Joe and Dave host a special guest from the St. Baldrick's Foundation, Susan Heard (Senior Director of Distinguished Giving), to discuss the charity's mission: Funding research seeking cures for childhood cancers. Joe takes the lead again, interviewing Dave and Susan about their involvement with this compelling cause. Dave shares the story of his promise to his son, Tommy, and the sixteen years he's devoted to raising money, raising awareness, and advocating for children with cancer, all aspects of the charity's efforts. Susan tells the story of her son, also named David, who inspired her and many others to work to conquer childhood cancers. Susan also provides a deeper look into St. Baldrick's crucial role as the leading private funder of childhood cancer research grants. Joe and Dave receive a surprise along the way - one you shouldn't miss - and wrap up the special spotlight series by providing the audience with an easy way to help thousands of innocent kids. Though chaos is the name of the game for family's fighting this horrible disease, peace can be achieved by participating in this important effort - don't worry, you don't have to shave your head to help. https://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/Gosser2022

Joe interviews Dave about the peace shattering reality of childhood cancer in the first episode of a special two part series, The episode's first segment recounts Tommy's "Adventure," as he called it, his valiant battle with Ewing Sarcoma, a three year saga with a tragic end. The second segment explores Dave's struggle to find peace in the aftermath of his son's death. Joe's compassionate, but still probing approach draws out Dave's memories to provide a moving look into his family's life before, during, and after the beast raised it's ugly head. Though admittedly brief and incomplete - it's impossible to provide every detail of their ordeal in 50 minutes -- it's an honest attempt to share a meaningful account of the last seventeen years, a period when peace proved to be fleeting and elusive. Yet Dave still manages to share, once again, probably too much (but he omits the most grim details, intentionally).  The second episode will focus on the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, the largest private funder of childhood cancer research grants, and feature a special guest from the charity. Tax deductible donations are welcomed at https://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/Gosser2022 and a detailed, contemporaneous blog of Tommy's Adventure is available at https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/tommygosser

Have Joe and Dave bitten off more than they can chew in the challenge of discussing religion and it's role in the pursuit of inner peace? No way! They've brought in an expert to interview, the Rev. Michael Burnett, who enlightens and entertains the audience in this episode. Across the entire world, in every culture, ethnicity, and society, disparate people take the journey to find personal peace, most frequently following a religious path. It's a common thread throughout recorded history, a common element of all major faith traditions, and a genuinely important connection that all people share. Can these two friends “doing nothing” accomplish this weighty task in under an hour? Listen and decide for yourself - this episode is really something.

Joe and Dave dive into the overarching theme of Pax Vobiscum - “Peace.” After defining the concept, they suggest a framework for people to pursue this compelling yet elusive goal. Their discussion of how the necessary elements of peace affect everyone leads them to exploring how this vital notion has played out in their own lives. They share personal insights and provide honest glimpses of their own efforts to find peace - possibly disclosing a little too much in the process. It's an important, intriguing, and inescapable journey that we all take over the course of our lives.

This first episode introduces two old friends, Joe Molloy and David Gosser, by way of recounting briefly our life stories. Hopefully, it also explains why we are interested in exploring the concept of peace. It's an unvarnished mix of humor, serious discussion, and friendly banter that we hope the listeners enjoy and find valuable. Please give us a chance and give us your feedback. Thanks - Pax Vobiscum.