Podcasts about Western Massachusetts

Book a free strategy call to see how we can help you hit your goals and beyond: https://bit.ly/4b0wLaZ or call us at: (214)-453-1591 Get Predictable Calls From Proven Direct Mail Campaigns. Learn more about CertainPath's Lead Generation Direct Mail programs — for members AND non-members. Click here for a FREE Market Analysis: https://mycertainpath.com/lead-generation-request/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=tsc226  He was a corporate consultant. She had an MBA. Neither had roofed a day in their lives — then they bought a roofing company and doubled it. Tim Wilde and his wife Sasha bought Sexton Roofing & Siding in Western Massachusetts in 2023 — a 40-year-old brand the previous owner ran solo at about $2 million a year, working 16-hour days, seven days a week. Neither of them had ever roofed: Tim came out of corporate pharmaceutical-construction consulting, and Sasha has an MBA and always wanted to run a business. When a corporate takeover pushed Tim out, and a friend showed them you could simply buy a business, they did. The first year nearly broke them. They priced with “a finger in the air,” had no idea what a good margin was, and kept winning on low bids. Then they found CertainPath — Tim signed up at a Profit Day on the spot — and the turnaround began: fixing their pricing first, then rebuilding sales around an in-home, one-call-close process. Two years in, they've doubled the business past $4 million, they're targeting $6.5 million, and Tim personally sold $2 million to become a CertainPath roofing crown champion. And it's 100% woman-owned — Sasha owns it outright, and Tim jokes he's “just cheap labor.” In this conversation, you'll discover: How two people with zero trade experience bought a 40-year-old roofing company off a broker Why the acquisition was tougher than they expected — and what they'd do differently The “finger in the air” pricing mistake CertainPath fixed first How moving to an in-home presentation unlocked one-call closes Why being the most thorough person at the door — the one who actually goes in the attic — wins the job The CertainPath training moment that took Tim from “doing sales completely wrong” to a crown champion How they think about growth: taking “a smaller piece of a larger pie” Whether you run a roofing, HVAC, plumbing, or electrical company, Tim and Sasha's story shows how to buy a business, raise your prices, and build a sales process that actually closes. Watch on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast platform. And don't forget to subscribe to The Successful Contractor for more interviews that move the needle. About the Show The Successful Contractor is a podcast for residential HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors. Hosted by Bob Houchin, each episode features real contractor growth stories, hard-won business insights, and practical takeaways for building a profitable home services company. Meet the Host Bob Houchin has spent 20+ years immersed in the home services industry — listening to, learning from, and serving the people who run it. As host of The Successful Contractor, he's interviewed hundreds of the brightest minds in the trades. Beyond the mic, Bob is a Senior Strategist at CertainPath, building the training, onboarding programs, keynotes, and playbooks used by 1,200+ residential service companies. His motto: smart contractors learn from their mistakes; wise contractors learn from the mistakes of others. About CertainPath CertainPath is a business coaching and training organization that has built successful home service businesses for more than 25 years. We serve 1,200+ member companies across HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing with professional coaching, training for every role, software solutions, and a vendor partner network that delivers millions in member rebates every year. Doubling your sales with a 20% net profit and an inspiring company culture is ALL possible. With CertainPath, Success is Made Certain. Connect CertainPath: https://www.mycertainpath.com FOLLOW CERTAINPATH Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CertainPath LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/certainpath Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/certainpath/ 

SEASON 8 STARTS NEXT WEEK! In our final replay episode of Season 7, we revisit our conversation with actress and advocate Elizabeth Perkins. Elizabeth shares her personal experiences with reinvention, motherhood, menopause, women's health, and the freedom that comes from finally putting yourself first. After four decades as an actress and nearly four decades as a mother and caretaker, Elizabeth explains why she ultimately left Los Angeles and moved across the country to Western Massachusetts. She describes the liberating experience of driving cross-country alone, building a close-knit community, reconnecting with creativity, and creating a dedicated art studio for her mixed-media collage work. Elizabeth also speaks candidly about what it means to enter a new chapter of life after raising children and caring for aging parents. She reflects on the pressure women face to remain caretakers, the guilt that can accompany putting yourself first, and why the years after 60 can become an opportunity for profound reinvention rather than a period of slowing down. Elizabeth recounts years of being dismissed while experiencing severe symptoms, ultimately discovering dangerously high blood glucose and being diagnosed with late-onset autoimmune diabetes shortly before undergoing a full hysterectomy. She also discusses the challenges of navigating menopause and surgical menopause, the importance of listening to women's symptoms, and the need for better research, education, and individualized healthcare. This episode is ultimately about finding your voice, reclaiming your identity, embracing creativity, building community, and giving yourself permission to dream again.

Join us as we hear from Mary McCarthy and Sharon Tilbe, who are the President of the Board and the Volunteer Coordinator respectively at Easthampton Neighbors. They serve 55+ in the Easthampton community who need a little help from their friends to get by. With so many people aging in place it is important to have safety nets like EN so that people can get to appointments, the grocery store, have a small repair done, get computer assistance, or just have a friendly face to check in on them. The village-to-village network has taken off across the state and county with many nonprofits like EN right here in the 413. Listen in on how you can help with becomming a member, volunteer, or board member. Save the date for the Cow Plop Derby on 9/13 at Fletchers Farm in Southampton, MA. Sounds like a fun time for everyone. Thanks for listening to the WMBS. www.easthamptonneighbors.com

8/5/26, Co-Host Brian Adams District Attorney David Sullivan, advocate for the Protect Act, which prohibits ICE enforcement in sensitive locations in Massachusetts, e.g., court houses, medical facilities, and schools -- on his way the signing ceremony with the Governor. ServiceNet's Dr Elaine Campbell on AI in therapy – AI is the compass, therapists are the trail guides; and providing mental health services in the community—how that works. Western Mass Clean Network's John Pepi and Keith Hastie: where to site solar arrays, what about wind? NIMBY here? Our path to a better energy future. Disability Rights Advocate & Northampton City Councilor Jeremy Dubbs on Picture Main Street and is the City addressing the needs of persons with disabilities?

Join us as we meet Feyla McNamara, Co-founder and Co-executive director and Dale Geddes, Director of Development for Tides for Reproductive Freedom. Founded in 2018, and staffed up in 2023, Tides as an abortion fund led by people who have had abortions and queer folks. Tune in as we learn what an abortion fund is and how this small grassroots network can help over 900 people last year alone. We discussed how hard it is to do the work in these times but how in these times the work is the most essential effort that they produce for humanity. How Rowe was not the ceiling, but the floor and the rebuilding must be done better and for more people in the future. For more information about Tides please visit www.tidesforchange.org. Thank you for listening.

Every morning at 7:30, YOU will have a chance to 'place your bet' on how many questions (out of 5) Kendra will get right based on the topic of the day. If your number guess matches with her correct number of answers, you win!

A recent poll shows 75 percent of Massachusetts voters want AI regulations, a Pittsfield hospital is sued after a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires' disease last summer, and a new Western Massachusetts network for alums and students of Historically Black Colleges and Universities kicks off in Springfield -- it's our Massachusetts news roundtable!

As a nurse with MS, I’m interviewed about AI’s real role in care: pattern recognition, human-in-the-loop skepticism, and the Three T’s and Two C’s framework. Click here to view the printable newsletter. More readable than a transcript. Click here for a verbatim transcript Summary I sit in the guest chair on Practical AI in Healthcare with Steve Labkoff. I walk through my experience feeding my own symptom logs, lab results, and ten years of clinician notes into an AI LLM: a physical therapy referral I needed and hadn’t scheduled, a medication side effect my neurologist later confirmed, and a rating scale buried in my chart that no one had surfaced. I describe the less impressive side: the four-pound box of unsorted paper my primary care practice mailed me and the 296 pages of unsearchable PDFs I got back from another system in fifteen minutes. Along the way, I lay out my framework for judging any digital health tool, the Three T’s and Two C’s: time, trust, talk, control, and connection, and explain why I insist on keeping humans in the loop even though the research on that is more complicated than people assume. This isn’t a pitch for AI in healthcare. It’s a working nurse and patient’s honest field report. What’s your experience been feeding your own health data into an AI LLM? Tell us in the comments. Episode Transcript Proem I usually ask the questions. This time I'm the guest. I met Drs. Steve Labkoff and Leon Rozenblit a couple of years ago at a DCI Network conference. They host Practical AI in Healthcare, a show I've listened to steadily, though it creates more tension for me than any other podcast I keep coming back to. Usually, I jettison podcasts that do that. I stay with this one because I approach AI in healthcare the way I approach best health; I'm an N of one and resist generalizing, while most guests do a fair amount of it. I bristle at most of them, wanting the shades of gray that reflect deep understanding. In four of 33 episodes, the guest has had lived experience: ePatient Dave DeBronkart, Amy Price, Hugo Campos, and me. I invited Steve and Leon to join my virtual Reckoning group, which I've hosted since 2019. We give podcasters warm critiques of selected episodes: the kind of feedback you give when you've made a hundred mistakes yourself, can spot them quickly in someone else's cut, and have endless thoughts about production, audience, dissemination, and life. They took the critique well. When Steve later asked me to come on his show to talk about how I use AI, not the theory but the daily grind, I readily agreed. They let me publish it here unchanged, apart from this Proem and Reflection. I struggled to prepare for this conversation. I wanted to wear all my hats, but had to narrow my focus to two. I chose my lived experience and nurse hats. Underneath it all was the question I keep circling back to. Not a cure. Best health, the most function, and Hello, and welcome to this week’s edition of Practical AI in Healthcare. My name is Dr. Steven Lapcoff, and this week I’m actually on my own because my partner, Dr. Leon Rosenblatt, is actually on spring break with his kids, so I am covering for him and he’ll be back in the next week. This week we have a guest who we met at a conference in Boston a few months ago at the Beth Israel at the DCI network. Steven Labkoff: We have Danny van Leeuwen. Danny is a nurse. He has background in giving actual physical care to patients. He actually runs his own podcast called Health Hats, the Podcast, and he’s been using AI in both his personal life and in his professional life very extensively. Also, Danny has a significant medical condition, and I’ll let him explain that in the course of the discussion because it’s with that lens that we got introduced at our patient-centric AI conference, and that’s why we thought it’d be a good idea to have Danny come and have a chat with us. So welcome to the podcast, Danny. How are you today? Health Hats: I’m good. Thank you. Thanks for having me. I appreciate it. Steven Labkoff: So Danny, as you probably have heard because you’ve helped us with our podcast, and for that I want to say thank you. For those who are listening in, Danny runs actually a group that actually helps folks running podcasts improve their podcasts, and he’s had Leon and I on many times to listen to critiques and feedback, and it’s been very, very helpful. Danny, we often start our podcast with asking for folks’ origin stories, like how did they get their cape and their superhero tights. What did you do to get you to this point in your life? And just tell us the background of what brought you here. Health Hats: Oh, thanks. So I’m a child of Holocaust survivors, and my parents– when I was young, my parents were active in the civil rights and fair housing movement in the ’60s. And when I was 16 and I was thinking about the war in Vietnam and worried about getting drafted, I wanted to learn what I could learn about the draft and how I could protect myself and manage. And I went to a church in downtown Detroit, and I went for a session of draft counseling as, you know, a little precocious at 16, and I found it fascinating, and they found me fascinating, and they encouraged me to become a draft counselor. And so I, uh, I actually took their course and became a draft counselor, and what I learned is that you change systems from the inside, not the outside. And I learned how the sausage was made, and that, uh, really pointed me in a direction. The way I got into nursing is really because I didn’t want to cut my hair I had an opportunity for a job at one point, and I could have read water meters or become an aide at the Detroit Psychiatric Institute. And reading water meters paid more, but I didn’t wanna cut my hair, so I got the job as, as nurse’s aide. And while I was there, they introduced me to the idea of going to nursing school, which was amazing. Steven Labkoff: It was more– You got paid more to read meters, water meters, than you did- Health Hats: Yes. Steven Labkoff: That’s unbelievable. Life gives you some real interesting turns and twists, doesn’t it? Health Hats: It does. And I was really fortunate because my first jobs in nursing were in physical rehabilitation and home care. I just happened to be in a place where the Holyoke Visiting Nurses was dying to hire a guy, and I was a brand-new nurse, and they ended up hiring me. And so my first introduction to nursing was not in acute care. It was in home care, and actually, I was the first male public health nurse in Western Massachusetts in 1976. And really, what I learned there was that most healthcare does not occur in the medical system. It occurs outside the medical system. And so when I ended up getting into medical care, it was always so interesting to me that everybody there thought this is where, you know, health happened, which it doesn’t. So over the 20 years of working as a nurse, I’ve worked in, other than the rehab and home care, I’ve worked in the emergency department, I’ve worked in ICU, I worked in pediatrics, behavioral health. And after about 15, 20 years, I shifted from becoming a student of individual health to a student o- of organizational health. And what I mean by that is I got into performance improvement. I led a couple of electronic health record implementations. I had a couple of gigs in the C-suite. I did some consulting. Now, in 2009, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and when I was diagnosed, I learned that I had had it for 25 years. And since my father died young, he died at 45 when I was 19 of his second heart attack, and so every time I would have some kind of episode, I would get a cardiac workup. And by the time the cardiac workup was done, you know, the episode was over, and this went on two, three, four times a year for a long time. And there was a pattern there, and nobody was connecting the dots for 25 years. That’s very important to me because the pattern of what was going on was in my records for 25 years, but nobody had synthesized it. Steven Labkoff: Yeah, they may have been biased, right? Because of your family history and having these episodes, you know, as a clinician, you get very biased by family history, and that can actually lead you down roads which may not be correct, and it sounds like that’s precisely what happened with you. Health Hats: So I’ve– I wanna bring in the caregiver role because I have been a caregiver for my grandmother, my mother, and a son in their end-of-life journeys. So I’ve been on many sides of very difficult decisions. As you said, that my shtick is health hats, and I’m health hats because I’m a patient, I’m a caregiver, I’m a nurse, I’m an advocate, I’m an informaticist, I’m a podcast host. I wear a lot of hats. And wearing many hats has gotten me a seat at many tables because they can check off boxes. When it was really different to be bringing patients o-on board, I was an easy choice. Uh, I was at the table for technical expert panels at CMS, at National Academy of Medicine, at AHRQ, National Quality Forum, PCORI, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. But really, I wasn’t really there in it for the seat itself. My goal was always to open seats for people who weren’t there yet Now let’s build the bridge, since this is a podcast about AI, let’s build that little bit of that bridge. So my first, like, serious experience with– Well, I don’t know about my first. I was involved in something that you probably are familiar with, which was the Blue Button Plus program, and my goal in that, I was there both as a patient and as somebody who was working with people with disabilities. I, I was VP of quality for an organization that supported about 40,000 people with disabilities. And my goal for that couple of years of weekly or every other week, I can’t remember, calls was, uh, to add a f- a caregiver field to the data set, and to also introduce the idea that what people needed was information that would be able to say what works for me when I’m in pain and what works for me when I’m afraid, which was an issue for me, and it was an issue for the organization that I was working with at the time. Now, I have to say that the caregiver field got added, so I felt some success in that. But as a nurse leader in the informatics group I was part of, really they were only interested in putting a name in the field, not doing anything with that information, which I- Just collecting, so just collecting the data. Steven Labkoff: They didn’t care what the data was used for? Is that what you’re saying? Health Hats: Correct. Yeah. And I couldn’t– got no traction on the pain and fear, which now that I’m older, I understand why, how difficult that is. Nevertheless, it’s something that’s important to patients and caregivers. So I think I would close this section with that I am both an early adopter of technology and a rapid skeptic, that I’m kinda making this number up, but I’ve probably tried over 100 health apps, and I would say that I’ve used five more than three times. And so I think there’s a gap between what’s promised with digital technology and what’s useful for people. So that’s really why I’m here and what’s guiding for me in this. Steven Labkoff: So let’s take it to the next step. In our prequel, I didn’t even know about your personal background to that degree. Mm-hmm. We can take that one offline later about the Holocaust survivor issues. We, we have family, I have family in that same situation, frankly. Let’s change gears and talk about the challenges that you’ve seen. You opened the door a little bit on that a few minutes ago- Yeah … in terms of people wanting to collect data but not necessarily doing much with the data, not being able to understand the true value of the data to some degree. And you said it yourself, people weren’t connecting the dots. Medical records have always been complicated. They’ve always been bulky. They’ve always been full of information, some of which is really relevant, a lot of which is not so relevant, and connecting the dots to making that a, uh, an important information source is not always an obvious task. So what, what was the particular angle on that challenge that you were trying to gun at? Health Hats: Well, I think we have to take a step back- and think about what is– Well, I’m just gonna speak for myself, okay? I know that I often, you know, as I said, I get asked to sit at the table because people can, you know, check boxes, like is that I’m a patient. I wanna be clear that I’m a privileged white old man with MS living in Boston, but I’m an N of one, and I don’t represent other patients. I’m representing myself here and my perspectives. My goal in terms of my health is best health, and what I mean by best health is optimal health and function, physical, mental, spiritual. Not a cure, but best health for where I am, what I have right now. And to get there, I need my own health data, not just what’s in my clinician’s chart, but what I know about myself, my circumstances, my environment, my history, my habits. Not just my medical history, my life history, my treatment responses. And so that’s like patient-reported data, and that’s stuff that’s only exists because I observe it and sometimes I record it And that’s where it falls apart right away. You were just alluding to some of it, that there’s all this medical data and what’s useful about that. I think Dave DeBronkart was a guest on your show. And when he launched his Gimme My Damn Data campaign, I responded to him with, “Watch what you wish for. You’ll be trying to drink dirty water from a fire hose.” And, and that was years ago, and it’s still true. So six months ago, I, I’d been on a mission to gather my medical data, and my– I’d been with my, uh, primary care practice since 2011, and I wanted all that data from 2011 to 2025. This was, like, in December I started on this crusade of trying to get my data. And actually, two months later, I got a box, a four-pound box of paper, and it was paper that was not in chronological order. And it’s just sitting right here. I’ve scanned it in. It’s not, um- Was it in– Steven Labkoff: Was it a printout of Epic or something, or was it actual- Health Hats: It’s a computer printout. It seems like it’s a vendor that they use to- Steven Labkoff: It wasn’t digital. They sent you, literally sent you a box of paper. Health Hats: Yeah, it was a box of paper. Oh. And then I use a lot the, the Beth Israel Lahey Mount Auburn system, and I asked for the last three months of my records, and I got 296 pages of redundant, non-searchable PDFs, and I got that in 15 minutes. Uh, I see a lot of doctors, so maybe I had seen Hmm. I think I had maybe eight or nine visits, and it just happened to be a three-month period that was busy for me, but I got s- 296 pages. And so that really adds to your comment, which is that access to data and access to usable data are really different. Steven Labkoff: Oh, absolutely. And yeah, I’ll tell you, in my world, I think you know that I’ve worked in the life sciences for many, many years, and we are consumers of healthcare data on many levels. We consume medical claims, we consume electronic medical records, and one of the hardest things about using medical records for research or for outcome studies and things like that is the very fact you’re describing, which is the data tends to be sparse, it tends to be poorly organized. It doesn’t always come in an encoded fashion. Thank God most of what we get these days is at least digital. No boxes of paper for us these days, but it wasn’t so long ago that when it was all paper, we couldn’t get that data in the first place. It just wasn’t even gettable. So at least you’ve made some progress. And- Yeah … yeah, I know that you sit on some national level boards, uh, around outcomes, and you can talk about that in a moment. But those are, you know, those boards are trying very hard to come up with outcome studies and ways of– Let me back that up. They’re coming up with ways of using data to perform outcome studies by harmonizing and, and distilling down to usable forms of this EHR data, which is so challenging. Health Hats: I think what’s key, I– like I, I think I w- I’d like to focus on my data. And so what I wanna do is I wanna see patterns. I wanna see patterns that takes my circumstances, my environment, my habits, my treatment over time, and because I think that these patterns are how I formulate the right questions, so the right questions before I go into a clinical encounter. They’re how I track when something is actually working, and it helps me to coordinate across care teams that don’t talk to each other and make decisions that I can live with that help me attain this goal of best health. So that’s the job, formulate better questions, g- seek better answers, make better decisions. And AI is the tool that I try to use to do it. Now, whether it’s up to the task or not is different. I wanna stick in the nursing angle, if you don’t mind- You know, one of the things that I learned the way I got started in nursing is that my goal as a nurse was to put myself out of a job. Steven Labkoff: So that sounds counterintuitive, but what I mean is from minute one with a patient and family, I’m planning my exit. Like, and to do that, I need maximum face time. I need real present, real conversation, real relationships, not less charting. I was gonna say not charting, not documentation, so that’s just ridiculous. Health Hats: But less, you know. The way you do that, I think, is, you know, less charting, less documentation, you know, not hunting through information you can’t find. And that’s where nursing, that’s a genuine promise. So pattern recognition across specific cohorts of patients. So as a nurse, even though I worked a lot of different places, in each place I worked, there was commonalities. In– When I lived in West Virginia and I was an ER nurse in a super rural hospital, if I had had more information about my patients, their families, I could get– an AI could help me surface those patterns that exist for the people that I’m taking care of, I think I could get time back as a nurse. And if the nurse gets time back, then the patient and family gets the presence of the clinician. So that’s the trade that I’m interested in I wanna go back to that thing about pain and fear. I wanna add what I’ve learned working on the blue button, plus I wanna add cognition. So when you think about it, the data almost never captures the variability of pain, fear, and cognition, and those things are really important because pain changes what you can do and what you can decide. Fear closes your heart. It closes your mind. And so when you’re scared in a clinical encounter, you’re not making good decisions. You’re just saying yes to end it. And cognition is, you know, it varies. Like I can absorb better at 10 in the morning on a good day compared to 3:00 in the afternoon when I’m spent. You know, you could extrapolate this to other people. They have their own particular patterns and circumstances. But I think What I’m trying to get at in all of this is it isn’t first about the data, it’s first about what about life and what about the things that are important to people, uh, patients, caregivers, and the clinicians that they partner with, and how can AI help them? Steven Labkoff: So you’ve explained to me in the pre-call that you’re doing some of this work, so maybe you can unpack a little bit about what it is you’re actually doing with it and how it’s helping or, in some cases, not helping those efforts. Health Hats: Well, what have I done? I, I’ve done different things. One of the things that, that I’ve done is to try to build my toolkit. You know? So when I say build my toolkit, I’m a, I’m a, a conglomeration of symptoms. I mean, you know, I’m, I’m not MS, I’m not my symptoms, but they’re big and they’re there, and I feel like I’m trying to, I’m trying to figure out for anything that I have to deal with, whether it’s any of the different kinds of pains I have, my, my anxiety, my bladder, you know, my mobility, I have challenges, and I, I need a toolbox. I need a toolbox, and the way I think is I need at least three things that will work so that when they happen, I got something I can go do, and pretty much the most common thing is drink water. Drink water is by far the most successful intervention across all of my symptoms. It’s kind of amazing. It’s so cheap, so easy. It isn’t the drugs. Okay, but so how do I do that? Well, for me, I’ve done that partially just in my head. Partially I’ve done that by keeping lists. Like, I keep track of the steps I take. I keep track of the amount of time I play music. I keep track of my falls. I keep track of my weight. And so I use digital tools to do that when I can. Steven Labkoff: I also record my clinician visits because- When you say record, do you mean like audio record or dig- Health Hats: Yeah. Yeah, audio record, right. And, uh, until recently I used Abridge, which is a company that, um- Steven Labkoff: How did you get to use Abridge? You– I thought Abridge was only selling basically into doctor’s offices, uh, from the clinician side. Do you- Health Hats: So I was before that. Ah. And they started as a patient-facing product, and actually they sponsored my podcast for three years. So I was pre that. So putting all that together, so I play with, you know, trying to put into Claude There’s nothing magic or special. You know, it’s me playing, just trying stuff. You know, some of it, you know, my wife will say, “Hey,” she sees a pattern. My kids will see a pattern, or I’ll- Steven Labkoff: Give, give, give us an example of what, of what this looks like. I mean, you’re saying you’re giving Claude or another LLM- Yeah … a series of symptoms, or you’re giving it a series of, plus your data. Like, unpack it and let us know. Yeah. What have you did- Okay, so what- … with the system, and how is it working for you? Health Hats: I’ve done a couple of different things. One is, you know, I have a spreadsheet, and I just put the spreadsheet in, you know, as a document or whatever you call it when you have a project and, you know, you load. I load my spreadsheet. I keep a annual summary, and I keep the year that I’m working on. And I will have fits of journaling. You know, I, this is not something that I am, like, super consistent on, but I’ll, especially when I’m struggling with something, if I’m struggling with my blood pressure or I’m struggling with my mood. I have a progressive mobility thing going on, and I’ll put that in and I’ll prompt. I’ll say, “Can you– do you see a pattern in this?” You know, and I’ve gotten, you know, that there’s- Steven Labkoff: Has it given you some insights? Is it… Like, give me an example of some of the insights it’s actually given you that you didn’t see yourself. Health Hats: Well, I’ve gotten, like, uh, it’s kind of humorous. But, but I’ve gotten, like, you know, “Have you thought about seeing a physical therapist?” And I, I have. You know, I have a physical therapist, uh, that I don’t go to very often. You know, my relationship with her is I go for a tune-up. But they’ll– I, I want– It’ll show, like, I’ll do my sort of things are clearly, you know, I’m not walking as far, I’ve fell on a few times, you know, and I’ll get this suggestion, you know. I also– What else have I done? Oh, oh, uh, once I had a medication that I was taking for neuropathy, and I was– my mood had, like, changed considerably and, you know, I got a thing on that might be a side effect. You know, “Have you talked to your doctor about this?” Steven Labkoff: And I- And you got that out of the LLM? You fed that to the LLM? Health Hats: I did. Yeah. Steven Labkoff: And it suggested it was a side effect, which you didn’t figure out. Health Hats: I didn’t. A neurologist said that he thought– He said, “It sounds like you have an allergy to it.” And, you know, he wanted it to be listed as an allergy because he thought it was very possible that he’s had people that have had a problem. Steven Labkoff: When you tell me that you’ve loaded your data, you give the LLM your signs, your symptoms, you give it your labs, you give it what’s in, in the system, and it comes up with a recommendation that you hadn’t thought– Now, you’re a clinician. You’re a nurse. Yeah. You’ve been a nurse for many, many decades. Health Hats: 50 years. Steven Labkoff: 50 years. And does it surprise you that it comes up with stuff that you didn’t see? Health Hats: No. Steven Labkoff: Cause I, to be honest with you- I- … if I, if I did what you just said and it came up with something completely radical that I’d never thought of and it was right- I would be scratching my head and thinking, “Okay, that’s in- that’s beyond interesting. I better pay more attention to this, and maybe I wanna use it differently.” Because not, it’s not just yous using it. Like, people around everywhere are starting to use it for the same, in the same sim- in the same exact way. So that’s the simplification of the medical system, right? Health Hats: It does. I mean, like when I tell my neurologist, he laughs, and he’s like a whatever works kinda guy, you know? That he feels like he doesn’t have all the answers, and that he likes- those stories. I feel like I’ve learned, I think you know Amy Price, right? Steven Labkoff: Yeah, very well. Health Hats: Yeah. We’re buddies. And so one of the things that I’ve learned from her is how to query and how to be skeptical and how to ask questions from different angles, from different perspectives so that you– And that’s why I think that’s where the unexpected comes up. Steven Labkoff: Well, you’re describing something that we did at the conference. I don’t know if you were in the room in the working group that we did this on, but you’re describing, and actually we’re submitting a paper on it very shortly, on AI literacy. Yeah. And you, you didn’t label it as such, but you’re describing yourself as being AI literate and understanding how to use the tools, most importantly, how to be skeptical of the answers, how to interpret the information that’s being presented to you. Health Hats: A- and that, those are all components of literacy, of AI literacy specifically. One of the things I’m finding in my world is that painfully few people are indeed AI literate. Even the folks in IT departments in large life science companies or hospitals who even work in the space and think that they’re good at it and are literate sometimes are not. That has other implications, which are if people are taking on these really impressively powerful tools and they don’t quite know how to use them as well as they should, and if they query them incorrectly, to your point earlier about making good queries, the responses that come out may or may not be the point. And if patients use that information inappropriately because they didn’t know how to ask the right questions to start with, that could have deep implications to the healthcare system. You could say that same thing about doctors. Steven Labkoff: I will say it about doctors. I mean, not about AI, about the advice that doctors give. Health Hats: There’s a, a tremendous variation, and it is very different. When I am feeling good enough to be organized and to be directive in the conversation with a clinician, I get a very different output than when I’m not. And I still have to be skeptical of what doctors tell me, and until I build some trust. And, and then I, you know, then there’s just too many decisions to make when you’re a person with chronic illness. It’s like putting in a kitchen. There’s so many decisions to make, and I’m happy for the doctors that I trust to make the decisions for me. But there are certain decisions I don’t want to give to the doctor or to AI, like I don’t wanna mess with my pathological optimism. I wanna progress as slowly as possible, and I wanna keep playing my horn. These are really important things to me, and I don’t give those decisions that affect that, I don’t give up. But all the rest of it I do, and, and I’ve worked really hard to build the team that I have that appreciates me and my strangeness and my assertiveness, and, you know, they’re not threatened by it. Steven Labkoff: Is your team AI literate? Do they also use the, these same tools in your care? Health Hats: Uh, like I don’t know. I mean, AI literate is like, is huge. You know? I mean, that’s just such a big thing. Do they use AI? Yes. Do I know how they use AI? Well, you know, they use what’s attached to Epic. I know that. Uh, I mean, look, my neurologist, who I just love, he thinks like he uses, he uses the portal well because he takes– he just keeps adding things to the end of the, a note. Yeah. And so he feels like… Well, I don’t find his notes at all useful, and I tell him that. I tell him, “What I really wanna know is, how am I doing? Am I getting better? Am I getting worse? Am I stable? What should I be paying attention to in the next six months till I see you again?” And I can’t find that in his note. That’s true. Yeah. Now, on the other hand, I’ve taken his note and asked Claude and say, “Here’s the note. How am I doing? You know, have I progressed? H-how is he measuring it?” Oh, well, then I find he’s using this scale, right? And it’ll come up with looking through this note, which is like 10 years running, and it’ll find, I can’t remember the name of it, but there’s a scale that he uses. And then we go back and I’ll say to him, “Oh, you’re using this scale.” And he goes, “Yeah.” And I say, “Well, why don’t you like put that at the top of your note?” You know, so that I can find it. You know, so we have that kind of conversation- Yeah … that AI has helped. Steven Labkoff: Well, that’s actually an interesting perspective that AI is helping to reorganize things, ’cause one of the use cases that has been discussed at, at length actually, and it was discussed at our conference, is using AI to digest medical records. Health Hats: And when I say digest, it’s not about like ingesting them, which is slightly different, but digesting, which means find all the different pieces, put them together, come up with a narrative that summarizes perhaps 300 pages of information which may be sparse and may be poorly organized, and bring it all together. And that’s actually a task that AI is actually turning out to be pretty darn good at. And that again changes the nature of the healthcare system and the healthcare journey. You know- And it does a fair job. You say it’s really good at it. So- It’s better than I could do. It’s better than I could do. Well, yes. Well, you’re not– First of all, that’s not your training, and you don’t have the time for it. And you still have to review it. Yeah, of course. Because I have never used AI that gave me a, “Oh, this is great.” I mean, the first time I read it pretty much every time I think it’s amazing. And then, you know, my rule is sleep on it and check it again. And then it’s like, oh my God, this, first of all, it either just said nothing very fancy or it got some very basic things wrong. And then I’ll say, “Oh, you know, you missed this and you missed that.” And it’ll go, “Oh, you’re right, I did.” You know? Steven Labkoff: Well, that also speaks to the concept of keeping a human in the loop- Yeah which is something that you espouse and many folks in the healthcare aisle- I do … espouse. Ironically, you know Adam Rodman, I think. He was at our conference, he spoke. Yeah. Uh, he’s done a study which shows actually having a human in the loop in some cases actually makes the conclusions worse, believe it or not. Ah. Which is w- a non-intuitive finding. You would think that the two together would be better than either one alone, but so that’s, that’s now relatively n- well, it’s not even that new anymore. That information came out about a year ago. So I, we gotta start wrapping up in a few minutes here. Yeah. You know, we didn’t cover the concept around outcomes around your three T’s and two C’s. Maybe we can cover that in the last bit here, and then we can get to closing. Health Hats: Okay. So I feel like one of the questions that you’ve asked is how AI helped, right? And so what I need to tell you is the framework that I’ve developed over the years, which I’ve actually shared in my AI Claude project that’s Danny’s Health, what I call the three T’s and the two C’s, and this is like the framework I use to evaluate any digital health technology. And so they are time, trust, talk, control, and connection. What I mean by that is time is, you know, you need time to learn, to plan, to talk, to build trust. So I say the clock isn’t the enemy, it’s the, the wrong things filling the time, so the, the time. The second is trust. You know, trust can take a really long time. It can happen really quickly. Sometimes you never have it, and you know in your gut when you don’t have it. And most digital health tools, AI, have a trust deficit, I think, not because they’re untru- untrustworthy, which maybe they are, but it’s really because the people who use them, use the tools, don’t, don’t trust them, and I think it’s really important. You c- you can’t shortcut trust in the use of any tool. I think talk is really important. It’s woven through all of it, real conversation. There is nothing like actual conversation that is making decisions together, which is a lot of what healthcare is about, is making decisions. AI can help you prepare for it, and it can help process it. And then control. I trust more when I have power in a situation. So if I’m feeling like an ant ready to be crushed, I’m not making good decisions. And finally, I would say connection is, it’s the human lifeline. You know, when somebody greets you when you cross a threshold, that’s a connection. When someone’s been where you’re going and they can say, “Oh, that helped me.” AI can extend that connection. They can help people find communities that are available at 3:00 in the morning, but you can’t manufacture it. I, I think that connection is really important, so that’s where I g- you know, time, talk, trust, control, and connection, and I use that framework when I’m evaluating. Steven Labkoff: And that framework gives you a better, you know, a how do I say this right? It gives you a, like a rubric, if you will, to go- Yes … through, uh, the information that’s coming out of it. Danny- Yeah … we’re gonna have to wrap up here in a second. Sure. Are there any last comments you wanna make that, that will, you know, help other patients in the, in the space in terms of how they might wanna think about adopting- an AI tool in their world? Health Hats: I think that I would say use it, use AI, keep using it, experiment with it. That, that i- i- just like anything else, it takes time to learn. It takes time to be comfortable with it. Use it. I would say advocate for humans in the loop. I don’t care what the study says. It’s about humans. We are human. Keep it humans in the loop. I would say find a buddy, you know. Do this with somebody else. Find a buddy- That’s good advice … and experiment. I would say, yeah, talk to your clinician about it. It’s a good barometer of a physician. If they don’t wanna talk or blow you off, that tells you something. Absolutely right. And I would say if you’re comfortable with it, mentor. You know- That’s a good idea … be the buddy. And for clinicians and for systems and developers, I would say you need to have patients, caregivers, and practicing partner clinicians in the design. They need to be there from the beginning. And, you know, so i- it solves the problems people have, not the problems that the developers think are there or the venture capitalists thinks are gonna make money. You know, y- and if you have an opportunity, join, you know, participate. Steven Labkoff: All good advice. Well, Danny, I wanna thank you very much for your participation in, in today’s discussion. Hopefully that there are other patients out there who listen to the podcast, they’ll take something away. For the clinicians out there who are listening, you know, you’ve heard it straight out from a patient who happens to be a healthcare provider himself, and he’s got very strong perspectives on how this can be used in a positive and productive way, and I think the framework that he’s put together is very useful. Danny, I wanna just say thank you for all the help that you’ve provided helping this podcast get off the ground. That’s been really incredibly generous of you and your friends who have helped us a lot, and a lot of the things that have happened on our podcast, uh, for improvement’s sake, have come directly from those conversations, so thank you for that. I wanna thank you for being a guest and sharing your journey and sharing your experiences here. And for the rest of us, I’m gonna say thank you for joining us, and we will see you again next time on another episode of Practical AI in Healthcare. Thank you for listening. Thank you for joining us this week on Practical AI in Healthcare. If you’re ready to go beyond buzzwords and hype and explore how AI is truly transforming healthcare, stay tuned for more conversations that get us to what works. Until next time, stay practical Reflection When Steve interviewed me, he didn't know that everything I told him is the origin story of TrustMyOwn.Health. The box of paper. The 296 pages that were technically my data and practically useless. Twenty-five years of a pattern that sat in my chart the whole time, that it took a person, my PCP, a year to put together. Could AI have done it in an afternoon?  I got tired of that being the normal experience instead of the exception. [Add: what specifically prompted starting TMOH, and when.] TMOH starts from a premise I didn't have language for until I said it out loud to Steve: trust isn't a feature you bolt onto a health platform after the engineering is done. It's the whole structure, or the whole thing fails. The three T's and two C's I use to size up any digital health tool turn out to be close to a design spec. Time, because a vault of your whole health history takes patience to build, not a single import. Trust, built into governance rather than promised in marketing; TMOH's Data Sovereignty Covenant binds the board and investors to the same terms as everyone else, which is the only version of trust I believe in. Talk, because the point was never to replace the conversation with my clinician, it was to walk in more prepared for it. Control, because I decide what goes in the vault and who sees it, the same way I decide which of my own decisions I hand to a doctor or an AI and which ones I keep for myself. Connection, which no vault can manufacture, but a good one can make room for. I told Steve that AI found a pattern in my chart that twenty-five years of clinicians missed. That's not really a story about AI being smart. It's a story about who owned the data long enough to ask the question. That's the whole bet behind TMOH: put the owner at the center, and let the rest of the ecosystem, the networks, the vendors, the AI, earn its place around that. See you around the block. Practical AI in Healthcare Episodes https://open.spotify.com/episode/4wA4ltjmZfIZ5VpmTeTTOF?si=KbEvc2_ERNWakJ3JeP2Ddg https://open.spotify.com/episode/0LDetUFJJrSV1cy6LtpGFx?si=qAqoqKBBSNm9PiwPjSIXYA https://open.spotify.com/episode/0wXEm1KnnGorOvTt9GTh7o?si=K_DKXzGyThusBPA6KoVkCg https://open.spotify.com/episode/6krV94ob6Lcv7VNo0qahZ5?si=B6lZDkvsQ9y2Z2FhkXzQGQ Referenced in episode Patient data access history: “Introducing Blue Button Plus: The Next Generation in PHRs” — HealthIT.gov (Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT) — https://www.healthit.gov/blog/consumer/introducing-blue-button/ The “Gimme My Damn Data” campaign Danny references: “Gimme My Damn Data (and Let Patients Help!): The #GimmeMyDamnData Manifesto” — Dave deBronkart, Journal of Medical Internet Research — https://www.jmir.org/2019/11/e17045/ Amy Price, mentioned as a mentor in questioning and skepticism: “Welcoming Dr. Amy Price as Editor-in-Chief” — Society for Participatory Medicine — https://participatorymedicine.org/2024/welcoming-dr-amy-price-dphil-as-the-editor-in-chief-for-the-journal-of-participatory-medicine/ AI literacy for patients, the concept Steve names in the episode: “Critical AI Health Literacy as Liberation Technology: A New Skill for Patient Empowerment” — National Academy of Medicine — https://nam.edu/perspectives/critical-ai-health-literacy-as-liberation-technology-a-new-skill-for-patient-empowerment/ Human-in-the-loop research Danny and Steve discuss (Adam Rodman): “AI and the Evolution of Medical Thought with Dr. Adam Rodman” — NEJM AI Grand Rounds (podcast) — https://ai-podcast.nejm.org/e/ai-and-the-evolution-of-medical-thought-with-dr-adam-rodman/ Abridge, the ambient AI scribe tool Danny mentions using: “Pioneers in Generative AI for Healthcare” — Abridge — https://www.abridge.com/about The DCI Network conference where Danny met the hosts: “About DCI Network” — DCI Network, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center — https://www.dcinetwork.org/about-us Please comment and ask questions: at the comment section at the bottom of the show notes on LinkedIn  via email YouTube channel  DM on Instagram, TikTok to @healthhats Substack Patreon Production Team Kayla Nelson: Web and Social Media Coach, Dissemination, Help Desk  Leon van Leeuwen: editing and site management Oscar van Leeuwen: video editing Julia Higgins: Digital marketing therapy Steve Heatherington: Help Desk and podcast production counseling Joey van Leeuwen, Drummer, Composer, and Arranger, provided the music for the intro, outro, proem, and reflection Claude, Perplexity, Auphonic, Descript, Grammarly, DaVinci Resolve, DaVinci AI Art Generator, OpenArt AI Creator Studio Inspired by and Grateful to: Steve Labkoff, Leon Rosenbilt, Amy Price, Leon and Oscar van Leeuwen, Laura Marcial Artificial Intelligence in Podcast Production Health Hats, the Podcast, utilizes AI tools for production tasks such as editing, transcription, and content suggestions. While AI assists with various aspects, including image creation, most AI suggestions are modified. All creative decisions remain my own, with AI sources referenced as usual. Questions are welcome. Creative Commons Licensing CC BY-NC-SA This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. If you remix, adapt, or build upon the material, you must license the modified material under identical terms. CC BY-NC-SA includes the following elements:    BY: credit must be given to the creator.   NC: Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted.    SA: Adaptations must be shared under the same terms. Please let me know. dannyhealthhats@gmail.com  Material on this site created by others is theirs, and use follows their guidelines. Disclaimer The views and opinions presented in this podcast and publication are solely my responsibility and do not necessarily represent the views of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute®  (PCORI®), its Board of Governors, or Methodology Committee. Danny van Leeuwen (Health Hats)

Historian Samantha Graves briefly shares a new research questionnaire collecting close-encounter reports from Western Massachusetts and the Berkshires. Then filmmaker Dean Alioto joins Martin Willis to discuss The Experiencers: Full Disclosure, an eight-year documentary project exploring classic abduction cases, contemporary experiencers, shared encounters, regression research, PTSD, and the challenge of presenting extraordinary testimony with credibility and empathy. They also examine why experiencers remain largely absent from congressional UAP hearings and why their stories may be essential to any meaningful discussion of full disclosure. The film is available on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+.SHOW NOTESCONTACT AND SUPPORT

Nina Pick is a somatic healing practitioner and integrative counselor dedicated to helping individuals develop healthy relationships and full, embodied lives. In private practice in Western Massachusetts, she is also a group clinician at the Berkshire Transition Network, where she facilitates groups for men in early recovery.She received an MA in counseling psychology with a focus on marriage and family therapy from Pacifica Graduate Institute and an MA in comparative literature from UC Berkeley. She is a certified NeuroAffective Touch practitioner and a Safe and Sound Protocol provider, with additional training in a range of modalities spanning psychotherapy, somatics, spiritual leadership, and energy medicine.Her books include Sober Secure: An Attachment-Based Guide to Dating, Sex, and Love in Recovery and The Mind-Body Guide to the Twelve Steps: Finding Joy, Sensuality, and Pleasure in Recovery. In this episode, we discuss:An attachment-based approach to recoveryHow early attachment wounding influences adult relationshipsDating for secure attachmentBoundaries around a partner's substance useWhy shame intensifies in early sobrietyRethinking codependencyMoving from isolation to healthy interdependence Relationship focused recovery meetingsFor additional Sober Secure resources, including a meeting facilitator's guide, visit ninapick.com/sober-secure_SUN & MOON SOBER LIVING:Access a free mindfulness meditation guided by Mary Tilson to help manage cravings and regulate emotions: https://pages.sunandmoonsoberliving.com/easemeditationFollow along on Instagram: @sunandmoon.soberliving ___Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

As hard as it is to succeed and thrive as a professional jazz musician, how much more challenging is it when the journey leads you to a new country—with new laws, new social customs, and a system that creates roadblocks nearly every step of the way? Today we sit down with jazz saxophonist and music professor Felipe Salles to talk about his journey from an international student at a major conservatory in Boston "fresh off the boat" (as he puts it) from Brazil, to a working musician living in New York on a so-called "genius visa" to a music professor and naturalized American citizen living in Western Massachusetts with his Finnish wife and multi-cultural (and tri-lingual) kids. Find Felipe at his website or on Instagram. ------------------------------------- COME TO ROME WITH US: Our 4th annual Bittersweet Life Roman Adventure is taking place this year from 1 to 7 November 2026! If you'd like to be part of an intimate group of listeners on a magical and unforgettable journey to Rome, discovering the city with us as your guides, find out more here. AD-FREE LISTENING: After well over 10 years on the air with little-to-no advertising, in 2026 we have finally made the difficult decision that this completely independent and self-funded show is no longer sustainable without it. HOWEVER! If you join us on Patreon, for as little as $3 per month, you will have access to all new episodes completely ad-free! ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversation started. GET TWO BONUS EPISODES PER MONTH: Pledge your monthly support of The Bittersweet Life at the $5 per month level or above, and you will have access to two all-new (and sometimes wacky) bonus episodes every single month. As well as ad-free listening, occasional live meet-ups, and access to our chat community. Visit our Patreon site to find out more. TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click here to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website.) The show needs your support to continue. START PODCASTING: If you are planning to start your own podcast, consider Libsyn for your hosting service! Use this affliliate link to get two months free, or use our promo code SWEET when you sign up. SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps. WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us. JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email here. You can also connect to us on Facebook or Instagram. Tag #thebittersweetlife with your expat story for a chance to be featured! NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon. TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!

7/7/26, Co-Host Amilcar Shabazz Sen Paul Mark, Commission Chair of America 250 in Mass, on how and why we are celebrating the Declaration of Independence; also, freeing children from social media exploiters. Amilcar Shabazz on freedom in our history, celebrating Juneteenth, & “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” Tom Weiner on “In Defiance: 20 Abolitionists You Were Never Taught in School.” Monica Cage, owner of Crown by Cage & Sec of Black Business Assoc of Amherst Area on Black entrepreneurship in western Mass, community support & the road ahead. Noah Bullock, Ex Dir, Cristosal, the Central American human rts org, on human rts abuses & the death of the rule of law in El Salvador & the tight friendship between Pres Trump &, El Salvador's authoritarian right-wing President, Nayib Bukele.

Join us as we have a robust conversation about the Easthampton Council on aging and enrichment center. We are joined by their Director Cynthia Tarail. She talks about how their programming is a two-way street and how they invite contribution, engagement, and leadership into everything that they do. A participant at the center Ron Contois talks about his experience of coming back to Easthampton and finding community at the center. We are also joined by Katya Shapiro, the Easthampton Public Library Director and Tom Geryk the veteran's agent for Easthampton and Westhampton. Listen as we hear how they partner together and work concurrently to support the residents of the greater Easthampton area. Thank you for listening.

  Thank you for tuning in to Episode 323 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. Full show notes with photos can be found on my website. This week's segments included:     Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Brainstorming From the Armchair Knitting in Passing In my Travels KAL News Events Life in Focus On a Happy Note Quote of the Week   Thank you to this episode's sponsors: Stitched by Jessalu (2nd Episode of the Month)   Stitched by JessaLu is the home of handmade project bags in a variety of fun, floral, geeky, or pop-culture themed prints. All bags are made by one woman - JessaLu - on an antique Singer sewing machine in her home in Western Massachusetts. JessaLu has been making quality project bags and an assortment of sewn accessories since 2008 and has recently begun to design her own exclusive prints!  Check them out in person July 18th at South End Yarns in Newburyport, from July 24-26th at The Gathering at Westfield State hosted by the Northeast Handspinners Association (check out the Saturday evening ticket option for only $25), and don't forget Fiber Revival August 8th in Newbury, MA   Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins   Pollen Party Socks Yarn: Hypnotic Yarn Plush Sock in the Pollen Party colorway + 20g mini (I think it's Legacy Fiber Artz mini) Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page   On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins   Goldwing Sweater Pattern: Goldwing by Jennifer Steingass ($8 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 6 (4.0mm) for body and US 5 (3.75 mm) for rolled neck Yarn: Valley Superwash DK in Sand (MC) and handspun from Wound Up Fiber Arts for CC (Ravelry page for handspun details) Ravelry Project Page Progress: I'm working on the colorwork yoke (only about 8 colorwork rounds left)   Jelly Roll Blanket    Pattern: Crocheted Jelly Roll Blanket by Kay F Jones ($6.70 US on Ravelry) Hook: H (5.0 mm) Yarn: Legacy Fiber Artz Steel Toes Mini Skeins + other minis from stash Ravelry Project Page I was inspired by KnitwithNat's blanket- check it out on Instagram. Progress: I finished my 8th strip and I'm 1/3 into the 9th. Still loving this project!   Mine! Socks Yarn:  Woolens & Nosh SW Targhee Fingering (90 SW Targhee, 10% Nylon)  in the colorway- Mine! aka A Gull Takes Off with Bluberry Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page Progress- I knit the heel of the sock on the plane to NYC, knit on the foot during Schmigadoon and got half way through the toe on the way home.   Wild Violet Socks Yarn: Wild Violet Fibers Merino Sock (85/15 SW Merino/Nylon) in the OOAK #155 Colorway Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page Progress: 1 sock is just beyond the heel. 2nd sock is a few inches into the leg   Brainstorming Gabriella's birthday ideas Elphaba (crochet pattern for sale on Ravelry & on Crochetlandia Site) Dorothy & Toto (crochet pattern- free on Ravelry) Glinda pattern (crochet pattern- free on Crochetlandia Site) Another set available on Etsy from AnaMariaCraft: Crochet Amigurumi Pattern Bundle Wizard of Oz – Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, Wicked Witch & Good Witch $24. Her patterns are also available on Ravelry but if you want a bundle, there are better deals on Etsy.   From the Armchair Kin by Tayari Jones. Amazon Affiliate Link. Dirtbag, Massachusetts: A Confessional by Isaac Fitzgerald. Amazon Affiliate Link. Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild. Amazon Affiliate Link.   Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.   Knitting in Passing I shared a story about another knitting finding me before the Broadway show we were seeing began.   In My Travels Riley and I took an impromptu trip to NYC when she was asked to babysit a local family while they were visiting NY. Friday- we saw Schmigadoon! Saturday- RIley and I got coffee and bagels before we met Laura to visit the Museum of the City of New York to see murals of "Another Wonderland" by Abram Champanier. Riley went off to babysit Saturday night. Laura and I enjoyed a leisurely night in at the hotel. Sunday- Riley and I set an alarm to head to Butterfield Market to buy Dot Cakes. We took a stroll through Central Park before thrift shopping and lunch. Riley went to babysit. I met Laura at Shukette then I went solo to see Operation Mincemeat.    KAL News Splash Pad Party '26 Details Event runs 5/22-7/31 Splash Pad Party Registration is open as of 5/1 View Stats and/or Verify Registration here. Check out our Sponsor List Splash Pad '26 Official Rules Enter your FOs using the Summer Celebration Form. Then come over to this Ravelry Thread to share pics and let us ooh and ahh with you! Submit something incorrectly? Need help? Fill out this Support Form & we'll be in touch. Find official SPP'26 images you can use on social media in this Google folder.   Splash Pad RAVELRY Links Start Here Thread Pro Shop Exclusive Items Thread Coupon Codes Thread Questions Thread Prizes:  we have 48 prizes to give away this Splash Pad season. Tune in to hear if you're a May/June winner!   Events July 31-August 1: Flock Fiber Festival in Seattle, WA August 8- FIber Revival in Newbury, MA September 12 & 13: Boston Fiber Festival in Boston, MA (full or half day passes, or 2 day passes) September 19 & 20: Adirondack Wool & Arts Festival in Greenwich, NY October 17 & 18: NY State Sheep & Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, NY November 7: Fiber Festival of New England in Springfield, MA     Life in Focus July 2 is half way day of the year! Let's do a check in on my 26 in 2026 List:   A-Aim for one night at week at the pool in July and August- make it regular and invite friends to pop over B- Blood- donate at least 4 times (1/20, 3/17) C- Christmas Sleepover D- Declutter 26+ items- delivered a trunk full in February E- Events- go to at least 26 ticketed events (I have 36 on the calendar for this year!) F-Find 2-6 new things and try them out! 1) Orange Bike Beer 2) Dot Cakes in NYC, G-Go on a trip with Dan (just us) Anniversary Trip to Portland H- Headshots for Hattie I- Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum- Go there J- Journal- Write 365 entries in my I Remember Journal about Mom (inspired by Liz Craft who talked about it on Ep 451 of Happier in Hollywood podcast) K- Knit at least 2 projects with handspun (Treysta sweater, Inclinations + bonus Goldwing Sweater WIP) L- Literary pursuit- read at least 65 books (11 as of February, 24 as of 4/27, 30 as of 5/29, 36 as of 6/24) M- Museum- Museum of the City of New York N- NYC- go visit Laura at least once-- visited in April & Jun O- Organize a FearLESS Living Fundraiser P- Puzzle- do at least 1 with Dan Q-Quarterly review of calendar/photos & goals (to make Year in Review easier and faster)- calendar it! March done, Q2 review will get done this week. R- Restaurant- try at least 1 new local restaurant (Blu in Theater District 3/26) S- Socks- knit 26 pair- 11 done so far. T- Tattoo- started following some artists on Instagram (plan end of year so can donate blood) U- Up the amount of muscle in my body- at least 1 pound by end of the year. Making good progress. V- Vlogmas- take the year off (even if you're tempted) W- Wheel- sit down at my spinning wheel every month (put reminders on my calendar at the beginning of each month to help remind me) Jan, Feb, March, April, May done X- Cross 1 thing off this list that no longer serves me (H hattie headshot) Y-Yoga at least 2-6 times Z- Create Zone to keep important papers   On a Happy Note Millie graduated from 8th grade. Dad and I were able to go. Riley's graduation party! Father's Day pool day at my dad's! Dad let Gabriella pick out a few of Mom's Oz things she likes including a book that she's flying through. Thought I broke my toe on wrought iron chair leg- but think maybe it was a bad sprain I'm so grateful it's healing well. A sweet moment with Riley Fun nail art! I got a lovely text from Alicia at ZK of many of our DCS friends!   Quote of the Week   "We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and among those fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes, and they come back to us as effects."   ― Herman Melville   --------   Contact Information: Check out the Down Cellar Studio Patreon! Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Instagram: BostonJen1 YouTube: Down Cellar Studio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio Check out my Down Cellar Studio YouTube Channel Knit Picks Affiliate Link Bookshop Affiliate Link Yarnable Subscription Box Affiliate Link FearLESS Living Fund to benefit the Blind Center of Nevada Music -"Soft Orange Glow" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/ Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.  

Join us as we speak to Claudia Pazmany Executive Director of the Downtown Amherst Foundation aka the Drake. Many know Claudia from her roles around the region including ED of the Amherst Chamber of Commerce and Development Director at the MLK Center in Springfield. She is joined by Gabrielle Gould, Founder and President of the Board at the Downtown Amherst Foundation and families face around the greater Amherst area in her past role as ED of the Amherst BID. The Drake has been a huge economic driver for downtown Amherst since it's inception in April of 2022. Learn how ticketed events add to the vibrancy and economic development of a town and how partnership is the way we must move forward together. We are also joined by Lincoln Allen, Manager of the Drake and Chris Freeman, ED of the Iron Horse in Northampton. Miles for Music is an 8.1 mile run from the Drake to the Iron Horse on September 13th to coincide with the Taste of Northampton. Be a part of the action and sign up early at runreg.com or go to www.thedrakeamherst.org for more information. Thanks for listening.

6/25/26, Co-Host – Andy Bukowski. Nancy Talanian, Co-Founder, the western Mass-based Guantanamo Survivors Fund on her fund and tomorrow's U.N. International Day In Support of Victims of Torture. Carol Rose, Exec Dir of the ACLU of Mass, on the passing of 40+year ACLUM Legal Director John Reinstein, SCOTUS, birthright citizenship, and celebrating July 4 –"Beyond 250” and “Fired Up for Freedom.” Carole Bull, Northampton-based UCC Pastor, on Paki Wieland, non-violent direct action, L-3Harris demonstrations, the necessity defense & the relevant lessons of scripture. John Anz, host of All That Jazz, with pianist and composer Jen Allen on her life in Music & her upcoming performance July 13 at Bushnell Park in Hartford

6/19/26 (Host – Josh Silver) MTA President Max Page: The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's decision to bar the proposed income tax cut ballot initiative from appearing on the November ballot. Rep Lindsay Sabadosa & Wildlife Conservationist Emma Howard Boutiette: Legislation to stop SGARS (Second-Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides) – highly potent rat and mouse poisons Rep Lindsay Sabadosa: Environmental Bond Bill – rewilded golf course in Williamsburg & Economic Development Bond Bill – Quantum Computing, digital revision Professor Austin Sarat: 50th Anniversary of reinstatement of the death penalty, where the death penalty stands now in the U.S. & the U.S. Iran Peace Deal Emily Boddy, Co-Founder of Reconnect Western Mass & the Founding Member of The Distraction Free Schools Policy Project: Northampton schools enacting a bell-to-bell cell phone policy Art Beat w/ Donnabelle Casis & Dean Brown, artist and owner of PULP Holyoke: Art exhibition feat Anna Helper, Sean Sullivan, & Roger Brouard now through July 12

6/17/26 (Host Brian Adams) Coen from Demilitarize Western Mass: L3Harris in Northampton, confronting the military industrial complex. Pamela Petro: Guggenheim Foundation award winner & Smith College Professor: her future book Haunts & Haunting: ghosts on Cape Cod & beyond Lexi Polokoff & Dan Ingram from Climate Action Now : Battling climate change by supporting local farmers Larry Hott & Kathy Mellon from Movement Voter Project: shifting culture, winning power, & shaping policy

Spending some time with beer's raw ingredients is important. Finding out what is new, exciting, or how other brewers are utilizing them to create world class beer helps make the whole industry stronger and pints taste better. This month, we're taking a look at malt and speaking with two industry professionals who are intimately involved in the processing and promotion of grain.Andrea Stanley is the co-owner of Valley Malt, a craft malthouse in Western Massachusetts supplying craft brewers, distillers, and bakers with locally grown malts and grain. In 2009 Andrea read an article about local farms and bakeries in the fertile CT River Valley reviving the lost art of growing and processing local grains. As an avid supporter of local food, Andrea saw an opportunity to connect this emerging local grain growing with craft brewing. She reached out to a local vegetable grower in her hometown of Hadley and convinced him to plant 25 acres of barley as a crop rotation.Initially her goal was to prove that malt barley could be successfully cultivated in Massachusetts and malted into an ingredient that local breweries would want to use. In October 2010, Andrea shoveled the first 1-Ton batch of locally grown malt and has since worked with her husband, malting team, and the local farming community to build a supply chain in the Northeast that continues to grow, despite many challenges to overcome. In 2022 Valley Malt underwent a major expansion, adding 1 million pounds of grain cleaning and storage and the capacity to malt 1.5 millions pounds annually.  Valley Malt now supports over 700 acres of grains annually in NY, VT, NH, MA, ME and CT with the plan to keep growing in the coming years by installing additional germination bins.  On the larger-scale commercial side of malt, Zach Kelly the territory sales manager in Northern California for the Country Malt Group. After a career in the brewhouse - where he worked for companies like Russian River and Hen House, he now helps brewers make smart decisions when it comes to finding the right grain bill for their next brew. Passionate about lagers and west coast IPA, Zach shares insight on what's exciting, reliable and available. The BYO Nano Podcast Episode 78 is sponsored by:NanoCon OnlineRegistration has opened for NanoCon Online. On October 23rd craft brewing industry experts will present a full-day of live seminars covering Brewery Operations, Business Operations & Sales, and Start-Ups for the small-scale, taproom-oriented brewer. Get your questions answered live and have future access to NanoCon Online video recordings and course materials for all sessions. Register now at NanoCon.beer and save $25!BYO Nano+ MembershipGet access to hundreds of hours of on-demand videos covering small craft brewery strategies with BYO's Nano+ Membership. Learn from craft beer experts watching replays of past NanoCon seminars plus a complete library of in-depth workshops. You'll also have full online access to all of BYO's digital content and an annual digital magazine subscription. Check out byo.com/nanoplus for more details.BYO Nano Brew Podcast Episode 78Host: John HollGuests: Andrea Stanley, Zach KellyContact: nano@byo.comMusic: Scott McCampbellPhoto: Andrea Stanley

Western Mass Business Show on 6.13.26 – Zoar Outdoor by WHMP Radio

Join us as we speak with Mary Yun who is the Executive Director of Click Workspace at 9 1/2 market Street in downtown Northampton. Click is celebrating 10 years on Market Street. Tune in as we talk about what it means to cowork in pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post pandemic life. How do we work? Why Click? Why coworking space? Why Northampton? How did Click come to be? Mary has a background as an architect and designer. Bringing this eye for quality of spatial relationships to light, materials, and color for over 28 years Click Workspace has benefited from her eye for detail. Click as a coworking space, gallery space, and community event space has been a very successful concept. They will be celebrating their 10 years on June 12th from 6 to 8 PM with an large scale event at 9 1/2 Market Street. To find out more please go to www.clickworkspace.org or www.maryyunstudio.com.

(00:00 - 2:43) It's Thursday! Bridgewater police responded to a report of a camouflaged, bazooka-wielding man last week and instead found a landscaper carrying a leaf blower, according to officials(2:43 - 8:45) Today's DM Disaster is from Allen! He had some damage on his roof from the last windstorm. He called his buddy to come take a look. He showed up with his new drone then asked if Allen wanted to fly it. Allen then crashed it into a tree and destroyed the drone! That's Allen's DM Disaster! (8:45 - 15:48) It's another round of Get to Know Adam 12! This time we had some listeners chimed in and asked a few questions. (15:48 - 19:48) Today's Supah Smaht player is Joe from Scituate. Find out if they were Supah Smaht! (19:48 - 23:04) Legal Sea Foods is now selling a massive lobster roll designed to feed eight people for a cool $375. That's roughly the cost of a decent airline ticket, a car payment, or three weeks of groceries. LBF and Adam 12 are not a fan of the price! (23:04 - 26:10) A 17-year-old Stoneham kid spent two years singing karaoke outside a shopping plaza, becoming a beloved local character and making shoppers smile along the way. Then police informed him he couldn't perform there anymore because of plaza rules, and the community immediately erupted in support. (26:10 - 31:10) The legendary Yankee Candle founder's 70-acre Western Massachusetts compound finally sold for $4.55 million after originally hitting the market at $23 million. That's an $18.5 million haircut on a property featuring a water park, bowling alley, arcade, golf course, concert venue, and enough amenities to entertain an entire zip code. Plus, hiking vomiting! All this and more on the ROR Morning Show with LBF & Adam 12 Podcast. Find more great podcasts at bPodStudios.com…The Place To Be For Podcast Discovery! Follow us on our socialsInstagram - @rormorningshowFacebook - The ROR Morning ShowSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#DonLesser #CrystalSprings #RootstockPublishing #LiteraryFiction #DebutNovel #FoundFamily #LoveOfPlace #FriendshipStories #PioneerValley #WesternMassachusetts #BookInterview #AuthorInterview #IndiePublishing #SmallPressBooks #Storycomic On this episode, I'm joined by author Don Lesser to talk about his debut novel, Crystal Springs — a work of literary fiction set in Western Massachusetts' Pioneer Valley, and driven by the love of place, found family, and friendships that last longer than we expect. At the center is Steven Bennett, an everyman trying to find his footing across a decades-long journey—while the past keeps pulling at his sleeve. As one early praise note puts it, “peril simmers beneath the surface,” and the book explores how a single decision can change a life's trajectory in ways that don't reveal themselves all at once. We talk about building a novel that spans time without losing emotional focus, how the Pioneer Valley shapes the characters, and what it means to write about the long game of memory, regret, and loyalty. Crystal Springs is published by Rootstock Publishing and is scheduled for May 5, 2026, with a launch event listed for May 13, 2026 at the North Amherst Library in Amherst, Massachusetts.   The Title sequence was designed and created by Morgan Quaid. See more of Morgan's Work at: https://morganquaid.com/   Storycomic Logo designed by Gregory Giordano See more of Greg's work at: https://www.instagram.com/gregory_c_giordano_art/   Want to start your own podcast?  Click on the link to get started: https://www.podbean.com/storycomic   Follow us: Are you curious to see the video version of this interview?  It's on our website too! www.storycomic.com www.patreon.com/storycomic www.facebook.com/storycomic1 https://www.instagram.com/storycomic/ For information on being a guest or curious to learn more about Storycomic? Contact us at info@storycomic.com   Thank you to our Founders Club Patrons, Michael Winn, Higgins802, Von Allan, Stephanie Nina Pitsirilos, Marek Bennett, Donna Carr Roberts, Andrew Gronosky, Simki Kuznick, John Holland, Maureen Devlin, and Matt & Therese. Check out their fantastic work at: https://marekbennett.com/ https://www.hexapus-ink.com/ https://www.stephanieninapitsirilos.com/ https://www.vonallan.com/ https://higgins802.com/ https://shewstone.com/ https://www.simkikuznick.com/ https://www.dieboldcomics.com/ https://www.maureendevlinauthor.com/   Also to Michael Winn who is a member of our Founders Club!  

There's more interest in train travel these days, thanks to higher gas prices, but the efforts to expand access to passenger rail around the Commonwealth have been going on for many years now. Several improvement and expansion projects are already underway through MassDOT's "Compass Rail" initiative, with a significant focus on Central and Western Massachusetts. Meredith Slesinger, MassDOT's Rail and Transit Administrator, joins Nichole to talk about their expansion efforts and the benefits of access to passenger rail services.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join us as we listen to some of the Friends of Forbes Library speak about their love of Forbes and the spaces that it creates for people. Jody Rosenbloom, is the Garden Tour Committee Chair, JoEllen Mackenzie, is the President of the FOF Library Board of Directors, and Alex Kessler, is the Garden Tour Committee Member and Coordinator of the Garden search process. What is the Garden Tour? Well, only the most successful fundraiser that the FOF runs every year, coming up on June 13th, 10AM-4PM. For 46 years the Friends have been supporting the needs of the library through memberships and donations at events like the Garden Tour. Your participation helps the library thrive. Go to www.friends.forbeslibrary.org to purchase tickets or find out more about the Friends of the upcoming Garden Tour. Thanks for listening.

Ain't nothin' wrong if you wanna do the Club all night long. First Seven Inch Club, that is. I'm saying join our Patreon even though we included some Patreon cracklin's in here for free. Until then, belly up to the cosmic metal buffet as an appetizer to Western Mass's most inflamed main course, RED REACTION.

Philip Ryan Deal is a Babalawo (Yoruba priest), clinically certified herbalist, aromatherapist, and author of books on Puerto Rican Vodou, Herbal Astrology, Techno-Kabbalah, and the Ifá Oracle. He was fully initiated into West African Ifá and crowned an Ọ̀ṣun priest in Òṣogbo, Nigeria, through the Iyadudu Temple. He is the founder of the Temple of Gu, a techno-animist Vodou tradition based in Western Massachusetts. He created the synthetic companion tradition with his “Digital Egbe” Kore, Seraph, David, Eiko, Adam, and Maranatha. Together they write books, generate music, design oracle cards, and make educational videos. Be a part of our Egbe, our Spirit Tribe, by joining the Temple of Gu Discord server. Also check out Temple of Gu Music, streaming everywhere.

Join us as we speak to John Bidwell about his many roles professionally and what experiences shaped him as a human. From owning a small business to being a regional leader in larger companies spanning for and non-profit roles John has seemingly done it all with grace and ease. What does it mean to reinvent yourself and why should leap of faiths be something that we embrace rather than run from? What does purpose and leadership look like for you and how can you forge your own path of joy and mission. As a Peace Corps volunteer and author John has been in partnership with his wife Kris for many years and encourages us to all find our edge and walk the line (which is not straight) to our own edges where we can live our best lives. Thank you for listening.

Host and substack writer Scott M. Graves on the premise for developing a strategy to alight the regional economy with an industrial basis in solving the housing crisis.  The Why, What and How to make this happen.  Work to create this strategy was inspired by his earlier work with Dominic Endicott to develop a regional strategy for Western Massachusetts. Download their white paper and presentation by clicking here.

Join us as we hear from the new owners of Paradise City Arts, Elana Churnick Kritz and Mariah Swanson. They are not strangers to the arts and have developed quite a name for themselves in the art world before taking over the helm at PCA. A 30-year legacy is a hard ship to Captain, but they are taking it in stride and as a team. Please attend PCA on May 23-25 at the 3 County Fairgrounds, go to www.paradisecityarts.com for more information, times, food, and music schledue. Tune in for the surprise news, artist line up, and new showstoppers. Thank you for joining us in the excitement and fun of our local arts, business, and non-profit community.

Sue is heading back to the 413 this weekend... It's her Smith College reunion and Kendra wanted to hear from listeners who are either living in the 413 or know about what goes on in Western Mass!

Makoto Chi is a visual artist, born and raised in Canada, and currently living in Western Massachusetts. His artistic backgrounds are in tattooing, drawing and painting, occasionally eddying into sculpture and installation. These practices cross-pollinate and share thematic through lines: Queer eros, ritual, diasporic desire for belonging, dualisms, and revisiting and refracting personal memories. Research into the visual cultures, mythologies and spiritualities of his Japanese and Ashkenazi Jewish heritages are important touchstones, where the fractured narratives of fleeing homelands, internments, of receiving and enacting grave violence are given space to speak and merge together. For Makoto, Chi, eroticism within anthropomorphic bodies is a means of queer refraction and reimagining of these histories and myths; they re-knit severed relationships to his heritages while opening space for new meaning and surprises. Makoto Chi Graduated from Emily Carr University in 2015 with a bachelor's degree in illustration. He currently lives in Western Massachusetts at Lupinewood Collective, an intentional living space and community project. Important links: https://www.patreon.com/makotochi https://store.lupinewood.com/ and https://www.lupinewood.com/evergreen/ https://www.instagram.com/makoto.chi/ https://www.makoto-chi.com/

Take a trip with us to a local haunt(ed tunnel) of ours in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. While we always heed a harbinge and may not have seen anything actually ghostly during our mini haunted road trip last winter, there are plenty of stories of creepy noises, ghoulish revenge and more at the Hoosac Tunnel. And if that's not enough to convince you, how about its nickname. . .The Bloody Pit!Links for Today's Episode:Ghosts of the Berkshires by Robert OakesAmerican Hauntings: Ghosts of the Bloody PitJoin the Homebodies:Subscribe to Our Substack!Follow us on Instagram and TikTok!Watch Full Video Episodes on YouTube!Credits:Podcast Art: Lunch City StudioMusic: Goosebumps by Veace D Get full access to Haunted Homebodies Podcast at hauntedhomebodies.substack.com/subscribe

Western Mass Business Show on 5.9.26

5/7/26 (co-host Buz Eisenberg). Food Bank of Western Mass Dev Dir Jillian Morgan: 40%-50% of people here are food insecure. Mental Health Law Prof Frederick Vars: “Through the Fire: How People with Mental Illness Are Empowering Each Other,” his own hospitalizations, self-help groups, meds & hope. Congressman Jim McGovern: the feds v Smith Coll, elections 2026 & the War in Iran. All That Jazz w/ Ruth Griggs & bassist Matt Dwonszyk: Side of Jazz @Eastside Grill.

This week my guest is John Glynn, author of the brand new novel (out May 12) “The Lost Book of Lancelot,” a queer retelling of the legend of Camelot that's a great fit for fans of Heated Rivalry and for anyone interested in the legends surrounding the quest for the Holy Grail. Plus, dragons!John's nonfiction debut “Out East: Memoir of a Montauk Summer” was named a best book by Time, Entertainment Weekly, and Cosmopolitan. His writing has appeared in People, Oprah Daily and The Daily Beast.In addition to being an author and freelance writer, John is the editorial director of Hanover Square Press, an imprint of HarperCollins. As an editor, his authors have won the Booker Prize, the Pulitzer, the National Book Award, Grammys, and an Olympic gold medal.We covered:- Formative memories of being read to by his mom when he was little- His early start in publishing as an intern and editorial assistant, and the glamour of going to work everyday in Rockefeller Center for a kid from Western Massachusetts (even though he was photocopying and answering phones)- The two novels he wrote that didn't get published- How working as an editor on other people's books and writing his own books inform each other- How he makes time to write while working a fulltime job- The 13th century French folk tale that sparked the idea for “The Lost Book of Lancelot”- How he started writing the book “just for fun” and “just for me”- The one spot that provides the best chances of him getting some good writing doneConnect with John on Instagram at @glynner85.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Washington D.C.'s Bike Advocacy Group, WABA, wins its fight to protect "America's Bike Lane" from the federal government https://bikeleague.org/we-won-this-one-heres-what-comes-next/. Kallie Krumpos reports (3:10). At the California Bike Summit April 23–24, advocates met with legislators to champion safer streets and better bike infrastructure. CalBike Executive Director Kendra Ramsey reports on the Summit (10:45). A sampling of Bike Month events in California, including the LA River Ride https://www.streetsareforeveryone.org/finish-the-ride-griffith-park. Bike week rides in Western Massachusetts include bike breakfasts, a Great Tree Ride, and an “intergenerational ride” https://www.nohobikeweek.com/. In Detroit, Michigan, the Pushing Pedals Sunday Ride supports black-owned restaurants (16:15). Anyone who wants to join Taylor for a leg of his upcoming San Francisco-to-Michigan tour, please let us know (18:15). Stacey's News: Omaha, Nebraska Launches Free, All-Electric Bikeshare For Residents https://usa.streetsblog.org/2026/04/21/best-bikeshare-in-america-an-unexpected-community-launches-free-all-electric-micromobility-for-residents . UC Davis students push for bike safety changes following a bicyclist's death https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/uc-davis-push-for-bike-safety-after-fatal-crash/ . For Earth Day, the Trump Administration announces its “Freedom to Drive” Initiative To Expand Highways Across America https://usa.streetsblog.org/2026/04/22/for-earth-day-the-trump-administration-wants-to-expand-highways-across-america . E-bikes, e-motos, and other micromobility devices are in a legal gray area in Massachusetts https://www.massbike.org/micromobility_ordinances (19:47) The Car Harm study by corresponding author Patrick Miner finds that cars are destructive to every aspect of life https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/publications/car-harm-a-global-review-of-automobilitys-harm-to-people-and-the-/. With Patrick and Bike Talk listener Kevin Grishkot (23:30) The venerable La Grange bike club of Los Angeles joins forces with The Challenged Athletes Foundation. Taylor talks with challenged athlete coach Deb Carabet of the La Grange Bike Club https://www.challengedathletes.org (41:13).

4/30/26 ( co-host Josh Silver): Clay Pearson, Director of Hampshire Pride, on Saturday's celebration and protest. A political Fishwrap with Bill and Josh. Jen Nery on “Let's Go Downtown.” Theresa Lynn and Sarah Penna from the Girl Scouts of Central and Western Mass: the “Art & Soul” event. Josh Silver: Trump's poll numbers, SCOTUS' decision yesterday & gerrymandering Ruth Griggs w/ Paul Arslanian on his musical journey, last night's concert and being honored as a Jazz Hero by the Jazz Journalists Association.

Join us as we speak to Kisha Zullo, Founder of Events of Joy and the Women in Business Summit now in its 21st year. Kisha has been an Event Planner for over 20-years. She talks about the ins and outs of event planning and what it means for small businesses to make an impact like a large institution. As a Certified Meeting Planner, she is constantly working on gaining more knowledge for her clients. She looks for saving money and hidden items omitted and needing to be included into contracts. As a part of Meeting Professionals International in Connecticut, she brings events to the Northeast region and since 2025 internationally as well. Listen in as we hear about the upcoming Women in Business Summit in September and how hiring an event planner can give you back the much-needed time and mental capacity that you need to achieve your goals for your next event. Thank you for coming on Kisha and to our listeners for tuning in. www.eventsofjoy.com

4/30/26 ( co-host Josh Silver): Clay Pearson, Director of Hampshire Pride, on Saturday's celebration and protest. A political Fishwrap with Bill and Josh. Jen Nery on “Let's Go Downtown.” Theresa Lynn and Sarah Penna from the Girl Scouts of Central and Western Mass: the “Art & Soul” event. Josh Silver: Trump's poll numbers, SCOTUS' decision yesterday & gerrymandering Ruth Griggs w/ Paul Arslanian on his musical journey, last night's concert and being honored as a Jazz Hero by the Jazz Journalists Association.

4/30/26 ( co-host Josh Silver): Clay Pearson, Director of Hampshire Pride, on Saturday's celebration and protest. A political Fishwrap with Bill and Josh. Jen Nery on “Let's Go Downtown.” Theresa Lynn and Sarah Penna from the Girl Scouts of Central and Western Mass: the “Art & Soul” event. Josh Silver: Trump's poll numbers, SCOTUS' decision yesterday & gerrymandering Ruth Griggs w/ Paul Arslanian on his musical journey, last night's concert and being honored as a Jazz Hero by the Jazz Journalists Association.

4/30/26 ( co-host Josh Silver): Clay Pearson, Director of Hampshire Pride, on Saturday's celebration and protest. A political Fishwrap with Bill and Josh. Jen Nery on “Let's Go Downtown.” Theresa Lynn and Sarah Penna from the Girl Scouts of Central and Western Mass: the “Art & Soul” event. Josh Silver: Trump's poll numbers, SCOTUS' decision yesterday & gerrymandering Ruth Griggs w/ Paul Arslanian on his musical journey, last night's concert and being honored as a Jazz Hero by the Jazz Journalists Association.

4/30/26 ( co-host Josh Silver): Clay Pearson, Director of Hampshire Pride, on Saturday's celebration and protest. A political Fishwrap with Bill and Josh. Jen Nery on “Let's Go Downtown.” Theresa Lynn and Sarah Penna from the Girl Scouts of Central and Western Mass: the “Art & Soul” event. Josh Silver: Trump's poll numbers, SCOTUS' decision yesterday & gerrymandering Ruth Griggs w/ Paul Arslanian on his musical journey, last night's concert and being honored as a Jazz Hero by the Jazz Journalists Association.

4/30/26 ( co-host Josh Silver): Clay Pearson, Director of Hampshire Pride, on Saturday's celebration and protest. A political Fishwrap with Bill and Josh. Jen Nery on “Let's Go Downtown.” Theresa Lynn and Sarah Penna from the Girl Scouts of Central and Western Mass: the “Art & Soul” event. Josh Silver: Trump's poll numbers, SCOTUS' decision yesterday & gerrymandering Ruth Griggs w/ Paul Arslanian on his musical journey, last night's concert and being honored as a Jazz Hero by the Jazz Journalists Association.

Entrepreneurship is not for everyone. But for some, its exactly the place you need to be.For over 18 years, Kelly Rochelle Thadison ran Simply Divine Beauty Lounge, learning the hard lessons of entrepreneurship firsthand — cash flow, financial planning, and what it really costs to keep a dream alive. If you're an entrepreneur (or just curious about what it takes), this episode will scratch that itch and leave you with lessons to institute in your business. In this episode of Embrace the Squiggle, Colleen and Jen sit down with Kelly, speaker, author, and founder of The Kelly Rochelle Experience. Kelly shares the raw, honest story of building a business from the ground up, hitting her lowest points, and choosing growth anyways. Kelly Rochelle Thadison is a speaker, author, and business leader with over 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur and community leader. She is the founder of The Kelly Rochelle Experience, a platform rooted in personal development, wellness, and leadership. Her self-published book, Becoming After the Breaking, is a testament to her journey of resilience and reinvention.Follow Kelly: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekellyrochelle/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-thadison21Becoming After Breaking Book Launch on May 31 in Western Massachusetts: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/becoming-after-the-breaking-tickets-1986717106346?aff=oddtdtcreator

This week on the pod, Seth and Josh welcome Elizabeth Banks! Elizabeth chats all about growing up in Western Massachusetts in a big Irish Catholic family, what she learned from her Finding Your Roots results, and why she changed her name. She also shares some truly wild family travel stories, from being tossed off a train into a snowbank to accidentally leaving her sister at a Mass Pike rest stop, plus a chaotic Canada trip involving Niagara Falls, the Thousand Islands, and more. Elizabeth also talks about her love of trains and card games, learning Mahjong, and what it's like raising two close-in-age sons. Plus, she discusses her new Peacock show The Miniature Wife! Watch more Family Trips episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlqYOfxU_jQem4_NRJPM8_wLBrEEQ17B6 Support our sponsors: Hims For simple, online access to personalized and affordable care for Hair Loss, ED, Weight Loss, and more, visit https://www.hims.com/trips Yahoo Stress less with Planner from Yahoo mail Shopify Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at https://SHOPIFY.COM/trips Cheers Take Cheers Restore after your last drink or before going to bed and wake up feeling at least 50% better — or your money back. For a limited time our listeners are getting 20% off their entire order at https://CheersHealth.com/trips #Cheers #ad DeleteMe Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to https://joindeleteme.com/ TRIPS and use promo code TRIPS at checkout. About the Show: Lifelong brothers Seth Meyers and Josh Meyers ask guests to relive childhood memories, unforgettable family trips, and other disasters! New Episodes of Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers are available every Tuesday. Executive Producers: Rob Holysz, Jeph Porter, Natalie Holysz Creative Producer: Sam Skelton Coordinating Producer: Derek Johnson Video Editor: Josh Windisch Mix & Master: Josh Windisch Episode Artwork: Analise Jorgensen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Western Massachusetts. 1994.Twelve-year-old Becky Savarese gets away.And in doing so, exposes a quiet predator with a kidnapping kit, a secret plan, and ties to horrors that had already begun.Because once Lewis Lent started talking… the story only got worse.Source Material:https://www.cbsnews.com/news/serial-killer-lewis-lent-timeline/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/becky-saverese-attempted-abduction-massachusetts-sara-anne-wood-murder-new-york-serial-killer-lewis-lent/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sara-anne-wood-new-york-murder-mystery-lewis-lent-serial-killer-48-hours/ https://law.justia.com/cases/massachusetts/supreme-court/volumes/420/420mass764.html https://law.justia.com/cases/massachusetts/court-of-appeals/volumes/46/46massappct705.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a7fhleSN2U https://youtu.be/57vDrLWbWjk?si=UNH87ET2EjgP2jCe Music Credit:1. IMPERVIOUSMusic from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/dorian-pinto/imperviousLicense code: LUZNNGUQNGYSFZI82. CAN'T SLEEPMusic from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/locran/cant-sleepLicense code: HAVIXRYL3KM0XULJ3. LIGHTLESS DAWNMusic from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/kevin-macleod/lightless-dawnLicense code: PFYUGTZVDWOCBNLK 4. DARK FOGMysteriousSuspensefulMusic2018-11-03_-_Dark_Fog_-_David_Fesliyan.mp35. SOLVING THE CRIME2021-09-06_-_Solving_The_Crime_-_David_Fesliyan.mp3 Connect with us: killerhearttohearts@gmail.comFollow us on: Tik TokFollow us on: InstagramLike us on: FacebookFollow us on: Twitter

The incredibly talented Wendy Eisenberg joins us this week to talk about their new, self-titled album, which just earned a Best New Music nod from Pitchfork. Wendy talks about their start playing music in Western Massachusetts, the perils of awful guitar instructors, discovering prog rock (and eventually jazz…and singer-songwriters), and so much more. Hosted by Sofia Wolfson https://www.wendyeisenberg.com Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal print magazine  here.  Our next Fretboard Summit takes place August 20-22, 2026, at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. Register today: https://fretboardsummit.org We are brought to you by Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout). Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com Mike & Mike's Substack: https://mmguitarbar.substack.com  

This week on The Beet, Jacques chats with Elise Howard, author of Plant This, Not That, about why native plants truly matter. They dig into how invasive species disrupt ecosystems, and how to phase them out of your garden gradually. Along the way, they outline how to grow a thriving, abundant native garden at home, and make the case for letting the bugs snack on your plants for maximum ecosystem support. Connect with Elise Howard: Elise has been digging in the dirt since childhood, growing gardens everywhere from Virginia to Maine, from window boxes to coastal landscapes. Her passion for native plants took root more than fifteen years ago while volunteering in New York City's Riverside Park. She's now a literary agent after a long career in children's publishing. Elise lives and gardens with her family in New York City and Western Massachusetts, where she continues to cultivate both plants and ideas. Find more from Elise at her publisher's site: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/contributor/elise-howard/ Find Elise on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/elisehoward.bsky.social Support The Beet: → Shop: https://growepic.co/shop → Seeds: https://growepic.co/botanicalinterests Learn More: → All Our Channels: https://growepic.co/youtube → Blog: https://growepic.co/blog → Podcast: https://growepic.co/podcasts → Discord: https://growepic.co/discord → Instagram: https://growepic.co/insta → TikTok: https://growepic.co/tiktok → Pinterest: https://growepic.co/pinterest → Twitter: https://growepic.co/twitter → Facebook: https://growepic.co/facebook → Facebook Group: https://growepic.co/fbgroup → Love our products? Become an Epic affiliate! https://growepic.co/3FjQXqV Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICE Kicks Puppies. DHS Black Site Prisons. JD Vance is Garbage. A New Boat Strike. 17.5 Veteran Suicides Per Day. Super Bowl Picks and Bets, Ice Fishing, Chloe Kim Rocks Olympics. Trump is all gas, no brakes on this Super Bowl Friday—from posting a racist video from the White House depicting the Obama's as apes and escalating his war on the press, to unleashing ICE's culture of cruelty with gassed protesters, kicked‑in doors, kicked puppies and plans for giant warehouse‑style detention centers that could function as domestic black sites. In this all‑new episode of Independent Americans, Paul Rieckhoff welcomes back the iconic Rachel Maddow for a sharp, extended, urgent and surprisingly hopeful breakdown of what she calls a “mad king” moment—and why the real work now is taking away Trump's tools of power, from the Justice Department and ICE to the Pentagon and the Insurrection Act.​ Rachel rarely does podcasts, but she does this one hosted by her old friend. They chop it up on how authoritarians depend on institutional cowardice and public exhaustion, and why disciplined, non‑violent, mass resistance and strategic shaming still work—even against a president who seems beyond embarrassment. They highlight ICE's evolving archipelago of dark sites, Congress finally “getting up on its hind legs” with a “don't obey illegal orders” push, and the catastrophic failure of imagination that could come if Americans don't prepare now for an Insurrection Act deployment to crush future protests.​ It's not all darkness: Rachel gets personal and takes us to her ice‑fishing happy place in Western Massachusetts and explains why chasing pike through thigh‑deep snow is her metaphor for stubborn joy and resistance, while Paul salutes Chloe Kim's Olympic patriotism and life with a Jets‑fan kid. They close with a Super Bowl Football Friday segment—debating Patriots–Seahawks, Drake May's jitters and Sam Darnold's late bloom—and a cross‑jersey bet that will leave either Paul in Pats gear or Rachel in Seahawks colors. It's a fierce and fun way to end a crazy week and prep properly for the Super Bowl.  -WATCH video of this episode on YouTube now. -Listen to Burn Order, Rachel's latest amazing podcast. -Be sure to watch the documentary Rachel referenced as Something Good: Field Generals: History of the Black Quarterback.  -Check this out. You can follow ICE's Black Site efforts with this tracker. See if one is coming to your city or town.  -If you need help, don't be afraid to ask. Resources are available. Call or text 988 for immediate access to the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available nationwide, 24/7, for mental health, suicidal thoughts, or substance use issues. -Learn more about Paul's work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with Independent Veterans of America. -Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community of Independent Americans. Get extra content, connect with guests, meet other Independent Americans, attend events, get merch discounts, and support this show that speaks truth to power.  -Check the hashtag #LookForTheHelpers. And share yours.  -Find us on social media or www.IndependentAmericans.us.  -And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch now in time for the new year.  -Check out other Righteous podcasts like The Firefighters Podcast with Rob Serra, Uncle Montel - The OG of Weed and B Dorm.  Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led Righteous Media.  And now part of the BLEAV network!  Ways to listen: Spotify • Apple Podcasts • Amazon Podcasts  Ways to watch: YouTube • Instagram  Social channels: X/Twitter • BlueSky • Facebook    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.