Podcast appearances and mentions of Stephen Fry

Charles Dickens: A Brain on Fire! will return in the summer ...In the meantime there are nearly 100 Episodes to enjoy with guests such as: Stephen Fry, Miriam Margolyes, Armando Iannucci, Andrew Davies, Alice Loxton, Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, Lucinda Hawksley, John Bowen, John Mullan, Rosie Holt,  Steven Knight …. And many more!And if you'd like to make a small donation to cover the costs of researching, recording and producing this series, wherever and whenever you listening to this you can follow the link below and buy a coffee! ☕️ Also - if you feel these episodes have earned a five star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ please consider scrolling down right now and added them there. With Best wishes,Dominic xSupport the showIf you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right here https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrardThank you so much!Host: Dominic GerrardSeries Artwork: Léna GibertOriginal Music: Dominic GerrardThank you for listening!

Presented by The Ethics Centre, Festival of Dangerous Ideas (FODI to those in the know) has been luring curious minds across 12 festivals to be part of bold, brilliant and occasionally uncomfortable conversations that actually matter. From 21–23 August 2026, FODI returns to Sydney. Its Opening Night event with Salman Rushdie will ignite a jam-packed weekend, where global thought leaders, trail-blazing artists and fearless experts converge upon some of Sydney's most iconic venues. The Festival's 'Little Black Book' is stacked with international and local provocateurs itching to take the stage at its proudly home-grown festival. But here's the thing: a festival with global reach doesn't come cheap, and big ideas don't fund themselves. If you love FODI – and want it to keep dragging the world's sharpest thinkers to Sydney IRL – please consider making a tax-deductible donation today at festivalofdangerousideas.com.au.    

Heading into its 13th festival, FODI exists thanks to supporters who don't flinch at difficult topics. Brave minds. Bold hearts. Dangerous conversations. We've built a reputation for dragging the world's sharpest provocateurs and thought leaders to Sydney IRL. From 21–23 August 2026, FODI returns. Our Opening Night event with Salman Rushdie will ignite a jam-packed weekend, where global thought leaders, trail-blazing artists and fearless experts converge upon some of Sydney's most iconic venues. But a festival with global reach doesn't come cheap. To keep tickets accessible and to stay fiercely independent, FODI relies on people like you. Big ideas don't fund themselves. Donate to help us lock in extraordinary speakers and artists for this year's program at festivalofdangerousideas.com.au.

This is a video episode. Yes I keep on trying to do these but I actually hate them. This is what comedy does to you, it makes you record your face in your bedroom. This episode I call Stephen Fry an idiot as I'm clearly smarter than he is. Essentially.

Stephen Fry joins William and Anita to discuss how Greek Myths have shaped our understanding of the Bronze Age Collapse.  Was the Trojan Horse real? What can we learn about the end of ancient civilisations through The Odyssey and The Iliad? How much truth lies within the story of the Trojan War, and where is the real archaeological site of Troy today?  Join the Empire Club: Unlock the full Empire experience – with bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to miniseries and live show tickets, exclusive book discounts, a members-only newsletter, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at empirepoduk.com  For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com. Email: empire@goalhanger.com Instagram: @empirepoduk Blue Sky: @empirepoduk X: @empirepoduk Editor: Bruno Di Castri Producer: Anouska Lewis Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this Australian Retirement Podcast episode, your hosts Drew Meredith from Wattle Partners and James O'Reilly from Northeast Wealth kick things off with high energy - school drop-offs turning them into unpaid taxi drivers, interest rate movements affecting overseas travel plans, and whether term deposits are finally worth a look again. The Boomer Briefing tackles two massive stories shaking up the super industry: First Guardian & Netwealth finally came to a deal. After months of drama, the collapsed super fund scandal has reached resolution. Drew and James break down what happened and what it means for members. AustralianSuper is experiencing competitive outflows as more members flee to platforms. Why? Access to advice, better retirement planning tools, and broader support beyond generic product offerings. The industry super dominance is being challenged by platforms offering personalized service. What does this mean for your super choice? They also dive into what's happening with commodities - gold, silver, and crypto movements that captured headlines this week. Then comes today's big question from Stephen Fry (not that one): A 54-year-old truck driver earning $150k with overtime, $420k in super, salary sacrificing $210/week. His wife is 50 with $60k super, sacrificing $100/week. They have $50k in personal loans and credit card debt clearing in 2 years. Both earn around $70k base salary. Stephen knows he needs professional financial advice but it's not cheap. His critical question: How far out from retirement should he seek professional advice? Drew and James deliver the brutal truth about timing your first adviser meeting - wait too long and you've missed critical opportunities. Move too early and you might waste money. They break down the sweet spot and what Stephen should do RIGHT NOW. If you like this Australian Retirement Podcast episode on when to hire advisers and super fund strategies, you'll love the series. Don't forget to subscribe for weekly shows on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. Resources for this episode Ask a question (select the Retirement podcast) Visit TermPlus to learn more Rask Resources All services Financial Planning Invest with us Access Show Notes Ask a question We love feedback! Follow us on social media: Instagram: @rask.invest TikTok: @rask.invest DISCLAIMER: This podcast contains general financial information only. That means the information does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Because of that, you should consider if the information is appropriate to you and your needs, before acting on it. If you're confused about what that means or what your needs are, you should always consult a licensed and trusted financial planner. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. Remember, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The Rask Group is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser. Access The Rask Group's Financial Services Guide (FSG): https://www.rask.com.au/fsg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode, Sarah is asking is the English literature curriculum really being dumbed down or are we simply not reading as a country anymore or simply shifting our allegiance to audiobooks? And Peter, as if to prove otherwise, will be bandying a copy of Lord of the Flies around and poring over the latest BBC adaptation. Plus, why was Stephen Fry stalking Peter at a memorial for his late brother? Why we should eat even if the Queen has done with her meal, royal protocol be damned! Why neither wants a coat of arms, divorce etiquette and why the Suez Crisis reminds Peter of his father getting on his bike.On our reading and watch list this week: · The Phantom Tollbooth – Norton Juster· Lord Of The Flies – William Golding· A Clockwork Orange – Anthony Burgess· The Box Of Delights - John Masefield· Our Man in Havana – Graham Greene· Heart Of Darkness – Joseph ConradPlease do get in touch, email: Alas@dailymail.co.uk you can leave a comment on Spotify or even send us a voice note on Whatsapp – on 07796 657512, start your message with the word ‘alas'.Presenters: Sarah Vine & Peter HitchensProducer: Philip WildingEditor: Chelsey MooreProduction Manager: Vittoria CecchiniExecutive Producer: Jamie EastA Daily Mail production. Seriously PopularTo get in touch email alas@mailonline.co.uk, you can leave a comment on Spotify or even send us a voice note on WhatsApp - on 07796 657512 start your message with the word 'alas'Presenters: Sarah Vine & Peter HitchensProducer: Phillip WildingEditor: Chelsey MooreProduction Manager: Vittoria CecchiniExecutive Producer: Jamie EastA Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s the reality TV format sweeping the world and we couldn’t resist asking Canberra bureau chief - and Traitors devotee - Richard Ferguson to analyse this wild political moment through a Traitors v Faithfuls lens. Traitors Australia, which flopped a couple of years ago, is coming back to screens, with post-production under way on Season 3. Find out more about The Front podcast here. You can read about this story and more on The Australian's website or on The Australian’s app. The weekend edition of The Front is co-produced by Claire Harvey and Jasper Leak. The host is Claire Harvey. Audio production and editing by Jasper Leak who also composed our theme.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alyssa Kyria is a comedian, actor and writer, best known as The Funny Mummy, whose relatable comedy sketches regularly go viral and have amassed over 23 million views. She received a Best Supporting Actress nomination from the Dublin International Comedy Festival for her role as Annalise in the feature film Ashens and the Polybius Heist, which won Best Film at the London Film Festival 2021, and was a finalist in the Royal Court Theatre's Screenshot competition in 2021. An accomplished voice actor, Alyssa has worked extensively with Audible and BBC Radio 4, and can currently be heard in Audible's Sleeping Beauty, starring Stephen Fry and featuring the London Symphony Orchestra, where she voices multiple characters ranging from an Arabic Queen to an evil thorn .Alyssa Kyria is our guest in episode 557 of My Time Capsule and chats to Michael Fenton Stevens about the five things she'd like to put in a time capsule; four she'd like to preserve and one she'd like to bury and never have to think about again .For everything Alyssa Kyria, visit - https://alyssakyria.com .Follow Alyssa Kyria on Instagram: @thefunnymummyuk .Follow My Time Capsule on Instagram: @mytimecapsulepodcast & Twitter/X & Facebook: @MyTCpod .Follow Michael Fenton Stevens on Twitter/X: @fentonstevens & Instagram @mikefentonstevens .Produced and edited by John Fenton-Stevens for Cast Off Productions .Music by Pass The Peas Music .Artwork by matthewboxall.com .This podcast is proud to be associated with the charity Viva! Providing theatrical opportunities for hundreds of young people .To support this podcast, get all episodes ad-free and a bonus episode every Wednesday of "My Time Capsule The Debrief', please sign up here - https://mytimecapsule.supercast.com. All money goes straight into the making of the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 George Thompson is a filmmaker, teacher, and founder of Balance is Possible!— a 15-person team on a mission to inspire balance for people and planet. His films and teachings have touched over 25 million people and he is supported by renowned changemakers including Dr. Jane Goodall, Louie Schwartzberg, Tara Brach, Stephen Fry and many more. Drawing from years of deep study in the Wudang Mountains of China, George blends ancient wisdom with modern science, translating it into fun, practical tools for overcoming the challenges of modern life. Once plagued by anxiety and a sense of disconnection, George's journey led him from pain to purpose. With playful kindness, George helps people to do the same: to awaken their potential. Website: Balance is Possible! YouTube Channel Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group Interview recorded January 6, 2026.

Get ready for the Rush Hour's return on January 19 by looking back at our favourite moments in 16 years on air. Billy has a complete brain fart, we interview Snoop Dogg, Rabs finds a Billy Brownless footy card, the greatest names in sport, JB blanks Don Bradman, and Billy gets a wig. Then, Stephen Fry gives us an education, 'Cheezel' is born, Billy interviews Shaquille O'Neal, Billy has a disgusting story, we find out why Billy doesn't do special comments anymore, and we finish with the Wooden Eye Joke.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if the real lever for change is not doing more, but becoming intentional about what shapes your brain, habits, and daily environment? In this episode of We Have A Meeting Podcast, Dan Murray, entrepreneur and founder of Heights, shares a deeply honest conversation about mental health, brain health, and the hidden forces that quietly shape how we think, feel, and live. Dan opens up about grief, depression, anxiety, chronic insomnia, and the search for long term solutions beyond quick fixes. He explains how nutritional imbalances can impact mood, focus, motivation, and sleep, why brain health is often misunderstood, and how neuroplasticity allows us to actively reshape who we become over time. The conversation also explores entrepreneurship through the lens of integrity and values. Dan reflects on building Heights from personal necessity, designing habits instead of relying on willpower, and the difficult decision to walk away from a successful podcast business to protect his family life and sense of alignment. Blending neuroscience, lived experience, simplicity in health, and intentional living, this episode is a grounded reminder that progress comes from small, consistent changes and conscious inputs, not perfection. You are not stuck with the brain, habits, or life you have today. CHAPTERS: 00:00 One Hour of Nutrition: What Doctors Don't Learn 05:07 Whiskey, Weed, and Panic Attacks: Rock Bottom 11:53 Your Brain Is On Fire: The Dietician Who Changed Everything 14:18 £120 for Three Supplements: The Planet Organic Revelation 15:30 Sleeping Again: When Nutrition Beats Pharmaceuticals 18:58 The Imposter Syndrome Solution: 400 Newsletters and Counting 27:00 The Mum Test: Interviewing 100 High Performers 29:30 Stephen Fry's Magic Beans: The First Customer Email 34:07 Spencer Matthews: From Hard Skeptic to True Believer 37:06 92% Retention: The Habit-Forming Business Model 47:10 Progress Over Perfection: Heights vs Bryan Johnson 48:42 The Cabin in the Woods: Why Dan Quit His Podcast 56:04 What Happens If I Succeed? The Question Nobody Asks Follow Dan's journey: https://www.heights.com/ https://www.instagram.com/heights Buy our book: https://amzn.eu/d/5MXG94J

In this episode of Super Connected Conversations: The Soho Series, Tim Arnold is joined by Stephen Fry to reflect on Soho as a place of ideas, eccentricity, gender fluidity and individuality. Drawing on Fry's lifelong engagement with literature, performance, and British cultural life, the conversation explores Soho's historic tolerance for difference and wit — and what it means to lose spaces where intelligence, humour, and dissent could once coexist so freely. Super Connected Conversations: The Soho Series This special six-episode Soho series of Super Connected Conversations brings together artists, thinkers, and cultural figures in conversation with multi-disciplinary artist Tim Arnold, reflecting on Soho's historic role at the heart of British and international creative life. Recorded originally for the feature-length documentary Soho Is…, directed by Tim Arnold and Kevin Godley, these audio conversations explore Soho as a crucible for music, film, art, performance, and counterculture — and examine how gentrification, commercialisation, and modern redevelopment have reshaped its spirit. Each episode considers Soho not merely as a location, but as a living cultural ecosystem: a place where communities formed, ideas collided, and creative risk was historically possible. The discussions address what has been gained, what has been lost, and what remains worth protecting in an era where cultural spaces are increasingly fragile. The Soho Is… film emerged from Tim Arnold's 2015 Save Soho campaign — a coalition of artists, residents, and cultural workers advocating for the preservation of Soho's creative identity. While the film itself remains unreleased, these audio-only conversations offer a rare, intimate window into that ongoing dialogue. This series forms part of Tim Arnold's wider artistic practice as a songwriter, performer, filmmaker, and cultural commentator, and reflects his sustained engagement with the intersections of creativity, place, and community. For more about Tim Arnold, please visit: https://timarnold.co.uk/ For more about the Super Connected project, please visit: http://superconnected.technology/ Intro and outro music written and performed by Tim Arnold. Taken from the album 'The Soho Hobo' © TA Music 2015-2026. 

This week's book guest is Muckle Flugga by Michael Pederson.Sara and Cariad are joined by prize-winning Scottish poet and author, Michael Pederson. Michael is the current Edinburgh Makar and Writer in Residence at The University of Edinburgh, he also co-founded the prize-winning literary collective Neu! Reekie!In this episode they discuss Stephen Fry, rivers, vocabulary, Robert Louis Stevenson, writing retreats, Jack Lowden and Salman Rushdie. Thank you for reading with us. We like reading with you!Muckle Flugga by Michael Pederson is available here.Follow Sara & Cariad's Weirdos Book Club on Instagram @saraandcariadsweirdosbookclub and Twitter @weirdosbookclubTickets for Sara's tour show I Am A Strange Gloop are available to buy from sarapascoe.co.ukCariad's children's book Lydia Marmalade and the Christmas Wish is out in paperback here now. Recorded and edited by Naomi Parnell for Plosive.Artwork by Welcome Studio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we end the year (and another brilliant series) here's a few of my favourite moments from the show in 2025. Featuring... Mariah Carey, Jason Bateman, Stephen Fry and Dita Von Tease. Thanks for listening and see you in January 2026 for a new series. Thanks and lots of love - Alan xxx Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Piya Chattopadhyay speaks with reporter Ana Vanessa Herrero, Lulu Garcia-Navarro from The New York Times, and University of Ottawa's Roland Paris about the bigger implications of U.S. strikes on Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás MaduroLexicographer Susie Dent resurfaces old words you didn't know you needed to sum up our modern timesActor, author and director Stephen Fry reimagines ancient Greek mythsPsychology professor Dacher Keltner and workplace culture strategist Jennifer Moss discuss the benefits of cultivating awe

This is not the typical "Christmas message" you might expect the last Sunday before Christmas, but it is in the truest sense of what the birth of Jesus means from a biblical perspective. The day that God the Father took on a human form and came to this Earth to redeem His own creation is perhaps the greatest day in recorded history, second only to His arrival at the Second Advent to establish His Millennial Reign of perfect rule and righteousness. Today you will hear about the renowned atheist Stephen Fry and his accusations against the God he calls 'a monster'. What we find is the exact opposite, we find a God in love with His creation and willing to sacrifice Himself to redeem it. Herein is love.

Want to support the podcast? Join our Patreon or buy us a coffee. As an independent podcast, Shakespeare Anyone? is supported by listeners like you. Back in 2021, we recorded our second ever wrap-up episode for our second play series: Twelfth Night. We both watched two versions of Twelfth Night: Trevor Nunn's 1996 film and She's the Man, then we also each watched an additional version. Kourtney watched the The Globe's 2012 production starring Mark Rylance, and Elyse watched National Theatre's 2017 production featuring Tamsin Greig.  But then, tragedy struck when Kourtney went to edit the episode! The audio files for the majority of the episode were corrupted and could not be used. The only usable audio was the portion of our conversation about She's the Man. So, we released what we could as our "Twelfth Night: Wrap Up" episode.  Since that day, we've dreamed about going back and revisiting the three productions that were lost to technological issues. Today, we are so excited to revisit those productions and share our 2025 thoughts with you.  Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. For updates: Join our email list Follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod Visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com Support the podcast: Become a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone  Buy us a coffee Bookshop.org: Since 2020, Bookshop.org has raised more than $38 million for independent bookstores. Shop our Shakespeare Anyone? storefront to find books featured on the podcast, books by our guests, and other Shakespeare-related books and gifts. Every purchase on the site financially supports independent bookstores. Libro.fm: Libro.fm makes it possible to purchase audiobooks through your local bookshop of choice. Use our link for 2 free audiobooks when you sign up for a new Libro.fm membership using our link. Find additional links mentioned in the episode in our Linktree. Works referenced: Carroll, Tim, director. Twelfth Night: Live from Shakespeare's Globe. Performance by Stephen Fry, and Mark Rylance, Electric Sky, 2012. Godwin, Simon, director. Twelfth Night. Performance by Tamsin Grieg, et al., National Theatre at Home, 2017, https://www.ntathome.com/products/twelfth-night. Accessed 2025. Nunn, Trevor, director. Twelfth Night; or What You Will. Performance by Imogen Stubbs, Helena Bonham Carter, and Ben Kingsley. Entertainment in Video, 1996.        

A collection of some of the best stories from our My Christmas Time Capsule episodes from Christmas's past! Part 1 features Stephen Fry, Jan Ravens, Andrew Hunter Murray, Emma Kennedy, John O'Farrel, Joe Pasquale, Cheryl Baker, Ted Robbins, Ellie White and Michael Simkins.Follow My Time Capsule on Instagram: @mytimecapsulepodcast & Twitter/X & Facebook: @MyTCpod .Follow Michael Fenton Stevens on Twitter/X: @fentonstevens & Instagram @mikefentonstevens .Produced and edited by John Fenton-Stevens for Cast Off Productions .Music by Pass The Peas Music .Artwork by matthewboxall.com .This podcast is proud to be associated with the charity Viva! Providing theatrical opportunities for hundreds of young people .To support this podcast, get all episodes ad-free and a bonus episode every Wednesday of "My Time Capsule The Debrief', please sign up here - https://mytimecapsule.supercast.com. All money goes straight into the making of the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We look back at our favourite moments from 2025 and beyond - including Guy McKenna, a husband-calling competition, Dange's intervention, JB and Billy's retirement stories, Stephen Fry, stupid rules, Billy butchering a Eurasian country's name, Steven Baker reliving Sirengate, NZ Golf Pro Daniel Hillier, and Billy's Wrinkliest JokeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Granger rarely listens to audio adaptations of books unless he's on a long drive, though he admits they have played an important part in his life as a reader.Nick Jeffery listens to audio books everyday and often for hours at a time; he credits the medium for his mid-life rebirth as a reader (re-reader!).Zossima Granger, writer in residence at ProtagonistBook.com (Give the gift of an unforgettable story!) and host of Teller Talk interview series at Zossima's Story Stack Substack page, cannot remember a time when Harry Potter and audio books were not an important part of his life. He like Nick listens to one book per week or more.So — what do these Potter Pundits and Serious Strikers think of the new Audible ‘Full Cast Audio' (FCA) unabridged dramatization of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which in the UK and Commonwealth nations is Philosopher's Stone?They loved it! No, the adaptation wasn't perfect, and, yes, there are a few jarring miscues and disappointments. As they explain in their ten point discussion of their experience listening to the Audible production, however, there's reason to be very excited about this audio version of the first Potter novel and the six promised FCA dramatizations.Nick lays out the audio adaptation history of the Hogwarts Saga, to include, in addition to the background of the new FCA books, the Stephen Fry and Jim Dale legacies. And then he asks the questions below!* What is your relationship with audio books? Are you a frequent listener?* Were the Fry/Dale Potter adaptations an important part of your experience of the Hogwarts Saga?* Did you listen to the ‘full cast audio' adaptation of Christmas Pig? Other books?* What were your expectations -- fears and hopes -- for the Sorcerer's Stone full cast audio adaptation?* What was the biggest surprise you experienced in your first listening?* Which of the voice actors brought out a different dimension of the text than you expected?* What is your favorite scene in Stone and was the full cast audio depiction of it a delight or a disappointment?* Fry, Dale, or Full Cast: will you listen to all three versions in the future? Do you have a strong preference?* Thumbs up or down: one to five stars, please, for the Audible production and your biggest grins and gripes.* What changes do you hope the producers will make before they release the next six adaptations?Please join in the conversation by sharing your answers to these questions in the comment boxes below. What is your relationship with books you listen to rather than read? What do think of the new FCA dramatization?And, when you've made your contribution to this conversation and you'd like more conversation between Nick Jeffery and Zossima Granger for dessert, check out Teller Talk #4, ‘Harry Potter and the Skill of Reading'! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hogwartsprofessor.substack.com/subscribe

Download My Top 20 Books Every Man Needs To Read:https://books.menofearth.co.uk/Join The Mens Online Community:https://www.menofearth.co.uk/innercircleGeorge Thompson is a filmmaker, teacher, and founder of Balance is Possible!— a 15-person team on a mission to inspire balance for people and planet. His films and teachings have touched over 25 million people and he is supported by renowned changemakers including Dr. Jane Goodall, Louie Schwartzberg, Tara Brach, Stephen Fry and many more.Drawing from years of deep study in the Wudang Mountains of China, George blends ancient wisdom with modern science, translating it into fun, practical tools for overcoming the challenges of modern life.Once plagued by anxiety and a sense of disconnection, George's journey led him from pain to purpose. With playful kindness, George helps people to do the same: to awaken their potential. Balance is Possible!====== GEORGE =====IG ▶ https://www.instagram.com/george.thompson._/WEBSITE ▶ https://www.balanceispossible.com/YOUTUBE ▶ https://www.youtube.com/@George-Thompson====== CHRIS GEISLER ======WEBSITE ▶ thechrisgeisler.comMENS WORK ▶ www.menofearth.co.ukCOACHING ▶ www.menofearth.co.uk/coachingMENS COMMUNITY ▶ www.menofearth.co.uk/innercircle====== SUPPORT ======Support The Podcast: www.patreon.com/thechrisgeislerTelegram: https://t.me/thechrisgeislerpodcast

Terry Wogan, Stephen Fry, Darth Vader, a cub and a lion. From Darth Maul to Brian Butterfield, he's the man with many many voices and we hear just about all of them in this episode! Want the episodes ad free AND extra content from Mel and the guests, PLUS everything from the Kathy Burke archive? 6 Feet Under gets knee deep in all your cracking correspondence. Head to wheretheresawilltheresawake.com to subscribe. AND If you've got a story for us, send it over to mel@deathpodcast.co.uk A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We chat with Alex Duffy who as Head of AI Training at Every Consulting run an amazing project where different AI models competed against each other in Diplomacy. Plus we discuss the upcoming Australian Open tournament. Intro The guys introduce the show and Gavin flags he'll be moving further away from Ken, so the show will become more online than face-to-face  (0 mins 15 secs) Interview with Alex Duffy They introduce the interview with Alex from Every Consulting and GoodStartLabs about different AI models playing against each other in Diplomacy (4 mins) The interview kicks off with Alex discussing the research project he ran at Every Consulting where various AI Large Language Models (LLMs) competed against each other in Diplomacy (6 mins 45 secs) Gavin asks Alex how he got into Diplomacy originally (9 mins 50 secs) They discuss the thinking behind the project. During his answer he mentions the Twitch stream of the AI models playing against each other - you can view this on their AI Diplomacy Twitch channel (11 mins 15 secs) They look at how data should be structured and presented to the LLMs (15 mins 45 secs) Alex talks about the different style of play adopted by each LLM - you can read their summary on the Every Consulting AI page (18 mins 45 secs) Gavin asks about how different models approached strategy nnd iterative training of the models so they learn from how they perform in games (24 mins) Gavin reflects on how he sometimes plays in cycles of play (32 mins) They discuss why the game Diplomacy keeps being used researched in the AI space (34 mins) Alex introduces his lates project: The Battle of Bots. You can find out more and register your interest on their Battle of the Bots web page (40 mins 30 secs) They reflect on the newer generations of players bringing their enhanced technology experience to the game (45 mins) Alex asks Gavin and Ken what they've learned from playing Diplomacy to apply to real life (48 mins 30 secs) Gavin asks Alex whether he plans to get more into playing Diplomacy face to face (53 mins 45 secs) Alex discusses other games he's interested in getting into more (57 mins) Just a reminder, you can find out more and register your interest on their Battle of the Bots web page (1 hr 0 mins) Ken suggests some games he feels would be appropriate to research. Alex provides his email address to hear listener's suggestions on other games ot look into (1 hr 2 mins) They begin wrapping up the interiew (1 hr 5 mins 30 secs) The guys reflect on the chat (1 hr 7 mins) Diplomacy Chat Gavin is off to compete in the Australian Open, being hosted the weekend of 21 to 23 November. Plus they talk about the Bismark Cup  (1 hr 23 mins) After some tangental talk, they return full circle to the Australian Open. Gavin mentions doing some recordings when not playing, however, with his house move he can't find the recorder which is packed somewhere (1 hr 33 mins) They discuss getting and staying in the right zone, and reflect on Mitchell and Webb's the Inebriati sketch (1 hr 37 mins 30 secs) Gavin incorrectly cites Mitchell and Webb again, but it is actually Stephen Fry and Hugh Lawrie's Treaty of Westphalia sketch (1 hr 39 mins 30 secs) The guys start wrapping up the show (1 hr 40 mins) Venue: At home Drinks for the interview: Gavin: Proximo tempranillo from Rioja, Spain Ken: Poet's Country Crisp lager from Yenda, NSW Just a reminder you can support the show by giving it 5 stars on iTunes or Stitcher. And don't forget if you want to help pay off the audio equipment... or buy the guys a drink, you can also donate at Patreon, plus you get extra podcast episodes! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe so you get the latest Diplomacy Games episodes straight to your phone. Thanks as always to Dr Dan aka "The General" for his rockin' intro tune.

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to James Payne (@GreatArtExplained) James Payne is a writer, curator and YouTuber, known for demystifying art via his popular YouTube channel Great Art Explained. His newly released book, Great Art Explained: The Stories Behind the World's Greatest Masterpieces, brings that same clarity to the printed page. It explores 30 iconic works — from Botticelli's Birth of Venus to Monet's Water Lilies and Georgia O'Keeffe's Jimson Weed — unpacking not only their visual features but also the artists' lives and social context. Payne's style is refreshingly jargon-free: he explains what makes each piece “great” through clear storytelling and insight. Stephen Fry has called the book “an instant classic.” For more information on the Great Art Explained: The Stories Behind the World's Greatest Masterpieces go towww.welbooks.co.uk/shop/p/great-art-explained-the-stories-behind-the-worlds-greatest-masterpieces-by-james-payne-signed To Support this podcast from as little as £3 per month: www.patreon/ministryofarts For full line up of confirmed artists go to www.ministryofarts.co.ukEmail: ministryofartsorg@gmail.comSocial Media: @ministryofartsorg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

KT Tunstall joins Alan Carr on Life's a Beach for an episode bursting with brilliant stories - from celebrating 20 years of Eye to the Telescope, to her globe-trotting adventures, and some seriously adventurous eating! We've got dogs, holidays, albums, a tour bus, a musical, romance on the slopes, and celebrating Alan's villain era… Buckle up - this one's a joy.

An extract of the final episode of the five-part series dramatising Great Ashes Tests of the past. This episode revisits the epic series of 1981 - Botham's Ashes - featuring interviews with Botham, Bob Willis, Mike Brearley and David Lloyd and is narrated by Stephen Fry. To listen to the full episode and for more exclusive content join the Cricverse https://cricverse.substack.com/p/great-ashes-tests-ep5-the-miracle?r=lo2wd #ashes #botham #miracle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fourth episode of Great Ashes mini-series telling the story of Donald Bradman and his 1948 'Invincibles' and how they sought to obliterate every English team in their path, and virtually did so. Also tells how Bradman himself became immortalised with his insatiable desire and his incredible Test average of 99.94 and his orchestration of the greatest run-chase in the history of the game. For the final part of this series on Botham's Ashes, narrated by Stephen Fry, and our daily Ashes reports, subscribe to The Cricverse https://cricverse.substack.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does it take to keep your voice—and your purpose—strong through every season of life? In this episode of Unstoppable Mindset, I sit down with my friend Bill Ratner, one of Hollywood's most recognized voice actors, best known as Flint from GI Joe. Bill's voice has carried him through radio, animation, and narration, but what stands out most is how he's used that same voice to serve others through storytelling, teaching, and grief counseling. Together, we explore the heart behind his work—from bringing animated heroes to life to standing on The Moth stage and helping people find healing through poetry. Bill shares lessons from his own journey, including losing both parents early, finding family in unexpected places, and discovering how creative expression can rebuild what life breaks down. We also reflect on 9/11, preparedness, and the quiet confidence that comes from trusting your training—whether you're a first responder, a performer, or just navigating the unknown. This conversation isn't just about performance; it's about presence. It's about using your story, your craft, and your compassion to keep moving forward—unstoppable, one voice at a time. Highlights: 00:31 – Hear the Flint voice and what it takes to bring animated characters to life. 06:57 – Learn why an uneven college path still led to a lifelong acting career. 11:50 – Understand how GI Joe became a team and a toy phenomenon that shaped culture. 15:58 – See how comics and cartoons boosted classroom literacy when used well. 17:06 – Pick up simple ways parents can spark reading through shared stories. 19:29 – Discover how early, honest conversations about death can model resilience. 24:09 – Learn to critique ads and media like a pro to sharpen your own performance. 36:19 – Follow the pivot from radio to voiceover and why specialization pays. 47:48 – Hear practical editing approaches and accessible tools that keep shows tight. 49:38 – Learn how The Moth builds storytelling chops through timed, judged practice. 55:21 – See how poetry—and poetry therapy—support grief work with students. 59:39 – Take notes on memoir writing, emotional management, and one-person shows. About the Guest: Bill Ratner is one of America's best known voice actors and author of poetry collections Lamenting While Doing Laps in the Lake (Slow Lightning Lit 2024,) Fear of Fish (Alien Buddha Press 2021,) To Decorate a Casket (Finishing Line Press 2021,) and the non-fiction book Parenting For The Digital Age: The Truth Behind Media's Effect On Children and What To Do About It (Familius Books 2014.) He is a 9-time winner of the Moth StorySLAM, 2-time winner of Best of The Hollywood Fringe Extension Award for Solo Performance, Best of the Net Poetry Nominee 2023 (Lascaux Review,) and New Millennium "America One Year From Now" Writing Award Finalist. His writing appears in Best Small Fictions 2021 (Sonder Press,) Missouri Review (audio,) Baltimore Review, Chiron Review, Feminine Collective, and other journals. He is the voice of "Flint" in the TV cartoon G.I. Joe, "Donnell Udina" in the computer game Mass Effect, the voice of Air Disasters on Smithsonian Channel, NewsNation, and network TV affiliates across the country. He is a committee chair for his union, SAG-AFTRA, teaches Voiceovers for SAG-AFTRA Foundation, Media Awareness for Los Angeles Unified School District, and is a trained grief counsellor. Member: Actors Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild-AFTRA, National Storytelling Network • https://billratner.com • @billratner Ways to connect with Bill: https://soundcloud.com/bill-ratner https://www.instagram.com/billratner/ https://twitter.com/billratner https://www.threads.net/@billratner https://billratner.tumblr.com https://www.youtube.com/@billratner/videos https://www.facebook.com/billratner.voiceover.author https://bsky.app/profile/bilorat.bsky.social About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Well on a gracious hello to you, wherever you may be, I am your host. Mike hingson, and you are listening to unstoppable mindset. Today, we get to have a voice actor, person, Bill Ratner, who you want to know who Bill Radnor is, go back and watch the old GI Joe cartoons and listen to the voice of Flint.   Bill Ratner ** 01:42 All right. Lady Jay, you better get your battle gear on, because Cobra is on their way. And I can't bring up the Lacher threat weapon system. We got to get out of here. Yo, Joe,   Michael Hingson ** 01:52 there you go. I rest my case Well, Bill, welcome to unstoppable mindset.   Bill Ratner ** 02:00 We can't rest now. Michael, we've just begun. No, we've just begun.   Michael Hingson ** 02:04 We got to keep going here. Well, I'm really glad that you're here. Bill is another person who we inveigled to get on unstoppable mindset with the help of Walden Hughes. And so that means we can talk about Walden all we want today. Bill just saying, oh goodness. And I got a lot to say. Let me tell you perfect, perfect. Bring it on. So we are really grateful to Walden, although I hope he's not listening. We don't want to give him a big head. But no, seriously, we're really grateful. Ah, good point.   Bill Ratner ** 02:38 But his posture, oddly enough, is perfect.   Michael Hingson ** 02:40 Well, there you go. What do you do? He practiced. Well, anyway, we're glad you're here. Tell us about the early bill, growing up and all that stuff. It's always fun to start a good beginning.   Bill Ratner ** 02:54 Well, I was a very lucky little boy. I was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1947 to two lovely people, professionals, both with master's degree out at University of Chicago. My mother was a social worker. My father had an MBA in business. He was managing editor of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. So I had the joy of living in a better home and living in a garden.   Michael Hingson ** 03:21 My mother. How long were you in Des Moines?   Bill Ratner ** 03:24 Five and a half years left before my sixth birthday. My dad got a fancy job at an ad agency in Minneapolis, and had a big brother named Pete and big handsome, curly haired boy with green eyes. And moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and was was brought up there.   Michael Hingson ** 03:45 Wow. So you went to school there and and chased the girls and all that stuff.   Bill Ratner ** 03:54 I went to school there at Blake School for Boys in Hopkins, Minnesota. Couldn't chase the girls day school, but the girls we are allowed to dance with certainly not chase. Michael was at woodhue dancing school, the Northrop girls from Northrop girls school and the Blake boys were put together in eighth grade and taught the Cha Cha Cha, the waltz, the Charleston, and we danced together, and the girls wore white gloves, and we sniffed their perfume, and we all learned how to be lovers when we were 45   Michael Hingson ** 04:37 There you are. Well, as long as you learned at some point, that's a good start.   Bill Ratner ** 04:44 It's a weird generation. Michael,   Michael Hingson ** 04:46 I've been to Des Moines before. I was born in Chicago, but moved out to California when I was five, but I did some work with the National Federation of the Blind in the mid 19. 1970s 1976 into 1978 so spent time at the Iowa Commission for the Blind in Des Moines, which became a top agency for the Blind in well, the late 50s into the to the 60s and so on. So   Bill Ratner ** 05:15 both my parents are from Chicago. My father from the south side of Chicago, 44th and Kenzie, which was a Irish, Polish, Italian, Jewish, Ukrainian neighborhood. And my mother from Glencoe, which was a middle class suburb above Northwestern University in Evanston.   Michael Hingson ** 05:34 I Where were you born? 57th and union, north, south side, no, South   Bill Ratner ** 05:42 57th union is that? Is that west of Kenzie?   Michael Hingson ** 05:46 You know, I don't remember the geography well enough to know, but I know that it was, I think, Mount Sinai Hospital where I was born. But it was, it's, it's, it's a pretty tough neighborhood today. So I understand,   Bill Ratner ** 06:00 yeah, yeah, my it was tough, then it's tough now,   Michael Hingson ** 06:03 yeah, I think it's tougher, supposedly, than it was. But we lived there for five years, and then we we moved to California, and I remember some things about Chicago. I remember walking down to the local candy store most days, and had no problem doing that. My parents were told they should shut me away at a home somewhere, because no blind child could ever grow up to amount to anything. And my parents said, You guys are you're totally wrong. And they brought me up with that attitude. So, you   Bill Ratner ** 06:32 know who said that the school says school so that   Michael Hingson ** 06:35 doctors doctors when they discovered I was blind with the   Bill Ratner ** 06:38 kid, goodness gracious, horrified.   Michael Hingson ** 06:44 Well, my parents said absolutely not, and they brought me up, and they actually worked with other parents of premature kids who became blind, and when kindergarten started in for us in in the age of four, they actually had a special kindergarten class for blind kids at the Perry School, which is where I went. And so I did that for a year, learn braille and some other things. Then we moved to California, but yeah, and I go back to Chicago every so often. And when I do nowadays, they I one of my favorite places to migrate in Chicago is Garrett Popcorn.   Bill Ratner ** 07:21 Ah, yes, with caramel corn, regular corn, the   Michael Hingson ** 07:25 Chicago blend, which is a mixture, yeah, the Chicago blend is cheese corn, well, as it is with caramel corn, and they put much other mozzarella on it as well. It's really good.   Bill Ratner ** 07:39 Yeah, so we're on the air. Michael, what do you call your what do you call your program? Here I am your new friend, and I can't even announce your program because I don't know   Michael Hingson ** 07:48 the name, unstoppable mindset. This   Bill Ratner ** 07:51 is unstoppable mindset.   Michael Hingson ** 07:56 We're back. Well, we're back already. We're fast. So you, you, you moved off elsewhere, out of Des Moines and all that. And where did you go to college?   Bill Ratner ** 08:09 Well, this is like, why did you this is, this is a bit like talking about the Vietnam War. Looking back on my college career is like looking back on the Vietnam War series, a series of delusions and defeats. By the time I the time i for college, by the time I was applying for college, I was an orphan, orphan, having been born to fabulous parents who died too young of natural causes. So my grades in high school were my mediocre. I couldn't get into the Ivy Leagues. I got into the big 10 schools. My stepmother said, you're going to Michigan State in East Lansing because your cousin Eddie became a successful realtor. And Michigan State was known as mu u it was the most successful, largest agriculture college and university in the country. Kids from South Asia, China, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, South America all over the world came to Michigan State to study agricultural sciences, children of rich farmers all over the world and middle class farmers all over the world, and a huge police science department. Part of the campus was fenced off, and the young cadets, 1819, 20 years old, would practice on the rest of the student body, uniformed with hats and all right, excuse me, young man, we're just going to get some pizza at eight o'clock on Friday night. Stand against your car. Hands in your car. I said, Are you guys practicing again? Shut up and spread your legs. So that was that was Michigan State, and even though both my parents had master's degrees, I just found all the diversions available in the 1960s to be too interesting, and was not invited. Return after my sophomore year, and in order to flunk out of a big 10 University, and they're fine universities, all of them, you have to be either really determined or not so smart, not really capable of doing that level of study in undergraduate school. And I'd like to think that I was determined. I used to show up for my exams with a little blue book, and the only thing I would write is due to lack of knowledge, I am unable to complete this exam, sign Bill ranter and get up early and hand it in and go off. And so what was, what was left for a young man like that was the theater I'd seen the great Zero Mostel when I was 14 years old and on stage live, he looked just like my father, and he was funny, and if I Were a rich man, and that's the grade zero must tell. Yeah, and it took about five, no, it took about six, seven years to percolate inside my bread and my brain. In high school, I didn't want to do theater. The cheerleaders and guys who I had didn't happen to be friends with or doing theater. I took my girlfriends to see plays, but when I was 21 I started acting, and I've been an actor ever since. I'm a committee chair on the screen actors guild in Hollywood and Screen Actors Guild AFTRA, and work as a voice actor and collect my pensions and God bless the union.   Michael Hingson ** 11:44 Well, hey, as long as it works and you're making progress, you know you're still with it, right?   Bill Ratner ** 11:53 That's the that's the point. There's no accounting for taste in my business. Michael, you work for a few different broadcast entities at my age. And it's, you know, it's younger people. It's 18 to 3418 years to 34 years old is the ideal demographic for advertisers, Ford, Motor Company, Dove soap, Betty, Crocker, cake mixes and cereals, every conceivable product that sold online or sold on television and radio. This is my this is my meat, and I don't work for religion. However, if a religious organization calls, I call and say, I I'm not, not qualified or not have my divinity degree in order to sell your church to the public?   Michael Hingson ** 12:46 Yeah, yeah. Well, I, I can understand that. But you, you obviously do a lot, and as we talked about, you were Flint and GI Joe, which is kind of cool.   Bill Ratner ** 13:01 Flynn GI Joe was very cool. Hasbro Corporation, which was based in Providence, Rhode Island, had a huge success with GI Joe, the figure. The figure was about 11 and a half inches tall, like a Barbie, and was at first, was introduced to the public after the Korean War. There is a comic book that was that was also published about GI Joe. He was an individual figure. He was a figure, a sort of mythic cartoon figure during World War Two, GI Joe, generic American soldier, fighting man and but the Vietnam war dragged on for a long time, and the American buying public or buying kids toys got tired of GI Joe, got tired of a military figure in their household and stopped buying. And when Nixon ended the Vietnam War, or allotted to finish in 1974 Hasbro was in the tank. It's got its stock was cheap, and executives are getting nervous. And then came the Great George Lucas in Star Wars, who shrank all these action figures down from 11 and a half inches to three and a half inches, and went to China and had Chinese game and toy makers make Star Wars toys, and began to earn billions and billions dollars. And so Hasbro said, let's turn GI Joe into into a team. And the team began with flint and Lady J and Scarlett and Duke and Destro and cover commander, and grew to 85 different characters, because Hasbro and the toy maker partners could create 85 different sets of toys and action figures. So I was actor in this show and had a good time, and also a purveyor of a billion dollar industry of American toys. And the good news about these toys is I was at a conference where we signed autographs the voice actors, and we have supper with fans and so on. And I was sitting next to a 30 year old kid and his parents. And this kid was so knowledgeable about pop culture and every conceivable children's show and animated show that had ever been on the screen or on television. I turned to his mother and sort of being a wise acre, said, So ma'am, how do you feel about your 30 year old still playing with GI Joe action figures? And she said, Well, he and I both teach English in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania school system, and last year, the literacy level of my ninth graders was 50% 50% of those kids could not read in ninth grade. So I asked the principal if I could borrow my son's GI Joe, action figures, comic books and VHS tapes, recordings of the shows from TV. And he said, Sure, whatever you want to try. And so she did, and she played the video tapes, and these kids were thrilled. They'd never seen a GI Joe cartoon in class before. Passed out the comic books, let him read comics. And then she said, Okay, you guys. And passed out notebooks and pens and pencils, and said, I want you guys to make up some some shows, some GI Joe shows. And so they said, Yeah, we're ready. All right, Cobra, you better get into the barber shop, because the barber bill is no longer there and the fire engines are in the way. And wait a minute, there's a dog in the street. And so they're making this up, using their imagination, doing their schoolwork, by coming up with scenarios, imaginary fam fan fiction for GI Joe and she raised the literacy level in her classroom by 50% that year, by the end of that year, so, so that was the only story that I've ever heard about the sort of the efficacy of GI Joe, other than, you know, kids play with them. Do they? Are they shooting each other all the time? I certainly hope not. I hope not. Are they using the action figures? Do they strip their guns off and put them in a little, you know, stub over by the side and and have them do physical battle with each other, or have them hump the woods, or have them climb the stairs, or have them search the trees. Who knows what kids do? Same with same with girls and and Barbies. Barbie has been a source of fun and creativity for lots of girls, and the source of of worry and bother to a lot of parents as   Michael Hingson ** 17:54 well. Well, at the same time, though, when kids start to react and relate to some of these things. It's, it's pretty cool. I mean, look what's happened with the whole Harry Potter movement and craze. Harry Potter has probably done more in the last 20 or 25 years to promote reading for kids than most anything else, and   Bill Ratner ** 18:17 that's because it's such a good series of books. I read them to my daughters, yeah. And the quality of writing. She was a brilliant writer, not only just the stories and the storytelling, which is fun to watch in the movies, and you know, it's great for a parent to read. If there are any parents listening, I don't care how old your kids are. I don't care if they're 15. Offer to read to them. The 15 year old might, of course, say mom, but anybody younger than that might say either, all right, fine, which is, which means you better do it or read, read a book. To me, sure, it's fun for the parent, fun for the kid, and it makes the child a completely different kind of thinker and worker and earner.   Michael Hingson ** 19:05 Well, also the people who they got to read the books for the recordings Stephen Fry and in the US here, Jim Dale did such an incredible job as well. I've, I've read the whole Harry Potter series more than once, because I just enjoy them, and I enjoy listening to the the voices. They do such a good job. Yeah. And of course, for me, one of the interesting stories that I know about Jim Dale reading Harry Potter was since it was published by Scholastic he was actually scheduled to do a reading from one of the Harry from the new Harry Potter book that was coming out in 2001 on September 11, he was going to be at Scholastic reading. And of course, that didn't happen because of of everything that did occur. So I don't know whether I'm. I'm assuming at some point a little bit later, he did, but still he was scheduled to be there and read. But it they are there. They've done so much to help promote reading, and a lot of those kinds of cartoons and so on. Have done some of that, which is, which is pretty good. So it's good to, you know, to see that continue to happen. Well, so you've written several books on poetry and so on, and I know that you you've mentioned more than once grief and loss. How come those words keep coming up?   Bill Ratner ** 20:40 Well, I had an unusual childhood. Again. I mentioned earlier how, what a lucky kid I was. My parents were happy, educated, good people, not abusers. You know, I don't have a I don't have horror stories to tell about my mother or my father, until my mother grew sick with breast cancer and and it took about a year and a half or two years to die when I was seven years old. The good news is, because she was a sensitive, educated social worker, as she was actually dying, she arranged a death counseling session with me and my older brother and the Unitarian minister who was also a death counselor, and whom she was seeing to talk about, you know, what it was like to be dying of breast cancer with two young kids. And at this session, which was sort of surprised me, I was second grade, came home from school. In the living room was my mother and my brother looking a little nervous, and Dr Carl storm from the Unitarian Church, and she said, you know, Dr storm from church, but he's also my therapist. And we talk about my illness and how I feel, and we talk about how much I love you boys, and talk about how I worry about Daddy. And this is what one does when one is in crisis. That was a moment that was not traumatic for me. It's a moment I recalled hundreds of times, and one that has been a guiding light through my life. My mother's death was very difficult for my older brother, who was 13 who grew up in World War Two without without my father, it was just him and my mother when he was off in the Pacific fighting in World War Two. And then I was born after the war. And the loss of a mother in a family is like the bottom dropping out of a family. But luckily, my dad met a woman he worked with a highly placed advertising executive, which was unusual for a female in the 1950s and she became our stepmother a year later, and we had some very lovely, warm family years with her extended family and our extended family and all of us together until my brother got sick, came down with kidney disease a couple of years before kidney dialysis was invented, and a couple of years before kidney transplants were done, died at 19. Had been the captain of the swimming team at our high school, but did a year in college out in California and died on Halloween of 1960 my father was 51 years old. His eldest son had died. He had lost his wife six years earlier. He was working too hard in the advertising industry, successful man and dropped out of a heart attack 14th birthday. Gosh, I found him unconscious on the floor of our master bathroom in our house. So my life changed. I My life has taught me many, many things. It's taught me how the defense system works in trauma. It's taught me the resilience of a child. It's taught me the kindness of strangers. It's taught me the sadness of loss.   Michael Hingson ** 24:09 Well, you, you seem to come through all of it pretty well. Well, thank you. A question behind that, just an observation, but, but you do seem to, you know, obviously, cope with all of it and do pretty well. So you, you've always liked to be involved in acting and so on. How did you actually end up deciding to be a voice actor?   Bill Ratner ** 24:39 Well, my dad, after he was managing editor of Better Homes and Gardens magazine in Des Moines for Meredith publishing, got offered a fancy job as executive vice president of the flower and mix division for Campbell within advertising and later at General Mills Corporation. From Betty Crocker brand, and would bring me to work all the time, and would sit with me, and we'd watch the wonderful old westerns that were on prime time television, rawhide and Gunsmoke and the Virginian and sure   Michael Hingson ** 25:15 and all those. Yeah, during   Bill Ratner ** 25:17 the commercials, my father would make fun of the commercials. Oh, look at that guy. And number one, son, that's lousy acting. Number two, listen to that copy. It's the dumbest ad copy I've ever seen. The jingles and and then he would say, No, that's a good commercial, right there. And he wasn't always negative. He would he was just a good critic of advertising. So at a very young age, starting, you know, when we watch television, I think the first television ever, he bought us when I was five years old, I was around one of the most educated, active, funny, animated television critics I could hope to have in my life as a 56789, 1011, 12 year old. And so when I was 12, I became one of the founding members of the Brotherhood of radio stations with my friends John Waterhouse and John Barstow and Steve gray and Bill Connors in South Minneapolis. I named my five watt night kit am transmitter after my sixth grade teacher, Bob close this is wclo stereo radio. And when I was in sixth grade, I built myself a switch box, and I had a turntable and I had an intercom, and I wired my house for sound, as did all the other boys in the in the B, O, R, S, and that's brotherhood of radio stations. And we were guests on each other's shows, and we were obsessed, and we would go to the shopping malls whenever a local DJ was making an appearance and torture him and ask him dumb questions and listen obsessively to American am radio. And at the time for am radio, not FM like today, or internet on your little radio tuner, all the big old grandma and grandpa radios, the wooden ones, were AM, for amplitude modulated. You could get stations at night, once the sun went down and the later it got, the ionosphere would lift and the am radio signals would bounce higher and farther. And in Minneapolis, at age six and seven, I was able to to listen to stations out of Mexico and Texas and Chicago, and was absolutely fascinated with with what was being put out. And I would, I would switch my brother when I was about eight years old, gave me a transistor radio, which I hid under my bed covers. And at night, would turn on and listen for, who knows, hours at a time, and just tuning the dial and tuning the dial from country to rock and roll to hit parade to news to commercials to to agric agriculture reports to cow crossings in Kansas and grain harvesting and cheese making in Wisconsin, and on and on and on that made up the great medium of radio that was handing its power and its business over to television, just as I was growing As a child. Fast, fascinating transition   Michael Hingson ** 28:18 and well, but as it was transitioning, how did that affect you?   Bill Ratner ** 28:26 It made television the romantic, exciting, dynamic medium. It made radio seem a little limited and antiquated, and although I listened for environment and wasn't able to drag a television set under my covers. Yeah, and television became memorable with with everything from actual world war two battle footage being shown because there wasn't enough programming to 1930s Warner Brothers gangster movies with James Cagney, Edward G   Michael Hingson ** 29:01 Robinson and yeah   Bill Ratner ** 29:02 to all the sitcoms, Leave It to Beaver and television cartoons and on and on and on. And the most memorable elements to me were the personalities, and some of whom were invisible. Five years old, I was watching a Kids program after school, after kindergarten. We'll be back with more funny puppets, marionettes after this message and the first words that came on from an invisible voice of this D baritone voice, this commercial message will be 60 seconds long, Chrysler Dodge for 1954 blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I watched hypnotized, hypnotized as a 1953 dodge drove across the screen with a happy family of four waving out the window. And at the end of the commercial, I ran into the kitchen said, Mom, mom, I know what a minute. Is, and it was said, it had suddenly come into my brain in one of those very rare and memorable moments in a person's life where your brain actually speaks to you in its own private language and says, Here is something very new and very true, that 60 seconds is in fact a minute. When someone says, See you in five minutes, they mean five times that, five times as long as that. Chrysler commercial, five times 60. That's 300 seconds. And she said, Did you learn it that that on T in kindergarten? And I said, No, I learned it from kangaroo Bob on TV, his announcer, oh, kangaroo Bob, no, but this guy was invisible. And so at five years of age, I was aware of the existence of the practice of the sound, of the magic of the seemingly unlimited access to facts, figures, products, brand names that these voices had and would say on the air in This sort of majestic, patriarchal way,   Michael Hingson ** 31:21 and just think 20 years later, then you had James Earl Jones,   Bill Ratner ** 31:26 the great dame. James Earl Jones, father was a star on stage at that time the 1950s James Earl Jones came of age in the 60s and became Broadway and off Broadway star.   Michael Hingson ** 31:38 I got to see him in Othello. He was playing Othello. What a powerful performance. It was   Bill Ratner ** 31:43 wonderful performer. Yeah, yeah. I got to see him as Big Daddy in Canada, Hot Tin Roof, ah, live and in person, he got front row seats for me and my family.   Michael Hingson ** 31:53 Yeah, we weren't in the front row, but we saw it. We saw it on on Broadway,   Bill Ratner ** 31:58 the closest I ever got to James Earl Jones. He and I had the same voice over agent, woman named Rita vinari of southern Barth and benare company. And I came into the agency to audition for Doritos, and I hear this magnificent voice coming from behind a closed voiceover booth, saying, with a with a Spanish accent, Doritos. I thought that's James Earl Jones. Why is he saying burritos? And he came out, and he bowed to me, nodded and smiled, and I said, hello and and the agent probably in the booth and shut the door. And she said, I said, that was James Earl Jones. What a voice. What she said, Oh, he's such a nice man. And she said, but I couldn't. I was too embarrassed. I was too afraid to stop him from saying, Doritos. And it turns out he didn't get the gig. So it is some other voice actor got it because he didn't say, had he said Doritos with the agent froze it froze up. That was as close as I ever got to did you get the gig? Oh goodness no,   Michael Hingson ** 33:01 no, you didn't, huh? Oh, well, well, yeah. I mean, it was a very, it was, it was wonderful. It was James Earl Jones and Christopher Plummer played Iago. Oh, goodness, oh, I know. What a what a combination. Well, so you, you did a lot of voiceover stuff. What did you do regarding radio moving forward? Or did you just go completely out of that and you were in TV? Or did you have any opportunity   Bill Ratner ** 33:33 for me to go back at age 15, my brother and father, who were big supporters of my radio. My dad would read my W, C, l, o, newsletter and need an initial, an excellent journalism son and my brother would bring his teenage friends up. He'd play the elderly brothers, man, you got an Elvis record, and I did. And you know, they were, they were big supporters for me as a 13 year old, but when I turned 14, and had lost my brother and my father, I lost my enthusiasm and put all of my radio equipment in a box intended to play with it later. Never, ever, ever did again. And when I was about 30 years old and I'd done years of acting in the theater, having a great time doing fun plays and small theaters in Minneapolis and South Dakota and and Oakland, California and San Francisco. I needed money, so I looked in the want ads and saw a job for telephone sales, and I thought, Well, I used to love the telephone. I used to make phony phone calls to people all the time. Used to call funeral homes. Hi Carson, funeral I help you. Yes, I'm calling to tell you that you have a you have a dark green slate tile. Roof, isn't that correct? Yes. Well, there's, there's a corpse on your roof. Lady for goodness sake, bring it down and we laugh and we record it and and so I thought, Well, gee, I used to have a lot of fun with the phone. And so I called the number of telephone sales and got hired to sell magazine subscriptions and dinner tickets to Union dinners and all kinds of things. And then I saw a new job at a radio station, suburban radio station out in Walnut Creek, California, a lovely Metro BART train ride. And so I got on the BART train, rode out there and walked in for the interview, and was told I was going to be selling small advertising packages on radio for the station on the phone. And so I called barber shops and beauty shops and gas stations in the area, and one guy picked up the phone and said, Wait a minute, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Are you on the radio right now? And I said, No, I'm just I'm in the sales room. Well, maybe you should be. And he slams the phone on me. He didn't want to talk to me anymore. It wasn't interested in buying advertising. I thought, gee. And I told somebody at the station, and they said, Well, you want to be in the radio? And he went, Yeah, I was on the radio when I was 13. And it just so happened that an older fellow was retiring from the 10am to 2pm slot. K I S King, kiss 99 and KD FM, Pittsburgh, California. And it was a beautiful music station. It was a music station. Remember, old enough will remember music that used to play in elevators that was like violin music, the Percy faith orchestra playing a Rolling Stone song here in the elevator. Yes, well, that's exactly what we played. And it would have been harder to get a job at the local rock stations because, you know, they were popular places. And so I applied for the job, and   Michael Hingson ** 37:06 could have lost your voice a lot sooner, and it would have been a lot harder if you had had to do Wolfman Jack. But that's another story.   Bill Ratner ** 37:13 Yeah, I used to listen to Wolf Man Jack. I worked in a studio in Hollywood. He became a studio. Yeah, big time.   Michael Hingson ** 37:22 Anyway, so you you got to work at the muzack station, got   Bill Ratner ** 37:27 to work at the muzack station, and I was moving to Los Angeles to go to a bigger market, to attempt to penetrate a bigger broadcast market. And one of the sales guys, a very nice guy named Ralph pizzella said, Well, when you get to La you should study with a friend of mine down to pie Troy, he teaches voiceovers. I said, What are voice overs? He said, You know that CVS Pharmacy commercial just carted up and did 75 tags, available in San Fernando, available in San Clemente, available in Los Angeles, available in Pasadena. And I said, Yeah. He said, Well, you didn't get paid any extra. You got paid your $165 a week. The guy who did that commercial for the ad agency got paid probably 300 bucks, plus extra for the tags, that's voiceovers. And I thought, why? There's an idea, what a concept. So he gave me the name and number of old friend acquaintance of his who he'd known in radio, named Don DiPietro, alias Johnny rabbit, who worked for the Dick Clark organization, had a big rock and roll station there. He'd come to LA was doing voiceovers and teaching voiceover classes in a little second story storefront out of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles. So I signed up for his class, and he was an experienced guy, and he liked me, and we all had fun, and I realized I was beginning to study like an actor at 1818, who goes to New York or goes to Los Angeles or Chicago or Atlanta or St Louis to act in the big theaters, and starts acting classes and realizes, oh my goodness, these people are truly professionals. I don't know how to do what they do. And so for six years, I took voice over classes, probably 4050, nights a year, and from disc jockeys, from ex show hosts, from actors, from animated cartoon voices, and put enough time in to get a degree in neurology in medical school. And worked my way up in radio in Los Angeles and had a morning show, a lovely show with a wonderful news man named Phil Reed, and we talked about things and reviewed movies and and played a lot of music. And then I realized, wait a minute, I'm earning three times the money in voiceovers as I am on the radio, and I have to get up at 430 in the morning to be on the radio. Uh, and a wonderful guy who was Johnny Carson's staff announcer named Jack angel said, You're not still on radio, are you? And I said, Well, yeah, I'm working in the morning. And Ka big, get out of there. Man, quit. Quit. And I thought, well, how can I quit? I've always wanted to be a radio announcer. And then there was another wonderful guy on the old am station, kmpc, sweet Dick Whittington. Whittington, right? And he said at a seminar that I went to at a union voice over training class, when you wake up at four in the morning and you swing your legs over the bed and your shoes hit the floor, and you put your head in your hands, and you say to yourself, I don't want to do this anymore. That's when you quit radio. Well, that hadn't happened to me. I was just getting up early to write some comedy segments and on and on and on, and then I was driving around town all day doing auditions and rented an ex girlfriend's second bedroom so that I could nap by myself during the day, when I had an hour in and I would as I would fall asleep, I'd picture myself every single day I'm in a dark voiceover studio, a microphone Is before me, a music stand is before the microphone, and on it is a piece of paper with advertising copy on it. On the other side of the large piece of glass of the recording booth are three individuals, my employers, I begin to read, and somehow the text leaps off the page, streams into my eyes, letter for letter, word for word, into a part of my back brain that I don't understand and can't describe. It is processed in my semi conscious mind with the help of voice over training and hope and faith, and comes out my mouth, goes into the microphone, is recorded in the digital recorder, and those three men, like little monkeys, lean forward and say, Wow, how do you do that? That was my daily creative visualization. Michael, that was my daily fantasy. And I had learned that from from Dale Carnegie, and I had learned that from Olympic athletes on NBC TV in the 60s and 70s, when the announcer would say, this young man you're seeing practicing his high jump is actually standing there. He's standing stationary, and the bouncing of the head is he's actually rehearsing in his mind running and running and leaping over the seven feet two inch bar and falling into the sawdust. And now he's doing it again, and you could just barely see the man nodding his head on camera at the exact rhythm that he would be running the 25 yards toward the high bar and leaping, and he raised his head up during the imaginary lead that he was visualizing, and then he actually jumped the seven foot two inches. That's how I learned about creative visualization from NBC sports on TV.   Michael Hingson ** 43:23 Channel Four in Los Angeles. There you go. Well, so you you broke into voice over, and that's what you did.   Bill Ratner ** 43:38 That's what I did, darn it, I ain't stopping now, there's a wonderful old actor named Bill Irwin. There two Bill Irwin's one is a younger actor in his 50s or 60s, a brilliant actor from Broadway to film and TV. There's an older William Irwin. They also named Bill Irwin, who's probably in his 90s now. And I went to a premiere of a film, and he was always showing up in these films as The senile stock broker who answers the phone upside down, or the senile board member who always asks inappropriate questions. And I went up to him and I said, you know, I see you in everything, man. I'm 85 years old. Some friends and associates of mine tell me I should slow down. I only got cast in movies and TV when I was 65 I ain't slowing down. If I tried to slow down at 85 I'd have to stop That's my philosophy. My hero is the great Don Pardo, the late great   Michael Hingson ** 44:42 for Saturday Night Live and Jeopardy   Bill Ratner ** 44:45 lives starring Bill Murray, Gilder Radner, and   Michael Hingson ** 44:49 he died for Jeopardy before that,   Bill Ratner ** 44:52 yeah, died at 92 with I picture him, whether it probably not, with a microphone and. His hand in his in his soundproof booth, in his in his garage, and I believe he lived in Arizona, although the show was aired and taped in New York, New York, right where he worked for for decades as a successful announcer. So that's the story.   Michael Hingson ** 45:16 Michael. Well, you know, I miss, very frankly, some of the the the days of radio back in the 60s and 70s and so on. We had, in LA what you mentioned, Dick Whittington, Dick whittinghill on kmpc, Gary Owens, you know, so many people who were such wonderful announcers and doing some wonderful things, and radio just isn't the same anymore. It's gone. It's   Bill Ratner ** 45:47 gone to Tiktok and YouTube. And the truth is, I'm not gonna whine about Tiktok or YouTube, because some of the most creative moments on camera are being done on Tiktok and YouTube by young quote influencers who hire themselves out to advertisers, everything from lipstick. You know,   Speaker 1 ** 46:09 when I went to a party last night was just wild and but this makeup look, watch me apply this lip remover and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, no, I have no lip.   Bill Ratner ** 46:20 You know, these are the people with the voices. These are the new voices. And then, of course, the faces. And so I would really advise before, before people who, in fact, use the internet. If you use the internet, you can't complain if you use the internet, if you go to Facebook or Instagram, or you get collect your email or Google, this or that, which most of us do, it's handy. You can't complain about tick tock, tick tock, tick tock. You can't complain about tick tock or YouTube, because it's what the younger generation is using, and it's what the younger generation advertisers and advertising executives and creators and musicians and actors are using to parade before us, as Gary Owens did, as Marlon Brando did, as Sarah Bernhardt did in the 19 so as all as you do, Michael, you're a parader. You're the head of the parade. You've been in on your own float for years. I read your your bio. I don't even know why you want to waste a minute talking to me for goodness sakes.   Michael Hingson ** 47:26 You know, the one thing about podcasts that I like over radio, and I did radio at kuci for seven years when I was in school, what I really like about podcasts is they're not and this is also would be true for Tiktok and YouTube. Primarily Tiktok, I would would say it isn't as structured. So if we don't finish in 60 minutes, and we finish in 61 minutes, no one's gonna shoot us.   Bill Ratner ** 47:53 Well, I beg to differ with you. Now. I'm gonna start a fight with you. Michael, yeah, we need conflict in this script. Is that it The Tick Tock is very structured. Six. No,   Michael Hingson ** 48:03 no, I understand that. I'm talking about podcasts,   Bill Ratner ** 48:07 though, but there's a problem. We gotta Tone It Up. We gotta pick it up. We gotta there's a lot of and I listen to what are otherwise really bright, wonderful personalities on screen, celebrities who have podcasts and the car sucks, and then I had meatballs for dinner, haha. And you know what my wife said? Why? You know? And there's just too much of that. And,   Michael Hingson ** 48:32 oh, I understand, yeah. I mean, it's like, like anything, but I'm just saying that's one of the reasons I love podcasting. So it's my way of continuing what I used to do in radio and having a lot of fun doing it   Bill Ratner ** 48:43 all right, let me ask you. Let me ask you a technical and editorial question. Let me ask you an artistic question. An artist, can you edit this podcast? Yeah. Are you? Do you plan to Nope.   Michael Hingson ** 48:56 I think conversations are conversations, but there is a but, I mean,   Bill Ratner ** 49:01 there have been starts and stops and I answer a question, and there's a long pause, and then, yeah, we can do you edit that stuff   Michael Hingson ** 49:08 out. We do, we do, edit some of that out. And I have somebody that that that does a lot of it, because I'm doing more podcasts, and also I travel and speak, but I can edit. There's a program called Reaper, which is really a very sophisticated   Bill Ratner ** 49:26 close up spaces. You   Michael Hingson ** 49:28 can close up spaces with it, yes, but the neat thing about Reaper is that somebody has written scripts to make it incredibly accessible for blind people using screen readers.   Bill Ratner ** 49:40 What does it do? What does it do? Give me the elevator pitch.   Michael Hingson ** 49:46 You've seen some of the the programs that people use, like computer vision and other things to do editing of videos and so on. Yeah.   Bill Ratner ** 49:55 Yeah. Even Apple. Apple edit. What is it called? Apple? Garage Band. No, that's audio. What's that   Michael Hingson ** 50:03 audio? Oh,   Bill Ratner ** 50:06 quick time is quick   Michael Hingson ** 50:07 time. But whether it's video or audio, the point is that Reaper allows me to do all of that. I can edit audio. I can insert, I can remove pauses. I can do anything with Reaper that anyone else can do editing audio, because it's been made completely accessible.   Bill Ratner ** 50:27 That's great. That's good. That's nice. Oh, it is. It's cool.   Michael Hingson ** 50:31 So so if I want, I can edit this and just have my questions and then silence when you're talking.   Bill Ratner ** 50:38 That might be best. Ladies and gentlemen, here's Bill Ratner,   Michael Hingson ** 50:46 yep, exactly, exactly. Now you have won the moth stories. Slam, what? Tell me about my story. Slam, you've won it nine times.   Bill Ratner ** 51:00 The Moth was started by a writer, a novelist who had lived in the South and moved to New York City, successful novelist named George Dawes green. And the inception of the moth, which many people listening are familiar with from the Moth Radio Hour. It was, I believe, either late 90s or early 2000s when he'd been in New York for a while and was was publishing as a fiction writer, and threw a party, and decided, instead of going to one of these dumb, boring parties or the same drinks being served and same cigarettes being smoked out in the veranda and the same orders. I'm going to ask people to bring a five minute story, a personal story, nature, a true story. You don't have to have one to get into the party, but I encourage you to. And so you know, the 3040, 50 people showed up, many of whom had stories, and they had a few drinks, and they had hors d'oeuvres. And then he said, Okay, ladies and gentlemen, take your seats. It's time for and then I picked names out of a hat, and person after person after person stood up in a very unusual setting, which was almost never done at parties. You How often do you see that happen? Suddenly, the room falls silent, and someone with permission being having been asked by the host to tell a personal story, some funny, some tragic, some complex, some embarrassing, some racy, some wild, some action filled. And afterward, the feedback he got from his friends was, this is the most amazing experience I've ever had in my life. And someone said, you need to do this. And he said, Well, you people left a lot of cigarette butts and beer cans around my apartment. And they said, well, let's do it at a coffee shop. Let's do it at a church basement. So slowly but surely, the moth storytelling, story slams, which were designed after the old poetry slams in the 50s and 60s, where they were judged contests like, like a dance contest. Everybody's familiar with dance contests? Well, there were, then came poetry contests with people singing and, you know, and singing and really energetically, really reading. There then came storytelling contests with people standing on a stage before a silent audience, telling a hopefully interesting, riveting story, beginning middle, end in five minutes. And so a coffee house was found. A monthly calendar was set up. Then came the internet. Then it was so popular standing room only that they had to open yet another and another, and today, some 20 years later, 20 some years later, from Austin, Texas to San Francisco, California to Minneapolis, Minnesota to New York City to Los Angeles. There are moth story slams available on online for you to schedule yourself to go live and in person at the moth.org as in the moth with wings. Friend of mine, I was in New York. He said, You can't believe it. This writer guy, a writer friend of mine who I had read, kind of an avant garde, strange, funny writer was was hosting something called the moth in New York, and we were texting each other. He said, Well, I want to go. The theme was show business. I was going to talk to my Uncle Bobby, who was the bell boy. And I Love Lucy. I'll tell a story. And I texted him that day. He said, Oh man, I'm so sorry. I had the day wrong. It's next week. Next week, I'm going to be back home. And so he said, Well, I think there's a moth in Los Angeles. So about 15 years ago, I searched it down and what? Went to a small Korean barbecue that had a tiny little stage that originally was for Korean musicians, and it was now being used for everything from stand up comedy to evenings of rock and roll to now moth storytelling once a month. And I think the theme was first time. And so I got up and told a silly story and didn't win first prize. They have judges that volunteer judges a table of three judges scoring, you like, at a swim meet or a track beat or, you know, and our gymnastics meet. So this is all sort of familiar territory for everybody, except it's storytelling and not high jumping or pull ups. And I kept going back. I was addicted to it. I would write a story and I'd memorize it, and I'd show up and try to make it four minutes and 50 seconds and try to make it sound like I was really telling a story and not reading from a script. And wish I wasn't, because I would throw the script away, and I knew the stories well enough. And then they created a radio show. And then I began to win slams and compete in the grand slams. And then I started submitting these 750 word, you know, two and a half page stories. Literary magazines got a few published and found a whole new way to spend my time and not make much   Michael Hingson ** 56:25 money. Then you went into poetry.   Bill Ratner ** 56:29 Then I got so bored with my prose writing that I took a poetry course from a wonderful guy in LA called Jack grapes, who had been an actor and a football player and come to Hollywood and did some TV, episodics and and some some episodic TV, and taught poetry. It was a poet in the schools, and I took his class of adults and got a poem published. And thought, wait a minute, these aren't even 750 words. They're like 75 words. I mean, you could write a 10,000 word poem if you want, but some people have, yeah, and it was complex, and there was so much to read and so much to learn and so much that was interesting and odd. And a daughter of a friend of mine is a poet, said, Mommy, are you going to read me one of those little word movies before I go to sleep?   Michael Hingson ** 57:23 A little word movie, word movie out of the   Bill Ratner ** 57:27 mouths of babes. Yeah, and so, so and I perform. You know, last night, I was in Orange County at a organization called ugly mug Cafe, and a bunch of us poets read from an anthology that was published, and we sold our books, and heard other young poets who were absolutely marvelous and and it's, you know, it's not for everybody, but it's one of the things I do.   Michael Hingson ** 57:54 Well, you sent me pictures of book covers, so they're going to be in the show notes. And I hope people will will go out and get them   Bill Ratner ** 58:01 cool. One of the one of the things that I did with poetry, in addition to wanting to get published and wanting to read before people, is wanting to see if there is a way. Because poetry was, was very satisfying, emotionally to me, intellectually very challenging and satisfying at times. And emotionally challenging and very satisfying at times, writing about things personal, writing about nature, writing about friends, writing about stories that I received some training from the National Association for poetry therapy. Poetry therapy is being used like art therapy, right? And have conducted some sessions and and participated in many and ended up working with eighth graders of kids who had lost someone to death in the past year of their lives. This is before covid in the public schools in Los Angeles. And so there's a lot of that kind of work that is being done by constable people, by writers, by poets, by playwrights,   Michael Hingson ** 59:09 and you became a grief counselor,   Bill Ratner ** 59:13 yes, and don't do that full time, because I do voiceovers full time, right? Write poetry and a grand. Am an active grandparent, but I do the occasional poetry session around around grief poetry.   Michael Hingson ** 59:31 So you're a grandparent, so you've had kids and all that. Yes, sir, well, that's is your wife still with us? Yes?   Bill Ratner ** 59:40 Oh, great, yeah, she's an artist and an art educator. Well, that   Michael Hingson ** 59:46 so the two of you can criticize each other's works, then, just   Bill Ratner ** 59:52 saying, we're actually pretty kind to each other. I Yeah, we have a lot of we have a lot of outside criticism. Them. So, yeah, you don't need to do it internally. We don't rely on it. What do you think of this although, although, more than occasionally, each of us will say, What do you think of this poem, honey? Or what do you think of this painting, honey? And my the favorite, favorite thing that my wife says that always thrills me and makes me very happy to be with her is, I'll come down and she's beginning a new work of a new piece of art for an exhibition somewhere. I'll say, what? Tell me about what's, what's going on with that, and she'll go, you know, I have no idea, but it'll tell me what to do.   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:33 Yeah, it's, it's like a lot of authors talk about the fact that their characters write the stories right, which, which makes a lot of sense. So with all that you've done, are you writing a memoir? By any chance, I   Bill Ratner ** 1:00:46 am writing a memoir, and writing has been interesting. I've been doing it for many years. I got it was my graduate thesis from University of California Riverside Palm Desert.   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:57 My wife was a UC Riverside graduate. Oh, hi. Well, they   Bill Ratner ** 1:01:01 have a low residency program where you go for 10 days in January, 10 days in June. The rest of it's online, which a lot of universities are doing, low residency programs for people who work and I got an MFA in creative writing nonfiction, had a book called parenting for the digital age, the truth about media's effect on children. And was halfway through it, the publisher liked it, but they said you got to double the length. So I went back to school to try to figure out how to double the length. And was was able to do it, and decided to move on to personal memoir and personal storytelling, such as goes on at the moth but a little more personal than that. Some of the material that I was reading in the memoir section of a bookstore was very, very personal and was very helpful to read about people who've gone through particular issues in their childhood. Mine not being physical abuse or sexual abuse, mine being death and loss, which is different. And so that became a focus of my graduate thesis, and many people were urging me to write a memoir. Someone said, you need to do a one man show. So I entered the Hollywood fringe and did a one man show and got good reviews and had a good time and did another one man show the next year and and so on. So But writing memoir as anybody knows, and they're probably listeners who are either taking memoir courses online or who may be actively writing memoirs or short memoir pieces, as everybody knows it, can put you through moods from absolutely ecstatic, oh my gosh, I got this done. I got this story told, and someone liked it, to oh my gosh, I'm so depressed I don't understand why. Oh, wait a minute, I was writing about such and such today. Yeah. So that's the challenge for the memoir is for the personal storyteller, it's also, you know, and it's more of a challenge than it is for the reader, unless it's bad writing and the reader can't stand that. For me as a reader, I'm fascinated by people's difficult stories, if they're well   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:24 told well, I know that when in 2002 I was advised to write a book about the World Trade Center experiences and all, and it took eight years to kind of pull it all together. And then I met a woman who actually I collaborated with, Susie Florey, and we wrote thunder dog. And her agent became my agent, who loved the proposal that we sent and actually got a contract within a week. So thunder dog came out in 2011 was a New York Times bestseller, and very blessed by that, and we're working toward the day that it will become a movie still, but it'll happen. And then I wrote a children's version of it, well, not a children's version of the book, but a children's book about me growing up in Roselle, growing up the guide dog who was with me in the World Trade Center, and that's been on Amazon. We self published it. Then last year, we published a new book called Live like a guide dog, which is all about controlling fear and teaching people lessons that I learned prior to September 11. That helped me focus and remain calm.   Bill Ratner ** 1:04:23 What happened to you on September 11,   Michael Hingson ** 1:04:27 I was in the World Trade Center. I worked on the 78th floor of Tower One.   Bill Ratner ** 1:04:32 And what happened? I mean, what happened to you?   Michael Hingson ** 1:04:36 Um, nothing that day. I mean, well, I got out. How did you get out? Down the stairs? That was the only way to go. So, so the real story is not doing it, but why it worked. And the real issue is that I spent a lot of time when I first went into the World Trade Center, learning all I could about what to do in an emergency, talking to police, port authorities. Security people, emergency preparedness people, and also just walking around the world trade center and learning the whole place, because I ran an office for a company, and I wasn't going to rely on someone else to, like, lead me around if we're going to go to lunch somewhere and take people out before we negotiated contracts. So I needed to know all of that, and I learned all I could, also realizing that if there ever was an emergency, I might be the only one in the office, or we might be in an area where people couldn't read the signs to know what to do anyway. And so I had to take the responsibility of learning all that, which I did. And then when the planes hit 18 floors above us on the other side of the building, we get we had some guests in the office. Got them out, and then another colleague, who was in from our corporate office, and I and my guide dog, Roselle, went to the stairs, and we started down. And   Bill Ratner ** 1:05:54 so, so what floor did the plane strike?   Michael Hingson ** 1:05:58 It struck and the NOR and the North Tower, between floors 93 and 99 so I just say 96 okay, and you were 20 floors down, 78 floors 78 so we were 18 floors below, and   Bill Ratner ** 1:06:09 at the moment of impact, what did you think?   Michael Hingson ** 1:06:13 Had no idea we heard a muffled kind of explosion, because the plane hit on the other side of the building, 18 floors above us. There was no way to know what was going on. Did you feel? Did you feel? Oh, the building literally tipped, probably about 20 feet. It kept tipping. And then we actually said goodbye to each other, and then the building came back upright. And then we went,   Bill Ratner ** 1:06:34 really you so you thought you were going to die?   Michael Hingson ** 1:06:38 David, my colleague who was with me, as I said, he was from our California office, and he was there to help with some seminars we were going to be doing. We actually were saying goodbye to each other because we thought we were about to take a 78 floor plunge to the street, when the building stopped tipping and it came back. Designed to do that by the architect. It was designed to do that, which is the point, the point.   Bill Ratner ** 1:07:02 Goodness, gracious. And then did you know how to get to the stairway?   Michael Hingson ** 1:07:04 Oh, absolutely. And did you do it with your friend? Yeah, the first thing we did, the first thing we did is I got him to get we had some guests, and I said, get him to the stairs. Don't let him take the elevators, because I knew he had seen fire above us, but that's all we knew. And but I said, don't take the elevators. Don't let them take elevators. Get them to the stairs and then come back and we'll leave. So he did all that, and then he came back, and we went to the stairs and started down.   Bill Ratner ** 1:07:33 Wow. Could you smell anything?   Michael Hingson ** 1:07:36 We smelled burning jet fuel fumes on the way down. And that's how we figured out an airplane must have hit the building, but we had no idea what happened. We didn't know what happened until the until both towers had collapsed, and I actually talked to my wife, and she's the one who told us how to aircraft have been crashed into the towers, one into the Pentagon, and a fourth, at that time, was still missing over Pennsylvania. Wow. So you'll have to go pick up a copy of thunder dog. Goodness. Good. Thunder dog. The name of the book is Thunder dog, and the book I wrote last year is called Live like a guide dog. It's le

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox sits down with Dan Murray, co-founder of Heights, the brain health and wellness brand redefining supplements through science and transparency. From building a startup after insomnia and burnout to scaling Heights to over £25 million ARR, Dan's story is a masterclass in resilience, product integrity, and founder mindset. Dan doesn't hold back-calling out the biggest scams in wellness, revealing how Heights earned credibility in a saturated industry, and sharing the truth about raising investment, building trust with scientists, and navigating toxic investor relationships. If you've ever wondered how to build a purpose-led brand in a crowded space—or how to rebuild confidence after failure—this episode is for you. Show Notes In this episode, we cover:

A National Treasure. That's what Stephen Fry is. Whether you know him as General Melchett, Jeeves, half of Fry & Laurie, the sound of Harry Potter, the genius of QI or the modern Homer retelling Greek mythology to a new generation - he has touched most of our lives in some way over the past half century. So seeing as Stephen is currently on our screens as himself in The Traitors we thought it was a timely opportunity to bring his episode of White Wine Question Time up from the cellar for another airing. We spoke in early 2025 - with Stephen in LA - about the UK import of Jeopardy, what attracted him to It's A Sin, his incredible documentaries on gay rights around the world and his advice for young creatives joining the entertainment industry. As you would expect, it was truly fascinating. Enjoy the episode and don't forget we'll be back on Thursday with a brand new episode. Cheers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Grace is serving up some of her old favourites to curl up to as the darker days of autumn arrive. In this episode, Grace is joined by none other than Stephen Fry. They talk about his childhood, memories of prison, cooking for his husband – and the comfort foods that have seen him through it all

This week's guest on The Publisher Podcast is Juliet Riddell, Head of New Formats at the Financial Times. Her focus is on telling stories using video, and she spoke to Peter following the September release of the 13-minute film, Recall Me, Maybe, written by comedian David Baddiel and starring Stephen Fry and Gemma Whelan. Juliet talks about why a news organisation like the FT is making this type of drama, the other films in the FT's Standpoint series, and the power of external collaborations in bringing new perspectives to big issues. Get a write-up of the key learnings from this interview online at voices.media or straight to your inbox by signing up to The Publisher Newsletter.

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv BBC Verify Aid group suspends Gaza operations after ceasefire KISS founding guitarist Ace Frehley dies aged 74 Trump says he will meet Putin again after great progress during call Riba Stirling Prize 2025 Appleby Blue Almshouse named Britains best new building Celebrity Traitors episode 4 Strange shrieks by Clare Balding, Celia Imrie and Stephen Fry Rachel Reeves plans targeted action on bills in Budget Government publishes evidence in collapsed China spy case Wrong to stop Maccabi Tel Aviv fans attending Aston Villa match, says PM Sam Fender wins the 2025 Mercury Prize for his third album, People Watching John Bolton Former Trump national security adviser indicted

Dearest faithful EIC listeners, happy Friday, it's time for a round table discussion to dissect the biggest stories from the week.The UK's first ever celebrity Traitors is here, following beloved series across in the US. This cohort include huge figures like Stephen Fry, Claire Balding, Jonathan Ross, Charlotte Church, Alan Carr and Nick Mohammed to name a few. The show, which was recorded earlier this year at Ardross Castle in Scotland, features 19 celebrity contestants competing for a prize of £100,000 for a charity of their choosing. We talk about whether or the beloved show is executing this new famous format.Next up, sugar daddy finances. We recently read a piece for Bustle by Camille Soheet Pesha called Even The Sugar Daddies Are Feeling The Squeeze: As costs of living climb, high earners who once had money to burn on their sex lives are cutting back.” And in the piece she explores a troubling trend where the men who were once willing and able to splash the cash on sugar babies are now struggling to keep up. Sugar dating, for anyone not aware, is a type of transactional relationship where sugar daddies, typically older and wealthier, would offer gifts and money and a better quality of life to often younger, very beautiful women who offer companionship and intimacy. We discuss our thoughts on the piece.Lastly, last year we had Brat girl summer, but the season of green might not be over yet, are we potentially having Zack Polanski autumn? The Green party has reached over 110,000 members at the time of recording, for the first time. In England and Wales the party has had over a 55% rise in membership since Polanski took over last month. Polanski has had an unconventional path to politics, previously working as an actor, hypnotherapist and mental health counsellor. And yet is proving to be one of the most effective communicators we've seen in a very long time. One of Polanksi's slogans is ‘Let's make hope normal again', is this stratospheric new interest in the Green Party making us feel hopeful?We hope you enjoy listening, please do leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and a rating on Spotify or wherever you get podcasts, love, O,R,B xxRuchira's been loving: RoofmanBeth's been loving: Better ManOenone's been loving: Game Of ThronesThe Celebrity TraitorsEven The Sugar Daddies Are Feeling The SqueezeGreen Party over 100k membersThanks so much to Cue for editing this podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Trump says he will meet Putin again after great progress during call KISS founding guitarist Ace Frehley dies aged 74 Sam Fender wins the 2025 Mercury Prize for his third album, People Watching BBC Verify Aid group suspends Gaza operations after ceasefire John Bolton Former Trump national security adviser indicted Rachel Reeves plans targeted action on bills in Budget Government publishes evidence in collapsed China spy case Wrong to stop Maccabi Tel Aviv fans attending Aston Villa match, says PM Celebrity Traitors episode 4 Strange shrieks by Clare Balding, Celia Imrie and Stephen Fry Riba Stirling Prize 2025 Appleby Blue Almshouse named Britains best new building

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Riba Stirling Prize 2025 Appleby Blue Almshouse named Britains best new building Rachel Reeves plans targeted action on bills in Budget Trump says he will meet Putin again after great progress during call John Bolton Former Trump national security adviser indicted BBC Verify Aid group suspends Gaza operations after ceasefire Sam Fender wins the 2025 Mercury Prize for his third album, People Watching Wrong to stop Maccabi Tel Aviv fans attending Aston Villa match, says PM Government publishes evidence in collapsed China spy case Celebrity Traitors episode 4 Strange shrieks by Clare Balding, Celia Imrie and Stephen Fry KISS founding guitarist Ace Frehley dies aged 74

On the 144th episode of What is a Good Life?, I'm delighted to welcome George Thompson. George is a filmmaker, teacher, and founder of Balance is Possible!, a movement dedicated to inspiring balance for both people and planet. With over 25 million people impacted by his work and support from changemakers like Louie Schwartzberg, Tara Brach, and Stephen Fry, George weaves together ancient Daoist wisdom and modern science into practical, playful tools for navigating modern life.In this conversation, we explore what it truly means to live in balance — within ourselves, with others, and with the natural world. George shares insights from his time training under Master Gu in the Wudang Mountains of China, and reflects on how balance extends beyond personal wellbeing into a collective responsibility for the planet.This is a gentle and profound invitation to slow down, be present, and rediscover harmony amidst the complexities of life.For more of George's work:website: https://www.balanceispossible.com/His latest film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KArWcMldPMContact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, my 5-week group courses, or to discuss team coaching to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams.- For the What is a Good Life? podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/00:00 What is balance?03:00 The economy and nature05:00 A radical transformation of understanding08:30 The unexpected path to Tai Chi11:20 The embrace of the unknown17:00 Letting go of yourself20:00 No longer separating life from practice 23:50 The wisdom of the mind28:15 Trusting the flow of life31:00 The forming of a mission34:00 The interdependence of healing38:00 Giving yourself grace of seasons41:00 Creating more space to meet life44:25 Loving the challenging feelings of life49:50 The movement towards balance52:45 Summary of the conversation and what is a good life for George?

Ben Elton was instrumental in the transformation of British comedy that took place in the 1980s. His scripts for The Young Ones and Blackadder were fresh, anarchic, rude, clever and hilarious. The people that worked alongside Ben - Richard Curtis, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Rik Mayall, Ade Edmondson, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders - to name but a few - are legendary. In this episode of Rosebud, Ben talks to Gyles about his parents, his father's family story - they had escaped persecution in Germany at the start of the war - and how he became interested in comedy as a young boy. He talks about the process of writing Blackadder, which was sometimes tortuous, and what it felt like to be slated by the critics when We Will Rock You first opened in the West End.Ben's autobiography, "What Have I Done?" is out now and available here. Rosebud has a new website www.rosebudpodcast.co.uk and a new Facebook group - just search "Rosebud Reflections". Enjoy this! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Part 2 of our look at the second series of Blackadder, in which we take a closer look at Stephen Fry and Miranda Richardson. Plus, Gareth refreshes his hot take on Rik Mayall.

Welcome to Watch. Review. Repeat. This is the podcast where two best friends discuss the latest in film and television and then do it all over again the following episode! Colton and Andrew return to the Rage virus-infected British Isles in '28 Years Later', which marks the reteaming of writer Alex Garland and director Danny Boyle! 00:00:00 - Intro 00:05:17 - Andrew's Totally Embarrassing Dad Joke of the Episode! 00:07:11 - Colton's Fun Facts About '28 Years Later' 00:16:46 - 'Dances With Wolves' Indigenous Actor Graham Greene Dead at Age 73 00:22:20 - IMAX Pioneer David Keighley Dead at Age 77 00:27:49 - ‘Mortal Kombat II' Delayed to May 2026 00:33:08 - ‘Task' Official Trailer 00:37:59 - ‘Fallout' Season Two Teaser Trailer 00:44:13 - ‘The Pitt' Season 2 Official Teaser 00:47:38 - Marvel Animation's ‘Marvel Zombies' Official Trailer 00:51:58 - '28 Years Later' (Non-Spoilers and Recommendation) 01:29:20 - '28 Years Later' (Spoilers) 02:05:05 - '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple' Official Trailer 02:09:29 - Catching Up With Andrew ('Alien: Earth', Odyssey by Stephen Fry, 'Secret Millionaire', College Football) 02:16:53 - Catching Up With Colton (Nine Inch Nails Peel It Back Tour, NY/Vermont Trip, 'Abbott Elementary' and 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' Crossover) 02:24:54 - Conclusion/Outro Visit our website! Support us on Patreon! Thank you for listening, and please send any feedback to watchreviewrepeat@gmail.com! Intro/Outro Credit: Mechanolith Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Is it illegal to take a photo of an empty chair in Malta? Welcome back to the Chris Moyles Show on Radio X Podcast.As it's the 10 year anniversary of Radio X, we had one final £10,000 to give away. Plus, we announced Radio X is Ten Live! Circa Waves, Hard-Fi, and Jake Bugg are all going to be there in Manchester this November, as well as headliners Blossoms who joined the team to chat about their journey with Radio X.We spoke to Sir Stephen Fry about his play ‘The Importance of Being Earnest' which is now showing in London's West End. Etiquette expert William Hanson waltzed in for a huge podcast announcement and more importantly, try something he's never got his mouth around before. Jason Byrne was on the show this week to talk about his love of Bono, and his UK tour of new show ‘Head In The Clouds'. And the guy who once sat behind a laptop, Richard Osman, popped by to discuss his books being made into films by Steven Spielberg, spelling Piers Brosnan's name incorrectly, and his new book ‘The Impossible Fortune' that made Chris cry. That's all for this week but keep an ear out for these crackers:A certain jam eater's birthday Dom's nudey cruiseOne of our most excited winners of tickets ever! Enjoy!The Chris Moyles Show on Radio XWeekdays 6:30am - 10am

Jolenta does a realty TV deep dive on the Amazon archetype and her evil alter ego, the Gorgon. And she explores how Bethenny Frankel lives her life Amazon style with some wild Gorgon flare. Hot Mess-Terpiece Theatre Instagram Jolenta's Instagram SOURCES Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes, by Edith Hamilton Greek Mythology: Gods and Heroes Brought to Life, By Robert Garland The Penguin Dictionary of Classical Mythology, by Pierre Grimal The Greek Myths, by Robert Graves Mythos: A Retelling of the Myths of Ancient Greece, by Stephen Fry 45 Master Characters, by Victoria Lynn Schmidt Bethenny Frankel, Still Dragging Everyone - www.thecut.com/2023/11/bethenny-frankel-on-leading-the-real-housewives-reckoning.html Reckoning With Reality - www.vulture.com/article/reality-reckoning-reality-tv-union-history-explained.html Bravo Shows - Peacock Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to Watch. Review. Repeat. This is the podcast where two best friends discuss the latest in film and television and then do it all over again the following episode! At 2:17 AM, Colton and Andrew woke up, got out of bed, went downstairs, opened the front door, walked into the dark... and recorded a podcast on writer-director Zach Cregger's 'Weapons'. 00:00:00 - Intro 00:05:46 - Andrew's Totally Embarrassing Dad Joke of the Episode! 00:07:59 - Colton's Fun Fact About 'Weapons' 00:14:57 - British Actor Terence Stamp Dead at Age 87 00:21:28 - Nicolas Cage in Talks to Star in HBO's 'True Detective' Season 5 00:34:30 - 'Stranger Things 5' Official Teaser 00:43:13 - 'Blue Eye Samurai' Season 2 Official Start of Production 00:48:24 - 'Black Phone 2' Official Trailer 00:54:13 - 'HIM' Official Trailer 01:00:46 - 'Weapons' (Non-Spoilers and Recommendation) 01:39:21 - 'Weapons' (Spoilers) 02:12:26 - Catching Up With Andrew ('The Hunting Wives', 'Eyes of Wakanda', Odyssey by Stephen Fry, 'Alien: Earth', Baby Updates, Magic: The Gathering) 02:27:36 - Catching Up With Colton ('Insecure', Nine Inch Nails - Beside You in Time, Chris Fleming Comedy Show, The Struts Concert, 02:35:18 - Conclusion/Outro Visit our website! Support us on Patreon! Thank you for listening, and please send any feedback to watchreviewrepeat@gmail.com! Intro/Outro Credit: Mechanolith Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Join us (Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek) as we explore the differences between self-love and narcissism. We'll dig into some common misconceptions and psychological spectrum of narcissism along with the importance of cultivating genuine self-love. Most importantly, we'll highlight the essential fact that self-love is a skill that can be practiced and is essential for a joyful, meaningful life.  About Joy Lab: Find your joy with the Joy Lab Podcast - practical tools, mindfulness techniques, and positive psychology to help you manage stress, calm anxiety, uplift mood, and live with more meaning and resilience.  If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin YouTube   Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Joy Lab Episode about FOBO. Series on authenticity from our Joy Lab podcast: Unmasking Your True Self: Exploring Authenticity and Awe [ep. 216] Embrace Your True Self: Accepted, Connected, & In The Game [ep. 217] The Road Most Travelled: Awakening Through Suffering [ep. 218]  Follow Your Bliss: Awakening to Joy [ep. 219] The Still Small Voice: Awakening with soulfulness [ep. 220] Stephen Fry's website and books. Carlson, E. N., Vazire, S., & Oltmanns, T. F. (2011). You probably think this paper's about you: narcissists' perceptions of their personality and reputation. Journal of personality and social psychology, 101(1), 185–201. Access here. Nook, E. C., Jaroszewski, A. C., Finch, E. F., & Choi-Kain, L. W. (2022). A Cognitive-Behavioral Formulation of Narcissistic Self-Esteem Dysregulation. Focus (American Psychiatric Publishing), 20(4), 378–388. Access here.   Full transcript here. Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at helpline@nami.org. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

And now for something completely different. The Odyssey portion of our tour is over, and the Iliad portion will now begin. But wait! Wasn't the Iliad a poem about war? And isn't Aeneas supposed to do battle for Latium? So why is it all sunshine, butterflies, and love goddesses? Today we launch into Part II of the poem with a passage that has bamboozled scholars for centuries, and of course I will deliver the definitive interpretation so that everyone can stop arguing. Plus: a plot summary of what's to come, and advice on reading classic literature if you're having trouble understanding it. Check out our new Sponsor, Alithea Travel: https://www.alitheatravel.com/tours/strength-and-virtue Order Light of the Mind, Light of the World (and rate it five stars): https://a.co/d/2QccOfM Subscribe to be in the mailbag: https://rejoiceevermore.substack.com Listen to my sister's podcast, Storytime for Grownups: https://faithkmoore.com/storytime-for-grownups/ EPIC, the Musical: https://faithkmoore.com/storytime-for-grownups/ Stephen Fry, Odyssey: https://a.co/d/1rIbSBu Gareth Hinds, The Odyssey: A Graphic Novel: https://a.co/d/2kClqmN  

This week on The Knight Tube, Stephen Knight (@GSpellchecker) welcomes author Harry Saul Markham to talk about his new book ‘The Melted Pot: Diversity, Antisemitism, and the Limits of Tolerance' 0:00 Intro 1:24 Why write about these issues? 2:56 Having the book cancelled by the publisher 5:30 Getting endorsed by Stephen Fry 7:20 What do we mean by ‘Islamism'? 10:31 Changing your Jewish surname and assimilating. 18:15 Is Jeremy Corbyn antisemitic? 23:53 Can we learn a lot about a society by how well it treats its Jews? 26:36 The impact of immigration on culture and nation 30:05 Can liberalism still save us? 34:09 ‘The Muslim vote'. 37:14 How has ‘multiculturalism' failed. 42:20 Jewish safety in Europe 47:45 Israel 52:50 Greta Thunberg's pro-Palestine activism. Stephen Knight's Substack: www.sknight.substack.com Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/gspellchecker Also available on iTunes, Stitcher, YouTube & Spotify.  

Al shares another "recommendation engine" in this episode! He starts with a dental recommendation, praising the Bioclear Evolve Matrix system and explaining why he's going back to get recertified. He then moves to personal interests, recommending the Harry Potter audiobooks narrated by Stephen Fry and the Hot Ones Instagram feed. He also suggests trying Fly By Jing's Sweet & Spicy Sichuan Chili Sauce and the sci-fi audiobook Automatic Noodle. Finally, he gushes about his new Stihl RZ 560 K lawnmower and encourages listeners to join the Very Dental Facebook group to share their own recommendations. Some links from the show: Bioclear Evolve Matrix Harry Potter on Audible narrated by Stephen Fry Fly By Jing's Sweet and Spicay Sichuan Chili sauce Hot Ones Instagram feed Macaulay Culkin's Hot Ones Reactions Sam Rockwell's Hot Ones Reactions "Automatic Noodle" by Annalee Newitz Stihl RZ 560k zero degree mower Get your tickets for VoD 2026! They're going to sell out! Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook," "Gary," "McWethy," "Papa Randy" or "Lipscomb!" The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you'd like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us! -- Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you'll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code “VERYDENTAL10” you'll get another 10% off your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time! -- The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist! -- Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com/enova to see their whole line of products! -- CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even  their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you'll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!

Help MuggleCast grow during our birthday month! To celebrate MuggleCast turning 20 years old (!!!) listeners can get 20% off an annual subscription to our Patreon with promo code 20YEARS. We've never offered this large a discount before, but this large of an anniversary calls for a very special deal. So visit Patreon.com/MuggleCast and pledge today! Patrons can also get a 20% discount on official merch at MuggleCastMerch.com! Pick up overstock merch from years past, including our 19th Anniversary Shirt! MuggleMillennial.Etsy.com On this special edition of MuggleCast, we look back at twenty years of Harry Potter podcasting, revisit some of our earliest book predictions, and look ahead to the next two decades in the Wizarding World! Happy 20th Birthday, MuggleCast! Let's settle once and for all the pressing question on everyone's mind: what do we talk about after all this time?! Audible's Harry Potter audiobooks with a full cast have revealed their seven release dates and some casting! The hosts weigh in. Arabella Stanton (Hermione Granger) is pulling double duty between this and the upcoming HBO series. There is another Dumbledore, and he's the old pal of UK audiobook narrator Stephen Fry. Listen as we break down Hugh Laurie's statement on accepting the role. To celebrate our 20th anniversary, we look back over the earliest episodes at predictions made by the hosts which later came true! Thanks to listener Kim for compiling. Are there things we would change about MuggleCast's earliest days or in general? The hosts reflect. This week's Lynx Line: “What long-dormant MuggleCast topics would you like to see revisited?” Predicting the future: what will MuggleCast be talking about 20 years from NOW? It's a triple serving of Chicken Soup for the MuggleCast Soul! We are always moved by hearing from listeners on the topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump has stepped up his diplomatic assault on the government of Brazil's left- wing president, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva. He's signed an executive order which brings total tariffs on Brazilian goods to fifty percent. At the same time, the US Treasury has imposed financial sanctions on the senior Brazilian judge overseeing the criminal case for coup plotting against Brazil's former leader, Jair Bolsonaro. We speak to Brazilian ambassador to London, Antonio Patriota.Also, we speak to Yehuda Cohen - the father of an Israeli soldier taken hostage on October 7th -- who tells us he thinks the recognition of a Palestinian state will help pressure his government to get his son home. And the actor Stephen Fry on playing a formidable aristocratic woman in Oscar Wilde's most famous play, the Importance of Being Earnest.(Photo: President Trump and Brazilian then-President Bolsonaro at Mar-a-Lago in 2020. Credit: Getty Images)