Billy Dees

In this episode we follow up to some of the responses we had to last week’s episode about Ukraine and some of the commentary coming from several far-right commentators.We also cover Elon Musk and his attempted purchase of Twitter. Elon tweeted a poll to his followers and other Twitter users in March that asked whether people believed Twitter was protecting free speech. Roughly 70% of the 2 million respondents said “no.”

The United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, made a surprise visit to Ukraine's capital and met President Volodymyr Zelensky. They were photographed together as they walked through Kyiv's streets sending a powerful and symbolic message to the western world. This meeting happened in the wake of continuing reports of atrocities committed against Ukrainian civilians, including women and children, by Russian forces. These recent events have put added pressure on the United States to more to help Ukraine. The United States has been very cautious not to get involved in a wider conflict. However, with widening reports of more atrocities and plans by Russia to escalate its war efforts, are we about to reach a tipping point whereby inaction is a greater risk to the possibility of the war expanding across the region? This podcast episode discusses aspects of the Ukrainian conflict, how the mere mention of nuclear weapons has become an instrument of fear and terror, and the curious aspect of how certain factions

It was the slap heard around the world, quite literally. At the Oscar Ceremonies 2022, actor Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock after he made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, starring in a movie called “G.I. Jane II,” a reference to Pinkett’s baldness.The showbiz shenanigans of this matter have been well covered in traditional and social media. What we wanted to do with this episode is delve a bit into the wide reaction to this event and examine some of the societal norms that have affected public opinion.Our guest cohost is Rashmi Mistry, who is the author of the book, “Confident Resilient Fearless: A Guide to Revival from Within.” Rashmi talks about the impact of gender norms and the importance of having these conversations at schools. Together, we have an objective conversation about toxic masculinity and what expectations society has about different gender roles.You can find out more about our guest, Rashmi Mistry here:https://www.confidentresilientfearless.com/

A former nurse, RaDonda Vaught, was convicted of gross neglect of an impaired adult and negligent homicide on March 25, 2022 after a three-day trial in Nashville, Tennessee. Vaught faced these charges in connection with the killing of Charlene Murphey, who died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in late December 2017 after being administered the incorrect drug.Medical errors are generally handled by professional licensing boards or civil courts. Criminal prosecutions like Vaught's case are very rare.This trial has been closely monitored by nurses and medical professionals across the U.S. because of a strong concern that this conviction could set a precedent for criminalizing medical mistakes.

The big news in sports this past week was that Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texan’s was traded to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for various top draft picks. This deal was also big news in the media and social media due to allegations of sexual misconduct by the player.For Deshaun Watson, the deal is worth a whopping $230 million.Criminal charges did not move forward in his cases. However, 22 civil lawsuits are still hanging over his head. Many of these allegations occurred under the pretense of Watson getting massage services. Apparently, warnings about Watson had been circulating in the Houston massage therapy community for a while. Many of these therapists had been sought out on Instagram.This podcast is a conversation with Billy Dees and Erika, who is an advocate for survivors. The discussion covers the reactions on social media and how both Watson's supporters and detractors have voiced their opinions.You can find Erika on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@erika.with.ak?lang=en

On this episode we have Sarah Dawn, who is an advocate for keloid scarring awareness. Sarah is very active on TikTok and believes her world doesn’t evolve around her scars but rather her scars revolve around her world. Sarah is an advocate for fighting the stigma around having scars, and furthermore believes that scars should be part of an overall sense beauty and self-worth. You can find Sarah Dawn on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@sarahdawnofficial?lang=en

On this episode Billy Dees and via remote guest cohost Jack Casey discuss current events in the Ukraine. (This episode was produced Feb. 27, 2022.) Also, the trucker protests in Canada are topics for analysis and opinion.

Our guest on this episode of the Billy Dees Podcast is Emme Fox. She pronounces her name, “M” and is an advocate of love, sexuality, and intimacy. During this interview we cover such subjects as body and sexual awareness, the molds and constructs that society often places on us, and why some people choose to send unsolicited and explicit pictures of private body parts. This episode does contain frank discussions of human sexuality and behavior. You can find Emme on Twitter @emme_fox https://twitter.com/emme_fox

On this episode we are talking about the dynamics of community building or networking. What is your approach? What value do you bring to the spaces you belong to? How do you strategize your content? Is it designed to serve the audience?

This episode is an interview with Kat Satava by Billy Dees and co-host Kristy Mickelsen.Kat Satava is an author focusing on the genres of epic fantasy and supernatural fiction. Kat’s first book (in her Witch War Series), "Nightmares & Stars" debuted during December 2021.Kat is currently working on the second book, a five-episode supernatural series "Canton Ghost Town," and a gothic horror short story.Kat has a very strong interest in helping others develop their own voices and stories by running a weekly therapeutic writing group to learn how to process, cope, and communicate through creative writing.Kristy also has questions for the host, Billy Dees.You can find Kat Satava on Twitter @KatSatavaAuthorhttps://twitter.com/KatSatavaAuthor

Classified as a Comedy/Disaster, I presume they mean a combined comedy and disaster movie not a comical disaster, “Don’t Look Up” is a satirical story about two astronomers who go on a media tour to warn the world of an Extinction Level Event in the form of a giant comet speeding toward Earth. Can us earthlings put down our phones long enough to listen? What I feel the movie hits the mark on as well as what I feel it may have missed are the subjects of this episode along with my take on how the space sciences are regarded in these contemporary times.

This episode is an interview with Kristy Mickelsen, a 43-year-old wife and mother, whose passions include her two autistic children, reading and writing. Kristy is the author of the book, “A Christmas to Remember.”Kristy wrote this book based on the real emotions her mother faced when her father passed away from Stage Four Renal Cell Carcinoma. Kristy’s goal with writing this book was not only to present a Christmas love story but to bring some cancer awareness about renal cell carcinoma as well as another form of cancer called inflammatory breast cancer. A Christmas to Remember not only talks about what a cancer patient goes through but also the feelings that a spouse goes through after the loss of a loved one.You can find Kristy along with her Linktree on Twitter @KristyBookshttps://twitter.com/kristybooks

This episode is the first time we tried to use Twitter Spaces as a forum to record a full episode of our podcast. Twitter Spaces is an audio medium allowing for a configuration of hosts, speakers, and listeners. The Space was hosted Thursday January 6, 2022, at 2:00pm EST. Currently, the only way to take part in a Twitter Space is via the Twitter smartphone app. Therefore, the guests sound a bit “phoned-in” but otherwise acceptable. Our guest was Lenora Colarusso, who has been on the podcast numerous times. The first part of the episode covers Lenora and her journey of recovery and well-being. It is followed by snippets from a Question-and-Answer period that followed on the Space. Guests take part from all over the world, which is one of the great things about the Twitter Spaces format.

What does it take to be a good person? The reactions of the public to the recent passing of John Madden and Betty White raises the question as to why these people were universally loved. What about them sets them apart? What qualities of being a good person can we incorporate into our own lives?

The pressures of the holidays are often a source of stress. The events, family gatherings, and gifts along with a myriad of other things can easily bring down someone’s mood. This episode discusses some easy and common-sense ways of avoiding the holiday blues.

Is an era of statesmen/women as politicians ending in America? That topic is discussed on this episode’s commentary. Do voters have the patience to sort through nuanced issues? By contrast, have elections become high-stakes contests? Also, on this episode is a follow up to the podcast from October 24, 2021 titled “Commentary: Tragedy on a Movie Set and Digital and Social Media React,” in which the fatal shooting on the set of “Rust” is the subject of commentary.

Social audio is gaining more and more traction as a communication medium. Apps such as Clubhouse exploded in the wake of the pandemic lockdowns. More platforms are now adopting their own versions of this concept and expanding upon it. Twitter Spaces is now becoming a “go to” option for many creators. How does audio only content differ from other media? What are some of the basic tenets of audio only media? This podcast episode discusses the emergence of social audio and various tips for success.

What happens when you get two accomplished humor writers together to talk about their methods? The result is a lively and informative discussion about the art of humor writing.Lee Gaitan and Dave Jaffe are together sharing some of their writing strategies and trade secrets. Does all humor come from pain? How do you select topics? How do you create humor during troubled times? Listen to this episode to find out! You can find Lee Gaitan’s book “My Pineapples Went to Houston, Second Edition” here:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0971CCJJF/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i1You can find Dave Jaffe’s book “Sleeping Between Giants” here:https://www.amazon.com/Sleeping-between-Giants-Terrier-Budleigh/dp/1734192518

Is it a good idea to infuse politics into a marketing plan or brand image? That is the subject of this episode’s commentary. Billy covers several points as to why he does not feel that a political stance belongs in a business scheme or fund development plan of a non-profit.

On this episode recorded live Monday Nov 2, 2021, we discuss the Facebook name change, TwitterSpaces, and numerous other topics related to social media.