Podcasts about while derek

Welcome to today's show!    WHAT WE'LL LEARN   How Derek earliest memories were rooted in religion but his connectedness and place of belonging was found (and still is) in nature. While Derek was in active addiction he watched his brother, father, and mother pass away from complications due to alcoholism which threw him into a deeper state of depression. It wasn't until a suicide attempt, that Derek decided to put himself through rehab. Derek says as he passes his one year anniversary, routine & asking for help has been two great tools for healing. Derek talks about the shame and “feeling like a burden” when asking for help. How utilizing mentors instead of sponsors is what works for his recovery. What his perspective is on how to “reset your recovery.”  How he handles things that are out of his control-he gives examples from his own life. Derek discusses what he means by “slowing down to speed up.” What Derek's heartfelt message is to people who are in active addiction or newly sober during the pandemic. Tips on how Derek connects with others during the pandemic. What's Derek's message to the A.I.R. community.   RESOURCES MENTIONED   DerekJThatcher@gmail.com-Email Schedule a free consultation with me! For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!   Leave an honest review on ITUNES.  Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.   Subscribe on ITUNES   If you enjoyed today's episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.  

Derek, 37, of Maryland, is a veteran who hasn't been allowed to see his 2 sons in person in 6 years, yet is expected to pay $1288 a month in child support. While Derek was fighting to be in the life of his two boys, he met his second wife, who would go on to ghost him shortly into the marriage, and turn up pregnant with another mans child. After reconciliation, the two got back together eventually having a daughter, who was born with drugs in her system. His daughters mother, would eventually hijack his child and deny him access to his seed. This past fathers day, the same mother who was getting high while pregnant, jumped on social media and posted about being a mother and father. So Derek decided he had seen enough and he decided to start organizing for the 1st Annual Million Father March, in Washington DC, next year for fathers day. Change must take place at some point, and peaceful protesting for civil rights is a good place to start. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jpbrown/support

An old widower can't sleep, a small city in New England is dealing with the political controversies and passions over the debate around abortion, and the wheel of Ka turns again and again. That's right, Derek and Steve are back! The last Wheel of Ka episode ended in Derry. While Derek and Steve didn't know at the time, Insomnia would take us back to this strange small city. Is it cursed? Is it on the path of a broken Beam? All this and more is discussed in this Dark Tower adjacent novel by the word-slinger Stephen King. We learn about the nature of Ka, and who is/is not pulling the strings of us short timers. — Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com Twitter Facebook Instagram If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/midnightmyth/support

While Derek's away on his honeymoon, Kaleb is filling his hole. Yes. Kaleb is filling….Derek's hole…..get it? Okay good. We kick with Kaleb offering his baby mommas chesticles to a stranger. Kaleb has a moment of genius where he realizes the best possible thing to do during the time change. We talk about Derek's wedding for a bit during the Shit We Hate segment. We learn even more about Kaleb's first wife and how the honeymoon phase was over before the honeymoon even arrived. The guys discuss the one events that led to his ex and Yale hating each other (100% her fault, obviously). Kaleb shares some more embarrassing tales of his youth. We talk some shit about Derek (of course). We attempt a new segment that we will refer to as uncomfortable jokes, in which we are read a tragic news story and have to make up a joke on the spot. We talk shit about the state of Alabama. Yale keeps playing with his soundboard like a child. Kaleb talks about married life and having a newborn. The guys unfortunately stop a bit early to take care of Kaleb's upset, screaming infant. But they will be back with another episode next week!

The San Antonio River Authority (SARA) board of directors has named Derek Boese as the agency's new general manager. He will begin his tenure May 3, succeeding Suzanne Scott, who retired last October after 13 years in the position. Boese comes to SARA from the Flood Protection Authority-East, a New Orleans-based regional agency, where he served as the chief administrative officer for a billion flood risk management system. “While Derek may not be a native Texan, his experience serving our military and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as keeping the city of New Orleans safe from...Article Link

What made the internet angry this week?Dale and Derek are joined on the podcast by our most handsome friend Kynan Foster. No-one listens to sports radio anymore so Bell shit canned TSN 1040. Derek takes umbrage to #bellletstalk and Dale defends it because it still brings awareness to mental illness. Bell took a chunk of wage subsidy but made billions in profit and still got rid of a sports radio station. Support independent media. See through wood? This changes everything! Well a few things at least. While Derek gets distracted by food Kynan and Dale talk about Star Wars vs Marvel. Gina Carano gets cancelled for comparing the treatment of the political right to the treatment of Jews in Natzi germany. Hashtag Muckbang. Justin Timberlake made a public apology to how he treated Britney Spears and Janet Jackson in the past. Dale explains how Britney got into her current situation. Leah Brathwaite got called to Hawaii and received a ton of lashback. The guys discuss travelling during the Pandemic. Kynan tells us about his Twitch channel. Kynan's Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/horse_snorkel Find us:https://outragefactory.transistor.fm/Reddit r/OutragefactorypodTwitter @OutrageFactPodFacebook www.facebook.com/outragefactpodEmail Outragefactpod@gmail.com Check out our redbubble swag https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/49661850

Welcome to today’s show!    WHAT WE’LL LEARN   How Derek earliest memories were rooted in religion but his connectedness and place of belonging was found (and still is) in nature While Derek was in active addiction he watched his brother, father, and mother pass away from complications due to alcoholism which threw him into a deeper state of depression It wasn’t until a suicide attempt, that Derek decided to put himself through rehab. Derek says as he passes his one year anniversary, routine & asking for help has been two great tools for healing Derek talks about the shame and “feeling like a burden” when asking for help How utilizing mentors instead of sponsors is what works for his recovery What his perspective is on how to “reset your recovery”  How he handles things that are out of his control-he gives examples from his own  life Derek discusses what he means by “slowing down to speed up” What Derek’s heartfelt message is  to people who are in active addiction or newly sober during the pandemic Tips on how Derek connects with others during the pandemic What’s Derek’s message to the A.I.R. community RESOURCES MENTIONED   DerekJThatcher@gmail.com-Email   For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!   Leave an honest review on ITUNES.  Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.   Subscribe on ITUNES   If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.  

Derek, Stephanie, and Shawn are back again with this week's podcast featuring all the latest post-apocalyptic news. Derek wants to debate our top picks for post-apocalyptic TV shows, so Shawn and Stephanie prepare for battle. While Derek chose Falling Skies for his #1, he challenges Shawn and Stephanie to defend their own picks of Firefly and Battlestar Galactica, respectively. As for Stephanie's main topic, she discusses her impressions of The Walking Dead: World Beyond, a new young-adult spin-off series that just came out last week. Is it something that could take off better than other spin-offs like Fear the Walking Dead? Shawn got the opportunity to review a useful book that he calls the perfect bug-out bag companion: Survival Tips, Tricks, and Traps by Wanda and William Priday. The book itself is a treasure on its own, but it's surrounded by a fascinating story of William's tragic death just before the book was published earlier this year. We touch on the story during the podcast, but you can read the entire interview for more. Derek is excited about the follow-up season of Snowpiercer coming out on January 25th, and a recent Comic Con panel featuring all the top stars of the series gives a bit more info on what we can expect. Shawn and Derek also talk about their impressions of Wasteland 3 so far. You can check out Derek's progression in the game on our Twitch channel, too. You can find the YouTube playlist of the video version of the podcast here and the audio version here. We also have links to both versions on the top menu bar of the main website. Also be sure to check us out on social media: Facebook: @PostApocalypticTrendingNews Twitter: @postapocalypt Instagram: @postapocalypticmedia Audio and video post production by Valerie Anne at Morning Owl Media. Be sure to check us out at our main site for all the latest news: http://www.postapocalypticmedia.com

Stories in this episode: Kristen moves from her hometown to a new city for a new job after a spiritual prompting and quickly finds herself headed toward even bigger transitions; only six months after his reactivation in the Church, Derek struggles to make sense of his new culture at the Missionary Training Center.  SHOW NOTES:   TRANSCRIPT: KaRyn: Welcome to "This is the Gospel," an LDS Living podcast where we feature real stories from real people who are practicing and living their faith every day. I'm your host, KaRyn Lay.  There's a well-known theory about the way we experience and adapt to a culture that's new or unfamiliar to us. It's the theory of culture shock. And even if that's a new phrase to you, you're probably a little bit familiar with the four stages. They show up all the time in pop culture, on TV, and in other spaces. First, there's the honeymoon phase. And if you've ever been in a new relationship, you know this stage. Everything is rosy and beautiful and romantic. And you're captivated and excited by the differences between you and whatever your new love is, whether that's a new city, a new romantic partner or a new job, or maybe it's even a new faith tradition. Well, that honeymoon is exciting and it makes you feel alive but just around the corner is the negotiation stage. This is when all the differences between your culture of origin and the new culture feel completely overwhelming, difficult, maybe even disgusting. For me, this stage was embodied by the Korean shrimp. That's right, you heard me, shrimp. About three months into my new life abroad, after the glow of all the lantern festivals had worn off, I started to notice that the shrimp were fully intact in my food. Not just legs or shells, but like full heads with great, big, beady eyeballs, like something from outer space or the Black Lagoon staring at me from my soup. And it couldn't handle it. I was filled with an unholy rage every single time I would order food that I thought was shrimp-free, only to be surprised by a hidden eyeball or a hidden leg popping out of my noodles. I just wanted shrimp that looked like shrimp. American shrimp. I know how ridiculous that is, now. I get it, they're just shellfish. But at the time, those shrimp came to represent everything that was difficult or hard about living in another country.  The good news is that after that negotiation phase where everything feels difficult, eventually, you move into the adjustment and finally, adaptation phases. This is where you can finally see the good in both the new and the old, and find ways to integrate them into your current life. Sometimes it takes months and sometimes it takes years. And in some cases, it never actually comes. But in all cases, that culture shock changes us. And if we let it, it can change us in good ways. Well, today we've got two stories about the way these shocks to the system play out in our spiritual lives and how God can use them to help us see ourselves and his plan for us in a new light.  Our first story comes from Kristin, whose experience with culture shock came in two very distinct waves that had everything to do with one another. Here's Kristin.   Kristin: I am definitely the type of person who is pulled into challenging situations so that I can learn and so that I can experience because I am a creature of comfort. I'm not a huge risk-taker. So it takes God kind of pushing me over the edge to go give it a shot. I am from Las Vegas, Nevada and I currently live just outside of Buffalo, New York with my husband and my two stepkids. And I never in a million years imagined I would live outside of Buffalo, New York with a husband and two stepkids. In Las Vegas, I worked often with the public affairs office or church headquarters, and then when there was a job opening, they kind of asked if I'd be interested in applying and I kept saying no because I loved my life. I had a great life in Las Vegas, I loved my job. I had a house, I had a great ward, I had, you know, I was from Las Vegas, and I loved my crazy hometown. I had no interest in moving. But then one day they called and I was decorating the church gym, it was for Christmas party, the ward Christmas party. And they said, "Hey, we have this job opening, you know, we'd like you to consider it." And I was literally on the ladder in the church gym and I said, "Oh, okay, I'll consider it." I felt like I needed to at least investigate it. I still wasn't thinking it was something I would be interested in, but I went ahead and flew out for the interview. And I remember when they called me to say that out of all the applicants that they wanted me to take the job, and would I consider it and I was standing outside of my office in Las Vegas. And I stood there and I thought, I guess I'm moving to Utah. And it just so matter-of-fact, it was one of those very few times that the directive was that clear for me. And so that's what I did. I picked up and moved to Utah. I moved to Salt Lake City in January 2014 with me and my dog, I had a chocolate lab named Jazzy. And I didn't really know people in Salt Lake. I didn't really know Salt Lake outside of Temple Square. So it was like moving to truly a foreign place. And when you don't know people, if you're someone like me, I'm more of an introvert than people would imagine. It's always hard to move, no matter where you are, you know, you're excited, you're scared, you're nervous, you can't wait, you get in touch with every single emotion. And so the job itself was really interesting, I think it's very different than most people imagine. When you say that you are a church spokesperson, I think a lot of times they think, it's like you're working at the temple or something like that, but it's really not. So it was different, it was a bit of a culture shock that way. It's tricky. I mean, working in public affairs, or being a church spokesperson is filled with really high highs and really low lows. At least it was for me because you hear the best of things and you get to experience some of the really great things in our religion. But then you also hear the really hard and you feel the really hard, you feel people's anguish over a policy they don't like or when a missionary is hurt or killed on their mission. I mean, you hear it all. So it was, it was challenging on days and some days it was really happy and some days it was really hard.  It's funny, I never expected to be a church spokesperson, I don't think I fit the stereotype of what people expect a church spokesperson to look like. I mean, I obviously don't wear a white shirt and tie, I think people expect that. I was in my 40s, single. I have been known to swear now and then, I drink Dr. Pepper on a daily basis. You know, I just had this whole different life experience. But when I got there, I found out that's exactly why they wanted me was that I wasn't the stereotypical person and I had a different set of experiences. So if you go back in my life to my teenage years, and even my early college years, I definitely had a life plan figured out. And it was a good plan. I'd always wanted to go on a mission, and then I figured I would get married by the time I was 23 or 24. I would have five kids, they would be all boys. I even had like a list of names picked out. And you know, I'd be the stay-at-home mom that had the really good stacks and the fun holiday decor. And I would maybe work at a home decor store so I could get discounts or something. That was my plan for my life. That was, I mean, that was the dream, right? But it didn't turn out that way. I did go on a mission, I went to Ecuador. And I came home, and I went back to school, I still didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up. And I really did fall into public relations. Or I guess I should say, it feels like I fell into public relations, but if we're looking at it with a spiritual lens, I'm quite certain that it was some sort of guidance from God saying, you know, try this out, you'll be good at it, because you're going to need to make a career out of it. That job was very much one of those kinds of situations. Where it was God saying, "Okay, here you go. This is what he had in store for you— go. Here you go." And yeah, my life didn't turn out as I had planned at all. But thank goodness it didn't. When I first got here, to Utah, I had talked to a couple of people who had worked in this position before me and I had asked them for insight and advice and tips and whatnot. And I remember one of the people had said, "Oh, you're going to need at least three years." It's funny, I didn't quite— I didn't think I felt quite settled, but I remember going home back to Las Vegas on a road trip, and that didn't quite feel like home. And I was eager to get back, I was eager to get back to my little place. And I was eager to get back to my little world that I had created here. And I think that was you know, it was well over a year into it. That was a really interesting feeling for me to feel, you know because I hadn't quite considered Salt Lake home yet. But the fact that I was kind of longing to get back was, was telling to me. I think one of the things that really helped me to feel settled was just some of the people, the amazing people that I was suddenly finding myself surrounded by. That was one thing that really helped me to adjust. And I would say the same about life in Las Vegas or life in Buffalo. It's really made all the difference is the people that you meet along the way and the connections, these very soulful connections, that you make. People cross our paths, and that's not coincidental. For example, one of the friends that I met in Salt Lake, that I do believe that God put right in my path, and at the time, I had no idea why. And this friend was about my same age, she had gotten married in her 40s to someone who had children, she was the second wife. And it became such an important friendship, almost like a mentorship. And so when it came time for me, she was kind of like my wedding coach.  It was interesting, I had kind of sworn off dating for a long time because my job was so stressful. And I never quite knew if people wanted to meet me because they wanted to meet the person in the job or if they wanted to meet me, which was a really interesting position to be in. But with Matt, I remembered his goodness. And I tell people that all the time, I remembered that he was just a really good guy. And he's an even better guy now. But I remembered his goodness. And so that's kind of where I was like, "Well, okay, it's Matt, of course, I'll meet up with him." So I met Matt as a freshman in college in 1991, we lived at Desert Towers, and we became friends freshman year, and we were friends all through college. After my mission is when I had a little crush on him, but he was dating somebody else. And that was that and it was 25 years later, before we ever crossed paths again. So we didn't even cross paths on like social media or anything until after he was divorced. And then the same friends who had tried to set us up and college, set us up again. And that's how we got reconnected. I was living in Salt Lake at the time, he is a law professor in Buffalo. And so when our mutual friends set us up, it was a really quick reconnection. I got married at age 43 and this was in the fall of 2016. And I kind of did everything at once. I got married, became a wife, became a stepmom, moved, left a career—did it all at once. Just rip off the band aid and go for it, so I dove in big time. And it was a lot. I mean, it is a lot. Those are all big life transitions on their own, but we did it, I did them all at once. My co-workers and I all joke that I was the reverse pioneer. So I move, you know, pack up my stuff and move east this time. And again, it was kind of the if you want to feel every single emotion, move somewhere new, where you don't know anyone. We had to make this work, right? But it was, I felt like it was great for our relationship because it made me just bond really quickly with my husband and with his kids because they were the only people I knew. It's been great, but it's also been really hard for the first, gosh, even the first year, I got physically just sick from the stress and the unknown and the ambiguity that was suddenly in my life. And my job for 20 plus years has been to control situations, you know. And so that is what I'm good at, is to put out the plan, put the implementation plan together, get everything lined up and make it all a great. That has been my job for 20 years. And I thought I was kind of good at it. But here I was, thrown into this new Western New York Life that I had chosen to be part of and I suddenly had none of that. And I was sick all the time, just physically sick from the tension and the ambiguity and the unknown. And I tried to not tell people about that and tried to not make a big deal of it. And I hadn't even told my friends this, but two of my friends that I had made in Salt Lake City, called me up and said, "We're coming out there, here's the dates, are you okay with that?" And I said great. And so they get out there and we spent like a day at the quick care because I had been so sick, I was so dehydrated that they had to take me to the quick care and get IV's and things like that because I had been so physically sick over this. And we jokingly refer to that as their "FEMA Trip," that they were my rescue, they were my FEMA rescuers that weekend.  When Sharon Eubank gave a talk a couple of years ago, she talked about the incident in Florida, where there were two kids that had gotten washed out in the waves. The rescuers couldn't get the kids, but this couple on this, on the shores, saw what was happening and they gathered people together and they formed a human chain of like more than 80 people leading out to these kids. And they were eventually able to rescue those kids. And I think that, especially throughout the past five, six years, so between the time I left Las Vegas, and now the time in Buffalo, I feel like I've been the one out in that wave, in that whirlpool, and there are at least 80 people making that chain to rescue me and to help me through these culture shock periods of my life. And I've been on the receiving end of that and it's been remarkable.  One thing that I now think is kind of funny, at the time it didn't feel very funny. I had never realized how much I associated my job and my career, my paycheck, with my self-worth, until I didn't have that. Because when I moved, I suddenly didn't have a job and I didn't have a career. And that's been a really big adjustment for me, I really didn't realize how much of my own self-worth was tied up into that job. And so it's been really tricky for me to kind of separate those two things and kind of rediscover my worth and the contributions I make and remind myself that I do bring value to the things that I am doing. One day, I remember just feeling a little bit lost. I do some little freelance projects and a little bit of contract work here and there. And I was just thinking, oh, I just really miss having a team. I wish I had a team, I'm so much better when I work within a team to bounce ideas off of people. And the impression came to my mind, "You are in a team. It's team Dimick." It kind of stopped me dead in my tracks because I do have a team. It's just a whole new team and it's a whole new focus on this team. It's a distinctly different role than I've played in the past. I've never been the wife, I've never been a stepmom before. But that's where God has placed me right now. And I am figuring out how to do it little by little. There have been a lot of moments when I've thought, "Oh, wow. I don't know anything about this." Like everything from you know, helping my stepdaughter learn how to read better or become more confident in her reading skills, to things like making dinner and having meal plans or budgeting. Like these things that are so every day to most of my friends, because they have been married 25 years. But this is brand new to me. Because before I got married, you know, I spent time working on careers and things and I made a really mean chocolate chip cookie, but I'm telling you I had yogurt and scrambled eggs for dinner most nights. And so I'm finally feeling like, okay, I can make a decent dinner. And I know how to grocery shop now and put together a meal plan for the week. But those even simple things like that were really new to me. I think there have been a lot of little things, little gifts of God's grace or tender mercies that have really helped me see that this is okay, that this is God's path for me. I was taking my stepson to seminary one morning, it was cold and wintery. I mean, and remind you, I live in Buffalo. So it is legit winter. And we were driving, I'm driving him to seminary, it is pitch black and cold. And he got out of the car and ran into the church building. And I started driving back and I just thought, oh wait, this is exactly what I had dreamed of. This is the kind of moment that I had dreamed up. It's different than I thought it would be, but this is still exactly what I had dreamed of. Little things like family moments, dropping kids off at seminary, contributing to something bigger than me, putting together a life with these humans. It's pretty great. Now I can look back and see very clearly, that my move from Las Vegas to Salt Lake was very much a preparation for this next big phase of life because Salt Lake has a winter. Las Vegas winters are like in the 50s, Salt Lake actually had snow. But that was totally preparing me for winter in Buffalo, like I bought my first pair of snow pants in Salt Lake. But just getting through that process of learning how to move and learning how to adjust and learning how to make friends and reestablish a new life was really, really a good preparation for me into this next phase. It was a baby step into transition. So I think Heavenly Father sometimes has to shock us into new phases of life or new places or new anything. If He needs us to get going, if He needs us to get going further than we think for ourselves, I think sometimes He has to throw these things in our way. Because we are really creatures of comfort, it is easy to be comfortable and not progress as much as maybe we need to or as much as he needs us to. I think that's where the tricky thing comes in, is like how much do we trust that God has a plan for me? When we do trust that, I think that's when it makes it easy for us to—not easy— it makes it clear for us that we need to keep going through the hard, through the scary, through the unknown, because we believe and we trust that God has a bigger plan for us and that He's not going to let us down. Recently, I was worrying about something. By nature, I am a worrior. And and so the whole trust thing, even though God has continually helped me through my life, I still worry. I'm trying not to, but I do. But the other day I was in primary helping and they started singing the song, "My life is a gift. My life has a plan. My life has a purpose in heaven it began." And I grabbed my phone as soon as I could and I started recording it. And I've listened to it so many times. And of course, the kids are screaming at the top of their lungs, just like they do. And it is so fantastic. And I just keep thinking, okay, it's that simple. It's that simple. It's, "My life is a gift. My life has a plan. My life has a purpose." And I hope that I can have that same trust and enthusiasm that these little babies can, these little kids can because I really do believe that our heavenly parents have this very distinct plan for us, they're not leaving us hanging. And if it's anything like the rest of my life has been, the plan for the future is going to be more than I ever envisioned for myself, so I better just go along for the ride. KaRyn: That was Kristin Howey Dimick, a proud member of Team Dimick and former spokesperson for The Church. I think sometimes we assume that a foreign culture is only about geography. But what I loved about Kristin's story was that reminder that we are surrounded by the unique traditions and social customs of others in so many different spaces in our lives. New jobs, new family structures, those can all be very real kinds of culture shock. And as we shuffle our way through the transition, sometimes gracefully, and sometimes, well, not so gracefully, (remember the shrimp?), it's not a bad idea to remember that God is present in the shifting and trust that our ability to navigate in our new culture is filled with His grace. And sometimes that grace is manifest in the kind of friends who spend the weekend with you at the InstaCare.  Our next storyteller is Derek, whose entrance into the MTC, the Missionary Training Center, came with its own brand of culture shock. Here's Derek,   Derek: As I entered the Missionary Training Center for the first time, I looked around at all the other missionaries, and I kind of felt like a fish out of water. I never planned on going on a mission or being involved in the gospel at all. But instead, here I was. How did I end up here? I grew up in a place that had a large population of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and my family, even though we really weren't actively engaged in the gospel, we still went to church because it was the thing to do. Like in a way, we were punch card members, you know? We'd punch in and we'd punch out. When I was seven years old, my father had a work injury that really changed our family's lives in a lot of ways. And it made us a lot less mobile and a lot less able to do things that we were usually able to do. And so one of those things that we kind of took out of our lives was church. When I graduated high school, I was hanging out with my friends and doing what I wanted to do. Life was kind of going, you know, in neutral, if you will, but nothing was really happening. Honestly, I always had the question in the back of my mind, what am I doing with my life? So, I was sitting at home, and I heard someone knock at the door. And a guy was there, who was dressed in a suit, he was in his like, mid-40s and he asked to speak with me inside. So I said, "Okay, sure, I guess." And at that point, I knew he was from the church. My friends were all trying to get me to go to church. And so I'm like, oh, maybe this guy is from, from the ward, and he wanted to talk with me about going to church. So he sat down and he started to tell me that he was my home teaching companion. And I said, "I'm not sure I'm following here, but I don't go to church."  And he said, "That's okay. You don't have to go to church to be my companion." And he said, "I'd like to go on some visits with you if that's okay, to some of these families."  And I said, "I don't think I'm going to do that, I'm sorry. But thank you, I appreciate the offer."  And he says, "Well, I have your number, so why don't I send you a text every once in a while, let you know when I'm going. And if you feel up to it, then we can go."  So, I said, "Alright, cool." And then he left. A couple weeks later, he sends me a text and says,  "Do you want to come see this family with me? No pressure, you don't have to teach or anything."  And I said, "No, I'm fine." So this went on for like a month or two where he just would text me randomly and say, hey, I'm going to go visit these people, do you want to come along?" And I'm just still confused on why this guy's even texting. I just didn't understand it. And one night, I got this text and I was like, all right, let's see what he wants, sure. And he said, "Hey, no teaching tonight but do you want to go out for dinner? I'm hungry, are you?" I was usually out with my friends, vut I was home and I was hungry. I'm always hungry. I said, "All right, that's fine. Let's do this." We go out to a restaurant and he actually took the time to talk to me instead of wanting me just to come to the next event or whatever. Nobody has ever done that for me. I want to say a month later or so, he sent me a message saying, "Hey, just a little reminder, I'm going to see a family. Do you want to come?" And I just had to say yeah. I just really liked his company and he just was really nice to me. And I'm like, "You know what? Why not? I've got a free night. I'll give it a shot." So I went to go see this family. And we talked to them, had a great time, actually. And as time kept going on, I kept going. And I started to really fall in love with this teaching thing. This was kind of cool to me. Well, one night, he was dropping me off. He just sat in my driveway with me and we just talked about everything. And in my mind, I was always still thinking about what was happening in my life. Was I progressing, was I doing anything with my life? And he must have had a spiritual impression to talk to me about that. Because he started to really pick apart my issues and say, "What are you doing with your life?" I told him, I have no idea. It's a great question. He said, "You should go on a mission."  I said, "I don't know about that. I've got a girlfriend, I've got a job, I'm probably gonna go to college." And he just was really nice and supportive and said, "You know what, College is a great, great thing. And I think you should stick with that." And then he said, "But I really feel like you would do so well on a mission. I feel like you can touch people's hearts in a different way than anybody else. I feel like if you go, there's going to be somebody that will need you and only you." And it was a little heavy for me. I remember thinking about my mom, even though we weren't active in the church at all, my mom still said prayers every night without fail. I knew that because I walked into a room plenty of times while she was praying. And so I wanted to give this a shot. Got down on my knees and I said a prayer and I said, "Heavenly Father, please just guide me to where you want me to read so I can get whatever answer I need to get out of this sense of confusion." I said "Amen" and I opened it up, it was the Book of Mormon, and all I read, and I didn't know much about the Book of Mormon, but it was talking about the Nephites and the Lamanites, and they're going to war. An impression that I felt was "Whose side are you on? Are you on the Lord's side? Are you on Satan's side?" And it hit me hard. So at that point, I just really felt prompted to say another prayer, but this time, get on my knees and say one vocally and start talking to Heavenly Father, because if He gave me that kind of answer, then maybe He can give me more. So I got on my knees and I started saying a prayer. I just started feeling that I really needed to do something with my life. And that thing was actually to go on a mission. The first people I told were my parents. And initially, they were both a little shocked, because they never thought that I would go. It was funny because my mom was actually very skeptical. Because I mean, she even looked at me and said, "Wait a second, I'm not sure if I'm speaking to my son. You know, I'm a little confused here, where my son go?" And I said, "No, this is real. This is really what I want to do." And they both embraced me and gave me so much love and support.  The next person I wanted to tell was my home teaching companion that kind of helped me get to this point. And I simply told him, like, Let's meet for lunch, I got something to tell you. And so we went to a place to sit down and eat. And he said, "So what's this all about what's going on?"  And I just said, "I want to go on a mission." And I remember he just, he stopped eating his lunch. I think he dropped his fork, like actually, physically dropped the fork. And he was like, "You're lying to me, you're pulling my leg, this can't be real." And I said, "No, it's it's real." We both started to cry together. Because this was something that he knew that I needed, and other people needed. And I knew that I needed it to.  And so after that, I told my Bishop and said, "Hey, I'd like to prepare to go on a mission." And obviously, he was shocked. And he said, "Well, I guess we need to get started on on the process of going." And so, you know, I went through the repentance process, and I started to do the right things so that I could prepare to go. And so he said, "You know, I have some scriptures for you to read. And also I'd like you to go into mission preparation classes." This was about March or April or so. And so we were a little bit into the year, and I kind of missed out on some of the lessons. And I didn't really know what was going on necessarily, because it was all kind of new to me. But I felt like I was getting so much more knowledge and it was amazing. And as I was going through these classes and kind of meeting my Bishop every week, you know, I expressed to him that I just don't know if I have enough knowledge to go on a mission. I just didn't know if I did. And he looked at me, he says, "You know what, a talk just came out recently by Elder Neil L. Anderson, it's called 'You Know Enough.' Go home and read that. And I just want you to know that you do know enough, that you've got this." So, for the next 60 days, I just prepared as much as I could, getting as much knowledge as I could. And in August, I left on my mission. In the Missionary Training Center, you do a lot of role-play teaching, where you teach other missionaries the lessons that are in "Preach My Gospel" and help them to teach you back so that you're ready to go out in your mission field. I remember we were about to teach the first lesson, which talks about the restoration of the church, and I remember just reading over it and being like, "Oh yeah, I got this. This is fine. The restoration, Joseph Smith, First Vision, lots of things, I knew a lot of that. And so I said my part and then my companion took over. He started talking about the Book of Mormon, and how the Book of Mormon was the writings of the ancient people here in America about Jesus Christ. And I looked over and I was like, wait, what? I kind of did like this doubletake. And I was so blown away because I had no idea that the Book of Mormon, the whole thing is actually about the people here on the American continent. I had no clue. Talk about culture shock. The one key piece of our gospel is the Book of Mormon, and I had no idea that the entire thing was based here. Another experience I had in the Missionary Training Center, we were all gathered together for a devotional, all the missionaries were gathered together. And the opening hymn was a hymn that I'd never heard of, and it's "Hope of Israel." And I remember all the missionaries, every single one of them, at least I felt like, all of them were seeing with such fervor and such power. And they were all like— it's like they've known this since they were young. And I was clueless. And I just sat there in silence, looking at all the other missionaries and I knew at that point that this is definitely something that I'm going to have to work on, you know. And that I didn't, I didn't have a lot of the knowledge that I feel like all the other Elders and Sisters had. As I progressed on my mission, I finally read the Book of Mormon, all the way, cover to cover and I was able to feel that it was true, instead of just having a little scriptures here and there. There was a quote from Elder Anderson's talk, "You Know Enough," that I always kept with me, that helped me to keep going and to feel like I actually was doing the right thing. And he said, "Nearly 40 years ago, as I contemplated the challenge of a mission, I felt very inadequate and unprepared. I remember praying, 'Heavenly Father, how can I serve a mission when I know so little?' I believed in the church, but I felt my spiritual knowledge was very limited. As I prayed, the feeling came, 'you don't know, everything, but you know enough.' That reassurance gave me the courage to take the step into the mission field." You know, when I first read this, I thought, wow, like, what he was going through 40 years ago, was the exact same thing that I was going through right now. That quote helped me to conquer all these feelings of inadequacy and lack of understanding. This whole experience really taught me a lot about myself. And even though I didn't have all the lingo and all the knowledge of the gospel, and all the songs memorized, or any of that, my desire to serve the Lord and my desire to be a disciple of Jesus Christ was enough. And I'm so grateful for that.   KaRyn: That was Derek. While Derek's experience at the MTC was definitely unique, I think you'd be hard-pressed to find any returned missionary who didn't think going on a mission was a shock to their system. I actually think it's built that way on purpose. Truly, truly, because transformative experiences require a sort of humility that is quickly invoked when we have to rely upon the Lord for everything. And what better way to invite us to be humble than to give us moments where, as Derek put it, we are truly fish out of water.  I don't know about you, but I hate to feel stupid. Nothing makes me feel stupider than being wrong. And there's nothing that can make you feel more wrong, and bumping up against a different way of moving in the world. Because if my Korean friends can eat their shrimp with those big dangly black eyes and 4 million legs on them, and I can't, what does that mean about me? My anger during the negotiation phase of culture shock was often a result of my fear of being wrong. That fear may have been irrational most of the time, but it was still present, I had to deal with it. And here's what's amazing about that talk that Derek shared from Elder Neil Anderson, at the beginning of the talk, Elder Anderson says, "You don't know everything, but you know enough." That tightrope act of not knowing everything, but still knowing enough requires that we let our Father in Heaven guide our steps when we're faced with surprising new situations and experiences. A while ago, I was in Florida for work, and we attended a sacrament meeting in a ward that was filled with so many different cultures. If you've ever been to South Florida, you understand this. There were so many different ways of understanding the world present in that one room. And everything in the meeting seemed totally normal, completely in line with the church culture that I was accustomed to. But when it came time to bless the sacrament, the young men in that ward did not get up and stand in neat rows in front of the sacrament table like I was used to. Instead, they gathered around the table tightly, shoulder to shoulder with one or two boys even standing on the steps of the rostrum to get closer. It looked like a football huddle. And everything in me wanted to say, "Whoa, whoa whoa, that's not how you do it. Line up, get in line." But the spirit pierced my heart and told me just watch, see things in a new light. As they prayed and blessed those Sacrament emblems, suddenly, I understood that ordinance better than I had ever before. This was a family feast and those were Christ's children circled as close as they could, to the body and blood of our Savior. They were rejoicing together, celebrating the beauty of that shared and yet miraculously individual touch of the Master's hand through the sacrament. And I was humbled because I don't know everything. And in fact, my way of doing things isn't the only way to do things. But I do know enough to know that God was present in that huddle. Culture shock is a gift, an opportunity to let down our carefully guarded walls and our ever-present need to be right so that we can see things differently. Maybe, more importantly, so that we can see ourselves differently. And when the honeymoon is over, and we're done negotiating, we can find adjustment and adaptation through God's greatest gift, the grace of Jesus Christ's atonement, which is actually the only culture that truly unites us all. That's it for this episode of "This is the Gospel." Thank you to Kristin and Derek for sharing their stories. We will have the transcript of this episode as well as the links to Elder Anderson's talk and Kristin's best advice for surviving big life transitions in our show notes at ldsliving.com/thisisthegospel. You can find the episode on the list and then the show notes are on the individual page, so go there and check it out. We love hearing from you on our pitch line. If you have a story to share, leave us a short three-minute pitch at (515) 519-6179. You can find more about this episode and what themes we're working on right now by following us on Instagram and Facebook @thisisthegospel_podcast. And now that we're back in the full swing of the season, would you do us a favor? Will you please share your experience with the podcast on Apple or Bookshelf PLUS+ by leaving us a review? We have instructions on how to leave a review on the website if you're new to it. We really do read every single one and they are an important way for us to get your feedback and help other people find the podcast.  This episode was produced by me, KaRyn Lay with story producing and editing from Kelly Campbell. It was scored mixed and mastered by Mix at Six studios and our executive producer is Erin Hallstrom. You can find past episodes of this podcast and other LDS Living podcasts at ldsliving.com/podcasts. Have a great week!

Derek Holland is an MLB pitcher for the San Francisco Giants.  While Derek celebrates his 10 years in the MLB we celebrate our 30th podcast.  In this wacky episode, we talk with Derek about everything from baseball to social media to soap marketing.  Derek does some crazy good impressions for us and tells us hilarious stories about all his pets.      ------------------------------------------ Instagram: @Tastesfunnypod Derek Holland: @Dutchoven45 Jiggy: @Jiggycomedy Lauren: @Laughsbylauren ------------------------------------------ Email: tastesfunnypod@gmail.com

Are there too many national shows/Concours on the calendar? While Derek takes a week off Will and John take a look at this question. They also touch on the life of the self-employed. 

Derek Snook, self-described son of a Baptist minister and entrepeneur joins me to discuss his recent book, The Definition of Success: What Living Homeless Can Teach You. He tells me what was intended as a one-night experiment lasted a year, and years later he has decided to publish a book about how this experience had an impact on him and what he learned from it, including a well-paying temp agency he started and recently sold. Definitely a different take on "loving your neighbor as yourself" if I ever heard one! A few interesting points that came up in our discussion:  While Derek could have quit this experiment at any given momenty and gone back home, most homeless and less fortunate don't have that option  How living in bubbles in our culture is destructive to indviduals and groups, including the toll isolation is taking on mental health in general The intriguing way a city's layout is actually important to society What can we do to erase the barrier between wealthy and poor churches, as well as the racial divide, even in the church, between black and white congregations Relevant Links: Derek's website at dereksnook.net Follow Derek on Instagram.  Get a copy of his book from Amazon.  Check out Derek's 2015 TedX talk at this link: https://youtu.be/haoTlVcg0PE 

This week on the DATEScast, we have come to the end of the road for our 14-part-series, DATESwithCraig. While Derek was ready to pour out his 40 for the homie Craig and hold a funeral, Tim was ready to party and celebrate our snacking past, present, & future. Craig did the P one last time with his wonderful snack box, so it was up to Derek & Tim to E and R this week's snacks, Quaker Popped Rice Crisps. Featuring: Derek Montilla (@cap_kaveman) & Tim Agne (@timagne) Music by: Polly Hall & Andrew Barkan, and Rihanna featuring Chris Brown Inspired by: Mike and Tom Eat Snacks

This week on the DATEScast, we have come to the end of the road for our 14-part-series, DATESwithCraig. While Derek was ready to pour out his 40 for the homie Craig and hold a funeral, Tim was ready to party and celebrate our snacking past, present, & future. Craig did the P one last time with his wonderful snack box, so it was up to Derek & Tim to E and R this week's snacks, Quaker Popped Rice Crisps. Featuring: Derek Montilla (@cap_kaveman) & Tim Agne (@timagne) Music by: Polly Hall & Andrew Barkan, and Rihanna featuring Chris Brown Inspired by: Mike and Tom Eat Snacks

This week on the DATEScast, Derek and Tim continue our 14-part-series-that-became-a-13-part-series-that-is-now-once-again-a-14-part-series known as #DATESwithCraig. While Derek continues to try to maintain a sense of order for the PER system, Tim continues to drive the show towards inevitable chaos. But together, they continue to rate snacks like this week's selection, Chocolate Banana Pocky. Produced by the scrupulous folks as Glico, there's no way this Japanese snack company that is all about "a wholesome life in the best of taste" has anything to do with an evil corporation like Mondelez International, right? RIGHT?!?!?! Featuring: Derek Montilla (@cap_kaveman) & Tim Agne (@timagne) Music by: Polly Hall & Andrew Barkan, Babymetal, and Postmodern Jukebox Inspired by: Mike and Tom Eat Snacks

While Derek heals from a recent injury, here's a collection of movie trailers and radio ads to hold you over while post-production continues on the next episode of Monster Kid Radio!

 Run fast, Be Fast. Derek Hansen has a an extensive background in making athletes faster. A pupil of the infamous sprinting coach, Charlie Francis, Hansen has followed suit by working with some of the highest performers in the world of sport. While Derek’s knowledge of speed science is unparalleled, he refuses to hold tight to…

While Derek is away on vacation, Barry Stein from The Cigar Authority is stepping up to bat. This week, we light up a modern day classic. The Illusione 88. This is a cigar that hails from Nicaragua using tobaccos from the same country.They have won over the hearts of cigar enthusiasts across the country since its arrival several years ago. Don't miss what is sure to be an interesting and cigar-geekery filled show. As always, you can find us on iTunes, PodBean, YouTube and Facebook Live where you can get lit with us every Wednesday LIVE from 4 to 5!

In Episode 14, we sample Weyerbacher Brewing Company’s Imperial Pumpkin Ale, Monkey Business Banana IPA by Burn ‘Em Brewing, and ReDANKulous Imperial Red IPA by Founders Brewing Company and talk about the awesome artwork on Burn ‘Em Brewing bottles, cheesy eco horror movies and the awfulness of “The Happening,” anime movies like “Vampire Hunter D,” Japanese Spider-Man, the hilarious dubbed Spike TV show “MXC,” our favorite NES games, writing to Nintendo Power, “Ash vs. Evil Dead,” the “American Horror Story” cycle of love and hate every season, and why paranormal investigation shows and Ouija boards are full of crap. Derek Warren’s popular How to Pair Beer with Everything column on nepascene.com is now a podcast! Joined by NEPA Scene founder and editor Rich Howells and beer enthusiast George Zvirblis, they’ll try a different brew each week and examine it through all the senses, diving into personal experiences and opinions, pop culture, news, or whatever comes to mind. While Derek is an experienced beer reviewer and aficionado (and co-host of the Beer Geeks Radio Hour on WILK 103.1 FM) and George is a beer collector who travels to breweries nationwide, Rich is more of a casual craft beer drinker (and co-host of the NEPA Scene Podcast), so they’ll both offer their own uncensored perspectives and ask guests to share their own. Every episode is available on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and nepascene.com.

In Episode 13, we have a full house as Derek, Rich, and George are joined again by Matt Dapkins of Massive Beer Reviews and a very special guest - Peculiar Culinary Company chef and owner Gene Philbin! We talk about our upcoming Peculiar Dinner with the Dead on Wednesday, Oct. 21, which pairs a scary menu of unknown items with beers selected specifically to celebrate the Halloween season during a screening of George A. Romero’s classic zombie film that started it all, “Night of the Living Dead.” We also discuss our love/hate relationship with “The Walking Dead” and nothing but animosity for the spin-off, “Fear the Walking Dead,” making movies into video games, cooking with beer, restaurants and breweries, and much more! Those who make it to the end of the episode earn special rewards, especially if you join us on Oct. 21 at Peculiar Culinary Company (30 Center St., Hughestown)! The beers sampled in this week’s episode are Dawn of the Red and The Devil Went Down to Oregon by Ninkasi Brewing Company, Blood Lust by Spring House Brewing Company, Shallow Grave and Evil Twin by Heretic Brewing Company, The Dread by Elysian Brewing Company, Speedway Stout by AleSmith Brewing Company, Big A IPA by Smuttynose Brewing Company, and The Audacity of Hops by Cambridge Brewing Company. Derek Warren’s popular How to Pair Beer with Everything column on nepascene.com is now a podcast! Joined by NEPA Scene founder and editor Rich Howells and beer enthusiast George Zvirblis, they’ll try a different brew each week and examine it through all the senses, diving into personal experiences and opinions, pop culture, news, or whatever comes to mind. While Derek is an experienced beer reviewer and aficionado (and co-host of the Beer Geeks Radio Hour on WILK 103.1 FM) and George is a beer collector who travels to breweries nationwide, Rich is more of a casual craft beer drinker (and co-host of the NEPA Scene Podcast), so they’ll both offer their own uncensored perspectives and ask guests to share their own. Every episode is available on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and nepascene.com.

While Rich is away this week, Derek and George have a few too many with Matt Dapkins of Massive Beer Reviews and discuss their favorite breweries, confusion over beer pricing, fall traditions, and listening to emo music like Texas Is the Reason, Mineral, and Elliott, among other topics, before thing descend into drunken ridiculousness. Beers sampled in this episode include Almanac Beer Company‘s Dark Pumpkin Sour and Citra Sour, Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery‘s Bourbon Barrel Champion Ground, Due South Brewing Company‘s Caramel Cream Ale, Sixpoint Brewery‘s 4Beans Imperial Porter, Goose Island Beer Company‘s Bourbon County Stout, Lagunitas Brewing Company‘s Cappuccino Stout, and Horseheads Brewing Inc.‘s Pumpkin Ale. Derek Warren’s popular How to Pair Beer with Everything column on nepascene.com is now a podcast! Joined by NEPA Scene founder and editor Rich Howells and beer enthusiast George Zvirblis, they’ll try a different brew each week and examine it through all the senses, diving into personal experiences and opinions, pop culture, news, or whatever comes to mind. While Derek is an experienced beer reviewer and aficionado (and co-host of the Beer Geeks Radio Hour on WILK 103.1 FM) and George is a beer collector who travels to breweries nationwide, Rich is more of a casual craft beer drinker (and co-host of the NEPA Scene Podcast), so they’ll both offer their own uncensored perspectives and ask guests to share their own. Every episode is available on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and nepascene.com.

With George out this week, replaced by a talking plastic skull Halloween decoration, Matt Dapkins of Massive Beer Reviews joins us as we sample Ensorcelled by The Rare Barrel, Worker’s Stomp Barrel-Aged Saison by Two Roads Brewing Company, and Freak of Nature Double IPA by Wicked Weed Brewing. We discuss Lagunitas Brewing selling 50 percent of its company to Heineken and Dogfish Head Brewery’s very kind and classy cease and desist letter to Pizza Boy Brewing Company that Pizza Boy posted online and attempted to make a big deal out of, touching on craft beer fans and their online discussions of both situations. We also get into Disney taking over Marvel and Lucasfilm, the “Star Wars” franchise, public relations nightmares, “Weekend at Bernie’s,” Carvel ice cream cakes, The Onion, Naked News, and more! Derek Warren’s popular How to Pair Beer with Everything column on nepascene.com is now a podcast! Joined by NEPA Scene founder and editor Rich Howells and beer enthusiast George Zvirblis, they’ll try a different brew each week and examine it through all the senses, diving into personal experiences and opinions, pop culture, news, or whatever comes to mind. While Derek is an experienced beer reviewer and aficionado (and co-host of the Beer Geeks Radio Hour on WILK 103.1 FM) and George is a beer collector who travels to breweries nationwide, Rich is more of a casual craft beer drinker (and co-host of the NEPA Scene Podcast), so they’ll both offer their own uncensored perspectives and ask guests to share their own. Every episode is available on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and nepascene.com.

George is off again and taking a break from beer, so Derek and Rich sample two very different sour beers - Home, Sour Home by The Rare Barrel and La Folie by New Belgium Brewing Company - and discuss the unique brewing process and surprising flavors in sour beers. We also talk about NEPA Scene turning one year old, the NEPA Scene’s Got Talent competition and the Samuel Adams National Stein Hoisting Competition, the passing of Wes Craven and his legacy in film, the dated cheesiness of special effects in films like “Death Spa,” found footage films and how they can be done well, foreign movie “sequels,” costumed characters and Spike TV’s “Jail,” the new “Star Wars” toys unveiled on Force Friday, going broke ordering from Amazon, punk music, rebooting shows on Nickelodeon, reality TV and judging people, graphic images on TV and the Internet, keeping up with societal progress or getting left behind, and the presidential race, democracy, and socialism. Derek Warren’s popular How to Pair Beer with Everything column on nepascene.com is now a podcast! Joined by NEPA Scene founder and editor Rich Howells and beer enthusiast George Zvirblis, they’ll try a different brew each week and examine it through all the senses, diving into personal experiences and opinions, pop culture, news, or whatever comes to mind. While Derek is an experienced beer reviewer and aficionado (and co-host of the Beer Geeks Radio Hour on WILK 103.1 FM) and George is a beer collector who travels to breweries nationwide, Rich is more of a casual craft beer drinker (and co-host of the NEPA Scene Podcast), so they’ll both offer their own uncensored perspectives and ask guests to share their own. Every episode is available on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and nepascene.com.

With George out this week, we delve into our most serious episode yet, as we recorded on the same day as the tragic shooting of two journalists on live television in Virginia. As we drink Smuttlabs Kung Fu Hobo and Schmutzig Hopfen Weisse by Smuttynose Brewing Company, we start off light, talking about hobos and catcalling, before getting into mass shootings in the United States, how news stories get politicized and turned into opinionated commentary, real-life violence on TV and the Internet, the upcoming presidential election and voting on only one issue, the Jared Fogle and Penn State sex abuse scandals, and conspiracy theorists. We also discuss the premiere of “Fear the Walking Dead” and fans judging it too early, the difficulties in recommending movies to others, customer service trolls like “Hope That Helps” and consumer entitlement, and why we’re not sports fans. Derek Warren’s popular How to Pair Beer with Everything column on nepascene.com is now a podcast! Joined by NEPA Scene founder and editor Rich Howells and beer enthusiast George Zvirblis, they’ll try a different brew each week and examine it through all the senses, diving into personal experiences and opinions, pop culture, news, or whatever comes to mind. While Derek is an experienced beer reviewer and aficionado (and co-host of the Beer Geeks Radio Hour on WILK 103.1 FM) and George is a beer collector who travels to breweries nationwide, Rich is more of a casual craft beer drinker (and co-host of the NEPA Scene Podcast), so they’ll both offer their own uncensored perspectives and ask guests to share their own. Every episode is available on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and nepascene.com.

While Derek is headed to a panel planning meeting for the 1st Annual Living Dead Horror Convention, he takes the time to discuss the 1968 favorite The Green Slime (dir. Kinji Fukasaku) with 's Chris McMillan and 's Jeff Polier. This movie was a childhood favorite of this week's guest, and Derek can't wait to talk about the movie with them. Also, Monster Kid Radio received a voicemail from MKR regular Stephen D. Sullivan. Be sure to visit our complete website at , and don't forget our Wiki Campaign! Voicemail: 503-479-5MKR (503-479-5657)Email: monsterkidradio@gmail.com (.mp3s of every episode of Monster Kid Radio is available for download at our barebones behind-the-scenes website at ) Support Monster Kid Radio on Patreon - The Living Dead Horror Convention - The opening and closing song "Green Slime Are Coming" (from the album Invaders from Beyond the Sound of Surf) appears by permission of The Tiki Creeps - Roxanne's Cocktail Lounge - All original content of Monster Kid Radio by is licensed under a . Monster Kid Radio is a registered service mark of Monster Kid Radio LLC. Open the door, you’ll find the secret. To find the answer is to keep it.

In Episode 8, all three hosts have returned from trips to various breweries - Rich traveled to Dogfish Head in Delaware; George went to Tree House, Trillium, and Night Shift in Massachusetts and OEC in Connecticut; and Derek camped out at the Belgian Comes to Cooperstown event at Brewery Ommegang in New York - so, naturally, we go much more in-depth about beer and brewing than in previous episodes as we sample Eureka w/ Citra by Tree House Brewing Company, Nirvana IPA by Brewery Ommegang, The Cask by RavenBeer (Baltimore-Washington Beer Works), and The Calling IPA by Boulevard Brewing Company. We tell stories from our mini vacations and discuss what makes each brewery tour unique, pairing food with beer, the crazy tale of how Derek got alcohol poisoning, the documentary “Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau,” our first concerts and meeting “Weird Al” Yankovic, old music venues in the area, avoiding political discussions, remembering “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, editing curse words out of movies for TV, and more! Derek Warren’s popular How to Pair Beer with Everything column on nepascene.com is now a podcast! Joined by NEPA Scene founder and editor Rich Howells and beer enthusiast George Zvirblis, they’ll try a different brew each week and examine it through all the senses, diving into personal experiences and opinions, pop culture, news, or whatever comes to mind. While Derek is an experienced beer reviewer and aficionado (and co-host of the Beer Geeks Radio Hour on WILK 103.1 FM) and George is a beer collector who travels to breweries nationwide, Rich is more of a casual craft beer drinker (and co-host of the NEPA Scene Podcast), so they’ll both offer their own uncensored perspectives and ask guests to share their own. Every episode is available on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and nepascene.com.

In Episode 7, Rich is on vacation, but Matt Dapkins of Massive Beer Reviews returns as the special guest as we imbibe three excellent IPAs - Fat Head’s Head Hunter IPA, Odell Brewing Company’s Barrel Thief, and 3 Floyds Brewing Company’s Zombie Dust - and talk about classic WWE, Quentin Tarantino films, Chicago pizza, pirating movies and music, beer collecting, and black and white movies. Derek Warren’s popular How to Pair Beer with Everything column on nepascene.com is now a podcast! Joined by NEPA Scene founder and editor Rich Howells and beer enthusiast George Zvirblis, they’ll try a different brew each week and examine it through all the senses, diving into personal experiences and opinions, pop culture, news, or whatever comes to mind. While Derek is an experienced beer reviewer and aficionado (and co-host of the Beer Geeks Radio Hour on WILK 103.1 FM) and George is a beer collector who travels to breweries nationwide, Rich is more of a casual craft beer drinker (and co-host of the NEPA Scene Podcast), so they’ll both offer their own uncensored perspectives and ask guests to share their own. Every episode is available on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and nepascene.com.

George isn’t with us for Episode 6, so we talk about him (all good things, we promise) with our special guest, Matt Dapkins of Massive Beer Reviews, drink some highly sought-after “whales” like Heady Topper by The Alchemist, Pliny the Elder by Russian River Brewing Company, and Hop Crisis by 21st Amendment Brewery, and explain why they’re so coveted. We discuss the collector mentality versus fans just looking to enjoy their hobby, the amusing origins of Billy Beer, character development in shows like “The Walking Dead” and “Dexter” and the acting career of Michael C. Hall, vinyl record collecting, grown men playing with toys, old phone pranks, customer stories from working at a tattoo shop in downtown Scranton, growing up with Monty Python and the effect of British humor, getting into punk rock music, how technology has changed through the generations and the mounting pressures and distractions associated with it, and good beer in cans. Derek Warren’s popular How to Pair Beer with Everything column on nepascene.com is now a podcast! Joined by NEPA Scene founder and editor Rich Howells and beer enthusiast George Zvirblis, they’ll try a different brew each week and examine it through all the senses, diving into personal experiences and opinions, pop culture, news, or whatever comes to mind. While Derek is an experienced beer reviewer and aficionado (and co-host of the Beer Geeks Radio Hour on WILK 103.1 FM), Rich is more of a casual craft beer drinker (and co-host of the NEPA Scene Podcast), so they’ll both offer their own uncensored perspectives and ask guests to share their own. Every episode is available on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and nepascene.com.

In Episode 5, we welcome our longtime guest and beer enthusiast George Zvirblis on as a regular co-host as we sample Petit Rouge by Heretic Brewing Company and Blasphemy by Weyerbacher Brewing Company. We talk about how Heretic became a homebrewing legend, subtle versus overwhelming flavors, Marvel’s new movie “Ant-Man” and respecting source material in adaptations while treading new creative ground, American remakes of Japanese horror films in the early 2000s, “The Tingler” and gimmicks to sell movies, what makes a cult classic and how they cannot be created on purpose, the incomprehensible disaster that is “The Trouble with Cali,” the upcoming “Ash vs. Evil Dead” TV show, actors and directors dealing with or accepting the B-list, the comedy gold of “Human Giant,” and more. We also make some bad jokes and bring up religion and thinking for yourself as we consider the theme of both beer names this week. Derek Warren’s popular How to Pair Beer with Everything column on nepascene.com is now a podcast! Joined by NEPA Scene founder and editor Rich Howells, they’ll try a different brew each week and examine it through all the senses, diving into personal experiences and opinions, pop culture, news, or whatever comes to mind. While Derek is an experienced beer reviewer and aficionado (and co-host of the Beer Geeks Radio Hour on WILK 103.1 FM), Rich is more of a casual craft beer drinker (and co-host of the NEPA Scene Podcast), so they’ll both offer their own uncensored perspectives and ask guests to share their own. Every episode is available on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and nepascene.com.

Joined again by our friend from Dunmore and beer enthusiast George Zvirblis, we have the pleasure of sampling some unique and sought-after beers this week – the Stone Brewing Company collaboration w00tstout 3.0 and Calm Before the Storm by Ballast Point Brewing Company. These are very different beers with very different flavors, so first we describe the origins of w00tstout, which was made with the help of Fark.com creator Drew Curtis and actor/blogger Wil Wheaton, and this inevitably leads into a discussion on the popularization of nerd culture and where it’s headed next. We also talk about Sylvester Stallone; how the Columbine High School shooting changed the way the public and the media looks at kids who are different; movies that influenced kids to do dumb things; lawsuits; “16 and Pregnant;” failed knockoff kids shows and franchises; how merchandising, product tie-ins, and collecting have changed over the years; Netflix’s “The Fall” versus “Dexter;” all the movie trailers and leaked videos that came out of San Diego Comic-Con; and how reviews can skew public opinion before people try something themselves. Derek Warren’s popular How to Pair Beer with Everything column on nepascene.com is now a podcast! Joined by NEPA Scene founder and editor Rich Howells, they’ll try a different brew each week and examine it through all the senses, diving into personal experiences and opinions, pop culture, news, or whatever comes to mind. While Derek is an experienced beer reviewer and aficionado (and co-host of the Beer Geeks Radio Hour on WILK 103.1 FM), Rich is more of a casual craft beer drinker (and co-host of the NEPA Scene Podcast), so they’ll both offer their own uncensored perspectives and ask guests to share their own. Every episode is available on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and nepascene.com.

In Episode 3, our friend from Dunmore and beer enthusiast George Zvirblis returns as our guest as we try Stone Ruination Double IPA 2.0 and HiFi+LoFi Mixtape by Stone Brewing Company, noting Stone’s marketing of the former and the odd but multifaceted taste of the latter. Derek and Rich recall how Stone’s Arrogant Bastard Ale got them interested in craft beer and their very different reactions to it, and they talk about horror TV shows like “Masters of Horror” and “Fear Itself,” the “cat pee” smell of some IPAs, changing trends in punk and metal music through the decades, how no one should really have to apologize for their taste in music, local venues and shows they attended when they were younger, how the Internet went from message boards and Myspace to Facebook, interviews by Howard Stern, the 20th anniversary of “Hackers,” obscure films like “Solarbabies” and why old sci-fi films do or do not hold up, how horror fans are keeping DVDs and Blu-rays alive in an increasingly digital world, old video game magazines like Nintendo Power and GamePro, teachers who were dicks to us who would never get away with it today, and much more! Derek Warren’s popular How to Pair Beer with Everything column on nepascene.com is now a podcast! Joined by NEPA Scene founder and editor Rich Howells, they’ll try a different brew each week and examine it through all the senses, diving into personal experiences and opinions, pop culture, news, or whatever comes to mind. While Derek is an experienced beer reviewer and aficionado (and co-host of the Beer Geeks Radio Hour on WILK 103.1 FM), Rich is more of a casual craft beer drinker (and co-host of the NEPA Scene Podcast), so they’ll both offer their own uncensored perspectives and ask guests to share their own. Every episode is available on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and nepascene.com.

Derek Warren’s popular How to Pair Beer with Everything column on nepascene.com is now a podcast! Joined by NEPA Scene founder and editor Rich Howells, they’ll try a different brew each week and examine it through all the senses, diving into personal experiences and opinions, pop culture, news, or whatever comes to mind. While Derek is an experienced beer reviewer and aficionado (and co-host of the Beer Geeks Radio Hour on WILK 103.1 FM), Rich is more of a casual craft beer drinker (and co-host of the NEPA Scene Podcast), so they’ll both offer their own uncensored perspectives and ask guests to share their own. Every episode is available on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and nepascene.com. In Episode 2, we welcome our first guest, George Zvirblis, a beer enthusiast from Dunmore who has traveled coast to coast to try beers of all kinds. As we sample Hop Stoopid Ale by Lagunitas Brewing Company, we reminisce about the days we all worked at Blockbuster Video and messed with customers, dealt with late fees, and watched changing policies spell the end of the business. We talk about fast food mascots like Colonel Sanders and Darrell Hammond’s creepy take on him, Budweiser’s change of heart regarding craft beers and marketing, open-ended movies and the push for franchises, the cancellation of “Hannibal” on NBC, people getting offended by everything they see on the Internet, Garfield’s forgotten dark period, the early days of the Internet, comedians and what happened to Dane Cook, collecting as kids and adults, and much more! We wrap up by drinking Black is the New Wit by Terrapin Beer Company and New Belgium Brewing Company and noting how many beer names are taken from pop culture and how brewers must avoid infringing on copyrights, including a local example involving “Star Wars.” http://nepascene.com/2015/07/how-pair-beer-everything-podcast-episode-2-hop-stoopid-ale-lagunitas-brewing-company/

The weekly column is now a podcast! Since NEPA Scene launched to the public in September, the How to Pair Beer with Everything column has been a staple of the website, putting an entertaining and tongue-in-cheek twist on the typical beer review. Every Thursday, Derek Warren suggests the ideal setting, music, movies, and books to create the perfect experience with a delicious craft beer, and now he’ll expand upon that idea with NEPA Scene founder and editor Rich Howells during the podcast of the same name. With a beer being the only conversation starter needed, they’ll try a different brew each week and examine it through all the senses, diving into personal experiences and opinions, pop culture, news, or whatever comes to mind. While Derek is an experienced beer reviewer and aficionado (and co-host of the Beer Geeks Radio Hour on WILK 103.1 FM), Rich is more of a casual craft beer drinker (and co-host of the NEPA Scene Podcast), so they’ll both offer their own uncensored perspectives and welcome guests to share their own in future episodes. Every episode will stream on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and nepascene.com. In this inaugural episode, we sample Blackbeard’s Breakfast by Heavy Seas Beer, a bourbon barrel-aged porter brewed with coffee, and discuss movies that scared us as kids, the unnecessary sanitizing of modern kids’ films and shows, how horror films focus on jump scares now over truly memorable scenes, the decline in quality of director Dario Argento’s films, wearing nostalgia glasses, the evolution of nerd culture in our lifetimes and the breakdown of counterculture, Internet critics who nitpick everything, being introduced to craft beers, and much more! http://nepascene.com/2015/06/how-pair-beer-everything-podcast-episode-1-blackbeards-breakfast-heavy-seas-beer/