more about the research we were able to support in our Annual Letter 2023. If you're a Huberman Lab Premium member, you can access the transcript for this AMA episode here. Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction (00:00:34) 2023 Scientific Research Contributions (00:07:07) Anterior Mid Cingulate Cortex Studies: Discussion on Research & Findings (00:12:32) Evening Routines and Light: Insights on Managing Light Exposure Before Sleep (00:21:26) Light Therapy in Northern Regions: Tips for Coping With Limited Morning Light (00:28:48) Annual Health and Fitness Metrics: Key Metrics to Monitor Yearly (00:39:59) Dealing With Midnight Wakefulness: Strategies for Falling Back Asleep (00:46:41) Strength Training for Women: Protocols for Strength Without Hypertrophy (00:50:56) Full Body Scan MRIs: Evaluating the Benefits and Usage (00:55:07) Dog Wellness and Communication: Potential Exploration Into Canine Well-Being (00:56:17) Balancing Muscle Strength: Strategies for Equalizing Arm Strength (01:00:54) Content on Children's Development: Future Plans and Current Resources (01:03:23) Conclusion & Thank You Disclaimer

Stephanie Emery is a Lifetime Member of the Girl Scouts and the owner of Adventure Bus -an affordable way for like-minded people from all over to get together, get outside, see the world, and have fun with nature. Originally from West Paris, Maine, Stephanie spent her summers at Girl Scouts of Maine's Camp Pondicherry where her mother was the nurse. Her days were filled with hiking, swimming, canoeing, and various outdoor adventures. It was here that she learned essential survival and leadership skills she puts into use today.After college, Stephanie started a private teaching studio in Boston, giving lessons on flute, recorder, saxophone, and clarinet. Although she found the job extremely rewarding, the outdoors came knocking.In the summer of 2002, Stephanie took a two-week tour called the Best of the National Parks with a company called Adventure Bus that would turn out to be a life-changing experience.Hoping to spend the school year teaching, and summers on the Adventure Bus, Stephanie went on multiple tours, aiming to convince the owner that she would be an asset to the company. Little did she know that a year later, she would become the owner! Fast forward to 2023 and Stephanie has been the owner of Adventure Bus for twenty years! She has created countless new trips from Arizona to Alaska and back to her home state of Maine.  She is very proud and thankful of the extended family Adventure Bus has become. Today, Stephanie and I will be exploring her path from Camp Pondicherry to the owner of an outdoor adventure company – and how the two ventures are unequivocally intertwined.Links to Check Out:Adventure Bus Links and Info:Adventure Bus Website (adventurebus.com)Adventure Bus Facebook Page (Adventure Bus Travel)Adventure Bus Instagram - @adventurebustravelEmail: info@adventurebus.comPhone: 909-633-7225Camp Pondicherry Alumni Group Links and Info:Facebook Group (pondialumni)Email: pondialumni@gmail.comGirl Scouts of Maine info:Girl Scouts of Maine WebsiteGirl Scouts of Maine LinkedInGirls Scouts of Maine FacebookGirl Scouts of Maine Instagram - @girlscoutsofmaineGirl ScoutsDonate to support Girl Scouts of Maine: www.girlscoutsofmaine.org/supportFollow Daughters of Change:Website:Facebook:InstagramLinkedInMarie's LinkedIn:Daughters of Change Podcast Producer:  Sarah StaceySarah's LinkedIn Profile 

We need to be reminded of the Lord's faithfulness in dark and difficult times. His provision is great but sometimes we forget that he provides when we get in our own way. How do we open up when we are going through trying times? Can we recognize the way that the Lord moves in our lives? How can we be constantly reminded of God's goodness? In this episode, co-founder of Dwellus Janet Brinck joins me to talk about her journey with God, how she overcame her struggles with living faith out loud and how sharing her challenges helped uplift others.3 Things You'll Learn in Today's EpisodeAlign with your value system. Why is being in alignment with our value system so important? The importance of sharing struggle stories. When we are willing to share, it gives others who are struggling the courage to share as well.Lead with trusting God. The Lord's provision is great but how do we learn to lean on him in trying times?Guest Bio & Links After graduating from Virginia Tech in 1997 with a BS in Political Science, Janet found her true calling in Real Estate in very short order. With an uncanny ability to relate to people with diverse backgrounds and budgets, her list of clients grew quickly and organically. With less than 2 years in the business, Janet was recognized as a Top Producer by the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors (NVAR), was ranked in the Top 1% of residential sales in North America by Realty Alliance and is recognized as a Lifetime Member of the NVAR Multi-Million Dollar Sales Club.In 2012, Janet co-founded the award-winning “Dwellus” brand, and in 2015, Janet realized her vision of creating the Dwellus Luxury Homes International. Through its innovative marketing strategies and commitment to excellence, Dwellus is recognized annually by the Wall Street Journal Real Trends “The Thousand” and “America's Best” for sales volume, and Dwellus' Luxury Homes International Division, was credited by The Washington Post with selling the 2nd highest priced home in the State of Virginia in 2015.In her unremitting pursuit for professional growth, in 2016 Janet was given the opportunity to become CEO and Team Leader of the #1 Brokerage in Loudoun County and was appointed Director of Growth & Business Development for The Virginia Alliance Group at Keller Williams Realty in 2020. In these roles, Janet was able to fulfill her passion of coaching and training agents and consulting the leadership of team six market centers comprising 900+ agents in Northern Virginia and Richmond. Janet currently serves as the Director of Strategy & Growth at Dwellus and is a Growth Leader for the fastest growing, publicly traded REAL Brokerage.In spite of her busy career, Janet's core belief is based on the motto: God, Family, Business – in that order. She is a wife, mother of five, and leads a Local Outreach Ministry at her beloved Community Church in Ashburn, Virginia.Follow Janet on Instagram @janet.brinckFind Janet on LinkedIn @Janet BrinckSpecial thanks to our sponsor - Rachel Inman of the Mortgage Mommas. Learn more about her here - https://linktr.ee/mortgagemommas A HUGE thanks to our Patreon supporters as well. Click here to learn how you can support too! patreon.com/TheFaithfulAgentPodcast

Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court, Louis J. Perret, has served our community for 23 years, having been elected to serve on November 20, 1999. The clerk of court oversees the central repository of official records ranging from real estate sales and mortgage deeds, civil lawsuits, successions, adoptions, felony criminal charges, and much more.  They help you get certified copies of birth and death certificates. The clerk's office has over 16 million records going back to 1823. The clerk's office has over 8,000 vintage photos of Lafayette Parish's history, with approximately 3000 on display. We are all encouraged to share our photos with him so that he can continue to build a library of the story of Lafayette. The Elections Department oversees every facet of all elections that take place in Lafayette Parish. With the elections coming up on October 14, 2023, it seems very timely to hear from Louis Perret on all that's involved in the process. One quick fact: just in Lafayette Parish on October 14, 2023, taxpayers will spend $182,000 to cover the costs of election day. Expenses cover 906 commissioners who will be working, the clerk of court and registrar employees, along with janitors, the people who deliver the voting machines, close the building, etc. Louis admonishes all of us: There is no valid excuse for not voting!! Prior to his election as Clerk of Court, Perret served as District Director of the 7th Congressional District for Congressmen Jimmy Hayes and Chris John. (1986-1999) Perret served as co-chair of the Lafayette Bush/Cheney campaign in 2000. He served as an alternate delegate for George W. Bush at the 2000 Republican National Convention in Philadelphia. Louis Perret was selected in 1997 by the American Council of Young Political Leaders as a delegate to the People's Republic of China. He is a Lifetime Member of the ACYPL Alumni Council. Perret serves on the Board of Directors of Louisiana Capital (Small Business Lender) and has served since 2011 as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Regional Health System of Acadiana, which includes Women's & Children's Hospital and the Regional Medical Center Hospital. He formerly served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Women's & Children's Hospital from 2003 to 2008. He has been a board member since 1994. He is a partner in Golfballs.com and he is a founding member of NOBL (Network of Business Leaders). In 2002, Perret was elected to serve a three-year term on the Our Lady of Fatima Church Pastoral Council. He served on the Finance Council, as Vice President and President during his tenure on the Pastoral Council. Perret has served since 2003 as a Cub Leader, Adult Leader, Assistant Scoutmaster, and Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 446. In 2012, Perret was appointed to the Executive Board of the Evangeline Area Boy Scouts of America. Louis Perret is a NRA Certified Pistol, Rifle, and Shotgun Shooting Instructor, as well as a Range Safety Officer. A partial list of organizations he has raised money on behalf of include The United Way, Games of Acadiana, Children's Shelter, American Cancer Society, Duck's Unlimited and The Acadiana Outreach Center. Perret graduated from Our Lady of Fatima High School and The University of Southwestern Louisiana, (B.S.). He became a Certified Clerk of Court in 2000 by the Louisiana Clerks of Court Institute. In 2002, Louis Perret was the first Clerk of Court in the State of Louisiana to receive the Chancellor's Certificate in Public Administration from the University of Missouri offered through IACREOT. He was awarded the Advanced Chancellor's Certificate in 2008. He is married to the former Cheryl Broussard and is the father of two children, Ann E. and Max. For more information on the clerk's office, visit https://www.lpclerk.com/

[This blog will always be free to read, but it's also how I pay my bills. So, if you like what you read, please consider a paid subscription. And yes, I do speaking engagements.]In a matter of hours, England's women's national football team—known affectionately as “The Lionesses”—will compete against Spain in the first World Cup Final that England has seen in nearly six decades. For those unaware, football (known to us Americans as “soccer”) is massively popular in England. In fact, it's where “association football” (as it's formally termed to differentiate from variants) was born and popularized. In fact, even “massively popular” feels like a bit of an understatement. Football is one of those things that is central to British identity, right up there with the Royal Family, the Beatles, subtle and self-deprecating comedy, colonialism, and unseasoned food. Unfortunately, since its victory against Germany in the 1966 World Cup Final, the English men's team has failed to recapture that glory. In the intervening six decades, the closest they've come were two semi-final flameouts. Something akin to a national crisis occurred when they failed to even qualify for the 1994 Men's World Cup.So, I want y'all to humor a hypothetical. Imagine if England's men's national football team had made it to the World Cup Final last year in Qatar. As Americans, the best comparison we have is probably the 1980 Winter Olympics, in which a young U.S. team upset the U.S.S.R. juggernaut on the way to the gold medal.I don't mean in terms of direct sport comparison but national fervor. Our U.S. Women's National Team has been enormously successful and deserves all the plaudits, but here, too, sexism is rampant. Our country didn't screech to a halt for the last World Cup Final we were in.So, take that comparison on steroids, and you'd have the likely response of England to its men's team being on the verge of greatness. The country would practically shut down for the event. British media would be in a frenzy of orgasmic patriotism. Maybe the Spice Girls would even finally announce a new world tour.And this is what's key: there is no doubt—not a single doubt—that King Charles III, Prince William, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak would be attending the Men's World Cup Final in person. It is silly and childish to pretend otherwise. There is absolutely no way these three men miss that event.And yet, as of this writing—and it doesn't look as though things will change—neither King Charles nor Prince William nor Queen Camilla nor Princess Catherine nor any of the other British Royals nor Prime Minister Sunak will be attending the World Cup Final to cheer on The Lionesses.Literally all of the top British leadership are missing this historic event. But why? Is there a national crisis? Have they fallen ill? No. They're mostly “on vacation” and can't be bothered to attend. I'm not kidding.William & Kate and their young children are currently on holiday, though it's not especially clear why William can't get his happy ass on a plane ride to Sydney for a brief visit to celebrate this moment. Charles & Camilla didn't even bother to offer a reason, explaining through a press statement that they would be cheering on The Lionesses in front of a television at Buckingham Palace.PM Sunak has also failed to offer a reason, though it's almost understandable—almost but not quite—that a sitting prime minister may, in theory, have other factors to consider.Here's the kicker: Prince William has been the president of the Football Association—England's governing body for football—since 2006. He is the literal figurehead for English football, and though it may be mostly symbolic, that symbolism comes with a responsibility. As criticism of the Royals has ramped up, the Prince's press flacks have frantically and weakly attempted to float the absurd reasoning that William is missing the World Cup Final to reduce his carbon footprint. Yes, you read that right. Prince William is hiding behind climate change to avoid cheering on The Lionesses.Spain, on the other hand, didn't hesitate. Queen Letizia and her daughter Princess Sofia hopped on a plane and will be cheering on their women's team from a suite at Stadium Australia, along with 75,000 other spectators. It's quite embarrassing for the British Royals, and they should absolutely feel ashamed for the message this sends, not just to The Lionesses and their supporters but every woman and girl in the United Kingdom, who are being told, unequivocally, that women's sports are just not that important.William's advisors, sensing the growing public resentment could prove problematic, scrambled to have him film a 14 second video for the The Lionesses with Princess Charlotte, his 8 year-old daughter, sitting beside him. He said the following:“Lionesses, I want to send you a huge good luck for tomorrow, we're sorry we can't be there in person but we're so proud of everything you've achieved and the millions you've inspired here and around the world. So go out there tomorrow and really enjoy yourselves.”I do communications for a living, and sometimes, I have to explain to clients that the most important thing, bare minimum, is that your audience feels heard and you're making an effort. If nothing else, acknowledge the needs of your audience and that you care about those needs.Did anyone watch this video and really believe that William gives two s***s about The Lionesses? I don't. I think an exasperated advisor convinced him to sit down for a quick iPhone video and this is what we got. It's deeply underwhelming.I don't think I've ever seen a crisis comms response that is simultaneously aloof, cloying, weakly pandering, and vaguely annoyed. It's not only less than the bare minimum but so poorly attempted that it comes across as insulting. It feels as though William's teeth had to be pulled to make it.If you're gonna hinge your response on a video, why not make an effort? Talk about the importance of women's sports and what this World Cup Final must mean to girls across England. Talk about the growth of women's sports and why it makes England stronger.Get the entire family—William, Kate, George, Charlotte, and Louis—in the video, and have Kate talk about why their boys will be watching, too — why boys and young men have a responsibility to cheer on the girls and young women in their lives. I have to admit that even as an American, I feel angry over this. I feel angry for The Lionesses and women athletes in England generally and girls and women who know that if they bring up the clear disparity in support compared to male athletes, they'll be shouted down as “shrill feminists.”Enjoy your vacation, William. I know your job is so hard, after all. Charlotte's Web Thoughts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Hi, I'm Charlotte Clymer, and this is Charlotte's Web Thoughts, my Substack. It's completely free to access and read, but it's also how my bills! So, please do kindly consider upgrading to a paid subscription: just $7/month or save money with the $70/annual sub. You can also go way above and beyond by becoming a Lifetime Member at $250. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

[This blog will always be free to read, but it's also how I pay my bills. So, if you like what you read, please consider a paid subscription. And yes, I do speaking engagements.]About ten days ago, Oliver Anthony, a farmer and former factory worker in Virginia, uploaded a casual performance video of his new song “Rich Men North of Richmond” to YouTube. As of this morning, it's been viewed nearly 15 million times. Mr. Anthony, with no previous experience in the music industry, now has the #1 song on Apple's global music chart and may well top Billboard's Hot 100 by next week.It would be easy to claim this is the result of astroturfing (that's when a “grassroots” campaign is fabricated), and sure enough, some progressive commentators have been loud in their suspicions. The overnight groundswell of support in rightwing media for Mr. Anthony's debut—every far-right luminary from Kari Lake to Matt Walsh has spent the past week hyping the song—doesn't help in that vein.But there are two big things that undermine this theory. The first is that Mr. Anthony has a legitimately great voice and when set to a simple guitar accompaniment, there is an undeniable gravitas to his delivery. If some of the lyrics were different, it'd be easy to see this emerge as a mainstream, crossover chart-topper that appeals to folks across the political spectrum.The second thing is authenticity. Unlike Jason Aldean's hypocritical screed “Try That in a Small Town” (Mr. Aldean is neither from a small town nor has he ever lived in one, nor did he write the song), Mr. Anthony has plenty of blue collar credibility and penned his own lyrics.There's also the difference in aesthetics. Mr. Aldean's music video for “Try That in a Small Town” (which clumsily uses stock footage from protests in Canada) feels like a weak-ass, racist clone of any given bro country music video on CMT. Mr. Anthony's video, on the other hand, is just him and his guitar and a microphone set up with the Virginia countryside in the background.Where Mr. Aldean comes across as too corporate and pandering for his own good, Mr. Anthony, clad in a sweaty t-shirt, looks like he just told his buddy to set up a camera on the farm and get this all in one take. The visuals are simple and natural and powerful, which is, I strongly believe, partly what's making this song go mega viral. Hell, maybe we will find out that this is a particularly sophisticated campaign by the far-right to stir up nonsense, but I honestly don't think that's it. I think Mr. Anthony made an unusually compelling song with an unusually compelling video and it landed in the right hands at the right time. Nevertheless, it's unfortunate that Mr. Anthony's song could have been a broad call to unite against corporate corruption but instead, he settled for a confused, distracted, and unkind broadside against vulnerable people. The far-right appears to love this song not so much for its gorgeous melody and his voice but the dogwhistles strewn throughout the lyrics.The first 45 seconds or so are pretty straightforward and, on their own, could even be mistaken for a leftist anthem:I've been sellin' my soul, workin' all dayOvertime hours for b******t paySo I can sit out here and waste my life awayDrag back home and drown my troubles awayIt's a damn shame what the world's gotten toFor people like me and people like youWish I could just wake up and it not be trueBut it is, oh, it isLivin' in the new worldWith an old soulAnd then, things take a sudden turn:These rich men north of RichmondLord knows they all just wanna have total controlWanna know what you think, wanna know what you doAnd they don't think you know, but I know that you do'Cause your dollar ain't s**t and it's taxed to no end'Cause of rich men north of RichmondObviously, those are references to cancel culture, censorship, and taxation being promoted by politicians in D.C. (a few hours north of Richmond, Virginia). Still, even so, these are pretty garden variety conservative lyrics.But suddenly, without warning, things go off the rails:I wish politicians would look out for minersAnd not just minors on an island somewhereLord, we got folks in the street, ain't got nothin' to eatAnd the obese milkin' welfareWell, God, if you're 5-foot-3 and you're 300 poundsTaxes ought not to pay for your bags of fudge roundsYoung men are puttin' themselves six feet in the ground'Cause all this damn country does is keep on kickin' them downYou caught all that, right? The “minors on an island somewhere” is referencing Jeffrey Epstein, the infamous, dead pedophile-rapist-trafficker whose name has become synonymous with the most shameless QAnon conspiracy theories. In fairness, the welfare bit could be an honest condemnation of all welfare by Mr. Anthony, but in a conservative context, it's almost always a dogwhistle referencing “welfare queens,” the term popularized by then-candidate Ronald Reagan to horribly, implicitly slander Black mothers.(Then again, if Mr. Anthony is condemning all welfare, how would that work out for folks in the street who ain't got nothin' to eat? Hmmm. Also: Republican-led states benefit the most from federal welfare programs, which is, curiously, an essential fact that's routinely left out of these conversations by conservatives.)Mr. Anthony then curiously attacks overweight folks, claiming our taxes are paying for their fudge, and then pairs this with a reference to the “War on Boys” or “War on Men” or “War on Masculinity” or whatever grifting, nonsense framing the far-right is using these days to claim masculinity is in trouble.After that second (and final) verse, Mr. Anthony finishes with his chorus, where, now, the words “people like me and people like you” hit a lot differently than they did at the beginning of the song.So, is this meant to be a rightwing anthem? Is Mr. Anthony a diehard Trump supporter? According to him, not the case, and I gotta say: I think he's being sincere when he says that. In a video commentary posted to his YouTube channel the day before the release of this song, Mr. Anthony states: “I sit pretty dead center down the aisle on politics and, always have. I remember as a kid the conservatives wanting war, and me not understanding that. And I remember a lot of the controversies when the left took office, and it seems like, you know, both sides serve the same master. And that master is not someone of any good to the people of this country.”Do I agree with all that? No, I don't. I think there are crooked politicians across the political spectrum but only one party is actively fighting to undermine working class and middle class families, and I think that's obvious to anyone willing to be honest with themselves.And yet, the rest of the video is unexpectedly disarming. Mr. Anthony genuinely comes across as reasonable, humble, and compassionate. I could definitely see myself sharing a beer with the guy in that video, and yet, it's hard to reconcile the guy in that video with the guy who wrote that song. They don't seem like the same person. In my most generous reading of all this, I think Mr. Anthony is a nice man with a good heart who wants to do right by others and has simply been exploited overnight by rightwing media who see a useful vehicle for their grifting. But then, I go back to those inflammatory lyrics. Those weren't written by accident. They're mean-spirited and unapologetically conspiracy-minded and definitely not middle-of-the-road politically. It's clear that the who's who among the far-right want to turn Mr. Anthony into the voice of their movement. They have latched on to him with a quickness. There is no doubt in my mind they'll soon claim his music is being censored or repressed by “liberal media” (contrary to the widespread coverage he's already received in mainstream media).Only time will tell if Mr. Anthony is his own man — and better than that: the man we saw in his introduction video. I pray that's the man who emerges from all this.Charlotte's Web Thoughts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Hi, I'm Charlotte Clymer, and this is Charlotte's Web Thoughts, my Substack. It's completely free to access and read, but it's also how my bills! So, please do kindly consider upgrading to a paid subscription: just $7/month or save money with the $70/annual sub. You can also go way above and beyond by becoming a Lifetime Member at $250. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

[This blog will always be free to read, but it's also how I pay my bills. So, if you like what you read, please consider a paid subscription. And yes, I do speaking engagements.]I often feel old these days, though I know I'm not. I'm only 36, but don't try telling my body that. My back is often sore. My joints move like caramel popcorn being squeezed. I've reached the point in my life—probably earlier than what's healthy—in which, occasionally, taking a few ibuprofen has become an anticipatory action.But I have noticed—though I don't want to speak for anyone else here—that the most compelling proof I'm getting older is in watching those who built the world of my childhood pass on.There is something about that time, coming-of-age, the latter part of early childhood to adolescence, in which reality is simultaneously being crystallized and suspended, brought into sharper clarity but not-so-threatening. In youth, we experience the peak of a mindset in which the consequences of our actions seem highly plausible but still somehow unlikely. (By the way, this is one of the many reasons I do not wish to be a parent: I have, thus far, failed to fully grasp the careful art of understanding consequence without allowing it to hold me back in necessary moments, and I can't imagine being qualified to teach a child this essential life skill. Hats off to you parents who are capably doing so.)As a child, I understood death and appropriately feared it to a degree. I understood that I could die. Of course I could die. I was a little s**t effortlessly rendered helpless and swelling by a random bee sting. My mortality was not up for debate in my own mind.My failure as a child was understanding the mortality of others and the ensuing paradox that arose from that (again, in my own mind). Yes, I could die, but these adults in my life were much stronger and somehow less likely to die. When I was nine years old—and I think this is true for the vast majority of people—even the thought of making it to thirty felt on par with traveling to the Moon. Plausible, I guess, but justifiably too far away to put much thought into it.Because that perception of time is so cavernous, it felt like the reasonably healthy adults in my life might live forever. They would not, and I knew this, of course. But for a small part of me, it felt that way, and so long as they were perceived to be in relatively good health, there was no reason to adjust that perception. They had already traveled to the Moon. Who was I, with more fingers than years, to say they ever needed to stop traveling?I remember exactly where I was when Robin Williams died. I was sitting at a seafood restaurant's outdoor section in Bar Harbor, Maine. I was on a vacation with my ex-girlfriend. It had been a pleasant trip, full of fun and adventure. She had left to use the restroom, and I sat there at the table, briefly alone, basking in the comfort of our gorgeous surroundings.My phone buzzed, I picked it up, and the notification ruthlessly glared back at me. I don't remember if it was CNN or NYT or whatever, but my brain, refusing to accept it, quickly decided a sick joke was being played. A particularly successful hoax had been perpetrated. There was absolutely no way Robin Williams was dead. Impossible.I searched around and read what you might read in a few minutes from reputable sources, too many outlets with too many details for it to be wrong. I don't remember when she came back to the table, but at some point, she was again seated across from me and asking if I was okay. I recall looking up at her, not sure how to say it, and realized that most of these other folks seated around us probably hadn't heard the news yet, either. And I really, truly envied them.Robin Williams' death was the first time my brain seemingly wouldn't accept new information. It was the strangest damn thing. For six or seven months, I would occasionally forget he died and then be reminded and feel a bit shocked all over again, embarrassed by my unintentional childishness. If you grew up in the ‘90s, Robin Williams was Genie and Jack and Peter Pan and Prof. Brainard and Patch Adams and, hell, for those of us staying up way later than we should have been, we knew him as Mork on Nick-at-Nite, too.He was the Ultimate Fun Uncle to millennials, and yes, we knew he was mortal, but that was still no excuse to defy our childish expectations that he live forever. Someone as special as Robin Williams isn't supposed to die—not just early but at all—even though we know that's completely irrational. When Sinead O'Connor and Paul Reuben died within a week of each other, I wrote a small note of condolence for Gen-X on Twitter, believing that most of the folks of that generation were experiencing a bit too many reminders of our collective mortality in such a short span of time. When the celebrities that defined your youth die, it hurts a little more than usual. I don't believe every person of a certain age experiences this the same way, nor do I believe any person outside a particular generation isn't just as hurt by a particular person's death, if not moreso.But I do believe in generational grief, a specific type of pain that comes with notable deaths of those adults we revered in childhood. In fact, reverence isn't even required. Even the reminder of that person's presence in the world when you were a kid is enough to be poked in the side by Death's hand and told: someday, it will be you.I have never been good at grieving. I'm not even sure what “good” looks like. My mother died three years ago, and I would be lying if I said that I've moved past it. I know I haven't, and worst yet, I'm not sure how it would look to do so. In the time since, with the goal of better understanding it all, I have written something like 20,000 words about our relationship, which was quite unhealthy, to put it mildly. Sometimes, I think about publishing an essay on her and quickly throw away the idea. I wonder who needs to read it, and if no one, then aren't I just writing it for myself? And if so, who else needs to read it?I say again, I have never been good at grieving, whatever that's supposed to be.Along with most of my friends, who are around my age, I am entering a period of my life in which death, unexpected and otherwise, is increasingly becoming a far more prominent feature of living. In the past several years, alone, I have lost several friends and even more colleagues.That's life, I know. That's how it works. Grief, I guess, is the active process of feeling what needs to be felt, whatever that may be, with the hopeful goal of getting back to active living.Much easier said than done. In the meantime, I'm trying to be more grateful for the people in my life now who make it worth living, those who hung the Moon in my sky while I've been too worried about missing it. Charlotte's Web Thoughts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Hi, I'm Charlotte Clymer, and this is Charlotte's Web Thoughts, my Substack. It's completely free to access and read, but it's also how my bills! So, please do kindly consider upgrading to a paid subscription: just $7/month or save money with the $70/annual sub. You can also go way above and beyond by becoming a Lifetime Member at $250. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

[This blog will always be free to read, but it's also how I pay my bills. So, if you like what you read, please consider a paid subscription. And yes, I do speaking engagements.]This past May, country star Jason Aldean released a new song called “Try That in a Small Town,” which has lyrics that are—there's really no nice way to say this—corny as hell. I've been listening to country music all my life, and I gotta say that Mr. Aldean's latest single sounds as though ChatGPT were asked to write an excessively generic bro country song sung by a white nationalist and this is what we got. There are many commentators correctly pointing out that the song amounts to a symphony of racist dog whistles, but also: I just find it so incredibly boring as to be tedious beyond belief.“Bro country” as a sub-genre tends to be tedious because it prioritizes commercial value to a specific demographic—aggrieved, conservative white men—over storytelling, which, in my humble opinion, is what historically makes country music so damn compelling. I grew up watching CMT (Country Music Television) and listening to country radio, and I firmly believe the ‘90s were a golden age for the genre. George Strait, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood, Randy Travis, Alan Jackson, etc. — so many catalogues chock-full of superb storytelling. And yet, even that cohort pales in comparison to the greats who became before them: Alabama, Dolly Parton, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, etc. etc. etc. (I'm just rattling these off in no particular order, so please don't get on me for not including one of your faves.)Anyway, in more capable hands, country is a high art and fun as hell. Bro country, on the other hand, is off-brand fast food produced with the specific intention of placating insecure, white, conservative men who perceive the genre as a bastion for their beliefs in a changing world.About two weeks ago, Mr. Aldean released a music video for his new single that left no doubt as to what he was attempting to communicate via the lyrics he sings (but did not write, which ain't that surprising given that Mr. Aldean hasn't written any of his singles since 2009).The music video—which I will not link here but you're than welcome to google it—has Mr. Aldean singing with his band in front of the Maury County Courthouse in Nashville, TN while a montage of violent scenes from protests against white supremacy are projected on the building. The intent of this imagery is very clear: Mr. Aldean is attempting to pander to white nationalists who believe that Black Lives Matter protestors are, somehow, a threat to The Heartland™ and that, somehow, “small towns” are shining beacons of patriotic light in the chaos.It doesn't help that, as many commentators have pointed out, the Maury County Courthouse is the site of the 1927 lynching of Henry Choate, a Black teenager who was murdered by a white mob after being falsely accused of raping a young white woman.The song and video together essentially equate protesting white supremacy with violent crime whilst simultaneously threatening said protestors with violence if they ever do “try that in a small town.”You get the picture. It's racist as f**k, and it should be called out as such.It's so bad, in fact, that CMT pulled the video from rotation only four days after its release, which, in case you're wondering, is extremely rare. So, not great, to say the very least, but there's something else to all this that I believe isn't being discussed enough: what exactly is a “small town”?According to a 2020 report from the U.S. Census Bureau (“America: A Nation of Small Towns”), incorporated places of the small variety are defined as having a population of less than 5,000 residents. Interestingly, under that definition, the report points out that 76 percent of the nation's population live in small towns, and more than 40 percent live in towns with a population of less than 500. Thus, if you randomly pick a resident of the United States at random, it is more than likely that person lives in a small town. Even more interestingly: Jason Aldean is not one of them and never has been. Mr. Aldean was born and raised in Macon, Georgia — which, at more than 157,000 residents, is the fourth largest city in the state and ranks #166 nationally. That may not seem all that high up until you consider it's out of 19,500 incorporated places in the United States. That means Macon has a bigger population than 98.5 percent of places in our country, which isn't too surprising if you know anything about Macon. It has not one but TWO airports. It has six hospitals. It has five college campuses. It has robust local media, print and television. But here's the biggest clue that Macon isn't a “small town”: tens of millions of folks who've never visited Macon have at least heard of it. It's referenced in Margaret Mitchell's “Gone With the Wind” and in a “Simpsons” episode and in countless books on the Civil War given that Macon was the official arsenal of the Confederacy.Mr. Aldean did spend summers with his father in Homestead, Florida — which has a population of over 80,000. That's still a far cry from being a “small town” and even moreso when you consider that it's a suburb of Miami and has a population density several times that of Macon.Mr. Aldean's entire professional career has been spent in Atlanta (pop. 498,715) and Nashville (pop. 689,447), so there's ain't any help there, either. So, it has to be asked: is Mr. Aldean confused? He could be, and I think I may have found a clue as to why.Mr. Aldean, who has shaped his career around projecting the image of a good ole boy from simple beginnings, is an alum of the Windsor Academy, a K-12 private school in Macon that has a not-so-cheap tuition price tag of nearly $9,000 annually for every student in 5th grade and above. Hey, don't worry, y'all: the Windsor Academy has a rigorous financial aid program and offers limited scholarships. Of course, if a student's family does fall behind on tuition payments, barring extraordinary circumstances, they're ineligible to receive financial aid until satisfying delinquent payments.I bring this up because the full student body, across all grades, K-12, is just over 300 students. This could be the reason Mr. Aldean believes he relates to small town life: the vantage point of his small private school experience.So, essentially, with Mr. Aldean, what we have here is a prep school dilettante who was raised in a big city, singing a song he didn't write about an experience he never had, accompanied with a music video of which much of the footage was filmed in Canada.Mr. Aldean has about as much credibility describing the “small town” experience as I would have working alongside the professionals of a NASCAR pit crew, and trust me, folks: you sure as hell don't want me doing that. I respect my limitations.Listen, y'all, this isn't supposed to be literal. We all sense that. Mr. Aldean is not really attempting to describe actual “small town” life. He's trying to pander to a specific feeling of a particular demographic that happily codes their bigotry with information shortcuts.“Small town” does not mean a place that is literally small; it's a symbol of a passed society for which Mr. Aldean and like-minded folks openly pine. It's openly fantasizing for a time in which there was no question that folks who look like Mr. Aldean called all the shots. But even aside from the biggest problem here—the racist bullhorn aspect—it's also just incredibly insulting to folks who live in small towns. It's condescending. It's infantilizing. The vast majority of folks who live in small towns don't feel threatened by those who are different from them. They don't solve their problems with violence. It erases people of color (particularly Black folks), LGBTQ people, religious minorities, and social progressives who are just as much apart of small town life (and always have been).That's what's most glaring about Mr. Aldean's pandering: it's obvious he simply doesn't know the folks who live in small towns beyond his tourism.In 2017, Mr. Aldean was performing onstage at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival when a mass shooter opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, murdering 60 people. It is still the deadliest mass shooting by a lone gunman in American history.I don't blame Mr. Aldean one bit for his response in that moment. I truly don't. He could have used his microphone to urge folks to seek cover. He could have rushed into the crowd to save folks or administer aid. Instead, he ran backstage. I would have done the same thing. I think most folks would. I don't think I would have had the wherewithal to be immediately helpful in that chaos.Then again, I would never release a song, six years later, suggesting otherwise, and that's partly the problem here. Let's hope Mr. Aldean embraces the concept of extending grace and nuance toward others as much as he expects it for himself.Charlotte's Web Thoughts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Hi, I'm Charlotte Clymer, and this is Charlotte's Web Thoughts, my Substack. It's completely free to access and read, but it's also how my bills! So, please do kindly consider upgrading to a paid subscription: just $7/month or save money with the $70/annual sub. You can also go way above and beyond by becoming a Lifetime Member at $250. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

[This blog will always be free to read, but it's also how I pay my bills. So, if you like what you read, please consider a paid subscription. And yes, I do speaking engagements.]There are two highly anticipated films being released this week. One of them is about an iconic and controversial public figure from the 20th century, their influence on how we perceive ourselves and each other, and how they reflect the enduring cognitive dissonance between our stated values as a society and the reality of our myriad systemic hypocrisies.The other movie is about J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb.Greta Gerwig's “Barbie” is somehow both the perfect summer flick—hilarious and fun as hell—and an unflinching critique of a universal brand that has sold more than a billion dolls since its launch in 1959.This is the fourth directorial effort from Gerwig, who received consecutive Oscar screenplay nominations for her two previous films, “Little Women” (2019) and “Lady Bird” (2017), the latter of which garnered her a directing nod, only the fifth woman to be in that category.She is also an exceptional actor. Her performance in “Frances Ha” (2014)—one of my favorites—was widely praised and led to a Golden Globe nod for Best Actress in a Comedy.Gerwig does two things particularly well in her work: she makes us laugh, and she makes us think. It is no surprise then that “Barbie” feels like an especially potent trojan horse, beckoning us with well-earned laughter into a larger conversation on gender and how Barbie—the defining cultural symbol of high femme expression—has shaped that discourse over the past six decades.Neither preachy nor pandering, Gerwig is searingly honest and admirably fair in the screenplay she co-wrote with longtime partner Noah Baumbach. Barbie, the iconic doll, is rendered here—played brilliantly by Margot Robbie—as neither saint nor villain. She is an ever-changing projection of social views that have amalgamated during her tenure at the top of the toy world. Gerwig drills into that dynamic at the center of the film's plot. Barbie, who is initially depicted in a montage of the Barbieworld utopia—a gorgeous Dreamhouse, a sexy Barbie Convertible, great friends, perpetual sunshine—is randomly confronted with thoughts of death and finds herself literally caught flat-footed. She consults with Weird Barbie—the iconoclast of Barbie Land, played pitch perfect by Kate McKinnon—who explains to her that these changes are from the outside world, the thoughts of a girl playing with her.Barbie reluctantly sets out to find this girl in the real world and make things right, so she can get back to her daily utopia. She is joined by Ken (Ryan Gosling), who cannot perceive of himself as anything other than an extension of Barbie and the two are shocked to find that the real world is an inverse of gender power dynamics. In Barbie Land, the Barbies run everything and the Kens (and poor Allan) are merely accessories, but in the real world, Ken discovers the fast-food-like joys of patriarchy in a hilarious sequence of scenes while Barbie contends with unbridled misogyny for the first time. Moreover, upon finding the young woman who played with her, she learns that Barbies are considered by many girls to be enablers of the patriarchy.If this all seems like a lot, it's a testament to Gerwig's brilliance in putting it onscreen, in which zippy dialogue and clever sight gags in a visual feast acknowledge the nuances of Barbie's complicated legacy without even a hint that we should give up on Barbie. On the contrary, Robbie imbues Barbie with such empathy and charm that it's impossible not to root for her.And yet, Gerwig doesn't shy away from putting Mattel on blast, whom are depicted in the film as an all-male Board of Directors led by Will Ferrell, who humorously attempts to get Barbie out of the real world and back to Barbie Land. Ferrell's clumsy attempt to insist to Barbie that women are important to Mattel's history while surrounded by his all-male colleagues is one of the funnier bits of dialogue in a flick packed with hilarious exchanges and zingers.Many of those zingers and other thoughtful lines are delivered by an outstanding supporting cast: Rhea Perlman, Issa Rae, and Emma Mackey among them. I was quite delighted to see Hari Nef play one of the Barbies with substantial dialogue, and she is magnificent in this. Some fun cameos include Dua Lipa and John Cena as mermaids (ahem, excuse me, Cena is a “Kenmaid”).Without giving anything away, I was particularly taken with America Ferrera's performance as Gloria, an employee of Mattel and mom of the teen girl being sought out by Barbie. Ferrera is an outstanding generational bridge between contrasting views on Barbie, her character having a complicated nostalgia for the doll while her daughter rejects it. But it's Ferrera's monologue on what it means to be a woman about two-thirds through the film that marks a standout moment. Honest, funny, and a bit depressing, the speech captures the essence of what makes Barbie's legacy so uneven. It serves as an anchor for the story, forcing the viewer to confront some unhappy but necessary truths.Again, what makes Gerwig's vision so brilliant is in how the seriousness of the film's discussion on gender neither washes out the fun nor is diminished by it. It's a tightrope act that Gerwig walks with fantastic balance. The film wouldn't be nearly as fun without her honest framing.Gosling is especially a joy to watch. The Ultimate Himbo, after discovering patriarchy in the real world, Ken rushes back to Barbie Land to become something of a Jordan Peterson guru to the other Kens, except where Peterson has zero charm and is the dipshit's idea of a smart man, Gosling is quite hilarious and charming in parodying him.As Ken realizes that he has to define himself separate from Barbie and not treat her as the source of his self-worth and therapeutic needs—HINT HINT HINT—Barbie is realizing that she may want a lot more with her existence than what she's always had.Don't worry: no spoilers, but the ending is particularly moving and well-written.I'm going with my girlfriends to see it again on Saturday. We will all dress in hot pink and laugh at the biting humor. Then, we'll probably get drinks and talk about Gerwig's clever approach in unpacking the complexity of Barbie and the closing line of the movie, which alludes to how this whole conversation on gender and womanhood is based on a doll without a vagina.“Barbie” is in theaters this Friday, July 21st. Four stars. Go see it.Charlotte's Web Thoughts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Hi, I'm Charlotte Clymer, and this is Charlotte's Web Thoughts, my Substack. It's completely free to access and read, but it's also how my bills! So, please do kindly consider upgrading to a paid subscription: just $7/month or save money with the $70/annual sub. You can also go way above and beyond by becoming a Lifetime Member at $250. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

[This blog will always be free to read, but it's also how I pay my bills. So, if you like what you read, please consider a paid subscription. And yes, I do speaking engagements.]You may have heard about the organization Moms for Liberty. It was founded in early 2021 with the initial purpose of advocating against COVID-era protections in schools, like vaccines and mask mandates. Over the past two years, the group has become far more infamous for their support of book bans, censoring any mention of white supremacy, anti-Blackness, and LGBTQ identities in textbooks, and calling for the segregation of LGBTQ students into special classes. The org has ties to the Proud Boys and Three Percenters, both of which, as I'm sure y'all know, are extremist, anti-government groups. This year, the Southern Poverty Law Center designated Moms for Liberty an “extremist” group itself, laying out its active presence within the far-right movement since its launch. The latest round of controversy involving Moms for Liberty is in how they've taken to quoting Hitler, Stalin, and Mao during their events — almost always in the context of pointing out the evils of indoctrinating youth. Moms for Liberty and their defenders will claim that this is being taken out-of-context and that quoting violent dictators isn't meant to defend those dictators but merely implying that their ideology aligns with the far-left, particularly on issues of LGBTQ equality. I don't believe that Moms for Liberty is lionizing Hitler, Stalin, and Mao. I also don't believe that the group has read much into the history of these tyrants, either. Before we get to the meat of all this, let's point out the obvious: reconciling Stalin's role in helping defeat Nazi Germany—and thus, helping to save the Western hemisphere—with his legacy as a mass-murdering piece-of-s**t. I imagine that the following conversation has taken place many times in these conservative homes that so heavily rely on information shortcuts and not so much the depth that history deserves:Teenager: Dad, this Hitler guy seems pretty evil.Dad: He sure was. Your great-grandfather served in the Army. He was part of the Normandy landings. It's because of men like your great-grandfather that we're free.Teenager: That's really cool. I'm proud of him. It was a coalition of countries, right?Dad: That's right. We were part of the Allies. A number of countries worked together to defeat Germany, Japan, and Italy.Teenager: Russia was our ally, right? Stalin?Dad: Well… yes, in that particular war, Russia was our ally.Teenager: So, Stalin helped keep the world free, too.Dad: It's more complicated than that. Yes, Russia helped, but Stalin was evil, too.Teenager: I read that the U.S.S.R. lost 11 million people during WWII, more than 22 times the fatalities of the United States. It sounds like they did a lot more than help.Dad: Look, just shut up, and eat your dinner.Because, it turns out, history is often complicated! We would have lost World War II without the U.S.S.R. and its evil dictator. Stalin was absolutely a mass-murdering piece-of-s**t, and yet, somehow, white Christian nationalists would have their children believe that the U.S. singlehandedly defeated Hitler.We live in an era that has become calcified by information shortcuts following the larger part of a century's worth of relentless propaganda about American exceptionalism and the evils of anything remotely adjacent to Nazi Germany and the Communist movement.There is no room for nuance. If you bring up that the single-day most devastating wartime acts of murdering civilians were carried out by the United States in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, you are a traitor to the brave heroes in uniform who sacrificed everything for our country.If you bring up that Nazi Germany's horrific laws and policies took significant inspiration from U.S. white supremacist laws and policies, you are claiming that the U.S. has a history comparable to what Nazi Germany did — which, given the millions of Black people enslaved and tortured and raped and murdered in our country and the white supremacist laws thereafter via Jim Crow, is fairly accurate.Groups like Moms for Liberty don't want our country's history to be told. They want fairy tales that help them sleep at night, free from the enduring burden carried by the countless millions of descendants-of-enslaved-people in our country.I'm not trying to make anyone uncomfortable here — though, if you'll allow me to say so, discomfort is often a gift because it means we have learning left to do. I wish Moms for Liberty were inclined to examine their own discomfort and take the cue that they have learning left to do, as well.If they did, they would realize that Hitler and Stalin and Mao would absolutely support their indoctrination of children against LGBTQ rights. All three dictators were viciously anti-LGBTQ. Let's take a tour!HitlerLGBTQ people—primarily homosexual and bisexual men—were persecuted by Nazi Germany as soon as Hitler came to power. Thousands of queer people would be murdered in concentration camps and public streets and detainment centers. LGBTQ people who were imprisoned were forced to wear an inverted pink triangle to identity them as “sexually immoral” and thus at odds with Hitler's vision — you may recognize this as the logo of ACT UP, the LGBTQ advocacy group most prominent during the HIV and AIDS crisis. The Institute for Sex Research—the world's first sexology institute, based in Berlin—was raided in the early days of the Third Reich and was an early prominent target of book burnings, its entire archives destroyed by the Nazis.StalinIn 1917, following the Bolshevik Revolution, under Vladimir Lenin, homosexuality was decriminalized by the Soviet government, but under Stalin, it was re-criminalized in 1933, carrying up to five years of hard labor for relations between gay and bisexual men. Interestingly, Soviet propaganda linked homosexuality to Nazi Germany at the same time that Hitler was sending queer people into camps. It's been estimated that up to 1,000 gay men in Soviet Russia were imprisoned annually for their sexual orientation under Stalin's leadership. It was later revealed in declassified documents that he personally ordered an anti-gay law to be implemented. MaoAlthough I haven't found definitive confirmation, there's substantial evidence that LGBTQ people—particularly gay and bisexual men—were persecuted under the rule of Mao Zedong after the Chinese Communist Revolution. Mao supposedly believed queer men should be castrated for their “deviancy,” and in addition to the thousands of gay and bisexual Chinese men who reported systemic discrimination while seeking asylum, there are confirmed reports of gay and bisexual men being forced to undergo electric shock therapy as a treatment for their sexual orientation.There you have it. Hitler, Stalin, and Mao—the triumvirate of conservative boogeyman bedtime story hour—have a lot in common with the Republican Party when it comes to LGBTQ rights. So, while far-right extremists like Moms for Liberty openly quote these dictators in an attempt to fear-monger over the belief that LGBTQ people are trying to indoctrinate kids (never mind that I barely have time to pick up my dry cleaning this week), those same dictators were essentially making the same claims about LGBTQ people in their own time.Can I close with a point that should be painfully obvious to anyone with common sense?Folks like those in Moms for Liberty fall back on some of the most extremist literature written by some of history's most evil people, openly quoting it to their kids, and then pretend that their children are somehow unprepared to read a picture book about a woodland creature with two moms.The entire conservative blogosphere melted down when there was even just acknowledgement of gay anteaters or koalas or whatever the hell in the PBS children's show “Arthur,” but sure, do go on reading whole passages from the Little Red Book or Mein Kampf to your children.By the way, for the millionth time, this has never been about the kids. This is about adults who can't negotiate their own internal discomfort about the world around them or be open to the 8 billion other experiences on this planet and have now put that labor on their children.Your kid is going to learn at some point that some of their peers have two moms or that some of their peers are trans or that they, themselves, are LGBTQ, and that it used to be a lot harder to simply exist as such in most spaces and they're gonna struggle to reconcile the current, positive visibility of LGBTQ people with your hateful propaganda.I say with all sincerity that I pray for your children's health and happiness, that they may find an open heart in you when that times comes — that last bit being for your own sake.Charlotte's Web Thoughts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Hi, I'm Charlotte Clymer, and this is Charlotte's Web Thoughts, my Substack. It's completely free to access and read, but it's also how my bills! So, please do kindly consider upgrading to a paid subscription: just $7/month or save money with the $70/annual sub. You can also go way above and beyond by becoming a Lifetime Member at $250. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

[This blog will always be free to read, but it's also how I pay my bills. So, if you like what you read, please consider a paid subscription. And yes, I do speaking engagements. If you need a Pride Month speaker, hit me up.]My earliest memory of patriotism is from kindergarten. My family was living in a cramped apartment building, and every morning, as I waited for the bus to fetch me, the property manager would bring out an American flag to the pole resting in a grassy island in the middle of the parking lot. I don't know when I started doing this, but it only made sense for me to salute the flag as it was hoisted. I had seen it on television—soldiers rendering their own salutes—and I imitated them.The property manager got a big kick out of this, and his beaming face only served to encourage my foal-like love of country.The seed planted at that early age was invaluable. I had a broken family and an abusive home, and as a child, long before I really knew why, I needed some kind of pride in something — a value system, a set of beliefs, a confident path out of fear and uncertainty.When you're a kid who knows a little too much and doesn't have much—materially and parentally—it can feel brutally lonely and hopeless. In those early years, I had public schools teachers who told us that we could be anything we wanted in this country if we were willing to work hard to achieve it. To be fair, I don't think it'd be remotely accurate to say that's true. Privilege is a real thing, and I have found, far too often, that those with it seem unwilling or unable to see it.But at that time, I bought into it. I studied hard, I stayed out of trouble, I dreamed big, and, above all, I wanted to serve my country. For many, this is far too earnest. It smacks of naïveté and propaganda and jingoism and indoctrination into the ideology of American exceptionalism, specifically created to enable the military-industrial complex and keep the most elite in power.I can't deny our country is built on a horrific past, and moreover, we have an obligation to confront it, be honest about it, and rectify it, whatever discomfort that will entail.But I do love my country. I love America. I often feel disappointed by what happens in this country—and in recent years, with increasing frequency—but I have never abandoned a feeling of pride in what this country could be. I am a proud American because I still believe there are countless people in this nation who also believe in the vision of a country where no one is oppressed and where no one gets left behind.In spite of our history, I still believe America has the potential to be a model society, and it is because of this belief that I rarely felt lonelier in my perspective than I have in recent years.I am a trans woman living in a country in which a major political party has made it one of their prime policy objectives to eradicate people like me, for no more reason than mollifying their own fear and insecurity.I have watched my community become a scapegoat through which mainstream politicians seek to shamelessly pander to their base and exploit unyielding ignorance for fundraising and political gain.My community is living through a nightmare of violent propaganda from which there appears to be no immediate escape. It is, of course, not just the trans community. Every marginalized community is witnessing a moment in which the human imperative to be empathetic and respectful, the very basics of decency toward others, is derided as “woke.”And thus, I can understand why there are some in marginalized communities who see a trans woman wave an American flag and can't help but feel annoyance and frustration.My fluency in the language of pain is only native to the hurt I've experienced. I cannot fully understand the complexity of pain others experience that is varied from my own, nor do I pretend to understand it.But respectfully: I have pride in my country because over the course of my life, it is has often been one of the few things that kept me going. Imperfect and struggling though it may be, I have to believe in America because I have already thrown my whole self into the idea of it.And I do believe in this country. I still believe we can be something grand and hopeful and proud and inclusive, if only we'll keep it up long enough to finally make the choices required to that end.I hope all of you will enjoy time with your family and friends today, and more than that, I hope you'll take time to remind your kids of the country we could have someday.Happy Fourth to you and yours.Charlotte's Web Thoughts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Hi, I'm Charlotte Clymer, and this is Charlotte's Web Thoughts, my Substack. It's completely free to access and read, but it's also how my bills! So, please do kindly consider upgrading to a paid subscription: just $7/month or save money with the $70/annual sub. You can also go way above and beyond by becoming a Lifetime Member at $250. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

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[This blog will always be free to read, but it's also how I pay my bills. So, if you like what you read, please consider a paid subscription. And yes, I do speaking engagements. If you need a Pride Month speaker, hit me up.]This weekend, Lance Armstrong announced a video interview with Caitlyn Jenner regarding trans inclusion in sports, as part of a series which he'll begin releasing today.I don't know why Mr. Armstrong woke up one morning recently and decided that trans athletes and "fairness in sports" should be a topic that needs his public exploration, but I do have thoughts on all this and context for those without it. First, let's get the obvious out of the way: as most folks know, in 2012, Mr. Armstrong received a lifetime ban from basically all competitive sports--not just cycling--after declining to challenge the findings of an investigation by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. The findings were so damning that he was stripped of all his Tour de France victories and dropped by every sponsor.What did the USADA say about Mr. Armstrong?That he was the ringleader of "the most sophisticated, professionalized, and successful doping program that sport has ever seen."Not just in cycling. Not just in an American context. But in the history of sports. Ever.And hey, look, even now--just as in baseball--there are folks, including Mr. Armstrong, who say this is far more complicated than perceived -- that everyone in the sport was doping, that doping in itself isn't the critical factor for superior athletes, etc.My personal belief: there are regulations in sports and when you knowingly break those regulations, that's called cheating. That's a controversial take in some quarters, but even so, let's just, for a second, put Mr. Armstrong's historic, all-time #1 doping operation aside.Forget about that.I'm far more concerned with Mr. Armstrong's very long history of lying to people, intimidating them, threatening them, and generally engaging in pretty direct sociopathic behavior toward anyone who had the audacity to get in his way. I mean, we're talking YEARS of this behavior.And that's all to say: I don't know how, after all that, after years and years of Mr. Armstrong publicly destroying his own credibility, anyone could take anything he has to say seriously. This wasn't a few little goofs. This wasn't a rough patch. This was his entire career.I'm from Texas, and he was a hero to many of us growing up. I can't emphasize enough that wherever you were during the height of Mr. Armstrong's popularity, it was nowhere bigger than in Texas. There was a solid year where it seemed almost everyone was wearing yellow bracelets.So, when he denied he was doping and called out his critics, we took his side. Why would he lie? Why would he cheat? And then, as it unraveled, there was just severe heartbreak and the realization that he used our good faith and support to viciously attack innocent people.Mr. Armstrong probably sees some sort of link between his historic cheating and the inclusion of trans athletes, or in other words: he wants his audience to draw a relationship between the two, which really sucks for trans people who are just trying to exist and play fairly.I don't know exactly what Mr. Armstrong gets out of this--maybe a big check--but the effect is pretty obvious: a conversation between the greatest doper of all-time and a trans woman who despises other trans people as a rightwing media grift = further anti-trans propaganda.Before Caitlyn Jenner became the rightwing's favorite anti-trans propagandist, she was firmly on the side of trans inclusion in sports. She played in women's golf tournaments and told journalist Dawn Ennis, in no uncertain terms, that trans kids should be protected in sports.But then, as Ms. Jenner realized her quasi-advocacy path was too hard and wasn't doing whatever it is she had wanted and that the siren song of the conservative media circus called with promises of money and attention, she suddenly, seemingly overnight, changed her tune.Suddenly, Ms. Jenner was the go-to mouthpiece for anything the GOP wanted said about trans people but needed a trans person to say it. Someone convinced her that running for Governor of CA while saying this would boost her profile. She was soundly trounced.And now, having unequivocally burned bridges with the critical mass of reasonable adults, Ms. Jenner takes whatever odd jobs she can get pushing the same b******t rightwing nonsense -- whatever table scraps that sad world will offer her in exchange for complicity.It is no mistake or coincidence that Mr. Armstrong isn't interviewing trans athletes currently competing or trans advocates or parents of trans children or supportive medical experts or champions of trans inclusion in women's sports like Meghan Rapinoe or Billie Jean King.It is no mistake or coincidence that Mr. Armstrong is seeking out an interview with arguably the most famous transgender former athlete in the world who just so happens to be engaged in a multiyear effort to harm the livelihoods and rights of all other trans people.Mr. Armstrong doesn't appear to want a complicated or nuanced narrative on trans inclusion in sports, which is interesting given how assiduously he has attempted to push for affirmation of complication and nuance in his own story.You're not going to get illumination in the interview between Mr. Armstrong and Ms. Jenner, of course. You'll get Mr. Armstrong's calculated attempt at empathy for trans people and Ms. Jenner's sincere feelings of hostility toward trans people.Mr. Armstrong—who is officially independent but thrown out various hints that he's more Democratic than not (for example, he endorsed Beto over Ted Cruz in 2018)—will probably tell you he doesn't hate LGBTQ people, including trans folks.I don't think Mr. Armstrong hates trans people. I also think he doesn't give a s**t about us, one way or the other. For the vast majority of folks holding this view, it's fine with me. But now that he's found a way we can be useful to him, he intends to fully take advantage.Mr. Armstrong still has a large platform and plenty of clout to gain access to folks willing to pay him to utilize that platform. There are many millions of people who still probably think he was wronged and still trust him to a large extent.So, even though he doesn't care about trans rights either way, our utility to him is now being leveraged in the typically cynical manner he approaches the world. It seems the conversation on trans equality is paying dividends to those willing to mollify anti-trans sentiment.Here are some things you will not learn in that interview:1. No trans woman in high school has ever been awarded a college athletic scholarship in the United States. Ever. It's never happened.2. No trans woman has ever medaled at the Olympics, despite erroneous reporting.3. Trans student-athletes are so rare that on multiple occasions, when GOP lawmakers were asked to cite examples in their own states, they couldn't answer.4. Lia Thomas has never broken a national or NCAA record and has had many races in which she didn't even place.Now, do I think that any young trans woman in high school should be able to come out on Monday and start competing on any sports team she wants on Tuesday? No, I don't. I think it's common sense to have fair regulations in place that protect the safety of all involved.That looks different depending on the sport. We should be having that conversation in good faith. Any young trans woman should be permitted to compete provided she has followed through on regulations that ensure safety and fairness. That may mean waiting to compete! That's fine.At the same time, I think it's utterly absurd to suggest there weren't unfair advantages in sport until this conversation on trans inclusion. When it's a cisgender male student athlete involved, these unfair advantages are praised and sometimes take on mythological importance.Boys and young men who are significantly larger, taller, faster, and stronger than their peers are deemed to be great for sports.Girls and young women who are similarly outliers are most often said to be bad for women's sports, and that was true long before trans inclusion.The history of women's sports has seen rather disgusting policing of women's and girls' bodies. Girls and women who are not transgender but have atypical bodies have been attacked as being supposedly transgender long before now. There's a history of this.The real war on women's sports is the lack of funding, lack of respect, and lack of overall support that has been true before and after Title IX. Even now, women athletes in the NCAA are given bare bones facilities compared to male counterparts. It's ridiculous.All of these rightwing anti-trans clowns didn't really seem to care about women's sports before now. They're the same ones who claim no one watches women's sports (false), no one will pay for women's sports (false), and that women's sports aren't fun as hell (very false).This is all the more absurd when you consider that most of the trans girls and women who compete in women's sports are average in ability. When a young trans woman is bad at sports, no one cares. But when she's good? Everyone suddenly has an opinion.The same week that the parents of three young women who are not transgender filed a lawsuit against Connecticut to bar the inclusion of young trans women in track and field events, one of the young trans women was beaten by one of the young cisgender women in a state final.Did any of y'all see that news? No, because it undermines the narrative that has driven this absurd moral panic against trans student-athletes. If reasonable adults are made to sit down talk calmly through this in good faith, it suddenly lacks its clickbait value. God forbid.I don't think this is a topic that has easy answers, but it has been so completely one-sided and so absolutely vicious against trans children that even children in sports who are not transgender are being harassed on suspicion of being transgender, such as the nine year-old girl who was shouted at by transphobic grandparents at a track meet.So, yeah, when Mr. Armstrong and Ms. Jenner decided to further weaponize this complicated issue for their own benefit, I get a little angry over that. I think anger is warranted in a situation in which the lives of children are being directly affected by rightwing narcissism.When your friends and family inevitably cite this interview as something to watch, I hope you'll take the time to gently inform them of the ways in which this is all a massive grift being built on the backs of trans kids who just wanna play sports with their friends.Charlotte's Web Thoughts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Hi, I'm Charlotte Clymer, and this is Charlotte's Web Thoughts, my Substack. It's completely free to access and read, but it's also how my bills! So, please do kindly consider upgrading to a paid subscription: just $7/month or save money with the $70/annual sub. You can also go way above and beyond by becoming a Lifetime Member at $250. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

Patricia Kyzar is a fundraising genius for the uplands. As a Lifetime Member of Quail Forever, Patrica is dedicated to the traditions we love so much. Full of passion, she brings the fun to every event. She is the girlfriend that everyone wants to have. Patricia is constantly hosting opportunities to get women in the outdoors. She chairs the largest ladies shooting group in Texas, Texas Women on the Wing @tx_wow. She and her husband, Richard are role models for couples hunting all over the country and sharing their love for bird dogs. Ladies, if you are interested in starting your own chapter or joining an organization to further the mission, Patricia is the best mentor.

Mike Martyn is the Founder and President of SISU Consulting Group, and international consultancy supporting more than 500 organizations in 22 countries. Over the past 20 years, Mike has also contributed hugely to the development of the Shingo Model and Assessment Framework, is Director Emeritus of the Shingo Institute, a 3x Shingo Prize winning author and Lifetime Member of the Shingo Academy.One of Mike's primary roles with SISU is the development of leaders at each level of the organization. In this role, Mike has trained and personally coached thousands of leaders through his live workshops, online development courses, executive coaching, and Coaching Camps.Mike's experience with the concepts of omotenashi, kaizen and ikigai come from his extensive travels to Japan. Beginning with a business trip in 2004, Mike has spent countless hours learning about Japanese culture and benchmarking world-class kaizen cultures. Beginning in 2011, Mike opened up these trips to other business leaders, and in 2013, he organized the first Japan Study Tour for the Shingo Institute.Since 2013, Mike has traveled back and forth to Japan an average of twice a year, focusing his time on his own personal development as well as coaching others. During his visits, Mike has been asked to be a guest lecturer at numerous Japanese companies and share his approach for creating team-based daily kaizen cultures as described in his Shingo Award Winning book, Own the Gap. Over the years, Mike has also had the opportunity to gain “behind the scenes” access to some of Japan's top companies; Honda, Denso, Nissan, Toyota, Ina Foods, and TESSEI, to name a few.The visit to TESSEI in particular would help shape his understanding of what defines great leadership, and serve as a catalyst to bring his 20 years of experience together into a model for leaders. Over a period of two years, Mike met with, learned from, and collaborated with TESSEI's Former Chairman, Teruo Yabe. These sessions, in addition to Mike's work with other Shingo-winning clients led to the publishing of Management for Omotenashi.Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact CEOD@bmhcc.org if you have any questions about claiming credit.

[This blog will always be free to read, but it's also how I pay my bills. So, if you like what you read, please consider a paid subscription. And yes, I do speaking engagements. If you need a Pride Month speaker, hit me up.]Pat Robertson passed away this morning.He was a Southern Baptist minister best known for launching the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), founding the Christian Coalition (at a time, one of the most powerful political organizations in the country), running for president in the GOP's primary in 1988, and hosting The 700 Club on CBN.He used his large platform and outsized political influence to dehumanize innocent people and accelerate their persecution. Some highlights:He once described all people who aren't Christians as “termites.”He spent his career encouraging Islamophobia and described Hindus as “demonic.”He claimed LGBTQ people cause hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornadoes.He subscribed to the belief that 9/11 was caused by feminists, queer people, and the ACLU, among others.In 2010, the day after a horrific earthquake struck Haiti and killed an estimated 160,000 people, he went on The 700 Club and said that Haitians are to blame, claiming they made a deal with the Devil during their revolt against slavery in 1791.He never apologized for these incidents. He never attempted to make amends.So, while I'm sure there are many who will claim we shouldn't speak ill of the dead, I would like to point out that Pat Robertson went out of his way to inflict suffering on innocent people grieving the loss of their loved ones.I'm holding his family in my prayers today, and I hope they receive far more love than he ever offered us.Charlotte's Web Thoughts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Hi, I'm Charlotte Clymer, and this is Charlotte's Web Thoughts, my Substack. It's completely free to access and read, but it's also how my bills! So, please do kindly consider upgrading to a paid subscription: just $7/month or save money with the $70/annual sub. You can also go way above and beyond by becoming a Lifetime Member at $250. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

[This blog will always be free to read, but it's also how I pay my bills. So, if you like what you read, please consider a paid subscription. And yes, I do speaking engagements. If you need a Pride Month speaker, hit me up.](WASHINGTON) — On Tuesday, House Republicans passed sweeping legislation that would prohibit all minors from entering Christian places of worship, ban Christian clergy from public K-12 campuses, and otherwise restrict interaction between children and Christian clergy in public spaces.The Children's Health and Religious Integrity, Safety, and Trust Act of 2023—CHRIST Act—was introduced only weeks ago in response to a massive public outcry over widespread sexual abuse of children across numerous Christian denominations in the United States.“I am thankful to my colleagues for ensuring rapid passage of this bill, and I urge our Senate counterparts and the White House to seek immediate passage and implementation,” said House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who has won praise for his leadership in confronting sexual abuse in churches.The sexual exploitation of children by Christian clergy has come to the forefront of the nation's conscience following seemingly unending revelations over the past two decades of adults in positions of authority assaulting and raping minors within their congregations only for that abuse to be swept under the rug.In the United States, sexual abuse of children in Catholic parishes, alone, have led to about $4 billion in payouts to more than 17,000 survivors, according to data compiled by U.S. Catholic dioceses. Despite the widespread documented abuse, only one arrest has been made in connection with these cases: a defrocked priest charged with lying to FBI agents. Some experts believe those numbers are just scratching the surface and could as much as double within the next decade as more investigations conclude their findings. This past April, a report released by the Maryland Attorney General found that more 600 children have been sexually abused by priests and other church officials in state parishes.Last month, the Illinois Attorney General released a report revealing that 2,000 children in his state had been sexually abused by Catholic officials.The investigations were at least partially motivated by a report published five years ago by then-Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro—now that state's governor—detailing at least 1,000 survivors of sexual abuse by more than 300 priests and the myriad efforts by church officials to cover it up.For example, in 2019, the Associated Press reported that nearly a thousand clergy members accused of child sexual abuse had been left off lists circulated by Catholic dioceses, including more than 100 former clergy members who have already been charged with rape or possession of child pornography.Reports of child sexual abuse in Christian churches have gone far beyond U.S. Catholic dioceses. For several years, the Southern Baptist Convention has been reconciling with ongoing revelations that have, to date, found more 700 victims of sexual abuse by about 380 clergy and other church leaders. Survivors were “stonewalled and denigrated” by top SBC leaders, according to a report released last year.Sexual abuse scandals have similarly plagued white evangelical, charismatic, or independently-affiliated churches. Released this week, the Amazon Prime docuseries “Shiny Happy People” details a startling, widespread pattern of sexual abuse among congregants subscribing to teachings of the Institute of Basic Life Principles (IBLP), a nondenominational Christian organization that has gained major influence in the United States.The documentary laid out efforts to cover-up various sex crimes by Josh Duggar, the eldest son in the reality TV family featured in TLC series “19 Kids and Counting,” including molestation and possession of child pornography. It then revealed evidence of countless other alleged sex crimes within the IBLP network, including an implication of inappropriate conduct by Bill Gothard, the minister who founded IBLP.Countless other child sexual abuse scandals have been cited across the country in numerous denominations at churches and religious schools. The growing outrage over these reports has reached such a fever pitch that House Republicans, newly in the majority after last year's midterm election, have taken great pains to distance themselves from abusive clergy and hold them accountable.“Look, we're not saying that all Christian clergy are predators, of course,” stated Speaker McCarthy at a press conference following the vote. “But until we have assurance from church leaders that there will be zero tolerance for child abusers within their ranks, we cannot allow children to be put in harm's way.”He then pointedly added: “Christ would protect children. These churches need to be reminded of his teachings and get their houses in order. It's time to root out these demons who are preying on children.”Other GOP officials were more blunt.“This is a culture problem,” insisted Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). “You have these men in dresses performing in front of kids and reading to them, indoctrinating our children into an abusive ideology. Children should be nowhere around these predators.”Charlotte's Web Thoughts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Hi, I'm Charlotte Clymer, and this is Charlotte's Web Thoughts, my Substack. It's completely free to access and read, but it's also how my bills! So, please do kindly consider upgrading to a paid subscription: just $7/month or save money with the $70/annual sub. You can also go way above and beyond by becoming a Lifetime Member at $250. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

[This blog will always be free to read, but it's also how I pay my bills. So, if you like what you read, please consider a paid subscription. And yes, I do speaking engagements. If you need a Pride Month speaker, hit me up.]Dear Sir,We don't know each other past a brief interaction, and in the event this finds you, wherever you are, tucked behind anonymity, I am hoping it may be of service in your walk with God.We were both on the Amtrak N.E. Regional that initially departed from New York City last Tuesday in the early afternoon. I'm not certain if you boarded at Moynihan Train Hall or shortly afterward in Newark, but by the time we were leaving New Jersey, it was difficult for anyone not to notice you.I was sitting at a table in the Café Car with my back to you and a young man with whom you were engaged in robust conversation. It was a packed ride, and not only were all the tables occupied but there was a considerable line running down the center of the car to purchase food and drinks — which is to say: even in this especially loud part of the train, chatter aplenty, you stood out. I promise I had no desire to eavesdrop, and yet, it was impossible to not hear your conversation. The entire car was forced to listen. I'm not kidding.It started out innocently enough. You were talking about your relationship with Christ, and hey, being a churchgoing person myself, the subject doesn't bother me. You were, I guess, attempting to proselytize to this young man, but it sounded like he was engaging enthusiastically, and the conversation was none of my business. So, I attempted to focus on work.But the volume. My goodness, the volume. This was a moment I cursed myself for leaving my headphones at home, a rookie travel mistake for which I was now paying dearly. You gradually became louder — so loud that out of the corner of my eye, I could see folks at the tables in front of us (and the folks in line), occasionally glancing back with a raised eyebrow. At least one person in line looked back at you and then locked eyes with me, as if to say: is this guy serious right now?I did a small shrug and tried to focus on the many emails waiting patiently in my inbox for a response.And yet… you kept going. It reminded me of that Saturday Night Live character played by Will Ferrell: the voice immodulation activist — not as monotone, mind you, but definitely as concussive. You were, I kid you not, a notch above that volume, just booming over the typical yammering of the Café Car.I was very tired—this was my third roundtrip to NYC from D.C. in less than a week's time, with some sort of work event every evening (multiple events on a few evenings)—and I just didn't have the energy to care.But then, the conversation between you and the young man took a turn. You told him—and the rest of us in the car, as everyone could hear you—about a moment recently when you were talking to one of your work friends about a mutual acquaintance who's a trans woman. You talked about how you misgendered this woman and your friend at work quickly corrected you. This had made you angry because your work friend—apparently, a middle-aged man like yourself—insisted that you not misgender her. This enraged you.During your rant, you said something like “why do we have to pretend to be considerate to these people” — which, in case you're wondering, is positively fantastic to have shouted at the back of one's head when the conversation is about oneself.There was a perceptible drop in the decibel level of the Café Car at that point, and this time, I felt a dozen eyes purposefully scan our corner, including a few that fell directly on me, gauging my reaction. I'm not really allowed to have a reaction. You see, I've been here before. If I say something, I risk inflaming a situation with a person who is clearly primed to be a problem. On the other hand, I'm not gonna run to Amtrak personnel and bother them with a complaint that someone in the Café Car is being rude, which can also inflame the situation. Anyway, those folks are overworked, and I don't wanna drag them into this.There's also the question of how trans folks are generally perceived when we express anger or hurt. It doesn't always go well. In fact, most of the time, it puts people who are not transgender on edge. When we express pain, people who are not transgender have a tendency to get defensive and angry. It's also exhausting. Every trans person has been conditioned to pick our battles and engage selectively. If we responded to every instance of transphobia, from trivial to severe, it's all we'd ever do. So… we have to choose wisely.I did the quick arithmetic and decided to keep my mouth shut and hope the moment would pass quickly. I didn't see a need to escalate things, and honestly, again, I just didn't have the energy.The young man sitting across from you—apparently as caught-off-guard as the rest of us—responded admirably, all things considered. He told you he lives his life and respects how others live their lives. He then changed the subject. You went back to talking loudly about Jesus, and mercifully, my own prayers were answered because I was provided with a sufficient distraction that made me temporarily not care about your presence.The train made another stop, and at some point, I looked up to see someone different sitting across from me: former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley. We exchanged pleasantries, and before I knew it, we were engaged in one of the better conversations on politics and American life I've had in quite some time. Mr. O'Malley is good people. We were both Fellows in different years at the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service, over which we bonded, among other topics. He kindly bought me a drink and regaled me with anecdotes from his storied career in public service. It was a nice respite from, well, you know… your pontificating. Midway through our conversation, there was a ruckus behind me, and I looked back to see you engaged in some kind of heated argument with someone over table space, which got bad enough to the point that, once again, the rest of the Café Car looked back toward our corner as you spat out expletives at this person for whatever reason. I'm sure it was super important.For what it's worth, that outburst felt like a gift because, truth be told, in one fell swoop, you came across as both insecure and in pain. Grown adults don't cuss out strangers over table space in the Amtrak Café Car. Even on bad days, that's not a thing reasonable adults do.Suddenly, things clicked into place, and the marginal hurt over your anti-trans commentary earlier instantly dissolved. I was left simply feeling sorry for you. I don't mean that in a condescending way, I promise. I mean that it made me wonder what's going in your life that you felt this angry and insecure in the company of strangers on a mundane Amtrak ride. It made me wonder what you're going through right now that feels so painful. Your behavior that afternoon came into clearer focus. You're in considerable pain and lashing out at the world.Mr. O'Malley departed at the Baltimore stop, and eventually, you and me and all the rest finally arrived at Union Station in D.C. and began to leave the train.I had forgotten my water bottle, so I doubled back, where a kind gentleman saved it for me, and I noticed you and me were nearly alone in the Café Car. I'm not sure why you hadn't left yet, but there we were. I should point out that one of my biggest weaknesses is my naïveté. I tend to have an annoying faith in the goodness of others, even when they haven't exactly acted with kindness toward me. I've seen this work both ways. Sometimes, it leads to a moment of understanding (and sometimes, even friendship). And sometimes, it leads nowhere, and in those moments, it's hard not to feel foolish for trying.I think I do this because I know I'm profoundly imperfect myself and grace is one of those things that has a way of being reparative far beyond the present issue. We could all use a lot more grace in the world, right?Against my better judgment, I walked up to you and extended my hand. I introduced myself with my first name and, with all the warmth I could summon, told you that I hope you're gonna have a good day. I said it genuinely. I wanted someone to offer you a smile before you left the train and collided into the outside world.With a look of deep annoyance, you quickly shook my hand, went back to gathering your things, and hissed that you were just trying to spread the Gospel. The way you said it as you glanced up gave me the impression you thought it might have an effect equal to that of water being tossed on the Wicked Witch of the West. You, I guess, had thought this was about me overhearing all the Christ chatter — that I was about to confront you on all the Jesus talk. When I responded “Oh, I have no problem with the Gospel; I find sharing it is most effective when done by example rather than words,” you did a double take from the bag you were gathering. Of all the responses I could have given, it was clear this one wasn't on your bingo card. You stood straight up, looked me in the eye, intent on getting the last word and asked (in a bit of a harsh tone): “But do you know the Holy Spirit?”(You asked this not unlike how a certain kinda dude would say “okay, name all their albums in chronological order” if a woman said she liked a particular rock band.)But I do know the Holy Spirit quite well, so I answered in the affirmative. I told you I had known the Holy Spirit for a long time, which is quite true. I know what it means to know the Holy Spirit, to feel the Holy Spirit within me. I don't expect others to understand it, of course, but I get it. I know that feeling. I crave that feeling.I then said: “And the Holy Spirit reminds me that Christ loves you and Christ loves me and we are all called upon to love each other as Christ loves us.”Naïvely, I thought this might thaw the ice between us, but I don't think it did. You were still looking at me, but now, you had the expression of someone who really wants to be angry but you're not sure why. What I had said is something you've heard in your church a thousand times, I'm sure of it. But coming out of my mouth, it was just confusing.You've built this bubble for yourself. You've flooded your daily life with people who sound and think exactly like you do. You thought you had your own language with them, a language only spoken in your church community. Because of that, it's easier for you to disregard the outside world, particularly anyone who doesn't speak your language.And now, suddenly, standing in front of you, here's this trans woman who's fluent in that language and possibly may even speak it with greater efficiency than you do. You stared at me, still angry but unsure what to say. I mean, what could you say in response to that? I promise that all I wanted to do was mend some fences. In my wildest (and naïve) dreams, I had this hope that maybe we'd hit it off and talk about how God is bigger than all of us, how little we understand compared to God's own understanding.Clearly, that wasn't gonna happen, so I said: “I hope you take care, brother.”You looked at me for a beat and muttered “you, too” and walked away in a bit of a huff.If this ever does find you, I hope you'll understand that I recognize you're in pain, and we do odd things when we're in pain. One of the most common phrases of this era, already well-worn, is: “Hurt people hurt people.” I think there's a lot of truth to that. But I also hope you'll understand that exclusion is the opposite of Christ's teachings and has never amounted to anything worthy of the Gospel. Finally, and I say this with love: just because you're not in the Quiet Car doesn't mean you shouldn't be considerate to others.Charlotte's Web Thoughts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Hi, I'm Charlotte Clymer, and this is Charlotte's Web Thoughts, my Substack. It's completely free to access and read, but it's also how my bills! So, please do kindly consider upgrading to a paid subscription: just $7/month or save money with the $70/annual sub. You can also go way above and beyond by becoming a Lifetime Member at $250. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

[This blog will always be free to read, but it's also how I pay my bills. So, if you like what you read, please consider a paid subscription. And yes, I do speaking engagements. If you need a Pride Month speaker, hit me up.]On Tuesday, Target announced they're pulling some items from their famous annual Pride collection, which has become a huge hit in the wider LGBTQ community over the past decade. In their statement, they wrote:“Since introducing this year's collection, we've experienced threats impacting our team members' sense of safety and well-being while at work. Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior.”In case you're wondering, the items in question are harmless but have become the center of the typical anti-LGBTQ conservative outrage machine that has plagued our national discourse at a fever pitch over the past few years.If you're a corporate marketing officer concerned over what's happening with Target, let me make something abundantly clear: you will never appease anti-LGBTQ extremists. They don't want some concessions. They want all of them. But there's a colder truth at play here.You think this is about a few clothing items, and it's not. I promise you it's not. These are the same people who were livid that Pink Floyd used a rainbow in their 50th anniversary logo for "The Dark Side of the Moon" -- for the unfamiliar, that iconic album cover depicts line being shone through a glass prism and dispersed into the color spectrum—also known as a rainbow—years before the rainbow became a symbol of LGBTQ pride.So… think about that for a second, right? These are not reasonable people.When the Bud Light controversy erupted, the CEO of Anheuser-Busch made the unwise choice to cave entirely. He essentially apologized for the company recognizing that trans people exist and suspended the marketing executives behind the harmless Dylan Mulvaney campaign.It didn't work. They're still boycotting Bud Light even after the CEO's painful public groveling to anti-LGBTQ consumers.You need to understand something about these people: their objective is not really to gain any ground but to find an outlet for their rage at the world changing around them. They are starving for outrage all the time. They would rather be perpetually angry than be mollified.They are furious that anyone would ask them to learn about others because it de-centers their experience as the unassailable, unaccountable default. And deep down, they know we're never going away. The closet has been permanently opened.These people long for an America that always catered to those who look and act like them -- that is: white, heterosexual, traditional families. They use religion as a shield for their bigotry. They don't really care about what Christ taught; he's just a convenient vehicle.But that America is long gone, and it's never coming back. We are witnessing the very long and painful last gasp of that world. And boy, are they furious. Enraged. They've had to keep quiet about it for so long, but in the past several years, the quiet part became very loud.If they can't get that world back, what's the next best thing? Finding community in outrage. These people go out of their way to be angry. They'll share rightwing clickbait articles they know to be false because it gives them permission to be spitting hot mad. They'll look for any and every opportunity to fume over the most anodyne things if there's even a hint that it falls outside their extremely narrow worldview.They are angry, and beneath that, they are very, very scared. They will claim they're not scared. But they're terrified. None of this works without fear. Fear of what? Uncertainty over their place in a changing society that increasingly doesn't defer to them.For rightwing grifters, Christmas is every day right now. All they have to do is feed these people things to get irate over and rake in the cash. Click and subscribe. Buy their book. Buy their b******t wellness product. “Give me your money, and I will give you a reason to be angry." It's a paid service. It's a drug.Target thinks this is going away, and it's not. Target could pull all their Pride merchandise and sever every relationship they have with the LGBTQ community, but anything short of a corporate statement of "Yeah, we hate LGBTQ people, too" will not end this.Companies need to understand what's happening right now. You cannot mollify bigots whose primary desire is to be angry. You've already lost them. They're gone. If you cave to them, you're sacrificing the loyalty of other consumers for a sad, small group that will never like you.On the other hand: if Target and other companies refuse to play this b******t game with enraged bigots, they will solidify their loyalty with reasonable adults and their families.Don't give in to these hateful people. You will never satisfy their craving for outrage.Charlotte's Web Thoughts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Hi, I'm Charlotte Clymer, and this is Charlotte's Web Thoughts, my Substack. It's completely free to access and read, but it's also how my bills! So, please do kindly consider upgrading to a paid subscription: just $7/month or save money with the $70/annual sub. You can also go way above and beyond by becoming a Lifetime Member at $250. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

[This blog will always be free to read, but it's also how I pay my bills. So, if you like what you read, please consider a paid subscription. And yes, I do speaking engagements. If you need a Pride Month speaker, hit me up.]On Saturday, at Westminster Abbey, The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby, the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury, placed all 2.23 kilograms of St. Edward's Crown upon the head of Charles Philip Arthur George.That's King Charles III to you plebs.He's the oldest person ever to accede to the British throne, and his coronation was a spectacle not witnessed by the world in more than 70 years, which is the same amount of time Charles has been waiting for a promotion. And you thought your professional advancement is underwhelming.It was an entertaining show. It had to be entertaining. But was it entertaining enough?Because if it weren't entertaining enough, what would be the point of the British Monarchy?It was more difficult to pose that question with Elizabeth II. To most observers, she embodied the dignified — that primary duty of the Crown to serve as something of a spiritual bulwark and compass for her subjects, as a complement to the legal power held by Parliament to actually do something, as envisioned by 19th-century British political philosopher Walter Bagehot.And where did True North on that compass point for Elizabeth II? Above all else: preservation of the United Kingdom and allegiance to her constitutional obligations, which is to say: not much.Elizabeth II was beloved by so many not because of any real power she had to change their lives but because of her unflappable consistency. She held a steady presence in the lives of her subjects and didn't rock the boat, something which became a great comfort to many over the decades of her reign.But times change and cracks begin to show. As Elizabeth's reign endured various cycles of instant mass communications—the introduction of television, the introduction of the internet, the introduction of social media—it became increasingly more difficult to maintain that dignity.Messy affairs, subsequent divorces, a globally beloved daughter-in-law who had the audacity to recognize her self-worth over the institution (a characteristic practically beaten out of Elizabeth from birth), the occasional racist or sexist remark from husband Phillip (or one of his affairs), the periodic, embarrassing story about son and heir Charles, the allegations of rape against son Andrew, etc.In hindsight, the poise with which Elizabeth held herself in reaction to the swirling chaos around her is undeniably impressive, and yet, her considered choice to maintain preservation of the Crown over holding it (and the governments formed in her name) accountable will undeniably shape her legacy.It's this simple: if we choose to believe that Elizabeth II was intended to be a grand moral beacon, the True North on society's spiritual compass, we're bound to be disappointed. But if we choose to acknowledge her intended role as one of the greatest political entertainers of the 20th century, she was certainly successful.But much like explaining why a joke is amusing, illuminating the actual role of the British Royal Family as the world's best paid acting ensemble takes the fun out of the experience. We're not supposed to look behind behind the curtain. We're supposed to suspend disbelief and skepticism in order to be entertained by all this.With Elizabeth, it was much easier to suspend that disbelief. Even many anti-royalists held a grudging respect for her consistency and dignified stature. Elizabeth was playing a role that coincidentally wasn't far off from her private life. Were it not for her, the House of Windsor would have likely imploded decades ago into a shadow of its former self — it existing at all. The British Royal Family is the most pointless and painful method acting process of all-time. Elizabeth simply lent it undeserved credibility with her extraordinary commitment. She was the Daniel Day-Lewis of royal performance. Beyond reproach.With Charles III, a man who seems absurdly dedicated to being publicly awkward, almost as though it's a kink, it is far more difficult to suspend disbelief in order to be entertained. Charles is only convincing as a king in all the least admirable qualities perceived by the public: arrogant, out-of-touch, and self-absorbed. Is that fair? Well, it doesn't really matter at this point. Maybe Charles is a wonderful human being behind closed doors. Maybe he's the victim of some truly atrocious framing by media. Maybe he simply has insurmountable weaknesses in his style of communication.And maybe… he's just not really good at this. Regardless, the public is being asked to suspend disbelief in order to be entertained, and Charles, bless his cotton socks, is simply less-than-convincing in the ways in which it will be necessary to prevent further decline of the Monarchy.I'll concede that he doesn't need to be entertaining if he's doing something that endears him to the public — like, you know, an actual leader with real authority to shape the lives of his subjects. But that's very unlikely to happen.We could be surprised. Maybe Charles will be a transformational sovereign who finds a way to work around constitutional restrictions on his legal power (which, again, is basically none) or manages to locate something inside himself that exchanges his awkwardness for an image resembling genuine connection with the public.Maybe Pluto will become a planet again. Maybe the U.S. will win the next Men's World Cup. Maybe I'll co-write a song with Brandi Carlile and watch her sing it at the Grammys someday.Maybe can be an entertaining game.Unfortunately, maybe just isn't enough for Charles to keep the public favorably engaged, particularly one that's ever more cold to him in the wake of Harry & Meghan formally splitting with the House of Windsor.There are no big British royal weddings on the horizon. No grand royal jubilees. No global spectacles offering entertainment that justifies the citizenry paying a lot of cash to keep the King and his issue comfortable. There are no real opportunities for Charles and the British Royals to globally shine simply for existing.The only person with the kind of peerless charm and warmth that could have saved the British Monarchy, without need of a global event and embossed invitation, was killed in a Paris tunnel more than 25 years ago. She was pushed out of the British Royals for the same qualities that made her arguably the most beloved person in the world.She didn't need to act. She simply was.It doesn't matter how many horses and military personnel in silly hats marched in front of them on Saturday. It doesn't matter how many lush robes were draped over their shoulders or the weight of the gold-framed crowns placed on their heads.Charles and Camilla will never be as loved and respected as Diana, and they know it.And so, they will attempt to entertain. Good luck.Charlotte's Web Thoughts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Hi, I'm Charlotte Clymer, and this is Charlotte's Web Thoughts, my Substack. It's completely free to access and read, but it's also how my bills! So, please do kindly consider upgrading to a paid subscription: just $7/month or save money with the $70/annual sub. You can also go way above and beyond by becoming a Lifetime Member at $250. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

In this podcast, Paul covers topics asked by our Lifetime Members. He covers everything from why you should lose the rigid mindset when it relates to success, the difference between a mini cut and a full fat loss cycle and if fasted workouts are beneficial. We hope you enjoy and get a lot out of this podcast. Please visit our YouTube Channel for clips from this and all of our other podcasts: https://www.youtube.com/@EatToPerformPodcast

As a trader, one of the biggest challenges you will face is choosing the right broker. While there are many reputable and trustworthy brokers out there, there are also some who engage in shady practices that can put your trading account at risk. One of the most controversial practices is trading against their clients, also known as "counterparty trading." In this article, we will explore why some brokers trade against their clients and the potential risks involved.Firstly, it's important to understand that brokers who trade against their clients do so because it's profitable for them. These brokers essentially take the other side of their clients' trades, meaning that when the client loses money, the broker profits. This creates an inherent conflict of interest, as the broker's profits come at the expense of their clients.Another reason some brokers trade against their clients is that it allows them to offer tighter spreads and lower commissions. By trading against their clients, brokers can effectively act as market makers, providing liquidity and filling orders on the other side of trades. This can be beneficial for clients in some cases, as it allows for faster execution and lower transaction costs. However, it also means that the broker has more control over the pricing and execution of trades, which can be manipulated to their advantage.One of the biggest risks associated with brokers who trade against their clients is the potential for price manipulation. Since these brokers effectively control the prices at which trades are executed, they can sometimes adjust prices to their advantage. For example, they may widen spreads or artificially manipulate prices to stop out traders' positions or trigger margin calls, resulting in significant losses for the client.Another risk is that brokers who trade against their clients may have less of an incentive to provide quality trading conditions and execution. This can lead to issues like re-quotes, slippage, and order rejection, which can be frustrating and costly for traders.It's worth noting that not all brokers who trade against their clients are necessarily "bad actors." In some cases, it may be a necessary part of their business model, and they may take steps to mitigate the risks and conflicts of interest involved. For example, they may offer negative balance protection or guarantee order execution, even if it means taking a loss themselves.Ultimately, the decision to trade with a broker who trades against their clients is up to you. It's important to do your research and choose a reputable broker with a track record of fair and transparent practices. Look for brokers who are regulated by respected authorities, offer negative balance protection, and have a history of treating their clients fairly. By taking the time to do your due diligence, you can minimize the risks associated with trading with a broker who trades against their clients. Take a 1 Week Free Trial at My Trading IQ. You'll have access to everything our Lifetime Members have, including 2 hours of Live Training every trading day, One on One Mentoring, around the clock support, we'll even enable our Indicators for you on TradingView and provide a demo account with Daniels Trading. Since we're talking about Brokers in this broadcast, you should talk with the one Broker we've trusted since 2008 - Burton Schlichter. You can speak with him directly at 866-928-3310. Read all CFTC Risk Disclosures and CFRN Disclaimers before taking the Free Trial.

[This blog will always be free to read, but it's also how I pay my bills. So, if you like what you read, please consider a paid subscription. And yes, I do speaking engagements.]You may have missed it in all the Trump indictment hoopla, but late last night, Kid Rock, aka Robert James Ritchie, posted a 35 sec. video on Twitter in which he fired an MP5 submachine gun in the direction of several cases of Bud Light resting on a table next to a lake. I say in the direction of several cases because he seemed to struggle in taking them out.No, I'm not kidding. I'll post it here for your convenience.Mr. Ritchie was apparently upset that Bud Light—whose parent company is Anheuser-Busch—hired Dylan Mulvaney, a massively popular TikTok star, as one of their new brand ambassadors. She's a nice lady and deserves her success. She also happens to be a trans woman, thus the bellyaching from social conservatives.Normally, I'd be worried over Mr. Ritchie's violent gun message concerning the inclusion of trans people — if he were capable of aiming correctly. Alas, he doesn't appear to be much of a threat with firearms.It turns out that worrying about Kid Rock shooting you is kinda like worrying about losing a spelling bee to Donald Trump. It ain't worth the trouble.Because I am a benevolent queen, I've decided to offer some feedback to Mr. Ritchie on how to fire his weapon. You see, despite being a star-spangled patriot, he never actually served in the military even though he was an able-bodied young man eligible to enlist during the Persian Gulf War and the War on Terrorism. So, you could forgive him for not knowing the basics.Of course, it's harder to forgive him for claiming to care about the troops but wearing a hat that honors a five-time draft dodger who called service members that died in combat “losers” and “suckers.”But I did serve in the Army, in the infantry, and I was actually raised in the South around firearms, and as a woman who has fired plenty of assault rifles and machine guns in my lifetime, I'm happy to offer Mr. Ritchie some guidance.As you can see in the video, Mr. Ritchie, no more than 20 yards away from his targets, practically point-blank range with that kinda weapon, struggles mightily to take down the cases of Bud Light. In fact, after his tantrum, two of the cases are still completely upright, barely even touched.Sorry, that's a tad inaccurate because it wasn't just him firing. Although Mr. Ritchie implies in the video that he's the only one shooting, one of his buddies is actually off-camera, just to the right of the frame, firing what appears to be a shotgun — given away by three blasts that nick the left side of the table and land in the lake behind it.So, between the two of them combined, from 20 yards away, well… let's just say these two gentleman should stick to their day jobs.Okay, Mr. Ritchie, some tips:First, always wear eye protection. You never know when the weapon may malfunction, nor guarantee where a bullet casing or excess gun powder or other debris might fly.Ear protection is a good idea, too — especially for a musician who has been known to struggle with pitch. Just looking out for ya.Let's talk about your firing stance. It's garbage. It needs work.Your frame should be facing toward the target, not from the side. Feet shoulder width apart, right foot slightly behind the left (since you're right-handed) about six inches. At the moment, your stance looks like you're golfing, which is a bit ironic given that your shooting skills are… subpar.You wanna keep your weight equally balanced on both feet and flex your knees a bit, something which I would think you'd be eager to do since you haven't flexed a big chart hit in almost 15 years.Your hand placement is alright, but for some strange reason, you got bad chicken wing going on. That's when your firing elbow sticks all the way up and out, making it harder to stabilize the weapon. Bring it into your side. This'll make it easier to aim, especially with the recoil.And oh lord, that aim. Instead of sweeping your line-of-fire across the target, back-and-forth, and hoping something sticks, try holding your firing sight—that metal thingie popping up out of the top of the barrel—at the midsection of the target. Now, fire a controlled burst—that's several rounds—and once you've hit it, move to the next one.Not only will you be more accurate and faster in engaging targets, but you'll save ammo — and whatever fish had the misfortune of being in that lake behind your target where most of you and your buddy's rounds went.Okay, let's talk about the beer. You wasted a good $75—$100 of Bud Light. Now, where I come from, that's a lot of money. You see, actual blue collar families can't just drop a hundred bucks' worth of beer for s***s and giggles. That's a waste. I'm trying to be patient with you on this because I understand you're the furthest thing from blue collar. You grew up on a palatial estate, apple picking and raising horses, because your daddy owned several car dealerships. Your family has wealth: six acres and a mansion with a tennis court, five-car garage, and guest house in lily-white Romeo, Michigan. You're about as southern and blue collar as Mitt Romney.I was raised in trailer parks in Central Texas by actual rednecks, so I hope you'll forgive me for being amused by seeing you struggle to cosplay one of my folks. I promise you it wasn't especially romantic. We had what we had and tried to make the most of it. We couldn't call daddy up and ask for a bridge loan.If you feel I've reduced you to a caricature based on a few things in your bio, maybe it's a sign you should get to know trans folks like myself and Ms. Mulvaney before you reduce us to caricatures based on your own assumptions.Try being a straight shooter for once, Mr. Ritchie.Charlotte's Web Thoughts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Hi, I'm Charlotte Clymer, and this is Charlotte's Web Thoughts, my Substack. It's completely free to access and read, but it's also how my bills! So, please do kindly consider upgrading to a paid subscription: just $7/month or save money with the $70/annual sub. You can also go way above and beyond by becoming a Lifetime Member at $250. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

[This blog will always be free to read, but it's also how I pay my bills. So, if you like what you read, please consider a paid subscription.]NEW YORK CITY (AP) — On Tuesday, former president Hillary Clinton turned herself into authorities at the office of the Manhattan district attorney following last week's grand jury indictment for her role in allegedly falsifying documents. She is the first American president to be indicted.Clinton, who became the first woman elected president in 2016 following a razor-thin victory over Republican nominee Donald Trump, is said to be facing more than two dozen criminal counts, although the full details of the indictment have yet to be released.In a CNN poll released Monday, 84 percent of respondents said it was “good for democracy” and only 13 percent felt it was politically motivated, an astonishing consensus among American voters in an era that has been dominated by bitter partisanship. Pundits and politicians across the spectrum were quick to praise Alvin Bragg, the popular Manhattan district attorney and Democrat who has won universal plaudits for his professional handling of the case. Variations of “the system worked” were echoed throughout the world of political media.“This is a great day for the republic,” wrote The New York Times editorial board on Sunday. “No person is above the law, not even a president — not even an historic president. This makes it clear that our democracy is strong.”“This is what the Founders intended,” remarked one CNN pundit. “The majesty of the Great American Experiment has stood the test of time. We have no kings or princes, only the people and their public servants.”Many former Clinton supporters expressed disappointment while offering sober agreement. Cathy Turing, a 37 year-old accountant and precinct captain for Clinton in 2016, lamented the development while waiting outside the Manhattan court house during her lunch break to catch a glimpse of the former president's arrival.“I have two daughters, ten and eight,” she said. “I can't have them believing that being a trailblazing woman should excuse someone from breaking the law. It hurts to watch Hillary's fall from grace, but no one is exempt from accountability. That's who we should aspire to be as a country.”There were a few commentators who offered contrarian views. One political strategist on MSNBC drew substantial ire when she asked if the indictment of the former president could accelerate political polarization and wondered aloud if a pardon from President Trump would go a long way toward healing the country.“You can't be serious,” hissed the anchor, his eyebrows furrowing. “She broke the law.”“No, wait,” she responded, “I'm not saying what she did is okay. I'm only pointing out there's a chance that our country and democracy may not fully recover from this, not to mention women in politics.”She was then dragged out of the studio and into the street, where she was beaten to death with pickleball paddles. Charlotte's Web Thoughts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Hi, I'm Charlotte Clymer, and this is Charlotte's Web Thoughts, my Substack. It's completely free to access and read, but it's also how my bills! So, please do kindly consider upgrading to a paid subscription: just $7/month or save money with the $70/annual sub. You can also go way above and beyond by becoming a Lifetime Member at $250. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

[This blog will always be free to read, but it's also how I pay my bills. So, if you like what you read, please consider a paid subscription.]Haven't the Mets Suffered Enough?by Charlotte ClymerWith the Big One they've long seemed not to trifle,Almost 37 years without a World Series title,I was barely born when Queens' joy last caught an eyeful,Haven't the Mets suffered enough?That heartbreaking loss in the mid-Aughts NLCS,Beltrán striking out last, his bat put to rest,Collapsed the following year in the season's closing test,Haven't the Mets suffered enough?The ‘80s were good until they clearly weren't,Cashen traded everyone away and their fortunes quickly turnt,And it was the fans left empty-handed and so brutally burnt,Haven't the Mets suffered enough?Giving Ryan to the Angels was a sin against God, to be sure,And yes, Doc and Straw certainly had their own misery's tour,But after all this time, shouldn't fate be square and demure,Haven't the Mets suffered enough?So, when I popped open Twitter and witnessed this curse,George Santos or Anthony Devolder or whomever he was first,Even as a Nats fan, this felt too far, and clearly the worst,Haven't the Mets suffered enough?Charlotte's Web Thoughts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Hi, I'm Charlotte Clymer, and this is Charlotte's Web Thoughts, my Substack. It's completely free to access and read, but it's also how my bills! So, please do kindly consider upgrading to a paid subscription: just $7/month or save money with the $70/annual sub. You can also go way above and beyond by becoming a Lifetime Member at $250. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

Marty Scheel The Downieville Classic and Dirt Magic the Podcast #Bonus   Partner & Adopt-A-Trail Coordinator Marty has been getting dirty in Downieville since hard-tails still ruled the trails. He was an early Lifetime Member of the SBTS and with his gift of gab, has been “The Voice” of the Downieville Classic and the SBTS since 2003. From emceeing world-class SBTS events to getting dirty on sa-weet Lost Sierra single-track, Marty's enthusiasm and positive energy helps achieve the SBTS goal of creating Dirt Magic. Lastly, “please move all unattended bikes to our secure bike check area!”   Topics: How Marty became the voice of the Downieville Classic The backstory behind Dirt Magic the Podcast Telling the Downieville Classic Stories The Downieville Sessions Guests Katerina Nash Going Deeper on the All-Mountain Category at the Downieville Classic Unofficial product testing that has happened at the Downieville Classic The Seriousness and Not So Seriousness that happens during the Downieville Classic Ron's House of Big Air Cosmo's Wild Island Dirt Magic the Movie – Patagonia Film How Trails are helping communities Memorable Stories by Marty about the Downieville Classic Closing Comments   Links: Dirt Magic the Podcast: http://www.dirtmagicpodcast.com/ Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship: https://sierratrails.org/ The Downieville Classic: https://downievilleclassic.com/ Dirt Magic Movie: https://youtu.be/lFAuFH9V5mc   Episode Sponsor - Coulee Creative: www.dudejustsendit.com https://www.couleecreative.com/   Trail EAffect Show Links: Trail Effect Podcast Website: www.traileaffectpodcast.com KETL Mtn Apparel Affiliate Link: https://ketlmtn.com/josh Worldwide Cyclery Affiliate Link: https://www.worldwidecyclery.com/?aff=559 Trail One Components: https://trailone.bike/ Contact Josh at evolutiontrails@gmail.com Support Trail EAffect through donations at: https://www.patreon.com/traileaffect You can also reach out and donate via PayPal or other means if you feel so inclined to do so. This Podcast has been edited and produced by Evolution Trail Services  

[This blog will always be free to read, but it's also how I pay my bills. So, if you like what you read, please consider a paid subscription.]On Monday morning, at The Covenant School, a private elementary school in Nashville, TN, a mass shooter opened fire over fourteen minutes, killing three children who were students there, all nine years old, and three staff members before police arrived and took out the shooter, mercifully bringing the horror to an end.The children were Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney, and Hallie Scruggs. The staff members were Katherine Koonce (the head of the school), substitute teacher Cynthia Peake, and custodian Mike Hill. According to Gun Violence Archive, this is the 150th mass shooting in the United States this year. GVA is an independent research and data collection organization that defines a mass shooting as “four or more people shot or killed, not including the shooter.”This definition has been criticized by some conservatives, who feel that the metric poorly frames America's gun violence epidemic and accuse those who adopt GVA's definition of “four or more injured” as inflating the problem. They point to the FBI's definition of “mass murder,” which describes any type of violent incident in which four or more people are killed, not just injured.Of course, the more you think about it, that doesn't make much sense. For example, if a mass shooter wounds 10 people—perhaps paralyzing several, to say nothing of other longterm health complications of a bullet ripping through one's body—but only kills one person, that would not fit the definition of a “mass shooting” by the FBI.Nor if a mass shooter wounds 50 people but only kills three. Or wounds 100 people but kills none. Neither of these are “mass shootings” under the FBI's definition.Does that make any goddamn sense? Of course not.Okay, well, fine, conservatives might say, but the threshold is still too low because GVA allows for just four people to be injured—not killed—in order to qualify as a “mass shooting.”Some of them may hint that certain injuries are more qualifying than others. What if, they seem to say, four people are merely grazed by bullets, simply burning their flesh rather than entering their bodies?Gee, I don't know, if their child were merely grazed by a bullet, their tender flesh burned by it, how would they feel? Would they think it's a problem worth addressing?Of course they would, and they'd be right. So, we're sticking with GVA's “mass shooting” definition. Because common sense.Last year, there were 647 mass shootings in the United States. In 2021, there were 690 mass shootings. Since January 1, 2016, GVA has tracked 3,581 mass shootings in the United States.When the carnage at The Covenant School began hitting news and social media in a way that has become nauseatingly familiar, the gun extremists immediately starting doing what they do best: pointing fingers and blaming anything but our country's ludicrously easy access to firearms.Fox News contributor Nicole Parker attempted to posit that “side doors” to schools—meaning physical entrances to schools other than the front—are the real problem here.Bless her heart.There were the other usual excuses by gun extremists — their greatest hits of shifting blaming: that teachers should be armed, that it's an issue of mental health, etc.Of course, I'm not sure anyone expected GOP Congressman Tim Burchett to openly admit he and his conservative colleagues have no interest in finding a good faith solution to the gun violence epidemic. I'm not kidding. Here's the full quote, and I'll even link you to the video:“We're not gonna fix it. Criminals are gonna be criminals. My daddy fought in the Second World War, fought in the Pacific, fought the Japanese — he said ‘Buddy, if someone wants to take you out and doesn't mind losing their life, there's not a whole heck of a lot you can do about it.'”So, there you have it. Criminals are gonna be criminals, the man said. Why bother trying to stop children from being slaughtered? Mr. Burchett's children are homeschooled, by the way.When I first heard of the shooting, my stomach dropped in the same way it has every other time this senseless violence has occurred. And when you find out children were killed, it only compounds that feeling.But this time, on top of that, it was eventually revealed that the shooter—whose name I refuse to mention—was a trans man. Predictably, anti-trans conservatives seized the opportunity to cynically exploit the murder of these children and staff members to further their transphobic propaganda and distract from their own complicity in enabling gun violence. Marjorie Taylor Greene claimed testosterone was to blame, something she has never said all the other times when a cis man was behind a mass shooting. Donald Trump, Jr. and others put up tweets and memes implying trans people are especially violent.You see where this is going.The obvious problem here, of course, for anyone who has mastered 3rd grade math, is that the numbers indicate trans people are substantially less likely to commit gun violence compared to cisgender people and far more likely to be victims of gun violence ourselves.Of the 3,581 mass shootings that have occurred in the United States since January 1st, 2016, four were perpetrated by a trans person. I absolutely refuse to count the Colorado Springs mass shooter who murdered five people at Club Q, an LGBTQ nightclub, and then attempted to claim, through his lawyers, that he identifies as nonbinary, clearly in an effort to troll the victims. And this after neighbors and police brought forward evidence of his long history of anti-LGBTQ hatred.Thus, of that total number of mass shootings since the start of 2016 and the available data on those mass shooters, cisgender people account for 99.9 percent of them. According to a report released last year by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law—which is considered one of the leading data sources on LGBTQ people—the trans community makes up about 0.6 percent of the 267.8 million people in the United States who are age 13 or older.So, trans people make up 0.6 percent of the population but 0.1 percent of mass shooters, six times less than what would be proportionally expected in an even distribution of mass shooters.It turns out that cis people are disproportionately more likely to be mass shooters.I have no problem recognizing that a trans man murdered these children and staff members. I'm glad police arrived and killed him before he could murder other innocents. But if these anti-trans conservatives are gonna demand trans people answer for him, shouldn't they answer for the 99.9% of mass shooters who aren't trans?I have a feeling we'll never get an answer to that.This week, I am holding the families of these children and staff members in my thoughts. I cannot begin to imagine their suffering, and I am filled with rage at this coward, at this piece-of-s**t, who cruelly took the lives of these innocents.I am praying for two things: 1) a measure of peace and healing that must seem impossible for these families in this moment and 2) that anti-trans conservatives will actually start giving a damn about vulnerable children instead of exploiting their deaths to further a hateful agenda.Charlotte's Web Thoughts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Hi, I'm Charlotte Clymer, and this is Charlotte's Web Thoughts, my Substack. It's completely free to access and read, but it's also how my bills! So, please do kindly consider upgrading to a paid subscription: just $7/month or save money with the $70/annual sub. You can also go way above and beyond by becoming a Lifetime Member at $210. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

Happy Monday Everyone! In this podcast, Paul answers questions presented by Lifetime Members. He covers everything from are there foods that can decrease disease to how many fat loss cycles is too many? He ends it with a great message regarding what makes Eat To Perform different and how sharing your journey is so important. Head over to our YouTube Channel for clips from this and all of our other podcasts: https://www.youtube.com/c/EatToPerformPodcast

Brady Miller is addicted to mountain hunting and mule deer… he literally thinks about them every single day of the year. Some would say that his passion is an addiction, but Brady doesn't mind. He is a proud Lifetime Member of the Wild Sheep Foundation. Brady has been published in numerous magazines, written small book excerpts on mule deer, and has had numerous articles published in various online websites. In addition, he regularly gives seminars on backcountry hunting and mule deer tactics. To date, he has over 600 articles published. Brady is one of the hosts of the BIG HUNT GUYS Podcast. In addition to GOHUNT's podcast, he has also been featured as a guest on several podcasts. The list of podcasts includes; Backcountry Rookies, Battle Mountain Podcast, Beyond the Kill, Bowcast, East Meets West Hunt, Finding Backcountry, Gritty Podcast, Gunwerks Long Range Pursuit, Hunt Harvest Health, Hunt Talk Radio with Randy Newberg, Tundra Talk, Muley Freak, Jay Scott Outdoors, Out Of State Hunter, The Altitude Podcast, The Hunter's Quest, The Hunt Backcountry Podcast, The Rich Outdoors, The Wild Initiative, and Vortex Nation Podcast. Brady is also known for being resourceful both in the office and out. He once used sunflower seeds, a piece of fishbone, and melted plastic to repair a boat motor in the middle of the backcountry. We are pretty sure he hacks his way around his desktop in exactly the same way.

[This blog will always be free to read, but it's also how I pay my bills. So, if you like what you read, please consider a paid subscription.]Recently, I saw a post online with this challenge: "Without saying your age, say something a young person today wouldn't understand."For me, it was The Phone.It had its own place and aura in the home. If you didn't have internet--and most homes did not during the entire '90s--The Phone was the only non-postage way of reaching people if you couldn't travel to see them or didn't want to.It may not seem that way in hindsight for some folks, but there wasn't a majority of homes with internet until the early 2000s.(And when that started happening, The Computer took its own little place and aura in the home.)The U.S. Census Bureau reported that between 1998 and 2005, the number of households in the United States with cell phone ownership went from 36% to 71%. As late as the very early 2000s (forgive the contrary phrasing there), about half of adults and teens didn't own a cell phone.So, around the start of the Millennium, most households didn't have a cell phone or a computer with internet access or both. There was a television, maybe two, and there was The Phone and god shined upon the lucky teenager who had their own phone in their bedroom. (I did not.)If you had to meet someone, you would make plans to meet them at a specific time and all parties would take it on faith that each other would follow through. Because the only way to communicate with them was a landline phone. At your home. Or maybe at the intended destination. Maybe you'd find yourself close enough to a convenient pay phone (that's a whole other story).If you knew you were going to be way late, say, to a restaurant, you might call ahead and leave a message with the host to give to the folks you were meeting, so they knew you were still coming. If the destination didn't have a phone, you would just hope they waited for you.So, when The Phone rang, it was an event. As a younger kid, it was very common to race your siblings to the phone to answer it. When you're, like, seven years old, you have a hope that it could be someone interesting or exciting. Maybe it's the President calling. It never was.Answering The Phone was a crapshoot in many homes without an answering machine or caller ID. Who was it? Who the hell knows? It could have been anyone. Sometimes, it was someone who shouldn't be calling. Still, we rushed to answer it. In hindsight, it was crazy, but we did that.We'd race to The Phone, sometimes from the exact opposite part of our home or even run from outside when we heard it, sprinting, because we had to be the one to see who was calling on The Phone and report it to the rest of the family. As younger kids, this made us feel important.You and your siblings would fight over who gets to answer The Phone, sometimes colliding into each other at full speed, having run from different parts of your home, a flurry of arms and elbows and much shouting. There were arguments!When you were a younger kid, you might test an adult calling by attempting to imitate your parent's voice or a general "adult" voice. It was terrible acting and tremendous fun. The adults were not always amused by this. There were arguments!As we got older, racing to The Phone was done in the hopes of a classmate calling about homework or maybe a crush from school. Or a friend calling about hanging out. For most of us, there was the one line, meaning only one person could use it at a time. There were arguments!When internet access began reaching homes, going online meant The Phone couldn't be used while someone was online because the modem used the phone line. There were arguments! Whole fights over who got to control the doorway to the rest of the world. This was all very exciting.Many of us grew up with corded phones. When we were younger, we'd sit or stand near The Phone, talking to a relative on a holiday or a friend from school, idly wrapping the cord around our fingers or absentmindedly getting it tangled up around ourselves and others walking by.The cord would sometimes stretch across the room and annoyed family members would have to step over it or dip under it and might flash you a look of annoyance for your lack of spatial awareness. There were arguments!The cordless phone was a game changer. Suddenly, there was freedom with where you could use The Phone. Snatch that damn thing and talk in your bedroom for hours. You and your siblings and your parents would be annoyed with each other when it was missing. There were arguments!Sometimes, one of you would take the cordless phone into your bedroom and talk for hours and hours until it died, and then, everyone else who needed to use it had to wait until it charged on its little dock. There were arguments!Cordless phones felt a bit less like The Phone. Less formal. When it was corded to the phone base, which was plugged into the wall, it felt more permanent and older. Cordless phones felt new, an aura less congruous with "The Phone". Hard to explain. It just felt that way.Cell phones, of course, slowly eroded this aura of The Phone over time before suddenly obliterating it -- slow at first and then, suddenly, very quickly, seemingly overnight. It felt like it was overnight. It wasn't. But it felt that way.The aura of The Phone is no longer a substantial part of American life and hasn't been for some time. Less than a third of homes have a landline now; the vast majority use only cell phones. Just about everyone in the family over a certain age has a phone in their pocket. Wild.Anyway, younger folks don't need to understand any of this, of course, but to those of us who grew up at the tail end of The Phone, it was just a completely different vibe stuck in a specific time that's now long gone.And sometimes, weirdly, irrationally, I kinda miss it.Charlotte's Web Thoughts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Hi, I'm Charlotte Clymer, and this is Charlotte's Web Thoughts, my Substack. It's completely free to access and read, but it's also how my bills! So, please do kindly consider upgrading to a paid subscription: just $7/month or save money with the $70/annual sub. You can also go way above and beyond by becoming a Lifetime Member at $210. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

Paul covers topics presented by our Lifetime Members in this podcast. He goes in detail about why the days undulate, especially in PR, he covers Eat To Perform Health updates and benefits and lets you know when the best time is to cut or build muscle. He also touches on if nutrition timing can really benefit you and if you should be concerned about sodium. We hope you enjoy this podcast as it is chock full of information that pertains to all of our members.

[This blog will always be free to read, but it's also how I pay my bills. So, if you like what you read, please consider a paid subscription.]It was August 17th, 2015—a typical, late summer, hot Monday morning—when I heard booming music outside the bedroom window of my apartment. It sounded like it was coming from RFK Stadium, which was just up the street on the east side of Washington, D.C.I was entering the final year of undergrad and needed a break from getting my class schedule in order and filing G.I. Bill benefits and looking at grad schools, so I decided to take a walk and locate the source of the revelry. As I got closer to RFK, I saw what appeared to be a stage and a small contingent of security officers keeping watch and no more than a hundred or so people dancing away the hot, late morning. Because the stage was facing away from me, I couldn't tell who was singing, but they sounded a lot like Stevie Wonder. Pitch perfect impersonation of him. Impressive, I thought, I don't mind listening to a great cover band for a while.I entered the area, a grassy plot of land in front of RFK, rounded the stage, and looked up to see a full band playing alongside—oh my god, that's Stevie Wonder.Stevie Wonder. In the flesh. Right in front of me.Songs in the Key of Life. Innervisions. I Just Called to Say I Love You. You Are the Sunshine of My Life. Fingertips. Superstition. Uptight (Everything's Alright). My Cherie Amour. For Once In My Life. Tell Me Something Good. The definitive musical prodigy. Three consecutive Grammys for Album of the Year, all of them earned in a span of four years, a record that will never be tied, much less broken, during a run of musical production that is without equal. An artist of such depth and genius and delightful creativity that even his most successful contemporaries, like Sir Elton John, readily concede there is no one like him and never will be again. Dr. Stevland Hardaway Morris. Little Stevie Wonder. And he was singing in my little neighborhood to a small audience. My jaw had become nearly detached from my face, and I dragged it forward to get closer to the stage, ignoring the heat and humidity and any and all responsibilities and worries that were on my mind. He was doing a surprise pop-up concert, announced just two hours prior through local media, which I had completely missed. When I went back to read the press mentions, several said the first 1,000 people to show up would get free donuts. And while I do remember the donuts and partook, but there weren't even close to a thousand folks there. It was a regular ole Monday morning in the District of Columbia. Folks were working, and anyone who wasn't working was getting in a final summer vacation before the new school year. And what few people weren't working or on summer vacation probably saw the news and didn't believe it would be so easy to attend the show. Maybe they missed that it's free. Maybe they thought it'd be too packed. Maybe they weren't sure it was worth the drive or metro ride to southeast D.C. Maybe they didn't know about the donuts. Maybe they didn't believe it.But he was in my neighborhood—a good, loud shout from my apartment—and I now stood with a hundred other folks, in the sweltering heat, listening to this man play his heart out for us. As word quickly spread, it would grow to several hundred by the end of his set, folks taking an early lunch and rushing over. I've never seen anything like it.Near the end, he suddenly got quite serious. He said he wanted to honor someone he deeply admired. He went on and on about this unnamed person. He talked about their humanity and grace and empathy. He talked about their leadership, and how they embodied the love that he felt the world needs right now.As he continued talking up this apparent saint, I heard murmuring of guesses all around me. We were all waiting for the reveal. Who is this?And then he said: “…so, I would like to honor my friend, former president Jimmy Carter.”It was a sweet moment, but it was also mildly concerning. Did President Carter pass away that morning? Does Mr. Wonder know something we don't? I wasn't the only one thinking this, as I saw a few dozen folks quickly take out their phone to do the same thing I was doing: googling for any news on the 39th POTUS.No, he was doing just fine. He wasn't in the news. This wasn't a response to a tragic or sorrowful development. Stevie Wonder just felt like that moment was an appropriate time to honor a man he deeply admired.Yesterday, the Carter Center announced that the former president—by this point, at 98, the longest-living in American history—would be entering hospice care and foregoing further medical intervention in order to spend his remaining time with family. I've thought about a lot of things, from the trivial to the extraordinary, since I saw the announcement. I thought about how he gave up his family's peanut farm to run for president. I thought about how he once led the effort in saving a nuclear reactor as a young Naval officer and had radioactive urine for months afterward. I thought about his support for LGBTQ rights and the ordination of women clergy. I thought about his long association with Habitat for Humanity. I thought about when I was a little kid interested in presidential history and my grandfather, a world away from politics, beaming as he told the story of when he shook Carter's hand many years ago. I thought about how much I regret not getting the chance to shake his hand, too.But the first memory conjured when I heard the news was that pop-up show by Stevie Wonder and the kind words he had for President Carter, for no other reason than the sake of acknowledging his love for him and encouraging others to spread their own love, too — as he said: what the world needs right now.Thank you, Mr. President. Rest easy.Charlotte's Web Thoughts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Hi, I'm Charlotte Clymer, and this is Charlotte's Web Thoughts, my Substack. It's completely free to access and read, but it's also how my bills! So, please do kindly consider upgrading to a paid subscription: just $7/month or save money with the $70/annual sub. You can also go way above and beyond by becoming a Lifetime Member at $210. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

[This blog will always be free to read, but it's also how I pay my bills. So, if you like what you read, please consider a paid subscription.]Today, I purchased a rose gold, carry-on luggage piece at Target, with smooth-gliding wheels that display tasteful, faux-chrome mini-hubcaps and a sensible yet alluring plastic handle deployment apparatus. When extended with intention, the apparatus creates a succession of pleasing "clicks" that are sufficiently muffled by the substance of the polypropylene handle, so as to provide the welcome auditory stimulant one has been conditioned to associate with adventure in air travel but without the sometimes obnoxious metallic resonance produced by traditional shafts and handgrips. The sides of the case feature a mould of uniformly-spaced, abbreviated ribbing that enable more effective traction during handling without compromising the stylistic continuity of the overall design. The mobility of the wheeling component feels not unlike a pad of butter being dragged across warm toast when maneuvered in its rolling disposition, the slightest of touches on a forgiving hard surface producing movement that seems instinctual. The color layout incorporates just enough metallic trimming to accentuate its feminine expression whilst avoiding a garishness that is not uncommon in the production of mass market, high-femme luggage. The frame is exceptionally light and bound with a reinforced expansion zipper that can maintain a slim profile but permit up to two inches of additional space for one's packing list.Capitalism tells me that this purchase will fill the gaping hole in my soul and alleviate the severity and frequency of myriad pains, within and without.Cross your fingers.Charlotte's Web Thoughts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Hi, I'm Charlotte Clymer, and this is Charlotte's Web Thoughts, my Substack. It's completely free to access and read, but it's also how my bills! So, please do kindly consider upgrading to a paid subscription: just $7/month or save money with the $70/annual sub. You can also go way above and beyond by becoming a Lifetime Member at $210. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

[This blog will always be free to read, but it's also how I pay my bills. So, if you like what you read, please consider a paid subscription.]The Junk Drawer is back! This is a feature of my blog I intended to do regularly when I began it last year, and things just got terribly busy with the midterms. So, it's become one of my goals this year to reignite the feature.It's about odds and ends: random musings, things I'm reading and watching, stuff I found interesting, and updates on my work.Enjoy!The Ballad of the Nosey BalloonThe surveillance balloon fiasco over the past week has been embarrassing for pretty much everyone involved. Embarrassing for China in their clumsy espionage and laughable response. Embarrassing for the U.S. government in the revelation that, apparently, several of these were tracked during the Trump Administration, and Trump declined to do anything about them. Embarrassing for political media's inability to clarify the situation for Americans, instead leaning into a framing of partisan jousting.Per usual, on matters of national security, the smartest voices seem to be the peripheral of cable news. I found this Twitter thread by NatSec expert William Kim particularly insightful.If nothing else, with the successful shoot-down of the balloon by an air-to-air missile from an F-22 Raptor (the first such recorded kill by the fighter jet model), notch this as a victory in President Biden's war on inflation. Another Award Show You Probably Don't Care About But Here's Why You ShouldThe 65th Annual Grammy Awards are being broadcast this evening. Most of you probably don't care about it. I will admit that I love awards shows; from the fashion to the high drama, I find them delicious.But this year's Grammys have a particularly sharp significance. Beyoncé leads with nine nominations for her album Renaissance, an instant cultural landmark that is widely considered her most complete record. It also lifted her to 88 career nominations, tying her with husband Jay-Z for the most Grammy nominations by an artist ever. And with 28 Grammy wins under her belt already, she's the most awarded singer in the Academy's history.Here's the problem: Beyoncé rarely wins the big general awards (Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year). She's been previously nominated six times for Record of the Year, winning none; five times for Song of the Year, winning once; and most glaringly, three times for Album of the Year as a lead artist and once as a featured artist, winning none. She wasn't even nominated for Best New Artist during her time with Destiny's Child or after her solo debut, which was a stunning critical and commercial success.The Grammys have always been suspect, and there's long been debate over how much critical favor is weighed against sales and certifications. What makes Beyoncé a point of considerable debate is that she's been consistently both: highly praised for her artistry and highly lucrative as an entertainer. Her Album of the Year losses have occurred in years in which she found near-universal favor among reviewers and near-universal adulation among listeners. So, which is it? That's not to say the artists to whom she lost were undeserving, but it's become a highly suspect pattern in which Beyoncé releases a beloved album that's critically and commercially successful, only to lose to a white artist whose album would not be assessed similarly, at least to that degree.Tonight, if Beyoncé doesn't win at least one of the three major awards, there's gonna be a lot of understandable chatter about misogynoir among Academy voters.What I'm Reading“The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams” by Stacy Schiff — One of the most interesting biographies I've read in a while. Schiff has a hell of a bibliography, with classics like “Vera (Mrs. Vladimir Nabokov)” (winner of the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography) and “The Witches: Salem, 1692”, and her latest work on forgotten founding father Sam Adams is thoroughly fascinating. (https://bit.ly/SamAdamsBook)“Dyscalculia: A Love Story of Epic Miscalculation” by Camonghne Felix — I was lucky enough to score an advance copy of Felix' latest work, set for release this Valentine's Day. She won rave reviews for “Build Yourself a Boat” (2017), which was longlisted for the National Book Award, among other recognitions. She's one of those writers that makes me wanna write. (preorder here: https://bit.ly/PreorderDyscalculia)“Master of the Senate” by Robert A. Caro — This is the second time I've read Caro's third work in the LBJ biography quintet (the fifth part, we are told, will eventually be published when he's damn good and ready). If you want to understand how the Senate got to be so thoroughly complicated and counterproductive (to put it mildly), Caro's history of the chamber is, alone, worth reading this. It's a big one, I won't lie. You'll need to dedicate at least a few weeks to it. But the understanding you'll glean about American politics is indispensable. What I'm Watching“Fleishman Is in Trouble” (Hulu) — Adapted from the book of the same name by Taffy Brodesser-Akner (who also executive produces). It's a great miniseries. Lizzy Kaplan and Claire Danes give exceptional performances, and the writing is brilliant. It's a bit dark but in the best way.“The Last of Us” (HBO) — I'll be real with you: as much as I love Pedro Pascal, I wasn't especially motivated to start watching this. I've kinda had my fill with post-apocalyptic narratives. But then, the third episode, centered around guest actors Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett, was released last weekend to rave reviews, so I finally watched it. I'm glad I did. The love story between these two men is one of the finest episodes of television I've ever seen. Absolutely brilliant. “80 for Brady” (Paramount) — Oh god, I so wanted to hate this damn movie. Metro Weekly offered to pay me to review it, and when I realized it would give me a chance to trash Tom Brady, I gladly accepted their commission. And then, must to my surprise, I quite enjoyed it. Ugh, I hate it when that happens. To read my review, click here. What I'm WritingThe week before last, I published this essay on an interview Pope Francis did with the Associated Press, in which he called for homosexuality to be decriminalized. My take is this simple: it's very good news when a global religious figure takes an LGBTQ-affirming stance, especially right now, and it should be encouraged. Last week, I wrote a satirical article about Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announcing a statewide ban on Pink Floyd. I honestly thought it was a bit over-the-top and wouldn't gain much attention. I was wrong. It went super viral. It's one of the most widely-read pieces I've written for my blog, mostly because a lot of folks readily believed that DeSantis would do something like this. In fact, it gained so much traction that Snopes published an article in response, confirming that its satire. And, of course, the aforementioned review of “80 for Brady,” which you should definitely read. Where I'm Gonna Be3/2/23: “Gabrielle Blair, In Conversation with Charlotte Clymer” at D.C.'s historic Sixth & I Synagogue — When my friend Gabrielle Blair asked me to join her for a one-on-one discussion on her bestselling book “Ejaculate Responsibly: A Whole New Way to Think About Abortion,” I thought I might be dreaming. For those who aren't in D.C., Sixth & I is considered one of the premiere venues for book events. This will be my first event on the stage instead of in the audience, and I am so damn excited to talk about Gabrielle's brilliant book. (Tickets here: https://bit.ly/GabrielleBlairEvent)3/9/23: 2nd Annual Democracy Solutions Summit — RepresentWomen is hosting its second annual virtual summit on how to safeguard democracy. On its final day, I'll be moderating a fantastic panel on the Fair Representation Act. It's free! (Register: https://bit.ly/DemocracySolutionsSummit)4/28/23: 17th Annual Freedom Rising Conference — On the last day of this much beloved annual gathering organized by NYC's iconic Middle Church, I'll be participating in the segment “How Christian Fascism Made a Home Within Our Government” with Melissa Harris-Perry and Robert P. Jones. I have so much respect and admiration for Middle Church, particularly Dr. Rev. Jacqui Lewis. I'm looking forward to this. Join us! (Tickets here: https://bit.ly/FreedomRisingConference)Personal NewsIn case you missed it, Charlotte's Web Thoughts was nominated for Outstanding Blog at the 34th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. This is an enormous honor, and I can't thank you all enough for supporting this little blog/newsletter of mine. I'm grateful for your support. Truly.For those of you who have been following the ‘80s movie guessing chaos, I have some good news: we've raised over $9,000 for Team LPAC. Almost there! Once we hit $10k, I'll be publishing my review of the movie, thus finally revealing the answer. Shout-out to my friend Amanda Hite for her substantial donation toward that total. Please join her and donate (https://bit.ly/ProjectLPAC). Bonus: anyone who donates at least $50 will get followed back on Twitter; just send me the receipt at cmclymer@gmail.comI joined Spoutible, the new social media platform created by Christopher Bouzy, the gentleman who accurately nailed the outcome of the midterms election long before mainstream political punditry caught up. And I really love it. Come join us. You can find my profile here. Charlotte's Web Thoughts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Hi, I'm Charlotte Clymer, and this is Charlotte's Web Thoughts, my Substack. It's completely free to access and read, but it's also how my bills! So, please do kindly consider upgrading to a paid subscription: just $7/month or save money with the $70/annual sub. You can also go way above and beyond by becoming a Lifetime Member at $210. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

[This blog will always be free to read, but it's also how I pay my bills. So, if you like what you read, please consider a paid subscription.]TALLAHASSEE (CWT) — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis shocked political observers and reporters this morning at a press conference where he announced a statewide ban on Pink Floyd, the English progressive rock group generally considered by popular music critics to be one of the most influential bands of all-time. The stunning move came less than a week after controversy erupted in response to the release of their 50th anniversary album logo for The Dark Side of the Moon—the group's magnum opus—which prominently features a rainbow, harkening back to the original album cover that depicts light being shone through a glass prism and then dispersing into a spectrum of color. Because physics. The logo design drew enraged criticism from many who felt the band were attempting to engage in “wokeness” by referencing the Pride flag, the LGBTQ-inclusive banner that was created by gay activist Gilbert Baker five years after the release of The Dark Side of the Moon.At the press conference, DeSantis slammed the group as “attempting to push their sexual frivolity on children” and “the latest example of moral degenerates seeking to weaponize pop culture against families.”DeSantis, who has spent the past few years engaging in an all-out attack on LGBTQ rights in the state, then proceeded to lament the “demise of rock ‘n' roll” to incredulous political reporters in a series of awkward exchanges.When asked by one journalist to elaborate on his misgivings over the trajectory of the genre, DeSantis pointed to legendary rock acts and pointedly asked why today's music is so sexually immoral.“You know, when I was in high school and college, rockers were men's men,” he said in response to reporters. “I'd pop in a Judas Priest CD on the way to class and feel amped. You remember Rob Halford? That guy was a beast. Women loved him.”Reporters, exchanging confused glances, asked DeSantis if he had any other favorites.“Oh yeah, sure, I liked all kinds of stuff back then. I drove up with my old high school buddies to see Against Me! when they were first starting out and playing little gigs around the state. That was real punk rock. They understood that men are men and women are women.”DeSantis appeared briefly confused at muffled laughter from the gathered press. “I mean, look, you can laugh at my taste in music, but you can't deny that men back then weren't wearing dresses onstage. You'd never see Kurt Cobain or David Bowie dressing like women.”At this point, the Governor's press secretary attempted to intervene by rushing to the podium and claiming he was behind schedule.“Wait, wait—”, DeSantis said, waving off his concerned staffer, “These people need to understand what real rock ‘n' roll is. Uh, where was I?”“Sir, you were saying Kurt Cobain never wore dresses,” a reporter called out.“Right, thank you, men were men. Rock music in my high school days was about men playing music to attract girls. Even the weirder groups like The B-52s and Scissor Sisters played songs that made sense. We didn't have all these queers on the radio, singing about their sexual depravity.”“Governor DeSantis, you may want to—”, a Fox News reporter attempted to interject before being shushed by his colleagues. “The music industry no longer makes good ol' fashioned, red-blooded-American rock,” DeSantis continued, ignoring the interruption. “Where is today's David Geffen? Even music critics are no longer manly. Back in my day, we had Jann Wenner.”“Governor, that may be true for rock but what about pop in those days,” another journalist asked, struggling to suppress a smile.“Pop music was never my thing,” DeSantis admitted. “But you'd have to admit that pop a few decades ago was still about boys playing music about girls. You remember Ricky Martin? That guy was surrounded by hot chicks. Boy bands, too. I'll take Lance Bass and his buddies in N*SYNC over any of today's sexually subversive music acts.”Laughter broke out among the gathered press.“Hey, this isn't funny,” DeSantis chided them. “We've gotten away from the days when men knew rock is about extolling the virtues of women.” He paused.“Freddie Mercury knew a thing or two about fat-bottomed girls.”Charlotte's Web Thoughts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Hi, I'm Charlotte Clymer, and this is Charlotte's Web Thoughts, my Substack. It's completely free to access and read, but it's also how my bills! So, please do kindly consider upgrading to a paid subscription: just $7/month or save money with the $70/annual sub. You can also go way above and beyond by becoming a Lifetime Member at $210. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

[This blog will always be free to read, but it's also how I pay my bills. So, if you like what you read, please consider a paid subscription.]In an exclusive interview with Associated Press reporter Nicole Winfield, published this morning, Pope Francis said homosexuality should not be a crime and called upon all countries with such laws—67 of them in total—to decriminalize.There are currently three majority-Catholic countries that criminalize homosexuality: Burundi, Kiribati, and Saint Lucia.There are also a few countries with a substantial Catholic population that criminalize homosexuality, Rwanda (49.5%) being the most prominent in this group.Francis was intentional about making a distinction between homosexuality being a “sin”—which he believes it to be—and being a criminal act, which he believes it should not be. This is arguably the strongest statement of support for LGBTQ rights from Francis since the beginning of his papacy. Over the years, he has periodically made headlines with his openness on topics of sexual morality.The most famous example was in 2013 when Francis said to a reporter: “If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?”In 2018, Francis urged the parents of gay children to maintain their relationships and love them and “not throw them out of the family.”In 2020, he sent a handwritten note of praise to a Carmelite nun in Argentina who opened a permanent safe house for transgender women, noting: “God, who didn't attend seminary and didn't study theology, will reward you generously. I pray for you and your daughters.”In 2021, he made clear his support for same-sex civil unions as a logical compromise against same-sex marriages. Throughout his tenure, the Pope has attempted to traverse a tricky middle-ground between maintaining support for traditional Catholic views on sexual morality and expanding access to the Church for LGBTQ people and condemning abuse toward them. This has brought substantial criticism from both sides of the debate; social conservatives believe he's overstepping his bounds and many social progressives reject his efforts as not nearly enough.As a trans woman and Christian, I think the Pope's actions have been great in the context of how substantially worse he could be. I don't expect the Catholic Church to change its official views on LGBTQ identities in my lifetime, but it would be nice if we could all offer a baseline of respect for each other. In my humble opinion, Francis has certainly exceeded expectations.I take the Pope at his word when he maintains that being LGBTQ is sinful (I firmly disagree, of course), but I respect that he has been steadfastly committed to: 1) a clear separation of Church and State on these matters and 2) encouraging the inclusion of LGBTQ people in the Church. It is especially meaningful when he insists that LGBTQ people are entitled to a family, even if that family structure is imperfect in the eyes of traditional Catholics.I'll be honest with you folks: this is a great thing, and I'm pretty exhausted with some progressives who, beyond being unsatisfied, have attempted to downplay the Pope's efforts on LGBTQ equality. This morning's announcement is an enormous step forward, particularly in an era that has seen a heartbreaking backlash against LGBTQ advancement in recent years, all over the world. Some people deeply struggle with the very simple concept that demanding total and complete change overnight is not only damn near impossible but can be enormously counterproductive, especially in response to a moment of progress. It comes across as performative and naïve.Do I love that Francis has described transgender people like me as “lepers”, as though I am diseased and in need of specific ministry? No, of course not, but I'm also not gonna let that get in the way of meaningful progress. When the Pope says something that is likely to reduce violence and discrimination against my community, I'm gonna loudly praise it and hope anyone within earshot has their heart softened. Lost in most of the discussion on this morning's news will be the significant matter of continuity in papal leadership. There are currently 124 cardinal electors (that is, cardinals who are presently eligible to vote in a papal conclave), and Francis has created 81 of them. A new pope is elected with 2/3 of eligible cardinal electors, so a current threshold of 83 if all eligible voters were to participate in a conclave today.That doesn't mean the next pope is likely to be as progressively attuned as Francis, but he has undoubtedly made it highly unlikely that his successor will be a hard conservative in the mould of Benedict XVI.Bottom line: don't buy the nonsense view that this isn't a big deal or that it won't be helpful to LGBTQ people. Folks throwing out such criticism are allowing the perfect to be the enemy of the good at a time in history when there's not been much good to go around. Let the good flourish and plant more seeds.Charlotte's Web Thoughts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Hi, I'm Charlotte Clymer, and this is Charlotte's Web Thoughts, my Substack. It's completely free to access and read, but it's also how my bills! So, please do kindly consider upgrading to a paid subscription: just $7/month or save money with the $70/annual sub. You can also go way above and beyond by becoming a Lifetime Member at $210. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

Last week, I watched a particular ‘80s movie for the first time in years, and I had forgotten how much I felt it was largely underwhelming, even overrated, despite its standing as a niche favorite. Without naming the movie, I casually mentioned this in a group chat with a bunch of girlfriends, and they started guessing titles. Half an hour and dozens of guesses later, no one had landed on it, and being the curious goddess I am, I went to Twitter to see how fast it would take for someone to figure out.No one did. At least not initially.And it is a fascinating activity on perspective!For example, I didn't anticipate the sheer number of guessers who apparently believe that flicks like “Ferris Bueller's Day Off” and “The Princess Bride” have a niche fan base.(For those wholly unfamiliar with American Cinema, neither of these movies would ever be described as anything other than universally beloved.)Eventually, someone did guess the correct movie, but because I enjoy occasionally torturing the online masses with very low stakes nonsense like this, I decided to make it interesting.I could practically hear the groans, but much to my surprise, folks began responding in earnest, both donating to LPAC's non-profit research arm and making persuasive arguments for certain films and/or urgent moral pleadings to spare their own beloved ‘80s flick.The always charming Jon Cryer, beloved actor and ‘80s icon, among many other things, poked in to see if it's “Pretty in Pink” (1986). My friend Meredith Salenger—beloved writer, producer, and actress—had her own guess: “Dream a Little Dream” (1989).The brilliant Yvette Nicole Brown, unsatisfied with mere guessing, offered a loving warning that it better not be one of her faves.Amid the celebrity guesses were hundreds of responses that ranged from the patently absurd (“Purple Rain”? Who would ever describe that as less-than-great?) to the intriguing but ultimately incorrect (“Grease 2”).Over the past week, I've occasionally trotted out a range of clues, some of them intended to be helpful but most simply thrown out there for my own amusement at the expense of those playing. Because I am sometimes a cruel queen.Here are the list of clues, in order of my tweeting them over the past week:* ‘80s movie that probably has a niche fan base* I just don't think it's that good* theme: a young person confronting societal pressure * based in high school* Rotten Tomatoes score of more than 50% but less than 90%* one of the leads has been nominated for a Saturn Award for acting during their career* the entire cast was named TIME's Person of the Year in 2006* it was not directed or produced by Steven Spielberg* it was distributed by Paramount* one of the actors cast in this movie was also cast in “Jerry Maguire”* the year this film was released, the San Francisco 49ers made the playoffs (LOL)* released in theaters prior to former Justice Anthony Kennedy beginning his tenure on the Supreme Court* one of the actors who was cast in this movie is well-known for their exceptional voiceover work* released before Jon Bovi's signature hit “Livin' On a Prayer” reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100* released before Ronald Reagan gave a nationally-televised address kinda sorta hinting at his role in the Iran-Contra scandal but ultimately denying any substantial wrongdoingSo, the clues quickly escalated from amusing to outlandish, and I will admit that I've quite enjoyed veering them between unhelpfully broad and tantalizingly specific.That said, incredibly, we've raised more than $5,000 for LPAC. We're already more than halfway there. I have written a review of the movie, which no one has yet seen, and once this dorky little fundraiser of mine for queer women in politics reaches $10k, I'll be sending it out to all of you.Anyone who donates at least $50 can email me the receipt (cmclymer@gmail.com), and I will follow you back on Twitter.Additionally, the first five people who guessed the movie correctly will receive a personal phone call from me congratulating them on their excellent deductive reasoning.Hey, it's for a good cause! I like seeing queer women get elected, and LPAC has done a phenomenal job of that. So, please make a donation, and in the meantime, I'll leave you with one final clue: this movie reveal and accompanying review are guaranteed to break a few hearts.Charlotte's Web Thoughts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Hi, I'm Charlotte Clymer, and this is Charlotte's Web Thoughts, my Substack. It's completely free to access and read, but it's also how my bills! So, please do kindly consider upgrading to a paid subscription: just $7/month or save money with the $70/annual sub. You can also go way above and beyond by becoming a Lifetime Member at $250. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

In this podcast, Paul asks what motivates you and why: Why are we motivated by the athlete with the six pack abs and not the mom who has lost 20 lbs? What is our true motivation? He also covers questions from our Lifetime Members ranging from is a Fat Loss cycle necessary to what do we do when our weight is up in PR? Please check out our YouTube channel for clips from this and all of our other podcasts: www.youtube.com/c/eattoperformpodcasts

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