JOE’S CORNER: NEW CHALLENGES

Friends,

Those of you who actually follow me, and not just TMD, have probably sensed that my heart has not been 100% into modeling for a while now.  I’ve been trying, but it has been an up-hill push ever since hurricane Michael hit.  I had just gotten past that when COVID hit.  I have not been able to recover my drive since that last blow.  Since COVID, nothing has been able to get me very excited, and I know it has shown.  Even BB has been commenting on it.

Well, I have been given an opportunity that has managed to get me excited again.  Unfortunately, it has nothing to do with modeling.  Worse, it has been eating up all my time the past few weeks.  I have been asked to host my own web-cast show.  Think talk radio, only on the internet.  It will be a live, call-in video cast that will then be archived on several different platforms.  Eventually, we hope to make it available as a podcast, as well.  I’ll confess, I do not know or understand all the technical work being done for me right now, but I will — and soon!

I have been a regular caller to my local talk radio shows; a blogger of some success (2 million+ monthly readers); and a regular guest on a 3-hour talk radio program for some 18 months before I quit doing that because of the drive involved and the COVID mess.  I have had three people who have all made their livings doing talk radio tell me I am a natural at this sort of thing.  Now, the host of the latest show I used to guest on has started his own network and he has asked me to produce my own show.  I will follow right after his show.  If all goes well, I start Monday, August 15.

At first, my show will go live, Monday — Friday, 0800 to 1000, CST (0900-1100 Eastern, 0600–0800 West Coast).  The goal is to push it to three hours a day as soon as possible.

When I agreed to this show, I made sure there would be no restrictions on its content.  There are a lot of political commentary shows already available, and I do not wish to be just another voice on that list.  I want to provide something a little different. So, my idea is to include commentary on politics and the events of the day, but I want to stress their connections to history.  I also want to use these things to teach the principles of reason and critical thinking.  I am not one who wants you to think like I do; I just want people to learn how to think correctly.  There is a right and wrong way to reason through things, and I was trained in that method.  Now, I want to share what I was taught with others.  On top of all this, the central theme of the show will be to teach the principles and ideals of America’s Founding Fathers and how they are connected to the notion of individual rights and liberty.  The issue here is, you cannot do this without talking about the Bible.  So, I will do that, too.  I plan to do my very best to blend all of this together in a consistent and coherent manner that will both entertain and inform.  If anyone were to ask how I see the show, I’d tell them I hope to be the love child of Steve Deace and Jordan Peterson.  🙂

I’ve had several people who have been successful in this business tell me the idea I have for my show will not work, but I was told the same thing about my ideas for TMD, as well.  Maybe I am wrong about this venture; maybe my ideas won’t work.  I don’t know.  All I know is that the only way I will find out is to try it; and, if I am going to try it, the only way I know how to do that is with a 100% effort.  Unfortunately, this means TMD is going to be put into ‘cruise control’ for a while.

NOW, HEAR ME LOUD AND CLEAR!

AS OF THIS TIME, I HAVE NO PLANS TO CLOSE TMD!

I am still taking and shipping orders, and handling customer service issues.  I will even plod along at updating the web store listing pages.  But I will not be working on our releasing any new products until I get my new venture up and running smoothly.  Once that mission is accomplished, then — and only then — will I take a look at how best to care for TMD.

All I can do now is ask that you will understand and wish me well.  For those of you who might be interested, I will post a link to the show as soon as I have it.  Things are happening fast right now, as Monday is fast approaching.  Just keep an eye open for another JOE’S CORNER with the show link.  I’ll also post it on my personal blog page and my personal Facebook page.

OK, there it is: now you know what has had me so distracted the past month or so.  What happens next is entirely up to God.  Hope you’ll wish me well.

Joe

It may not look like much right now (mostly because issues with internet up-load speeds forced us to move to a temporary location), but here is the studio — so far.  It all works.  All we need is the URLs for the live feed and a few banners and we’re good to go.