Podcasts about Scrooge McDuck

Gaius and Germanicus: The hosts close on the president's health and psyche, referencing the new book by senior New York Times correspondent Maggie Haberman and her colleague, which finds the eighty-year-old relatively healthy—minor hand bruising, blood-thinning aspirin—and fundamentally the same man, simply older, slower, and less articulate, aging traits Gaius admits sharing at seventy-eight. With no physical excuse, Germanicus argues the issues are "spiritual": the president has internalized his life as a literal "hero's journey," an Odysseus figure whose survival of the Butlerassassination attempt he embraces as personal "apotheosis"—a transcendental kingship Germanicus compares to Louis XIV and Alexander the Great. The public response is not anger but exhaustion at the predictable "lose, lose, lose"; citizens simply "turn the channel off." The decline into triteness is symbolized by the "Scrooge McDuck" gold obsession covering the Oval Office and the disputed five-story gold-gilded ballroom. The hosts find hope in Chief Justice John Roberts' ruling permitting the underground security hospital while blocking the gilded ballroom itself, referring it to the full court—the metaphor, Germanicus concludes, for how institutions will quietly contain the president's wildest excesses and let a gasping nation safely reach 2028. (3)

Uncle Zack and his business rival, Frenchheart Chargold, begin our two part series on Don Rosa’s Uncle Scrooge comics. Comics covered in this episode: – The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck 1992-1994 12 chapters + 6 companion stores (companion stories are optional) Topics discussed: – How does Don Rosa balance slapstick with grounded storytelling? […] The post Extra Issues – Don Rosa’s Uncle Scrooge: The Life & Times of Scrooge McDuck appeared first on Comic Book Herald.

And now a reposting of the second part of this rambling and too brief biography of Carl Barks, as he creates one my popular character, Scrooge McDuck.

In this episode of The Reformed Brotherhood, Tony Arsenal delivers a rich expository sermon on James 5:1–6, one of the most striking prophetic passages in the New Testament epistles. Drawing on the Jewish literary and cultural context of James's original audience — Jewish Christians scattered from Jerusalem by persecution — Tony unpacks why this text is not a blanket condemnation of wealth, but a devastating judgment oracle against those who hoard riches and oppress the vulnerable. Along the way, he explores the eschatological weight of accumulated wealth, the theology of God's omniscient justice, and the stunning comfort available to the suffering believer. The episode closes by returning to James's thesis: that trials of every kind, including economic oppression, can be counted as joy because of who God is and what He has done in Christ. Key Takeaways James is a deeply Jewish book written to a specific audience — Jewish Christians dispersed from Jerusalem by Saul's persecution, not a general audience of wealthy or Gentile believers. The prophetic "Come now" signals a judgment oracle, not a direct address — James is not rebuking wealthy members of his congregation, but pronouncing eschatological judgment on oppressive landowners using a technique common in Amos, Malachi, and Micah. Hoarding wealth is not morally neutral — it is self-condemning — The corroded gold and moth-eaten garments are not just symbols of decay; they serve as legal evidence against those who refused to use their wealth for God's glory and the good of others. Withholding wages from laborers constitutes a form of murder — In the ancient world, depriving workers of their wages could literally cost them their lives. James draws on Old Testament law to frame predatory economic exploitation as a capital sin. God sees and hears the cries of the oppressed — The wages of defrauded workers "cry out" to the Lord of Hosts, echoing the blood of Abel in Genesis 4. God's justice is not passive or delayed out of ignorance — it is certain and coming. Matthew 25 reframes Christian mercy as care for the body of Christ — The sheep-and-goats judgment is not a general humanitarian mandate, but a specific call to care for persecuted brothers and sisters — and to recognize that mistreating them is mistreating Christ Himself. Trials are counted as joy through the doctrine of imputation — Suffering is not stripped of its pain, but it can be moved from the loss ledger to the profit column because God uses adversity as the instrument of sanctification and glorification. Key Concepts The Prophetic Address: Who Is James Actually Talking To? One of the most common misreadings of James 5:1–6 is assuming James is directly rebuking wealthy Christians in his own congregation. Tony Arsenal corrects this by grounding the passage in its literary and historical context. James employs a well-established prophetic technique — seen in Amos, Malachi, and Micah — of addressing an absent party in order to pronounce judgment on them, while simultaneously comforting those who overhear the oracle. His audience is the dispersed, impoverished Jewish Christians who fled Jerusalem under Saul's persecution. There were almost certainly no wealthy landowners in the room. The "Come now, you rich" is a judgment declaration directed outward, designed to assure the suffering poor that God has seen their oppressor and will act. Far from being a proof-text for radical poverty, the passage is a pastoral comfort wrapped in prophetic fire. Corroded Gold as Legal Evidence Against the Soul James's claim that gold and silver have "corroded" is deliberately shocking — and theologically precise. Gold, uniquely among metals in the ancient world, does not corrode. By saying it has already corroded, James is not making a metallurgical claim but a moral and eschatological one. The accumulated, hoarded wealth of the oppressor has lost its purpose. It sits idle while workers starve, and in doing so it becomes evidence — a legal witness — against its owner in the court of divine justice. Tony draws a direct line between this image and Jesus's teaching in the Sermon on the Mount about treasures stored on earth being subject to moth and rust. Both brothers — Jesus and James — appear to be drawing on the same shared wisdom, likely rooted in the same household and the same mother's instruction. Unused wealth does not just fail to help others; it actively indicts its holder. Counting It All Joy: The Accounting Logic of Sanctification Tony closes the sermon by returning to James 1:2 — the thesis statement of the entire letter — and unpacking the word "count" as an accounting term, directly related to the doctrine of imputation. Just as righteousness is reckoned to the believer in justification, so suffering can be reckoned as joy in sanctification. This is not a call to pretend pain isn't real, or to perform contentment. It is a theological reframing: what belongs in the loss column of the ledger can, by faith, be moved to the profit side — not because the trial was pleasant, but because God is sovereign, good, and working all things toward the believer's conformity to the image of Christ. The oppressor means their wickedness for evil. God means it for glory. The supreme example is the cross itself — the only truly innocent man, suffering the worst evil ever committed, for the redemption of His people. Memorable Quotes The corrosion of that gold serves as evidence for the condemnation of those who are harming you — and the corrosion of this wealth is an indication of the corrosion of their very souls. He sees your pain. He sees your suffering. He sees your victories even when no one else is celebrating them. He sees you — and that should be a great source of comfort. Imputation is an accounting term. And when we count it all joy, we're taking what should be a red line in the loss ledger — what should be an expense — and we're able to move it to the profit. Not because it didn't hurt, and not because we wanted it to happen, but because our God is good enough to not rob us of the chance to be sanctified. Full Transcript Tony Arsenal: Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you." It's always a little, uh, strange to sort of jump into the middle of a series, and, um, you know, Wes is one of the most competent preachers that I know personally, so I trust that he has given you a good and satisfying overview. Uh, but I don't feel like I would be doing my responsibility if I didn't at least touch on a few things, uh, related to the, the intro to James that I think is relevant for this particular passage in a way that maybe is not relevant for the rest of the book. So some of this I hope is review, I, I anticipate is review, but I think it's worth, uh, touching on. James, as you know, is the, the half brother of Jesus. He was the leader of the Jerusalem church, and specifically he was sort of the figurehead of the Jewish church as a whole. Um, the Jewish church was the only church for the very early part of the church's growth. There were always, uh, Gentile believers. Even in the Old Testament, there were Gentiles who trusted in the Lord of Israel and the God of Israel. They were often called God-fearers. They rarely converted all the way to Judaism, but they were sort of seen as an attachment to the Jewish people. They didn't participate in all of the blessings of the Jewish people, but they did participate in most. They often had the same kind of protection. They were in a form of covenant with God. Um, they were able to worship and offer sacrifices. The temple itself had a whole portion of the temple dedicated called the Court of Gentiles, specifically for these Jewish worshipers. And as the church spread, primarily through persecution, which we'll touch base on here in a minute, as the church spread out from Jerusalem into Judea and Samaria, and ultimately to the ends of the earth, it took on a, an increasingly Gentile Greek flavor. As more and more primarily initially Greek converts came into the church, and then of course, as it spread to other sort of non-Hellenistic lands, other, other types of people, other nations, other people groups joined the church, the scriptures which-- the New Testament we receive primarily from Paul, at least in terms of the epistles, um, also began to take on a more Gentile flavor. Not because Paul was a Gentile, but because Paul was ministering primarily to Gentiles What we'll see here is that James is a very Jewish book. I'm sure that along the way there's been several kinds of things pointed out to you to show that, but I wanna show a couple things that not only establish James as the author, James the brother of, of Jesus, but also root the, not only the author, but the audience in a distinctly Jewish Christian, uh, context. So you don't have to turn there, I'll read this, but in Acts, uh, 15, which is the, the great Jerusalem Council, uh, we read this. It says, "With the following letter..." So the, the council meets, they make a decision about what k- what parts of the Jewish law were going to be commended to and recommended, uh, and required for the Christian believers, the Gentile Christian believers, and when they're done, they send this letter to all of, all of the churches. And it says, "With the following letter, the brothers, both apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are at, of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings." Now, I don't know about you, but I always sign my emails the same way, right? I've got, like, my work signature that I have to use, that the, the hospital makes me use with all the proper formatting and colors and fonts, but I always have the same signature. Mine is very simple. I just say, "Thanks," right? I just sign it as, "Thanks," above my signature, and I'm sure you all have that sort of characteristic way you sign a s- sign an email, or maybe it's the way you say goodbye at the end of a phone call. My father-in-law always says, "So long," which is a phrase you don't hear very often, so it's very distinct to him. We all have these little tells in our communication that sort of tip off who they're from. If you turn quickly back over to James 1, so just flip the page, uh, to the left here, he starts his letter by saying, "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the 12 tribes in the dispersion, greetings." It's the only two letters in the New Testament that we have where the author identifies himself, sends to a sort of generalized audience, and then signs it, "Greetings." Now, James, the brother of Jesus, was the leader of the Jerusalem Church. He was the leader of the Jewish ch- the Jewish Church in general, and he signed the letter coming from the Acts Council as sort of the presiding minister. If, if we were, y- you might call them, like, the moderator of your business meeting, or we would call them the moderator of our presbytery or our session in the Presbyterian context I come from. He was the one who sort of, like, presided over there, and so the letter that went out to the churches was signed in his name and written, drafted by him. So we see this characteristic way that the letter is addressed with this final word, "Greetings," which is not used frequently in the New Testament We also see when we look at the language carefully that the audience of this, uh, of this letter, it's debated and there are good arguments, but i- in my opinion, it's very clear that the audience of this letter is not Jewish Christians in general or, uh, Jews who have not yet converted. There are some people who would say that 'cause they're called the 12 tribes. But instead it is the Jewish Christians who originally dwelled in Jerusalem and were sent out into the countryside after the persecution that was started primarily by Saul. If you look at Acts, Acts 1 which is, uh, the passage where Saul begins to persecute the church or where Saul kinda comes on the scene as the persecutor of the church, there's a couple distinct, um, distinct linguistic markers we should touch base on. Starting in verse one it says, "And p- Saul approved of his execution. And there arose a day-- that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem. They were all scattered throughout the region of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made a great lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church and entered the house after house. He dragged off men and women and committed them to prison." When we look at this and we compare it to that, uh, again, that first verse of James where he says to the ones who are scattered, we see that there's a pretty strong linguistic parallel that tells us that the people he has in mind for this letter, the people he's addressing, are the same people who were dispersed or scattered out of Jerusalem in the persecution. When he says to the 12 tribes in the dispersion, that word dispersion is not really a translation. It's what we call a transliteration. So it's not like we've taken a word and sort of given it an English word. We've just changed the word, the letters over to English letters. In Greek, the word is diaspora, dispersion, and in, uh, Acts 1, the verb used to, to sort of describe this scattering of them is diaspero. And it is a picture of scattering seed. This is what a farmer would do. So it's not even the normal word we would use when someone is fleeing persecution. It's this idea that God has scattered Christians out into the world, in this case by persecution. He scattered them out into the world to be planted. A lot of this is where we get phrases from Tertullian about the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. Now, why does this matter? As I mentioned, we often think in Gentile categories when we're reading the New Testament, and for good reason. One, we're all, all Gentiles, I'm presuming. I, I don't, I don't think-- I think I mentioned this last time, and no one came up and corrected me. I don't think anyone here is ethnically Jewish with ancestry that they're directly aware of, you know, where they trace their lineage directly back. Europe is a, a big amalgamation of just about everything, so most of us probably have a smattering of different ethnicities. But none of us are ethnically Jewish to the idea that we would, uh, identify as such in the same way. And even if we were, we've been raised and grown up in a Gentile context. We live in the West. We have-- We think in different categories. And what's more is most of the New Testament is written primarily to Gentiles by someone who is ministering to Gentiles. So Paul uses a fair amount of, of Hebraisms or things that are related to the Old Testament. Of course, he's explaining the Old Testament, and he makes ample reference to the Old Testament because that is the word of God, and it is profitable for our teaching, our correction, our reproof, and ultimately for our, our sanctification. But he uses metaphors and language in a way that is not common to the Israel context that Jesus and James and Peter and the other apostles were raised in. We don't have time to go there, but there's even some metaphors that Paul uses that are actually used the opposite way in, uh, in the more Hebraic Jewish, uh, epistles we have. One example that comes to mind is, um, Paul looks at the concept of milk, and that's not necessarily a good thing, right? It's not a bad thing, but it's what immature believers use, right? They can't handle the meat of the Bible. They have to be given the milk of the gospel before they can progress to the meat. In the Book of Hebrews, which I don't think was written by Paul, and in other places, Peter uses milk as a way to talk about nourishment, right? We think of the land flowing with milk and honey. Milk was not seen as some sort of substandard food that was only for babies. It was seen as, like, the richest, best thing that you could eat. We all have a linguistic environment that we grow up in. We all have a shared vernacular. You know, if I say something like, "You can't get there from here," everyone knows what that means. Obviously, you can get there from here, but you have to take this circuitous route. We know what that means. I think if we went around the room, we probably would find that there is this shared language. And then if we took individual families, we'd find that even within those families, there's further narrowing down of sort of like inside jokes and words that are used in ways that are not necessarily the same as others So when we read James, or when we read the letters of Peter or the letters of John, we should default to thinking more along the lines of comparing them to the words of Christ in the Gospel, first and foremost, and then to the Old Testament before we start to think about them necessarily comparing them to Ja-- or to Paul or to other kind of first century Hellenistic literature. That's not, of course, to say that Paul and James contradict. I'm sure that we went through a long explanation with much detail when you got to James chapter two, which is, of course, the most famous example. Paul uses the word justification or justify in a legal sense to make or to declare someone to be righteous. It's the verdict that the judge delivers, and it communicates the status. It actually performs what it says. When the judge says, "I find you not guilty," it changes your status from being potentially guilty to being cleared of all charges. Paul uses it slightly differently. He's not using it in the sense of to make someone righteous or to declare them righteous. He's using it to say they've been shown to be righteous. They've been validated. They've been vindicated. And if we get that mixed up, that's the source of all sorts of confusion. So when we come to this passage, and we'll get there, I promise, when we come to this passage, we have to understand some of the metaphors and the language that's being used draws from an existing body of shared cultural language that is foreign to us and is in some ways foreign to the rest of the New Testament, apart from what we see in the Gospels And it's important to remember, and this is why it's so key to land, that the audience of this letter is the persecuted, poor Jewish Christians who probably had a fairly comfortable life, relatively speaking, living in Jerusalem. These are city folks. These are people that live in Jerusalem or farm into the fields immediately around Jerusalem. They were established. They owned land. They probably had family that they had to leave, and now they're scattered out into the country with nothing. They're sent out into the world with no jobs, no family connections, no social welfare. Because they've left the Jewish faith, at least from the perspective of the Jews, they can't even go to their Jewish brothers and sisters and rely on the hospitality that's required in the law of Moses This is so important when we think about how James opens the letter and delivers what I think is his thesis statement. "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you face trials of every kind." Trials like not knowing where the next meal is gonna come from, not knowing where the next roof over your head is, not being sure you can feed your children. We all face real trials and tribulations in our life. Some of them are related to our faith, and some is just the fallen human condition in the fallen world we live in. But we're talking here about a totally different category of, uh, trial and persecution than most of us hopefully will ever experience That brings us to our actual passage now. James opens up this section with a linguistic marker that signifies this is a change in topic. He says, "Come now," or another way to translate it might be, "Now listen. Listen up." When my son is doing something that, uh, I need him to stop or I need to give him instructions, I hold him by his shoulders and I say, "Look at my eyes. I want your eyes right here. Look at my eyes." That's what Paul is doing. He's stopping and he's interrupting the flow of language. This shows us this is a new topic and a new audience. James is not speaking to rich Christians in his audience. First, 'cause there likely weren't any rich Christians directly in his audience. Remember, these are the, the poor Christians scattered out into the Judean countryside, into Samaria He's using a technique that's really common in the prophets. It's common in Jesus, where he's addressing the people who are not really listening as a way to establish that they will be judged, to hold them accountable, but also to comfort those who are hearing the message. This is a form of prophetic address. We see this in Amos, where he's chastising the Jewish leaders. Uh, in Malachi and Micah, this happens. Malachi is primarily, at least initially, is primarily, uh, a book that is railing against the rich leaders in Jerusalem who had oppressed their own brothers and sisters. The chances that those Jewish cr- uh, Jewish leaders were reading his prophecy or hearing his prophecy is pretty slim. So he was addressing a different group to establish the judgment that he was proclaiming on another party. Jesus does this when he says like, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees." There were probably scribes and Pharisees in the audience there, but he wasn't just talking to the people in front of them. He was pronouncing a judgment oracle, a judgment prophecy on all people who fit that category, and James is doing the same thing here James is not opposing wealth generally. Sometimes James is used as kind of a New Testament example to justify the idea that we should all be poor and wear shabby clothing and walk around barefoot and dirty all the time. Right? This is a key passage that's used, uh, in parts of the church that really emphasize sort of a poverty-based lifestyle. Think of like the wandering monks of the Middle Ages or the, the, um, sort of more radical exclusionists that exist even in our day. I remember when I was in college, I was really enamored with this figure named Shane Claiborne. Some of you have probably heard of him, and I remember I was so impressed because he, he didn't buy new shoes. He just cut new shoes out of duct tape and put them back together. Now, there's some, you know, there's some rugged, uh, rugged get-it-done-ness that, uh, I think us, uh, New Englanders can appreciate, but God does not call us to wear duct tape shoes, at least not universally. I'm not gonna comment on whether he calls Shane Claiborne to do that. I also don't think Shane Claiborne does that anymore. Um, some of us he may call to a lifestyle of poverty in association with a mission field or in association with a specific calling. He does not call us generally to be poor or to not gain wealth What he is opposing here is the refusal to use wealth appropriately for God's glory and the accumulation of wealth just for wealth's sake We'll see that as we unpack the language here a little bit. He establishes that he's not just talking about the earthly hoarding of wealth, as though somehow the very act of accumulating wealth was itself the problem. What he's doing is he's pronouncing an eschatological judgment on those who hoard wealth and use it to oppress others. We see here he says, "Come now, you rich, and weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you." Th- that word weep and howl, those are li-- those are words that are most commonly used in prophetic literature to describe the final cry of anguish. Think about the weeping and gnashing of teeth that Jesus talks about. This is the language he's using. He's talking about the final estate of those who refuse to submit their wealth to God He says, "Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be the evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasures in the last days." Now, remember what we said. We, we should read this not in light of some general wisdom, although it is general wisdom that if we accumulate wealth, it tends to not actually go well for us if we're not utilizing it in God-honoring ways. But we should read this in light of the most obvious connection, his big brother, Jesus, who taught his people, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be." To maybe land this linguistic, uh, this linguistic connection a little more, I don't know, vibrantly, I'm gonna speculate a little bit. So if you don't like it, then you can disregard it. This is not God's Word. This is a speculation. I can just imagine little Jesus, little nine-year-old Jesus, and probably little six or seven-year-old James and the rest of their siblings, and there's quite a few of them. And we have Joseph, uh, who maybe at this time was still living, although probably not. We know he was living until Jesus was later, you know, 12, he was still around, but we don't know exactly when he left the picture. But he was a carpenter, and he was not, probably not overly wealthy. Uh, they had had to pick up and move, you know, cross-country anyways. They-- We don't know exactly where they were from initially, but they went to Bethlehem, and then they returned to Nazareth. They probably didn't have a lot. There were a lot of mouths to feed and only one business. They didn't have a farm. They didn't own livestock that we know of. I can just imagine a time when little J- little James or one of his sisters was frustrated about the fact that they didn't have anything. And I could picture Mary getting down and going, "Do not store up treasures in, in, uh, in heaven or on Earth. It's all gonna waste away." The same way we might tell our children kind of a, a moral kind of story. Sometimes we have this picture, last time I was here I, I spoke on Philippians 2, we have this idea that Jesus was somehow like Superman, that he, he was just pretending to be a normal human most of the time. As it touches his humanity, as, as we think about Jesus as a human, he had a, his own human set of thinking faculties, his own human knowledge. He grew in wisdom and stature is what Luke teaches us. Well, where did he get some of this wisdom? There's a good reasonable argument to be made that some of the pr- more proverbial type sayings that we see in Christ, that they actually come from the wisdom of his mother and father. And a really good reason to believe that is James relies on the same exact, uh, sort of proverbial wisdom to l- land his point. He doesn't create his own metaphor, he goes back to, at the very least we can say he goes back to the words of Christ. That's a very safe position to take. But this is the shared linguistic context that they both grew up in And he says, "You've done this in the last days." Now, the, the phrase last days in the Bible, uh, in the New Testament generally refers to the time period from Christ's resurrection to his return. We, for a lot of reasons, think about it as kind of like that climactic end period in time. Depending on your, your persuasion, maybe this is when the Antichrist comes, or maybe this is before or after, or maybe during the time when the church is raptured. But in either case, we think of that sort of last period in time before Christ finally comes back. But the New Testament writers are really talking about the entire duration, from Christ's resurrection to his return is what they're referring to. But it does have in view this idea that we are in the last times. The, the final judgment is not necessarily strictly something that's out there in the future. We are living in the last days now, and so what we do and what we say and, and how we worship and if we worship is eschatology. It is the theology of the last times He also positions this as though this is a universal thing going on with those who hoard wealth. This is a very shocking image. Um, we have very good ways to preserve things in our modern world, right? We have ways to m- to make, uh, stainless steel that won't rust, or at least won't rust quickly. But most things in the ancient world, even most precious metals, corroded. Um, I remember when I was growing up, there was this project in my hometown. I lived in a, a little town called White Bear Lake in, in, um, Minnesota, although little is relative. It's pretty big compared to most of what we have out here. And I remember when I was maybe 12 or 13 years old, they had this big building project to build this brand-new, beautiful lakeside pavilion in the center of town, and it w- just gleamed in the sun. It was so gorgeous, and it was made of copper, and everybody loved it, and two years later, it was bright green. I think it's still bright green. I think they figured out it wasn't worth repairing, so they, they just, they just make sure it doesn't keep getting worse, and at some point, I'm sure they either have or will tear it down. But the one metal in the ancient world that didn't do this was gold. It's part of why gold is such a durable measurement of wealth is because it doesn't wear out. It doesn't corrode. It's very soft. It's very easy to damage it, which is why we don't build statues out of it, or we don't build, uh, buildings out of it usually, but it didn't corrode. So when James says here, "Not only your silver, which tarnishes and corrodes, but your silver and gold have corroded." Not are corroding, but have corroded. The rich hearer of this is probably, you know, sitting around like Scrooge McDuck with a pile of gold coins thinking, "Ah, it looks pretty good to me." And what James is saying is, "No, no, no. No, it's corroded. It's eating away at your heart. It's lost its value because you refuse to use it, and so it sits in a pile doing nothing for no one, except serving to further your own condemnation." This is such a crazy, shocking situation that the insanity of not using your wealth, period, the insanity of sitting on your wealth in the ancient world is going to serve as a form of evidence justifying the condemnation of these wicked fools And further, the corrosion of this wealth is an indication of the corrosion of their very souls. There's something about money. I was-- When I was here a couple times before, I preached one of the wealth passages out of Ecclesiastes, and there's something about money that has a unique way of really, really wrecking us. Either we don't have it and we want it, or we have it and we don't wanna lose it, or we have it and we don't spend it wisely. It seems like there's an infinite number of ways to screw it up. And we landed last time that the gospel is good news because with the nearly infinite ways of screwing it up, we're going to screw it up. But the one way that he talks about screwing it up here is hoarding it and sitting on it and not using it Moving on into verses four and five, James moves us now to a more sort of temporal register. He starts out by talking about what wealth is and what it's doing and how it will ultimately affect the entire life and eternity of those in his targeted audience, those he's proclaiming this prophetic, uh, judgment against. But in verse four, he moves back to the behaviors that are being, uh, being engaged in to show the state of these people's souls. He says, "Behold, the wages of the laborers you, who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter." James here points at the, at the behaviors that show this hoarding behavior, and he does it for a number of reasons. One, he needs to call out sin. That's part of the role of a Christian, and especially a leader or a minister in the church, is, um, to not only call out sin in the body of, of Christ, but in a, I think a very particular way, and there's all sorts of, uh, all sorts of theological controversies flying on around about Christian nationalism and other associated things. Some of it is just the spirit of the age. Um, post-COVID, there's a, a real strong sense that our government has failed us and we need to replace it with something else. But there is a, a true way, and I, I think some of those things are a little misguided, but there's a true way that the church, particularly her leaders, should be speaking to the culture around us, and yes, even to the government, to proclaim the truth of God into a wicked and godless culture. This might take the form o- of a m- minister who goes to a town hall meeting to speak out against a gambling association that's going to be forming, or a, an elder in the church or a deacon in the church who goes to speak to, uh, to the city hall or to the state legislature about the wickedness of abortion and about what we see it does to women's lives when they are fooled into thinking that this is the right thing for them. Again, the church is not the state, and the state is not the church, and we should be very careful not to cross those lines for all sorts of reasons. But we as a culture, as a Christian culture, in the United States particularly, have lost sight of our responsibility to speak truth in all circumstances to those in power So James is doing that, of course. But even more so, this is a way that he establishes for his direct audience, for the Jewish poor Christians who have been scattered in this diaspora, in this dispersion. He looks at them in a sense and says, "I see you. I see what's happening to you." And as God's representative, as his chosen voice for this message, as his inspired author, God sees you too This goes back again, the first two chapters of James serve as kind of a thesis statement and table of contents for the whole book. We get an idea of what may have been happening, the actual, uh, acts that were being engaged in, in, in chapter two verse six, he says, "You have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?" James has in mind here a form of predatory land purchasing, where the rich were sort of sweeping up property. They were sweeping it up, and then they were charging probably exorbitant prices to those who would lease the land to try to eke out a living. Does that sound at all like any of our current context, right? When's the last time any of us have tried to buy a house and found anything reasonable? Well, a large part of that is that there are big companies that are scooping up all the land and buying all the, the developments. Now, I'm not commenting on those particular situations. I don't know those people. I don't know their hearts, and some of those things actually are doing good things for the community. But we're familiar with this idea of someone who will purchase a resource, who will then jack the price up in order to turn a profit on it. I'm not opposed to turning a profit. Y- y- yeah, it takes money to run a business, and you have to, you have to recuperate those funds if your business is going to survive. But there's a, there's a way that that can be done that is a predatory act These rich landowners were getting fat on those that they were victimizing In our, in our modern world, we tend to think of someone who is overweight as unhealthy, for good reason, right? Too much weight, and I say that with someone with a little too much padding around the middle, so no, no judgment on this, but too much weight is not healthy, right? We hear that from our doctors, that there's a healthy weight range and there's an unhealthy weight range. In the ancient world, obesity was not the concern, right? Malnutrition was the concern. And so when you see, uh, a king in the Old Testament who's, who's noted to be fat, that's not always negative. Sometimes it is, but he's noted to be fat or he's noted to be large. Even the word for glory, I'm sure you've heard this before, the word for glory in the Old Testament has to do with being heavy. So this idea of weightiness or, um, being able to eat enough to actually gain weight instead of being thin was seen as a good thing, but not when you use it as a way to victimize other people. A person who gathers wealth honestly and enjoys it, that's, that's Proverbs right there. That's the Book of Ecclesiastes in its sort of positive sense, is that we, when we accumulate wealth and we use it for God's glory, it's perfectly okay for us to also use it for our enjoyment. God wants us to enjoy the fruit of our labor. But when we accumulate wealth and use it as a way to gain power over someone and to abuse them, that is what James is railing against here And ultimately, with the audience that James is writing to, this is a form of murder. This is why he says, "You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter." Because a person who can't feed their family in the Old Testament or in the New Testament era was likely to see them die. There are not a ton of people in modern America that are starving to death on the streets. It's not to say it doesn't happen. It's not to say that there's not things like food insecurity or malnutrition, but there are, there are plenty of places people can go to get their basic food needs met. It was not like that-- It's not like that in most of the world now, and it certainly was not like that in the ancient world. And so a, a landowner who again refuses, we're talking about the Jewish landowners, refuses to obey the Jewish law to leave some leftovers for the poor, and instead gleans all the way to the corner so that they can turn a little bit of extra pro-profit, is not only sinning against the Old Testament law, but is committing murder in the strictest sense by refusing to preserve the life of these poor, uh, Christians who are destitute And again, James is encouraging his readers here that the Lord has not ignored their plight. We can think back to the Book of Habakkuk, where Habakkuk basically lodges a lawsuit against God, saying, "You are not paying attention. You're not doing your thing. You're not being faithful to your covenant." And God says, "Let me show you how faithful to my covenant I am. The Chaldeans are on the way." And Habakkuk is like, "Whoa, wait a second here. That's not what I had in mind." God sees the oppression of the poor. He knows when His people are targeted. He knows when children are abused or when widows are ignored. He knows when the government does something to shut down a church, or when the medical institution refuses to acknowledge your personal rights. He sees those things, and He's not ignorant, and He's not static. He's not sleeping on those things. The purpose here is to comfort the oppressed by showing that God is not ignorant of what has happened to them. Just two quick Old Testament examples that use similar language. In Genesis 4, we read of Cain and his murder of Abel, and in verse eight it says, "Cain spoke to Abel his brother, and when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Where is Abel your brother?' He said, 'I don't know. Am I my brother's keeper?' And the Lord said, 'What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground.'" Numbers, uh, 35 verses 30 says, "If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses, but no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness. Moreover, you shall accept no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall be put to death. And you shall accept no ransom from him who has fled to the city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the high priest. You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land except for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it." There's a rich history in the Old Testament of language of inanimate things, land, blood, wealth, other kinds of things that give testimony to God in some way, and specifically of these inanimate, uh, impersonal things testifying to the sin of the people that dwell around them. Even Christ says, "If these people do not worship me, the rocks will cry out." Now, the rocks are not literally crying out, although it certainly would be within God's power to make the rocks sing. But Christ is not saying in that passage that the rocks are going to form mouths and begin singing Hosanna or whatever song they might have been doing. What he's saying is that the very rocks themselves give testimony to the glory and goodness of God. So even if the people around here fail to do so, the entire rest of creation is doing so, and that is what James is saying here. My dear brothers and sisters scattered in the dispersion who have nothing, and in society's eyes are nothing, some of you are facing persecution. Some of you will be killed for your faith, but God sees because the wealth that is being accumulated on the breaking of your own backs is crying out. The corrosion of that gold serves as evidence for the condemnation of those who are harming you We often want justice in the moment. I think we always want justice in the moment, don't we? I think it's a really hard discipline to say, "That person wronged me, but I'm okay letting God sort it out." That is a hard pill to swallow, but it is often the pill that we have to take. It's the medicine that God uses to further our justification, our j- our, uh, excuse me, our sanctification Paul says, you know, "Do not take vengeance. Let the Lord do that." We can trust, and this is where the comfort of this passage comes for us, brothers and sisters, we can trust that when we are wronged, that when someone has done something to us that is a violation of God's law, that that sin will be punished. Now, when we're dealing with other Christians, that sin has already been punished, and so it is not, it is not appropriate for us to hold onto that and to take vengeance. That's what the parable of the unmerciful servant is all about If I as a Christian refuse to forgive my brother and sister when they've wronged me, it's me saying that I'm a better judge of their sin and I'm a better executioner than the Lord is when he punished that sin on the cross. But that sin was not atoned for when we're talking about unbelievers. When we're talking about those who will ultimately end their earthly life and find themselves waking up in flames, that sin has not been atoned for, and so God will have his justice, and we will have our justice. We won't turn there, but in Revelation, we're familiar with the passage, I think it's chapter six, where the martyred saints are under the throne and they say, "How long, O Lord?" Well, God doesn't answer their question, but he gives them new clothes. When Job cries out and he's, he's saying, "I don't understand why this is happening. Why are you targeting me, God? Why, why are you a hunter with your arrows in my liver?" God doesn't tell him why, but he says, essentially, "I'm God and you're just going to have to trust me that this is right." We see a very similar, uh, kind of situation here when we think about when, uh, when Abraham, uh, when God tells Abraham what he's about to do to Sodom and Gomorrah, and then Abraham negotiates, apparently negotiates with God, uh, trying to secure the salvation of the city for the sake of the righteous. And we read starting in verse 20 of chapter 18, he says, "The Lord said to, to Abraham," he says, " 'Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. If not, I will know.' " God is always seeing and investigating the sin of people We're, we're teaching my son, August, the children's catechism, which is a, a great resource. Um, and one of the questions is, "Can you see God?" And the answer is, "No, but he always sees me." Now that may feel at first to some people like a little bit of a heavy-handed answer, but knowing that God sees us is not just there to correct our sin. It should do that, right? Even the secret sins we commit in the dark when, when we're not being watched by anyone else, even, even those God sees. But do you know what else He sees? He sees your pain. He sees your suffering. He sees your victories even when no one else is celebrating them. He sees your progress. He sees you, and that should be a great source of comfort Now this passage, especially verse six, can be a little bit hard to apply because although we're the targeted audience, we're not the target of the judgment oracle. So I think what we have to do, we have to, we have to think about this in light of the way that God talks about the judgment of unbelievers in other places in the scripture, and how that helps us to understand kind of what our, what our status is. If you'll take your Bibles and open to Matthew chapter 25, I think the, um, the account here of the goat and sheep judgment, uh, is instructive for us Starting in verse 31, it says, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory and the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King answered them, 'Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' Then he will say to those on the left, 'Depart from me for you for, uh, depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, I was naked and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also, uh, they also will say, answer saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not minister to you?' Then he will answer them saying, 'Truly I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." Now, this passage is sometimes understood as a general command to feed the poor or the sick, or to visit those in prisons, or any of the f- the sort of mercy ministry things that, that, um, are mentioned here. And those are all things that Christians should do, right? We should be engaged in, um, in mercy ministry to the poor, to those who are destitute. We should be mindful and thoughtful of those who have needs around us. What this passage is teaching, though, is not a general command to feed all people, but a specific command to care for your brothers and sisters in Christ when they have a need He doesn't say to the righteous, "You did these to everyone." He says, "Whatever you did to the least of these, my brothers, you did it to me." All of the things that are listed here, the, the six mercy ministries that are listed by Christ here, are things that persecuted Christians were suffering at the time, persecuted Jew- Jewish Christians, and that would be common experiences for, for Jewish Christians and for all persecuted Christians. Right? They're hungry. They don't have food. Our diaspora Jewish Christians don't have land to farm, and even if they're able to scrape together enough funding to lease out a farm, they're being, uh, they're being totally overwhelmed by the cost of that. The sort of homeowners association dues of these pyramid schemes that were going on in the first century, they were so exorbitant that it wasn't even subs- subsistence farming. Christians were being thrown in, uh, in prison. They didn't have enough money to replace their clothes when it wore out. They couldn't have access to clean water. We take clean water as such a, such a basic thing, and it's so easy. You just turn on the tap, or you just go to the store and you buy a bottle of $7 water. It wasn't like this in the first century. If you didn't have a well, you didn't have water, unless you had someone who cared enough to share this precious resource with you. And so what Christ is saying to, to his people, both in the immediate audience on the Sermon on the Mount, uh, and in this, the Olivet Discourse here, what he's saying to his people is when someone in the body of Christ does not have what they need, the body of Christ should step up and make sure that that is the case, that they take care of that person. And likewise, he's saying to those who are not a part of the body of Christ, "Depart from me, I never knew you." Now, the intro to this, why it sometimes is called a parable, is the sheep and the goats. We sometimes go way too far into the arena of comparing the behavior of sheeps with the behavior of the people here, right? Sheep are nice, they're affable, they listen to you. In reality, from what I understand, sheep are pretty dumb and can be very stubborn, right? And then we, we read and we go, "Goats are stubborn, they're rebellious, they're not really good for anything." Well, there's a reason people have goats on farms. They, they can be stubborn, right? They can be destructive, but they also serve a purpose. So the point here is not that sheep are good and goats are bad. The point is that sheep are not goats and goats are not sheep. And, uh, another point that comes with this is sheep don't become goats by behaving like goats, and goats don't become sheep by acting like sheep. I have some friends that will tell you they have very affectionate, friendly, lovable goats, right? I'd, I would... If I could get my kids one of those little pygmy goats that everybody loves, I would do that, 'cause they can be very kind, very sweet, and they're very smart. But they're not sheep. And if you read this passage carefully, this fact that those who are taken to the right are, are in fact taken to the right is not because they fed the poor. It's not because they ministered to Christ by feeding the least of these. They did those things because they were part of the kingdom The King says to those on His right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." The sheep on the right were always going to be the sheep on the right. They were predestined according to the counsel of God's will before all time to live and walk in good works. That's just Ephesians 2 there. That's also just James 2 there. You have faith, I will show you my faith by my works. This is evidence language, loved ones Likewise, the ones who are told to depart into eternal darkness were also predestined not to inherit this kingdom. No kingdom was prepared for them before the foundation of the world. They have no inheritance. They have nothing. They will end up in the state that they are trying to impose on these poor Jewish Christians. They will end up in the state that they may be trying to impose on some of us in this room And for the final verse here in, in chapter five, in verse six here, there's a lot of discussion and debate in the commentaries about who the identity of this righteous one is. It says, "You've condemned and murdered the righteous person, he does not resist you." Now, some commentators will take the fact that this is the singular righteous person, that he has been murdered and h- was condemned, and will take this as a reference to Christ. And that would, would make good sense, right? The Jewish, the wealthy Jewish landowners, the wealthy Jews in Jerusalem who per- who persecuted and cast out, um, the Christians, they were in the same group of people who condemned and murdered Jesus And at least at the time of writing this, and in many ways in our own day, God is not necessarily resisting them. He's allowing them to store up judgment for the coming day of wrath There are others who will take this as sort of the hypothetical singular, right? The righteous one or the righteous person is this, uh, representative hypothetical person that represents all of the persecuted Christians. And so it's more like saying, um, to the, the wealthy landowners who are persecuting Christians, "You have condemned and murdered the Christians, the righteous people, and we do not resist you." Now, at the end of the day, it's, it's always good to have good, sober, well-intentioned, text-based debates about what the Bible means. We can and we should try to convince others, uh, when we think they're wrong about what the scripture means. So that's not what I'm saying here. But in many ways, which of those two perspectives it actually is doesn't change the interpretation of this passage. Like we read in Matthew 25, like we read in Acts 9 when Christ comes and confronts Saul, what you do to God's people, you are doing to Christ himself. What you do to the body, you have done to the head. It's a little bit weird to say that when I stub my toe, I injure my head, but that's true, right? I don't injure my toe as though it's some separate piece. It's not like I'm a Lego man where I can just swap out a hand that gets cracked and put it back on. When I injure my toe, I injure myself. My whole body is injured even though it's specific to a part of my body. When you-- when someone persecutes you, when they, uh, try to extort your wealth, your funds, when they try to harm your body, when they try to take away your children, all things that are happening not just out there in the world, but in our country, even in our own region. When they try to tell you that because you don't wanna play a basketball game, that you can't play sports at all. When a city taxes a portion of a church's property because they don't think it's being used for religious purposes, they are doing that to Jesus Christ himself, and God will not be mocked This should call us both to faithfulness and to encouragement How people treat Christ or how people treat Christ's people, including how we trust, tr- uh, treat Christ's people, shows us what we think about Christ. The people who take care of the church do so because they love God, and they do it out of a regenerated heart that already loves God. And the people who hate the church do it because they hate Christ, and they do it out of their wickedness and out of their wicked heart This brings us back again to the thesis statement of James. "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." And then he says later in that, uh, first chapter in verse nine, "Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like the flower of the grass, he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower fails, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." Now, you're all coming up to the end of James here. Um, we probably have two, two more sermons, I would guess, and the rest of this chapter is reinforcing this. It's unpacking for the immediate audience and therefore for us, it's unpacking that although the rich have their punishment coming to them, that likewise our consolation, our comfort from Christ is also coming to us. He closes the whole letter out, he returns to his thesis statement to say, "I'm not going to pretend that the trials you're going through are joyful, but you can count it all joy." You can reckon it, you can impute it as joy, my brothers and sisters. You can put it in the joy column instead of the t- the pain column, right? We had discussion about the beautiful word imputation in the announcements and scripture reading in the beginning here Imputation is a, is an accounting term. And when we count it all joy, we're taking what should be a red line in the, in the loss ledger, right? We're taking what should be an expense, and we're able to move it to the profit. We're able to move it to the positive side, not because it didn't hurt and not because we wanted it to happen, but because our God is good enough to not rob us of the chance to be sanctified When we are oppressed and opposed, those who are oppressing and oppose us mean it for evil, just like Joseph's brothers, uh, and Pharaoh, and all sorts of wicked men in, in the Old Testament and in our own world. Pilate, Herod, you mean, you name it in the Bible, this applies. They meant their wicked acts for wicked things, but God, rich in mercy, works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. And what is that purpose? That we might be transformed into the image of Christ so that Christ may be glorified and He may be the firstborn among many brothers. When we face trials and suffering of every kind, it leads us to our sanctification and to our ultimate glorification. We do not earn those things. We don't sanctify ourselves any more than we justify ourselves, or that any more than we will glorify ourselves or will raise ourselves from the dead. That is all God's work from start to finish. But God does use these things that He brings us through as a way to bring about that work It's like he bends us over the hammer, over the anvil of trials, and he hammers us until we become a sharp sword in the hand of, in his hand. Or he polishes us with a rough cloth until we become a smooth, beautiful gem, right? Think of any number of refining things that need to be done. It always involves, if the thing was, uh, was a person, it always involves something that would hurt a little bit. It always involves a little bit of damage to wear away the impurities. Our sanctification and our glorification is no different than that. He uses adversity. He uses the wicked actions and intentions of, of evil men and women. He uses those things to glorify us. So although we should never, uh, we should never seek those things, right? You don't have to go and make yourself the soft target to the wicked people. It's okay to keep your head down. There's nothing wrong with that. The Jewish Christians were probably doing their best to keep their heads down most of the time, and that's fine. There's not any words in scripture about being a coward if you don't, if you don't put a target on your back. But your target is gonna get there eventually, and that's not a bad thing. We can welcome that. We can count it as joy because of who God is and what he's done. The supreme act of suffering, the supreme act of, of evil happened to the only innocent person there ever was, and it happened to him for us.  this episode is available below.

I thought of a few witty things to say, but they all spoiled this (pretty good) movie.Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the psych rock of "The Deep Dream Realm." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon: Common Side EffectsElemental Wish

It's summer - it's hot (at least in the Northern Hemisphere).  Time for another installment of our "Ernest for all seasons."Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the psych rock of "The Deep Dream Realm." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon: Strange World Common Side EffectsElemental 

Pixar's first NC-17 film if we count the 21-plus rating it has in Indonesia.  All for a split-second of screentime that I failed to even notice when watching the movie.Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the psych rock of "The Deep Dream Realm." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon: Ernest Goes To CampStrange World Elemental

What kind of meat do you like on your burgers?Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the psych rock of "The Deep Dream Realm." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon: LightyearErnest Goes To CampStrange World 

Should we be wary of the magical elite?Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the psych rock of "The Deep Dream Realm." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon:The Bob's Burgers Movie LightyearStrange World

Celebrate Donald Duck's 50th birthday with a trip back to Disneyland in 1984! This episode of Sent from Disneyland begins with a postcard mailed during the opening weekend of Donald's anniversary celebration, where the sender excitedly mentions attending Donald's birthday party. That message leads into the story of Disneyland's "Goin' Quackers" celebration, complete with a special ceremony in Town Square, appearances by Scrooge McDuck, Daisy, Huey, Dewey, Louie, Ludwig Von Drake, and dozens of Disney characters, plus a birthday parade unlike any other in the park's history. A second vintage postcard featuring Mickey Mouse rescuing Donald Duck from the Jungle Cruise hippos provides the perfect transition into a closer look at the anniversary parade. We explore the colorful birthday floats, oversized present boxes, rare character appearances, and the television special hosted by Dick Van Dyke that brought the celebration to audiences across the country. The episode also pays tribute to the legendary Clarence Nash, who voiced Donald Duck for more than five decades, and discusses how animator Tony Anselmo carried Donald's unmistakable voice into a new generation. To wrap up the show, an incoming postcard featuring seashells and the new 2026 Bicycle with Flower Basket stamp inspires a behind-the-scenes look at podcast production—from battling tongue twisters during recording sessions to the unexpected research discoveries that keep nearly six years of Sent from Disneyland episodes fresh and full of new stories. Below are some of the regulars on Art Throw Down, Follow all of them on Instagram anyway for great art and postcards in your Instagram feed: Hipstadufus, luluvision, jlynch9923, greenmosspaper, georgemailsart, state_of_the_funyun, RussRomano2021

Hey there, and a very happy Thursday! This is your Disney News for Thursday, June 25th, 2026. I hope you're ready to get your daily dose of Disney magic! - Tokyo Disneyland introduces "Cherry Blossom Adventure," a mesmerizing attraction featuring a journey through a cherry blossom forest with interactive elements and stunning visuals. - Disneyland Paris announces a summer music festival starting in July with live performances, featuring various music genres and Disney character interactions. - Walt Disney World's Space Mountain undergoes a galactic makeover with enhanced special effects and an all-new out-of-this-world storyline. - Disney+ revives "DuckTales: Treasure Hunt" with a new season, combining humor and adventure with Scrooge McDuck and his nephews on treasure quests. Have a magical day and tune in again tomorrow for more updates.

What happens when a horny Ralph Bakshi has a head-on collision with a major studio?  Maybe a fascinating movie with a ton of problems.You'll find Anna Nicole Wordsmith's vibrations over here:https://x.com/missnic06?lang=en Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the psych rock of "The Deep Dream Realm." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon:EncantoThe Bob's Burgers Movie 

Live your dreams, man.Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the psych rock of "The Deep Dream Realm." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon:Cool World EncantoThe Bob's Burgers Movie 

Feed your head, but maybe don't choose demonic alien.Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the psych rock of "The Deep Dream Realm." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon:The MaxxCool World EncantoThe Bob's Burgers Movie 

We begin a study of MTV's 90's animation.Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the psych rock of "The Deep Dream Realm." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon:The HeadThe MaxxCool World EncantoThe Bob's Burgers Movie 

Tech bros know what's good for ya.Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the psych rock of "The Deep Dream Realm." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon:Encanto Cool World The Bob's Burgers Movie

Sometimes it is interesting when people describe their dreams to you.Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the psych rock of "The Deep Dream Realm." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon:Ron's Gone Wrong Encanto Cool World

How memorable is a movie made in deep pandemic?  We find out.Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the psych rock of "The Deep Dream Realm." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon:PaprikaRon's Gone Wrong Encanto 

What is environmental racism? We've covered a lot of environmental issues on Do You Really Know? so regular listeners will be well aware of how the climate crisis is affecting the whole planet. But it's important to also note how these problems don't affect everyone equally. People in developing countries, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere, are already feeling the impact on their income, physical health and surrounding environment. That's despite industrialised countries having contributed far more to global warming overall.  What kind of environmental problems are we talking about exactly? Do you have any concrete examples? What about on an international level? ⁠⁠In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!⁠⁠ To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: ⁠⁠What are plant milks?⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Who is Scrooge McDuck?⁠⁠ ⁠⁠What is permafrost?⁠⁠ A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. First Broadcast : 12/4/2022 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Baby's first MK Ultra?  Kind of was for me.Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the psych rock of "The Deep Dream Realm." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon:Raya and the Last Dragon Ron's Gone Wrong Encanto

What if Tom Hanks played Scrooge McDuck? Should you date a coworker? How many franks and beans can fit in a duffel bag? Reprise!Thanks for listening!Email - TheLoveBoatProject@gmail.comInstagram - @LoveBoatProject

I guess it's clear who wears the pants in this family.Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the psych rock of "The Deep Dream Realm." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon:G.I. Joe: The M.A.S.S. DeviceRaya and the Last Dragon Ron's Gone Wrong

Just keep swimming.  You'll make it.Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the psych rock of "The Deep Dream Realm." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon:Onward G.I. Joe: The M.A.S.S. DeviceRaya and the Last Dragon 

Just what does water remember?You'll find Anna Nicole Wordsmith's vibrations over here:https://x.com/missnic06?lang=en Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the psych rock of "The Deep Dream Realm." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon:Plague DogsOnward Raya and the Last Dragon

We continue our Ernest for all seasons.  It's spring, so we are going to jail.Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the psych rock of "The Deep Dream Realm." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon:Frozen 2Plague DogsOnward 

We all know them pigeons are watching you.Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the psych rock of "The Deep Dream Realm." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon:Ernest Goes to JailFrozen 2Onward 

Ever get the feeling that you've already covered a movie?Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the psych rock of "The Deep Dream Realm." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon:Spies in Disguise Frozen 2Onward

Hey there, and a very happy Sunday to you! This is your Disney News for Sunday, April 12th, 2026. I hope you're having a relaxing day and ready for your sprinkle of Disney magic! - Hong Kong Disneyland is buzzing with a new "Zootopia" attraction in Adventureland, featuring immersive technology and interactive elements with Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. - Tokyo Disneyland celebrates the grand reopening of Fantasyland with a new "Beauty and the Beast" area, including a stunning castle and themed attractions. - Disney World in Orlando unveils the "Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind" coaster in EPCOT, featuring Disney's first reverse launch and a unique storytelling ride experience. - Disney+ revives "DuckTales," bringing back Scrooge McDuck and his nephews in a new animated series with modern twists for both new and long-time fans. That's a wrap for today! Thanks for tuning in, and I hope you have a magical day ahead. Remember to check in tomorrow for more Disney updates. Catch you tomorrow!

Who doesn't love Mary Poppins?  Possibly the hosts of this podcast?Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the psych rock of "The Deep Dream Realm." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon:The Lion King Frozen 2Spies in Disguise

There's no way Kermit the Frog and Garfield are gonna keep us away from doing crack with George C. Scott.Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the acid-folk of "Into the Faerie Mound." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon:Ralph Breaks the InternetMary Poppins ReturnsThe Lion King 

But then he fixes the Internet so we still have to deal with it.Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the acid-folk of "Into the Faerie Mound." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon:Mary Poppins ReturnsThe Lion King Frozen 2

Here is your Daily Disney News for Thursday, April 2, 2026 - Disneyland Tokyo to open "Frozen Land" later this year, featuring attractions inspired by the Frozen movies. - Epcot's "Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind" coaster in Orlando is nearing completion, promising a unique space adventure. - Disneyland Resort in California expands "Avengers Campus" with a new ride "Quantum Encounter," joining Ant-Man and the Wasp. - Disney+ will reboot the classic "DuckTales" series with all-new episodes, featuring Scrooge McDuck and the gang. Have a magical day and tune in again tomorrow for more updates.

When Pam was in Scotland, she brought back too many beers to fit into a single episode, so here's another one! Pairs with out of shape runs, rubbing two sticks together, and Scrooge McDuck. Broughton Wee Jock Spey Valley Bring Out The Imp Spey Valley SVB Foggie Moss Spey Valley SVB Foggie Moss Mystery Variant? Theme Music by Adrian Quesada of Black Pumas End Credits Music: Na Ah by Blood Red Sun Additional music licensed through Epidemic Sound And we have shirts! Get them at the Hello Crawlers store! The Beerists are John Rubio, Grant Davis, Pam Catoe, and Mark Raup. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or point your podcatcher to our RSS feed. You should also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. Support us by making a per-episode pledge at patreon.com/thebeerists and get some sweet rewards! Follow us on twitter, facebook, and instagram. Want to send us beer? Check our beer donation guidelines, and then shoot us and email at info@thebeerists.com

It's not easy being (digital) green.Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the acid-folk of "Into the Faerie Mound." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon on Cartoon Cabal:Cartoon All Stars to the RescueAnd then back to Occult Disney and:Ralph Breaks the InternetMary Poppins ReturnsThe Lion King

This short may be "ground zero" for Internet humor.Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the acid-folk of "Into the Faerie Mound." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon on Cartoon Cabal:The Animatrix 

How fast can we go?  Outta prison?Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the acid-folk of "Into the Faerie Mound." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon on Cartoon Cabal:RejectedThe Animatrix 

Ask about Illuminati.Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the acid-folk of "Into the Faerie Mound." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon on Cartoon Cabal:Sonic X "Shadow Knows"RejectedThe Animatrix 

How do you feel about Toy Story 3?Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the acid-folk of "Into the Faerie Mound." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon on Cartoon Cabal:Duck Tales "Yuppy Ducks"Sonic X "Shadow Knows"RejectedThe Animatrix

What's up, dudes? I'm joined by Kids of the Kingdom Mike Westfall of Advent Calendar House and Charlie Ague of Closer to Christmas to discuss this 1985 single broadcast “Magic Kingdom Yuletide Special!” Scrooge McDuck can't fathom the magic of Christmastide, so Mickey and Santa Goofy contribute to his conversion through song and dance! Skating? Yep. Singing? Check. Nightmare-inspired bipedal horses prancing? Definitely! So put on your Victorian  bonnet, grab your ice skates, and magically teleport into this episode!Advent Calendar HouseFB: @adventcalendarhouseTwitter: @adventcalhouseIG: @adventcalendarhouseCloser to ChristmasTwitter: @closertoxmasIG: @closertoxmasAgue DesignsIG: @aguedesignsGive us a buzz! Send a text, dudes!Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Totally Rad Christmas Mall & Arcade, Teepublic.com, or TotallyRadChristmas.com! Later, dudes!

Episode #222 of the Last Call Trivia Podcast begins with a round of general knowledge questions. Then, you better believe we've got a theme round of “Got Ya” Trivia coming up next!Round OneThe game kicks off with an Animals Trivia question that asks the Team to name the dog breed that is crossed with a pug to create the designer dog breed, the Bugg.Next, we have a Words Trivia question about the footwear accessory worn by Scrooge McDuck and Mr. Peanut.The first round concludes with a Places Trivia question about a Mediterranean island known for its nightlife and electronic dance music club scene.Bonus QuestionToday's Bonus Question is a follow-up to the Places Trivia question from the first round.Round TwoWe're not pulling your leg, it's time for today's theme round of “Got Ya!” Trivia.The second round starts with a Pranks Trivia question about a variation on the classic “wedgie” prank.Next, we have a Mythology Trivia question about a trickster god from Norse mythology.Round Two concludes with a Phrases Trivia question that asks the Team to identify a phrase meaning “to deceive or hoodwink,” based on its origin.Final QuestionWe've reached the Final Question of the game, and today's category of choice is Television. Put on your Transatlantic accents for this one!For today's Final, the Trivia Team is asked to determine whether the British or American versions of four different TV series lasted the longest by number of episodes.Visit lastcalltrivia.com to learn more about hosting your own ultimate Trivia event!Gretel le Maître Ponders Beauty, with Bede & other guestsGretel le Maître likes to look for the beauty and curiosities in life, one day at a...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

How Incredibles is Incredibles 2?  Throw on your goggles and let's find out.Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the acid-folk of "Into the Faerie Mound." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon:Ralph Breaks the Internet Mary Poppins Returns The Lion King (2019)

Join us as Steve and Sheila welcome Thomas Lloyd back to the show as he shares his adventures while at Disneyland during the holiday season. Thomas tells about how much fun he had while attending the nightly Christmas Dance Party where he got to meet Chip and Dale and even had a dance or two with their love interest Clarice! One of the highlights for Thomas on this trip was being able to get reservations to attend the Mickey's Christmas Carol Feast, where he was finally able to meet for the very rare character, Scrooge McDuck! To wrap up the episode Thomas talks about an upcoming Disney Cruise that he will be taking with his mom In March! Before you continue on your next Disney adventure, we would love to hear from you. Visit www.speakpipe.com/MonorailTales to leave us a message and share your own Disney dreams. To keep the magic alive long after the show ends, you can visit us at www.monorailtales.com, follow along on Facebook, and join our Disney-loving community where the conversation never stops. For even more stories and connections, follow us on Twitter and Instagram. If you have a show idea or would like to join as a guest, reach out to Sheila at sheila@monorailtales.com—your magical moment might be just one message away. And if you are envisioning your own Disney Vacation Club experience, be sure to visit our friends at DVC Shop for the best offers on resale contracts and rentals. From all of us at Monorail Tales—thank you for walking this path with us. May your days be filled with Disney wonder, warm memories, and just a touch of pixie dust.

V'room, v'room, y'all.Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the acid-folk of "Into the Faerie Mound." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon:Incredibles 2 Ralph Breaks the Internet Mary Poppins Returns

Just how does Pixar swim through this sequel?Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "The Depths of Fieldation," and the acid-folk of "Into the Faerie Mound." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/Coming soon:Cars 3 Incredibles 2 Ralph Breaks the Internet

We break down episodes 22-26 (plus the movie!) of Neon Genesis Evangelion each day this week!  Get that anime occult on in the Cartoon Cabal.Note: We were advised to do the movie and then episode 26.  This generally seemed to work out, though Matt suggests putting the final scene of the movie after episode 26.Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "Psychic Utopia," and the acid-folk of "Into the Faerie Mound." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/ 

We break down episodes 22-26 (plus the movie!) of Neon Genesis Evangelion each day this week!  Get that anime occult on in the Cartoon Cabal.Note: We were advised to do the movie and then episode 26.  This generally seemed to work out, though Matt suggests putting the final scene of the movie after episode 26. Thomas moved from art direction at Disney World, to creating entertaining comic books, podcasts, and toys riffing on conspiracy theories.  Check out his stuff here:https://www.paranoidamerican.com/Please subscribe, review, and rate us on all the podcatchers.  And if you're Scrooge McDuck, throw a bob out to Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/podcastiopodcastiusMatt makes lots of music.  Brand new ones include the binaural head trip of "Psychic Utopia," and the acid-folk of "Into the Faerie Mound." Have a listen:https://rovingsagemedia.bandcamp.com/ 

Send us a textTwo holiday parties. One short trip. We set out to answer a question every Disney fan asks in December: should you book Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom or Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios? After doing both just days apart, we share what truly feels like Christmas, where the entertainment hits hardest, and how to get the most value for your crew.If warm nostalgia is your love language, Magic Kingdom delivers: snowfall on Main Street, Santa in the parade, free cookie and cocoa stations, and beloved characters in cozy winter looks. We met princesses with their princes—Cinderella and Prince Charming, Rapunzel and Flynn, Snow White and her Prince—and moved quickly through lines late at night. For collectors, we talk sippers, the red truck popcorn bucket, and the pro tip to keep popcorn out of your bucket so it stays pristine.Jollywood, meanwhile, shines with modern Hollywood energy. Think live music, a magnetic ice skating show under Florida skies, roaming dance parties with tuxedoed Goofy and Pluto, and a projection spectacular at the Chinese Theater. Character hunters will appreciate surprises like Scrooge McDuck and an easy meet with Miguel if you know where to look. Foodies and cocktail fans will love the specialty small plates and themed drinks, while families focused on value may favor the included treats at Very Merry.We also break down strategy: how to structure your day so you're not dragging by fireworks, when to choose driving over buses or Skyliner, and how to pick the right party for kids, grandparents, or an adults-only night. With variable pricing, DVC discounts, and even free ornaments, the details matter—and we've got the playbook.Many people are already booking their room reservations for the holiday. Are you ready to plan your December 2026 trip? Hit play, choose your vibe—nostalgic cookies or glamorous cocktails—and tell us which party you'd pick. If you enjoy the show, subscribe, share with a Disney friend, and leave a review to help more fans find us.Travel Made Easy with Little OnesHigh quality, clean baby gear delivered right to your resort while on your Disney Vacation.Use the code "dislove10" to save 10%! Where In the Park game packs are fun & challenging for anyone who knows the parks and for newbies.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.For all the latest news about our episodes follow us on Instagram @dislovewithvanessaandkris or on YouTube.

In this special Christmas-themed episode of the Leadership Blueprints podcast, host BJ Kraemer draws on some of his favorite classic Christmas films to explore the art and science of leading oneself and others. Ebenezer Scrooge sparks a conversation around awareness and change, while Kevin McAllister offers a surprising lens on ownership and responsibility. A nod to It's a Wonderful Life serves as a quiet reminder of the power of relationships. The episode also explores what it means to help others grow into the roles they're called to step into, and concludes with Clark Griswold as a timely reflection on how unchecked vision can impact those around us. Join BJ for another episode filled with valuable leadership insights! Happy Holidays! Key Points From This Episode:The leadership lesson from Ebenezer Scrooge: transformation after self-awareness.How Kevin McAllister shows that ownership drives creativity.It's a Wonderful Life: “No man is a failure who has friends.”Leadership is about cultivating potential by giving people the opportunity to grow into who the role requires them to become.The lesson from Clark Griswald: vision without awareness can exhaust everyone around you. Quotes:“Transformation is possible, but like I've talked about before, only after self-awareness.” — BJ Kraemer “When people truly own outcomes, they rise faster than we expect.” — BJ Kraemer “[George Bailey] teaches us that the most meaningful impact is often invisible when you're living through it.” — BJ Kraemer “Good intentions don't excuse poor awareness.” — BJ Kraemer “I talk a lot about the first step in leadership is leading yourself first, and the first step in leading yourself first is getting clear on who you are, who you aren't, what your strengths are, what they're not. And I think the lesson we can all take away from Scrooge McDuck is results without humanity create financial success, but no relationship success and no legacy.” — BJ Kraemer Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:Mickey's Christmas Carol (Disney+)A Christmas CarolHome AloneHome Alone 2It's a Wonderful Life (Apple TV)The Santa Clause (Disney+)National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (Netflix)Leadership Blueprints PodcastMCFAMCFA CareersBJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

On today's episode, we welcome Flopsters Dan McCoy and Elliott Kalan (Sorry, Stu!) from The Flop House to the show to chat with us about Italian Brainrot memes, Jumbo's Clown Room, fruit-on-non-fruit dessert crimes, and much more. * Listen to the latest episode of The Flop House Podcast here.*Follow The Flop House Podcast on Instagram. *Get your Flop TV Season 3 tickets here. *Purchase the Podcast Pantheon: 101 Podcasts That Changed How We Listen, featuring The Flop House, here.* Celebrate 25 years of Bullseye!* Order Jordan's new Predator comic: Black, White & Blood!* Order Jordan's new Venom comic!* Donate to Al Otro Lado.* Purchase signed copies of *Youth Group* and *Bubble* from Mission: Comics And Art!~ NEW JJGo MERCH ~Get Bronto Dino-Merch!Get our ‘Ack Tuah' shirt in the Max Fun store.Grab an ‘Ack Tuah' mug!The Maximum Fun Bookshop!Follow the podcast on Instagram and send us your dank memes!Check out Jesse's thrifted clothing store, Put This On.Follow beloved former producer, Steven Ray Morris, on Instagram.Follow new producer, Jordan Kauwling, on Instagram.Listen to See Jurassic Right!

This week's episode started with the usual existential sigh before tumbling straight into the corporate bloodbath. Amazon chopped 14,000 jobs under the noble banner of “embracing AI,” which CEO Andy Jassy insists isn't about money—despite swimming Scrooge McDuck–style in profit. GM's cutting 1,700 workers, YouTube's dangling “voluntary” buyouts, and economists can't decide if AI is killing jobs or if the economy's just trash. Microsoft's winning either way, sitting pretty on OpenAI's planned $1 trillion IPO, while Meta stock cratered because Zuckerberg's still shoveling billions into the AI bonfire instead of quietly burying the metaverse. Meanwhile, Elon managed to cram a week's worth of disasters into a single news cycle: Tesla's being probed for its idiotic “Mad Max” mode, recalling thousands more Cybertrucks because they can't figure out glue, launching Grokipedia (Wikipedia's evil twin), and turning Truth Social into a crypto casino. Somewhere between the chaos, more people tuned into a fake NVIDIA livestream than the real one, and the only vaguely uplifting story was a grieving family using an AI chatbot to hack a $195K hospital bill down to $33K.In media misery, we soothed our nuclear anxiety with A House of Dynamite, tolerated Welcome to Derry, rolled our eyes at Stranger Things 5, and confirmed Slow Horses still rules. Music listeners, please stop streaming fascism—cancel Spotify. On the tech toy front, Grammarly's having an identity crisis as “Superhuman,” Affinity caved to the subscription gods, and Apple's prepping to inject ads into Maps because the world wasn't already annoying enough. The chaos didn't stop there: a rogue Goodreads librarian rewrote Trump's book listings to protest censorship, Cursor 2.0 actually impressed us with a working currency converter, and Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It turned out to be the perfect title for the entire digital era.Sponsors:Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month.SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!!1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1passwordMasterClass - Get an additional 15% off any annual membership at MASTERCLASS.com/GRUMPYOLDGEEKSCleanMyMac - clnmy.com/GrumpyOldGeeks - Use code OLDGEEKS for 20% off.Show notes at https://gog.show/720FOLLOW UPWhat both sides of America's polarized divide share: Deep anxieties about the meaning of life and existence itself720° © 1986 Atari Games.IN THE NEWSAmazon cuts its workforce by 14,000 in further embrace of AIIs AI Leading to Layoffs or Does the Economy Just Suck?Amazon CEO Now Says AI Is Not Responsible for Recent LayoffsAmazon Accused of Trapping Drivers in AI PanopticonGM lays off 1,700 workers making EVs and batteries in Michigan, TennesseeTesla Recalls Thousands More Cybertrucks, Is Bad at Gluing ThingsYouTube is offering employees buyouts as part of an AI-focused reorganizationEveryone Is Laying People Off This Week. Researchers Say They're Going to Regret ItOpenAI completes restructure, solidifying Microsoft as a major shareholderOpenAI lays groundwork for juggernaut IPO at up to $1 trillion valuationMeta Stock Plummets as Investors Horrified at How Much Zuckerberg Is Spending on Misfired AIFederal investigators are looking into Tesla's Mad Max mode, which reportedly defies speed limitsGrokipedia Is the Antithesis of Everything That Makes Wikipedia Good, Useful, and HumanMore people watched a fake NVIDIA livestream than the real thingTrump's Media Company Set To Roll Out Polymarket-Like Prediction Market on Truth SocialSurprising no one, researchers confirm that AI chatbots are incredibly sycophanticGrieving family uses AI chatbot to cut hospital bill from $195,000 to $33,000 — family says Claude highlighted duplicative charges, improper coding, and other violationsMEDIA CANDYA House of DynamiteWelcome to DerryStranger Things 5 | Official Trailer | NetflixSlow HorsesDon't Stream Fascism: Cancel SpotifyAPPS & DOODADSGrammarly has rebranded to SuperhumanAffinity's image-editing apps go “freemium” in first major post-Canva updateApple is reportedly getting ready to introduce ads to its Maps appRogue Goodreads Librarian Edits Site to Expose 'Censorship in Favor of Trump Fascism'Introducing Cursor 2.0 and ComposerEnshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It by Cory DoctorowThe Disenshittify ProjectCurrency ConverterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.