Podcasts about Luby

This week is like Christmas in June for me. I get to talk more about perimenopause--ya know how much I like to talk about that! The conversation covers the power of the big bad bit$h Estrogen and so much more about wellness for women. My guest this week is Lisa Rigau MS, BSN, RN, DipACLMHealth & Wellness Nutritionist and Certified Teacher of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, Healthy Lifestyle Management. Lisa tells us why a plant-based diet is healthy, how foods can affect our perimenopause symptoms like poor sleep and sweating, how to incorporate mindfulness into our lives and so much more to empower us to make choices that improve our health. Sign up for Lisa's newsletter, learn more about her services and contact her at her website: www.EatBreatheMoveLive.com Thank you to my podcast sponsor Reinvented Threads with Gabby Lynn. Gabby is creative, kind and makes beautiful eco-friendly fashion accessories including purses, hats and more. Visit her online store and learn where she'll be in the Lehigh Valley by clicking here. If you would like to support the content featured on Uncorked with Funny Wine Girl and help women continue to have a platform to inspire, inform and entertain, please reach out to Jeannine at Jeannine.Luby@gmail.com. Monthly podcast sponsorship packages are more affordable than buying a coffee a day outside the home. Remember that you can also show support by sharing the podcast on your social media and/or telling a friend, foe or anyone you know! Follow Funny Wine Girl Jeannine on Instagram and Facebook. I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass.

A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. Tonight's show is June 19th. We are all connected. We are talking with Asian and Asian American Children's book authors. PowerLeeGirls host Miko Lee talks with Chi Thai and Livia Blackburne about the power of storytelling, maternal heritage, generational trauma, and much more. Title:  We Are All Connected Show Transcripts Opening: [00:00:00] Apex Express Asian Pacific expression. Community and cultural coverage, music and calendar, new visions and voices, coming to you with an Asian Pacific Islander point of view. It's time to get on board the Apex Express.   Ayame Keane-Lee: [00:01:17] Welcome to Apex Express. Tonight's show is June 19th. We are all connected. We are talking with Asian and Asian American Children's book authors. PowerLeeGirls host Miko Lee talks with Chi Thai and Livia Blackburne about the power of storytelling, maternal heritage, generational trauma, and much more. First, we want to start by wishing everyone a happy Juneteenth, Juneteenth commemorates, an end to slavery and the emancipation of Black Americans after the Civil War. In 1865, 2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, enslaved people in Galveston, Texas finally learned of their freedom. Juneteenth marks the day the last enslaved people learned of their freedom. Though outright slavery became illegal, the systematic oppression of African Americans continues to this day. We see that show up in almost every aspect of American culture, from the high rate of infant mortality to the over punishing of Black children in schools, to police brutality, to incarceration. We must continue to recognize the importance of championing Black lives and lifting up Black voices. We are all connected. June 19th is also an important day in Asian American history. In 1982 in Detroit, Vincent Chin was at a bar celebrating his bachelor party prior to his wedding the next day. Ronald Ebens, a white auto worker, and his stepson Michael Nitz taunted Vincent with racial epithets. They thought he was Japanese and were angry about the Japanese rise in the auto industry. When Vincent left the bar later, the two men attacked and killed Vincent with a baseball bat. He was 27 years old. Ronald Ebens never did time for this murder. Ronald Ebens is 85 years old now. Ebens not only skirted prosecution, he has used bankruptcy and homesteading laws in Nevada to avoid a wrongful death civil suit settlement. Ordered by the court in 1987 to pay $1.5 million to Chin's family, the Chin estate has received nothing. Lily Chin, Vincent's mom could have stayed silent about the racist attack on her son. Instead she spoke out. She took a courageous stance to highlight this most painful moment in her life. In doing so, she helped ignite a new generation of Asian American activists working for civil rights and social justice. We find ourselves in a new wave of activism as our communities band together to work against the injustices of the current regime. And what does this have to do with children's books? It is all connected. We highlight children's books by Asian and Asian American authors because we want our next generation of children to know and appreciate their own heritage. We want them to proudly represent who they are so that they can work in solidarity with other peoples. Our struggle is interwoven. As Grace Lee Boggs said, “History is a story not only of the past, but of the future.” Thank you for joining us on apex express. Enjoy the show.   Miko Lee: [00:04:24] First off. Let's take a listen to one of Byron Au Young's compositions called “Know Your Rights” This is part of the trilogy of the Activist Songbook. This multi-lingual rap, give steps to know what to do when ICE officers come to your door.    MUSIC   That was “Know Your Rights” performed by Jason Chu with lyrics by Aaron Jeffries and composed by Byron Au Yong Welcome, Chi Thai to Apex Express.    Chi Thai: [00:07:13] Hello. I'm really happy to be joining you, Miko.  Miko Lee: [00:07:16] I'm really happy to meet you and learn about you as an artist, as a filmmaker, as a children's book author. And I wanna first start with a personal question, which is, who are your people and what legacy do you carry with you? Chi Thai: [00:07:30] Ooh, what a great question. You know what? I love being asked stuff that hasn't been asked kind of before. I mean, there's a kinda really kinda natural answer to that, which is, you know, family are my people. Of course. 100%. And certainly, you know, the reason why I'm talking to you today, you know, in regard to the, to the book, you know, it's about my family's journey. But I found, and I don't know if this is. Somewhat to do with, you know, being a child of two cultures and you know, being a child of the diaspora that you really have to kind of find your own family too. 'cause I suppose I grew up feeling, I didn't quite relate to maybe my parents in a way that, you know, you normally would if you weren't part of the diaspora. And I felt estranged from my birth country and I didn't really feel like British either a lot of the time. So in terms of like, who are my people? I've gathered those people as I've kind of grown up and it's, it's a kind of strange feeling too. I feel like it's taken me a really long to grow up and to figure out who I am. And I suppose that's why, you know, the people that I have a really, a lot of people that have come, kinda later in my life, I actually have no friends in my childhood as an example of that. I've had to kind of find these people as I've grown up, but it's taken me a long time to grow up because growing up in the UK there wasn't any literature to read about what it was like to be Asian. And British, to be a refugee and things like that. So it just took me longer and I then, as a result, it just took me longer to find my tribe. but I have it now, but it's still work in progress. That was a very convoluted answer. I'm very sorry Miko.    Miko Lee: [00:09:15] No, it wasn't. No worries. It's fine. And what legacy do you carry with you?   Chi Thai: [00:09:19] Kind of an extension to that answer, I think when you're an artist, practicing your voice, figuring out your voice, can take a while. And I think I've only really started maybe the last like five to 10 years at the most really figured out what I want my legacy to be. The things I wanna talk about are really about s tories from the diaspora, certainly, and about community and healing. These are the things I think that are really important to me, especially when we talk about maybe coming from struggle. I don't feel it's enough to be an artist today and just talk about struggle. I want to talk about justice as well. And justice really is about healing, you know?    Miko Lee: [00:10:00] Oh, that's beautiful. Can you talk a little bit more about that healing and what that means to you and how that shows up in your work?    Chi Thai: [00:10:07] A couple years ago, no, not even that long ago, I produced a, a feature film. This is probably the best example for it, but I produced a feature film called Raging Grace, which we called it Horror with a small H and it. Basically took the story of what it was like to be, undocumented Filipina in the uk who was also a mother. And I think if that film had been made 10 years ago, it would just shown how hard her life was, and unrelentingly. So, and I think the reason why Raising Grace is so special is it goes beyond the trauma, it takes us to a place of justice, of being able to speak out for someone who has felt invisible, to be visible for someone who's not. Had a voice, to have a voice and to begin that kind of healing process of sticking up for herself, making a change transforming herself from maybe the good immigrant to the bad immigrant and things like that. I think that's a really great example and I think I read a really wonderful thing. It might have been in a Guardian article where we, so a lot of my work is around, inclusion representation of like diasporic stories. And I think when you have, when you exist in the poverty of like representation, I. the solution to that is plentitude. I think that Viet Thanh Nguyen probably said that, so I don't wanna take credit for it. He comes up with so many wonderful things, and that's a wonderful thing to be able to move from poverty, like to plentitude and that be the solution, is kinda really wonderful. So I enjoy being really prolific. I enjoy supporting artists to be able to do their work. So as a community, we can also be prolific and I wanna support, narratives that. Take us beyond a place of struggle and trauma to a place of like healing and justice and so forth.    Miko Lee: [00:11:57] Your work crosses so many genres. You were just mentioning how that film was kind of a horror film and, and then you've done these kind of dreamy animation pieces and then now this children's book. Do you select the genre and the format and the medium, or does it select you?   Chi Thai: [00:12:16] Oh, I think the story chooses it. I like 100% believe that. I just actually was thinking about this 'cause I was doing an interview on something else, people, often ask about the creative process and I, can only speak for my own. But usually when I get an idea for a story, the general shape of it comes almost like really well formed. There's a sense of a lready kinda what genre it'll be. There's a sense of the character, there's a sense of the journey and all these things. I felt the same about, writing The Endless Sea I knew it would be from the voice of a child. This probably sounds like my creative process is terrible, but it was just. This is how it was going to be. That kind of part was writing itself, or at least I feel that it'd been writing itself like that in my subconscious for many, many years before it kind of surfacing and writing. Like the writing bit is just the tip of the iceberg at the end of the day. there wasn't like a kind of decision about that. the story in that sense was quite intact. So I often feel like the story is demanding something about kind genre and for, for Raging Grace 'cause I've talked about this a lot, not just in listen to me, but other things. But we always said like if you are an an undocumented person, every breath you take is taken in a hostile environment. It's so natural for it to be a horror. So there's not a sense that you kinda decide that it's like that is the very reality of someone who's going, you know, that's their lived experience. And if you're going to represent that truthfully, it will be through the prism of horror. And I suppose that's how I think about genre. the story is kind of telling you what it needs to tell its emotional truth. and I felt that way, with The Endless Sea same thing with the Raging Grace, with Lullaby. And I think you talked about The Promise, I suppose I, with The Promise, which is an adaptation I had less choice about that because that was a book and it was a adapted into an animation. I've heard Nicola, who's the author of the book, talk about that and she talks about like the story coming to her in a dream and tiptoeing down her arm coming onto the page, she like describes it really beautifully. so maybe our processes are the same. It feels that way. there's not long deliberations. I mean, that's not to say the writing process isn't difficult. It is. But that, I've never found the, [genre] the difficulty or the bit that's required a lot of, I don't know soul searching with it.    Miko Lee: [00:14:28] So with that being said, how did Endless Sea your latest children's book? How did that tiptoe into your imagination?    Chi Thai: [00:14:36] This is a strange one because this is probably the closest thing to like, almost autobiographical work. What I can say is like, it's the true story o f how I and my family, which would've been at the time my mom and dad, my older sister, me, how we fled Vietnam after the fall of an Saigon. we actually left quite late we left in 1979 w hen things were tr were getting truly, truly, truly, quite terrible. And, this was very much a last resort. I think my parents would try to make things work, but realized that they couldn't. This journey that we took on these, boats that were made badly, made poorly, that many of which sank has become almost like the genesis story of our family. It's like it's a big, it has a long shadow, right? Ever since you know I, it is like the first story that I can remember. It's one of the few stories my mom would tell me again and again when we, when they see their old friends, it's something they talk about. So it's something that has happened to it to us, but it's such a big thing that it's just, echoed In my life growing up, as I've you know, got older and older, and the wonderful thing about having a story kinda live with you eventually it's in your blood and in your bones, but also if it's a thing that's kinda shared with you again and again, you actually build up this, there's something about the repetition of it, and then every time you hear it told from an uncle or a family friend or from your mom, a new little detail is embroidered that someone adds. So I've kinda lived with this story for 40 plus years and I've been collecting all these little things about it all this time and all that time it was, I think, kind of just writing itself, you know? You know, it was doing all that work before I actually put like pen to paper. Um, yeah.    Miko Lee: [00:16:31] Was there a catalyst or something that made you actually put the pen to paper?   Chi Thai: [00:16:36] That's really interesting. You know, I probably don't mind it is probably something really banal like. I think I probably wrote it during Covid and I had more time. Um, I think there are probably be some bigger forces in place. And you know what, I can tell you what it is actually if I'm, I'm forcing myself to think and examine a bit closer so when this is totally true. So I remember hearing the news about Viet Thanh Nguyen win winning the Pulitzer for The Sympathizer. And it made such a mark on me and I kind of felt, wow, someone from our community has achieved this incredible thing. And I thought, why? Why now? Like, and I was like, well, you know what? It's probably taken our community certain amount of time to come of age, to develop not just the abilities to write, to create, to make art, but also to have possibly the relationships or networks in place to be able to then make the art and get it out into the world. And I kind of felt when he was able to do that and came of age, I kind of felt there was going to be like other people from the kind of diasporic Vietnamese community that would also start to flourish. And that made me feel really good. About probably being a bit older than the average kind of artist, like making their, kinda like their pieces and everything and saying, you know what? My time can be now. It's okay. And I just find it just really inspiring that, you know our community was kind of growing, growing up, coming of age and being able to do these, these things And I kind of felt like it had given me the permission, I suppose the, the confidence to go, “Oh this story that I've been carrying my whole life, which I don't really see a version of out there I can write that and now I can write it and I'm the right person to write it.” And I had just done The Promise so I had a relationship with Walker. I was like, I have a, you know, a relationship with the publisher. I feel my writing is matured. Like I can do this. And so it was like a culmination and, you know, convergence of those things. And, but I do remember having that thought thinking, “This is a good time to be alive in our community 'cause we're actually able to make our art and get it out there now.” I, I felt it was like a real watershed moment really.   Miko Lee: [00:19:11] What made you decide to do it in this format as a Little Kid's Children's Illustrated book? We were talking earlier about how to, to me, this is the first more realistic version of a boat people experience in a very little kid's voice. What made you decide to do it in this style?    Chi Thai: [00:19:33] So interesting. At the same time, I was writing The Endless Sea. I was writing also the script for a short film, which is called Lullaby, which is takes an incident that happened on my boat but expresses it as a film, as a little kinda horror kinda drama, but a kid cannot watch that. It's like too terrifying. Um, and I wrote, you know, The Endless Sea at the same time. And again, I can't, it's really hard for me to articulate. I just knew it was gonna be a kid's book, like, and I knew it'd be written from the voice of a kid, and I didn't actually, can I say I didn't even ascribe a particular kind of value to that. It wasn't until I had started conversations with the publisher they're like, you know, we see like there's a really high, like this is really great that it's written in the voice of the kid. It somehow gives it something else. Something more is something kind of special. I didn't set out to like, overthink, like what was the most effective way to tell this story? I, I think I just told the story as honestly as I could, you know, with the words that I felt that, you know, I had in me to de, you know, to describe it. In the most authentic way to, to me. And like I say, at the same time, I knew, like I knew that was a kid's book. There was another part of that I wanted to express that was really important to me and that was survivor's guilt. But that I felt was like, that was a horror, so that was really not gonna be suitable for kids. So I was definitely thinking about lots of things to do with the same subject of the same time, but they were definitely being expressed in different ways. And again, Lullaby came to me very kind of quickly, almost fully formed. And I knew, you know, it would be a ghost story. I knew it would be the story of a mother and things like that. And I often maybe, you know, I should, I, I should interrogate more, but I kinda, I take these kinda. These ideas, which are quite well shaped and, and then I just like lean into them more and more and more. But they, the way they arrive it, I've kinda, I, I can see a lot of what is already about to unfold.   Miko Lee: [00:21:43] And do you still dream about that experience of being on the boat as a kid?    Chi Thai: [00:21:52] It's, it's a really difficult thing to explain because you know that that happened now so long ago, and I've probably heard the story thousands of times. I've watched all the terrible Hollywood movies, I've seen all the news clippings, I've watched all the archive. I've listened to, you know, people talk, and I have my own memories and I look at photographs and I have memories of looking at photographs. I feel like, you know, my memory is really unreliable, but what it is instead is it's this, this kind of, kind of tapestry of, you know, of the story of memories, of, you know, images as I grow up of hearing the story, like all coming together. One of the things I did when I wrote, I wrote The Endless Sea, is I then went back to my mom and I did a recorded interview with her 'cause I was really worried about how unreliable my memory might be. And I interviewed her and I asked a lot of questions and I said, and I, it was like, you know, in the way I would've just like listened to the story quite passively before this time I interviewed her and I asked a lot of questions about details and all sorts of things. 'cause I really wanted to be able to represent things, you know, as factually as I could. And that was kinda one of my kinda kind of fact checking kinda exercises I did 'cause I was, I was much quite worried about how unreliable my memory was about it all. And you know, what is, what is a memory of a memory of memory, like, you know, especially when it comes to thinking about that time on the boat and the feelings I had. Yeah. So, you know,    Miko Lee: [00:23:34] and you were so young also to    Chi Thai: [00:23:37] Totally 100%. And sometimes, I don't know, you know, is it a memory of a memory? Is it a dream of a dream?   Miko Lee: [00:23:44] Mm-hmm.    Chi Thai: [00:23:44] Or just some, yeah.   Miko Lee: [00:23:46] Was there anything that your mom said that surprised you?    Chi Thai: [00:23:50] Yeah. Um, she didn't realize how bad it was gonna be and she was like, “God, if it, I'd known how terrifying it was I dunno if I, we could have done it.” I think there's a certain amount of naivety involved and I suppose that surprised me. You know? 'cause we know already now how bad it was. Um, so things like that surprised me.    Miko Lee: [00:24:15] and your mom, the dedication of the book is to your mom. What does she think when she first read it?    Chi Thai: [00:24:22] I've got a funny story. My parents, you know, they, we left, they were in their early twenties and I think it was, you know, the escape was hard for them, but settling in new country was really hard for them. That's. That's been kind of their struggle. They had to work so hard, so many hours to kind of, you know, give us a great life. And, I think a lot of that meant they weren't people that could go out, enjoy, enjoy movies, look at art, read lots of literature and things like that. They're very, very simple, very working class. Simple life or working class kinda life. Very much all about, uh, the work. Um, and I remember when I had a, the publisher had made like a mockup of the book and I gave it to my mum to read 'cause I wanted her to be happy about it too, and she's probably been my toughest critic. I think everything I've done, she hasn't really liked, to be honest. Um, and when I gave her the mockup to read. She went, “Yeah,” but she said it in such a way I knew what she meant was Yeah, that's right. You know, that's the truth. That's the, you know, the book isn't the testimony, but it felt like she was saying yeah. It was like the simple kind of approval. It wasn't like a lot    Miko Lee: [00:25:50] That is the most Asian mom's approval ever.    Chi Thai: [00:25:54] It's so funny, like people say to me, oh Chi, it's such a beautiful book. Oh, the writing so lit, like lyrical. It's stripped back, it's elegant. Like, you know, Viet Thanh Nguyen , like God bless his like consults, gave me a comment to put in the book, said these wonderful things, and my mom goes, “yeah.”. You know, it made me laugh at the time, but I knew what it meant. And I also was old enough, I was mature enough, you know, God, if she'd given me that, if I'd been 20 written that I might have cried and my heart might have broken. Right. But I, I knew I had, I've so much compassion, you know, for my parents. Mm-hmm. And people like my parents, what they've been through and, you know, but    Miko Lee: [00:26:38] That was incredibly high praise for her.    Chi Thai: [00:26:40] It was, I couldn't have asked more.   Miko Lee: [00:26:47] Oh, I totally get that. I think that's such an Asian thing. That is so funny.    Chi Thai: [00:26:53] It is, it is. I didn't feel bad. I, I remember showing her Lullaby, um, and she didn't like it at all.    Miko Lee: [00:27:02] What did she say? What is her not like voice? What did she say to that?    Chi Thai: [00:27:05] Oh, she. Well, firstly, she, well, the, the film is almost silent because basically it tells a story. It's inspired by a mother that was on our boat who lost her baby on the border crossing, and I was very much ever, for as long as I knew about this woman's story, I was like, I was very much haunted by it, and I was haunted by, you know, the fact that that's how she felt and her guilt. Over losing her baby on this journey. And I knew, I knew I wanted to tell her story. 'cause one of the things I feel very strongly about is when you are on the losing side. So I'm from South Vietnam, like that's not the, you know, that's not the story that's told, the story is told of who triumphs at the end of the day. And I was just like all those people that we lost at sea, this mother, her baby. The stories kind of aren't told. So I kind of felt really strongly that this was somehow a very creative way to put down like a, an historical record like this happened. And actually I found out after making the film that five babies were lost in our boat, not just one.   Miko Lee: [00:28:24] Wow. So what did she say, your mom say?   Chi Thai: [00:28:28] Yes. So I made this film, which was for the most part, a silent film. This is a woman that's shut down. She barely speaks anymore. She is living with the guilt ever. You know, when she was on the boat before her baby died, she sang a lullaby, and ever since then, she hasn't been able to speak again. And then we find out that she has been haunted by the ghost of her child that she lost. And then a bit too, you know, to kind of free herself from that. She, she actually sings, you know, the, the film culminates in her singing the Luby one last time. S saying Goodbye finally being able to move beyond her Gild and I Griffin, saying goodbye and hoping she's able to, you know, progress. So I made a film about that was largely silence except for this lullaby, and my mum watched it. She went, next time you make a film, you know you need more words. I was just like, oh, I think my heart probably did crumple off a bit a bit at that point.    Miko Lee: [00:29:30] Aw.    Chi Thai: [00:29:31] You know? Um, but yeah. But yeah, it's okay. It's okay because you know what? My mom doesn't get to see stuff like that very often. So sometimes she doesn't have the wider, and this is why, I mean, like, the life that she's had, you know, hasn't been one where she's been able to surround herself with, oh, I'm so lucky. You know, my life has been so different, but it's been different. Different because of, you know what she's, what she's done for us, so it's okay. I can take it on the chin when she says my film doesn't have enough dialogue in it.    Miko Lee: [00:30:04] I love that. For you, have you had conversations with your mom about your life as an artist, and what are her thoughts on that?   Chi Thai: [00:30:16] Well say. So I, so my mom, I don't really like, you know, she's probably not that into it. I'll be honest about being an artist. I can understand why she wants you to have a good life. And I would say for the most part, being an artist is, is a, is a tough life because it's hard to make, you know, the, the pennies work, right?   Miko Lee: [00:30:44] She wants stability for you, right?    Chi Thai: [00:30:45] Yeah, exactly. But she's made a peace with it. And basically what happened, I think all the best story is gonna be about my mom, right? Is that she basically, I, I, um, I have a partner, we've been together for 15 years. Um, he's a really nice guy and he has a reliable job and we have two kids together and i,    Miko Lee: [00:31:08] So that makes it okay.   Chi Thai: [00:31:10] So yeah, this is what I was saying. So she said to me like. It doesn't really matter what you do now. 'cause she, you are already peaked. You're somebody's wife. We're not married. But she told everyone in Vietnam we were married 'cause she couldn't cope with this not being like having kids out of wedlock. In her head. She's rewritten that we are married. Right. She's like, you are married, you're somebody's wife and you mother, it doesn't get better than that. So if you are an artist or if you're a filmmaker, whatever, it doesn't matter. 'cause nothing can be better than that. Right. So she's accepted on the basis that I've already fulfilled, kind of my promise.   Miko Lee: [00:31:46] Wow. Interesting.    Chi Thai: [00:31:50] And she means that in the nicest possible way.    Miko Lee: [00:31:52] Yeah.    Chi Thai: [00:31:52] That she feels like you have a home, you have stability, you have someone who loves you, you know, you have a, a purpose in life, but really her value, you know, the way, I think, the way she measures my value is like, that's how she looks at it. The, the art is something else.    Miko Lee: [00:32:10] Well, I really appreciate you sharing your art with us in the world and your various, um, genres and styles. And I'm wondering how our audience can find out more about your work. Clearly we'll put links to where people can buy the book and let's see, but how do they find out more about your films?   Chi Thai: [00:32:28] Um, so that like, because it is the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War in 2025. Actually the very anniversary of that is the tomorrow, the 30th, April, right? Um, you can watch Lullaby on Altar, which is a YouTube channel. Um, and I can give you the link for it. Rating Grace is on Paramount Plus if you want to, if you've got Paramount Plus, but you can also buy it from all the usual kind of places too. Um, and you know, and we'll see us from all great book stockists, I imagine in, in the us.   Miko Lee: [00:33:07] Thank you so much. Um, I'd love to get, I'd love for you to send me the link so I could put 'em in the show notes. I really appreciate chatting with you today. Um, is there anything else you'd like to share?    Chi Thai: [00:33:19] Um, no, I think, I think that's good. Your, your questions are so good. Mika, I'm already like, kinda like processing them all. Uh, yes.    Miko Lee: [00:33:30] Well, it was a delight to chat with you and to learn more about your artistic vision, and my wishes are that you continue to grow and feel blessed no matter what your mama says, because deep down, she's still proud of you. Even if she doesn't say it out loud.    Chi Thai: [00:33:47] I believe it. I totally believe it.    Miko Lee: [00:33:50] Yay. Thank you so much for spending time with us on Apex Express.Next up, listen to stay, go from dark heart, a concert narrative by singer and songwriter Golda Sargento.   MUSIC   That was the voice of Golda Sargento from the new Filipino futurism punk rock sci-fi dark heart. Welcome, Livia Blackburne Children's book, author of Nainai's Mountain. Welcome to Apex Express.    Livia Blackburne: [00:38:56] Thank you so much for having me.    Miko Lee: [00:38:58] I wanna start with a personal question, which is, who are your people and what legacy do you carry with you?    Livia Blackburne: [00:39:05] I am Chinese American, and so I carry the stories of my grandparents who fled China to Taiwan, fled that war. And I also carry the stories of my parents and myself who immigrated. To America, and I am, I grew up in New Mexico, so I have fond memories of green chili and new Mexican food. I went to college, Harvard and MIT on the east coast. So I've got a bit of that kind of ivory tower. And now I'm in LA and, you know, my people are, my family and my community, the writing community here. So I, I'm a big mix. Yes.    Miko Lee: [00:39:44] What legacy do you carry with you?    Livia Blackburne: [00:39:47] I mentioned a bit of my grandparents and my parents. What they went through in the war in China, and then my parents and me coming here. the experience of being here in two worlds, coming from Taiwan having that cultural background and also, growing up in the United States. The culture I've been surrounded with here as well.    Miko Lee: [00:40:06] Thank you so much for sharing. Can you tell us about your new illustrated children's book? Nainai's Mountain. What inspired this work?    Livia Blackburne: [00:40:14] The story of this book actually started with another book that is coming out in a couple years that actually I can't share too much about. My grandparents fled the war in China and then my. Parents grew up in Taiwan and I wanted to preserve that family story. My parents are getting older. So I started doing oral interviews with my parents about their childhood, what it was like, growing up. I wouldn't say they weren't refugees in Taiwan. It's a very complicated political situation, but they were transplants to Taiwan, and what it was like growing up there, their daily life. What kind of things they did when they were a child, their pastimes, I wanted to preserve their stories and I got a lot of great material., A lot of that is going into a novel that I'm currently working on. But also as I worked on it, there were so many great details that I thought would be really good in a picture book as well. Also, I'm a mother now. I have an 8-year-old daughter, and she is half Caucasian, half Asian. She has never gone to Taiwan before and I. As I'm writing this, I'm thinking, it would be really great to, I do want to share Taiwan and, my own childhood, home with her at some point. And so I start imagining what would it be like to bring her back to Taiwan and show her everything. And that became the seed for Nainai's Mountain, which is a. Story of a girl visiting Taiwan for the first time with her grandmother. And her grandmother shows her around and tells her stories about her childhood, and the girl through her grandmother's eyes, sees Taiwan, you know, for the beautiful place that it is.    Miko Lee: [00:41:56] You also wrote the book I Dream of Popo. How are these companions to each other and also for audiences that might not speak Chinese. One is a grandmother on the mother's side, and the other is the grandmother on the father's side. Can you talk about how I dream of Popo is linked to Nainai's Mountain?   Livia Blackburne: [00:42:15] Thank you for pointing that out. Yes. So Popo is maternal grandmother, and Nainai is a paternal grandmother. And that is a fantastic question. So I dream of popo is kind of my story. So it's about a little girl who moves from Taiwan , to the United States and it's about her relationship with her grandmother who stays in Taiwan. And it talks about, how a close relationship, navigating long geographical distances about the language barrier that comes up. And that was very much me, Nainai's Mountain. It's kind of like Popo in reverse, you know, it's now it's someone going back to Taiwan and kind of getting in touch with those roots. That, as I mentioned, that's inspired by my daughter. And you'll see in Nainai's Mountain, I specified that the child should be, half Asian, half Caucasian. Because, I wanted more of that representation in the children's literature.    Miko Lee: [00:43:07] Thank you. I, I wonder if you could talk a little bit about the artistic style. So you are the author, but you had different illustrators for both of the books and the style is really different. The in, when I look at Nainai's Mountain, which I'm holding here, it's sort of collage and really vibrant colors. Where I Dream of Popo has a different, more. I'm almost realistic, kind of look to it. And I'm wondering what your process was like in collaborating with illustrators.    Livia Blackburne: [00:43:37] That's one of the best things about being a picture book author, is that you get to collaborate with so many illustrators and they all have such different styles, such different visions. Most of the time it's the publisher who chooses the illustrator, although they. Consult me usually. My editor for I Dream of Popo picked Julia Kuo. And she sent me samples and I loved it. And, it was great. I'm friends with Julia now and that book did really well. It was very well known, especially in kind of Taiwanese American, Asian American circles. And so when I did, Nainai's mountain, that was with a different publishing house and my editor. He very consciously said, you know, because it's also a book about Taiwan and a grandmother. We don't want to get it confused with I dream of Popo. So, we made a conscious decision to pick an artist with a very different style and Joey Chou is fantastic. He's very well known for his Disney art. You can see his art in a lot of the hotels and cruise ships. And, he, very bright, vibrant, and I, he's also from Taiwan. I think he did a fantastic job.   Miko Lee: [00:44:41] And have the artistic work ever surprised you as being really different from your imagination while you were writing?    Livia Blackburne: [00:44:48] That's a great question. I don't think they've ever surprised me. By being different. They surprised me in the specifics that they've chosen. For example, I dream of Popo. Julia, spent a lot of time in Taiwan and she put in these great, Taiwan details that, you know, if you're from Taiwan, you would know for sure. There's like a specific brand of rice cooker called the rice cooker, and she has one there and like the giant bag of rice in the corner, and the calendar on the wall.   Miko Lee: [00:45:16] Even the specificities of the food and the trays and everything is quite lovely.    Livia Blackburne: [00:45:20] Yeah, yeah. You know, every time I read that, I look at that spread, I get hungry. So surprise there. And, with Joey, I, I love how he does the different, there's kind of flashback pictures and there's, pictures now and. The thing about him, his color, I just love the color that he put in from the greens, of Taiwan to kind of the bright fluorescent lights, neon lights of Taipei, and then there's kind of the slight sepia tones of the past and he just, you know, brings it so to life so well.   Miko Lee: [00:45:49] I didn't know he was a Disney animator, but it totally makes sense because it feels very layered. It does feel animated in a way and kind of alive. So I appreciate that.   Livia Blackburne: [00:45:59] I'm not sure. If he's an animator. He does a lot of art for the theme parks and like products and the cruise ships and stuff. I'm not sure.    Miko Lee: [00:46:07] Oh, interesting.   Livia Blackburne: [00:46:07] He does like movies and  stuff.    Miko Lee: [00:46:08] Interesting. It looks like animation though. Your book.    Livia Blackburne: [00:46:13] It does look very, yeah. Lively. Mm-hmm.    Miko Lee: [00:46:16] That I'm looking forward to that series. That would be so cute. The grandmother series as a whole little mini series traveling to different places. can you tell us about your new book, Dreams to Ashes? Has that been released yet?   Livia Blackburne: [00:46:29] Dreams to Ashes? That has been released that, released about a month before Nainai's Mountain. Yeah, that one's quite a bit different. So that one is a nonfiction book and it's a picture book, and it's about the Los Angeles massacre of 1871. Whenever people, I tell people about that, they're like, wait, you wrote a picture book about a massacre? Which is slightly counterintuitive. So I never knew about the Los Angeles massacre growing up. And, and, given that I am a Chinese person in Los Angeles, that is kind of weird. Basically, it was a race massacre that occurred. One of the biggest mass lynchings in history, uh, where there was a between two rival Chinese organizations and a white bystander was killed. And because of that, , a mob formed and they rounded the Chinese population up basically. And. Blame them for that death. In the end, 18 Chinese men were killed and only one of them were involved in the original gunfight. It was a horrible tragedy. And unfortunately, as often happened with these kind of historical tragedies in our country, nobody was really punished for it. A few men were indicted and convicted, but their convictions were overturned and it just kind of disappeared into history. And it really struck me that, you know, nobody knew about this. I wanted to kind of bring this to light and unfortunately when I was writing it, it was also, during the Covid pandemic and, I was seeing a lot of anti-Asian rhetoric, anti-Asian hate crimes were going up. And I saw so many parallels between what happened. Back then, because, you know, Chinese people specifically were being vilified , they were being called immoral, stealing people's jobs. And you can see in the years before the massacre the newspapers were saying horrible things and, you know, the hate was just becoming very strong and all that exploded one night into an unspeakable tragedy. Unfortunately as an author, you want your work to be relevant, but sometimes you don't want your work to be relevant in this way. Right. Nowadays I'm seeing so much rhetoric again against immigrants and not of many ethnicities. And in some ways I'm sad. That, this is happening now. And I also hope that this book will contribute to the conversation and show how the danger of racism and xenophobia and hate and what, what can happen because of that.   Miko Lee: [00:48:55] So this occurred in the late 1800s, right? Was it before the Chinese Exclusion Act?    Livia Blackburne: [00:49:03] Yes, it was before the Chinese Exclusion Act. So you'd hope that people kinda learn from these things. And it was just kind of one of the, one of the horrible things that happened on the way to the Chinese Exclusion Act and Chinese immigrants being excluded basically Chinese laborers at least.   Miko Lee: [00:49:23] Oh wow. Okay. I'm looking this up now. And 1882 we know was the Chinese Exclusion Act and this incident actually happened in 1871. Yes. A decade beforehand, Helen Zia always talks about these moments that are missing. MIH missing in history and this is clearly another one of, another time of just wiping out a population.I'm wondering if you could speak a little bit more about how Children's Books can make a difference in the world that we're currently living in, where our government is banning books and you know that there's a narratives that they want to align with a certain kind of conservative ideology. Can you talk about the power of being a Children's Book author in this time that we're living in right now? . I'm really thinking about dreams to Ashes and even I dream of Popo and even Nainai's Mountain, which you would think, oh, they're, you, they're visiting their grandparent, their grandmothers, that would not be controversial. But now when even words like inclusion and diversity are threatened and books are being banned, I'm just wondering if you could. Share a little bit more about your superpower as a children's book author?    Livia Blackburne: [00:50:31] Yeah, that's a fantastic question. We live in a time right now, there's, a lot of hate, a lot of intolerance, a lot of fear of different people groups. And a lot of that I think is because people are unfamiliar with people unlike themselves. They see. People who are different, look differently, act differently, speak differently, and it scares them. And I think the best way to get around that is to actually get to know people of other backgrounds, to see them as human. And I think that's where children's books come in. ‘Cause we don't, children are not born. With this hate of the other. They learn it. But, if they grow up being familiar with people of different backgrounds seeing their stories seeing them as, normal human beings, which, should be obvious, but sometimes it's hard, for adults to realize. Then, I'm hoping, as a children's book author that it will lead to a more empathetic world. And perhaps that's why the government sometimes in certain groups are wanting to, censor this and control the flow of children's books because, children are the most their minds are still open. They're still able to learn.    Miko Lee: [00:51:48] And Livia, tell us what you're working on next.   Livia Blackburne: [00:51:53] So right now I am. Working on a historical middle grade. We haven't quite announced it yet, so I can't say the title or too many details, but it is based on my family history of my parents and grandparents who moved from China to Taiwan after the civil War.   Miko Lee: [00:52:12] Please check out our website, kpfa.org. To find out more about our show tonight. We thank all of you listeners out there. Keep resisting, keep organizing, keep creating and sharing your visions with the world because your voices are important. Apex Express is created by Miko Lee, Jalena Keane-Lee, Preti Mangala-Shekar, Swati Rayasam, Aisa Villarosa, Estella Owoimaha-Church, Gabriel Tanglao, Cheryl Truong and Ayame Keane-Lee.   The post APEX Express – 6.19.25 We Are All Connected appeared first on KPFA.

Johnny Luby offered his take on the week that was...

There is so much heaviness out there. It's hard not to feel almost buried by it some days. At least that's how I've felt over these past few days. With that said, I have experienced such positives personally in the past week or two that I feel hopeful, grounded and grateful. This week it's a conversation with myself--I'm talking about NEPA Gives that raised over a million dollars for nonprofits in my region; my Mom's 80th birthday celebration that was Simply the Best; and some upcoming comedy shows, mental health courses and forest therapy certification. Thank you to my podcast sponsor Reinvented Threads with Gabby Lynn. Gabby is inventive, creative, kind and concerned about our planet. She makes ecofriendly handbags, bucket hats, monster dolls and more. Visit her in the Lehigh Valley area at events or shop from her online store at Reinvented Threads.com and follow on Facebook and Instagram. If you believe that women should have a platform to share their stories and experiences to inform, inspire and entertain, consider becoming a podcast sponsor --it's an affordable way to support something good! Message Jeannine.Luby@gmail.com Follow Funny Wine Girl Jeannine on Facebook and Instagram.I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass.

Johnny Luby joined Fran for his take on the week that was....

Johnny Luby offered us his take on the week that was...

Picture it. You're leaning back in your chair staring out at the lush green Endless Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania while sipping a Cabernet Franc or Traminette and petting a friendly, loving dog who needs a forever home. Your stress level is low and your contentment is heightened. That's the kind of idyllic afternoon my podcast guest Jen Estelle envisions for you and her future visitors at Endless Mountains Vineyards. Jen's life changed when she adopted a "pit bull" type dog named Buster. He changed the trajectory of her life, providing her with purpose for nine years. Because of Buster's breed, he opened Jen's eyes to discrimination, animal abuse, and a world where not everyone fits in. Through him, she became heavily involved in animal rescue and advocacy work, finding her passion to fight for change in animal welfare. That led to her creating the nonprofit the B & Let Liv Project; you can learn more and donate during the NEPA Gives campaign by clicking here. Thank you to my podcast sponsors Budget Through Life with Emily Hickox and Reinvented Threads with Gabby Lynn for their amazing support of the content I create each week. Follow both businesses on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date and reach out with inquiries. If you want to help ensure that women have a platform where they're able to share their stories and knowledge to inform, inspire and entertain, and you'd like to reach an audience that is primarily female, reach out to learn about podcast sponsorships. Message Jeannine.Luby@gmail.com. Follow Funny Wine Girl Jeannine on Facebook and Instagram and Laugh to Live on Facebook for laughter yoga and more positivity. I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass.

Nowy (piąty!) sezon podcastu "Welon i mucha" stworzony w całości z odcinków serii Śluby Świata jest gotowy!To 8 różnorodnych odcinków z gośćmi i opowieściami o ślubnych tradycjach, randkowaniu i podejściu do miłości nie tylko w innych krajach, kulturach, religiach, ale i na innych kontynentach. Kto jest ciekawy, jakie jeszcze miejsca razem odwiedzimy? I kogo udało mi się zaprosić?Zapraszam do wysłuchania zapoowiedzi z pewnym wysłanym w świat życzeniem Do usłyszenia!Gabi JelonekFB/welonimuchaprogramIG/gabriela_jelonekTikTok/deergabiTikTok/ gabrielajelonek_journalist---Ten podcast tworzony jest niezależnie, bez wsparcia żadnego medium. Jeśli chcesz pomóc mi w tworzeniu kolejnych odcinków, możesz postawić mi wirtualną kawę:buymeacoffee.com/gabrielajelonekbuycoffee.to/gabrielajelonek (możliwość płatności w złotówkach i BLIK)lub zupełnie bez kosztów pokazać ten podcast znajomym.Dziękuję, że jesteś tu ze mną!

Kraj czarnego orła - czyli Albania - po latach izolacji otwiera się na świat. W stereotypie wciąż dziki, ale w rzeczywistości jakże ciekawy, na styku kultur, tradycji i nowoczesności! Jak wyglądają albańskie zaloty, randkowanie, zaręczyny, a później ślub i wesele? Czy mix wyznań obecnych w tym kraju stoi na przeszkodzie w znalezieniu miłości? Dlaczego organizuje się dwie uroczystości ślubne?Kto daje pierścionek narzeczonej (bo nie jest to wybranek serca!) i dlaczego to łysi są w stanie „zebrać” najwięcej pieniędzy na weselu?O tym rozmawiam z Izabelą Nowek, przewodniczką w Albanii, właścicielką biura podróży Moja Albania i autorką podcastu o tej samej nazwie oraz książki pt.: „Albania. W szponach czarnego orła”.Miłego do słuchania :)Gabi JelonekFB/welonimuchaprogramIG/gabriela_jelonekTikTok/deergabiTikTok/ gabrielajelonek_journalist---Ten podcast tworzony jest niezależnie, bez wsparcia żadnego medium. Jeśli chcesz pomóc mi w tworzeniu kolejnych odcinków, możesz postawić mi wirtualną kawę:buymeacoffee.com/gabrielajelonekbuycoffee.to/gabrielajelonek (możliwość płatności w złotówkach i BLIK)lub zupełnie bez kosztów pokazać ten podcast znajomym.Dziękuję, że jesteś tu ze mną!

Johnny Luby joined Fran on Tipp Today for his tale on the week that was....

My guests this week believe in a holistic approach to success and happiness and they're encouraging other women to consider this approach by strengthening five pillars that help build the foundation for wealth in our lives. Scranton business woman Megan Alpert of Joy World Wealth Partners is hosting Abundance Life, a four-week workshop series featuring fabulous women of NEPA presenting on one of the following pillars: financial wealth, time wealth, social wealth, physical wealth and spiritual wealth. Megan talks with me this week about her intention behind this workshop series and she is joined by Trish Dickert-Nieves, a trauma-informed somatic practitioner and holistic health coach of Embody Holistic Living who will help kick the workshop series off on June 6. The Abundance Series will include the following workshops:  June 6: the series kicks off with the topic of financial wealth as Dickert-Nieves presents “Somatic Money,” providing tools for financial confidence and long-term planning.June 13: time and social wealth will be addressed with Certified Recovery Specialist Rose Nogan, owner of White Tail Sober Coaching, who will provide women with tools to build time wealth by creating boundaries that allow morespace for personal peace, joy and happiness. Jeannine Luby, certified laughter yoga leader, comedian, and owner of Laugh to Live, will offer strategies using playful and empowering humor and laughter yoga for social wealth through meaningful connection and stress-reduction.  June 20: physical wealth will be addressed with a focus on vitality, movement and wellbeing with Rigau offering information on health topics such as improvedsleep, nutrition and stress management. ACE Certified Personal Trainer Pat Barnes will share her expertise of more than 25 years in the fitness industry cateringto women over 50. June 27: the series closes with the topic of spiritual wealth. Alison Skoff, an ontological coach and soul-centric guide, will focus on reclaiming wholeness, cultivating peace, purpose and alignment to support the journey of inner reclamation, soul truth, and life aligned leadership. Space for the workshops is limited. Please email Joanna@planwithjoyworld.com.  Thank you to my podcast sponsors Budget Through Life with Emily Hickox who will be presenting financial literacy workshops for young people this summer, and Reinvented Threads with Gabby Lynn who is out and about in the Lehigh Valley this summer with her amazing sustainable fashion accessories that are also available in her online store. Reach out to me at Jeannine.Luby@gmail.com if you're interested in supporting the content I produce each week. Follow me at Funny Wine Girl Jeannine on Facebook and Instagram and Laugh to Live on Facebook.I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass.

Johnny Luby joined Fran for his take on the week that was....

Coming soon to own on videocassette! It was something we loved seeing, knowing that we could continue to build our ever expanding VHS movie collection. This week we talk with Chris Luby from Chris Collects Stuff on YouTube about the art of collecting VHS tapes.  Will the movie you want to rent be at the video store? We hope so. Otherwise, we'll just watch Killer Klowns from Outer Space Again. Because it's a classic! Let's look into the world of VHS. What we're Enjoying Shua found a cool noir detective audio drama on Audible. The Big Fix: A Jack Bergin Mystery stars Jon Hamm as the classic style detective, trying to get a wrongly accused man out of jail and solve a murder, all surrounded by the Brooklyn Dodgers moving to LA. Totally fun, and totally free. Jay has been wanting to see what the new Apple TV+ series starring Seth Rogan called The Studio. It is an interesting look at the movie industry and the chaos that makes it.       Sci-Fi Saturdays This week on Sci-Fi Saturdays Jay revisits the 2012 kind-of-Alien prequel called Prometheus. It is a gory telling of the classic tale of aliens destroying man. Read his article on RetroZap.com. And make sure to play around with the interactive map on MCULocationScout.com. Plus, you can tune in to SHIELD: Case Files where Jay and Shua talk about great stuff in the MCU. Enjoy Video Tapes!  This week we are joined by friend and collector Chris Luby. His YouTube channel Chris Collects Stuff spotlights some of the great things he loves to collect, particularly VHS tapes. This quirky and growing hobby is not only fun, it's also a way to preserve a historical era when we were obsessed with consuming as much media as we could, in magnetic, rectangular form. We discuss the why of the hobby, some rare finds, and some that are elusive.    And make sure to like and subscribe to Chris Collects Stuff on YouTube Do you still have VHS tapes? What tapes did you wear out watching them so often? First person that emails me with the subject line, “Who needs WiFi when we have HiFi?” will get a special mention on the show.  Let us know. Come talk to us in the Discord channel or send us an email to EnjoyStuff@RetroZap.com 

Johnny Luby gives his take on the week that was...

Johnny Luby offered his take on the week that was...

Join us in this exciting episode as we sit down with Jeannine Luby from Laugh to Live. Jeannine is a local entrepreneur, stand-up comic, and laughter yoga instructor who uses humor and laughter for therapeutic and wellness purposes. We explore her journey into comedy, the science behind laughter yoga, and her numerous community engagements, including the Humor Therapy Fund with the Scranton Area Foundation. Learn about her upcoming events, insights into the challenges of local comedy shows, and her latest projects. If you or someone you know wants to be featured in our next podcast, message us on Facebook!

Our friend Johnny Luby joins me as always on a Friday!

Johnny Luby joined Fran for his take on the week that was....

We know that April showers bring May flowers but what do April laughs bring? I guess they bring what laughs in every month bring: feelings of wellness, a better mood, reduced stress and anxiety, connection with others and fun!My pal Gab Bonesso--serial guest and Pittsburgh-based comedian, public speaker, mental health advocate and performer for children-- and I are celebrating the start of National Humor Month by chatting about some things we find funny, sharing how humor has helped us and discussing stand-up comedy. Tune in for a chat between comedians and lovers of laughter. Check out Gab's comedy album and learn more about her here.Thank you to my podcast sponsors Budget Through Life and Reinvented Threads whose support means the world to me. Follow Budget Through Life on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on what founder Emily Hickox is planning. Financial Literacy workshops are in the works for summertime. And check out the unique, handcrafted, sustainable fashion accessories made by Gabby Lynn at Reinvented Threads. Visit her online store here to check out beautifully and sustainably made handbags, bucket hats, monster dolls and more. And learn where you can find Gabby this summer out and about at various festivals. Follow Reinvented Threads on Facebook and Instagram. If you would like to support my podcast with a one-time or ongoing sponsorship, please reach out to Jeannine.Luby@gmail.com. Remember that you can also show love by sharing the podcast with a friend, foe or anyone you know. For more funnies and inspiration, follow Funny Wine Girl Jeannine on Facebook and Instagram and Laugh to Live on Facebook. I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass.

Apostle Elvis Iverson and Luby Jackson come together by will of the Lord to share their hearts. hear about going deep into the deep things of God, and how prophets need to go deep with the prophetic.

Johnny Luby joined Fran for his take on the week that was!

Johnny Luby joined Fran for his take on the week that was...

Society's mores used to set the tone for personal milestones in life. And to some degree, I guess they still do, but times are a changing. So we don't have to follow the formula set by others. We can make our own path. My guest this week is Christine Souza, a New York woman who poses the question "Did I Miss My Exit?" in her newly released book of personal essays. With humor, she wonders if she was supposed to do what may other women her age have already done. But she enjoys living the life she's created for herself and following the road she's on.Get your copy of"Did I Miss My Exit" on Amazon. Thank you as always to my podcast sponsors Budget Through Life and Reinvented Threads. They help to make this content possible. If you'd like to learn about group classes around credit, debt and learning how to Budget Through Life, follow on Facebook and Instagram. And if you appreciate sustainable fashion and accessories, follow Reinvented Threads on Facebook, Instagram and check out their online shop. If you are interested in supporting my content, please reach out to Jeannine.Luby@gmail.com to learn about podcast sponsorship opportunities. But remember that you can also show support by sharing this podcast with a friend, foe or anyone you now. Write a testimonial or review the podcast on Apple.Follow Funny Wine Girl Jeannine on Facebook and Real_Funny_Wine_Girl_Jeannine on Instagram.I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass.

Heart health is such an important topic that I wanted to keep it beating with two episodes. Last week you heard from Dee Burkins who shared her heart health story and this week my guest is Kristen Martin, the Development Director of the Northeast PA Chapter of the American Heart Association. She shares information about prevention, warning signs of heart disease, hands only CPR , upcoming events and a bit about her personal heart healthy habits, including favorite meals to prepare. Here's some important AHA links:Check out Northeast PA Go Red here. Learn about the Heart Walk here. Join other lifesavers, learn about CPR and more. Thank you to my podcast sponsors who help me make this weekly show possible. Learn about Budget Through Life with Emily Hickox. Emily is passionate about helping people budget through their lives. Follow on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. And be sure to check out Reinvented Threads to learn about and shop for sustainable products made from rescued fabrics and other materials by Gabby Lynn.If you would like to help me continue creating this valuable content each week by being a podcast sponsor, email Jeannine.Luby@gmail.com. You can also show your support by sharing this podcast with a friend, foe or anyone you know; rate and write a testimonial. Follow Funny Wine Girl Jeannine and Laugh to Live on Facebook and Real_Funny_Wine_Girl_Jeannine on Instagram. I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass.

Comedian, podcaster, and laughter yoga leader Jeannine Luby joins the show for a deep dive into the power of humor, mental health, and creating space for meaningful conversations. We talk about her journey in stand-up, the challenges of being a female comedian, and why laughter—yes, even forced laughter—can actually rewire your brain for the better. […]

This week I'm talking with my friend and podcast sponsor Emily Hickox of Budget Through Life. She always has good tips for us when it comes to budgeting. This week we talk about assessing any New Year's goals we've made in regards to finances and acknowledging successes rather than noting only what we view as failures. We also talk about medical costs, the expense of pets and importance to keep your budget in mind while separating out emotions. Thank you to Budget Through Life for sponsoring this podcast each week. Be sure to follow Budget Through Life on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for valuable information to help you budget through your life and to stay updated on upcoming workshops. A big thanks to sponsor Reinvented Threads with Gabby Lynn for her support. Gabby is creating beauty from found items that bring joy to the world. Check out Reinvented Threads shop online and be sure to follow on Facebook and Instagram. If you're interested in being a sponsor to help ensure that women have a voice each week through this podcast, please reach out to Jeannine.Luby@gmail.com. Remember that you can also show support by sharing this podcast with a friend, foe or anyone you know; rate and review this podcast; be sure to subscribe and share. Follow Funny Wine Girl Jeannine on Facebook and Real Funny Wine Girl Jeannine on Instagram. For all links, click here. I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass.

Welcome to the continuation of my conversation with my Pittsburgh pal Gab Bonesso. Last week we spoke about a variety of things from medical care to trauma to Gab's new coaching certification to how she takes her coffee. During this week's conclusion of our conversation, Gab shares her admiration for Paul Simon and I take a trip back to the 70s to revisit some pleasant (and some rather curious) memories that have Gab wanting to visit the Luby's orange bar. Check out Gab Bonesso here. A big thanks goes out to my podcast sponsors Budget Through Life with Emily Hickox. Follow Budget Through Life on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. Stay tuned for details from Emily on summer workshops being planned for children to learn how to budget. And thank you to Reinvented Threads with Gabby Lynn. Gabby is hard at work creating one-of-a-kind sustainable fashion from rescued materials. Visit Reinvented Threads and follow Reinvented Threads on Facebook and Instagram. You can follow me at Funny Wine Girl Jeannine on Facebook and for laughter yoga follow Laugh to Live. Check out my links here. Please be sure to subscribe to this podcast on YouTube and share with a friend, foe or anyone you know. I thank you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass.

By now, this week's guest shouldn't need an introduction because she's been on the podcast so often, but for anyone who isn't familiar-- Gab Bonesso is my Pittsburgh-based pal who performs comedy, a children's program, speaks publicly to advocate for mental health, and is now a trauma-informed life coach. Every conversation with Gab is truly a wide-open chat that can cover just about anything. This time we spoke for so long that I've cut the episode into two parts. In Part 1, we talk about our health and lifesaving medical screenings, Gab's new venture into coaching and what trauma is, the new political climate in the U.S. and more. I'd like to thank my podcast sponsors: Budget Through Life with Emily Hickox who offers group classes on topics related to credit, debt and budgeting. She's informed, passionate and down-to-Earth in her delivery of information to help people budget through life. Follow Budget Through Life on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Reinvented Threads with Gabby Lynn offers unique, hand-made items created from upcycled fabrics--everything from hats and scarves to purses and adorable monster dolls. If you believe in sustainable fashion and accessories, follow Reinvented Threads on Facebook and Instagram and visit their shop online from the link here. If you would like to support the content created in this podcast, message Jeannine.Luby@gmail.com and remember to subscribe and share this podcast. Follow Funny Wine Girl Jeannine on Facebook and Laugh to Live. And Real_Funny_Wine_Girl_Jeannine on Instagram. I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass!

On October 16, 1991, a man drove his truck through the front of a restaurant in Killeen, Texas. Within minutes, it would become the deadliest mass shooting in America at the time.

I grew up in a household that was predominantly Irish with my Grandma Esther Dolan in the kitchen. As much as I loved this woman and as strong and wonderful a woman as she was, she was not known for any special family recipes or delicacies. And yet, we were still fed, nourished and managed to have a lovely holiday season. My mom, dad, gram, brother and I enjoyed many decorations, a beautiful tree, gifts and time together to celebrate Christmas and New Year's as happy celebrations. Many families will have a long grocery list and even longer list of family recipes to prepare and that tends to get stressful. Some folks worry about making things perfect (and as we know, perfection is an illusion). So try to stress a bit less this season. This week I'm happy to have a recorded message from my friend and previous guest Christina Hitchcock from It Is A Keeper Food Blog. She shares some ideas on how to make your holiday food prep less stressful and shares exciting news about what's up next for her. You can often find her on WNEP's Home and Backyard segment sharing amazing recipes and ideas for making fabulous meals in your kitchen. Enjoy and I hope you'll take our advice and just enjoy what matters most. Forget about the sweet potato casserole that burned. It doesn't matter, truly! Thank you to my friend and podcast sponsor Budget Through Life with Emily Hickox for her unwavering support and sponsorship of every episode. Follow Budget Through Life on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube and reach out if you're interested in planning classes to help your group budget through life. If you would like to support the content I create each week on this podcast, please message me at Jeannine.Luby@gmail.com. I assure you that it is less than the cost of buying coffee out each day. And if you do not have the financial means right now, please know that you can show your support by sharing this podcast with a friend, foe or anyone you know; by writing a review or testimonial; and even just reaching out to tell me that you are listening! I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass. Check out my sites and social here.

Episode ResourcesConnect with Paul Sponciahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/paulsponciahttps://www.facebook.com/paulsponciaConnect with James Luby & Mike Teske of Patriot Talent https://www.patriottalent.com/our-company/meet-the-team/ 

Jim Knight is a founding senior partner of the Instructional Coaching Group (ICG) and a research associate at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning. He has spent more than two decades studying professional learning, effective teaching, and instructional coaching. Knight has written several books and his articles on instructional coaching have been included in publications such as The Journal of Staff Development, Principal Leadership, The School Administrator, and Teachers Teaching Teachers. He directs Pathways to Success, a comprehensive, district-wide school reform project in the Topeka, Kansas, School District and leads the Intensive Instructional Coaching Institutes and the Teaching Learning Coaching annual conference.   Michael Faggella-Luby, PhD, is a professor of special education and core faculty of the Alice Neeley Special Education Research and Service (ANSERS) Institute at Texas Christian University. He is also a past president of the Division for Learning Disabilities (DLD) of the Council for Exceptional Children and an associate editor for the Journal of Learning Disabilities. His primary research embeds cognitive learning strategies into subject-area courses to improve reading comprehension for all levels of learners. He has received two national awards for his research, has written 59 scholarly publications, and has presented 90 sessions at national or international conferences.   –Impact Cycle- Universal model for change- Identify- Learn - Improve - ten years of careful study.   -Identify stage- Where you are? Where do you want to get to? And how are you going to get there?   -Improvement - Try things out and figure out what does and does not work. Data makes the invisible visible. Data tells you if you are on track or off track, it is your GPS through the coaching cycle for their learning.   -Data is data, there is no good data or bad data. Data tells us about student learning. Is the data somehow tied to professional learning? Data that is collected and chosen by the teacher. It helps to create that collective dialogue.    -The objective data could be around engagement, teacher to student talk, levels of questioning, or so much more. More heads analyzing the data is better than one. Keep making adjustments and improvements. Collect and review data frequently. Think about engagement or achievement.    -The data helped her see every student. No child was left behind.    -Big data - standardized tests can tell us who is consistently benefiting over time. Big data has a big view. Small data is the sweet spot. Teachers identify the data they want to collect to have those micro influences on the small data which can lead to changes in the big data over time. Small data can make a big difference.   -Engagement: behavioral engagement, cognitive engagement, or emotional engagement. All data is imperfect. Match your assessment methodology to the kind and level of learning you are wanting to see.   -A.I. and the ability for it to remember such huge quantities of information. It is good for specific tasks. Audio files of their teaching. ChatGPT is constantly evolving. It will always give you an answer but it may or may not be what you are looking for. It has enormous potential but it does have limits. It will never replace the teacher or the coach.   -Coaching is helping others unleash their potential. Coaching is also about keeping kids first and doing what is best for kids. Having an unmistakable positive impact on the lives of kids.    -A coach is saying I am right there with you. Just asking some questions helps you to be the very best of what you can be.   Connect with Jim and Michael: -https://www.instructionalcoaching.com/ -@Jimknight99 -@strategicdoc -https://coe.tcu.edu/about/faculty-staff/view/michael-faggella-luby -jim@instructionalcoaching.com

Happy Holiday Season-- which is to say: happy busy season! We're all out there bustling around like busy bees but remember to take time for some Zzzs and self-care! In December I take a break from regular full episodes in which I uncork with new guests. This week I offer up a mini-sode musing about the importance of supporting the arts. I am shining the spotlight on music, in particular, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic who is having their holiday shows this weekend in Wilkes-Barre and Scranton. I heard from a friendly elf that there might even be a visitor from the North Pole! Tune in to hear a special invitation to attend these upcoming shows from the Philharmonic's very own conductor Melisse Brunet and Chason Goldschmitz, who will formally assume the role of executive director of the Philharmonic on Jan. 1, 2025 as Nancy Sanderson steps down from this position. Goldschmitz joins the NEPA Philharmonic from the office of world-renowned soprano Renée Fleming, where he served as Director of Production, Music, and Arts & Health. In this role, he produced and supervised logistics for concerts, large-scale summits, and other public events, and served as producer and production engineer for Ms. Fleming's multimedia events, including “Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene” performances in collaboration with National Geographic. Goldschmitz also coordinated arts and health research, policy, and funding initiatives on behalf of the Renée Fleming Foundation, in partnership with a diverse array of governmental partners and performing arts, healthcare, education, and community organizations — including the Kennedy Center, LA Opera, Johns Hopkins University, the Aspen Institute, Los Angeles County, the National Institutes of Health, and the World Health Organization. Thank you to my wonderful podcast sponsor Budget Through Life, founded by Emily Hickox to teach people of all ages how to budget through their life. She achieves this through one-on-one coaching and group classes for people of all ages from children to senior citizens to first-time home buyers and everyone who could benefit from her vast knowledge and ability to educate. Follow Budget Through Life on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. If you would like to support the content I create through a financial sponsorship (or business bartering), reach out to me at Jeannine.Luby@gmail.com . Remember that you can also support this content by sharing it with a friend, foe or anyone you know and by writing a review or testimonial and ranking it with 5 stars on Apple. I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass.

My heart is full of gratitude for all of my listeners, my podcast sponsor and friend ⁠Budget Through Life⁠ with Emily Hickox who helps to make this weekly content possible, my parents Carol and Joe Luby who've helped to make everything possible, Moop for all that he does, my dear friends who listen to me and counsel me, the utter beauty of nature that heals my soul always and my ability to record this podcast and speak my mind freely. This week I'm flying solo and all fired! I'm fresh off of watching "Buy Now, the Shopping Conspiracy" and "The Martha Mitchell Effect" on Netflix so I'm sharing my concerns and ideas about consumerism & waste, and the need for strong women who speak out. I also share some tips on preserving our mental health through the holidays, sitting in gratitude, and healthy behavior changes I'd like to make. Setting that alarm clock! Some things I referenced in this episode (in addition to the documentaries named above), ⁠The Handsome Podcast⁠ with Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster and Mae Martin, the book "The 5am Club" by Robin Sharma and the⁠ TedTalk by Benedictine Monk David Steindl-Rast⁠ on gratitude. Please be sure to follow/subscribe to this podcast and YouTube channel and share with a friend, foe or anyone you know. If you'd like to help support this podcast with a financial investment, reach out to Jeannine.Luby@gmail.com. Otherwise, please know that it is so helpful if you write a review or testimonial or just tell a friend. Follow Funny Wine Girl Jeannine on Facebook and Real Funny Wine Girl Jeannine on Instagram because someone (some organization) has created an impersonation account and Instagram has yet to take it down despite reporting it for impersonation multiple times. I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass.

Episode ResourcesConnect with Paul Sponciahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/paulsponciahttps://www.facebook.com/paulsponciaConnect with James Luby & Mike Teske of Patriot Talent https://www.patriottalent.com/our-company/meet-the-team/

In 1991, a horrific massacre rocked the state of Texas that left 23 people dead, 27 people wounded and so many more lives changed forever. But this massacre was truly like no other, and the warning signs had been present for years. Join us as we examine what led up to one of the most infamous mass shootings in American history. Warning, this is an incredibly disturbing episode, and listener discretion is advised. - Listen to our new show, "THE CONSPIRACY FILES"!: -Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5IY9nWD2MYDzlSYP48nRPl -Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-conspiracy-files/id1752719844 -Amazon/Audible - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ab1ade99-740c-46ae-8028-b2cf41eabf58/the-conspiracy-files -Pandora - https://www.pandora.com/podcast/the-conspiracy-files/PC:1001089101 -iHeart - https://iheart.com/podcast/186907423/ -PocketCast - https://pca.st/dpdyrcca -CastBox - https://castbox.fm/channel/id6193084?country=us - Stay Connected: Join the Murder in America fam in our free Facebook Community for a behind-the-scenes look, more insights and current events in the true crime world: https://www.facebook.com/groups/4365229996855701 If you want even more Murder in America bonus content, including ad-free episodes, come join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/murderinamerica Instagram: http://instagram.com/murderinamerica/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/people/Murder-in-America-Podcast/100086268848682/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MurderInAmerica TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theparanormalfiles and https://www.tiktok.com/@courtneybrowen Feeling spooky? Follow Colin as he travels state to state (and even country to country!) investigating claims of extreme paranormal activity and visiting famous haunted locations on The Paranormal Files Official Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheParanormalFilesOfficialChannel - (c) BLOOD IN THE SINK PRODUCTIONS 2024 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever wanted to head North across the border and take up residence in Canada? Enjoy lots of maple syrup while wearing a warm knit toque to cover your noggin? This encore presentation is for you then. Learn about the process an American undergoes to become a resident of Canada and what life is like there. My guest this week is Melissa Sanko Hayhoe who met her Canadian farmer husband at a wedding in America and then moved to Canada to build a life there with him after they married. Take a trip up North with us and hopefully be inspired to vacation in Canada some time soon. There is plenty of beautiful land and waterfalls to enjoy. Thank you to my podcast sponsor Budget Through Life for supporting the content I create. Learn more about how Emily Hickox can help you budget through your life by following Budget Through Life on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. If you've enjoyed this episode of Uncorked with Funny Wine Girl or any episodes ever, please be sure that you subscribe and share with friends, foes or anyone you know. And if you would like to become a sponsor of one or many episodes, please message Jeannine.Luby@gmail.com. For funnies, nature photos and talk of wine, be sure to follow the Real Funny Wine Girl Jeannine on Facebook and Instagram. (there is an impersonation account on Instagram that they will not remove.) I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass.

In 1991, a horrific massacre rocked the state of Texas that left 23 people dead, 27 people wounded and so many more lives changed forever. But this massacre was truly like no other, and the warning signs had been present for years. Join us as we examine what led up to one of the most infamous mass shootings in American history. Warning, this is an incredibly disturbing episode, and listener discretion is advised. - Listen to our new show, "THE CONSPIRACY FILES"!: -Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5IY9nWD2MYDzlSYP48nRPl -Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-conspiracy-files/id1752719844 -Amazon/Audible - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ab1ade99-740c-46ae-8028-b2cf41eabf58/the-conspiracy-files -Pandora - https://www.pandora.com/podcast/the-conspiracy-files/PC:1001089101 -iHeart - https://iheart.com/podcast/186907423/ -PocketCast - https://pca.st/dpdyrcca -CastBox - https://castbox.fm/channel/id6193084?country=us - Stay Connected: Join the Murder in America fam in our free Facebook Community for a behind-the-scenes look, more insights and current events in the true crime world: https://www.facebook.com/groups/4365229996855701 If you want even more Murder in America bonus content, including ad-free episodes, come join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/murderinamerica Instagram: http://instagram.com/murderinamerica/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/people/Murder-in-America-Podcast/100086268848682/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MurderInAmerica TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theparanormalfiles and https://www.tiktok.com/@courtneybrowen Feeling spooky? Follow Colin as he travels state to state (and even country to country!) investigating claims of extreme paranormal activity and visiting famous haunted locations on The Paranormal Files Official Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheParanormalFilesOfficialChannel - (c) BLOOD IN THE SINK PRODUCTIONS 2024 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whenever I want to feel energized and engaged, I reach out to my friend and serial podcast guest ‪Gab Bonesso. The Pittsburgh-based comedian, children's performer, public speaker and mental health advocate is always ready to have an open, honest and upbeat conversation. In this week's episode, we have some light banter and we chat about Gab's mental health and tips that are keeping her on track. Then we move on to a more serious conversation (ALERT: if you are tired of talk about emotions surrounding the election you might want to skip this part of the conversation) as we share our feelings after the 2024 Election, talking about the polarization and judgment we feel within the Democratic party and the importance of pushing forward with hope and positivity. We also talk about how Gab is protecting her mental health since she is feeling the healthiest she's ever been. And Gab shares what's next as she takes on some new projects. A big 'Thank You' to my podcast sponsor Budget Through Life f‪or supporting me as I publish a new episode each week with the focus on amplifying the voices of women. Budget Through Life founder Emily Hickox is a knowledgeable and passionate coach and instructor for individuals and groups, teaching them about credit, debt and budgeting. Follow Budget Through Life on Facebook and Instagram for valuable tips on how you can budget through your life. Reach out to Emily about individual financial coaching and group classes. If you would like to support this podcast as a sponsor, please reach out to Jeannine.Luby@gmail.com to choose a plan that fits your budget. Remember you can also show support by subscribing to this podcast and sharing episodes you enjoy with a friend, foe or anyone you know. Write a testimonial or review. And follow the "real" Funny Wine Girl Jeannine on Instagram and Facebook. I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass.

Tarot cards were initially used for playing games in Italy in the 1430s. The first tarot decks were created by adding a fifth suit of 21 cards called trionfi ("triumphs") and an extra card called il matto ("the fool") to the existing four-suited playing card deck. Wealthy families commissioned customized card decks from artists as a status symbol. Tarot cards were not used for "divination" -- the practice of attempting to foretell the future or gain insight into a situation through the interpretation of omens, signs, or events-- until into the late 18th Century when the idea was introduced by Antoine Court de Gébelin, claiming that tarot cards originated in Egypt and were used for divination. The classic Rider-Waite Tarot is the best known Tarot deck. The vibrant cards, featuring full scenes with figures and symbols, were drawn in 1909 by Pamela Colman Smith under direction of Arthur Edward Waite. On this week's episode of ⁠Uncorked with Funny Wine Girl⁠ my good friend Michelle Morgan looks into the cards to see what could be in my future. We have a lot of laughs reminiscing about our past performing comedy improv together and share hopes for what's to come! Thank you to my podcast sponsor ⁠Budget Through Life⁠ with Emily Hickox for her support of this podcast. Be sure to follow Budget Through Life on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. And if you would like to sponsor one episode or more, please reach out to Jeannine.Luby@gmail.com. Remember you can also show support by subscribing to the podcast and sharing with a friend, foe or anyone you know. Write a testimonial or review and reach out to let me know you're listening. Follow Funny Wine Girl Jeannine on Facebook and Instagram. I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass.

Paris native and American citizen Melisse Brunet is conducting herself and orchestras in the only way she knows how--by being her true self and not conforming to others' ideas of what a woman conductor should look like or do. She spoke with me on this podcast a few months ago about her joy of becoming a U.S. citizen and her profession, and we briefly spoke about her being featured in the documentary "Maestra." This week we dive deeper into what the experience of competing in La Maestra was like and how she felt about being so honest and vulnerable in the documentary about a handful of the women in the competition. Watch the film Maestra on Netflix or rent it ⁠by clicking here ⁠to help support music education for youth in America, AND a percent goes to this podcast! To see Melisse in action conducting the Northeast Philharmonic in Northeast PA, ⁠click here to view the schedule⁠ of events. Thank you to my podcast sponsor ⁠ @BudgetThroughLife ⁠ for supporting the content I produce each week. Be sure to check out Emily's videos and follow Budget Through Life on Facebook and Instagram for information to help you budget through your life, especially as the costly holiday season approaches. If you would like to help support this podcast, please reach out to Jeannine.Luby@gmail.com. Please be sure to subscribe to this channel and follow Funny Wine Girl Jeannine on Facebook and Instagram. Share this podcast with a friend, foe or anyone you know; write a review on Apple Podcasts and/or rate on Spotify. I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass.

Art is one of those things that is not clearly defined. Sure some people might think it is because they might view it narrowly as only something that hangs in a gallery by a painter who has studied for years. But that is not what art is. And murals are helping to prove that as artists take their art to the street. We are fortunate here in NEPA to have many colorful murals in Scranton and the surrounding area--so many that one local artist, teacher and doctoral candidate chose to do her research about murals in the area and how people in the communities connect to them. My guest this week is Lisa Murphy, an arts teacher in Hazleton, a mom, an artist herself and a student of Point Park University who will display the results of a summer research project with a reception at Afa Gallery on October 19. The art will remain on display after the opening. Tune in to hear our conversation about the importance of community art, how it reflects a region's history and hope for the future and the importance of having everyone represented in such art. Thank you to my podcast sponsor Budget Through Life who helps to make this podcast possible each week. Founder Emily Hickox is knowledgeable about finances and passionate about helping everyone understand credit, debt and how to budget through their life. Follow Budget Through life on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube for tips and to connect with Emily for individual coaching or schedule a group class. If you would like to support this podcast, please reach out to Jeannine.Luby@gmail.com for sponsorship rates or buy Jeannine a coffee to show your thanks for these amazing conversations. Follow Funny Wine Girl Jeannine on Facebook and Instagram to learn about comedy shows, contests and get some laughs. I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass.

Mother. Wife. Friend. Personal finance expert. Podcast sponsor. She has many titles and she is my podcast guest this week (and sponsor). She is Emily Hickox of Budget Through Life. Emily has years of experience in the financial industry that she uses, along with her common sense/relatable approach infused with humor to help people understand credit, debt and how to budget through life. And this week Emily shares information with us about three types of budget scenarios--crisis, goal-based and sustaining. We can all benefit from this information because we've all been there and will be in one of these categories. Whether we're living very lean because we've taken a financial hit; we're working toward a specific goal like saving for a dream vacation or retirement; or we're maintaining our everyday lives, this is a conversation you'll want to hear. I am so grateful to Emily for sponsoring this podcast. Her financial and moral support help me continue to produce weekly podcasts of which I am quite proud. Each week my goal is for listeners to walk away having gained valuable information, inspiration and entertainment. If you would like to sponsor this podcast, please reach out to Jeannine.Luby@gmail.com or if you would like to make a one-time donation to show your support, please Buy Me A Coffee to show appreciation for the content I am producing. Be sure to follow Funny Wine Girl Jeannine on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on contests, comedy shows and generally funny, fun stuff! I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass.

True Crime Reporter® presents a story that straddles the line between horror and history. Mike Cox, a veteran police beat reporter and former chief of media relations for the Texas Department of Public Safety, spent his life documenting murder cases and bringing clarity to chaos.  From unraveling the disturbing confessions of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas to sorting out the facts for the press at the Luby's Cafeteria massacre, Cox's career has been one immersed in blood and ink.  In this episode, we examine one of Cox's most sensational stories: serial killer Henry Lee Lucas.  Lucas, a drifter with an off-kilter gaze and a chilling demeanor, shocked the world by confessing to over 600 murders. His admissions sent law enforcement agencies scrambling, but as Mike Cox discovered, the truth was far more elusive. Join us as we revisit the courtroom where Lucas dropped his bombshell confession, follow Cox's journey from crime scenes to interviews with Lucas inside prison, and explore the fine line between fact and fiction in one of the most bizarre cases in true crime history. FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

True Crime Reporter® presents a story that straddles the line between horror and history. Mike Cox, a veteran police beat reporter and former chief of media relations for the Texas Department of Public Safety, spent his life documenting murder cases and bringing clarity to chaos.  From unraveling the disturbing confessions of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas to sorting out the facts for the press at the Luby's Cafeteria massacre, Cox's career has been one immersed in blood and ink.  In this episode, we examine one of Cox's most sensational stories: serial killer Henry Lee Lucas.  Lucas, a drifter with an off-kilter gaze and a chilling demeanor, shocked the world by confessing to over 600 murders. His admissions sent law enforcement agencies scrambling, but as Mike Cox discovered, the truth was far more elusive. Join us as we revisit the courtroom where Lucas dropped his bombshell confession, follow Cox's journey from crime scenes to interviews with Lucas inside prison, and explore the fine line between fact and fiction in one of the most bizarre cases in true crime history. FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

I've listened to podcasts on sleep and its various phases and cycles, and it sounds a bit complex but also fascinating. So it's not too hard to believe that my guest this week came up with the idea for an amazing product that's sold over 700,000 pieces worldwide, in a dream. Shirah Benarde was only 16 years old when she had a dream that led her to invent a product called NightCap the drink spiking prevention scrunchie. Shirah is more than a creative young entrepreneur though; she is an advocate fighting to help keep people safe, especially young women on college campuses where drink spiking often occurs. Tune in to hear this amazing young woman share her story that includes closing a deal on the ABC hit show "Shark Tank." Thank you to my podcast sponsor Budget Through Life who helps to make this show possible. Founder Emily Hickox knows how to budget wisely so you know this podcast is a good investment if Emily is investing! At Budget Through Life, Emily educates on debt, credit and how to budget through your life with her one-on-one coaching and group classes for people of all ages. Follow Budget Through Life on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram to learn more. If you would like to support the content of this podcast through sponsorship, message me at Jeannine.Luby@gmail.com or "Buy Me A Coffee" here. Know that you can also show support by following and subscribing to the podcast and YouTube channel and by sharing the podcast with a friend, for or anyone you know. If you enjoyed an episode, please write a review or testimonial, or just reach out and tell me! Be sure to follow Funny Wine Girl Jeannine on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on contests and funny stuff. I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass.

Frank Luby is a writing partner and editor for business books, articles, and corporate communication and co-founder and CEO at Present Tense LLC. In this episode, Frank emphasizes the importance of clear and effective writing for pricing professionals, offering techniques like the "10-10" and "Rule of 13" methods to structure writing efficiently. He highlights how good writing can influence decision-making within organizations, often reaching and persuading people beyond initial conversations. Additionally, he underscores the value of listening to customers and understanding their real needs, which can significantly enhance pricing strategies and company success.   Why you have to check out today's podcast: Discover practical writing tips and actionable strategies to help you organize and improve your writing, making it more persuasive and impactful. Learn how writing plays a crucial role in influencing and shifting thinking within organizations amplifying your message beyond one-on-one conversations. Gain insights on structuring effective communication, prioritizing the right information in your writing and focusing on making a single point effectively.    "Truly, honestly, listen to customers." - Frank Luby   Topics Covered: 01:33 - How he got into pricing 03:23 - What's his contribution in Hermann Simon's book on pricing 04:21 - Noting two challenging tasks that makes writing about pricing difficult 05:39 - Acknowledging the complexity of the term "value" in pricing 07:36 - Deciding which narrative perspective to use in writing between blogs and books 09:15 - An effective writing technique to engage readers 10:05 - What his role is at the upcoming PPS (Professional Pricing Society) conference 12:09 - Why a pricing director or manager should care about improving their writing skills, even if they feel confident writing emails 14:10 - How writing can have a greater influence than many people realize 15:46 - Sharing two key writing approaches to help people organize their thoughts effectively 18:50 - Comparing writing to architecture 20:03 - Explaining the "Rule of 13" method as a way to test whether a chapter idea can stand alone 21:21 - The concept of prioritizing writing tasks using the acronym "CSR”. 23:01 - Importance of understanding your audience, especially when trying to shift or replace existing strategies in pricing  25:53 - Introducing the 50/500 rule: Making a single, clear point in writing 27:31 - Frank's best pricing advice. 28:24 - Why businesses often don't listen to their customers, despite it being an obvious necessity   Key Takeaways: "I often make the analogy to writing an architecture. And you wouldn't want somebody building your house just by having a bunch of bricks and cement and two by fours delivered. You'd like to see a plan, you'd like to see what they're going to design. And it's hard to change things later on. So, that planning part, especially for a book, is immensely important." - Frank Luby "That's where this 13-method comes in where you can test some of those things that if you can't have those three supporting pieces, or three examples or three ways to elaborate on a particular point, that's your signal right off the bat that that might not carry a chapter." - Frank Luby "The other hint is prioritizing what you want to write about." - Frank Luby "We love simplification and we love to have simple answers and simple descriptions, and no segment of customers, or no individual customer, is really that simple. So, we pick up on the things that we can make easy groups out of and we tend to ignore the rest. And sometimes, the rest we're ignoring is really the vital part of the equation." - Frank Luby   People/Resources Mentioned: Hermann Simon: https://hermannsimon.com Price Management: Strategy, Analysis, Decision, Implementation: https://www.amazon.com/Price-Management-Strategy-Analysis-Implementation/dp/3319994557 Dow Jones: https://www.dowjones.com/about/ David Brooks: https://www.nytimes.com/column/david-brooks   Connect with Frank Luby: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-luby-318220/   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: mark@impactpricing.com  

Unfortunately, children of today have much more to be anxious about than pop quizzes and whether or not tater tots will be served in the cafeteria. Mental health is a great concern for students and teachers alike. And mental health issues have been on the rise in general since the pandemic. According to my guest this week, it's fair to say there is a crisis when it comes to the shortage of mental health providers available to serve everyone who needs help. Fortunately, she and her staff are doing their part at her practice, Integrative Counseling Services, with four locations in Pennsylvania. Meet my guest this week, Alyse Kerr, MS, NCC, NADD-CC, LPC. In addition to Integrative Counseling, she is also the founder of Integrative Mind and Body Services, an organization founded to make neuro feedback and bio feedback accessible to a larger segment of the population. Tune in to learn what neuro feedback is and how it and bio feedback can help people with a variety of issues from anxiety to addiction to healing after surgery. To learn more about ⁠Integrative Counseling click here⁠. To discover more about ⁠Integrative Mind and Body Services click here⁠. To better understand what neuro feedback is,⁠ check out these video⁠. Thanks to my sponsor ⁠Budget Through Life ⁠founded by Emily Hickox for her support and belief in the value of my content each week. Follow Budget Through Life on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. If you would like to financially support this podcast, please reach out to Jeannine at Jeannine.Luby@gmail.com. You can also show support by sharing the podcast with a friend, foe or anyone you know. I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my wine glass.

Wilson & Washburn is a bar first and foremost, but traditional bar food, this is not. Owner Jeff Luby explains the elevated twists W&W puts on bar food, how a former bartender became a restaurant owner, and the impact former brothel owners had on bringing this historic restaurant to life.Follow, rate, and review my podcast wherever you get your podcasts so you don't miss an episode! Also follow up on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, AND my blog Restaurant Hoppen!This is another Hurrdat Media Production. Hurrdat Media is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat Media Network by going to HurrdatMedia.com or Hurrdat Media YouTube channel!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Luby's Massacre, Idioms, Celebs, Famous Horses, Secretariat, Theft, Murders, and more! Thanks to Betterhelp, Factor Meals, and SimliSafe.You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit barstool.link/twistedhistory