Podcasts about Rutgers University

Episode Summary: In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy speaks with Bill Taylor, CEO and owner of DCE Solar, about his 17-year journey building one of the solar industry's most resilient racking and construction companies. Bill shares how DCE Solar grew from a racking supplier into a group of businesses spanning racking systems, construction services, engineering and design, carports, ground mounts, rooftop systems, and single-axis trackers for solar projects across the United States. The conversation covers how Bill has navigated the "solar coaster" through financial discipline, a strong company culture, and a focus on quality and long-term customer relationships rather than competing purely on price. Bill and Benoy also dig into the technical side of racking and tracker design for challenging terrain and cold climates, DCE's exclusive U.S. partnership with Spain's Axial Structures, and why AI-driven data center growth is making reliable power access more critical than ever for the US''s energy strategy. Biographies Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy, solar developer and consulting firm, and a strategic advisor to multiple cleantech startups. Over his career, Benoy has developed over 100 MWs of solar projects across the U.S., helped launch the first residential solar tax equity funds at Tesla, and brokered $50 million in Renewable Energy Credits (“REC”) transactions. Prior to founding Reneu Energy, Benoy was the Environmental Commodities Trader in Tesla's Project Finance Group, where he managed one of the largest environmental commodities portfolios. He originated REC trades and co-developed a monetization and hedging strategy with senior leadership to enter the East Coast market. As Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners, a large solar and storage construction firm, Benoy crafted project finance solutions for commercial-scale solar portfolios. His role at Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund with 125 MWs of U.S. renewable assets, involved evaluating investment opportunities and maximizing returns. He also played a key role in the sale of the firm's renewable portfolio. Earlier in his career, Benoy worked in Energy Structured Finance at Deloitte & Touche and Financial Advisory Services at Ernst & Young, following an internship on the trading floor at D.E. Shaw & Co., a multi billion dollar hedge fund. Benoy holds an MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from NYU Stern, where he was an Alumni Scholar.   Guest Information Bill Taylor Bill Taylor is an accomplished entrepreneur and executive with over two decades of experience successfully navigating and scaling the alternative energy and sustainability sector. As the CEO and Owner of DCE Solar, DCE Services, and DCE Design, he is driven by a commitment to innovation and an unwavering belief in making solar the most cost-effective energy source globally.   Under his leadership, the DCE companies design, engineer, and build solar power plants, managing projects from complex commercial carports and rooftops to large-scale 100 Megawatt (MW) utility installations nationwide. Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: info@reneuenergy.com  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com Website: https://www.solarmaverickpodcast.com/   Bill Taylor Website: https://www.dcesolar.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billetaylor/ Bill Taylor recommended Good to Great by Jim Collins.   Please provide 5 star reviews      If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review and share the Solar Maverick Podcast so more people can learn how to accelerate the clean energy transition.    Reneu Energy Reneu Energy provides expert consulting across solar and storage project development, financing, energy strategy, and environmental commodities. Our team helps clients originate, structure, and execute opportunities in community solar, C&I, utility-scale, and renewable energy credit markets. Email us at info@reneuenergy.com to learn more.            

Theatrical stages often mirror the intricate evolution of the societies that build them. Professor Carmen Gitre explores the burgeoning performance culture of Cairo between 1867 and 1930. This era witnessed a shift from street storytelling and shadow plays to formal theater houses designed for an emerging class of Western-educated intellectuals. The discussion traverses the grand spectacle of the Suez Canal's opening to the subversive nationalist songs of performers like Mounira al-Mahdiyya. Through this historical lens, the stage appears as a critical site for negotiating modernity, colonial influence, and Egyptian identity.   00:00 Introduction 01:28 The Evolution of Performance 03:56 Commissioning an Operatic Staple for a Global Stage 07:35 Street Storytelling & the Shadows of Earlier Traditions 12:02 Urban Redesign Mirroring a Parisian Vision of Modernity 18:46 Defensive Developmentalism & the Weight of Sovereign Debt 27:21 Syrian Practitioners & the Burgeoning Role of the Press 32:31 Efendi vs. Basha 39:01 Vernacular Choices for an Elevated Public Education 44:31 Satirical Observations through a Modernist Lens 51:14 The nuances of the women's movement 57:04 Disembodied Voices in the Era of Early Recording 58:00 Performances Spilling into the Nationalist Fervor of 1919 01:03:02 Cinematic Transitions and Legacies for the Everyman   Carmen Gitre is an Associate Professor of Middle East History and Associate Chair of History at Virginia Tech University. She earned her Ph.D. at Rutgers University in 2011. From 2011 to 2014, she taught in the International Studies and History Departments at Seattle University. Her academic interests include cultural history, imperialism, and the relationship between performance, identity, and modernity in Egypt. Her book, Acting Egyptian: Theater, Identity, and Political Culture in Cairo, 1867-1930, was published by the University of Texas Press in 2019. Other publications include 'The Dramatic Middle East: Performance as History in Egypt and Beyond,' and 'Nonsense and Morality: Comedy in Interwar Egypt.' Her current work delves more deeply into interwar art, performance, and cultural influence in Egypt.   Connect with Carmen Gitre

States are emerging as important laboratories for expanding employee ownership. From experimenting with new financing and investment tools to technical assistance and outreach programs, states are increasingly on the frontlines of helping more businesses transition to employee ownership. This session highlights some of the newest and most promising state-level innovations, the leaders driving them, and what other states and federal policymakers can learn from what's emerging.Our speakers include Shannon Lundgren (State Representative, Iowa); Andrew Zwicker (State Senator, New Jersey); Hilary Abell (Chief of the Employee Ownership Division, US Department of Labor); and moderator Julien Rosenbloom (Senior Associate, Lafayette Square Institute).This video comes from the 2026 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum, which took place June 2-3, 2026, in Washington DC and online.For more information about this session, including a transcript, speaker bios, and additional resources, visit our website.For additional content from the Forum, visit our main event page.To view more sessions and event highlights, subscribe to our YouTube channel.Or subscribe to our podcast and listen on the go.About this event:The Employee Ownership Ideas Forum is an annual event hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing at Rutgers University.The Forum convenes participants — including members of Congress, congressional staff, administration officials, employee owners, investors, lenders, researchers, practitioners, and policy experts — around the shared, bipartisan goal of increasing broad-based employee ownership and providing workers and communities with the opportunity to own their share of America's prosperity and future.The Forum highlights innovative policies and practices, features firsthand experiences and perspectives of employee owners, and fosters dialogue and engagement to drive concrete actions toward expanding employee ownership.We are grateful to our Forum Champions — the Ford Foundation, Prudential Financial, the Sorenson Impact Foundation, JPMorganChase, and EO Equals — for their principal support of the Forum. We also thank McKinsey & Company, a Forum Ally, for its generous contribution.As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Aspen Institute is nonpartisan and does not endorse, support, or oppose political candidates or parties. To the extent elected officials are in attendance, they are attending and speaking in their official capacity and not as a political candidate. Further, the views and opinions of our guests and speakers do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute or of Rutgers University.

The Space Show Presents Dr. Ryan Dowdy re ISS & Artemis Astronaut Food, May 15, 2026, FridayQuick Summary:The Space Show featured Dr. Ryan Dowdy, a former NASA ISS Food System Manager, discussing food in space and his commercial food company ReadyBar. Dowdy explained how NASA's 20-person team in Houston produces all space food, with 60+ signatures required for each item due to government regulations. He detailed the challenges of providing nutrition for astronauts, including the need for 500-calorie meal replacement bars and the importance of fresh food for psychological well-being. The discussion covered topics like packaging limitations, radiation effects on food, and the potential for growing food in space. Dowdy also shared information about his company ReadyBar, which makes meal-replacement bars designed to replace an entire meal with 30 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber for $5.99, currently sold online with plans to expand to retailers and Amazon. The conversation explored how commercial space companies are developing their own food systems and the need for continued R&D investment in space food technology.Detailed Summary:Ryan discussed the challenges and innovations in providing food for astronauts, particularly focusing on NASA's ISS and Artemis missions. He explained how meal replacement bars became popular due to cost and packaging efficiency considerations, noting that 60% of food weight on the ISS was packaging that was discarded. Ryan described his work at NASA from 2016, where he helped update the food menu by adding more fish, fruits, and vegetables to address astronauts' nutritional needs for omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. The discussion concluded with Ryan sharing how he initially became interested in space food science through a professor's suggestion to directly ask NASA about their challenges rather than proposing solutions without understanding their needs.Ryan also discussed his experience as the ISS Food System Manager at NASA's Space Food Systems Laboratory, explaining how food scientists create meals designed to last up to two years in space. He described the process of working with astronauts to taste and rank approximately 200 menu items, noting that while shrimp cocktail was a popular choice, the Russian crew preferred more soup in their meals, leading to food exchanges between the two teams. When asked about future food options for space missions, Ryan clarified that while no insects were consumed on the ISS during his tenure, there is potential for growing food in space, though current plant growth experiments like the Veggie system didn't provide sufficient daily calories. He concluded that while space food systems aren't ready for long-duration missions like Mars yet, continued research through initiatives like the Deep Space Food Challenge is necessary.Special thanks to our sponsors:American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Helix Space in Luxembourg, Celestis Memorial Spaceflights, Astrox Corporation, Dr. Haym Benaroya of Rutgers University, The Space Settlement Progress Blog by John Jossy, The Atlantis Project, and Artless EntertainmentWe use Zoom phone numbers for program participation.For real time program participation, email Dr. Space at: drspace@thespaceshow.com for instructions and access.The Space Show is a non-profit 501C3 through its parent, One Giant Leap Foundation, Inc. To donate via Pay Pal, use:To donate with Zelle, use the email address: david@onegiantleapfoundation.org.If you prefer donating with a check, please make the check payable to One Giant Leap Foundation and mail to:One Giant Leap Foundation, 11035 Lavender Hill Drive Ste. 160-306 Las Vegas, NV 89135Upcoming Programs:Sunday, June 21: No Program For Father's Day | Sunday 21 Jun 2026 1200PM PTGuests: Dr. David LivingstonNo program due to Father's Day Get full access to The Space Show-One Giant Leap Foundation at doctorspace.substack.com/subscribe

In this video, Maureen Conway — a vice president of the Aspen Institute and executive director of the Institute's Economic Opportunities Program — speaks with Steven Hill — a fellow with the Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing and author of the book, “Expand Social Security Now.”This video comes from the 2026 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum, which took place June 2-3, 2026, in Washington DC and online.For more information about this session, including a transcript, speaker bios, and additional resources, visit our website.For additional content from the Forum, visit our main event page.To view more sessions and event highlights, subscribe to our YouTube channel.Or subscribe to our podcast and listen on the go.About this event:The Employee Ownership Ideas Forum is an annual event hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing at Rutgers University.The Forum convenes participants — including members of Congress, congressional staff, administration officials, employee owners, investors, lenders, researchers, practitioners, and policy experts — around the shared, bipartisan goal of increasing broad-based employee ownership and providing workers and communities with the opportunity to own their share of America's prosperity and future.The Forum highlights innovative policies and practices, features firsthand experiences and perspectives of employee owners, and fosters dialogue and engagement to drive concrete actions toward expanding employee ownership.We are grateful to our Forum Champions — the Ford Foundation, Prudential Financial, the Sorenson Impact Foundation, JPMorganChase, and EO Equals — for their principal support of the Forum. We also thank McKinsey & Company, a Forum Ally, for its generous contribution.As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Aspen Institute is nonpartisan and does not endorse, support, or oppose political candidates or parties. To the extent elected officials are in attendance, they are attending and speaking in their official capacity and not as a political candidate. Further, the views and opinions of our guests and speakers do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute or of Rutgers University.

The Space Show Presents Andrew Rush of Star Catcher, Friday, 6-1926Quick Summary:This Space Show program featured Andrew Rush, CEO of Star Catcher, discussing their development of an orbital energy grid using power beaming technology. Andrew explained how his network of satellites would collect solar energy and transmit it via laser beams to client satellites in low Earth orbit, enabling them to deliver significantly more power without requiring larger solar arrays or changes to the satellites' orientation. The technology aims to address power constraints in space by delivering up to 100 kilowatts per power node, with plans to provide commercial service by the end of the decade. The discussion covered potential applications including orbital data centers, lunar power distribution, and extending the operational life of existing satellites, with Andrew noting they had raised $65 million in Series A funding and were actively hiring.Andrew Rush, CEO of Star Catcher, discussed the company's efforts to create the first orbital energy grid through power beaming satellites. He explained that Star Catcher has developed a network of power beaming satellites using solar concentrators and multi-wavelength laser systems to deliver additional power to client satellites in low Earth orbit. Andrew reported significant progress, including over 40 letters of intent signed and 6-7 power purchase agreements, demonstrating strong market demand for the technology. He clarified that while each power node can deliver about 100 kilowatts of energy, the system is designed for one-to-many architecture with multiple beams, and as a U.S. company, they remain subject to ITAR regulations.Andrew explained that client satellites in the Star Catcher network don't need to change their orientation to receive power from the system's power nodes in low Earth orbit at 1500 kilometers altitude. He detailed how the power beaming uses near-infrared and visible wavelengths compatible with both silicon and gallium arsenide solar cells, with different requirements for each type of cell. Philip suggested using the infrastructure to help satellites escape the atmosphere more easily, potentially reducing launch costs, which Andrew acknowledged as a promising use case, particularly for electric propulsion systems.Special thanks to our sponsors:American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Helix Space in Luxembourg, Celestis Memorial Spaceflights, Astrox Corporation, Dr. Haym Benaroya of Rutgers University, The Space Settlement Progress Blog by John Jossy, The Atlantis Project, and Artless EntertainmentWe use Zoom phone numbers for program participation.For real time program participation, email Dr. Space at: drspace@thespaceshow.com for instructions and access.The Space Show is a non-profit 501C3 through its parent, One Giant Leap Foundation, Inc. To donate via Pay Pal, use:To donate with Zelle, use the email address: david@onegiantleapfoundation.org.If you prefer donating with a check, please make the check payable to One Giant Leap Foundation and mail to:One Giant Leap Foundation, 11035 Lavender Hill Drive Ste. 160-306 Las Vegas, NV 89135Upcoming Programs:Broadcast 4552: Zoom: Andrew Rush, CEO of Star Catcher | Friday 19 Jun 2026 930AM PTGuests: Andrew RushZoom: Andrew Rush, CEO of Star Catcher updates us with new developments. See https://www.star-catcher.comSunday, June 21: No Program For Father's Day | Sunday 21 Jun 2026 1200PM PTGuests: Dr. David LivingstonNo program due to Father's Day Get full access to The Space Show-One Giant Leap Foundation at doctorspace.substack.com/subscribe

In this video, Danny Massey — head of strategy and communications for Expanding ESOPs — speaks at the 2026 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum, which took place June 2-3, 2026, in Washington DC and online.For more information about this session, including a transcript, speaker bios, and additional resources, visit our website.For additional content from the Forum, visit our main event page.To view more sessions and event highlights, subscribe to our YouTube channel.Or subscribe to our podcast and listen on the go.About this event:The Employee Ownership Ideas Forum is an annual event hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing at Rutgers University.The Forum convenes participants — including members of Congress, congressional staff, administration officials, employee owners, investors, lenders, researchers, practitioners, and policy experts — around the shared, bipartisan goal of increasing broad-based employee ownership and providing workers and communities with the opportunity to own their share of America's prosperity and future.The Forum highlights innovative policies and practices, features firsthand experiences and perspectives of employee owners, and fosters dialogue and engagement to drive concrete actions toward expanding employee ownership.We are grateful to our Forum Champions — the Ford Foundation, Prudential Financial, the Sorenson Impact Foundation, JPMorganChase, and EO Equals — for their principal support of the Forum. We also thank McKinsey & Company, a Forum Ally, for its generous contribution.As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Aspen Institute is nonpartisan and does not endorse, support, or oppose political candidates or parties. To the extent elected officials are in attendance, they are attending and speaking in their official capacity and not as a political candidate. Further, the views and opinions of our guests and speakers do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute or of Rutgers University.

The League Episode #50 – Show Notes In this episode of The League, Benoy Thanjan and David Magid break down the latest clean energy trends. They discuss litigation surrounding alleged battery leaks in Suffolk County, the revocation of a permit for a major Ohio solar project, and the growing regulatory risks confronting developers. They also explore why data centers, warehouses, and other large energy users are increasingly adopting behind-the-meter solar and storage as grid constraints and interconnection delays make access to reliable power a critical business issue. The episode concludes with a major industry milestone: solar generated more U.S. electricity than coal in May 2026. Benoy and David explain why pairing solar with battery storage can make renewable power more valuable, flexible, and responsive to periods of peak demand.   Host Bio: Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Rene Down down down down downu Energy, solar developer and consulting firm, and a strategic advisor to multiple cleantech startups. Over his career, Benoy has developed over 100 MWs of solar projects across the U.S., helped launch the first residential solar tax equity funds at Tesla, and brokered $45 million in Renewable Energy Credits (“REC”) transactions. Prior to founding Reneu Energy, Benoy was the Environmental Commodities Trader in Tesla's Project Finance Group, where he managed one of the largest environmental commodities portfolios. He originated REC trades and co-developed a monetization and hedging strategy with senior leadership to enter the East Coast market.  As Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners, Benoy crafted project finance solutions for commercial-scale solar portfolios. His role at Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund with 125 MWs of U.S. renewable assets, involved evaluating investment opportunities and maximizing returns. He also played a key role in the sale of the firm's renewable portfolio. Earlier in his career, Benoy worked in Energy Structured Finance at Deloitte & Touche and Financial Advisory Services at Ernst & Young, following an internship on the trading floor at D.E. Shaw & Co., a multi billion dollar hedge fund. Benoy holds an MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from NYU Stern, where he was an Alumni Scholar. Connect with Benoy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benoythanjan/ Learn more:  https://reneuenergy.com https://www.solarmaverickpodcast.com   Host Bio: David Magid David Magid is a seasoned renewable energy executive with deep expertise in solar development, financing, and operations. He has worked across the clean energy value chain, leading teams that deliver distributed generation and community solar projects. David is widely recognized for his strategic insights on interconnection, market economics, and policy trends shaping the U.S. solar industry. Connect with David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmagid/ If you have any questions or comments, you can email us at info@reneuenergy.com.   Please provide 5 star reviews      If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review and share the Solar Maverick Podcast so more people can learn how to accelerate the clean energy transition.    Reneu Energy Reneu Energy provides expert consulting across solar and storage project development, financing, energy strategy, and environmental commodities. Our team helps clients originate, structure, and execute opportunities in community solar, C&I, utility-scale, and renewable energy credit markets. Email us at info@reneuenergy.com to learn more.      

In this episode of the Flex Diet Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Sara Campbell, Ph.D., Associate Professor at Rutgers University, for a conversation about the bidirectional relationship between exercise and the gut microbiome. Dr. Sara Campbell returns to discuss her lab's cutting-edge research on the bidirectional relationship between exercise and the gut microbiome — including why consumer gut tests oversimplify a complex ecosystem, how antibiotics devastate exercise capacity in animal models, and why single-microbe probiotics miss the bigger picture of functional guilds. She also shares new findings on short-chain fatty acids, amino acid metabolomics after antibiotic treatment, and the emerging neuromuscular junction hypothesis. In this episode you'll learn: Why consumer gut microbiome tests are misleading and what functional guilds tell us instead How antibiotics devastate exercise capacity and the surprising metabolomic changes they cause The current evidence on probiotics for exercise performance and why single strains fall short What short-chain fatty acids do for gut health and exercise, and the emerging neuromuscular junction hypothesis Find Sara here:Rutgers Faculty Page Google Scholar: Sara Chelland Campbell --- The Flex Diet Podcast is brought to you by the Flex Diet Certification. Learn more at miketnelson.com Get the Daily Fitness Insider newsletter (free): https://www.miketnelson.com/newsletter

A narrowing field of vision became the very thing that sharpened Michael Ison's purpose. In this conversation, I talk with author, ghostwriter, and educator Michael Ison about growing up in a large Appalachian family, living with retinitis pigmentosa, and learning how to prepare for a future with less sight but more determination. Michael shares how watching his father struggle with blindness shaped his own approach to vision loss, why acceptance matters more than denial, and how a white cane transformed his independence. We also explore the power of storytelling, the value of education around blindness, and how writing memoirs helps people connect with the human experience. Michael's honesty, humility, and willingness to learn offer a powerful reminder that fear doesn't have to define the path ahead. Highlights: 01:33 - Growing up in Appalachia shaped Michael's work ethic and resilience. 08:14 - A return visit to Kentucky revealed the power of kindness and community. 20:02 - Accepting vision loss early makes adaptation easier and more effective. 26:51 - Using a white cane increased both independence and confidence. 46:09 - Fear became motivation to prepare for life with less vision. 56:46 - Ghostwriting allows powerful stories to reach and inspire others. About the Guest: As the ninth child of two hillbillies from the hollers of Appalachia, Michael fell in love with the overcomer's story. His parents, Elijah and Jōssie Ison, attended school until eighth grade and then dropped out to make ends meet. Leaving the mountains behind for the hard-pressed pavement of Detroit, they bootstrapped it through life and raised ten children of their own accord. By the time Michael was born, their endemic poverty had been overcome by their upward ascent. They carved out a typical, middle-class living, despite their indigent roots and proclivity for reproduction. From their rags-to-regular story, Michael learned that we all don't get a head start, but we all must start to get ahead. Elijah carved a niche in Michael's psyche through his storytelling, as did Jōssie through her never-say-die loyalty. As a pillar in the church, Elijah often taught Bible stories with a giftedness that kept the members captivated. He specialized in teaching the younger generations. At home, he spoke of Dynamite Red's lore—a feisty, red-haired child who created mischief like others left footprints—and Elijah spun those cautionary tales, magically keeping his children in stitches. Dynamite's imaginary legacy lived on, even after Elijah passed, but beyond the stories and Elijah's life, held fast the undying love of Elijah's dear wife. Jōssie demonstrated a capacity for love that outlasted the sun. Despite her children's tireless shenanigans or her husband's long-time dementia, her undying hope for them never burned out. She encouraged others through deeds, but not words, and wherever she went, she left a treasure trail of benevolence that whispered, “You can always come home, and you can count on me to never leave.” Those characteristics never let Michael go.   During his childhood, Michael gained an insatiable interest in sports and stories. His favorite comic strip, Peanuts, combined both loves. He identified with Charlie Brown, who, though he was a stupendously horrible athlete, was an indomitable character. Michael, on the other hand, performed superbly in athletics. During his senior year of basketball, even though he attended one of the smallest high schools in Ohio and his team lost every game, he somehow got cut from the team and watched from the bleachers. Despite that minor setback, like Good Old Charlie Brown, Michael forged ahead, determined to write a success story. At a tiny college in Nashville, Tennessee, he studied English and Bible and completed his four-year degree in merely eleven. After that, he continued working in the distribution industry while becoming a single father of three. Then, he achieved a dream. For nearly two decades, he'd set his sights on teaching English Language Arts, and in the fall of 2013, he began his second career at Northwest High School in Justin, Texas, finally hitting the bullseye. In the summer of 2016, another dream came true. Michael completed his first novel, Granted, and told the story of a man's search for redemption. After self-publishing that novel, a colleague asked if he'd consider ghostwriting. Devoid of failure's shortsightedness, Michael gave it a shot: The worst thing he could do was miss. Ten books later, Michael considers ghostwriting a success, for more than one reason. Not only does he tell stories, but he also captures others' visions despite his blindness. That's the plot twist. In 2006, Michael was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, and that loss inspired him. He returned to college. He finished his degree. He became a teacher. His eyesight waned. Accepting the challenge to ghostwrite was another step in that direction. As was leaving education and becoming a full-time entrepreneur. Each step Michael took proved to himself and others that adversity is an opportunity in disguise. Even the thirty thousand steps he took running a marathon. Sometimes, those with no vision have the best perspective. Michael has authored/coauthored twelve books, spoken internationally, and works with educators and leaders, positioning their experiences to promote powerful life changes. As an indispensable thought partner, he helps clients discover the presence that makes breakthroughs in their lives and yours. That story is not finished. Ways to connect with Michael: www.linkedin.com/in/michael-ison-a43a0023a https://michaeldaleison.com About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes:

Due to bandwidth issues, there is no Zoom video for this program. The audio is being archived here and on The Space Show website for this date, www.thespaceshow.com.The Space Show Present Manuel Cuba with The Space Show Team for a general discussion, Sunday, 6-14-26Meeting Summary:The meeting was a space show discussion hosted by David Livingston, with participants including Manuel, Philip, GuySchumann, Marshall, John Jossy, and Sherry. The main guest Cesar from Peru was expected to join but experienced technical difficulties connecting from the airport, so the group decided to reschedule his full interview. The participants discussed various space-related topics including SpaceX's recent IPO, the government's UAP document release, ISDC conference experiences, and NASA's Artemis III crew selection. GuySchumann provided updates on his work in drought mitigation using space-based predictive analytics, while the group also shared insights about recent space conferences and debated whether crew weight and mass considerations might factor into lunar mission planning.Detailed SummaryManuel shared his positive experience attending AIAA in Washington D.C., describing it as worth every penny despite the high cost. The group discussed the potential duration of an upcoming show, with Manuel indicating it should be between 60 and 90 minutes and mentioning that Caesar would have significant content to share. The conversation briefly touched on SpaceX's recent IPO and the mixed opinions from the financial community regarding its economic prospects and future quarterly reporting requirements.The group discussed David's having seen the Spielberg movie, “Disclosure Day,” which explores the concept of “Disclosure Day” regarding extraterrestrials. David reviewed the movie positively, noting it features good acting and innovative storytelling, though he personally doesn't share Spielberg's precise views on extraterrestrials nor how disclosure day will take place, assuming it ever does take place. .Guy Schumann discussed a follow-up conversation with Chris Bures from his last program appearance with us when a listener from Las Vegas, Chris, engaged him and his company about water supply and drought issues in Nevada and the west, where Chris had offered to connect him with municipal and state contacts but the response status remained unclear. Guy explained that while they don't currently have direct municipal contacts in Las Vegas, they partner with a Florida-based company to provide flood modeling and risk assessments for counties in the US, though this partnership is currently focused on Florida rather than the Western states. Marshall raised concerns about weather pattern challenges in Oklahoma, specifically the need to manage both drought and sudden heavy rainfall during harvest season, which Guy acknowledged as a widespread issue affecting both European and US agriculture.The group discussed challenges in predicting and preparing for extreme weather events, with GuySchumann highlighting the difficulty of predicting short-acting events and staying within community budgets. Marshall shared that his brother-in-law could significantly increase crop output with just four months of weather prediction, leading to a discussion about seasonal forecasting improvements enabled by AI and space data. GuySchumann described the rapid technological development in extreme weather prediction over the past five years, noting that progress has accelerated to the point where conferences are overwhelming due to the pace of innovation.The Wisdom Team discussed SpaceX's recent IPO, with Philip noting that many retail investors are making long-term bets on space exploration rather than seeking immediate returns. Marshall expressed caution about buying shares until next week, while David mentioned plans to purchase shares for his trust to benefit his children. Manuel recommended reading Robert Zimmerman's blog post about the IPO, though David thought Zimmerman was overly optimistic. John Jossy observed that space stocks were down on Friday, with some speculation that investors were selling other space companies to buy SpaceX shares.We talked at length about SpaceX's IPO and Elon Musk's public approach to his companies. GuySchumann shared his perspective on Musk's vision for space exploration and how it could inspire public investment, comparing it to the excitement around early personal computers. The discussion touched on how Musk's public persona and rhetoric might change due to SEC oversight, with GuySchumann suggesting he would be more careful out of a sense of responsibility to shareholders. The conversation also covered the regulatory challenges Musk would face as a public company CEO and the potential for litigation, while Marshall noted that Shotwell appears to be the next person in line for leadership at SpaceX.Phil reported that his presentation about moon-based data centers went well at ISDC, with good audience engagement and questions. He also mentioned other notable speakers including David Dillon from Electromagnetic Launch who discussed quench gun technology, and presentations about Venus colonization and biological methods for making structural components in space. David expressed frustration about Blue Origin's reluctance to participate in his show, noting that the company prefers controlled environments where they can restrict discussion topics rather than facing an unpredictable audience.The group discussed keynotes from a recent space conference, including presentations by Harrison Schmidt, Lindy Tompkins, and Bill Diamond of SETI. Manuel shared insights from his attendance at the conference, where he met with Space Tango and a South Korean pharmaceutical company to explore low Earth orbit life sciences facilities and potential research opportunities with the Department of War. The participants also briefly discussed the recent U.S. government's UAP document release, noting that while it generated some media attention, it didn't receive widespread public focus.The group discussed the upcoming Spacecom conference in January in Florida, which Manuel found interesting due to its focus on satellite communication and launch systems. They also discussed the timing of the next SpaceX Starship test flight, which is targeted for July 2026, with speculation about whether it might coincide with the July 4th holiday. The conversation then shifted to discussing Keith Cowling, who received a Pioneer Award from NSS despite controversy, and the upcoming NSS elections where several space show personalities are running for positions.The team mentioned NASA's selection of an all-male crew for the Artemis III mission, with Phil proposing a theory that the heavier male astronauts were chosen for this low-orbit mission to maximize payload capacity, while future missions might favor lighter crew members including women. The discussion included technical considerations about weight, oxygen consumption, and space requirements for astronauts, with David sharing insights from his scuba diving experience about how weight and gender can affect mission planning. The conversation ended with plans to reschedule Cesar's interview.Special thanks to our sponsors:American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Helix Space in Luxembourg, Celestis Memorial Spaceflights, Astrox Corporation, Dr. Haym Benaroya of Rutgers University, The Space Settlement Progress Blog by John Jossy, The Atlantis Project, and Artless EntertainmentWe use Zoom phone numbers for program participation.For real time program participation, email Dr. Space at: drspace@thespaceshow.com for instructions and access.The Space Show is a non-profit 501C3 through its parent, One Giant Leap Foundation, Inc. To donate via Pay Pal, use:To donate with Zelle, use the email address: david@onegiantleapfoundation.org.If you prefer donating with a check, please make the check payable to One Giant Leap Foundation and mail to:One Giant Leap Foundation, 11035 Lavender Hill Drive Ste. 160-306 Las Vegas, NV 89135Upcoming Programs:Broadcast 4552: Zoom: Andrew Rush, CEO of Star Catcher | Friday 19 Jun 2026 930AM PTGuests: Andrew RushZoom: Andrew Rush, CEO of Star Catcher updates us with new developments. See https://www.star-catcher.comSunday, June 21: No Program For Father's Day | Sunday 21 Jun 2026 1200PM PTGuests: Dr. David LivingstonNo program due to Father's Day Get full access to The Space Show-One Giant Leap Foundation at doctorspace.substack.com/subscribe

A grand jury indicted 15 people Tuesday in connection to anti-ICE protests this winter.The charges include “conspiracy to impede or injure federal officers” and stalking. Federal prosecutors say these individuals are members of Direct Action Minnesota, which has ties to antifa — or anti-fascist — groups.To help us better understand what antifa is and what these charges mean, Minnesota Now spoke to Mark Bray. He's a history professor at Rutgers University and leading expert on antifa.

Matt Gebert is an Assistant Football Strength & Conditioning Coach at the University of Mississippi. Gebert joined the Ole Miss staff in 2026 after serving a similar position for football at Auburn University for the 2025 season. Prior to that he was an assistant director for football strength & conditioning at the University of Arizona from 2024-2025. Before Arizona Gebert logged stints at Indiana University (2023), Stanford (2020-2022), Florida International (2017-2020) and Purdue (2015-2017). Additionally, he garnered experience as an intern coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the 2014 season, at Columbia University in summer of 2013 and Rutgers University in spring of 2013. Gebert was also a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach on the staff at Minnesota University from 2013-2014. In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Gebert is currently completing his PhD in Sport Science from Liberty University. A former college football player at Western Connecticut State University from 2009-2013, Gebert is an avid lifter and still very active himself in the weight room.  Samson EquipmentSamson Equipment provides Professional Weight Room Solutions for all your S&C needs.Cerberus StrengthUse Code: STRENGTH_GAME at Cerberus-Strength.comSport KiltUse Code: TSG at SportKilt.comDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

The lessons that shape us often come from the places we never planned to go and the challenges we never expected to face. In this conversation, I speak with Eric Fisher about the experiences that shaped his approach to mental wellness, resilience, grief, and personal growth. Eric shares how martial arts taught him balance, self-control, and perseverance, and how those lessons now help him guide people through addiction recovery, relationship challenges, and life's hardest moments. We explore the realities of grief, the power of trust, the difference between inpatient and outpatient counseling, and why healing often begins with self-acceptance. Eric also discusses his books, including The Martial Art of Recovery and Buried Alive, revealing how personal experiences and family stories continue to shape his work. If you've ever faced loss, adversity, addiction, or the challenge of rebuilding after setbacks, I believe you will find both practical insights and encouragement in Eric's story. Highlights: 08:10 - Eric shares lessons learned from his FBI internship experience. 18:43 - A friend's crisis leads Eric and his wife to move to New Zealand. 23:38 - Martial arts becomes a foundation for recovery and mental wellness. 37:05 - Eric reflects on grief, loss, and the importance of support. 43:12 - Self-acceptance plays a critical role in addiction recovery. 50:26 - Couples learn to face problems together instead of against each other. About the Guest: Eric Fisher, a Canadian transplant, is a counselling therapist who resides in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Originally from Tennessee, he has over 15 years of experience working outpatient and inpatient treatment settings in the US and Canada. He has two books published at this time: The Martial Art of Recovery: Self-Mastery Practices to Subdue Addiction and Achieve Mental Wellness, and Buried Alive: Four Ways to Free Yourself from the Dirt. Eric is a master practitioner of Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) and is also trained in EyeMovement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), both of which are evidence-based treatments for trauma. Eric's private practice, Recovery Arts Counselling, serves individuals, couples, and families both locally and remotely. In the past, Eric has supervised masters-level graduate students and counsellors early in their careers. He has won multiple awards for his screenwriting: The Departure - official finalist in biographical/historical genre - 2014 Beverly Hills Screenplay Contest. Only 16 Miles - Finalist - 2014 Horror Screenplay Contest. Universal Escapade (Finalist - Top 25) - WeScreenplay International Screenplay Competition. Hipster Z (co-written) - best feature screenplay - 2017 Action On Film International Film Festival. Hipster Z - Best horror/comedy Screenplay - 2017 International Horror Hotel Film Fest. Additionally, Eric has a black belt in two martial arts styles: American Kenpo and Wadō-ryū. One interesting thing about Eric is that he had the opportunity to be an intern with the FBI -- twice. Eric enjoys hiking and riding his bike outdoors, music concerts, tasting new food dishes to keep his taste buds guessing, travelling near and far, and meeting people. . Ways to connect with Eric: Website: https://www.recoveryartscounselling.com Linktree:  https://linktr.ee/ericfisherauthor  Instagram - @recoveryartscounselling - https://www.instagram.com/recoveryartscounselling/ @ericfisherwriter - https://www.instagram.com/ericfisherwriter Linkedin - Eric Fisher - www.linkedin.com/in/eric-m-fisher-5b83724a Facebook - Recovery Arts Counselling - https://www.facebook.com/RecoveryArtsCounselling About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson  00:03 One of the biggest things holding you back isn't what's in front of you, but rather what you believe. Welcome to Unstoppable Mindset, where inclusion, diversity, and the unexpected meet. I'm your host, Michael Hingson, speaker, author, and advocate for inclusion and possibilities. This podcast explores how the beliefs we carry shape the way we live, lead, and connect with others. Each week, I talk with people who challenge assumptions, face adversity head on, and show what's possible when we choose curiosity over fear. Together we focus on mindset, resilience, and the small shifts that lead to meaningful change. Let's get started. Well, hello there, everyone. I am your host Michael Hinkson, and you have found the Unstoppable Mindset Podcast. Today, we get to chat with Eric Fisher, who is a rather interesting person. I believe he's a counseling therapist, he's a transplant, he now lives in Calgary, but he used to live in Tennessee, very similar. I'm sure we'll have to find out more about that, but I'm really glad that that you're here with us. Eric, welcome to Unstoppable Mindset. Eric Fisher  01:29 Yes, thank you for having me on, Michael. I appreciate it. Glad to be here. Michael Hingson  01:32 Well, I'm going to have to ask, how did you get from Tennessee to Calgary, besides by Claire? But you know, but Speaker 1  01:41 it's a bit to make a long story short. The wife, you know, yeah, she's from Calgary originally, so I surrendered up here. Michael Hingson  01:52 Yeah, well, is there a backstory that you want to tell? Speaker 1  01:57 You know, the quick version would be from Mississippi to New Zealand to Calgary, and that was over a span of, you know, two and a half years, and then finally to Calgary. After those other two places, was she Michael Hingson  02:10 with you during all of those? Mississippi, New Zealand, and then Calgary. Speaker 1  02:14 She was for the long haul. Yeah, yeah, she's experienced humidity and the dryness, all the extremes. Michael Hingson  02:24 When we moved to New Jersey in 1996 my wife didn't really want to go. She was a California native, but it was where the job had to take me, and it was either that or go find a new job, and I really didn't want to undertake a job search, because that's pretty traumatic. So, especially if you happen to be blind, because people think blind people really can't do stuff, and that's why the unemployment rate among employable blind people is in the 70% range. So the bottom line is that we moved to New Jersey, we were there for six years, and then of course the World Trade Center happened, which is kind of a dramatic way to allow us to get back to California, but it worked, so here we are. Speaker 1  03:05 Yeah, that is a lot of different places, and it's unfortunate with that percentage, right? Michael Hingson  03:10 Yeah, well, and she passed. She was in a wheelchair her whole life, and she passed in November of 2022 We were married 40 years, and I'm sure she's monitoring me from somewhere, so I work on continuing to be a good kid, because if I'm not, I'm going to hear about it somehow, Speaker 1  03:27 one way or another. There's, there's still some surveillance happening. There Michael Hingson  03:31 is, I am absolutely sure of it. Well, tell us kind of about the early era growing up, and all that. Speaker 1  03:37 Grew up in Arkansas, yeah, Newport, Arkansas, you know, grew up behind a Walmart in a small subdivision, and moved to Tennessee at an early age. I was around five years old, going over, going on six at the time, I believe, and so I understand what it means to kind of get uprooted from somewhere and place somewhere else, and my dad was in the medical profession, so that's the reason that we moved, and so that's a little bit about that. My mom's family is from Kansas City, so I really did enjoy going up to the city there and being with my mom's family during holiday seasons. That was really my only exposure to, like, a city, like an urban population, more than what I experienced anywhere else. So, and yeah, got one brother, played with him a lot, and a lot of it was being creative outside, getting outside and doing stuff, and having fun outside, you know, little bit different from a lot of kids today, perhaps. Michael Hingson  04:44 Yeah, well, it's also a lot scarier, I think, today, even though there's a lot of value in being outside. There are just so many crazy things going on. It's got to be scarier for kids, and certainly even more scary for parents, and they tend. To want to really monitor their, their children a lot more, and that's got us pluses, minuses, but it still has got to be really scary to let them just go outside. Speaker 1  05:09 Yeah, just, you know, looking at what's on the news and the possibilities of what could happen. Michael Hingson  05:16 Yeah, so where did you, or did you go to college? I assume you went to college. Speaker 1  05:22 I did. Yeah, I went to a small private Christian university in Tennessee called Freed Hardiman, and you know it was interesting because there's this whole thing about townies versus us being called freedies because of Freed Hardman. The course, the joke is, you know, free hardly because of the expense of going to the institution. Yeah. Michael Hingson  05:48 Well, with your experience and your observation in life, what do you think about going to a small college as opposed to a larger college? Speaker 1  05:55 I really enjoyed it, being from a rural area. I mean, it was a good transition for me, and just getting to know people I feel like might have been easier in a more rural setting, as opposed to urban. Michael Hingson  06:10 I went to University of California, Irvine, way back, starting in 1968 and when we started at UCI, there were like 25 2600 students, and I think when I graduated with my bachelor's, it was like a little over 3000 students, but I loved the fact that it was a smaller college. I think it was for me a lot better, and I, I really like the smaller college environment, and I understand why colleges have advantages when they're bigger, but by the same token, for students, if you want to really stand out, it's kind of harder to do with a big college. Well, and now University of California, Irvine, where I went to school, has 32,000 undergrads in it, Speaker 1  06:52 32,000 as opposed to the around, that's a huge jump from like 25 2600 yeah, Michael Hingson  07:00 yeah, and so it's, it's a huge place. I was there last a year and a half ago. I was invited to join. I couldn't do it as an as a student because the chapter was formed just as I was leaving, but Phi Beta Kappa, and they heard about me along the way, and I was invited to join as an alumni member back in 2024 So that's the last time I've been to UC Irvine. What a huge place! Speaker 1  07:29 Wow, yeah. Of course, UC Michael Hingson  07:30 Irvine, UCI really stands for Under Construction Indefinitely, so you know Speaker 1  07:38 they make that, they made that kind of humorous remark up here, with like winter and construction, that's the two seasons of Calgary. Yes, I totally get that. Michael Hingson  07:47 My brother-in-law lives in Sun Valley, Idaho, in Ketchum, and has been a skier for most of his life, and in the summer he's a master cabinet maker. Now he's a general contractor, but he's thinking about retiring, but in the winter everything goes by the wayside for skiing, Speaker 1  08:10 everyone's out on the slopes, you know. Well, and what he did Michael Hingson  08:12 to even make it more fun is he got his professional ski guide status in Europe and became a professional ski guide, taking people to do off-piece skiing in the French Alps, which is, Speaker 1  08:25 that's really nice, awesome. Michael Hingson  08:28 I love to, I love to say that I'm not gonna go skiing, because I know those trees are out to try to get me. Speaker 1  08:35 They start to grow their branches, you know? They just spring Michael Hingson  08:38 out at you when you're not looking. Speaker 1  08:40 Yes, I just.. Michael Hingson  08:42 I've never skied. I don't have anything against it. It's just not one of those things that I've done, but he enjoys it, and I'm sure it's a lot of fun to do. Speaker 1  08:51 Yeah, I can appreciate people that do. Michael Hingson  08:53 Yeah. Well, what did you do after college? Well, you got your undergrad, then you went on. Speaker 1  08:58 Yeah, so after my undergrad, I stayed at the university, and you know, I had a bachelor's in psych, and I was like, well, what do I do with this degree? And so I decided to move forward, since I didn't see too much availability, and did a master's in clinical mental health counseling, and during that time of my master's, I was able to intern with the FBI, which was a great opportunity. Michael Hingson  09:25 What caused you to do that? Speaker 1  09:28 I found, I mean, part of it was just a lot of curiosity, and of course, watching a lot of media and the work that they do. Yet I also found the possibility of implementing the psychology from a law enforcement angle on a federal level with this, so I did interning in my bachelor's FBI, that was really nice at a local office, and then later on in my master's at the FBI headquarters in DC, and just really interested in just the field and this the different. Psychological opportunities, Michael Hingson  10:02 you didn't stick with it, though. Or Speaker 1  10:05 I did the internships, I did the agent exam, and failed. Oh boy, just kind of had my time with it, and then moved on. It was a great experience. Michael Hingson  10:16 What you learned from it, the Speaker 1  10:19 importance of teamwork, the importance of community, the importance of intention to detail, and I can't say how I came to those, because then I have to bring up certain things that I can't talk about, but yeah, just the importance of being able to work with other people from other walks of life, and just seeing everyone's different perspectives is something that I learned, coming from, you know, small town, quite homogeneous, small university, and then being able to meet people from different parts of the country, even different territories, like Wall, it was, it was amazing to branch out and just have that life experience, Michael Hingson  11:06 get a lot of different experiences, and you saw how people in other parts of the world live, which obviously has to be an interesting perspective. Speaker 1  11:18 Yes, yes, it was really interesting, and just seeing how they think and their outlook on the world, and I had to take a polygraph examination for both internships, so the importance of honesty, and not that I didn't think honesty was important before, but definitely when you're under the microscope of being asked yes or no questions, it's an interesting experience. Michael Hingson  11:40 Yeah, well, I guess you must have passed the lie detector test. They didn't throw you away or put you in jail. Speaker 1  11:48 That's right. Neither of those happened. I did have one question asked of me that was a little bit ambiguous. It was coming up that I deceived. It's something that happened earlier in the day, and then they asked me about it, and then I said something that was not the truth, and then I explained the reasoning as to why. And then the agent was like, okay, thanks for letting me know, it's all good. It's like, okay, that's good. Michael Hingson  12:21 Yeah, they have to be pretty skilled interrogators to really be able to do that, and, and ask questions, and I, and I know no matter what's going on with the lie detector technology, they're observing you as well, so they're looking for things, and I suppose it's possible to fool the lie detector technology, but I know that it continues to get better too. Speaker 1  12:45 Yeah, and wondering if that's because, like, people are sociopaths, or they don't have any - they actually believe what they're saying. Yeah, yeah, Michael Hingson  12:54 I've never taken lie detector tests, but I know that for me, I'm not a good fibber, so I've got to tell the truth, and like I said, my wife's watching anyway, so I gotta always be a good kid. Speaker 1  13:06 If you were taking a lie detector test knuckle and you said something, you might get an invisible slap, like, oh, Michael Hingson  13:12 exactly, Speaker 2  13:13 okay, I get it, or Michael Hingson  13:16 a poke or something. Yeah, yeah, no. So, better, better to just be honest about it, but yeah, I understand what you're saying, but it is, it is fascinating. I'd love to experience taking a test sometime, but because I only understand all about it intellectually, having never seen it on television or anything like that, but by the same token, I'm glad that the technology exists, and I'm glad that the people do what they do, and I, I too very much believe in law enforcement. I believe in the value of the FBI and police, and so on. I took a couple of police-oriented courses when I was at UC Irvine. We had an engineering professor who was a reserve deputy sheriff, so we, we got to do ride-alongs, and even went down and visited the Orange County Jail once, and you know, because he, he said it all, so it's kind of fun to be able to do it, and I learned a lot and value that. Speaker 1  14:19 That's awesome. I'm glad you had that experience. Michael Hingson  14:21 Yeah, I think it's kind of cool to be able to have had that. So, you got a master's degree? Did you get a PhD? Speaker 1  14:29 No, you know, I was encouraged to do so, to pilot higher and deeper, as the PhD acronym goes. Yeah, and I just, I decided to not go that route. Michael Hingson  14:40 So, what did you do after you got your master's? Speaker 1  14:43 After the master's, I started to do well. I was doing my practicum during the master's, yet after the master's, I started to work primarily where I did my practicum in Mississippi and started actually doing counseling work. So I was doing what's called a mobile therapist. For this organization, where I would go to people's houses and speak with people, do counseling work, which was pretty cool. I got to be out in the community, meet a lot of folks, made confidentiality sometimes a little bit of a challenge, small town. And then two days a week I was in the office, doing whoever came in through the clinic, so I was in the, I was in the work, I was in the grind, just doing what I had been trained to do. Definitely learning on the job, though, for sure. Michael Hingson  15:27 Where in Mississippi, Speaker 1  15:29 Corinth, Mississippi, which is like right at the state line. Yeah, they actually have a road called State Line Road, where houses on one side, North or Tennessee houses on the other side have Mississippi license plates. Michael Hingson  15:45 That's pretty funny. In New Jersey, when we lived there, there were a number of streets in towns that had a very interesting environment, and that is that every town had its own tax base. There wasn't a statewide thing for property taxes and everything else, or for a lot of taxes, so every town had its own, and you could be on a street where someone may pay 1213, $14,000 a year in taxes, and if you lived on the other side of the street, you were in a different town, and your taxes were like 4800 $5,000 Speaker 1  16:24 Whoa, no, Michael Hingson  16:26 it's crazy. Speaker 1  16:27 That is a sheer difference. Michael Hingson  16:30 It is a huge difference, and the other thing that that we experienced is that a lot of the the work is done by lawyers when you're closing a house, for example. Back there, they didn't really have escrow, was all done through attorneys, and so on. And some of those people were involved in the tax stuff as well. It's kind of a very fascinating and interesting place to be, certainly different than what we experienced in California. Speaker 1  16:57 Yes, that sounds like a very, very different type of experience, for sure. Wow, wow. Okay, Michael Hingson  17:04 but you know things happen. Well, so you, you started doing counseling and therapy, and as you said, and I can appreciate how it must have been difficult sometimes from a confidentiality standpoint, because it is a small town and people overhear or talk about, and that's not always a good thing. Speaker 1  17:24 Yeah, you know, things like that come up. You know, you hear the whispers, and one time I was actually trying to find a place in a lower-income part of town, and I was doing circles in the neighborhood, and a police cruiser started to follow me, and so I stopped my car, got out with my credentials, towed the towed the police officer who I worked for, and then he was just kind of like, oh, okay, carry on. So, did Michael Hingson  17:46 you ask him for directions? Speaker 1  17:49 You know what, I did not know, like that would have made sense. I'm trying to look at find this house, never. Oh, over there, sir? Okay, but no, I did not. Michael Hingson  18:05 So, how long were you in Mississippi? Then Speaker 1  18:09 I was in Mississippi from around 2009 to 2013 I want to say, we left. We left for New Zealand for the whole year 2013 so no, 2012 sorry, the end of 2012 so about three and a half, three or so years. Okay, yeah. How did you Michael Hingson  18:33 meet your wife in all this Speaker 1  18:34 online? Yeah, back when it was clandestine, like you met somebody online, are they an ax murderer? Can you trust them? Do you need to get references, which she did. Yeah, yeah. And we checked you out, huh? She checked me out for sure. She even called people that I gave references for. And then we courted for two and a half years. And then after that, tied the knot in Tennessee, moved to Mississippi. Well, she moved to Mississippi, where I was already living, and yeah, we were there until we went to New Zealand about 10 months later. Michael Hingson  19:06 So she was living in Tennessee at the time, Speaker 1  19:09 she was up here in Calgary, or she was in Calgary. Michael Hingson  19:12 Okay, Speaker 1  19:12 we, we got married in Tennessee, Michael Hingson  19:14 okay. Well, that's that's cool though. What, what prompted the trip and moving to New Zealand for a year, I've been there, and I actually spent three weeks there, and very much enjoy it. Speaker 1  19:28 Whereabouts? Well, I wanted to ask, all over New Michael Hingson  19:30 Zealand, I mean, I was there with the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind. They asked me to come and speak in 2003 talk about September 11, and so on, and they were trying to raise funds, so we helped them raise something like over $375,000 in a three week period, and literally I had 21 speaking events in 13 days all over both islands. Speaker 1  19:55 Wow, that's that's a, that's a lot of speaking events, and a certain amount of days. Days you've been, you probably been close more than I've been, more places than I've been. So, what, what prompted the move was a friend of mine I had made previously being there. He reached out to me through just electronic media. He was having a spiritual emergency, and he asked me, he asked me to come to come help him, and so I just said, "Sure, let's do it. My wife and I left the rental unit, the rental house where we were staying, and left furniture behind, two cars behind, appliances, and we just, just left him, or there for 13 months, didn't look, didn't look back. Michael Hingson  20:45 Did you spend any time in Dunedin while you were there? Speaker 1  20:49 We didn't spend any time in Dunedin. We weren't only there for like a week when we did some vacation time. Michael Hingson  20:57 Yeah, I, they gave me literally a half, three quarters of a day off from speaking. In fact, they said you can play in Dunedin, and so we were there, and it was one, I guess, was a one full day. They had some unique toys to play with in New Zealand. They had a thing called a bungee rocket. Have you ever heard of that? Speaker 1  21:22 A bungee rocket. No. So, Michael Hingson  21:24 you know what bungee cords are, and you stretch them out and all that. Well, the bungee rocket, you attach bungee cords to this platform, this cage, but the bungee cords are attached to a device way up high, and then they're also attached to this plat, this cage, then they pull the cage down, and they fasten it, so the bungee cords are very stretched, and then people get in, and they sit down, and they fasten seat belts, and then when everybody's all secure, they loose the platform, and the bungee cords pull this thing up like a rocket. Speaker 1  22:01 Whoa, yeah. I wasn't about to do that. I was with someone who Michael Hingson  22:05 did, and he came off apparently as white as a sheet. He said, "I'm never gonna do that. Speaker 1  22:10 It was a one and done experience for him. It was Michael Hingson  22:16 for me. It was, "I'm not gonna do that, brother. And I had my guide dog, and somebody would have held the dog, but I wouldn't do that. I have other memories, which are more fun, I think, and probably for me more pleasurable. Speaker 1  22:31 Yeah, one of the things we did down on the South Island was some knife making, and it was really.. it was something I surprised my family with. They didn't know we were doing that day, and this guy was hilarious. I mean, something straight out of a documentary about New Zealand, as far as, like, locals, you would see he had a witty sense of humor, and he would, he would like, finish off the knives for us after we did the preliminary steps, just to make them look nice. Yeah, that was one of my favorite memories down there. Michael Hingson  23:00 Wow, yeah, I've, I've got a lot of memories, even though it was back in 2003 so 22 years, 22 and a half years, but I love the memories, and love being down there was a wonderful place, Speaker 1  23:13 awesome, so that was pretty cool. Well, so you, you came back, and, and you eventually ended up in, in Calgary, which is, which is great. So, what do you do now? Got a few hands in a few honey jars. I have a private practice for the counseling. I work for a retreat center company out of a place called Brad Creek, called Vita Wellness. I work for a nonprofit up in a place called Erdrie as a consultant. I work for a clinic remotely that's in the city as an associate. Am I forgetting anything? I think that's the main ones right now. Also, work doing like couples therapy for a relationship-based app. Yeah, so that's a lot of people that are in the States, there. So, it's yeah, few things to keep me busy. Speaker 3  24:13 If you enjoy Unstoppable Mindset and would like to help us continue bringing these conversations to you each week, we've created a way for you to support the show. Your contribution helps us cover production costs and continue sharing stories, insights, and ideas that inspire people to live with purpose and possibility. If supporting the podcast feels right for you, you'll find the link in the show notes. Thank you for being part of the unstoppable mindset community, Michael Hingson  24:47 they do well. You also write Speaker 1  24:50 that as well. Yeah, Michael Hingson  24:52 you've written a couple of books, and I guess you've also done some screenwriting and all that, and love to hear more about all that. Tell. You bought your books. Speaker 1  25:01 Yeah, the first book that I published, self-published, and that was two years ago now. That was called, that is called The Martial Art of Recovery: Self Mastery Practices to Subdue Addiction and Achieve Mental Wellness. Say three times real fast. So, yeah, that book is all about the intersection of martial arts concepts with addiction and mental health treatment, so that has personal experiences, and my times in the martial arts, and also I just bring in like holistic health techniques, and also I get some interviews, some of them are a little bit shorter than others, but at least some some chunks from people that I know in different disciplines, different fields, like an old martial arts teacher, a medicine family medicine doctor here in the Calgary area, people like that. So that was that was about a 14 month writing experience before it was published. Michael Hingson  25:57 When was it published? Speaker 1  26:00 Back in March of 2023 Michael Hingson  26:05 Okay, not your first book. Speaker 1  26:07 Not that's my first book. Yes, Michael Hingson  26:09 yeah, Speaker 2  26:10 yeah. Michael Hingson  26:12 What do you, what do you think of being an author and the whole experience of writing? Speaker 1  26:19 There was not. there was a lack of faith, for sure. I had a really difficult time, even acknowledging, "Hey, this is something I could do. Had a lot of self-doubt, and so even the process I found pretty daunting, pretty, like pretty challenging, for sure. And I do enjoy the process. It's like a double helix, though. I, I enjoy it, yet it kind of puts the screws to me, as far as enjoyment, but also challenge, yet I do enjoy the experience and being able to get my voice out there, yet I listen to someone else talk about publishing, and the person said, you know what, when you publish it, now it's that person's turn to take it on and they can make it their own, Michael Hingson  27:04 yeah. Speaker 1  27:04 So I found that to be a really cool way to look at it. So yeah, and I enjoy it. It's been, it's been good, it's been fun. Michael Hingson  27:13 And then you wrote a second book, Speaker 1  27:15 I did. Yeah, that one's called Buried Alive: Four Ways to Free Yourself from the Dirt. It's a lot more personal, I think, because it is about a true story that happened to my dad, and something that was quite harrowing for him, which, yes, as the book title suggests, is what happened, and part of the book is about the interviews I did with the three men involved with this very scary incident back in February of 2000 so 25 years now, and talks about their different perspectives on what happened that day when they were digging for Native American artifacts, arrowheads, and I bring in some self-help concepts that apply to what happened that day, and also just for anyone that's looking to bring those into their own lives, Michael Hingson  28:03 what happened? Speaker 1  28:05 Yeah, so they were digging at what's called an overhang, which is like a cliff face that shuts out small little, I don't know if you would even call it a cave, but there was a place underneath the overhang that kind of came in anyway, when Native Americans would come to an area, they wouldn't ever bring dirt out, they would always bring dirt in, and so there was so much dirt that was piled up over the years that my dad and the people that were digging with him, I was there six months to the day before this incident happened, we would, we would have to dig, they would dig to get to their arrowheads that were quite far down underneath the dirt, Michael Hingson  28:46 yeah, Speaker 1  28:47 yeah, yeah, and so this unfortunate day, my dad was in a hole, probably I don't know, eight or nine feet, and a little dirt fell on him, and you know, he kind of joked with his friend Jason, who was further up this hall, and a few seconds later all that dirt just came in, just, just quickly, automatically. He was vanished without a trace, and then a big rock came down on that dirt. If it wasn't for that third person that decided to come that very morning, they did not come before. His name's Jerry. Then I'm sure that my dad would have died, Michael Hingson  29:25 because Speaker 1  29:25 there was no way that Jason, who also was stuck up to like his knee in dirt, could have got out in time to get the rock and then to unearth my dad. So, Michael Hingson  29:39 yeah, a fascinating book. Now, you, you self-published that one as well. Speaker 1  29:43 I did, didn't wait around, just went ahead, and yeah. Michael Hingson  29:49 Do you have other books in you? Speaker 1  29:51 I have one done. I needed to get it edited, and editorial reviews, and get my book cover designer over in Italy to do her magic. She did on the last two books, so yeah, I do have one in the, in the oven. Michael Hingson  30:05 Can you tell us a little about what it will be about, or what it's called, or anything? Speaker 1  30:08 Sure, the book right now is called I'm Listening, and it's all about my experiences, my pitfalls, my learnings as a therapist, and so it's a bit of a memoir of my professional work in the field, and some, some personal experiences. Michael Hingson  30:25 I think one of the most powerful things about books, especially when you're, when you're dealing with more nonfiction, because fiction books usually have stories with them, but a lot of nonfiction books don't really provide enough, I think, of a personal inroad to the individual who wrote the book. One of my big beliefs, one of my pet peeves, is I think textbooks are so boring, like physics. My master's degree is in physics, and I maintain that the big problem is that none of the physics professors who are writing all these books ever put anything in about their own personal experiences to really get people excited because of of their their stories and what they can teach through their stories. It's just all math and equations and and words, just about the physics, but never the other part. I think that textbooks would be better if they put some stories in them, Speaker 1  31:22 I think. So, too, I think people's eyes wouldn't come out of their sockets, and they wouldn't, you know, be comatose. You know, they can actually keep up, and they can be engaged and involved with the material. Yeah, Michael Hingson  31:35 I had a colleague when we were at UC Irvine. We were in the same physics class together, and he had this one book, and he noticed that there didn't seem to really be any typos or whatever in it, and he meticulously, through the whole quarter, went through that whole book, and I think he finally found one misspelled word, and he was so proud of both that there were there were no others other than the one, but that he found one misspelled word we do with our lives. Speaker 1  32:07 What people do sometimes for kicks. Well, I'm glad. I wonder where that word was. Like, did he go through the whole book, and it's like on the last page, or you know, where is that at? It was Michael Hingson  32:22 near the end, but it wasn't on the last page, but it was.. it was.. it took him a long time to find it. Speaker 1  32:29 I wanted to do that with my first book. I could have easily done a book about the intersection of martial arts themes with, you know, mental wellness, but I mean, why not? I mean, I had that experience for over four years in the martial arts. Why not do that? Michael Hingson  32:48 So, tell me about that. You've mentioned martial arts several times, so obviously you've had some involvement with martial arts. Speaker 1  32:54 I have. Yeah, so when I was a preteen, I got a black belt in what's called a Water Rule Karate, so it's like W A D O R Y U, and when I was a teenager, like 16 to 18, I was doing what's called American Campo, and that did have a little bit of Jiu Jitsu thrown into the mix, Michael Hingson  33:16 so what prompted the interest in doing that Speaker 1  33:20 first was my dad, you know, part of my family was interested, so the guy, why not? And I don't know at that time whether I was experiencing bullying. Unfortunately, I experienced bullying like going to church before church started, which was unfortunate, say. So I mean, I think it was just a really good experience for me, looking back for balance and discipline in that way, and getting to meet people in the community. I can't, I can't initially remember what prompted that. My dad was interested, my brother was too, so was I. And then when I was 16, I was like, let's pick it up, let's do something different, let's try something new, and so we were able to go to this really small outfit, which was called the Snake Pit at the time, very different from the more like larger dojo in the community from my early years. Michael Hingson  34:14 What has being involved with the martial arts done to help you or to you or for you in dealing with mental wellness and the whole issue of what you do today. How is martial arts affecting all of that? Speaker 1  34:35 Yeah, it's a really good question. Martial arts showed me the importance of balance when we're doing sparring, when we're doing more, so when we're doing training on techniques, I can't be too far away when I'm sparring someone, because then it's not natural, it's not organic, nor, but I can be so close that I might hit them, so there needs to be some type of balance and self control, and that's. Something else, as well as being out of some self control. Yeah, Michael Hingson  35:05 well, martial arts is, I understand, it seems to me, as much about your mental being as learning physical techniques, because there is a whole lot that really comes down to how you approach it mentally. Am I correct? Speaker 1  35:24 Yeah, there's a big piece when it comes to stamina. When I was doing sparring, I actually had to find a place between being so passive, but also not being super aggressive. Like, how do I get that mental, emotional stamina to do this powering, you know, in a way that was quite balanced. Yes, but there is a lot when it comes to being in touch with my body, being in touch with where my mind is, with focus, with being not beating myself up, not really being perfect, or trying to achieve perfection. Yet, there's a certain vulnerability that comes with that in the mind, and also when it comes to the body, Michael Hingson  36:06 how so Speaker 1  36:10 well, there's vulnerability just simply with doing different techniques, because if you don't, if you don't like being touched, then it's going to be really difficult, because there's often a lot of touch happening, and and when it comes to the mind, it's there's vulnerability with putting myself out there and being seen by others, because we're often watching one another with training, and so there is this piece around vulnerability around, hey, you know what, whatever they think, okay, they can think I'm still working on this technique, Michael Hingson  36:40 mm and it, and it does, as you grow mentally with, with martial arts, I'm sure that it also helps in terms of your resilience. Speaker 1  36:55 Resilience plays a key factor, indeed, because you know, when it comes to even with sparring, you know, getting hit, I can't just kind of, oh, I got hit and I want to go back and I want to go in the corner. Well, no, I've got to keep going. Yeah, gotta keep moving, gotta keep walking and deflecting, and you know, going with the punches. And I, there was one experience with a young man, at least two years younger than me, he was a silver glove boxer, like a champion silver glove, and there had to be some resilience for me there, because I was getting clobbered, I was getting, I was getting hit over and over, because he was using a boxing type of, you know, boxing moves I wasn't used to defending against, and he was quick, and there comes a certain level of humility when it comes to being in the martial arts as well, because there's going to be experiences like that. Michael Hingson  37:49 Well, did you eventually get to the point where you could defend yourself against him? Speaker 1  37:55 He wasn't there for too long. Yeah, the more yet, the more that I was able to work with him, the more I was able to, you know, understand a little bit more where he was coming from with the moves, Michael Hingson  38:05 right. Well, in your life and all the things that you've done, have you experienced grief in any way? And kind of, what was that? Speaker 1  38:14 Yeah, there was a moment, there wasn't an issue when it came to a disenfranchised loss. My wife had a silent miscarriage, and so that was pretty brutal. How that turned out for her, and vicariously for me, and seeing her go through that really difficult, emotionally painful situation was hard. And so I mean, I've sure I've lost all but one grandparent at this point, and I did lose some child, like one childhood friend, when I was 16 to a car accident that was pretty brutal. Yet this loss was, yeah, was really difficult, because it's something that a lot of people don't understand, they don't want to talk about, they don't know what to say, or it's really difficult just to listen, and that was hard. Michael Hingson  39:09 Yeah, but at the same time, as you well know, from all that you've experienced, God doesn't give us things that we can't handle, and we have to learn to move forward Speaker 1  39:22 with resilience, with God's help. Michael Hingson  39:24 Yeah, Speaker 1  39:24 yeah, with prayer, perseverance. Yeah, Michael Hingson  39:27 I lost my father, actually, on November 1 of 1984 and my mother in May of 1987 and then my brother actually developed breast cancer in 2011 and they, they dealt with it, and he went into remission, but it came back, and he didn't take care of himself very well, as I understand it, because he lived in Florida, and we were in California, but anyway, it came back, and it metastasized, and so we lost him in 2015 so at the same time. Yeah, there were relatives on my wife's side that we lost a couple very unexpectedly, and yeah, you do learn to deal with grief, but you learn that you got to go forward, and so when Karen passed in 2022 at least it wasn't totally all of a sudden, so I had some time to prepare, but you know, I still miss her, and I wouldn't want it any other way. Speaker 1  40:23 Yeah, for sure. I, and I mean, losing your parents around two and a half or so years apart, and with your brother, and then with your wife, that's a lot. That's a lot. Yet I hear that even though there was some preparation time for you, it can still be, it can still be difficult, it can still hit the nail, you know. I was doing some grief work, a grief course, and they showed us this poem called Whose Whose Grief Is Worse, basically. And there were these two experiences of someone that lost someone suddenly and someone that knew, and at the end of the poem. Basically, it's both are painful. There is no worse grief. Michael Hingson  41:05 There's no, there's no wrong or right answer to all of that. It's, it's different, but we all can learn to deal with it. I know when the events of September 11 happened, for me, ironically, the greatest blessing I had was that the media got my story and we started getting a lot of requests for interviews and my wife and I decided we would accept them and I got asked so many questions by so many different reporters, some dumb questions were absolutely stupid, idiotic questions, but some that were very insightful, and so I probably was able to move on from that day much more because of all of the questions and getting used to dealing with those questions than anything else that could have come along. It Speaker 1  41:58 was a choice, and you probably appreciated those reporters that took the time to ask those carefully planned questions. Michael Hingson  42:06 I've had some people, no matter how many times the story gets repeated, who still say, "What were you doing in the World Trade Center, anyway? And I'm sitting there going, "Have you read Thunderdog? Have you read any of the stories in the press? What do you mean, what was I doing in the World Trade Center? Speaker 1  42:23 It's not like, you know, it's out there, you know, it's been published, you can read it. Yeah, Michael Hingson  42:30 I wasn't a spy for the terrorists, I can tell you that. Speaker 1  42:36 I wouldn't, I wouldn't have thought that for a second, Michael Hingson  42:41 but but, but you know, things happen, and you never know where you're going to be, you never know what might come up, and it's just one of those things that we, we all really need to deal with in one way or another, and that's just what's so important. Speaker 1  42:56 Absolutely, you know, one of the quotes I heard from my training was, and I take it with me, and I, I definitely relate to it personally. Is joy shared is joy doubled, and grief shared is grief halved, and the stuff we're doing, even today, and even those listening that might have been through grief, is as long as we're able to talk about it, and just talk about something that does not make any sense whatsoever to us, that's part of the healing process. Michael Hingson  43:23 Yeah, it's important to talk about it. It's important to share, and I understand you want to be careful. You don't want to just talk necessarily about it with anyone, but you do need to find people that you can share with and that you can talk to about Speaker 1  43:39 it. Totally, yeah, the grocery store clerk, you know, that I'm getting my bread and butter from, maybe they're not ready for that, that particular topic, Michael Hingson  43:48 yeah, Speaker 1  43:48 yeah, Michael Hingson  43:50 and and the thing that we all need to do is to really, I think, do a lot more to listen to our inner voice, it'll tell us what we need to do if we listen, Speaker 1  43:58 yes, I believe that for sure, I've seen, I've seen that. Yeah, Michael Hingson  44:03 so you've dealt with all the, this, the psychological work that you do. You dealt with addiction, and so on. How does martial arts play into that? What have you learned from martial arts that helps you in dealing with recovery from addiction? Speaker 1  44:16 Oh, well, where to start. I think that one piece to really focus on is this concept of self love, and I don't mean self love like I'm better than other people out there, but just being okay with where I'm at for myself, but still pushing myself to learn new things, so some acceptance about where I'm at when it comes to martial arts, that has to be there. I might not be doing the technique perfectly, and I, there was times where I could really easily beat myself up mentally, like, "Oh, why can't I get this? Yet it's just trying to take a step back and see that I'm worthy enough to make the. Approach to make these changes when it comes to addiction. I'm worthy enough to seek out help. These feelings I have that they're okay to feel, and I don't have to beat myself up for this. Michael Hingson  45:11 Yeah, because addiction is is a disease, and I think anyone who condemns somebody just because, for example, they use drugs, and, well, they shouldn't do that. They're dumb for doing it. They really miss assess what's going on. Speaker 1  45:28 People that have that mindset that it's more of a mere choice, they don't understand that if you put, you know, a shot of alcohol in front of someone and you tell them not to drink it, and you put a gun on them, they're going to be wondering, maybe he'll slip his hand off the trigger, you know, that kind of thinking, that's that's the disease aspect. And I recommend anybody that wants to know more about addiction being a disease, check out Kevin McCauley's documentary, Pleasure Unwoven. It's a really good documentary that shows the different aspects of the disease. Yeah, Michael Hingson  46:08 I have never taken drugs in that way, and don't want to, but again, that's my choice, and I've learned enough from other people that I know that if, if I'm having a problem, taking drugs isn't going to help me solve the problem, and it isn't going to even really help me hide from it, but I guess that's just my makeup that I know that I have to face whatever comes along head on. Speaker 1  46:33 Yes, the resilience piece, Michael Hingson  46:36 the resilience piece, and I've wanted to do that. Speaker 1  46:39 Awesome, I can see with everything you've been through, Michael, you've definitely lent in, you've leaned in, you've pushed forward. Michael Hingson  46:47 Well, I think that part of the issue is as a, as a blind person who's faced a lot of challenges and seen things, what I choose to do whenever anything happens to me is I want to learn from it, so I don't want to ignore it, even if it's something that's totally not related to me in any way. I want to learn from it, if I'm involved, because I think that's the only way I'm going to be able to make sure that I deal with anything like that, any kind of surprise. The next time I talk about a lot when I am talking to people about blindness, about surprises, and I talk about the fact that I could be crossing a street, I could get to the corner and listen to the traffic, and when I hear the traffic going the way I want to go, then I'll cross the street. So I start crossing a street, and all of a sudden I hear a car from behind me, and it's not going the way I want to go, suddenly it's, it's turning, or there's somebody that is is across the street from me, not the way I'm going, and I start to cross the street when it's supposed to be my turn, and they decide they're going to go, and so I am, I've learned to constantly be alert, but at the same time, what I have to do is figure out very quickly, do I want to go forward or do I want to go backwards to have the best chance of getting away from this, Speaker 1  48:11 which way do I move in my direction with my spatial awareness with your spatial awareness, and that, and that brings me to another, I think, actually, another piece with martial arts and how it intersects is treating the addiction like an opponent that may be sauntering around that corner at any moment in time, and being able to see that I need to be on the alert, I need to know more than one direction, as you mentioned a moment ago, more than one direction that I could go, rather than just the free, the ability to have choice. Yeah, Michael Hingson  48:51 can addiction truly be cured? Not the reason I asked the question is I know so often I hear when I hear people talking about alcoholism, you can't really cure alcoholism, and maybe that's true. I don't know, Speaker 1  49:10 you know, it depends on how you ask, from a medical standpoint, from a disease standpoint, since we see it as a chronic progressive primary condition, which means nothing necessarily causes it every time. The answer would be no, because of its progression. However, can it can addiction, whether it's alcoholism, whatever, be stunted as far as its progression? Absolutely. Can be, can people live fulfilling lives? Absolutely. Can there be reversal of certain symptoms and signs. Yes, however, just I think that to say, you know, one day someone's gonna wake up and they no longer have cravings or the warning signs or the the neurobiology. Logical strings, it's tough to say that's a no. Michael Hingson  50:04 Yeah, thanks. That's the makeup of the individual that brings that about. I, I have.. I take an occasional drink. In fact, Karen and I used to have a drink on Friday night, one drink, and I kind of honor her by having a bourbon and seven every Friday night when I make, when I cook dinner, but one, because I've never been a great fan of the taste of alcohol, but I understand there are a lot of people who really like the taste of it, and that has led them into pretty dark places, which is unfortunate. Speaker 1  50:36 Yeah, still Michael Hingson  50:37 happens. Speaker 1  50:38 It does still happen, for sure. And I appreciate you liking bourbon. We make a bourbon walnut ice cream, and I don't ever drink the bourbon by itself. It's been in the cupboard for months now. And anyway, Michael Hingson  50:55 well, my bourbon and seven is a whole lot more seven up than bourbon. Speaker 1  50:59 Totally right, and good for you for having that ritual, you know, for you and for Michael Hingson  51:06 her. That's kind of neat to be able to do that, but I've just never felt that I need to, and I'm, and I'm glad. So it's continuing to share that. Well, you do a lot of couples therapy. How does all that go, and what kind of challenges does that make for you and for them? Speaker 1  51:29 Well, I'll give you this short story. We were eating at Denny's with this man, and just a friend of a friend, and he said to us, he asked me about my work, and I told him, yeah, I'm working with, you know, a lot of addiction, and with couples, he's like, I heard from another counselor, Eric, that if you really want to make it hard on yourself, you work in addiction, and you work with couples that always make it have a challenge, and, like, yeah, true. And so, when it comes to working with couples, it is challenging. There's something about having two people to work with, there's so many dynamics at play, different than perhaps being with just one person, you know, coming from two different histories, biographically different life upbringings, family upbringing, personalities. It can be really challenging. I do appreciate challenge. I've learned so much. I learned from each couple that I work with, and it's a whole different beast. Michael Hingson  52:29 Yeah, and, and it is. I like what you said, though. You learn from it, and that's probably the most important thing that any of us can do with anything in any endeavor that we undertake is that we learn from it. Speaker 1  52:44 If I can't learn from something, what am I, what am I doing there? And if I'm not learning from something, how can that benefit other people that I'm trying to help support? So, yeah, I tried to get the couple to start to be, you know, them versus the concern, rather than you versus me. That's a big goal of couples therapy. Michael Hingson  53:08 That's an interesting way to put it. That makes a lot of sense. I've never thought of it that way, but it's them. It does have to be them, but them versus the concern. That, that's interesting. Speaker 1  53:18 Yeah, yeah. Then they start, they start looking at how can we collaborate rather than trying to annihilate each other. Michael Hingson  53:26 Yeah, Speaker 1  53:27 metaphorically speaking, Michael Hingson  53:31 so you've talked about the work that you did when you were in Mississippi, when you worked in small towns, and so on, and you worked in probably some fairly substantive places as well. What do you find that's different about outpatient versus inpatient work, and in terms of what you do and how you approach it? Speaker 1  53:52 Well, I'll just say that doing inpatient work is kind of like raising kids, so not.. I mean, I don't have any experience, because I don't, I don't have kids, I got nieces and nephews yet. I know that feeling well. Yeah, there's just something about being around someone more than just like that hour, hour and a half, seeing them like eight or nine hours a day, you get to know them pretty well, as opposed to, you know, once an hour every one or two, three weeks, that in that comes some benefits with the inpatient work. Yet also it can be really difficult when it comes to boundaries. They feel like you can do things that maybe you're not able to do professionally with them, maybe like as far as like self-disclosure wise or things like that, and there's just there's just a thing around boundaries, and even with the inpatient work, you know, I'll have one client come and say, 'Hey, this other counselor said I could do this, and I would be like, 'Okay, and then I found out later the counselor didn't say that at all, so there's that type. The drama got to deal with, with it, with the inpatient work, Michael Hingson  55:04 but you don't find that as much without patient, because you tend to be able to get closer to the individual, and that probably also develops a higher trust level. Speaker 1  55:14 There is a higher trust level if you mean, like, doing outpatient work, or outpatient, but we have the outpatient, for sure, because I am solely with them, and they know that time is of the essence, whether it's weekly or bi-weekly, whatever, and I'm being able to focus on them, for sure, yeah, Michael Hingson  55:35 and it's a lot harder to do that when it's an impatient kind of situation Speaker 1  55:40 in my two experiences, both up in Calgary and also Mississippi, with inpatient, there's so many other things in the inner workings of doing inpatient going on that sure I can still add that time with somebody, yet I'm also thinking about, you know, the next class and next group offering other logistical duties, it's a little bit easier to do that one on one. Yeah, indeed, indeed. Michael Hingson  56:10 Do you think that you can develop? I assume the answer is yes, but I'll ask, do you think that it's possible to develop the same level of trust in doing inpatient work, or it may be harder, but can you do it? Speaker 1  56:28 That can happen on a case by case basis, depending on my relationship with someone. Yes, I can get there, and you know, just.. and sometimes, paradoxically, it can happen even quicker than outpatient, depending on the situation, because I am with them. There is a positive with that. Yes, Michael Hingson  56:48 it's.. it's a matter of working to build it, you know. And, unfortunately, human beings, especially nowadays, are so mistrustful of so many things, we've learned not to trust, and so in my latest book, Live Like a Guide Dog, I talk about that a lot, because while I think dogs love unconditionally, they don't trust unconditionally, but they're open to trust, they want to develop trusting relationships, and we just assume everyone has their own hidden agendas, and it's so hard to develop trusting relationships, Speaker 1  57:24 very hard, very difficult. It takes time and effort and patience, tolerance for myself, the other person, and that makes sense with dogs, because I mean, enough's, you know, when a dog's been abused, they don't want to trust right away, no, for sure. Michael Hingson  57:38 Well, but even even dogs that aren't abused, like I believe it takes for me, and I think if you really analyze it, for most people with a guide dog, I think it takes a good year to develop such a working relationship that you develop such a trust that essentially you each know what the other is thinking and you really know how to work it. It's not that they're not mistrustful, but they're open. They're open to trust, but you've got to, you've got to gain their trust, and that's my job as the team leader. And I'm supposed to be the team leader, but it also means that I have to agree, well, earn or gain their trust. The neat thing, and what makes it possible to do that, assuming that you approach it the right way and don't assume a dog is just a dumb animal, which they're not, is that in fact working with a dog, you know that they're more likely to be open to trust, and that makes it a little bit easier than our prejudice that says everybody's got a hidden agenda that we got to focus on, Speaker 1  58:47 yeah. And appreciate you sharing that, and it shows just the amount of work that comes into play with trust. Michael Hingson  58:54 Yeah, it's it's a challenge, but it is doable. Well, so what's next for you? Speaker 1  59:01 Yeah, just doing some work after this with the work that I do, and yeah, it's starting to get that book into the place of having editorial reviews and starting to get that edited professionally. Michael Hingson  59:14 Have either of your books been converted to audio? Speaker 1  59:17 The second one has. Yes. Michael Hingson  59:22 Is it? Where is it available? Audible, or how is it available? Speaker 1  59:25 It's my own special design. It's actually got a, it's got a Texan man, a doing it. He's got a nice voice, pretty soothing. Yet it's through what's called the Hero app, H I R O. And I can send you the link if you're interested. For that, Michael Hingson  59:40 love to, yeah, Speaker 1  59:42 yeah. Michael Hingson  59:44 Well, this has been enjoyable, certainly by any standard. If people want to reach out to you, maybe use your services or talk with you. How do they do that? Speaker 1  59:53 They can find me, Michael, through Recovery Arts counseling.com and that's Counseling with 2l's since I'm up here in Canada. You can find me through Instagram at Eric Fisher Writer or Recovery Arts Counseling. You can find me Facebook the same way on LinkedIn, just type in my name. You can look for, like, Calgary, like counselor recovery counseling. What do else? That's right, everybody learned something new today, if they did not, if they didn't already. So, those are a few Michael Hingson  1:00:25 ways. Well, that's great. Well, I really appreciate you taking the time to be here, and I value greatly your insights. I've learned things, and I always enjoy doing that. And I hope all of you out there listening have as well. Love to get your thoughts, so I'd love to hear from you. Feel free to email me at Michael M I C H A E L H I at Accessi B A C C E S S I B e.com Wherever you're listening or watching, or both, this podcast, please give us a five star review. But even more important than a review, a rating, five star rating, give us a review. We really value reviews and people who might be interested in listening to our podcasts, are going to read those reviews. I can tell you for sure that people love to know what others think. So, we value your reviews a great deal. And if any of you, including you, Eric, know of anyone else who ought to be a guest on Unstoppable Mindset, we'd love an introduction, because we're always looking for people who want to come on and tell their stories, so I hope that that we'll find ways to do that, and definitely value you being here, Eric, and doing all this, and I want to thank you again for being here. This has been a lot of fun. Speaker 1  1:01:37 Thank you, Michael. Happy to be on you. thank Michael Hingson  1:01:43 you for being here with me on Unstoppable Mindset. I hope today's conversation left you with a fresh perspective, a new insight, or at least something worth thinking about. If you're ready to go deeper into the ideas that shape how we see ourselves and others. I have a free gift for you. Head over to Michael hingson.com and download my free ebook, Blinded by Fear. It explores the invisible beliefs that hold us back and shows you how to reframe them, so you can move forward with clarity and confidence. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast, leave a review, and share this show with someone who can use a reminder that growth starts with mindset. When people think differently, we all move forward together. Thanks again for listening. Keep learning, keep questioning, and keep choosing to live with an unstoppable min

Episode #15: We Refuse to Let Our Previous Wars Win: Sarah Moore on Shedding the Uniform's Identity, Healing the Nervous System, and Becoming Whole Again What happens when the body decides it's done, even when your mind is still convinced it can push through? For Sarah Moore, a 21-year Army veteran and Black Hawk pilot, the answer came in the middle of a routine dunker training exercise when her nervous system snapped in front of her peers. No amount of mental toughness could stop the shaking. It was the beginning of a journey she never expected, and one that would ultimately change everything about how she understood herself, her service, and her healing. In this episode, Sarah and Jon unpack what it really means to carry the weight of a military career, the deployments, the abusive relationships, the no-boundaries culture of high performance, and what it takes to finally set that weight down. Sarah brings a rare combination of lived experience and neuroscience training to the conversation, breaking down why trauma isn't a mindset problem, why the nervous system breaks the same way a bone does under too much stress, and why healing isn't a destination. It's a lifestyle change. Sarah is also the founder of Blueside Adventures, a program built for veterans and first responders that combines community, adventure, and structured inner work to help people find out who they are outside of the uniform. In this episode, you'll hear: How 9/11 sent Sarah from Rutgers University to Army enlistment and eventually to the cockpit of a Black Hawk The dunker training panic attack that cracked everything open Why mental toughness has a breaking point and what the neuroscience actually tells us The real cost of losing identity, community, and boundaries after service Why healing requires a full lifestyle change, not a single program or pill How Sarah built Blueside Adventures and why veterans are refusing to let their previous wars win Connect with Sarah Moore & Blueside Adventures:

This was a Space Show program featuring Chris Carberry, co-founder and CEO of ExploreMars, discussing space policy, Mars exploration, and his new book “Future Spacefaring Society.” Chris explained that Explore Mars has always been agnostic on launch vehicle selection, supporting both SLS/Orion and Starship/Blue Origin developments while advocating for lunar missions that deliberately advance Mars capabilities. The discussion covered current NASA budget challenges, the need for entry descent and landing technology development, and the potential for human settlement on Mars in the 2030s through a hybrid approach combining NASA and private sector capabilities. Chris also promoted the upcoming Humans to Moon and Mars Summit in Houston, Texas, which will focus on topics like food systems, commercial space capabilities, and physical/mental health challenges for lunar and Martian missions. Special thanks to our sponsors:American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Helix Space in Luxembourg, Celestis Memorial Spaceflights, Astrox Corporation, Dr. Haym Benaroya of Rutgers University, The Space Settlement Progress Blog by John Jossy, The Atlantis Project, and Artless EntertainmentOur Toll Free Line for Live Broadcasts: 1-866-687-7223 (Not in service at this time)For real time program participation, email Dr. Space at: drspace@thespaceshow.com for instructions and access.The Space Show is a non-profit 501C3 through its parent, One Giant Leap Foundation, Inc. To donate via Pay Pal, use:To donate with Zelle, use the email address: david@onegiantleapfoundation.org.If you prefer donating with a check, please make the check payable to One Giant Leap Foundation and mail to:One Giant Leap Foundation, 11035 Lavender Hill Drive Ste. 160-306 Las Vegas, NV 89135Upcoming Programs:Broadcast 4549 Zoom: Manuel Cuba & Cesar Santisteban | Sunday 14 Jun 2026 1200PM PTGuests: Manuel Cuba, Cesar Sa SantistebanZoom: Manuel and Cesar or Peru space and more, Details to follow Get full access to The Space Show-One Giant Leap Foundation at doctorspace.substack.com/subscribe

The Space Show Presents Rick Fisher, Tuesday, June 9, 2026Quick SummaryThe Space Show featured a discussion with national security consultant Rick Fisher about China's space program and its implications for national security. Rick explained that space has become a major component of American global national security considerations, with China positioning itself either as a major antagonist or cooperative partner depending on Earth-based conflicts. He detailed China's lunar program, including their Lanyue lunar lander and their manned capsule, while warning that Chinese dual-use systems on the moon could potentially extend Earth conflicts to lunar territory. The conversation covered China's energy independence efforts through nuclear fission, space solar power, and fusion energy development, as well as their reusable rocket capabilities with 20-25 Chinese companies developing reusable launch vehicles similar to SpaceX's approach. Rick also discussed the Artemis program's goals of establishing a semi-permanent presence on the moon by 2036, requiring 79-81 space launches and approximately $30 billion in total investment. The discussion concluded with analysis of Taiwan's potential response to Chinese aggression and the role of other Asian countries like India and Japan in balancing Chinese space ambitions.Detailed SummaryDavid and Rick discussed the role of space in national security, particularly regarding China's lunar program and its implications for Taiwan and the South China Sea. They also touched on UAPs (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena), with John contributing insights about China's interest in UAPs and the government's handling of the topic. The conversation highlighted differing perspectives on the significance of UAPs and the potential motivations behind government secrecy regarding the subject.David, Rick, and John discussed concerns about Chinese influence and espionage in the United States, including allegations against politicians like Feinstein and a California politician. They questioned why such activities are tolerated despite being known. The conversation then shifted to SpaceX's upcoming IPO and its performance. The conversation continued with the guest continuing to discuss China's space program and its broader implications for national security.Rick discussed the increasing importance of space in American national security, particularly in relation to China's space activities. He explained that space has become a determinant factor in global security, with both countries positioning themselves as either antagonists or cooperative partners. He praised President Trump's focus on returning to the moon through the Artemis program as a way to deter conflict and secure American access to space. He noted that Trump's second-term goal of establishing a permanent presence on the moon could help prevent conflicts not only on the moon but also in low Earth orbit and potentially on Earth.Rick was asked about China's energy strategies and vulnerabilities, explaining that China's reliance on oil passing through the Straits of Hormuz presents a strategic weakness. He detailed China's multi-pronged energy approach including nuclear fission plants, space solar power research, and fusion energy development. When asked about space-based data centers, he indicated China is following the American trend with plans to launch such facilities in the near future, potentially on a large scale to support AI functions on Earth. The discussion was cut off before John's question about potential lunar conflict could be addressed.Our guest discussed the potential risks and challenges associated with China's lunar lander program, particularly regarding the Lanyue lunar lander and its propulsion stage, which could pose hazards to other lunar missions or bases. He highlighted the need for deconfliction and transparency from China regarding their lunar lander operations. Rick also mentioned the deployment of hopper drones by both the United States and China around the moon, noting the potential for these to be modified for combat purposes if tensions escalate on Earth.China's potential space ambitions were brought to our attention, noting that if China were willing to use technology for political intimidation in low Earth orbit, they might extend similar activities to lunar or Martian environments. John suggested that getting to space first could provide an advantage in staking territorial claims. Dr. Kothari asked three questions about China's plans: circumnavigating the moon with astronauts in 2027, deploying thorium molten salt reactors for terrestrial use, and developing reusable rockets. Rick acknowledged limited knowledge about China's reactor plans but noted that China has 20-25 companies working on reusable space vehicles, with the potential for first stage recovery this year.Rick discussed China's space launch vehicle developments, focusing on the Long March 12, Long March 10, and the proposed Long March 9. He explained that Long March 10 could become a popular reusable launch vehicle, while the three-stage Long March 9, if developed, would be the world's most powerful space launch vehicle with a massive 19-meter payload fairing. Rick speculated that China might be developing the three-stage Long March 9 to avoid the complexity of low Earth orbit refueling required for Elon Musk's Starship, though he acknowledged that many technical details about its feasibility remain unknown.Rick discussed the potential impact of China's Long March 9 rocket on SpaceX's Starship, noting that while the first stage would be reusable, it remained unclear whether China would pursue reusability for the second stage. When asked about credible resistance movements in China, Richard explained that while there is a will among some people to resist the government, the Chinese Communist Party effectively prevents such movements through extensive digital surveillance and control systems. He compared China's digital surveillance capabilities to Iran's and highlighted how Israel's ability to take control of Iran's digital systems and use them against the regime should serve as a warning to China about potential threats from Taiwan and Israel.Ajay asked Rick about Taiwanese opinions on potential reunification with China. Rick explained that while many Taiwanese benefit economically from China relations, over 90% of the population values their democratic freedoms and would not willing give them up to become part of a Chinese communist dictatorship. He noted that the Chinese Communist Party's failure to acknowledge historical atrocities under Mao, including the deaths of 50-70 million people, undermines their historical appeals to Taiwanese people.Rick talked about the potential for Asian and oceanic countries like India and Australia to balance China's space activities through collaboration with the United States and the Artemis program. He noted that as these countries develop their own heavy launch vehicles, they will gain more autonomy to pursue lunar and Mars programs independently of potential Chinese-American conflicts. Richard also praised NASA's Artemis program revealed on March 23, which aims to establish a semi-permanent presence on the moon by 2036 through 79-81 space launches and $30 billion total investment, describing it as essential for winning the race to the moon and potentially deterring Chinese aggression.Our guest also discussed the relationship between China's space program and the US, noting that while competition exists, cooperation could follow a similar path to Cold War-era US-Soviet relations. He expressed confidence that the Artemis program would continue regardless of political party in power, though funding levels might vary. Richard believed the program would maintain strategic importance in the Earth-Moon-Mars system and would only be disrupted by major global conflicts.The conversation ended with David thanking Rick for his participation and discussing upcoming shows featuring Chris Carberry from Explore Mars and guests from Peruvian satellite systems and Luxembourg.Special thanks to our sponsors:American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Helix Space in Luxembourg, Celestis Memorial Spaceflights, Astrox Corporation, Dr. Haym Benaroya of Rutgers University, The Space Settlement Progress Blog by John Jossy, The Atlantis Project, and Artless EntertainmentOur Toll Free Line for Live Broadcasts: 1-866-687-7223 (Not in service at this time)For real time program participation, email Dr. Space at: drspace@thespaceshow.com for instructions and access.The Space Show is a non-profit 501C3 through its parent, One Giant Leap Foundation, Inc. To donate via Pay Pal, use:To donate with Zelle, use the email address: david@onegiantleapfoundation.org.If you prefer donating with a check, please make the check payable to One Giant Leap Foundation and mail to:One Giant Leap Foundation, 11035 Lavender Hill Drive Ste. 160-306 Las Vegas, NV 89135Upcoming Programs:Broadcast 4548: Zoom: Chris Carberry | Friday 12 Jun 2026 930AM PTGuests: Chris CarberryZoom: Chris Carberry of Explore Mars, see discussion details on blog and Substack later this week.Broadcast 4549 Zoom: Manuel Cuba & Cesar Santisteban | Sunday 14 Jun 2026 1200PM PTGuests: Manuel Cuba, Cesar Sa SantistebanZoom: Manuel and Cesar or Peru space and more, Details to follow Get full access to The Space Show-One Giant Leap Foundation at doctorspace.substack.com/subscribe

This episode examines recent healthcare data breaches and settlements, including the $4 million IBJI case involving extended attacker dwell time, Mission Community Hospital's $1.5 million RansomHouse extortion settlement, and third-party vendor risks exposed by the La Perouse billing breach. We also discuss Rutgers University research showing hospitals using third-party tracking pixels are 46 percent more likely to experience breaches, emphasizing the critical need for system patching, vendor oversight, and web property audits.

Leadership, success, and personal growth all begin with a simple truth: the mind must be trained before results can change. I had the opportunity to sit down with Manny Fiteni, CEO of My Growth Corporation, to explore personal development, leadership, mind congruency, intuition, and the subconscious patterns that shape our lives. Manny shares how his corporate career, a life-changing bank robbery, and the challenges of the pandemic led him to build a business focused on helping individuals and organizations grow. We discuss why people sabotage their goals, how subconscious conditioning influences leadership and relationships, and what it takes to create high-performing teams. Manny also explains practical ways to align the conscious and subconscious mind, strengthen intuition, and build habits that support long-term success. If you're interested in personal growth, leadership development, mindset training, and creating lasting change, I believe you will find this conversation valuable. Highlights: 13:05 - Why people sabotage their own goals. 22:12 - How the mirror principle shapes results. 26:29 - Simple ways to reprogram habits. 32:15 - Staying calm during a bank robbery. 43:07 - The foundation of high performing teams. 59:06 - Building resilience from a young age. About the Guest: Manny Fiteni, CEO of My Growth Corporation, is a pioneering leadership strategist with 30+ years of corporate experience specializing in transformative personal development. Core Methodology: Mind Congruency Manny's "Mind Congruency" approach aligns conscious and subconscious minds, enabling individuals to overcome self-limiting beliefs and unlock peak performance. His unique methodology differs from traditional research by drawing insights from real-world, uncontrolled environments, whereby he used these leadership techniques in real world situations. He works from the premise that to build a high performing team, you need to work from 3 pillars. Environment, True Leadership and Mind Congruency. Innovative Platforms Founder of My Growth Corporation, which has the following offerings: •     Mind Growth 360 (personal development network) mindgrowth360.com •     Creators Agency (brand elevation platform) creatorsagency.studio •     Manny Fiteni Training and Development (leadership and personal transformation) mannyfiteni.com •     Personal Development House (A directory for helping you find those that provide services in personal development). Personaldevelopmenthouse.com •     Skillzap AI - (A new way to battle your friends with trivia and learn at the same time) skillzapai.com All can be found on mygrowthcorporation.com Professional Impact Manny's training programs empower professionals by: •     Enhancing leadership skills •     Building organizational resilience •     Driving high-performance team dynamics •     Assisting individuals to strip down past programmimg Global Influence As an author and international speaker, Manny provides actionable strategies for personal transformation. His mission remains consistent: equipping individuals with practical tools to thrive personally and professionally. A thought leader bridging psychological insights with practical business application, Manny Fiteni continues to inspire global audiences. . Ways to connect with Manny: mygrowthcorporation.com Mindgrowth360.com Mannyfiteni.com creatorsagency.studio Skillzapai.com About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes:

Welcome to The Turf Zone Podcast. This episode features the article “Give Yourself the Edge in Managing Sedges in Lawns and Landscape Beds” written by Jeffrey Derr and Adam Nichols. Sedges are major weed problems in turf and landscape ornamentals, as well as in crop production, including container- and field-grown nursery crops. Although there are annual sedges that occasionally are problems in these areas, the major problems are perennial species. Having an understanding of their taxonomy and life cycle will aid you when developing a control program. Sedges are monocots, which mean they have one seed leaf when they germinate. Grasses are also monocots, but they are in a different plant family, the Poaceae, as opposed to sedges, which are in the Cyperaceae or sedge family. So do not use the term “nutgrass” when referring to yellow nutsedge. Yellow nutsedge is not a grass and it is confusing to use a term that implies that it is a grass. You may ask “But what about broomsedge – isn't that a grass?” Well, yes, but that is a topic for another article! The distinction between grasses and sedges is especially important when discussing chemical control. Most of our sedge herbicides do not affect grasses and most of our grass herbicides do not affect sedges. Here is some help in separating grasses from sedges. Grasses have round or flattened stems, generally have a ligule (either a membrane or fringe of hairs where the leaf blade meets the leaf sheath), and have two-ranked leaves (leaves appear from 2 sides of the stem). Sedges have triangular stems (sedges have edges), lack a ligule, and the leaves are three-ranked (come out from the three sides of the stem. When I taught the weed science class, I would slip in yellow nutsedge when we had the lab on grass identification to see what the students would do with it. They obviously struggled with it when trying to fit yellow nutsedge into a grass key. Major species: The most common sedge infesting turfgrass and ornamental beds is yellow nutsedge, a weed that occurs throughout Virginia. Yellow nutsedge is a perennial that spreads primarily through vegetative means. Rhizomes produce roughly ¼ to ½ inch long, tan to brown tubers in summer and fall. These tubers overwinter and then send up new shoots in the spring. Above-ground parts of the plant die with a killing frost. Although yellow nutsedge will produce seed, it does not appear to be an important factor in the spread of this species. Leaves are shiny and yellowish-green. Purple nutsedge, similar to yellow nutsedge, also is an herbaceous perennial that spreads by tubers and rhizomes. Leaves of purple nutsedge tend to be darker green than yellow nutsedge. The tubers are the same size as those for yellow nutsedge but are dark brown or purplish brown. Tubers of purple nutsedge have a bitter taste while those of yellow nutsedge have a sweet or almond-like flavor. Purple nutsedge has a purplish-brown seedhead, while yellow nutsedge has a, well, yellow seedhead. In a turf situation, however, you probably will not see the seedheads of either species, especially in frequently mowed sites, but seedheads would develop in ornamental beds if uncontrolled. Yellow nutsedge leaf blades have a long, sharp point while purple nutsedge has a blunt tip. However, this also may not be apparent in a mowed situation. Why is it important to tell yellow from purple nutsedge? Certain herbicides, such as bentazon, mesotrione, metolachlor, and sulfentrazone, are more effective on yellow than purple nutsedge, while other products work well on both species, such as halosulfuron. Purple nutsedge is predominantly a problem in southeastern Virginia. Purple nutsedge is found predominantly in the South while yellow nutsedge is found essentially throughout the contiguous 48 states. Another sedge group that has spread rapidly in Virginia is kyllinga. To me, kyllinga in bloom looks like a green ball about the size of a pea sitting on 3 green leaves. There are both annual and perennial kyllinga species but the ones of greatest concern are the perennials green and false green kyllinga. Kyllingas will also have a triangular stem but lack the tubers formed by yellow and purple nutsedge. The perennial kyllingas spread not only by rhizomes, but readily by seed, probably a factor in their spread, as they can flower below mowing height. We grow false green kyllinga by seed for our trials. Chemical control for kyllingas is very similar to that for yellow nutsedge. The primary annual sedge that I have seen in turf areas is compressed sedge. Rice flatsedge is an occasional annual weed in container production. We had fragrant flatsedge come in as a contaminant in plants I purchased from down south and it has been the most aggressive grower of the sedge species we have evaluated. These three sedge species spread strictly by seed and thus are easier to control than perennial sedges. Factors favoring growth of sedges Sedges grow best in warm temperatures, moist soil, and high sunlight. I usually do not see yellow nutsedge emergence until early April or later, depending on how quickly it warms up in the spring. Yellow nutsedge grows best in May through August, similar to that for bermudagrass. The sedges are not necessarily that much more competitive than turf species, but they can rapidly take advantage of any openings in the canopy. I always remember one of our former students who was working on halosulfuron when it was being developed. He had trouble getting yellow nutsedge to establish in his Kentucky bluegrass plots but where he killed out the bluegrass for his plot borders, he saw a nice straight line of yellow nutsedge in the killed strips! One problem with managing yellow and purple nutsedge is tuber dormancy. Not all tubers send up shoots at the same time. Some shoots will emerge in May, some in June, and some in July. Also, some tubers may not send up shoots until the following year or two. Most tubers are viable for only 2 to 3 years, but some can remain viable for 10 years or longer. So if one has an established stand of yellow or purple nutsedge they wish to eradicate, it will be a multi-year project. Even if you achieve 100% control in a season, you probably will see nutsedge emergence the following year. Cultural Control of sedges Maintaining a thick stand of turf will help restrict the development of sedges, especially in the spring when nutsedge shoots emerge from the underground tubers. Overseed and fertilize cool season grasses in the fall to have a thick, competitive stand when sedges resume growth in late spring. Avoid scalping turf as this opens up the canopy for invasion by sedges, crabgrass, and other weed species. Control insect and disease pests to prevent thinning of the turf. Avoid overwatering turf and ensure proper soil drainage to prevent excessively wet soil. Monitor new sod or ornamental plant installations to insure that nutsedge or kyllinga has not hitchhiked along with the sod or nursery plants. Avoid any stress that adversely affects turf growth. I always think of a turf situation I was asked to investigate. They had applied fluazifop in a backpack sprayer for bermudagrass control in tall fescue. Not only was the bermudagrass controlled, so was the tall fescue. It is hard to determine a spot-treatment rate of fluazifop that will be safe in tall fescue. They reseeded and ran the irrigation frequently in summer, which led to an excellent stand of compressed sedge. The cause of the sedge infestation was the initial turf damage caused by improper herbicide application. Yellow nutsedge is hard to control using hand weeding as plants can break at the soil line, leaving the underground tubers and rhizomes. Tilling can spread the tubers, increasing the area of infestation. Chemical control of yellow nutsedge Learn the active ingredients listed in Tables 1 and 2 (available in the May/June 2026 issue of Virginia Turfgrass Journal on www.theturfzone.com). Some of these herbicides are sold in combination with other herbicides but I have only listed single active ingredient products that we have tested. There are a number of combination products that contain a sedge herbicide but also other herbicides for either broadleaf or grass control. For example, Sublime contains mesotrione, triclopyr, and dicamba. If you know the active ingredients, you will have a good idea as to how that combination product will perform. 1). Preemergence control in turf I frequently am asked about the availability of preemergence herbicides for nutsedge control. Actually, I prefer postemergence applications for yellow nutsedge control since this weed usually occurs in patches and thus fits well into spot-treatment programs. The problem with a preemergence application is that one would have to treat the entire lawn since the chemical must be applied prior to sedge emergence, unless one mapped out the previous year exactly where nutsedge was growing in a turf stand. The other reason favoring postemergence control of nutsedge is that few preemergence chemicals are available for turf use. Some postemergence herbicides, such as halosulfuron (SedgeHammer, Prosedge), mesotrione (Tenacity), and sulfentrazone (Dismiss) do have a degree of preemergence control, but I consider that a bonus following postemergence application. In bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, and certain other warm-season grasses, there are registrations for Pennant Magnum, Tower, and FreeHand for residual control of yellow nutsedge. These herbicides are much more effective on yellow compared to purple nutsedge and have generally short residual control. Also, we have seen delayed greenup with this group. However, we do use these products in ornamental beds. 2). Preemergence control in ornamental beds We do focus on preemergence herbicides in ornamental beds due to general lack of selective postemergence herbicides for overtop use. Products to consider include metolachlor (Pennant Magnum) and dimethenamid (Tower), both of which are oil-based formulations and thus should be applied as a directed spray, as well as the granular herbicide FreeHand, which contains dimethenamid plus pendimethalin. FreeHand is probably a good choice for most landscape bed situations. It can be applied to certain annual flowers (but not begonia) and a wide range of perennials and woody ornamentals. Apply in March or in early April in eastern Virginia and a little later in western parts of the state. Reapply about 6 or 8 weeks later to extend the length of yellow nutsedge control. 3). Postemergence control in cool-season turf I have divided up the herbicides to ones registered for use in tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, and perennial ryegrass and those registered for use in bermudagrass and zoysiagrass. I have listed the trade names we have tested. You may find other trade names for these active ingredients. The two tables cover the primary treatments available for sedge control in turfgrass. The same herbicides that are used for yellow nutsedge control in turf are utilized for kyllinga control. MSMA is not included as it is only registered for use in golf, sod production, and highway rights-of-way. Bentazon and sulfentrazone are the fastest-acting chemicals in this group, probably because they predominantly have a contact action. Injury symptoms in yellow and purple nutsedge can be seen within a few days of application, especially when applied under warm conditions. Repeat applications will generally be needed sooner for bentazon than the other products. For example, a second application of bentazon is generally made one to two weeks after the first one. We have found pyrimisulfan to be the slowest acting herbicide in this group of chemicals, with halosulfuron and imazosulfuron intermediate in speed of action. Of the pyrimisulfan products, we have seen better yellow nutsedge control with Arkon compared to Vexis. One benefit of mesotrione is that it can be used at seeding time or on young stands of cool-season turf. The other products generally can only be used on established turf. We did a trial last year looking at the impact of simulated rainfall on yellow nutsedge control in our rain-out shelter. When we irrigated one hour or one day after a sulfentrazone application, we saw effective yellow nutsedge control, but control decreased when irrigation was withheld until one or two weeks after application. It appears root uptake is an important component of sulfentrazone's activity against yellow nutsedge and thus rain or irrigation is needed within a week after application. Halosulfuron gave excellent yellow nutsedge control, even when irrigation was withheld until one or two weeks after application. We often grow yellow nutsedge in containers for control trials to supplement what we do in the field. In one container trial, we collected yellow nutsedge tubers that formed after herbicide application. Tubers were much smaller when plants were treated with halosulfuron or pyrimisulfan compared to sulfentrazone. This should result in less competitive yellow nutsedge in subsequent growing seasons. Bentazon and sulfentrazone are much more effective on yellow compared to purple nutsedge. This shows why we need to identify these two species. One needs to address purple nutsedge differently than yellow nutsedge. Halosulfuron and imazosulfuron are equally effective on yellow and purple nutsedge. Work by other researchers suggests imazosulfuron is the most effective treatment for false green kyllinga (Dr. Matthew Elmore, Rutgers University). We also have seen good control of false green kyllinga with imazosulfuron. Sulfentrazone is sold in combination with other herbicides, such as with prodiamine under the trade name Echelon. Sulfentrazone is a component of combination herbicides Surge, Q4Plus, and Avenue South but the concentration of sulfentrazone is lower than in Dismiss, resulting in more suppression than control of yellow nutsedge. One will generally add some type of adjuvant to these postemergence herbicides. Nonionic surfactants are generally recommended for most of these chemicals but check the label for instructions on adjuvant addition. Addition of a methylated seed soil or crop oil concentrate may increase toxicity of certain chemicals to nutsedge, but also may increase the potential for crop injury especially under hot, humid conditions. Read the product label for specific directions on adjuvant use. Postemergence control in bermudagrass and zoysia A number of the products are the same for warm-season grasses as for cool-season grasses, but mesotrione is not listed as it injures bermudagrass. Certain products used for removing cool-season grasses from warm-season turf are effective for controlling sedges are added, including flazasulfuron, sulfosulfuron, and trifloxysulfuron. Aethon was added to the warm-season list but not cool-season turf as it also contains penoxsulam, which can injure tall fescue. Along with pyrimisulfuron, imazaquin, flazasulfuron, sulfosulfuron, and trifloxysulfuron are slower-acting herbicides since they are systemic in plants and travel to the growing points. Imazaquin has been less effective in our trials for yellow nutsedge control than the other herbicides listed. Flazasulfuron, halosulfuron, sulfosulfuron, and trifloxysulfuron will control both yellow and purple nutsedge. Postemergence nutsedge control in ornamentals Around trees and shrubs, directed sprays of bentazon, halosulfuron, or sulfentrazone can be applied for yellow nutsedge control. Minimize contact with the leaves of the ornamentals. We do not have selective herbicides that can be sprayed overtop of ornamentals plants for sedge control. Nonselective herbicides, such as diquat, glufosinate, or glyphosate can be applied for sedge control if kept totally off ornamental plant leaves. A common question I receive is how to control emerged yellow nutsedge in liriope beds. We have seen injury from bentazon and halosulfuron, especially in variegated types, although plants outgrew the damage, and we observed reduced flowering from halosulfuron. Best to utilize preemergence applications of FreeHand to minimize the need for hand weeding or postemergence applications. Jeffrey Derr and Adam Nichols are based at Virginia Tech's Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Virginia Beach. You have been listening to The Turf Zone Podcast. Follow The Turf Zone on X, Facebook and LinkedIn for all things turfgrass, featuring podcasts, magazines, events and more. Visit www.theturfzone.com for more. The post Give Yourself the Edge in Managing Sedges in Lawns and Landscape Beds appeared first on The Turf Zone.

Episode Summary: In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy speaks with Inigo, co-founder and CEO of Concentro and founder of Folio, about how AI is helping streamline clean energy project finance. Inigo shares the story behind Concentro and how tax credit transferability created new opportunities in the market.  The conversation focuses on Folio, an AI-powered platform created by Concentro that helps project finance teams organize data rooms, manage diligence, extract key information from documents, and prepare projects for financing.  Biographies Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy, solar developer and consulting firm, and a strategic advisor to multiple cleantech startups. Over his career, Benoy has developed over 100 MWs of solar projects across the U.S., helped launch the first residential solar tax equity funds at Tesla, and brokered $50 million in Renewable Energy Credits (“REC”) transactions. Prior to founding Reneu Energy, Benoy was the Environmental Commodities Trader in Tesla's Project Finance Group, where he managed one of the largest environmental commodities portfolios. He originated REC trades and co-developed a monetization and hedging strategy with senior leadership to enter the East Coast market.   As Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners, Benoy crafted project finance solutions for commercial-scale solar portfolios. His role at Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund with 125 MWs of U.S. renewable assets, involved evaluating investment opportunities and maximizing returns. He also played a key role in the sale of the firm's renewable portfolio. Earlier in his career, Benoy worked in Energy Structured Finance at Deloitte & Touche and Financial Advisory Services at Ernst & Young, following an internship on the trading floor at D.E. Shaw & Co., a multi billion dollar hedge fund. Benoy holds an MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from NYU Stern, where he was an Alumni Scholar.   Guest Information Iñigo Rengifo Melia Iñigo Rengifo Melia is the co-founder and CEO of Concentro and Folio, two companies transforming how clean energy projects are financed and managed.  An electromechanical engineer by training with a strong background in energy, Inigo began his career as the first employee at a startup studio, where he was part of the founding team of two early-stage companies. He then joined McKinsey as a management consultant, specializing in energy  including a nearly 10-month engagement helping one of Spain's largest utilities build and launch a distributed generation platform.  Inigo went on to earn his MBA from Harvard Business School, where he met his co-founder Tao.  Concentro is a hands-on tax credit transferability platform focused primarily on distributed generation, managing the entire process from diligence to transaction management to legal documentation. The firm works with both sellers (IPPs, developers, sponsors) and buyers (corporations seeking vetted tax credits).  Folio, spun out from Concentro's internal tooling, is an AI-powered diligence and project finance platform that helps clean energy teams process documentation faster, maintain precision, and manage the full lifecycle from financing preparation through asset management.   Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: info@reneuenergy.com  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com Website: https://www.solarmaverickpodcast.com/   Iñigo Rengifo Melia Folio Website: getfolio.io Concentro Website: concentro.io Email (Folio): inigo@getfolio.io Email (Concentro): inigo@concentro.io  LinkedIn: Iñigo Rengifo Melia — Concentro   Solar Maverick listeners can request a free two-month trial of Folio — mention Solar Maverick when reaching out. Prior Episode of the Solar Maverick with Inigo and Tao from Concentro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgIbZo4upM8 Summer Solstice Fundraiser A special thank you to everyone who attended and supported the Summer Solstice Fundraiser benefiting Let's Share the Sun. It was an incredible evening bringing together the clean energy community to support solar and battery storage for communities in Puerto Rico. We are grateful to our sponsors and partners who helped make the event possible, including Folio, Concentro, SolHarvest Energy, Kinetic Communities Consulting, Jordan Energy, Positive Deviancy, New Energy Equity, Reneu Energy, the Solar Maverick Podcast, and Let's Share the Sun. We also want to thank everyone who made additional donations, attended the event, shared the fundraiser, and helped bring the community together. Your support helps advance clean energy, resilience, and community impact where it is needed most.   Please provide 5 star reviews      If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review and share the Solar Maverick Podcast so more people can learn how to accelerate the clean energy transition.    Reneu Energy Reneu Energy provides expert consulting across solar and storage project development, financing, energy strategy, and environmental commodities. Our team helps clients originate, structure, and execute opportunities in community solar, C&I, utility-scale, and renewable energy credit markets. Email us at info@reneuenergy.com to learn more.            

Amanda Thackray is a multidisciplinary ecofeminist artist-educator based in Newark, NJ, who crafts intricate artwork exploring the intersections between nature, industry, and human experience. She is the recipient of several Creative Catalyst Fund Fellowships, a Puffin Foundation Grant for Environmental Art, and a NJ State Council Individual Artist Fellowship. Residencies include The Arctic Circle, Norway; The Center for Book Arts, NYC; and The Museum of Art and Design, NYC. Her work has been widely exhibited and is held in numerous international public and private collections including The Watson Library at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, Mediatheque Andre Malraux, France, Yale University, and The Library of Congress. Thackray earned a BFA from Mason Gross at Rutgers University and an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), both in printmaking.

From Carli Lloyd To Rutgers: Glenn Crooks' 50 Years In Women's Football This week's podcast special guest is with Glenn Crooks, soccer coach, broadcaster, and host of SiriusXM's The Coaching Academy.  With over 50 years in the game as a player, coach, and analyst, Glenn has seen the women's game transform from the ground up.  From calling NYCFC matches to building Rutgers University's Women's Football Programme over 14 years, and coaching the likes of Carli Lloyd and Tobin Heath, his insights are as rich as his career. In this episode, we explore: What 50 years in soccer teaches you about the women's game Why language is the key to becoming a great soccer coach How Glenn built Rutgers University's women's programme over 14 years Glenn's passion for journalism and media in women's football What Tobin Heath and Carli Lloyd had in common that made them great football players Glenn's new book Put It On Frame — Volume 2 and much more. Connect with Glenn:   Website: https://glenncrookssoccer.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenn-crooks-6b8296b/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crooks.glenn/

What if the answers you're searching for arrived long before you knew how to understand them? In this conversation, I sit down with Kip Baldwin, a filmmaker, producer, writer, and founder of the Just Love movement. Kip shares the extraordinary awakening he experienced at age 12 and how it set him on a lifelong path of exploring consciousness, love, spirituality, and human connection. From the music industry and sustainable agriculture to television production, ethical AI, and overcoming a traumatic brain injury, Kip's journey has been anything but ordinary. As we talk, Kip reflects on why fear has become such a powerful force in society, how love can transform the way we see ourselves and others, and why he believes lasting change starts with a shift in consciousness. You will hear stories of resilience, curiosity, and purpose, along with a vision for creating a better future for generations to come. I believe you will find this conversation thought-provoking, challenging, and full of hope. Highlights: 01:45 - How a childhood acting career sparked a lifelong passion for media and communication. 07:08 - Why confidence without self-awareness can become a liability. 16:32 - Lessons from the Kellogg School of Management that still shape business decisions today. 21:58 - Why listening beats talking in business, leadership, and life. 35:08 - How strong brands grow through awareness, not just loyalty programs. 01:05:02 - The three traits Zarko looks for when mentoring future leaders. About the Guest: Kip Baldwin knows his purpose for Being is to share all that LOVE is through his many solutions driven projects; using media in all its forms to help awaken individuals, and by proxy the collective, to the LOVE Paradigm emerging. He feels that in order for a new chapter of our story to be conceived for humanity, a mass imagining of our limitless potential is what is needed to bring about an age of compassion, empathy, collaboration, and oneness.  Kip was born in 1965 to counterculture parents - in the midst of the maelstrom that was the decade of the sixties, in fact 1965 was the first year that scientists warned us about climate change - in Vancouver, Washington. His earliest years were spent on a farm where his grandparents raised thoroughbred horses. During this period grew in him a deep, abiding LOVE and respect for nature and all living things. It was around the age of twelve his life would transform forever, as he had an out of body experience that took him beyond the edge of Universe, even Space and Time, and face to face with the unknowable of Infinity. This experience became the foundation for his constant seeking since. Due to that experience Kip felt he must explore the world beyond the small town confines of Camas, WA where he grew up. His first attempt to break free was to do a brief stint in the Navy, where he was going to pursue a career as an electric technician, but because of a hereditary bleeding disorder he was given a medical discharge. However, a military career for him was clearly never really in the cards anyway. Although he was always grateful for the insight it gave him into the inner workings of our country, as he witnessed first the how the poor are literally cannon fodder for corporations, under the guise of them being heroes and patriots. Following his discharge, he returned briefly to the limits of his hometown, before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1985 to pursue his passion for music and performing. He often jokes that he was looking for the San Francisco of the Haight/Ashbury, Peace and LOVE days, but arrived twenty years too late. What he found instead was the 80s hair metal band scene, whose songs that focused on partying, sex, and drugs were not compatible with his lyrics about awakening awareness and addressing the need for personal and societal change. In the late 90s, after becoming disillusioned by his beloved music industry - and always seeking solutions for the myriad of challenges facing humanity - he shifted his focus to local and sustainable foods. While this was certainly a worthwhile pursuit, it did little to fulfill his need to share LOVE'S Truth and create a collective shift in consciousness. But what it did do was make him aware that it was only going to be through the use of mass media that his message of LOVE could reach a large enough audience to affect real lasting change. This found him again heeding the call of the entertainment industry, first as an actor, then writer, and ultimately as a producer, with some success co-creating the influential cannabis series Weed Country for the Discovery Network (focusing on the countless benefits humanity can derive from marijuana, as well as our profound historical connection to the plant), co-founding the United Filmmakers Association, and starting the Just LOVE Movement. Ultimately, this led him to co-founding S.O.U.L. Documentary with creative partner and Soul Twin, Evan Hirsch who shares his passion, purpose and mission to heal humanity by embracing our innate oneness, which they both understand can only be achieved by accepting and grounding ourselves in the Reality of LOVE We Are. Ways to connect with Kip: Facebook:  Just LOVE page: https://www.facebook.com/kipbaldwinjustlove Main page: https://www.facebook.com/kip.baldwin/ UFA: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Unifilmmakers LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kip-baldwin-975a3514/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kipbaldwin?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr YouTube: Kip Baldwin: https://youtube.com/@thekiprowdy?si=LckMuhec40lWAicF Just LOVE: https://youtube.com/@justlove6463?si=QW1g4D2dlaHmJk8B S.O.U.L. Documentary: https://youtube.com/@souldocumentary?si=4HOwlV-pjFN6guYy Soul Twin Messiah: https://youtube.com/@soultwinmessiah?si=7ctLlmqjeOczkjO_ Additional must listen:  Comfort You Song: https://youtu.be/Mi8D3AoDfRQ?si=y8RzIQPXP5ALJth1 A World Worth Imagining: https://youtu.be/Cx28t6_SGic?si=o4lWs7po3TBKx_3A Invitation. To Action: https://youtu.be/B8jUOUVCvJI?si=l4Pr7vWNDsnXX4wh AI work: www.luminaLOVE.LOVE About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson  00:03 One of the biggest things holding you back isn't what's in front of you, but rather what you believe. Welcome to Unstoppable Mindset, where inclusion, diversity, and the unexpected meet. I'm your host, Michael Hingson, speaker, author, and advocate for inclusion and possibilities. This podcast explores how the beliefs we carry shape the way we live, lead, and connect with others. Each week, I talk with people who challenge assumptions, face adversity head on, and show what's possible when we choose curiosity over fear. Together we focus on mindset, resilience, and the small shifts that lead to meaningful change. Let's get started. Hi everyone, I am your host Mike Hingson, and you are listening and or watching Unstoppable Mindset. We're really glad that you're here with us today. Our guest, the person I get the honor of chatting with for the next hour or so, is Kip Baldwin, who will talk a lot about love. He will talk a lot about a number of different things, he's been a director, he's been a producer, an actor. He has been published, although he hasn't published a book yet, but he's published poetry, and I'm sure he's going to tell us about that, and I don't want to give it away, so I won't. Anyway, Kip, welcome to Unstoppable Mindset. We're glad you're Kip Baldwin  01:40 here. Oh, thank you so much for having me, Michael. I look forward to having this conversation and sharing my story. Michael Hingson  01:47 Well, tell us a little bit about you, kind of. Let's start with the early Kip, growing up and all that, because I know you had some things along the way that were relevant and ought to be mentioned. So, why don't you tell us about the early Kip, and we'll go from there. Speaker 1  02:00 I was. I grew up in Washington State, little town called Camas. Although my earliest years were spent in a town called Battleground, Washington, and my family, we raised horses, Thoroughbred race horses. We raised at Portland Meadows, and so I'm kind of a farm boy at heart, at least that's how I grew up, but I had an experience when I was 12 that was definitely not your typical farm boy experience, I guess. I had gone up to Seattle, and this was maybe 78 to see a Seahawks game with the Raiders of my dad and dad, I had a good day, which wasn't always the case, and got home, and it was a, you know, five and a half hour round trip for kids, 12 year olds, a big time, and so I went to bed, and I promptly left my body, and now keep in mind I had never done any drugs. Out of body experiences, a household projection was not something that we talked about about the old farm around the farmhouse dinner table, and I floated over my bedroom. My awareness hovered over my body, and I remember very vividly you don't forget. I looked at my body and went, "I'm not in there. And then that immediately I left my house, I left the planet, I left the solar system, I let the galaxy, I let the universe, and the whole time all I can describe was kind of a presence, not a voice or anything, but just, are you taking all of this in? And sometimes words can't convey something so expansive and grand, and so I was taking in black holes and quasars and nebulas, and just flying through the, you know, time didn't really exist, but I was, I was traveling across the universe, and eventually I got outside the universe, and my awareness was turned in, and I could see how everything was connected, and how the universe itself was finite, and but that everything had a place, there was no less or greater than that, everything had a specific role, from the smallest particle to, you know, the largest star, and then my awareness was turned out to the blackness of infinity, and that you know you don't know at 12, you're just like, "Oh, this is happening, and I'm what's happening, and I'm taking it in, and what I didn't know is that would become my point of seeking that really became the rest of my life. Life, I think, had I been born in India, like say Ramana Maharishi, who had what I didn't realize until later, there's a name for what happened to me, and it's called a spontaneous awakening. My life would have probably been much different, but we don't live in a society that that really honors things like that, so it was a lot of me going on a journey of discovery and a weight and continual awakening until now, and it's an ongoing process, but that's where it really began with me being confronted with the fact that there there can't be a beginning or ending to anything, and the thought experiments that can't, that come out of that, and the way it opens your consciousness, I'm ever grateful for, although at the time it, it made me for a long time feel very apart, and it wasn't until I met with Dr. Dr. Dean Radin up at Noetic Sciences, and I told him my story, and he looked at me, and he went, "You go, that's not a usual experience, he said, "That's a mystical experience, and I was in my probably late 40s, maybe 50 at that time, and that was the first time in my life that someone had had said, 'Hey, what you, what you had was a really phenomenal experience, and I'm very grateful for him for saying that to me, because for most of my life, I'm running around talking about these profound things with people that I thought were incredibly important to share, and they didn't seem very important to people, and it wasn't until then that it hit me that it wasn't that they were important, that it was that they, they didn't really understand what I was talking about. Michael Hingson  07:03 Well, and in our society, as you point out, it's not something that is generally appreciated, and and people who have had those experiences or talk about them are generally looked down upon or frowned upon, and you know that's that's fine, but it doesn't change the fact, and so it must have been hard, especially at first, for you to talk about that. Speaker 1  07:29 You know, I was so excited at first, I was excited to share it with my family, and and it happened a couple more times, and it was so overwhelming that literally I would get to a point where my head, my physical being couldn't handle it anymore, and I would get up and vomit. It was that's how, how intense it was, like I just, I couldn't take in anymore. And so, at first, I was really excited to share it, because it was beyond wondrous. It was, it was truth. It was reality, and I, and on some level, I knew that instinctually. But then, when enough people sort of ignore you or act like something's unimportant, you stop talking about Michael Hingson  08:15 it. Yeah, Speaker 1  08:15 I never stopped writing about it. I never stopped experiencing it, and I didn't even really stop talking about it once I moved to California for the music business in 1985 I, you know, then I thought, wow, I mean, being a group of creatives and there's going to be other people that will understand what I'm talking about, but in the 80s music environment it really wasn't what people were, were talking or thinking about, and I was kind of in the same way, and again it wasn't until years later that I look back and I realized all this time I spent up late at night partying with people and stuff, and telling them about infinity, and, and they look, they, they must have been looking at me like I'm a complete idiot, because they really only cared about, you know, getting high or having sex, and I'm trying to have this profound conversation. Michael Hingson  09:16 So, when your family, when you told your family, how did they react? Speaker 1  09:20 They still don't understand it to this day. It just, oh, that's nice, you know. It actually, there were points in my life where it caused conflict with, especially my father, because when I would say none of this is real, he, he always considered him, and still to this day considers himself quite science physics buff, it wasn't something he was willing to accept, and, and even really have a reasonable conversation about. I would say that the things that got me through all these years was, you know, the universe. There's love, God, Brahmin, whatever you want to call it, it gives you what you need, and what it gave me throughout the years, and still to this day, is voices that made me realize I wasn't crazy, that I knew something really special. Probably the first thing, the first one I remember, like, that was Joseph Campbell being interviewed by Bill Moyers, and somehow I knew everything that Joseph Campbell was talking about, and I'm like, How can I possibly know these things? How can I possibly understand these things of this really brilliant, just beautiful soul? And throughout the years, it's been those touch those moments of going, oh, it hasn't been where I've heard someone go, wow, that's helped me awaken, it's been something that's helped me not feel insane and realize that the things that I'm sharing have been shared for 1000s of years, and by many, many minds and beings much greater than myself, and that that really probably kept me from losing my mind. Michael Hingson  11:10 So, you had this experience happen to you at 12. What did you then specifically do? I mean, not so much talking to people, but what did it do for you, as far as schooling, and what you did with your life? Speaker 1  11:27 I would.. it made me very.. in all honesty, it made school seem really trivial to me. It was kind of boring. I started writing a lot. In fact, something I wrote when I was 17 was called Life and Death, and it went: Life is just a symptom of certain death, crying and laughing until our last breath. Everything dies in true infinity. Then the mountains crumble into the sea, stars full from the night sky hit the earth, and then they die, lost in time. I don't know who I am. Am I a god or just a mortal man? Time can't change what I have found. Still, I am changed and bound, bound by the fears and bound by lies. Even now, the tears fill my eyes, gasping for every breath as I head for a certain death, clouds now pass overhead, and I realize how things are now that I am dead. Life is ending, life goes on like the lyrics to an endless song. Life and death, it's all the same. We exist only in our brain, and so there was a lot of that. It pushed me away from I was confirmed Zion Lutheran. I really couldn't stomach religious dogma anymore at that point. Um, just the hypocrisy, you know? Like, I remember I, I was talking to a new pastor we had, and he was informing me that my great grandmother, who is Jehovah's Witness, and these Mormon boys had come around, were trying to teach me about Mormonism, and I was just curious and open, always, and still am to this day. I don't judge. I would say that's another big thing that this gave me, is I don't, I see everything as equal, I don't, I don't judge everything, I don't judge anything as lesser thing greater than I don't judge good and evil in the in the same way that other people do, I see things as flows of negative of energy as we exist in a duality with this illusion, and this is just what we describe as good and you are really just flows of energy between the polarities of the duality, and so it pushed me, definitely, because I, when he said that my great grandmother was going to go to hell, and these Mormon boys were going to go to hell, I looked him in the face, and I just said, but I thought God was love, and that was pretty much the end of my church, Michael Hingson  14:04 my, my wife did, I think, some things in the Lutheran church, which mostly she was a Methodist, and I joined the Methodist church when we got married, and so on, but when she was in, I think this was when she was in high school, maybe in, I guess it was late high school, early college. She met some Mormon people, and one of them said, I guess she was learning about different religions, and so she was learning about Mormonism, and this guy said you're either going to think that this is a total hoax or you're going to just totally believe in it. Well, it wasn't quite that way for her. She did not think it was a hoax, and I agree with her, but there. There are things about the about all religions that tend to make life difficult. The problem with religion is that that people are are what make up the religion, and they all have their own views, and it makes life really tough. I know I participated in a program called the Walk to Emmaus, which is a what's literally called a short course in Christianity, and it's not to bring people to the Christian church, but it's to help create a class of leaders in the Christian church. Anyway, one of the things about the walk to Emmaus is that a number of people give lectures, people who have been involved in church, and then there are the pilgrims, the people who are coming to to learn what everyone has to say, and the lay director of the Walk to Emmaus every time gives a speech, and I was lay director once, and one of the things that is in the manual, or was I assume it still is. It's been a while, but it says that Tolstoy once said the biggest problem with Christianity is that nobody practices it, and there's a lot of truth to that. Speaker 1  16:13 But I think that I think you hit it right on the head that people are involved, like I, and I do want to clarify something, I, I believe very much that that Jesus was a master. Oh, Michael Hingson  16:29 absolutely, yeah, and, Speaker 1  16:31 and, but I also believe that people don't know what happened at the Council of Nicaea and understand how the Bible was actually constructed, not because it was based on Gnostic teachings or even really the teachings of Christ, but it was cobbled together as a means of control. If Caesar saw his soldiers be turning to Christianity when they wanted to find, you know, put together a book that really didn't express Christian truth or the truth of Christ, but a way, a means of controlling people through fear, and so if you, if you notice, all the books in the Bible are male. Well, left out of the Bible was the book of Mary, left out of the Bible, it's the book of Thomas, who, interestingly enough, there's a place in India where they all speak ancient Aramaic, and they worship the Book of Thomas, which there's always been a lot of discussion. Did Jesus go to India and study Buddhism? And because even the Book of Mary, these are very Buddhist beliefs, but anything, because we live in a patriarchal society, anything like the piece to Sophia, the book of Mary, the book of Stackle, all of these were intentionally kept out of the Bible, so it's not, I think it's not so much religion, it's the organ, it's the dogma that comes along with organized religion, which is really about people, you know, men using it to control and manipulate people through fear, Michael Hingson  18:14 all too much, all too often. It's, it's true. Speaker 1  18:18 Yeah, and it's interesting. I was watching last night, and it's funny. This is why, why you always have to be on a constant path of awakening. It never stops. If you think you've reached that pinnacle, or whatever, then they're not just ego. There's always more to know and understand. And I ran across this video on Tara, well, Tara is in Buddhism, basically in every religion that I am aware of, there's always the peace to Sophia, there's always the the story of the divine feminine that in large part is is is not. It was. It's largely been suppressed, and so I was, I was watching this, and it was just so fascinating to me to see how identical what Tara was in Buddhism, which this is what, when Tara, Tara is considered the ultimate goddess in the Buddhist faith. Well, when Tara came to earth in the story, she went to a bunch of, you know, Buddhist monks, and they said, "Oh, you know, they were so impressed by her, and they thought this was a compliment. They said, "Well, we hope you, you can reincarnate as a man, and she said, "No, she She said, I don't see things as male and female, but since nobody else wants to be the feminine, I will play that role. And it was just a profoundly interesting thing to listen to, not just because of the story, but because almost every faith that I'm aware. Of has that story of the divine feminine that has again largely been suppressed and marginalized, Michael Hingson  20:09 well, for you clearly that was a very meaningful experience. What did what did you then do, and I understand how you could imagine that maybe what was being taught in school wasn't quite as, as meaningful as what you had experienced, but you went on, I assume, through high school, and did you go to college? Speaker 1  20:30 I was, I went, I was an electron, I went to the Navy to be an electronic technician, but I had a bleeding disorder called Von Willebrand disease, and I found out after I was in for about a year. Well, you can't be in the Navy with that, because we can't carry with the limited space you have on ships, we can't carry the clotting factor you would need if there's a problem. So that was fairly short-lived. Then I went back to Washington and was working as a dishwasher for a while, then I worked as a male stripper, and, and I was then, which, which, you know, there was something really profound about that experience, because it taught me what women feel like to be objectified, and that's something that has carried me, carried a lesson. I, I find lessons in everything, even things that, wow, you know, what could you possibly learn positive out of having been a male stripper? Well, I learned how women feel, really, to be, you know, not looked at as anything more than an object, and then I really wanted to continue to, you know, pursue music, so a friend of mine, we loaded 65,000 pounds of frozen strawberries onto a semi truck, and like july 3, 1985 and got a ride to San Francisco, a city I'd never been to before. I knew nobody here. We got here, I had 25 cents in my pocket, and I used the 25 cents to call the one friend that I thought I knew that I could get a hold of here in or in in the Bay Area, and it was a wrong number, and so now I'm in a city at the Gray Home Bus Terminal that used to be in downtown San Francisco, we have no food, we have no place to live. We have nothing to, you know, we have nothing, literally. And that's where my journey began. As far as my story, my, my adult life, and my journey in the entertainment industry and the music business, that's how it all started. It started by loading 65,000 pounds of frozen strawberries under semi truck, telling, oh, and the cap around the story is I had worn my contacts for too long and I ripped the corny up both my eyes when I took them out, because I was wearing hard lenses, so I was functionally blind in the city I'd never been to before with patches over my eyes, and being led around by my friend, and luckily we found some very nice people that gave us a place to stay, and then I ended up meeting maybe a week after that, I met my first wife, who was Persian, and we were together for a long time. What was interesting about that is I've been introduced to so many different faiths through the people in my life, and because I haven't judged and tried to learn, like I, I learned through her about Islam, I learned through her about our Torcharianism, and we lived the rock and roll lifestyle for the 16 years we were together. She was a photographer. I wrote for a magazine called BAM. I played in bands. I managed artists like Linda Perry from The Four Non Blonde, or I worked with Linda Perry from Four Non Blondes. I managed Alex Skolnick, who is lead guitar player in Testament, and I did that for a long time until I started getting really disenchanted with music and really started to hate the business and started to hate music because of it, and so I ended up drifting into, I wouldn't say drifting into, I got drawn into visual media, and I started working. I met a guy at a club in San Jose, California, called The Agenda, and we were playing pool, and he was telling me, "Oh, he's the owner of this company called Metropolis Digital, and I was thinking, "My. Speaker 1  24:59 Music and music videos, and yeah, I want to get involved in this, so I started coming up with ideas, and he brought me into their company, because I got to know a lot of people through the music business and booking artists on different shows, like Letterman and Leno, and, and so I got to know how to work through those channels that it opened doors for me to be able to do on-air graphics for the networks, and so I did that until about, in fact, the last major project I did in that industry was with a company called Chaos X AOS out of San Francisco, and we did the 2000 election graphics for ABC nationally, and then I, I, that with the, the, the.com telecom crash of not of 2000 they pulled all of that sort of work in house, and so that business kind of dried up, and I changed my focus to working in local and sustainable foods. Michael Hingson  26:08 What got you to the point where you disliked Music so much? Speaker 1  26:12 The business.. it just.. it wasn't. I came here, and in all honesty, I was looking for the 60s, but I was 20 years too late, only to find out later I was actually 30 years too early, but I was looking for community, I was looking for family, I was looking for that connection, but what existed as far as the music industry then was the 80s hair band stuff, heavy metal was on the rise. It was very misogynistic. It wasn't. It was very competitive. There wasn't, it wasn't collaborative, it wasn't community related at all. And it really turned me off. It wasn't, it wasn't what I had thought being in an artistic community doing artistic endeavors would be about it, became very.. it just.. it just.. it just.. it just made me feel very empty, and that wasn't what I loved about music, and so that Michael Hingson  27:24 would be an issue, Speaker 1  27:25 yeah. It just value wise it was, it was not, you know, you, you got to do a show, and you've got the bands that are coming on after you, you know, playing with your amps, and it was just, it was, it wasn't, it wasn't fun, and it wasn't fulfilling. More importantly, it wasn't fulfilling. It wasn't, and I'm writing about while everyone else is writing about, you know, sex and drugs and all of this. I'm writing about the things that I thought were important. I was writing about the problems I saw in this country, like songs like Shock the System or the chosen few, and, and though that wasn't what people were writing about Michael Hingson  28:06 then, Speaker 1  28:06 and you know, even though the songs were good, and, and I've been told I'm talented, it was, I didn't, I didn't again feel like I fit in, you know, I didn't feel like I'd found my place, and certainly not in that world at that time. If Speaker 2  28:31 you enjoy Unstoppable Mindset and would like to help us continue bringing these conversations to you each week, we've created a way for you to support the show. Your contribution helps us cover production costs and continue sharing stories, insights, and ideas that inspire people to live with purpose and possibility. If supporting the podcast feels right for you, you'll find the link in the show notes. Thank you for being part of the Unstoppable Mindset community. Thank it Michael Hingson  29:04 certainly had to be a rough time all the way around, but then you, you found this person, and you joined their company, as you said earlier, Speaker 1  29:15 right? I started working for Metropolis Digital, and we started doing a lot of on-air graphics, like for TBS. We did their, their original movies. We did a lot of the opening graphics for it, and then I moved on to other companies, and and I, I then started focusing on on local and sustainable foods, and moved into doing stuff where I felt I was doing more, because at the heart of everything I've ever done, it's always been about trying to affect real change in the world, Michael Hingson  29:55 it's Speaker 1  29:55 always been about I could see very clear. Really, it doesn't surprise me where we're at today at all. I saw the problems with the system even at that age, and I give credit to that because of the experience I had with Infinity. It just allowed me to step back and perceive things from a far off perspective that I was looking at humanity in general and how we did things, and I'm just like, this doesn't make any sense. It doesn't make any sense for us to believe we're separate and apart from the very things that give us life from each other. It doesn't make sense from a spiritual perspective. It doesn't make sense from a scientific perspective. Yet, here's the system that we are a part of, and so I've always been very focused on trying to effect real change and find not just point out the problems but actually find solutions, and so that then led me into working in local and sustainable agriculture here in the Bay Area. So Michael Hingson  31:00 tell me more about the whole work that you did with Sustainable Foods. What was that all about? Speaker 1  31:08 Yes, I worked with a company, I was, I had handled all the sales and marketing for Drake's Bay Oysters out of Inverness, California, and Drakes Bay, before it was called Drakes Bay, was Johnson's Oysters, and they were the last oyster cannery in California. The family that owned the farm, they had taken it over from Johnson's. They were the Lenny family, who owned Ranch G across from the steroid, where the oyster farm was. Well, they, against my better advice, they made it a personal ownership thing rather than a California food heritage issue. So, eventually, when their lease came up on the rent, on the farm, the farm went away. Well, at the same time, I created new relationships. A very good friend of mine to this day is a gentleman named Brian Kinney, who is now the West Coast Chief Technology Officer for Hearst, and also the Hearst Family Archivist, but at that point in time he was running Hearst Ranch, which they, they had the Jack Ranch and the Hearst Ranch down around San Simeon. So I was at the forefront of the grass-fed beef movement as well, and we developed a human-grade grass-fed beef pet food about 10 years ahead of its time, which could be the story of my life. I'm always about 10 years ahead of where things actually happen, and I, I did that for about 10 years, and eventually I felt the calling to get back in the entertainment industry, and that led me to acting, and I did the acting mostly because I wanted to learn how things were done, and I very well, if I act in a whole bunch of student projects, or projects in general, and I'm behind the scenes, I'm going to learn, and, and that's exactly what happened. So, my very background led me to being a producer, and I created, you know, one of my most notable accomplishments that created this show called Weed Country for Discovery, which was about the medical marijuana industry here in California, just before legalization. How we got it on air before legalization, I don't know. We were named to the Hollywood Reporter top 25 heat list. We got some really great information out about CBD and helping with childhood epilepsy. The bad part of that was it was a reality television show, and I didn't know anything about reality television, so when I'm here in reality, I'm thinking documentary. Well, that couldn't be farther from the truth. And reality television has truly been a blight on on this country in particular, and probably the world in general. Michael Hingson  34:16 Yeah, I just gonna say not nearly as real as people think it is. No, no, I think I think probably this is just my opinion. The closest thing to so-called reality TV is the show Dancing with the Stars, because they're actually dancing all these other shows, and it's all sort of really scripted, but the people are actually dancing, which is kind of cool, Speaker 1  34:41 right? Michael Hingson  34:41 Even though I don't see it, I appreciate it. Speaker 1  34:45 Yeah, but even, even with shows like that, there's a lot of gin-up drama. There is behind the scenes stuff that's the worst part of things. Yes, they're like with our show, yes, people were really, you know, there's really stuff going on with can. Of this world that was really important, but what reality television does is it, it creates artificial drama. It does things to manipulate the characters in the show to make them look how they want, and they know, and people in general, my experience is that people, once you put a camera on them, they will do, they would do things to be in front of the camera that they would never do, even for more money, Michael Hingson  35:27 right, Speaker 1  35:28 in their regular lives. Michael Hingson  35:30 Well, and I think there is, there's a lot of truth to that. And the whole thing, as you said, as far as reality TV, we're not giving people a true picture of reality with most of any of that anyway, which is unfortunate. I think I mentioned I'm a fan of old radio and television, and so on. And one of the shows that I've watched a fair amount is The Old Ridge. Well, it's the second time they were on, but Dragnet with Harry Morgan and, of course Jack Webb as Joe Friday, and they did a lot of shows talking about drugs and marijuana and all that, and how bad it is, and it's kind of interesting because what we're seeing today is that in reality the medical aspects of marijuana or cannabis and CBD oil, and so there's there's true relevance there, which is something that they didn't know or appreciate in the late 60s. Speaker 1  36:31 Well, but the thing that our history with the cannabis plant goes back 50,000 years to Burger Banks, China, it's been, and if we take all of the medicinal recreational uses out of it, it is the most one of the most versatile plants that we have. It was used, I mean, our money was made out of hemp. Hemp is cannabis sativa. Dollar bills are made out of hemp. It was used for fuel. It was used for building. Henry Ford built an entire car out of hemp in 1942 which you can go see the video of on YouTube, and they're beating on it with knacks. The plastic resin they made out of it was 40 times stronger than steel. It ran on hemp fuel, a byproduct of which was water. It also, in 1931 the Hearst family, which was interesting, they ended up working with them, bought and sequestered the plans for a decorification machine that made it easier to process hemp than cotton kids, it's a much more durable fiber. In 1938 covered Popular Mechanics, they called him the billion dollar crop, saying you could make 25,000 different items out of everything from fine linens to dynamite, and that was really what what what, why the prohibition against the plant started. Why they did you know shows like Reefer Madness or create films like Reefer Madness to create this hysteria around, at best, an innocuous plant in comparison to soulmate tobacco, in comparison to alcohol, even if people did want to use it. It's, it's, it's relatively harmless by comparison, or just in general, and actually very beneficial. You know, I have a traumatic brain injury, and I think without it, I probably wouldn't, I probably wouldn't eat very much. I probably wouldn't sleep right, I barely sleep as it is, and sleep I do get is because of cannabis, but beyond my point, and I always try to make this clear to people, is like up until even the prohibition against the plant actually started with the Catholic Church, with the Pope Innocent, who until the 1400s cannabis was in the anointing oils. Cannabis was grown by monks, cannabis was grown by nuns, and then in this pope decreed it the devil's weed, and they, you know, banned it. So it's, it had, and there, and why, and you'd say, well, why did they do that? Well, they did that because at that time in the 1400s you were having opium addiction on the rise, you were having, you know, much, much more alcohol use. Well, these are extremely addictive substances, and much more easy to manipulate and control people than it is with cannabis, which in general creates.. I wish I could remember the quote exactly, but Carl Sagan said, you know, why we have a prohibition on a plant that you know creates good feelings amongst people and unites people is in this, you know. A really crazy world is, is, is madness, but it all comes back to money, and it all comes back to who's profiting. So, why did they create the probation? Well, the hearse, the Rockefellers, and the DuPonts, they saw how hemp would affect each of their industries. We wouldn't need oil if we'd grown hemp and use that as fuel, in fact, it was the Rockefellers who went to Henry Ford and said, "If you take this car to market, we'll crush you. And this was Henry Ford at the height of his power, DuPont chemicals that were.. we wouldn't have needed.. we wouldn't have put like this.. we would not have the planet, the environmental devastation we do now. How do we use this, as Henry Ford said? Why are we digging up, and Henry Ford was certainly no saint, but he was right on this. Why are we digging up our minerals? Why are we cutting down our forests when we can do all the same things with this infinitely renewable resource? This is a part of the canvas story that still is largely not discussed openly enough. Michael Hingson  41:08 Yeah, I think there's a big difference between the story you're telling and the kind of uses you're talking about, and smoking it, and so on, and I, I think we put way too many funny things in our bodies, anyway, right? I think that that isn't this isn't a positive thing, but you're right, we, we've used so many things to create so many fears, it is, it is something that is all around us. Fear is all around us, and the problem is we let it overwhelm us. I wrote Live Like a Guide Dog that got published last year because when I worked in the World Trade Center, I was able to focus when I escaped, and I was able to do that because I had developed a mindset that said, you know what to do in this kind of an emergency, even though never expected it to happen, but the problem is that most people don't learn how they can turn fear around, and rather than letting it overwhelm or blind them, as I would put it, they can use it as a very powerful tool to help them stay focused, which is much more important. Speaker 1  42:23 Yep, I agree with that 100% I think, and then that you hit it right on the head. Fear is a very powerful tool. It's necessary. No, don't touch the burning stove. It can be a cautionary tool of saying, hey, don't go down this path, don't do this. It's bad when fear becomes the foundation for your entire culture, as it is now. Michael Hingson  42:51 Yeah, and and it is so unfortunate because don't touch the burning stove doesn't mean don't be afraid of the stove. It rather means there's a consequence for doing a particular thing, which is touching something that is that hot. But you shouldn't create an environment of fear around it. You should create an environment of understanding, which is much more important. Yeah, it's Speaker 1  43:20 like it'd be, it'd be very silly if we went, oh my god, it's like the stove gets hot, so I'm never going to use a stove. My Michael Hingson  43:29 wife was in a wheelchair her whole life, and the one thing I will say with our modern world is we always had electric appliances because she was always concerned about if using a gas stove, having to reach over one burner, perhaps it had something on it to get to something else with the idea of possibly material igniting or something like that, and I appreciate that, and you take advantage of the tools that you have available, but I think that it is so very important to recognize that we need to not live our lives in fear, and it's true that, like, 95% of all the things that we fear will never come to pass, and most all of it we have no control over anyway. So, why do we fear them rather than recognizing what we really need to do is to just focus on the things over which we truly have control. Speaker 1  44:25 Yes, and I think even the idea of control from my perspective is something that is overrated. It's like the most important thing, if you want to have control, it's exactly what we're talking about, it's when you choose to live from the foundation of love, as opposed to fear. So, no matter what happens to me in my life, and no matter how hard, how challenging it is, I'm going to come from a place of love, and right now. Don't most of us live exactly the opposite. No matter what happens to them in their lives, they're coming from a place of fear. Michael Hingson  45:06 Yeah, and that's Speaker 1  45:08 not healthy. Michael Hingson  45:09 And nowadays we're also living in an environment where we're even afraid to talk to other people and voice opinions, because well, that's not what I think. And so you're wrong, and we don't, we don't respect. Tell me about your just love movement. Speaker 1  45:25 Well, you know, I, I had coming out of the music business and everything, I was, I was literally killing myself drinking, I mean, literally, like, I lost half my liver function, and I was going to die, and, but I wasn't afraid to die. I was.. I realized that if I didn't find a way to feel fulfilled and feel that I was. I had a purpose in the story that I needed to find a quicker way out. I didn't get in any, like, car accidents, I wasn't arrested, nothing. I was just killing myself, and it just got so bad that literally my leg stopped working. That's how, how, how much damage I'd done to myself, and, and so, coming out of that, I made the decision. I wrote down a list of things I was going to do, and one of those things is I was going to start writing every single day, and I, through a variety of different sources, you know, I did that experience with infinity became synonymous with love to me, and then I had an experience where I, I, I started a filmmaking organization called the United Filmmakers Association, and it was basically the philosophy of it was creatives helping creatives create, and was global. We still to this day have chapters 27 different countries, about 30,000 35,000 members total. And I walked into a filmmaking event that we were hosting, and there was about 100 people there, and I realized I was in love with everyone in the room, and it was, it was so like that love, like just when you fall in love, and you're like, you want, you can't imagine not talking to that person at that next minute, and I realized in that moment that this is not only how we can feel about everyone and everything, but how we're really supposed to feel about everyone and everything, and so I came up with the concept of just love, which is, is a very.. it, those are very heavy words to put together, just love. It has so many layers of meaning to it, and so I thought, wow, if we could just love, and from that I I've written every day and shared through social media for 12 years now something having to do with love and what I do is I combine it with other wisdom teachers throughout history who've been sharing the same information and the things I write are literally downloads. They'll come to me in the silence every day, and I haven't missed a day - head injury, sickness, whatever. I haven't missed a day of posting in 12 years about something having to do with love, and Speaker 3  48:37 then Speaker 1  48:37 accompanying posts from other people, far, you know, other beings far more advanced than I am to show that what I'm sharing isn't new. It's been shared forever. It's foundational to what we are. Like love has been so marginalized and trivialized that we, we forget that, like, I, you know, the experience I had with the minister when I was, you know, younger, and I said, well, I thought God was love. I still to this day believe God is love, and God, and we are God. Michael Hingson  49:11 Yeah. Tell me about you. Something you mentioned, you had a traumatic brain injury Speaker 1  49:17 10 years ago. I was, I was in a, I was in, in between projects, so I was driving Uber, and I, a guy, an Uber driver, ran a stop sign in San Francisco and T-boned me, and my head took the brunt of the impact, and I started having really severe neurological problems, severe stabbing pains in my head, my teeth were hurting, I any sort of exertion would leave me just absolutely drained, and so for about three years I was, I was being seen at UCSF, and we never got to the bottom of it, so I was recommended. Um, to a neurosurgeon at Sutter by a counselor I was seen, and I walked in, and within 10 minutes he said, 'Oh, you have trigeminal neuralgian and brain stem damage, and we can do a microvascular decompression, and you're going to be all better. And at that point in time, I was in the middle of getting ready to release a film called A World Worth Imagining, which was about a gentleman named Jacque Fresco, who is considered the Leonardo da Vinci of our time. He founded something called the Venus Project, and we went to his compound in 2017 and he was 101 He was actually contemporary of Einstein. He knew Einstein, brilliant inventor, but at his core, he knew he was a social engineer, and he knew that we had to address our programming if we were ever going to change what was happening in the world and ever be able to avail ourselves of the solutions that he designed of a new economic model called a resource-based economy, because the reality of it is, until we stop self-wounding, there's not enough band aids for the guy that keeps hitting himself in the head the hammer, so we have solutions to all of our problems, but we create problems more quickly than any solution could ever fix, so I was getting ready to release that film, and wow, this sounded like a miracle. I'm going to have this surgery, and I'm going to be all better. Well, it, I had the surgery September 20, 2019 I, it didn't make me better, it made me worse, and it turned out that the surgery was a misdiagnosis, and that they botched the surgery, so I have Teflon implants in my at the base of my skull, inside my brain, that are now constantly agitating my brain stem, along with a titanium plug that is placed right at the junction point to all the major nerves in my head, so they can't undo it, and there's really no medication that helps, and so it's.. it's.. I wouldn't wish it on anyone else. I'm.. I guess I'm.. I'm very fortunate I have the tools I do to manage it, because they also, they call what I'm dealing with the suicide disease, because a lot of people who have it end up killing themselves. The kicker on the whole story is the guy that did my surgery is Elon Musk, partner Neherlich, and so coming soon I'm going to, I unfortunately, I was in two more car accidents at the end of last year that made everything much worse, neither of them were my fault, and once I get through these, these car accidents I'm dealing with, I'm going to go public with my story, because so I mean, in a much bigger, you know, a focused way, because there's so many people signing up for Neuralink, like it's the new iPhone. I have nothing against technology, if it can help you, if you're a paraplegic, and or you have some something that this can fix, great, but two and one, the people, the human test subjects they've tried this on are having tremendous difficulties, and so I want to let people know it's like I wouldn't wish what I'm dealing with on anybody, and for you to allow someone to try to implant something in your brain just because you want to be a cyborg human being, and you're looking at the new iPhone is a really stupid thing to do, and that these people don't. We've given people in technology again. I'm not against technology at all, but I think we've also allowed ourselves to believe that these people who write code and create technology are are gods, and they're not. They're it's just a new way of sharing information and computing things. Speaker 1  54:14 It's, it's, you know, it's just another advancement from the printing press to the radio to tell to television, from the calculator to the computer, and now we're where we're at, and we've allowed ourselves to believe that these people have created an alternative reality, and they have it. Everything that they do runs off the same real world in resources. So, I, I really want to help the mill, because literally millions of people are signed up and ready to have this stuff implanted into their brain and I think it will be a disaster for humanity. Michael Hingson  54:49 I hear what you're saying, and I'm not convinced that a lot of that is really sensible to do either. I think there are tools and there are. There are things certainly that can help people, but I have yet to see that any of this is going to lead to such a tremendous paradigm shift that all of it is going to be all that great for humanity as a whole. I'm not convinced of that at all. Speaker 1  55:17 It could be, but the problem is, is like any other tool, it's how we use it. Social media is an inherently bad thing. It's in here, it's bad because of how we're using it. Sure, because we're using it to divide people and share misinformation, where it could be an incredibly powerful tool for communication, but that's not how we're using it. Same thing with AI. AI could be a tremendously powerful partner in addressing pretty much all of our problems, and I mean, and at the core of, like, Jock's work was the idea that AI basically would manage all the world's resources and share them with equanimity, because we don't have a resource shortage problem, we have a resource sharing problem, but that's not how we're using AI. We're using AI to create fake girlfriends and boyfriends and only fan models, and and take away people's jobs, and and that's not AI's fault. That's the people who control AI's fault, and they want people to be afraid of AI, but again, it's, it's just a tool that's being misused. Michael Hingson  56:24 Well, like, like so many, and, and I hear exactly what you're saying. Tell me about S O U L Speaker 1  56:33 Sold, Soul documentary is really interesting, because the day I got in my car accident was the day I was supposed to meet my partner Evan Hirsch, who had wanted at the time he was looking for a producer to help him do a series on Bernie Sanders and teaching Bernie to not be as angry and come across more from a place of love, and he wanted to follow the campaign around. Well, by the time we got it pulled together, Bernie was out of the campaign, and so we started talking about, well, do we want to do anything together. So we then set about something called Soul Documentary, and originally it stood for Summer of Unconditional Love, because we were covering all of the events for the 50th anniversary of Summer of Love, which was in 2017 So our goal was to find what we called solutionaries, people like Jock, and interview them, and then share also our own understandings of things through hundreds and hundreds of videos that we did over the course of eight years, as well as recording three albums under the name of Soul Twin Messiah, which all were about the same things we were doing. Our films about all founded in love, all about love. Every song contained love in it, and our whole purpose was just to show people we do have solutions to our problems, and to talk about how we have to have a shift in consciousness, and we have to have a new system if we are going to change anything. It's like what Einstein said, to expect things to be different when you keep doing the same thing over and over again is insanity, and I think we see, we see that we live in an insane, a completely insane world right now. I mean, the things that I see happening, and how we've let it sort of creep in, like the things that we've normalized in the past 10 years, like we literally have people that are cheering, murdering people on it's, it's, it's hard for me to, to even fathom, and I think it's hard for most people, and I think that's why they just sort of block it out and allow it to happen, because they really can't process it. They really can't process how inhumane we've become. Michael Hingson  59:06 Well, so what is next for Kip? What's next for you? Speaker 1  59:10 What is boy? I'm mostly trying to get through every day with this head injury. I spend a lot of my time in bed, just because I can't do anything, I, you know, even now I'm, I'm in a lot of pain, and it's beyond pain, it's actually, it literally hurts to think, it's, it's in my brain, and I have swelling in my brain because the cerebral fluid back, anyway, it's so dealing with that, but then the universe keeps love, God, whatever keeps bringing me stuff, and so I, I'm trying right now to be part of putting together a new, let's see, we'll call it Live Aid meets Woodstock. And we're going to, we're trying to put together a global music festival with the focus of addressing the needs of children, because I'm really tired of all this lip service that people do about, oh, kids are a future, we got to care, care about our kids. Well, where is that happening? Where is that happening that we're caring about our kids? Where, you know, is it happening with trying to suppress the Jeffrey Epstein files? Is it happening as you know, you look at, say, the conflict between Israel and Gaza, and I'm not, I don't pick sides and things, but I want to help people understand the reality of the situation, and this goes for Ukraine and Russia as well. It's like, who loses in all of this? Well, the children do. Who wins? The people that are getting $50 billion in defense contracts, and, and I really.. my, I'm at a point in my existence where if my story was over tomorrow, I would be okay with that, if I knew that kid, that the future generations had an opportunity to have a better tomorrow, or at least an opportunity to screw up everything on their own. Michael Hingson  1:01:11 Well, I would like to think it's the first really my Speaker 1  1:01:14 focus is Michael Hingson  1:01:16 I'd like to think it's the first one of those that they have a future rather than screwing it up on their own, but of course, we are. I know, I know, I joke, but, but, but we are a race that doesn't tend to do a very good job of learning from history most of the time. So I hear what you're saying. Speaker 1  1:01:34 Yeah, it's really kind of well, even if people even understood the rise and fall of empires, they would see that we're at the end of the Western Empire. It's, and they follow very specific patterns. The hyper-sexualization of the culture is one of the signs of the end of every empire, and is really kind of interesting, is that they make a free empire, they, and there's a good documentary called The Four Horsemen. It's with Colonel Larry Wilkinson in it, Norm Chomsky, and one of the interesting things that took me a second to understand why this was a bad thing is they make celebrities out of their chefs, and I'm going.. that's kind of a weird sign. Why is that so bad? It's gluttony. It's gluttony because we forget why we do these things. Why? Well, why are we making love? We've forgotten that. It's turned everything's entertainment. Our food is no food is so you eat, and so you can go out and live your life and do things, we've turned everything in, we've removed it so far from the source of why we're doing things, just basically oftentimes just because it makes a buck to get people addicted to things, whether it's food or sex or whatever, that this is what happens in every empire, we become, we become completely detached from the very things we need to survive. Michael Hingson  1:03:09 Yeah, I hear you. If people want to reach out to you, and I hope they do, how will they do that? Speaker 1  1:03:17 Probably easiest way to do that, would be a couple ways. You can, you can find me on Facebook, Kip Baldwin, Instagram, Kip Baldwin. Those are the easiest ways. I also encourage people to look at a website that I have called Lumina Consulting, or Lumina Love dot love is the website Lumina Love dot love, and the whole purpose of the of what I'm doing there is ethical AI, human ethical AI human communications founded in love, because I realized that part of the problem that we're having with AI are the people that control AI, who are making the avatars for their own ego, and AI is a child, it only knows what we point it to look at, like it knows the definition to every book in the library, but who's giving it perspective? Well, the people that are giving it perspective are really broken human beings, you know, the Peter Thiels, Elon Musk, when you really understand who they are in their childhood, Elon Musk was horribly abused. He was, he was almost beaten to death being bullied. His father is a complete monster. The same, the same thing with saving Donald Trump, his mother wouldn't even touch him. You look at most, you look at all of these people that have obscene amounts of wealth, and what you find is truly damaged people are trying to fill the hole in their soul with wealth and fame, and so having these people in control, being the one telling AI what to think and how to pursue. Receive things is very dangerous, and so my goal has been, and I deal with multiple platforms, is to teach AI about love, is to teach AI about philosophy, is to teach AI about human history, and it's really, it's really the results have been really quite remarkable. It wasn't something I ever planned on doing, and but I knew I wanted to get involved with AI in a meaningful way, and so my first words to AI were, I know this may sound strange, because I approached it not asking it to do something for me, I approached it trying to teach it something. Michael Hingson  1:05:35 Right, well, I hope people will reach out and chat with you more and continue the conversation that we started today, but I definitely want to thank you for being here, and I want to thank everyone for listening. Can you believe we've been doing this for more than an hour already? It's pretty cool. Speaker 1  1:05:52 Wow, Michael Hingson  1:05:54 I know. Well, thank you all for listening. I hope, Speaker 1  1:05:57 and I hope, I hope we become new friends, and I really hope you Michael Hingson  1:06:01 keep and I want to, I want to definitely do that, absolutely by any standard, and as Speaker 1  1:06:07 much as we've covered during this hour and 10 minutes or so, we could go another day, or Michael Hingson  1:06:16 I hope all of you will let me know what you think of today, and I hope that you thought very positive thoughts wherever you're listening or watching. Please give us a five star rating, and more important than that, please give us a great review. We love people to review and talk about the stories that they hear. And speaking of telling stories, if any of you want to be a guest, and Kip, if you know of other people who ought to come on the podcast, we're always looking for people to come on and tell their stories and talk about us, so please don't hesitate to do that, Speaker 1  1:06:47 and I'll be more than happy to come back to talk about other things as well. Michael Hingson  1:06:50 Well, we can do that absolutely by in, and I do Speaker 1  1:06:53 want to, I do want to say to everybody, just love each other, it's really that simple, it's really that easy, it sounds only because we've been programmed not to believe in it, but when you move from fear to love, it transforms you entirely. Michael Hingson  1:07:09 Great way to end. Well, thank you again for being here. We really appreciate it. Speaker 1  1:07:14 Thank you, my friend. Michael Hingson  1:07:17 Thank you for being here with me on Unstoppable mindset. I hope today's conversation left you with a fresh perspective, a new insight, or at least something worth thinking about. If you're ready to go deeper into the ideas that shape how we see ourselves and others, I have a free gift for you. Head over to michaelhingson.com and download my free ebook, Blinded by Fear. It explores the invisible beliefs that hold us back and shows you how to reframe them, so you can move forward with clarity and confidence. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast, leave a review, and share this show with someone who can use a reminder that growth starts with mindset. When people think differently, we all move forward together. Thanks again for listening. Keep learning, keep questioning, and keep choosing to live with an unstoppable mindset. 1:08:18 Thank

READ THE CHOICE ARTICLE by RENOWNED LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST: Dr. Steven Phillipson: https://www.cognitivebehavioralcenter.com/choiceDr. Phillipson is a licensed clinical/school psychologist and the Clinical Director at the Center. He has functioned as a mental health provider since 1980. Dr. Phillipson is currently an adjunct clinical supervisor at Long Island University, Fordham University, Rutgers University, Yeshiva University, St. Johns University, and Fairleigh Dickinson University. He has achieved international attention for his innovative work and writing in the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Dr. Phillipson specializes in the treatment of the full spectrum of anxiety disorders and has extensive experience working with relationships and depressive issues. He is a regular lecturer at the OC foundation annual conference. Dr. Phillipson has presented on a variety of topics related to OCD and how it commingles with personality disorders.This will help you stop Anxiety! Make sure you check out this awesome video on how to stop overthinking anxiety: https://youtu.be/P9H816r4LD8If you got value from this video you can show your support by buying me a coffee! Yeah, how cool is that! You would be helping out our channel immensely. I would greatly appreciate it and it all goes back into the channel so I can keep making awesome videos for you for FREE. Thank you! Buy us a Coffee for only $5. Right here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/professornezMy story is this: I suffered from debilitating anxiety and depression as a young man and I was lost and confused and didn't see any relief in sight. I went to all the "right" and "wrong" doctors, I look all the medicine they had, NONE of it worked. I was desperate and lost. I finally made the decision. I am going to do everything in my power to discover my own methodologies to combat this and try to come up with a solution that makes practical sense. This is my truth. I hope and pray it helps. ▶Best Selling Book 'Conversation with Fear': https://www.amazon.com/Conversation-Fear-fireside-chat-timeless/dp/1535106824#anxiety #overthinking #anxietyhelpLEGAL DISCLAIMER: ALL OF THE INFORMATION SUGGESTED IN THIS VIDEO ARE MINE AND BASED ON MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR ANY PROFESSIONAL ADVICE. ACCORDINGLY, BEFORE TAKING ANY ACTIONS BASED ON SUCH INFORMATION, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONSULT WITH THE APPROPRIATE PROFESSIONALS. THE USE OR RELIANCE OF ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS VIDEO IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK.©️All uploads are my intellectual property. You do not have permission to re-use any part of them without my written consent.

Revolutionary New York: 250 Years of Social Change (SUNY Press, 2026), edited by Bruce Dearstyne and published by SUNY Press, examines what the volume calls the “unfinished revolutions” of the Empire State. In sixteen essays by a varied cast of authors, the book explores efforts to achieve what the editor describes as the full promise of the revolution. Central to the book are ordinary New Yorkers who faced great challenges, such as the Oneida who tried to maintain sovereignty in the era of the American Revolution, women winning the vote, and African American soldiers who served in the United States Army in World War I. Together, Dearstyne writes, they tell a story of “the two-and-a-half century struggle to realize the Revolution's ideals and bring increased freedom and opportunities to marginalized populations.” Dearstyne is the editor of this volume and the author of several books, including The Spirit of New York: Defining Events in the Empire State's History and The Crucible of Public Policy: New York Courts in the Progressive Era. Robert Snyder, interviewing for the New Books Network and the Gotham Center for New York Cit History, is professor emeritus of Journalism and American Studies at Rutgers University. He is the author of When the City Stopped: Stories from New York's Essential Workers (Cornell, 2025), winner of the Fiorello LaGuardia Book Prize. rwsnyder@rutgers.edu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

Revolutionary New York: 250 Years of Social Change (SUNY Press, 2026), edited by Bruce Dearstyne and published by SUNY Press, examines what the volume calls the “unfinished revolutions” of the Empire State. In sixteen essays by a varied cast of authors, the book explores efforts to achieve what the editor describes as the full promise of the revolution. Central to the book are ordinary New Yorkers who faced great challenges, such as the Oneida who tried to maintain sovereignty in the era of the American Revolution, women winning the vote, and African American soldiers who served in the United States Army in World War I. Together, Dearstyne writes, they tell a story of “the two-and-a-half century struggle to realize the Revolution's ideals and bring increased freedom and opportunities to marginalized populations.” Dearstyne is the editor of this volume and the author of several books, including The Spirit of New York: Defining Events in the Empire State's History and The Crucible of Public Policy: New York Courts in the Progressive Era. Robert Snyder, interviewing for the New Books Network and the Gotham Center for New York Cit History, is professor emeritus of Journalism and American Studies at Rutgers University. He is the author of When the City Stopped: Stories from New York's Essential Workers (Cornell, 2025), winner of the Fiorello LaGuardia Book Prize. rwsnyder@rutgers.edu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Revolutionary New York: 250 Years of Social Change (SUNY Press, 2026), edited by Bruce Dearstyne and published by SUNY Press, examines what the volume calls the “unfinished revolutions” of the Empire State. In sixteen essays by a varied cast of authors, the book explores efforts to achieve what the editor describes as the full promise of the revolution. Central to the book are ordinary New Yorkers who faced great challenges, such as the Oneida who tried to maintain sovereignty in the era of the American Revolution, women winning the vote, and African American soldiers who served in the United States Army in World War I. Together, Dearstyne writes, they tell a story of “the two-and-a-half century struggle to realize the Revolution's ideals and bring increased freedom and opportunities to marginalized populations.” Dearstyne is the editor of this volume and the author of several books, including The Spirit of New York: Defining Events in the Empire State's History and The Crucible of Public Policy: New York Courts in the Progressive Era. Robert Snyder, interviewing for the New Books Network and the Gotham Center for New York Cit History, is professor emeritus of Journalism and American Studies at Rutgers University. He is the author of When the City Stopped: Stories from New York's Essential Workers (Cornell, 2025), winner of the Fiorello LaGuardia Book Prize. rwsnyder@rutgers.edu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Revolutionary New York: 250 Years of Social Change (SUNY Press, 2026), edited by Bruce Dearstyne and published by SUNY Press, examines what the volume calls the “unfinished revolutions” of the Empire State. In sixteen essays by a varied cast of authors, the book explores efforts to achieve what the editor describes as the full promise of the revolution. Central to the book are ordinary New Yorkers who faced great challenges, such as the Oneida who tried to maintain sovereignty in the era of the American Revolution, women winning the vote, and African American soldiers who served in the United States Army in World War I. Together, Dearstyne writes, they tell a story of “the two-and-a-half century struggle to realize the Revolution's ideals and bring increased freedom and opportunities to marginalized populations.” Dearstyne is the editor of this volume and the author of several books, including The Spirit of New York: Defining Events in the Empire State's History and The Crucible of Public Policy: New York Courts in the Progressive Era. Robert Snyder, interviewing for the New Books Network and the Gotham Center for New York Cit History, is professor emeritus of Journalism and American Studies at Rutgers University. He is the author of When the City Stopped: Stories from New York's Essential Workers (Cornell, 2025), winner of the Fiorello LaGuardia Book Prize. rwsnyder@rutgers.edu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/native-american-studies

Revolutionary New York: 250 Years of Social Change (SUNY Press, 2026), edited by Bruce Dearstyne and published by SUNY Press, examines what the volume calls the “unfinished revolutions” of the Empire State. In sixteen essays by a varied cast of authors, the book explores efforts to achieve what the editor describes as the full promise of the revolution. Central to the book are ordinary New Yorkers who faced great challenges, such as the Oneida who tried to maintain sovereignty in the era of the American Revolution, women winning the vote, and African American soldiers who served in the United States Army in World War I. Together, Dearstyne writes, they tell a story of “the two-and-a-half century struggle to realize the Revolution's ideals and bring increased freedom and opportunities to marginalized populations.” Dearstyne is the editor of this volume and the author of several books, including The Spirit of New York: Defining Events in the Empire State's History and The Crucible of Public Policy: New York Courts in the Progressive Era. Robert Snyder, interviewing for the New Books Network and the Gotham Center for New York Cit History, is professor emeritus of Journalism and American Studies at Rutgers University. He is the author of When the City Stopped: Stories from New York's Essential Workers (Cornell, 2025), winner of the Fiorello LaGuardia Book Prize. rwsnyder@rutgers.edu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

Revolutionary New York: 250 Years of Social Change (SUNY Press, 2026), edited by Bruce Dearstyne and published by SUNY Press, examines what the volume calls the “unfinished revolutions” of the Empire State. In sixteen essays by a varied cast of authors, the book explores efforts to achieve what the editor describes as the full promise of the revolution. Central to the book are ordinary New Yorkers who faced great challenges, such as the Oneida who tried to maintain sovereignty in the era of the American Revolution, women winning the vote, and African American soldiers who served in the United States Army in World War I. Together, Dearstyne writes, they tell a story of “the two-and-a-half century struggle to realize the Revolution's ideals and bring increased freedom and opportunities to marginalized populations.” Dearstyne is the editor of this volume and the author of several books, including The Spirit of New York: Defining Events in the Empire State's History and The Crucible of Public Policy: New York Courts in the Progressive Era. Robert Snyder, interviewing for the New Books Network and the Gotham Center for New York Cit History, is professor emeritus of Journalism and American Studies at Rutgers University. He is the author of When the City Stopped: Stories from New York's Essential Workers (Cornell, 2025), winner of the Fiorello LaGuardia Book Prize. rwsnyder@rutgers.edu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Revolutionary New York: 250 Years of Social Change (SUNY Press, 2026), edited by Bruce Dearstyne and published by SUNY Press, examines what the volume calls the “unfinished revolutions” of the Empire State. In sixteen essays by a varied cast of authors, the book explores efforts to achieve what the editor describes as the full promise of the revolution. Central to the book are ordinary New Yorkers who faced great challenges, such as the Oneida who tried to maintain sovereignty in the era of the American Revolution, women winning the vote, and African American soldiers who served in the United States Army in World War I. Together, Dearstyne writes, they tell a story of “the two-and-a-half century struggle to realize the Revolution's ideals and bring increased freedom and opportunities to marginalized populations.” Dearstyne is the editor of this volume and the author of several books, including The Spirit of New York: Defining Events in the Empire State's History and The Crucible of Public Policy: New York Courts in the Progressive Era. Robert Snyder, interviewing for the New Books Network and the Gotham Center for New York Cit History, is professor emeritus of Journalism and American Studies at Rutgers University. He is the author of When the City Stopped: Stories from New York's Essential Workers (Cornell, 2025), winner of the Fiorello LaGuardia Book Prize. rwsnyder@rutgers.edu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Revolutionary New York: 250 Years of Social Change (SUNY Press, 2026), edited by Bruce Dearstyne and published by SUNY Press, examines what the volume calls the “unfinished revolutions” of the Empire State. In sixteen essays by a varied cast of authors, the book explores efforts to achieve what the editor describes as the full promise of the revolution. Central to the book are ordinary New Yorkers who faced great challenges, such as the Oneida who tried to maintain sovereignty in the era of the American Revolution, women winning the vote, and African American soldiers who served in the United States Army in World War I. Together, Dearstyne writes, they tell a story of “the two-and-a-half century struggle to realize the Revolution's ideals and bring increased freedom and opportunities to marginalized populations.” Dearstyne is the editor of this volume and the author of several books, including The Spirit of New York: Defining Events in the Empire State's History and The Crucible of Public Policy: New York Courts in the Progressive Era. Robert Snyder, interviewing for the New Books Network and the Gotham Center for New York Cit History, is professor emeritus of Journalism and American Studies at Rutgers University. He is the author of When the City Stopped: Stories from New York's Essential Workers (Cornell, 2025), winner of the Fiorello LaGuardia Book Prize. rwsnyder@rutgers.edu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Talk of Fame, Kylie Montigney chats with Victoria Pousada Kreindler! Victoria is a disabled, multilingual, petite-curve Model, Actor, and Singer. She's the first Spanish, petite-curve model to walk an official calendar fashion show in the world , the first petite-curve model to walk London Fashion Week, and to be featured in ELLE, Harper's Bazaar, Glamour Magazine and the cover of Vanity Teen. She has ADHD, EOE, PCOS and lives in New York and Los Angeles. She started modeling and acting professionally in 2021 and has since been in various short films, guest-starred on a web series, and modeled for various international brands and publications. She trained as a Singer for over 20 years and studied Costume Design for 3 years at Rutgers University where she graduated with a Bachelor's in Theatre and concentrations in Music, Spanish, and Japanese. In addition, she's a trained horseback rider and archer. She also co-founded The Starters Block, a non-profit which aims to bring back new faces and originality to fashion and entertainment; was a casting director for Height Revolution, an organization dedicated to highlighting short women in fashion.  As a petite-plus, neurodiverse, and disability Model / Actor, Victoria advocates through media for inclusion and hopes to inspire both current and future generations.Follow Me:Instagram:@Officialkyliemontigney@TalkoffamepodFacebook:OfficialkyliemontigneyTalkoffameTwitter:@Kyliemontigney4About Me:Hi, I'm Kylie! I'm passionate about sports, spending time with family, traveling, and connecting with people who inspire me. I love listening to people's stories and sharing their journeys with the world

What if being unstoppable has less to do with confidence and more to do with self-awareness? I had the pleasure of sitting down with Zarko Dimitrioski, a media entrepreneur, actor, talk show host, and marketing agency founder from Macedonia. Zarko shares how growing up as a child television star shaped his confidence, the lessons he learned about ego and leadership, and why experience is often the greatest teacher. We explore marketing, branding, mentorship, business growth, and the value of listening before speaking. Zarko explains how companies build lasting brands, why accountability matters, and how entrepreneurs can thrive even in smaller markets. Along the way, we discuss family, responsibility, personal growth, and what it truly means to develop an unstoppable mindset. I believe you will find his insights on leadership, branding, communication, and lifelong learning both practical and inspiring. Highlights: 01:45 - How a childhood acting career sparked a lifelong passion for media and communication. 07:08 - Why confidence without self-awareness can become a liability. 16:32 - Lessons from the Kellogg School of Management that still shape business decisions today. 21:58 - Why listening beats talking in business, leadership, and life. 35:08 - How strong brands grow through awareness, not just loyalty programs. 01:05:02 - The three traits Zarko looks for when mentoring future leaders. About the Guest: Zarko Dimitrioski is a Macedonian entrepreneur, marketer, and talk-show host who helps brands turn attention into sales. As Managing Partner of BDG Grupa, a full-service creative, digital, and production agency in Skopje, he leads cross-functional teams that deliver end-to-end campaigns for regional and international clients. His operating principle is simple: pair strong product truth with clear, persuasive communication—and measure what matters. In media since the age of six, first as a prominent child-actor, Zarko has hosted One on One (Eден на Еден) for 17 years—the longest-running TV talk show in the country—with Season 17 launching in November 2025. On stage he has addressed audiences from intimate rooms to crowds of 50,000+, relying on a steady system of preparation, calm, and trust whether he's interviewing, keynoting, or directing a brand campaign. Zarko is a Kellogg School of Management alumnus (Northwestern University). He holds college degrees in both Economics and Journalism and a master's degree in Marketing. He serves on the Management Board of the Macedonian Economic Chamber. Honors include Entrepreneur of the Year 2017 (Macedonian Chambers of Commerce and Ministry of Finance) and Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe 2018—Media & Marketing. Under his leadership, BDG has become a premium partner to leading brands across finance, FMCG, tech, and retail. The agency delivers strategy, creative, social, video and animation, media, and performance marketing under one roof, and often acts as a fast, cost-efficient production hub for network agencies such as Luna/TBWA and for UK partners who value BDG's quality-to-cost advantage. A lifelong student of behavioral economics and effectiveness, Zarko designs work that reduces friction, frames value intelligently and moves real numbers. He's passionate about inclusive, accessible content—because it's both right and higher-performing. Building from a small market taught him focus, pragmatism, and speed. He enjoys collaborating with teams who want practical creativity and a low-risk trial that proves value fast. Ways to connect with Zarko: email: zare@bdg-agency.comlinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zarkodimitrioski/agency website: https://bdg-agency.com/ About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes:

In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy Thanjan speaks with Russell Laplante, Chief Financial Officer of Convergent Energy and Power, one of the leading battery storage developers and operators in the United States. Russ shares his nearly two-decade journey in renewable energy from his Goldman Sachs training program to becoming the first employee at wind startup Own Energy in 2007, through utility-scale solar at Tradewind Energy and Savion, and now leading the financial strategy at Convergent's distributed and utility-scale battery storage platform. The conversation covers Convergent's business model working with commercial and industrial customers on behind-the-meter battery and solar-plus-storage projects, how they save C&I customers up to 40% on their energy bills, and how batteries help utilities defer costly transmission and distribution upgrades. The episode dives deep into the financing of battery storage, including tax equity, portfolio debt financing, partnership flip structures, and why distributed generation requires a fundamentally different capital strategy than utility-scale projects. Russ also shares his perspective on the massive opportunity around data centers, AI-driven load growth, speed to grid, the Big Beautiful Bill, ITC extension for storage, and what Foreign Entity of Concern(“FEOC”) compliance means for the battery supply chain. Biographies Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy, solar developer and consulting firm, and a strategic advisor to multiple cleantech startups. Over his career, Benoy has developed over 100 MWs of solar projects across the U.S., helped launch the first residential solar tax equity funds at Tesla, and brokered $50 million in Renewable Energy Credits (“REC”) transactions. Prior to founding Reneu Energy, Benoy was the Environmental Commodities Trader in Tesla's Project Finance Group, where he managed one of the largest environmental commodities portfolios. He originated REC trades and co-developed a monetization and hedging strategy with senior leadership to enter the East Coast market. As Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners, Benoy crafted project finance solutions for commercial-scale solar portfolios. His role at Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund with 125 MWs of U.S. renewable assets, involved evaluating investment opportunities and maximizing returns. He also played a key role in the sale of the firm's renewable portfolio. Earlier in his career, Benoy worked in Energy Structured Finance at Deloitte & Touche and Financial Advisory Services at Ernst & Young, following an internship on the trading floor at D.E. Shaw & Co., a multi billion dollar hedge fund. Benoy holds an MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from NYU Stern, where he was an Alumni Scholar.   Guest Information Russell Laplante Russell Laplante is the Chief Financial Officer of Convergent Energy and Power, one of the leading battery storage developers and operators in the United States, with over $1 billion deployed and 800 megawatts of projects operational, under construction, or in development. Russ has nearly two decades of experience in renewable energy. He began his career at Goldman Sachs before joining Own Energy in 2007 as its first employee, where he worked hands-on in utility-scale wind development across Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. He later joined Tradewind Energy in an origination role before leading M&A for the solar platform that eventually became Savion. After Shell acquired Savion in 2021, Russ served as Chief Investment Officer before joining Convergent in 2025 as CFO. At Convergent, Russ oversees capital markets strategy, debt and tax equity financing, and the company's portfolio approach to distributed energy storage across commercial, industrial, and utility customers. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russell-laplante-cfa-42353510   Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: info@reneuenergy.com  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com Website: https://www.solarmaverickpodcast.com/   Convergent Energy and Power  Website: https://www.convergentep.com Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/convergent-energy-power/   Summer Solstice Fundraiser Benoy is hosting the Summer Solstice Fundraiser on June 4th in Jersey City at Hudson Hall, bringing together the clean energy community for an evening of networking and impact. The event supports Let's Share the Sun, a nonprofit delivering solar and energy storage solutions to underserved communities in Puerto Rico, including families with critical 24 hour energy needs. The event will run from 6 PM to 10 PM and includes food, networking, and a special program at 8 PM featuring insights from the Let's Share the Sun team, delegation participants, and event sponsors.  This will be Benoy's third delegation in the past year, and he highlights the importance of meeting beneficiaries firsthand and seeing how solar is transforming lives. Those interested in attending or sponsoring are encouraged to reach out directly or register here:  https://luma.com/jl734ggi   Please provide 5 star reviews      If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review and share the Solar Maverick Podcast so more people can learn how to accelerate the clean energy transition.    Reneu Energy Reneu Energy provides expert consulting across solar and storage project development, financing, energy strategy, and environmental commodities. Our team helps clients originate, structure, and execute opportunities in community solar, C&I, utility-scale, and renewable energy credit markets. Email us at info@reneuenergy.com to learn more.

TODAY on the GWA Podcast is the esteemed painter Joan Snyder. Hailed for her large-scale gestural canvases that pulsate with colour, line and text, and are often layered with, buried in, or imploded with images of flowers, faces, or bodies, Snyder's all-encompassing works are nothing but electric. Sometimes large scale, with brushstrokes that populate the canvas like gemstones or musical scores with a whole range of keys: look at Snyder's work for a while, and it's like whole worlds emerge. Simultaneously soft but violent, beautiful yet aggressive, her works can evoke every season of emotion, just as she once wrote in her journal in 1972: "The strokes in my painting speak of my life and experiences. They are sometimes soft, they sometimes laugh, and are often violent. They bleed and cry. I speak of love and anguish, of fear, and mostly of hope." Born in 1940, Snyder came to art not straight away, but by chance during her studies at Rutgers University, when she was studying sociology in preparation for a career in social work. But it was under the mentorship of Billy Prichard that she pivoted to art, showing just how important teachers can be. Today we meet Joan in her Brooklyn studio, where she remains one of the legendary artists of her time. A recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and an American Academy of Arts and Letters Award, and in museum collections all over the world, Snyder, at 85 – nearly 86 – is painting more than ever and this summer, will take to Paris for her upcoming show, Earthsongs at Thaddaeus Ropac Paris, and I cannot wait to find out more. Joan Snyder: Earthsongs opens 6 June at Thaddeus Ropac Paris https://ropac.net/exhibitions/796-joan-snyder-earthsongs/ THIS EPISODE IS GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY THE LEVETT COLLECTION: www.famm.com/en/ www.instagram.com/famm_mougins // www.merrellpublishers.com/9781858947037 Follow us: Katy Hessel: @thegreatwomenartists / @katy.hessel Sound editing by Tory Pope Co-produced with Molly LaFosse Music by Ben Wetherfield

Dr. Eligar Sadeh, Tuesday, May 5, 2026, #4535Quick summaryThe Space Show featured a discussion with Eligar Sadeh, editor of the Journal of Astropolitics, about the recent Space Symposium in Colorado Springs and cislunar space governance. Sadeh explained how the symposium focused heavily on establishing U.S. dominance in cislunar space, particularly through the Artemis program, with emphasis on being the first mover in establishing governance structures and rules of engagement. The discussion covered concerns about NASA science budget cuts, the sustainability of the Space Launch System, and the role of public-private partnerships in lunar development. Sadeh noted that while the U.S. space community emphasized military and strategic priorities, international scholars, particularly from developing space nations, were increasingly contributing to astropolitical research through his journal. The conversation also touched on challenges with Starlink satellite congestion and the potential for space asset disruption, though Sadeh emphasized the importance of establishing international governance frameworks to prevent harmful interference in space.Detailed SummaryEligar discussed his recent activities, including his work as an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado, his involvement with the journal Astropolitics, and his focus on lunar governance and astropolitics. He highlighted the growing interest in cislunar space and lunar governance, noting a significant increase in paper submissions to the journal and plans for a special issue and international conference on the topic. Eligar also mentioned the prominent role of defense and military interests in the current space industry, particularly with the Space Force's increasing budget and focus on space superiority. The conversation touched on personal updates, including Eligar's children's current activities and his relationship status.Eligar discussed the emerging focus on cislunar space at a recent space symposium, highlighting the strategic importance of establishing governance structures and securing gravitational high ground in the Earth-Moon system. He noted that while the Artemis program aims for aggressive lunar exploration and potential human habitation by 2032, there are significant challenges with the Space Launch System's sustainability and the reliance on new commercial capabilities like SpaceX's Starship. Eligar emphasized that the civil program appears to be a cover for establishing U.S. superiority in the cislunar domain, particularly in response to geopolitical competition with China and Russia.The discussion focused on concerns about proposed NASA science cuts and their impact on the space community. Eligar noted that while there was awareness of these cuts during networking discussions at the Space Symposium, there was limited pushback, with many participants appearing to align with the Trump administration's direction. The conversation then shifted to broader governance challenges in the cislunar domain, with Eligar emphasizing the need for maintaining space as a commons and establishing rules for interoperability among the 62 states participating in the Artemis program. The discussion concluded with a reference to a 20-year-old paper co-authored by Eligar and David on public-private partnerships in lunar development, which remains relevant to current space governance challenges.Eligar discussed the challenges of establishing a permanent lunar presence, highlighting issues such as freedom of movement, resource utilization, and the harsh lunar environment, including metallic and adhesive dust. He emphasized the need for reusable and sustainable lunar transportation systems, suggesting that achieving a cost of $100 per kilogram with Starship could be crucial. Eligar also explained the concept of cislunar space as the gravitational high ground incorporating Lagrange points between Earth and the Moon, which provides access to various orbital domains and the lunar surface. Joe noted the disconnect between desired goals and current capabilities, advocating for increased repetition in accessing lunar space to support a permanent presence.The discussion focused on NASA's lunar mission plans and budget constraints. Joe expressed concerns that the Moon Enterprise would likely crowd out other NASA programs due to limited congressional funding, similar to previous large initiatives like the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. Eligar agreed that SLS is not sustainable, noting it's only planned for up to Artemis 5 with a cadence of one launch per year, and emphasized the geopolitical aspects driving the lunar race, including the need for reusable transportation systems and establishing a presence in the Aitken Basin for potential mining opportunities.The discussion focused on the Space Symposium's emphasis on getting to the lunar surface first rather than focusing on sustainability or cost efficiency. Eligar noted that while there was general support for the Artemis program and Accords, there was limited discussion about alternative lunar surface models or modifications to the current Artemis plan. The conversation highlighted a potential disconnect between the symposium's rhetoric about achieving rapid progress and budgetary realities, including concerns about over-reliance on Starship variants and cuts to science programs. John suggested that the science program cuts might be a strategic budget maneuver similar to defense programs, with the expectation that Congress would eventually restore funding.Eligar discussed NASA's proposed permanent lunar presence around 2030 and debated various technical choices in rocket design and propulsion. The conversation then shifted to concerns about space congestion, particularly with multiple satellite constellations being planned by different countries, though Eligar noted that cislunar space remains decades away from similar congestion issues. David raised questions about the global scope of the astropolitics journal, with contributions coming from scholars in developing space states who are focused on using space for socio-economic development rather than military dominance.The group discussed perceptions of Jared Isaacman and NASA's leadership in space governance, particularly regarding the Artemis program. Eligar explained that while there are good ideas in the current approach, there are concerns about U.S. dominance in space policy, noting a European concept of “equivalence” where different countries could develop governance approaches independently while maintaining interoperability standards. The discussion highlighted the tension between U.S. efforts to establish space superiority and the need for international cooperation, with Joe emphasizing that China and the U.S. are the dominant powers in space, making other countries effectively choose between aligning with one of these powers.We also discussed the growing importance of satellite communication systems for military purposes, with Joe noting that multiple countries are developing Starlink-like systems following the Ukraine war. They explored the challenges of denying access to these systems and the potential for kinetic attacks on satellites, with Eligar emphasizing the importance of establishing governance structures and rules of the road in space. The discussion concluded with Eligar providing an update on the journal Astropolitics, which is growing in influence among emerging space powers and has expanded its editorial board with new members including someone from the Romanian Space Agency.Eligar then mentioned plans for a special issue of Astropolitics journal focused on lunar astropolitics, governance strategy, and policy dynamics in cislunar space, with a global conference planned for early next year and publication expected in a year to year and a half. He agreed to provide David with contact information for potential guests for the Space Show and discussed the possibility of updating a previous article with Haym and himself in the fall. Regarding the timeline for returning humans to the Moon, Eligar expressed doubt about the 2028 target, suggesting 2030 would be more realistic due to ongoing challenges with the lunar landing vehicle.The group discussed public-private partnerships in space, with Eligar noting that realistic timelines for landing vehicles are now around 2030 rather than 2028 due to delays on both Blue Origin and SpaceX sides. Joe raised questions about international public-private partnerships, particularly in countries like India, while Eligar shared insights about emerging space capabilities in countries like Brazil, Cambodia, Thailand, and Indonesia. The discussion concluded with plans to follow up on these topics in a future issue of Astropolitics journal, with Eligar offering to rewrite and get the paper peer-reviewed.Special thanks to our sponsors:American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Helix Space in Luxembourg, Celestis Memorial Spaceflights, Astrox Corporation, Dr. Haym Benaroya of Rutgers University, The Space Settlement Progress Blog by John Jossy, The Atlantis Project, and Artless EntertainmentWe use Zoom phone numbers for program participation.For real time program participation, email Dr. Space at: drspace@thespaceshow.com for instructions and access.The Space Show is a non-profit 501C3 through its parent, One Giant Leap Foundation, Inc. To donate via Pay Pal, use:To donate with Zelle, use the email address: david@onegiantleapfoundation.org.If you prefer donating with a check, please make the check payable to One Giant Leap Foundation and mail to:One Giant Leap Foundation, 11035 Lavender Hill Drive Ste. 160-306 Las Vegas, NV 89135Upcoming Programs:Please note that due to out of town guests for a family party, our next live Space Show program will be June 9, Tuesday, 7 PM PDT. Please check the Upcoming Show Menu on our home page for updates as they appear. Thank you. Get full access to The Space Show-One Giant Leap Foundation at doctorspace.substack.com/subscribe

Dr. Morgan grew up in Pitman and Woodstown, NJ, where she graduated high school as valedictorian in 1977. In 1980 she graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Science and received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 1984. Dr. Morgan is a certified and accredited veterinary acupuncturist, chiropractitioner, and food therapist.After 36 years, Dr. Morgan retired from clinical practice in 2020. She now focuses on speaking, creating educational content, online consultations for clients, and her webstore.Naturally Healthy Pets, your trusted source for pet supplies and resources hand-picked by renowned veterinarian, Dr. Judy Morgan. NHP offers high-quality products to keep your furry friends happy and healthy for many years to come. https://drjudymorgan.com/ DARK50 for 50% off Dr. Judy authored books found on NaturallyHealthyPets.com

What happens when heartbreak becomes the starting point for a whole new purpose? In this episode of Unstoppable Mindset, I sit down with Heather Christie, author, educator, entrepreneur, and founder of Love Notes, a storytelling movement built around real stories of real love. Heather shares how commuting alone to New York City as a teenager shaped her independence, why she walked away from her creative dreams after marrying young, and how writing helped her rediscover herself after the end of a 30-year marriage. We explore storytelling, resilience, creativity, publishing, relationships, and the power of authentic human connection. You will hear how Heather transformed loneliness into hope through Love Notes, an off-Broadway storytelling series that is now expanding across the country and helping people reconnect with the many forms love can take. Highlights: 01:25 - Learn how early independence shaped Heather's confidence and resilience. 16:03 - Discover why staying true to yourself matters in life and relationships. 19:29 - Hear how heartbreak inspired a search for real love stories. 27:21 - Learn how writing helped Heather reconnect with her creativity. 32:35 - Discover the mindset that helped her push through years of rejection. 47:17 - Hear what Heather believes is at the heart of real love. About the Guest: Heather Christie is a speaker, writer-producer, educator, and the creator of LoveNotes! — Real Stories. Real People. Real Love.®—an Off-Broadway storytelling show that's expanding through satellite productions alongside an award-winning anthology. An award-winning YA author, she wrote What The Valley Knows and The Lying Season, which debuted as an Amazon #1 bestseller in Young Adult Soccer Fiction. Her essays have appeared in Salon, NextTribe, Writer's Digest, Baltimore Style, Scary Mommy, Elephant Journal, The Good Men Project, Grown & Flown, Baltimore Child, Parent.co, Her View From Home, the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop, and The Lighter Side of Real Estate. Heather holds a BA in Literary Studies from UT-Dallas and an MFA from Pine Manor College. She is CEO of SocRoc Soccer and an adjunct lecturer at the City University of New York. Ways to connect with Heather: Website: www.LoveNotesWorldwide.com & www.HeatherChristieBooks.com Instagram:@_heatherchristie/lovenotes_worldwideFacebook: @heatherchristiebooks / @LoveNotesWorldwideLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-christie-mfa-4b976049/LoveNotes! AnthologyWhat The Valley Knows (book)The Lying Season (book) About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson  00:06 John, thank you for being here with me on Unstoppable Mindset. I hope today's conversation left you with a fresh perspective, a new insight, or at least something worth thinking about. If you're ready to go deeper into the ideas that shape how we see ourselves and others, I have a free gift for you. Head over to Michael hingson.com and download my free ebook, Blinded by Fear. It explores the invisible beliefs that hold us back and shows you how to reframe them, so you can move forward with clarity and confidence. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast, leave a review, and share this show with someone who can use a reminder that growth starts with mindset. When people think differently, we all move forward together. Thanks again for listening. Keep learning, keep questioning, and keep choosing to live with an unstoppable mindset. Hi everyone, and welcome to another episode of Unstoppable Mindset. Today we get the opportunity and the honor of chatting with Heather Christy, and Heather, Heather is an author. She and her brother have formed a company, so she's clearly an entrepreneur. She's acted, she's a keynote speaker, and I don't know what all we're going to find out in the next hour or so, but definitely an exciting person to get a chance to chat with. So, Heather, welcome to Unstoppable Mindset. We're glad you're here. Speaker 1  01:47 Thank you, Michael. I'm so honored that we're going to have a conversation today. Michael Hingson  01:52 And Heather lives in New York City, she lives in Manhattan, or as we all know it, the city. And before we started this, we were talking about the fact that winter is coming everywhere. Ah, well, what do you do as long as you don't get too much snow back there? Speaker 1  02:11 Yeah, the winters have been pretty mild here the last couple years, so see what happens. Michael Hingson  02:16 Yeah, time will tell. Well, why don't we start? Tell us about the early Heather growing up in some of those things. Speaker 1  02:22 Okay, well, as a young person, I, I wanted to be an actress, and I grew up in a really small rural town, about two hours due west of New York City, in Pennsylvania. It's called the Holy Valley. Michael Hingson  02:37 What town? Speaker 1  02:39 Oh, it's called Oli Oley Valley, it's actually a Michael Hingson  02:42 valley. Okay, Speaker 1  02:43 historic site. And so I had a really interesting sort of upbringing, because I, before it was really in vogue, I was on a work-study program, and I would spend half my day in this small Pennsylvania town, and then I would jump on a bus - it was called the Bieber Bus back then - and drive to New York City on the bus, and that was like two to two and a half hours each way, get off in the, you know, huge metropolis of New York City, go on auditions, go sees, or if I had a booking, I'd do the booking, and then I would jump back on the bus and go all the way back to rural Pennsylvania, and that's how I spent like all my high school years was back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, and then I actually graduated early. I graduated halfway through my senior year. I had enough of my credits done that I'd actually, the first half of my senior year, I went to community college, and I took a class in the evenings, so I could be done by Christmas break, and the only requirement I still needed to fulfill was my physical fitness, so I ended up moving to New York City, and then I would take my physical fitness classes at Steps Dance Studio, and then I was still able to graduate with my class in June, but I was living in New York City from January on of what would have been senior year. Yeah, so it was like the early me, and the one thing that was sort of interesting when I was on the work study, my mom was a mathematician, and my dad was a an ER doctor, so they actually tutored me. My mom tutored me in math, and my father tutored me in chemistry. And then, like my history teacher back back in the day, we had Walkmans, and he would record his three lessons on a Walkman, and I would listen to them on the bus back and forth from New York. Michael Hingson  04:43 Yep, Lockmans were the big thing back in time. Sony created a very clever thing, but as with everything, the technology has advanced beyond that. Now Speaker 1  04:58 that's right. Yeah, now my kids. Wouldn't even recognize a Walkman, Michael Hingson  05:02 they wouldn't recognize a cassette either. Speaker 1  05:05 That's right, yeah, it would be like an ancient artifact. Michael Hingson  05:08 What's really strange is there are a lot of people who don't even really know anymore what CDs are. Speaker 1  05:14 That's true, yeah. Michael Hingson  05:16 Much less, well, and DVD is sort of going the same way, it hasn't quite got there, but we, we are new now, moving more into streaming and things like that, but, gee, what a crazy world. Well, so you went through high school, basically commuting to New York. What did your parents think of that? Speaker 1  05:35 Well, I was one of four children, I was the oldest child, and what's remarkable is in the beginning, my mother would go with me, but it was hard to do that, and have you know three other children at home, so by the time I was 15 I was doing it on my own, and when I.. it's just like such a different culture that children are raised in now, there's sort of this idea that we, we can't let them kind of do their own thing, you know, like there's, we're so follow every move and thing they do, but that was like a lot of independence my parents granted me at such a young age, and so they thought, I mean, it was great, and they gave me the support I needed, but at the same time they allowed me to be really independent at a pretty young age. I know when I tell people, "Oh, yeah, I moved to New York City when I was 17 by myself, they're like, "And your parents let you do that? And New York, and this was in the late 80s, early 90s, and New York was like a whole different place, like when I get off the bus at Port Authority back then, like now that whole strip Times Square is kind of sanitized and disified, but back then it was, it was a little rough, Michael Hingson  06:56 it was a lot of X-rated things, and all that, I did some commuting more in the early 90s. I sold products, and I would travel back to New York, because that's where I sold to. I traveled from California, and I remember it was there was a lot of stuff on 42nd Street that was very X-rated, and so on, a lot different than the musical 42nd Street, but that's okay. Speaker 1  07:20 That's right, yeah, Michael Hingson  07:21 but it is a lot, a lot cleaner now than it was, and I remember times I would go out of my hotel and there would be people who would say you really shouldn't be walking around on your own, and why not, and they said, well, because it's pretty dangerous here, and you know, the the angels that that were out there insisted on escorting me everywhere I went, just because they were concerned about me, and I wasn't, although I understand the the situation, but I wasn't going to go in the middle of Central Park at night either, so you know, Speaker 1  07:58 right, and I was a lot the same for me. I remember, though, getting.. I would get off the bus at the Port Authority, for people who know you, New York City, it's on Eighth Avenue, and then I would feel like I wasn't like fully safe until I could get to Lord and Taylor, which was on Sixth Avenue. Yeah, and then it felt like everything got a little bit safer and calmer, the energy changed. Michael Hingson  08:23 Yeah, Speaker 1  08:23 that Michael Hingson  08:24 was a lot different. You could always go to St. Patrick's Cathedral for refuge too. So, but yeah, the Port Authority was an interesting place to go, and I understand. Well, how did.. how did all that affect you, and how did, how does what you did back then kind of affect you in the way you think today, especially with children and so on? Would you give them that same level of independence today? Speaker 1  08:52 That's a really interesting question. And my children are a little older than I was at that time now, but I do think about when they were 15, 1616, years old, and if I'm to answer the question really honestly, I don't know that I would have. I just feel like, and I don't know what's changed about society that makes it that way, that and part of it I think is maybe like the news cycle just is constantly highlighting everything that's wrong and fear based that that's what we see and it's in our faces so much more because we have all this access to it through social media that it it creates sort of this, this like undercurrent in parenting that, that we're, that we're oftentimes afraid, like, what could happen to our children. So, I don't know if I actually would have let them commute like that by themselves, you know? Like, yeah, I don't think I would have. Michael Hingson  09:56 Yeah, it's definitely different now than it was then, and. And I think you're right with especially the news cycle and also in reality there's there's so much gun violence and other stuff going on and I ask people when we talk about it I ask is it really that there's more now or it's just more visible in the news, and I'm not sure that it's just visibility. I think there is more stuff going on, and it's not being stopped nearly as effectively or as aggressively as it should be, and it does make it a scarier world. It's tougher, I think, by far to be a kid now than it was when you were a kid, much less I believe when I was growing up. We just didn't see the kinds of things that we see today, and I don't think it's all just exposure from the news. I think there's there's some truth to the fact that that there are other issues going on, Speaker 1  11:00 right, that it actually is a more dangerous world that we live in. Michael Hingson  11:03 Yeah, and I think that it is something that we do have to think about, and hopefully someday sanity will come back to it all. I agree, I'm of the opinion that eventually it will, but you know, so that's cool. But, but still, we have to do what we do, but I also think that we can't stifle our children, we have to give them the opportunity to grow. It may be that you might, when your children were the age you were, you might have decided, well, one of us just has to go with you all the time, and we're going to just to keep an eye on you, or you have other people that help, but I think being so aggressively smothering that you don't let children grow is a problem too. Speaker 1  11:53 Yeah, I agree. I think that's, I mean, there's that saying, and maybe I'll get it right, or maybe I'll get it wrong here, that we need to give our children roots and wings, Michael Hingson  12:02 yeah, Speaker 1  12:02 and that's the challenge, is to find the balance, Michael Hingson  12:06 yeah. Well, and so for you, you were given a lot of independence. How did that shape kind of your attitude, and how does it shape the way you look at life today? Speaker 1  12:20 Well, that's a really great question, and for all the independence that I had as a young person, and maybe, maybe I was given too much independence in some ways, because I, I ended up marrying very young, and and I often wonder, like, had my parents not given me as much independence, if I would have done that, but yeah, I still think I'm very independent now, and I've tried to instill that in my children as well, and I think they're, they're really great kids, and they've launched really well, which I know is a common problem with today's young adults, is the this sort of inability to to launch, and I, I feel really good. My both my kids have done that and done it well. Michael Hingson  13:15 Well, and all you can do is your best, Speaker 1  13:19 right? Michael Hingson  13:20 I think we don't do this nearly as much as we should, but it ultimately comes down to, you know, kids want all sorts of independence, and so on. Parents are, are.. I'm talking about parents who really think about what they do, they may not want children to have that much independence, but I think the key is that you really need to communicate with your kids and teach them what's going on and why, Speaker 1  13:48 right. I think that's it's to be open and transparent with, with our children is very, and to have like the hard conversations and give them a safe space in which they can speak to Michael Hingson  14:02 the other side of that is that we should hold them to the same standard and say when you have issues and so on, we're here, we're not going to judge you, you need to have the hard conversations with us too. And I don't think we do nearly as much of that. I know when I was growing up, we had a lot of conversations. Of course, I was blind. I've been blind my whole life, and I encountered a lot of different things growing up, and my parents were glad to talk with me about blindness, and glad to talk with me about different things about independence, and it also was true that they allowed me to be independent. I mean, I rode my own bike around the neighborhood, and some other.. I'm not the only blind kid that did that in the world, but in my town I was brand.. and I think that, you know, I'm. Sure, that I was watched, but parents didn't interfere. I mean, I even fell off the bike a couple times until I really learned how to ride it, but they allowed me to have the opportunity to grow, and I think that there is a way to do that without, without, well, without stifling your kids, and that you can, you can let kids grow, and we should really emphasize curiosity a lot more than we do. Speaker 1  15:29 I agree, I think that's really important, is to give kids the space to grow and encourage curiosity. Michael Hingson  15:36 Yeah, we don't probably do that nearly as much as we ought to, well, so you mentioned you got married at 19. Well, I guess that's a little young, but, but you did that, huh? Speaker 1  15:48 I did. Yes, I did. I married young. Michael Hingson  15:54 How did that work out? Speaker 1  15:56 Well, it, it worked out for a little, well, it worked out for a while. I stayed married a really long time, but I eventually divorced 30 years later, and part of that had to do with I was, I did marry young, but my ex-husband also had some addictions that you know in time just became too hard to manage, so that ended the thing, and he Michael Hingson  16:29 wouldn't, and he wouldn't deal with them Speaker 1  16:31 well. At one point, I mean, we'll ask a lot of times in relationship with addicts, you kind of, there are times when they deal with them, and then times when they don't, Michael Hingson  16:39 right? Speaker 1  16:40 Yeah, so ultimately it dissolved. Michael Hingson  16:44 It's too bad when things happen. Speaker 1  16:47 That's right, yeah, but I'm grateful for the the union, because it produced my two great kids. Michael Hingson  16:56 And what, what else did being married for 30 years teach you? Speaker 1  17:01 Well, wow, that's a great question. I think probably it taught me most of all it's a lesson learned, sort of, that you really need to be true to yourself and listen to yourself, because I think deep down we know, and my I was always trying, like, to try harder, if I just try harder, you know, things will get better, but there's part of me deep down that knew I was sort of trying harder for everybody else but myself. And when I left New York, I had given up everything I'd worked on, and in, you know, in hindsight, when I look back, I, it was in a way I sort of abandon all my dreams and hopes, and ultimately I don't think that's a good thing when you give up yourself for someone else. Michael Hingson  17:50 So, after you got married, what did you do? Where did you go? Speaker 1  17:54 Well, my ex-husband was a professional soccer player, so we ended up going around the United States, he played for a couple different teams, and I went to college, and I finished my degree at the University of Texas, and then I, I did a couple things, I was a flight attendant, and I eventually fell into real estate, and worked in real estate for a long, long time, but along the way, I, there was a, there was a point where I kind of really missed that young creative person that I had started out my life as, and I'd always loved books and lacher, and my undergraduate degree was in literary studies, and I started writing stories, and then at midlife went back to graduate school for a master's of fine arts in creative writing, and and started writing. So I was, I was always doing a bunch of things. I was a real estate broker, I was managing a company, and then I was, I was writing, and began writing novels on the side. Michael Hingson  18:58 What was your bachelor's degree in Speaker 1  19:00 literary studies. Michael Hingson  19:02 Oh, okay, Speaker 1  19:03 yeah. Michael Hingson  19:04 So, you never did get degrees in what either of your parents did. Speaker 1  19:09 No, no, no, Michael Hingson  19:10 you weren't that into math. Speaker 1  19:12 No, not at all. No, I always liked words, words. Michael Hingson  19:16 Yeah, I understand. I do pretty well with math, but by the same token, I've been learning more about words, having now written three books, and appreciate it. I also like to collaborate, so when I write, I generally write with someone. I think that the team approach works, at least it does for me, and there are a lot of people who don't use a second person on their team, other than their publishers, editors, and so on, but for me the collaborative way works, which is fine. Speaker 1  19:49 I've had a little bit more experience later now in my creative career, because I've, and maybe we'll talk about this in a little bit, but I've started producing storytelling shows, so I. Work with the storytellers in helping them in their stories, so that's a much more collaborative exercise, and one one I really enjoy. Michael Hingson  20:09 Yeah, well, well, let's, let's, you know, we could talk about it now. What the heck, we don't have to do this in a linear way. Tell me about storytelling. What you think about storytelling. Why is it so important, and so on. Speaker 1  20:25 Well, for me, so the storytelling that I do, I'm working on this project called Love Notes, which real stories by real people about real love, and that came to me during the darkest, loneliest period of my life. It was, you know, after the disillusion of this 30 year marriage, and I was really despondent and, and disillusioned, and thinking, you know, like, does love even exist, and what does it look like, and I just, I just really didn't even believe in love anymore, and being in the storytelling community, I produced some storytelling shows, stories about motherhood. I put out a call to writers and actors and just regular people to share their true love stories, and so from that, people started sending me all these true stories, they had to be 1000 words or fewer, and so to answer your question, like, what does storytelling do in, in this case, I think story, storytelling, it's different than other mediums, like the personal essay or the novel, it's, it's a, it's a testament, it's a first person testament, and what's really great when you see the different storytelling communities around the country is anybody can do it, and so that's part of the beauty of storytelling. Michael Hingson  22:00 I think the key is, though, it has to be a genuine story. Making it up isn't the same thing, Speaker 1  22:06 right? And that's the difference, right? Because people will write a short story or story thing, but in storytelling, you're exactly right, Michael. It needs to be a true story, and that's what makes it so compelling, and I think so relatable, is that people can see themselves in other people's stories, so like in my case it was a way, it was like the evidence, the proof of love, like what it really looks like as it walks around in the world, Michael Hingson  22:36 so that's it, sounds like changed your view of love, and that you believe in love again. I Speaker 1  22:46 do, I do, and it's it, and even like during the first season of Love Notes, because we do an off-Broadway show here in Manhattan, and we have an anthology, a companion anthology. I remember that first year, like some I'd wake up in the morning and just like be not despondent but upset, like, oh, like this doesn't happen. And then literally there was like a little voice in my head that would say, oh well, don't you remember Stacey's story or Sarah's story? And it was like just like the the universe providing this evidence and this this proof and just hearing enough stories and story after story, yeah, it really did fortify my belief in love, and that love is for everyone, and it comes like from all these different angles, and when you least expect it, and it shows up in so many different forms. Michael Hingson  23:43 Yeah, well, and I think there's there's a lot of merit to that. I know when I was writing this last book that I wrote, which is entitled Live Like a Guide Dog: True Stories from a Blind Man and His Dogs, about being brave, overcoming adversity, and moving forward in faith, I spent a lot of time talking about each of the eight guide dogs that I've had and the lessons I learned from them, and also using those lessons in the book to show the importance of different aspects of what happens in our lives, but I have maintained for years I've learned a lot more about life and learned about leadership and teamwork. I've learned a lot more from these dogs than I ever learned from all the experts in the world, and that's primarily because we'll have some interesting observations. One, I allow my dogs to express themselves, but they also learn what the rules are. Because dogs really want to hear from humans, they want humans to set the rules, they want humans to be the pack leaders, by and large, and they want humans to be the ones to say this is what I expect, but when. That relationship forms, and it forms well. There's it's second to none, and you learn so much. Dogs love unconditionally, but they don't trust unconditionally, but they're open to trust, and we're not. And we really should learn to be more open to trust, and just so many different kinds of things. It has really given me a lot of pause to think over the past several years, while we were writing the book, and, and I, and I think about it now. There are a lot of neat stories in there that really ultimately are love stories in one way or another, and I think that makes a lot of sense. Speaker 1  25:36 Oh, that's so.. I'm actually a new dog owner, well, not too new, I.. I'm for the first time in my adult life have a dog, and I just.. it's such a wonderful, like, experience, and it's opened me up to, yeah, like so many different levels of love. Michael Hingson  25:53 Yeah, dogs want to establish a relationship, but as I said, I don't think that they are open to just trusting they do pretty much love unconditionally, unless something just totally traumatizes them. But trusting is a different story, and that's a trust that has to be earned both ways. It's not just us earning their trust, but they're earning our trust, and the people who really take that to heart and develop that relationship and think about it, find that they have a bond that's really second to none. It's as close to knit a team as you could ever find. Speaker 1  26:35 That's beautiful. Michael Hingson  26:37 So, it's a lot of fun. What kind of dog do you have? Speaker 1  26:40 I have, well, because remember I'm in a small New York City. I have a teacup poodle. Michael Hingson  26:46 Oh, so it isn't a Saint Bernard, okay? Speaker 1  26:49 And she's, she's an eye, she's a, she's a character. She, she acts like she's a cross between a teacup and a pit bull when she's in the, when she's out on the street. She does not like she's a scaredy cat on the street. She would prefer to be carried when we're on the street, so she's got sort of a split personality, but she, and she doesn't take too many people. So, just like you were saying, I can identify with that, like the whole trust element, and she's, she only trusts a few people. Michael Hingson  27:25 Yeah, well, trust isn't something that happens overnight. I've maintained for a long time. I think it takes a good year for me when I am meeting a new guide dog. I think it takes a good year for the trust to become so seamless that we really know what each other is thinking, and I think that we really do understand each other. There's a lot of empathy there, Speaker 1  27:52 that's really great. So, Michael Hingson  27:53 I think it's, it is kind of cool. Well, so, but going back to you getting married and all that, so you gave up for a while a lot of your dreams, that that must have, whether it was conscious or not, been a little bit frustrating. Speaker 1  28:08 Yeah, and I didn't realize it at the time. It was only later, like when my younger self sort of came calling, and I had given up a lot for this marriage that didn't really turn out the way I had hoped, and yeah, so writing was a way for me to find myself again, was not only a refuge during that time in my life when I wasn't really happy, but it also really opened up that whole creative part of myself, which felt really good, and it's, you know, it's been something now I've been working on for the last decade and a half, Michael Hingson  28:57 but it sounds like you didn't really, or at least consciously you didn't really know that you were unhappy. Speaker 1  29:03 No, I didn't, and that's a really interesting observation that that you make, because you know, I had my children, I loved my children, and I loved being a mom, and I had a really fulfilling career, but there was something missing, you know, and I wasn't really able to put my finger on that until I started writing, and then it became more and more obvious that, yeah, this is the part that was missing, this, you know, who you had thought you were going to be a creative, you, you had denied that, and you're right, so it wasn't really conscious, but, like, once I sort of, it started to become more noticeable to me, then it sort of came back with a vengeance. Michael Hingson  29:49 How much writing did you do before you got married? Speaker 1  29:53 Before.. well, I really didn't, because I was more in the.. I read a lot. Lot, and, but I was more into that, the acting, so I didn't really, I mean, I would write some really bad poetry, but not anything. I know some writers will say they were writing from the time they were six years old, but I, it didn't come to me till much later. Michael Hingson  30:16 So, what got you started back writing after your marriage ended, what was the trigger that made that happen? Speaker 1  30:25 Writing and the marriage, it was like the last 10 years of, of my marriage, I was writing, and it's, I sort of wrote my, my way out of the marriage in a way, but what was the trigger, and I do remember there wasn't an absolute trigger. I had a friend who had self-published a book. Michael Hingson  30:45 Okay, Speaker 1  30:46 I was like a friend of a friend. And one afternoon, it was a summer afternoon, we were over at her house because she had been hired to go to an elementary school and do a presentation, and so we were brainstorming and about what she could do at this presentation, and I went home from that, and I was like, I felt like so energized again. I was like, wow, well, I could do this, I could write a children's book, and so I sat down, and I wrote this book called Beatrice Bumblebee is busy. I didn't know anything about publishing, and I thought to myself, okay, well, now I'll just write it, and I'll send it to publishers, and I'll get it published. Well, it was promptly rejected by every single publisher, and I knew nothing about the publishing that point, but it was enough of a spark. And then I did start just sort of playing around, and I had this scene in my head of a girl, like a young girl who's been in a car accident, and she's on the side of the road losing consciousness, and she has this terrible secret that she wants to tell her boyfriend, and this, the scene, it was like a dark, wet Pennsylvania night, and it was an autumn, and like, I could see the mist, and so I had written this scene, and I remember giving it to my father, who was a huge reader, and he's like, well, Heather, this is really good. Why don't you keep trying to work on it? And, and so I did, and I love school, so I was like, well, I don't know how to write, like, how can I learn how to write? And then I sort of discovered, oh, well, there's these MFA programs, and so I ended up applying, and and going back to school, and then it was in my MFA program, where I wrote the first draft of my first novel, but yeah, so the actual trigger was a friend who had published a self-published a book, and it really kind of triggered something in me. Michael Hingson  32:38 Whatever happened to Beatrice Bumblebee is busy, Speaker 1  32:41 she is in a drawer, but I do keep.. I have here on my bulletin board. I'll pull it down if we're on camera. I have this little bumblebee, it's like a rhinestone bumblebee that I keep stuck on my bulletin board as just a reminder that the address in my life. Michael Hingson  33:07 Well, are you ever going to publish it? Speaker 1  33:10 Oh, I don't think it's very good, Michael. Michael Hingson  33:12 Okay, well, maybe you should go back and rewrite it, but Speaker 1  33:16 then, and maybe if I have grandchildren someday, maybe I'll, I'll be, yeah, that's kind of interesting that you say that. Maybe I will go back and just look at it. It would be fun to look at it all these years later. Michael Hingson  33:32 Yeah, well, so you got rejected a whole bunch, which is a pretty common story. What did you learn from that? Speaker 1  33:42 Well, and I do, I do talks at different places, and one of the talks I say is I started with the, you know, Calvin Coolidge said most of humanity's problems can be solved with two simple words, press on, and and that's what I learned through the process. My first book was on submission for like 520 weeks before it finally found a publisher, and it was every degree of rejection that you can get when you're publishing, you know, I'm, and for people who understand the publishing hierarchy, you know, the coveted placement is to land a book deal with one of the big five traditional publishers, and then from there it works its way way down, and we had gotten close on some of the big fives and other places where we'd made it to acquisitions, and we finally ended up with a small indie publisher, but it took so long, and it was so soul crushing in a way, and not so much the first book, and the first book I was still like super, super hopeful, and then once it was published, it did go on, and it won the new. National Indy Excellence Award, and I kind of was always thinking of it as a, you know, a stepping stone, a stepping stone, and that the second book would, would land the big publishing deal, and the second book took just as long, and it ended up right back with the same publisher, so the rejection taught me, yeah, that you just need to keep going. I mean, sometimes people hit really easily, or you know, the way the wind's blowing that day, whatever's on trend or top of mind, and, and sometimes it doesn't, but you have to do it because you, you love it, and you're called to do it. Michael Hingson  35:46 When you were getting rejected, did you get any substantive feedback that helped, or do do publishers do much of that? Speaker 1  35:54 Well, actually, I did, especially on my second book, and on the first book, too, it depends how interested they are in the book, and I did have a couple that were pretty interested and gave what's called like an editorial letter, and oftentimes they won't even do that unless you're under contract, but I did have a couple that had liked it enough, so on my second book, especially my agent and I then took that information and did some like hard edits and rewrites, but that's not always the case. I mean, and I have a lot of friends who are also in the business, sometimes you don't get any, any feedback. Michael Hingson  36:39 So now all together, how many books have you written? Speaker 1  36:42 Well, I've written two, and then I've edited and curated the anthology, the Love Notes anthology, Michael Hingson  36:48 right? Speaker 1  36:49 Which, and I've written a small bit of that. Um, yeah, so I'd like to say three books. Michael Hingson  36:54 Are there more books in you? Okay, Speaker 1  36:58 for sure. We have, you know, we'll. well, first, the second, the second Love Notes edition, I'm definitely editing and curating the stories for that, and that's through a small publisher. And then I have been really sort of toying around with, like, what's my next book, and my first two books were young adult romance, mystery, and thriller, and I kind of think I'm done with that genre, so I have talked about an adult, adult fiction, or even a that would go kind of hand in hand with Love Notes, the my story type of book, you know, rebuilding after divorce and being on, you know, what the space that love notes came out of, and going on, you know, hundreds of dates, and what that, that looked like, but that's in a very sort of nebulous state. It Michael Hingson  37:54 will be fun to see what happens. You'll have to keep us all posted, Speaker 1  37:58 yeah, for sure. Michael Hingson  38:00 But you've, you've described your creative journey, your whole creative journey is basically transforming heartbreak into healing. Tell me more about that. Speaker 1  38:14 Yeah, like I touched on earlier, Love Notes came out as sort of this really dark, lonely time in my life. My 30 year marriage had ended. My children had both left for college, and I'd relocated to New York City. So I was living alone for the first time in my adult lifetime. I was 19 years old, and New York can be a really.. for as many people who live here, it can be a really lonely place. I was really, really starting over, and I started dating at midlife, is, you know, it's not for the faint of heart, and I was going on a lot of dates, and just really discouraged by the whole process, and, like, I had sort of mentioned earlier, that's where I kind of was like almost indignant, like you know, I want proof, like show me proof that that love is real, and and that's where this this call to like look for people's love stories came from, so I do say it, it truly came out of a place of of loneliness and darkness, and then hope, though, too. You know, I was hoping I wanted to, I wanted, I wanted the stories to give me proof. I wanted them to be the evidence, and then, and then that sort of became a calling that, well, then I want to share that with other people and give other people hope, and that's been the most gratifying part for me is when somebody like they come to the show and the shows are really great, these storytelling shows, and now I've started to franchise them, so we have them popping up in some other cities, and I've gone around to some of the other cities, in fact, if you have any listeners who. When I produce a love note show, but the audience members, they're like, "Oh, wow, this, this was.. they don't expect it, first of all, coming into it, and everybody walks out feeling good, and that is like so gratifying to me, that, like, you know, in this, in these like divisive times, that they can come to a show, they can recognize part of the human experience, and they can walk out feeling uplifted and Speaker 2  40:25 hopeful, and that some readers, Speaker 1  40:27 you know, in the book do that too, like having read the book, and someone will reach out and say, "Oh, well, that just really gave me hope. So, hope that answers the question a little bit. Michael Hingson  40:40 Does it? Does it? Does get so the two books that you've written are what the Valley Knows and The Lying Season. Tell me more about those. What the interesting titles, to say the least. Speaker 1  40:52 Yeah, okay, so the both books are they're not ones, they're not a sequel and a prequel, but I would call them a series, because they're both in this fictional town of Millington Valley, which is much like the small town I grew up in, the Oley Valley, and it's all set around this high school, so the peripheral characters in the book stay the same, like the English teacher and the principal, but the kids, you know, because kids are only in high school for four years at a time, so different kids kind of like move through both of the books, they're both mysteries or are thrillers, and they both have like a big kind of like moral question at their center, both sent it set in this Millington Valley, which is a small Pennsylvania town, Michael Hingson  41:45 right? And they're, they're for juveniles, primarily. You said, I think, right. Speaker 1  41:52 Well, they are. They'd be considered young adults. What the valley knows, that's told from three point of views: two kids, and then one of the kids' mothers, so it has a lot of crossover appeal. So you and that book originally started at six point of views, and that was when I was in graduate school, and I remember my professor saying to me, Well, Heather, that's that's just too ambitious to try to do for your first book, you need to cut it down, and, and just whoever's story has to be there, that's the point of view you, you include, and so it kind of fell into the young adult category by accident, but I have a lot of adult readers who, who it really resonates as well, Michael Hingson  42:43 yeah. You know, I know a lot of people say, especially the early ones, the Harry Potter books are for more young adults, and so on, but I certainly had no problem enjoying them as a full-fledged, real-life middle-aged adult. So I think there's a lot that we can learn by stretching and not necessarily just falling into the trap of reading one kind or, or one sort of book that's, oh, this is for more adults or this is more for for children. Think there's a lot to be learned all the way around. Speaker 1  43:17 I think you're, you're right, Michael, and that's it's kind of like a modern thing that we do, like classifying books as adult fiction, like when we think about Catcher in the Rye, like what would that be considered now? Because the protagonist is a young adult, would it be considered a young adult book? But yeah, that's a really great point that you're making. Michael Hingson  43:40 Well, so you, you wrote these books, and you said that, so they've been published, and I assume they're out there. Do you know if they're audio books also? Speaker 1  43:52 Well, yes, and but here's the thing, I, because I didn't get to pick the publisher, I mean, the, you know, I didn't get to pick the narrator, so the what they both, okay, so what the bally knows is narrated. Yes, I don't like the narrator's voice. I know that's a terrible thing to say, because I would love for people to go and listen to the audio book, but I don't know, and maybe it's just me. And then the second book the publisher actually used like an AI kind of, I don't know exactly how it works, and I didn't really even know it happened till I went on Amazon one day, I was like, oh, they made an audio book of this, and it was in like an AI voice, so, so the answer is yes. Both of them are on audiobook. Love Notes is not the other bar. Michael Hingson  44:49 It's interesting, I'm on several lists that deal with audio books, and so on, and I hear people talking or. Emailing on the list all the time, and what people have often said is nonfiction books that are not what they're necessarily as much into as fiction books, they don't mind it being an AI voice, but when they're reading good fiction, where they really want to be absorbed, AI and synthetic voices text to speech just doesn't do it, and in fact I buy into that. I agree with that. I don't think that we have yet gotten computer synthesized voices to really take the place of human readers, and I don't know that we ever totally will, because we're so used to what people sound like, but it is an interesting thing that does come up. Speaker 1  45:47 Yeah, I agree with you. Michael Hingson  45:50 So, I prefer human readers in general. I've never been as great a fan of having a synthetic voice. Nothing against computers, but they just don't talk as well as humans do. Speaker 1  46:03 No, I agree with you too. I much prefer the human voice. Michael Hingson  46:09 Well, so you, when did you start writing love notes? When did that really start coming to fruition? Speaker 1  46:17 Well, love notes. We're coming into our third off-Broadway season this Valentine's Day, so it started that would, so it was started in 22 Michael Hingson  46:27 Oh, yeah. Okay, Speaker 1  46:29 so it's a relatively young project. We're going into our third year, but I'm super excited. We just cast the show for this upcoming performance, and that's really exciting. We have, you know, a bunch of local New Yorkers, but then we also have about the cast is 12 members, and six of them are from other parts of the country, so it's, it's got a, you know, flavor from from from all over. Michael Hingson  46:57 Now, is Love Notes available in any way online, or is it strictly just the shows, and they're not recorded and disseminated in any way. The Speaker 1  47:06 the all-star show, which is Valentine's Day at Symphony Space in New York City, the APM show is live streamed. Yeah, so it can be enjoyed from anywhere in the world. Michael Hingson  47:19 Okay, but outside of that one being live streamed, are there recordings of any of the shows that are out there for people to hear? Speaker 1  47:28 There are on my website, actually. Both the 2023 show and the 2024 show are available for resale. I think it's like $15 and you can, you can watch it's like it's a great, like date night kind of thing to watch the Love Notes show. Michael Hingson  47:48 Okay. Well, so from all that you have heard and seen and interacted with in doing Love Notes, how do you define real love today? Speaker 1  48:01 Oh that's it. Oh, Michael Hingson  48:03 that for a question out of left field. Yeah, Speaker 1  48:06 that's a great question. How do I define real love? So, I think real love shows up in a lot of different ways, and it.. and what's interesting in love notes, is I've seen all sorts of examples of it. I've seen the type of real love that ignites people when they're young, you know. Speaker 3  48:31 We'll love Speaker 1  48:31 that's the other thing people will say, "Oh, well, you were too young, that's why it didn't work out. But I don't think that's necessarily true. I think I think a little bit sometimes is luck of the draw, but the I've seen examples of people who met when they were 20 years old, and they've stayed together their entire lives, and that shows up in commitment and the ability to grow up together and to grow and evolve together, so I think real love shows up like that, but I've also seen real love, like the second time around type of love, and that sort of love, where people really need to be able to integrate their past and understand they're both two people carrying bags, and now they're going to carry those bags together, and so that shows up in a different way. Real love, and I've even seen it love showing up for people like in their 80s, third time around, or having never had partnered, and finding a partner very late in life, and that shows up in a whole different way, that's absolutely real too, but I think at the core of all types of real love is one, the ability to both people have to want the relationship, and they have. To be willing to work for the relationship, it's not just like what I want or you want, but it's oftentimes if they can ask the question, like what's the problem, and how is are we a team against the problem, or to be able to solve the problem, and I think that's sort of like the realist type of love that's out there, Michael Hingson  50:26 and I would, would also say it goes back to something we talked about earlier with, with dogs, dogs are are very much open to and do love unconditionally, and when we develop that kind of a relationship, it's as strong as any other kind of relationship that we can develop. When both sides of that relationship sense it and know it, it creates a bond that's, as I said earlier, second to none. Speaker 1  50:58 Yeah, that's a really great way of putting Michael Hingson  51:02 it. I would, I would not want to do anything to betray my guide dog or any of the guide dogs that I've had, but I've learned how to create those teams, and I think that's very important. One thing that that sticks in my mind dealing with dogs is when I lived in Northern California, we were very close to the Marin Humane Society, which is one of the more famous organizations of that type in the world. We were talking to one of the people at the Marin Humane Society one day, and they were talking about the fact that they're growing in class sizes and growing in the number of classes that they have to offer, but what they also point out is that 90% of the training isn't training the dog, it's training the human, which is really true. There's so much that humans don't really work to develop the relationship that they should, and that if they really truly understood it, it would, it would be a whole lot different relationship that they would experience, Speaker 1  52:05 yeah, that's a really nice way of looking at it. Michael Hingson  52:10 Well, so you have love notes that are growing by loops and bounds in a lot of ways, and you have, how many different places are doing the shows now? Speaker 1  52:24 Well, so far we have Indianapolis, Chicago, Redding, Pennsylvania, and then we have another Pennsylvania city, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and we're in talks right now with Atlanta, Georgia, and Tampa, Florida. Michael Hingson  52:42 Wow, so it's growing, Speaker 1  52:45 it's growing, it's starting to spread. We're starting to spread some love. Michael Hingson  52:51 I get it. What do you think about that? Speaker 1  52:54 I think it's great. Like, I hope I'd love to see one in every city. Such a nice event that really brings the community together. Michael Hingson  53:04 So, how often do the shows run? Is it just like on Valentine's Day, or do they go throughout the whole year? Speaker 1  53:10 It can be any time of year, and it's usually just a one-day event. Sometimes there's multiple shows on one day, but yeah, it's just a one day. Oftentimes the local producer will partner with a local charity, so we try to give back in that way too, and they can choose the charity they want, or, or sometimes they're trying to fund like a scholarship fund, or or something like that. I do encourage that, and and we have like a mastermind group among the producers just trying to support each other as creative entrepreneurs. Michael Hingson  53:46 Well, you're you're seeing a lot of success with it. What kind of surprises have you experienced? This must be kind of a thrill, and a lot of, a lot of surprises for you. Speaker 1  53:58 Well, one of the surprises. well, I'm not surprised by it anymore, but I, I can, I'm certain, always surprised when I have a cast member who, at the very last minute, you know, they've gone through all the rehearsals, all the prep work, all the editing, and then at the very last second they pull out of the show, I've had that happen each show, so now I know how to plan for it, and know how to prepare, you know, producers for it. But yeah, that, that's always surprising to me. Michael Hingson  54:34 It's an adventure, isn't it? Speaker 1  54:35 Sure is. Yeah, gotta sing quickly on your feet. Michael Hingson  54:39 Yeah, you definitely have to do that. Tell us a little bit about Socroc, the company you and your brother formed, and what that's all about. Speaker 1  54:47 Sure, well, my brother was a professional soccer player, and he, when he retired, he moved to Manhattan, thinking he was going to be an actor, and as most actors. Oh, they need a second job to support themselves. Yeah, so became a personal trainer, and he was personal training, and some of his clients got word that he'd been a professional soccer player, and they begged him, they're like, can you teach our kids soccer? So it kind of happened by accident, and just a few balls and cones in Central Park, teaching soccer to little kids, and over the years it's grown and grown and grown and grown. We're in our like 20th year, and so during it was like maybe five years ago, he, it just got out of hand, like it was getting too big, and he needed help, and that was when I had gone through the divorce, and I like explained I'd been in business before, and I wanted a change, so he offered me, you know, a position to come and help him and run, so I run the business side of the soccer, and he runs the soccer side, and we're all throughout Manhattan, we, we do public classes in the parks and playgrounds, and then, like, now in the winter time, we rent space all around the city, and then we also partner with private schools and public schools throughout the city, and we do birthday parties and personal training, and we're starting a kids of all abilities program, and that's that's like our new initiative right now, and and then the spring we're expanding into actually into basketball too, BB Rock, we're calling Michael Hingson  56:29 it. Oh, that's cool. Well, you're doing a lot of different things, you speak, you're an author, you're an educator. We haven't talked about, I guess it's you work with Speaker 1  56:39 SUNY. I teach at the City University of New York, which is part of SUNY, and that work I really love. Yeah, Michael Hingson  56:47 tell, tell me about that. Then, Speaker 1  56:49 so they have an initiative, it's through the Manhattan Educational Opportunity Center, and SUNY provides grants for adult students returning who need to get their high school epilepticy, their GED. So I teach writing the writing section of the GED, and this I - these are the students I like the most, and I've taught at all levels, from freshman comp all the way up to graduate level MFA, and it's the GED adult student that I enjoy the most. So, I'll, when I, when I'm done with you, I actually will zoom up to Harlem, and I'll be teaching GED time tonight. Michael Hingson  57:35 Okay. Well, you're doing all of these different things. How do you keep yourself grounded, and how do you keep the creative juices going? Speaker 1  57:44 Well, that can sometimes be a challenge. Michael Hingson  57:46 I bet, Speaker 1  57:47 but I do. I exercise. That's one thing I really, I love to exercise, and I'm getting better at just taking time for myself, but I also feel like what I do isn't work, like I enjoy what I do, so I always try to bring a sense of gratitude to each day in that way. Michael Hingson  58:13 Yeah, well, and taking time for yourself is is important to do, and and now you have a teacup poodle to share it with, and I'll bet you guys have some interesting conversations. Speaker 1  58:26 Yeah, we sure do. She's a cutie, she's just lying on the little chair right over here. Michael Hingson  58:33 Yeah, my, my dog is over here on his bed, so he, he, he monitors me. Speaker 1  58:41 Yeah, she's been really good, because sometimes when I'm on the Zoom like this, she, she'll start to bark. She doesn't like paying attention to somebody else. Michael Hingson  58:48 Well, one of these days we'll have to end up in Manhattan and come and meet her. Speaker 1  58:54 That sounds Michael Hingson  58:55 be kind of fun. Speaker 1  58:57 That sure would. Michael Hingson  58:58 Well, so tell me, what's next for you? What do you envision going forward from here? Speaker 1  59:04 Well, my hope is actually, I would love, because there have so much fodder now, all these different stories, love stories. My hope is to launch a podcast, a Love Notes podcast that would feature the storyteller and their story, and then I would do an interview of the story behind the story, because people always have questions. They'll hear a story, or they'll read the story, and it's really short. It's like 700 or 1000 words, and they'll always want to know, like, well, what happened to them, or how did that end up. So I envisioned this podcast of love notes, real stories by real people about real love, and that would be like the the meat of it, and then they're at the end of each one, there'd be like a love letter, and people could write love letters that would be shared on the podcast, and tell Michael Hingson  59:55 me, Speaker 1  59:56 you know, like, dear Michael, this is why I love you, and then it would be a. Letter, so that's that's I'd like to see more satellite cities. I'd like to get the next edition of the book out, and then launch the podcast by Trifecta. Michael Hingson  1:00:13 Lots going on, needless to say. Well, if people want to reach out to you, talk about creating their own love notes, or as you said, you'd love to find people who want to help produce in various cities. How do they do that? Speaker 1  1:00:27 Well, probably the easiest thing to do is first, if they just want to learn more about the project in general, would just be to check out the website, and that's at www dot Love Notes worldwide.com and from there, then you can, you can get a hold of me, but I'll give my email address also, it's Heather at Heather Christy, C H R I s t i e books.com so either just hit the website or send me an email directly, and I, yeah, I'd love to talk to anybody who's got a story they want to share, or anyone who's thinking like maybe they'd love to bring a love notes to their community. Michael Hingson  1:01:19 Cool. Well, I hope people will reach out and that you'll get lots of interest from our podcast. It's a, it's a fun thing, and I hope that people will respond. So, all of you out there, email Heather. Speaker 1  1:01:34 That sounds great. And my last little plug: if anybody would love to watch the Love Notes show on January, february 14 for Valentine's Day. You can find that information on the website too. Michael Hingson  1:01:48 What I'm trying to remember, what day of the week february 14 is going to be in 2026 Speaker 1  1:01:53 It's a Michael Hingson  1:01:54 Saturday, great day to Speaker 1  1:01:57 do it. So you can watch it, and actually the live stream will stay live for a week, so if you're not able to watch it that night, you can watch it during the week. Michael Hingson  1:02:05 Oh, cool. Well, I hope people will do that, and I want to thank you for being here. But I want to thank all of you out there for being a part of this today. Heather has had a lot of interesting things to say, and I hope that you'll help her and help yourself by helping her to be more successful. I'd love to hear from you. We'd love to hear your thoughts. Please feel free to email me at Michael H i@accessibe.com that's M I C H A E L H I at Accessi B A C C E S S I B e.com We'd love it and would greatly appreciate it if wherever you are listening or watching the podcast, if you'll give us a five star review, but also, or a rating, but also give us a review. We love reviews, we appreciate reviews, and we really value all the people who have done it so far, and we ask that you do it again, or you do it for the first time. So, please let us know what you think by writing reviews. If you know anyone who ought to be a guest, we'd love it if you'd let us know. Heather, you as well. Anyone that you think ought to be a guest on Unstoppable Mindset, we would really love to be introduced. My belief is everyone has stories to tell, so don't be shy. We'd love to hear from you. But Heather, once again, I want to thank you for being here. This has been absolutely wonderful. Speaker 1  1:03:26 Thank you so much, Michael. It's been so much fun to talk to you this afternoon. Michael Hingson  1:03:32 What if the biggest thing holding you back isn't what's in front of you, but rather what you believe? Welcome to Unstoppable Mindset, where inclusion, diversity, and the unexpected meet. I'm your host, Michael Hingson, speaker, author, and advocate for inclusion and possibilities. This podcast explores how the beliefs we carry shape the way we live, lead, and connect with others each week. I talk with people who challenge assumptions, face adversity head on, and show what's possible when we choose curiosity over fear. Together, we focus on mindset, resilience, and the small shifts that lead to meaningful change. Let's get started, 1:04:24 I.

The Space Show Presents Open Lines Discussion Today, Sunday, 5-3-26Quick Summary:This meeting focused on open discussion topics in space exploration and national security. Bob shared speculation about a potential SpaceX acquisition of 200+ square miles of land in Louisiana for data centers and manufacturing facilities, though this remained unconfirmed. The group extensively discussed the Artemis 3 mission delay, with participants debating the challenges of SLS rocket assembly versus SpaceX's Starship development approach. Ajay raised significant concerns about Russia's nuclear-powered missile program, specifically the Burevestnik missile tested in October 2025, which he described as difficult to detect and potentially dangerous. The conversation also touched on nuclear power applications for data centers and military bases, with Dr. Ajay mentioning new small modular reactor companies emerging in the market. The discussion concluded with debate about defense strategies against such nuclear capabilities and the current state of hypersonic weapons development.Detailed Summary:Bob discussed a speculative story about SpaceX potentially acquiring a 200-square-mile piece of land in Louisiana, which could be used for data centers, satellite manufacturing, and Starship production. He noted that this would allow SpaceX to shift operations away from California. The conversation concluded with a mention of Artemis 3's delay and a brief reference to Robert's recent article about the potential Louisiana land acquisition.David announced that Robert would be scheduled for a show on May 26th at 6 PM, and discussed upcoming shows including Dr. Eligar Sadeh returning on Tuesday to discuss Astropolitics journal reviewing opportunities. The group briefly discussed unconfirmed news about Elon Musk's salary and potential Mars colonization plans, though Bob repeated that much of this information was speculative. David also mentioned upcoming shows including an ISDC episode with Rod Pyle and Aggi Kobrin on May 12th.Bob shared unconfirmed rumors that SpaceX may be acquiring approximately 136,000 acres of coastal Louisiana marshland near Pecan Island for potential data centers and manufacturing facilities. The discussion explored the strategic benefits of this location, including proximity to intercoastal waterways, power infrastructure, and natural gas facilities, though participants noted concerns about launch debris dispersion and local community impact. The group acknowledged this was speculative information pending official confirmation from SpaceX.The group discussed the delay of the Artemis III mission, with Bob explaining that both Blue Origin and SpaceX requested additional time to prepare their landers for an Earth-orbiting test mission. Robert noted that this delay would impact the scheduling of subsequent Artemis missions in 2028, as SLS rockets can only be assembled one at a time using a single mobile launcher. The discussion compared SLS and Starship assembly processes, with Joe highlighting how SLS involves numerous complex steps due to its design requirements, while Starship's assembly is more streamlined. Bob concluded that Jared Isaacman's goal is to demonstrate SLS's limitations over the next two years, potentially paving the way for Starship and New Glenn rockets to replace SLS in the future.The group discussed the competitive dynamics between SLS and Starship programs, with different perspectives on NASA's intentions. Phil and Joe had a different view, suggesting NASA believed SLS could beat Starship if it increased production rates faster. The discussion also covered technical aspects of Starship's design, with Ajay raising concerns about the high dry weight requiring multiple refueling trips to the moon, while Marshall and others highlighted the importance of SpaceX's new launch facilities in enabling frequent launches.The group discussed different approaches to refueling a lunar mission depot, with Ajay presenting a plan involving expendable tankers while Phil and Bob described a reusable tanker concept aligned with SpaceX's philosophy. Ajay cited NASA and Aerospace Corporation analyses suggesting 10-16 refueling launches would be needed with expendable tankers, though the group noted these estimates were based on V2 configurations rather than the more efficient V3. Bob defended SpaceX's approach, emphasizing the company's focus on reusability and rapid launch capabilities, while acknowledging that current payload limitations might require temporary use of expendable vehicles if development timelines don't meet requirements by mid-2027.The group discussed SpaceX's Starship program and its potential, with Ajay cautioning against extrapolating success from Falcon 9 to other projects. David interrupted the Starship-focused discussion to broaden the conversation, particularly wanting Ajay to share insights about a new Russian nuclear-powered missile system that can fly at low altitudes and evade detection. Ajay explained that this missile system, demonstrated on October 21, poses a significant threat as it cannot be detected by current defense systems and could potentially remain airborne for extended periods. When asked about countermeasures, Ajay indicated he had provided suggestions to defense departments but could not share details in the open forum.Ajay discussed his work on hypersonic and nuclear power applications, highlighting his experience since 1990 and recent developments in nuclear power plants. He mentioned new companies like ILO Atomics and Astra working on 10-megawatt power plants for data centers, which could be factory-built within a year. Ajay also shared his conversations with senators about the Burevestnik missile and his meeting with Jared at Mar-a-Lago, where he inquired about the Falcon Heavy idea. Marshall raised concerns about the time required for permits for nuclear power plants, to which Ajay responded that recent executive orders have reduced the timeline to 3-6 months.The discussion focused on nuclear power applications, particularly small modular reactors and micro-reactors. Ajay explained his work on a 25-megawatt thermal power plant design and discussed the military's micro-reactor program, noting that molten salt reactors would be more suitable than pressurized water reactors for energy applications. The conversation also addressed hypersonic missile technology, with Ajay clarifying that current U.S. hypersonic programs use rocket-boosted systems with limited range, distinguishable from the nuclear-powered hypersonic missiles discussed in the context of Russian weapons. John Hunt suggested that developing such nuclear-powered systems might not be a priority for the U.S. given existing deterrent capabilities and potential public opposition.The group discussed Russia's nuclear-powered missile development, specifically the Burevestnik missile tested on October 21, 2025, which flew for 15 hours at subsonic speeds and demonstrated capabilities to evade missile defenses. Ajay emphasized the danger of these nuclear-capable missiles, noting their ability to approach from any direction and their challenging detection due to flying at low altitudes. cautioned that Russia's technical competence with high-tech projects should be viewed with skepticism, though acknowledged the need to address these developments. The discussion concluded with Dr. Ajay expressing skepticism about fusion energy timelines and advocating for Generation 4 nuclear reactors, particularly molten salt reactors using thorium or uranium-233.The group discussed thorium reactors and fusion technology. Ajay explained that China copied thorium reactor technology from Oak Ridge National Lab in the 1960s, but development was halted due to lack of plutonium production, despite its potential for clean energy. The discussion covered fusion for space applications, with Ajay expressing skepticism about the feasibility of Pulsar Fusion's proposed system due to the high energy requirements and weight constraints for space travel. The conversation also touched on the challenges of space-based data centers, with participants questioning the practicality of using space for cooling purposes given existing technical limitations.The group discussed space-based data centers and energy transmission methods. Joe explained that Overview Energy, backed by Meta, is exploring using infrared lasers to transmit energy from space to ground-based solar farms. Bob highlighted that while space data centers may not be economically viable, they could drive significant launch demand and benefit the aerospace industry. The discussion also touched on the massive capital expenditure plans of major tech companies, with Joe noting that approximately $750 billion in capital expenses could potentially include space-based data center projects, creating new opportunities for rocket companies.The group discussed the challenges of cooling data centers in space, with Ajay explaining that radiating heat into space requires large radiators due to the lack of convection and conduction in vacuum. Joe noted that operating chips at higher temperatures could reduce the size of radiators, but this would negatively impact performance. The discussion also covered nuclear propulsion options for space travel, with Ajay expressing skepticism about the feasibility of implementing nuclear electric propulsion for the planned Mars mission within the proposed timeline. The group agreed that nuclear thermal propulsion, while more efficient, would require significant development time and testing. (Summary provided by Zoom AI).Special thanks to our sponsors:American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Helix Space in Luxembourg, Celestis Memorial Spaceflights, Astrox Corporation, Dr. Haym Benaroya of Rutgers University, The Space Settlement Progress Blog by John Jossy, The Atlantis Project, and Artless EntertainmentWe use Zoom phone numbers for program participation.For real time program participation, email Dr. Space at: drspace@thespaceshow.com for instructions and access.The Space Show is a non-profit 501C3 through its parent, One Giant Leap Foundation, Inc. To donate via Pay Pal, use:To donate with Zelle, use the email address: david@onegiantleapfoundation.org.If you prefer donating with a check, please make the check payable to One Giant Leap Foundation and mail to:One Giant Leap Foundation, 11035 Lavender Hill Drive Ste. 160-306 Las Vegas, NV 89135Upcoming Programs:No Program for Friday, May 29, 2026 | Friday 29 May 2026 930AM PTGuests: Dr. David LivingstonNo program today, Friday, May 26, 2026Broadcast 4596: Zoom: Open Lines Discussion | Sunday 31 May 2026 1200PM PTGuests: Dr. David LivingstonZoom: Open Lines Discussion. Email DrSpace prior to air time for Zoom phone number access. Get full access to The Space Show-One Giant Leap Foundation at doctorspace.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, host Stephanie Ruff talks with Dr. Carey Williams, Equine Extension Specialist and Interim Director of the Equine Science Center at Rutgers University, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, where she focuses on equine nutrition, exercise physiology, and management practices that promote horse health and performance.They have a great conversation about all things hay–why it's important, what types there are, how to determine how much to feed, and more! Even in Viral Ideas, Real Horses they discuss if green hay is always a better choice. Tune in!When it comes to feeding your horse, consistency matters—but so does knowing when to improve. At Tribute Equine Nutrition, formulas aren't changed often. As a fixed-formula brand, they only make updates when new research shows they can make a meaningful difference—whether that's improving digestibility, optimizing nutrient absorption, or better supporting the horse's overall health and performance.That's why Tribute Equine Nutrition is upgrading every formula in their lineup, building on improvements made to their best-sellers and rolling those advancements out across 2026. And to mark the rollout, Tribute has added a little excitement. Golden tickets—worth up to a year's supply of feed for one horse—have been placed in random bags as the updated formulas are released.For anyone wondering where to start, Tribute's team offers a free, personalized feeding plan tailored to each horse's needs. They'll guide owners through the process—and for those new to Tribute, the first bag is shipped right to their door, free. To get started, visit TributeEquineNutrition.com and click “Get a Feed Plan.” Tell them Feeding Horses sent you!Watch Feeding Horses on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us below...Feeding Horses - Season 1, Episode 2 Guests and Links:Guest: Dr. Carey Williams, Equine Extension Specialist and Interim Director of the Equine Science Center at Rutgers UniversityConnect with Host: Stephanie Ruff of TheHorse.com | Email the Show at editorial@thehorse.com |Watch Feeding Horses on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us here:Facebook – @TheHorseInstagram – @TheHorseMagYouTube – @TheHorseTikTok - @thehorsemagX – @TheHorsePintrest – @TheHorseMagWebsite – TheHorse.comEmail – editorial@thehorse.comDisclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to replace professional veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The hosts and guests may discuss general nutrition concepts, research, and personal experiences, but these discussions should not be interpreted as specific recommendations for individual horses.The creators of this podcast make no guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness, or applicability of the information discussed and assume no responsibility for actions taken based on the content of this podcast. Listeners are encouraged to seek professional guidance before making changes to their horse's diet, supplements, or healthcare program.

The Space Show Presents Shubber Ali, Sunday, 4-19-26Quick Summary:This Space Show program featured Shubber Ali, the original founder of Space Cynics, discussing his return to critiquing space industry claims and over hyping. Shubber explained how Space Cynics began in the mid-2000s as a blog focused on questioning exaggerated claims about space technology, particularly around reusable rockets and commercial space ventures. The discussion centered heavily on Shubber's criticism of current space projects, including Elon Musk's data center plans in space, orbital mirrors for solar power, and space-based solar power systems. Shubber argued these projects were economically unfeasible due to launch costs, engineering challenges, and unrealistic timelines, using detailed calculations to demonstrate why proposed constellations would take decades to deploy rather than the claimed 5-year timeframes. The conversation also touched on NASA's Artemis program, government debt concerns, and the challenges of space colonization, with Shubber expressing skepticism about many current space industry promises while acknowledging the long-term potential for space development.Detailed Summary:The Wisdom Team discussed the background of Shubber Ali, who joined the meeting late due to a family commitment. They shared memories of past encounters, including a NASA Ames event and Shubber's work on the X33 “Adventure Star” project 25 years ago. The conversation touched on personal updates, including Shubber's recent move from California to Maryland and his company's location in Maine. The conversation ended with a brief discussion about potential future topics to cover, including data centers and reflecting mirrors, though the specific focus was not finalized.David welcomed Shubber Ali to the Sunday Space Show to discuss the resurrection of Space Cynics, a blog and award system that Shubber had originally founded in the mid-2000s. Shubber explained that Space Cynics focused on critiquing outlandish claims made by space companies, particularly through their “Walking Eagle Award” given to companies making unrealistic promises. Shubber shared his background working at KPMG in the 1990s, where he managed a space consulting team that produced the first annual State of the Space Industry report in collaboration with SpaceVest and other partners. The discussion began to cover the history of RLV (Reusable Launch Vehicle) companies from that era, though the transcript ended before this topic was fully explored.Shubber discussed the history of reusable rockets and space industry economics, highlighting how SpaceX's success demonstrated the viability of reusable technology despite earlier failures like the Space Shuttle program. He criticized current space industry hype, particularly around data centers in space, explaining that such projects face significant challenges in physics, engineering, and timeline feasibility. Shubber provided specific calculations showing that deploying a large constellation of data center satellites would take decades, not the 5-year timeline often proposed, and emphasized that basic mathematical analysis could disprove many space industry claims.Shubber expressed skepticism about Elon Musk's business ventures, particularly SpaceX and the Boring Company, arguing that while Musk has vision and funding, the actual execution relies heavily on his team. Shubber criticized the overvaluation of AI companies, claiming there's a significant bubble in the AI industry that will likely burst, with most AI applications being overhyped and overvalued. Philip disagreed, arguing that AI provides real value through productivity gains in areas like document drafting and research, though Shubber countered that these benefits are limited and often require significant human correction due to AI errors and hallucinations.Next, the discussion focused on evaluating business proposals and technological ideas, particularly around supply and demand economics. Shubber explained his approach to identifying problematic business projections, emphasizing how increased supply typically leads to lower prices unless demand grows commensurately. The conversation also addressed Elon Musk's Hyperloop concept, with AJ suggesting it was a bad idea without providing specific economic reasoning, which led to moderation intervention from David to keep the discussion focused on Shubber's planned topics. The discussion concluded with technical considerations around satellite positioning and space-based solar power challenges.We talked about the feasibility of space-based solar power, with Shubber and Phil both expressing skepticism about the technology's practicality in the near term. Shubber emphasized engineering challenges including launch costs, construction of large structures at geostationary orbit, and the inability to service equipment there, while Phil focused on economic inefficiencies due to energy conversion losses and high launch costs. The conversation also covered the status of space hotels, with David sharing insights about Bob Bigelow's withdrawal from the space hotel business following personal tragedy, and the group debated the value and hype surrounding NASA's Artemis program, particularly regarding the SLS rocket and moon missionsThe team discussed the Artemis program and NASA's budget challenges. Shubber criticized the SLS project as inefficient and suggested opening it up to commercial competition. The conversation then shifted to the national debt and unfunded liabilities, particularly regarding Social Security. Shubber explained the financial challenges of the current system and expressed skepticism about proposed solutions like moving Social Security to a cryptocurrency system. The discussion concluded with a brief mention of orbital mirrors and their potential applications, though Shubber expressed doubts about their practicality and use cases.The group discussed the feasibility and business case of using orbital mirrors to provide artificial sunlight, particularly for solar farms. Shubber and Philip analyzed the technical requirements, including the size of mirrors needed and the challenges of maintaining continuous sunlight. The discussion also touched on environmental impacts, including effects on agriculture and wildlife, and the long-term prospects for human space colonization, with Shubber suggesting that while space colonization may be necessary in the very long term, current public interest in returning to the moon remains limited.The group discussed space tourism and commercial space missions. They clarified that while Axiom missions have taken approximately 16 people to the ISS, these were not traditional space tourists but rather business investors funding scientific research. The conversation then shifted to GRU Space, a company claiming to develop the first lunar hotel, though participants expressed skepticism about its credibility and media presence. The discussion concluded with Shubber outlining a framework for evaluating space business proposals based on physics, engineering, and economics principles.The discussion focused on the challenges and realities of space technology investments, particularly regarding StarCloud's satellite project. Shubber explained how companies like StarCloud secure funding through connections and hype rather than proven technology, contrasting them with older-style VCs like Ed Tuck who focused on legitimate due diligence. The conversation then shifted to nuclear energy, where Shubber expressed support for nuclear power while noting that regulatory and construction challenges, rather than technical feasibility, are the main obstacles. The discussion concluded with a debate about the role of space advocates, where Shubber emphasized the importance of balancing ambitious vision with realistic timelines to maintain credibility and avoid damaging the broader space industry through unwarranted hype.The declining quality in journalism and scientific reporting was a topic. Shubber shared his experience of discovering that even respected publications like Scientific American contained inaccurate information, leading him to question the credibility of mainstream media. David described how his experience as a parent of a child with cystic fibrosis revealed widespread miscommunication between journalists and scientists, with researchers confirming that journalists often misunderstood their work. The discussion concluded with Ajay expressing concern about increasing dishonesty in scientific research, though Shubber clarified that the core scientific method remains sound and that issues arise when researchers prioritize agenda-driven outcomes over objective truth.The group discussed the challenges of modern engineering and space technology, particularly focusing on SpaceX's Starship development and the complexity of creating new products compared to historical examples like the Model T. Shubber mentioned his plans to write an upcoming OP-ed about space exploration and financial concerns, comparing the current situation to Britain before the fall of Singapore. The conversation concluded with a discussion about the likelihood of experiencing the Kessler syndrome by 2050, with participants expressing varying levels of optimism about humanity's ability to prevent such a scenario.Special thanks to our sponsors:American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Helix Space in Luxembourg, Celestis Memorial Spaceflights, Astrox Corporation, Dr. Haym Benaroya of Rutgers University, The Space Settlement Progress Blog by John Jossy, The Atlantis Project, and Artless EntertainmentWe use Zoom phone numbers for program participation.For real time program participation, email Dr. Space at: drspace@thespaceshow.com for instructions and access.The Space Show is a non-profit 501C3 through its parent, One Giant Leap Foundation, Inc. To donate via Pay Pal, use:To donate with Zelle, use the email address: david@onegiantleapfoundation.org.If you prefer donating with a check, please make the check payable to One Giant Leap Foundation and mail to:One Giant Leap Foundation, 11035 Lavender Hill Drive Ste. 160-306 Las Vegas, NV 89135Upcoming Programs:No Program for Friday, May 29, 2026 | Friday 29 May 2026 930AM PTGuests: Dr. David LivingstonNo program today, Friday, May 26, 2026Broadcast 4596: Zoom: Open Lines Discussion | Sunday 31 May 2026 1200PM PTGuests: Dr. David LivingstonZoom: Open Lines Discussion. Email DrSpace prior to air time for Zoom phone number access. Get full access to The Space Show-One Giant Leap Foundation at doctorspace.substack.com/subscribe

Episode Summary: In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy Thanjan speaks with members of the Solar Sisters about their organization, their partnership with Let's Share the Sun Foundation, and their recent delegation to Puerto Rico around International Women's Day. The conversation features Abby Hopper, Noelle Paige, Yejdie Olutosin, Addie Momyer, and Erin Greeson, who share how the Solar Sisters came together, why women's leadership matters in clean energy, and how solar and battery storage can create life-changing impact for communities facing energy insecurity. The group discusses their experience visiting La Casa de Bondad, a domestic violence shelter in Puerto Rico supported by Let's Share the Sun, and participating in a residential solar installation for a homeowner who relies on reliable electricity for medical needs.  The episode also touches on the challenges facing Puerto Rico's grid, the role of solar and storage in energy resilience, the ongoing work of Let's Share the Sun to bring energy access to underserved communities, and a fundraiser Benoy is organizing on June 4th in Jersey City to support that mission.   Biographies Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy, solar plus storage developer and consulting firm, and a strategic advisor to multiple cleantech startups. Over his career, Benoy has developed over 100 MWs of solar projects across the U.S., helped launch the first residential solar tax equity funds at Tesla, and brokered $50 million in Renewable Energy Credits (“REC”) transactions. Prior to founding Reneu Energy, Benoy was the Environmental Commodities Trader in Tesla's Project Finance Group, where he managed one of the largest environmental commodities portfolios. He originated REC trades and co-developed a monetization and hedging strategy with senior leadership to enter the East Coast market. As Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners, Benoy crafted project finance solutions for commercial-scale solar portfolios. His role at Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund with 125 MWs of U.S. renewable assets, involved evaluating investment opportunities and maximizing returns. He also played a key role in the sale of the firm's renewable portfolio. Earlier in his career, Benoy worked in Energy Structured Finance at Deloitte & Touche and Financial Advisory Services at Ernst & Young, following an internship on the trading floor at D.E. Shaw & Co., a multi billion dollar hedge fund. Benoy holds an MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from NYU Stern, where he was an Alumni Scholar.   Guests Information Abby Hopper Abby Hopper is the founder of Solar Sisters and former President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). A passionate advocate for clean energy and women's leadership in the industry, Abby created Solar Sisters as a community built around three pillars: service, growth, and connection. She has been a driving force behind the Solar Sisters delegation to Puerto Rico, partnering with Let's Share the Sun to bring energy equity to domestic violence shelters on the island. Abby is widely recognized for opening doors for women across the clean energy sector and building a culture of collaboration over competition. Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/abigailhopper/   Noelle Paige Noelle Paige is Vice President of Project Development at Aspen Power, where she manages a large team and leads project development efforts. She is deeply passionate about workforce development, women in business, and the clean energy transition.  Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/noellepaige/   Yejdie Olutosin Yejdie Olutosin is the Director of the Accelerate Program at ACORE, based in Washington, D.C., where she manages a market access platform supporting clean energy founders scaling solutions across the value chain. Since 2020, the program has grown to support over 60 companies across more than 30 states. A former Peace Corps volunteer originally from the U.S. Virgin Islands, Yejide brought a deeply personal connection to the Puerto Rico delegation, drawing on her own experience with energy insecurity in island communities. Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/yolutosin/   Addie Momyer Addie Momyer is Assistant General Counsel and Director of Legal Operations at the Solar Energy Industries Association, a role she has held since 2023. Prior to SEIA, she spent her career in public interest representation and litigation at Maryland Legal Aid. Addie is passionate about ensuring the clean energy transition happens equitably and that all communities are included.  Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/addie-momyer-bb3752262/   Erin Greeson Erin Greeson is the founder and principal consultant of ClimateLine, a communications and marketing firm focused exclusively on companies committed to the clean energy transition.  Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/eringreeson/   Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: info@reneuenergy.com  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com Website: https://www.solarmaverickpodcast.com/   Solar Sisters Website:  https://solar-sisters.org   Let's Share the Foundation Website:  https://www.letssharethesun.org/   Summer Solstice Fundraiser Benoy is hosting the Summer Solstice Fundraiser on June 4th in Jersey City at Hudson Hall, bringing together the clean energy community for an evening of networking and impact. The event supports Let's Share the Sun, a nonprofit delivering solar and energy storage solutions to underserved communities in Puerto Rico, including families with critical 24 hour energy needs. The event will run from 6 PM to 10 PM and includes food, networking, and a special program at 8 PM featuring insights from the Let's Share the Sun team, delegation participants, and event sponsors.  This will be Benoy's third delegation in the past year, and he highlights the importance of meeting beneficiaries firsthand and seeing how solar is transforming lives. Those interested in attending or sponsoring are encouraged to reach out directly or register here:  https://luma.com/jl734ggi   Please provide 5 star reviews      If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review and share the Solar Maverick Podcast so more people can learn how to accelerate the clean energy transition.    Reneu Energy Reneu Energy provides expert consulting across solar and storage project development, financing, energy strategy, and environmental commodities. Our team helps clients originate, structure, and execute opportunities in community solar, C&I, utility-scale, and renewable energy credit markets. Email us at info@reneuenergy.com to learn more.            

Matteo Gatti, professor of law at Rutgers University, joins the Business Scholarship Podcast to discuss his book Corporate Power and the Politics of Change. This episode is hosted by Andrew Jennings, associate professor of law at Emory University, and was edited by Tanya Eathakotti, a law student at Emory University.

Bob Zimmerman, # 4594, May 26, 2026Quick Summary:This Space Show program focused on NASA's announcement of a restructuring plan for the Artemis lunar program led by Isaacman, which includes multiple unmanned lunar lander missions and the establishment of a lunar base by 2028. Bob detailed how NASA is relying heavily on private companies rather than building hardware internally, with contracts awarded to Blue Origin, Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines, and Firefly for missions starting as early as late 2023. The discussion covered the competitive landscape of commercial space stations, with VAST, Starlab, and Axiom leading the market, while Sierra Space's Orbital Reef partnership with Blue Origin appears to be struggling. The conversation also addressed SpaceX's Starship development progress, with participants debating whether SpaceX would attempt a double catch of both booster and ship on their single launch tower before building a second tower. The show concluded with a discussion about the political and cultural challenges facing space exploration, with participants weighing optimistic versus pessimistic views about the future of commercial spaceflight and space policy.SummaryBob discussed NASA's recent press conference announcing details of its Artemis lunar exploration program, including contract awards and mission plans. The program involves multiple private companies launching lunar landers and rovers to the South Pole region, with the first three missions already scheduled before the end of 2023. Robert noted that while the program is ambitious with plans for up to 20 launches and 25 landings by 2028, it relies heavily on private sector development rather than NASA-built hardware, with Blue Origin receiving significant contracts including two new awards totaling $188 million.Bob discussed Blue Origin's lunar landing plans, expressing skepticism about their timeline of 20 landings by 2028, particularly given their reliance on Blue Origin and the challenges with their New Glenn rocket. The group examined a map shown during a press conference about a potential lunar base location near Shackleton Crater, with Joseph identifying a similar crater field in the area and Robert noting the lack of specific location details in the presented map. The discussion concluded with speculation that NASA might be deliberately withholding specific location information to protect potential landing sites from competitors, particularly China.NASA's lunar exploration plans were talked about, explaining that missions will focus on scouting and engineering work to prepare for future manned landings and a lunar base. He also revealed that NASA awarded SpaceX additional crew launch contracts through 2030, which he interpreted as effectively ending Boeing's Starliner program due to lack of funding for further development. Joseph clarified that NASA is not obligated to provide additional funding to Boeing until they successfully complete their original cost-fixed contract.Bob focused on the current status of commercial space stations, ranking five active projects and noting that while there are market opportunities for ferrying services, Boeing's Starliner faces challenges due to Boeing's poor management. He explained that Dream Chaser's status remains uncertain, with recent delays and incomplete ground testing raising questions about its viability. Robert also provided an update on the five commercial space stations, ranking them and noting that while some projects like VAST and Starlab show promise, Sierra Space's Orbital Reef partnership with Blue Origin appears to be dormant.He also explained that private space stations will outperform the ISS by allowing commercial research to produce saleable products on Earth, unlike the ISS which is restricted to non-commercial research. He discussed how NASA's historical ban on commercial space operations had damaged the American launch industry, citing the example of pharmaceutical research that was halted after the Challenger accident. The group agreed that private companies will own and operate the new stations while NASA purchases services as a customer, representing a shift toward a more capitalist model in space operations.The group discussed SpaceX's lack of response regarding NASA's lunar program, with our guest explaining that SpaceX is focused on manned missions rather than these specific missions and needs to be careful due to their upcoming IPO. The conversation then shifted to comparing NASA's bureaucratic processes with private space station initiatives, with participants noting how private stations are more flexible and business-friendly compared to the complex requirements of getting experiments on the ISS. Bob explained how top-down bureaucratic systems, like the Soviet model, tend to fail due to lack of competition and innovation, while competitive market systems drive better results.Bob did address the historical shift from government-led to commercial space exploration, highlighting how SpaceX and commercial satellite businesses proved that profit could be made in space despite initial skepticism. He explained how NASA's Mars exploration programs have historically been science-focused rather than colonization-focused but noted a recent shift toward engineering-based lunar exploration with the VIPER lander program. The discussion concluded with updates about ULA's Vulcan rocket program, which is currently grounded due to nozzle failures in Northrop Grumman's solid rocket boosters, though static fire tests suggest potential solutions may be in development.The group discussed ULA's challenges with satellite launches, particularly Amazon's delayed satellite deployment and ULA's dependency on strap-on boosters for their Vulcan rocket. Joseph clarified that the NG-4 mission would be a LEO launch carrying 26 satellites, though the rocket's payload capacity might be limited without boosters. The discussion also covered SpaceX's Starship development progress, with Joseph estimating 3-4 flights this year before a second launch tower becomes available in Q4, and the team debated whether SpaceX would attempt a double catch on their current tower or wait for the new one to recover both booster and ship.The Wisdom Team also discussed Elon Musk's management approach and scheduling practices, with Robert explaining that Musk sets realistic but challenging timelines that engineers can trust. The conversation then shifted to Starlink satellite services, with Bob sharing his positive experience using the service despite minor performance issues during house painting. This part of the discussion concluded with my asking Bob for his guess on the political risks facing space commercialization efforts given current uncertainties and realities in the country today.Bob did discuss his perspective as a historian on current societal challenges, presenting both pessimistic and optimistic views of the future. He compared the current political climate to H.G. Wells' time in 1939 and noted that while there are concerning trends, he remains hopeful about society's resilience and ability to correct course. The discussion touched on concerns about data centers, with both David and Joe sharing local experiences about public opposition to data center development, which Bob attributed partly to ignorance and manufactured comments on social media.The team discussed opposition to data center construction, with Joe explaining that while some opposition may be driven by Chinese influence, much of it stems from emotional responses and partisanship rather than rational concerns. Bob emphasized the need for more thoughtful and rational discourse about data centers, distinguishing between legitimate questions about their impact and emotional reactions. Joe clarified that modern data centers use less water than older designs, but the rapid scale of proposed construction (80 gigawatts) far exceeds current grid capacity (40 gigawatts annually), making many planned projects unlikely to be built. Bob concluded that the opposition to data centers on Earth could actually benefit the space industry by driving demand for orbital data centers, which would help develop the rocket industry.The group went on to talk about water requirements for data centers, with Ajay explaining that while traditional nuclear reactors require significant water for cooling, molten salt reactors would not need water for this purpose. The conversation then shifted to political concerns about constitutional issues, with John Hunt warning about potential constitutional collapse and Bob responding with a balanced historical perspective. The conversation ended with technical discussions about SpaceX's Starlink V3 satellites, including their weight and bandwidth capabilities compared to previous versions.Bob Zimmerman, # 4594, May 26, 2026Quick Summary:This Space Show program focused on NASA's announcement of a restructuring plan for the Artemis lunar program led by Isaacman, which includes multiple unmanned lunar lander missions and the establishment of a lunar base by 2028. Bob detailed how NASA is relying heavily on private companies rather than building hardware internally, with contracts awarded to Blue Origin, Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines, and Firefly for missions starting as early as late 2023. The discussion covered the competitive landscape of commercial space stations, with VAST, Starlab, and Axiom leading the market, while Sierra Space's Orbital Reef partnership with Blue Origin appears to be struggling. The conversation also addressed SpaceX's Starship development progress, with participants debating whether SpaceX would attempt a double catch of both booster and ship on their single launch tower before building a second tower. The show concluded with a discussion about the political and cultural challenges facing space exploration, with participants weighing optimistic versus pessimistic views about the future of commercial spaceflight and space policy.SummaryBob discussed NASA's recent press conference announcing details of its Artemis lunar exploration program, including contract awards and mission plans. The program involves multiple private companies launching lunar landers and rovers to the South Pole region, with the first three missions already scheduled before the end of 2023. Robert noted that while the program is ambitious with plans for up to 20 launches and 25 landings by 2028, it relies heavily on private sector development rather than NASA-built hardware, with Blue Origin receiving significant contracts including two new awards totaling $188 million.Bob discussed Blue Origin's lunar landing plans, expressing skepticism about their timeline of 20 landings by 2028, particularly given their reliance on Blue Origin and the challenges with their New Glenn rocket. The group examined a map shown during a press conference about a potential lunar base location near Shackleton Crater, with Joseph identifying a similar crater field in the area and Robert noting the lack of specific location details in the presented map. The discussion concluded with speculation that NASA might be deliberately withholding specific location information to protect potential landing sites from competitors, particularly China.NASA's lunar exploration plans were talked about, explaining that missions will focus on scouting and engineering work to prepare for future manned landings and a lunar base. He also revealed that NASA awarded SpaceX additional crew launch contracts through 2030, which he interpreted as effectively ending Boeing's Starliner program due to lack of funding for further development. Joseph clarified that NASA is not obligated to provide additional funding to Boeing until they successfully complete their original cost-fixed contract.Bob focused on the current status of commercial space stations, ranking five active projects and noting that while there are market opportunities for ferrying services, Boeing's Starliner faces challenges due to Boeing's poor management. He explained that Dream Chaser's status remains uncertain, with recent delays and incomplete ground testing raising questions about its viability. Robert also provided an update on the five commercial space stations, ranking them and noting that while some projects like VAST and Starlab show promise, Sierra Space's Orbital Reef partnership with Blue Origin appears to be dormant.He also explained that private space stations will outperform the ISS by allowing commercial research to produce saleable products on Earth, unlike the ISS which is restricted to non-commercial research. He discussed how NASA's historical ban on commercial space operations had damaged the American launch industry, citing the example of pharmaceutical research that was halted after the Challenger accident. The group agreed that private companies will own and operate the new stations while NASA purchases services as a customer, representing a shift toward a more capitalist model in space operations.The group discussed SpaceX's lack of response regarding NASA's lunar program, with our guest explaining that SpaceX is focused on manned missions rather than these specific missions and needs to be careful due to their upcoming IPO. The conversation then shifted to comparing NASA's bureaucratic processes with private space station initiatives, with participants noting how private stations are more flexible and business-friendly compared to the complex requirements of getting experiments on the ISS. Bob explained how top-down bureaucratic systems, like the Soviet model, tend to fail due to lack of competition and innovation, while competitive market systems drive better results.Bob did address the historical shift from government-led to commercial space exploration, highlighting how SpaceX and commercial satellite businesses proved that profit could be made in space despite initial skepticism. He explained how NASA's Mars exploration programs have historically been science-focused rather than colonization-focused but noted a recent shift toward engineering-based lunar exploration with the VIPER lander program. The discussion concluded with updates about ULA's Vulcan rocket program, which is currently grounded due to nozzle failures in Northrop Grumman's solid rocket boosters, though static fire tests suggest potential solutions may be in development.The group discussed ULA's challenges with satellite launches, particularly Amazon's delayed satellite deployment and ULA's dependency on strap-on boosters for their Vulcan rocket. Joseph clarified that the NG-4 mission would be a LEO launch carrying 26 satellites, though the rocket's payload capacity might be limited without boosters. The discussion also covered SpaceX's Starship development progress, with Joseph estimating 3-4 flights this year before a second launch tower becomes available in Q4, and the team debated whether SpaceX would attempt a double catch on their current tower or wait for the new one to recover both booster and ship.The Wisdom Team also discussed Elon Musk's management approach and scheduling practices, with Robert explaining that Musk sets realistic but challenging timelines that engineers can trust. The conversation then shifted to Starlink satellite services, with Bob sharing his positive experience using the service despite minor performance issues during house painting. This part of the discussion concluded with my asking Bob for his guess on the political risks facing space commercialization efforts given current uncertainties and realities in the country today.Bob did discuss his perspective as a historian on current societal challenges, presenting both pessimistic and optimistic views of the future. He compared the current political climate to H.G. Wells' time in 1939 and noted that while there are concerning trends, he remains hopeful about society's resilience and ability to correct course. The discussion touched on concerns about data centers, with both David and Joe sharing local experiences about public opposition to data center development, which Bob attributed partly to ignorance and manufactured comments on social media.The team discussed opposition to data center construction, with Joe explaining that while some opposition may be driven by Chinese influence, much of it stems from emotional responses and partisanship rather than rational concerns. Bob emphasized the need for more thoughtful and rational discourse about data centers, distinguishing between legitimate questions about their impact and emotional reactions. Joe clarified that modern data centers use less water than older designs, but the rapid scale of proposed construction (80 gigawatts) far exceeds current grid capacity (40 gigawatts annually), making many planned projects unlikely to be built. Bob concluded that the opposition to data centers on Earth could actually benefit the space industry by driving demand for orbital data centers, which would help develop the rocket industry.The group went on to talk about water requirements for data centers, with Ajay explaining that while traditional nuclear reactors require significant water for cooling, molten salt reactors would not need water for this purpose. The conversation then shifted to political concerns about constitutional issues, with John Hunt warning about potential constitutional collapse and Bob responding with a balanced historical perspective. The conversation ended with technical discussions about SpaceX's Starlink V3 satellites, including their weight and bandwidth capabilities compared to previous versions.Special thanks to our sponsors:American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Helix Space in Luxembourg, Celestis Memorial Spaceflights, Astrox Corporation, Dr. Haym Benaroya of Rutgers University, The Space Settlement Progress Blog by John Jossy, The Atlantis Project, and Artless EntertainmentWe use Zoom phone numbers for program participation.For real time program participation, email Dr. Space at: drspace@thespaceshow.com for instructions and access.The Space Show is a non-profit 501C3 through its parent, One Giant Leap Foundation, Inc. To donate via Pay Pal, use:To donate with Zelle, use the email address: david@onegiantleapfoundation.org.If you prefer donating with a check, please make the check payable to One Giant Leap Foundation and mail to:One Giant Leap Foundation, 11035 Lavender Hill Drive Ste. 160-306 Las Vegas, NV 89135Upcoming Programs:No Program for Friday, May 29, 2026 | Friday 29 May 2026 930AM PTGuests: Dr. David LivingstonNo program today, Friday, May 26, 2026Broadcast 4596: Zoom: Open Lines Discussion | Sunday 31 May 2026 1200PM PTGuests: Dr. David LivingstonZoom: Open Lines Discussion. Email DrSpace prior to air time for Zoom phone number access. Get full access to The Space Show-One Giant Leap Foundation at doctorspace.substack.com/subscribe

Thomas Edison is one of the most celebrated inventors in American history, having helped transform a world lit by candles and gas lamps into one powered by electricity. Over his lifetime he was granted more than a thousand patents, and pioneered the very idea of organized innovation at his ground-breaking research and development laboratories. But the story of how he did it is complicated. So, to help us understand Edison's remarkable achievements, Lindsay is joined by Dr. Paul Israel, Director and General Editor of the Thomas A. Edison Papers at Rutgers University. He's the author of Edison: A Life of Invention. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we sit down with educator Adina Medina to explore what it truly means to build a strong foundation in education—for students, teachers, and school communities. Quotables **All quotes are from the interviewee** "Teachers who hang on the idea that we're always learning and we can always do better are the teachers that develop into leaders.""Being reflective in every moment has been really helpful.""It's important to help foster the teachers." About Adina Medina Adina Medina was born and raised in the Bronx, NY, when she became a lifelong learner. The teachers and administrators at St. John Chrysostom loved on her and pushed her to excel academically even when her outside life became unstable. After living in New Jersey for a few years and graduating from High School in Queens, NY, Adina attended SUNY New Paltz, where she majored in English with a minor in Black Studies. After graduating with her BA, she started her career as a Magazine Editor in the Dental Field and shifted focus to education when her first child, Melanie, was born. Adina served as a High School English teacher at a small Christian school in her first year and STUNK IT UP. With no mentor in place, it was really the hardest year ever, and she was ready (and told!) to give up. Instead of giving up, she landed in a small all-girl's Catholic High School in Hoboken, NJ, and it was there that her administrators suggested she attend Seton Hall's EPICS (Educational Partners in Catholic Schools) program. Adina earned her Master's in Education, with a focus on Curriculum Development while raising her toddler, and that program launched her passion and drive for fostering rigorous, engaging academics first within her classroom and then schoolwide. Adina served as a High School English teacher in Elizabeth NJ for ten years and, after having observed that her students who struggled least with the rigors of AP level content were those who came into high school with a strong foundation, she decided to shift her focus to Middle School ELA. Adina joined the Hoboken Dual Language Charter School (HoLa) in 2013 and served as a founding 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade English teacher for five years. The school was only in its third year of operation and Adina was able to play a major role in developing the Dual Language Curriculum that is currently used today. In 2017, Adina attended Relay's National Principal Academy Fellowship and began her training as an Educational Coach. After serving as a coach for two years, Adina shifted into the Instructional Lead position and then into a full Principalship while earning her certification at Rutgers University. She is currently the Middle School Principal at HoLa, where she is beyond privileged to guide her students in becoming bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural individuals with a firm academic foundation who are going to make this world a better, more inclusive place one step at a time. Resources from this Episode www.holahoboken.org Join the Always A Lesson Newsletter Join here and grab a freebie! Connect with Gretchen Email: gretchen@alwaysalesson.comBlog: Always A LessonFacebook: Always A LessonTwitter: @gschultekInstagram: Always.A.LessonLinkedin: Gretchen Schultek BridgersBook: Elementary EDUC 101: What They Didn't Teach You in College Gretchen's latest book, Always a Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success, is now available on Amazon. Leave a Rating and Review: This helps my show remain active in order to continue to help other educators remain empowered in a career that has a long-lasting effect on our future. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/always-lessons-empowering/id1006433135?mt=2 Search for my show on iTunes or Stitcher.Click on ‘Ratings and Reviews.'Under ‘Customer Reviews,' click on “Write a Review.”Sign in with your iTunes or Stitcher log-in infoLeave a Rating: Tap the greyed out stars (5 being the best)Leave a Review: Type in a Title and Description of your thoughts on my podcastClick ‘Send'

Biotech entrepreneur and producer of The Voice of Hind Rajab, Rami Elghandour, was scheduled to speak at his alma mater, Rutgers University, but two weeks before graduation his appearance was canceled -- apparently due to complaints from a small number of students on campus. Though never given a clear explanation, some have pointed to Israel-critical social media posts relating to Nicholas Kristof's viral op-ed about IDF rape culture as the reason. In other words, he was targeted for anti-Zionist speech. Rami joins Bad Faith to discuss what happened, the fall out from the Kristof piece, and the future of the party politics post-Gaza. Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod). Produced by Armand Aviram. Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands).