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Episodes

Good News

themuglytruth
Our “Good News” episode is on  iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Libsyn, Pocket Cast, Stitcher or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

How overwhelmed with politics, bad news, and violence have you become? If you’re anything like us you need a really large dose of HAPPY, stat. Fortunately we are super glad to be able to oblige you with a bunch of feel-good stories including the miracle of a late-night call to a wrong number; a toddler gone missing in a hurricane found alive and well; a school helping their students get clean clothes. We go on to highlight four big stories found on a fantastic website called Good News Network (synopsis and links below). You need to be inspired? GNN has it all wrapped up in an “Good News/Inspiring” tab for you to get your feelz on. Want to shop sustainably or give back as you receive? There’s a Good Gifts section to lighten your wallet with little or no guilt! Want to get involved? Click that Get Involved tab to get started. We can’t extol the virtues of this much-needed website enough.

Ahem. Sidenote. Remember last week’s noisy leafblower mess we fought to record through? Yeah, Enrique the gardener and his trusty leafblower are back. BUT!! GOOD NEWS!! (ha… hahahaha…. BWAHAHAHHA how easy was THAT?) You won’t know just how much Kris lost her mind because we managed to edit most of it out. If you can get through the first 2 minutes of the episode, we promise you will not be sorry because Enrique finally settles down and the birds chirp in the background once again and the real meat and potatoes of the episode are related sans-annoying whirring machine. Ahhhhh….all is right with the Universe yet again.

Story #1: Coast-to-Coast Hiking Trail

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

The first story is an article on Good News Network called, “Epic New Trail Will Allow Cyclists and Hikers to Travel 3,700 Miles Across America From Coast to Coast“ which is about a proposal to create a 3,700 mile hiking/biking trail that spans America from Washington, D.C., to Washington state. It will utilize about 50% of pre-existing trails and fill the gaps to make this the coolest – and longest – unbroken trail in the states. The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) has been working on the initiative for about a year now, and needs 1,000,000 pledges to help this trail become a reality. We’re all about anything that unites anything AND gets people off their couches, out of their houses and doing good things for themselves with friends. WOOHOO! And of course, Kris has a dark-side take on this story, but you’ll have to listen to find out what it is. Oh, and then there’s her attempt at a Scottish accent. #cringe #eyeroll. For more information on the Countryside and Rights of Way Act in Great Britain, check here.

Story #2: Gardeners Unite Globally for Pollinators

Have you walked down the sidewalk and seen a dead, or struggling, nearly-dead bee? Does it seems like that is happening a lot over the last few years? It is. Part of the problem is a phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder which has huge ramifications since pollinators such as bees are responsible for every 3rd bite of food you put in your mouth . The article on GNN called, “Over 1 Million Gardeners Have United to Create Global Network of Greenery That Nourishes Bees and Butterflies,” explains how the  National Pollinator Garden Network  has successfully encouraged pollinator gardens worldwide to create habitats that help sustain much needed bees and butterflies and wasps! Be sure to check out the links for more information on what Kris talked about if you wish to create one of these habitats where you live.

Another way to help bees is to provide sugar water to grounded bees. To avoid a scenario like Kris’ attempt as described in the episode, there’s this handy Bee Savior Card you can carry and use to aid the next little buzzer you see struggling to survive.

Story #3: Alice’s Kids

The next article we found on GNN is called, “Charity Has Been Secretly Fulfilling Small Wishes for Homeless Kids Who Could Use the Self-Esteem Boost,” highlighting a non-profit organization called Alice’s Kids which provides short-term financial assistance for immediate needs of children living at low- or poverty-level income. Relying on a network of social workers, counselors and teachers to guide them, Alice’s Kids makes anonymous donations, allowing parents to provide for their children’s needs with dignity. Please follow Alice’s Kids on Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Facebook. Please share this information and considering donating. In this day and age these “small actions” make the HUGEST impact.

Story #4: Girls Save Dad’s Barber Shop & Shave Stereotypes

Photo by Josh Sorenson on Pexels.com

This one packs a huge punch as well. The article, “They Disguised Themselves As Boys in Order to Pay the Bills, Now ‘Barbershop Girls’ of India Given Scholarships,” tells the story of Neha and Jyoti, from the Banwari Tola village in Uttar Pradesh, India. When their barber father fell ill, the likelihood of them sustaining the business (and paying medical bills and funding their education) as women was slim, so in a major act of gender stereotype middle-finger flinging, they disguised themselves as men and then proceeded to very successfully run the barbershop. Gilette (yes, THAT company) then stepped in, and with the help of cricket star Sachin Tendulkar, delivered scholarships to the girls for their education. Check out Sachin’s awesome take on it all on his Instagram page. To view the video Kris talks about, you can watch on the GNN link above. Unfortunately a link to the video on YouTube showed it as unavailable. #ShavingStereotypes.

For more stories and details, check out our “Good News” episode on  iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Libsyn, Pocket Cast, Stitcher or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Then all you need to do is 1) subscribe 2) download and 3) listen! AND!!! 4) If you enjoy what you hear, please leave a rating and a review (pretty please?). The more subscribers and reviews we get, the more opportunities we get to grow this podcast and bring you richer content.

And don’t forget to follow us here at themuglytruth.com (click that blue WordPress Follow button on the right side of your screen) so you get notifications every time we post an episode blog! You can also follow The Mugly Truth on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

© The Mugly Truth 2019 and © The Mugly Truth Podcast 2019. All rights reserved.
Intro and outro music, “Clever as a Fox”  by Espresso Music through premiumbeats.com.
Featured Coffee/Like photo by Susanne Jutzeler on Pexels.com, via Free WordPress Photo Library.
Episodes

The Expectation Trap

themuglytruth
Today’s “The Expectation Trap” episode is on  iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Libsyn, Pocket Cast, Stitcher or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

In what is probably the loudest episode we’ve ever recorded (yes even more than the construction going on below Kris’ apartment), today we have kind of an inception-style show going on. While we were talking about how having expectations can be realistic or unrealistic, with either negative or positive outcomes depending on one’s perspective, there was a gardener doing his job on the property next door, using a leaf-blower as he got closer and closer to us. Literally, as we discuss how important it is to roll with the punches, Kris was losing her ever-loving mind in pure frustration while the constant whine of his equipment neared. Based on previous recordings in the same spot the expectation was that there would be nice ambient noises in the background…birds chirping, dogs barking, an occasional car or airplane. Boy did we have our “walk the talk” tested!! In the end, in post production the noise level was brought way down and the content of the episode was saved.

All in all some good points were made along the way. The biggest takeaway from this week’s epidode:

  • “Expectations are premeditated resentments.” Oooh. That’s a tough one to digest! But it’s so true!
  • It’s inhumane to expect another human being to fulfill you. Another person can enhance your happiness, but if you’re not happy with yourself, that other person isn’t going to do it for you.
  • Hope and expectation have a bit of a crowbar difference between the two, in our humble opinion. Hope seems to have a bit of a readiness to accept an outcome either way. Expectations seem more concrete. Which can leave room for disappointment.
  • Basing our happiness on the outcome of an expectation is a tricky game to play. Realistic expectations are good – they are based on past experiences that help us believe Doing A = B (like turning on a lightswitch illuminates a room or having that morning cup of coffee brings a sense of ahhhhhhhhhhhhh).
  • On the other hand, unrealistic expectations are based more in magical thinking, and can be quite damaging. Unreasonable expectations can cause low morale, low self-esteem, and damage relationships. Hey, we’re not citing any specific statement, article, or doctoral paper…we’re talking from personal experience! Trust us.
  • If you spend time worrying about something, you’re putting yourself through it TWICE. HullOOOO.
  • If someone says no, it’s because the request made of them does not fulfill their needs and wants at that time – it has nothing to do with the requestor, i.e., don’t take it personally.
  • Humans are…human. Flawed. We need to give ourselves a break, chill out…forgive ourselves and others when the occasional “failure to comply” occurs. Because it will.
  • And, in the words of our wonderful Kym, just because someone doesn’t text you back right away doesn’t mean they’re ignoring you…it could just mean they’re pooping. Or, you know, doing other things. Hey, she said it.
Photo by Bekka Mongeau on Pexels.com

Overcoming negative thoughts with positive thinking is vital in maintaining a good, daily mindset. Positive thoughts coupled with action can have powerful results.

Next time someone or some situation doesn’t live up to your expectations, take a moment to reflect…step away – mentally – and try to take in the whole picture. Is it worth yelling, getting angry, frustrated, sad, or resentful? Is it something you can accept and move on from? Learn from? Self reflection and acceptance doesn’t make anyone a doormat. It helps us grow. It helps guide us in making decisions about the people or situation that we are coping with. It also helps prevent knee-jerk reactions that could make the outcome worse.

The Psychology Today article, The Psychology of Expectations by John A. Johnson, PhD., is located here.

Check out our “The Expectation Trap” episode on  iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Libsyn, Pocket Cast, Stitcher or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Then all you need to do is 1) subscribe 2) download and 3) listen! AND!!! 4) If you enjoy what you hear, please leave a rating and a review (pretty please?). The more subscribers and reviews we get, the more opportunities we get to grow this podcast and bring you richer content.

And don’t forget to follow us here at themuglytruth.com (click that blue WordPress Follow button on the right side of your screen) so you get notifications every time we post an episode blog! You can also follow The Mugly Truth on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

© The Mugly Truth 2019 and © The Mugly Truth Podcast 2019. All rights reserved.
Intro and outro music, “Clever as a Fox”  by Espresso Music through premiumbeats.com.
Thought bubble photo courtesy of Pixabay on Pexels.com, Thinker photo courtesy of Akshar Dave on Pexels.com, Free WordPress Photo Library.

Episodes

Mugly MayAhem

themuglytruth
Today’s “Mugly MayAhem!” episode is on  iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Libsyn, Pocket Cast, Stitcher or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Have you ever had a day where, on the whole it is quite wonderful, but just under the surface everything seems just a tad…off? The juxtaposition of great weather, being outdoors in the fresh air with family and friends, eating great food and having no pressures or stress weighing you down but mixed with just a hint of, “mhmmm that’s weird”? Yeah, that was Saturday.

Meet Mooch the Mugly Truth Mascot! Photo courtesy Kristen Core. All rights reserved.

May has been such a busy month (only a couple weeks in, but it seems like a full one already), we decided to do a catch-up episode. Kris went to Canada on business, The Mugly Truth has a new mascot (Kym’s new Mini Australian Shepherd named MOOCH!), Kris’ oldest is driving, her youngest made cheer squad going into high school, we’ve been bingeing amazing new podcasts, documentaries, audiobooks, and t.v. shows….SO MUCH to talk about!!

Our lovely view while we record. Seriously wonderful. Photo courtesy Kristen Core. All rights reserved.

So we settled down under a lovely oak tree, chattered gleefully about all the things – completely topic-less – wrapped the episode, and started packing up the equipment only to discover the recording was useless. USE. LESS. #SIGH. Our producer/audio technician (ummmmm, KRIS) failed to notice the mics weren’t running to the recording software, blah, blah, blah (really, no need to go into details). Let’s just say it was an inauspicious start to what would become a kind of bizarre day.

Ah well, shite happens, eh? We shrugged it off as exactly that, made plans to regroup in three hours and went separate ways for nourishment. Oh the things that can happen in three hours. You can hear Kris recount channeling her best foul-mouthed New Yorker spirit outside the local Hobby Lobby upon discovering two very large (seriously, at least 6′ 5″) dudes being vurrrrrry interested in the contents of her car. For whatever reason, her 5′ 1″ self with 10′ tall East Side attitude (aided by 16 oz of Vietnamese coffee) managed to shoo them away without incident. On second thought, that probably doesn’t sound so weird depending on where you might live, but at the time it was not something one expects to have to cope with whilst leaving the secondary house of the Lord with a bag full of craft paints and resin decorative items scored at 50% off.

Perhaps the oddest event of the entire day was the first stop for Kris and the kids getting lunch…parking in an everyday parking lot of a typical busy strip mall in a (fairly) quiet, (fairly) mundane little suburb town in Southern California…basically a spot one doesn’t usually come across evil symbols of hate, yet there it was. A swastika, written in what looked to be red lipstick on the hood of a pretty, white new(ish) car. Just sitting there. A Nazi f**king swastika. Initial reaction? Photo posted to Facebook with a rant about #noH8.

Do you know the difference between a hate-filled swastika and a swastik that means this car runs well? Kris didn’t. At first. Photo courtesy Kristen Core. All rights reserved.

That’s when a friend posted in the kindest way stating while it might LOOK like the wretched Nazi emblem, the way it was written didn’t match how the Nazis used the swastika (tilted to the right). He further pointed out there was a figurine on the dashboard that appeared to be Hindu (or perhaps Buddhist) and that the symbol was ancient, used in other societies, religions and cultures as a sign of good luck or divinity. In Sanskrit, the word swastika is a combination of ‘su’ (meaning ‘good’) and ‘asti’ (meaning ‘to exist’). After researching a bit, we’ve found a couple really good articles, one actually being this Quora forum which provides all the information you could want to know about why someone might draw a swastika on their car. And maybe why they shouldn’t do it in such a blatant spot. It’s worth reading all the answers. Then there’s this BBC article about the symbol, some group’s efforts to revitalize the true meaning of the swastika, and why it is highly unlikely anyone is going to be able to get past how any iteration is seen as representing the highly effed-up and hateful ideology of Hitler (and later Charles Manson who carved it on to his own forehead).

Purty painted rocks. Visit OrangeTustinRocks on Instagram for more! Photo courtesy Kristen Core. All rights reserved.

By the end of the day (literally) everything turned out to be an amazing kickoff to a wonderful Mother’s Day (oh yeah, that happened too!)…we got the recording done right the second time around. New things had been learned and shared. We then sat and talked more with Kym’s folks, Kris’ girls painted more rocks. The barbecue was started and really good food was consumed as the sun set, the breeze calmed, and the owls and mockingbirds serenaded little Mooch to sleep (again).

Check out our “Mugly MayAhem” episode on  iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Libsyn, Pocket Cast, Stitcher or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Then all you need to do is 1) subscribe 2) download and 3) listen! AND!!! 4) If you enjoy what you hear, please leave a rating and a review (pretty please?). The more subscribers and reviews we get, the more opportunities we get to grow this podcast and bring you richer content.

And don’t forget to follow us here at themuglytruth.com (click that blue WordPress Follow button on the right side of your screen) so you get notifications every time we post an episode blog! You can also follow The Mugly Truth on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

© The Mugly Truth 2019 and © The Mugly Truth Podcast 2019. All rights reserved.
Intro and outro music, “Clever as a Fox”  by Espresso Music through premiumbeats.com.
Photos courtesy of Kristen Core.
Episodes

Miles and Piles of Philes!

themuglytruth
Today’s “Miles and Piles of Philes!” episode is on  iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Libsyn, Pocket Cast, Stitcher or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Today’s episode harkens back to The Mugly Truth’s beginnings of long lists with really hard-to-pronounce words to tackle the world of PHILES! Phile is derived from the Greek word philos which means “one that loves, likes, or is attracted to.” So sit back, relax with your cup of coffee, and try not to spit-take as Kris stumbles from word to word and Kym valiantly guesses at what each might mean. There’s really not a ton of educational content except maybe how NOT to pronounce words. Mostly today is about laughs and fun. And cookies. So many cookies. We actually took a cookie break. Is there a word for loving cookies? Cookiemonster, are you listening? Please email us.

This whole topic started with Kris’ favorite phile of all time: Pluviophile (the lover of the sound of rain). Great word, fun to say, and the sound of rain is soothing. Unless it’s rain from a hurricane. But let’s not detour down that road.

During the course of the episode, you’ll discover that Kris is also an anglophile, and a clinophile. And it’s no secret Kym and Kris are cynophiles and ailurophiles AND dendrophiles. Kym needs bujophile to become a thing, because as far as she’s concerned it totally is but she isn’t sure to whom she should submit her application for, you know…wordship.

All is not lost in the education department. After all, we did learn new words, AND we learned that not everything looks like how it’s spelled. For instance, do YOU know what a hippophile, oenophile, xanthophile, autophile, or cartophile are? Mmhmm. Don’t be as sure as you just thought you are, snickering as you read that (but if you do know, then we bow down to your lingual superiority). We’ll bet you didn’t know there’s a word for the feverish need to undress. There is. We’re blushing. But not about THAT…mostly still cringing about that whole “Amadeo! Amadeo!” instead of “Galileo! Galileo!” thing. (You’ll have to listen to find out but spoiler alert Kris needs to stop singing.) And, hey, that’s not fair Googling this stuff…listen first, then Google. Because we’re still not sure we got them all correct anyway.

Check out our “Miles and Piles of Philes!” episode on  iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Libsyn, Pocket Cast, Stitcher or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Then all you need to do is 1) subscribe 2) download and 3) listen! AND!!! 4) If you enjoy what you hear, please leave a rating and a review (pretty please?). The more subscribers and reviews we get, the more opportunities we get to grow this podcast and bring you richer content.

And don’t forget to follow us here at themuglytruth.com (click that blue WordPress Follow button on the right side of your screen) so you get notifications every time we post an episode blog! You can also follow The Mugly Truth on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

© The Mugly Truth 2019 and © The Mugly Truth Podcast 2019. All rights reserved.
Intro and outro music, “Clever as a Fox”  by Espresso Music through premiumbeats.com.
Photos courtesy of WordPress free library; dog photo by Lum3n.com on Pexels.com

Episodes

That’s What SHE Saw!

themuglytruth
Today’s “That’s What SHE Saw!” episode is on  iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Libsyn, Pocket Cast, Stitcher or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Today’s episode is a PLOT TWIST like no other in The Mugly Truth Podcast lineup. Remember that heartfelt, tear-jerker “Let It Go” episode from two weeks ago? The one where Kris and Kym talk about letting go of loved ones and past hurts, among other things? Well. Today’s episode takes that episode and says, “Really? Hold my crystal ball.” Cracks knuckles. Proceeds to OMG all over the place.

Soooo, we went to a psychic. It’s one of those things lots of people maybe think about doing but don’t. It’s a curiosity, or a guilty pleasure, never indulged in. Maybe because it goes against their religion, or their sense of propriety, or intelligence. Or they’re scared of what they might hear. Many pooh-pooh the whole thing as folly and even judge those who walk over the threshold of a palm reader’s door or through the oddly satisfyingly clicky bead curtains toward a tarot deck as silly, weak, or foolish. But tell us: what is the Universe capable of with all its secrets? Oh, you don’t know? It’s ok. Neither do we. In fact, we’re going to go out on a limb and say the greatest minds on this planet have yet to fully understand the actual magnitude of what goes on “out there” (again, we are just guessing…we can’t reach Neil DeGrasse Tyson for comment). Whether it’s quantum physics or the sacred ceremonies, rites, and rituals of faith, we’re thinking it is ALL pretty magical.

  • Photo by Samir Belhamra @Grafixart_photo on Pexels.com

For those who believe that the Universe holds so many mysteries that we puny humans won’t ever be able to unclench enough to be able to accept all the things that bubble just beyond the veil of our limited material sight, we salute you for cracking open that lovely third eye of yours. Yes, energies, guides, angels – GHOSTS! – that’s a list that will raise the eyebrow of many, even those who are still rubbing the sleep out of Eye #3. We’re not sure how one group who follows the moral briefings of a book and another group who believes in a connection with their higher self and the spirit of everything in and around them are very different at all. It’s all faith in something beyond ourselves, something that transcends pages, pulpits, and meditative prayer. In the scheme of things there’s room for all of it, frankly. It’s what makes this plane of existence interesting. But HEY. Whatever your belief systems are, today’s episode is for fun and for free, and the fact is some WEIRDLY coincidental (really though? Was it?) crap totally went down and we recorded our reactions shortly after the readings.

The person we went to has been in business in our area for almost 30 years and when we talked about doing this type of episode she was the unquestionable go-to for the reading. Just like our dancing around the issue of ghosts and spirits, we went into this with no expectations, a little bit skeptical, and we provided zero, zilch, nada, nuffink in the information department.

We called for the appointment (two separate appointments, we didn’t go together) and when we showed up, we each forked over a personal item for her to hold during the session. Then we literally sat back and listened. It bears repeating, we provided no information at the time of booking the appointment (except our names, okay, yeah, that). And when we went in, we said nothing and she asked nothing. She just held our trinkets and began to speak. Don’t get us wrong. Our lovely psychic said some pretty generic things to kick things off (apparently we are both honest women. We are nodding piously. But…

But then the weirdness hit.

There’s too much to write here. (This is a podcast after all…go listen…it’s all there, including the lovely twitterings of birds and whoomphphphs of horses in the background. And planes. And helicopters. Always helicopters. Why Orange County airspace? WHY?). It’s really hard to put into writing, even two weeks later after time has passed and we’ve processed what she said. Because the things this lady said to both of us, these are things she did NOT have enough time logistically to find out about us.

Scour our Facebook and Instagram pages, listen to EVERY episode of this podcast, you do a deep dive and yeah, there’s a chance you could fool even the hardiest skeptic, we totally agree with that. But did this woman have that kind of time? There were over 40 episodes at the time of our appointment for cripe’s sake, and less than a week to listen to them all. All that datamining for a measly $50? We just don’t see it.

And it wasn’t the obvious stuff she pegged. It was the stuff we DON’T talk about publicly, or post on social media that she zoned right into. That’s the weirdness right there. And she brought up some things both of us had been thinking about a lot lately, but not openly discussed.

Finally, (holding the mic so tightly), the “Let It Go” episode was recorded the week prior, but was not released until the week AFTER we saw the psychic. If you haven’t heard “Let It Go” yet, do that first. THEN listen to this one. Again, she had no way of knowing what we talked about because IT HAD NOT AIRED YET. (Read that in Ryan Bergara’s voice. If you do not know who that is, are we even friends???)

Drop.

Mic.

Shiver. Gigggle. SHIIIIIVVVVVERgiggle. Teehee. We love this sh*t.

Oh, and she basically told Kris the same exact thing Kris dreamed about the night before.

WAAAAAT??

We’re not chilled, YOU’RE CHILLED!! Like. Soda. On. Ice.

Check out our “That’s What SHE Saw!” episode on  iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Libsyn, Pocket Cast, Stitcher or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Then all you need to do is 1) subscribe 2) download and 3) listen! AND!!! 4) If you enjoy what you hear, please leave a rating and a review (pretty please?). The more subscribers and reviews we get, the more opportunities we get to grow this podcast and bring you richer content.

And don’t forget to follow us here at themuglytruth.com (click that blue WordPress Follow button on the right side of your screen) so you get notifications every time we post an episode blog! You can also follow The Mugly Truth on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

© The Mugly Truth 2019 and © The Mugly Truth Podcast 2019. All rights reserved.
Intro and outro music, “Clever as a Fox”  by Espresso Music through premiumbeats.com.
Photos courtesy of WordPress free library and Pexels.com.