Podcasts about Skelton

Thomas Skelton has spent years building the mythology, music, characters, and cosmic world behind The Last Saijin.In this episode of the United States Department of Nerds Podcast, The Chairman sits down with Thomas to explore the story of Sai and Jin, two brothers connected to a much larger conflict involving gods, destiny, and the balance of the universe.Thomas explains what a Saijin is, the meaning behind the name, and how concepts including Saijin Force, karma, balance, and time became foundations of the mythology.The conversation also explores the creative influences behind The Last Saijin, including Dragon Ball, Star Wars, Invincible, Japanese manga, anime, and American comics, and how Thomas works to transform those influences into an original universe of his own.But The Last Saijin didn't begin as a comic.It began with music.Thomas takes us back to StrawberryMoon, formerly known as Auspicious, and the ambitious science-fiction concept that helped create the lore that eventually became The Last Saijin. Now that relationship has started working in reverse—the music inspired the comic, and the comic is beginning to inspire new music.We also discuss Thomas's experience as an independent musician, what those years taught him about creating and promoting independent work, and his vision for Last Leg Entertainment as a place where creators can collaborate while maintaining ownership of their work.Finally, Thomas discusses putting The Last Saijin into readers' hands, its physical and digital releases, what comes next for Sai and Jin, and the future of the universe he's building.Read & Follow The Last SaijinOfficial Site:https://www.thelastsaijinhq.com/GlobalComix:https://globalcomix.com/c/the-last-saijin-1Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thelastsaijinhq/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61566852425747Protect Your Collection With BCW SuppliesShop BCW Supplies:https://www.bcwsupplies.com/?acc=usdnUse code USDN for 10% off your order.Affiliate Disclosure: USDN may earn a small commission if you use our affiliate link or code. This helps support the show at no extra cost to you.Follow the USDN Podcasthttps://linktr.ee/USDN_PodcastThe USDN Podcast - Where Indie Comics Come to Life.

The veteran entertainer was famously devoted to wholesome, family-friendly humor on the air, but industry insiders, biographers, and former colleagues have noted a stark contrast between his gentle public persona and his complex off-screen life.

CBF: Bible Instruction TimeScripture: Job 1: 1-12

Last time we spoke about the battle of Hong Kong. On the night of December 18th, six Japanese battalions crossed Hong Kong harbour under cover of darkness and burning oil tanks. The Rajputs fought stubbornly but were overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Maltby fatally underestimated the assault, holding reserves against a frontal attack that never came. The breakthrough sparked a cascade of disasters. Elderly British businessmen and World War I veterans—the Hughsiliers—heroically held the North Point power station for 18 hours, delaying the entire Japanese advance. Private Geoghan, wounded but undeterred, charged a Japanese officer and killed him, incredibly surviving. The battle's focal point became Wongneichong Gap, where Brigadier Lawson died defending his headquarters. Desperate, piecemeal counter-attacks by Canadians and Scots failed amid chaos and poor coordination. Finally, a single Canadian company under Lieutenant Blackwood held the position for four days against overwhelming odds, killing over 200 enemy soldiers before surrendering. The Japanese suffered 800 casualties but seized the island's strategic heart.   #218 The Battle of Hong Kong Part 3: Black Christmas Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. By dawn on December 20, the Japanese Army had consolidated its position across Hong Kong Island. The 1/229th and 2/228th prepared to sweep southeastward from Taitam and Saiwan toward Stanley. The 2/229th and 3/229th, positioned near Stanley Gap, readied themselves to advance toward Repulse Bay. East of Wongneichong Gap, the 1/228th poised for the push toward Deep Water Bay, while the 3/228th, one of the original reserve battalions, had just arrived on the northern shore. On Jardine's Lookout, two fresh battalions—the 1/230th and 2/230th—prepared to advance westward across the gap. The West Brigade, meanwhile, held a fragile, ill-defined line: Z Company of the 1st Middlesex and Rajput survivors at Leighton Hill in the north, the 2 Royal Scots on the northern slopes of Mount Nicholson, and the Winnipeg Grenadiers, minus D Company, still clinging to pillboxes at Wongneichong Gap. The 228th Regiment moved first, tasked with clearing Postbridge House of its remaining defenders. Simultaneously, the 229th dispatched reconnaissance teams past Violet Hill toward the cliffs overlooking Repulse Bay Hotel—that opulent five-star resort now transformed into an impromptu fortress sheltering evacuees, soldiers, and sailors. What awaited was an epic three-day siege. Despite their gains, the Japanese later confessed that British resistance proved far stiffer than anticipated. They spent much of the 20th consolidating positions and bringing up supplies rather than pressing forward. Maltby, determined not to cede the initiative, dispatched a Royal Rifles company and two HKVDC platoons to the hotel with orders to attack the Gap from the south via Violet Hill. They recaptured the garages and outhouses but lacked the artillery support necessary to advance further. Growing anxious, Maltby sent a desperately weak platoon of the 2/14 Punjab—only 25 men—to reinforce them and push along the southern coast. Colonel Kidd, commanding the Punjab regiment, personally led an assault on Shouson Hill to link up with besieged sailors. He was killed in the attempt, and the mixed force of sailors and Punjabis fell back with severe losses. By the 22nd, after pressing forward from Shouson Hill, the Japanese seized Brick Hill and systematically beheaded all survivors. Yet the Japanese conquest contained stubborn pockets that refused to crumble. The HKSRA gunners held one end of Brick Hill. A ragtag force of HKVDC, naval personnel, Canadians, and Middlesex under Major Dewar maintained Little Hong Kong's ammunition store. HMS Cicala, providing artillery support from Deep Water Bay, was struck from the air and scuttled, eventually sinking in the Lamma Channel. Colonel H. B. Rose, the HKVDC commander, assumed control of the West Brigade following Brigadier Lawson's death. He spent much of the 20th preparing an ambitious counter-attack: the 2 Royal Scots and Winnipeg Grenadiers would drive toward the Gap from the west, supported by B Company of the Grenadiers, brought up from Pokfulam on the island's western coast. The operation commenced poorly. B Company arrived late to find that the Royal Scots had already departed Mount Nicholson's eastern slopes for reasons no one could later explain. The Grenadiers attacked alone through pitch darkness and torrential rain, splitting into two groups that circled Mount Nicholson from opposite directions, meeting above the Gap at dawn. Colonel Doi's tactical instinct struck again. Observing the undefended summit of Mount Nicholson—lost through British inattention—he seized the moment. That afternoon, under cover of heavy rain, he ordered the 1/228th in a three-company formation to take the position without opposition. When B Company blundered into the Japanese, a savage close-quarters battle erupted that cost the Grenadiers all their officers, seven NCOs, and 29 men. Overwhelmed, B Company retreated to Mount Nicholson's western slope as Doi prepared to exploit his success and assault Mount Cameron. At dawn on the 21st, Wallis proposed a new coordinated attack on the Gap. Major T. G. MacAuley of the Royal Rifles led a combined force of Canadian and HKVDC troops from Stanley Mount at 0915 hours. Accurate mortar fire from Red Hill met them immediately. Hand-to-hand combat erupted at Bridge Hill and Notting Hill before the force could push toward the Gap via Violet Hill. By 1700 hours, MacAuley and all HKVDC officers were wounded. Wallis ordered withdrawal. That same morning at 1030 hours, the Japanese launched a second amphibious assault, driving toward Victoria City itself and reaching the east side of what is now Victoria Park. The anti-aircraft gun at Watson's factory in Causeway Bay was silenced. The naval yard suffered devastating mortar bombardment; all its guns fell silent. Major C. R. Templer, assigned to command at Repulse Bay, had successfully repulsed numerous probing attacks. When ordered to assault the Gap with two platoons of Canadian infantry and two HKVDC machine-gun sections, he encountered such overwhelming Japanese force that he abandoned the operation and withdrew beyond Middle Ridge. By dawn on the 22nd, the Japanese finally established heavy artillery on Hong Kong Island. Two battalions of the 229th concentrated on Repulse Bay Hotel. The divisional reserves—1/229th and 1/230th—deployed against the East Brigade as it fell back to its last bastion: Stanley Peninsula. Stanley's defenses were organized in three concentric zones. The forward area, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Home, comprised elements of the 1st Middlesex, Royal Rifles companies, and HKVDC troops, supported by a single 2-pounder gun. Stanley village, under Lieutenant Colonel Wilcox, held the second line with artillery pieces and mixed infantry. A final reserve at Stanley Hill and Fort, under Lieutenant Colonel Shaw, contained the last of the artillery and the 1st and 2nd HKVDC batteries. To the west, British forces barely held their positions. The 2/14 Punjab, 1st Middlesex, 4/7 Rajputs, Royal Scots, and Winnipeg Grenadiers stretched along Mount Cameron and the northern heights—a thin, exhausted line facing Japanese battalions concentrated along a kilometer-long front. At noon on the 22nd, Japanese forces attacked Stanley Mound and Sugarloaf, held by B Company of the Royal Rifles augmented with platoons from HQ and D Companies. Despite multiple repulses, ammunition shortages forced the Canadians to retire to the southern slopes. The situation at Repulse Bay Hotel deteriorated daily, yet Major Templer continued to hold against repeated assaults. As Christmas Eve dawned, all defenders faced grim circumstances. The Royal Rifles of Canada, shattered from bearing the brunt of Japanese attacks, withdrew into Stanley Fort—but not before a heated confrontation between Lieutenant Colonel Home and Brigadier Wallis in which the Canadians bitterly accused their comrades of not "pulling their weight." In the evening of december 21st, Lt Colonel Home, now the senior surviving Canadian officer, spoke to Lt Colonel Sutcliffe, learning about the plight of the Winnipeg grenadiers trying to hold the crest of Mount Cameron. Sutcliffe reported that "his battalion was decimated and yet the high command was ordering his men to make counter attacks. So he asked Home if he could not do something to stop what he considered a useless waste of lives." Home took this to heart and began to inform Brigadier Wallis that he wanted to see the Governor. He said to Wallis "his battalion was exhausted; further resistance would only result in the waste of valuable Canadian lives; as senior Canadian officer he felt a grave responsibility" Wallis persuaded Home to wait until morning. Home the next morning was more than ever convinced of the futility of resistance. Its important to note the relationship between senior Canadians and British officers were all but poisoned in Hong Kong, let alone imagine how the Indian or Chinese volunteer forces felt. The Canadians distrusted the British commanders who for the most part got everything wrong in the whole damn operation. Home was threatening a separate Canadian surrender as they had lost confidence in Brigadier Wallis of the east brigade, Maltby and other British staff officers. It seemed to the Canadians they were being sacrificed to ensure the honor of the garrison. As Royal Rifles Major John H price put it  " There were plenty of Canadian officers who had battle experience in the first war who were competent to judge as to the possibility of a successful outcome of the defence of the island. Consider the facts - The Island had been split in two by vastly superior Japanese forces. On the eastern brigade front, which included the Stanley Peninsula, the Royal Rifles and one company of the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Force were the only troops who had fought continuously day and night, without rest, since the landing on the 17th and were still carrying all the fighting. By the 21st they had been greatly reduced in fighting strength and by the 23rd to a strength of around 500 all ranks. (It might be interesting to note that when troops in this sector were marched out of Stanley fort as Prisoners of War, they numbered over 2000). It required no great military genius to predict the outcome of the battle once the Japanese had landed on the island with their control of sea and air and great superiority in weapons and men. He felt, I think rightly, that he would be derelict in his duty to his men and to the Canadian Government if he did not communicate his conclusions to the highest authority. Also neither Home nor his officers had any faith in Brig. Wallis' judgement or in his conduct of operations. And who had better right than he had? He and his men were bearing the brunt of the fighting and knew from first hand knowledge the strength and armament of the forces against them. The Higher Command had consistently shown an inability to grasp realities of the situation and to pursue tactics which might have prolonged the struggle but could not have altered the final result."  Stanley's defenses were reorganized into multiple lines. HKVDC companies held scattered positions at Chung Honkok, near the police station, and throughout the village. The 1st Middlesex manned pillboxes with medium machine guns. The second defensive line crossed Stanley Peninsula near St Stephen's College, defended by British, Chinese, and Indian policemen alongside HKVDC troops under Corporal E. C. Drown—all senior officers and NCOs having fallen. The final reserve stretched across St Stephen's Prep School north of the prison, held by Sergeant Murphy's HKVDC section and Captain F. G. Rees's 1st Battery HKVDC. By this stage, prison staff, wardens, and inmates had been pressed into the HKVDC. Among them was "Crumb" Chattey, a former captain of the 1st Middlesex serving a court-martial sentence for homosexual offences under the law of the time. Chattey assumed command of forty jailers and assorted men, including the colony executioner, who mounted a spirited defense. Japanese forces massed on Taitam Road with obvious intent to crush Stanley's remaining defense. Their first assault failed but destroyed two 18-pounders and two 2-pounder guns. Shortly before 2100 hours, a second attack commenced, this time supported by three tankettes. Two were destroyed by 2-pounders, yet No. 2 HKVDC Company was forced back to Stanley village with most of its men lost. Major H. R. Forsyth, the company commander, was recommended for a Victoria Cross for his stubborn defense against overwhelming odds. After midnight, a pillbox manned by C Company of the 1st Middlesex was overrun; Sergeant Sheehan and most of his crew were killed. The HKVDC line fractured. During all of this chaos, at midnight of the the Japanese made it to the field hospital at St Stephens College and this is where our story is going to take one of its darkest turns. In the early hours of Christmas day, the Japanese approached St Stephen's hospital which held approximately 96 wounded soldiers. Doctors and nurses stepped forward to surrender. Two doctors in charge, Lt Dr Colonel Black and his second in command Captain Dr Witney Barred the front door and Black called out 'You can't come in here' 'this is a hospital'. With deliberate aim, one of the Japanese soldiers raised his rifle and shot the doctor through the head.The Japanese mob then surged into the hospital ward, the body of Dr Black was repeatedly bayoneted as he lay at the door. The Japanese proceeded to enter the building and a massacre of unprecedented ferocity took place. The Japanese ripped the bandages off the wounded patients and plunged their bayonets into the amputated arms and legs before finishing them off with a bullet. In half an hour fifty-six wounded soldiers had been massacred while the nursing staff looked on helplessly.  They cut off ears, gouged out eyes, beat and raped the nurses. I want to read to you some testimony made by Sister Miss Amelia Fleming Gordon who witnessed what we now call the St Stephens College Massacre, something probably unknown to many outside Canada or Hong Kong. "Just before dawn there was a terrific howl and shortly afterwards Japanese arrived in large numbers at the front entrance. Captain Scotcher was pulled out and shortly afterwards he instructed me to come out and put my hands above my head. They took my steel helmet and cracked me over the head with it, searched my pockets, took off my red cross band and removed my watch that I had. They shouted for everyone to come out and everyone did except Sgt Parkin, who attempted to run past but was shot dead. We were marched single file into one of the adjacent classrooms, the patients also being brought in. Here we remained for about an hour or two, crowded and huddled together with no room to lie or sit down. Several of our patients between 50 to 60 I imagine were killed during the day. After 2 hours we were marched in single file upstairs and saw dead bodies and blood covering the stairs. We were then put into different classrooms, I went into a small room with four VADS (Mrs smith, Mrs Begg, Mrs Buxton and Mrs Simmons) where there were 5 chinese women. At 4:30m some Japanese soldiers came in and removed Mrs Smith, Begg and Buxton, I never saw them again. One of the Chinese girls told Mrs Simmons they had taken out the 3 women to kill them and would return for us. We were later ordered to bandage wounded Japanese soldiers. They took us to another room overlooking the tennis court, where there were five dead bodies of Red Cross personnel. We were made to sit on these dead bodies. I and Mrs Fideo were taken to other rooms. In my room there were two dead bodies, and I was made to take off all my clothes whilst they removed theirs. Before touching me they apparently became afraid someone was coming and made me put my clothes on again and I was returned to the room where Mrs Simmons and Mrs Andrews-Levinge still were. Mrs Fideo joined us almost immediately in a weeping state and told us she had been raped. We were left in peace for a short time only, 3 soldiers came in and took me in a small adjacent bathroom, knocked me down and all raped me one after the other, and then let me return. Mrs Fideo was then taken and underwent a similar experience. Both Mrs Fideo and I were then taken out a second time and raped as before Mrs Simmons and Mrs Andrews-levigne remained untouched. We were all now desperate and discovering there was a Yale lock on the door we pulled it locking ourselves in. They returned several times during the night but did not force an entrance."   Rifle man Sydney Skelton of "D" company of the Royal Rifles had this to say. ""The Japs stormed the hospital throwing grenades and bayoneting the wounded. I had rolled under a bed and lay as still as I could. A Jap turned me over, kicked me in the face, and tore off my bandages. I didn't move, or make a sound. The guy must have thought I was dead and took off. I heard screams coming from outside, terrible screams I can still hear in my head twenty years later. I saw a Jap coming into the hospital and take men outside at random. One of the wounded they dragged from his bed, cut off his ears, and ripped out his tongue. Then they took him outside and shot him. There was a lull in the din and he heard a British officer shout: "If you can walk or crawl to the door you may be allowed to live."  At this point Skelton tried to crawl to the door: "I was really confused from the anesthetic and I started to crawl, dragging my blanket, towards the door. A guy just ahead of me, a Hong Kong Volunteer, with a clasp knife in his belt, but his hands raised, was bayoneted as soon as he went out the door. The Padre grabbed me and slapped me to my senses. I'm alive today, thanks to him." A Japanese officer entered the hospital, saw Skelton with his wounds bleeding. He tore off Skelton's watch, hit him with the flat side of his sword and ordered him to go upstairs. Though badly wounded, Skelton crawled up the stairs and into a room that would be his prison for the next two days. Skelton spent nearly four years as a captive, first in Hong Kong and later in Japan where he worked as a slave labourer in a coal mine. Somehow, he made it home, where he lived in Scarsboro, Ontario. In a 1961 interview, he said: "Twenty years have passed, but I can never forget Christmas, 1941." On Christmas morning, Brigadier Wallis ordered C Company of the Royal Rifles of Canada to lead a counter-attack retaking the bungalows on Stanley village's ridge. Lieutenant Colonel Home refused. Wallis deployed D Company of the Winnipeg Grenadiers under Major Parker instead. At 1300 hours, the attack went in without artillery support. The 18th Platoon under Sergeant McDonnell penetrated to Stanley village, inflicting heavy casualties in savage hand-to-hand combat, but was eventually driven back to the fort. Of 148 men who attacked, only 44 answered roll call at day's end. Urban defense collapsed in stages. Using mines and a Bofors 40-millimeter gun in an anti-personnel role, the 230th Regiment pushed into Wanchai, held up briefly at the China Fleet Club. At Wanchai Market, an 18-pounder was destroyed. Japanese forces reached the Naval Dockyard's western boundary. The Rajputs fell back west of the racecourse. Mount Parish fell, opening the final approach to Victoria City. Back on December 21st, General Maltby sent a communique to the war office indicated that resistance was almost at an end. According to Sir John Kennedy, the director of Military operations in London "We had to decide whether to order the troops to fight it out or give the Governor permission to surrender as he wished to do... the psychological aspect was of overriding importance, particularly with an Oriental enemy. If we fought to the last round and the last man at Hong Kong, we should gain an indirect military advantage, in that the Japanese would judge our powers of resistance elsewhere by the same standard. Therefore my opinion was that, although it was an unpleasant decision, the garrison should be told to fight it out.". When Prime Minister Churchill was informed he sent a typical churchillian message "there must be no thought of surrender..the enemy must be compelled to expend the utmost life and equipment. There must be vigorous fighting in the inner defenses, and, if need be, from house to house. Every day that you are able to maintain your resistance will help the allied cause". Both the Governor and General had little choice but to agree, on Christmas the governors message was "fight on. Hold fast for king and empire".  By the afternoon it was clear further resistance was futile. At 1530 hours on December 25, Governor Young officially surrendered. A white flag rose over the colony. Young and Major General Maltby crossed Victoria Harbour from Queen's Pier to meet General Sakai at the Peninsula Hotel, renamed "Toa" by its new occupants. It was the first occasion on which a British Crown Colony had surrendered to an invading force. The garrison had held out for 17 days, the day is known in Hong Kong as "black christmas". Lieutenant Colonel R. G. Lamb and Lieutenant J. T. Prior descended from Fortress Headquarters to Stanley to order Brigadier Wallis to lay down arms. Wallis refused without written confirmation. When Major Harland arrived with official orders, Wallis finally capitulated. At 0230 hours on December 26, 1941, he and 2,000 men crossed the lines in surrender. Two days later, on the 28th, the Japanese staged a 2,000-man victory parade led by Lieutenant General Sano on a white horse. While the general paraded, his troops—officially granted three days of "rest and recreation"—embarked on systematic rape and pillage across the fallen colony. Rear-Admiral Chan Chak arrived in Hong Kong in 1938 as an unlikely businessman—General Manager of a stockbroker's firm—but his true role was far more consequential. The one-legged Chinese admiral commanded the Military Mission tasked with coordinating China's war effort with British operations. Working seamlessly with the police special branch and intelligence services, Chan orchestrated a shadow campaign against Japanese sympathizers and traitors, drawing on a network of Nationalist agents, many of whom carried Triad connections. His inner circle included Col. Yee Shiu Kee of Chinese intelligence (posing as an insurance salesman), Lt. Cdr. Henry Hsu as aide-de-camp, and Coxswain Yeung Chuen as bodyguard. As Governor Young prepared to sign the unconditional surrender on Christmas afternoon 1941, Chan received permission to lead an escape attempt. The 2nd MTB Flotilla—vessels MTBs 7, 9, 10, 11 and 27—waited in hiding near Aberdeen Island, but Chan's perilous journey through Victoria's ruins delayed his arrival. Finding the MTBs absent, he boarded HMS Cornflower II instead, only to come under withering machine-gun fire as the launch attempted to reach open water. Abandon ship was called. Chan removed his wooden leg and surrendered his lifebuoy to his non-swimming bodyguard, diving into the chaos with Lt. Cdr. Hsu. Almost immediately, a Japanese bullet tore through Chan's wrist—a crippling wound for a one-armed, one-legged swimmer fighting through hostile fire. The Japanese, sensing they had their quarry, ignited the hillside grass with tracer rounds to drive the men back into the sea. Col. Yee remained aboard the bullet-riddled vessel and was last seen attempting to hide; he would eventually make his way to unoccupied China after several harrowing days. The other escapees scattered across Aberdeen Island in desperation. Hearing the gunfire from their concealment on the far side of the island, the MTBs approached cautiously, rescuing survivors as they went. By 2130 hours on Christmas Day, sixty-eight survivors were racing toward Mirs Bay to rendezvous with Communist guerrillas. There the MTBs were scuttled after valuables were salvaged, and the escape party was welcomed as heroes and guided safely to Huizhou in unoccupied China. This dramatic flight marked the first of many escapes and signaled the beginning of Allied cooperation with the Chinese Communist forces. As British forces withdrew from Kowloon, a new force emerged from the shadows. The Guangdong People's Anti-Japanese Guerrillas East River Column (ERC)—a battle-hardened Communist organization founded in 1938—took up the struggle against the Japanese invaders. The ERC had consolidated various local anti-Japanese forces that sprang up after Guangzhou fell to Japan, anchoring itself on two formidable core units: Zeng Sheng's Baoan People's Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Main Force and Wang Zuorao's East Baoan regiment. By the eve of Hong Kong's invasion, the Third and Fifth Column fielded fifteen hundred fighters—seasoned veterans who had waged three years of resistance across Guangdong Province. Even as the British capitulated, Chinese Hongkongers—farmers and fishermen mostly—took up arms alongside their Communist allies. By year's end, over one hundred ERC members operated clandestinely in Hong Kong. In February 1942, to better organize this growing force, the HKKIB was formally established under Cai Guoliang's command, with Political Commissar Chen Daming answering to Zeng Sheng as overall commander of the ERC. The ERC's first mission was audacious in scope: rescue prominent Chinese and foreign VIPs trapped in Hong Kong. While China burned, the colony had remained a haven for industrialists, politicians, authors and dignitaries fleeing the war—now all vulnerable to Japanese occupation. Between December 1941 and June 1942, the ERC spirited over eight hundred key figures past Japanese lines to safety, while simultaneously escorting more than two thousand overseas Chinese volunteers eager to join the anti-Japanese war effort. The guerrillas also became architects of POW liberation. In March 1942, when British prisoners were forced to labor at Kai Tak Airport, the ERC deployed English-speaking operatives disguised as street vendors to infiltrate the airfield and extract Captain Thompson and four comrades through the rainwater culvert system. Among notable rescues were Lt. Col. Ride of the HKVDC (who would establish the British Army Aid Group), naval officers including Lt. J. W. Hurston of the Royal Navy, artillery officer Lt. G. D. Clagne, Indian soldiers such as Lashkar Singh and Mehnga Singh, and key civilians: the HSBC banker T. J. J. Fenwick, Police Superintendent W. P. Thompson, and foreign nationals—Russians, Danes, Norwegians—who found sanctuary in the unoccupied interior. Most were escorted to safety in China, but two Royal Scots soldiers—Joseph Gallaher and Daniel Hodges—remained with the ERC for six weeks, training guerrilla fighters in the use of British weapons and medium machine guns. These two Scottish soldiers became among the few Westerners to fight alongside Chinese Communist forces, a testament to the bonds forged in shared struggle against the Japanese occupier.   The casualty figures for Hong Kong remain contested. General Maltby's immediate post-war reports claimed 2,123 defenders dead or missing with 1,332 wounded, but these were later deemed inflated. The Chief Signal Officer, imprisoned after the surrender, compiled a more credible tally: 2,721 dead and missing. Modern estimates place military casualties around 1,600, including medical personnel from St John Ambulance. Civilian losses proved far grimmer—estimates suggest approximately 7,000 killed. Japanese records tell a different story. The Defence Agency historical section documented 1,720 Japanese deaths, while the Japanese occupation authority's own newspaper, Hong Kong News, reported 1,966 dead and 6,000 wounded on 29 December 1941. On 20 February 1942, Major-General Isogai Rensuke took office as Governor, commanding occupation forces under Brigadier Okada Umekichi. Three independent infantry regiments and supporting artillery maintained control of the colony. The occupiers' brutality would not escape Allied judgment. Major-General Ito, commander of the division's infantry, faced war crimes convictions. More prominently, Lieutenant-General Sakai, the 38th Army's commander and temporary governor, was tried, convicted, and executed by firing squad in 1946. Major-General Isogai received life imprisonment for war crimes but was released in 1967. Lieutenant-General Tanaka, final Japanese Governor and commander of the 23rd Army, was executed in 1947. Of the senior commanders, only Vice-Admiral Niimi survived the war, living to age 106.  General Maltby endured captivity throughout the East, moving from Hong Kong to Shanghai and Taiwan, finally reaching a camp near the Chinese-Mongolian border before repatriation from Shenyang (Mukden). His tenure received no official recognition despite the stubborn defense he had mounted. Lieutenant-Colonel White of the 2 Royal Scots survived internment but died shortly after returning to Britain, his health shattered by cancer. Governor Young resumed office in late 1946, attributing the colony's rapid loss to insufficient Chinese support for the British war effort. His attempts to introduce representative government alarmed London, which promptly replaced him with Sir Robert Black. Young retired in 1947. Maltby, too, retired from the Army soon afterward, also without honor. Not all were forgotten. Rear-Admiral Chan received an honorary KBE from British Ambassador Sir Horace Seymour. Colonel Yee was granted an honorary CBE, and Lieutenant-Commander Henry Hsu an honorary OBE. Hsu, a gifted athlete, became a member of the International Olympic Committee representing Chinese Taipei. Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart of 1 Middlesex died from illness in 1942. Three HKRNVR men—Petty Officer J. W. Fallace, W. C. Johnstone, and civilian Arthur Evans—escaped from the Lisbon Maru and reached Chongqing (Chunking). Of 1,834 POWs aboard that transport, only 716 returned home. Lieutenant Walda, responsible for brutal treatment of prisoners, died before sentencing; Captain Koyda, the Lisbon Maru's commander, received seven years' imprisonment. The British authorities formally acknowledged the East River Column's role—without its aid, no escapee would have survived the treacherous journey to freedom. When future Prime Minister James Callaghan raised questions in Parliament, the government responded with generous monetary awards, free medical care, and employment opportunities for survivors and their families. Many settled in the United Kingdom; others remained to serve in public and private sectors until Hong Kong's return to China in 1997, when the ERC liaison office became the local branch of the New China News Agency. Zeng Sheng, the ERC commander, rose to become Deputy Chief of Staff of the South China Military Region, then Deputy Provincial Governor and Mayor of Guangzhou. Purged during the Cultural Revolution, he was rehabilitated and became Minister of Communication in 1979. He died in Guangzhou in November 1995. One hundred twenty-eight HKVDC members, forty-nine soldiers of the British Army, and fifty personnel from transport and civil defense units escaped to Free China. The RAF transported them to Assam, then Calcutta, via the British Army Aid Group. The first groups joined the 9th Battalion of the Border Regiment at Fort William; the third and fourth joined the 1st Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment. Initially relegated to non-combatant roles, their fortunes changed when Brigadier Michael Calvert—who had served in pre-war Hong Kong commanding the Chinese Sappers—called for volunteers to fight the Japanese in Burma. All stepped forward. After months of intensive training, they were formally enrolled on 14 February 1943 as the Hong Kong Volunteer Company, integrated into Wingate's legendary Chindits, where they would see action deep behind Japanese lines in the jungles of Burma. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me.   During Hong Kong's 1941 Christmas invasion, Japanese forces committed atrocities against wounded soldiers and nurses. After seventeen days of brutal resistance, Governor Young surrendered on December 25th. Rear-Admiral Chan Chak escaped through machine-gun fire, while the East River Column guerrillas conducted daring rescues, extracting over 800 VIPs and 2,000 volunteers to safety in unoccupied China.          

Alex Skelton, Manager, Listed Company Services, ASX, talked with Proactive about what investors can expect from the ASX Small and Mid-Cap Conference on September 23, including the opportunity to hear directly from 27 companies across a broad range of sectors. Skelton said the event follows a strong conference held in March and is designed to connect executives from small-cap companies directly with the investment community. Each participating company is given 15 minutes, comprising a 10-minute presentation followed by five minutes of questions and answers. Skelton explained that the format allows executives to discuss the company story, strategy and direction while also receiving live questions from existing and prospective investors. From the investor perspective, the conference provides an opportunity to hear directly from management teams and gain a clearer understanding of the businesses presenting. The 27-company line-up includes recently listed businesses as well as companies operating across industries including materials, consumer, healthcare and financials. The conference will be held at the State Library of New South Wales in Sydney, with investors also able to participate online. Presentations will be livestreamed and recorded, while online viewers will be able to submit questions to company executives during the event. Visit Proactive's YouTube channel for more interviews and market updates. If you found this video useful, give it a like, subscribe to the channel and enable notifications so you don't miss future content.

Doomscrollin is hosted by Sam Tripoli and Midnight Mike.We are back with vengeance!Sam Tripoli's 5th Comedy Special drops Sept 1st on Gas Digital's Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GaSDigitalNetworkPlease support our sponsors:Hims.com: This episode is sponsored by Weight Loss by Hims. Learn about affordable, personalized weight loss options, including FDA-approved Wegovy®, at hims.com/doom. See Hims.com for important safety information and eligibility requirements.BlueChew: BlueChew Gold is better sex in a tablet, combining four powerful ingredients to support physical performance, arousal, and desire for a complete bedroom experience. There's a reason BlueChew is the #1 brand for better sex. Experience it yourself at BlueChew dot com. Right now, when you buy two months of BlueChew Gold, you get the third FREE with promo code DOOM, plus an additional 10% off and free overnight shipping on your first order. Visit BlueChew.com for more details and important safety information, and thanks to BlueChew for sponsoring the pod and the bedroomPlease check out Sam Tripoli's 6th Crowd Work Special "Women Can't Peg" Live From Batavia: https://bit.ly/3TZBzHTCheck out WordWarDebate.com for the next great debate event.Grab Tickets To Sam Tripoli's Live Shows At SamTripoli.com:Nashville, TN: Word War Debate 9/12Lawerence, KS: 9/17-9/19Tulsa, OK: 10/9-10/10Austin, TX: Dec 11th-13thPlease check out Sam Tripoli's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/samtripoliPlease check out Midnight Mike's Internet:The OBDM Podcast Website: https://ourbigdumbmouth.com/Twitter: https://x.com/obdmpodPlease support the content creators we featured on today's show:1. east coast ghost story finder @joehegyes2. your hand the mind control machine @n/a3. gold coasts first prime minister years of struggle @reasonmagazine4. roman calendar begins with first year @santos.bonacci5. american history serial killer peak years @Ipontheleft6. lost album seized by federal government @ethanvothofficialare we what we think we are 7. @strangeologypodcast8. the fake photo that started everything @ryanselvy9. pigeon in a pig costume @themaxlowe_10. urban animal takeover conspiracy unfolds @podcaststudioaustin11. mushroom mafia black budget secrets revealed @clayspiracy.tv12. bones, cloth, and very old faith @blurrycreatures13. desert train monster mystery unraveled @nessieandnephilim14. the golden video @faithandfriction15. lakes with wild stories and names @k4554ndr4_16. disney characters psychological triggers unmasking secrets @highersidechats17. the black things that fix you @nephilimdeathsquad18. your life in a single digital stream @n/a19. delhi's dungeon mystery night survival game @ninjasarebutterflies20. dayton nightclub vanishing act mystery @theconfessionalspodcast21. knowledge over skill a cult of deceit @liam.out.loud22. wiggers built america @jamersonjokes23. “i don't know how i feel about this” @runwaygalleria24. la homeless underpass mansions @gilgamorph25. trolling uber riders with songs about them @hireztherapper26. a great greeting @n/a27. para polyamory @ryanlongcomedy28. interrogation tactics @fim.paranoia29. large baboon interrupts sun baking @thetodayshow30. sleep paralysis demon @canteen_boi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

August 25, 2026 ~ Criminal defense attorney Neil Rockind broke down the latest courtroom developments involving the Skelton brothers case, explaining what happened during yesterday's proceedings and what could come next in the long-running legal saga. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

August 25, 2026 ~ Full Show: in examines the latest U.S. sanctions against Iran with Lt. Colonel Rocky Raczkowski, explores the impact of new tariffs on Canadian-made vehicles and auto parts with Jamie Butters, and learns how AI is driving cancer vaccine breakthroughs from Dr. Frank McGeorge. Later, Warren Consolidated Schools Superintendent John Bernia previews the upcoming school year, USA Today columnist Ingrid Jacques weighs in on America's growing $40 trillion debt, and attorney Neil Rockind provides the latest update in the Skelton brothers case. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nick is joined by Daily Mirror Newsboy David Yates to canter around the racing headlines from across the globe. They begin at home by breaking the news that Bet365 founder Denise Coates, amongst the UK's wealthiest, has become a racehorse owner with Dan Skelton. The trainer himself confirms the news and tells us about their partnership and Denise's purchase. Also on today's show, a comprehensive review of a huge International weekend. We hear from Ed Crisford on Morny heroine Señorita Bonita, from Australian Bloodstock's Jamie Lovett on Melbourne Cup hopeful Defiantly, and we check in with Matt Bernier on what exactly was achieved by Knightsbridge in his Pacific Classic romp. Plus, rounding up the rest of the top level action from Deauville and York, and Wesley Ward with a glorious reflection on Bacio's Nunthorpe.

Nick is joined by Daily Mirror Newsboy David Yates to canter around the racing headlines from across the globe. They begin at home by breaking the news that Bet365 founder Denise Coates, amongst the UK's wealthiest, has become a racehorse owner with Dan Skelton. The trainer himself confirms the news and tells us about their partnership and Denise's purchase. Also on today's show, a comprehensive review of a huge International weekend. We hear from Ed Crisford on Morny heroine Señorita Bonita, from Australian Bloodstock's Jamie Lovett on Melbourne Cup hopeful Defiantly, and we check in with Matt Bernier on what exactly was achieved by Knightsbridge in his Pacific Classic romp. Plus, rounding up the rest of the top level action from Deauville and York, and Wesley Ward with a glorious reflection on Bacio's Nunthorpe.

Getting on a show floor was never the hard part — being ready to do business once you're there is. In this episode, Phil and Kenny sit down with Aaron Skelton, President & CEO of the Canadian Health Food Association, to unpack how the CHFA show is evolving from an exposure play into a readiness engine for Canada's next wave of natural, health, and CPG brands. Aaron walks through Greenhouse — CHFA's new curated program that gives emerging brands seed and scale stages, a dedicated show-floor section, and a retailer breakfast that puts founders in front of buyers before the doors open. It's built around a simple truth Phil and Kenny hear constantly from brokers and distributors: "Are they ready?" That one question decides everything. The conversation gets into why brands should sometimes say no to a listing, how 1,000 doors can sink a company that isn't prepared for the cost of growth, the financial-literacy gap founders don't see coming, and why the merchandising space on the floor is a free education most brands walk right past. Plus a look at red-tape reduction for the natural health sector and what it really means on the ground. If you're building a food, beverage, or CPG brand in Canada — or you're a buyer hunting for the next thing before everyone else finds it — this one's for you. In this episode: Why "exposure" isn't enough anymore — the shift to retail readiness Inside Greenhouse: seed vs. scale stages and the curated show floor The one question every broker and distributor asks: "Are they ready?" When saying no to a listing is the smartest move The real cost of growth — and why 1,500% growth was the biggest challenge Using the Hive merchandising space to learn what buyers actually see Connect with Aaron Skelton and the team at CHFA and see what's coming on the show floor this September. Find Aaron here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronskelton/ Make sure you register for CHFA Now: https://www.chfanow.ca/toronto/  

Texas cowboy, musician, and pastor Bunk Skelton talks about cowboyin' on ranches in the Texas panhandle, horses and cattle, making a good horse, dallying vs tying on, changes on ranches over the last 40 years, what makes a good hand, and the cowboyin' legacy of his father and brother.      Learn more about Cowboy Crossroads at www.andyhedges.com     Become a Patron at www.patreon.com/cowboycrossroads 

I know it's been a long wait, and you've had to settle for listening to "The" Joe Rogan Experience or The Daily, or maybe for staring glassy-eyed at a chair or at your friends' faces while they ask you if you're sure you're okay. But you can stop all that now. We're back. And we're back with more C.S. Lewis, who in turn is back with a certain poet I like to call John Skelton. Because that was his name. Could he have been England's first rapper? Lil' Skeltie? Tune in and find out. This week, Dr. Katherine Wyma and I continue our tour of C.S. Lewis' Oxford History of English Literature (Excluding Drama), or, as he liked to call it, "the OHEL," because...he hated writing it. That said, it's quite clear that the research Lewis conducted for the book--for over a decade--inspired much of his creative work. Further, it's clear that he was interested in what he wrote about here and admired Skelton's poetry, at least a bit. We're in Book I of The Oxford History of English Literature today--mainly the section marked "The Close of the Middle Ages in England," and we're focusing on Skelton, because he is the most significant poet to write during this time--at least in England.  (We recorded an earlier episode on "The Close of the Middle Ages in Scotland," but I have, to my great regret, misplaced that file. So if you were hoping to get that Dunbar or Henryson fix we all need sometimes, I'm afraid you'll have to wait a bit longer--so sorry!) So join us (and Lewis) as we mark time with Skelton, thinking about old age, death, and eccentric rhythms that aren't quite meter, but also aren't quite...not meter. Among other things, we discuss: 0:00 — Introduction & the OHEL Project 7:38 — John Skelton & Eleanor Rumming 14:23 — Medieval Body Humor & Aging 18:06 — Skeltonic Meter & Philip Sparrow 23:50 — Lewis on Philip Sparrow 28:40 — Grief, Pets, and Childhood 33:26 — Lewis vs. Eliot & Wrap-up This is taken from Chapter 2 of  Here, by the way, are the two most famous Skelton poems we discuss: The Tunning of Elenor Rumming The Book of Philip Sparrow By the way--my reading of these poems is meant to sort of suggest how they sound without going full Middle (or even Early Modern) English on you. So, yes, I realize it's sort of neither fish nor fowl. But it was fun. If you want to add anything or make any suggestions, or just reach out and say hi, please don't hesitate to contact me at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com.  Next: George MacDonald's Lilith!

How do we help multilingual learners move beyond giving the right answer to communicating like scientists, historians, readers, writers, and thinkers? In Episode 202 of the Adventures in Learning podcast, Dr. Diane welcomes Beth Skelton and Tan Huynh for a deeply practical, joy-filled conversation about making language instruction more explicit, more integrated, and more human for all learners.Beth and Tan share strategies from their work with experienced multilingual learners, including the “input-output loop,” intentional chunking, sentence-pattern charts, and planning backward from the language students need in order to show what they know. Whether you teach early childhood, elementary, middle, or high school, this episode offers concrete ways to keep expectations high while giving every learner the tools they need to reach the mountaintop.Along the way, we talk about collaboration, the importance of teaching students how to respond to academic prompts such as describe, contrast, and explain, and why compassion in education does not mean lowering the bar. It means building a better trail — with more ropes, poles, supports, and opportunities for every student to climb.Why listenLearn how to integrate language development into the content you already teach.Explore strategies that help multilingual learners write, speak, read, and think with greater precision.Hear classroom-ready examples using science concepts, picture books, gestures, sentence patterns, and structured quick writes.Take away a powerful approach to collaboration as you lead with curiosity, connection, and “yes, and.”Chapters01:04 What multilingual learners need from schools03:49 Why academic language must be taught explicitly05:01 Helping students sound like scientists07:34 Supporting experienced multilingual learners beyond the plateau10:16 From reading a text to writing with purpose13:19 Bringing intentional language into early childhood learning15:17 The input-output loop: short chunks, meaningful processing18:45 Sentence-pattern charts for content and language together22:20 Keep the mountaintop high; give students more tools to climb25:50 Teaching literacy instead of only assigning literacy tasks30:20 Teaching students what prompts like “describe” and “explain” require32:06 From social media connection to a powerful co-author partnership33:32 “Yes, and”: collaboration that builds relationships37:37 What brings Beth and Tan hopeLinks and resourcesLook for Beth Skelton and Tan Huynh's work, including Long-Term Success for Experienced Multilinguals and Integrated Literacy for Experienced Multilinguals.Listen to Beth's appearance on Episode 109 of the Adventures in Learning podcast.Listen to Tan's Teaching ML's Podcast.Call to actionListen with a notebook nearby, because Beth and Tan offer ideas you can try immediately. Choose one upcoming lesson, identify the language students will need to express the content, and build in one small input-output loop: a short chunk of learning, a chance to gesture, talk, draw, write, or reflect, and a clear pathway for students to put their thinking into words.The mountain stays high. Our job is to make sure more students have what they need to climb it.Support the showShare this episodeIf this conversation sparked wonder, gave you a helpful strategy, or offered a needed reminder of hope, please share it with a friend or colleague.Subscribe • Download • Review • Tell a friendStay updated with our latest episodes and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and the Adventures in Learning website. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts! *Disclosure: I am a Bookshop.org. affiliate.

Football is back and we choose our own adventure for the Hall of Fame Game (00:00:00-00:09:14). We talk training camp stories, LeBron trusting the process and PCA's MVP bid (00:09:14-00:39:08). Mt Rushmore of things to open (00:39:08-01:02:27). Former All Pro Center Ryan Kalil joins the show to talk about his new documentary about owning the Monterrey Osos, our ownership in them, training camp stories and what football means to him (01:02:27-01:34:36). Tarik Skubal joins the show to talk about being traded to the Dodgers, becoming a villain, his joy of being boo'd and more (01:34:36-02:13:02). Brookfield Zoo's Kimberley Skelton joins us to break down the zoo trade she executed with Columbus last week featuring 4 gorillas (02:13:02-02:30:00). We then finish with Fyre fest of the weekYou can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Netflix. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit barstool.link/pardon-my-take

Are you being tracked every time you drive or even walk in your neighborhood? Camden County Presiding Commissioner Ike Skelton reveals the dystopian reality of Flock cameras, the AI surveillance state, and why Big Tech is invading rural America with subsidized data centers. Skelton shares his shocking story of facing felony charges simply for taking down a privately owned Flock camera that violated county ordinances. He explains how government grants and public-private partnerships are bypassing the Fourth Amendment to create "vehicle fingerprints" and auditory surveillance networks. We also expose the hidden agenda behind the massive push for AI data centers, wind, and solar farms in deep-red flyover country. Discover how local officials can use zoning laws and constitutional sanctuary ordinances to fight back against federal overreach and protect private property. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beth and I share about our newest book, Integrated Literacy for Experienced Multilinguals, on Olivia Wahl's Schoolutions Podcast. 

Ro Skelton speaks to Emily Everett about her essay “Naow's Boutique,” which appears in The Common's fall issue. The essay explores Ro's time living and working in Dakar, where she formed a friendship in her neighborhood that eventually led to a sense of community, and then a community garden, and then a lifelong friendship. Ro also discusses how the essay fits into her focus as a writer – writing about gardening in unconventional spaces – and her memoir-in-progress on the subject, Easement. Ro Skelton is a writer and gardener from Scotland. She is currently working on her first book, Easement, a memoir about mental health, queer parenting, and radical acts of gardening. Her work has appeared in Four Way Review, Waxwing, New Ohio Review, and Ecotone. Previously a reporter in West Africa and a member of an ocean-going rescue crew, she now lives and gardens on the Isle of Mull. ­­Read the essay in The Common here. Learn more about Ro and her work at here. The Common is a print and online literary magazine publishing stories, essays, and poems that deepen our collective sense of place. On our podcast and in our pages, The Common features established and emerging writers from around the world. Read more and subscribe to the magazine at thecommononline.org, and follow us on Instagram, Bluesky, and Facebook. Emily Everett is managing editor of the magazine and host of the podcast. In 2025 her debut novel All That Life Can Afford was a Reese's Book Club pick, and her work appeared in The New York Times Modern Love column. Previous publications include the Kenyon Review, Electric Literature, Tin House, and Mississippi Review. She was a 2022 Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellow in Fiction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Ro Skelton speaks to Emily Everett about her essay “Naow's Boutique,” which appears in The Common's fall issue. The essay explores Ro's time living and working in Dakar, where she formed a friendship in her neighborhood that eventually led to a sense of community, and then a community garden, and then a lifelong friendship. Ro also discusses how the essay fits into her focus as a writer – writing about gardening in unconventional spaces – and her memoir-in-progress on the subject, Easement. Ro Skelton is a writer and gardener from Scotland. She is currently working on her first book, Easement, a memoir about mental health, queer parenting, and radical acts of gardening. Her work has appeared in Four Way Review, Waxwing, New Ohio Review, and Ecotone. Previously a reporter in West Africa and a member of an ocean-going rescue crew, she now lives and gardens on the Isle of Mull. ­­Read the essay in The Common here. Learn more about Ro and her work at here. The Common is a print and online literary magazine publishing stories, essays, and poems that deepen our collective sense of place. On our podcast and in our pages, The Common features established and emerging writers from around the world. Read more and subscribe to the magazine at thecommononline.org, and follow us on Instagram, Bluesky, and Facebook. Emily Everett is managing editor of the magazine and host of the podcast. In 2025 her debut novel All That Life Can Afford was a Reese's Book Club pick, and her work appeared in The New York Times Modern Love column. Previous publications include the Kenyon Review, Electric Literature, Tin House, and Mississippi Review. She was a 2022 Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellow in Fiction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

Ro Skelton speaks to Emily Everett about her essay “Naow's Boutique,” which appears in The Common's fall issue. The essay explores Ro's time living and working in Dakar, where she formed a friendship in her neighborhood that eventually led to a sense of community, and then a community garden, and then a lifelong friendship. Ro also discusses how the essay fits into her focus as a writer – writing about gardening in unconventional spaces – and her memoir-in-progress on the subject, Easement. Ro Skelton is a writer and gardener from Scotland. She is currently working on her first book, Easement, a memoir about mental health, queer parenting, and radical acts of gardening. Her work has appeared in Four Way Review, Waxwing, New Ohio Review, and Ecotone. Previously a reporter in West Africa and a member of an ocean-going rescue crew, she now lives and gardens on the Isle of Mull. ­­Read the essay in The Common here. Learn more about Ro and her work at here. The Common is a print and online literary magazine publishing stories, essays, and poems that deepen our collective sense of place. On our podcast and in our pages, The Common features established and emerging writers from around the world. Read more and subscribe to the magazine at thecommononline.org, and follow us on Instagram, Bluesky, and Facebook. Emily Everett is managing editor of the magazine and host of the podcast. In 2025 her debut novel All That Life Can Afford was a Reese's Book Club pick, and her work appeared in The New York Times Modern Love column. Previous publications include the Kenyon Review, Electric Literature, Tin House, and Mississippi Review. She was a 2022 Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellow in Fiction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you worry about your child's weight and wonder if you are doing the right thing in how you encourage them to eat better and exercise more? Turns out sometimes so-called helpful prompts are not helpful. In fact, they could make matters worse. But what is a parent to do? Watch will their kiddo eats a bag of chips while gaming the day away? I had the privilege of discussing the book, “Your Child Is Not Their Weight: Parenting in a Size-Obsessed World”, with the authors, Dr Joey Skelton and Dara Garner-Edwards. Their research at the Brenner FIT Program, and their approach in the book, recommends that we don't focus on weight, but rather we need to emphasize a strong family connection, tackling lifestyle choices together as a family, and utilizing planning and structure with involvement from the children. Listen in to learn more! Check out more resources at Dr Skelton's website www.BrennerChildrens.org/BrennerFIT You can find Dr Skelton on social media here: X: @DrJoeySkelton Bluesky: @drjoeyskelton.bsky.social Instagram: @brenner_fit Facebook: Brenner FITAnd purchase the book here: Your Child Is Not Their Weight – Parenting in a Size Obsessed World**********Thank you to FeedSpot for selecting “Parenting the Adlerian Way” as the #1 parenting podcast in Canada two years in a row!Do you have a parenting question for me? Send it to hello@alysonschafer.com and I'll answer (anonymously) on an upcoming Q&A podcast.Sign up for my monthly newsletter at www.alysonschafer.com and receive my “Responsibilities By Age” pdf. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Amazing Power of an Encourager by Bob Skelton https://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Power-Encourager-Tongue-Powerful/dp/B0DWVLPCNJ Encouragers make things happen, Discouragers watch things happen, The rest stand around wondering WHAT HAPPENED? All in all, this powerful book has the potential to touch every generation and people of all backgrounds. In fact, if someone reads this book and doesn’t have several “aha moments,” then there is definitely a problem because reading it opens up the fact that it is possible to positively change the world through encouragement. Little things can make a big difference!

When The Team Vanished from Skelton High and the Field That Forced the Truth OutBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/darkest-mysteries-online-the-strange-and-unusual-podcast-2026--5684156/support.Darkest Mysteries Online

WhoDan Skelton, President and Chief Operating Officer of Blue Mountain, OntarioRecorded onJune 26, 2025About Blue Mountain, OntarioClick here for a mountain stats overviewOwned by: Alterra Mountain CompanyLocated in: The Blue Mountains, Ontario, CanadaYear founded: 1941Pass affiliations: Unlimited on Ikon and Ikon BaseBase elevation: 229 feet/750 metersSummit elevation: 1,480 feet/451 metersVertical drop: 730 feet/223 metersSkiable acres: 364 acres/147 hectaresAverage annual snowfall: 154 inches/391 centimetersTrail count: 43Lift count: 11 (5 six-packs, 1 fixed-grip quad, 1 triple, 4 carpets – view Lift Blog's inventory of Blue Mountain, Ontario's lift fleet)Why I interviewed him: A Very Dumb Story About a Very Dumb Person, Volume IIn the winter of 1995-96, I developed Vertical Fever, a syndrome in which the afflicted believes, in a way that is beyond reason and immune from contrary arguments, that the skiing will be better if the ski hill is taller.This was a problem. Because in 1995, I lived, as I had all my life up to that point, in Michigan. Specifically, Sanford, a flat town in a flat county in what may be the flattest region of the country, the Tri-Cities area of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Fortunately for a skier, Michigan is cold and full of ski areas. Unfortunately, these ski areas are small or short or both. The tallest of the 33 ski areas inventoried on the 1995 Michigan Downhill Skiing Guide is Boyne Highlands, which then and today promotes a probably made-up vertical drop of 550 feet. Right across the street was 427-vertical-foot Nub's Nob, one of six Lower Peninsula ski areas to exceed 400 vertical, along with Caberfae (485 feet), Shanty Creek Schuss Mountain (450 feet), Sugar Loaf (500 feet), and Boyne Mountain (495 feet).I'd skied all of these and I'd skied them all many times since my first real ski season, which was the previous winter, 1994-95. But once I'd stopped summersaulting down the hill and learned to carve and to land jumps, I grew bored. Skiing in 1995 was not like skiing in 2026. Terrain parks were rare and, anyway, off limits to skiers. Jumping was forbidden. There were signs all over saying so. Everything was groomed and everything was about carving turns, even though grooming was inconsistent and the shaped skis that would transform the average skier into a carver were years away from mass market distribution.So I scoured maps and guidebooks for ski areas of any size in any direction that I could reasonably drive to. To the south lay Ohio and Indiana. Useless. To the north, at the far western end of the Upper Peninsula, lay several 600-ish footers (Mount Bohemia did not open until 2000), but Michigan is a deceptively large state made larger by the inconvenience of driving around gigantic lakes – those UP ski areas were 10 hours away. But also to the north, east instead of west and just over the Canadian border, lay Searchmont: 750 vertical feet of ungladed bananas skiing, with little cliffs and rocks and glades all over. It was a glorious real-life validation of the less-stuffy Canadian ski-area management culture that I'd read about in Skiing and Powder. And it was only a four-hour drive each way, an easy daytrip on the cruise-control-empty interstates of northern Michigan. This is what a Canadian 700-plus-footer is like, I decided, and I searched for more of them.That's when I became obsessed with Blue Mountain, this mysterious guidebook mapdot floating south of Lake Huron. Stat-line, as listed in contemporary guide books: 720 vertical feet, 13 chairlifts and two T-bars, 920 skiable acres (this was, um, not accurate). A Midwest hack, a backdoor to a secret mini-New England unknown to Michiganders. As with Searchmont, I would rise at 4 and arrive by lifts-on and soar all day among the woodsy wide-open drop-step terrain of Ontario yahoo skiing.Yeah it didn't work out like that. The first time I tried to drive to Blue Mountain, I wound up at Mount Brighton, 273 miles away in Southeast Michigan. A blizzard had forced course correction to a more achievable destination. But the second time, I made it. Here's how it went, per a journal entry I wrote few days later:Monday, March 25th, 1996 – 11:53 p.m.Let's just call Friday the day that didn't quite flow. In fact, it didn't flow like no day on skis ever hasn't. First off, I only slept four hours. Normally , I wouldn't give a f**k, but that was directly following three hours the night before, which didn't help my status in an already exhausting week. Then there was the drive. I figured four, maybe five hours at the most, 250 miles, give or take. Wrong. I only realized this somewhere well over the Canadian border. Six hours, 350 miles. Then there's the mountain.I knew Blue was big, but I was not, I'll admit, in any way, shape, or form prepared for what I found Friday. The place is enormous by Midwest standards, though not as mammoth as I'd originally thought coming up the road, scoping out the two private resorts. Notice I said “enormous,” not necessarily “good.” Which is sad, cause, for one thing, they're trying pretty hard to make a good hill, and, #2, I drove a long f****n' way to get there. The whole thing bore a striking resemblance to western skiing – enormous base lodges, hugely wide runs, high-speed chairs. Which I suppose makes it ideal for families. Then there's the fifty miles or so of safety fence, zero ungroomed runs, and as many jumps as a Fat Albert convention. This, I surmise, makes it extremely unideal for Stuarts. In fact, I really didn't enjoy it at all. It was bland, repetitive, and almost sickening in its nature. I was tired, pissed, and lonely. The highlight of the day was jumping off the cornice which was the subject of much inner conflict. But I did it, and I'm glad, and then I drove home, and I'm glad for that too.I only skied four-and-a-half hours. My ticket was good til' ten, but I considered a lot of things. For starters, it only cost me twenty bucks; second, I told Clint I was gonna make it a point to get out of there by four [to hang out], so I sorta tried; third, I'd skied the whole f****n' place anyhow, and I really didn't feel like getting home at four AM. It's not like I didn't ski well, cause I was actually carving and reacting magnificently (to the terrain, not the carving). I was fluid, but I needed more variety, and they just didn't deliver.It would have been nice to have the internet in 1996 (it existed, but almost no one used it, partly because there was almost nothing on it, including driving directions, maps, or trailmaps).Great endorsement of Blue Mountain, Stu. You managed to convince people not to go and make the people who do ski there feel bad about it all at once. Slow clap for aggressive transparency.But my message here is hardly “Blue Mountain sucks don't go.” Blue Mountain is, as it was 30 years ago, exactly what it needs to be: a rapid-fire lap machine optimized to provide a consistent ski experience to the residents of Canada's densest metro area, Toronto. Blue is, historically and probably still, the third-busiest ski area in Canada after Tremblant and Whistler. It is a low-altitude, variable-weather, high-volume business tasked with the twin burdens of being the sole public outpost for recreational skiing in a ridgeline of upscale private clubs and being a profitable enterprise. It is, from a dollar-generating and Ikon Pass-dispersal-to-the-West point of view, probably one of Alterra's most important ski areas.The problem, then, is not that every ski area isn't like Searchmont. The problem is that, in 1996, I thought every ski area should be like Searchmont. It was like walking into a pizza parlor and complaining that they didn't sell tacos. I was young and dumb, and it didn't occur to me until arrival that a 700-ish-vertical-foot ski area dangling off the far eastern end of the Lake Superior wilderness (Searchmont), would, by custom and by necessity, offer a far different ski experience than a 700-ish-vertical-foot satellite orbiting metro Toronto (Blue). I thought every ski area should be for me and for people like me, like the people I read about in ski magazines who toured B.C. in rusty pickup trucks and never took bathroom breaks and who viewed skiing as a constant level-up challenge.Thirty years later, I view Blue Mountain differently, for two reasons. The first is that I'm sure that Blue, like nearly all North American ski areas, is a more interesting mountain in 2026 than it was in 1996. Freeski culture and snowboarding really did loosen up skiing's stodgier tendencies, most visibly with the widespread building of come-one-come-all terrain parks. The second is that I no longer approach ski areas by asking if they are the best possible experience for me, but if they are the best possible version of themselves for the demographic of skiers who are most likely to ski there. And with Blue – which I will admit, I never visited again - the answer appears to be, always and ever upward, yes.What we talked aboutOh Ontario; being a Canadian ski area owned by a U.S. company; “one of the beauties of being part of Alterra is our emphasis on honoring and preserving the uniqueness of each resort and each mountain community”; Blue Mountain's Reserve Pass; fixing up Blue's disordered lift mazes; growing up at the base of Blue Mountain; the amazing evolution of ski area technology; Blue's wacky, charismatic founder; preserving the mountain's independent character after it's been absorbed by a conglomerate; Blue in the ‘70s; building Blue's snowmaking system; big leaps forward in snowmaking during the 1990s; the rise of HKD; Alterra's point of view on snowmaking; the hit-or-miss Lake Huron and Georgian Bay lake-effect snowbelts; snowmaking in the era of climate change; how snow-depth technology impacts snowmaking volumes; living through the transition from independence to Intrawest and ultimately to Alterra; how the village transformed Blue; “we come to the table scrappy, inventive, entrepreneurial” to this company of mega-resort destinations; the impact of the Ikon Pass; Blue's amazing lift fleet and how the six-pack became the mountain's workhorse; building chairlifts in-house; 15,000 skiers on Blue's busiest days; “we're not going to cut any new trails, so we gotta squeeze every little bit out and make sure we have a balanced experience”; whether Blue could upgrade to an eight-place lift; operating as the only substantial public ski area amid a huge number of private ski areas; and Blue's history owning and operating the neighboring Georgian Peaks ski area.What I got wrongI mentioned that HKD President Charles Santry had told the same side of a story that Skelton shared on a previous podcast recording, which he had. The problem is that as of now, I still haven't released that pod with Santry. Stand by.Podcast NotesOn IntrawestA brief history of Intrawest:On “Rusty” in the Alterra/Ikon transitionSkelton was referring to Rusty Gregory, Alterra CEO from 2018 to '22.On Blue's 1980 trailmapThe Storm explores the world of lift-served skiing year-round. Join us. Get full access to The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast at www.stormskiing.com/subscribe

So going back more than 30 years, I was involved in work on childhood obesity. It was a prevalent problem at the time, but little attention was being devoted to children and weight issues. And it was fair to say that the field, as it were, was an academic backwater. Little was known about short and long-term effects of childhood obesity. The social and emotional lives experienced by the children hadn't really been documented or studied much. There was very little known about treatment or strategies for parents, but thankfully, things are different now. Thanks in part to the work of a number of really innovative people in the field, and one of the most innovative is our guest today, Dr. Joseph Skelton. He's a professor of pediatrics and founder and director of Brenner Fit. FIT stands for Families in Training, which is the family-based pediatric obesity program at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He's also editor of the Journal of Childhood Obesity is involved in clinical care, research, education, and community outreach. Dr. Skelton has just published what I think is a really important book through the American Academy of Pediatrics, entitled Your Child Is Not Their Weight: Parenting in a Size Obsessed World. I was asked to review the book and was delighted to see it before it was published and just was so happy to see that such a book existed at all, but such a good quality book at entering the picture. Really a very important advance in our field. Interview Transcript There have been some books about pediatric weight issues in the past. Who is this book for and how is it different than what's been out there? I feel overall the big audience for this book is any parent, especially of my generation, that were raised during some really toxic diet culture in the '70s, '80s, and '90s. And so, I think the main folks that that's for is that parent: I want my kids to eat healthy, to be active, to lead healthy lives. But I don't want them to become concerned about their weight to feed into our culture's focus on the ideal body image. I don't want to feed into that. But you know I do want to pay attention to the health habits. How can I do this in a healthy way? How can I focus on health habits with my kid that's not a focus on weight and do it in a way that's backed up by science. You know, that's what parents always want to know. Am I doing this right? Am I causing harm? And it is actually who the book is dedicated to, you know, all those parents that were raised in a toxic diet culture and want to do things differently with their children. So, in modern day America, what is life like for a child whose weight exceeds the standards that we know might be healthy, and for the parents who are raising those children? From personal experience and 20 years of running a program, as well as what the research shows, it can be kind of rough. Despite a lot of the advances that we've made around weight bias we're still in a place that kids are trying to live up to this idealized body image. And then they have all these toxic messages when it comes to nutrition and body image. I think it's rough. We know that kids in bigger bodies tend to have a lower quality life. They tend to have more symptoms of depression, anxiety; and it's because of this world that we live in. You mentioned messages that they might be getting from places like the media, but what are interactions like with peers and teachers and doctors and others in their lives that are affecting how they feel? Yes. So, the adults in their life were raised in that toxic culture. They're my generation and the generation behind me that was raised in that. You know, there's the myth that a smaller body is healthier than a bigger body. And I think we can't break away from that. And I think that still sort of comes through. We still see this as a lifestyle issue, and everyone has an opinion. Everyone has a thought of, you know, well, I did this... and I lowered my cholesterol... I did this and I lost weight, you need to do it too. And I think in the medical profession, because of a lack of understanding, a lack of training - I think that still occurs. I don't do a ton of medical education. I'm getting more and more into it, especially when it comes to areas around nutrition. But that's what I'm trying to avoid in the next generation of healthcare providers and even actually a lot of our community collaborators, teachers, and stuff like that. To get away from that. This is not a simple issue, so don't share advice because sometimes that advice can be damaging or could be wrong. You know, good lord how much I hear about carbs on a weekly basis. And not the carbs I like to talk about, which is around dessert and Carolina Gold rice and all these other food stuff. But it tends to be around sort of demonizing certain foods and just really bad messages that still are floating around out there. Let's dive in a little deeper about what you refer to as toxic diet culture that was especially pronounced in previous generations. What does that mean? Does it affect standards for what the ideal body looks like? What about messages about how much control you have over that yourself, and how responsible you are for your weight? How your self-image should be influenced by how you look? But tell us more about what you mean by that. We wanted this to be a book that didn't necessarily dwell on weight so much, but actually one of the first chapters is to say let's cover how complex weight really is. We know that 50% or more of someone's weight is heavily, heavily influenced by their genetics. Where they live, you know. The amount that our lifestyle affects that is much, much smaller. It's the minority of what goes into our body size. And even that, our habits are so influenced by the world around us. But it's, you know, trying to get people to understand that, hey, body sizes are just different. I love this picture from the Olympics and it was a medalist in gymnastics- it was Simone Biles; you know, the huge media personality of Ilona Maher who is a bronze medalist in rugby; and then one of the women's basketball players. You're talking 4'9", 5'10" and pure muscle and six foot seven, all people at the top of their game. And not only different heights, different body types. And, you know, body type is a hard thing to talk about because there's not standard body types. We're all just built differently. And starting that message at a young age that people are just oftentimes built differently. There's very little control that we have over our weight. And even though there are things that we can do about weight, what you can do is you can focus on your habits for health. And that has just gotten lost. We talk about in the book the, we call it veiled weight talk, and it's basically where you're just substituting the word health for the word weight. And kids pick up on that. They know when their parents and others are talking about weight. And so, a really big thing we want to accomplish is like, Hey, you know, eating for health is important. Being active for health is important. In my world, and I did one part of my early research in this, and we always try to have that message as there's so much more to health than weight. In our medical world right now, our primary outcome on these lifestyle changes that people are making is weight. You mentioned genetics as a contributing factor to who is affected by the problem. Tell me how you look at the food environment out there that people are exposed to now, and things like food marketing and the processing of foods. The availability of all these foods that are contributing to obesity and things. And the reason I ask is, you know, there was a time in our country when the prevalence of childhood obesity was probably close to zero. And there are plenty of countries around the world where that's still the case. But now in many countries there's large amounts of childhood obesity. And it's not as if the genetics have changed. When people move from other countries to the United States, their weight tends to go up. Their genes obviously don't change. There's something pretty toxic about the food environment that's driving this. So, thinking about things that way, does that help parents by shifting some of the blame from them and their children to an environment that they might be able to manage in some way? Absolutely. Because parents…they blame themselves oftentimes. You know, how did I let this happen? What did I do to sort of cause it happen and it's not. So, we do try to shift that of looking at ourselves as the reason blame. But you can kind of look at the - and I'm just going to focus on nutrition as the focus - the broader food environment and how that impacts. We tend to get a lot of buy-in or understanding when you talk about how they are trying to market to kids. And so, for any parent, all you have to do is bring up the checkout line at a grocery store, you know? And all the things that are at the kids' level that is just made to make your life as a parent hard when you're trying to feed your kids well-balanced regular meals but you're just kind of constantly walking through this landmine. It's the same thing with electronics and social media. There are so many things that they have a lot more money than you do to market to you than you do to protect yourself against it. And it absolutely influences it. And the way I talk about this is really when it comes down to snack foods, and using the parenting language that snacks get you between long periods of time between meals, but that got co-opted by companies marketing snack foods. And when you see food, smell food or hear about food, you kind of want that food. And that's what parents have every day to now the point is. Snacks always have to be crunchy, salty, and sweet, and we're supposed to give kids snacks when they ask for it, because that's what these companies tell us about hunger. You know, hunger hits us every time and you have got to have this bar to sort of get through that. Parenting is hard enough and then trying to parent through this when they're directly marketing kids... you know, in most European countries, they're not allowed to market to kids. In some countries it's age eight. Some countries it's age 12 because they don't quite recognize this is marketing, they're want you to buy this. It makes it a lot harder for parents. You know, when I was on the faculty at Yale, I got to know a political scientist. A very impressive person named Jacob Hacker. And he'd written a book called The Great Risk Shift. What he talked about was how government and American businesses have systematically shifted the responsibility for overcoming harm from products from themselves onto the consumer. And that's really true in a way here, isn't it? Because the problem is created by corporations who are marketing unhealthy foods in such high levels. It's not the only cause, but it's certainly an important one. But the responsibility for solving the problem then falls to the parents and the children who have it. And one party has way more resources than the other. As you said, it's really not a fair fight and parents have a very tough battle dealing with these things. Yes. There was a marketing study called The Nag Factor, and I'm an old Simpsons fan, you know. You imagine the people behind the one-way mirror watching things and trying to manipulate. And that's what the nag factor was. How can we get kids to nag their parents more effectively? And what they found is parents that were immune to nagging tended to be the more educated, higher-income parents. And so, they literally had this plan of we need to change how we're getting these kids to nag. We need to give them reasons to nag. And that's when you started seeing vitamin C, high in protein. So, you think the checkout at the grocery store is bad, but then the signage in the commercials each and every day are giving kids reasons they can go to their parents to tell them get me this. Because nagging is not going to be enough for the high-income parents. They have to have some purpose behind it. You know, when I was growing up, the only way I saw advertisements for food was on Saturday morning cartoon television. And there were three channels showing it. Well, it shows how old I am, but now it's just an avalanche of messages on social media, built into gaming, and it's just everywhere. And it's probably pretty hard for parents to control that. Wouldn't you say? Well, now that you've said that, that's what my phone's going to start doing. The next time I open up my Facebook, there's going to be an ad for some sort of food camp because it's listening to us. Absolutely. Oh yeah. There's just no comparison. And I think that's also something very hard for parents, regardless of the topic, is what worked for me that my parents used is different than for my kids. And even between your kids. You know, my 24-year-old and my 20-year-old are completely different kids. You wouldn't even know they're related and different personalities. And so, what worked for one, you can't necessarily apply to the other. And whereas we love the idea of multi-generation households and, you know, being involved and being there to give advice. And you should take the advice of your parents, but it doesn't always apply. It's just a different world. I feel like I need to give credit to my East Tennessee farming roots. There are two stories I always remember my dad talking about when they would go to a car hop. Maybe some of your listeners know what a car hop is maybe they don't. It's like a Sonic, you know, it's the old school drive up. Or for you Atlanta folks, like the varsity drive up. My grandparents would make my dad put on his Sunday clothes. You know, that was how rare they went out is they would actually get dressed up driving into town to go try these hamburgers and these French fries. Versus now you can you DoorDash that 24/7. I mean just what a different world and concept. And I still have to share this other story for my grandfather, who my oldest son is named after, he was a tobacco and sustenance his farmer in East Tennessee. And every time I have a med student that's a vegetarian in my cooking class, I always tell the story of he came home one day, and he was talking to my aunt. He says, you know what? The county agent said one day people are going to be eating soybeans. That's so funny. Soybeans were fed to cattle back then. It's really just how drastically we change and now it's changing even faster. I mean, my grandchildren will be light years different than what my children are. Let's dive back into your book. Tell me about the collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics and how did the book come about? They have had two books in the past that were sort of geared towards parents, you know, how to address weight in your kids if your child has a problem with their weight, what can you do about it? Well-written books. They had done well. But they were looking to try to do something different. It was kind of time to sort of update that. And the last book was great by Natalie Muth. It was a fantastic book. So, a lot of my friends were on the 2023 clinical practice guidelines. And when that came out, there was a huge blowback from the eating disorder community. And, again, it's sort of the polarization of our country right now. And, they had asked me to speak at a conference saying, hey, can you try to do something in the middle? They knew that we included elements of the body positivity movement in what we do. We're big adherents and teachers of authoritative parenting. And they said could you try to give a talk that kind of goes in between what we're trying to do with the treatment of obesity that's affecting children's health as well as the body positivity movement. It's kind of, again, speaking of the Saturday morning cartoons, it was kind of those things that everyone stepped back, and Bugs Bunny was still in the front and got volunteered. It was sort of one of those situations. And so, I gave this presentation and they said, hey, well, what do you think about turning this into a book? Would you be interested in writing a book? And I said, absolutely not. I don't have time. And never in a million years would I do it. But this needed to be out there. So, first of all, the AAP asks, as a pediatrician, you do it. And second of all, I feel like this book needs to be out there. Both for who I talked about earlier, those parents that don't want to hurt the kids' feelings, make them hate their bodies, feel like something's wrong with them, which is what a lot of kids say. But it's also for those parents that are wanting to do something. These are the parents that, you know, they want to put their kid on a diet or make a comment to them of you sure you need to have seconds on that? You know, which we know can do damage. And of course, parents, you know, they don't want to hurt their kids and get in the way. And so, it was kind of geared toward those parents that were starting down an avenue that may not have been safe. You know, they don't have access to a good evidence-based program. And so, it's also for those parents that says, hey, your kids aren't little adults. Don't take these weight loss approaches to kids. It's just a different beast. We'll come back in a minute and talk about specific parenting strategy, but you alluded to this blowback from the eating disorders fields and the clinical guidelines. Tell us a little bit more about that, because it's one of the key features that would drive the need for a book like yours. I'm not an eating disorder specialist, but there was a big concern that one of the big recommendations that was new was that you can't have watchful waiting anymore. It used to be, you know, if younger children were starting to gain weight, before you intervene or start into treatment or start to change a lot that maybe just wait to see if, you know kind of the old-fashioned thing, are they going to outgrow it? Are they going to go through a growth spurt? So that was a part of the recommendations. The evidence says that watchful waiting in today's world, you're unlikely to see a kid outgrow it anymore, including bariatric surgery, use of medications and things like that. And so, they felt like this increased focus that this was going to cause pediatricians and parents to focus even more on weight and therefore lead to eating disorders. And then that was coinciding over the previous five years, a lot of studies were coming out and then it got put into a couple of systematic reviews of meta-analyses that showed that kids in bigger bodies, kids with overweight and obesity, had a two to three times higher prevalence of eating disorders. Because typically eating disorders are always thought to occur in underweight or thinner children. But it actually is much higher risk of these in children in bigger bodies. And so, we use that term threading the needle, how do you help families who want to do something about their child's weight for health reasons but not worsening disorders. And so that blowback was really saying, hey, by increasing focus on this, you're going to make things worse with that. And it was kind of surprising. A lot of my good friends were on that practice guidelines and they're kind of taken aback because these are experts in the field. Well-meaning people that for 10, 15, 20 years had dedicated their careers to helping these kids looking for help. And I think any care provider to be accused of causing harm is always, always jarring. Tell us how you navigate that and what sort of advice do you give parents in this book? Yeah, so one is that I call weight literacy. It's sort of understanding this is a complex issue. It's not something you did. This is something that happens. We can't always explain it. There are still things, this is where you read too much of this science, it gets you really paranoid about microplastics and things like that. There are some legitimate arguments to me be made there in endocrine disrupting chemicals and stuff like that. We can't always explain why kids are growing bigger than other kids or at a heavier weight. So, the weight literacy, sort of, understanding this is a complex issue, this is not a lifestyle issue. And the second thing is it's worthwhile to focus on healthy eating and physical activity for health. Sometimes that will see improvements in weight, sometimes it won't. But it's still important to do. That's the idea of getting away from that weight being the primary outcome. We feel like this is a great adjunct for someone who might be pursuing bariatric surgery or medications, because it does give us the opportunity to not keep pushing kids harder on nutrition and physical activity, which could lead to that disorder eating. And I think the final thing is sometimes parents and kids are aligned. You know, give me a 15-year-old girl that wants to lose weight. A 15-year-old girl that wants to lose weight, that is unfortunately a child that's very high risk of developing disordered eating. And maybe the parents really wanted to help. But what oftentimes we see a lot is tension brewing between the parent and child. The parent making efforts to help the child with their health and their weight, and the child interpreting those efforts as you think I'm fat, you think I'm ugly, you think something's wrong with me. And it's causing that tension: you know, you can't eat too much of that. Taking Food away. That movie Spanglish with Adam Sandler, several scenes in that sort of reflect that of just small comments that parents can make. You know, actually wanting to help and how that can hurt children. And what we would hope for a lot of parents is to say how can you do this in a way that can be helpful. And one of our chapters is called how to not talk to your children about their weight. You know, the idea that parents don't need to feel that pressure to bring that up. Now, if their child wants to talk about it, absolutely they need to be there, and we give a lot of tips for that. But, you know, your job as the parent, you don't really have control of your child's weight, but there's lots that you can control and lots that you can do to promote the healthy development of your child. You know there's a heavy dose of compassion in your book. That was one thing that appealed to me about it and impressed me. Because if one thinks about a book for parents on dealing with their overweight children, you sort of default to, oh, this book is probably a diet or an exercise program, or things like that about how the child can change their weight. And you're talking much more here about understanding the psychological world of the child. Being sensitive to possible risks of talking to them in ways that are unhelpful or lead to eating disorders and things like that. It's wonderful that you pay so much attention to those issues. And it's very affirming because you're saying that there are some things parents can do about this in ways that affirm their children, accept them as individuals. It's built into the title of your book that your child is not their weight. And that just means so much, I think. Oh, thank you. That is what we had hoped. I mean, you know, parents love their children and in endless, endless ways. And the parents are the key to their children and their children's health. And I feel like sometimes we push too hard. Now we're doing it for good reasons. We want this child to be healthy. We want to help make some improvements. And we put a lot on the parents' back. And I think sometimes then that pressure then is extended to the children. And a lot of this is trying to get parents some insights of, we know you love your children. Here's how to make sure that your child is being loved. You know, the old parenting typology, and I kind of go through some of that history in there, really kind of gets at that. But sometimes we do or say things that doesn't make their children feel loved by accident of course. And it sort of highlights that, not to make parents feel bad, just so they're aware. I've been guilty of it. None of us are perfect parents. And you know, making sure that our kids are feeling, loved by us. Family-based treatment is obviously the key. And I always think of one of your, one of your hypertension studies, I think from 1983. I still quote it to this day. You know, the idea that even though we talk about family-based treatment, we're usually dealing with a parent and a child. The dyad. Now they're representative of the family and I've always felt like something was, sort of, missing there. And two things really influenced me. One of that is one of my co-authors, Dara Gardner-Edwards, who is a licensed clinical social worker. And they are all about the family. They know how to do family assessments. And so, recognizing there's more than just those parents and the child in the clinic with you. In addition to that, working the whole field, I didn't know about human development and family studies. Didn't know that was a field and actually came from the University of Minnesota. I was one of the early. Strong program. So, UNC-Greensboro, our neighbor over there. I started working with a professor over there, Cheryl Buehler, and we would go meet over sushi and she essentially taught me a four-hour freshman-focused family studies course. And just this whole other world, social science world of family dynamics and recognizing when you're working with that child and parent. You may or may not be affecting the family dynamics in the household, of that family system. And so being able to extend differently and having some more appreciation of the complexity of families and the relationships with families. Hopefully we're helping people understand making changes in health habits, relationships matter. We have a project going right now, led by one of my medical students. She was always impressed, in shadowing with us, of how many siblings were picky eaters. And I brought this up to my team, like, oh yeah, this is a huge stress. You know, this parent is obviously wants to change the habits of the entire family but is obviously focused on this child we have in clinic. But the struggle of having this other kid that's a picky eater really throws off those dynamics. And being able to account for that and that stress that that puts on families, and what can we do around that? Oh, that's so interesting. You know, the more aggressive, dramatic treatments that are being used for adults like bariatric surgery and the GLP one drugs, how do they fit into this picture? Yeah, so we feel like it's a perfect adjunct if someone is pursuing with this with their child, because it still is talking about that parenting approach. And it's not really going to change anything with how you're parenting around these things. You know, bariatric surgery for many years has been done safely and effectively in children. Not that it's always perfect, but again, because of the cost, the idea that it's not reversible and typically you want that done in a center that's very experienced with working with kids. So, access issues tend to be really big with that. It can be very effective for some kids but is not available to everyone. We're in the same situation with the medicines with GLP1s. There's one that has been approved for use down to age 12, and overall, they tend to work very well with kids. But we're in the real world now. We're learning a lot about that. It can be miraculous for some children because it gives them success with their weight. It takes pressure off themselves. We're always trying to prevent that restriction, both in hearing that from another adult or the child doing it themselves, trying to tell themselves to eat less. It's always going to backfire. It's going to increase your hunger and things like that. And having that GLP1 is going to help with that. It's actually going to lower that pressure. And oftentimes they can get in that healthy routine much quicker. In others, it's causing some problems. We are seeing some kids that it is absolutely wiping out their appetite. And we're figuring out now the kids are sort of at risk for that. And you can't do that. The kids gotta eat. But for some kids, they just lose all appetite whatsoever. And they can't not eat. And so, we're still figuring out through the real world. But I think, what we're also finding is the job that we do in these multidisciplinary teams, it's just as important if not more important when you're using medications than when you're not. Let me ask you a big picture question and let me see how optimistic you might feel about how, where things are going. So, think of a physician who is treating people with lung cancer. So, the lung cancer is caused by this terrible environmental influence: cigarettes. And the physician then is in the position of having to treat the people who have that really unfortunate problem. And thank God there are physicians who do that, and there's research showing how to treat it effectively. But of course, it would be better if the environmental insult that's causing the problem in the first place didn't exist. That would make everybody happier, except for the companies that sell the product. So, do you think you and colleagues who are doing similar work are faced with a similar kind of a problem? There are all these environmental things that are helping push this problem in the first place. Thankfully, there's kindness, compassion and effective care available and your book helps push that forward even further. But are you hopeful at all that the environmental situation, you know, all the bad foods and stuff out there is changing in a positive way so that there might be less of the problem, or it might be easier on the children now who deal with the problem? Some people think it's getting worse. Others think we might see some progress. But what do you think about that? My brother is an HR guy and he kind of talks about these different typologies with that. And, I forget, I'm called something like the mad scientist, which is you're very pessimistic in complaining, but you have enthusiasm. I don't really know how to take that. But I think, you know, I'm enthusiastic obviously about this topic and what we can do to help parents. But I'm a little pessimistic when it comes to the broader world. I think there's enough, and not saying that every for-profit company's bad, but I think a lot of history is on my side with that. I don't get paid more the more kids I see and the better success I have. I don't get paid more. My job is to be here to help. But, you know, companies, every time I see a for-profit company that comes out and says safety is our number one priority. Or, you know, your satisfaction is number priority, I'm like, no, it's not. Your number priority are your shareholders. And I think that's a very, you know, jaded way to say, I don't quite trust companies right now because of that. Are there some positives that you see, and do you see some changes being made in some menus? Do you see some different products out there that are really trying to get it healthy? But it's hard. I think I have some trust issues and I think that's well founded. Maybe that's my Appalachian background. I tend to be very distrustful of the large mining companies coming in. That, speaking of your lung analogy, that I think I have some healthy distrust that is well founded. So, I think trying to help, and that's obviously a big movement that we have, of trying to help people be more discerning parents, more discerning consumers. But it's hard because they, like you said earlier, they have a whole lot more marketing dollars to convince you to buy their product than we have trying to convince them to make smarter choices about it. BIO Joseph A. "Joey" Skelton, MD, MS, FAAP, FTOS, DABOM is a Professor of Pediatrics, and of Epidemiology and Prevention, at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He is the Founder and Director of Brenner FIT® (Families In Training), an interdisciplinary pediatric obesity treatment, prevention, research, and educational program. He serves as the Director of the Center for Prevention Science in Child and Family Health, Vice Chair of Research for the Department of Pediatrics, Associate Leader of Community and Stakeholder Engagement at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Childhood Obesity. He is board certified in Pediatrics and Obesity Medicine. His research and clinical work has focused on the treatment of children with obesity. He has secured nearly $10 million in funding over the past 15 years, has given over 50 national and international presentations, and has over 130 peer-reviewed publications. He enjoys teaching cooking classes that are both fun and informative to anyone who will listen.

In this episode of Be Truly Heard, Anne Leatherland is joined by email strategist Katie Skelton to explore the powerful link between written voice and spoken voice. Katie shares how redundancy during maternity leave pushed her to start her own business, how she gradually found her niche in email strategy, and why the way we write and the way we speak are not separate at all, but two expressions of the same identity. Together, they unpack authenticity, improvisation, practice and trust, showing how finding your real voice on the page can strengthen your confidence everywhere else too. Katie reflects on building a business through many small evolutions, discovering the creative freedom of email writing, and realising that her most authentic work comes when she writes close to the feeling of the moment. The conversation also moves into public speaking, where both Anne and Katie discuss why rigid scripts often kill confidence, how improvisation can unlock presence, and why truly connecting with an audience matters far more than delivering a perfect presentation. Key TakeawaysWritten voice and spoken voice come from the same place.Katie explains that the voice people hear in her emails is recognisably the same as the one they hear in conversation. When your writing sounds like you, it creates authenticity and connection. Sometimes your business direction becomes clear through doing, not planning.Katie's move into email strategy was not part of a grand masterplan. It emerged through experimenting, noticing what felt natural, and listening when someone pointed out a strength she had overlooked. Authentic writing needs the right conditions. Katie talks about “ideal conditions” for creating work that feels real. For her, that means writing close to the emotion or thought she wants to express, often with a little bit of pressure and immediacy, so the words stay alive rather than over-rehearsed. Templates and formulas can make people lose their voice. In a world full of blueprints and frameworks, Katie believes many people become disconnected from what makes their writing theirs. Authenticity often comes from noticing your own natural rhythm, not forcing someone else's system onto it. Improvisation can be more powerful than scripting. Katie discovered through stand-up comedy and speaking experience that heavily rehearsed presentations do not bring out her best. She is far more effective when she trusts her expertise and responds in the moment. Trusting yourself is central to speaking well.Anne and Katie both reflect on how public speaking becomes easier when you stop trying to perform perfectly and instead trust your knowledge, experience and ability to connect with people in real time. Slides do not create authority, presence does. The conversation makes the point that anyone can research and build a presentation, but that alone does not create trust. What builds trust is knowing your subject and being able to speak about it with confidence, energy and connection. Audience connection comes from speaking to people, not at them. Katie adapts her voice by imagining one specific person when writing emails and by staying responsive to individuals in the room when speaking. That sense of real conversation keeps both writing and speaking human. Practice builds clarity as well as confidence. Katie says that writing every day has not only strengthened her style but also helped her understand her own opinions, processes and teaching more clearly. Repetition turns instinct into something you can trust and share. Best Moments “Our written voice and our spoken voice are not separate. They're two expressions of the same identity.” “I was forced into it through redundancy.” “I thought, well, if I'm going to do it, I'm going to have to do it now.” “People would reply and say, ‘I heard you saying this in your voice.'” “That's how people lose their voice.” “Scripted, rehearsed, rigid speaking does not work for me.” “I just perform much better under improvisational circumstances.” “The more secure you are that you are an expert… the easier it is to just stand up and talk.” About the guestKatie Skelton is the founder of Little Green Duck Ltd, where she helps solofounders and small businesses grow through clear, consistent email strategy and copy.She writes the daily newsletter ALTITUDE, read by ambitious businessowners for practical email and sales insights.With a background in winning multi-million-pound broadcast industrycontracts, she brings real-world strategy to founders looking to turn words into predictable revenue.About the HostWith over 28 years' experience, Anne Leatherland helps clients develop vocal confidence and personal growth. Her holistic approach bridges science, education and the performing arts, supporting women to be truly heard in business.Find out more: https://anneleatherland.co.uk/

Join the stars of Outlander — Sam Heughan, Sophie Skelton, Richard Rankin, John Bell, David Berry, plus executive producers Maril Davis and Matthew B. Roberts — for a conversation about the eagerly-awaited eight and final season of Starz's smash hit series, including clips from the show. Captivating fans for more than a decade with an iconic, time-travelling love story based on the internationally-bestselling books by Diana Gabaldon, Outlander is a perennial 92NY favorite — but all great things must come to end. In the final season, the Frasers must grapple with questions of time, fate, and prophecy — and whether they can finally alter history. A visit from the cast and creators of Outlander is a cause for celebration. Hear Heughan, Skelton, Rankin, Bell, Berry, Davis, and Roberts as they discuss the remarkable arc of their series, the making of the emotional final season, stories from behind the scenes, and much more.

Beowulfkvädet har bara överlevt i ett exemplar – handskriften Cotton MS Vitellius A XV (den så kallade Nowell-kodexen) – som i dag förvaras på British Library i London. I övrigt är berättelsen om hjälten Beowulf och hans kamp mot träskmonstret Grendel och dennes mor märkligt frånvarande i den skriftliga litteraturhistorien: många verk från samma tid levde främst i muntlig tradition och nådde aldrig fram till en handskrift som kunde bevaras.Att just detta manuskript råkade överleva till eftervärlden gör att vi i dag har tillgång till en kuslig och storslagen berättelse från Europas tidigmedeltid – en historia som annars hade kunnat gå helt förlorad. Och det är inte vilken historia som helst.Beowulfkvädet följer en hjältes liv: från ungdomens dåd i främmande land till ålderdomen, när Beowulf efter många år som kung slutligen dör av de skador han ådragit sig i striden mot en drake. Dikten är skriven på fornengelska, men handlingen är förlagd till järnålderns Skandinavien. Sagan vittnar inte bara om vilka envig mellan hjältar, monster och drakar som uppskattades i hövdingahallarna. Den avslöjar också vilka värderingar krigarna och deras herrar satte högst – och vad de fruktade allra mest. Det gör Beowulfberättelsen till ett mångfacetterat epos med både dramatik och eftertanke.I detta avsnitt av podden Harrisons dramatiska historia samtalar Dick Harrison, professor i historia vid Lunds universitet, och fackboksförfattaren Katarina Harrison Lindbergh om Beowulf och hans historia – ett av den tidiga medeltidens största litterära verk. Bild: Beowulf and the dragon – illustration av J. R. Skelton (1908), ur Henrietta Elizabeth Marshalls Stories of Beowulf (1908). Public domain via Wikimedia Commons. Klippare: Aron SchuurmanProducent: Urban Lindstedt Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever felt like your body is something you need to fix? In this episode of Healthy Teen Life, Leslie sits down with Dr. Joey Skelton, a pediatrician and author of Your Child Is Not Their Weight, to talk honestly about what your body size actually means, what it does not mean, and why the number on the scale tells you far less than our culture wants you to believe. If you have ever felt judged for how your body looks, confused about BMI, or unsure how to talk about food and weight in a way that actually feels good, this episode will give you a completely new way to think about all of it. Dr. Skelton brings decades of experience working with teens and families to this conversation and his perspective is one you genuinely need to hear. In this episode, you'll learn: Why up to 60% of your body size is determined by genetics and what that actually means for you What BMI really is, what it is not, and why it should never be used as the only measure of your health Why labeling foods as good or bad creates more harm than good and what to do instead How family meal time affects your health, happiness, and even your performance at school What parents should and should not say at the dinner table when they are concerned about their teen's weight How to start building a positive relationship with food that actually lasts   Connect with Dr. Joey Skelton:   Connect with Leslie: Parents: Schedule a free Clarity Call with Leslie here to help your teen or young adult resolve weight and unhealthy eating habits, while improving body image and self-esteem.   Grab Leslie's free guide: 5 Ways to Help Your Teen Eat Better Without Making Things Worse Website: leslierosecoaching.com Instagram: instagram.com/leslierosecoaching Facebook: facebook.com/leslierosecoaching Disclaimer

The newest episode of Finding Demo Surf Fishing has dropped with Webb Skelton, founder of Project Saltwater, for one of the most powerful conversations on the show.After serving in the Army and facing a difficult transition back to civilian life, Webb found himself in a downward spiral that ultimately led to a life-changing stroke. What followed was a second chance, and a new purpose. Through fishing, community, and time on the water, Webb began rebuilding his life. That journey led to the creation of Project Saltwater, a growing mission focused on helping veterans, first responders, and Gold Star families find healing through surf fishing and the outdoors. In this episode, Webb shares his story, the impact of the fishing community on his recovery, and his vision for creating something bigger than himself, an organization built to bring people together, fill the gaps left behind after service, and offer a different kind of therapy through saltwater.  This one goes deeper than fishing.If you know someone who could benefit from what Webb is building or someone who can help support the mission, this is an episode worth sharing.Audio: https://share.transistor.fm/s/3fc3eaeaSocial to follow:FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574453432828This Episode Is Sponsored By:  Kids Can Fish Foundation: Kids Can Fish is a state and federally-recognized 501(c)(3) charitable foundation.  Their mission is to teach kids fishing fundamentals and, most importantly, HAVE FUN!!   Bait Check:  Ninja Tackle: Ninja Dagger, 7' Travel Rod, Bummy Stick, Akios reels, rigs, bait, and firearm accessories (optics, Glock parts, attachments, and more) Bait Check:  DS Custom Tackle: Tackle Supply for all anglers.  Floats, rigs, jigs, bait, and moreTheme Song Dirty Rock by TwisteriumMentions:US ArmyMayo ClinicYouTubeAce On The LineNE Florida Inshore Penn FierceFishbitesOver The Bar RodKelly MeddersBryan RoweCoastline CreationsHero's On The WaterReel Healing OutdoorsBrokenReel23Surf Fishing Solutions#findingdemosurffishing  #SurfFishing #FishingPodcast #AnglingPodcast #SaltwaterFishing #BeachFishing #Surfcasting #PodcastRecommendations #OutdoorPodcast #FishingCommunity #FishingTips #PodcastLife #projectsaltwater #USArmy #MayoClinic #AceOnTheLine #NEFloridaInshoreSlayers #PennFierce#Fishbites #OverTheBarRod #KellyMedders #BryanRowe #CoastlineCreations #HerosOnTheWater #ReelHealingOutdoors #BrokenReel23 #SurfFishingSolutions

The theme of today's episode is straight from our Slow Flowers Floral Insights and Industry Forecast – an insight that identifies cutting garden plants as an important business channel. Flower farmers are translating their expertise into new revenue streams by growing and selling cut flower seedlings and starts to flower lovers and fellow growers. Last […] The post Episode 761: Growing Flower Seedlings for Profit, with Kate Skelton of Gratitude Flowers, Carol Wetzel of The Little Farm on Olga Road, and Fawn Rueckert of Sego Lily Flower Farm and Snuck Flowers appeared first on Slow Flowers Podcast with Debra Prinzing.

Talking to Teenagers About WEIGHT  Is your teen struggling with body image, or are you worried about their health but afraid to say the wrong thing? In a world obsessed with filters and "perfect" bodies, many parents feel like they're walking on eggshells when it comes to the topic of weight. We want our children to be healthy, but we don't want to trigger low self-esteem or disordered eating. Is your teen struggling with body image, or are you worried about their health but afraid to say the wrong thing? In a world obsessed with filters and "perfect" bodies, many parents feel like they're walking on eggshells when it comes to the topic of weight. We want our children to be healthy, but we don't want to trigger low self-esteem or disordered eating. In this episode of The Impactful Parent, host Kristina Campos sits down with Dr. Joseph Skelton, a board-certified pediatrician and author of the groundbreaking book, Your Child Is Not Their Weight. Together, they pull back the curtain on how to foster a home environment built on trust, health, and body neutrality rather than numbers on a scale. [01:18] In this video, you'll discover: The "Veiled Weight Talk" Trap: Why substituting the word "health" for "weight" doesn't fool teenagers and what to say instead. [07:09] Auditing Your Own "Fat Talk": How your comments about your own body in the mirror are inadvertently teaching your kids how to value themselves. [04:58] Deconstructing Social Media: Practical ways to help your teen see through curated digital images and AI-enhanced influencers. [13:46] The P&R Coin: Understanding how Pressure and Restriction actually interfere with a child's natural hunger cues. [20:18] High-Impact Routines: Why the "Family Meal" remains the #1 tool for mental and physical health (and how to handle grumpy teens during it!). [23:09] Dr. Skelton shares his 20+ years of clinical experience to help you move away from the "low-fat trauma" of the 80s and 90s and toward a holistic approach where health is a family pursuit. [03:32] Whether you are dealing with a picky eater or a teen who feels they don't fit the "cultural mold," this conversation provides the roadmap you need to ensure your child feels loved exactly as they are. [31:31] Links & Resources Mentioned: Dr. Skelton's Book: Your Child Is Not Their Weight (Available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble) [30:52] Download The Impactful Parent App: Get parenting resources right in your pocket for FREE! [32:33] Visit Our Website: https://theimpactfulparent.com [32:56] Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to The Impactful Parent channel for more weekly tips on turning parenting chaos into connection! #ParentingTeens #BodyNeutrality #TheImpactfulParent #TeenHealth #BodyImage #HealthyHabits #KristinaCampos

If you have ever felt overwhelmed trying to help your child with eating, weight, or health—this conversation is for you.In this episode of Family in Focus, I'm joined by Joey Skelton, MD, MS, FAAP and Dara Garner-Edwards, MSW, LCSW, co-authors of Your Child Is Not Their Weight: Parenting in a Size-Obsessed World.Together, we explore how to support your child without shame, pressure, or food battles—and why focusing on weight often does more harm than good.Dr. Skelton and Dara bring nearly two decades of experience working with families through the Brenner FIT Program at Wake Forest University, where they focus on practical, family-centered care that creates lasting change.In this episode, we discuss:• Why weight-focused conversations can backfire• What children actually hear when we talk about food• The impact of pressure, restriction, and “fixing”• How to support your child's health without shame• Why connection—not control—creates real change• The power of family meals and reducing stressIf you've ever felt stuck or unsure how to help your child, this episode offers a new way forward.About Our GuestsJoey Skelton, MD, MS, FAAP – Pediatrician and professor at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, leading the Brenner FIT Program.Dara Garner-Edwards, MSW, LCSW – Family counselor specializing in helping families create sustainable change without shame or judgment.Along with Melissa Moses, MS, RDN, LDN (co-author and registered dietitian), they wrote:

We would LOVE to hear what you think. Please drop a line.Teyquil Skelton is a multi-hyphenate artist from Philadelphia—singer, songwriter, producer, writer, actor, and all-around performer. This podcast dives into the world of a creator whose sound fuses indie pop, electro, and synth with an unmistakable 80s nostalgia, reimagined through a modern lens. Influenced by an eclectic roster—from David Bowie and Prince to The Cure, The Smiths, and James Blake to Troye Sivan and Robyn—Teyquil's music weaves ambient textures, feathered strings, thick bass, and emotive “sad boy” chords into dynamic tracks that effortlessly bridge intimate emotion with propulsive, bass-forward energy.What you'll hear:Musical journey and influences**: A deep dive into the artists who shaped Teyquil's sonic landscape and the way those inspirations translate into contemporary soundscapes.In-progress drops and production insights**: Behind-the-scenes looks at debut singles in the works, discussing gear, arranging, vocal approaches, and the evolution from idea to arrangement.Sound design and mood**: Exploration of ambient textures, string layering, bass textures, and the emotional arc that drives Teyquil's music—from introspective ballads to assertive, high-energy synth-driven tracks.Performance craft and storytelling**: How performance experience informs recording, staging, and the narrative in studio and on stage.Guest interviews and conversations**: Candid conversations with artists across rock, pop, and indie scenes, sharing stories, process, and collaboration experiences.Guest lineup and conversations:Richie Ramone (Ramones), Kim Thayil (Soundgarden), Wayne Kramer (MC5)The Weathers, Noah Sierota (Echosmith), Virgin Records artist GirliAnd many more artists who inspire, challenge, and expand Teyquil's musical worldWhy listen:A fresh perspective from a versatile Philadelphia artist with a heritage of performance and a forward-looking sonic palate.An ongoing exploration of the intersection between nostalgic 80s energy and contemporary electronic and indie aesthetics.Honest, in-the-moment conversations about creativity, collaboration, and the art of making music that resonates emotionally and physically.Tune in for new episodes that fuse storytelling, music-making, and conversations with notable voices from the music scene—all through the lens of Teyquil Skelton's unique artistry.Support the show

In this episode, Colleen O'Grady talks with pediatric obesity specialist Dr. Joey Skelton about one of the most sensitive topics for parents of teens: how to address weight and eating habits without causing shame or harm. Drawing from his new book, Your Child Is Not Their Weight: Parenting in a Size-Obsessed World, Dr. Skelton explains how well-meaning parents can unintentionally heighten body image struggles, disordered eating, and family tension when they focus too much on weight. Dr. Skelton introduces the idea of “threading the needle”—supporting a teen's health without feeding the cultural obsession with body size. He encourages parents to move away from comments, pressure, and restriction, and instead create a home environment built on love and structure. That means modeling healthy habits, setting consistent routines around meals and snacks, limiting food-related commentary, and avoiding moral labels like “good” and “bad” foods. Colleen and Dr. Skelton also explore the difference between healthy eating, disordered eating, and eating disorders, the emotional impact of weight talk in families, when parents should be concerned, and how to help teens develop a healthier relationship with food and their bodies. This episode offers practical, compassionate guidance for moms who want to protect both their child's physical health and emotional well-being. Three key takeaways from this episode: 1. Talking about weight can backfire. Even loving comments like “Do you really need another cookie?” may be heard by teens as criticism or shame. Dr. Skelton encourages parents to focus less on weight and more on creating healthy family routines. 2. Replace pressure and restriction with love and structure. Rather than policing food, parents can help by planning meals, setting snack and dinner routines, eating together when possible, and modeling a balanced relationship with food and movement. 3. Your teen's worth is never defined by their body. Helping teens build body confidence starts with what parents model at home—avoiding negative body talk, not commenting on appearance, and reinforcing that health, character, and identity matter far more than weight. Learn More at: https://school.wakehealth.edu/faculty/s/joseph-skelton https://www.wakehealth.edu/specialty/b/brenner-fit Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh in for Nick on Monday. We hear from Dan Skelton on the exciting Kabral Du Mathan and get his thoughts on Nicky Henderson's bold call to run Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle. From Hong Kong, Zac Purton reflects on Ka Ying Rising's remarkable 18th consecutive victory at Sha Tin Racecourse. There's also insight from Neil King on Lookaway, and Lucy Wadham discusses what's next for Jax Junior. Plus, further reaction from Simone Meloni at the Godolphin Industry Thoroughbred Awards.

Josh in for Nick on Monday. We hear from Dan Skelton on the exciting Kabral Du Mathan and get his thoughts on Nicky Henderson's bold call to run Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle. From Hong Kong, Zac Purton reflects on Ka Ying Rising's remarkable 18th consecutive victory at Sha Tin Racecourse. There's also insight from Neil King on Lookaway, and Lucy Wadham discusses what's next for Jax Junior. Plus, further reaction from Simone Meloni at the Godolphin Industry Thoroughbred Awards.

Dr. Sandra Hassink is joined by Dr. Joey Skelton, a professor of pediatrics, and of epidemiology and prevention, at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Together they discuss Dr. Skelton's new book, Your Child is Not their Weight. Resources: • Your Child Is Not Their Weight: Parenting in a Size-Obsessed World (https://tinyurl.com/3b48sp26) • The Role of the Pediatrician in the Promotion of Healthy, Active Living (https://tinyurl.com/3byuuxdh) • Eating Disorder Webinar Series, 2024 & 2025 (Obesity Education Opportunities for Healthcare Professionals) (https://tinyurl.com/IHCWProfEducation) • Building a Foundation for Healthy Active Living, Module Series (https://tinyurl.com/y73veyrh)

Nick is joined by Mirror man David Yates to take a canter round the racing world. First today, Harry Skelton talks Protektorat, Thistle Ask, breaking a new record, and reveals that he will keep the ride on The New Lion at the weekend. Also on today's show, Stephen Hillen - the man who made the career of Via Sistina - reflects upon her extraordinary story and career. Plus, Adam Mills on what we learned from the Clarence House Chase data, Dan Barber on the performance of Old Park Star, and NTF CEO Paul Johnson on a new editorial partnership with Racecourse Media Group.

Paul Skelton spent years sat in a church pew as a spectator before realising that he could be used by God ‘out on the pitch'. Having seen God manifest His kingdom power and presence across different nations, Paul's desire is to equip everyday believers in the realm of healing and the prophetic. His down-to-earth, scripturally-rooted and practical training has been a game-changer for many, and the stories are beautiful. Check out Catalyst4Healing.org ---

This episode was originally released on 12/1/2020. While new episodes of Breaking Walls are on hiatus I'll be going back and posting the older episodes. ____________ In Breaking Walls episode 110 we continue our mini-series on the 1948-49 radio season by focusing on news and programming during Christmas week, 1948. —————————— Highlights: • Jack Benny: Leaving for CBS • A northeast blizzard starts holiday week • Edgar Bergen: Also leaving NBC • Walter Winchell's big new ABC deal • Soaps, Queens, and the Chesterfield Supper Club • Monday night belongs to CBS • Lunch with WOR while NBC still owns Tuesday evenings • Fred Waring and Yukon King Gear up For Xmas • Blackie, Gildy, Duffy, and Bing • Abbott, Costello, and Jolson fade, while Suspense soars on Thursday • ABC wins Friday while Skelton gets ready to leave NBC too • Merry Christmas from the Royal Roost in Manhattan • Mary Lee, Grand Central, and Elgin Celebrate Xmas • Sinatra's up-and-down 1948 • Benny and Bergen say goodbye to NBC —————————— The WallBreakers: http://thewallbreakers.com Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts. To support the show: http://patreon.com/TheWallBreakers —————————— The reading material used in today's episode was: • On the Air — By John Dunning • Network Radio Ratings, 1932-53 — By Jim Ramsburg As well as articles from: • Broadcasting Magazine • The Los Angeles Times • NationalParkService.gov • The New York Daily News • Radio Daily • WhiteHouseHistory.org —————————— On the interview front: • Edgar Bergen, Mel Blanc, Himan Brown, Ken Carpenter, Gale Gordon, Jim Jordan, Harold Peary, Alan Reed, Lurene Tuttle, and Don Wilson were with Chuck Schaden. Hear their full chats at SpeakingOfRadio.com. • Edgar Bergen, Hans Conried, John Gibson, Jim Jordan, and Jan Miner were with Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran for WTIC's The Golden Age of Radio. Hear these at Goldenage-WTIC.org. • Ralph Bell, Himan Brown, and Jack Johnstone were with SPERDVAC. For more information, go to SPERDVAC.com • Bing Crosby and John Scott Trotter were with Same Time, Same Station • Eve Arden was with John Dunning • Phil Harris with Jack Carney • Bob Hope with Johnny Carson • Jo Stafford with Michael Feinstein • Frank Sinatra with Larry King • Red Skelton was with Dini Petty —————————— Selected music featured in today's episode was: • It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year — By Andy Williams • Christmas Dreaming — By Frank Sinatra • Somewhere in My Memory and Star of Bethlehem — By John Williams for Home Alone • Christmas Blues — By Washboard Pete • Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day — By The Marlborough Cathedral Choir • Christmas Carols for 1928 — By Elsie Holt • White Christmas — By Bing Crosby • Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas — By Mel Torme • Ya Viene La Vieja — By JP Torres

On Thanksgiving weekend in 2010, three brothers Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner Skelton vanished during a court ordered holiday visit with their father, John Skelton. What was supposed to be a routine custody exchange became one of the most haunting child disappearance cases in the Midwest.John claimed he handed the boys to a woman named Joann Taylor to keep them safe while he attempted suicide. Investigators later proved Joann Taylor did not exist. Neither did the underground foster network John insisted had taken his sons. With no bodies, no witnesses, and no clear timeline, the case stalled while John served time for unrelated charges.Now, fifteen years later, everything has changed. In 2025, prosecutors officially charged John Skelton with the murders of all three boys just weeks before his expected release from prison. Investigators believe new evidence finally supports what many feared from the beginning.As the case moves back into court, one question still hangs over everything. Will these charges finally reveal what happened to the Skelton brothers, or will the truth remain buried forever?

Tis the season to talk about Christmas animated films and there is none that brings more cheer than Disney's long running "Prep and Landing" animated specials!  Tom and Tony rangle some reindeer fun with their interview with Prep & Landing: The Snowball Protocol Executive Producers, Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers-Skelton!  These directing/producing/writing partners have helmed all of the Prep and Landing Christmas spirit through the years!  Join our lively discussion wherever you listen to your podcasts!  

Timestamps: (9:10) - Updates: Delphi & Skelton Brothers (19:41) - Natasha Ryan Australian teenager Natasha Ryan (14) was having some difficulties in 1998.   Her parents had divorced and she had been experimenting with drugs and alcohol. One morning in August 1998, Natasha's mother dropped her off at school.  Her daughter never made it home. For years, police and the family searched for Natasha.  It was believed that she was possibly a victim of Leonard Fraser, a serial killer that had been operating in the area.  Fraser was charged with the murder of Natasha, as well as other women.   During Fraser's trial, an anonymous tip was called in to police.  They searched a house in Rockhampton, Queensland.  Natasha was found alive and well, hiding in a cupboard. All sources and clips are linked on our blog for Natasha - https://truecrimesocietyblog.com/2025/11/16/natasha-ryan-the-tragic-case-of-the-girl-in-the-cupboard/ We also discuss updates in the Delphi murder case and the disappearance of the Skelton brothers. Join us on Patreon for weekly exclusive content.  And all our episodes are ad-free - patreon.com/truecrimesociety Follow us on social media for the latest crime news - search True Crime Society or visit instagram.com/truecrimesociety

A major development has cracked open the 15 year mystery of the Skelton brothers: John Skelton, the father of Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner, who vanished in 2010 while in his care, has been charged with three counts of open murder and three counts of evidence tampering, just days before his planned release from prison. A judge legally declared the brothers dead, though at that time ruled there was not enough evidence to confirm their father was responsible. Try our coffee!! - www.CriminalCoffeeCo.com Become a Patreon member -- > https://www.patreon.com/CrimeWeekly Shop for your Crime Weekly gear here --> https://crimeweeklypodcast.com/shop Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CrimeWeeklyPodcast Website: CrimeWeeklyPodcast.com Instagram: @CrimeWeeklyPod Twitter: @CrimeWeeklyPod Facebook: @CrimeWeeklyPod ADS: 1. https://www.UncommonGoods.com/CrimeWeekly - Get 15% off your next gift! 2. https://www.SurfShark.com/CrimeWeekly - Use code CRIMEWEEKLY for FOUR extra months of Surf Shark VPN!

Nick is joined by Mirror Newsboy David Yates to discuss the latest from around the racing world. Dan Skelton joins the show to reflect on his excellent weekend, too look ahead to his fancies for the Paddy Power fixture, and for comment on the news of the moment surrounding pitiful fields for novice chases. Also today, Nick and Dave round up the action from the last few days, Ann Duffield tells us why she's handing over the reins and also details the impact of John Dance on her business. Plus, with Nick now in Bahrain, Racing Director Ed Veale joins the show to preview this Friday's big race, while Charlotte catches up with owner Phil Cunningham on his squad for Dubai.

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The Skelton Brothers /// Part 2Episode: 281Original Release: 2-19-2019Part 2 of 2www.TrueCrimeGarage.comAndrew age 9, Alexander age 7, and Tanner age 5 were taken by the father from his Morenci, Michigan home during the Thanksgiving holiday visitation back in 2010. Their father John, claims the boys were abused by their mother and he was getting them out of a bad situation. However John's story does not add up. Law Enforcement does not believe him and today John sits behind bars. This week we crack a beer and discuss this stranger than fiction true crime story. Beer of the Week - Hopsoulution Ale - Bell's Brewery INC. Garage Grade - 4 out of 5 bottle caps Beer Fund: https://truecrimegarage.com/home

The Skelton Brothers /// Part 1 Episode: 280 Original Release: 2-19-2019Part 1 of 2www.TrueCrimeGarage.comAndrew age 9, Alexander age 7, and Tanner age 5 were taken by the father from his Morenci, Michigan home during the Thanksgiving holiday visitation back in 2010. Their father John, claims the boys were abused by their mother and he was getting them out of a bad situation. However John's story does not add up. Law Enforcement does not believe him and today John sits behind bars. This week we crack a beer and discuss this stranger than fiction true crime story. Beer of the Week - Hopsoulution Ale - Bell's Brewery INC. Garage Grade - 4 out of 5 bottle caps Beer Fund: https://truecrimegarage.com/home