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In this episode, we kick things off by examining a brutal new wave of financial distress hitting the transportation and logistics sector. Over the past ten days, trucking companies, truck dealers, and logistics providers have filed for bankruptcy protection while hundreds of workers faced layoffs nationwide. Notable filings include Laredo-based Triple RRR Carriers, a cross-border trucking company that operated a fleet of 177 power units, and Dallas-area logistics provider Alan Ritchey Inc., which will lay off 232 employees beginning in September. Next, we shift to the truckload sector where a strategic acquisition is poised to expand growth opportunities across the Southeast. Chattanooga-based F2F Transport announced that it has been acquired by LRT Group, a Fort Payne, Alabama-based transportation holding company focused on building transportation-based businesses. The move is expected to create new opportunities for growth and expanded service offerings, including increased access to dedicated freight opportunities for F2F's network of owner-operators. Finally, we explore a closely watched freight index that is signaling a positive inflection point may finally be on the horizon. According to a Monday report from Cass Information Systems, a positive inflection in freight shipments now appears likely after 40 months of year-over-year declines. The multimodal shipments component of the Cass Freight Index dipped just 1.2% year over year in May, the smallest decline in 18 months. Assuming historical seasonal trends, the index is projected to log a 1.8% year-over-year increase in the back half of 2026. Follow the FreightWaves NOW Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Dazai no Sochi--the head of the Yamato government in Kyushu--was a powerful position, with a lot of autonomy with lucrative opportunities.  The people in this position were often powerful members of the court capable of representing the sovereign.  They would often go on to become quite powerful in their own right.  So who were the movers and shakers that held this prestigious position during Uno no Sarara's reign?  This episode, we take a look at those who held the position and those who supported them. For more, check out our blogpost:  https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-151 PS:  Hang around to the end (or check the end of the transcript) for information on some possible updates coming to the show. Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is Episode 151: The Dazai no Sochi of the late 7th century   Tsukushi no Masaru was busy.  A new boss was coming in, and he wanted to make sure everything was prepared.  The Dazai may have been about as far as one could get from the capital and still be in Yamato, but it was also the first—and sometimes only—encounter some would have with the archipelago, so there was no excuse to be slacking off.  Of course, this was hardly his first new boss, though for as long as he'd been on the job, each one could well be his last.  He was getting a bit long in the tooth, after all.  Twenty-nine years was a long time to be working in the same position.  As Masaru paused, he thought back on some of the people he'd served.  There was Soga no Akae—he was ambitious.  Apparently he'd been in some rather compromising positions before coming out, but he'd done well enough when he went back.  Shame that he backed the wrong horse. That did bring a chuckle to old Masaru's throat, though.  He remembered when Prince Kurikuma had come out there, to the the Dazai, , and there were still people around who told stories of him.  When those Afumi court stooges had showed up to try and conscript the barrier guards, Prince Kurikuma and his sons just stared them down.  Everyone had been afraid that it would end in bloodshed, or at least that there would be consequences for defying the court, but Kurikuma was adamant, and the messenger had left with his tail firmly between his legs. Then there was Shima. By the time he came, Masaru already knew how everything was supposed to work. He may not have been in charge, but that wasn't his ambition.  It was enough for him to be good at what he did.  He didn't need to go all the way to the Palace and deal with the politics there—there were enough politics out here already.  Shima, though, he was clearly suited for that Palace life.  He was a capable administrator, but Masaru could tell he was ambitious.  When he left, everyone knew that he would be going on to bigger and better things. And now there was another Prince coming out. So they would get the government offices prepared and greet him with proper fanfare.  They'd bring him in and hold the ceremonies, and then they would get down to work.  A stream of officers would present him with what they were working on and what had to happen.  Masaru would be there to help make sure that everything was running smoothly and nothing got too out of hand.  And that was the way things worked out on the edge of the realm.   Welcome back to Sengoku Daimyo.  We are still covering the reign of Uno no Sarara, and, similar to last episode, we are going to continue to talk about the people who made up Yamato at this time.  This episode, more specifically, we are going to be turning away from the capital, in Asuka, and looking all the way over to Tsukushi—modern Kyushu—and at the people who served as Dazai no Sochi, or head of the local government out there, as well as the bureaucrats and staff that worked for them—at least as far we know.  Many of them went on to have considerable careers that took them well beyond Kyushu.  At the same time, we'll take a look at some of the things that happened under their rule as what Aston translates as the "Viceroy of Tsukushi". After that, I have a special announcement about the podcast at the end of the episode, so if you are interested in learning more about what we plan on doing, please listen all the way to the end to hear about some plans for the future. And with that out of the way, let's begin. So we are talking about the position of Dazai no Sochi or the Viceroy of Tsukushi.  Often these people are referred to only as being of the "Tsukushi no Dazai" or the "Tsukushi no Ohomochi".  The term "Sochi" appears later, and we first see this term applied to Prince Kawachi, in 689.  It seems to show up with two different characters, which might be a term from the later Taihou code that was retroactively applied or may refer to an evolution of the position over time.  I'm honestly not sure.  There is still plenty of confusion over what was meant in some of the references. We've discussed this position before on the podcast: This was the sovereign's representative to the world outside of the archipelago.  Not only did the Dazai no Sochi  oversee all of Tsukushi—all of Kyushu— and extensive defensive forces stationed there and in the outlying islands, but they oversaw all diplomatic and trade missions to and from the archipelago.  Envoy missions would come to Tsushima, where they would get a local pilot and send word ahead.  They would then be received at the government center, the Dazai, near modern Fukuoka and Hakata bay.  For most envoys, this was as close as they would ever get to Yamato proper.  They would offload their goods there and be put up at the government supplied quarters in Wogohori.  They would be wined and dined there, entertained as appropriate to their status, while word was sent on to the capital.  In rare cases, envoys would be sent on another journey through the inland sea to Naniwa, and then on to Asuka, but otherwise their journey would end at the Dazaifu.  Any return gifts would come back with the correspondence from the capital, and thus be handed out to the envoys and their escorts before the mission was sent back home to Silla, Tamna, or wherever they had come from. Being the middle man in this operation offered a lot of power and authority, but it also would have been quite lucrative.  While diplomatic missions brought gifts for the court, they also brought  trade goods, of which the Dazai no Sochi could have first  pick.  This is on top of the fact that this position often came with a stipend equaling the labor of hundreds of individuals.  Many of the Dazai no Sochi would serve limited terms, eventually returning to Asuka, where we see them take on powerful positions. Take, for example, our first Dazai no Sochi, Tajihi no Mabito no Shima. Tajihi no Shima was born, we are told, in or around 624 to Tajihi no Maro and a daughter of Ohotomo no Hirafu.  Tajihi no Maro, Shima's father was a powerful noble in the court of Ohoama, aka Temmu Tennou, and he had enough standing that he was one of the named individuals who provided eulogies for Ohoama on the occasion of his passing.   The Tajihi family were quite well placed: they were descendants of Hinokuma no Takata no Miko, aka Senka Tennou, Shima's great-grandfather.  This earned them the kabane of "Mabito", or "True Person" because of their royal lineage.   Tajihi no Shima was placed in charge of the Dazai from at least 682.  His predecessor that we know about is Prince Yagaki, who was dismissed around 676, and we don't know who filled the gap between him and Shima. Shima had quite the run.  We don't know exactly when he returned to the court in Asuka, but it cannot have been later than 689, when we see Awada no Mahito in the position.  A year later, in 690, Shima was made Udaijin, or minister of the right.  That's a huge deal and we will talk about that in a bit, but what did Shima actually oversee during his tenure as Dazai no Sochi? We have quite a few events attributed to him, this reign.  In 686, we see the Tsukushi no Dazai sending tribute in the form of human beings:  Common men and women of Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla, along with 62 priests and nuns.  We aren't told where these men and women came from, but I suspect that they were refugees or captives from all the fighting on the peninsula.  That they were given as tribute suggests to me that they were enslaved—or at the very least they were not free.  If they were uneducated, they were likely put to work as labor, perhaps building out the new capital or opening new farmlands.  Later we see the various missions from Silla around the death of Ohoama, and the back and forth that went on, there, and in 688 the Tsukushi no Dazai entertained Kara, a Minister of Tamna, aka modern Jeju island, who had been sent by the king of that small country.  You may recall that Tamna, while late to the game, may have been one of the last holdouts of an early Japonic speaking people outside of the archipelago. Being the Tsukushi no Dazai, Shima would not have only been concerned with foreign envoys, but also with two other groups of Hayato—specifically the Ohosumi no Hayato and the Ata no Hayato.  Little is known about them, other than that Yamato considered them to be distinct ethnic and cultural groups living in the far south of Kyushu.  We've talked before about how southern Kyushu maintained a significantly different material culture through Kofun period until more recent times.  We also have indication that they had a distinctive shield and even art style—the famous "Hayato shields" appear to have been appropriated by the court, along with a contingent of Hayato men that were expected to act as an exotic guard for the sovereign and the court.  The earliest reliable evidence we have for them is a record from 682.  There are some questions as to whether or not they were related to the groups previously called Kumaso or even the Tsuchigumo, but there is no clear historical or archaeological  evidence linking them other than the common cultural finds in Kyushu more generally. The Ata and Ohosumi Hayato may have been distinct clans or lineage groups living in Ohosumi and the area of modern Satsuma.  We have a record in 687 of the Ata no Hayato attending Ohoama's funeral and presenting a eulogy.  The chiefs who came brought 337 others—a sizeable contingent—and they were all given presents by the court.  Later, we would see presents given out to 174 Hayato by Shima's successor in the Dazai, Awada no Mahito, and then in 692 we know that the court sent priests to preach Buddhism to Ata and Ohosumi.    In 695, Hayato of Ohosumi were entertained in the capital, and they even held a wrestling match for the Queen and her attendants in the area west of Asukadera, by the site of the famous Tsuki tree. So the Hayato would have been another group that Shima no doubt dealt with on a somewhat regular basis in his capacity as Dazi no Sochi—and then later on when he returned to Asuka and took up his new role as Udaijin.   And as I mentioned, that appointment was a Big Deal.  The position of Udaijin had been vacant since Nakatomi no Kane, one of the infamous leaders of the Afumi court, was non-consensually removed from the position—and this plane of existence—when he was executed in 672, at the closure of the Jinshin no Ran.  After that, Ohoama appears to have been gun-shy about sharing power with anyone outside the royal family.  The position had been left vacant for about 18 years.  So what made Uno no Sarara take up Shima as Minister of the Right?  And what about the Minister of the Left, or the Sadaijin? Well, we don't have a Sadaijin, but we do have a Dajodaijin in the form of Prince Takechi, Ohoama's first-born son.  The Dajodaijin was the Prime Minister in charge of the entire Dajokan, the Council of State, made up of the ministers of the left and right and the 8 bureaus of the government.  The Sadaijin and Udaijin served under the Dajodaijin, in that hierarchical order, with the Sadaijin generally being considered higher in precedence.  So it looks like, in this case, they had the Dajodaijin, Prince Takechi to run the Council and Shima, as Udaijin would have been responsible for ensuring the administration of the eight bureaus was properly carried out. That Shima was appointed just under Prince Takechi again shows the power and influence he likely had and the trust he must have had from Uno no Sarara.  Remember, the Crown Prince, Kusakabe, had died before he could take the throne.  Uno was enthroned as Queen, while the Crown Prince, Karu, was still a minor.  Whereas Ohoama had his wife and many sons to help him run things, Uno no Sarara was running thin.  As had been seen with Prince Ohotsu, there was always the threat that one of Ohoama's other sons could be propped up on the throne.  Uno had to look after Karu's birthright, but there was no guarantee that he would make it to adulthood in times before modern medicine.  It appears that Prince Takechi was actually considered the next in line, just in case something happened to Karu before he could ascend the throne, which makes sense that Prince Takechi was also trusted as Dajo Daijin.  Shima's place as Udaijin must have been indicative of similar trust that he would look after the royal family's interests.  This was no doubt helped by the role he played as Dazai no Sochi. As Udajin, Tajihi no Shima went on to have a rather incredible career.  He was given 4 cho of land for his residence.  This appears to be around 10 acres or so—a not inconsiderable amount of land, and it probably refers to the amount of land he was granted in the new Fujiwara capital city.  Later, in the Nara capital of Heijo-kyo, Prince Nagaya's residence was about that size and Fujiwara no Nakamaro's residence is thought to have been about twice that.  This would have given Shima space for multiple buildings, sprawling gardens, servants quarters, quarters for his wives and children, and much more. Tajihi no Shima would continue in his role as Udaijin, and would eventually, be promoted to the position of Sadaijin, a post he held only briefly, as he passed away almost a year later. He was not forgotten, however.  It is thought that he was the model for one of the suitors of Kaguya Hime in the famous story of Taketori Monogatari—the tale of the Bamboo Cutter.  Taketori Monogatari, also known as Kaguya Hime Monogatari, is considered the oldest known story in the Monogatari form.  It was probably written in the late 9th or early 10th century, with references to it appearing in works as early as 909 CE.  This suggests that Tajihi no Shima and others were still remembered, at least in part, over a century later. Shima is also thought to have been the patron of the famous poet, Kakinomoto no Hitomaro, one of the famous 36 immortal poets.  We'll have to include Hitomaro in a later episode, though we might come back to him after this reign, as he isn't mentioned in the Chronicles, but we do have some fragmentary biographical information thanks to his inclusion in the Man'yoshu.  In fact, he's probably one of the most famous poets in the Man'yoshu who is not otherwise mentioned.  We are told that he was the court poet during the reign of Uno no Sarara, so it makes sense that Shima may have very well been his patron and helped him get his start. Now while Shima was back in Asuka, making it big in the court, the position of Tsukushi no Dazai had to be filled, and we are told that the mantle was taken up by Awada no Mahito no Ason.  This name is a bit tricky, as it seems to have two kabane:  Mahito and Ason.  Since his father is said to have been Kasuga no Awada no Omi no Kudara, the assumption seems to be that "Mahito" was his name, rather than his kabane.  Although it was likely pronounced "Mabito" at the time, I'm going to go with the modern pronunciation of "Mahito" in part to distinguish it from the kabane.  A quick side note:  When reading names from this period, we usually see the kabane coming right after the family name, as the kabane is basically a rank for the family and not the individual.  But we do occasionally see the kabane tacked on at the end of a name, as in Awada no Mahito's case.  I would also like to quickly draw your attention to his father's name:  Kudara.  That can also be read as Baekje.  Was this an indication that his father or an ancestor came from the continent, perhaps from Baekje?  Or just that he had close ties to that kingdom?  I couldn't find anything specific, but it seems interesting that he was put in place at the Dazai, where dealing with the continent would have been an important part of his duties. Awada no Mahito was not just a noble of the court, and even if his father was of Baekje descent, that may not have been the main thing that gained him the position.  It may have also had to do with an earlier incident.  We are told that in 653 Mahito was one of those who traveled with the 2nd envoy to the Tang court as a scholar monk.  He would later return to secular life, but that experience must have been a big feather in his cap, helping him land a good position at court.  In fact, in 685, we are told that he was Jikikwoushi rank—a fairly respectable position for anyone at the time—and he apparently tried to get his father raised to the same rank as he was.  Aston translates the record as saying he was willing to give his rank to his father, but it is unclear to me if this means he was offering to give up his rank altogether.  At the very least it seems that he felt awkward outranking his father—a good, filial attitude, it would seem.  However, Ohoama didn't care.  In the past, rank may have been given to entire families, but now the court was giving rank to individuals, and the rank Mahito had earned was his, not his father's.  And so his request was denied. Four years later, Ohoama was gone and Awada no Mahito was sent to the Tsukushi no Dazai.  We are told that he was in that position as of 689.  If that was the position of Dazai no Sochi, however, he didn't hold it for long, as Prince Kawachi was raised up to that position that same year, and here we have a bit of a conundrum.  Mahito is only mentioned as "Tsukushi no Dazai" while Prince Kawachi is specifically mentioned, at least twice, as Tsukushi no Dazai no Sochi.  There are some who suggest that Mahito may have been the Dazai Daini, an assistant to the Dazai no Sochi—effectively the second-in-command it would appear.  This makes some sense, when you consider it, and he may even have been acting Dazai no Sochi until Prince Kawachi was appointed. Of course, because our records are quite lackluster, and we are never actually told when Tajihi no Shima left the position, it is possible that Awada no Mahito was actually the Dazai Sochi for many years leading up to 689, and that Shima had returned to Asuka some time ago.  This is the problem with the way things are written—sometimes they mention a name and sometimes just a position, and rarely do they mention when someone stepped down. Still, Mahito oversaw a few things that we can be somewhat sure about as they happened after he is first mentioned in the position, though it was all in the same year.  For one thing, he is the one who presented gifts to the 174 Hayato in the first month of 689.  This included cloth, ox hides, and deerskins.  He was also there when the Queen sent relief to the Barrier Wardens whose terms were up.  These were the Sakimori, a position set up to defend the archipelago and repel any potential invasions.  I would assume they were regularly rotated out, especially if they were expected to man the fortifications out on some of the islands.  It is interesting that we don't often see them referenced, so it isn't clear to me why the reference was made here—it may have just been a note in one of the sources the Chroniclers were using. Later that same year, we also see garments being given out—likely meaning official court clothing—to the Tsukushi Dazai and others.  This was probably to bring them all in line with the latest formal wear being used in the court in Asuka.  We also know that in the 6th month of that year they entertained the Silla envoys, who were given various presents. And then, two months later, Mahito is out and Prince Kawachi comes in.  At the same time that Prince Kawachi is being made the Dazai no Sochi, our previous Dazai no Sochi, Tajihi no Shima, had his rank and fief increased.   I doubt this was a coincidence, and it is one of the things that, for me, lends credence to the idea that Shima had just then returned to Asuka and Prince Kawachi was his replacement, suggesting that Mahito had really just been in an acting capacity while the change over was taking place. Unfortunately, if we were looking for more information about Prince Kawachi's background, we would be disappointed.  Although he is a prince, probably descended from Nunakura, aka Bidatsu Tennou, we don't have a lot about him.  He—or someone with the same name, since we do see these Princely titles get reused, it seems—is found in the reign of Ohoama traveling with Ohotomo no Yasumaro and Fujiwara no Ohoshima to go entertain Gim Jisyang of Silla.  Later we see a Prince Kawachi delivering eulogies during Ohoama's funeral.  That suggests he held an important position, and that he was somewhat familiar with the continent, but we don't get a whole lot more.  Our next evidence is when he was appointed to the post of Dazai no Sochi in 689, a position he would hold until his death in 694—which may also explain why we just don't see too much of him in the record.  A promising career may have been cut short, as happened all too often back in that day and age. Still, as Dazai no Sochi, he had plenty to keep him busy.  Not a month after he arrived, Isonokami no Maro and Ishikawa no Mishina arrived at the head of a delegation.  They were there to deliver patents of rank to members of the Tsukushi government and to inspect the fortifications at the edge of the archipelago.  These were the same fortifications being manned by the newly arrived Sakimori. Speaking of the members of the Tsukushi government, it took a lot of people to make the Dazaifu work, not just the Sochi giving people orders about what they should do.  There were numerous assistants helping to keep everything running.  Some of them would have just been dealing with the Sochi's own residence, while others were clerks, guards, and more.  It really was a miniature version of the court in Asuka, and would have required a lot of people to tend to it.  And we know of at least one of them:  Tsukushi no Fubito no Masaru, whose imagined thoughts we heard at the top of the episode.  In 691, Masaru was recognized for 29 years of service as a secretary to the Tsuksuhi no Dazai.  Twenty-nine years in place suggests to me that he would have likely been one of the longest serving members of the Tsukushi government center.  He would have known where all the bodies were buried—perhaps quite literally.  While the Dazai no Sochi was often a temporary appointment, sometimes just for a few years, they would have likely leaned on Masaru for his expertise.  This is just like how modern government appointees like ambassadors may come and go, including for political reasons, but they rely on permanent staff, including a lot of locals, to provide the institutional knowledge they need to do their jobs.  One can assume that if Masaru had been successful for 29 years he knew how things were supposed to work.  And so I hope that his superiors made sure to remember that when Secretary's day rolled around. Prince Kawachi didn't make it 29 years, but he made it five.  He might have gone even longer, but he died in office in 694 and was posthumously raised in rank for his service.  History is full of stories, but in real life, the stories don't always follow the expected narratives.  As much as we'd like to think otherwise, good, moral people do not always triumph and sometimes those who do awful things are never punished.  And some times stories come to abrupt ends.  Of course, looking back, it just is what it is.  Prince Kawachi's life becomes little more than a footnote.  And yet, what if he had gone on?  Would he have followed Tajihi no Shima to help become one of the grand ministers of the court?  Unfortunately, we will never know.  He could have been a rising star, but we just know about his passing. Five months after Prince Kawachi's untimely death, he was followed in the post by Prince Mino.  Prince Mino would continue in the position, it seems, through the end of the reign in 697—or at least nobody else was appointed until 700, when Isonokami no Maro—apparently the same one who had previously come out to inspect the fortifications during Prince Kawachi's tenure—was appointed.  Although he came into the position in the next reign, we'll still touch on him, as he was another notable figure at this time. Looking back at Prince Mino, however, we seem to run into a problem—there are too many Princes Mino in the record.  If you just use the English translations, you'll find several references to Prince Mino, but if you look at the original text, you'll see that there are at least three different spellings.  For one it means "Beautiful Field" and another is just "Three Fields".  A third "Mino" is spelled with characters that don't necessarily create obvious meaning, and may just be a phonetic spelling. It is possible that all of these Princes Mino are the same.  Spelling wasn't standard, and different characters could be used for the same name.  On the other hand, we have one set of characters being used to describe a Prince Mino who supported Ohoama during the Jinshin no Ran, while another, the "Three Fields" Prince Mino, describes one of the sons of Prince Kurikuma, who was with his father in Tsukushi when the Afumi court came calling.  Since travel wasn't necessarily an overnight endeavor—unless you were Ohoama, rushing through the mountains to the east—it would seem that the Prince Mino in Tsukushi is unlikely to be the same one as the Prince Mino who joined Ohoama's forces back in the Home Provinces. So let's make the assumption that Prince Mino—Prince "Three Fields" Mino—is one person and the others are separate.  What do we know about him? Well, he appears to have had experience with Tsukushi and the government out  there, since he would be the son of Prince Kurikuma, a former Tsukushi Dazai no Sochi.  We talked about Prince Kurikuma before, back in numerous episodes, but particularly in episodes 128 and Episode 144, as well as references in betweend. Prince Kurikuma was not only a significant factor in the outcome of the Jinshin no Ran, denying the Afumi court the resources of all of the defenders at the Tsukushi fortifications, he shows up in local legends in Tsukushi still today.  So he definitely seems to have had an impact on the region.  It also suggests that Prince Mino had connections in the area through his father. After his father's posting as Dazai no Sochi ended, Prince Mino appears to have returned with him to Asuka.  He is described as a key member in Ohoama's court.  He was one of the Princes mentioned in the audience at the Daigokuden in 681, when Ohoama instituted the commission to bring together the various court sources that we presume would eventually lead to the creation of the Chronicles—the Nihon Shoki and the Kojiki.  Later, he become a daibu, a high official, of the Household Bureau, responsible for the household of the sovereign, the sumera no mikoto.  This meant the upkeep of the palace, the kitchens, and the various servants waiting on the sovereign and his family.  This also means that he was likely close to the movers and shakers of the court. One of the projects under his purview appears to have been the laying out of a new palace and a new capital city.  In 682 he headed up the investigations at the place called Nihiki, determining that it would be a good location for what would eventually become Fujiwara-kyo—a project still underway in Queen Uno's reign.  He was also sent out to Shinano two years later to look for a site for a second capital.  It ended up not happening, but he spent a couple months and eventually came back with a map of the region.  It may be that the Fujiwara-kyo project took up a lot of Mino's time and effort, because we then don't hear from him for another decade, during which Ohama passed away and so much more happened.  Assuming he was still involved with the Fujiwara capital project, however, we see that in 691 there was a ceremony held for the tranquility of the new capital—a Chin-sai or, what we would today call a "Ji-chin-sai".  This is a "land pacification ceremony" done when breaking ground on a new building or other project.  So it looks like planning and land clearing had taken some 10 years, but it was finally ready to get started.  Later that same year we hear of them laying out the residences of high ranking nobles, like the Udaijin, Tajihi no Shima, and we also see the Queen inspecting the roads.  Then, a year later in 692, they were holding the land pacification ceremony for the new palace.  The queen would move into the new palace in the very last months of 694. But by that time, Prince Mino was on to his next assignment.  He had been appointed Tsukushi Dazai no Sochi earlier that year following the death of Prince Kawachi.  Not much more is said of Tsukushi for the next three years of the reign, but we do see the Hayato visiting Asuka, presumably with Prince Mino's assistance. We don't have a clear idea of when Prince Mino retired—it's certainly not in the Nihon Shoki—but we know that he did because he was succeeded in the role by none other than Isonokami no Maro, who would take up the position in 700.  Prince Mino, on the other hand, returned to the court, where he would eventually pass away in the year 708. And that was the last Dazai no Sochi who held the position during this reign, but I do want to talk about the one who came after Prince Mino just a bit—though more because this was an up-and-coming court noble whom we should be watching. Isonokami no Maro was born, by all accounts, in the year 640.  Despite his name he was actually born to a family that we know somewhat well from much earlier on: The Mononobe.  In fact, his father is apparently Mononobe no Muraji no Umaro, and he appears to be descended from the main line of the Mononobe family, which had declined ever since Mononobe no Moriya had been defeated and killed by Soga no Umako and others. And it seems that the Mononobe curse of being on the losing side in a contest for power hit Maro during the Jinshin no Ran, because we see him, at that time referenced as Mononobe no Muraji no Maro, along with two servants, or Toneri, serving Prince Ohotomo—aka Koubun Tennou—up to the very end.  In fact, when Ohotomo fled and the Afumi court deserted him, only Mononobe no Maro and the servants stayed with him when he eventually strangled himself. And one would think that would be it.   You were with the rival for the throne in the most contentious fight in recent memory.  You couldn't protect him and you were on the wrong side.  Sure, Ohoama was going to pardon you because he couldn't just rid himself of half of the court and hope things would still run smoothly—that would be a surefire recipe for disaster, and nobody wanted the government crippled like that.  However, you can't imagine that those on the losing side would be given any position of trust or authority. And yet, in 676, we see that Mononobe no Maro was sent to Silla.  And he wasn't just helping out: he was sent as the chief envoy of Ohoama's court.  That is quite the turnaround in four years, and we don't really know why, but it has been speculated that Ohoama was actually impressed.  While other members of the Afumi court fled and abandoned Ohotomo to his enemies, Maro and the two toneri with him did not, staying with Ohotomo until the bitter end, and likely conveying what had happened to the other side once it was all over.   That kind of loyalty was impressive, especially back then. It is also thought that Maro may have benefited from the fact that Enoi no Okimi, who was also descended from the Mononobe family, fought on the side of Ohoama.  This is a common scenario we see throughout Japanese history, where different members of the same family fight on different sides of a conflict, often meaning that no matter who wins the family can still claim to have been on the winning side.  When Okimi passed away in 676 he was posthumously recognized as the ujigami, or clan head, of the Mononobe, leading some to suspect that a bit of his shine may have rubbed off on Maro as well. In 684, when the various kabane were being rectified by Ohoama's court, the Mononobe no Muraji were included as Ason, or Asaomi.  There is some thought that around this time is when Maro changed his name to Isonokami, which is a name that was previously used by members of the Mononobe, including one of the brothers to Mononobe no Moriya.  We see him mentioned as Isonokami no Maro in 686, as one of those giving a eulogy for Ohoama: specifically he gives the eulogy on behalf of the Houkan, or Nori no Tsukasa, the Judicial officers.  He is mentioned right after Fuse no Miushi, whom we talked about last episode, who would go on to become a Dainagon and, later, Udaijin, or Minister of the Right. The first connection between Isonokami no Maro and Tsukushi was in 689, and we noted it earlier—he came out to inspect the fortifications as well as to hand out patents of rank to the court officials working out there on the edge of the realm.    He would return to Asuka in time to be a part of Uno no Sarara's official enthronement ceremonies.  There he is named Mononobe no Maro, and is in charge of the shields.  Given what we know of the role of the Mononobe as the early soldiers of the court, it makes sense that he would play this role, and that they would use the name Mononobe rather than Isonokami.  In the same way, the ritual was conducted by Fujiwara no Ohoshima, but he is recorded as Nakatomi no Ohoshima, probably because these were roles specifically for the Mononobe and Nakatomi, rather than for the Isonokami and the Fujiwara. This is another thing that can be quite frustrating when researching Japanese history—names can change at the drop of a hat, and people often had various ancestral names and titles that could be pulled out for various political or ceremonial reasons.  If you don't have the history or understand the nuance it can be easy to just think that it is a different person altogether.  And when you don't have much information, sometimes you have to ask yourself which is it? Maro would stay close to Queen Uno, even accompanying her to Ise shrine, and then, in the following reign, he would succeed Prince Mino as Dazai no Sochi in the year 700.  It isn't clear, however, if he left for the Dazaifu immediately, since in 701 he is noted as having been promoted from the office of Chunagon to Dainagon, and in that same year he went with Royal Prince Osakabe to pay respects at the house of the late Udaijin, Tajihi no Shima, who had just passed away.  He then left for Tsukushi in 702—or possibly headed back.  But in 703, he was once again back in Asuka, paying condolences on the death of the next Udaijin, Abe no Miushi—aka Fuse no Miushi, the same one whom Maro had pronounced a Eulogy with during the funeral ceremonies for Ohoama.  Isonokami no Maro would go on to take the mantle of Udaijin, and then eventually Sadaijin as well.  He would be raised up to the second rank, along with the famous Fujiwara no Fubito, who took the vacated position of Udaijin.  This meant that technically Maro was the senior of the two, though many people think that Fujiwara no Fubito held most of the actual power.  Regardless of that, Isonokami no Maro nonetheless would go on to become the highest ranking court noble before his eventual death in 717.  At that point he was 78 years old, by the reckoning of the day, and he had seen multiple sovereigns, several bloody conflicts, and the creation of two permanent capitals—Fujiwara kyo and Heijo kyo, in modern Nara.  He went from being a supporter in the Afumi court, on the wrong side of the Jinshin no Ran to become the highest ranking court noble in the land.  He would be granted the head of the Mononobe family and would continue to prosper as Isonokami.  It was truly a remarkable career over an incredible span of time. And there you have it.  A look at some of those that were sent out to the Dazaifu in Tsukushi.  In later years, the post of Dazai no Sochi would be seen more as a burden than a blessing, but at this point it was still a lucrative and powerful position.  Several of those involved in the Dazaifu or who held the position as Dazai no Sochi would go on to even more powerful positions back in Asuka.  Whilst this posting did move you further away from the politics—perhaps not always a bad thing—it also put you atop a structure where one had considerable power, authority, and autonomy, at least at this point. Next episode we'll get back to the court in Asuka and take a look at a little more of what is going on.  Before I end this, however, a quick administrative note about the podcast.  This creation is a labor of love.  It was started largely as a way to get myself to regularly dive into the Chronicles and really see what was going on.  In particular, I was excited about the Asuka period, because I don't think we really have enough of a sense of what life was like and what was going on back then.  It was clearly a very dynamic time, and yet we tend to see it through the lens of later Nara and Heian court culture, which was still very much evolving.  The stories that I *didn't* know about were what drew me to this project, and I hope that we've all learned a bit more as the project has continued. And we are reaching the end of the area that is covered by the main Chronicles, the Kojiki, the Nihon Shoki, and the Sendai Kuji Hongi, which have been our main guides through this period.  But that doesn't mean we are bringing things to a close. Next we have the Shoku Nihongi and many other grecords, and I am going to keep up with the project and the schedule as best I can.  In fact, it looks like I may be able to devote even more time to it in the near future as some drastic life changes are coming for me, such that I will no longer be working a 9-to-5 job while also trying to get this podcast out like clockwork twice a month—not to mention my other passion, teaching traditional Japanese martial arts here in the DC region at a local not-for-profit dojo.  This is happening as we are also in the process of building a house, traveling, and more.  But it does mean that we are going to be looking into alternative sources of funding beyond just donations.  We are eternally grateful to everyone who has donated, but I may end up doing something that I've been putting off for a while: allowing advertisements.  I want to do this so that we can continue to offer this for podcast for free, but hosting, staying up to date on sources, etc. does cost money.  I'm not looking to make a huge profit, but if we can at least get the podcast paying for itself, that would be a good start. Before I do that I'll look to find a way that we can get subscribers on Patreon and elsewhere ad-free copy.  I just need to figure that out, but once I do, I'll let you all know. So there you have it.  We aren't going to stop the podcast, but we may be adding a bit more to it in the future.  I hope, though, that we can do more beyond the historical chronicles.  For instance, did you know that we have an English translation of a 17th century cookbook up on our website, SengokuDaimyo.com?  I would love to redact those recipes and maybe provide some cooking videos for anyone who would want to try them.  A shoutout to Max Miller of Tasting History, who reached out to us about using a couple of our translations for his episodes on historical Japanese cooking – Max is a great guy and his series and cookbook are well worth following.  But there's a lot more to explore: one of my favorites so far that we've tried is "keiran", or "eggs": doughy balls filled with brown sugar and cooked in a miso based soup.  I don't know if there is anything like that still being served in Japan, but it's a strange and pleasant recipe and I would love to do that again and record it for everyone to try. All of this is in the works, and nothing will change immediately, but I wanted to keep you all in the loop.  Thank you so much for listening, I can't tell you how much it means. And of course, as always, if you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

Rob, Ed, and Cordell discuss why it feels premature to already assume that the Spurs will be right back in the NBA Finals next year.

Hey, Comedy Lovers! ✤ Welcome to "Ian Lara" ⭐ All advice is bad advice, please do adult things and put this podcast on in the background.

Send us Fan MailWhat if one of the biggest missing pieces in teacher retention is how we support mentor teachers?In this episode, Becca talks with John Pascarella, professor of clinical education at USC and Chief Academic Officer of the USC Race and Equity Center, about why mentor teachers are often asked to support new teachers without the training, role clarity, compensation, or coaching they actually need.They unpack why being a great teacher does not automatically make someone a great mentor, how mentoring adults requires a different skill set, and why schools need to stop treating mentorship like informal volunteer work.This conversation is for instructional coaches, school leaders, district leaders, and teacher leaders who want to strengthen new teacher support, improve teacher retention, and build more effective mentoring systems in schools.John's Info:Faculty profile  |  CCTE Policy Brief (free download, includes my brief on mentor teachers)  |  Learning Policy Institute (Stanford University)Buy "The Resistance Solution" here!Let's Stay Connected!Website  |  Instagram |  Twitter |  Linkedin |  Facebook |  Contact Us

Welcome to the third episode of Group Dentistry Now & Black Talon Security's Dental Cyber Watch Live. As dental groups rush to adopt artificial intelligence, many are spending on tools no one uses and feeding patient data into platforms no one controls. The result is wasted budget, hidden liability, and growing security exposure. In this episode of Dental Cyber Watch Live, Bill Neumann (CEO, Group Dentistry Now) sat down with Gary Salman (Co-founder and CEO, Black Talon Security) and Matthew McGaw (founder, DSO Compass; co-founder, Relay) to unpack the promise and peril of AI in dentistry. The clear message for DSOs of every size: AI is transformative, but only when paired with governance, training, and due diligence. Here are the key takeaways. Shadow AI: The Risk You Can't See Shadow AI is the unmonitored use of large language models — ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude — by employees without policy, oversight, or controls. Staff turn to these tools to work faster. The problem is that no one is watching what data goes in. Salman described the scope at a recent DSO event with roughly 20 leaders, representing practices from 10 to 200-plus locations. Most reported a mix of LLMs already in use across their teams. Few had standard operating procedures governing what could be entered. Fewer still had any technology to monitor that activity. The exposure is real. Information uploaded to a free model may be anonymized, but it can resurface when others ask similar questions. "When the product's free, you're the product. They're not doing you a favor." — Gary Salman, Black Talon Security For an organization handling protected health information, that is a compliance event waiting to happen. The fix doesn't require shutting AI down — it requires structure: enable privacy settings so platforms don't train on your data, write SOPs that define what can and cannot be entered, and train staff on why it matters. The AI Graveyard: Paying for Tools No One Uses The "AI graveyard" is where promising technology goes to die. It's the software a DSO bought with enthusiasm, then abandoned because of poor implementation, failed training, low adoption, or clunky integration — while the subscription keeps billing. McGaw pointed to two familiar culprits: "shiny object syndrome" and the "Hawaiian shirt guy effect," where a charismatic salesperson wins the room and the product never fits the problem. Neumann offered a grounded example. Some automations at Group Dentistry Now worked well. Others proved clunky and were better handled manually. A buried tool isn't just a wasted subscription. It drains training hours, erodes staff confidence in future rollouts, and makes the next investment harder to champion. The escape route is unglamorous but reliable: plan, implement, and train before you scale. Roll out to a small group, confirm adoption, refine the workflow, then expand. Design Backward, Build Forward The smartest framing of the conversation came from a concept Salman credited to Andy Farina of Destination DSO: design backward, build forward. Understand the problem you're solving first, then align products to it — never the reverse. Most purchasing runs backward. A leader sees an exciting tool, then invents a reason to need it. McGaw captured the trap: "Sometimes the problem that they think they have to solve isn't always the problem that is really the problem." Salman's advice for separating substance from hype was blunt: "Stay away from the shiny penny and buy the gold." Before any AI purchase, leaders should define the problem, set clear criteria for success, evaluate fit against those criteria, and only then buy. Vendor Due Diligence — and Who's Really Liable Many DSO leaders misunderstand a critical point: under HIPAA, breach liability sits with the healthcare entity — the DSO — not the software or technology provider. Assuming the vendor carries that risk is a dangerous shortcut. That makes cyber due diligence non-negotiable. Before signing with any AI vendor, ask: How do they access, store, and share data? Who, specifically, has access to it? What security measures protect it? Salman's larger point: security should be the first question in any technology evaluation, not the last. Too often it's raised only after the contract is signed and the data is already flowing. Building AI Securely The throughline of the discussion was AI governance, risk, and compliance treated as a foundation, not an afterthought. For organizations handling patient data, that distinction separates innovation from exposure. Leaders should expect real safeguards from any tool touching PHI: scrubbing confidential data like dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and patient health information on upload; annotating sources so answers can be traced; flagging possible hallucinations; and hashing files to protect their integrity. Pair those safeguards with disciplined implementation, and today's investment doesn't become tomorrow's graveyard occupant. Protecting What You've Built AI is a genuine opportunity for DSOs willing to pair ambition with discipline. The risk isn't the technology — it's deploying it without control. Three steps to start now: Audit current AI usage to learn which tools your team uses and what data flows into them. Establish AI governance and SOPs before the next tool goes live. Make vendor security due diligence standard, with security as the opening question. Is your DSO adopting AI faster than it can secure it? Get these fundamentals in place, and AI stops being a liability waiting to surface — and becomes the advantage it promised to be for your practice and your patients. Get the MAX Surgical Specialty Management Case Study: https://dso.pub/4v8OwfP  

#RingRust with my musicular #BattleRoyaleWithCheese chat, as I pit #Wrestlecrap Against #KayfabeNews! & #TagMeIn as I continue to celebrate the wrestling epicness of every wrestler's favourite Nu Metal band, in the #3wayDanceOff! ~ ~ ~ I'd like to hear from you! Please drop me a line @ ring-rust@hotmail.com {Subject Line: Ring Rust} & let me know what you like {or dislike} about my show! I'm always on the lookout for constructive criticism {if you want playlists again, start giving me feedback, people!}  ~ ~ ~ Check out my #Unboxing videos, all that snazzy anti-social media & support all my shows http://markjabroni.mysite.com/ ~ ~ ~ RECORDED LIVE @ the Holy Smackdown Hotel in Sunny St. John's NL!  & BROADCAST @ CHMR FM in sunny St. John's NL! Learn more @ https://www.chmr.ca/ If you want to contribute to Betty Cisneros' Stage 4 Cancer treatment, please donate @ https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-betty-battle-her-cancer-away & if you wanted to contribute to the surgeries of wrestling veteran Lufisto, you can check out her store @ http://www.lufisto.com/store-1/ SHOW NOTES... 0:03:38 Battle Royale With Cheese: Join the Dark Order, Bruv! 0:05:32 Musicular Interlude 1 0:14:01 Battle Royale With Cheese: Let's Just Say... Wrestlemania Tickets Are Hella-Expensive, Yo! 0:15:23 Musicular Interlude 2  0:21:31 Battle Royale With Cheese: We'll Vinnie-Ru the Day He Retires, Bro! 0:22:53 Musicular Interlude 3 0:32:46 Battle Royale With Cheese: Viva La Rudo Administración Spacio Aeronáutica, Defending the United Mexicool States! 0:33:55 Musicular Interlude 4 0:41:48 Assuming the Intermissionary Position 0:48:56 This Week's Macho Fact 0:59:00 Wrestler Birthdays...  1:00:20 Musicular Interlude 5 1:11:09 This Week's 3-Way Dance-Off: Hawt Mess! 1:24:36 Battle Royale With Cheese: WRESTLING!? DURING A WRESTLING SHOW!?!? 1:26:09 Musicular Interlude 6 1:35:06 Battle Royale With Cheese: Jive Turkey Hair Transplants! 1:36:32 Musicular Interlude 7 1:44:13 Podcast Extra 

SUMMARY: If the cost of public AI continues to rise, because of various market shortages, should CIOs start looking at backup plans to better own their AI journeys and futures?SHOW: 1035SHOW TRANSCRIPT: The Enterprise AI Show #1035 TranscriptSHOW VIDEO: https://youtu.be/ngBBpP2LgdoSHOW SPONSORS:ShareGate - ShareGate Protect. Microsoft 365 Governance, we got this!Nasuni - Activate your data for AI and request a demoOutShift by Cisco - “Scaling Out Superintelligence”  The Internet of Cognition architectureSHOW NOTES:THESIS: Between pending IPOs (Wall St. demands), high user-demand, GPU/TPU shortages, Data Center shortages, Model prices increasing (open models fading away), the cost of using AI is going to get more expensive over time. Should CIOs start thinking about a Backup plan to their current AI adoption that has lower cost alternatives?Topic 1 - Assuming you could get access to GPUs/TPUs/Accelerators, and suitable data center space to host them, what would be your thinking as a CIO if you felt like you needed to own some aspect of your AI roadmap/journey? Topic 2 - Assuming the normal “Shadow AI” backlash that you'd receive for offering something that wasn't “frontier” level, how would you go about trying to communicate that within your organization?Topic 3 - What metrics or KPIs would you initially target to try and get buy-in that your approach was acceptable and moving towards the company goals?FEEDBACK?Email: show @ the enterprise ai show dot comeBluesky: @TheEntAIShow.bsky.socialTwitter/X: @TheEntAIShowInstagram: @TheEntAIShow

Too many preps and not enough time? Let's make your planning period actually work for you.Reserve your spot in the Unit Planning Lab here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/unit/?ref=podcastPlanning for the next school year? If your day is organized by class period, your planning calendar should be too. Grab my Editable Class Period Calendar here: https://khristenmassic.com/secondarycalendarpodGet the Planning Period Reset Toolkit—a free set of quick-start tools to help you protect your time, focus faster, and finally finish something… even during chaotic school days. https://khristenmassic.com/resetShop my Teachers Pay Teachers store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Khristen-Massic-Cte-Teacher-CoachSummer's calling, but before you dash out the classroom door, host Khristen Massic wants you to hit pause—and try a 10-minute end-of-year reset for teachers. This episode of The Secondary Teacher Podcast locks in on a step most teachers skip: actually recording what worked in your classroom before summer vacation nukes the memory of it. Let's face it, secondary teachers juggling multiple preps live in two extremes. You're either mapping out next year before the students' chairs are cold, or you completely shut your teacher brain down until the “oh no, school starts next month” panic hits.Khristen has been in those shoes. She admits she used to mentally check out for weeks, only to return to campus with fuzzy memories about what actually worked during the year. You know the drill—at the start of the year, she'd remember that IDEO shopping cart video lesson being a legendary multi-day event. Reality? It was just four short clips, barely one class period. And every time, the same thing happened: video ended, discussion fizzled (because let's be honest, week one kids don't exactly light up for deep debates), and with too much class time left on the clock, she'd let them get out their phones. Now, with cell phone bans tightening up classroom routines, that's not even an option.The classic mistake? Assuming you'll remember the details come next year. In truth, if you haven't written down exactly what happened—the details, the logistics, what actually worked and why—you're setting yourself up to scramble again. That's why Khristen is flipping the script. Forget a full curriculum overhaul or an all-day reflection session. All you need is a timer and a willingness to spend ten focused minutes jotting down the realities of what went down in your room.The beauty of this 10-minute end-of-year reset for teachers is in keeping it small and honest. Don't try to fix the whole school year in one go. Pick one class, one unit, or one familiar project. Anchoring your reflection on “what worked well enough that I would absolutely use it again?” and “what do I need to remember about how it actually ran?” beats more abstract reflection questions every time. Khristen warns that remembering the logistics—like how long a lesson really takes, or that students won't talk much in the first week—can save you major headaches come August.This approach is especially gold for secondary classroom teachers managing multiple preps at once. You don't have time to micromanage color-coded Google Drives or overhaul your entire resource library every June. What you do need: scattered, real-world notes about what went right (and what tripped you up) so planning in July or August starts where you left off, not from a blank slate.Once you've built some reflection into your routine, there's an easy add-on: Khristen suggests a light system cleanup inspired by a pared-down 5S process. Delete duplicate files, label resources, organize one folder—just enough to clear the cobwebs. Every tiny system reset now will pay off for your future self when the back-to-school madness swings back around.If hearing all this makes you think, “Hey, everyone else seems so on top of things and I'm barely treading water”—guess what, you're not alone. Khristen was the type to check out for half the summer too, and losing track of what made her classroom tick only made the August scramble worse. This episode is your permission slip to ditch perfection and make room for small teacher tips that actually stick.So, if you're a middle or high school teacher balancing way too many preps (or just sick of the annual August amnesia), this episode is for you. The 10-minute end-of-year reset for teachers, paired with bite-sized systems cleanup, is your new secret weapon for work life balance in the secondary classroom. No need to go all-in, just go honest and go small.This year, don't let summer wipe away lessons hard-won. Pause for those 10 deliberate minutes—future you will be damn glad you did.Hit reset, don't regret it.

What if the distance you feel in your marriage isn't about love at all, but about a bank account that has quietly run low? In episode three of the Summer of Intimacy series, Christa dives into one of Gottman's most powerful research findings, positive sentiment override, and the hidden force that erodes it faster than almost anything else: mental load. If you have been quicker to snap, quicker to assume the worst, or quicker to feel alone even when your spouse is right there, this episode will give you the language for what is actually happening and a way back toward each other. Plus, Christa shares how she and Wes put last week's love maps questions into practice on a real date this week, and how you can do the same. The Awakening Intimacy waitlist is now open, link in show notes. Show notes:⁠ Get on the waitlist so you can get info about our Awakening Intimacy Intensive! ⁠Get your E + M Love Map Questions Freebie here!⁠ Stay tuned for our Summer Intensives, Awakening Intimacy (track 1) and Awakening Adventure (track 2) beginning the week of July 13! Scroll down on our podcast page to find episodes on intimacy ⁠⁠here!⁠⁠ https://www.enneagramandmarriage.com/pod Find more about your type, the pod, freebies, and SO much more at our website right here! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.EnneagramandMarriage.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Love what you're learning on E + M? Make sure you leave us a podcast review so others can find us, too⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ here!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get Christa's Best-Selling Book, The Enneagram in Marriage, here! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://a.co/d/df8SxVx Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stand-up comedian and ‘Gangster Chef' Jourdain Fisher joins the show this week to discuss POV videos, the Love Island Cancellations, and what constitutes a ‘serious relationship.' Check out Jourdain's new special “Bits & Pieces” on YouTube starting June 23rd! Hey, Comedy Lovers! ✤ Welcome to "Ian Lara" ⭐ All advice is bad advice, please do adult things and put this podcast on in the background.

As we learn that Serena Williams is returning to pro tennis, we take this opportunity to discuss what it is that drives pro athletes to come back? After years of nagging injuries, and some one-sided losses, Serena is coming back. She's not the first and won't be the last. Assuming money isn't the driver -- what is?YouTube: youtube.com/15goodminutesBlueSky: @15goodminutes.bsky.socialemail: rusty@15goodminutes.comTwitter: twitter.com/15goodminutes

Type 3s are probably the most comfortable type when it comes to giving feedback: direct, efficient, and genuinely invested in bringing people along toward success. But that same drive that makes feedback feel natural can also cause it to miss the mark. In this Starting Monday episode, we're breaking down three things Type 3s should keep doing and three things worth reconsidering, so your feedback actually lands.What You'll Hear in This EpisodeType 3s are wired to go far and go fast. That energy is an asset in feedback conversations...until it isn't. When efficiency skips the human element, even the most well-intentioned feedback can feel abrupt, harsh, or like a performance management move rather than genuine investment. This episode walks through small but meaningful tweaks that can make your feedback land the way you actually intend it to.3 Things to DO as a Type 3 When Giving FeedbackLead with genuine belief in their potential. You already see what people are capable of. Make sure they know that before you get into the issue. That context changes everything about how the feedback is received.Be direct and specific about what needs to change and what success looks like. This comes naturally to you, so keep leaning into it. Bonus: ask what success looks like for them too. When you can align your definition of success with theirs, the feedback becomes something you're both working toward together.Keep it future-focused. Type 3s naturally have a "jump and the net will appear" mentality, bring that same energy to feedback. Frame the conversation around where you're headed, not just what went wrong. That forward-facing message is more motivating for the other person and honestly more natural for you.3 Things to AVOID as a Type 3 When Giving FeedbackRushing through the emotional part to get to the action items. Even a simple "I know this might be hard to hear..." creates space for the other person to feel like you get them, not just manage them. Emotions that come up aren't a detour. They're often important information.Assuming everyone else loves direct feedback as much as you do. Some types, think 2s, 9s, maybe 7s, need a little more relational cushioning before they can actually hear what you're saying. A small amount of rapport-building upfront makes the feedback that much more effective. It's not a waste of time. It's what makes the directness work.Delivering feedback in passing. The hallway-between-meetings efficiency instinct is real for Type 3s, but what feels like getting it done can feel like an ambush to the other person. Give feedback its own space, even if it's brief, so it can actually move the needle.A Phrase to Try"I'm telling you this because I think you have what it takes, and I don't want anything to get in the way of that."Put it at the beginning, the end, or both. It signals exactly why you're having this conversation, and for a Type 3, that's genuinely true.Resources + Next Steps1) Have something to add? If you're a Type 3 and want to push back, validate, or add something to the list (or if you work with a Type 3!) and want to share what you appreciate about how they give feedback, we'd love to hear from you at enneagrammba.com/contact.2) If you want to keep building your leadership communication by type, grab the Enneagram Manager's Prompt Pack, a practical, downloadable guide organized by real workplace situations so you always know what to say and how to say it. Find it at enneagrammba.com/resources.Enneagram MBA is a team training and leadership development company based in the Louisville metro area. We help organizations build self-aware, high-performing teams, using insights from the Enneagram.Want to be notified when Claude responds?NotifySonnet 4.6Have a request for a future episode? Drop a text here! 

There's a body of research that says the clothes you wear don't just change how others see you — they change how you see yourself. Kelly traces this idea from her conversation with Denver high school principal Steve Day back to a foundational psychology study, and lands somewhere unexpected: that identity might be less something you earn and more something you assume. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Assuming the best and believing God's promises

A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. Tonight's APEX Express show is focused on food justice and Asian America. First, Host Miko Lee talks with artist Macy Tran about their work on food as a form of resistance, and then she speaks with researcher Dr. Milkie Vu around her work on food insecurity and Asian American communities.   Show TRANSCRIPT [00:00:00] Opening: Apex Express Asian Pacific expression. Community and cultural coverage, music and calendar, new visions and voices, coming to you with an Asian Pacific Islander point of view. It's time to get on board the Apex Express.   [00:00:30] Miko Lee: Welcome to Apex Express. I'm your host, Miko Lee, and tonight we're talking about food justice and Asian America. First, we talk with artist Macy Tran about their work on food as a form of resistance, and then we speak with researcher Dr. Milkie Vu around her work on food insecurity and Asian American communities. Join us tonight as we delve into food justice. Welcome to Apex Express, Macy Tran, I'm so happy to meet you.    [00:01:03] Macy Tran: I'm happy to meet you as well, Miko. Thanks for having me.   [00:01:06] Miko Lee: I just wanna start with the question I ask all of my guests, which is, who are your people and what legacy do you carry with you?    [00:01:13] Macy Tran: I come from a legacy of powerful Vietnamese people who were born and raised in Vietnam and now are part of the diaspora in Minnesota. I come from food peoples and healers and chefs and creatives of all sorts who have learned how to make ends meet and to adapt and to work with what they have. I come from a long line of people who have loved through food and who have used food as a means of cultural preservation and education and survival, which has now been passed on to me. There's so much to say about who I come from. My grandparents have stories of survival and resilience throughout the American War in Vietnam. And it's only because of just their love and the decisions they've made on behalf of their love that I am here today. My parents own a restaurant in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Vietnamese restaurant called Pho 79/Caravelle That has a 40 plus year legacy of serving Chinese and Vietnamese food to the Minneapolis community. It started with my grandma's brother, and then it passed down to my grandma. And now my grandma has since passed and has passed it down to my father and my mother. And so I like to say that it's restaurant people who raised me. I grew up sleeping in the booths and all of the aunties, even though they weren't blood aunties were my aunties. Because our survival was just so foundationally just predicated on food and what we served and shared with others, and also what we ate at home and the celebrations that we would have both at the restaurant and at home. This is really what makes me.    [00:03:20] Miko Lee: Thank you for sharing. Do you wanna talk more about the legacy part?   [00:03:24] Macy Tran: I carry a legacy of peoples who really know the importance of food and the way we use food to care and support each other. Even in the most hard of times when my family was. On a boat with 200 other people and didn't know if they were going to survive when they kind of landed abroad. The shores of Indonesia, food has been with them throughout it all, and it is how I was raised to love and care for people. I see the ways that food is not just a means for sustenance, but also as joy, as creativity, as love, and I carry all of those, decisions and skills with me.    [00:04:19] Miko Lee: Thank you so much. I learned first about your book when I read a piece that you wrote for 18 million Rising, and I'm wondering if you could just talk about how that piece around food as a form of resistance, how did that come about?   [00:04:33] Macy Tran: I have a friend who works with 18 million Rising, and since the federal occupation in Minneapolis, I've been doing a lot of food justice organizing here. And it has been a way in which I have seen and expressed just the skills and love that I give to my community. I was just feeling compelled to give food. That was what I knew. In the past two months as my friends have been going out on the streets following ICE agents around legally observing, I have felt that my role in this movement is to feed frontline folks who are out doing the work and also feeding our community during a time in which it's very scary and difficult to leave your home without fear of being abducted. In Minneapolis we have created systems of, food resource sharing that have been really powerful to witness and experience and to get engaged with. And so one way that I've been doing it is I've been cooking community meals most Sundays, sometimes Saturdays that feed 200 plus people.   [00:05:47] I am providing delicious food for my friends who are out on the streets and coming home and hungry and cold. And I also helped facilitate and organize a food distribution at my parents' restaurant after the murder of Alex Preti I really wanted to not just be involved in like acting and responding to what was happening but as an artist, as a creative, I felt the need for also remembering and preserving and reflecting about what's been going on in Minneapolis. I kept being pulled in all these different directions and was organizing over here and supporting this community and doing this. And then when my friend reached out to me at 18 million Rising,. It was such a great opportunity for me to really reflect on my practice of food as resistance and food as justice. I've been a food writer in the Twin Cities for about the past three years. Food, events, I mostly cover restaurant stories and festivals and theater and all that sort of stuff in the BIPOC community here in the Twin Cities. And I realized writing this piece that this was the first time in a while, that I had written something actually for myself from my heart that was in my voice. Without an editor saying, no, you have to say it this way. No, we have to cut that part out. No, you use too many words here, and so I really took this piece as an opportunity to share what my life was like here in my own words and my own experiences. And just use it as a moment to really reflect and share the things that I'm learning and the way that I am practicing and using food as a bridge to healing and transformation during this time in which we are ripe for needing that.   [00:07:47] Miko Lee: Can you roll back a little bit and talk to me about how you got started as an organizer? What, when you first learned about social justice work and what pulled you in?   [00:07:56] Macy Tran: It definitely wasn't the way that I was raised. I was born in the us my parents were born in Vietnam and then came over to the US and they really raised me with the mentality of you just put your head down and you work hard and you don't really get involved. And like, yeah, you care for others, but mostly you care for your family. I was actually someone who was always butting heads with my family because I was like, do you not see all of these issues that are happening in the world? Like the issue, the systems that were implicated in. We have to care beyond just ourselves, and we would always butt heads about that.   [00:08:33] Miko Lee: At what age did that start?    [00:08:35] Macy Tran: Oh, probably when I was a teenager. around that time I was finding my voice. and it wasn't until college that I really started putting words and frameworks and theory into what I have already witnessed in my family and my community, which is just community care and the ways that facilitates justice and transformation I would say since college that I really started actively organizing primarily on campus. I went to a smaller liberal arts school. So organizing and just getting involved in our community in that way was pretty easy. And like after I graduated college, I spent five years in Southeast Asia, one year in Vietnam, and then four years in Thailand where I was primarily working at the intersections of education and refugee justice and environmental justice. I got to meet all sorts of organizers and activists from across the region who have taught me. Really everything, a lot of what I know about organizing and what it means to show up specifically within a Southeast Asian context and how to use kind of my feet in both worlds, both my American political identity and my Southeast Asian political identity.   [00:09:59] And to merge those for the better and for my community. So I would say that. I've always had a big heart ever since I was little. And actually my parents were always like, you are too trusting. You people are gonna take advantage of you in the world. And I was like, I just wanna live in this world with so much love. And the way that they taught me to do that was. Through food and through reliability and just what it means to show up consistently for my people. And so in some ways it was all baked into me, even though they might not see that and they might not have raised me in that way. I see the ways in which they have sacrificed for love and nourished their families through food and made incredibly scary risks for the freedom of their family and for their people, and for a new life. And I just feel like I'm walking in their footsteps, doing the same even if they might not feel that way.    [00:11:09] Miko Lee: So did you have to talk your family and the restaurant into getting involved in the food support work for activists in Minnesota?   [00:11:18] Macy Tran: it wasn't a challenging conversation to have and I was surprised by that.    [00:11:22] Miko Lee: Oh, great.    [00:11:23] Macy Tran: Um, yeah, my parents have been, actually, this is the most politically active and vocal I have seen them. It's really incredible. I would say that for a lot of actually the Vietnamese community that I've been witnessing in Minneapolis, like they're saying things that I never thought that they would say. They're putting analysis like what together? The Vietnamese community is, I would say, skews at least the older generation, I should say. The older generation of Viet folks skews pretty right wing, conservative Republican, Trump supporting. And I'm just seeing dissent for the first time. It's not always like that explicit, but it is, I would say in the past what I've seen is just like. When kind of rightwing or more Republican opinions come up, if people disagree with that, it's just like you're just quiet. But now I'm seeing a way in which like people are responding, commenting on social media, like posting publicly about it. It's just been really, really powerful. When I first started organizing in response to the federal occupation, my parents were really quite worried and they did not want me to get involved. And they didn't really understand why I felt compelled to do this. And then when Alex Prety was murdered, I. It was actually my auntie, my mom's youngest sister that brought up the idea of a food distribution because she was feeling like I just wanna do something and like, what is an avenue in which we can do something? Well, we have this restaurant. Mm-hmm. And so she proposed it to my parents first, which Oh    [00:13:05] Miko Lee: wow.   [00:13:06] Macy Tran: Love, shout out to her because    [00:13:09] Miko Lee: Thank you, auntie.    [00:13:10] Macy Tran: She did right. She did the hard work for me. I think I would've been a little more hesitant or would've taken a little bit more time to just process, like how to go about asking them, because there's just a different power dynamic there. Sure. But because my auntie is more of a peer mm-hmm. And she had this idea and she has also worked at the restaurant mm-hmm. For many, many years of her life. I think it really spoke to my parents and I think it really was a moment for them to connect the ways that this restaurant is so important to not only our family and how we show up in community, but also to our community in Minneapolis. Mm-hmm. I have traveled all across the world and have met people who have eaten at Pho 79 and have told me stories of getting engaged there, of getting a tattoo of the, like restaurant on their, on their arm. The, the logo. Yeah, the logo. It's crazy, you know, like people, and I've also heard generations of families like growing up on my parents' food. Mm-hmm. As we share food with people and they support our business, it's only because of our community that we've been able to survive this far you know?. My parents came to Minnesota with nothing, and it's only because of the kindness of other Minnesotans and other Vietnamese Minnesotans that we were able to get anywhere.   [00:14:35] In this moment they saw that and they saw that. We can, we have these resources. This won't be hard for us. We have everything here that we need. This is the channel in which we can work in. And yeah, they were just ready to do it. I think also my parents were ready to take a risk because the business was not doing well, we weren't, there were not people coming out to eat. Everyone was scared to go out to eat. People were not really spending money. And this was really ever since the pandemic and the way that has impacted the restaurant industry and particularly immigrant businesses, and then also the George Floyd uprisings and the way that just the, violence and also the transformation that happened to the street that we were on Eat Street. It just really changed the ways people saw that corridor, that business corridor. And it was a really big business impact. And so my dad was just, I think, in a place where he was really willing to take a risk and a stand for what he believed in. And my mom as well. As a way to also just like. Really be present in community and show that, hey, like we are out here and we believe in loving our community and seeing the ways that people are showing up for our community as and for our business as well. And honestly, since the food distribution business has been steady and I think. My parents are, I mean, they're definitely feeling relieved, but I'm just feeling so grateful that they stood on their values, you know, and they stood grounded in that. And as a result, like the community is reciprocating. and that is such a beautiful thing that I don't, I think my dad took a risk not knowing what would happen, because more exposure is not always good. And I've been telling him that, you know, especially with the Vietnamese community being, of, of his genera generation being more right wing and more conservative. He recognizes that and he recognizes that we had to do something. So I feel so proud of them for just being really chill and okay, and actually impassioned and compelled to do something.   [00:16:57] Miko Lee: It sounds like it brought you a little bit closer with your family too.    [00:17:00] Macy Tran: Definitely. Definitely did. Yeah. I feel like me and my family have never really been able to sit at a table and talk about politics and what's going on in the world without one of us just like getting activated or feeling defensive or not seeing each other. It is a terrible thing what has happened and what continues to happen in our city, under federal occupation and so much beauty and creativity and love has come from it. And I even feel that at the most micro scale between me and my parents.    [00:17:39] Miko Lee: Can you, share with us that are not located in Minnesota, what the experience is like of this federal occupation on a day to day? Like, we're talking today on March 2nd, and I say that because our world, everything's changing every day and this is gonna air on a separate day. So I wanna name that. So right now, what is it like when you're just walking through the streets in downtown Minneapolis ?   [00:18:01] Macy Tran: Yeah. It's interesting because when you ask me this, I think about my experience like a month ago and how different it was and it felt to walk around a month ago compared to now. A month ago. It. I was seeing a neighbor on every corner of major streets, like looking for ice. You know, I was seeing car caravans, honking and following ICE agents. It's interesting 'cause like I actually just had a friend visit from Milwaukee and. She was nervous about ice. She's Asian American as well, and she was like, should I be scared? What's actually going on? And I told her, actually, yes, what's going on is scary and violent. And I feel so safe because I am meeting neighbors I have never met before. I'm making small talk with people who are just. Out on the streets walking their dog in a way that they would not normally, I'm talking to business owners, we're talking about the impacts of this occupation. Everywhere I go, there were eyes and that felt really powerful and strong. And now that operation Metro Surge is technically over they are supposed to be withdrawing ICE agents from the city. I would say there is definitely a decrease in the number of ICE agents in our city. Activity is much slower. However I would say out in the suburbs of Minneapolis and St. Paul, they are seeing action and enforcement from ICE agents. That is. Either at the, kind of the same amount that we were receiving or escalated. The concentration is higher out in the suburbs And so even though things were quieter in the city, they were elsewhere. And    [00:19:57] Miko Lee: yeah, I just saw videos this morning of protesters that were peacefully marching that just got tackled. Actually by Minnesota Sheriff's department working in conjunction with ice. I know every state in every region is a little bit different. But I thought that was something that Governor Waltz was working on right?    [00:20:15] Macy Tran: So actually the city ordinance that you are talking about is actually on a Minneapolis City level. So that was a decision made by Mayor Fray. Oh, that's only city. So it's only MPD, Minneapolis Police Department, who is not supposed to assist in, federal and right. Federal enforcement. However, on a county level, that's different. I see. So sheriffs might be working with, I know it's like, so complic, what a mess complicated. I    [00:20:41] Miko Lee: know. This is the same, I mean, this is the same everywhere, right? Mm-hmm. It's all broken down. Okay. So, so I think I hear you saying that ICE has kind of moved on with the targeted big city approach and they're going out into the suburbs instead. Is that right?    [00:20:57] Macy Tran: Yes. There are still protestors, and observers going every day to the Whipple building. The Whipple building is where ICE agents are coming from, and so they have definitely recorded a decrease in the number of ICE vehicles. So the volume isn't as high, but the cars are still coming and we're still seeing enforcement and violence in our neighborhoods. Just the other day, just a few streets down, a person was abducted in our neighborhood in Minneapolis. And because the volume isn't as high, they're not as easily able to track. And so they're working a lot more under the radar. Yeah. Mm-hmm. And their tactics have become just a lot more. Under the radar as well. In the early days in January, it was really easy to identify ICE out-of-state license plate, tinted windows. Big vehicles like super easy. Nowadays they're putting like coexist bumper stickers and little things on their dashboards and like, you know, driving little sedans and it's definitely not as easy and they're moving a lot more covertly. And because Operation Metro Surge has technically decreased and because many of our frontline activists have been working at this for months and are getting tired. Mm-hmm. There is a really interesting transition period happening here. Mm-hmm. Where I think we're all trying to align on what is the next.   [00:22:31] What's the next step? Mm-hmm. How? How are we, what is the best way to move given that this is the way that ICE is operating now? Yeah,    [00:22:40] Miko Lee: right. Just    [00:22:41] Macy Tran: under reflection. Mm-hmm.    [00:22:42] Miko Lee: Under such sneaky circumstances, like what they recently did in New York at Columbia, showing up at Columbia University with a missing child picture of a little kid. And that's how they got entry into the dorms, which is so wrong to terrible get a student. So that's actually illegal to like misrepresent being a police officer when they're not, they're a nice officer and    [00:23:05] Macy Tran: mm-hmm.    [00:23:06] Miko Lee: Showing a photo, I mean, it's so awful.    [00:23:08] Macy Tran: Mm-hmm.    [00:23:09] Miko Lee: I'm wondering how people that don't live in Minnesota can get involved.   [00:23:14] Macy Tran: Hmm. The, greatest frontier currently that is in need of support is rent support. There are, probably hundreds of maybe thousands of people who are likely at risk of eviction in the Twin Cities, because they have not been able to work for the past two months without fear of being abducted. We're calling on Governor Waltz for an eviction moratorium, which would prevent folks from being evicted. Governor Waltz is the only person who really has jurisdiction to implement an immediate rental moratorium, and he's done that before during the pandemic, and so we're trying to make arguments that this is. A state of emergency people are like not able, they weren't able to work. Like people are going to get evicted putting calls to his office, sending emails. So that's one way to get involved from abroad, uh, or not abroad outside of Minnesota, but also abroad if you're abroad And listening to this. The other way was, is that there's a lot of hyper-local organizing that is happening within Minneapolis that I can speak to every. Neighborhood and corner, I feel like, of Minneapolis is being accounted for usually by a team of just volunteer mutual aid groups who are fundraising for rent, who are fundraising for groceries who are fundraising for utilities.   [00:24:45] And these are all like live fundraising pages on the internet. And if you have even just 10, $20 to spare to help a Minneapolis resident, um, not get evicted in the next month. Um, every dollar matters. In this moment, rent is due. Soon, we're just at the beginning of March. And if folks aren't able to pay rent now and they haven't been able to pay rent in the last couple of months, like this is only going to have a snowball effect. We cannot risk vulnerable neighbors migrants, immigrants being, like more of them being unhoused at this moment. We already in our city have so many unhoused people who are not being cared for by our city officials, who are having their encampments being taken down and who are already not receiving adequate support. Our system cannot handle an influx of more unhoused people and we can prevent this. I would say that is kind of the biggest frontier at the moment in terms of what I'm seeing organizing on the ground.    [00:26:01] Miko Lee: Would you have links that you could share with us definitely for rent support. That would be really great if, and I'll definitely, I'll add them to the Apex Express show notes so folks that wanna get involved can contribute and help support community. You wrote in your piece about books, lovely books and podcasts and things that inspired you, which I always love hearing about those things. And one of the books you wrote about was Rice and Baguette, A History of Food in Vietnam. Can you talk a little bit about it, how it deepened your understanding of food legacies and resistance?    [00:26:33] Macy Tran: Mm So I read that book while I was living in Vietnam actually. So it was really cool for me to, what I love about that book, it's a little like academic. I will say that it is a food history like you are reading history, you know, it's a little bit like dense at some points, um, for    [00:26:49] Miko Lee: the real foodie audience.    [00:26:51] Macy Tran: For real. I'm like, if, yeah, exactly. And luckily that's me. I was into it. What I loved about it were, the legends, like there were some what I, so in Vietnam when I was living there, something that I loved and was learning more was that like Vietnamese people have so many legends about folk legends about food, like the origins of the watermelon,, the origins of our bunte cake, which is the cake that we eat, the sticky rice cake we eat during, lunar New Year. There are so many Food origin stories that I just did not grow up being raised on. And so, this book talked about some of like, how did pho even get started, you know, is pho even truly Vietnamese? It's, that's a debate I'm not gonna have right now. But. I loved just hearing the greater context in which all of this existed, especially not growing up with those stories and being,    [00:27:55] Miko Lee: Hey, wait, what is the origin of watermelon?    [00:27:58] Macy Tran: So it's this like funny little. Story where, this prince essentially gets banished to an island with his wife. And then on this random island, he finds this like incredible fruit, the watermelon, and he's like, whoa, this is so delicious. I want I must show this to the people back at home, but they won't have me because I'm banished. And then he basically floats the watermelon back to the mainland and they find it and they're like, oh my gosh, this is so incredible. We must, invite this man back to the mainland.    [00:28:38] Miko Lee: How did they know it was from him? Did he like carve his name in the watermelon?    [00:28:43] Macy Tran: I don't know. It's actually been a while since I've heard this story, so I could be just like. You know, I don't know all the details. That's    [00:28:50] Miko Lee: okay. That's always better anyway.   [00:28:53] Macy Tran: just stories like that. I love to hear them. I also learned about what it was like to eat and cook during foreign occupation when, oh, you know, the French were colonizers mm-hmm. When the Chinese were colonizers. Mm-hmm. And just the incredible Vietnamese food ways that emerged from those periods of colonization. Mm-hmm. They were both brutal and violent and also full of adaptation and creativity and survival foods. And so the book just talked about all of that, and I just love knowing those stories that help me know the ways in which our people have been able to survive for this long and are now free under, foreign  occupation.    [00:29:40] Miko Lee: Speaking of, you mentioned creativity and adaptability, and you are a multihyphenate person, as an artist, as an organizer, as a writer, as a visual artist, collage maker, I'm wondering how your artistry impacts your organizing and vice versa. How do they speak to each other? How do they influence each other?    [00:30:01] Macy Tran: Hmm. I am someone who, when there is an issue or a problem that arises, I'm often just confronting it with what can I do? What can I like feasibly do? How can I show up? And I think my artistic practices actually help me slow down. Even the ways that I can show up in community and do things in community, I'm very responsive. I'm always like, okay let's do a thing. Let's organize it. Let's get our hands dirty. I am out there, I am organizing people, you know, like tangibly. And I think the ways that my artistic practices partner with that is that my artistic practices help me reflect and remember and deepen and find spiritual grounding and purpose. my art is a way that I bridge conversations with my ancestors and I bridge what it means to know myself and be a person, a community member, a Vietnamese American daughter in this moment, right? And it reminds me of the skills that I have and wanna bring to the world. It also helps me create different narratives for understanding what's happening and. For finding creative solutions and for collaborating with others. So I think I would honestly be so burnt out and exhausted and sad if it were not for my artistic practices. I think it's because of my artistic practices that I find energy, that I find belonging, that I find meaning in the work that I'm doing.    [00:31:51] Miko Lee: I love that answer. Can you share, because you brought this up, can you share about a conversation or an interaction you've had with an ancestor and how that's influenced you recently?   [00:32:03] Macy Tran: Hmm. That's such a great question. I'm going to tie this answer into Lunar New Year because, lunar New Year is a time in which our material world and the spiritual world really can converge in a meaningful way, at least for me. And every year when I celebrate Lunar New Year, I will do something different. I deepen my practices. I just kind of deepen what I know about. Folk tradition and ancestor worship. And every year I learned new things and I wanna try new things. And so this year was the first year that I built a public altar space in my living room. Usually I just have it in my bedroom or in a small corner of my home somewhere that's like usually private. But I built like. It wasn't like a tiny little altar, like it was big, you know, like I had photos of all my relatives on there. I had flowers, I had five kinds of fruits. I had, you know, little, every time I ate a meal, I was putting a meal aside for my family to eat with me. And, Some cultures you don't eat the food that you leave on the altar, but in my family we do. And the reason for that is because we get to become one with our ancestors. We get to embody what our ancestors are and eat as well and their spirits, and so this past Lunar New Year, I actually threw a, I had celebrations on both sides of the family. And then I organized a new year party for my chosen family who came from all walks of life. And the prompt for the party, it was a potluck. The prompt for the potluck was cook something or bring something that your ancestors would be just delighted to eat on the altar. And so we    [00:34:00] Miko Lee: love that.    [00:34:01] Macy Tran: Oh yeah. It was so sweet. People came out with their best work, I should say, like the food was fantastic. Our ancestors were eating well, and I was sitting there. And this altar was full of tiny little plates of food, beautiful flowers. I also asked people to bring pictures, photos of their ancestors or people that they wanna honor. Incense were lit. The room was filled with incense smoke, and I was just, there was a moment where I was just, kinda in the corner of the room just watching, you know, and I had a feeling like, wow, all of our ancestors are hanging out right now. Not only are me and my chosen family, you know, building a community and belonging for ourselves but also like. I could have never, and probably they could have never predicted that my friend's like Jewish grandpa was hanging out with my Vietnamese grandmother and grandfather, you know, or yeah, my friends like grandparents from Antigua are now hanging out with like my family members and it's, it was just a moment where I just felt not just the joy.   [00:35:16] And love in the space of connecting with my real, like my friends in that moment. But also just the miraculousness of what it meant to hold all of our ancestors in that space. And so, after that I ended up writing a piece on my substack, actually as a letter to my ancestors. I, I kept the altar up for a week, a week and a half. And on the last day I was ready to take it down and move it back upstairs into my room. But on the last day, I thought, I'm gonna light the incense one more time. And have my ancestors in the space as I write this piece to them. There were so many things I wanted to say to them. And also at the same time, I felt like as I was writing, they were saying things to me, this is what I have to teach you in this moment, is kind of what they were saying to me. This is like, this is what it's like to celebrate that under occupation. This is what it was like when we thought it wasn't even possible to celebrate Tet. Like we had literally nothing but rice and water and yet we still did, and my grandma recently passed a I mean, it's not so recent anymore, but it's been just over a year now. And she was like, One of the first like major deaths of the elder generation in my family. And Tet was the time that I could commune with her and share love with her. And, I could just feel her presence in the space and I would even, memories felt like a way that she was talking to me. The memory of just the crackle of her sesame balls, like she made the best sesame balls. They were like. Thin and crispy and fluffy, but also like so like they were not skimping on the mung bean on the inside. It was fantastic. So I'm just like, I haven't had a sesame ball from her in over a year, but I can remember how it tastes and feels, and my mouth and that memory itself is a message from her. To remember what has fed me through so many years, and how important it is to just remember the, not only just the foods that we eat, but the people that have loved that food into existence. And now me, you know,    [00:37:38] Miko Lee: have you made it the dish, the sesame balls.    [00:37:43] Macy Tran: I actually have her recipe books, so I planned to I just didn't have time, this past Tet, but me and my brother were going to, and then I think we decided we wanted to do it on just like on a lower key day, like instead of like in the midst of just like so much family celebration, there was so much to prepare and we were like, let's just plan a low key weekend where it's just me and you and there's no timeline and we don't have to get this anywhere and they don't have to be perfect. Like    [00:38:14] Miko Lee: that sounds lovely. So it's personal and it's family and Exactly. And if for a one year anniversary, death anniversary is coming up, that might be a great time to honor her.    [00:38:22] Macy Tran: Exactly. Exactly.    [00:38:24] Miko Lee: I'm wondering what was like some standout dishes from that lovely event to you?    [00:38:29] Macy Tran: Ooh. I mean, I will talk about the dish I made.   [00:38:33] Miko Lee: Okay.    [00:38:36] Macy Tran: Which I thought was fantastic and I think my friends also thought were delicious. Was delicious. Um, but a dish that is commonly eaten during the lunar new year for Vietnamese people is a tit ka, which is a caramelized, braised pork belly. This caramelized, braised pork was stewing for probably three hours. Wow. And so, yeah, and I used coconut water with it. I didn't like, straight up coconut water and it    [00:39:04] Miko Lee: no Coca-Cola.    [00:39:06] Macy Tran: No Coca-Cola not in this one. And I just made a huge, huge pot and it was basically almost all gone by the end of the night. So that was like a really good feeling. Um, my brother made an incredible duck heart lap. He works at Diane's Place, actually, it's a famous Hmong restaurant in Minneapolis. And they processed duck on the menu. And so he had like access to all these duck organs and he made an incredible loup that he brought to the party. And my, one of my little sisters, Iris, she's Puerto Rican and she made like tostones, like fried plantains and then she also made Puerto Rican rice, and she, she made like three or four dishes. So like, people really went above and beyond for their ancestors. I could really, I mean, it was probably like 20 people who came to this party, so there were so many dishes and they were all. So good. So I, I don't wanna, once I get into it, I'm gonna go into it, so I'm not gonna chat your ear off.    [00:40:13] Miko Lee: Sounds lovely. Sounds yummy. Mm-hmm. And my last question is, I'm wondering what manifestation for the year of the horse you have for yourself.    [00:40:23] Macy Tran: The 18 million rising essay that I wrote came, it was right before the lunar new year that it got published. And it came during a time where I was already thinking a lot about my creative practice and how in, in relationship my creative practice in relationship with also the ways that I organize and the ways that I cook and, organize around food. And when this opportunity for this essay emerged and just the way it has been received has been such an honor, like, because I haven't written for myself, you know, in so long and like really with my own voice I just didn't realize that people were going to resonate with it so much and find like an invitation to engage in food justice themselves and their own ancestry. And also the ways that it made them think about food and their relationship to food. And it was such a blessing for me to receive that resonance from people, you know, and to receive, just the stories that I've heard and the way it spoke to them. And I felt like that has been a blessing for me to just really expand my creative practice and be more public with it. I'm like, dang, if this little thing that I wrote impacted people in the way that they think about the world, like. I have so many more ideas I wanna share and like be in partnership with others about.   [00:41:57] And I just launched my Substack, right after the Lunar New Year and I was like, all right, you're the fire horse. Let's freaking go. I am ready, I am running. So, I just wanna be creating so much and like act manifesting and actualizing a lot of the dreams that I have, my creative dreams that I have continued to put on the back burner. Things about hosting supper clubs and doing more work around my parents' restaurant, like helping them create narrative around the restaurant and sharing our restaurant story with people. And just using my words and experiences as a way to connect with the world and also be open to the ways that people wanna connect with me. So that's kind of the ways that I'm, I'm seeing this year unfold already, and it's already started with a bang. I also wanna add that year of the fire horse for me is just a lot about movement and progress. And so in this sense movement, I think of social movements and the ways that social this particular social movement against ICE in our city will fundamentally. Impact us for the next lunar year. It happened right at the beginning of the lunar New Year and it's going to have deep effects into the year, and we will forever be changed by this. And I am so excited to see the ways in which we harness this energy for transformation, for care into something that's really meaningful.   [00:43:37] Miko Lee: Thank you so much for joining us on Apex Express. It was a delight to talk with you.    [00:43:42] Macy Tran: Thank you, Miko. This was so great. Thanks for having me.   [00:43:45] Miko Lee: Next up, listen to researcher professor, Dr. Milkie Vu, speak on her exploration on Asian Americans and food insecurities. Welcome, Dr. Milkie Vu, assistant professor at Northwestern. Welcome so much to Apex Express.    [00:44:04] Dr. Milkie Vu: Thank you. I'm delighted to be here.    [00:44:07] Miko Lee: Dr. Milkie is a mixed methods researcher focusing on community engagement and health issues, and I'm excited to talk with you today. I wanna start by first asking the question that I ask all of my guests, which is, who are your people and what legacy do you carry with you?   [00:44:24] Dr. Milkie Vu: My people are the Vietnamese community, and when I think of my people, the first word that comes to my mind is resilience. I was raised in Vietnam. I speak Vietnamese fluently and I embrace my culture very deeply. I carry the memory of my parents and grandparents who have lived to colonization multiple world. And the challenge of post-war poverty and the ability to, endure all these hardship is the legacy that I bring with me and in my day to day life it acts as a personal life of hope for me and then professionally in the. Work that I do is really a foundation and it drives my dedication and commitment to working on health solution with Asian American and immigrant communities who have similar stories of hardship, but also perseverance.   [00:45:19] Miko Lee: Thank you so much. I really appreciate how your background has informed the work that you're doing, and I wonder if you could talk a little bit more about this study, this scoping review on food insecurity among Asian Americans. Can you one first start off by breaking down what a scoping review is.   [00:45:37] Dr. Milkie Vu: Yeah, I'm happy to talk about that. So a scoping review is essentially a methodology that we use to be able to summarize existing scientific literature and try to understand how this literature. Answer research questions that we have.   [00:45:56] Miko Lee: Can you tell me what inspired this study?    [00:45:59] Dr. Milkie Vu: I've done community engaged research with, Asian American population for over a decade. In doing so, I have come to realize , as an anecdotal evidence, how food insecurity is a issue in the community. And yet that's very little that has been, done in terms of research or policy that target this problem., So for example, the US Department of Agriculture, will publish annually a report on food insecurity in America and it will include several, racial and ethnic populations, but Asian Americans are frequently ommitted from that report. So, you know, at the national level, that data doesn't exist, which then, makes it very difficult to understand what is the severity of the problem and what are some of the solutions that could be done to address them. So that's why we were interested in doing a deeper dive into summarizing the literature too be able to see what has been done about this problem and what are some of the barriers that exist, towards food security for community members, and what are some of the literature gaps? Our review was published in 2024 was the first scientific review of the literature on food insecurity among Asian Americans.    [00:47:27] Miko Lee: And what did your study uncover?    [00:47:31] Dr. Milkie Vu: We documented several important findings. There is a lack of existing data on this problem. Due to this myth of Asian Americans being the model minority. Assuming that Asian Americans are uniformly successful socioeconomically and thus not experiencing, any challenge including food insecurity. One of the things that we found is the importance of data disaggregation and looking at food insecurity in different Asian origin groups. We found that food insecurity really varied. So for example, if you look at some groups like Japanese Americans, we found the prevalence of between two to 11% of the population reporting food insecurity. But then if you look at some of the Southeast Asian groups, for example, Filipinos or Hmong American or Vietnamese, the rates are much higher. So the studies that we found report, between eight to 41% of food insecurity and among Filipino population. Close to 48% for more Hmong American, and then between 14 or 28% for Vietnamese Americans, so much higher than the rates for other groups.   [00:48:48] Data Dion is important and there shouldn't be this grouping of different Asian groups in research because then it really erased like the struggles specific communities with food insecurity. I think the other finding that was really important is looking at more systemic or structural barriers that prevent people from being food secure. Our review found that limited English proficiency is a important driver of food insecurity. The lack of appropriate language services, whether that's food pantry or for things like snap navigation. These could be important target point infusion policy or interventions that could help address food insecurity, community members. We also look at a couple of qualitative studies that found really interesting things. So for example, even when Asian American community members do use food assistance programs like snap, the benefits are often not sufficient. And they have a negative experience. There's also fear of how that might negatively impact the immigration status or application. Those are important barriers that should be acknowledge.   [00:50:08] Miko Lee: Some of these numbers are so high. You mentioned 48% with Hmong folks with, it's just so surprising, and I wonder if there's a sense of the why some of these communities have a higher food insecurity than others.    [00:50:21] Dr. Milkie Vu: Yeah, one of the things that we did point out in the conclusion was the need for just more studies focusing on these, smaller Asian groups or smaller Asian population that are done in like the appropriate language to be. From some of the experience I've had, part of it is probably shaped by, the historical conditions to which some of these, communities might have come to the us. For example, thinking about my community Vietnamese, coming to America as refugees, fleeing persecution or free fleeing war and how that, historical conditions might create structural and socioeconomic challenge in Britain, in the community. I am also curious about is the availability of service and program that are linguistically appropriate or, providing culturally relevant food for these communities. So those are important points that we can hypothesize, but obviously more research is needed to understand, the root cause of these challenge and how to address them.   [00:51:28] Miko Lee: And were you focused on specific regions or this was national?    [00:51:34] Dr. Milkie Vu: I'm really glad that you asked about this. So the review itself is, summarizing all published literature focusing on Asian Americans. All of the studies take place in the us. A lot of the, studies probably focus on data that are from the coast. So either on Asian American, on the east coast or the west coast. , But we looked at the study like from a nationwide angle and I'm also happy to talk about some of the new committee organizations in Chicago looking at food insecurity and community-based solutions to address that among Asian Americans. Part of the motivation for the follow-up study was just thinking about the lack of data focusing on the Midwest or Chicago where I live.    [00:52:20] Miko Lee: Please, I'd love to hear more about that . [00:52:23] Dr. Milkie Vu: The COVID pandemic, had brought a lot challenges for food insecurity. For people nationwide in general, but then for Asian American, there's also this, so what I call like the double, almost like a double pandemic, like the waves of entire Asian violence and hate crimes. And so thinking about how that impact food insecurity in general among, Asian American community members. About two years ago, we interviewed around, 13 organizations in Chicago. All of them are either community based organizations, social services or food pantry, working with, primarily with Asian American community members, from diverse groups: korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino, south Asian, Mongolian, et cetera throughout Chicago. And the question that we asked them was, thinking about what programs they have offered during the COVID pandemic that aim at reducing food insecurity among community members. How did they implement this program? Who are some of the vulnerable populations served by the program? How did the pandemic as far as anti-Asian racism impact the program organization? That was the first study that looked at how community organization in Chicago help address this issue of insecurity on this, the COVID pandemic.   [00:53:57] Miko Lee: And so what is the next step for this study or what is the next piece that you're working on as connected to this?    [00:54:05] Dr. Milkie Vu: Yeah. Think about the role of the community organization as grassroots organizations that work from the ground up , as opposed to more top down program structure. They're doing a lot of the heavy lifting to help community members address food insecurity, because they know the community very well. They are able to provide the in language service that community members need. They're also trusted by community members. So a lot of the time,, certain populations especially say if those with limited their English proficiency or, more newly arrived immigrants, might feel more comfortable going here as opposed to going to this organization as opposed to, another one that are more generic and don't have the staff that speak the right language. I think the other thing is, staff with the similar cultural backgrounds are able to understand. There was one quote from the study that I did in Chicago. That stuck with me. When we tell them you could go to the food bank, the American food is not quite tailored to their taste. So they will get a big chunk of cheese and they will be like, what is this? Nobody wants to eat this. Again, thinking about the role of committee organization as so important in knowing the language, knowing the cultural preferences. And then just thinking of ways that we can further support, the programs and operations that they do. This is a really challenging time for nonprofits, social service organization, both in terms of providing food as well as other social service to Asian American and immigrant communities. How can research from a place like, researchers, from academia like me, are able to partner with them to further the service that they do and be able to find the funding that support them and community members. I think that's the important step for me.   [00:56:02] Miko Lee: Dr. Vu, how can folks find out more about your work?    [00:56:06] Dr. Milkie Vu: Yeah, In order to understand more about the work that we do, so we have a website, for our lab that frequently include, you know, like our current projects as well as publications. So you can go to site, so SI ts.northwestern.edu/vu group. and you'll be able to find more information about the research that we published. We've also recently, in the beginning of the year start, to find ways to disseminate research on social media. So we also have a Facebook group for our lab that disseminates our research findings as well as include information about the community members and partners Other trainees in the lab that make this work possible. The labs Facebook group is at facebook.com/maybe give research. and then you can always reach out to me via my email milkie.vu@northwestern.edu So I'm glad to connect with people who have similar research interests or would like to learn more about the work that we do.   [00:57:06] Miko Lee: Thank you so much for joining us and sharing your information about your important work that you're doing on research with Asian American community. Appreciate hearing from you.    [00:57:15] Dr. Milkie Vu: Thank you so much.   [00:57:18] Miko Lee: Please check out our website, kpfa.org/program/apexexpress to find out more about our show and our guests tonight. We thank all of you listeners out there. Keep resisting, keep organizing, keep creating, and sharing your visions with the world because your voices are important. Apex Express is produced by Ayame Keane-Lee, Anuj Vaidya, Cheryl Truong, Isabel Li, Jalena Keane-Lee, Miko Lee, Miata Tan, Preti Mangala-Shekar and Swati Rayasam. Tonight's show was produced by me Miko Lee, and edited by Ayame Keane-Lee. Have a great night.   The post APEX Express – 6.4.26 – Food Justice appeared first on KPFA.

#RingRust with my musicular #wweClash chat! & #TagMeIn as I celebrate the wrestling epicness of every wrestler's favourite Nu Metal band, in the #3wayDanceOff! ~ ~ ~ I'd like to hear from you! Please drop me a line @ ring-rust@hotmail.com {Subject Line: Ring Rust} & let me know what you like {or dislike} about my show! I'm always on the lookout for constructive criticism {if you want playlists again, start giving me feedback, people!}  ~ ~ ~ Check out my #Unboxing videos, all that snazzy anti-social media & support all my shows http://markjabroni.mysite.com/ ~ ~ ~ RECORDED LIVE @ the Holy Smackdown Hotel in Sunny St. John's NL!  & BROADCAST @ CHMR FM in sunny St. John's NL! Learn more @ https://www.chmr.ca/ If you want to contribute to Betty Cisneros' Stage 4 Cancer treatment, please donate @ https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-betty-battle-her-cancer-away & if you wanted to contribute to the surgeries of wrestling veteran Lufisto, you can check out her store @ http://www.lufisto.com/store-1/ SHOW NOTES... 0:05:16 Pay-Per-Review: WWE's Clash In Italy 1 0:07:11 Musicular Interlude 1 0:18:31 Pay-Per-Review: WWE's Clash In Italy 2 0:19:38 Musicular Interlude 2 *FEATURING AI CONTENT* 0:28:06 Pay-Per-Review: WWE's Clash In Italy 3 0:29:19 Musicular Interlude 3 0:40:25 Pay-Per-Review: WWE's Clash In Italy 4 0:41:28 Musicular Interlude 4 0:52:32 Assuming the Intermissionary Position 0:57:18 This Week's Macho Fact 1:05:48 Wrestler Birthdays...  1:07:52 Musicular Interlude 5 1:18:55 This Week's 3-Way Dance-Off: They Didn't Come to Play! 1:33:09 Pay-Per-Review: WWE's Clash In Italy 5 1:35:10 Musicular Interlude 6 1:44:46 Battle Royale With Cheese: El Grande Americano No Mas! 1:46:29 Musicular Interlude 7 1:54:04 Podcast Extra 

Trusting Your Path Into Alignment | With AVP Pro Corinne Quiggle In this episode, we dive into making your own alignment path. Episode 108 features Corinne Quiggle, and we explore creating your identity and path. We talk about inspired living, manifestation, letting go, & more. This conversation breaks down spiritual alignment and how to shift from Contrast into flow state. In this episode we discuss: • Using tools as emotions • reframing • The inspired athlete energy • FOPO •Manifesting This conversation is for: • athletes • individuals • entrepreneurs Corinne Quiggle's Links: • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corinnequiggle/ • Other: https://avp.com/player/corinne-quiggle/

With regulators increasingly urging consumer communities and dealers to "turn in your neighbor," your dealership cannot rely on local complacency to escape compliance penalties. We caught up with Lauren Bailey, Vice President of State and Regulatory Affairs at ComplyAuto, for an exclusive sneak peek at the advertising, privacy, and safety compliance strategies she is bringing to the VADA '26 Convention stage at the Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront. Register for VADA '26: https://vada.com/convention/ In this bonus "Convention Sneak Peek" episode, Lauren challenges dealers to shift their mindsets away from viewing legal compliance as a dry line-item cost. Instead, she outlines how robust compliance gives dealerships a massive edge in customer experience and employee retention. Lauren breaks down the shifting rules of AI-generated advertising, emerging state privacy laws, and why your physical service drive setup might be making you a target for unexpected OSHA inspections. In this episode: The "Turn In Your Neighbor" Era — Regulatory agencies are actively hunting for deceptive automotive retail ads. Relying on the excuse that "the guy down the street is doing it" is no longer a safe harbor. The Deceptive Reality of AI Ads — Dealerships are leveraging AI for customer testimonials, virtual chatbots, and credit decisions. Lauren highlights the legal risks of automated deception and the mandatory disclosures required by attorneys general. The Looming Privacy Patchwork — State privacy regulations have expanded across 21 states. Assuming your business is fully exempt under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) is an operational trap. OSHA's Heat Enforcement Trap — Franchise dealerships are usually excluded from OSHA's national emphasis program on heat injury. However, depending on your NAICS code classification and whether your service center is a non-contiguous location, your shop could be hit with steep penalties under the General Duty Clause. Once Every 100 Years — Statistically, a standard dealership is only inspected by OSHA once a century. But disgruntled employees or unsatisfied consumers change those odds instantly. Lauren details how to handle complaints proactively. Watch, then register: https://vada.com/convention/

In this episode, Heather sits down with longtime Elevate member Susie Inverso of Crimson Cat Studios to unpack a sales conversation that didn't go quite as expected. What started as a discussion about pricing an end-of-life pet session quickly revealed something deeper: the assumptions we make about our clients' finances, decisions, and ability to invest. Together, they explore how those hidden thoughts can affect confidence, communication, and ultimately, sales.  Key Takeaways: Don't spend your clients' money for them. Assuming what someone can or can't afford often sabotages the sales conversation before it begins. Your thoughts affect how you communicate. Hesitation, uncertainty, and assumptions are often felt by the client, even when unspoken. Clients are capable of making their own decisions. Your job is to present the options clearly—not decide what's best for their budget. Disappointment is part of business. Trying to avoid it often creates more stress than simply allowing it. Self-trust creates confidence. Believing you can handle any outcome changes the energy of every conversation. Not every "no" is permanent. Sometimes it's a timing issue, not a rejection. The timeline is often different than you expect. People may need time to think, process, and make decisions. You become unstoppable when you're willing to feel anything. Fear of disappointment, rejection, or failure loses its power when you stop avoiding those emotions. Hope is more useful than control. A flexible thought like "I might be surprised later" creates openness and possibility. Everything doesn't have to happen today. Sometimes the best thing you can do is trust the process and keep moving forward.  How many sales have you lost because you decided for your client before they decided for themselves? What if the thing holding you back isn't pricing—but the story you're telling about money? This conversation reveals a subtle mindset trap that almost every photographer falls into. Press play and discover the thought that changed everything. How to Support the Podcast: Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please like, share, and leave a review. If you like the content, please share with your friends by posting on social media so that we can reach and impact more people. Join our next free coaching workshop: www.getcoachedbyheather.com Connect: Heather Lahtinen: Website, Facebook, Instagram 

Most relationships don't sour because of one big moment. They slowly drift because of patterns that never change.A sarcastic comment here. A lack of appreciation there. Avoiding hard conversations. Interrupting. Assuming the worst. Being distracted when someone is trying to connect.Over time, these repeated habits create repeated outcomes.The good news? The same principle works in reverse. Healthy relationships are built through healthy habits practiced consistently over time.If there is a habit that is hurting one of your relationships, consider these four steps:See It. Self-awareness is the starting point for change. You can't change what you refuse to acknowledge.Ask yourself:"What am I doing consistently that may be creating distance instead of connection?"Decide. Every habit has a cost. When we choose to keep an unhealthy pattern, we are also choosing the consequences that come with it.Ask yourself if the habit is worth what it is costing you.Replace It. Don't just remove a habit—replace it.If you want to stop criticizing, replace it with encouragement.If you want to stop interrupting, replace it with listening.If you want to stop assuming, replace it with asking questions.The goal isn't simply to stop a behavior. The goal is to replace it with one that strengthens the relationship.Invite Others In. Change happens faster with accountability. The people who care about us often see our blind spots more clearly than we do.Ask someone you trust:"Would you help me notice when I slip back into this habit?"A healthier relationship rarely requires a completely different person. More often, it requires a different pattern.Be sure to check out this week's episode of the Relationshifts podcast, where we wrap up our Crossing Generational Lines series. We discuss why what we often call a generational gap is really a relational gap—and how stronger relationships begin when we recognize and replace the habits that create distance.When you shift from habits that hurt to behaviors that help, it will make a difference.Larry

Hey, Comedy Lovers! ✤ Welcome to "Ian Lara" ⭐ All advice is bad advice, please do adult things and put this podcast on in the background.

 What if Earth had a twin planet, but the people God created there never sinned?  Listen in as Chuck Richardson and I chat about his book and what it all could mean if it happened. note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.  I'm still reeling from the idea that a sinless sacrifice is what was needed, so a sinless human (as Jesus was) could actually pay the price for sinful man in this fictional world he's created. Assuming he even goes that route someday. Still fascinating. Paradise Unfallen by Chuck Richardson What if Adam and Eve had resisted the serpent? Welcome to Erimea-Earth's twin world, untouched by original sin. Solis and Livi, the first parents of Erimea, begin their lives in perfect fellowship with God. But their obedience does not end the war. Satan and his legions simply turn their fury upon the new world. As the population of Erimea rises, tensions crack the harmony of paradise. A powerful life-giving resource becomes scarce. Rumors spread. God is silent. And a restless humanity flirts with fear, force, and false gods. To save their descendants from repeating Earth's tragedy, Solis and Livi must confront deception, division, and the relentless pressure of darkness. Their journey-from innocence to holiness-will determine the future of an unfallen world. If you enjoy Christian fantasy, biblical what-ifs, spiritual warfare, and epic worldbuilding, you will love Paradise Unfallen. Perfect for fans of: C.S. Lewis Ted Dekker Step into the world that might have been-and the war that still rages. Learn more on Chuck's WEBSITE and follow on GoodReads and BookBub. Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at: Apple Castbox Google Play Libsyn RSS Spotify Amazon and more!

-If all things to according to schedule, Nebraska will play Arkansas tonight at 8:30 on ESPN, the 4 th game of the day---so we all knowhow this goes in terms of things going longer than expected and weather coming into play-No matter what happens, it's an exciting day for the university…as we get ready for Husker baseball tomorrow at Haymarket ParkAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

#RingRust with my musicular #AEWDON & #wweClash chat! & #TagMeIn as I celebrate the world=-premiere of a Critically Acclaimed album, in the #3wayDanceOff! ~ ~ ~ I'd like to hear from you! Please drop me a line @ ring-rust@hotmail.com {Subject Line: Ring Rust} & let me know what you like {or dislike} about my show! I'm always on the lookout for constructive criticism {if you want playlists again, start giving me feedback, people!}  ~ ~ ~ Check out my #Unboxing videos, all that snazzy anti-social media & support all my shows http://markjabroni.mysite.com/ ~ ~ ~ RECORDED LIVE @ the Holy Smackdown Hotel in Sunny St. John's NL!  & BROADCAST @ CHMR FM in sunny St. John's NL! Learn more @ https://www.chmr.ca/ If you want to contribute to Betty Cisneros' Stage 4 Cancer treatment, please donate @ https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-betty-battle-her-cancer-away & if you wanted to contribute to the surgeries of wrestling veteran Lufisto, you can check out her store @ http://www.lufisto.com/store-1/ SHOW NOTES... 0:04:41 Pay-Per-Review: All Elite Wrestling's Double or Nothing 1 0:06:49 Musicular Interlude 1 0:16:00 Pay-Per-Review: All Elite Wrestling's Double or Nothing 2 0:17:06 Musicular Interlude 2 0:24:39 Pay-Per-Review: All Elite Wrestling's Double or Nothing 3 0:25:24 Musicular Interlude 3 0:36:41 Pay-Per-Review: All Elite Wrestling's Double or Nothing 4 0:38:28 Musicular Interlude 4 0:48:29 Assuming the Intermissionary Position 0:54:29 This Week's Macho Fact 1:02:56 Wrestler Birthdays...  1:04:38 Musicular Interlude 5 1:15:24 This Week's 3-Way Dance-Off: Are You Critically Acclaimed? 1:23:55 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Clash In Italy 1 1:25:05 Musicular Interlude 6 1:35:02 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Clash In Italy 2 1:35:38 Musicular Interlude 7 1:46:34 Podcast Extra 

The podcast for the world's most interesting writers is going a little closer to home; we're visiting Leeds and the North of England for a conversation about with Stu Hennigan about his novel, KESHED.  Not only is it lovely to speak about some of the places I know really well, but also a bittersweet too, as Stu's novel reminds of me of the people and places I've moved away from.  What I loved about Stu's novel, is its sheer vividness of its writing, combining, artfully, the vernacular and the obscene. It's evocations of northern town and cities that are close to me, but also its unflinching approach to troubling subject matter. Stu Hennigan is a writer, poet, editor, and musician based in Leeds, UK. His acclaimed book, Ghost Signs: Poverty and the Pandemic, became notable for its powerful documentary fo the  city's most deprived communities during COVID-19 lockdown. KESHED, published by Ortac Press, is his first novel.  *this episode features strong language and discussion of sensitive themes!* Tickets to me in conversation with Alice Hattrick.  https://www.leedslitfest.co.uk/events/alice-hattrick-fancy-work/ Get exclusive subscriber benefits from the Rippling Pages.  https://patreon.com/RipplingPagesPod?utm_medi Check out the Rippling Pages Bookshop and buy all the books featured on the Rippling Pages: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/ripplingpagespod Interested in hosting your own podcast? Follow this link and find out how: https://www.podbean.com/ripplingpages  Stu's Substack: https://stuhennigan.substack.com   References Writers Martin Amis Jenn Ashworth Charles Baudelaire Naomi Booth James Clark  Owen Jones Alice Jolly Alice Murphy-Pyle Ben Myers Annie Proulx Music Arab Strap Jimi Hendrix  Film and TV The Royle Family Ken Loach Chapters 1.45 - Uncategorising KESHED 6.15 - What is KESHED about 8.45  - why is Sean in Leeds.  9.55 - Is Sean a flaneur?  16.05 - Sean's voice  19.20 - The importance of reading  20.10 - On truth 25.25 - Liam's personal response to the book.  27.45 - Patreon shoutouts! 28.45 - Who is Mandy? 31.20 - Getting feedback on writing women 36.00 -the hard work of writing  37.30 - Assuming readers are smarter than you 38.45 - Language is not a barrier  40.15 - The market of writing 

Hey, Comedy Lovers! ✤ Welcome to "Ian Lara" ⭐ All advice is bad advice, please do adult things and put this podcast on in the background.

What if the way you see someone could completely change the way you connect with them?Steph dives into one of the most foundational beliefs in coaching: that people are naturally creative, resourceful, and whole. This powerful mindset shift can reshape how we communicate, how we show up in relationships, and how we view ourselves. When we stop trying to fix the people around us and start assuming their wholeness, something shifts. Steph explores how positive assumptions fuel resilience, personal growth, and stronger self-belief, and offers a practical challenge to help you start applying this principle right away.In this episode you'll discover:Foundational belief in coaching: people are naturally creative, resourceful, and wholeImpact of mindset on relationships and communicationApplying the belief in personal and professional lifeThe influence of positive assumptions on success and resilienceYour takeaways:Assuming people are whole and resourceful transforms how you communicate and connect with themShifting your internal dialogue away from "fixing" mode dismantles saboteurs and builds resilienceYou can start applying this mindset today by choosing to see one person in your life as naturally creative, resourceful, and wholeChapters00:00 The Foundation of Coaching: A New Perspective01:29 Embracing Creativity and Resourcefulness in Relationships03:08 The Power of Assumptions in Communication05:22 Influence of Beliefs on Self-Perception07:28 Dismantling Saboteurs: A Path to Empowerment09:02 Challenge: Assume Wholeness in Others

An assumption and some Belle lore.

Peter Mauch notes that Tojo acted as a tyrant by assuming multiple cabinet positions. After losing four carriers at Midway, Tojo utilized propaganda and censorship to hide the truth from the public. (10/16)1941-42 -43

This is the first 15 minutes of our latest Patreon episode which you can join at www.patreon.com/keepitweirdpodcast!   As Bob Marley always said... No, Woman, No Cap FAM. Welcome to another edition of ASK ME EVERYTHING where Handsome Joe and I sit down to answer questions sent in by YOU, our lovely listeners - we tell stories, we shoot the shit, and we genuinely have a good time doing it. This week we answered: What is the fastest way you've seen a coworker get fired? Assuming athletes would be nude in the modern Olympics like they were in ancient greece, which event would be the worst to watch? You are teleported back to 2001 terminator style and end up in the middle of times square. What do you do or say to convince people you aren't on drugs? If you could choose anyone alive or dead OR EVEN fictional to be the next President of the United States who would you choose and why?   We also chatted about UFO disclosure, loving & hating Gen Z, historical knowledge and Joe even tries to test my military knowledge and we ALL know how I feel about that. IF YOU EVER WANT TO SUBMIT A QUESTION FOR ASK ME EVERYTHING PLEASE DO! We'd love to do more of these this year but we can't record one without questions sent in BY YOU so you can comment on the episodes with questions, you can DM us here with questions and you can even email us at keepitweirdpodcast@gmail.com with the Subject "ASK ME EVERYTHING" I'll be back with you in a couple weeks with your May WEIRD REPORT! I hope you're having the absolute best warm up to Summer EVER! -//

Too many marketers hit publish and hope for the best. In this episode, Ross breaks down why hope is not a distribution strategy and what to do instead. You'll learn how to build a deliberate, repeatable content distribution system that amplifies reach, compounds results, and drives measurable business growth in the AI era. Key Takeaways and Insights: 1. Hope Is Not a Distribution Strategy - Publishing and “hoping” for shares, rankings, or virality is not a growth plan. - Great content alone doesn't guarantee reach or impact. - Distribution is the difference between obscurity and authority. 2. Why Great Content Still Loses - Average content often wins because it's distributed strategically. - Algorithms reward engagement velocity, reach, and timing not just quality. - Distribution turns good content into great content. 3. AI, LLMs & the New Search Reality - AI-powered search is reducing traditional click-through traffic. - Optimizing for rankings alone is no longer enough. - LLMs pull from platforms like Reddit, LinkedIn, and licensed content sources. - Smart distribution increases your visibility across AI-driven experiences. 4. The Five Biggest Distribution Mistakes - Publishing once and disappearing. - Relying exclusively on one channel. - Assuming organic reach is guaranteed. - Failing to repurpose content across formats. - Not tracking performance or outcomes. 5. Create Once, Distribute Forever - Turn one blog post into carousels, threads, emails, videos, and podcasts. - Break pillar assets into micro-content for every channel. - Reshare and repackage content over time don't let it die after launch week. - Repurposing multiplies ROI without multiplying effort. 6. Build a Real Distribution Strategy (Step-by-Step) - Conduct content-market fit research: understand pains, desires, and behaviors. - Analyze channel-user fit: where your audience actually spends time. - Study attention leaders (even outside your niche) to reverse-engineer engagement. - Create a pillar asset, repurpose aggressively, distribute across owned, earned, paid, and shared channels. - Rinse, repeat, and optimize using data. Resources & Tools:

#RingRust with my musicular #ovwCollisionCourse, #rohSupercard & #AEWDON chat! & #TagMeIn as I throw back a #HappyBirthday Lawn-Guyland Iced Z, in the #3wayDanceOff! ~ ~ ~ I'd like to hear from you! Please drop me a line @ ring-rust@hotmail.com {Subject Line: Ring Rust} & let me know what you like {or dislike} about my show! I'm always on the lookout for constructive criticism {if you want playlists again, start giving me feedback, people!}  ~ ~ ~ Check out my #Unboxing videos, all that snazzy anti-social media & support all my shows http://markjabroni.mysite.com/ ~ ~ ~ RECORDED LIVE @ the Holy Smackdown Hotel in Sunny St. John's NL!  & BROADCAST @ CHMR FM in sunny St. John's NL! Learn more @ https://www.chmr.ca/ If you want to contribute to Betty Cisneros' Stage 4 Cancer treatment, please donate @ https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-betty-battle-her-cancer-away & if you wanted to contribute to the surgeries of wrestling veteran Lufisto, you can check out her store @ http://www.lufisto.com/store-1/ SHOW NOTES... 0:05:49 Pay-Per-Review: Ring of Honor Wrestling's Supercard of Honor 1 0:08:05 Musicular Interlude 1 0:19:11 Pay-Per-Review: Ring of Honor Wrestling's Supercard of Honor 2 0:21:00 Musicular Interlude 2 0:28:41 Pay-Per-Review: Ring of Honor Wrestling's Supercard of Honor 3 / Ohio Valley Wrestling's Collision Course 1 0:30:29 Musicular Interlude 3 0:40:26 Pay-Per-Review: Ohio Valley Wrestling's Collision Course 2 0:41:43 Musicular Interlude 4 0:48:34 Assuming the Intermissionary Position 0:53:19 This Week's Macho Fact 1:02:38 Wrestler Birthdays...  1:05:11 Musicular Interlude 5 1:15:32 This Week's 3-Way Dance-Off: Did the Wrong Hart Die in 1999? 1:27:33 Pre-Per-View: All Elite Wrestling's Double or Nothing 1 1:29:15 Musicular Interlude 6 1:36:18 Pre-Per-View: All Elite Wrestling's Double or Nothing 2 1:38:11 Musicular Interlude 7

These shows are made possible by your support on Patreon.com/RapReviews. RapReviews.com and MarksOfWrestling.com share the same server for hosting so any support for either site would be appreciated. Thank you!

So many practice leaders and owners feel it, but so few say it — the weight of ownership can sometimes be too much. Kiera talks about how common stress among dentists is, what those stressors can look like, and how to start lessening that weight today. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript: Kiera Dent- Dental A Team (00:00) Hello, Dental A Team listeners, this is Kiera and I hope you're having a great day. I hope that you are excited about life. I hope that you just remember like, we are so lucky. We get to be in dentistry. We get to hang out on the podcast together. I get to go with you on whatever road you're going on today, whatever life you're doing, whatever you're doing. I am so grateful that you're choosing to take me along with you. And today I just wanted to talk about something that I feel is really near and dear to me. It's near and dear to a lot of our dentists.   We ran a really fun webinar last year and I'm excited to do it again. And it was probably our best webinar we've ever run. I had probably the best turnout we've ever had. But I think it was because we hit the strongest topic and we're actually gonna be discussing this at summit this year, at our webinars this year. So if this hits home, I would invite you to join us ⁓ at any of them because you don't have to do this alone. And what it is is the hidden weight of ownership.   And I think it's like what every practice leader and owner feels, but they rarely say. And I just feel that people, I don't know, we have a mastermind and there's a girl in our mastermind, we're in person. And I remember I was asking for people like, hey, how was the mastermind for you? What were your takeaways? And every single time I asked that question, the mastermind, someone always raises their hand and they always say, it feels so good to be amongst peers and colleagues.   and to realize that I'm not alone. And I'm like, if we all know each other is going through this, but we don't say it, I think we live in our head a lot. And when you're in your head, you're dead. And so I think a lot of times like ownership is heavy. And for myself, it's heavy. And for all of you listening, it's heavy. And I think what we don't see is it's like, we carry payroll. We worry about cashflow. We feel like we're responsible for team culture and morale. We read the book. I mean, I've been on it. I've told you guys, read Extreme Ownership by Jacka Willings.   Everything in your practice is a direct reflection of you and you are responsible for it. So then you're like, great, patient complaints, like this is my fault. Can't tell you how many doctors I've had get bad reviews while I've been in office or we've been working with them or with our consultants and the doctor literally cannot let it go for weeks, months. Like it just eats at them. And I don't blame you. You feel like everyone else clocks out and you still have to carry this home. They all get to go home. They get to have their paycheck. I don't, I get to sit in this amazing space that I built for myself that I absolutely just want to like.   let go. And I think it's one of those things of like, you're a great dentist. It's just the weight of feeling like you're responsible for all of it. And I know I feel this too. And so today I just wanted to invite you of like, Hey, let's talk about some tactical places of how to make ownership feel a little bit lighter that could make it to where you're not alone. You don't have to be alone. And there's actually some tactical pieces for you and welcome to the Dental A Team, the space where you don't need to be alone, running a practice that's successful should be easy. And that's what we're on a mission to do and to positively influence you.   to help you realize that things are better than you think they are, but to give you a tangible path, not just theories and ideas, but a tangible path to go from where you are today to where you want to go. And I'm Kiera Dent and I'm obsessed with dentistry. I'm obsessed with helping people have their dream freaking lives. I realized after a long time, and this might sound so cheesy to you, but the purpose of my life is to truly like be a creator. And what it is, is it's to create and like help people's dreams come true. And I know that sounds so silly, but I look at all of my goals. They're always for other people like.   sending my mom on her dream trip, buying my dad his dream car, getting Jason his dream car, helping my team members get their dream lives, like helping this team member buy a house, helping this dentist get their like dream house in Florida. Like that freaking lights me up. And so the bigger the dream, the bigger the opportunity. And I think for you, if you're listening today, I hope you just feel like I'm giving you a giant hug of understanding, of knowing, of letting you know that you're not doing this alone. And so I just want you to know that this today is not a pep talk. This is like,   A lot of leaders like it's only them that feels this way. But guess what? It's super common. And I want you to know that you were trained to be a dentist, you aren't trained to be an owner. And so today, I wasn't trained to be an owner either. And guess what? We've all had to freaking learn it. And so I'm here to tell you, here to help you out of the way. ⁓ And I think that this is a great quote. Leaders increasingly need to serve a wide array of follower and organizational needs without depleting their own energy or risking burnout. And that came from a qualitative investigation of leader vitality in 2023 of PMC.   And I just think about this and like the ADA also said in their health policy in 2024, they said 82 % of dentists feel major stress in their career. And I just thought like, shoot, this is something we need to talk about. Like you're carrying like this array. Like I think about my shoulders and like almost like football player with shoulder pads and I'm like, my shoulders aren't big enough to carry all this. And yeah, I'm expected to carry payroll, expected to carry this, expected to carry that, that I think it almost like literally by default weighs this down. so,   Let's talk about what makes it feel heavier and how to actually lighten that load. So I think it's one of those spaces of like, we talked about you're responsible for everyone's paycheck. You feel like every team problem, it was a reflection of you. Like turnover when somebody turns over, I don't know about you guys. like used to stew on this for days on end. Like I felt like I was a problem. Like, hi, Taylor Swift. Like, hi, I'm the problem. It's me. My team hates me. ⁓ We feel like success feels like it's impossible. I feel like everybody else has it.   I feel like cashflow, feel like team stress, feel like decision fatigue. Like Jason sometimes at the end of a day, he's like, Kiera, what do want for dinner? And I'm like, one more decision. Like, I don't freaking care. I don't care. I don't care what I eat. Maybe some of you do, but it's just like, I am so sick of this. And when they stack, that's where it can just feel very, very heavy. And so I think what I've learned and what I've seen other people do is like, let's actually like name the weight rather than letting it sit there and separating the emotional stress from operational problems. So   A lot of times what I'll do is I grab my journal and I'm like, what feels heavy right now? Like, what is it? And just list it. And like, I'm allowed to do a huge laundry list. And I look to see like, is this current? mean, shoot, if you guys could see behind this camera, I've got six giant papers and it's like, here's all my stressors. This, this, this, this, like it's there. But when we're in our head, we're dead, remember that? So getting it out of our head, putting it on paper and actually naming it and saying like, okay, I just have a lot of categories. And sometimes I look like,   My name's in a lot of boxes on our org chart, even today, 10 years later. Why? That's a care thing. That's not a team thing. That's me. And so then I also look to say, what are the top one or two stressors today? And is it a current thing or is it a future thing? Like I look at my list here and it's like this, this, this, this. Some of those are problems that I'm like not focusing on that I'm waiting on right now. Like they're the weight on me, but they're four or five months down the line. Some of them are urgent and pressing. And so what is it?   And I think helping you rise like you're not weak, you might just be carrying too many categories of weight at the same time. So then what we do is getting it out of your head. Let's make sure that we, we actually name it. We figure out what it is. Is it current today or is it future? And then what on there? Like, I just have a whole list. Then after that, I want you to make sure that you're not accidentally making your weight heavier than is intentional because when it stays like very personal,   or vague or just in my head, this is where it can actually get heavier. So like trying to be everything to everybody. No one else is owning outcomes, unclear roles, lack of KPI visibility, like avoiding hard conversations that would honestly make your life a lot better. Assuming people will just figure it out, like if they just cared, they would figure it out. Like this isn't how it is. That's not what it is. And so when we have it in there and it's just there and it's vague and it's personal, looking at your list and saying, is this something that I'm taking personally? Is this really about me?   Is it vague and could I define it better? And if not, like, let me clear those up because then what we can do is we can look to see, is this a you? Is this a you problem in leadership? Is this something where we need to rise our team up? Or is this something that like we can honestly delegate and get it off of us? So when we look at that, accountability is going to reduce stress and we've got to have clarity and follow through so that we were not having like a ton of guesswork. So what it looks like is like, then I look at my list and I'm like, okay, is this personal and personal attack on me?   Do I need to fix that personally? Is it begging? Could I clear this up? And then from there, what really needs to happen today? And is it truly a Kiera slash owner issue or is this something I can delegate and give clear ownership and clarity on and move it off of my plate? So it feels very heavy when you don't know like who owns this, how is winning happening and is it reassured? Like I love a KPI scorecard. That's why we put KPI scorecards in place. This is why we have like who owns this metric. We have job descriptions. We have job duties for people.   Like helping you just see like, okay, if I have an issue with payroll, who's the person on my team that's responsible for that? All these things that are keeping you late at night. I've got to order, I've got to pick this out, I've got to do this. Okay, great, is that really a you thing or is this even be part of someone's job description or do you just need to let go of it? If I'm looking at stress on cashflow, okay, great. Like, is it a spending problem? Is it a production problem or is it a collections problem? What really is it and who owns that and can I give accountability to someone? And I think so often we just sit here. Like for me, I sit and swirl.   I'm like, okay, all these things are going on, all these things, and they call it the crazy eight. So then I like flip around and I'm like, my gosh, everything's falling. So getting it on paper, figuring out what really is the crux and then picking the top one or two items that are gonna move it for you, that starts to lighten the load. So it's what one or two things really need to happen today. And we move out of hero mode into leadership mode. We have our numbers tell us the truth. Like I can sit here and freak out all day. And sometimes I'm like, my gosh, we're behind on this, we're behind on this.   But when I look at the PNL and I have the numbers and I look at our cashflow report, is it really that or is it just my like psychoticness honestly, of ruminating on it when it's really not that bad. So what are the numbers tell us? Numbers are always gonna tell the truth. And then we've got to give ownership to our team and we don't take it back on. I feel like anytime I delegate, it never comes back to me. And then we have these check-ins rather than building resentment. I realize a lot of times,   I'm holding resentment because I don't talk to my team. I don't fill them in. I'm not telling them what's going on. Build like one-on-ones every single week if you need to. So you got more regular touch points when they aren't these heavy daunting. And then like, just recognize that sometimes it's freaking hard. Like right now, Dental A Team is going through a growth stretch phase right now. Like, I'm living this right now, which is why I can speak to this very authentically. And what I found is it's just sometimes hard. That doesn't mean it's failure, but I found.   When does my load get lighter? One, when I prioritize what really needs to happen today rather than what needs to happen in four months. Two, delegate out things that really are not my responsibility and I can pass other people, but have a check-in cadence. So can I check in on a KPI scorecard? Can I check it on these other areas so it doesn't get lost? And I'm not talking about everything. It could just be one thing. Like literally we weren't hiring very well. We made a KPI scorecard. I know how many resumes have been done. I know how many interviews have been done. I know how many people are on our bank. It's so great for me.   Now it doesn't sit in my head of like, where's high? Like literally, I wish you guys could see, I hope you can see it. Like, I hope this becomes a real like rubbing my head. All right. Where's your hiring app? What needs to get done for this? I just tell me is someone coming like for the love of everything holy? Where are we out on production? Where are we at on unscheduled treatment? Where are we at? Make it into a KPI. Have people report every single week. Then you can look at the numbers and see really where is the problem.   Is it a diagnosis? Is it a case closing problem? Is it a new patient problem? We then can figure it out. And what this does is it then is a, is it a people problem, a process problem or a priority problem? Like I love this. And so for you guys, like look at it. Is it a people problem, a process problem or a priority problem? And then figure out which one of those are you going to address. And this is great for me. Like this is truly, hey, Kiera, take this on. Is it people, process or priority problem? Half the time I will say it's a priority problem. We want all these nonsense things to be fixed today.   when really they're not truly the burning urgent piece. And if you fix the root problem, the bulk of your issues would go away. Now, who else can help me carry this load? I used to make laundry lists and now I make laundry lists and see how many of these can I delegate out and make sure they're reported back to me rather than me doing it. And then I look at my numbers and I really live by the numbers. And then the last piece is maybe what conversation have I been avoiding that would actually lighten this immediately.   I'm really gonna sit on that for a minute because I think this one actually is the hardest one for me. Maybe for you, it's the people, like it's the people problem, process problem or priority. Like I don't prioritize. Maybe it's that I refuse to delegate problem. Maybe it's I don't look at the numbers problem or maybe it's I avoid conversation. So who are you? Are you on the priority issue? Are you on the delegation issue? Are you on the numbers issue or are you on the avoiding conversation? Every single one of us has a, I say like,   aren't like sins, but I feel like it's like, what's my flavor of choice? Who am I? And I think even identifying who you are for me, it's the conversations I avoid. And I've had to accept like, someone said this the other day to me, they said, nothing's worth your piece, Kiera. And I thought about that. And I thought, all right, conversations need to be had. And they're not confrontation. They're just conversations. So when we look at this, and we can say like, do I not prioritize correctly? Do I not delegate?   Do I not look at my numbers and metrics to make these things less stressful? Or what conversations am I having? This is how you start to lighten your load because you stop caring everything. You start identifying it and you start leading your team. This isn't an overnight sensation, but I think so often the days feel long and the months are fast. We overestimate what we can get done in a day and underestimate what we can get done in a year. I hope you heard that. We overestimate what we can get done in a day and underestimate what we can get done in a year.   So half the time this feels heavy because you're carrying cash pressure, team pressure, decision pressure, priority pressure, emotional pressure, but we let it all sit there. And the goal is not to feel nothing. The goal is to stop carrying everything alone. And the goal is to stop doing this based on emotions, but rather live in facts. Like let's get the emotion out. Let's live in facts. Because I really want you to recognize that having this, again, a recap is...   We sit here and we have it like where it sits there quietly and everything is there and we feel responsible. Then we sit there and we make everything personal and about us and it's unclear and it's vague. And then what we do is we actually move out of that mode into leadership mode and we start to lead. We start to guide, we use our numbers. And I think for you when you're having this, this is real life. Every owner feels this. You're not special sitting over there licking your wounds. I do this all the time. I'm like, no one else. Like I am so, it's my ego. Zip it ego.   Let's get into leadership mode. My ego wants to sit there and be like, oh, woe is me. I have all these issues. Yeah, guess what? I freaking signed up for this when I decided to be a business owner. That doesn't mean it makes it easier. And it doesn't mean you need to go about it alone. And it doesn't mean that you are alone because every owner, every person feels this. It's just a matter of what are we going to do? So action items are number one, you've got to get it out of your head and you got to prioritize. Number two, I got to figure out who I'm going to delegate this to. Number three, I'm going to make sure I've got KPIs and scorecards to fix these metrics of all these problems.   Truly everything can be solved by a number and four, I'm gonna start to have the conversations that I need to have. You just take those four bullet points on and you put that on a sticky note and you live by that, your life will look different in 30 days, guaranteed. But how often do we go into denial? We go into doom scrolling. We go into like, whoa, well, their problems aren't as bad as mine, so I'm doing pretty good. We go into like, tomorrow's a great day. I had a great, huge case. Everything's good again. No.   It's just gonna hit you, it's gonna boomerang back to you. So let's stop the boomerang, let's stop the fatigue, let's stop the crazy eight and let's actually commit to doing one thing, one thing. And if you're so in it, I'm in it. I mean, today I actually had a great call. I called a mentor, I called a coach and I said like, hey, I need help. We set it all up and I was like, where are my blind spots? What can I do and what perspective do you see?   And I think that's the beauty of having a coach, having a mentor, having somebody who's not in it with you. So you don't have to solve it all alone. I actually realized that ownership is pretty easy. The mental stamina to get through it is why we need coaches and support groups around us. That's why we joined masterminds. That's why we have a peer group. That's why we have other people. This is why you've got a coach that's there for you at your beck and call in dental 18. You've got a CEO founder that can literally speak to your exact problems and help you out.   You have a peer group of brilliant people at the mastermind. They're like, it was amazing. Someone told me, said, Kiera, what I realized is amazing. They've been a client with me for gosh, six years. And he said, Kiera, I didn't realize how many incredible practices that you have around you that now we get access to. You guys, I attract and collect great people. And if you're listening to the podcast, I guarantee you, you're probably one of them and I'd love you to be a part of it. Don't do this alone. Why don't you grow your practice 10X this year? Why don't you your profitability at least five to 10 % this year? Do it with people.   that get it, that understand it, that are willing to drive you through it. You do not need to do this. can email today, hello at the Dental A Team. You can go and click on and book a call. But I think it's a matter of when pain hurts, execute. Because tomorrow it might get better, but that doesn't mean it got resolved. It was just a bandage. It was just a happy day. this, like the root is we gotta fix this and we gotta fix it forever. So I want you just to realize that sometimes when you feel this like hidden weight of ownership,   What it usually is signaling is that you need stronger leadership, you need stronger structure, and sometimes you don't know how to get there on your own, but I guarantee you that that's gonna get you out of it. So I want you to just realize this is for you. This is why we talk about it. This is people don't talk about it. And I want you to truly have the help, have the resources. So if we can help in any way, fantastic. Reach out, Hello@TheDentalATeam.com and just do yourself a favor. I think this is the greatest gift you can give yourself as an owner, as a leader.   ⁓ is to not sit here and stress constantly, to not sit here and carry under the heavy weight of ownership that is unnecessary. We can lighten the load today. It can be removed. And I think having a fairy godmother consultant is one of the greatest things that we could ever offer you. reach out, Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. And as always, thanks for listening. I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team podcast.  

In this UK personal finance Q&A episode, Pete Matthew and Roger Weeks answer six listener questions covering pensions, retirement planning, investing, and mortgages. You will hear practical guidance on topics like using UFPLS and ISAs for gifting, whether dividend income is a sensible retirement strategy, and what to consider before consolidating multiple pensions into one provider. The episode also tackles planning priorities, including how to sense-check your annual financial review, when it is worth switching to a higher-equity pension fund, and how to balance pension contributions versus ISA funding and mortgage overpayments. If you are looking for clear, jargon-free retirement and wealth-building advice in a UK context, this one is packed with real-world considerations and next-step thinking. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA50    02:24  Question 1 Hello gents, My wife and I are hopefully about 5 years off retirement starting at 60, and thinking about options for gifting. We are both planning to stay within the basic band, but if plans go well we hope to support our kids while we're still alive with help towards a house deposit or similar. Am wary that a large withdrawal from a DC pot would likely take us into high rate tax. This would be mainly on me as we'd plan to spend my wifes smaller DC pot down during 60-67 to max personal allowance before state pension kicks in. Is there any downside if I immediately draw UFPLS from my DC up to the top of the basic rate threshold, and putting excess into a cash or S&S ISA? That would then build up tax free and be used to fund family gifts (or perhaps replacing a car). my thinking is - the portion we move to ISA is still effectively part of the retirement portfolio - just held in a different wrapper. thanks for your priceless information (for education and information only not guidance!) over the years. long may it continue! cheers, Richard   07:15  Question 2 Hello Pete and Rog, Loving the Podcast having only found it recently.  You're doing great work. I've bought and read your retirement book, signed-up for an intro call with Pete and am thinking about doing your course. In the meantime, and I know this is greedy, I have three questions.  I think they'll be interesting to your listeners, though, so here we go... First, what are your thoughts on funding retirement income completely or mostly from dividends / coupon payments, rather than capital withdrawal?  For me it seems very attractive because I can draw-down the income on a quarterly basis while not touching the capital.  That makes me feel safer from having to sell in a down-market.  I can also expect the capital to grow a bit over time, at least the equity generating dividend element.  That said, I've seen one of the other retirement finance podcasters say that technically it doesn't matter whether you take income or capital. Second, if I adopt an UFPLS approach to my pension and, rather than take a large tax free sum one-off, I take the 25% of each withdrawal as tax free, how does that work in the future in two respects.  First, can the government later change the rules and say that I can no longer take 25% as tax free?  I assume they can, which would be worrying.  Second, does the lifetime £268k limit for tax free cash still apply cumulatively over-time i.e. can I only continue to take 25% of my withdrawals as tax free up until they cumulatively sum to £268k?  Or, am I allowed to take 25% of each withdrawal, even as the fund might grow in value and then the total of these 25%s over say 10-15 years eventually exceeds £268k? Third, I'm aware the age at which you can take your pension is changing from 55 to 57.  I will be 55 in March 2027, so can access my pension under current rules.  But I will not be 57 when the change kicks-in in April 2028, so am I going to then lose access to my pension for a number of months until I then turn 57 in Mar 2029?  I've heard someone say that there might be an exception for people who have already accessed their pension.  I've also heard it depends on whether there are certain protections/terms around the individual pension fund.  Any advice on whether this would be true would be very helpful. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on any or all of the above. Best of luck with the pod. cheers, Steve 14:52  Question 3 Hi Pete & Roger, Thanks for the advice (go on, name that film) over 2025 and the podcasts. There is a ton of material on you tube covering why pension consolidation is a good thing. How it simplifies the admin. How it makes it easier to track what you have and how it is performing etc. Why wouldn't I want to consolidate all my pensions and what could be the disadvantages of consolidation? Recently I've met with my IFA and for a year now I have been investing heavily into my SIPP. As the IFA he charges for the service he provides and I am happy with that (for now). The charges are low with this provider (Quilter) and it performs well as a medium risk opportunity. My IFA, rightly in my opinion, suggests avoiding keeping my Octopus (previously Virgin) pension as this doesn't offer flexi drawdown and is higher risk than my Quilter SIPP but with only slightly better performance. I have four pensions (SIPP) in total. Now my IFA would of course benefit from me moving all funds to Quilter as he receives a percentage fee on a larger chunk of funds. So that is a warning sign for me as he cannot really be impartial. At the moment I can track my pensions online and I do this almost daily, they all have the relatively same performance and together average about 9.6% over the past 12 months. They are all broadly within a single percentage point of each other. I can see the following arguments to avoid consolidation altogether. 1. Tracking multiple pension funds is not actually hard to do. 2. Maybe when it comes to flexi access draw down it gets a bit more complex to get the tax free elements right to be as tax efficient over the long term but the pension companies track the percentages taken so I cannot see this as a big problem either. 3. Having multiple SIPPS allows me see how they perform against each other. Sometimes one is a little more volatile than the others but in actual fact I'd like to see more volatility on one over the other. Makes things more interesting. Of course that might change in later life so I may choose to draw more heavily on the well performing fund with more risk as I reach later life years. 4. Multiple SIPPS allow me to have funds with different levels of risk associated with the investments, so I might choose one fund to have medium risk and another quite high.  5. The big one for me though. Why, why, why would anyone trust a single SIPP provider with all their future wealth? No matter how well it is managed today and the regulations which are in place and the FSCS protection etc, I just cannot stomach the risk in a single point of failure. Why? So the IT platform could collapse making the funds inaccessible either for a short time or for months. Rogue actors inside or outside the company could arguably sabotage the platform. Yes this is highly unlikely but it can happen. Spreading the risk mitigates this. There is a very real concern. Poor management of the funds could lead to a serious downturn in the investments whether that be short term or longer term. Now the underlying funds might underperform but if that is your key worry then you'd simply change the SIPP investments. When I research reviews on the web for anything I look for the pros and cons and decide which opinions seem most sensible to reach a balanced view. However in the case of pension consolidation everyone seems to recommending consolidation, not one article about keeping them separate. Yippee cay aye (same film) and best regards, Andrew   25:05 Question 4 Hi Pete and Roger, Love the podcast. I have just completed my annual review (thanks for the checklist from earlier seasons) and was wondering if you can suggest if there is anything else I should consider or am missing to help position me better financially. For context I am 37 and married with two children under 5. Pension - I contribute to my workplace pension which is 4% and the company contributes 8% (their max). S&S ISA - I invest 5% of take home pay into two vanguard funds monthly. Children S&S ISA - I invest a small sum monthly into each child's S&S ISA, both vanguard target retirement funds for when they turn 21. Emergency Fund - I have 4 months expenses in a cash isa. Life cover - I have a private policy and 8x salary death in service benefit. Critical illness cover - I have both a private and work policy. Income protection cover - Again I have both a private and work policy, work policy is limited to 36months and private policy is to age 65. Mortgage over payments - I overpay the mortgage monthly with aim of reducing LTV and length of term when current fixed rate ends Debt - I have no major debt I think I am in a good position, but wanted to sense check in case I am missing something. Thanks and keep up the good work. Marc Annual Review: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/2023/03/01/simplify-your-annual-review/  28:22 Question 5 Hello to you both, I just wanted to say I really enjoy your podcast and your YouTube channel. My question relates to my Workplace pension. I want to move from the default lifestyled fund into a 100% global equity fund. I also have a SIPP and an ISA that are fully invested in the same global equity fund and I wanted to bring them all into line. I have a salary sacrifice scheme with a 5% employer match and I wanted to take full advantage of that by paying into a better fund. I can't fully transfer without losing the match so I have left it for too long. I am debt free including the mortgage and I have redirected my mortgage payment into my SIPP. My question is, at 47 3/4, is it too late to switch from the default fund? I'd welcome your take on that. Keep up the good work Kind regards, Matt   31:02  Question 6 Hello Pete and Roger, Really enjoy your podcast and find your advice really insightful, many thanks for what you do. My question is about pension planning and specifically about getting the balance right between pension contributions, ISAs and reducing my mortgage. I'm 46 and have saved from an early working age to build up a total pension pot amount of £510k as of today. I have prioritised my pension over other kinds of investments given the tax related attractiveness of pensions and use salary sacrifice as a way of keeping under £100k income - something important for us as a family in terms of qualifying for child nursery support, plus of course in maintaining my personal allowance. I find my job quite stressful and would like to be able to retire in 10 years at 57, or at least take on a lower paid (maybe even minimum wage) or part time role at that time for a few years until retiring fully. My assumption is that to be able to make this a reality it would be wise to build up my ISA, (which as of today totals only £15k), as a tax efficient bridge until nearer state pension age, and to minimise the need to drawdown excessively on my private pension in the early years. Assuming you concur, my question is would I be best to reduce my pension contributions to enable me to put more in my ISA?  Of course this would mean potentially losing/ reducing my personal allowance. The other factor in play here is my mortgage which is higher than I'd like at £380k. Ideally I'd like to increase my level of mortgage overpayments significantly in order to try to reduce the balance as much as possible over the next decade whilst working full time but again this will see me going over the £100k income level in order to do so.  I know I could probably clear whatever mortgage is remaining in 10 years from my tax-free pension amount but I'd like to minimise taking the tax free money in order to help the pot compound as much as possible to take me through to old age but also help support our two girls who are currently just 8 and 3 in their early lives. Your thoughts and advice would be gratefully received. Many thanks in advance and please do keep up the great work you do! Kind regards, Lee

Today's funny podcast is basically what happens when sleep deprivation, trivia questions, and pesto sauce collide headfirst at 70 MPH.The gang kicks things off talking about The Boys, confusing CGI timelines, and whether anybody actually understands what's happening anymore in prestige television. Rafe is emotionally spiraling over loose plot threads, Moon checked out seasons ago, and somehow the conversation becomes less coherent from there. Which honestly feels impressive.Then it's time for another chaotic round of Match Up With The Morons — the game where confidence matters way more than intelligence. Moon and Learn square off in a trivia battle featuring fireworks origins, Roman numerals, and the single most dramatic pesto-related answer reveal in modern broadcasting history. There's also an alarming amount of discussion about the attractiveness of the green M&M. Which… yeah. That tracks for this show.Highlights include:Moon accidentally stumbling into the correct pesto answer like a drunk raccoon finding a winning lottery ticketLearn reverse-engineering Roman numerals in real time while actively losing her sanityAn unexpectedly passionate debate over the rarest M&M colorRafe emotionally describing Japanese math-rock like he's reviewing perfume commercialsKing Scott confidently remembering the year Coca-Cola launched as if he personally attended the ribbon cuttingAnd just when everyone thinks the show can't possibly derail harder, somebody on the text line claims Oklahoma borders Mexico. At which point the entire room briefly experiences collective brain failure.This episode of the funny podcast has everything:CGI confusion. Toe jams. Sexy sangria commentary. Mount Rushmore debates. Teddy Roosevelt “in the crevice.” Babushka lore. And enough incorrect geography to get the entire show banned from a middle school classroom.Honestly, this might be one of the most accidentally educational episodes we've ever done. Assuming your education was delivered by raccoons fighting behind a Waffle House dumpster.If you love a funny podcast full of sarcastic chaos, weird news energy, pop culture confusion, and friends aggressively roasting each other for nearly three hours straight, congratulations — you found your people. Subscribe, leave a review, and send this episode to someone who still thinks parsley and basil are basically the same thing.Follow The Rizzuto Show → linktr.ee/rizzshow for more from your favorite daily comedy show.Connect with The Rizzuto Show Comedy Podcast online → 1057thepoint.com/RizzShowHear The Rizz Show daily on the radio at 105.7 The Point | Hubbard Radio in St. Louis, MO.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On Other, Other Life Forms The quest for other life forms must be anchored in the knowledge of why we're even here. Let's get nitpicky. Also, unapologetically religious in nature, though the points stand on merit regardless. This isn't a screed against space travel, for looking up, even beyond, is worthwhile. Rather, the aim is to properly frame our search through understanding what exactly is “other life” and where exactly is “out there.” The terminology “other life” or “other life forms” is presumptuous in nature, as it can only be asked within a vacuum which denies the existence of myriad life forms on planet Earth. Not only are there other life forms aplenty, but the range, capacities, colors, designs, etc., etc., etc., are so diverse and so far-ranging that not a single planet in our system comes anywhere close to dreaming of similar potential. Even more, every part, planet, and particle in space lends to the preservation of life on earth in some way. Almost as if it's all here for us. Per Torahic categorization, there are four general kingdoms in creation. The so-called lowest is “silent”, for the predominately inanimate basics of existence, water, soil, rocks, minerals, and the like that comprise it have a lifeforce so quiet it's barely noted. Thus, we view creations in this kingdom as existing but not exactly alive. The next kingdom is “growth”, essentially plants and all vegetation where growth is usually visible and indicative of the lifeforce within. Third is the “life” kingdom, which includes all creatures from insects to birds to marine life to mammals, as each overtly display an animating lifeforce not only through growth, but also some measure of mobility, intelligence, communication, or similar. The final kingdom is “speaker,” aka man, the only kingdom made in G-d's image. The lifeforce within man is undeniable, not only for all previously specified reasons, but also because, unlike the other kingdoms, man goes beyond a measure of intellect in his ability to communicate ideas, teachings, morality, ethics, and abstractions to others, mainly through speech. For this display of what's deemed higher intelligence, man is considered the highest of the four kingdoms. With that set, our quest for other life begins with understanding why these four kingdoms aren't life forms enough. The “silent” kingdom covers just about everything that isn't obviously alive. For example, the four building blocks of creation, earth, water, air, and fire. The varying parts of our atmosphere which cause the sky to blaze at sunrise and sunset. The very earth from which all things grow, as well as rolling hills, fertile valleys, and majestic mountain ranges. Gentle waters which calm the soul and raging waves which quicken the heart. Rocks which stand against the fiercest winds, but also caves and crevices sculpted over time. Geodes, crystals, stalactites, stalagmites, in shapes and colors man cannot always describe or name. All are “silent” in their steadfast, unchanging existence. In the context of our quest, any discovery within the “silent” kingdom doesn't qualify as an other life, not only because some forms within this kingdom have already been discovered in space, but also because the categories within this kingdom literally don't display signs of life. Never mind that the “silent” kingdom sustains every kingdom above it, revealing it may not be quite so lowly a kingdom as supposed. Either way, our search mandates we find a form that's obviously alive. Ergo, despite the wonders and marvels of the “silent” kingdom, our exploration continues. Does the “growth” kingdom qualify as another life form in our search? Do we seek proof of some sort of life beyond moss and ferns and fungi and flowers and vegetables and fruit and trees? Well, yes and no. We'd be thrilled to find any kind of vegetation, as long as it's not here. In other words, we want what we have here, just somewhere else. Then again, we don't have to find an exact replica of Earth, only something that's entirely like it but on a different planet. Plants show life in their visible growth, and are incredible dynamic doing so. Plants can run rampant and wild, plants can be domesticated and tamed; some thrive in the sun and some only open to the moon. They have no eyes, they have no ears, yet they know the difference between night and day, between summer, winter, spring, and fall. They know when it's time to blossom, to shed, to regrow. Even more, there are plants which heal, plants which harm, plants which flavor, plants which sustain, plants which dominate, plants upholding entire ecosystems, and plants which light the way with their glow. Some plants are beautiful, some terrifying, some cooling, some fragile, some stronger than blades. Some plants tower, some are unnoticed, some provide food, shelter, clothes. The “growth” kingdom climbs and clings, flowers, buds, twists, and bends. The above doesn't even include the incredible array of shape and color, which continually startle and dazzle the eye of the beholder. All this is only part of what we know about the “growth” kingdom, for though we live in a highly advanced world, we have yet to discover the full extent of just how many creations call this planet home. As with the “silent” kingdom which sustains it, the “growth” kingdom provides for the kingdoms above it. But while plants are really, really nice and cool and intricate and beautiful and, and, and, we're still set on looking for other life elsewhere. We'd be thrilled to find any of the “growth” kingdom on another planet, even though, as mentioned, it sure seems everything out there is pretty well-suited to the needs of here, but never mind that. We're rather set on finding something new, something obviously alive out there. Onward to the next kingdom. The range of creatures packed into the “life” kingdom is so immense, we cannot in good faith claim to know its entire. The vast, not yet completely discovered “life” kingdom spreads an umbrella wide enough to include every non-human animate life form between plants and people, including insects, marine life, fowl, rodents, reptiles, beasts, cattle, and all the rest of terrestrial creatures. Every country, every state, every ecosystem has a unique web of animals, insects, marine life thriving in its environs. Scientists are perpetually “astonished” at the new kinds and species discovered around the globe, as if this world of ours could ever fully be known. And even where we think to have catalogued it all, creatures of the “life” kingdom continue to surprise with their levels of intelligence, adaptability, and significant role on this planet we call home. Just spare a minute to consider the animals and plants that flourish in all the places humans can't. Only looking at the life contained in the form of insects is a dizzying proposition, for the thousands and thousands we actually know about which fly, walk, scurry, and roll. Insects that regenerate, insects that burrow in the dark and damp and soil, insects that color gardens and make honey and with strength to carry many times their own weight. Insects hum and call and chirp and buzz, spin silk that can be worn or webs that withstand rainstorms. Insects are harmful and harmless, brainless and multi-eyed, soft, hard, airborne, and pliable. We oft overlook the many we come across each day, but would speak of little else were even one to be found out there. Though we have yet to discover every insect dwelling on earth, not one is the other life we hope to find. A moment away from land to plunge into the sea, a world so vast, vivid, and varied, we haven't nearly plumbed its depths. Beneath the waves, beyond our grasp creatures hide in the sand and glow in the deep no human can withstand. There are creatures so tiny they can hardly be seen, yet enough can feed creatures which cannot be missed. Leaping, breaching, scuttling, wriggling, swimming, floating, preying, and flying, in schools and pods and herds and shoals and consortiums and mobs and runs and swarms. Other kingdoms are also found in the sea, sand and coral, kelp, rocks, salt, and shells. Therein a whole world sustains itself, and the kingdoms above it, as well. And yet, though fathoms remain beyond our current ability to explore, relatively far out of reach as the stars, none are the other life we seek. Finding some collection of water that sustains life would shake the world we know, but only if we find it somewhere that isn't here. Amphibians are forms of both water and land, the slimy, shiny bridge between both sorts of life. As with the others of the “life” kingdom, amphibians aren't known in their entire, and the range of what they can do is as far ranging as the category itself. They also have their own unique twists to the norm, as bright colors aren't signs of aesthetics but warnings of danger. Right alongside them are reptiles, including those that sting, bite, and choke. Ones that can swallow prey significantly larger than they, and ones which instantly camouflage to hide in plain sight. What about the life forms of air? Birds don't fit a single mold, and the multitudes well exceed human count. Birds that fly and birds that can't, birds with vision and hearing much keener than man, birds that build nests without hands. Birds sing and twitter, hum, caw, and shriek. Birds dive and hunt, scavenge and hover. Birds sense shifts in the weather, and birds soar on the air. They're cheery and territorial, colorful as flowers and dark as moonless nights. They're predators and prey, oversized and tiny, imitators and instigators. But birds are also something we know in some form, and what we insist on is something we haven't seen before, or at least, something we haven't yet seen out there. And so, the search for other life continues. Perhaps the rest of the “life” kingdom will qualify? The innumerable animals which roam the deserts, plains, jungles, mountains, and forests. From rodents to beasts, from domesticated to wild, there is hardly a color or kind without peer in the “life” kingdom. Animals hunter and hunted, solitary and social, protective and loyal and vicious and tame. Animals that observe, animals that learn, animals that comfort or guide or guard. Animals that defy the fiercest elements of their topography, and animals that adapt or blend in with impressive speed. Animals with a range of communication and expression, animals soft and hard and furry and rough. Animals weighing tremendous amounts, and animals that can shoulder the burden of even more. Animals endure the harshest habitats and conditions, animals hibernate for months or only wake with the night. Animals symbiotic, parasitic, or with an innate sense for assisting others. Between claw, talon, teeth, and paw, the “life” kingdom is as wild and varied on land as beneath the sea. Yet, as we seek other life, we brush all this aside, for, when we're certain there's so much more to discover and know, why continue to look where we always have? What sort of life forms do we then seek, if not any of the myriad already upon this earth? Much as we'd delight in finding the same creatures on a different planet, we're adamant about finding something we haven't seen before to definitively conclude other life exists. Consider, finding life forms which display some growth, with or without the sun, would be enough to fund space travel for years to come, but growth isn't really enough to satisfy us. When we seek other life forms, we don't want something that grows, or even something that moves with overt signs of life, we want something that communicates, especially in ways we don't. Putting aside every other kingdom and category of creation, including all their unique methods of interaction, we'll declare victory in our search for other life if we discover a species that knows how to communicate with what, sound? Gesture? Semaphore? Dashes and dots? No, no, we want something that communicates as a sign of and sharing of its intelligence. Again, putting aside all other kingdoms we know at present, their various modes of communication and ranges of intellect, our search will be a success only if we find different intellects that communicate with ours. About what's relevant to us? About things that confirm our projections of what life and intellect should be? Assuming this isn't a reference to learning about new languages and cultures, what do we really seek? From all kingdoms of creation, perhaps the closest to “speaker” would be spiritual beings, namely angels. And not the cherubic children or glowing berobed humans with wings and halos, but fiery messengers of the Divine. Then again, unless they take a human form, angels, while other life, are not tangible enough to be discovered, so there's little point in centering them in our quest. The highest kingdom of creation is “speaker,” which is only and entirely mankind. Not because we are the only creations with verbal articulation, but because, as the only kingdom made in G-d's image, we are the only kingdom which seeks and learns and communicates about that which is greater than ourselves. The rest of the kingdoms do not have a mind to challenge their Creator nor the nature He embedded within them. Only “speaker” has the choice to live up to his potential in creation, to fight or embrace his inherent design, to imagine and debate and give coherency to the abstract. Essentially, we're looking for other life forms, but not the other life we already know of heaven and earth. This other life may be almost identical to the life we know, or it may be something entirely different than the thousands and thousands we've already found. And perhaps the inability to know it all is what's truly given us hope that there's more out there waiting to be discovered. The emphasis is less on what we seek than on where we want to find it. Considering what's already been mentioned about the categories of creation, the question is why? Is this exploration driven by a simple desire to know and understand and bear witness to the expansive capacity of the Creator? Or is there dissatisfaction with what we have here, and a desire to have different and more threading through it all? If the latter, nothing found will ever be enough, if the former, at least the premise isn't so far afield. So, we're looking for advanced life forms, yet the question compounds, more advanced than us? We've seen clearly that on this planet there are no other creatures quite like man. Creatures who for all their shapes, sizes, and colors don't include the full package of abilities to communicate, procreate, perambulate, and debate. Other kingdoms have no struggles with moral frameworks around which to understand the purpose of existence. If anything, they already know why they're here, so only man grapples with the existential side effects that come with the dissonance of a spiritual soul animating a physical body. Though man is sustained by every kingdom below him, he also has the capacity to be ruler over them, in the sense that if every part of this vast creation somehow leads back to him, his sustenance, his shelter, his clothing, his appreciation, then it follows all was created to be of service to him. In return, he must use all the other kingdoms enable in a way that will honor them. Think of what man has achieved. Think of what more he could. Think of the wonders that man has wrought from the kingdoms of this earth, and then reexamine our search for other life. What do we expect to find to surpass what we already have here? What else but perhaps a different conglomeration of the capacities we already know? Do we cease exploring? Do we ground all ships to the stars? Such questions can only be answered correctly by those with a clear understanding of what we're doing here, as space exploration literally can't occur in a moral vacuum. SomeOne put us here, and He did so for a reason. That Earth is the only planet to sustain such a teeming array of life isn't a fluke of smashing atoms but a signal of deliberate intent. Inanimate life exists on other planets, but an intricate ecosystem that sustains life doesn't. What does it tell you when every entity we know of, both celestial and terrestrial, somehow serves life on earth? It's almost as if we're the point of it all. Which affects the search for other life, because it can only be sought in recognition that everything comes back to our purpose here. The purpose SomeOne launched all creation for, and that is to make Him known in this world. If these other life forms are out there, what for? Is it only so the Creator can show off what else He can do? After everything He created here, does He really need to? Why do we assume this supposed other life is more advanced if we're the central point of all creation? Why do suspect they're advanced, when every celestial entity and kingdom of creation is here to sustain us? Why do we think they can surpass us, when we are the ones made to fulfill the purpose of creation? It's the “speaker's” job to make the Creator known in this world. Man is the only creation that can. Everything and anything else only exist, or is known to exist, to assist man in his sacred task. Do we even know what we have? Do we appreciate what's known, and what can't be known? That said, now we can explore. “Whatever the Holy Blessed One created in His world, he created only for His glory.”

#RingRust with my musicular #ovwCollisionCourse & #wweBacklash chat! & #TagMeIn as I throw back a #HappyBirthday Lawn-Guyland Iced Z, in the #3wayDanceOff! ~ ~ ~ I'd like to hear from you! Please drop me a line @ ring-rust@hotmail.com {Subject Line: Ring Rust} & let me know what you like {or dislike} about my show! I'm always on the lookout for constructive criticism {if you want playlists again, start giving me feedback, people!}  ~ ~ ~ Check out my #Unboxing videos, all that snazzy anti-social media & support all my shows http://markjabroni.mysite.com/ ~ ~ ~ RECORDED LIVE @ the Holy Smackdown Hotel in Sunny St. John's NL!  & BROADCAST @ CHMR FM in sunny St. John's NL! Learn more @ https://www.chmr.ca/ If you want to contribute to Betty Cisneros' Stage 4 Cancer treatment, please donate @ https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-betty-battle-her-cancer-away & if you wanted to contribute to the surgeries of wrestling veteran Lufisto, you can check out her store @ http://www.lufisto.com/store-1/ SHOW NOTES... 0:08:43 Pay-Per-Review: WWE's Backlash Tampa 1 0:09:31 Musicular Interlude 1 0:19:15 Pay-Per-Review: WWE's Backlash Tampa 2 0:19:37 Musicular Interlude 2 0:28:10 Pay-Per-Review: WWE's Backlash Tampa 3 0:28:41 Musicular Interlude 3 0:38:43 Pay-Per-Review: WWE's Backlash Tampa 4 0:39:26 Musicular Interlude 4 0:49:38 Assuming the Intermissionary Position 0:54:20 This Week's Macho Fact 1:04:40 Wrestler Birthdays...  1:06:39 Musicular Interlude 5 1:15:39 This Week's 3-Way Dance-Off: WOO WOO WOO! Happy Birthday! 1:28:46 Pay-Per-Review: WWE's Backlash Tampa 5 1:30:05 Musicular Interlude 6 1:37:46 Pay-Per-Review: WWE's Backlash Tampa 6 1:38:11 Musicular Interlude 7 1:43:27 Podcast Extra 

When Israel went to battle against the Philistines they assumed that they could bring out the ark of the covenant to the battlefield, and that it's presence would either oblige God to win the battle for them or that the object itself had some kind of mystical power. They were sorely mistaken, and the Philistines promptly defeated them captured the ark. Assuming that their victory is a victory over Israel's God, the Philistines place the ark in Dagon's temple. Time and again, however, the Lord silently causes destruction, catastrophe and misery for the Philistines wherever the ark is taken, until finally, they become so desperate they put it on a cart and send it back where it came from. 1 Samuel 5 - 1:10 .  1 Samuel 6 - 3:44 .  1 Samuel 7 - 8:39  .  1 Samuel 8 - 13:05 .  Proverbs 27 - 16:43 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Today, Israel goes to battle against the Philistines. They assume that if they bring out the ark of the covenant to the battlefield, that it's presence would either oblige God to win the battle for them or that the object itself has some kind of mystical power. They are sorely mistaken, and the Philistines promptly defeat them and capture the ark. Assuming that their victory is a victory over Israel's God, the Philistines place the ark in Dagon's temple. Time and again, however, the Lord silently causes destruction, catastrophe and misery for the Philistines wherever the ark is taken, until finally, they become so desperate they put it on a cart and send it back where it came from. 1 Samuel 4 - 1:02 .  1 Samuel 5 - 6:07 .  1 Samuel 6 - 10:07 .  1 Samuel 7 - 15:02 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.facebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Many companies put the cart before the horse by expecting customers to trust them first, rather than earning trust through action. Has your company inverted the trust relationship? Repeat and referral business grows for companies that consistently demonstrate trustworthiness. Do your actions back up your marketing and sales claims? Are you expecting and demanding trust from customers, or are you willing to be an earner?Support the show

Daf Yomi Chullin 12Episode 2320Babble on Talmud with Sruli RappsJoin the chat: https://chat.whatsapp.com/LMbsU3a5f4Y3b61DxFRsqfMERCH: https://www.etsy.com/shop/BabbleOnTalmudSefaria: https://www.sefaria.org.il/Chullin.12a?lang=heEmail: sruli@babbleontalmud.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/babble_on_talmudFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Babble-on-Talmud-100080258961218/Thumbnail photo:Photo by Quan-You Zhang on Unsplash#dafyomi #talmud00:00 Intro  02:32 When shechitah requires supervision10:26 Shechitah is mainly done by experts19:08 Assuming that meat you've found is kosher34:43 Shechita of cheresh, shoteh and katan40:12 Conclusion

It's true that because of our natural tendency to be attracted to the opposite sex and because of the amount of time spent with coworkers on a daily basis, an attraction may very well occur on our jobs. Most of us have seen this happen or have experienced it ourselves. What does a Christian do when she or he feels an attraction to a coworker or senses a coworker is attracted to her or him? The very first moment you have any inkling this may be happening, ask yourself one critical question: Is either of you married? If the answer to that question is “yes,” your course of action is very simple and clear. It may not be easy, but it certainly is simple and uncomplicated. Biblical principles leave no room for debate or discussion on this issue: The marriage vows are sacred and in no circumstance is there ever a justification for a married person to have a relationship with someone else. That means you cannot allow any intimate words or feelings or looks or innuendoes to be exchanged between you and this other person. That is it! Final! If it means changing jobs or asking to be transferred, do it. There is no middle ground for a true Christ-follower. The answer is the same even if one of the people involved is experiencing a difficult marriage. Many times, people tend to justify illegitimate relationships by rationalizing that one or both of them is in a very unhappy marriage. The condition of the marriage in no way changes the principle by which Christians should abide. As Christians we should do everything possible to help hurting marriages find healing. Allowing a relationship to develop with a person whose marriage is shaky will do just the opposite. And let me warn you these attractions can happen even to people who have good marriages, even to singles who aren’t looking for a relationship. We all are vulnerable to the chemistry of male/female relationships, and we must be on our guard at all times. In today’s society I'm certain such a position appears to be very drastic, legalistic, eccentric, and inflexible. But that’s because we have become so infiltrated with the world’s philosophy, that basic Christian principles now appear archaic, even to some Christians. Remember, God’s principles work. While they are ageless, they are not outdated; they are there for our benefit. All of us could tell of people we know or perhaps our own experience where many lives have been harmed and ruined by disobeying this Christian principle. The thing we should remember is these sinful relationships are rarely planned. They just happen when the people involved fail to see the warning signs and stop it in the early stages. If you’re attracted to someone with whom you work, or he or she is attracted to you, and either of you is married, you don’t even need to pray about what you should do. When God’s Word gives a clear answer, there is no need to ask for special guidance. He will never lead us individually in a direction that is contrary to his written Word. You need to pray for wisdom and strength to do the right thing. Let me also advise you to take drastic and definite action. Don’t play “around the edges;” if you do, you’re truly playing with fire. If you think you can have long talks, quiet lunches, or innocent encounters without ever allowing it out of bounds, you don’t understand chemistry too well or you have too much confidence in yourself. Don’t be fooled by rationalizing you are just being a good friend. Many times, illegitimate relationships begin because one of those involved is a good listener. How many times have I heard a woman say, “He didn’t have anyone else he could talk with. I was the only friend he had, and I just couldn’t be unkind to him.” If he needs help and counseling, you are the wrong person to give it. That excuse just will not hold water. There is no good reason for you to ever allow a wrong relationship to develop. And keep this in mind: Even if the relationship does not become a physical one, it still can be harmful and wrong if it causes an emotional closeness that robs a marriage of intimacy. Some people find their needs met for companionship and understanding in a coworker and then exert no effort and find no need to develop that kind of closeness with their marriage partner. It’s another form of an affair. Jesus said: If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out, and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than having two eyes, to be cast into the fiery hell (Matthew 18:8-9). As Christians we should be very fearful of allowing ourselves to get into a tempting situation when we know the risks and dangers involved. Therefore, be prepared to take drastic action if necessary. God will honor you for that and will be able to bless you. But suppose you are single and so is he or she. Then what do you do when you’re attracted to someone with whom you work? Assuming he or she is a Christian, because you would not ever want to be seriously interested in someone who was not, you need to think through very carefully the potential dangers of having a relationship with a coworker. Common sense tells us such a relationship can cause complications. It tends to distract you from your job, and other coworkers may resent it if they feel it is affecting your work or their workload. It is almost impossible to keep these relationships quiet; usually everyone is aware. You may think no one knows, but that is rarely the case. Certainly, if one of you is in management and the other is not, you will be exposing yourself to widespread criticism. If it appears this relationship may be going somewhere, it might be good for one of you to change jobs or departments. You’ll be able to work in a more relaxed fashion, do a better job, and enjoy your relationship with more freedom. Now, let me examine a topic that is still an issue: sexual harassment on the job. I remember when someone told me how she and her female coworkers endured many years of sexual harassment from the top man in their organization. He continually made sexual remarks to them, asked them for sexual favors, threatened their jobs or promotions or raises if they did not cooperate, or if they reported him. And he was such a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, that others found it difficult to believe he could be that way. He chose the women he harassed carefully, making sure he had plenty of leverage and power over them, while at the same time never harassing others, so they would always deny the allegations against him. Finally, they were able to take action when their organization formed a committee for grievances. These women, after years of enduring his harassment, sought some legal advice and threatened a class action against the company. As a result, he was quietly urged to resign, which he did. She shared with me the pain and stress of those years she worked for him and the turmoil she went through in deciding whether to be a part of the action against him. She wondered if that was the thing a Christian should do; it went against her nature to take such legal action against another person. But I assured her she had done exactly the right thing. I truly believe it is not only our right but our responsibility to expose real sexual harassment, so other women can be spared the horror. Otherwise, by doing nothing, we can allow it to perpetuate. When we confront and accuse for the good of others, as well as ourselves, we are usually on good scriptural ground. Jesus certainly took strong action and had strong words of condemnation for those who were doing wrong in his day, but never out of strictly self-interest or revenge. I know this is not easy for women to do, because you can risk your career and your reputation. You need counsel and great wisdom. But you also need courage to do the right thing. Now, I also have some compassion for men who feel the climate is so sensitive, that anything they say or do could be misinterpreted by a woman who is looking for something to jump on. These pendulums do tend to swing in violent directions; balance is a rare commodity. But you know, if our conversations are circumspect, if we say and do only things that we would say and do if Jesus were right there with us, we won’t have to worry about false accusations. I would say to the men who have that concern, “Just treat the women you work with the way Jesus would treat them, and you can put your mind at rest.” Jesus many times made it a point to break traditional laws concerning how women should be treated in his day. By his actions we can be assured he did not approve of prejudicial attitudes toward women. He talked to women in public, he allowed them to be a part of his traveling entourage and to support his ministry, and he showed them great respect, all of which broke the Jewish traditions. If you’re in the secular workplace on a regular basis, you’re bound to run into some of these predicaments that arise from male/female relationships. But if we approach this part of our business lives with a commitment to uphold the name of Jesus Christ, and to make certain nothing in our lives brings dishonor to him, we will have the appropriate attitude, and he will give us guidance as we work our way through what can often be “touchy” situations. Remember, avoid that first step, that first look, that first thought that can lead to an inappropriate relationship. As Proverbs 4 tells us, Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil (Proverbs 4:25-27).

A Democrat judge just did the unthinkable... again. Jesse Kelly has the details and discusses the system at large. This comes as the conflict in Iran continues. When will it end? Ryan McBeth joins the show with an update. Assuming it ends, what can the GOP do to secure a midterm election victory? Jesse asks Cliff Maloney. Plus, Charles Cornish-Dale gives an update from across the pond.I'm Right with Jesse Kelly on The First TVChoq: Visit https://choq.com/jessetv for a 17.76% discount on your CHOQ subscription for lifeBeam: Visit https://shopbeam.com/JESSEKELLY and use code JESSEKELLY to get our exclusive discount of up to 40% off.American Financing: Call American Financing today to find out how customers are saving an average of $800/mo. NMLS #182334 https://nmlsconsumeraccess.org APR for rates in the 5s start at 6.327% for well qualified borrowers. Call 866-891-2821 for details about credit, costs and terms. Visit https://AmericanFinancing.net/Jesse Average savings based on borrowers who save over $199.99Follow The Jesse Kelly Show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheJesseKellyShowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why are we so quick to assume the worst—and then act like it's truth?There's a quieter, more powerful option available to you: assume positive intent.Not in the moments that are clearly unacceptable. Not when your boundaries are being crossed.But in the everyday, subtle situations where we turn nothing into something.Someone cuts you off.A comment lands the wrong way.A girl in your workshop says she's bored.And just like that, a story forms.But what if it wasn't about you?What if there was something else going on—something neutral, or even understandable?Because here's the truth: assuming negative intent is exhausting. It's heavy. It drains you.And assuming positive intent? It frees you.You're using energy either way.Choose the kind that actually feels good in your body.In this episode:Why we default to negative assumptionsThe difference between protecting yourself and overinterpretingHow this shift transforms your relationships and leadershipA simple reframe that creates more ease, connection, and clarity✨ Ready to step into leadership and create real impact with girls?Join us for an upcoming info session:melodypourmoradi.com/infoLet's Stay Connected!As an empowerment coach, author, twin girl mom, and the creator of the GiRLiFE Academy, my mission is to help every woman and girl discover her voice and live a life that lights her up from the inside out.I'd love to connect with you and continue this beautiful journey together!

Time for a massive Red Pill, as Adrian Smith joins me to explore the use of magic in mind control, in particular the use of misdirection to mesmerize, focusing attention to the exclusion of all else, keeping us locked up inside a prison for the mind. Venturing beyond the prison compound, we can easily see the false narratives that allow the few to rule the many. Adrian will explore the alchemy of finance, the ultimate magic trick, the Philosopher's Stone, which allows those who have nothing to obtain everything. The flip side of that famous prediction, “you will own nothing,” is that some group owns everything. This means a negative alchemy. Assuming the role of Meta Programmer allows us to de-program and re-program. More on Adrian: https://aprisonforthemind.blog/ Get the book: https://amzn.to/4cxYyR6 Get The Occult Elvis: https://amzn.to/4jnTjE4 Virtual Alexandria Academy: https://thegodabovegod.com/virtual-alexandria-academy/ Gnostic Tarot Readings: https://thegodabovegod.com/gnostic-tarot-reading/ The Gnostic Tarot: https://www.makeplayingcards.com/sell/synkrasis Homepage: https://thegodabovegod.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aeonbyte AB Prime: https://thegodabovegod.com/members/subscription-levels/ Voice Over services: https://thegodabovegod.com/voice-talent/ Support with donation: https://buy.stripe.com/00g16Q8RK8D93mw288 Merch store: https://aeonbyte.creator-spring.com/ Equipment Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2WEJ2CCWHALZB?&sort=default Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I know what you're thinking; how did we get to 11? Assuming the Iran conflict devolves into World War 3, figure another world war will be fought over Russia assassinating Donald Trump, at least one more over China taking Taiwan...maybe one more over countries given billionaires safehaven from taxes. Then one over government kill switches in cars. By Somali math that should bring us to 11. Take Control of Your Financial Future with the FIRE Portfolio:https://buy.stripe.com/bJe9AU9awfM8d3C6EK4Vy03Support the Show:https://peddlingfiction.substack.com/

Assuming you want to be a GREAT ENTREPRENEUR then you MUST listen to today's podcast on the 10 Things to Work on to be a Great Entrepreneur! gigstrategic.com seancastrina.com