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Welcome to One Good Thing Media, your official podcast review channel. We search the vast digital landscape on a daily basis to discover the best shows that podcasters have to offer. Are you ready to discover new favorites to add to your playbook?

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Stay tuned and listen to host Jeryl Spear.

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We're a one-of-a-kind show that reviews top podcasts from several popular genres in order to cater to the needs of our eclectic listeners. If you can't imagine eating your favorite meal three times a day every day, or you're an avid true crime fan but still need a break from listening about the dregs of humanity, you've got plenty of company. I also recognize that our show isn't everyone's cup of tea. I have a friend, for instance, who never, ever varies from his daily routine, and in every city that he travels to for business, he eats at the same restaurant, orders the same meal and shops at the same store. And when his beloved dog died, he bought a matching dog and carried on with his life without skipping a beat. I'm not knocking his life choices, but for me personally, I need to always seek out new adventures, try different foods and definitely listen to a variety of podcasts.

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Today is the penultimate episode of our July Summer Listening Series. If you haven't listened to our previous summer episodes, you should check them out. Fyi, episode 27 is my favorite by far. It focuses on how to preserve your sanity and even enjoy yourself by keeping your kids engaged during long road trips. Are we there yet? Are we there yet, are we? We've all been through it. If you've got kids, you know what I'm talking about and, by the way, you're welcome. Check out episode 27. Today, I'll be focusing on how you can add podcasts to your summer escape strategy before school work and the weather once again change your lifestyle, whether you want it to or not. I'll also be alerting you of brand new podcasts that are sure to pique your interest.

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Share the podcasts that I binged this week and what we have in store for you in the near future. Of course, there's a lot more. Are you ready to dive in? I know I am, so let's get going. Did you know that you can support us by supporting who Gives a Crap? A company that really does give a crap? We've been loyal customers of WGAC for five years. They produce the greenest toilet paper and paper towels on the planet, have a microcarbon footprint and donate 50% of their profits to help underdeveloped countries safely manage human waste. Please give a crap by clicking on the sponsor link in our show notes and go even greener. Starting today. Welcome to our highlights, news and updates that will appeal to all of our eclectic listeners.

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My first bit of news today is about Oak Bridge. I promised last week that I would give you some more details on it, so I am keeping my word. Oak Bridge is a sci-fi, thriller, mystery and horror audio drama that's set in 1992. The story centers around mysterious occurrences that plague a small town in Ohio. After the US government erects a nuclear power facility, tiny, peaceful hamlet starts experiencing extreme violence. Sheriff Deputy Jack Harris must launch an investigation that uncovers dark secrets and puts every citizen of Oak Bridge in danger. Oak Bridge is not going to feed your intellect, but I promise it will pique your interest and it is very entertaining. The storyline heavily relies on many small-town cliches the flawed detective, the small-town corruption, government conspiracies. But instead of regurgitating a time-worn story, oakbridge effortlessly moves the story along by cluing the audience in very early in the game about what's going on and who's doing it. So instead of being a bystander, it's almost like you become an ally to the characters.

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Here's a clip from the show

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oh, dear God, no, this is a code red. I repeat a code red.

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All right, listen up. Raccoon Festival is upon us. It's the Nichols girl who lives down the street from my house. She and her mom are kind of weird.

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My name is Evelyn Evie for short. Calling on all units, we have a code 32.

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Homicide I bet you worked a lot of crimes like this back in Chicago, huh, Deputy Harris. I worked hundreds of homicides, each one crueler than the one before it, but I've never seen anything like this the first murder in Oakbridge in years. What is going on in this?

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town. Andy and Eric weren't the type to go down without a fight, and there have been a lot of people moving to Oakbridge since the nuclear plant opened.

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What's the story? You really want to hear the story. I do. We don't get a lot of tall tales back in New Hampshire. Well, this story is anything but tall and it certainly isn't a tale. Who do you think could have done something like this? Someone you'd never expect, even in a place like Oak Bridge. They are lying to us. He knows something and he's trying to cover it up. The truth will set you free, but not until it is finished with you. Finish this, jack. Finish it. I'll do my best or I'll die trying. A predator isn't going to kill just to kill. It's gonna feed. Something else killed them. Why Oak Bridge? Of all the places in this country, oak Bridge is a special place.

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It's time let's do this. Welcome to Oak Bridge.

Speaker 1: 7:32

Here's hoping that the rest of the podcast is just as good as the first five episodes. First five episodes and here's a quick bit of news Silver Tongues, a new fiction tropical thriller podcast by Acorn Arts and Entertainment will be dropping very soon. I encourage everybody to like and follow their trailer and ask for a notification when the first episode drops. And ask for a notification when the first episode drops. Acorn Arts and Entertainment is an indie company that previously produced Call of the Void, a highly entertaining mystery-slash-supernatural podcast that takes place in New Orleans. I'm excited to see what the gang at Acorn comes up with with their new show and check this out. Acorn comes up with with their new show and check this out Like Call of the Void. They've promised that Silver Tongues will be played in its entirety ad-free.

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I binged on the dating detectives last week and talked about it in my what Are you Listening To segment, and I was really curious about an episode that I was going to listen to next, which was when Detective McKenzie goes undercover at a nudist community in Florida to find out if a man was really cheating or not. I have to say I was pretty excited about it. I was trying to figure out where she was going to keep her pens or papers or recorder, because obviously, in a nudist community, there's not a whole hell of a lot of places to hide things, right? To be honest, even though this story started out pretty good, it fizzled out within a few minutes, so I don't recommend that you rush over and listen to it. But even so, I want to reiterate that I've enjoyed several other episodes of the Dating Detectives and still highly recommend it. Gerald. Oh no, not you again. What are you listening to? Are you spying on me? Oh, ais, you can't trust them. But yes, welcome to. What Are you Listening To? A segment where I share what I've binged this week, and it's a good one. After tubing down a lazy river for hours or jet skiing on your favorite lake, nothing beats retreating to a shady spot, kicking back for an hour or two and just getting into your own headspace. That's why I decided to binge on a podcast this week called Love Murder Florida by Voyage Media, starring actress Jane Lynch and Tammy Cates.

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Love Murder Florida is a four-episode Fargo-esque dark comedy served with a side of drama. It features an ironclad broad named Jane and her mild-mannered friend named Ruth. Friends since middle school and somehow never being able to let go of all the angst and squabbles that typically happens during that time in people's lives. Jane and Ruth grew up to become direct business rivals. Love Murder Florida tells the oft-told yet still baffling story about how even ordinary law-abiding people can get mixed up in very serious crimes, which, in the case of Love Murder Florida, began with betrayal between two friends and was quickly followed by a serendipitous encounter with a beefcake honey named Logan. Human foibles take center stage in this story. To quote the trickster Puck, what fools these mortals be To be on the road, already on a hop.

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Yeah, give me that look see what happens Starring Glee and Best in Shows, Jane Lynch.

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Sometimes I think that I might be.

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Jane's only friend.

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We lost the Timber Grove contract. What To who you can ask your friend Jane, and what are you going to do about it?

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It started as a simple feud between rival bus companies, but that's not where it ended.

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I'm going to Florida. I can't look at another bus. Hey Ruth, you need to get laid.

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It was supposed to be just a fling.

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In the sun, his body glistened.

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Water dripped down his chest. It became something dangerous.

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What would happen if Jane wasn't around? What if she was gone?

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Like to Europe or something, a dark crime story with a dash of Florida. Strange, are you?

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kidding me, ruth. We can leave now, no one would prosecute this. Or we can finish it now and no one will ever know.

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Murder's hard work. Ruth, you can't half-ass it. Maybe we deserved each other.

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Love Murder, florida, runs about, oh, an hour and a half. You can binge this one in one go and still have plenty of time to listen to another podcast. And now it's time to get to our main reviews, the most popular segment in our podcast and one that I love sharing with you. Whether you're dreaming about a summer escape to the Bahamas or you're already lounging on the powder, softsoft white sands of Fortune Beach, I have two perfect podcasts that will arouse a rush of scents and sounds that only a tropical getaway can awaken.

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My first review is on a podcast called Murder on Sex Island, a sexy, humorous and intriguing tale that combines murder and comedy without being offensive. It's written and narrated by comedian Jo Firestone, who's known for her offbeat sense of humor and character voices. The story follows a bored, recent divorcee and introvert who uncages her alter ego, one Luella Van Horn, a blonde, bombshell, private investigator and all-around outspoken woman, while her real self remained meekly cooped up in her apartment with two cats and a television to keep her company. After Luella is hired to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a cast member on her favorite reality show, sex Island, luella heads to a tropical paradise where a cast of reality show archetypes are competing for a hefty prize and the dubious honor of having the best sex for the camera. The only problem To explain her presence without tipping off the cast or crew, luella must go undercover as a contestant. Needless to say, things get awkward right away.

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Here are a couple clips from the show. This is Murder on Sex Island, written by Joe Firestone and read by Joe Firestone, and both. That's me. That's both of those of me. Chapter one Like my forefathers, jane Simmons and Christina Aguilera, my life began in Staten Island.

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The first 25 years of my life were going somewhat according to plan. I was an underpaid social worker. I got married to a man I knew from high school and, to top it all off, I was dead inside. What can I say? It's a Staten Island way.

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When most grown people get bored, they cheat on their spouses, they start buying lottery tickets, they develop a drug habit. Not me, though. No, sir. When I need to fill a gaping void in an otherwise predictable, monotonous life, I like to think outside the box. So I made up an alter ego named Luella Van Horn who solves crimes. Is that the worst thing in the world? In theory, no. When I slap on a blonde wig, fake white teeth and some red lipstick, I become Private Detective Luella Van Horn. Suddenly, I'm a woman who knows what she wants and gets it.

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People start paying attention to me. They tell me things they're not supposed to. The powerful see me as an ally and the weak see me as a threat. I think it's probably because of the teeth Growing up. All I wanted was to be someone like Luella Van Horn, to have people finally look at me like I have something to offer, something they want. When you're mousy, nobody cares where you're going at night. When you come back to the house at 2 am and your husband sleepily asks were you gone? You can say no and he'll believe you turn over and go right back to sleep. Nobody bothers to ask why you're spending thousands of dollars on blonde wigs made with real human hair and going to the dentist for teeth molds and maxing out your credit cards at Sephora. They've barely noticed.

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In this clip it is showtime for Luella Van Horn, and so she is taken to a dressing area and handed a string bikini and she's looking at it and she's trying to figure out you know how am I going to cover myself up? She devises this idea that she's going to use both of her hands as a front and back fig leaf. In this particular state of mind, she walks on set for the first time, meets a lot of the archetypes that I talked about earlier, and, because they were filming this, it was her first introduction to her future audience.

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Two minutes on the dot later, issa wrangled me back, leading me to a large beach hut covered in tropical flowers. As we got closer I recognized Phil and waved to him. He waved back and I blushed, absolutely humiliating. I felt like an eighth grader. Phil was standing with a few other cast members I recognized as Tasha, sarah, david N, nate, ethan and Blair. Oh, I loved Blair. She could be so mean. One time she stuck a wad of chewed gum in Sarah's long blonde hair because she couldn't find a trash can In a confessional. She once told millions of viewers that Nate's balls smelled like Lipton soup mix. She had curly brown hair, a flat stomach and I'll say it, breasts the size of cantaloupes. It's possible Blair was made in a lab for reality TV.

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As I approached the group, issa made introductions hey folks, this is Luella. She's going to be joining us as a wild card. Me the wild card Hi. I tried hard to swallow anything that could be misconstrued as fangirl energy. The collective group murmured some casual hellos. Nate even flashed me a peace sign For them.

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I gathered this was just a typical Wednesday. They all looked so different in person. David N wasn't nearly as skinny and I noticed for the first time he had bright green eyes. On television Ethan looked practically orange, but here he just looked like a guy who got his money's worth at the tanning booth. I could see Sarah's individual toe rings. I counted seven.

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Issa got a far-off look as someone spoke into her earpiece. All right, in a few minutes Luella's going to be coming in through the hibiscus arch camera lift. I need jealous reactions from Sarah and Blair and a sexy reaction from Nate. I tried to remind myself this was somehow detective work. Phil spoke up. Hey, Issa, I'd like to do a sexy reaction too. Nate let out an exasperated whine. Why can't I be the only sexy one for once? Issa held up her finger, waiting for the person in the earpiece to respond. Okay, we're gonna have both Nate and Phil giving sexy reactions. Nate sulked.

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Issa continued Ethan and David in. Let's have you wrestling in the background, and Tasha, we just want you to stand there. Tasha crossed her arms and looked toward the ocean, her long black hair shining in the sun. No bitch, she said under her breath. For what it's worth, tasha did technically just stand there. I was amongst professionals. I was escorted to the hibiscus arch camera lift. Issa got that far-off look again, as someone in her earpiece gave her further instructions. A sound guy came over to give me a microphone pack on a lanyard. As he placed it around my neck, he muttered Just don't touch it and you'll be good. I'd once heard that same sentence from my 85-year-old male gynecologist. Issa addressed me Luella, you're going to walk through the hibiscus arch, shake your hair and give a smoldering look to camera. This footage will be in slow motion, so try not to blink at all and stop covering your body. That's why you're here, ready in 4, 3, 2, action.

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And there you have it Just a small snippet of 13 episodes and multiple chapters Sex Island and multiple chapters. Sex Island my last review for today is a true crime tale that's definitely not family-friendly. The review I'm about to share with you takes place in the Bocas del Toro archipelago, a postcard-perfect tropical paradise with a diverse collection of islands, islets and caves off Panama's northern Caribbean coast. The weather wraps its warmth around tourists who are weary of the cold. There's a constant breeze that carries intoxicating scents of the ocean, the rainforest, a dense jungle, and the entire archipelago features world-class surfing spots, floating bungalows and bars accessible only by boat. And for those who crave a quieter, more picturesque lifestyle, there are a number of private islands accessible only by boat, where anyone can claim their own slice of pastel paradise for a few thousand dollars, especially in the 2000s when this story takes place. But paradise, especially those situated in third world countries, doesn't come without dangers, particularly from those who know that money trumps the law and much of the wealth brought there by unsuspecting expatriates or expats as they're commonly called, is theirs for the taking.

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My last review has to do with an American expat named William D Holbert, aka Wild Bill, who fled American soil as a wanted man in the mid-2000s. After fleeing to Panama, wild Bill escalated his criminal activities from theft on an epic scale to murder. At that time, panama was overrun with corrupt officials, attorneys, judges and even clerks, who were responsible for state paperwork, including issuing licenses to businesses and deeds to properties. To say that Panamanian justice was fluid at that time is an understatement. It was also a country that Holbert viewed as a land of opportunity, realizing that the rules were loose and money was the justice du jour. He became a serial killer who preyed on other expats by killing them, stealing their property and then paying officials to change said property to his name. It was all too easy to resist and, one by one, american expats disappeared and then, wouldn't you know it, holbert would become the new owner of their property and life would move on.

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Out of all the podcasts that have covered this serial killer, I'm focusing on season three of the Criminal Conduct Podcast. It's hosted by Javier Leva, who is also the host of the Pretend podcast, and John W Taylor, who divides his time between criminal conduct and the Twisted podcast. I definitely trust the integrity of their investigation, but beyond that, javier and John devoted an entire season to this killer's crimes and his five, maybe six, victims. In doing so, they amassed several hours of phone interviews with Holbert, who's currently serving a 47-year sentence in a Panama prison. As an aside, his former wife, laura Reese, was also convicted of being complicit in those murders and is serving a long prison term.

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I was also drawn to their podcast for a more personal reason. One of the victims, bob Eisler, lived in my hometown of Santa Fe, new Mexico, before selling his business in the mid-2000s and moving to what he thought would be a fresh start on an island paradise off the coast of Panama. I'm going to play a couple clips from the show so that you can get an overall idea of what the show is like.

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So, javier, tell me about the phone call you just got.

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So, javier, tell me about the phone call you just got, john. It was the craziest thing because it's New Year's Day and there's nothing going on really.

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I mean, it was just a quiet day and all of a sudden I get this call from this guy who's known as Wild Bill. I want to be really clear that I don't feel like a serial killer, you know, and when I think of the word serial killer or of a person who's a serial killer, I think of a guy like Ted Bundy or a person who does things for compulsion or emotional needs, emotional reasons, and I myself I'm not a person who has any blood lusts. These terrible things I did. I did, you know, starting about 15 years ago, and and and I was just a heartless, cold-blooded asshole who hurt and killed people for money. You know, I don't have a compulsion to kill people or a desire necessarily to do that. Like you've got to understand, the expat community is not a normal community. People in the expat community are by nature fucked up. They're not people who. They're people who can't be in their own country for some reason.

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They're running away from something right.

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Exactly, or they like cheap drugs because drugs are cheap and family and abundant and better than the drugs in the united states area.

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for you know, craziness and something while bill's partying days were coming to an end, at least in bocas, because he got word that the authorities were going to come looking for him so let's talk about your time at bocas.

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You know you, you were like a socialite, the number one socialite during that time period. You said everyone was afraid of me and respected me. Why were they afraid of you?

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Well, I don't think it was a very big secret that I was a killer when I lived there. I lived huge. I wasn't quiet about anything. I was a fucking idiot. I believed my own bullshit. Never do that. Never believe your own bullshit. It's okay when you bullshit everybody else, but you should never bullshit yourself. I really believed that. Nobody could stop me. Do you know what I mean? I was never afraid. I knew, without a doubt I was going to get away, because I always got away.

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Everything always worked exactly how I had it planned and I knew for certain that I'd get away.

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These conversations took place over the course of several nights. Each time we spoke we got a little deeper, but I never enjoyed it and it was always a nerve-wracking thing for me, completely, just like totally ugh, like very, very anxiety-filled. And when it was over I was like so relieved, thank God that that's over. And I mean like I'm speaking honestly with you about it. I mean, it's not something that I ever enjoyed doing. If you enjoy killing people, something's fucking wrong with you. You know what I mean.

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Like you've got a real problem javier wild bill did not answer your question, so you asked him if he remembered killing the victims, and what he talked about was that he said he didn't enjoy killing people yeah, he was just taking me for a ride, taking me in whatever direction he wanted me to go in the reason that wild bill gave for not giving you more information was that it's just too painful, and I don't know that.

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I buy that. I mean that's that could be part of it, but there's certainly other reasons why he's not giving you more information.

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I just want to know, not about the killing, but like what did you know about her? Did you consider her a friend at the time?

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Well, I don't know how much of this stuff you've listened to, but even during the trial I told the truth that keith world paid me to kill his wife. That happened. He ran off with a new chairman. Everybody in focus knows that as well. I don't know. It was a stupid fucking thing. I should have never done that. I mean, I knew cheryl to some extent not like really really well, but I knew her fairly well and it took me three times to kill her.

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Keith, by the way, is Cheryl's estranged husband.

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I invited her over three different times before I could come up with the balls to do it. It's not something I wanted to do. It's actually something I didn't want to do. It was something that, economically, I didn't even need to do. I didn't need to do it, but I was invited to do it.

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If you would like to listen to the entire story, go to Criminal Conduct wherever you listen to your podcasts and scroll listening to our podcast. Next week we'll be concluding our summer listening series. Don't miss it and please don't forget to follow our podcast and give us a five-star rating. Love you, guys, and we'll see you next Tuesday.

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One good thing media is brought to you by our host and creator, gerald Spear, all things technical are by David Dodd and our announcer is Robert Spear. Our theme song for Season 2 is Force by HGST, so Thank you.