Podcast appearances and mentions of ray what

Writer Ray Lipstein describes the melodrama of looking in the mirror.  ABOUT THE GUEST RL (Ray) Lipstein is a writer, editor, and performer who works for The New Yorker, and previously for the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater and the United Nations. They were elected president of Girls Nation in 2009, on a universal healthcare platform, before leaving mock politics and organized gender. ABOUT THE HOST Neil Goldberg is an artist in NYC who makes work that The New York Times has described as “tender, moving and sad but also deeply funny.” His work is in the permanent collection of MoMA, he’s a Guggenheim Fellow, and teaches at the Yale School of Art. More information at neilgoldberg.com. ABOUT THE TITLE SHE’S A TALKER was the name of Neil’s first video project. “One night in the early 90s I was combing my roommate’s cat and found myself saying the words ‘She’s a talker.’ I wondered how many other gay men in NYC might be doing the exact same thing at that very moment. With that, I set out on a project in which I videotaped over 80 gay men in their living room all over NYC, combing their cats and saying ‘She’s a talker.’” A similar spirit of NYC-centric curiosity and absurdity animates the podcast. CREDITS This series is made possible with generous support from Stillpoint Fund. Producer: Devon Guinn Creative Consultants: Aaron Dalton, Molly Donahue Mixer: Andrew Litton Visuals and Sounds: Joshua Graver Theme Song: Jeff Hiller Website: Itai Almor & Jesse Kimotho Digital Strategy: Ziv Steinberg Thanks: Jennifer Callahan, Larry Krone, Tod Lippy, Sue Simon, Jonathan Taylor TRANSCRIPTION NEIL: I am so happy to have Ray Lipstein with me on a remote version of She's a Talker. Ray, thank you so much for being with me. RAY: It is my pleasure. More than my pleasure. NEIL: What is more than your pleasure? RAY: My pain, I guess. I don't know. NEIL: So you're saying it is painful to be here. RAY: Yeah. It fits somewhere between ennui and delight. It goes backwards. NEIL: There falls the shadow. So we're talking remotely, how are you doing? Whatever that means. We're talking, I think, probably two months into quarantine in New York. RAY: I am holding up well. I rearranged my bedroom last night in a feat of extreme 2:00 AM industriousness and it feels great. It's converted the bed psychologically into a day bed, the new orientation. So I'm excited for my roommate to get back who is with their partner. They're not a Gog. I'm going to send them away again. It's very big news. NEIL: Okay. When someone asks you what you do, how do you succinctly describe to them what it is? RAY: I work at The New Yorker. No further questions. NEIL: Okay. I'll accept that. RAY: No, no, no, don't accept it. Don't accept it. If someone asks me, what do I do, well, first of all, I would say, "Do you mean for a living? What do you mean? And why are you asking?" Those are all first line questions. And if push comes to shove, I say I'm a copy editor at The New Yorker. NEIL: All right. So first card is most photography is melodramatic. By definition, photography is melodramatic because it's the moment, right? It's always the moment. RAY: To preserve a moment is melodramatic. NEIL: Well, I don't know if to preserve it, to present it, to say, okay, here's this flux of life and I am going to take this one moment. Fuck preserving it. And I'm going to offer it. I'm offering you this one moment. Okay. That's the theoretical problem with it, but then I think pragmatically, photographs often look melodramatic just by virtue of something being stopped in the middle of something. So let's say you're looking at a picture from a photo album where your mother is looking into the camera and your father is looking off to the side and you're in the baby carriage holding a rattle. That is melodrama, because all that shit by virtue of being extracted from the flux of time is being given this outsized importance. RAY: It definitely seems like a bit arrogant or presumptuous. I mean, that seems like part of it, right? What you're saying that, to free. Yeah. And to present any moment, any given moment in time, it's something worthy of, as you say, isolating it out of that flux. I associate melodrama with overwrought emotionalism. NEIL: Which I think this has paradoxically by its restraint. RAY: Huh? Yeah. I mean, if you're going to say that, I mean, I have to say that all art is melodramatic then. I would say that card is melodramatic. NEIL: Oh, all the cards are melodramatic because it's by virtue of saying, look at this thought I had. It's worth your attention. It's sort of like at the beginning of the podcast, can I tell you this may be a slightly different thing, I've in the past introduced it by saying, "Hi, I'm Neil Goldberg, and this is She's A Talker. That to me seems like the height of presumption or melodrama or something, like who the fuck cares if you're Neil Goldberg and who cares if the podcast is called She's A Talker? RAY: Well, once you said that it's melodramatic in its restraint, I kind of start to feel like everything, including life, is melodramatic because then both the things that are literally melodramatic and the things that are restrained are melodramatic. And I absolutely feel that way. We're constantly looking to melodrama. NEIL: Everything. Everything is melodramatic basically. RAY: And you would only start it with most photography. How quickly were you realized? Yeah. I mean, I think for practical reasons I can offer a defense of you giving your name and the name of the podcast at the beginning, but I definitely see why it seems crazily hubristic and presumptuous and absurd, but it also feels crazily hubristic and presumptuous and absurd to look at myself in the mirror in the morning and try on multiple outfits and then go out the door thinking about how I look. I mean, it's presumptuous to have an identity. That's why you just got to strive for ego death. Everything short of ego death is melodrama. NEIL: Next card. Does the immune system ever get tired of all the conflict? RAY: This one made me giggle. I love to personify the immune system. NEIL: When you kind of personify it, does it have features? RAY: My immune system would be extremely neurotic. It would be anxious and avoidant and inefficient, over-reactive. Oh, all these sorts of things that you also might characterize me with. It would be true of him, my immune system. NEIL: Okay. Your immune system is gendered male. RAY: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, yeah. Uses he pronouns for now, I guess. NEIL: You say that your immune system is avoidant. What does it avoid? RAY: I mean, I think of my immune system's avoidant in terms of hay fever. When allergies come, it just absolutely drops. The ball runs the opposite direction. It doesn't even put up or maybe that's wrong. Maybe it's an over, I forget exactly what is it. NEIL: If you have allergies, that means you have an overactive immune system, I believe. RAY: Yeah. I think we're going to have to scratch all this for my pride, but I mean, it may not be avoidant in a literal sense, but it's avoidant emotionally and it knows that and I know it. Just because you're tackling, you could be avoiding a real conflict by throwing yourself at the conflict in an inefficient way. There's all sorts of ways you can avoid. NEIL: Oh my God, that's the story somehow of my art career, but not about conflict, but about opportunities. NEIL: Once one has decided that the Zoom meeting is over the rush to end the call. I'm talking about pressing the button that actually ends the call, so as not to be in that zone between when the meeting is over and the call has been disconnected. RAY: Yeah. I'm so glad you named this. I relate to it strongly. And I embarrassed myself at work Slack bemoaning it happening to me with my therapist. Every time we Zoom, she beats me out of there. So I'm working on it. Because it feels, and that doesn't just feel like embarrassment. That feels like abandonment. I mean, it's therapy. Every time. NEIL: You don't want to be abandoned. RAY: You don't want to be abandoned. NEIL: That's it right? It's about abandonment. RAY: You don't want to be the schmuck alone in the room. Yeah. It feels like rejection, I suppose. But the Zoom, you have to click it and then it'll say, "Are you sure you want to leave the meeting?" So there's that second. That's where I always get held up. Everyone leaves while I'm waiting to confirm that I want to leave, but on FaceTime, they don't ask you anything. And I was talking to a good friend of mine yesterday or two days ago, and I wanted to beat her out of that call so that I didn't feel abandoned. And I tried to compensate for the popup and there was no popup. And instead I hung up on her in mid sentence and that's kind of like, that's the price you pay to make sure you're not the last one left. NEIL: That really reminds me. I was deep into magic as a kid in high school. No. Well, yes, in high school, but all the way in elementary school. And I remember I once did a magic show for the elementary school. Maybe I was in junior high and I came back to the elementary school to do a magic show. And the teacher was introducing me, but I had the feeling like, wait, she's actually not going to introduce me. She was doing kind of a roundabout introduction that I think was maybe speaking to magic broadly, and I had this profound fear that she's just going to forget to introduce me. So I just came out in the middle of her introduction and started doing my show. Let's sit with that, right? RAY: There's a lot there. NEIL: I think I do, and I suspect you do too, if someone is, well, an introduction is often praising and of course I desperately want to be praised, but I don't want to be seen needing the praise, so I try to preempt it. So if someone is saying something nice about my art, which of course I want to hear, but I'll often cut them off. This connects to a card actually that I have here, which is when people praise me, it makes me wonder what narcissistic thing they detect in me that is pulling for them to praise me. Whenever someone's praising me, I think, oh wait, they can tell I'm asking for the praise or my whole personality is structured around needing praise. RAY: Mm-hmm (affirmative). What makes you think that they can tell? NEIL: Because I feel like one is always 100% transparent. That I deeply believe. People can always tell, don't you think? RAY: I don't know. I don't know. I was in a dialectical behavioral therapy group for a bit and they have these versions of Zen koans, but they're kind of very banal phrases instead. And there's one that's like, never in the history of the universe has anyone ever read another person's mind. But I took issue with that one because I mean, it really just eliminates the idea of magic from the schema. I don't want to believe it, but also it does give me some comfort because then no one, you know. I remind myself that constantly that no one can read my mind and it helps. It might help you receive compliments, because you do. We really want them. NEIL: Okay. There's the magic version of reading minds, but reading a mind is also just picking up on cues that manifest themselves. I feel like I'm a terrible liar. I just know if I'm lying to someone, unless they're just really tuned out, they can tell it. So that's not them reading my mind that they know what I'm saying is a lie. They can read it on my face. Likewise, if I'm feeling greedy for a compliment, I just think that manifests itself. RAY: Maybe you have very expressive body language. NEIL: This card says, how animals hide their pain, but what about a hypochondriacal animal? RAY: Do you have an animal that is hypochondriacal? NEIL: No, I had known lots of people and people are animals, but no, the closest I could come up with are those birds that as a strategy to protect their nests, they fly away from the nest and pretend they have a broken wing to attract the predator to them and then they fly away. Is that hypochondria or is that, well, it's a strategy and maybe hypochondria is a strategy. And it draws attention, which hypochondria does. RAY: That's interesting. NEIL: That's the closest I can get to a hypochondriacal animal. RAY: There is a dog in this 19 whatever vet book about an English veterinarian who lives in the countryside. NEIL: All Creatures Great and Small? RAY: All Creatures Great and Small. NEIL: Oh my God. That was, I think, the first book I ever read. RAY: No shit. Yeah. Really? NEIL: Oh, I was obsessed with it. James Harriot. James Harriot, right? RAY: Yeah. Totally. So right. James Harriot goes, he's this country doctor and he has to earn the respect of his eccentric boss and join the practice. He's seeing a Pekingese, I think, who is owned, I forget what the Pekingese's name is. I'm trying to find the, oh, I opened to it. Amazing. Ms. Pumphrey. Oh, yeah. Tricky, the Pekingese and Tricky needs, I don't know whether it's Tricky who is the hypochondriac or Mrs. Pumphrey, but he needs to squeeze Tricky's anal glands every so often. NEIL: Oh, I remember this vaguely. RAY: Tricky gets uncomfortable. Yeah. Iconic. I mean, definitely an iconic one. And then the story is really about how Mrs. Pumphrey anthropomorphizes Tricky and how James Harriot has to make sure to thank Tricky and not Mrs. Pumphrey for the cigars and the sherry or whatever he gets at Christmas because the gift is from the dog, but the dog, he doesn't really even seem to need the anal glands being squeezed. So actually I think it's still the owner who's hypochondriacal unfortunately at the end of this whole story. NEIL: You're right. It's like Munchhausen Syndrome by Proxy. God, lots of memories from that book. And I worked summers in high school at veterinarian's offices, because I wanted to be a veterinarian for a long time. An animal lover. RAY: Was it because of the books? NEIL: I think the books were because of that. I was just obsessed with animals from an early age, but one thing that will turn you off to being a veterinarian is working for veterinarians. I think for me, it was just seeing a lot of animals suffering. I just couldn't deal with it. But I saw a lot of anal glands being expressed. Did you say express? RAY: I didn't. NEIL: Because that's what it's called. You express the anal glands. RAY: I love that more than anything I've heard all day. That is. Tell me if this is true, because if so, it's tragic. Must anal glands always be expressed by another or can they express themselves? NEIL: I don't have the answer to that question. I got to believe that they can be expressed themselves, unless that was some real clever form of domestication that happened. It's like maybe that's why dogs domesticated themselves, to get their anal glands expressed. RAY: They lost the ability to express. Yeah. Well, let's just hope they don't take up photography. NEIL: People who go through a stage where they don't smile for photos should just skip that phase. I went through that phase, I should say. RAY: Let them just skip it. Let them skip it. They don't need it. NEIL: And there are some people who are stuck in that phase. But you're right. You don't need it, but is there any photograph that's better by virtue of the fact that the person's not smiling? RAY: Loads, millions, all of the ones. I think so. It introduces this kind of amazing mystery to all the photos before the convention of smiling in photographs. There's a photograph in my parents' basement of a great aunt of ours. And there're just all these incredibly pale looking Latvian girls in dark robes and they all look, they're so serious, but you know that they're school girls and someone's got gum in someone's hair and eight of them have crushes on each other. What's happening? And you can't tell. There's this sort of unaccountable distance that the imagination has to bridge between what these faces might look like if their personalities could have come through if they'd had more choice, I suppose, in how to form their expressions. RAY: I guess what I advocate for is choice ultimately. There shouldn't be a mandate to smile. If you think you have a crappy smile and it makes your face look funny, as I kind of feel about my face, then you shouldn't have to smile. You choose the expression most appropriate in the moment. NEIL: I like that. RAY: And that's the only way to really keep it from being a melodramatic photograph, I think. NEIL: I think smiling in a photograph is a way to acknowledge the melodrama. How's that? I think not smiling supports the melodrama. RAY: Yeah. Smiling fights it. I agree, because then it's a farce if you're smiling. NEIL: You're acknowledging. You're acknowledging it. RAY: Yeah. I'll just say if you take away the coy avoidant pout from me for a photograph, you'd be depriving me of one of my few remaining crutches, so I hope you come around. NEIL: I do know that pout. I know that pout. I like it. I love it. I also love your smile though, because I feel like your smile is a hard one smile. RAY: Interesting. It's about a great battle. That does recall, yeah, I was going to say something earlier when you were talking on the card, the card on people praising you because it makes you wonder what narcissistic thing you did they detect. I mean, please don't include this. But there was in high school, they called this face I made the a hundred face, which was when I got back an a hundred on a quiz or a test and it would be this evil, a rapid flicker between a smile and a frown and a frown that was exaggeratedly. It's a horrific, horrific bastardization of what a facial expression should be. Just a constantly moving war to prevent a smirk, a smirk for getting at a hundred on a quiz or a test, or just to hide the joy or to hide whatever the self satisfaction. And whenever it came, I was so conscious of what my face looked like to others, that they gave it a name. NEIL: The hundred face, but can we just completely put a button on this by saying, you say there's no such thing as mind reading, you were trying to kind of jam the signal of people's ability to read your mind as expressed by your facial expression. This speaks to the truth that people can read your mind, or at least you fear people read your mind. I have to include this. You prefaced by saying not include it. I just feel like I would violate, even though this isn't journalism, I would violate journalistic ethics to include that. RAY: Oh my God. Only if your credibility as a journalist is on the line. If those are the stakes, then I will see. NEIL: Oh my God. RAY: And maybe my friend, Lizzie, will hear her famous phrase. NEIL: Oh, I love Lizzie for naming that. You know what the hundred phase reminds me of by the way, although I think it's actually totally different, but it's this thing I do where I'm saying something and I'm about to use a fancy word. And by the way, I'm using that word not to show off, I think, but because it feels like the right word, but I don't want to be seen as trying to show off. So there's this little stumble or pause or something I do before I say the word that actually I think it then draws attention to the word or to me. I don't know. Do you have that situation? RAY: Yeah, I have that situation really bad. I don't know if I do the pause, but no matter what, the way I handle the self consciousness makes it more conspicuous. I think I just make a really shameful hand in the cookie jar kind of face and dark glances to see if anyone's noticed that I've used an unacceptable word. And I mean, I was made fun of this my whole life for using big words, I guess, was the common accusation. And like, "Why do you have to talk like that?" All sorts. And they're absolutely right. There was no reason to talk like that. I mean, it's just I was getting vocab words in my lunchbox every day from my mom from a book and there's only so much you can do with that much input and had to use it, use it or lose it. NEIL: Because your mom is a librarian, right? RAY: My mom, she works at the library. She is a library circulation. She's a clerk. NEIL: And she would slip a word into your lunchbox every day? RAY: She would casually slip a word of the day every day of the week. And then on Fridays, a vocab quiz, or maybe it was the end of the month after and I do 30 of them, I'd get quiz. NEIL: Wow. Now, would she ever slip in a vocabulary word, but forget your actual lunch? RAY: I think probably the words were what kept her remembering to make lunch. NEIL: Maybe your mom should be on She's A Talker since it's so centered around these index cards. RAY: Yeah. Well, in fairness, they were cards printed with the names of Lindt chocolates in different combinations, like milk chocolate shell with a hazelnut filling and a coconut shavings on top and numbered and then the backside was blank, and they were being reused from when my dad was a market researcher and Lindt Chocolate was his client at one point. And for our whole lives, our note cards were these focus group discarded Lindt Chocolate cards. NEIL: That's so beautiful. I hope you're saving that for whatever, for your novel, for your one person show. RAY: I think I was saving it for this. And this is where this memory will finally be discharged. NEIL: I love it a discharged memory, especially remotely. A remote discharged memory. RAY: I knew you wouldn't let me get away with saying discharge. NEIL: When this is all over, by this I mean our current who the fuck knows what over means, but what is it you're looking forward to? RAY: What am I looking forward to? One thing I miss is getting on the subway and moving through all the cars of the train in case my one true love is somewhere on the train, but not in the car that I got into and going from car to car to see if someone is there who I will meet, and none of that is possible now. NEIL: I love it. I'm sending you a huge virtual hug out to Bed Stuy from the Lower East Side. Thank you so much for being on She's A Talker. RAY: Neil, thank you so much for having me. It's been a total delight. NEIL: She's A Talker with Neil Goldberg. She's a talker with fabulous guests. She's a talker, it's better than it sounds. Yeah.  

TranscriptionDiane Dayton  This is changing the rules, a podcast about designing the life you want to live, hosted by KC Dempster and Ray Loewe the luckiest guy in the world.KC Dempster  Good morning, everybody. It's a beautiful day here in New Jersey. I'm KC Dempster. And here with me is Ray Loewe, the self proclaimed luckiest guy in the world, and we have a very interesting guest for you but I'm not going to spill the beans just yet. It's It's a gorgeous day we have no humidity, bright sunshine, blue sky. All is good. So we found that through our lives, people have always been giving us rules. First it was our parents then it was our teachers and maybe if we're belongs to a church, it's the church. And then as we get older, it's our employers and and, you know, the list keeps going. And the rules are probably instituted initially for a positive reason. They're meant to control us, but in a positive way. And they were meant to give us structure and guidance and to keep us safe. But over time, a lot of these rules lose their significance to us and they can actually become restrictive. So this podcast is designed to help us build our own set of rules, those that are important to us and work for us and we all need that. We need rules that are relevant to us. And when we change the rules to our rules, they we become free for you to be be ourselves. Good morning, Ray.Ray Loewe  Thank you, KC and I am really the real luckiest guy in the world this this, you know, self proclaimed stuff is for the birds. And and by the way, the weather report was wrong. It's going to rain later.KC Dempster  Are you trying to rain on my parade?Ray Loewe  And our guest is going to show us how it doesn't matter. So anyway, this whole thing about changing the rules is one of the major mindset part of a group of people that I call the luckiest people in the world. And, you know, I started studying the luckiest people in the world early in my adult life. And I've just continued year after year and, and and why and I think it's because secretly I want to become one of the luckiest people in the world. I like the way their life comes together. And these are the people that always seem to have it together. And they have this aura of luck about them. Now, to be clear, these are not the people that are winning the lottery necessarily. I mean, they're lucky too but but I don't think they have the same depth of luck that the people that we're talking about have, and people aren't born lucky. They have a series of mindsets that they learn. And I'd like to take a minute right now and define the luckiest people in the world as I see them. And they are those people that personally designed their own lives. They step in and take control of their own lives. And then they live their lives to the hilt. And they use this set of mindsets to do that. And changing the rules is one of the mindsets. We're going to talk about another one today, and there's a whole sequence of them and the luckiest guys, luckiest people in the world again, are not born lucky you they kind of learned as they go.So, um, let me uh, without introducing our guest, because I'm not allowed to do that yet. Right. Okay, sayKC Dempster  yes. Because we're following rules today.Ray Loewe  Yeah, we're following somewhat anyway. So we're going to talk today about a mindset that I think is extremely important. We've talked about it before, it's happiness. And, you know, I think most people in the world would rather be happy than not, I certainly would, uh, and I think I want to hang around with those people that are happy. I don't want to hang around with those people that are miserable all day. Long. But the luckiest people in the world have found a way they have a system kind of, and they've created the power to be happy for themselves. And that's what our guest is going to talk about. So I think what we need to do is to take a short break. And then when we come back, I will let you introduce our guest. And then I got a whole bunch of great questions about how to be happy, why it's important, what we want to do with it and all those good things.Diane Dayton  You're listening to changing the rules with KC Dempster and Ray Loewe the luckiest guy in the world. We will be right back with more exciting information.KC Dempster  Welcome back, everybody. We are right back and I have the pleasure of introducing gentlemen that made me laugh the minute he came on to this Skype call because he had a red nose on. I'm introducing you to john Freeman, who in his serious life is a financial advisor, but in his true life It's an even bigger red nose he is a professional clown. Welcome, john.John Freeman  Good morning. How are you guys doing? We're doing.Ray Loewe  We're much happier since you've been on the line. How's that?John Freeman  works that works. I'll pick it up.Ray Loewe  So I've known you for a long time. And let me relate an experience that I had with you A while ago to kind of set this off. JOHN and I were in a coaching group together and we've had these long drawn out sessions they took all day. And by the end of the day, you were pretty well wiped out and drained and any happiness it started at the end of the day was still kind of there, but it was kind of tucked away. And john came in during a break and he passed out a red nose to everybody in the group. And all I can say is when people came in, everybody put that nose on, and it changed the whole demeanor of the group. It was absolutely incredible how the group morphed, so So john, tell us a little bit about how you got involved in this clown stuff.John Freeman  During the getting ready for this, you asked me about being a professional clown, quite professional clown means I got paid once. I think it was about a buck or 50 cents. About 30 years ago, the church we were in, started a clown ministry for for kids, which my daughter got involved in, and I couldn't understand why they didn't open it up for adults, but they didn't. So about 15 years ago, I saw a flyer that talked about a free conference for people that are interested in magic or clowning or balloons for ventriloquism and face painting. And I said, Well, I've always kind of had an interest in clowning. So I went and I got hooked. So I've been doing it off and on. Sometimes pretty seriously, sometimes just occasionally 15 years.Ray Loewe  Okay, now, we cheated. We You went to one of our cocktail gatherings with a small group of people and you let it spill that there are actually what four different kinds of clowns? So tell us a little bit about this history and what went on and then and then we'll get into how you make people happy.John Freeman  The the main for those of you that don't like clowns usually don't like a white face clown. And I always blame it on Stephen King movies. But a white face clown is the top of the pyramid for clowning. And the exception of that is the ringmaster of a circus. He's technically a whie face clown but they're always not made up. But they're the boss. They do everything. white face clown as a clown, extremely popular Europe and Mexico. They're very elaborate. The white face clowns we see here United States mostly are like Bozo the Clown and the scary clowns of Stephen King, but they also can be like my daughter who is a little balloonist? That handed out balloons to kids and in white face. So literally everything in your face, your neck is on white. And today's world is a lot less makeup than what 15 or 20 years ago was. But they're they control. They're the bosses of the clown. Some of the ringmaster so you don't mess with a white white face could tease another white face but the other levels cannot because they're at the top of  the pyramid. The next level is called a auguste, which is August with an E stands and for fool. That's what most people relate to because this is Carol Burnett, the Red Skeltons most clowns are, they're tripping over their own feet because the big shoes or just because they're clumsy. And they're in bright clothing or unit clothing but they're they're just fun. And so a lot of people like being fun and being happy. So a lot of clowns are auguste that's really the bulk of it. Count them as the least expensive get into as the most fun because it used to be just nuts. The lower level consists of the hobos and the tramps, and tramps are normally quiet. A lot of times our minds think of Charlie Chaplin, who never said anything in costume. And hobos. The legacy of Red Skelton when he's doing what he had actually had seven different characters. The hobo and the tramp, basically, he has white around their eyes and whitet around their mouth. And that's because they started around in United States both of this around the depression time. And during the Depression, a lot of men rode the rails and if you want to get a rail car once you usually get into it right behind the coal train Which means you got coal all over your face so they wiped their eyes to see and their mouth to eat and so that's why the eyes are white in the mouth are white because the coal dust. then I have my personal costume and I have I am an auguste character called Huckleberry and then I have a hobo and I also have a tramp and a fourth character which I think is hilarious but kids don't like I have do a female character in a gray wig with pink curlers on top. And it came with a butt, and I usually use that as my boobs, and of course, they're always adjusting their boobs. So the kids don't get that. That look adults think its hilarious.KC Dempster  Yeah, so so would your female character be auguste or would she be a tramp or hobo?John Freeman  Auguste, okay. I could make into either character, but it wouldn't work as well. Because think of a worse house dress your mother or grandmother ever wore. That's what you want to see me in. Yeah, I actually have fishnet stockings and I have little brown yarn that can stick in there for long hair if I really want to be over the top.Ray Loewe  So, so which one is your favorite?John Freeman  I prefer I prefer the tramp. But I they have me mostly as as a hobo. And if I if I really if I'm doing a lot of kids stuff, I'll come into my neon tux. And I'm an auguste character, which is a very bright looking character the do a lot of that in Mexican churches because they like to bright colors. And so it attracts a lot of attention. And so that's their favorite my favorites just rather be in the in the sideline, so the hobos and tramps fit my clown character better but I don't get to play very often.Ray Loewe  Okay, now Is there a difference in mood when you put on a different costumes? I may not do anything inside you?.John Freeman  Yeah, it's a start off with the nose, the nose. This is just a red foam nose. And they come smaller, but this is a big one. And KC's just smiling great big right now and Ray's just looking at me like I'm  crazy. But I carry these with me. And Ray and I used to meet in Chicago. And a lot of times where in the airport, you're sitting around with people that are just not having fun. They're waiting and grumpy and I pulled out red noses. And in the kids would look at you and some would want some. Some parents would say are you really nuts, but the fun people really thought they were great. So I handed out lots of red noses at O'Hare airport Yeah, this is a professional red nose. You'll see it'ss and I'll see ya is big. Then you have a little smaller nose. That's right there. So a lot of noses nowadays are just covering little peak here. A lot of women will have that here. This is cute. But when people think a clown to think of a red nose, they go to the eyes and the mouth for the red nose is is a signature piece of the clown thing. I'll be by getting dressed up if I'm dressed up in the auguste character, which is the neon tux and just think of bright yellow greens, oranges, pinks. In a full tux vest on etc. You're just you're there you're gonna be happy because people say "Oh Wow! It's a clown!"  Next start talking costume being a tramp. The mood changes Because tramps are sad. So what's the different Ray? What's the difference between a hobo and the tramp? In the answer is a hobo never had money at the depression. A trap had money and lost it. So the tramp's are melancholy. And hobos are happy because they're just, they're out of work, but they were out of work or poor before.KC Dempster  So Emmett Kelly, he always looked sad, but he didn't he wear white face.John Freeman  No, he was he had a he had a great black beard. All right. And there's only one picture of him smiling in costume, and that's for his granddaughter. Ah, for bet he basically sued the newspaper for printing it. Hmm. But if you go into a into a museum that has a lot of old black and white clown stuff, they may have that picture.Ray Loewe  Okay, so so when you dress up first of all, how long does it take you to put on all this clown gear when you when you get moving?John Freeman  If you do full makeup, it's 40-45 minutes. I've had a good friend of mine the clowns a lot that he's an auguste and he's, he does everything blended. And he's literally working three, four days a week. It still takes him 40 minutes. Yeah, they take it takes 15-20 minutes, to get it off.Ray Loewe  So so if you're in a bad mood when you wake up in the morning, the concept of putting on full clown gear is not necessarily going to be what you want to do with the red nose work. So isn't thatJohn Freeman  To be honest, take that a little more seriously. I have done early morning gigs. And you don't want to get out of bed and shower. As soon as you start getting into it. Your mood changes because you know you're going to be this other character. So automatically you're in that character and one of the rules of clowndom  is once you're made up, you're in character 24/ seven. So like one time I went to an ice cream parlor after I worked. And I wanted to take my hat my wig off because like 95 degrees out, I couldn't, because you would break the rules of clowndom. And people just think it's strange. If you're partial, you have to be full. But you're driving down the street with your hat on and your makeup on and red nose, either people, some people, we've actually had some people that just don't get it. And the people that don't get it, Ray, are having a hard time being happy.Ray Loewe  Yeah, and to some of them, you actually transform some of them. Yeah, but you can't get all of them, right.John Freeman  No, no. And as you find that out, whenever you do a gig, you're looking for the people that want to want to enjoy the show and want to enjoy you want to have fun, and they will occasionally pull their buddies around. It's really really funny when you do a kids one And the other parents in the way back the room and they're drinking coffee or some other drink they're not supposed to drink in front of kids, and they're ignoring you, but all sudden, they start getting pulled in. And I've been at some shows that I've had people go out get their, their husband or their wife back in from the pool, come back in and see the show, because that's how much they enjoyed the change.Ray Loewe  So two quick things. Does it make you happy to make other people happy?John Freeman  Yes. Yes, very much. So.Ray Loewe  Okay, so part of the process is in making other people happy, you become happy. That's a win win. And the other thing is, I think I'm gonna let this out. The size of the smiles is directly proportional to theJohn Freeman  size of the note.This red nose here, brings on a great big smile on KC's face here. right here, which is just Just curious. I was okay. But it is not as much fun.Ray Loewe  So unfortunately john, we're at the end of our time over here, so we're gonna have to cut you off. But But thanks to john Freeman for being with us today and making us happy at least okay. And and john is very definitely one of the luckiest people in the world. I may have to put on his clown outfit to make it work, but whatever works, right, again, thanks. Thanks for being with us. And, KC, what do we have in store coming forward?KC Dempster  Well, I just want to remind everybody of what we said earlier, the luckiest people in the world aren't born lucky but they do live exciting and fulfilling lives. And it's because they make the commitment they they choose to be lucky. And it's not enough to make a one time commitment. You have to do it continually. It's it's a journey, and sometimes life events might derail you and we reach out with a rope of hope to them through our podcasts and some of the other things that we have to help them get out of that that Limbo of feeling unlucky. And so we love meeting new lucky people and sharing experiences and learning from the experts and adjusting their lives and Ray tell people how we help them to get lucky.Ray Loewe  We're just we're just going to scrap everything, you know, we're going to give out clown noses to everybody. I think after the show, I just think it's fascinating that you know, you can put on a nose it just changes your demeanor of the whole day. And, wow. Okay, so so john Freeman, one of the luckiest people in the world, again, has just figured out how to transform himself into happiness. And I think it's a really important lesson that we all need to have and we're going to get john he doesn't know that yet. But, but he's going to be at our our friends connection conference, the next time we do it. We're gonna hand out clown noses, and I have no idea what we're going to do, but it'll be a lot of fun. So, we'll see you guys next week, right?KC Dempster  Yes, join us for a great podcast when we're gonna have another one of the luckiest people in the world. So we'll see you then. Thank you for listeningDiane Dayton  to changing the rules, a podcast designed to help you live your life the way you want, and give you what you need to make it happen. Join us in two weeks for our next exciting topics on changing the rules with KC Dempster and Ray love the luckiest guy in the world. 

更多英语知识，请关注微信公众号: VOA英语每日一听Ray: Well so Shirley, tell me about your career as a Customs inspector.Shirley: Yes, many years ago in a previous lifetime, I worked as a Customs Officer in Australia. And, I don't know if you know but that means … basically taking control or monitoring our borders and checking what comes in and out of the country.Ray: Well that sounds pretty interesting.Shirley: Yeah, it had its moments.Ray: Like for exampleShirley: Well, Australia has very strict quarantine regulations so we'd often get people trying to smuggle in prohibited food or seeds or plants and I remember one time there was a man who had an entire sapling, a small tree strapped to his body. He had the roots kind of in his shoe and it was strapped to his leg all the way up his body and along his arm and of course his clothes on top so that we couldn't see them.Ray: Well that's a, are now you sure he was a person and not an “ent”?Shirley: I don't know. He was doing a good disguise if he was in fact a walking “ent”.Ray: That's true, so what'd you do to this poor guy?Shirley: We didn't do so much to the poor guy, I think he probablyRay: so what did you do to his poor tree then I guess.Shirley: Well his tree was confiscated and would be destroyed. Probably he was fined and went to court and would have to pay a fine.Ray: What other things do people smuggle?Shirley: All sorts of strange things. Sometimes they smuggle things that they don't even realize are prohibited. So for example, canned foods like pate or canned meats are also completely prohibitedRay: Oh boyShirley: Yeah, I mean a lot of those things they can hold, for example, foot and mouth disease, I think, is resistant to very high temperatures and it'll last for about seven or eight years. So those things are also prohibited. Birds, which is pretty sad because when people bring in something like birds or small animals the death rate for the animals is extremely high soRay: Goodness, yes.Shirley: Usually only about ten percent (10%) survive and if they get caught, then they can't have them anyway.Ray: Can't imagine how, if you were trying to smuggle a bird I have visions of somebody anesthetizing[麻醉，麻痹] the poor thing and, stuffing it into their backpack or something of that sort andShirley: YeahRay: that can't be goodShirley: there's lots of imaginative ways to do that but all in all, none of them are very good for the birds.Ray: Any reptiles?Shirley: Yeah well, people do smuggle them in, although actually in the case of Australia I think we have a bigger problem with them going out because Australia has, I think, the highest number of venomous reptiles in the world and also different types of reptiles so people taking them out illegally is a big problem. I personally never saw any, fortunately. I actually quite like snakes but I have a healthy respect for them so I don't really want to be, you know, engaging with them on a one-to-one personal level.

A history of a history of west OlympiaMusic in this episode:Frog In The Well by Lucas Gonze used with Creative Commons licensePaper Crowns by Ditrani Brothers used with permission.Sleep by Ronny Tana courtesy of 2060 recordsSwing Gitan by Ditrani Brothers used with permission.Feathersoft by Blue Dot sessions The following is a full transcript of this episode:Rob Smith: One thing I know about the last name Smith, is that it makes you hard to find. I've always seen this as a benefit, but now I'm trying to find a random Smith. Larry Smith. I've been thinking about this guy for several months now. Ever since I learned he helped write a book that's long been out of print. I found a copy of this book on eBay, bought it for $25. It's called How the West Was once a history of West Olympia.On phone: Hey, my name is Rob Smith, and I'm calling for a Larry Smith who used to be a English teacher in Olympia at Jefferson junior high school. And I have no idea if this is the right Larry Smith, but he wrote a book called With some students and I wanted to talk to him about that book that he wrote. So, if that's you, Larry, if you're the Larry Smith..Rob: Here's what I know. Larry Smith was an English teacher at Jefferson Middle School in West Olympia. In 1974, his last year teaching at that school, he assigned his eighth graders a collective writing project. How the West Was Once is the product of that assignment. On the phone: Hey, my name is Rob Smith. I'm calling for a Larry..Rob: The book is small. I'm holding it here it's about eight by five, and just under 100 pages, black and white. My copy has this blue binding material holding it together. The cover's yellowing and only slightly thicker than the books pages. It's clear it was made on a budget. And yet it's well done. Those hundred pages are full of accounts of life on Olympia's West Side, from the mid 19th to mid 20th century. It's not definitive by any means. Some of the stories read a little like legends, and there's a few cringy passages. But the book adds real personal color to the history of West Olympia, a place I learned, once known as Marshville. Ever since I got my hands on this book, I've been thinking about the people who wrote it. I wanted to talk to them. What sort of teacher takes on a project like this? A lot of what I like to do with my audio work is record stories of older people. I see it kind of like time traveling, or preservation at least, it struck me that that's exactly what this project was doing. 45 years ago, in book form.I pay for this service that I use to look people up. It's kind of amazing. You can get phone numbers, addresses, email addresses. The problem is there's a lot of false positives, old numbers, dormant email addresses. Most of the time, you're just reaching out to the wrong person all together. So I went to Jefferson Middle School, the place where this book was written over 45 years. ago, I talked to the principal. He'd never heard of the book. The one who worked there the longest, a woman at the front desk, said she must have just missed Larry Smith. She started in the late 70s. I was told to go see the librarian. She knew the book, had a personal copy herself, but didn't know what had happened to the teacher who orchestrated it. I called the district offices, talk to someone in archives. They had nothing. So I decided to go back to the book, knowing i'd have better luck finding one of the couple dozen students listed in the credits. The first page is a list of names. And at the top of the alphabetized list is Rick Aarts. AARTS. I looked him up, called him, left a message. He called me right back! Rick was great. We talked a while about the book. and what he remembered about his teacher. He said Smith left an impression Only had good things to say about him. I asked him if he knew what had happened to Mr. Smith. Rick remembered something about California. Maybe he moved there for health reasons. He couldn't remember. Rick didn't want to talk on tape, said he'd be a lousy interview. I disagreed. But he gave me another name. So I stopped bugging him.Ray Houser just turned 60 he was one of the eighth graders that put together How the West Was Once Ray Houser: I lived on Decatur Street, which was probably a block and a half from the elementary school, and maybe 8-10 blocks to the junior high. Walked to school pretty much my whole life - typically with my buddy Bruce and Rick and, you know, we built these and developed these relationships and it was back in an era where you could ride your bike anywhere you wanted and you coiuld stay out late at night and we'd go to the park and... It was a little Mayberry.Rob: Bella biagio was also a student of Larry Smith.Bella Biagio: I was considered basically, maybe the class clown. Just because I am who I am and I continued. (laughing) I just you know, I'm, you know constantly.. things make me laugh and everything's comedic to me. So sometimes that got me in trouble.Rob: Ray and Bella both remember Larry Smith as an exceptional teacher. Bella, who as an adult would be diagnosed with ADD found relief in his class.Bella: He was one of the people... if anybody, you know, you didn't think you were done. He... you know what I mean? I f you had that in your mind, that was completely eliminated when you were in his class.Ray: What was unique about Larry was, he was a younger teacher back then, and I was a younger student back then - and he really took a genuine interest in his students and knew something about his students and And genuinely cared about his his kids. Rob: I interviewed Ray and Bella separately on separate days,Bella: Even though I am who I am, and I have this personality and everything. I also am very insular and somewhat shy,Rob: But they both landed on the same word to sum up their eighth grade English teacher 45 years later.Bella: But he just, you know, he was able to like, just take you and just make you feel really safe. I think that's a very good word for him.Ray: It was safe, it was safe physically, it was safe intellectually, and it was safe emotionally.Rob: Obviously, many of their memories have faded. But this feeling of safety has stuck with them all these years. Other memories have stuck around as well.Bella: He had a very distinct smile, a very distinct nose. It's it's weird that I remember this. Like I remember some of the clothing he wore. Like he would wear shirts with the little tie maybe, sports jacket maybe, a sweater or something but he was just always so like... Look he's so cool! And just just like little, the twinkle in the eye and the smile and lanky, sort of tall guy and his wife was beautiful.Rob: Larry's beautiful wife was another clue I had. I knew her name was Nikki. I'd left about a dozen messages for people I thought might be Larry, but none of the contacts had a Nicki associated with them. Then finally, one night as I was making dinner, the phone rang. The caller ID said Smith, Larry. I answered. An old voice told me that he was indeed Larry Smith. And he really wished he was the Larry Smith I was looking for.That night in kind of a fit of desperation. I just googled something like Larry Smith, English professor, California. And as you'd expect, I got a lot of hits. But I found this one in LA, a teacher, an English professor at LA City College. I clicked on his rate my professor page - years and years of glowing reviews. I knew it was a long shot - I mean, Larry must be retired by now. But I emailed this professor and went to bed. The next morning I had a new email. I hit record on my cell phone just before opening it.Rob reading email: ...and just based on the subject line, I think I might have found him… Ha. Cool. "Rob, haha, you hit the jackpot since I’ve never had been on Facebook or MySpace. I'd assume I'd be hard to trace. After Olympia. My wife and I moved to San Jose for four years. On to Coos Bay, Oregon for 16 at a high school, with two in the middle to work in Papua New Guinea to give our three kids a true cultural experience. Paso Robles, California for six, California Youth authority prison, then down to LA area in 2000. Where I continued with high school and adjuncted at several colleges. Now I'm in my fiftieth year with no plan on retiring…. Phone message:Thank you for calling the Whittier Union High School District. Please listen closely to the following options as our menu has changed. Para Espanol oprima a nemero 8. If you are calling from a touch tone telephone and... # Wait while I transfer your call…Larry Smith:Hey, morning, Rob.Rob on phone: Hey, Larry. How you doing?Larry: Good. Great. Hey, let me go grab Patty. She had a she had an event and so she's around here somewhere. She's the one with a phone.Rob I got ahold of Larry Smith in his classroom. He recorded his end on a colleague's cell phone. Larry: Okay, we're on.Rob on phone: Okay, well, um, can you just start, Larry, by introducing yourself, and maybe where you are right now?Larry:Yeah, my name is Larry Smith. I'm a teacher. This is my 50th year. So I've been teaching starting in Olympia, Washington and now I am in Whittier, California teaching at an alternative high school, and Los Angeles City College and living in Pasadena.Rob: Larry grew up near Seattle. It's where he expected to start his teaching career after graduating from Seattle Pacific University. But he finished school during a big recession.Larry: Nobody was hiring. And so I just started going further and further south until I finally found a district that did have an opening and I found the first one in Olympia. And so I had literally never stopped in Olympia. I'd never been on the Capitol grounds. West Olympia, I had no idea what that was. So the first time I really saw where I was going to be living was for my job interview and ended up really enjoying the area, rented a house. It was on Plymouth Street, a two story house in West Olympia for $65 a month! That's how bad the house was and how the economy was in those days.Rob: Jefferson junior high, it was a junior high then not a middle school, wasn't in great shape either. Larry says./Rob: It was pretty rundown, actually, you know, there was like three trees on the whole property. In fact, I think my second year there, we did a big project where we got a bunch of trees donated and the kids planted them along the front of the school and on the side. And I believe if you drive by Jefferson today and see any fairly large trees along the front, they were planted by my eighth graders that year.Rob: I asked Larry what he did for fun. Like, did he go downtown?Larry: No, I didn't. Downtown, my goodness? No, that's where the Washington and Reeves kids hung out. And I wouldn't dare do that. No I was pretty much Westside. I mean, You know, I would eat probably three times a week at Bob's Burgers, which was right across the street from Egan's drive in, which had the worst worst ice cream in the history of humanity, which was so grainy that it would literally sand your teeth down and would go to Peterson's Food Town to buy my food. And then went to church at a little church actually was built during probably my second or third year there, Westwood Baptist Church.Rob: He still had friends and family up north. He'd visit them on the weekends.Larry: So I would jump in my Volkswagen bus, hippie mobile and drive into Seattle and then come back on Sunday for church and then, you know, kind of that was sort of the ritual but yeah it was pretty much West Olympia. Rob: Larry started teaching here in Olympia at 22. closer in age to his students than to their parents. Far from home for the first time, he just folded himself into the west side community. Larry: It was just pure fun. You know, and as a bachelor first year teacher I mean I lived right in the middle of where all my students lived and you know, my door didn't have a, my house didn't even have a lock and I would come home from school and five kids would just be hanging out in the living room and I would be invited to dinner all the time. And, I mean, it was just really a big family thing.Rob: The Bachelor days were short lived. In his third year teaching, Larry magically reconnected as he puts it, with a woman he was engaged to years before at SPU. Within three weeks, the two were married. over winter break, Nikki resigned from her teaching position in Santa Cruz.Larry: And then she moved up and shivered for a year and a half before she talked me into moving south.Rob: It was Larry Smith's last year teaching in Olympia that How the West Was once was written.Larry: I knew it was going to be my final year. I just wanted to try something really unique. And I just happened to be really blessed by an incredible group of kids and wanted to do more than just daily and weekly assignments. And so we just took on this virtually a year long project. Ray:He explained it to us and said that we're going to, we're going to write a book as a class and it's like, oh, okay, well, what does that mean?Rob: They had to decide what to write a book about.Larry: We listed all the possibilities, and I remember one of them was all the uses of ivy. But that didn't seem like a book that would really sell and might have been a parent came up with the idea that we should do a history of the local area because West Olympia is really a distinct geographical region from the rest of the city.Rob: Larry says the first topic was wild John Tourneau, a mass murdering man of the woods that one of his students had told him about. A story he'd passed off as legend. Larry: We looked it up. And sure enough, this guy was a real person who was killed in a gun battle. And so he became sort of our first story and then it just took off. Ray: Everybody in the class got assigned different, different jobs, editors, interviewers, researchers, etc. And we kinda launched into this giant project.Larry: Different kids got more involved. Some of them were involved in every single aspect. But nobody was uninvolved. It's like the entire class picked up the vibration and parents were actively involved. I would get phone calls from people just out of the blue suggesting somebody to go interview. You know, the kids didn't have cars. They were eighth graders. So, their parents would drive them out to the middle of nowhere up to the end of Cooper point or somewhere and sit in the car while the kids went in and did the interviews.Rob: This was all on top of the regular duties of eighth grade English - reading, writing vocabulary. A lot of the work on the book, like the interviews took place after school or on the weekends. Ray and Bella did some of those interviews. Ray: My role was to actually go out and meet with the elder community of West Olympia. They were so gracious and so interested and willing and eager to share their experiences and many who had lived there their entire lives. Rob: Ray remembers a couple of those interviews in particular. One was with an old man that lived near the water and mud Bay.Ray: He wasn't a curmudgeon by any means. But he talked about how the changes and the you know the bringing of new businesses had kind of altered the community feel. And then the other was just an elderly woman who like I say she had cookies and lemonade and it was just exuberant and excited and wanted to meet with us. It was a little intimidating. I was in eighth grade and I was with Larry and my buddy Rick. And we really enjoyed spending time with her and just very gracious and very interested in sharing her experiences.Bella: Oh, they just thought it was so great. I mean, they just thought it was so exciting that one, we we're writing a book and two, what it was about, because, you know, nobody was gonna ask them the history of West Olympia. And they were really excited about, I think, I think people really enjoy telling the history of where they've lived, probably all their entire life.Rob in conversation: Yeah. Some of my favorites are the personal ones like the guy that did the ark, built the ark.Bella:Yeah. Why did he built the Ark? I don't rememberRob in conversation: I think he was waiting for the second flood?Bella: Yeah, you know that really live in it up, didn't it? (laughing)Rob: Each chapter of the book is a different topic or story. There's a chapter on the different incarnations of the Fourth Avenue Bridge, The story of Harry Beechy, a hulk of a man who lost his arm working as a longshoreman. I love the story of the streetcar that used to run up Harrison Hill, and take a right on Rogers, how kids greased the tracks one year as a Halloween prank. Each account was recorded by the kids during the field interviews, some on tape, some handwritten notes. The stories were written up back in class, then edited. Larry says plenty of the work didn't make it into the book.Larry: Certain stories, we couldn't verify. And so they were eliminated. The stories that weren't as well written and we just wanted it to be a crisp, concise, only the very best. And so the story about Harry Beechy, the guy that built the ark, and the plane that crashed into St. Peter's hospital, you know, they made the cut and so we really focused on them. Bella: Here's the art guy! Here it is! Oh my god, (reading)“Bill started work on ark II in 1922 and worked on it for four or five years before he finished it” (laughing) "Bill was an average man except for one thing, he built an ark". Oh, that's great!Rob: When the writing was done, Larry's wife Nikki typed it all up. This project wasn't over yet though. Students helped collate the pages and learned how to bind the books. There was marketing. They built wooden display cases to put in shops around town.May 16 1974, the students finally had finished products to show for their work.Larry: We just sold it I think it was for $1.25, which probably today would be about $15. Of course, every kid in the class had family members who wanted to buy them and the Daily Olympian published a story about it. And that developed some interest.Rob: The book sold out in no time, 1500 copies before school was even out for summer. Summer was when Larry and Nikki packed up their house on Plymouth Street.Larry: I basically put a fairly large group of them in charge of whatever was going to happen with a book. And they authorized and supervised another printing, continued to sell, continued to meet and determine where the money would be distributed after I left the school. I mean, this group was so responsible and incredible. Rob: Larry didn't know it, but he wasn't done with this group just yet. The following year, they won an award.Larry: Yeah, it was, it was like a new author prize that was given every year for the entire state of Washington. And it was so exciting to them and I, of course didn't know about it, and this was way pre-internet and nobody had my phone number but I got a... somebody, I think I had a forwarding address probably in the personnel office. And so I got a letter from the kids confirming that it was me and once they knew it was they purchased and sent me down a round trip plane ticket from San Jose to SeaTac and back to attend the, it was a governor's reception at the Capitol, and all the kids, it was funny because there were just probably 10 other adult authors and then like 50 kids (laughing) at this thing, that were still actively involved in this book, and they all got some kind of a metal certificate. I can't even remember what. But it was great, you know, best reunion I've ever had, even though it’d only been a year to just see, see how these kids had grown and just continued to be an enthusiastic bright group.Rob: In the end, about 60 Kids helped in the production of the book. 2500 copies were printed and sold. And much of the money from the sales was donated to help local senior citizens. Bella and Ray, both tell me that they think often about this eighth grade project and their teacher, Larry Smith.Bella: He really just made this thing happen. Like we wrote a book.Rob: Bella - whose last name in the book is Sabella, by the way - Bella has made a career in the performing arts, both on stage and in the restaurant industry. She says that Larry's class, that feeling of safety, helped her out of her shell and gave her a feeling of accomplishment.Bella: You know, feeling so like important and proud that we did this, you know? And, you know, I think it's a really wonderful thing that we all had that opportunity. 'Cause I don't think a lot of people get to have that kind of opportunity. They just don't.Rob: Like Larry, Ray Houser went into public education. He's worn a lot of hats over the years. From teacher to assistant superintendent. One of his roles had him traveling the country researching effective teaching strategies. It gives him a unique perspective on Larry's approach to teaching.Rob: I gotta say, Larry was lightyears ahead of his time when it comes to effective teaching strategies. And I've, I've done a ton of research. The whole idea of relevance, real world experiences, collaboration opportunities, engagement strategies, it was, now that I look back on it, I didn't know then obviously, as an eighth grader, it was, it was pretty incredible that he had kind of discovered how to engage his students, how to ensure that their learning was, was relevant and required them to work collaboratively. That's, that's the stuff we've been focusing on for the last 10 years and we're still trying to get into most of public education, he was doing it 40 years ago.Rob: Larry was modest when I asked him if he had any secrets to great teaching.Larry: Yeah, the secret is when you teach Junior High they're, they're too clueless to really know how bad you are. And if you tell jokes and give fun assignments, they might like it. But, you know, I don't know. It's hard to tell. I mean, teaching in some ways is hardly, it's not like a job for me because, it's like the old saying that if you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life. And it's… I got a, received a card from a student in that class that I tucked away somewhere that said "Mr. Smith promise you'll never grow up". And, unfortunately, my wife says that's the case.Rob: After the self deprecation. Larry got a bit more real.Larry: But really what it boils down to, it's kind of a 50/50 thing. You have to love the material and you have to love the students. And if you love the students, you're going to make sure they learn the material and if you love the material, you're going to make sure the students you know, have access, learn to love it as much as you do. And you just can't take things too seriously. When kids are in bad moods, you can't think that they're doing it because they're angry with you, but there's probably something going on in their home and, and a lot of that whole philosophy came in my very first year teaching probably three or four months into the year, a student who was a foster girl, her name was Valerie Good, was shot and killed by her foster brother in their home. And it just shook me to the core realizing how fragile life is and how special these kids are. And that stuck in my mind forever that you know, every single kid is really valuable and full of potential. And to this day, I think, after 50 years and probably 50,000 students I don't think I've met one kid who didn't have vast potential and some of them never realized it. Some ended up in prison, some ended up dying of drug overdose, some ended up suicides. But the possibilities were always there and, and since you don't know who's going to just blossom and potentially be the next, Michael Jordan or Barack Obama or, you know, great author, you just treat all of them as if that's going to happen.Rob: These days Larry and Nicky Smith live near Los Angeles. They have three children and six grandchildren. One of the things that Larry loves about Southern California is all the different cultures. He tells me that LA City College where he works is the most culturally diverse college in the world. Another obvious difference between here and there is the weather. Larry can't seem to get enough of the warm, sunny climate after his early years in the Pacific Northwest. Maybe this is the origin of the rumor that Larry and Nikki moved to California for health reasons. Despite the weather, Olympia holds a high place in Larry's mind.Larry: Of all the schools I've taught in, the class of 1974. Jefferson Junior High is the most memorable. It was that group that, I mean, all my kids in Olympia were great, but for some reason, it's like a convergence of the planets or something. But I still can look over the names and picture every single kid in that group. Great, great memories, and I wish I had been a more experienced teacher and had done a better job academically, but I'm sure if I could find out what you're doing. I would be so proud and so impressed and so amazed, and just, you know, blessed that I got to be a part of your lives for nine months, and that was the best nine months of my life. So thank all of you for sure. From the bottom of my heart.CREDITS:Rob: Thanks to Rick Aarts for calling me back. Thank you, Larry for checking your email. And on that note, Larry says if you're a former student of his, he'd love to hear from you. His email address is Smithoverseas@hotmail.com. Thank you to Ray and Bella, for allowing a total stranger to come into your homes and talk with you. Even if it was against the better judgment of your friend, Bella.Bella: My friend's like "hey, do you know this man?" I'm like, "No". he's like, "you're letting him in the house?" I'm like, "Yeah." He goes "Do you have something that if you need to kill him..." (Laughing)Rob: You heard music today by, in order, Lucas Gonze, two pieces by Northwest band Ditrani Brothers. The psychedelic track was by local artists Ronnie Tana, courtesy of Olympia's own 2060 Records. Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions. Ending theme music by skrill Meadow. More info and links on all these artists in the show notes and welcometoolympia.com.I first came across the out of print book How the West Was once in the bibliography of a book that's very much in print. Understanding Olympia is a really funny and (smiling) mostly accurate guide to Olympia by David Shearer Water. You can buy it at Browsers, Orca Books, or online at buyolympia.com. Ending Theme Music by Skrill Meadow. With permission I posted the chapter on the ark builder, Bill Greenwood at Welcometoolympia.com. It's under the show notes for this episode. Also, this book wasn't the only extracurricular activity that Larry Smith did with his class. They also made silent films. Ray still has one of these and he shared it with me. Honestly, it's just a bunch of teenagers goofing around on the Capitol campus, but it was 45 years ago. Check it out. Welcometoolympia.com. It'll also be in the show notes. Finally, I thought it only fair that I give Egan's a second chance on Larry's behalf. It has been 45 years. I took my five and seven year olds recently. Rob at Egan’s: Does it taste grainy at all to you?7 year old: No, it tastes like ice cream a tiny bit melted with chocolate and vanilla mixed up together good.Rob: There you have it. I'm Rob Smith.

Sergeant Ray Athwal joins Chief Neil Dubord on this week’s episode of Bend Don’t Break. Ray Athwal is 49, married for 23 years, and has two teenage boys. Professionally, he has spent 19 years with DBD. Ray enjoys spending his days motorcycling, socializing with friends and family, and accompanying his children to their hockey and lacrosse games.   On the fateful day of May 8th, 2016; mother’s day, his and his family’s lives were changed forever. His wife suffered a major heart attack that developed into heart failure, leading to many surgeries and a wait for a new heart. With her rare blood-type and the many ups and downs that come with waiting on any kind of transplant, their journey was not an easy one.   In this episode, Ray talks about the challenges they faced together as a family and how he helped support his wife, children, and himself in trying times. This is a story of perseverance, resiliency, family, support, hope, and love.   Key Takeaways: [:45] Ray talks about his motorcycling hobby and the recent trips he’s made. [2:18] Ray begins telling the story of the biggest challenge in his life thus far. [7:58] Ray continues his story, meeting up with his wife at the hospital and hearing about the full breadth of damage. [15:19] Recognizing her heart attack as heart failure, Ray’s wife began to get proper treatment. However, with her blood-type being very difficult to match, more struggles arose. [16:21] Ray speaks about what happened within his family once they found out she needed a heart transplant. [18:54] Waiting for a donor; Ray talks about home life, work, and how he managed his stress during this time. [21:17] Ray talks about how work was going at this time and how he felt supported. [22:36] Continuing his story, Ray explains their game plan and the recent development of a ventricular assist device being implanted in his wife’s heart. [23:47] Ray elaborates on the donor drive he started in support for his wife. [26:05] Chief Neil Dubord highlights important aspects and lessons from Ray’s journey. [27:27] Ray continues his story about the donor drive and the outcome of it. [28:18] Ray talks about the ups and downs of their journey and their experience with getting their hopes up with their first offer of a heart transplant. [30:48] About Ray’s wife finally receiving the heart she needed. [32:06] Post-transplant, Ray talks about the recovery stages of his wife receiving her heart. [34:58] Ray speaks about the current situation and how his wife is doing now. [36:08] How Ray managed to keep his spirits up and the spirits of his family up during this time. [37:36] Aaron Hill joins the podcast and gives some feedback on how Ray and his situations relate. [39:05] Ray’s final thoughts for today’s show. [39:41] Chief Neil Dubord highlights key takeaways from this week’s episode. [40:35] A few last-minute, hard-hitting questions for Ray: “What’s your favourite movie?” “...Favourite book?” and, “What’d you have for breakfast?”   Mentioned in this Episode: Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Training Day (Film, 2001) Fear: Trump in the White House, by Bob Woodward A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership, by James Comey   Looking for More Episodes? You can find more episodes of Bend Don’t Break on iTunes, Google Play, and most other major podcasting platforms.   Connect with the Delta Police Department: Follow the Delta Police on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Visit their website at DeltaPolice.ca.  

Jim Duffy co-founded Entrepreneurial Spark in 2011 with the aim of creating an entrepreneurial revolution across the country. As a best-selling author and entrepreneur, Jim went on to help persuade the Scottish Government to establish the Edge Fund, a £1m award scheme for start-ups. In today’s inspiring interview, your host, Ray ask Jim for his best advice and insights into how to raise money and scale start-ups. Discover how to read people, live by a disciplined code, act empathetically in nature, operate gladiatorial in business and never take your eye off the ball. Learn how to focus on the people behind the business, and the mindsets and behaviours needed to take your start-up to the next level. Tune in to the How To Raise Money podcast to hear this exciting interview. KEY TAKEAWAYS Entrepreneurial Spark is the world's largest free business accelerator offering business support to start-up companies. Founded in Glasgow, Entrepreneurial Spark is funded by private capital, contributions from public sector organisations, and corporate sponsorship. Jim and his co-founder Brian McGuire have helped more than 100 people set up their businesses. Between them, those businesses are creating jobs, earning money and establishing themselves. Ray: What do you think the main obstacles are when it comes to scaling business startups? Jim: Entrepreneurs have an unrealistic expectation around managing cashflow and dealing with money. The biggest thing nowadays is that entrepreneurs need to educate themselves on understanding money and how to manage finance. As an entrepreneur you need to be accountable and know your numbers, otherwise, your investor will bring in their own guy. Ray: What advice would you give to someone looking to scale up their business? Jim: If you’re looking to scale you must have a business model that works, you must understand the investor's money in order to secure finance. If you are looking to secure investment you need to communicate with them and bring them on your companies journey with you. BEST MOMENTS “I told the banks if they wanted to invest, they’d have to move right away” “Having a good pitch is essential when looking to raise finance and you must have a great follow up to make sure you can secure investment. It’s important not to lose sight of the goal and respect the whole process of raising finance, not just the 3-minute pitch.” “It’s about the mindset and skill sets of entrepreneurs,  applied to normal people’s lives.” “Create something new and disrupt the landscape of entrepreneurs.” “Pitching with passion led me to become successful, learn from every question and that will help you in the future.” VALUABLE RESOURCES https://www.angelsden.com/en-gb/events/ www.entrepreneurial-spark.com/ Create Special: Think and act like an entrepreneur to change your life - Jim Duffy Jimduffy.com ABOUT THE HOST Ray McLennan is a keynote public speaker and former corporate solicitor who has many years of experience owning and operating a variety of businesses in the UK and Ireland. Ray is the Regional Manager for Scotland & Ireland for Angels Den, which has over 13,500 high net worth Angel investors that help to find funding for property and SME businesses. Ray also helped to create Property Angels Den (PAD) in Sept 2014, which matches High Net Worth Investors with property proposals of all sizes. PAD now meets regularly and has funded dozens of property projects all over the UK. CONTACT METHOD Ray@raisingangelfinance.co.uk Maria@raisingangelfinance.co.uk Howtoraisemoney.co.uk Nigeltbest.com

Eric Lucas, I have a question for your Q&A if you would like. I know this touches on a subject you have talked about in the past. The closest USPSA club to me is an hour away. They shut down fairly early in the season. Last summer I still wanted to do some more matches and the next closest match is a 3 hour drive one way. Their website said that set up was at 3pm, shooting started at 6pm and should be done by 9pm. It seemed to imply that being present for set up was mandatory. I called them and explained that it was going to be 6 hours of driving for me and asked if set up was mandatory. This resulted in a fairly insulting lecture on how important volunteering is in this sport but the guy never gave me a definitive answer to my question. Now I get how important volunteering is but I’m not sue I want to make a 12 hour day out of this. My response was to skip it and spend the time and money practicing. I’ll spend my money going to some lvl 2 matches next year. I don’t know what kind of stress the guy was dealing with but I wouldn’t feel welcome if I wasn’t there 3 hours early. What’s your take, should I reconsider or drive past to the next one 4 hours away? Also, I am working on a first match type voice mail that I hope to send soon. T. C. TC from Ft. Mill, SC here, with a question for the Q&A Show. How do you see competition shooting benefitting those who carry for self-defense purposes? We have all long heard the arguments from the “tactical” community about how competition shooting will get you killed on the street. How the competition “spray and pray” model of running about, disregarding cover and flinging bullets all over hell to breakfast is a sure fire formula for death and disaster on the mean streets of Anytown, USA. My own experience of being a 20 year veteran of federal law enforcement and competitive shooting, as well as infantry combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan, has underscored just how valuable competition shooting is, for me, when things get loud. I have never understood the perspective of those who believe that being able to operate your firearms efficiently, to be able to shoot fast and accurately, as one must to be successful in competition, is not tactically desirable. I am, however, very curious as to your take on the topic. Do you see competitive shooting as helpful for those who carry for self-defense, as you do? If so, what are those advantages? Do you see any disadvantages, and if so, what are they? Thanks for what you do. Carry on. Austin I know you have talked about this before, but when you bring a new to competition shooter to a match how much should you focus on them verse trying to shoot well, do you just write the match off and make sure they are doing what they are supposed to do? What are your thoughts? Brett I just started shooting USPSA in April. My wife and I both shoot and absolutely love the sport! My question is that I am now a high C with 58%. My last few classifiers had been in the mid 60% range. I would really like to end my first year as a B. I am shooting next week at Pitt County. The classifier is 99-22. Should I try to burn it down as fast as I can to try to get that high hit factor? Or play it conservatively to keep my high C? Of coarse when the buzzer goes off all plans go out the window! Anthony I was at a local USPSA club match a while back and a fellow shooter noticed I was dropping my head as I would address my sights. I didn't think much of it at the time when I was shooting my limited gun with iron sights. Now that I have decided to run carry optics it has became more obvious that I have been dropping my head to get a good sight picture. Is there any benefit to address sights without bringing your head down during the draw stroke and bringing sights up to your target focus area? Other than possible unproductive movement? Thanks. Ronald Should carry optic shooters be required to wear their underwear on their head? Ray What caliber and division would you start a new Jr shooter in, and what's the best way to get my daughter started? Drew Lucas, I went cheap to begin with on holsters and mag carriers to make sure I liked action pistol shooting. Now it's been about half a year and I'm more excited than ever. I'm shooting IDPA mostly, can you tell me what I should look for in better mag carriers? I'm using a double pouch now and have trouble indexing on the 2nd magazine. Kevin At what point on the draw do you put your finger on the trigger? Normally when I draw and shoot I have my trigger finger indexed on the side of the gun outside the trigger guard until I get close to on target and then I move my finger to the trigger. While dry firing I noticed I could speed up my shot time by getting my finger on the trigger sooner, prepping the trigger while still extending and getting a sight picture and then pressing the trigger the rest of the way once I had a good sight picture. I was worried I could DQ doing this for having my finger in the trigger guard on the draw if I put my finger in too soon, but 10.5.5.1 seems to say as long as I'm not sweeping myself with the finger in the trigger guard then it's not a rule infraction.  

Ray Milner, Fashion designer and Owner of Milk Money, joins the A Desire to Inspire with Manny Patrick show to discuss how even though being homeless sucks, it certainly does not mean you have to stay there. Growing up in the projects, Ray was inspired by music and fashion and wanted something opposite of gangbanging and drug dealing, which is what he was witnessing in his neighborhoods. He learned to educate himself and made the best of life. Now he is on a mission to transform lives by building a brand that is more than just a piece of cloth, but instead, a meaning for life. For anyone interested in learning that loving yourself is the gateway to a life of purpose. Understanding that “if they can do it I can do it” and that Success leaves clues. Stay positive and outspoken as Ray describes were keys to his drive. You can be and do anything you want and this man will light you up with inspiration to take action on your dreams. In This Episode You Will Learn About: -Ray's thoughts on fashion -What made him want to get into the clothing industry -At what age he wanted to start designing -Who played a big role in his life early on -What helped Ray become a dreamer -What made Ray want to go to school -What Ray's high school life was like -What celebrity was a big influence for Ray -What inspires him to this day -What gave Ray his motivation -What his purpose is AND MUCH MORE!

This week we will continue with listener questions. As you may remember, we just completed our first ever Annual Reader/Listener Survey for this site (and podcast). We got some interesting and surprising results in that survey…  and lots of feedback, comments, and questions. We will answer more questions and comment on more comments. Also on today's episode… Tip of the Week I address the overreaction to my comments about “radical grace”. Would you like to be in a mastermind with me? And the always award-winning, much much more. Announcements: Looking for a copywriting gig? Send me a one sheet “sales letter” on why you would be a perfect copywriter for me to hire. 800 words maximum. Also send along any samples you think would convince me you are brilliant. Make the subject line of your email say only: “Blue Fondue”. Send that email to the address I provided in the podcast, and listen to the podcast audio for instructions about what happens next. If you email me with questions, I have not listened to the podcast instructions, I won't be able to answer you. Starting this week, every person who submits an audio question for the podcast will receive a free gift (if, and only if, we use your question on the podcast). Click here to submit your audio question. Meanwhile, if you would be interested in the possible one-day mastermind with me and 11 other people, where we make radical progress in your business… And if you're not just “interested” but you already know you want to do it,  fill in this form. If it looks like you would be a good fit, I will call you myself.  (If you just want the “details”, listen to the podcast. I explain all the “details”.) Conferences where I will be attending and/or speaking: Strategic Influence Jan 14-16, 2014, Phoenix, AZ NAMS 11 February 7-9, 2014, Atlanta, GA Social Media Marketing World, March 26-28, 2014, San Diego, CA JV Alert: The Perfect Game April 24-27, Denver, CO SCORRE Conference May 5-8, Orlando, FL Tip Of The Week   Stuck In Customs Copywriting Corner This is the official kickoff of one of your suggestions from our listener survey: that I include a copywriting tip in each episode.  Each week I will include a tip on how to improve the power and persuasiveness of your copy. In other words, I will help you write copy that moves people to action, whether that action be to buy a product, to opt into a list, or to adopt an idea you are “selling” to them. This week's tip: the easiest and fastest way to influence anyone is by using what is already influencing them. This is a restatement of Robert Colliers classic advice: you must enter the conversation that is already taking place in the mind of the reader. But how do you do this? To get into the mind of your prospect, you need to have tea.  No, it's not a beverage. It's a visualization exercise, for which I have coined the term The Empathy Amplifier (T.E.A.). Here's how to do it: Gather all the actual data you have about your prospects (the people to whom you are writing). Get into a quiet place. Perhaps even have an actual cup of tea. Now visualize yourself stepping into the body and life of your prospect. (This is not some form of demonic astral projection, it simply you using your sanctified imagination to understand another person's life better.) Walk through every detail of their day that you can imagine: when they wake up, how they wake up, what they see/hear/smell/feel… What they have for breakfast, the kind of car they drive to work, the neighborhood they drive through, the waiter greeted at the office, the emotional state they feel throughout the day… Right up to the moment they walk through the door of home at the end of the workday and collapse onto the sofa to watch TV. Or whatever they do. Take your time. Do this exercise thoroughly. Think about what their fears, frustrations, and anxieties are. What is their dominant driving emotion, most of the time? When you have bathed yourself in the wash of their experience… Now you can start writing some copy. Try it. In fact, I would love to share some reader examples with everyone else. So if you do this exercise, and write a paragraph or two of copy, and you know there is a difference-send me that copy! I'll share with the world! Spiritual Foundations Last week I talked about those who resist a “radical grace” approach to the gospel. I mentioned that some people are afraid this is an error, and refer to it as “cheap grace” or “greasy grace”.  Their concern is that this teaching that Jesus has already paid the price for our sins… past, present, and future, is a perversion of the gospel. That it gives people license to sin, and makes them bitter, arrogant, and prideful.  I said that Grace is not a license to sin. It is what empowers us to overcome sin. I also knowledge to that some use the word “grace” as an excuse for their sin. But we don't know (a) whether that person IS or IS NOT a true believer… and (B) how and/or when that person will be overcome by God's Grace and led out of a life of sin. Let me assure you that I got the same objections from more than one person. So if you objected, and you are hearing this, please understand that I am not directing this only at you. I am, in the best way I know, lovingly offering you a different way of considering this issue. I reached my conclusions on these matters based solely on Scripture. I can defend them based solely on Scripture. But that would take an entire podcast to even begin to scratch the surface. So let me summarize this quickly, and perhaps allow some people to rest easy, by saying this: The grace that Jesus Christ offers lets you completely off the hook for sin. It settles your sin problem once and for all. Past, present, and future. It is not necessary for you to beg for forgiveness every time you cross the line in sin. Even if you do it willfully. Grace is much more powerful than that, and creates within you a new heart that makes it more and more impossible for you to sin. For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “no” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age. Titus 2:11-12, NIV Grace does not increase the desire to sin. Preaching this radical grace does not cause people to sin more. What causes that is the very spirit of “religion” which so desperately wants to bind people to rules and regulations. It is this religious spirit that causes well-meaning believers say things like, “Yes, grace is wonderful, but you got to be careful… you've got to make sure you balance that teaching with an emphasis on holiness…  and following God's commandments.” I humbly disagree. We are not under the law, but under grace. Let's see what the New Testament has to say about the Law.     Acts     The law is an unbearable yoke. (Acts 15:10) Romans     The law reveals sin but cannot fix it. (Romans 3:20)     If the law worked then faith would be irrelevant. (Romans 4:14)     The law brings wrath upon those who follow it. (Romans 4:15)     The purpose of the law was to increase sin. (Romans 5:20)     Christians are not under the law. (Romans 6:14)     Christians have been delivered from the law. (Romans 7:1-6)     The law is good, perfect, and holy but cannot help you be good, perfect, or holy. (Romans 7:7-12)     The law which promises life only brings death through sin. (Romans 7:10)     The law makes you sinful beyond measure. (Romans 7:13)     The law is weak. (Romans 8:2-3) 1 Corinthians     The strength of sin is the law. (1 Corinthians 15:56) 2 Corinthians     The law is a ministry of death. (2 Corinthians 3:7)     The law is a ministry of condemnation. (2 Corinthians 3:9)     The law has no glory at all in comparison with the New Covenant. (2 Corinthians 3:10)     The law is fading away. (2 Corinthians 3:11)     Anywhere the law is preached it produces a mind-hardening and a heart-hardening veil. (2 Corinthians 3:14-15) Galatians     The law justifies nobody. (Galatians 2:16)     Christians are dead to the law. (Galatians 2:19)     The law frustrates grace. (Galatians 2:21)     To go back to the law after embracing faith is “stupid.” (Galatians 3:1)     The law curses all who practice it and fail to do it perfectly. (Galatians 3:10)     The law has nothing to do with faith. (Galatians 3:11-12)     The law was a curse that Christ redeemed us from. (Galatians 3:13)     The law functioned in God's purpose as a temporary covenant from Moses till John the Baptist announced Christ. (Galatians 3:16 & 19, also see Matthew 11:12-13, Luke 16:16)     If the law worked God would have used it to save us. (Galatians 3:21)     The law was our prison. (Galatians 3:23)     The law makes you a slave like Hagar. (Galatians 4:24) Ephesians     Christ has abolished the law which was a wall of hostility. (Ephesians 2:15) Philippians     Paul considered everything the law gained him as “skybalon” which is Greek for “poop.” (Philippians 3:4-8) 1 Timothy     The law is only good if used in the right context. (1Timothy 1:8 – see next verse for the context)     The law was made for the unrighteous but not for the righteous. (1 Timothy 1:9-10) Hebrews     The law is weak, useless, and makes nothing perfect. (Hebrews 7:18-19)     (As an aside – that's some fighting talk – no wonder the author of Hebrews remains anonymous to this day!)     God has found fault with it and created a better covenant, enacted on better promises. (Hebrews 8:7-8)     It is obsolete, growing old, and ready to vanish. (Hebrews 8:13)     It is only a shadow of good things to come and will never make someone perfect. (Hebrews 10:1) This list of scripture, and the commentary, was supplied by my good friend Phil Drysdale. I recommend you read Phil's blog at PhilDrysdale.com Let me answer clearly this accusation that there is such a thing as “greasy grace”: no, no, no! Grace does not cause disregard for holiness-your religion does. As a final thought on this subject, I will quote the well-respected Bible commentator Martyn Lloyd Jones, who wrote the following  in his Commentary on Romans 6: The true preaching of the gospel of salvation by grace alone always leads to the possibility of this charge being brought against it. There is no better test as to whether a man is really preaching the New Testament gospel of salvation than this, that some people might misunderstand it and misinterpret it to mean that it really amounts to this, that because you are saved by grace alone it does not matter at all what you do; you can go on sinning as much as you like because it will redound all the more to the glory of grace. If my preaching and presentation of the gospel of salvation does not express it to that misunderstanding, then it is not the true gospel.” Your Further Comments More emphasis on selecting niches and keywords. This is my biggest problem. I prefer to read the transcription of a podcast. Broadcast listener questions I like the short format the best. I really like the podcast. It would be nice if all blog post were able to be listened to. Your Further Questions Do you have live hands-on workshops about Writing Riches for those of us who could use a tutorial? I believe in your message and impressed by you as a person — so my question would be “What can I do to help you be successful Ray?” What is the best way to get content and products created without bogging down and missing the market? Do you think it's possible to create an income with “just” a Dad blog and podcast? Is it really that easy to charge big money for common knowledge? (or maybe I know more than I think I do) More details about how you include God in your daily business activities. Very few people mention God and business together (that's why I love your posts/Podcasts). How do you specifically include prayer in your business activities? What To Do Now If you enjoy the podcast, I would consider it a great favor if you subscribe (and leave a review) in iTunes. This helps new people discover the podcast. You can also find the podcast on Stitcher. Question: how are you doing on your goals and resolutions so far in the new year? Click here to leave your comments.