Billy Dees

What we may refer to as an “absolute truth” is very illusive philosophically, scientifically, and in life. However, have we lost our way in determining what an objective truth is in a practical manner? Are “truths” that we don’t agree with increasingly becoming “fake news?” How do we know when news is news, or some version of a given truth that someone else wants us to believe? Moreover, are we contributing to the problem? This is what our conversation is about on this episode with Billy Dees and Shaman Isis.

This episode closes out the month of July 2023 talking about All Things Media. We discuss the rebranding of Twitter into “X,” the continued hearings about UFOs, and the recent passing of Sinéad O'Connor.Recorded live July 30. 2023.

Growth: A Mother, Her Son, and the Brain Tumor They Survived by Karen Debonis (Author) Can a woman who never learned to stand up for herself find the courage to speak up for her son? Karen is a happily married, slightly frazzled mother of two when her eight-year-old son, Matthew, develops a strange eye-rolling tic. Matthew's tics quickly multiply. He becomes clumsy and lethargic, a gifted program dropout. Karen tries to get her husband and their pediatrician to acknowledge what's happening, but they dismiss her concerns. As a people-pleaser, Karen lacks the skills to assert herself and stifles the growing dread in her heart. For three years, Matthew steadily deteriorates while Karen questions if she has the fortitude required of motherhood. Finally, desperation breaks through her fear of conflict, and she demands answers, only to be horrified by the truth. Matthew has a brain tumor. A delicate surgery and promise of complete recovery convince Karen her battle is over. But she is wrong. The ensuing years

Jessica Guerrieri is a mom to three fierce, young daughters and has spent the past decade as an advocate for addiction recovery. Jessica enjoys competing in Spartan Races all over California and in May of 2023 she celebrated a decade of sobriety.Jessica has a BA in English from UC Davis with an emphasis in creative writing. Her articles have been published on Scary Mommy, Yahoo Life, Mom.com, BluntMoms, Filter Free Parents, and Sonoma Family Life and Mendo Lake Family Life magazines.“Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea” is book (being queried now) about an alcoholic mother’s obsession with her mother-in-law’s perfectionism which ultimately forces her to reexamine the enemy in the mirror.During the interview Jessica shares her personal journey of recovery into sobriety. She also shares the trials and tribulations of being an author going through the query process of getting published. Jessica’s website is www.jessicaguerrieri.netYou can find her on Twitter and IG @witandspitup

Have you been following the news about UFOs? It seems like every day there is a new disclosure or video that is being released. However, has it really been determined that these objects are from space and have an intelligent source? We speculate on this subject with our guest, Asherz. She is a self-proclaimed “Weirdo from Ohio” (as is the host) and is a Ufologist. Its fun to wonder and speculate, isn’t it? Sit back and enjoy a fun and light-hearted episode on theBilly Dees Podcast.You can find Asherz on Twitter @itsasherz https://twitter.com/itsasherz?lang=enYou can also find Billy Dees on Twitter @BillyDees https://twitter.com/BillyDeesThank you and we hope you enjoy the podcast!

On this episode we are talking about AI and some of its applications. Our guest is Glenn Werstler who is the owner of Recastio and Tour Stop. The conversation covers what some of the positive and negative implications are of Artificial Intelligence. Then, the subject matter shifts to ChatGPT and how Glenn has utilized this type of technology for a new app called Tour Stop. To find out mote about Tour Stop, please visitTourStop.net https://tourstop.net/Glenn’s other websiteRecastio.com https://www.recastio.com/You can find Billy Dees links and social media here:https://linktr.ee/billydees

“Making It Home - Life Lessons from a Season of Little League” By Teresa Strasser Teresa Strasser is an Emmy-winning writer for her work at Comedy Central and Emmy-nominated television host regarding her talents at TLC. Teresa has been a contributor to the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, the Arizona Republic, The Jewish Journal, HuffPost, and The Today Show. Her first-person essays have garnered three Los Angeles Press Club Awards, including Columnist of the Year. Teresa has appeared on The View, CNN, Good Morning America, The Talk, and Dr. Phil. Radio and podcast audiences know Teresa Strasser as Adam Carolla’s co-host. Her first memoir, “Exploiting My Baby: Because It’s Exploiting Me” was a Los Angeles Times bestseller and optioned by ABC.On this episode Teresa is talking about her book, “Making It Home - Life Lessons from a Season of Little League.” After the deaths of her brother and mother just months apart, Teresa explains how baseball helped with he

On this episode of the podcast, we are discussing two topics: AI technology and the possibilities of hydrogen as a fuel source. Billy Dees is joined by guest cohost, Chris Weakly. Chris is a technology enthusiast and is an advocate for autism.You can find Chris on Twitter at @kryptoglyfics and his YouTube channel, Logical A Meets World.There is a lot of rhetoric, particularly around AI, and our discussion is an opinion driven mini forum designed to give a balanced overview around the subjects of burgeoning technology and alternative fuel sources. We hope you enjoy it. You can find Billy Dees on Twitter at @BillyDees

Our guest is Kimber Silver, the author of “Broken Rhodes,” published August 16th, 2022.During this interview Kimber discusses her early life and how it impacted her writing, as well as some of her writing techniques. Kimber is a believer in sticking with a schedule to maintain progress as a writer.You can visit Kimber’s website for short stories, book reviews, interviews, and photos.https://kimbersilver.com/

April 24th, when this episode was recorded live on Fireside, was a seismic day in cable news.CNN and FOX both made changes in their lineups. Billy talks about these changes as well as riffs about cable news in general, big pharma, and the Kennedys. Follow the Billy Dees Podcast on Twitter @BillyDees and on Fireside.

On the podcast for this episode is trauma survivor, mental wellness advocate, and educator, Shaman Isis.She is also the author of the book, “Unleash the Empress.”Central to her message is that people can come to terms with their trauma and mental wellness challenges and find the courage within themselves to heal and build a life they will love. Shaman Isis grew up in care and endured a shocking list of traumas that had her steeped in shame and depression. She felt at times that her future looked bleak…but it wasn’t, and through courage, she found freedom. Shaman Isis’ most important message for anybody going through trauma is that hope endures.During this podcast she also discusses why it can feel impossible to heal and how to know when it is indeed time for healing to begin.You can find out more about Shaman Isis on her website: www.shamanisis.com

This podcast contains content that some listeners may find triggering.Melissa M. Monroe“Mom’s Search for Meaning: Grief and Growth After Child Loss”Paralyzed by guilt, grief, and PTSD after her 2-year-old daughter Alice died in her sleep of unknown causes, Melissa Monroe was determined not to become a victim in the story of her life. While taking the advice she had given to many grief and trauma patients throughout the years, hoping she could create a meaningful life without closure, she took notes throughout her healing process.Struggling to advance her timeline beyond that of her daughter's - and still eager to be the keeper of Alice's stories - Melissa began to write about Alice's life and the impact of her death. She became her own lab rat, trying various approaches to healing with the hope that her experience might be helpful to others stuck in a trauma time loop.During this interview Melissa talks about her experience with child loss, her career, and the process of writing.Melissa's website: https://www

Donika Gunther was born in Albania and grew up with five siblings and two wonderful parents. Now living in the United States, she is the proud mother of one daughter. For as far back as she can remember, Donika has had a lifelong desire to help others and assist them in leading happy, successful, worry-free lives. She has a degree in biology and chemistry and has worked as a teacher for past 30 years. She has also been a mentor and motivational international speaker for the last thirteen years. After discovering the power that meditation, yoga, and mindfulness have for improving health and wellness, Donika decided to take her 13 years of experience in these studies and turn them into a career that she is passionate about! Mindfulness with a Purpose was created in part due to Donika’s aspirations of making positive change in the lives of children, by providing higher education, confidence, and self-worth. During this interview Donika shares her story of childhood and how she choice her life and career path

Timothy Gager has published 16 books of fiction and poetry. He hosted the Dire Literary Series of author interviews in Cambridge, MA from 2001 to 2018, and spun off a virtual series starting in 2020. Gager co-founded The Somerville News Writers Festival and has had over 1,000 pieces of fiction, micro-fiction, and poetry published—including 17 nominated for Pushcart Prizes. His work has also been nominated for a Massachusetts Book Award, The Best of the Web, The Best Small Fictions Anthology, and has been read on NPR. Joe the Salamander is his third novel. On this episode, Timothy Gager discusses his writing, love of poetry, and shares some of his own personal journey as part of the recovery community. You can find out more about Timothy on his website: https://www.heatcityreview.com/timothygagerindex.html

Our guest on this episode is Jolene Barletta. As she says in the bio of her Twitter account, “Hi. I’m Jolene.” She also welcomes you into her journey.Jolene wears many hats; she has battled cancer and is a champion for those who are also battling cancer and other chronic diseases. She is also an advocate for mental health awareness. She loves to dance, drink coffee, and is passionate about art and NFTs. Jolene is an inspiration on so many levels, and this interview gives the audience a glimpse into the light that she shares with the world. You can follow and find Jolene on Twitter at @JoleneBarlettahttps://twitter.com/JoleneBarletta?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Christian Feraria is an author, publicist, public speaker, and YouTuber! His screen name is qtc_christian on various platforms including YouTube. Christian’s book, “The Mediocre Student’s Guide to Graduating College,” is a book for struggling or unmotivated students who wish to navigate college successfully. Growing up, Christian’s sisters were both stellar students who went to elite colleges and medical school. Christian felt mediocre in comparison to them having been, at times, a more insecure student academically.Shortly after graduating college, Christian was inspired by the Toni Morison quote, “Write the book you would want to read.” After hearing the quote, Christian immediately thought of a book for mediocre students because that’s the book he would have killed for!Throughout his book, Christian elaborates on how to succeed academically and socially on a college campus. He writes about picking professors and the presence of drugs, sex, etc.Since his book was released, Christian Feraria has been doing p

Patricia Tate M.S. from Willow Grace Mystik, LLC is our guest on this episode of the Billy Dees Podcast. Patricia is an astrology consultant and spiritual health & wellness coach. During the interview she discusses what some of the basic tenets of astrology and mysticism are as well as some of the misconceptions about both. She also provides a brief reading about the host, and I must say it was pretty good. You can find out more about Patricia on her website:https://willowgracemystik.com/You can find Billy Dees on Twitter @BillyDeeshttps://twitter.com/BillyDees?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor(The views, opinions, and claims offered by guests are the sole responsibility of the guests.)

This episode contains discussion that some listeners may find triggering. Author Barbara Legere “Keven's Choice: A Mother's Journey Through Her Son's Mental Illness, Addiction and Suicide” Keven had spent half his life struggling with addiction while his single mom battled courts, health care companies, rehab facilities and mental health professionals to protect him. As their relationship strained and his drug use progressed, Legere was forced to accept and love Keven as he was in their limited time together—two years before his suicide. In Keven’s Choice, Legere tells the story of trying to navigate the dark worlds of her son’s substance use and depression while also addressing her complicated guilt and regret over how she handled it. In the process, she shines a light on the hidden anguish of countless parents who are taking care of children that society tells them to abandon. For parents who have borne witness to overdoses, arrests, addiction treatment and incarceration and even death, Keven’s Choice i

How certain is certainty? Dare we consider, even for a moment, that we could be wrong? What we might refer to as an absolute truth is very elusive. What we often must base decisions on is what is most likely. However, what is most likely can change based on how fluid the situation happens to be, and in fact, we as individuals may also evolve into a different set of needs and desires. Does this ability to adapt to changing circumstances or more information on a given topic erode when we are certain? This episode was recorded live on Fireside Saturday February 18, 2023. Two members of the audience joined in the discussion.You can follow Billy Dees on Twitter @BillyDeeshttps://twitter.com/BillyDees?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

M.K. McDaniel #1 Best Selling Author of “MISFIT IN HELL TO HEAVEN EXPAT” We have all heard stories of someone’s account of a near death experience. There is almost always a description of a brilliant white light and euphoric sensation. However, not all near death experiences are pleasant, in fact, some are traumatic. What would you do if you found yourself in “the other place?” Our guest on this episode is author, M.K. McDaniel. Her book, “MISFIT IN HELL TO HEAVEN EXPAT,” chronicles such a journey. Her story is hopeful and has given her insights into a realm that we do not need to fear. You can find the author’s website here: https://misfitinhelltoheavenexpat.com/ and you can find her on Twitter @MKMcDaniel3 https://twitter.com/MKMcDaniel3 Disclaimer – The host, Billy Dees, was experiencing an allergic reaction at the time of the interview that affected his voice.