American author and humorist
POPULARITY
Categories
Renaissance English History Podcast: A Show About the Tudors
What really happened to Tom Canty after he swapped places with Edward VI in Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper?In this conversation, I sit down with debut author Frederic Fahey to talk about his historical novel The Scoundrel's Son, a rich and imaginative continuation of Twain's classic tale—set in the heart of Tudor England. We chat about why Fred felt called to tell Tom's story, the real Tudor figures who make appearances (yes, including Lady Jane Grey!), and how a scientist-turned-author finds inspiration in friendship, identity, and loss.Also: the Wicked book cover connection, writing strong Tudor women, and the character who punches people in the nose when necessary. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Guests: Clare Morell & Benedict Whalen Host Scot Bertram talks with Clare Morell, fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and director of EPPC’s Technology and Human Flourishing Project, about the long-term effects of smartphone use on children and her new book The Tech Exit: A Practical Guide to Freeing Kids and Teens from Smartphones. And Benedict Whalen, associate professor of English at Hillsdale College, continues a series on the life and work of American writer Mark Twain. This week, he discusses The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Brilliance without emotional control is often a recipe for destruction. In this episode, Ryan sits down with Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Ron Chernow, whose acclaimed biographies on Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, Ulysses S. Grant, John D. Rockefeller, and most recently, Mark Twain have reshaped our understanding of American greatness. Ron and Ryan talk about how these men's deepest personal struggles and their ability to manage emotion became the defining factor in their lives and legacies.Ron Chernow is the prizewinning author of seven previous books and the recipient of the 2015 National Humanities Medal. His first book, The House of Morgan, won the National Book Award, Washington: A Life won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography, and Alexander Hamilton—the inspiration for the Broadway musical—won the George Washington Book Prize. He has twice been a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and is one of only three living biographers to have won the Gold Medal for Biography of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Ron's latest book is on the fascinating and complex life of American writer Mark Twain. Follow Ron on Instagram: @RonChernow
JuneToons continues as we discuss Miyazaki's secretive 2023 film, THE BOY AND THE HERON! We discuss the cast, the plot, the gorgeous animation, and so much more in this SPOILER-filled episode! We also talk about: Eerie International's 450th episode (podcast), The Second Civil War (1997), Ninja Scroll (1993), Gargoyles #1 Facsimilie Edition (comic), celebrating Friday the 13th, a Mark Twain devil character, & more! ———————————————————— To see images of the stuff discussed, look at your device's screen while listening! Go here to get some LTAS Merch: http://tee.pub/lic/huI4z_dwRsI Email: LetsTalkAboutStuffPodcast AT gmail DOT com Follow LTAS on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ltaspod/?hl=en Subscribe to Steven's YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@alittlelessprofoundfilms?si=exv2x7LZS2O1B65h Follow Steven on Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/stevenfisher22/ Brent is not on social media. A 5-Star rating on your podcast app is appreciated! And if you like our show, share it with your friends! ANY WART IN A STORM, AMIRITE?!
Send us a text“If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first.” - Mark TwainIf you'd like to be a part of a free online retirement community, join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/399117455706255/?ref=share
In this episode of "Kent Hance: The Best Storyteller in Texas," host Kent Hance shares insights from his time in Congress and discusses a range of topics, including the recent tragic shooting of officials in Minnesota, security concerns for public servants, and the complexities of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. The conversation also touches on domestic issues such as fast-food preferences and technological changes in the service industry, blending personal anecdotes with thoughtful commentary on governance, current events, and the evolving nature of public life.
Benarés no se sabe cuándo fue fundada, pero sí que fue en tiempos muy remotos. Mark Twain dijo que Benarés era más antigua que la historia, más antigua que las tradiciones, más vieja incluso que las leyendas. Su nombre en español, Benarés, deriva de la adaptación fonética al inglés de su nombre oficial: Varanasi. Palabra que une el nombre de los dos ríos que atraviesan la ciudad de oeste a este, el Varuna y el Assi, que desembocan en el río principal que la bordea de norte a sur: el Ganges.
“Lewis was always engaging with some important piece of literature from the past,” says historian and classicist Emily Allen-Hornblower in this episode of The World in Time, edited from audio recorded at the memorial service held for Lewis H. Lapham in September 2024. “You can be chatting about the insanity of the current political landscape and quickly things would shift to how history repeats itself, how humanity simply does not learn. And Thucydides or Cicero would rear their heads. To quote Cicero, ‘To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. For what is the worth of human life, unless it is woven into the life of our ancestors by the records of history?' Lewis understood that without the past, we lose the ability to think productively or even understand the present. He made himself a warrior for the humanities, putting up a splendid fight on behalf of the arts and letters. 'Til the end.” In this second of two episodes this week, we are joined once again by Lewis, first in the tributes and remembrances of his friends and colleagues and then in his own voice. Public Theater artistic director Oskar Eustis introduces the proceedings. Former Harper's Magazine literary editor Ben Metcalf recalls Lapham the mentor. Emily Allen-Hornblower reads from Homer and Baudelaire. Actor Alec Baldwin reads Mark Twain's essay “At the Funeral.” Actor Christopher Lloyd performs Prospero's epilogue from Shakespeare's The Tempest. Producer and director Sandy Gotham Meehan shares a letter by Flaubert. In audio from our archives, Lewis Lapham reads from “'Round Midnight,” his preamble to Music, the Fall 2017 issue of Lapham's Quarterly.
Bienvenidos a un nuevo episodio de Buscadores de la verdad Queridos oyentes, gracias por acompañarnos una vez más en este espacio donde exploramos los enigmas del mundo y de la existencia. Sin embargo, hoy nos desviamos de nuestro camino habitual. Este episodio es una rara avis, una excepción en nuestra línea habitual de investigaciones profundas, charlas filosóficas, análisis de simbología o reflexiones sobre mitología. Hoy, simplemente, nos dejamos llevar por una conversación desenfadada, llena de humor y ligereza. Sí, han leído bien: incluso un técnico preocupado, como yo, tiene su lado cómico. Aquellos que me conocen saben que no suelo bromear, que mis palabras siempre buscan un propósito y que contar chistes no es lo mío. Pero, en este programa, me verán romper con esa seriedad que me caracteriza y lanzarme al terreno del cachondeo. ¡Prepárense para reír! Un giro inesperado en un mundo convulso No obstante, antes de sumergirnos en la diversión, no puedo ignorar la gravedad de los acontecimientos que sacuden el panorama global. Quienes me escuchan con regularidad o me conocen en persona saben que, desde hace tiempo, he advertido que este año 2025 traería consigo un evento de gran magnitud. En concreto, señalé el mes de julio como un momento crítico. Parece que me he adelantado por unos días, o tal vez aún estemos a tiempo de evitar lo peor. Sin embargo, los tambores de guerra resuenan con fuerza, y la escalada bélica entre Irán e Israel parece estar alcanzando un punto de no retorno. No me gusta posicionarme en bandos, porque la verdad siempre es más compleja que una narrativa binaria. Pero los hechos son innegables: en la madrugada del viernes 13, Israel lanzó bombardeos sobre la planta nuclear de Natanz, un centro clave para el enriquecimiento de uranio en Irán, con el potencial de ser utilizado en la fabricación de armas nucleares. Una respuesta que enciende alarmas Irán, por su parte, no se ha quedado de brazos cruzados. Su respuesta ha sido un ataque de gran envergadura contra Israel, cuyas consecuencias aún son imprevisibles. Desde Occidente, se ha señalado a Irán como una amenaza nuclear, pero quienes han seguido mis reflexiones saben que, curiosamente, ha sido el propio Occidente el que, en cierta medida, ha fomentado el desarrollo de estas capacidades en Irán. Por otro lado, la impunidad con la que Israel ha actuado en Gaza, desalojando la franja marítima para explotar los yacimientos de crudo y gas en el Mediterráneo, parece haber sido el detonante de esta ofensiva. ¿Es esto el comienzo del ambicioso proyecto del "Gran Israel"? ¿O estamos presenciando el cumplimiento de profecías bíblicas, con Gog representando a Israel y Magog a Irán? Sea cual sea la interpretación, nos encontramos ante un escenario que podría derivar en un conflicto de proporciones devastadoras. Reír frente al miedo Frente a esta tormenta que se avecina, he decidido que este episodio no será un lamento más sobre el miedo, la corrupción, los apagones o las guerras que nos quieren imponer. Hoy, durante estas dos horas y media, vamos a reírnos, a desconectar de ese show del miedo que nos venden a diario. Como decía el gran Mark Twain, “la raza humana tiene un arma verdaderamente eficaz: la risa”. Así que, dejemos a un lado las noticias alarmantes, las narrativas de destrucción y las agendas ocultas. Vamos a usar el humor como escudo, a compartir anécdotas, a burlarnos de lo absurdo y a recordar que, incluso en los tiempos más oscuros, la risa puede ser nuestra mejor aliada. ¡Adelante, que comience el espectáculo! ………………………………………………………………………………………. Conductor del programa UTP Ramón Valero @tecn_preocupado Canal en Telegram @UnTecnicoPreocupado Un técnico Preocupado un FP2 IVOOX UTP http://cutt.ly/dzhhGrf BLOG http://cutt.ly/dzhh2LX Ayúdame desde mi Crowfunding aquí https://cutt.ly/W0DsPVq Invitados Too JUNG to DIE @TooJUNGtoDie Una exhibición de atrocidades. Cuenta de Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spaintarantino/# ………………………………………………………………………………………. Enlaces citados en el podcast: AYUDA A TRAVÉS DE LA COMPRA DE MIS LIBROS https://tecnicopreocupado.com/2024/11/16/ayuda-a-traves-de-la-compra-de-mis-libros/ ………………………………………………………………………………………. Música utilizada en este podcast: Tema inicial Heros Epílogo El Niño del Ukelele - EL APAGÓN Parodia "Se Acabó - María Jiménez” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrsiXaAFmVo
I have known Skip Vaccarello for more than 12 years. When we first met both Skip and I lived in Northern California. Neither of us seem to remember the event at which we met, but we both discovered that we were people of faith. Over the years we lost touch until early January 2025 when I received a bulk email from Skip and reached out to see if we could get him to come on Unstoppable Mindset. He accepted and today's episode is the result. Skip has over 40 years of experience leading Silicon Valley high tech companies. One of his first efforts was leading VisiCorp, the creator of the industry's first pc-based spreadsheet VisiCalc. What? You never heard of VisiCalc? Look it up. VisiCalc was one of those products that revolutionized so many endeavors. In addition to leading and working with many Silicon Valley ventures Skip is a man of faith with a deep belief in Christianity. We talk about Skip's fait journey and why he believes faith makes a big difference in the lives of so many people especially in the high-tech world of Silicon Valley. We talk a bit about Skip's retirement years and what he would advise anyone when they ask him about retirement. His answer may well surprise you, but his response is spot on and quite thought provoking. I believe you will find Skip's insights fascinating and well worth the listen. About the Guest: Skip offers podcasts on faith and business topics at SkipVaccarello.com, and is a Partner with 1Flourish Capital, a venture firm investing in technology-based start-up companies led by entrepreneurs of character who understand that corporate culture is vital to success. He is also the author of Finding God in Silicon Valley: Spiritual Journeys in a High-Tech World. From 2005 through 2021, Skip led Connect Silicon Valley, a non-profit organization offering speaking events featuring high-profile leaders encouraging conversations about faith and life. In addition, he has served on corporate and non-profit boards and speaks at various organizations on leadership and organizational health. Skip has over 40 years of experience in leadership positions for Silicon Valley technology companies, including VisiCorp, the provider of VisiCalc, the industry's first spreadsheet. In addition, he served as President and CEO of Applied Weather Technology, a global company providing software and services to the maritime industry. His other experience includes CEO of Communications Solutions, Inc., a communications software company; division general manager of 3Com, a networking product and solutions company; and co-founder and CEO of The Saratoga Group, an Internet-based training company. In addition, Skip has served as an executive coach, a merger and acquisition consultant, and for three years, taught a course on Principled Leadership and Ethics as an Adjunct Professor in the MBA program at William Jessup University. He earned an A.B. with honors in economics from Harvard College and an MBA with honors from the Boston University School of Management. Skip has been married for over 44 years and has two daughters and six grandchildren. Skip and his wife reside in Bristol, NH and have a home in Chapel Hill, NC. Ways to connect Skip: Website, Skip Vaccarello -- https://skipvaccarello.com/ Podcasts -- https://skipvaccarello.com/podcasts/ Podcasts on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@skipvaccarello Podcasts on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/who-do-you-want-to-become/id1737471615 LinkedIn -- https://www.linkedin.com/in/skip-vaccarello-50114/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skipvaccarello Book (Amazon) -- https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Silicon-Valley-Spiritual-Journeys-High-Tech/dp/0996371923/ref=sr_1_1?crid=CYTLPJWTA4EA&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.XlOGN69ci4cxDNHGjoi-JuD6ISwr4bFCY65xSabhw59got9YrjbPWyBlSgWLjuFi6IlTA5ZOM3PI6YIg7LMkVFA3-yicQ-VXc1rBHHgDi3xyo7FeIiH80ZEm9FOEUglAwOtKx3OhnXkJc3uSq4YGINJzgGTpHsoyAA1-awAGK0-BdSo8l8c9KgO7rkwwqftSaRDi9H2bQjMrgMvEHYQcjq7cHTZn0cthcSjrexplqk4.IyefTEA2Au7cl-nPpjb6_CBqiRn5kgQnZ-eUCT4qJWE&dib_tag=se&keywords=finding+god+in+silicon+valley&qid=1737478219&sprefix=finding+God+in+sil%2Caps%2C104&sr=8-1 About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Well, hi everyone, and welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset. Today is a fun day for me, because I get to talk with a gentleman who I met many years ago. His name is Skip, Vaccarello and Skip and I we were just trying to remember where we met. It was at some event in San Francisco, and I am now not remembering what it was, but anyway, we met and got to know each other pretty well, and we've talked over the years about faith in God and a variety of things like that. Skip wrote a book entitled finding God in Silicon Valley. We'll have to talk about that. Skip, because Ray Kurzweil keeps talking about the fact that at some point the singularity is going to hit and we're going to marry computer chips in people's brains. I'm not convinced about that. I'm not sure, but Skip, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're really glad you're here. Well, Skip Vaccarello ** 02:16 Michael, it's such a pleasure to be with you, and I'm glad that we were able to make the acquaintance again after many years. Thank you. Thank you. Michael Hingson ** 02:24 And now you're not in California anymore. You're back in New Hampshire. Skip Vaccarello ** 02:28 No. Oh, well, I split my time between New Hampshire and North Carolina. Yeah, yeah. So I'm in North Carolina now. We were in I lived in Silicon Valley for 42 years, I think, is what it was, and but we moved grandchildren left, or my daughters and grandchildren left, one to the state of Washington and one to North Carolina. So we decided to go to go to North Carolina. So we live in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and and a lake in New Hampshire. What lake? It's called newfound lake. It's close to Lake Winnipesaukee. It's less lesser known than some of those. Yeah, we've had a house there for many years, and love it. Michael Hingson ** 03:06 I spent time in and around Lake wind and Pesach. That was a lot of fun. Skip Vaccarello ** 03:10 Oh, yeah, yeah, the lakes are just beautiful, crystal clear water and and it's a real, real nice area. I had Michael Hingson ** 03:17 a friend who had a summer home on an island out in the middle of Lake Winnipesaukee. And I remember that when we first went there, you had to go out to the to the home by boat. And it was so nice, because at night time there was absolutely no sound. It was so quiet. I loved it. Yeah, Skip Vaccarello ** 03:35 yeah. In the sky was you probably could see all the stars in the sky too. I would imagine, Michael Hingson ** 03:39 oh yeah, I'm sure, yeah. Skip Vaccarello ** 03:43 But beautiful, beautiful place, yeah, Michael Hingson ** 03:46 I'd love to get back there. At some point, we'll have to do that and and go visit it. Well, tell us, tell us a little bit about the early skip, growing up and all that sort of stuff, if you would, sure. Skip Vaccarello ** 03:57 Well, I grew up in the in the Boston area. You probably, people will probably detect a little bit of my Boston accents, a little bit. So I grew up there. I grew up, grew up just outside of Boston. And where did you grow up? I grew up in Waltham. Was the time in Waltham, okay, grew up in Waltham, and I went to school there. I went to undergraduate school at Harvard and graduate school at Boston University and, and you love, love the area. So that's, anyway, that's where I grew up. I was, we have family of there are four of us. I was the first boy, and pretty involved in sports and, you know, as a reasonable student. But enjoy the area. And it's, it's nice, you know, coming back when I have the chance, you know, going to New Hampshire, I still enjoy the city of Boston. It's a wonderful Michael Hingson ** 04:42 city. Do you ever go by and visit the Harvard coop? Skip Vaccarello ** 04:47 Oh yeah, oh yeah. And especially if I'm at a reunion, I'll go there and pick up some paraphernalia, that's for sure. Michael Hingson ** 04:57 Well, I there was another place in. Are there that I like to go to, because I collect old records, cheapo records, and so I went there to got a lot of vinyl records and and things like that. I'm not sure if it's still around or not. I heard somewhere it wasn't, but then somebody else said it was still around. Skip Vaccarello ** 05:13 Interesting. Your vinyl records? I mean, there are collectors item now, Michael Hingson ** 05:16 oh yeah, well, I have a whole bunch here. So they're, they're fun. Skip Vaccarello ** 05:23 Oh yeah, yeah. Well, I remember collecting some as a kid, but if you have some, you're probably worth a lot of money. Michael, Michael Hingson ** 05:30 I do. I even have a few. I bought duplicates of and they're still sealed. So they're probably worth, they probably are. They're definitely worth something, absolutely well, so you went to Harvard and all that. And then what did you do? Skip Vaccarello ** 05:44 Well for my career? Yeah, I went, I went to Harvard. I was there in the in the late 60s and early 70s. And your listeners may recall from history that was a time of real turmoil. Oh, yeah, yeah. The war in Vietnam was going on. 1968 was sort of a pivotal year that there was a war in Vietnam. There were racial riots in the city. There was the rise of feminism. You know, drugs were rampant on the college campuses, so I went to school in the midst of that, and I'll have to say it really was not a fun time to be in school, although I made good friends, and we've maintained the friendship for for quite a long time, but, but anyway, so I was there, and when I graduated, I really wasn't sure what I wanted to do. And it was, it was interesting, because there had been a study done of my class at Harvard, and many people, you know, didn't know what to do. Some immediately went on to medical school or law school or something. But then there were a group of us that were, you know, just kind of wandering around and did various things. But anyway, I finally got my my first job. Well, one thing I should say is that I always felt an inclination for business, but business and capitalism at that time was, was kind of on the outs. It was bad words, bad word, bad word. But I kind of I enjoyed business anyway, I took a job. My first job was in a nonprofit organization helping mentally handicapped adults, and I was doing the sort of the business activities. And so I was doing what I want and doing something that I felt was socially useful. And I ended up staying in that that area for around seven years one of them was with a sort of a bigger organization. I ended up being the Assistant Executive Director. Then I was asked to start one, and I refer to her as my very first startup. We had taken over an old school building and renovated it and and began a program for these for the mentally handicapped people. It was a lot of fun to do that. So I did that. And then what happened is we would get contract work to help employ people. And one of the pieces of work we got was from a software companies. This was in 1978 1979 and personal computers were just cut out then. I mean, there are games and nothing much very useful. But anyway, we got a little job to package some games. And some of your listeners may not, may not remember this. Michael, you probably do. But software then on personal computers came on audio cassettes. Hard to believe you'd have to load this cassette into the computer and run it so that. So we, we had the job of kind of packaging these with the manual. And the night is I got to know the founder of the company and one of the founders of the company. He showed something that was in the works, which was a spreadsheet that eventually became known as VisiCalc, the very first spreadsheet in the industry. And then he asked me to join him and the other co founder, who was from the Toronto area, and we moved to Silicon Valley. And during that time I was I was really ready to make a change. Wasn't sure what I wanted to do, but I was fascinated with personal computers. So went to Silicon Valley, and it was an amazing place. During the whole personal computer revolution, small industry, traveled around the country, you know, giving out, you know, demonstrating what a spreadsheet could do. And people were fascinated with that we had, I remember one day we had this sort of nerdy kid came into the office. It was Bill Gates. We had about five employees, and the whole industry was really small then, so it's fun to be part of that. And then for from there is sort of the what happens in in Silicon Valley and technology business, visit Corp was a really hot commodity, and then competition came in. They made some mistakes. They bought a company that specialized in network and communications, and I went over as the as the CEO and president of that we eventually spun it out as visit Corp eventually went out of business, but this little company we had, and we were successful and grew it, and in fact, sold that three different times, and, you know, continue to grow the company. And then I left that to have what I'd call my second startup, and this was to do computer based training to try to teach people. Of technical subjects on a computer, and that ended up morphing into one of the first e learning companies. So we did that, and that was that was a lot of fun, eventually sold that I did a little bit of executive coaching and mentoring. And one of the CEOs that I was mentoring asked me to join his organization, which was called applied weather technology. And I should say, I knew, in most cases, I really knew very little about the domain that I was going into, but I think pretty good business sense. So in this case, the company had software and services for the maritime industry, so we would help captains have the safest, most fuel efficient route to take around the world. So it was, it was really an interesting business. So I did that. I said I'd do it for a year. We ended up doing it for four years, and it was exciting and fun to be part of that. And they had a chance to travel around the world. We had offices around the world. So enjoyed that experience. And then then I left and to write the book that you mentioned finding God in Silicon Valley and and so anyway, that's what I ended up leaving that eventually got involved to help start a venture capital firm, a faith based venture capital firm called one flourish capital. So anyway, so that's a little bit of the background. There's a lot more I could talk about that, but that but that kind of gives your audience a little bit of an overview. I hadn't Michael Hingson ** 11:26 thought about it for a while, but you mentioned the software back in 1979 80 and so on, all being put on audio cassettes. I remember the original Kurzweil Reading Machine for the blind used a Data General Nova three, so a small micro computer, well, kind of more like a mini computer, but it had a cassette recorder in the front of it, and every time you turn the reading machine on, you had to run the cassette to reload the Software, because there was no disk storage or anything available yet, right? And, okay, continue. I'm just saying so it was, it was kind of fun. It didn't take too long, and it and it really did work. I think once or twice there was some sort of a load error, and you had to start it over again. But really that didn't happen very often. It was, it was pretty good. Yeah, Skip Vaccarello ** 12:22 it was really interesting. I just threw one sort of funny story we had. Remember, we had a product that was returned to us and we couldn't figure out what was wrong. I forget what it was. Was probably one of the games we had, the best selling game, which was called micro chest anyway, decided to just put it into a an audio player. So he put the cassette in, and what we heard was a sermon by, I think it was a Baptist preacher, and so, and it was labeled, I think it was labeled micro chess. So anyway, the duplicator had, had messed it up. And so this, this pastor probably got our little beeps and beeps instead of his instead of his sermon. So it was kind of it was kind of Michael Hingson ** 13:07 comical. I remember once I took one of the program cassettes and put it in my cassette recorder because I was really curious to to hear what it sounded like. And I had heard military teletypes and so on in the past. And when I heard this, I went, Ah, those teletypes are really slow compared to the code speed on these cassettes. But it was, it was a lot of fun, Skip Vaccarello ** 13:31 yeah. Well, it's fun for me to be involved in all the changes. Their changes was so rapid in Silicon Valley. So I really appreciated my opportunity to be involved in all of that for the 40 some odd years that I was, Michael Hingson ** 13:46 well, yeah, and, and it, and it certainly was rewarding. You were pretty successful at it, and it all worked really, really worked out well. And so, you know, can't complain about that. What, what got you into the whole idea of doing more faith based things? Was that going back to childhood? Or how did all that come? Yeah, Skip Vaccarello ** 14:10 I'll give you maybe a little bit of my my faith and story. So I grew up in a Christian home. We were I was raised as a Catholic, and as I said, when I went to college, though, there was all sorts of turmoil, and many of us rejected all sorts of things, including in faith. So it became and I can't say that I rejected it, but it just didn't. Wasn't very meaningful to me. I didn't think about it, I didn't pray, I didn't read the Bible. But if you were to ask me, I would have called myself a Christian, but certainly wasn't, wasn't practicing any of that. And then I when I was, I'm, this is maybe so that was that went on for about 15 years, or then I remember there was, we had, then children, a couple of children. And I remember I was in a business trip. I was in Paris, and I called home and I asked. My wife, Jackie, I said, Well, what did you do for the weekend? And she said, Well, I went to church. I said, You did what? That wasn't even in our conversation, and I was just so surprised that that's what she did. She said, Yeah, and she found it really helpful. And so anyway, when I came back, I followed her along and went to church. And I also found the messages really, meaningful. And anyway, I started to go, and then I decided this, I have to figure out if this stuff is really true or not. So I spent a fair amount of time, you know, listening to the sermons, but also looking at the evidence for Christian faith. And I became convinced that that Jesus is who He says He is. And so that at that point, I committed my, you know, my life to Him, and it became the most important thing in my life. And really, God, put two things on my heart once I made that and this was mid 80s by 1985 1986 two things on my heart. One was to do the best job I could, to try to live out my faith in business. And the second thing was to help people know who Jesus is. I was convinced that was this sort of the key to life, and so I enjoyed getting involved in in one on one conversations. And anyway, that ended up leading to starting with a group of people, what we eventually called the Silicon Valley prayer breakfast, and now it's called Connect Silicon Valley, feeling that, especially in Silicon Valley, you know, people may not go to go to a church. They may for a variety of reasons, you know, not want to even consider faith. But if there were a speaking event in which there was some celebrity, especially celebrities from the computer industry talking about their business, but also about their faith that might attract people. So that was the sort of the premise with which we started the Silicon Valley prayer breakfast, specifically for people who not were not necessarily your faith, but maybe curious about it. So we had series of great, great speakers. And it grew from, I think our first event was about 150 people, and in the last event, which I and then I the pandemic came, and we had about 1000 people at the at the last event. So it really grew. In fact, the people at there was one, it was at the Santa Clara Convention Center. They said it was the biggest event that they had at that time of the morning would start the event at 730 in the morning. So anyway, that's that was really helpful. And we and we just did that help open up conversations about faith and and it was, is, I think it was pretty successful doing that. So anyway, that was a little bit of of my background. And maybe one thing I didn't say, but I had this sense, you know, as I grew up, my family, we didn't have very much money, and but as I began to achieve some success and some financial success, I realized that it seemed like there was something missing in my life, and and later on, I learned, and I didn't know this at the time, Blaise Pascal called that a God shaped vacuum, or void that's in each one of us, and most people try to fill it with success or money or whatever else. But as Pascal says, and I agree, the only thing that can adequately fill that void is God. And I didn't know it, but that was ended up being, being true for me. I felt that there was that there was something missing, and life wasn't all about, you know, success and finances and and anyway, I'm glad that I took that journey. I'm glad for the people that helped me along in that journey to become a follower of Jesus. I Michael Hingson ** 18:39 hear you. I know for me, I've, I've always had, I think, a pretty strong faith. My father and I talked a lot about God and religion and so on as I was growing up, and he read things to me, so I was, was pretty used to the whole concept right from the outset and and one of the things that I learned along the way, and I think it fits in fits into what you just said, is, as you said, people try to fill that, that void with so many different things. And the thing we never do is we never listen. And the thing that frustrates me most about prayer is that people are so busy praying to God about what they want that they forget God already knows. The issue is, are we really willing and and are we? Are we ready to take the time to listen, to get the answers? Skip Vaccarello ** 19:38 And that is such a good point. Michael, I absolutely no, that's the issue. Go ahead. No, as I say, I agree with you that, you know that a lot of us and I do this time to time, I just pray, okay, that's it, but taking the time to then listen, and then, if you really are aware of it, you know, you'll see various things along the way where God is is communicating. Creating with you, either through other people and things that your opportunities, you're presented with, and so on. So it's that whole idea, I think in the Bible, it talks about praying continually, and in my own myself, I kind of have an ongoing, just a dialog in my head. Well, God, what do I do in this situation or or thank him for something I see, or whatever, but, but, yeah, that whole idea of just being aware and listening is a very important one. Yes, very good point. Thank you. Michael Hingson ** 20:29 Well, and one of the things that we talked a lot about as I was growing up was the fact that, yes, we believe in God, we believe in Jesus and so on. But there are other religions that really, when you analyze them, come essentially to the same place. They're peaceful, they're loving. And unfortunately, we have all too many people who say there's only one religion that works, and that just isn't so either. Well, I I think that there, there there are issues, but the fact is that there are a lot of people who believe in God, and come at it from a different point of view, but still believe in God. Skip Vaccarello ** 21:10 When I agree, I think that there is there the lot of there's a lot of commonality among all the world religions, and there's a most of them all have a moral code to them. In fact, the Golden Rule, do unto others, as you would have them do unto you, is common to all religions, but at the same time, there are also some real differences. And you know, it's interesting where you know what you said, and many other people say that, that there are many different paths to God. But typically, if you were to ask anyone in any one of those religions, they would say, know that if it's a Muslim, I think that we have the path or Jewish person, right? You know, you know, and so on. And so I would encourage people to, I mean, you may not like this idea, but, you know, I would, I would, I believe that really, I mean, I'm covering this in an upcoming podcast, that that Jesus is, is, is the way. I mean, he's the only, the only one in a in any of these world religions, most, or most world religions, you know, say that, that we have to sort of earn our way. You know, to salvation. Am I a good enough person to earn eternal life? Whereas with Jesus, the other way around, he wants us. He's very, very inclusive and and offers his love and His forgiveness to everyone. And you know, he says, you know, in John 14 six, I am the I Am the Truth or way in the life, and no one comes to the Father except through me. So it's a that is an exclusive statement, but it also Christian faith is inclusive anyone who wants to come. It's not, you know, is is ready to come. So we probably don't want to get into that too much. But, no, Michael Hingson ** 23:01 I don't, not too much. But by the same token, I take it in a little bit different slant. Not I don't I agree with what you said, but I also know that I am goes beyond what we're talking about. God in in Exodus And Moses said, Who do I say? Is Sending me? Says I am, that I am, thou shalt say I am, has sent me to you. And I think we I think a lot of people miss that, and they miss the fact that I am is, is God, Skip Vaccarello ** 23:33 yeah. However, where is your way? Yeah, Michael Hingson ** 23:38 yeah. And I think that that's the thing, and I think that that was what Jesus was saying as well. Because Jesus also said, I am my father. Are One. And all the works that I do, greater works you can do as well. I think we, what we, what we really need to do is to recognize that, in fact, from a mindset standpoint, it's ultimately believing in God. And if you're an atheist, that's fine. Sorry if we're offending you, but that, that's a different story. But I but I do know that that in reality, we all need to recognize that if we listen, if we really work at it. We can be better people than than we probably think we are. Skip Vaccarello ** 24:24 Oh, yeah, absolutely. I mean, that that is the you know. The point of it is, is, you know, to be, you know, the, you know, the message of Jesus is one of love. I mean, he loves everyone, and we're called, you know, to love everyone. That that means not just fellow Christians, but no matter what faith you're part of, or whatever you know you may have done or do or whatever. Yeah, we're called to love everyone. You think how different the world would be if we all really acted that way? Michael Hingson ** 24:53 Gee, wouldn't that be something, especially today, right? And it's absolutely, yeah. Yeah, absolutely crazy. So the prayer breakfast and so on, kind of, I assume, ended when the pandemic began. Well, Skip Vaccarello ** 25:08 it did for a while, yeah, but there is a group that that's that's restarted it, and we, by the way, we changed the name from Silicon Valley prayer breakfast, and a few years ago, we changed to connect Silicon Valley, and we did that because we really wanted to be open to people. It's not an event just for Christians, but for anybody that was interested in in attending. So it is active, and in fact, it's, it's now had a I'm only minimally involved, and they've made me Chairman Emeritus, but, but there's, there's a new group that's running it, and they've had several different events. So it is, is going on, if any of your listeners are in and around Silicon Valley, it's called Connect Silicon Valley, and I'd encourage them to go. I think they have a speaker that we had earlier. It's coming up in March. I think it's promote. Hawk. Promote is a one of the top venture capitalists in the world. He's with Norwest ventures, and I think he's, he's a speaker at an event that's coming up in a few weeks. Michael Hingson ** 26:10 I may end up being in San Francisco, but not till May. I'll have to find out when they meet and see if there's a way to get down there. Be kind of fun. 26:17 Yeah, yeah. Michael Hingson ** 26:19 But it's, I think faith in and having beliefs as extremely important to do. And one of the things that I always quote when I am giving speeches is something Jimmy Carter once said, which is, we must adjust to changing times while holding to unwavering principles. And I think that all too often we we miss the principles part. Skip Vaccarello ** 26:45 Yeah, that's right, I agree, Yep, yeah, absolutely. Michael Hingson ** 26:51 It is something that we need to do. Well, I'm glad that connect Silicon Valley is is still continuing to function. That's really a pretty important thing to do. Well, when did your Skip Vaccarello ** 27:04 I think it is especially in, you know, in Silicon Valley, which is a pretty secular place, yeah, you know. And I think it's a secular place because, you know, it's, it attracts a lot of people with Type A personalities, people that are feeling very self sufficient. And why do I need, why do I need God? But, but it's been interesting. I really feel that there's a movement of God going on in Silicon Valley, and it has been for a while. And you know, what's kind of motivated us, our vision with Connect Silicon Valley was that if Silicon Valley ever could be known as a place not just of technology and innovation and wealth creation, but a place of God, the world would take notice, and to me, there's lots of evidence that that's beginning to happen. Michael Hingson ** 27:48 Yeah, well, I think that's true. And sometimes we're not necessarily hearing a loud voice, but the voice is still there, and more and more people are going to get drawn to it, I'm sure. Skip Vaccarello ** 28:01 Well, I think so. I mean, ultimately, as we said earlier, I think each one of us has a sense of a need for something beyond ourselves, and people might call it a force or a god or whatever else, and, and so I think there is that need and and, and hopefully, I would encourage your listeners, you know, to explore the evidence for faith to, you know, take a risk. And, you know, people might have been turned off by religious people, and I can understand that. But, you know, take look at it. And I would specifically say, Look at what, what Jesus has to say. And take, take the time to look at the evidence, because there's plenty of evidence out there for Christian faith. Michael Hingson ** 28:41 I participated in a number of programs. It's a Methodist program, but it's ecumenical, called the walk to Emmaus. And have you heard of that? No, I haven't. It's It's actually called a short course in Christianity. It's not intended to convince people what they should believe, but rather it's to develop leadership within the church. Whatever church it doesn't, it doesn't, although it was started by the Methodist. Actually, that's an outgrowth of a Catholic program called crusio, but it's the same thing. And when I was lay director of one of the walks to Emmaus, and we could talk about the history, but walk to Emmaus is basically based on after Jesus was crucified and Rose. That day, there were people walking to a town called Emmaus, and he joined them, and they didn't know who he was, and they talked, and they all went to to Emmaus, and they sat down and they had dinner. And it was a dinner that He revealed Himself to them, and then he disappeared. But the whole idea is, it's a way to bring a little bit more enlightenment to leaders. But one of the things that, as the lay director, I had to do was to give a talk on perseverance and so on. And of course. Thought that has always struck with me, and I think it goes beyond Christianity, Christianity, but Tolstoy once said The biggest problem with Christianity is a lot of people don't practice it. There's truth to that. And what you you know you said earlier that so many people and are not necessarily the best Christians, and there's so much of that we really need to go back to basics and everything that we do. Skip Vaccarello ** 30:28 Yeah, I think that a lot of people get turned off to faith, or in Christian faith, because they look at the some of the behavior of people who claim to be Christians. And the fact is that every one of us is flawed in some ways, in one way or another. What I like to do is, is look at people who what was their life before they you know, they had Jesus in their life, and what's their life after that? And, and you can often see the difference. But people are we're all. We all make mistakes. We're all imperfect people, and, and, and in faith, the church is not for it's not for perfect people. It's for sinners, people that are imperfect. And that's that's really why, why? You know why Jesus came to us? So to why would you add encourage your listeners to try not to get turned off by some of the behavior of Christians, because some of it is, is certainly not good, but to really look at what Jesus says, and, you know, engage people who who are believers, and I think they admit that what's what's right and what's at fault and so on, the basic principles are the basic principles, Michael Hingson ** 31:35 and they hold no matter where you come from and what you do. And it's important to really deal with that. Although I'm with Mark Twain, I wonder if God had written man because he was disappointed in the monkeys, but that's another story 31:49 I had heard that crook. Michael Hingson ** 31:52 So, so you wrote the book finding God in Silicon Valley. When did you write that? Skip Vaccarello ** 31:56 It was, it was published in 2015 Michael Hingson ** 32:00 Okay, and Skip Vaccarello ** 32:02 it's been, yeah, it really was an outgrowth of some of the talks people gave at the Silicon Valley prayer breakfast. And I felt that it really the reason for writing. It was to encourage people to to consider faith, because in the book, they'd read about Silicon Valley leaders who in their faith story, how they came to faith, what they went through. Some, you know, some stories were a little bit like mine, where they found the evidence, but others, you know, went through personal tragedy and found faith that way. And then the stories are also about how they're trying to live out their faith, day to day, and whatever, whatever business they're involved with. So they're a variety of people. There are nonprofit leaders, companies, CEOs, venture capitalists and so on. And you know, it's, I think we all like to hear stories, and that was what was attractive about the Silicon Valley prayer breakfast. I know that sometimes when I'm sitting in church on a Sunday morning, and I may not quite remember what the pastor said, but I usually remember the stories that he tells. And so I think stories are an effective way to communicate things. In fact, I'd call Jesus the Greatest storyteller of all time. He told his stories often in parables. And those are things that we, you know, that we that we remember. So yeah, the the book was I what I enjoyed it. I just enjoyed is I just enjoyed sitting down with people and hearing their stories and interviewing them, and I did the best I could to compile those stories. There were 26 of them in the book, and yeah, it's it's available on on Amazon, so I encourage people to to pick it up and take a look. And you can go through with a person you know, or one story, or, you know, that seemed to attract your attention. So it was a, it was quite a, quite a project to undertake, but I'm glad that I did it. And let me just maybe the I'll tell you the way I got the idea is I went back to a Harvard reunion. This might have been in the mid 1990s and there was, they had a little sometimes at these reunions, they have little groups that get together. And there was one that I was as part of a Christian cohort, and even though I wasn't a Christian in college anyway, as part of this group. And we're all, we're given a book called Finding God at Harvard. And you know, although Harvard was founded as a, you know, as a, as a Christian college, it's certainly not thought of that these days. And so the writer Kelly Monroe, and she's now, her name is Kelly Monroe Kohlberg, had put together stories of Harvard graduates in how they came to faith and what they were doing. So I thought was a great book, and I so that's what planted the idea in my mind. I said, well, people don't think of Harvard as a place of of faith. They certainly don't think of Silicon Valley as that. So I had the idea, and this was in the mid 1990s but as I said, it wasn't published until 2015 because I found it was really difficult for me to work full time and write the book. So after I left my last full time position is when I had the time to write the book. Michael Hingson ** 34:59 Well. Well, and I assume it's been pretty successful. Skip Vaccarello ** 35:03 That's beyond, I think. So it's, I mean, I get some, you know, to me, successful is, if people have read it and they say, Yeah, you know, and you know, I'm considering faith. And to me, that's, that's the success of it. So it's, anyway, it was a, it was really quite an experience. And and happy to do it. And I'm still in the process. I'm looking at a couple of other books now, maybe following up with and writing. Michael Hingson ** 35:30 Writing is fun, as you know, I've written, yeah, now three books, and I haven't figured out what to write next, but I'm sure something is going to come along. I haven't written fiction yet, and I haven't really come up with a a hot idea yet, but we'll see. It's kind of fun to think about, Skip Vaccarello ** 35:50 sure, absolutely, Michael Hingson ** 35:52 but, but, you know, we we we do what we can, and we keep moving forward, and that's what it's really about. But it is a lot of fun. And meanwhile, I do get to travel and speak, and I'm working with accessibe and helping to make internet websites more usable and inclusive. That's something that VisiCalc never did, was to make an accessible version of the product. But that's okay. That's okay. It took it took Excel and and other products a while before they became accessible, too. So not a problem. We, we, we all grow, which is what it's really about. But so what? What is your Well, let me ask it this way. So you wrote the book. You've retired and so on. What kind of projects do you have coming up, other than thinking about other books? Skip Vaccarello ** 36:46 Well, a few things you know that I'm doing right now. As I mentioned, I was part of a startup venture capital coming company called one flourish capital, and I'm still a little bit involved, but not as involved as I was there on a second fund. And I was very involved in the first fund, so I spent a little bit of time with that, but I'm more engaged with things like, I love mentoring. I mentor some students, and mentor some entrepreneurs and and enjoy those those opportunities I've and as I said, I'm putting together a series of podcasts, not as active as you are in it, but I did a series last year, and I titled it, who do you want to become, encouraging people to put together a personal strategic plan. You know, when we're involved in business, is often the company does a strategic plan. Of you know, what's our vision, our mission, our values, our goals and so on. And something that I've practiced for many years is putting together a personal strategic plan. So some of that podcast series is just encouraging people to consider doing that, which again, give a clearer direction for where, where you want your life to go, where God wants your life life to go. So anyway, that was a podcast series, and right now I'm in the midst of of putting together series that I'm calling why I believe, exploring the critical questions about Christian faith. And so I'm going around interviewing experts on, you know, some of the tougher questions you know, you've we talked about one earlier, is Jesus the only way? Other questions, you know, what about what about heaven? How? Another question is, how could a loving God, you know, allow innocent people to suffer? So question, questions like that, that that are often stumbling blocks for people. And I know, question answering, questions like that was very helpful for me in my faith journey. So anyway, I'm in the process of of putting that podcast series, which I expect will be ready in April, and if your listeners are are interested, it'll be on, it's on skip, vacarello.com, so that's where you can find the first podcast series. The last name is V, A, C, C, A, R, E, L, L, O. So anyway, it's there. It's also it'll be on Spotify and Apple and YouTube. So anyway, so I'm involved in that, but I should also say that one of the important things that I do is we moved here to be close to her daughter and grandchildren. So I love spending the time, you know, with my grandchildren. And we just traveled out to Spokane, Washington to see the other family and and that's just, that's just so enjoyable. So while I'm actively involved in in doing things like that, I I, you know, love, you know, spending time with the grandchildren, and also I try to stay, you know, physically active. Still play some tennis and golf and pickleball, and, you know, it's so, you know it's and anyway, I'm involved in a lot of different things, and enjoy them. You Michael Hingson ** 39:53 know, it's interesting. You were talking about the issue of, how could a loving God let any. And suffer. My reaction to that question, and I've heard it a lot, my reaction to that has always been, how could God not it's really an issue of we listen to God, and what did we miss along the way that would have prevented us from suffering, but God gave us free will and free choice. Skip Vaccarello ** 40:18 That's exactly right. And so that is the crux of the issue. We have free choice. And you know, when some of those choices aren't good ones that we make, and grad doesn't force anything on any of us, and that was probably one of the things he gave us, was that we're free, free to choose, and we can choose bad or we can choose good, Michael Hingson ** 40:37 yeah. And the question is, it's always the question, do we learn from mistakes that we made? And, you know, I have rejected the concept of failure. I think that failure is such a horrible thing to say. I think that there are things that don't work out. But did we fail that means we can't ever deal with it or do anything about it? Or can we take the time to analyze what didn't work right? And even when we did something and it worked out, could we do it better? That's one of the basic cruxes of live like a guide dog. My latest book, which is all about teaching people how to control fear, and the whole idea is that we don't take nearly enough time at the end of the day, or at some point in the day, to do more introspection and self analysis to understand why whatever happens to us happens to us, and what could we have done to make it have a better outcome, or even a or did we come up with The best outcome possible? Skip Vaccarello ** 41:41 Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I absolutely agree. What did we learn from it? I mean, you would see that time and time again. Some of the most successful people had many failures along the way, and you know, hopefully you're going to learn from that failure, and you're going to try something else, you're going to fail, and you're going to try something else and, and that's, I think that's just what goes on in life Michael Hingson ** 42:02 well, and that's why I say that it isn't really a failure. It is a mistake, perhaps, right? We didn't intend for it to be a mistake, but, but if it, if it was a mistake, and we acknowledge that, why and what do we do about it? And I think that's one of the important things that so many of us could do a better job of thinking about was, why did this happen? What was I afraid of, or what could I have done differently? And the fact is that if we open our minds to those questions, we'll get the answers, yep, yep, I agree, which is, I think, really important. Skip Vaccarello ** 42:41 I was listening to, I don't remember the I wish I could remember it, but I was watching something on television the other night, and there was a quote that kind of stuck with me, and it's in the quote we're doing something like this, is it was an encouragement of, I think it was a mother to a son. He said, Don't, don't think of what life has done to you. Think of what life has done for you. What we're talking about is you might have run into some difficulty, some okay, but maybe that's an opportunity to learn from it, and to go on and to do something else and and, you know, I think life, life is like that. Well, Michael Hingson ** 43:15 you know, people talk to me a lot about the World Trade Center, and don't you have guilt of surviving while other people didn't, right? And and I tell people, no, I don't have any guilt about that, because the fact is, I did survive. Why others did not is is really, in part, possibly an issue of what choices they made. But the bottom line is, it isn't whether I feel guilty or not about surviving because I had no control over the World Trade Center happening. What I do have control over the though is how I deal with it and how I move forward, and that's the choice that I get to make. Skip Vaccarello ** 43:56 Yeah, very good point, Michael Hingson ** 43:59 which I think is really important. And someone asked me that just the other day, and then that was in this is the response that I gave, is, the reality is, it's we have no control over a lot of things that that may happen to us, but we do have total control over how we deal with it, no matter what it is, yeah, Skip Vaccarello ** 44:19 and you think of it, the, you know, I'm sure, the lives that you've changed, you know, writing about that and talking about that with your speaking appearances, and it was such a tragedy that, you know, the 1000s of what was 1700 or 18, I don't remember the number, the number of people that died in that, and they're all 200 Yeah, 3200. Was all the people that were affected by it. You know, on the other hand, I mean stories like yours came out of that, and you've been an encouragement to many, many other people so that you know, you've, you know, taken advantage of that opportunity, and you've affected the lives of many, yeah, Michael Hingson ** 44:56 tell me more about what you're doing today with mentoring students and so on. More. How do you do that? Or how do they find you? How does that all work? Skip Vaccarello ** 45:03 Well, I one of the things is I mentioned earlier that there's a whole bunch of things that have gone on in Silicon Valley where I where I really feel that that God is at work. And there was a guy that I got to know that I actually mentored him a little bit, and he founded an organization called scholars of finance. And it started in a and it's not a quote a Christian base, but it's a, it's sort of an ethics based organization. And his idea was to to go to college campuses and encourage people who were in finance, accounting, finance of some sort or another, to look at the ethical side of business. So he put together this thing called scholars of finance, and then they were started on maybe a couple of universities in the Bay Area. I think they now want maybe 70 campuses around the US and and he's so I've had the opportunity to speak at a number of those campuses, some in person, most of them virtually. And the idea is that they have people like me that come and speak and try to, you know, we tell stories, encourage people about, maybe the ethical issues that we ran across and, and how you can kind of navigate some of those issues and, and, and part of that whole program is, if you want to put yourself up to mentoring, you know you can have the opportunity to mentor some students. So I have, and I've had the opportunity, and I have the opportunity to mentor some students and and I really, I really love it. And what are the differences I find? I think that, you know, sometimes there are negative things that people say about college students these days, but one of the things that I find encouraging is that they're really open to to mentoring, to getting advice from an from an older generation. I remember when I was in school was what was the mantra that you don't trust anyone over 30, you know they don't know what they're talking about, but, but I find students these days are really looking for that for that advice and guidance and and so I enjoy when I have those opportunities to speak to people. And I would say also that a lot of these students are incredibly motivated and driven. And it's, it's just, it's interesting to see. It was, I think it was even different than than when I was in when I was in college. But anyway, that's that's kind of a fun thing to do. And then I also have entrepreneurs, people that either find me or, you know, that may be a company that we've invested in, that have an opportunity to help those, those entrepreneurs, with their business plans. And one of the, one of the areas I like to focus on is helping them develop the right culture. I think, to have a successful business, you have a successful business is you need a culture, you know, a positive culture that's encouraging to people. So, you know, I do that. I try to encourage them to start out and build the right culture. You know, in your organization, doesn't mean that business will succeed, you know, but that's one of the things I like to to help entrepreneurs consider as they're building a business. So it's not just about the product. Certainly, you need a product, and you need to market that product, and often you need technology to make a success. But ultimately, it's the people in that organization and how you deal with them, and how you deal with your customers, and how you deal with your vendors and so on that can can help make or break a business. So anyway, those are the the mentoring opportunities that I have, and as I say and do, enjoy Michael Hingson ** 48:31 them. What are some of the typical questions that students ask that you find to be sort of common among a lot of students? Skip Vaccarello ** 48:40 Well, they'll, they'll, you know, they'll sometimes ask me about, you know, ethical situations that I've come across. Often, they'll ask, since I've been involved in the in the venture capital business, is, you know, what is it? What is, what does a venture capitalist look like? You know, how can I get, get get funded? And that, that's sort of an ongoing topic of of conversation, and it's in that environment, you know, it certainly changes a lot over time, but that's a that's a common, a common side of it. You know, occasionally there'll be discussions on technology, and I'm not, even though I've been involved in Silicon Valley for a long time, not a technologist, and they're real, usually, typically very far advanced in that, in that side of things. But, you know, get questions on, you know, what's a go to market strategy? How do I, if I have this product, what do I, what do I do with it? And often, you know, just, you know, I get presented a business plan, what do you think about this, and you know, where can I make changes? And sometimes, you know, often they're very well done, but sometimes there might be some, some blind spots, things that they don't, that they don't see. And interestingly enough, and this is not, you know, something that that I push for, but some of the students then they, you know, they pick me up. Ask because they they've seen my bio, and I've had a number of students who were weren't brought up with any faith background, that asked me about faith and what was my story, and in what should I do to consider faith? So I, you know, I find that very interesting, and I'm very happy to answer any questions that they may have. So that's that's enjoyable when those opportunities come. Michael Hingson ** 50:22 Yeah, it's kind of cool to be able to enter into those discussions and just talk a little bit about faith and what what they're looking for, and what you're looking for and so on. And getting a chance to in a in a non confrontive way, help people understand the value of faith, whatever that may end up being for them, I think is important to do, yeah, Skip Vaccarello ** 50:50 and often, you know, I end up, well, I, well, I, you know, I'll offer things if they ask. But I usually what I like to do is just ask lots of questions to them. And I think it's very helpful, you know, where are they coming from? What are they considered? What are their experiences been? You know, especially if it's in the, in the faith environment. And I think it really helps open up conversations, when, when, when you end up not just being there as the, you know, as the advisor that knows everything, because certainly I don't, but it's very helpful, I think, as a method, as a mentor, is to ask lots of questions. Michael Hingson ** 51:29 I love to have question time when I speak, because I find every so often I'll get a new question. It doesn't happen as often as it used to, but every so often, something new comes along and and or people ask questions in a different way. And what I really love about it is it helps me learn, because it makes me think, and I think that's as important as anything else. And as I tell people when I'm talking about speaking or doing these podcasts, if I'm not learning at least as much as anyone else on the podcast, or when I'm speaking, I'm not doing my job, right, right? Yeah, Skip Vaccarello ** 52:05 I agree with you. Yeah. I think I learned more. You know, occasionally I'm asked to give a sermon at a church or a speak at a at a public place, and I think that I learned when you're I think I learned more than anything else when I'm when I'm gonna have to prepare for these, these opportunities, isn't it fun? Oh, it is. It certainly is. Michael Hingson ** 52:26 Well, so you've been retired for a while. What kind of advice would you give to somebody who may be thinking about retiring? Skip Vaccarello ** 52:34 Good question, you know, and it's funny sometimes people ask me that question, and I think that, well, I'm retired from making money, but I'm still pretty busy doing things. And that would be my encouragement to people, is to, you know, don't, don't just think you're going to go sit on a beach or or whatever else. I mean, I think that that can get boring pretty quickly. But, you know, and if I would say, continue to do what you're doing if you love it, you know. But consider what your maybe your spouse has to say, your children or grandchildren have to say, and and, you know, make sure you spend, spend time with with them. But my encouragement would be just is to keep busy, find activities. If it's in your case, or my case, has been doing some writing or podcasts, or, you know, whatever it is that you're passionate about, just just you have an opportunity now to do it, but also to take time for relationships. And one thing I didn't mention that is one thing I encouraged students to think about, it's really a question of life. Is life is about relationships. And you know, you want to hopefully along the way, people haven't sacrificed relationships. So you see that sometimes in business, where they sacrifice, you know, their family or other relationships for success in business. But you know, when you're retired is a time to eat, to deepen those those relationships, to really spend some time, you know, with with other people, so and and, as I say, to do things that you love. The other thing I'd say is, is to keep moving. You might I had a chance to visit my mom about a few weeks ago. She's in she's in Cape Cod, in Massachusetts, and she's 103 103 and a half. And three and a half and and people ask her, What's your key to longevity? And she says, Just keep moving. And although she's not physically as active, she tries to get up and keep moving. And she's also one that's and always keeps alert. She volunteered she's not, she hasn't, doesn't have the capacity to do that now, but up till about 9998 she was, she had volunteer activities going on. So, you know, stay engaged, keep keep moving, keep doing things and and anyway, that's my encouragement. Don't, you know, don't just think that it's going to be, you know, time at the beach, or certainly not time in front of the. Television, you know, keep moving, if you can, and keep keep mentally stimulated. Michael Hingson ** 55:06 That's the real key. Is mental stimulation, I think is extremely important. Just I think retirement is, is overrated in terms of what it really or what people think it is. And I think mental stimulation is is an important thing. And when you're stopped working at a job full time, because it's time to not do that anymore, you should have more time to be able to develop the relationships stimulate your brain, keep your brain thinking, and maybe go off and look at doing things in a different direction. That always is a great challenge. Absolutely, Skip Vaccarello ** 55:40 yeah, absolutely. It's a, it's a very, it's a neat time of life now. I mean, I enjoyed the time that I had while I was working, but, you know, when you retire, you have a little bit more freedom you had before. So, you know, but use it wisely. It's really true with anything we all, we all are given, you know, resources of various sorts, and time is one of the most valuable resources that we have. And you know, we're, you know, invested. Invest it wisely. Because, you know, life is life is short, and as I get older, realize how short life is, so invest that time wisely and and invest in relationships, as I say, is probably the most important Michael Hingson ** 56:24 thing. Yeah, I think that's extremely crucial, and makes a lot of sense. And you'll meet people and find things that you never knew before, and you continue to learn, which is what it's all about. Yep, absolutely. Well, I want to thank you for spending an hour with us today, and in doing this, we'll have to do it again, and I think it'll be a lot of fun, but I really enjoy you being here and appreciate you taking the time Skip Vaccarello ** 56:48 Well, Michael, thank you so much. I've enjoyed it. It's fun for us to to reappoint, yeah, yeah. And it's a it's a great conversation, and hopefully listeners will get some benefit from it, but I've enjoyed the time that I've that I've spent with you today again. Thanks. Thank you so much for having me. Michael Hingson ** 57:06 Well, I hope all of you have enjoyed listening and watching us, and that you'll give us a five star rating wherever you're watching or hearing the podcast. We really appreciate five star ratings a lot. And just your thoughts. So if you have any thoughts about today's episode, please email me. I'm easy to reach. It's Michael H I M, I C, H, A, E, L, H i at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S i b, e.com, and if you want to subscribe to the podcast, do it wherever you're listening, or you can always go to Michael hingson, M, I C, H, A, E, L, H, I N, G, s, o n.com/podcast, and I, and I hope you'll do that, but also skip for you and all, all people out there who are encountering our episode today, if you know of someone, including yourself, who might want to be or you think ought to be a guest on unstoppable mindset, I'd love you to reach out to me. We're always looking for more people to have on and talk about various things, and like I said, for me, in part, I get to learn what we do that. So we really appreciate you finding other guests for us. So don't ever hesitate to reach out and let us know if people we ought to interact with. But again, skip. I just want to thank you for being here. This has been a lot of fun, and we really appreciate your time. Skip Vaccarello ** 58:24 Michael, thank you again. Enjoy the rest of the day. Appreciate it. Michael Hingson ** 58:32 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com . AccessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for Listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.
On this week's show, the secret word is: Pee-wee. Dana, Steve, and Julia discuss the new documentary Pee-wee as Himself. The fascinating two-part film, directed by Matt Wolf, attempts to reveal the complex man Paul Reubens behind the beloved, surprisingly subversive, goofball that was Pee-wee Herman. Next, they tee off to talk about Stick, the new comedy series starring Owen Wilson set in the world of professional golf. In the third segment, they're joined by Atlantic staff writer Caity Weaver to chat about her recently published, rollicking travel piece An Innocent Abroad in Mark Twain's Paris. In an exclusive Slate Plus segment, inspired by a listener question, the hosts each share their dream city they'd love to live in but have only ever visited. Endorsements: Steve: Sly Lives! the Questlove-directed documentary about the hugely influential pop star Sly Stone who recently passed away. Julia: Season 2 of Poker Face and its smorgasbord of incredible guest appearances by beloved character actors. Dana: The delightfully designed single-purpose website Oracle of Bacon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this week's show, the secret word is: Pee-wee. Dana, Steve, and Julia discuss the new documentary Pee-wee as Himself. The fascinating two-part film, directed by Matt Wolf, attempts to reveal the complex man Paul Reubens behind the beloved, surprisingly subversive, goofball that was Pee-wee Herman. Next, they tee off to talk about Stick, the new comedy series starring Owen Wilson set in the world of professional golf. In the third segment, they're joined by Atlantic staff writer Caity Weaver to chat about her recently published, rollicking travel piece An Innocent Abroad in Mark Twain's Paris. In an exclusive Slate Plus segment, inspired by a listener question, the hosts each share their dream city they'd love to live in but have only ever visited. Endorsements: Steve: Sly Lives! the Questlove-directed documentary about the hugely influential pop star Sly Stone who recently passed away. Julia: Season 2 of Poker Face and its smorgasbord of incredible guest appearances by beloved character actors. Dana: The delightfully designed single-purpose website Oracle of Bacon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When asked if he believed in infant baptism Mark Twain replied, "Believe in it? I've seen it happen!" That story is probably not true, but it is a great line. The follow up question for Mark Twain would have been, "What did you see when you saw an infant get baptized?" and that is what this podcast is about. What part of the story of our faith are we witnessing when we see our children baptized?
In 1865 Mark Twain came to Angels Camp, California. A tale he heard, or perhaps one he made up, became one he shared with others...
The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Ron Chernow joined KCUR's Up To Date to discuss his latest book, "Mark Twain," which paints a nuanced portrait of a complicated American author from the Heartland.
Writer and journalist Ron Chernow feels very warmly about anyone who has won the Mark Twain Award for American Humor, including our friend Conan. Ron sits down with Conan for a deep dive into the life of Mark Twain, touching on Twain's mercurial personality, his affinity for oddball inventions, the unique relationship he shared with his wife, his obsession with Shakespeare's true authorship, and much more. Check out Mark Twain by Ron Chernow here. For Conan videos, tour dates and more visit TeamCoco.com.Got a question for Conan? Call our voicemail: (669) 587-2847. Get access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using this show link: https://siriusxm.com/conan.
the boys talk about prison youtubers and how much people murder See the boys live!: TraeCrowder.com CoreyRyanForrester.com DrewMorganComedy.com Want Corey to read you to sleep with Mark Twain? WeLoveCorey.com This week's sponsor is HIMS! Go to Hims.com/wellred for personalized ED treatment
Our Full Bio series continues with a conversation about Mark Twain with biographer Ron Chernow. Today, Chernow discusses the big issues that dominated Twain's life, from politics to racism.
Mark Twain evolved over his adult life when it came to matters of race. In perhaps the greatest American novel of all time, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”, Twain demonstrates his keen sense that the Civil War did not end prejudice and bigotry in our society, though it did reshape its contours. There is no … Read More Read More
Biographer Ron Chernow discusses his new biography of celebrated American author Mark Twain as part of this month's Full Bio conversation. Today, we discuss Twain's early life and the beginning of his career as a writer.
This "why" isn't simply a mission statement neatly printed on a brochure. It's a deep understanding of the organization's unique value proposition, its distinct contribution to solving a specific problem. It's the answer to the question: "Why does this organization exist, and why should anyone care?"
Biographer Ron Chernow's acclaimed books include Alexander Hamilton, adapted into the Broadway musical Hamilton, and Washington: A Life, which received the Pulitzer Prize for Biography. With his new book Mark Twain, Chernow illuminates the colorful and complex life of the fame-seeking journalist, satirist, performer and political pundit. America's first literary celebrity, Twain was unique among his contemporaries for grappling so fully with the legacy of slavery, including with his most famous book, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. On May 21, 2025, Ron Chernow came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco for an onstage conversation with Jonathan Bass.
Last broadcast of Memorial Day week, and the last broadcast of May 2025. That's right, when we come back it shall be JUNE. But for this evening, we have a nice mix of topics for Friday evening enjoyment, with a special guest in-studio to boot. Would You Rather scenarios, Reel Reviews, and plenty of in-between time for banter and de-stressing. Enjoy your weekend, become a sponsor, drink some KetoBrainz, and read Mark Twain for Monday's book club! Unleash Your Brain w/ Keto Brainz Nootropic Promo code FRANKLY: https://tinyurl.com/2cess6y7 Read This Month's Newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/bdzx3hmz Elevation Blend Coffee & Official QF Mugs: https://www.coffeerevolution.shop/category/quite-frankly Official QF Apparel: https://tinyurl.com/f3kbkr4s Sponsor The Show and Get VIP Perks: https://www.quitefrankly.tv/sponsor One-Time Tip: http://www.paypal.me/QuiteFranklyLive Send Holiday cards, Letters, and other small gifts, to the Quite Frankly P.O. Box! Quite Frankly 222 Purchase Street, #105 Rye, NY, 10580 Send Crypto: BTC: 1EafWUDPHY6y6HQNBjZ4kLWzQJFnE5k9PK Leave a Voice Mail: https://www.speakpipe.com/QuiteFrankly Quite Frankly Socials: Twitter/X: @QuiteFranklyTV Instagram: @QuiteFranklyOfficial Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/KCdh92Fn GUILDED Chat: https://tinyurl.com/kzrk6nxa Official Forum: https://tinyurl.com/k89p88s8 Telegram: https://t.me/quitefranklytv Truth: https://tinyurl.com/5n8x9s6f GETTR: https://tinyurl.com/2fprkyn4 MINDS: https://tinyurl.com/4p84d3cx Gab: https://tinyurl.com/mr42m2au Streaming Live On: QuiteFrankly.tv (Powered by Foxhole) Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/yc2cn395 BitChute: https://tinyurl.com/46dfca5c Rumble: https://tinyurl.com/yeytwwyz Kick: https://kick.com/quitefranklytv Audio On Demand: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/301gcES iTunes: http://apple.co/2dMURMq Amazon: https://amzn.to/3afgEXZ SoundCloud: https://tinyurl.com/yc44m474
As Elon Musk's government contract expires we look at the highs and lows of DOGE. Trump and the courts play tariff whack-a-mole and Pope Leo catches a personal plushie. The gang talks fashion stagnation and the Charlotte diocese upheaval. Erika promotes Mark Twain, while Tom talks our podcast competitor... Michelle Obama. All this and more on the LOOPcast!Did you know… LOOPcast is on your favorite podcast platform. Subscribe on Apple, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen!All opinions expressed on LOOPcast by the participants are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of CatholicVote.TIMESTAMPS00:00 – Welcome back to the LOOPcast!02:09 – au revoir Elon Musk!18:54 – Tariff wack-a-mole26:57 – Good news38:38 – Stagnation of fashion1:11:57 – Twilight Zone
Today is the feast of Saint Jon of Arc. Father Kubicki shares some words from Mark Twain about a book he wrote about this great saint. Father shares the heroic story and martyrdom of Saint Jon of Arc.
Why does the G in George sound different from the G in gorge? Why does C begin both case and cease? And why is it funny when a phonologist falls, but not polight to laf about it? Anyone who has the misfortune to write in English will, every now and then, struggle with its spelling. According to a study in the British Journal of Psychology, children take 2-3 times longer to grasp English spelling compared to more phonetic orthographies like German and Spanish. So why do we continue to use it? If our system of writing words is so tragically inconsistent, why haven't we standardized it, phoneticized it, brought it into line? How many brave linguists have ever had the courage to state, in a declaration of phonetic revolt: "Enough is enuf"? The answer: many. In the comic annals of linguistic history, legions of rebel wordsmiths have died on the hill of spelling reform, risking their reputations to bring English into the realm of the rational. ENOUGH IS ENUF: Our Failed Attempts to Make English Easier to Spell (April 15, 2025; Dey Street) is about them: Noah Webster, Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain, Ben Franklin, Eliza Burnz, C. S. Lewis, George Bernard Shaw, Charles Darwin, and the innumerable others on both sides of the Atlantic who, for a time in their life, became fanatically occupied with writing thru instead of through, tho for though, laf for laugh, beleev for believe, and dawter for daughter (and tried futilely to get everyone around them to do it too). Releasing from a staple of the New York Comedy Scene-Gabe Henry, whose previous book of haikus featured comics like Jerry Seinfeld and Aubrey Plaza and was lauded for its "wit and wisdom" (Dick Cavett) and "pure fun" (The Interrobang)-ENOUGH IS ENUF reveals how, and why, language is organically simplifying to fit the needs of our changing world. "Just look at our national spelling bee," Henry said in a recent interview with BIG THINK. "There's a whole glorification of complicated words. People pride themselves on mastering the complications and origins of our words. They want to hold onto that. The core of the book is that language is always changing - whether consciously or unconsciously, whether direction or indirectly - and no one should fight it. Language has to evolve just like culture, just like people. It's hard to accept because we want to exert control over the things around us, but it's like letting a child grow up. It's just the natural course." Henry's intelligent yet approachably laugh-out-loud humor will appeal to fans of Nine Nasty Words, Semicolon, and The Pun Also Rises, and the timing couldn't be better with the 100th anniversary of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which Henry covers annually, happening soon after publication. Thanks to technology-from texting to Twitter and emojis-the Simplified Spelling Movement may finally be having its day.and etymologists, linguists, and book lovers alike will be keen to learn mor!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-unplugged-totally-uncut--994165/support.
Londinium 90 AD Gaius & Germanicus weigh the Tiberius failures of extreme age with the failure of Mark Twain and Joe Biden to resist staffer manipulation in their seniority. Michael Vlahos Friends of History Debating Society @michalis_vlahos 1907 MARK TWAIN
Chris Rongey and John Hancock (in for Amy Marxkors) welcome KMOX Sports host Matt Pauley to the Chris & Amy Show. Matt shares a surprising family connection to Mark Twain. The discussion shifts to the St. Louis Cardinals' recent momentum, highlighting strong series wins against Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Washington, and their success against teams with winning records. They spotlight Ivan Herrera's offensive surge, Jordan Walker's potential rebound, Nolan Gorman's limited playing time, and Gordon Graceffo's fit in the bullpen.
I wasn't sure I'd be able to finish the Jake Tapper/Alex Thompson book, Original Sin. I downloaded the audiobook, narrated by Tapper, to listen to as I drive across the country from California to Ohio to see my daughter for her birthday. Out my window, I see the same running commentary of the real America I witnessed years ago, which changed my mind about Trump and MAGA. When you see Trump's name arising in unexpected places in nearly every state, from Arizona (“Viva Trump”) to Nebraska to Iowa to New York, you know something significant has shifted in this country.It felt like a secret cry for help among forgotten and abandoned Americans. I see it even now:I was not encouraged by the book's first chapter, which describes a world where the Democratic Party isn't corrupt, where they don't hand-pick candidates and then force everyone to “Vote Blue No Matter Who,” where identity politics don't rule the day, and where the democratic process is allowed to play out. What a load of garbage. To quote Deep Throat in All the President's Men, “Oh, but it's touching.” Just imagine Gavin Newsom attempting to challenge Kamala Harris. She might be the world's worst candidate, but all points lead back to her; you have to start there, whether they had a primary or not. They knew that, which is why they skipped the foreplay and went straight to a first-ever installed candidate for president. So I didn't think listening to an entire audiobook shaped by a false premise and awash in false media narratives would be a good use of my time. Maybe I'd listen to, I don't know, the new Mark Twain biography.As Victor Davis Hanson points out, Jake Tapper is an unreliable narrator because there would be no Biden cover-up if the media had done its job:Had Original Sin been written by Tom Wolfe, Gore Vidal, or even Walter Kirn and Matt Taibbi, it would have been the searing indictment of a deep state plot foiled by Mr. McGoo, told with bemused irony. But it is dead serious, for better or worse.But I must say, in the end, I'm glad I stuck with it. It might not be the definitive account of the rise and fall of a once-mighty empire I would have wanted, but it is a surprisingly revealing look behind the curtain all the same.Could it really be that Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg were brought in to “direct” Joe Biden with better light, sound, and acting coaching? Yes. Could it be that Rob Reiner and Jane Fonda broke down in hysterics at some mansion in the Hollywood Hills after the debate? Yes. If the aim was to scapegoat Joe Biden, they failed. He comes off as the most sympathetic, a victim of a massive machine of creeps that chewed him up and spit him out. Do they legitimately believe we would sympathize with some fat cat in Hollywood who threatens never to write another check unless they push Biden out? We're supposed to care about what the donors think? Tapper seems to have emerged from the grim experience with a bit of a perspective shift. At least now, he's able to talk about the problems the Democrats have in a way he hasn't in the past ten years. The value of Original Sin, at least for someone like me who fled the party in disgust in 2020 after watching them use their power to take our elections away from the people and decide their outcome, isn't so much that there are any new revelations. But it's a book written from the inside, with access to over 200 voices anxious to be heard. That meant following the events as they unfolded in real time, and let me tell you, there is pleasure in that. I found it cathartic, not just because the Democrats had it coming, and got everything they deserved, but for the sheer joy of witnessing the most most powerful people in the world have their asses handed to them by the very democracy they claimed they wanted to protect. That George Clooney, Steven Spielberg, and Jeffrey Katzenberg were so heavily involved in the politics of the Democrats makes it all look like the Wizard of Oz, pulling back the curtain and exposing the ugly truth. Hollywood might make this into a series for HBO or Netflix, but since the co-founder and chairman of Netflix, Reed Hastings, was one of the fat cats who threatened to withhold funds unless the Democrats got rid of Biden, I'm guessing we won't get the whole story. But if they wanted to tell it like it really happened, it would make one hell of a tale.The Story That Writes ItselfHollywood doesn't have the guts to tell the whole story. They can't because they're part of it. They're way too cozy with the Democrats, and if they really wanted to tell the truth, they'd have to admit, as with Michael Corleone, they are part of the same hypocrisy. At best, they could cobble together something that paints Trump as the ultimate evil that vain and selfish Joe and Jill Biden allowed to take back power. The real story is how they built a powerful coalition and had no choice but to turn to corruption to preserve that power. This would make a great long-form series.Episode One—The “hope and change” candidate lights up the world and chooses an “old white guy” to be his Veep, just as JFK did with LBJ, a cynical ploy to make his youth and inexperience (and, in this case, skin color) more palatable for a nervous electorate. Episode Two - The “hope and change” guy doesn't like the “old white guy” as the successor of his powerful coalition, which now includes all of culture, all corporations, all institutions, all media, and all social media. Why go backwards? The “old white guy” with a stutter who just lost his beloved son to brain cancer was no longer useful to the “hope and change” guy. No one thinks much of it as he's kicked to the curb and embarrassed as not electable enough, not desirable enough, and past his sell-by date. So, the “hope and change” guy picks the “Wall Street Sweetheart,” the former First Lady and Secretary of State, to become the “first woman POTUS.” With the help of a grassroots populist movement and an “Old Socialist” challenging the “Wall Street Sweetheart,” the party is fractured, and Trump wins. Episode Three - The establishment and the Obama coalition decide that Trump should not be allowed to rule, forget democracy! Who needs it? No “old white guy” was supposed to win, least of all that guy. Millions pour into the streets in an orgy of self pity, imagined oppression, fragility, privilege and narcissism — mass hysteria takes hold, cancel culture grips the left. Hundreds lose their jobs as they desperately try to undo the election results and get rid of Trump. They impeach him, they frame him, they smear him, they attack him. The OG “old white guy” waiting in the wings isn't looking so bad. An easy, lateral move. An establishment pick. One “old white guy” for another.Episode Four - 2020 is its own whole episode. It has to be. It was the year the Democrats sold their souls to the Devil to cling to power. They spent $1 billion with a “well-funded cabal” of elites to fund and amplify the racial protests, change election laws, $400 million to collect ballots, and trot in experts to lie about everything from the laptop to COVID to the protests. They censored Americans on social media, and the FBI forced censorship of the laptop. The country sinks. Media credibility is destroyed. Large swaths of the electorate abandon the Democrats. But the “old white guy” wins. So finally, he gets his dream at long last, to be president of the United States. Episode Five - The “old white guy” is finally the savior he always dreamed he'd be. He became a blank check for Black Americans, trans Americans, and especially women of color. He would finish what the “hope and change” guy started. Are we topless at the White House?But the “old white guy” bungles the withdrawal from Afghanistan, and his approval ratings tank. Americans don't see a nice old grandpa anymore. They see George Spahn, who just moved the Manson Family into the White House, and now they're running the country.Now what? He goes after Trump and MAGA, calling them fascists, extremists, and a danger to society. If the “old white guy” can't have the presidency, then no one will.The “old white guy” isn't so nice anymore. Trump is indicted four times, convicted, and takes a mug shot that goes viral. They've sold their soul to the Devil, after all, they're not going to give up power so easily. Episode Six - The final battle. Trump teases and torments the “old white guy” and forces him to debate. Trump mocks him mercilessly at his rallies for not knowing where he is. For Trump, beating him will be a cake walk for anyone not sucked into the false reality pushed by the legacy media.Trump and Biden debate rematch. The “old white guy” crashes and burns so hard it nearly sets Rob Reiner's hair on fire. “He just lost the election,” Dana Bash scribbles on a note to Jake Tapper. What now for the empire that was never the resistance?Trump survives an assassination attempt at Butler the following month. His entire campaign is transformed. Elon Musk joins his dream team. This was our last best hope for America. We wanted out. We wanted something new. We wanted to be set free:But inside the Bubble, it's Original Sin. It's denial. It's a legacy press that lies to the monarchs, lies to their voters, sending them cascading into yet more hysteria. Please make the bad orange man go away! For the sake of democracy! Please give us our utopia back! Jane Fonda, Steven Spielberg, Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, David Simon, Jon Stewart, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, and Rob Reiner are losing their minds. It's a dystopia full of aging, frustrated aristocrats who can't keep democracy down. We're about to lose our democracy, they cry. Biden will lose us our democracy, they insist. How can this be happening? Get rid of the “old white guy.” GET RID OF HIM! For the sake of democracy! “We need a new nominee,” says George Clooney. Who's we? What happened to democracy? Now, the duly elected nominee, aka “the old white guy,” must step aside to save democracy? Yes, that is where the Democrats arrived in their pitiful last gasp to salvage and preserve their power. They cynically install the “woman of color” because they know all points lead to Kamala Harris. Their flock will fall in line as they always have. Push him out, push the “old white guy” out in a palace coup worthy of a fading, useless, self-serving monarchy on the brink of collapse. Trump wins again. We see the “old white guy” grinning in the oval office and having the last laugh. They used him. They lied to him. They flattered him. Then, they kicked him out, all because they were exposed and couldn't hide the truth anymore.As the scene fades to black, we see a close-up on Jake Tapper lying in bed, working it all out. Holy s**t, he thinks. Someone has to tell this story. He picks up the phone, “Alex? Hi, it's Jake. I was wondering if we might talk.” I mean, come on. It's Ishtar Part Two. It writes itself.Do I think you should read Original Sin? Absolutely. It might not be the whole truth. It might be spin for the Democrats to regroup and recover. It might be reputation laundering for the media. But for me, it was an early Christmas present, if only for the delicious pleasure of watching them squirm as their corrupt plot to cling to power unravels. I can't think of anything more satisfying than that. Original Sin proves two things: the Democrats are creeps and they got exactly what they deserved.Somewhere in Iowa, 8pm.// This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sashastone.substack.com/subscribe
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia know their borders may be the next front for Russian aggression. They do not want to deploy mines and razor wire—but they must. Our correspondent visits the American city of Baltimore to investigate a national drop in violent crime (9:46). And a sweeping new biography of Mark Twain, who created a uniquely American style of fiction (17:19).Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia know their borders may be the next front for Russian aggression. They do not want to deploy mines and razor wire—but they must. Our correspondent visits the American city of Baltimore to investigate a national drop in violent crime (9:46). And a sweeping new biography of Mark Twain, who created a uniquely American style of fiction (17:19).Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.
Our website - www.perksofbeingabooklover.com. Instagram - @perksofbeingabookloverpod Facebook - Perks of Being a Book Lover. To send us a message go to our website and click the Contact button. This week we have Sam Miller, manager at Carmichael's Bookstore in Louisville, with us to chat about books readers might want to consider for their summer reading. It is always fun to hear what is new and notable from Sam. This is our last episode of the season. We will be back in July after our summer hiatus with all new episodes. Happy Reading! Books Mentioned in this Episode: 1- The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebowitz 2- Northern Spy by Flynn Berry 3- Big Girl Small Town by Michelle Gallen 4- Factory Girls by Michelle Gallen 5- Cat's People by Tanya Guerrero 6- The View from Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani 7- Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani 8- Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid 9- Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter 10- So Far Gone by Jess Walter 11- A Language of Limbs by Dylin Hardcastle 12- A Lesser Light by Peter Geye 13- Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippmann 14- El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott 15- Big Bad Wool by Leonie Swann 16- Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann 17- First Gentleman by Bill Clinton and James Patterson 18- King of Ashes by SA Cosby 19- Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by VE Schwab 20- Katabasis by RF Kuang 21- Country Under Heaven by Frederic Durbin 22- A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna 23- Isabella Nag and the Pot of Basil by Oliver Darkshire 24- The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar 25- Baldwin: A Love Story by Nicholas Boggs 26- Plato and the Tyrant by James Romm 27- Turning to Birds by Lili Taylor 28- Is A River Alive? by Robert McFarlane 29- Mark Twain by Ron Chernow 30- Charlottesville by Deborah Baker 31- Prairie Fires by Caroline Fraser 32- Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers by Caroline Fraser 33- Fulfillment by Lee Cole 34- If You Love It, Let it Kill You by Hannah Pittard 35- The Fire Concerto by Sarah Landenwich 36- Black Cohosh by Eagle Valiant Brosi 37- Big Swiss by Jen Beagin 38- I Am the Arrow: The Life and Art of Sylvia Plath in Six Poems by Sarah Ruden 39- Red Comet by Heather Clark 40- Bad Badger : A Love Story by Maryrose Wood Media mentioned-- 1- Derry Girls (Netflix, 2018-2022) 2- Christoph Waltz on Jimmy Fallon --https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0jr-HQeT74 3- Floyd Collins Broadway show--https://floydcollinsbroadway.com
The biographer Ron Chernow has written about the Rockefellers and the Morgans. His book about George Washington won a Pulitzer Prize. His book about Alexander Hamilton was adapted into a hit Broadway musical. Now, in “Mark Twain,” Chernow turns to the life of the author and humorist who became one of the 19th century's biggest celebrities and, along the way, did much to reshape American literature in his own image.On this week's episode of the podcast, Chernow tells the host Gilbert Cruz how he came to write about Twain and what interested him most about his subject.“The thing that triggered this Mark Twain mania in me was more Mark Twain the platform artist, Mark Twain the political pundit, Mark Twain the original celebrity, even more than Mark Twain the novelist or short story writer,” Chernow says. But at the same time, “I felt that he was very seminal in terms of bringing, to American literature, really bringing the heartland alive — writing about ordinary people in the vernacular and taking this wild throbbing kind of madcap culture, of America's small towns in rural areas, and really introducing that into fiction.” Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Episode: 1372 Mark Twain and the Paige Compositor. Today, meet the man who bankrupted Mark Twain.
The character of Jim in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain was written as a condemnation of the Jim Crow regimes that were springing up across the South as the Reconstruction Era slowly came to an end. Twain's Jim was the first Black character in popular American literature that can be thought of as being written in depth and without becoming another racist caricature. The story, set before the civil war, has been the subject of ongoing scholarship and contestation ever since. In this podcast episode, we hear from academic Shelley Fisher Fishkin whose new book Jim: The Afterlives of Huckleberry Finn's Comrade explores the legacy of the character from the late 19th Century through to the Civil Rights era and the Black Lives Matter moment*****STOP PRESS*****I only ever talk about history on this podcast but I also have another life, yes, that of aspirant fantasy author and if that's your thing you can get a copy of my debut novel The Blood of Tharta, right here:Help the podcast to continue bringing you history each weekIf you enjoy the Explaining History podcast and its many years of content and would like to help the show continue, please consider supporting it in the following ways:If you want to go ad-free, you can take out a membership hereOrYou can support the podcast via Patreon hereOr you can just say some nice things about it here Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apple has introduced some new features in Apple Maps including a Detailed City Experience for the Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco. Maps also now has insights, ratings, and reviews from expert sources, most notably the Michelin Guide. Did you know Pope Leo has his own trading card? Not only that, it set a new sales record, topping LeBron James. Show Notes: Pete Rose reinstated Pope Leo XIV trading card sets Topps Now sales record, exceeds LeBron and Wemby milestone cards Apple Maps brings a custom Detailed City Experience to the Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco Apple brings insights, ratings, and reviews from expert sources to Apple Maps CarPlay Ultra, the next generation of CarPlay, begins rolling out Universal Music Group and Apple Music announce Sound Therapy Shows and movies we're watching Bad Sisters, Apple TV+ It's not TV. It's HBO. Max. Conan O'Brien the Kennedy Center, Mark Twain prize for American humor, Netflix
Mark Twain by Ron Chernow is a deep dive into the life of one of America's literary geniuses through the eyes of a master biographer. Ron joins us to talk about his research process, understanding the inner and outer life of Mark Twain, viewing Twain through a modern lens, the future of biographies and more with guest host Chris Gillespie. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Chris Gillespie and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): Mark Twain by Ron Chernow Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain Chasing the Last Laugh by Richard Zacks Featured Books (TBR Top Off): Mark Twain by Ron Chernow James by Percival Everett The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf
A year ago, Percival Everett published his twenty-fourth novel, “James,” and it became a literary phenomenon. It won the National Book Award, and, just this week, was announced as the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. “James” offers a radically different perspective on the classic Mark Twain novel “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”: Everett centers his story on the character of Jim, who is escaping slavery. The New Yorker staff writer Julian Lucas is a longtime Everett fan, and talked with the novelist just after “James” was released. “My Jim—he's not simple,” Everett tells Julian Lucas. “The Jim that's represented in ‘Huck Finn' is simple.” This segment originally aired on March 22, 2024.
In today's "Motivational Minute", leadership expert Jamy Bechler shares a story from Mark Twain about the greatest general of all-time. Bechler encourages us to reach our potential in life. The "Motivational Minute" is part of the Success is a Choice podcast network. It is a quick thought designed to help you inspire yourself and those around you. - - - - If you like motivational quotes, excerpts, or thoughts, then you'll want to check out Jamy Bechler's book "The Coach's Bulletin Board" as it has more than 1,000 positive insights to help you (and those around you) get motivated and inspired. Visit JamyBechler.com/BulletinBoardBook. - - - - Please follow Jamy on Twitter @CoachBechler for positive insights and tips on leadership, success, culture, and teamwork. - - - - - The Success is a Choice podcast network is made possible by TheLeadershipPlaybook.com. Great teams have great teammates and everyone can be a person of influence. Whether you're a coach, athletic director, or athlete, you can benefit from this program and now you can get 25% off the price when you use the coupon code CHOICE at checkout. Build a stronger culture today with better teammates and more positive leaders. - - - - Please consider rating the podcast with 5 stars and leaving a quick review on Apple podcasts. Ratings and reviews are the lifeblood of a podcast. This helps tremendously in bringing the podcast to the attention of others. Thanks again for listening and remember that “Success is a choice. What choice will you make today?” - - - - Jamy Bechler is the author of 9 books including The Captain and The Bus Trip, host of the Success is a Choice Podcast, professional speaker, and trains organizations on creating championship cultures. He previously spent 20 years as a college basketball coach and administrator. The Leadership Playbook is Bechler's online program that helps athletes become better teammates and more positive leaders while strengthening a team's culture. As a certified John Maxwell leadership coach, Bechler has worked with businesses and teams, including the NBA. Follow him on Twitter at @CoachBechler. To connect with him via email or find out about his services, please contact speaking@CoachBechler.com. You can also subscribe to his insights on success and leadership by clicking here.
Tom Sawyer Abroad is a novel by Mark Twain published in 1894. It features Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn in a parody of Jules Verne-esque adventure stories. In the story, Tom, Huck, and Jim set sail to Africa in a futuristic hot air balloon, where they survive encounters with lions, robbers, and fleas to see some of the world's greatest wonders, including the Pyramids and the Sphinx. Like Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, Detective, the story is told using the first-person narrative voice of Huck Finn. (Adapted from Wikipedia.) Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Tom Sawyer Abroad is a novel by Mark Twain published in 1894. It features Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn in a parody of Jules Verne-esque adventure stories. In the story, Tom, Huck, and Jim set sail to Africa in a futuristic hot air balloon, where they survive encounters with lions, robbers, and fleas to see some of the world's greatest wonders, including the Pyramids and the Sphinx. Like Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, Detective, the story is told using the first-person narrative voice of Huck Finn. (Adapted from Wikipedia.) Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Tom Sawyer Abroad is a novel by Mark Twain published in 1894. It features Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn in a parody of Jules Verne-esque adventure stories. In the story, Tom, Huck, and Jim set sail to Africa in a futuristic hot air balloon, where they survive encounters with lions, robbers, and fleas to see some of the world's greatest wonders, including the Pyramids and the Sphinx. Like Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, Detective, the story is told using the first-person narrative voice of Huck Finn. (Adapted from Wikipedia.)Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Speaker Series - Mark Twain's Time in Washington, DC by St. John's, Lafayette Square
All Episodes of This Series Are Available by Subscribing to WeLoveCorey.com . AND THEY ARE AD FREE!!! It's less than a Starbucks a month, and sure would tickle Corey pink! Below is the description from when this episode was released at WeLoveCorey.com over a month ago! Hey, y'all! So i've had this idea floating around in my head for a while which means y'all get to hear it first and tell me if it's worth a lick! Lately the only thing that has helped me fall asleep is by listening to audiobooks that i've heard a million times, preferably when the narrator has a calming voice..... so I thought.... well why don't I do that for people? I like to read! I like to make people happy! I'd love to help people who have trouble sleeping because i'm a "people pleaser who needs everyone to like him" (sorry I was quoting my therapist!) Anyways, heres the first ep of the first season in which we will be reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain I really hope you enjoy! Btw, SOOOOO many people are now swearing by this as the only way they can gwet to sleep, and have listened to the same episode multiple times! That really hits for me! anyways, susbcribe at WeLoveCorey.com for this and much more!
All Episodes of This Series Are Available by Subscribing to WeLoveCorey.com . AND THEY ARE AD FREE!!! It's less than a Starbucks a month, and sure would tickle Corey pink! Below is the description from when this episode was released at WeLoveCorey.com over a month ago! Hey, y'all! So i've had this idea floating around in my head for a while which means y'all get to hear it first and tell me if it's worth a lick! Lately the only thing that has helped me fall asleep is by listening to audiobooks that i've heard a million times, preferably when the narrator has a calming voice..... so I thought.... well why don't I do that for people? I like to read! I like to make people happy! I'd love to help people who have trouble sleeping because i'm a "people pleaser who needs everyone to like him" (sorry I was quoting my therapist!) Anyways, heres the first ep of the first season in which we will be reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain I really hope you enjoy! Btw, SOOOOO many people are now swearing by this as the only way they can gwet to sleep, and have listened to the same episode multiple times! That really hits for me! anyways, susbcribe at WeLoveCorey.com for this and much more!
Today's poem is one of the few enduring works of a poet and playwright who burned brightly during his heyday and then blinked out almost entirely. Happy reading.Leigh, son of James Mathews Leigh, was born in London on 29 March 1837. At an early age he engaged in literary pursuits. From time to time appeared collections of his lyrics, under the titles of Carols of Cockayne, 1869 (several editions); Gillott and Goosequill, 1871; A Town Garland: a Collection of Lyrics, 1878; and Strains from the Strand: Trifles in Verse, 1882. His verse was always fluent, but otherwise of very slender merit.For the stage he translated many French comic operas. His first theatrical essay was in collaboration with Charles Millward in a musical spectacle for the Theatre Royal in Birmingham. His ‘Falsacappa,' music by Offenbach, was produced at the Globe Theatre on 22 April 1871; ‘Le Roi Carotte' at the Alhambra on 3 June 1872; ‘Bridge of Sighs,' opera-bouffe, at the St. James's, 18 Nov. 1872; ‘White Cat,' a fairy spectacle, at the Queen's, Long Acre, on 2 Dec. 1875; ‘Voyage dans la Lune,' opera-bouffe, at the Alhambra, on 15 April 1876; ‘Fatinitza,' opera-bouffe (the words were printed), adapted from the German, at the Alhambra on 20 June 1878; ‘The Great Casimir,' a vaudeville, at the Gaiety, on 27 Sept. 1879; ‘Cinderella,' an opera, with music by J. Farmer, at St. James's Hall, on 2 May 1884 (the words were published in 1882); ‘The Brigands,' by H. Meilhac and L. Halévy, adapted to English words by Leigh, was printed in 1884. For ‘Lurette,' a comic opera, Avenue, 24 March 1883, he wrote the lyrics; and with Robert Reece he produced ‘La Petite Mademoiselle,' comic opera, Alhambra, on 6 October 1879. He edited ‘Jeux d'Esprit written and spoken by French and English Wits and Humorists,' in 1877, and wrote Mark Twain's ‘Nightmares' in 1878.His last theatrical venture—a complete failure—was ‘The Prince Methusalem,' a comic opera, brought out at the Folies Dramatiques (now the Kingsway), Great Queen Street, London, on 19 May 1883. He was a Spanish, Portuguese, and French scholar, a brilliant and witty conversationalist, and a humorous singer.He died in his rooms in Lowther's private hotel, 35 Strand, London, on 16 June 1883, and was buried in Brompton cemetery on 22 June.-bio via Wikipedia This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe
This week the boys talk poop knives, Mark Twain, and More! Go see Corey tonight in St Louis... CoreyRyanForrester.com for tix WeLoveCorey.com for Corey's new podcast Public Domain Sleepy Time Theatre TraeCrowder.com for tix Get points just by paying rent at JoinBilt.com/POA BlueChew.com Promo code POA for hard weiners! Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE_luEVRgClC6dPceGVEZeg/join
This week, a park icon gets an update, a rare character encounter lands at Pixar Place Hotel, we talk about Earth Day at the resort, the 70th guided tour details are released and booking is open for it, a new checkout option for Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta, we finish out conversation with Michael, and more! Please support the show if you can by going to https://www.dlweekly.net/support/. Check out all of our current partners and exclusive discounts at https://www.dlweekly.net/promos. News: An iconic part of Disneyland history – and Disney in general will be getting refurbished soon. Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room closed this week to perform routine maintenance on the lighting, sound, and show. The mighty tree of Tangaroa will be recreated from a high resolution digital scan. The current Tangaroa is no longer able to be repaired, having been there since the attraction opening in 1963. The attraction will reopen later this summer. – https://www.laughingplace.com/disney-parks/tangaroa-tree-be-rebuilt-during-upcoming-refurbishment-walt-disneys-enchanted-tiki-room-disneyland/ https://www.micechat.com/146135-rolly-crump-impostor-syndrome-part-2/ Tour dates are open for the new guided tour coming to Disneyland for the 70th anniversary. A Story of Celebration: 70th Anniversary Guided Tour is a 2-hour guided walking tour, which includes a ride aboard the Mark Twain, Disneyland Railroad, a Lightning Lane for a select attraction, reserved viewing for Paint the Night, which includes popcorn, and a tour keepsake. The price is $120 per guest. Reservations can be made up to 60 days in advance and are highly recommended. Check out the link in the show notes to reserve your tour! – https://www.micechat.com/413960-disneyland-news-portos-permits-construction-walls-star-wars/ https://disneyland.disney.go.com/en-ca/events-tours/disneyland/story-of-celebration-tour/ A character not often seen at the resorts made a visit for Earth Day. WALL-E was in the lobby of the Pixar Place Hotel roaming around and greeting guests. He also opened up his storage compartment to share the plant, potted in the boot, just like in the movie! – https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2025/04/24/dear-disney-we-are-begging-for-this-rare-character-meet-and-greet-to-become-permanent/ As we reported on previously, some permits have been filed with the Anaheim Planning and Building Department in relation to Porto's coming to Downtown Disney. We talked about removing the two ticket booths from the esplanade, but did not mention the permit to tear down the existing building – currently home to Earl of Sandwich. No timeline on the permits, but this is forward progress. – https://www.micechat.com/413960-disneyland-news-portos-permits-construction-walls-star-wars/ Once again, Disneyland Cast Members were invited to create upcycled art projects to be shown off to guests for Earth Month. This time, the creations, ranging from a Haunted Mansion created from cardboard pizza boxes, to Maleficent in dragon form made from plastic cutlery. The display is under the Silly Symphony Swings for guests to enjoy. – https://www.micechat.com/413960-disneyland-news-portos-permits-construction-walls-star-wars/ This week, the Disney Parks Blog recognized a cast member who brings joy to countless (or not so countless) guests. Antonio has been working at the Disneyland Resort for 18 years, and has received over 735 cast compliments from guests. Antonio works at Pixar Pier attractions and before Disneyland, worked for nearly 10 years in hospitality in Dubai and Qatar. Antonio's rise to fame is in part due to his exuberant energy and fun dance moves for guests! – https://disneyparksblog.com/dlr/dancing-disneyland-resort-cast-member-inspires-happiness/ Last week, we talked about recycling your food scraps at Disneyland. Since then, little droids have appeared on top of food scraps containers to remind guests that only food scraps should be deposited in the bin they are standing on. – https://www.micechat.com/413960-disneyland-news-portos-permits-construction-walls-star-wars/ A new way to checkout at Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta has arrived. A kiosk for guest self-checkout has been installed. The system scans the items on the tray, adds it up, and asks for payment. Currently, Magic Key discounts must involve a cast member, and payment can only be made with credit or debit card. – https://www.micechat.com/413960-disneyland-news-portos-permits-construction-walls-star-wars/ Weeklyteers who may be in the parks starting May 9th should know that it is Grad Nite season at the resort again, and park hours may be impacted. This year, there is some new, more generic graduation merchandise available for purchase. – https://www.micechat.com/413960-disneyland-news-portos-permits-construction-walls-star-wars/ SnackChat: New food items coming to the resort – https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2025/04/24/disney-just-announced-23-new-treats-are-coming-next-week/#more-1028273 Discussion Topic: Michael Holland host of From Out of the Past Podcast https://www.instagram.com/fromoutofthepastpodcast https://linktr.ee/hollandimaginarium https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK7GRiUhhB8 https://www.youtube.com/@AlextheHistorian
This week the boys (Trae and Corey sans Drew) talk about Kanye West, Ryan Coogler's new movie Sinners, and a slew of other stuff! Corey has a new podcast called Public Domain Sleepy Time Theatre where he reads you a bedtime story so you can sleep... this first season he is reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain and you can already get the first episode at WeLoveCorey.com before it's made available to the public! Corey will be at Helium Comedy Club in St Louis on May 2nd 2 shows only! CoreyRyanForrester.com for tickets Go to TraeCrowder.com for tickets to see Trae EVERYWHERE! Start paying rent through Bilt and take advantage of your Neighborhood Benefits™ by going to joinbilt.com/wellred. Start your free online visit today at Hims.com/WELLRED.