Podcast appearances and mentions of alex jacobson

In this episode of Volatility Views, Russell Rhoads takes over hosting duties for Mark Longo. He is joined by Hans Albrecht from Option Pit. The discussion delves into the current state of the VIX, with insights into trading strategies, gamma, and the importance of understanding volatility products. Hans shares his experience with trading on the floor in Toronto and Montreal, comparing it to the trading environment in the U.S. The episode also covers various trades and positions in VIX options and ETPs, including strategies like call spreads and the challenges of trading in a high-volatility environment. The show concludes with predictions for the VIX in the coming week and a reflection on the late Alex Jacobson's contributions to the options trading community.   01:01 Welcome to Volatility Views 02:49 Hans' Background and Market Experience 08:42 Discussion on Volatility and Market Trends 10:33 VIX and Futures Curve Analysis 14:12 Market Sentiment and Economic Indicators 29:11 Market Overview and Options Activity 31:05 Weekly VIX Options Recap 31:56 Top VIX Positions Analysis 35:29 Weekly Rundown and Trade Insights 45:32 VIX ETPs Discussion 51:17 Volatility Voicemail and Predictions 56:45 Conclusion and Final Thoughts  

In this episode of Volatility Views, Russell Rhoads takes over hosting duties for Mark Longo. He is joined by Hans Albrecht from Option Pit. The discussion delves into the current state of the VIX, with insights into trading strategies, gamma, and the importance of understanding volatility products. Hans shares his experience with trading on the floor in Toronto and Montreal, comparing it to the trading environment in the U.S. The episode also covers various trades and positions in VIX options and ETPs, including strategies like call spreads and the challenges of trading in a high-volatility environment. The show concludes with predictions for the VIX in the coming week and a reflection on the late Alex Jacobson's contributions to the options trading community.   01:01 Welcome to Volatility Views 02:49 Hans' Background and Market Experience 08:42 Discussion on Volatility and Market Trends 10:33 VIX and Futures Curve Analysis 14:12 Market Sentiment and Economic Indicators 29:11 Market Overview and Options Activity 31:05 Weekly VIX Options Recap 31:56 Top VIX Positions Analysis 35:29 Weekly Rundown and Trade Insights 45:32 VIX ETPs Discussion 51:17 Volatility Voicemail and Predictions 56:45 Conclusion and Final Thoughts  

This episode of The Option Block hosted by Mark Longo and featuring Henry Schwartz from Cboe Global Markets and Mike Tosaw from St. Charles Wealth Management discusses the latest in the options market. Key segments include an analysis of unusual options activity, the impact of SEC regulations, and Biden's economic directives. The hosts reflect on the contributions of Alex Jacobson to options education. The show also highlights intriguing activity in stocks like Venture Global, Vivid Seats, and First Majestic Silver Corp, and delves into the nuances of market-making and trading strategies.   03:16 Live from the Options Industry Conference 05:38 Market Analysis and Trading Insights 10:09 Retail Trading Trends and Zero-Day Options 23:46 Earnings Reports and Market Movers 30:24 Unusual Options Activity 34:13 Analyzing Vivid Seats Stock Performance 34:59 Exploring a Recent Trade in Vivid Seats 35:40 Arbitrage and Ticket Reselling Insights 37:04 First Majestic Silver Corp Stock Analysis 38:30 Call Palooza in First Majestic Silver Corp 42:28 Mail Block: Answering Listener Questions 44:08 Remembering Alex Jacobson, The Viceroy 50:45 Around the Block: Market Watch and Predictions 57:31 Upcoming Events and Final Thoughts  

This episode of The Option Block hosted by Mark Longo and featuring Henry Schwartz from Cboe Global Markets and Mike Tosaw from St. Charles Wealth Management discusses the latest in the options market. Key segments include an analysis of unusual options activity, the impact of SEC regulations, and Biden's economic directives. The hosts reflect on the contributions of Alex Jacobson to options education. The show also highlights intriguing activity in stocks like Venture Global, Vivid Seats, and First Majestic Silver Corp, and delves into the nuances of market-making and trading strategies.   03:16 Live from the Options Industry Conference 05:38 Market Analysis and Trading Insights 10:09 Retail Trading Trends and Zero-Day Options 23:46 Earnings Reports and Market Movers 30:24 Unusual Options Activity 34:13 Analyzing Vivid Seats Stock Performance 34:59 Exploring a Recent Trade in Vivid Seats 35:40 Arbitrage and Ticket Reselling Insights 37:04 First Majestic Silver Corp Stock Analysis 38:30 Call Palooza in First Majestic Silver Corp 42:28 Mail Block: Answering Listener Questions 44:08 Remembering Alex Jacobson, The Viceroy 50:45 Around the Block: Market Watch and Predictions 57:31 Upcoming Events and Final Thoughts  

This episode of The Option Block with Mark Longo and Mike Tosaw (St. Charles Wealth Management) covers a wide range of topics including an analysis of the current options market, significant earnings reports, and detailed breakdowns of specific trading activities. The hosts discuss various trades in companies like Cinemark and Gray Media, debating the merits and risks involved. The episode also features an emotional tribute to Alex Jacobson, a key figure in the options community, who recently passed away. The tribute includes personal anecdotes and memories of Alex's contributions to the industry and the Options Insider community.   01:54 Host Introduction and Upcoming Events 03:12 Technical Challenges and Co-Host Banter 04:07 80s Trivia Challenge 07:43 Pro Trading Crate Giveaway 08:50 Market Analysis and Trends 15:15 VIX and SPY Options Breakdown 19:43 Small Caps and Qs Analysis 25:16 Top 10 Most Active Options 27:34 Stock Performance Overview 28:06 Earnings and Options Activity 29:33 Top 10 Stocks Countdown 36:49 Cinema Mark's Recovery 41:03 Gray Media's Volatility 44:21 Tribute to Alex Jacobson 53:49 Conclusion and Final Thoughts  

This episode of The Option Block with Mark Longo and Mike Tosaw (St. Charles Wealth Management) covers a wide range of topics including an analysis of the current options market, significant earnings reports, and detailed breakdowns of specific trading activities. The hosts discuss various trades in companies like Cinemark and Gray Media, debating the merits and risks involved. The episode also features an emotional tribute to Alex Jacobson, a key figure in the options community, who recently passed away. The tribute includes personal anecdotes and memories of Alex's contributions to the industry and the Options Insider community.   01:54 Host Introduction and Upcoming Events 03:12 Technical Challenges and Co-Host Banter 04:07 80s Trivia Challenge 07:43 Pro Trading Crate Giveaway 08:50 Market Analysis and Trends 15:15 VIX and SPY Options Breakdown 19:43 Small Caps and Qs Analysis 25:16 Top 10 Most Active Options 27:34 Stock Performance Overview 28:06 Earnings and Options Activity 29:33 Top 10 Stocks Countdown 36:49 Cinema Mark's Recovery 41:03 Gray Media's Volatility 44:21 Tribute to Alex Jacobson 53:49 Conclusion and Final Thoughts  

#BRN #Finance #1804 | I'm Getting a Divorce and Don't Know How to Write a Check or Budget.What do I do? | Alex Jacobson, Jacobson Mediation Group | #Tunein: broadcastretirementnetwork.com | #Independent. #GetTheFullStory. #JustTheFacts. #Everyday. #AllInOnePlace.

#BRN #Lifestyle #1830 | Putting together your divorce team | Alex Jacobson, Jacobson Mediation Group | #Tunein: broadcastretirementnetwork.com | #Independent. #GetTheFullStory. #JustTheFacts. #Everyday. #AllInOnePlace.

#BRNAM #1793 | An Overview of our Best Segments for the Week  |  Sam Dogen, Financial Samurai, Mariana Khapko, University of Toronto, Mary Branch M.D., M.S., Cone Health and Alex Jacobson, Jacobson Mediation Group | #Tunein: broadcastretirementnetwork.com | #GetTheFullStory. #JustTheFacts. #Everyday. #AllInOnePlace.

#BRNAM #1692 | How mediation can help bridge the gap to settle your divorce | Alex Jacobson, Jacobson Mediation Group  | #Tunein: broadcastretirementnetwork.com #JustTheFacts

If you're a show ski nerd like us, you will find this episode to be FASCINATING!! Steve Welch and Alex Jacobson are two of the premier show writers and announcers the sport has ever seen.  They spent 30 years together at SeaWorld Orlando, producing some of the biggest and best professional shows in history.  They drop so much knowledge on writing, production, music, sound effects, and so much more.  The history is intriguing, the knowledge will help every single team in existence, and the stories are endless. Today's sponsors are.....FloridaWorld - a novel written by today's guest Steve Welch.  It's a dark, satirical work of fiction about a professional water ski show, containing humor, violence, sex, and the underworld of Florida theme parks.  Get it on Amazon at - https://a.co/d/e6FJCugFlymanSkis - custom made jump skis and Featherboard swivel skis at affordable prices.  Get yours at flymanskis.comFollow us on Social Media: Instagram - @theskishowpodcast Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/theskishowpodcast Contact The Ski Show: Email us at theskishowpodcast@gmail.com Leave us a rating and a review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ski-show-the-ultimate-show-ski-podcast/id1510243170

Education leaders, school business officials and practitioners continue to confront a full plate of difficult and time-sensitive decisions. How can we reflect on and improve practices and approaches for making those decisions to better serve students? In this episode, host Jason Willis and special guest Alex Jacobson from WestEd explore how good decisions in our school systems that lead to successful outcomes for all students are in part contingent on the ways in which people make those decisions. As part of this exploration, we'll look through the frame of what's known as System 1 and System 2 thinking – and discuss how education leaders can begin to apply some of what the research tells us to strengthen approaches to decision making, both individually and organizationally.ABOUT OUR GUESTAlex Jacobson is a Senior Research Associate with the Comprehensive School Assistance Program at WestEd. In this role, he serves on research projects related to education finance, strategic resource allocation, and cost modeling. Alex also provides collaborative, research-based capacity building to education practitioners, including direct organizational improvement assistance and facilitating stakeholder engagements. He also supports state education agencies across the U.S. through Regional Comprehensive Centers at WestEd. Prior to joining WestEd, Alex served as a researcher and technical assistance provider for the American Institutes for Research (AIR). He has a Masters of Public Policy from Georgetown University. RESOURCESJason and Alex refer to some key studies in this episode:Estimating the Costs Associated with Reaching Student Achievement Expectations for Kansas Public Education Students: A Cost Function Approach: This adequacy cost study examines the structure of the Kansas school finance formula as well as estimates the potential costs associated with reaching student achievement expectations for K-12 students in Kansas.Individual differences in reasoning: Implications for the rationality debate? In a series of experiments involving most of the classic tasks in the heuristics and biases literature, authors Keith E. Stanovich and Richard F. West examine the implications of individual differences in performance and introduce the concepts of System 1 and System 2 processing.ABOUT OUR HOSTJason Willis serves as the Director of Strategic Resource Planning and Implementation for WestEd, where he oversees and guides the agency's school finance, governance, and accountability efforts. Prior to WesEd, Jason served as a chief business official in several California school districts,Budgeting for Educational Equity is presented in partnership between the California Association of School Business Official (CASBO), the premier resource for professional development and best practices for more than 24,000 California school business leaders, and WestEd, a national nonprofit research development and service agency that works to promote excellence and equity in education. We are grateful to the Sobrato Family Foundation for providing additional support. Our series is written and produced by Paul Richman and Jason Willis. Original music and editing by Tommy Dunbar. John Diaz at WestEd develops our companion written briefs. Follow us at @budget4edequity.

Diana Frazier - Story-teller, musician, worship leader, mother, wife and entrepreneur who's on sabbatical from her business Poulsbo Elderberry. Alex Jacobson -  Leader, speaker, writer, avid book reader and book reviewer, activist, advocate, lives on her hobby farm with her husband of 12 years and their five children. She's an excellent cook and provides tips and tricks on her instagram and blog @inspirationclothesline---We check in with these ladies who were on our podcast back in April (season one episode 25):Diana's business was booming back in April, so much such so that she was killing herself with up to 60 hours a week AND she had all her kids home from school. She knew something had to give.Most days now, managing her children with distance learning is deeply challenging: There's just not enough of her to go around. “It feels like you're sucking at everything all the time and no one is getting the very best you.”Alex and her husband feel like they are handling things differently than most; they have very limited contact with the outside world because they have autoimmune disorders in their family. One of things that she has learned in this season from an online parenting class  is around the idea that kids have “buckets” that need to be filled in order for them to even be able to behave properly. Basically she came to realize that she can't ask or expect her kids to function without some shifts in the way they are as parents. They are trying to get one-on-one time with each kid for ten minutes twice a day. It doesn't happen everyday but the intention is to fill their kids' buckets up so they have the energy and emotional bandwidth to behave when they are asked; and they are being asked to do more than before covid out of necessity.  It has increased the quality of their nuclear family. The biggest shifts have been in these internal systems. Everything is always changing, and even person to person.Alex says, “Life moves on in a pandemic. Life moves on in quarantine. Life has real issues, whether that is a presidential election, family drama or health issues… those things don't stop. They get exponentially harder.”But thank God for therapy over zoom!Danielle says we are all trying to harness all the fragments of life, that normally other places in our lives would have collected for us. There is a spiritual and collective weight to what we're all bearing. Trauma forces us to shift systems and perspectives, to cut out the [unnecessary] fat in our lives.Diana says this year has been “a walk in the wildness that I didn't know I needed.” She has come to realize that in so many ways in her life she has been silenced, through trauma, abuse, theology… And it has forced her to not be able to show up as herself, bringing all of who she is. That she has had to shut down who she is in order to make others more comfortable. As she has been healing in this season, that means "I've been really unpopular with my family for sure and a lot of people this year because they are not used to this version of me. I'm not used to this version of me.” It's a continually living in the “messy middle.”Diana said to her husband that he may have thought he was marrying a quiet, compliant church girl 15 years ago but instead has married someone very different. “We never could have known.”Maggie named that it has been costly for Diana; She's become aware of that places she has been silenced and the ways she has had to shave off her sides in order to fit into other people's spaces. She is reclaiming herself now. This covid season has in some ways given her the freedom to hold those boundaries and say, “No, this is who I actually am.” Maggie also noted how beautiful it is that in this season Diana is stepping into her prophetic truth-telling gifting, calling things out and becoming the best version of herself in the middle of a global pandemic.Alex says one of the things that happens when you are doing an internal work is that you realize you're a part of systems. Whether that be systemic racism, a religious system, a familial system…  the way that you were was a component of that greater system. “When I change, the system around me will be forced to change. And I can't manage how someone else feels about that change.”Alex mentioned a quote by Maryam Hasnaa “Be prepared for the emotional reactivity that's going to come when you decide to release the pattern of trying to make everyone else comfortable at your own expense.”Alex says, if you are at all evolving, in your faith, in yourself, in family dynamics…If you're evolving in anyway you are changing the systems around you.The questions Alex are asking are what will come out of this when we all are actually able to get back to interacting in the world? With people changing and systems changing, what will it look like to reenter with each other again? How am I going to react or respond to other people's change, or changes in the systems that I am a part of? “We're all literally going to come back into our communities different people.” Some more different than others.Danielle brings it to our physical bodies; how do our bodies interact with other bodies? We are going to have to deal with our scratches. How will we regulate — will it feel like coming home or coming into strangeness?Diana brings a quote from Emmanuel Acho from Uncomfortable conversations with a black man: Proximity breeds care and distance breeds fear. Acho meant it in the context of relationship to race but Diana believes it applies in our current situation in this pandemic: When you were physically in the same room as someone, face-to-face, and are looking into their eyes, you are able to feel a deeper level of compassion and empathy for them and to see their humanity. Now with masks there is even some distance there and dehumanization from not being able to see each other.It will be different when we are able to be with people again—we'll need to meet people as they are, not who we knew them to be.Maggie loves Diana's invitation to meet people anew, who they are now. Covid has been like a purification—we're sloughing off the stuff that doesn't fit or things that aren't who we want to be—and it will continue when we are able to be with people again. We may not continue in some friendships that have changed in the interim, and that's okay. In the absence of old relationships there will be the opportunity for new growth and new relationships.Alex notes that systems had to change in this season. Nothing is the same. We have inserted this new way of living into our lives that were already full and it has forced things other things come out because their isn't enough room for it all. Everyone decided what it was that needed to be removed. Her family has had privilege in this season as their family was already a single-income household where her husband worked remotely for most of the week. But she acknowledges there have still been changes, additions and subtractions to their lives.“We are all doing this shifting prioritization juggling game to make our lives function. That alone changes us.” We may not opt to re-enter all the places we were in before.Danielle adds that we are slogging through this season. We can not process trauma while in trauma.Coming into Thanksgiving, Advent and Christmas—Danielle holds to this idea of a broken Hallelujah.Diana says her typical pre-covid  holiday season is really busy as a musician. But this “happy happy joy joy” version of Advent isn't resonating this year. She's exploring, “The Lament of Advent;” The pain and grumbling of the Advent season. She reads a passage from Reformed Worship:“Worship that is oriented to the coming kingdom leads naturally to two central expressions: intense groaning and expectant hope. Notice how Paul describes these two expressions in Romans 8:18-27. When we think about the coming kingdom of God, we can't help but long for an end to warfare, abuse, hunger, violence, illness, and death. Liturgical lament is our expression of this longing. As such, lament is not whining or complaining like that of the fickle Israelites in the desert. Rather it is the expression of the groaning that we feel as we long intensely for the coming kingdom of shalom.”She said she is trying to keep hope in these dark days… holding both the grief and the hope.Alex adds on to this discussion of hope with a quote from the Evolving Faith Podcast, Episode 17 with Derrick Dawson, “Sometimes I feel like I don't have to hopeful. I just have to be diligent and faithful and get up the next day and do it again.”Advent can be different this year; Alex says they are not missed traditions, they are different ones. The intention is to acknowledge the growing this year as a way to increase the expectation.Diana says we are all growing, and there are growing pains. We need to use our new eyes! You have a new perspective. And this year, Advent can have new eyes and new perspective.Alex said they have blended the gratitude of Thanksgiving into their Christmas so that both traditions serve their family better—writing the things they are grateful for on slips of paper all month long and putting them in their stocking so that on Christmas they create a paper chain of gratitude.Alex asks, How do I parent them when I am so changed? We are experiencing growth and it's is a good thing, so how can we incorporate these changes into our families this year, this Christmas?Danielle says “It's not a lost faith, but a found one.” We're actually ecstatic that Jesus is born because He bridges beauty and  brokenness, pain and joy, the now and the not yet. It's something to celebrate!! Kids are not too young to learn, and it's a way to disrupt the system!Maggie felt close to what Alex said regarding traditions in this season and also the lament that Diana talked about. This is a season where we can feel the darkness more than ever, and the need for Jesus to bring Light into the world. It is an invitation for us to shift in our traditions in a more meaningful way. ----Diana is reading: Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free by Linda Kay KleinDiana is listening to: Africana Music and Richard Rohr's The Universal Christ Book on tapeDiana is inspired by: People who are doing the hard and excruciating inner work during this season.Alex is reading: Something Worth Doing by Kirk Patrick and The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abby WaxmanAlex is listening to: "You're not Finished Yet" by the Belonging Co.Alex is inspired by: women and like-minded moms who are speaking life into her. And therapy

Diana Frazier - Entrepreneur, mother, story teller, musician, worship leaderWe start by checking in with Diana and how she is doing during this time of shelter in place.She says it's been crazy.  As she tells her kids let's “taking one day at a time,” and she takes her own advice by waking up and thinking only of today.Diana's business - Poulsbo Elderberry - is the busiest it's ever been in the year and half that she's owned it. This comes during a time when she now has her four children at home with her and her husband still working. She says is overwhelming, “How do I keep producing and keep up with the ever increasing demand while also being a mom some how?”When things first starting amping up she was so busy that one day she realized she hadn't gone to the bathroom in over six hours. It was because she was working, not stopping to eat or  even to go to the bathroom all the while her “house was exploding around her” with kids running around.We asked her why is her business booming so much? She started Poulsbo Elderberry back in 2018. It's a pre-made Elderberry syrup with herbs that used as an antiviral immune support. Diana said even just 5 years ago people didn't really even know about Elderberry. The added herbs like echinacea, hibiscus, ginger and other things that help boost the immune system. It's been growing in popularity since 2018 but with the Coronavirus she says that even people who “wouldn't believe in that stuff” are even thinking they should try it.Winter cold and flu season is usually her busy time of year of but she has seen her business increase by 500%!! Which is insane. She said it really would be more but she actually runs out and can not meet the demand! Like a lot of businesses right now she is stuck waiting on the supply chain. Diana always tries to buy locally and support other business in the Seattle area but when the Coronavirus hit it was sudden and hard she found herself unable to get the bottles she used and even some of the herbs. She has to order from 7 or 8 places and hope that one of them will be able to fulfill her order and actually show up.It's said all over media that this is “unprecedented,” we are living in a time when nothing like this has ever happened. It reminds Danielle about trauma and how it has all these tentacles reaching so many different parts.Diana reiterates that trauma is a place of powerlessness and right now none of us have control over what's happening or will happen. She said she can feel like she is in control by placing orders to her suppliers, but she doesn't have any control over whether they will be filled.She and her husband have a long history of significant medical trauma and so to experience COVID-19 right now she is coming from a perspective of “I've already sat vigil while he was dying three times…. I don't want to do that again.”  She finds her herself busy with work and wondering if she is busy because she doesn't want to think about or experience the trauma they are in. Everything is amplified for a lot of people because of trauma that we carry with us.The fact that this is a medical trauma feels very personal for her.There is this sense of triggering; we've done this before, while also having nuances that are different and how our responses can be different. Most of the time when someone is triggered they are having feelings from the past come up in the present but their present self is actually safe. Diana says what we're experiencing now is a trigger but with a real sense of danger to our present self.Danielle said many people are struggling to just validate their reality. There's this attack against our reality. “In this moment I may be safe, but I don't know.” That is legitimate fear.  COVID lives in the air for three hours so the air we breathe could be toxic even when there is no one around. So even when we take all the precautions of social distancing there's this weight that it is not enough. How do we validate ourselves without freaking out?Diana says there's an inner dialogue happening, “Am I spiraling right now?" Where we critique our own feelings. There's so much peace in just saying, no that's a real feeling right now and there is so much that is uncertain for ourselves and our loved ones. We also don't have the benefit of being able to go on a walk with a friend or get coffee with a friend.Maggie says she is an extravert this is has been a hard season of not being able to get together with people. She asks Diana what she does in lieu of not being able to go hang with her friends? Diana says she is also an extravert and her self care is looking like showering every day. “What can I do that gives me a sense of normal right now? I shower and I put on makeup and it doesn't matter that I won't see anyone.” She also finds time to play piano and sing, working out. She does these things not because she is pretending everything is normal but knowing that she isn't going to feel great if she has not showered and is not dressed and ready for the day.Danielle asks Diana about any resources that she has been using during this season: Going to therapy! Still having a safe connection, a place where she can empty out what she is processing. Diana also curates what she is viewing on instagram, making sure that she is not seeing things that make her feel like she is not enough. She I just aware of what she is interacting with with.You can connect with Diana at: poulsboelderberry.com also on facebook and instagram.----Alex Jacobson: Wife, mother of 5, leader, bible journal-er, speaker, writer, avid book reader and book reviewer, activist, advocate, lives on her hobby farm with her husband of 12 years, and she's an excellent cook sharing her cooking tips and tricks on Instagram.Alex has been strictly  social distancing since March 13th [16 days at the time of this recording] because both her husband and her father, who she usually sees daily, have auto-immune disorders so they have been taking social distancing very seriously from the start.It's weighty to carry the responsibility of her husband's health as well as trying to keep the trauma low for their kids by making the experience positive while also keeping them informed and helping them understand why we're going through this. “There's a very specific reason we're taking extra precautions.”For her kids, only one even knows or heard the word “coronavirus.” Their family had gone screen-free two months ago, which she felt was a prompting for her family, and so her kids are getting very little outside influence. She says that they know that they are staying home to stay healthy, and that means not seeing going to see friends and really not even going out to the store for errands. It's a means to protect their Papa who has diabetes, as well as their grandparents, “Nona” and “Dandad.” They've focused on re-learning to wash hands. They are keeping medical visits through screens as well as with their kids' teachers. “We're just really being selective as to what screen, what media they engage with.”Danielle said that's a lot to juggle: managing her kids and protecting her husband and father… But how is she doing?Alex says she normally ends her days “tired" because she is a high energy multi-task-er but now she ends her days exhausted. She's been sore in her body and also more sleepy-tired, sleep being much harder to come by with a nursing baby. She said she also has less child-free adult time, and that has been hard as well. She knows sleep is important so her husband has been trying to give her an extra hour of sleep in the morning. In the evenings she has been caring for her body by getting in the hot tub to relax. She is watching an hour of news every couple of days and reading which feeds her. And with this that she HAS to do, like cooking three meals a day, she tries to make them fun by trying new recipes and sharing on social media.When their self-quarantine started she recognized her need to acknowledge what she's grateful for. She hasn't ever kept a gratitude journal or anything but she just knew she needed to say what she is grateful for in this season and she decided to share it on social media. And on that first day she had a response that it was so good to read that she decided to keep it up every day. Now that she's doing it, it's easier to find things she is grateful for.Alex has always done cooking at home in her Instagram stories but now that people are home and cooking at home they are reaching out to her more and using it as a resource. One thing she's been thinking about in this time is how to care for others. She said,” there's only so many things I can do during the day” but responding to people on Instagram about their cooking questions feels like one way she can care for others during this time, especially as she is limited by the walls of her home.  Alex wants to love on and encourage others as best she can.Danielle remarks that social media has become more community oriented. Before social media was a polarizing and isolating, plagued with comparison. And now there's this sense that “no, I don't have to be Alex… can you help me? How do you do this?” It's a sweet connection.Alex noticed the same thing. She was watching Kelly Welk's instagram story on pizza dough and it inspired her to try it. It didn't work for her so she jumped over to her cousin's post on some quick and easy Korean beef bowls and she was able to whip that up instead. The sharing on social media as been life-giving in so many ways. The ways we are influencing each other, rather than comparison, are more unifying.Maggie asked Alex how is is staying connected during this time of social distancing. She said her church has moved it's services online and she's been loving that. She's also using a new app called House Party were you can play games live with friends. Because she's an android user she doesn't have FaceTime so she's actually been using Zoom for a long time. Alex also uses Marco Polo which is a video messaging app, which you can view whenever it's convent. When she thinks of someone she texts them right then, because she believes theres a reason she is thinking about that person.Alex, over the past year or so, has been in the practice of writing prayers and using scriptures as prayer. When she thinks about her friends she'll write a prayer, send a scripture or a worship song that reminded her of that person. She tries to let them know the exact words she prayed over them.Connect with Alex:InspirationClothesline.com@inspirationclothesline for both facebook and instagramShe also has done IGTVs and fb live.Alex is doing a book review of Jen Hatmaker's upcoming book: “Fierce Free Fire” so stay tuned on her blog fo the review.-----Jennifer TomposJennifer is a  Pastor in Oregon. She's a Leader, Mother, Wife, Graduate student, hard worker and friend.In light of COVID Jennifer has found that her work has been confusing.  She and her team have to redefine what a win looks like and how to make a team work well. “It's hard to lead teams when you're not getting together.”Musical time has been a felt loss.What are we offering to people, how do we offer community when no one can be together, and how to make content that's helpful rather than just more noise.There's so much context out there already. Pointing to other stuff out there lacks the personal connection, the people you know. Contextual applicable down to the community level.Staff signed up on a google sheet and are taking turns going live online instagram for 5-10 minutes to keep people updated and communicated with. You don't want to run the risk of being just “promotional.” You don't want to be distracting. There's a tension — they need to hear from you and you need to let people off the hook.It's easy to be discouraged right now, “Am I accomplishing anything?” Everyone is asking these same questions during this time of upheaval. Before you can ask someone to meet another person's need, as a leader you need to make sure they are okay first, to experience their own grief.This season marathon not a sprint.Sabbath and rest is super important for Jennifer. This time is not a break for everyone, especially for people who are being targeted by racial injustice, who are low income or are struggling finically to make it through this time.This time is a little counter cultural - everything is normally very fast paced and we have an opportunity to slow down. Jennifer calls it the silver-lining of this current situation is to make time for rest as leaders. Jesus rested!It's easy as a leader to become a part of the problem if we're pushing our people to be more productive. It's actually antithetical to the gospel. This is an opportunity for healthier rhythms, rhythms that create more peace in the midst of this anxiety.Danielle says there is already a layer of trauma in our society. One way to numb out from trauma is to get really busy so you don't have time to notice what's around you, to feel depressed or traumatized. We are living through trauma right now it is ongoing, and we need permission to feel, to become un-busy, and to rest in the grief.Jennifer says she wonders if leaders feel awkward doing instagram live; there's a vulnerability to saying things out into the internet and not knowing who is listening out there…. It feels more intimidating than in person trainings that aren't recorded.Danielle asks Jennifer how she holds zoom meetings and work from home with kids and do grad school. She replies, “well it's all a big circus!” Her husband interrupted her zoom meeting last night because their son had swallowed a plastic dinosaur and had to go to the ER. “Not a place you want to be going during a pandemic.” She said most of her life works right now because she and her husband are tag teaming it. She knows it is a privilege that her husband is working from home right now and not everyone has that luxury, so that helps. She is leveraging tv time, using it for when she needs to do video conferencing.Jennifer said that she'd had to lower her expectations. She finds there's a correlation between expectations and her level of aggravation. There's more freedom at her house than their usually would be… Kids pick up on tension and anxiety from us. The kids are also missing their friends and the regular schedule.Jennifer in regards to her grad school said she would not advise learning an ancient language in the middle of a pandemic. Every day she sets expectations for what is reasonable to do during this day only in regards to self care, kids, husband, school, and work.Connect with Jennifer on Instagram @JenniferTompos

In this episode, we discuss: Family law matters can be resolved amicably through mediation The process of divorce does not need to be economically devastating Mediation provides an opportunity to minimize your children’s exposure to the divorce process   Rhonda: Thank you so much for joining us for another episode. I am so excited to be able to introduce you today to Alex Jacobson. She is the founder of Jacobson Mediation Group out of the Greater Chicago area and she's a former divorce lawyer turned divorce mediator. What a mouthful that is. Thank you so much for joining us today. Alex: Thank you. Thank you for having me. Rhonda: Well, let's talk a little bit about what prompted you to move in the direction of building your practice around mediation. Give us a little backstory on what led you to where you're at today. Alex: Certainly, so I was a divorce lawyer for the past 12 years. I practiced at one of the premier divorce firms in Chicago doing all matters related to divorce and matrimonial issues, so that included child custody, property division, child support, spousal support, premarital agreement, postnuptial agreements, all the above. And as my practice grew, it became increasingly apparent that even in the highest complex situation, matters can be resolved outside of the courtroom. And I just found that after practicing at that level, that once you are in the courtroom, you really can't unring that bell. Once people start slinging the mud, it's difficult to go back to co-parenting or to reach an agreement that is reasonable for both parties. And once the judgment is imposed upon you by a judge, it may or may not meet the needs of your family. It may or may not be narrowly tailored to the needs of your family. And so, I just simply found that alternative dispute resolution was just a better way to resolve these types of cases. Rhonda: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So, talk to us a little bit about, I mean obviously, there's a lot of different ways that mediation can be used throughout the divorce process. Are you, tell us a little bit about what you're seeing as far as trends? Are people moving in the direction of mediation only? Meaning you've got that neutral third party who is facilitating the conversation between the parties? Or are you, and or are you also seeing where people have attorneys and then they're utilizing mediators to be able to close the gap on our particular issue? Alex: So, I'm seeing both, in fact, depending on the issues that are being addressed. So in the first instance, I would, I would say that parenting issues often can be resolved with the parties without their attorneys being present because quite simply they are the key people that know what their children need and how to craft an agreement that meets the needs of their children, their extracurriculars, the extent that their child has a special need. They are the two people and the two people primarily who know what those needs are and who can speak to those issues and in the best way. When it comes to financial issues, they're oftentimes one or both parties who really are not equipped to handle the financial issues on her own and really look to their attorneys to provide them with the guidance that they need. And my role is to facilitate the discussion and help navigate that conversation. Alex: And, and whether attorneys are involved also depends on what phase in the case mediation comes in. So for example, cases may or may not begin sort of with a bang and there are some temporary issues that need to be resolved immediately. So, who's going to pick up Tommy from soccer practice? Who's going to pay for school tuition this month? Who's going pay the mortgage bill? These are immediate issues that the people need a band-aid for immediately while they're working on a more global resolution of all the issues in the case. So those immediate issues may be addressed with just the parties present without attorneys involved. And then once everyone has done their discovery and they're prepared to address all the issues in the divorce case, that is when the attorneys may come in and participate in the process. Rhonda: So I love one of the things that you said, I just want to touch on, because I see this in the women that I'm working with, which is, there are some of those immediate things that do need to be resolved or taken care of the day-to-day stuff. Like you said, who's going to pick up so-and-so from soccer practice and let's talk about who's going to pay the bills, you know, or which bills they're going to pay. So, if somebody is listening today and they're feeling frustrated because they perhaps feel like, you know, people aren't listening to them like, hey well we'll get to that later, we'll get to that later. Cause I mean the divorce process in and of itself, there are certain kind of key milestones and sometimes those things don't get talked about traditionally until later. What are some of the things that women could say, "Hey listen, this is an important concern or issue for me," so they can really get or bend the ear of their attorney and or mediator? Alex: Well, I mean and certainly in Chicago and I believe in many other courts, all parenting issues must be mediated before a judge will provide a hearing or a trial date. And judges also it's permissive for them to send financial matters. So, I would impress upon these women to, or anybody, to seek the opportunity, typically in mediation from the outset. So, they can address the immediate issues without going through the periods of frustration, without having them be resolved. And you know, the uncertainty is really unnerving for all people and quite frankly, that spills over to the children. And so, it's best for everybody involved if you can avoid that uncertainty and sort of assign these tasks as the process is going along. Rhonda: Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Well, let's transition into talking about a couple of key things related to mediation. And the first thing that I know that you wanted to share was around the fact that family matters can be resolved through mediation. So, talk to us a little bit about that. I know we've kind of highlighted that a little, but let's take a little bit deeper. From your experience, and now the good news is you kind of have been on both sides of the litigation side and now you've moved into more of the mediation side. You know, talk to us about how those are, how some of those things are getting resolved. Alex: Certainly. So, I mean, there are very few cases in the family law realm that are so clearly black and white and there are many shades of gray. And it's just a matter of appealing to what's important to the two people who are crafting the agreement. And even people, we're, we're taping this on a Monday. So even people who couldn't agree that today is Monday after working through the issues in their particular case, can ultimately reach an agreement that it's Monday. It's possible and it's possible to do it in an amicable way. It's possible to do it in a way that, through the process or sitting in the same room together or alternatively they're sitting in separate rooms together and the mediator is shuttling between them and, going through all of the terms that need to be addressed in a way that is productive with, avoiding the mudslinging and it's, and it truly is possible. Rhonda: Yeah. So, what role would you say, I mean, so the parties, right? I mean, if they're using mediation as their primary method, need to be organized and come to the table with, completing assignments or conversations or whatever that the mediator’s kind of helping them to kind of work through. Who is kind of identifying the agenda? I mean, so the, for the people that are considering going through mediation, what kinds of things should they doing to make sure that they're as prepared as possible for those mediation meetings? Alex: Certainly, that's a very good point. I mean, the mediation can only be as productive as the party preparation for the process. So, at the outset, I as a mediator find out what issues are being discussed, whether it's only parenting issues, whether it's financial and parenting issues. And in order to make the process most productive, the parties need to complete their financial affidavits. They need to know what their income situations are, what their, what their other spouse's income situations are, what assets exist, what are their expenses, what are their expenses now, and what are their expenses likely to be in the next few years. I mean, the goal is to anticipate as many possible contingencies as you can so you can address them in agreement, in the agreement to avoid litigation down the road. So, I set the agenda, I give the homework and timelines for the homework to be completed in order for the process to be the most productive possible. Rhonda: Yeah, I love that. And I think, just having some clarity right, on you whose role is helpful through this process because people don't know what they don't know. Right? They don't know what they don't know and if they've never been through that course before, and/or if they're considering mediation as an option then I think those are some of the things that are helpful for them to know. Alex: Certainly, and, and knowledge is power, and knowledge is being more informed certainly allows somebody to participate in a more meaningful way in the process. And that's critically important, especially for a spouse who, may not have been well versed in the finances of a family prior to the process beginning. And look, there is no shame in that. I mean, when you're living together and you're married, there's a division of labor in the home and the fact that one parent may not have been responsible for paying the bills or knowing what their savings, where their savings was even located, let alone how much existed. That's, that's a normal arrangement in a, in a family. And that by virtue of a divorce, you know, changes. Everybody needs to be informed. Rhonda: Yeah, absolutely. Well, and I have said on many of the previous podcast recordings the formula for having financial confidence is the knowledge plus the experience because you can't have one without the other. Right? And so, if they maybe have the knowledge but don't have the experience, that may impact their confidence. But as they go through this process and ask questions and they take an interest, hey, you know what? You can gain the knowledge; you can gain the experience. Ultimately at the end you're going to come out having more confidence as you step into that role because not only will you be forced to do it, I guess is the bottom line. I mean, whether you want to or not, you're going to have to step up and, and take ownership of the finances. And so, we can use that divorce process as a great way for women to navigate through that and kind of gear up for having to take some of those things over on their own. Alex: Right. Absolutely. And I would also point out that for the most part, mediation is a voluntary process. So, whereas in litigation, you might be in a circumstance where you feel like one party may feel like they're being shielded from obtaining the necessary information to be informed. And in mediation, the documents are being produced voluntarily. The financial information is being exchanged voluntarily so that everybody is armed and prepared to participate in the process. And you avoid that. Ideally, you're avoiding the feeling of being in the dark. Rhonda: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So, let's move on to talk about, I always say divorce isn't free. So, the question becomes how people want to spend dollars to go through the process. And one of the things that you had mentioned was that divorce does not have to be just economically devastating for people. And so, talk to us a little bit about that. Alex: Certainly. So, I mean, when you're in the courtroom a whole host of things happen. At a minimum, each party is more likely than not represented by counsel. There are court appearances that are meaningful and court appearances that are less meaningful, but nevertheless you're incurring fees for all of them. Court appearances can be delayed, they can be canceled, they can, and every single time your attorneys need to prepare and get up to speed in order to, to be productive in, in the courtroom. In the context of mediation, you are streamlining that process. You may or may not have your attorneys present. Everybody is prepared to proceed on a set day. And ideally because the process is being streamlined, you are avoiding significant fees that would, that are associated with the litigation process. Rhonda: Yeah, absolutely. Well, and I know that, you know, depending on what part of the country people are in, the range in which the divorce process on average, the cost on average, the duration on average. Again, we've got some national statistics around that, but each state or region or area may have may differentiate a little bit amongst you know, those areas. But on average, you know, the average cost for divorce is $15,000 and the average duration is a year. So that much we know. Alex: Which is absolutely wild. I mean, I could have a case referred to me, this week have their task list set out for the next two weeks, have mediation session the following week. And when it's all said and done, if we've reached anywhere, but you know, north of $3,500 to $4,000 just for the mediator, I would be shocked. You can wrap it up within. And that doesn't include attorney's fees to the extent that attorneys are being involved. But I mean, you can see that the process can be so slimmed down in a, in a major, major way. Rhonda: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Alex: And by the way, you know, there's also a range of mediators’ fees. You know, certainly in Chicago there are former judges that are doing this that can command, you know, a significantly higher rate and they're tending to cases where perhaps their hourly rate doesn't necessarily factor into the analysis. Mediation isn't just, isn't just for wealthy people. And there are plenty of other professionals. I, for example, practiced for 12 years, I have significant experience, but I'm not commanding the hourly rate that a former judge does. Rhonda: Yeah, absolutely. Well, and I think too, it's for people to look at the different options and ask themselves a couple of questions. So, like as I'm working with clients and coaching them through, ultimately, it's up to them and in working with the attorney or mediator to figure out what process is best. But I can take them through a simple exercise that says, okay, here's pro se, here's mediation, here's litigation, here's collaborative. Let's just talk about the definition of each of those and then what are the pros and cons? What do you see as the pro or con of each of these areas? And what ends up happening is they come out of there and like, okay, I have a little more clarity on what really seems to resonate with me knowing my husband and how he might respond, what seems like the best option. Rhonda: And then they can start kind of exploring that because they have a lot of choices on what they feel like might be best. Now they're also, I think there's value in getting input from the professionals as well. But to be able to take some time and just think through all those options I think is good. And for some people, you know, it isn't as much about the finances. Sometimes it is. I mean it just; each situation is so different. But I think being able to look at, look at the options, I believe that women always make good decisions when they have all the information. Alex: Certainly. Rhonda: And so, there's somewhat I would call kind of pre-divorce work that women can be just kind of thinking through, taking some time to ponder to see if this is a good fit for them or not. You know, so that's why I love doing these types of having these types of conversations specifically around the different options of the process. So, I appreciate your input on that as well. Alex: Certainly. Rhonda: So, the other thing that I want to chat with you about is the fact that mediation can be a good way to minimize children's exposure to the divorce process. So, I find this really fascinating and I look forward to hearing what you have to say about this talking point. Alex: Certainly. So you know, when there is a parenting issue, and I'm obviously speaking from my experience with the, with Cook County in Chicago, but it's almost immediate that if the parties are unable to resolve whatever the parenting issues are in mediation, that a judge will uniformly appoint a child's representative who's an attorney that's going to represent the needs of the child. That child's representative is and will then the children will be involved in the process. He or she will interview them, will observe them with each parent. We'll make recommendations to the court, and his or her interaction with the child may not just be on one occasion. It may be on multiple occasions, depending on what the issues are. Alex: And again, talk about, you can't unring that bell. I mean, once your kids are being interviewed by professionals and, and then by, by the way, if that doesn't result in an agreement, there may be, a child custody evaluation that's performed by a mental health professional and that involves multiple interviews with your child. And I think that, for the most part, what people can agree on is that they don't want their children involved in the process because it's not good for anybody. And in mediation you can avoid all of that. Rhonda: That, that's awesome. And I think obviously, I mean there may be times when people can't agree, and they are going to have to maybe go and utilize some of those other processes that that the court system has in place. But I love, you know, for people to be able to consider mediation for the reason that you just mentioned because I think of all the things that they can agree on, wanting the best for their kids is usually an easy one. Alex: Right. And the, the fact is that people are getting divorced, so they are not necessarily speaking in a kind way to each other. It's not necessarily a productive mode of communication between each other. And oftentimes they just need somebody, a third party to help them navigate the conversation. And that's what the mediator's there for. Rhonda: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Yeah, that's, that's really great. Well, we have covered a lot of ground in a really short period of time and as we wrap up our time together, I always end with two things. One is a quote and the other is a client success story. So, go ahead and share with us your favorite quote. Alex: So, I recently read this, the quote is, "Focus on divorce as a problem to solve instead of a battle to be won." Rhonda: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Alex: It resonates and in a very significant way for me, I have, once people come down to earth, and realize that they're getting divorced or have accepted it or are ready to move forward with the process in a productive way and, and are not looking to sabotage their spouse or really just want to reach a resolution and focus it, focus on it as a problem to be solved, that's when they're able to reach a, a meaningful agreement, a lasting agreement that will serve the needs of their family going forward. Rhonda: Yeah. Oh my gosh, I love that. Oh, and it takes, I mean, divorce is emotional, right? And I think there's certainly a time to deal with the emotions, but it helps really to just kind of frame what the goal is. Right? And so, that's a great quote. All right, so let's end with the client’s success story. Alex: Certainly. So there's, there's really nothing so magical about it other than the fact that for these two individuals, they had been in the litigation process for over a year and had been engaging in discovery that was not relevant to their case, multiple court appearances that was really just causing more and more of a rift between them rather than bringing them together to reach an agreement. And one of them had been referred to me as a mediator. The other interviewed me and we sat down together at about nine o'clock in the morning and by two o'clock had reached a comprehensive agreement on everything that needed to be addressed in their marital settlement agreement. Alex: When we concluded for the day, the husband looked at the wife and, and said to her, "That is the most productive conversation we've had in over five years." And, it really, I believe, set the tone for how these two individuals are going to be able to move forward in a productive way as divorced parents and co-parents effectively. And, and it was just a very positive way to, to start down with new road for them, for their new normal. Rhonda: I love it. I love it. I think that it also depends too on finding the right mediator, right? Being the mediator is not an easy job. Alex: Definitely not. Rhonda: I've sat in on plenty of mediations. I'm like, okay, they, you know, the mediator's got to be the tough cookie in the room, right? Because you must hold people accountable and encourage them to have those conversations. Think outside the box, get people talking, manage emotions. I mean, there's a lot to it. And so I think that's a fantastic success story. And just again, giving people the opportunity to say it. Listen, there may be times when you get to a point where, yeah, it's time to mediate and get everybody in the same room and make sure you've got the right mediator and hash things out and leave there with a result. Right? Some clarity, some concrete solutions. And I love the fact that, yeah, love the fact, that they were able to leave there feeling a lot more positive. Alex: So yeah, it was great success. Rhonda: Yay. I love it. Well, I want to thank you so much, Alex, for your time today. Alex: Certainly, thank you for having me. Rhonda: And I want to encourage people to check out Alex's contact information in the show notes, as well as the transcribed audio notes, and hopefully as people are listening to this, we've given them some really great things to think about as far as the direction that they may want to go as they're navigating through their divorce process.   QUOTE: “Focus on divorce as a problem to solve instead of a battle to be won.”   CONTACT INFORMATION: Alex Jacobson Founder Jacobson Mediation Group 212 West Superior Street, Suite 203 Chicago, IL 60654 ajacobson@jacobsonmediationgroup.com (312) 877-5092 LinkedIn | Facebook   Visit the Women’s Financial Wellness Center for a full directory listing of experts. Be sure to reach out if you would like to connect personally with the Women’s Financial Wellness Center. You can visit our website or grab a complimentary 30-minute consult.   Leaving a positive podcast review is hugely important: they help the podcast get discovered by new people. Please spend 5 minutes of your time to leave a review on your preferred listening platform, we’d love to hear from you!

Alex Jacobson returns for a review of one of the hottest releases of the summer 2 Chainz's latest LP Pretty Girls Like Trap Music.        Subscribe to the podcast series on Podbean and Itunes   Podbean: http://chrispy1132.podbean.com/   Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/chris-platte-presents-hip/id1123337898?mt=2   Contact me Twitter: @realchrisplatte Snapchat: chrispy1132 Email: chrispy1132@gmail.com       Guest: Alex Jacobson  Follow Alex on Instagram and Twitter: @shootalexander Check out his youtube channel! https://www.youtube.com/user/ajacobsontv   My podcasts are now officially sponsored by Antiforeverusa!!  Website: https://www.shopantiusa.com  Contact Antiforever on Twitter: @antiforeverusa My listeners get a special promo code! Use "Platte" to get 10% off your purchase     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Jacobson makes his debut on the podcast for a review of Lil Yachty's debut LP titled "Teenage Emotions." Alex and I review the album plus discuss the future of Lil Yachty.       Subscribe to the podcast series on Podbean and Itunes   Podbean: http://chrispy1132.podbean.com/   Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/chris-platte-presents-hip/id1123337898?mt=2   Contact me Twitter: @realchrisplatte Snapchat: chrispy1132 Email: chrispy1132@gmail.com       Guest: Alex Jacobson  Follow Alex on Instagram and Twitter: @shootalexander Check out his youtube channel! https://www.youtube.com/user/ajacobsontv   My podcasts are now officially sponsored by Antiforeverusa!!  Website: https://www.shopantiusa.com  Contact Antiforever on Twitter: @antiforeverusa My listeners get a special promo code! Use "Platte" to get 10% off your purchase Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

            NEWS We spend less time on social media Two new online services – Jukedeck video music via artificial intelligence, and Fender’s Mod Shop GUEST Auratone’s Alex Jacobson The post Episode #114 – We Spend Less Time On Social Media, Fender’s Mod Shop And Guest Auratone’s Alex Jacobson appeared first on Bobby Owsinski's Inner Circle Podcast.

            NEWS We spend less time on social media Two new online services - Jukedeck video music via artificial intelligence, and Fender's Mod Shop GUEST Auratone's Alex Jacobson

Option Block 420: Farewell to the Viceroy Trading Block: A sea of green in the market today - everything up! Wall Street regulator fears up for labor fight with its workers. High-frequency trading worries are fading, ConvergeX finds. Tesla CEO Elon Musk teases new product. Spoiler Alert: It is not a car.   Odd Block: Puts go flying is Tyson Foods (TSN), calls trade in HCP, Inc. (HCP), and puts trade in Dicks Sporting Goods Inc. (DKS)   Strategy Block:  Uncle Mike Tosaw recollects on his first meeting with Alex Jacobson and the subsequent years following.       Xpress Block: The Viceroy tips his hat in a final goodbye.

Option Block 420: Farewell to the Viceroy Trading Block: A sea of green in the market today - everything up! Wall Street regulator fears up for labor fight with its workers. High-frequency trading worries are fading, ConvergeX finds. Tesla CEO Elon Musk teases new product. Spoiler Alert: It is not a car.   Odd Block: Puts go flying is Tyson Foods (TSN), calls trade in HCP, Inc. (HCP), and puts trade in Dicks Sporting Goods Inc. (DKS)   Strategy Block:  Uncle Mike Tosaw recollects on his first meeting with Alex Jacobson and the subsequent years following.       Xpress Block: The Viceroy tips his hat in a final goodbye.

Option Block 366: The Knife Edge of Volatility Trading Block: Most major indices up today on the street. Vol saw a bit of a rally as well. S&P briefly hit 2,000, but couldn't stay there.   Odd Block: Calls trade in Credit Suisse Group AG (CS), calls trade in H&R Block (HRB), and risk reversal trades in Lennar Corp (LEN).   Xpress Block: What's new with IdeaHub? Futures side and securities side premium harvesting.   Mail Block: Listener questions and comments Question from Seven - With all the talk about exposure fees and excessive customer risk, is there any talk at OX or Schwab about raising the bar for options certification? Perhaps making it harder to qualify for options level 3 or even taking a test to qualify? I know you do not want to put barriers in front of customers but is that not preferable to the alternative? Question from Jack Schwartz - On a recent episode, Alex Jacobson from OX said that the OCC would never force a taxable event in the case of a corporate action. However, I am pretty sure I have seen OCC do exactly that in all-cash corporate deals. In those scenarios do the options not essentially expire on the transaction date, and the customer is left with the resulting debit or credit in their account?     Around the Block: Keeping an eye on the 10-year. Interest rates, where will the Fed go?

Option Block 366: The Knife Edge of Volatility Trading Block: Most major indices up today on the street. Vol saw a bit of a rally as well. S&P briefly hit 2,000, but couldn't stay there.   Odd Block: Calls trade in Credit Suisse Group AG (CS), calls trade in H&R Block (HRB), and risk reversal trades in Lennar Corp (LEN).   Xpress Block: What's new with IdeaHub? Futures side and securities side premium harvesting.   Mail Block: Listener questions and comments Question from Seven - With all the talk about exposure fees and excessive customer risk, is there any talk at OX or Schwab about raising the bar for options certification? Perhaps making it harder to qualify for options level 3 or even taking a test to qualify? I know you do not want to put barriers in front of customers but is that not preferable to the alternative? Question from Jack Schwartz - On a recent episode, Alex Jacobson from OX said that the OCC would never force a taxable event in the case of a corporate action. However, I am pretty sure I have seen OCC do exactly that in all-cash corporate deals. In those scenarios do the options not essentially expire on the transaction date, and the customer is left with the resulting debit or credit in their account?     Around the Block: Keeping an eye on the 10-year. Interest rates, where will the Fed go?

300th Episode Spectacular! Hooray for our 300th episode! Mark Sebastian, Mike Tosaw, Andrew Giovinanzzi, Alex Jacobson, Mike Cavanaugh and John Grigus join Mark "The Voice of Options" Longo, to reminisce about the all their individual favorite moment and shows of the past three years. Comment from Phil M. - Great show guys! Fun times listening to the Option Block. Keep up with what you guys love to do. Comment from Jay Thomas - Congrats to "The Voice of Options" on 300 episodes of The Option Block! Keep them coming as this show makes my Tuesdays and Fridays much more bearable. Comment from Ian Getz - Congratulations in advance on the 300th episode of The Option Block. Mike Tosaws BBI and successful Apple saga were my favorite 2013 moments! Comment from Jim Jam - Love the show! Whats with all the nicknames? Why does Mark L not have a nickname? How about "The Leader", "The General", "Host Master" or "Barry White of Options"? Comment from Mr Ill - Thanks Mark for bringing us so much great content over the years, and congrats to the whole all-star panel on Option Block 300. I enjoy the whole network, but OB is far and away my favorite. There is nothing else like it on the air. Comment from Tim Meads, Montana - I just discovered this show and I am looking forward to perusing the other 299 episodes in the archive. Heres to episode 600! P.S. Where can I get a jaunty, viceroy cap? Comment from Dave S., Burbank, CA - My favorite OB show title is "Netflix Strangles Children" from episode 261! Wishing you continued success.

300th Episode Spectacular! Hooray for our 300th episode! Mark Sebastian, Mike Tosaw, Andrew Giovinanzzi, Alex Jacobson, Mike Cavanaugh and John Grigus join Mark "The Voice of Options" Longo, to reminisce about the all their favorite moment and shows of the past three years. Comment from Phil M. - Great show guys! Fun times listening to the Option Block. Keep up with what you guys love to do. Comment from Jay Thomas - Congrats to "The Voice of Options" on 300 episodes of The Option Block! Keep them coming as this show makes my Tuesdays and Fridays much more bearable. Comment from Ian Getz - Congratulations in advance on the 300th episode of The Option Block. Mike Tosaws BBI and successful Apple saga were my favorite 2013 moments! Comment from Jim Jam - Love the show! Whats with all the nicknames? Why does Mark L not have a nickname? How about "The Leader", "The General", "Host Master" or "Barry White of Options"? Comment from Mr Ill - Thanks Mark for bringing us so much great content over the years, and congrats to the whole all-star panel on Option Block 300. I enjoy the whole network, but OB is far and away my favorite. There is nothing else like it on the air. Comment from Tim Meads, Montana - I just discovered this show and I am looking forward to perusing the other 299 episodes in the archive. Heres to episode 600! P.S. Where can I get a jaunty, viceroy cap? Comment from Dave S., Burbank, CA - My favorite OB show title is "Netflix Strangles Children" from episode 261! Wishing you continued success.

Can you name the first stocks to have options traded on them? Listen to the show to find out how many you know. Also, Joe will discuss the ins and outs of credit spreads with Alex Jacobson of Options Xpress and then wrap up with a conversation with the founder of Options Insider Radio Network Mark Longo.

Can you name the first stocks to have options traded on them? Listen to the show to find out how many you know. Also, Joe will discuss the ins and outs of credit spreads with Alex Jacobson of Options Xpress and then wrap up with a conversation with the founder of Options Insider Radio Network Mark Longo.

Option Block 253: Market Maelstrom Trading Block: The broad indices were down over 2%. All red, all day. Fed will cut $85 billion in monthly bond purchases by $20 billion. VIX cash breaks through the 20-handle for the first time since December. Apple, Google, GLD and more! Odd Block: Call combo unwinds in the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) for big money, puts trade in Fleetcor Technologies (FLT), and puts trade in Contango Oil and Gas Co (MCF). Xpress Block: It's about time for an Alex Jacobson-style rant.  This is a market for options! Strategy Block: It's a two-for day in the strategy block: Risk vs. margin and being long-term bullish but short-term cautious. Around the Block: Will there be more selloff in the future? Should we keep the power dry going into the weekend?

Option Block 253: Market Maelstrom Trading Block: The broad indices were down over 2%. All red, all day. Fed will cut $85 billion in monthly bond purchases by $20 billion. VIX cash breaks through the 20-handle for the first time since December. Apple, Google, GLD and more! Odd Block: Call combo unwinds in the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) for big money, puts trade in Fleetcor Technologies (FLT), and puts trade in Contango Oil and Gas Co (MCF). Xpress Block: It's about time for an Alex Jacobson-style rant.  This is a market for options! Strategy Block: It's a two-for day in the strategy block: Risk vs. margin and being long-term bullish but short-term cautious. Around the Block: Will there be more selloff in the future? Should we keep the power dry going into the weekend?

Option Block 203: Still Talking About the Fiscal Cliff Trading Block: A bit of a selloff across most of the major indices. Apple only up slightly today. Ford trading around the 11.5-11.40 range. Odd Block: Andrew Giovinazzi gets to run through some of the interesting and unusual activity he saw in the market, including: Leap Frog (LF), Verisign (VRSN), and BioMimetic Therapeutics, Inc. (BMTI). Xpress Block: A slow day at OX. Alex Jacobson takes the reins and discusses the idea hub. Around the Block: Still waiting for some kind of news out of Washington about the fiscal cliff. Keep an eye on the special dividend news.  

Option Block 203: Still Talking About the Fiscal Cliff Trading Block: A bit of a selloff across most of the major indices. Apple only up slightly today. Ford trading around the 11.5-11.40 range. Odd Block: Andrew Giovinazzi gets to run through some of the interesting and unusual activity he saw in the market, including: Leap Frog (LF), Verisign (VRSN), and BioMimetic Therapeutics, Inc. (BMTI). Xpress Block: A slow day at OX. Alex Jacobson takes the reins and discusses the idea hub. Around the Block: Still waiting for some kind of news out of Washington about the fiscal cliff. Keep an eye on the special dividend news.

Option Block 202: VIX: How Low Can It Go? Trading Block: Zynga is up 4%, after filing Form 4 with the SEC. Who's going to gobble up Zynga? Today's rally due, in part, to some talks of potential settlement headed towards the fiscal cliff. VIX tanking. Xpress Block:  Alex Jacobson gets the OX hot seat once again and discusses VIX. How low can it go? Is it actually low right now? Has our frame of reference changed, or are we in an artificially inflated environment? Mail Block: Listeners Drive the Conversation. Via email from Emil Pesiri: I love the show. Do you know of any source that publishes daily updates of options showing a significant horizontal skew? I know of several that publish daily vertical skew, but none that screen and publish horizontal skew updates. Thanks so much. Comment from Liam: Hey Option Block, great show as always! I have a question for you. Since Microsoft seems to make such bad decisions for itself in terms of buying companies, what would you do if you were in charge of investments over there? Also, do you ever plan on making it out to London? I would love to buy you a pint.

Option Block 161: Now With 75% More Ranting Trading Block: A bit of a blood bath today after Goldman recommended shorting the S&P. A lack of VIX movement compared to a big 30-handle selloff. Moody's to downgrade up to 15 banks after the close just piled on the bad news for today. Odd Block: Interesting and unusual activity in Idenix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (IDIX). Xpress Block: Returning panelist Alex Jacobson takes the OX hot seat and discusses the "non-reaction" to today's down market. Strategy Block: Uncle Mike Tosaw discusses contract selection and how it important it is have the correct contracts. Around the Block: Maybe the weekend effect will play with the VIX and we may see the beginning of a rally. Short the VIX, long SPX. Keeping an eye on the Ford Dec 11's and bond yields.

Option Block 86: Back in the DayTrading Block: Tech leads the way today, while GLD finally has a down day. Short VIX bets are finally paying off, but there's still more downside to go. Plus, a rundown of metals from a wild day. How much of a downside move in gold are we looking at before considering rolling the puts back down? Not much action to report from commodities today. Odd Block: Unusual activity in Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) - Who purchased the lottery ticket? IMAX Corp. (IMAX) - Is this from the re-running of Transformers 3? Sealed Air Corp. (SEE) - A size day for SEE on Friday Xpress Block: Today's guest Alex Jacobson discusses retail's appetite for futures recently. How the times have changed in the futures market, especially for retail. Around the Block: Is there more VIX downside ahead? What's the weekend risk? Is it worth it to own premium? Non-farms coming up on Friday, more to be discussed about that next show.