JOY IN THE SEASON/AN AMERICAN HERO

Season 2, Episode 2 is a happy-only conversation about several interesting topics, starting with Christmas! If ever we had a year where we needed Christmas, it's this one! So trees and lights are going up early and everybody's taking joy in the season!

In our political conversation segment, we discuss recall petitions and recall elections, where elected officials can be removed or a new election can be ordered if enough people sign a petition asking for a recall. Right now, California governor Gavin Newsome is looking at the FIFTH petition circulating, asking for his removal. THIS TIME, though, they already have EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND SIGNATURES (out of 1.4 million needed), with 3 months left to collect the final signatures!!

Our final segment is a loving eulogy to one of America's greatest flying heroes, Chuck Yeager, the man who broke the sound barrier and ushered in the space age, who died on December 7th (Pearl Harbor Day) at the age of 97. Susan has known of him since seeing THE RIGHT STUFF for the first time in 1983 and admired him always. She tells stories of introducing her son to the movie and his response to Yeager's heroics in breaking the sound barrier (which he literally risked his life to do) and becoming a WWII flying ace IN ONE DAY (i.e., 5 confirmed kills in one day--pretty spectacular). Is it a coincidence that so few media outlets in the US even BOTHERED to carry the story? 

Thanks to General Yeager for a life well lived...

Today's episode is sponsored by the audiobook of OVER MY DEAD BODY by Kelly Fitzgerald Fowler, the great Biblical thriller:

https://www.amazon.com/Over-My-Dead-Body-audiobook/dp/B07KKZ84HF

And for anyone who's missed it, PLEASE watch THE RIGHT STUFF--it's a real all-American treat! And see the original, not the remake, starring Sam Shepard, Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid, Scott Glenn, and many other high-flying 'hot dogs'! https://www.amazon.com/Right-Stuff-Scott-Glenn/dp/B004GJYRI2