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Melanie Miles for Justice of the Peace- Precinct Seven, Place 2 click here: https://milesforhouston.com/

Courts shouldn’t feel like a maze. They should feel like a place where neighbors are heard. We sit with attorney and candidate Melanie Miles to unpack how a Justice of the Peace can turn a stressful day in court into a fair, navigable process—and why Precinct Seven, Place 2 needs that shift now. From the first “good morning” at the clerk’s window to how cases are scheduled and supported, Melanie lays out a people-first plan that treats tenants, landlords, and small-claims litigants with dignity and clarity.

We talk brass tacks: building a resource ecosystem inside the courthouse—computers, printers, legal aid, and volunteer clinics—modeled on the best JP courts in Harris County. We also get tactical about access: adding one Saturday and one evening docket each month so working families aren’t forced to choose between a paycheck and a hearing. And yes, judges need to show up. Reliability on the bench is a form of justice.

Policy takes center stage with SB 38, Texas’s response to squatters that also accelerates evictions. We break down the risks of four-day response deadlines, email-only notices, and default judgments, then outline practical safeguards like bold, plain‑language notices and fill‑in response forms served with the petition. The aim is balance—protect property owners while preserving due process for lawful tenants who need a real shot at being heard.

Along the way, we swap stories about voter apathy, wellness rituals that prevent burnout, and the power of year-round civic culture—volunteering, endorsement screenings, and bringing a friend to the polls. Down-ballot races like Justice of the Peace shape daily life far more than headline offices, determining whether a crisis becomes a scar or a solvable problem. If you care about housing stability, fair hearings, and a court that actually serves the community it lives in, this conversation is your roadmap.

Make a plan to vote, share this episode with a neighbor, and leave a review so more Houstonians find it. Your circle is your superpower—use it.

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What if peace isn’t a finish line but a muscle you train, one breath at a time? Robin sits down with Raye Lynn—teacher, studio owner, intuitive—to map a life shaped by meditation, yoga, and listening closely to that quiet inner nudge. From a fidgety seven-year-old learning to sit still in 1968, to sensing the Enron storm before it broke, to owning beloved studios and guiding hundreds, Raye Lynn shows how simple practices can reroute a lifetime.

We unpack what beginners truly need: start where you are, speak to your teacher, and seek alignment that works for your body. Expect real benefits—better sleep, calmer focus, fewer injuries—without chasing contortionist shapes. Raye Lynn reframes meditation as dropping beneath thoughts rather than forcing silence, using a vivid ocean metaphor to help anyone find the depth beneath surface noise. For those carrying anxiety, grief, or burnout, her specialty, Yoga Nidra, becomes a transformative reset: a guided glide into the edge of sleep where the nervous system unwinds and intentions finally stick.

Raye Lynn also opens the door to her tarot practice. The cards are a starting point, but the goal is your agency: seeing weather patterns in your life, spotting doors opening and closing, and choosing with clarity. We talk ethics, boundaries, and cadence, so guidance supports growth without dependency. Along the way, we return to community—the people who hold you when you can’t stand—and the truth that asking for help can be its own kind of strength.

If you’re curious about Yoga Nidra, meditation, or a grounded reading, Raye Lynn offers virtual sessions and visits Houston monthly with restorative and sound bath collaborations. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share with a friend who needs a gentle nudge toward calm, and leave a review to help others find the show. Your breath is a good place to begin.

Schedule with Raye Lynn: awakeningpresence.raye@gmail.com

Pls write in the subject line: Yoga Nidra, meditation, yoga, or reading; add “podcast” or “newsletter” if relevant

Body Mind & Soul bookings: bmshouston.com, 713-993-0550

Yoga Institute Clear Lake workshops: https://www.yogainstituteclearlake.com/workshops , 281-333-1646

You can donate to Raye directly through her email via paypal or Venmo @RayeLynn-Rath-Rondeau

http:venmo.com/u/RayeLynn-Rath-Rondeau

Thank you for subscribing + leaving a review + even supporting the podcast + sharing this with a friend.

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Four voices trade ghost stories, queer horror, and cultural myths to ask what fear is really for. We swap jokes about cursed jars and rapture beds, then get serious about real danger, empathy, and how horror mirrors power and identity.

• ghost encounters as energy, memory, and suggestion
• Mr Aikman’s attic warning and childhood intuition
• consciousness beyond the body and tech’s mind fetishes
• evolution, otherness, and the roots of monster myths
• horror reframed by queer and BIPOC creators
• voodoo, charms, and culture without appropriation
• Langoliers on a foggy highway terror
• school lockdown drill stress and release
• gremlins, rules, and moral fables in cinema
• UFOs, multiverses, and living ghost towns
• upcoming live art and anti‑fascist events in Houston

Ghost stories are easy; the hard part is asking what they say about us. We kick things off with a hallway lamp that flips on by itself and a polite ghost named Mr. Aikman guarding an attic, then spiral into how memory, energy, and culture make “hauntings” feel true. From a grandmother staring down a figure at the foot of the bed to a cursed coin purse designed so something missing can never be found, we weigh belief against brain science and ask whether consciousness might reach beyond the body into a shared field the living sometimes stumble into.

That curiosity pulls us straight into horror’s engine room. We talk evolution, otherness, and the uncanny—how old fears about difference created modern monsters—and why queer and BIPOC creators are rewriting the rules. Get Out turns suburbia into a trap. The Bride of Frankenstein turns the “monster” into an innocent. Pan’s Labyrinth makes fascism the true terror. Along the way, we swap unhinged folklore: a hex-breaking jar that absolutely should not have been dropped, the “rapture bed” that mysteriously vanished, and the eternal question of when it’s finally safe to feed a gremlin. We laugh because laughter releases the body after it locks up, whether it’s The Langoliers on a fog-choked highway or a real school lockdown alarm that was—no kidding—triggered when someone sat on the button.

Horror thrives where we can’t say things out loud. It lets us talk about power, identity, and harm without naming names. It also reminds us that the scariest threats aren’t ghosts; they’re people who write rules, close doors, and decide whose fear counts. We close by teeing up UFOs, multiverses, and the Great Plains’ “living ghost towns,” where missile silos and abandoned plants feel like postcards from a future we’d better understand fast.

If this conversation hit a nerve, follow and share the show with a friend who loves smart, strange stories. Leave a review to help others find us, and tell us, what’s the one horror scene you can’t shake—and why?

November 22nd, it is the third unprecedented show. 7 p.m. at Aurora Chapel. That’s 800 Aurora Street in Houston, Texas. $10 at the door, but nobody’s turned away. Look up Fall of Freedom and if you’re local to Houston, check out Aurora Chapel

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A simple door knock turned into one of our most energizing conversations as Judge Steve Duble stepped inside and unpacked how a local court can make justice easier to reach. We go beyond slogans and get into the nuts and bolts: eviction diversion that starts before anyone steps into a courtroom, hybrid hearings that reduce missed appearances, and clear ability-to-pay policies that stop flat fines from crushing low-wage workers.

Steve walks us through the grants he’s secured—bringing dedicated eviction-diversion staff, funding a public resource center with computers and printers, and installing a legal service kiosk that connects people to a live lawyer, not a bot. We explore debt lawsuits too, where resold credit and payday claims now dominate civil dockets. His court hosts a pilot with South Texas College of Law to provide on-the-spot representation, plus a partnership with Houston Volunteer Lawyers that helps tenants and property managers craft practical, fair agreements. It’s real, measurable access to justice: fewer defaults, more solutions, and outcomes that fit the facts.

We also dig into inclusion and transparency. From forms available in English and Spanish, to interpreter planning and Vietnamese language toggles, the court meets people where they are. Steve’s team collaborates with national groups like the National Center for State Courts and Pew to test, measure, and publish what works, pushing for open data dashboards the public can trust. He shares ballot timing, precinct coverage, and why JP races—often near the bottom of your ballot—shape daily life more than you think. As the first openly gay JP in Harris County, Steve values representation, but he makes his case with results: accessible courts, fair fines, and practical help that protects jobs and homes.

If you care about eviction prevention, debt defense, court innovation, and equal access, this conversation is a blueprint you can use and share. Listen now, then subscribe, leave a review, and tell a friend who needs help navigating the courts. Your vote and your voice can turn these ideas into everyday justice.

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The news makes everything feel bigger than your hands. So we zoom in—way in—to the rooms where decisions actually get made, from a rainbow crosswalk on Westheimer to the Governor’s office, the county clerk’s rules, and the federal courts willing to say “no.” We walk through how Harris County collides with state leadership, why executive orders are getting tossed around like confetti, and what the courts are quietly doing to rein in overreach on issues like passport gender designations and due process. The thread through it all is authority: who has it, who pretends to, and how everyday people can push back without burning out.

We also break down the voting labyrinth in Texas: the loss of 24-hour voting, mail-in ballot tripwires, and why the ballot is packed with constitutional amendments that sound nice but hide real structural changes. If you’ve ever wondered why local races matter more than the national drama for your rent, your commute, or your safety, we’ll show you the map—city, county, state—and the specific offices that can change your day-to-day. Along the way, we talk frankly about how culture wars shifted toward trans Texans, how misinformation feeds on distance, and why one-on-one briefings with judges and candidates still move the needle more than any viral clip.

No scolding, no doom spiral—just a clear path to agency. Bring a friend to vote early, use the wait-time map, help an elder navigate mail-in rules, and read amendment guides from trusted local reps before you tap “yes.” If you want to do more, there’s a seat at the table: caucuses, clubs, phone banks, and postcard nights that turn strangers into neighbors. Subscribe for thoughtful, grounded conversations, share this with someone who’s politically tired but curious, and leave a review to help more listeners find us. Your proximity is your power—ready to use it?

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We sit with Wilma Schindler—artist, writer, and West Texas host—as she reads Tiny White Snake and two new poems, then talk about grief softening anger, art as repair, and the way symbols can hold a family’s history without erasing its truth. The desert, the body, and a flute in the key of C round out a conversation about making, meaning, and being seen.

• Tiny White Snake reading and meaning
• anger softening to grief through ritual and art
• Snake Hill Asylum and generational trauma
• painting ancestors and healing after the fact
• poems as bridges to compassion and connection
• snakes as symbol, guide, and creative motif
• West Texas stays, dark skies, and silence
• wildlife, seasons, and the Big Bend drive
• returning to music and improvising by ear
• community spaces: Imprint, open mics, Mucky Duck
• truth, memory, and being ready to share

Check out Wilma’s rentals at:

https://www.wilmaschindeler.com/vacationrentals

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Ever wonder what happens when podcast hosts dish about their favorite guests? Alexis and Robin take you behind the scenes of their nearly 20-episode journey, revealing the moments that made them laugh, learn, and occasionally gasp in surprise.

From Amber's hunting adventures in Texas (where everything's done at long range and requires "a really big gun") to Mel's horror media enthusiasm that kicks off the conversation about spooky season, the hosts reminisce about the diverse voices that have shaped their podcast. They celebrate Amore's nail artistry that inspired Alexis's two-toned manicure, John Rosenthal's insights into Texas redistricting, and Amanda Edwards' campaign for the historically significant District 18 seat.

The conversation flows through Houston's flourishing poetry scene with Kathy Crawford, where "what skill you have will be celebrated," to Jovan Taylor's political aspirations while maintaining his day job. Listeners get intimate glimpses of memorable moments like when Falcon and Sushi reunited on air to discuss LGBT bar history in Houston, including the mysterious disappeared disco ball that once hung at the Montrose and Westheimer intersection.

The hosts highlight Dr. Maria Gonzalez's efforts to maintain inclusivity in education, Jennifer Marie's boundary-setting "honey badger" style, Sharon Franti's documentary filmmaking journey, and Francine's work with Nova Ukraine. They touch on conversations about artificial intelligence with Jacob, trauma healing through poetry, and Frost Murphy's diverse fitness approaches from home saunas to jiu-jitsu.

This retrospective episode captures the essence of meaningful conversations that extend beyond headlines and social media snippets. Want to suggest a topic or be a guest? Reach out through the website or email – Alexis and Robin are eager to continue building their podcast community with your help.

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Artificial intelligence isn't just changing our world—it's redefining what we consider "intelligence" itself. In this fascinating conversation with AI consultant Jha Allen, we explore how the definition of artificial intelligence has constantly shifted throughout computing history. Every time technologists accomplish what was previously labeled as "AI," we move the goalposts and declare it's not "real intelligence" after all.

The true revolution of today's AI tools like ChatGPT isn't just their power but their accessibility through natural language. As Jha explains, "The biggest thing that makes this revolutionary is language. Before, only tech specialists could understand it, but now the common person can access that same technology—which also makes it a little scary." This democratization has profound implications for businesses, privacy, and how we understand intelligence itself.

Our conversation takes unexpected turns as we examine AI's impact on jobs (if AI handles half your workload, should your salary change?), data privacy concerns (why are people willing to share intimate details with ChatGPT when they wouldn't with Alexa?), and the ethical considerations of AI decision-making in critical situations. We also explore practical approaches to learning AI technology, with Jha recommending focusing deeply on mastering one tool rather than spreading yourself thin across multiple platforms.

Whether you're a business owner looking to integrate AI, a professional concerned about technological disruption, or simply curious about where this technology is heading, this episode provides both historical context and practical insights for navigating our increasingly AI-enhanced world. Join us as we explore not just what AI can do, but what it means for how we work, communicate, and understand intelligence itself.

To find more about Jha Allen see https://endless8marketing.com/

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