stewart letterkenny unanimously voted greasiest little tv freak of all time. jughead wants to be him so bad unfortunately he got. imagine me shuddering. tolerable. after season one. stewart wouldn’t do this to me xoxo

Okay, so the family farm that I pretty much grew up on has been in my family for well over a hundred years. My dad’s great grandfather bought it from his father-in-law, so even when it wasn’t in our name it was still family. Now about a mile or two from the farm is an old church. It’s the church that my grandfather attended as a little boy with his parents and a good chunk of my family is buried there. The church has been abandoned for as long as I can remember but the people in the community, mainly people who have family buried there still do their part to keep it nice. My grandfather, dad, and now brother mow the lawn and make sure that all the graves, even the ones who don’t have anyone visiting anymore are well kept.

Now I have always been incredibly comfortable in this cemetery. Even at night there has never been a thing about it that has scared me. In fact I’ve always felt very at peace when I visited. My younger sister was a stillborn, I was 8 when this happened and very excited to have a sister (I have two brothers), so her death really hit me hard. One of the ways I coped was by going to her grave and talking to her headstone. I’m 13 at this point. Parents are freshly divorced and mom’s new boyfriend suck sass and I’m going through weird changes so I ask my grandparents if I can drive the four-wheeler over to the cemetery. Sure, I’ve done it a million times before, no big deal.

I pull into the church’s driveway and for some reason find myself stopping right in the middle instead of pulling up as normal. I’m looking at the church and I am filled with this sense of dread. I can’t see anything wrong. Everything looks exactly like it should but there is this…feeling…almost like a voice telling me to get out. So I turned around and pulled into a gate on the other end of the property away from the church thinking that will be better. The feeling gets WORSE. Everything inside of me is on edge and I know that I HAVE to GO. So I leave and go home. End of story right?

WRONG. I didn’t tell anyone because I knew they’d roll their eyes at me and tell me I was imagining things. Two weeks later my brother and I are back at the farm for our dad’s weekend. Our grandparents are talking about a homeless man that was apparently found living in the church just days ago. I still didn’t say anything to them but I immediately thought about what I had experienced. I’m not gonna say that man would have hurt me but I feel like there was a presence there that day, maybe it was the spirits of my family, or something else that was protecting me that day. Not as scary as everyone else’s but this experience has cemented the idea that there’s something else out there and it isn’t always bad.

Getting To Know Me || Little Flora

How were you like as a baby? As a child? Daddy called me quiet as a mouse, barely made a fuss. Out of all my siblings I didn’t cause a lot of trouble. Little me was a good christian girl, did as I was told and that was the end of it.

Did you grow up rich or poor? My family are a middle class hard working family. However, my older brother is a lawyer and my little brother is a doctor. So, they have a lot more money than we did as children. Rose helps her husband run his restaurant business, but she mostly looks after the kids.

Did you have a happy childhood? Though we didn’t have much, we still had a happy childhood. My family believed in the lord, we were a church going family. Being rich in worldly possessions mattered little to us, we had enough to get by. My brothers would do paper routes, or help mow lawns for extra money. I ran a little lemonade stand with cookies, Rosie was my happy helper. We all helped the family and that continued on with our kids, until they got old enough and left the nest.

Were you well educated as a child? I finished high school, it wasn’t until later in my life when I went to college. But yes, I think I was very well educated as a child- I even skipped a grade. 

What were the most important things that happened to you as a child? I think everything that happens to you as a child is important. It shapes you, molds you, so I can not pick just one.

Did you break any bone as a child? Being around a farm, you tend to get some scrapes. I got knocked off horses, bitten by chickens, and even rammed into by goats. Out of all that, I only broke a couple toes when I was trying to move a barrel- I was ten.

Did any major world conflict or change in the world affect your life? My brother joined the army a year before the gulf war, he was shipped over to Kuwait and it was a scary time for our family. Luckily, Buddy was okay and came home safe.

What is your greatest achievement? My children, god blessed me with some good kids.

What was your first kiss like? Being a religious girl, I didn’t kiss any boy until I met my ‘husband’. It was a sweet kiss that won me over and started it all.

What were your ambitions as a child? Find a nice boy, marry, have a family. I didn’t have much more then that at the time, it was all I ever wanted.

What advice would you give to your younger self? Don’t rush into anything, don’t keep your heart so open and unguarded to a stranger you barely know. God doesn’t always mean godly, never let anyone define your worth. Ask questions, be cautious, be patient, stand up for yourself. The things that happen to you are not your fault, you are not to blame, you are important. Run.

What smells remind you of your childhood? The smells of gumbo and jambalaya before we moved to the country side permanently, we spent a lot of time at our home in New Orleans.

What is your best childhood memory? Seeing/Remembering my first Mardi Gras, the food, the smells, the sights. It was so much fun, something I will never forget.

What is your worst childhood memory? When my Aunt Avery was sick, Marmee and I would go over and help take care of her. We all thought she was getting better but she passed away and it effected all of us. I was very close to my Aunt Avery, which is why I named my daughter after her.

What past actions are you most ashamed of? Shame... as a woman who was controlled, kept in silence, and- well other things. You hold a lot of shame and this is something I’m working on with my therapist.

Has anyone ever saved your life? Several people who are involved in my life, they have helped me and continue to help me.

Strongest childhood memory? See, 13 &14.

How old were you when you got your first broken heart? My heart has been broken over and over by the same man for most of my life. So, it’s hard to pinpoint an exact age.

Is tradition/spirituality/religion an important part of your life? Religion has always been a big part of my life. Prayer got me through some dark times, the lord has always been with me. Their were times where I strayed and felt alone but I have found my way back to him.

Did your character do well at school? I did.

Who was your hero/idol as a child? I didn’t grow up with many outside world influences. The only influences I can really think of are my parents. I know its hokey but it’s the truth, they set a standard of love. They showed us kids how to care for one another and always be there. Since moving away, I haven’t made the time to call them but I think I will- after I finish this.

Fucking Christ... the dogs barking are driving me nuts.

Both of the dogs are barking. They should not be barking once. They’re barking for long stretches. 10-15 minutes. I have earbuds in, I’m downstairs, and the noise from the dogs barking shakes me and makes me want to cry. It pisses me off so much and frustrates me. Fucking idiots. They do not bark like this around me because I would train them not to. My parents scream at the dogs to shut the fuck up. My Dad is probably hitting the big dog and boasting about “smacking the shit out of him” as he often does. My Dad oftens brags about hitting a Goldendoodle. “gonna smack the shit out of em’“. “Make’em mean!”. My Dad often laughs and boasts about abusing and killing domesticated and wild animals. When I have complained. My Mom flips out on me saying that “it’s always something!”, “she can’t do this tonight!” She used to say the things never happened and demanded evidence. When presented she resorts to personal attacks. The dogs are barking again.   They keep moving shit into the basement and they’re going inside and out. I can hear someone mowing the lawn. Both dogs are barking non-stop. It’s mostly the puggle’s fault, getting the big dog riled up. But my parents just scream at the dogs to shut up. It doesn’t do anything and just adds more noise.  It’s so frustrating to deal with these stupid fucking people. I have told them not to scream and hit the dogs so many times. It’s very inconsiderate and it goes against the discipline I want to reinforce with the dogs. Walking up there, with 2 barking dogs, my Dad screaming “STFU!” over and over at the barking dogs so much that he nearly collapses from not being able to breathe. He has killed and abused people’s pets for satisfaction and revenge but he’s barely capable of walking from into the house now due to his COPD. 

He has made many jokes about it. I believe he killed a neighbor’s(later my Aunt) dog. My Dad only talks about them with a vile disgusting hatred. He calls them fat and jokes about “mole nuts” in the trash because he killed their dog weeks after it ate his trash. My Dad always makes fun of my Uncle’s lack of employment and mental illness. Mocks him with a childish voice. “Hey, fat bitch give me more money, I’m too duh-pwessed to work! wahhhh”. “Fat fuck, never had a job in his life!”. That’s all he has ever said about these nice successful hardworking people. My Uncle has struggled with obesity and mental illness his entire life. His wife is successful and has worked far past her retirement. She has always taken care of this man out of love.  The relationship my parents had with these people. Rather than admit the tiniest mistake. They taught us to hate these people. Told us that they are bad mean people who didn’t care about my Grandma and wanted her to die. They probably had an issue with my Dad and tried to settle it like adults. But because my Dad is a fucking psycho who killed their fucking dog... and neither of them have the ability to admit any sort of mistake...  My Mom used my Grandma’s death as a manipulation tool. She told me that my Uncle and Aunt were bad people who didn’t care when my Grandma died. She told me this many times. My Dad killed her dog because it ate his trash and made jokes about it in front of me for years. I believe this was in 1988. He made jokes about it in the early 90′s. My Mom would hush him and say it was a neighbor. He has made jokes and references to killing animals regularly since. He nicknamed his co-worker “Cat Killer” and would say his name gleefully. CAT KILLER!   He seemed to get off telling stories about how his brother would shoot dogs or cats who trespassed on their farm. My Dad seems to dislike cats, dogs, and squirrels.  My Mom defended and lived with this man because she had no other financial prospects to raise her children. Yet, we were still raised in poverty. The abuse still continues to this day. These people have been lying and living in some sort of delusional world where they’re never wrong and everyone else is the issue for my entire life. My Dad is too weak nowadays to do much damage but his words towards me and everyone he encounters are always nasty, insulting, and demanding. 

Ohio: Land of Flatness & Friendly People

Ohio is a state that is likely not on your list of Top States to Visit in the U.S. With that in mind, we went to Ohio for a friend’s wedding, having no real expectations or knowledge of the state. For me, the farthest west I’ve ventured to is Las Vegas, Nevada - west coast make some noise! Yet, Ohio is like the coy girl in school that keeps to herself and, once you get to know her, you discover how vivacious she really is.

Why in god’s name did we visit Ohio? Great question!

The visit all started with our friends Luke and Naoko. Luke is a friend we’d met through mutual means some years ago, eventually introducing us to his Japanese fiance, Naoko. Luke was born and raised in a country home in Ohio, nestled on a farm in a quaint town called Pemberville. The two lovebirds first met in Ohio where they attended Bowling Green State University. Naoko was there for a study aboard program, and eventually planned to return to Japan. Their relationship blossomed from there and the two spent an extended amount of their relationship in different countries. Skype was their favorite date night. Five years, they managed to do this. Naoko was even in Japan during my honeymoon - even coming to meet the tokyotwosome to give us a tour of a city she knew little about. All the while, her fiance was living in Seattle. It was closer to her, yet, the Pacific Ocean still kept them apart. When we moved to Japan in 2015, Naoko was getting ready to finally move to Seattle. We were lucky to spend some time with her before she left and joked about how “when we finally thought we’d to live in the same country, we both moved to each other’s country”. Okay, now that you have some background as to why we decided Ohio of all places, let me tell you a bit about this Midwestern state.

The trip started at our Airbnb in a little town called Risingsun, Ohio. Japan happens to be the land of the rising sun, so the location seemed kismet. The property, known as “Eight Leafed Clover” was perfectly surrounded by trees, giving it a private oasis feel, with a little window to walk out to the farmland. The mini-forests in the distance is where hunters go to game for wild turkey. Our beds sat in a large barn made into a home. It included an upstairs and downstairs bedroom, bath, living room space, and full kitchen for our convenience. The property also held a man-made pond / swimming hole. Up the street is a convenience store called “Buddy’s” and down to the left is the “Dollar General”. To get anywhere, it seems like you drive down a long straight road for 10 miles, turn left, then drive down another long straight road for 20 miles. It’s far different from the winding, hilly, roads of Seattle. It was clear that we weren’t in the city anymore, and it was wonderful!

Our group had been asked to assist with hosting the Japanese wedding guests. We took the job very seriously and did everything we could to provide them with a good time. I immediately thought of my honeymoon, when Naoko gave us a tour of a place she barely knew and here we were returning the favor for her friends and family. While her Japanese guests were experiencing American culture shocks, we were also experiencing some culture shocks of our own. The first thing we noticed was how incredibly warm and welcoming every Ohioan was that we came into contact with. Cousins of Luke’s that felt like our cousins. There was Uncle Bill who was a hoot and made you feel like you’ve known him for years. His parents and other relatives treated us as though we were extended family members. It didn’t stop there. Store clerks talk to you as though they truly care about how your day is going. People mowing the lawn waive to you when you drive by. Time moves slower somehow, and the people seem generally happier. This is a place where you can learn to stop and smell the roses.

The Wedding

The big day had finally arrived. The ceremony was held in a beautiful Japanese garden (yes they have those in Ohio!). Naoko’s dad walked her down the aisle proudly and the bride looked like a fairytale princess. I forgot to mention that Luke and Naoko actually got officially married at the courthouse two years prior. The purpose of the wedding ceremony was to celebrate with friends and family. Doing it this way certainly does take some of the pressure off! That being said, it felt just as special (if not more so) than any other wedding ceremony. Their officiant was their Japanese teacher (”sensei”) from Bowling Green State University. They couldn’t have picked a better person as she performed the ceremony in both Japanese and English. Whatsmore, Luke and Naoko decided to write their vows together and spoke them to the audience, rather than to each other; Luke in English, Naoko in Japanese. The fact that part of their vows included thanking their friends/family was so beautiful. Such a special moment.

The party following the ceremony is a blur of awesomeness, as most weddings go. Filled with dancing, drinking, partying, crying, puking, and all the other joys of wedding festivities. We’ll leave the rest up to your imagination. ;)

The Post-Wedding BBQ

Luke’s family home is like a playground. In the barn, you can feed the chickens beneath the creaky movement of the barn cat scouting for mice. On the right side of the barn is acres of open field where guests could hit golf balls into the forested area or take a ride on their four-wheeler. To the left, Luke’s dad pulls clay pigeons for guests to try and shoot with their shotgun. In front of the house is cousin Steve cooking up meats of all kinds. In the garage are tables where the mixed family congregates. Grandma is sitting in the shade with her ice-tea. Others are bouncing tennis balls in front of the garage while Mrs. Thody (yours respectfully) gets carried around over the shoulder by her husband. It’s the type of home that makes you feel like you’re apart of it. When you walk in the kitchen it’s like something out of a Country Living magazine. Any minute, Mama Heidi is going to ring the bell for supper. This is the type of place you go to unwind, unplug, and just relax. The weather can never seem to make up its mind. One minute the sun is shining so bright and the air warms you with its humidity. The next minute, a storm is rolling in and you’re suddenly running to the house for a warm jacket and an umbrella. It reminded me slightly of my hometown in Rochester, WA, yet different. Such a comfortable lifestyle.

Judges ruling - Ohio is a wonderful place filled with wonderful people. Never did I think I’d ever say these words, but it’s true. Check that state off the list! Is it flat like they say? Yes, yes it is. Is there poison ivy in the woods? Yes, yes there is. Does the general population have a grasp of agriculture? Yes, yes they do. Are the people nice? Above and beyond what you could imagine. :)

Join the tokyotwosome next time when they venture off on their next excursion. Will it be Europe? Or maybe another whacky American state? Stay tuned to find out! 

Gizzy, WWOOFing, Onward

My rousing week in Gisborne with the extended Kiwi Family was a huge success! After my little "word vomit" rant around the holidays, I needed a good pick-me-up. The Gizzy video says it all.

Thank you to these wonderful hosts, Sher and Walt. And thank you ESPECIALLY to the not-pictured camera lady/friend/Kiwi sister/adventure partner Nicole for inviting me along once again.

After leaving Gisborne, I took a bus down to Hawke's Bay to stay in a backpackers called The Rotten Apple, hoping to find an odd job to keep me busy for a little while. I stumbled across The Rotten Apple over a year ago, as I researched and attempted to prepare myself for what was to come in my year in New Zealand. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), I didn't find what I was looking for. For one, January is a slow month for orchard/picking work. And two, the hostel wasn't really my style. (No quiet hours, no cleanliness, and they don't even give you keys to your room...?!) BUT the people were cool shit. I'll give them that much.

The people, man. These backpackers made me feel like I've been living a charmed life compared to what they work for. They're the real hippies, you know? I felt like I was peeking into the deeper side of the travel-work lifestyle. These people were a community of drinking, pot-smoking, sweaty, bra-less, hitch-hiking, broke, nag champa smelling nomads. Their lifestyle is impressive in its own right, but not one that I'm interested in becoming a part of. Good people, good conversation, but a way of life that's a few degrees different to mine. I'm just not on that level.

So, in a frantic need to get somewhere a bit more peaceful, I turned to WWOOFing and found a small family farm in Opotiki.

This was the view outside the spacious private cabin we had.

I shared the work and space with a lovely Spanish girl called Laura, who was an absolute blessing not only for her companionship, but also because I think I would shit my pants if I had to stay in that cabin all by myself.

The property was gorgeous. A river ran right through it with a nice sandy beach, the sheep roamed all over, the birds sang, the trees whistled - it was beautiful. Mike, our host, ran a working dog business - buying and selling sheep dogs - so the only thing that really took away from the atmosphere was the incessant barking of the 30-odd dogs. But you get used to it.

Laura and I were often separated when it came to work: one of us would babysit the children (18 month boy and 3 year old girl) while the other helped Mike with cutting and moving firewood. We usually finished work by mid afternoon and would spend the remaining hours lounging, reading, and enjoying the view. There was no wifi on the farm, and Mike only allowed us to use his computer "for 15 minutes every two days."

Yeah, he was like that.

Oh, Mike. Bless him, he will never read this, and even if he does, well... Mike, you're an asshole. Now truly, I can usually find a way to like an asshole, just like I can like my bitches, but you have to be able to ADMIT that you're an asshole (or a bitch). I don't think Mike had any idea; he was just a hard country man who wouldn't let you get a word or question in edgewise. His way was the only way, whether it came to hanging up laundry or throwing logs in the trailer. Laura and I often spent our afternoons regaling each other with stories about what he'd say to us, how condescending he could be, etc. Rather than being angry, as I probably would have been had I been alone, we just laughed, and were thankful we weren't the only ones to deal with his zero patience.

Ah, companionship is a wonderful thing.

At one point while we were cutting wood and loading the trailer, Mike stopped us to go get a drink. Instead of heading to the house, we walked over to a "stream" to sip from that. I've done this kind of thing before - drinking from natural waterways. I'm not opposed to it when I know it's clean and safe. The thing is, this stream was a fed by a drainage pipe coming from under the road, where farms dot the edges and you just KNOW that all sorts of animal and chemical waste are leaching into the water. I realize Mike has probably drunk from this place in all the time he's lived here, but ugh. I got up close to the water, saw all the algae and whatever else was growing in there, smelled something hot and rotting, and was completely turned off. I was thirsty, surely, but I wasn't convinced my stomach was going to be as tough as Mike's for this one. At the same time, I wasn't about to let Mike give me more shit for not drinking it. "It's the cleanest water in New Zealand." Bullshit, man, I've seen the glacial rivers. I'd drink from those any day, but not this. So I cupped my hands and brought the water to my lips and I PRETENDED to drink, despite my eager thirst. We finished up an hour later, so I knew I'd have access to my own water soon, but man. That was nasty.

I guess I did one thing right on my own, though. He told me to mow his lawn - all around his house, the driveways, the field in between, and around the cabin. It took around 4 hours in the hot sun and I was disgusting by the end of it, but would you believe he gave me a compliment?! He said it was the best mow job he's had anyone do for him. I'd like to thank my Nana for her very particular lawn-mowing requirements for that one! (Miss you, Nan.)

Five days into the WWOOFing at his place and I decided I'd had enough. I have to wonder about myself sometimes. Am I really as flexible and versatile as I think I am, or am I just a fickle bitch? Still working that one out, I guess. But my time is limited, and I just can't justify staying in a place that I don't enjoy if I don't have to.

As of now, I'm at a beautiful little hostel called the Funky Green Voyager in Rotorua. I'm in the process of lining up my next WWOOFing experience which should take me further north in a few days. Until then, I'm exploring the city and determining if I have enough time in between to do another multi-day hike!

Time is ticking. I'm doing my best to make the most of it. P.S. - I’ve been honest-to-goodness-full-on-RUNNING again for the last couple weeks! No more than 5 ks, but the ankle is holding up and I am so, so happy!

Steve Azar, country music legend with multiple hits on the charts goes behind the music and tells us where the inspiration for so many songs have come from

164: Steve Azar: Blues Musician, Music and Culture Ambassador of Mississippi, and the Host and Creator of In a Mississippi Minute podcast talks about having his first major hit song later in life and emerging as a respected representative of his home state of Mississippi. 

  Steve Azar  

  Steve Azar talks about interpreting COVID-19 through his music. “In some sort of weird way I have already done it. I’m about to put it on a new record. But, it is my way of doing it. I’m actually going to record it with Cedric Burnside who is a legendary blues (musician). His dad was R.L. Burnside, and Cedric is the best. I may give you a sneak peek of it. We are about to lay it down in June when they allow us in the studio.”

  On this episode of Finding Your Summit Podcast, we talk with Steve Azar, Blues Musician, Music and Culture Ambassador of Mississippi, and the Host and Creator of In a Mississippi Minute podcast, about the power and influence of inspiration. “When inspiration happens, you don’t have to look for it. It finds you. You don’t have to go, ‘I'm going to sit down and write a song.’ It makes you write the song and then the song falls out. So, after all of the years of doing it wrong when you were younger or barely getting it right or learning from the best. My mentors were legends as writers and I was always drawn to them.”

  What You Will Learn:

  Steve Azar discusses some of the changes that he has witnessed during the pandemic. “I’ve never seen more families walking together. It is like Mr. Roger’s neighborhood right now all over the place. And I just think that is another example of the good that is going to come from this. That core family value. I just think that is going to bring something special when we come out of this. But listen, it would be nice if there was something a little bit easier on us all. You know, this has been tough on everybody. Unless you are in the paper towel and toilet paper business, or the hand sanitizer business, or masks, the grocery store business and all that.” 

Being raised in Mississippi has really had a huge impact on Steve Azar. “The one thing about growing up where I grew up is at some point, you better be honest because you are influenced by all of this gospel, blues, rock & roll. We were the birthplace of American music here, man, and country. So no matter what you do, you can’t run from all of these influences. You best find yourself. When you come out as an artist in the wash, you better be unique and sound like yourself and tell your story, based off of all of these influences. Mississippi has always been in the lead, in the forefront when it comes to musical history. We founded it all. You can go from country to Jimmy Rogers, to Elvis Presley and rock & roll.”  

Steve Azar talks about some of the music legends that have some out of the state of Mississippi. “We are doing a new music festival called The Mighty Roots Music Festival in the beginning of October and it is literally where Muddy (Waters) lived on the farm. Robert Johnson, I mean we can go back. It was Eugene Powell. When you walk in my house in the front door, you see a picture of Eugene Powell that was signed. And Eugene was a guy behind my dad’s liquor store when I was 10 or 11 years old that let me go about and just hang out with postmen every once and awhile. He was just out there playing, and man, if you can’t get inspired by that? That is how I got hooked.”

Mark Pattison talks about the inspiration that he derived from the song “Sunshine” by Steve Azar when he was climbing the Denali mountain. Steve explains writing the song quickly on the first night he was with singer/songwriter Bob Seger out of the 46 nights they were together in Grand Rapids, Michigan: “It wasn’t even a thought. Everybody says that, ‘you wrote that about your wife.’ I’m sure in the back of my mind I'm always thinking about my wife. But I really wasn’t. I was thinking about nothing, nothing. That just fell out. It was so simple. It is just interesting. Taylor Swift said it was her favorite song in People magazine. That was like a big jolt. She talked about me being vulnerable. I was like, oh, I like that.’”

Steve Azar shares his interesting comparison between music and sports: “It is like being on a team and you can’t choose your team. You’re drafted into this team, right? It is who they are. Even though you get to choose musicians, there weren't a lot of choices and I wanted the best ones. You’re at the mercy of everyone around you. The beauty of where I am now in the last probably 10 years of my life is, maybe a little longer than that, maybe 15 years, is the team has to rally around the plays I’m calling. I’m running the show and that makes it right for me and there is no way that my audience is ever going to respond to anything else.”

  Waiting on Joe  

Why did the song Waiting on Joe pop into Steve Azar’s brain while he was mowing the lawn, and was it about his brother Joe? “A little bit. First verse, yeah. Second verse was about what I was chasing. I was older, man. I hadn’t had a hit. I was 36-years-old at the time. I hadn’t had a hit until I was 38. So, this was pivotal.”  

  In a Mississippi Minute

During this episode of Finding Your Summit Podcast, Steve Azar also talks about his podcast In a Mississippi Minute and the great assortment of guests he has accumulated: “We are in our third year, I mean, you’ve been on our show, the CEO of UPS David Abney, a great man. He has been on it. Our last two governors, the head of tourism, Craig Ray. I mean, you name. Then we’ve had Barb and Michael Eruzione were just on, 40 Years a Miracle…. He’s got a book, The Making of a Miracle. I’ve just had John M. Barry who is an old friend who reached out to me to do a PSA for COVID.”

  Links to Additional Resources:

Mark Pattison: markpattisonnfl.com

Emilia’s Everest - The Lhotse Challenge: https://www.markpattisonnfl.com/philanthropy/

Steve Azar website: steveazar.com

Steve Azar social media: Instagram Twitter

Check out this episode!

John Stossel- Free Stuff 2020, Government Bullies Steal Houses, No Filming on Farms, Minimum Wage Hurts Beginners etc...

John Stossel- Free Stuff 2020, Government Bullies Steal Houses, No Filming on Farms, Minimum Wage Hurts Beginners, The Paid Leave Fairy Tale, Birthright Citizenship: What the Constitution and Common Sense Say.

  John Stossel- Free Stuff 2020

Mow Your Lawn or Lose Your House!

No Filming on Farms

Minimum Wage Hurts Beginners

The Paid Leave Fairy Tale

Birthright Citizenship: What the Constitution and Common Sense Say

  Free Stuff 2020

Watch this video at- https://youtu.be/G5odA8Gsmzs

John Stossel

Published on Jul 30, 2019

Presidential Candidates promise expensive new programs. We added up the cost. Never before have so many politicians promised to spend so much. Among some candidates, the 2020 presidential campaign has turned into a contest to see who can offer the most "free stuff." So far no one has tracked their promises, so the Stossel team did. Stossel compares the top five candidates, based on the betting odds. He looks at Senator Kamala Harris, Senator Elizabeth Warren, former Vice President Joe Bide, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Senator Bernie Sanders' expensive promises, issue by issue: education, health care, climate, welfare, and … well, let's make it a contest! There's a grab-bag round too. Some examples of what the Democrats would spend if they become president: Sanders wants to "eliminate student debt" and "make public colleges and universities tuition-free." Sound nice, but he seldom mentions the $220 billion. price tag. Mayor Buttigieg promises to spend $31.5 billion to give teachers a pay raise. Kamala Harris likes that one too. Senator Harris also wants government to pay your rent if it's more than 30% of their income. $94 billion a year. The Democratic candidate promises keep on coming: Medicare for All, $3 trillion. Increase Food Stamps, $10.8 billion. Expand National Service, $2 billion. A federal job guarantee $158 billion. But the Republican incumbent is a big spender too, says Stossel. Since Donald Trump became President, spending has risen about $500 billion. But the Democrats want to spend MUCH MORE. Stossel's tally includes more than 50 spending proposals. Watch to see who wins the title, "Biggest Spender". Stossel says, no matter who wins, taxpayers are the losers. Since we completed this video Friday, Senator Harris proposed her own "Medicare for All" plan. She says it will be cheaper than Senator Sanders' version, but as of now there is no independent calculated cost. She also proposed a new plan to spend $75 billion on minority-owned businesses and historically black colleges.

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  https://youtu.be/MjV2autXVTc

Mow Your Lawn or Lose Your House!

John Stossel

Published on Jul 9, 2019

Florida man may lose home because he didn’t cut his grass. --------- Don't miss a single video from Stossel TV, sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/y7eqz8th --------- Jim Ficken left his home to take care of his recently deceased mother's estate. While away, the man he paid to cut his lawn died. The grass in Ficken's yard grew more than 10 inches long. The city of Dunedin has an ordinance against long grass. City officials fined Ficken $500 a day. Over time the fines added up to almost $30,000. "I was shocked," Ficken tells John Stossel, "It was just amazing that they would fine me that much." Ficken doesn't have $30,000, and now the city wants to foreclose on his home. Ficken's Lawyer, Ari Bargil of the Institute for Justice, points out that the city had other options: "Hire a lawn service to come out and mow the grass, and send Jim a bill for 150 bucks, but they didn't do that." The reason, says Bargil, is that the city "wants the money. Code enforcement is a major cash cow for the city." Dunedin collected $34,000 in fines in 2007. Last year, the fines ballooned to $1.3 million. "That's an almost 4,000% increase," Bargil tells Stossel, adding the city attorney "has called their code enforcement body a 'well-oiled machine.'" The city released a statement, saying they "have come under recent unfair criticism." They argue that Ficken is a "repeat offender" and has a "chronic history" of not maintaining his property. Stossel confronts Ficken, "The town says you're kind of a public nuisance." Ficken admits he is a "bit of a slob" but adds "I got everything taken care of when they notified me." Bargil argues Dunedin's big fines violate the 8th Amendment. It not only protects us from cruel and unusual punishment but also from "excessive fines." Stossel agrees: what's more excessive than politicians taking your home because you didn't cut your grass?

  No Filming on Farms

John Stossel

Published on Jul 16, 2019

Recently hundreds of animal activists have sneaked onto farms to do hidden-camera investigations. They often expose animal abuse. --------- Don't miss a single video from Stossel TV, sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/y7eqz8th --------- Their videos led companies like Wal-Mart and Wendy’s to impose stricter animal welfare requirements on companies that sell them meat. Of course, farm groups don’t like the secret recordings. Kay Johnson Smith of the Animal Agriculture Alliance tells John Stossel that the videos often mislead consumers into thinking farm conditions are worse than they are. She says “activists ... [are] stalking farms to try to capture something that the public doesn't understand.” Her group, and others, push state politicians to pass so-called “ag-gag” laws that make it a crime to mislead in order to get a job on a farm – that’s often how activists get on farms to film. “We call it farm protection,” says Johnson Smith. Stossel asks: “what about everybody else? Why do you get special protection?” She responds: “the agricultural community is the only business community that this sort of tactic is really being used on right now.” Stossel pushes back: “I'm an investigative reporter. I can't do my job if there are laws that prevent me from showing things. Nobody believes it if you don't see it.” “These activist groups want to eliminate all of animal agriculture,” Johnson Smith replies. Some activists do want to stop people from eating meat. But many of their undercover investigations show real animal abuse. Some led to convictions of abusive farm workers. “These groups are exposing issues that are happening,” Stossel points out. “If they really cared about animals,” says Johnson Smith, "they would stop [the abuse] right then. Instead, they go weeks and months without reporting anything to the farm owners ... [because] they want to make their sensational video!” The Agricultural Alliance now pushes for laws that would force activists to report abuse quickly. But that would kill investigations before they can document much, explains Amanda Howell of the Animal Legal Defense Foundation. One has to film for multiple days, Howell notes. Otherwise, “a company can say, ‘This is a one-off!’” Johnson Smith replies, “There are bad apples in every industry, but 99.9% of farmers do the right thing every single day ... farming isn’t always pretty.” Howell says that the only way for the public to learn the truth is if undercover investigations are allowed. “We should all be worried when corporations are supporting laws that impinge our right to free speech.” Stossel agrees. “Whatever you thinks of the activists, and I have problems with many of them, government shouldn’t pass special laws that prevent people from revealing what’s true.”

  https://youtu.be/JIKqN5z2Hh0

Minimum Wage Hurts Beginners

John Stossel

Published on Jul 23, 2019

Seattle was the first big city to pass a $15 minimum wage. --------- Don't miss a single video from Stossel TV, sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/y7eqz8th --------- People there were excited. “I think it's pretty awesome since I benefit from it,” one told us. Another added: “I wish it was all over the place, not just Seattle.” Now, five years after the law passed, the evidence is in: while some did earn more, entry-levels jobs decreased. (https://evans.uw.edu/sites/default/fi...) The politicians never mentioned that when they passed the bill says Erin Shannon of the Washington Policy Center (https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/): “It’s really presented by minimum wage advocates as ... a win-win for employers ... a win-win for workers.” But she pointed us to a factory that moved hundreds of jobs out of state, and to a store that stopped hiring beginners because of the $15 minimum wage. “The politicians, in Seattle especially, have no sense whatsoever about what it means to small businesses like us,” the owner of Retrofit Home tell us. A minimum wage hurts young people who need a first job, say three young people who won a contest organized by Stossel in The Classroom, which provides free videos and lesson plans about free markets to teachers. Dillon Hodes won the high-school level video contest. He says a friend who worked at Kroger saw her hours cut as the store implemented a $12 minimum. “Raising the minimum wage causes increased unemployment,” explains Rigel Noble-Koza, the college-level contest winner. Stossel says he learned things from Noble-Koza’s video, which noted that Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland have no national minimum wage. The minimum wage “stops us from actually getting a job,” says Esther Rhoads, who won the high school essay contest. She points out that the earliest advocates of the minimum-wage wanted to price black Americans out of the market. About hundred years ago, blacks were often paid less, but they were more likely to be employed than whites. (https://www.jstor.org/stable/2122891) Congressman Clayton Allgood said he hoped the min wage would stop: “cheap colored labor in competition with white labor.” “It was meant ... to keep the poor and the minorities from getting jobs,” Esther tells Stossel. The minimum also harms young people. Esther explains: “I'm 14, it'd be very difficult for me to find a job ... my labor wouldn't be worth $15 an hour.” “If only politicians were as smart as those kids,” Stossel says.

    https://youtu.be/M3jYM04y7Ic

The Paid Leave Fairy Tale

John Stossel

Published on Jun 4, 2019

Why mandated paid family leave is bad for business and bad for most women. --------- Subscribe to my YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/johnstossel Like me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JohnStossel/ Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnstossel --------- Most 2020 presidential candidates support government mandated paid family leave. That means government will order businesses to provide a certain amount of paid time off for new parents. That sounds kind. Politicians and the media point out that only the U.S. and Papua New Guinea do not require paid time off for parents. "It's disingenuous to say [that]" explains Patrice Lee Onwuka, a senior policy analyst at Independent Women's Forum. Onwuka tells John Stossel that most full-time American workers already get paid leave. "About 17% of workers have paid parental leave … but you jump to 60, 70, 80 percent when you consider people have sick time off, overtime or all-encompassing personal time." These benefits are voluntarily provided to even lower-level employees.     "Chipotle workers, CVS workers, Walmart workers…," says Onwuka. "Why would CVS and Walmart provide this voluntarily?" asks Stossel. "For an employer to attract … good talent or retain their talent, they need to offer benefits that really resonate with workers," explains Onwuka. "Paid maternity and paternity leave is one of those benefits." "Politicians are so arrogant," says Stossel, "that they now tell people that mandating leave for all employees will be 'good for business.'  Somehow they don't know that business knows better what's good for business." In truth, says Stossel, mandated leave turns out to be "bad for business and not even good for most women."  Onwuka points out, "If we look at how the rest of the world has provided very generous, mandated paid leave plans, we see that it actually has a negative impact on women." Why would that be? Because mandatory leave makes companies fear hiring young women.  "If an employer has a young woman in front of him of child bearing age," say Onwuka, "he's thinking, okay, I have to provide paid time off. I have a potential other employee who's a male…" A family leave mandate makes the man a safer bet. "In California, the first state to mandate paid family leave, a study found women of childbearing age were more likely to be unemployed," explains Stossel. Comparing Europe to America, Onwuka explains, "American women are twice as likely to be in senior level positions, managerial positions, then women in Europe … it's very much tied to these mandates around paid leave and paid time off."

      Birthright Citizenship: What the Constitution and Common Sense Say

1st November 2018

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Donald Trump has indicated his desire to overturn the practice of birthright citizenship, a position Ron Paul and Rand Paul alike have long held. Opponents claim the Fourteenth Amendment requires birthright citizenship. Does it?

Articles Mentioned

“The Question of Birthright Citizenship,” by Peter H. Schuck and Rogers M. Smith “Birthright Citizenship Is Not Actually in the Constitution,” by John Eastman

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What is Workaway? Our Experience Volunteering at a Bed and Breakfast in San Rafael, Argentina

What is Workaway?

Some of our most memorable travel experiences have been those where we’ve volunteered through the website workaway.info. Workaway has provided us with truly immersive cultural exchanges and has also allowed us to learn some new skills. On the workaway website you can search by country, city, or type of work to find volunteer opportunities that interest you. This can include anything from working on a farm, helping a family to learn English, taking care of animals, building eco-hotels; the opportunities are endless. The workaway host provides free accommodation in exchange for a couple hours of work each day. It’s an affordable way to travel the world and an intimate way to learn about a new culture. You can volunteer for days, weeks, or months depending on the availability of the host. Though you begin the workaway as a volunteer you often leave feeling more like family. 

Volunteering at a Bed and Breakfast in San Rafael, Argentina

Through workaway we’ve had the privilege to be treated as a guests in locals homes. Our most recent workaway experience took us to the outskirts of San Rafael, a small town in Argentina. Driving out of the city center of San Rafael the buildings giveaway to dusty fincas (or farms). Some fincas are still functioning, but many are in varying levels of disrepair. This is due to the harsh climate; the land is difficulty to cultivate and care for because of the lack of water and dry conditions. Sadly, many fincas here remain desperately on the market for years at the expense of the owner’s pocket.

The Host

Our host, the owner of the bed and breakfast, was an incredibly friendly British-Argentine gentleman. He embodied hospitality with his animated, witty personality and welcoming and generous nature. We felt comfortable right away as he chatted with us on the ride to the property. He showed us to our modest simple room, which met our needs. He had an easy-going outlook on the requirements of our stay and emphasized that the work was never too strenuous and that siesta was an every day occurrence. 

The Bed and Breakfast

The grandparents of our host moved from Britain to San Rafael at the turn of the 20th century. They sought a more affordable lifestyle and a dry climate to help with the symptoms of asthma. They purchased an ambitious 80 hectares of farm land complete with a farm house built by a German architect. Our host was born and raised in Argentina and while fluent in Spanish, retained his English. After moving between continents our host ultimately ended up back in the country of his birth, settling in his grandparent’s old farm house with his brother.  The duo kept us quite entertained with their sparring and sarcastic British humor. The 80 hectares proved too cumbersome for him to maintain and irrigate so the host choose to focus his energy on converting the aging palatial farm house into a bed and breakfast instead. 

The home was rustic and tastefully cluttered with what we would call ‘vintage furniture’ and ‘antiques’ but are actual artifacts from his grandparents who at one time a lived a life of luxury in Argentina. The high ceilings with intricate paneling helped to regulate the temperature and kept the inside remarkably cool. Breezy hallways led to five grand guest bedrooms. Two horses and four friendly dogs roamed freely adding to the country feel of the property.

The Work

We tried to wake up early each morning to walk the grounds before the hustle and bustle of the day. The four dogs excitedly accompanied us on our daily walks. We’d loop around the property and pass by the abandon plots of land and a plot of Malbec grapes, the only plot our host had been able to sell off. We were able to sample the grapes straight some the vines. Surprisingly the dogs sampled a few too. Apparently when the grapes are at their ripest the sweetness even attracts dogs. 

We found waking up early to be increasingly challenging because of the late nights and dinners, as is characteristic of Argentine culture. Each morning we’d stop by to see the horses and give them a pat or feed them composted scraps from the evening before. The pace of the day picked up as the guests began to wake up, so we’d set the tables and prepare breakfast in a frenetic scramble. Throughout the day we’d do a mix of daily chores- help wash and hang laundry, wash dishes, clean and prepare rooms, maintain the pool, sweep the floors or mow the lawn. During the midday siesta we spent a few hours relaxing and found some nice shaded spots to practice yoga. In the evenings we started a fire in the fire pit to provide hot water for guests evening showers.

The Experience

Not only did we get to know our host, but we made friends with guests as well, most of whom were from Buenos Aires and seeking a reprieve from the big city. Our host made sure we were well fed and we were always invited to join for lunch and dinner. We took part in family style meals with guests and leisurely lunches, one particularly unhurriedly lunch not ending until 5pm. Meals were always a boisterous affair as the farmhouse table filled with guests- friends of the host, family members, guests at the bed and breakfast and neighbors. 

We were honored to be invited to an asado thrown by a couple of guests staying at the property. As is proper for any residence in Argentina, the yard was fitted with an outdoor covered patio with parilla (open grill) specifically for asado. Asado is more than a barbeque it’s an art form. The asador (person manning the grill) tends to the meat and restocks the smoldering coals with meticulous devotion. The food sets the pace for the evening as the meat is served in courses. The best cuts of meat are saved for last. While the meat is that star of the show, the social element is just as important. Everyone chats and snacks on picadas and wine while awaiting each course. The meat is cooked low and slow for hours and the asado carried on past 12pm. 

At the bed and breakfast, simplicity is valued over efficiency. People lingered over meals as meals were the “event” of the day. Meals were a time to unplug, converse and connect. Spending time conversing with the guests provided interesting insight into Argentine culture. From these conversations we learned that many Argentines still feel very connected to their European heritage. A portion of the population hold second passports and citizenships in Spain and Italy. The acquisition of the European passport is largely fueled by financial insecurity created by rampant inflation in Argentina.

Inflation plagues the minds of and is a chronic stressor for most Argentinians. This has resulted in a “brain drain”as many educated in Argentina leave the country seeking financial security elsewhere. What’s interesting, however, is that despite major financial uncertainty, there is a lack of consumer debt. In the states we have a tendency to spend above our means, take out loans, and over use credit cards. But here people pay for their homes in cash and live by a mindset of only buying what they can afford. Of course, with an unreliable banking system and economy, interest is hard to determine because of the fluctuating value of the currency. 

We left the workaway with a deeper understanding and respect for Aregentine culture and an emotional connection to the country and its people.