Insights Into Things

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic stretches well beyond the devastating impact of the illness itself. The circumstances of quarantine and isolation have far reaching impacts on every facet of life as we know it.
This week we explore the impact on teens and their ability to excel academically. Madison had a few surprisingly low grades that left her concerned and a bit shaken. Blaming herself for failure she was pretty hard on herself for the grades.
We explore the impact that our current conditions play in our teens academic experiences. We look at how our school systems were ill prepared for a massive home schooling push and how our teachers and administrators have done the best under very difficult circumstances.
We'll also look at just what the impact is to our teens. How having their entire daily routine upset and the stability and focus they derive from a regular schedule can quickly fade away in the less disciplined home schooling situation they've found themselves in.
We will also take a look at how teens can get help under these circumstances and explore options to help keep the grades up and to help keep the learning and knowledge flow moving. Everyone understands these are difficult and unusual times, but we will get through this.

As Disney readies to open it's parks there is controversy swelling around the use of facemasks. Disney heir and grandson of Walt Disney is the latest family member to come out against the corporate giants policies on paying bonuses to management during a massive furlough of it's employees. George Lucas talks about a little known link between Yoda of Empire Strikes Back and Baby Yoda of The Mandalorian.
Universal Studios announces it will be the first mega theme park to open in the Orlando Florida area, testing the waters and setting a precedent for others to follow. John Krasinski's supposedly home grown news show sells out to ViacomCBS after an apparent heated bidding war. Some of our favorite conventions announce the show must go on but with delayed dates plus our Insightful Picks of the Week.

Teens face a deluge of emotions both positive and negative. Balancing those emotions and dealing with them can be a monumental challenge as they tackle all of the other issues associated with being a teenager.
This week we look at five different techniques to help you balance those emotions so you can deal with them, keep them in check and turn them into constructive aspects of your personality. We'll look at how to ride the wave of emotions, discuss meditation and mindfulness techniques, explore how physical exercise can help, discuss the importance of sleep hygiene and look at how creative and being in the "flow" can improve focus.
All of the techniques we'll talk about this week not only help to balance your emotions but have both psychological and physical benefits to them. Instead of resorting to medications to combat some of the more common issues in teens learning to balance your emotions can have the same lasting effects.

Disney Detective looks at the recently published plan for the reopening of Disney World starting with a phase I approach that has Disney Springs partially opening. We'll also look at Disney's 'Frozen' show on Broadway becoming another apparent casualty of the COVID-19 situation.
In Star Wars Insights we'll take a look at a Twitter storm surrounding comments made by Lucasfilm executive Matt Martin. More importantly, we'll look at the fan reaction to his off the cuff comments and see just how passionate and how inappropriate the Star Wars fans can be when their franchise is threatened in any way.
Grease is the word in Entertainment News this week, replacing the Tony Awards broadcast with the Grease singalong. And news of a film adaptation of the Tony award winning smash hit "Hamilton" featuring the original cast which will be appearing on Disney+ in July.
As always we'll finish up with a couple of Insightful Picks of the Week.

In another Q&A sessions we explore emotions, dreams and life events with Madison.  We will talk about simple things like what thrills and excites teens and what is the best thing about being a teenager. We will also discuss sleep habits, dreams and nightmares. Then we’ll talk about some of Madison’s earliest memories, regrets and embarrassing moments and much more.

Disney is bringing back The Wonderful World of Disney Movie Night with a few modern classics. The Haunted Mansion is getting it's own board game in October. And Pixar is cooking up some fun with their popular animated characters for the kids, all this week on Disney Detective.
Star Wars Insights takes a look at the reports of Taika Waititi helming a forthcoming Star Wars movie And Lego Star Wars returns with The Skywalker Saga featuring some original actors voices and some never before revealed secrets of some of the lesser known characters from the Star Wars Universe.
In Entertainment News Oscar Nominated projects are being banned from Emmy Competition signaling even more mixed reaction to streaming media's rapid rise to dominance in the entertainment industry. Tribeca Enterprises is partnering with IMAX and AT&T to revitalize a popular form of entertainment venue. And Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill is taking on a dark role in What We Do in the Shadows.
Then we'll wrap the show with a couple of fresh Insightful Picks of the Week.

This week we take a look at some of the nutritional requirements of teens. We'll look at what teens should be eating for healthy growth and some of the more obscure things to avoid as well. Then we'll talk about the importance of the Family Dinner. The benefits go well beyond the nutritional intake and can help emotionally and intellectually and play a major role in a teen's personal growth.
In our last segment we'll talk about the benefits of getting teens into the kitchen and involved in cooking. It provides an opportunity for quality time, teaches self reliance and can build self confidence. We'll also talk about some of the things that Madison likes to cook and show her in action making two different meals.

What is the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence, when did it start, is it worth what it costs and what happens if we find something?
We'll investigate these questions in this edition of the podcast while also looking at a history of SETI, radio astronomy and how academics, enthusiasts and the cold war drive America's efforts with SETI. We'll ponder the philosophical question of whether there is intelligent life in the universe and we'll talk about the Drake Equation and how many of it's guesswork variables are quickly forming up to be factual estimates based on current findings in our understanding of the universe.
We will also take a look at the costs of SETI, it's research and the bureaucracy that it depends on. We'll explore the benefits that we've seen from the efforts of people like Carl Sagan and Paul Alan to deepen our understanding of life in the universe. And we'll ask you the audience to decide if the investments have been worth the benefits.
In our final segment we'll talk about the various scenarios facing the human race should we encounter other intelligent life. We'll it be a peaceful and beneficial first contact like that depicted on Star Trek. Or do we face an apocalyptic Independence Day style catastrophic first contact? Are we as a civilization even ready for first contact and what impact could it have on us as a species?
We'll explore all this and more on this episode of Insights Into Tomorrow!

Will Disney save the NBA season and host the teams at Disney's Wide World of Sports? Disney and other Florida theme parks are working to develop a protocol to safely reopen when they are given the green light. To help us through another week of quarantine Disney is bringing back The Disney Family Singalong, this time Volume II.
May the 4th be with you as Disney brings Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker to Disney + on Star Wars Day! Even with the parks closed you might be lucky enough to spot Galaxy's edge branded Coke products in their distinctive containers at a store near you. Or you can make your own blue milk and green milk with this weeks make at home recipes to capture the Disney spirit.
Regal and AMC declare war on Universal for their stated intent to now release movies both in theaters and on streaming, threatening an already precarious theater industry. The Oscars take Covid into consideration and will allow streaming movies to be eligible for awards for this year only.
As always we'll wrap the show with our Insightful Picks of the Week!

In this weeks question and answer session we take a look at food, possessions and money. We ask Madison about her favorite foods, favorite desserts, what a typical school lunch entails, what her favorite restaurants are and more.
In our possessions segment we'll find out where Madison typically shops for close, what her style and clothing preferences are, we'll talk about her favorite toys, how neat she keeps her room and some other philosophical questions.
In our money segment we talk about how Madison likes to spend and/or save her money. We'll also throw a few scenarios at her about how she'd spend money under some theoretical circumstances.