Podcasts about blades

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2026 10:25

The Blades look to turn their attention to Dan Neil following the uncertainty of Kalvin Phillips. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

acast blades sidestep kalvin phillips dan neil

Lagniappe: Leather Jacket Love Story (1998)

The Swampflix Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2026 125:38

Brandon & Boomer discuss David DeCoteau's uncharacteristically sincere romance drama Leather Jacket Love Story (1998) https://swampflix.com/ 00:00 Spacecon 14:55 Masters of the Universe (2026) 22:31 Swing Shift Maisie (1943) 26:00 Maisie Goes to Reno (1944) 31:20 All the President's Men (1976) 35:55 Ministry of Fear (1944) 40:31 Die Nibelungen - Kriemhild's Revenge (1924) 45:40 Blades of the Guardians (2026) 50:30 Ramekin (2018) 58:07 The Doll (1962) 1:01:55 Across the Hall (2009) 1:08:15 The Currents (2026) 1:11:45 Relic (2020) 1:16:40 Mr. Monkey's Magic Merry Go Round (2026) 1:21:14 Leather Jacket Love Story (1998)

fear president men masters ministry universe revenge monkeys guardians love stories reno boomer blades relic currents leather jackets lagniappe david decoteau ramekin

Court Saves Wind Safe Harbor, Norway Pauses Utsira Nord

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2026 33:27

A federal court restores the 5% safe harbor for wind tax credits, Norway’s parliament pauses the 35 billion krone Utsira Nord floating wind program, and the crew digs into Australia’s battery boom and the looming blade technician shortage. Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly newsletter on all things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard’s StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show on YouTube, Linkedin and visit Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary’s “Engineering with Rosie” YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us! Uptime324 Matthew Stead: [00:00:00] The Uptime Wind Energy podcast, brought to you by StrikeTape. Protecting thousands of wind turbines from lightning damage worldwide. Visit StrikeTape.com. And now, your hosts Allen Hall: Welcome to this edition of the Uptime Wind Energy podcast. I’m Allen Hall here with Matthew Stead, Rosemary Barnes, and Yolanda Padron. And our week starts off in the courtroom. And if you’ve been watching the news lately, there’s a pretty substantial IRS case involving large-scale wind and solar having to do with the, uh, production tax credit and, uh, investment tax credit at the same time on the safe harbor, 5% safe harbor rule. Uh, a federal judge handed the wind industry and solar industry a pretty substantial legal win that could reshape how the [00:01:00] projects qualify for tax credits. So a judge up in, uh, the District of Columbia vacated IRS Notice 2025-42. So if you remember that, uh, from a- about a year or so ago, uh, f- it found that the, that notice was arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act. The notice, which was issued following a July 2025 executive order, had eliminated the 5% safe harbor for wind projects, uh, a provision developers have relied on since about 2013 to establish construction start dates without breaking ground. The court found the IRS failed to justify removing it, ignored industry comments, which I had read, and I agree with that, and gave no reason for treating wind differently f- than other clean energy technologies. So That his executive order came down and said, “Hey, we don’t like wind. [00:02:00] IRS, write a rule and make it hard for wind to get installed in the United States.” And so they dutifully did it, but a court is throwing it out. This has some pretty significant implications because if you hadn’t broken ground before this ruling, I think the– what was happening was be- if you hadn’t broken ground by July 4th, your project wouldn’t qualify for some tax credits. But now, if you have 5% safe harbor, you still are in the game, at least for now. Now, Wanda, that’s gonna make a big difference to asset managers and developers, won’t it? Yolanda Padron: Yeah, it’s really exciting. I think it opens up the, the playing field for, for some of these projects that might be a little bit behind schedule. Um, of course, a lot of teams had to change their plans and their pipeline when, um, you know, the big, beautiful bill passed and, I mean, it’s– of course, it adds a little bit of additional volatility, right, to, to wind and, and solar in the US, but it’s exciting to see at least things for, [00:03:00] for those of us that are in the wind and solar side, the, it’s a little, little bit of, of hope there. Allen Hall: And Matthew, uh, even in terms of opening up o-o-operations and, uh, getting contracts signed, this should make a big difference in sort of opening the floodgates a little bit. Although there is a short timeframe. We’re, we’re recording on, what, what is today? June 10th. So you have, in theory, less than 30 days before the July 4th deadline, but hopefully this stays. You think there’s a chance this just gets completely, uh, wiped out, the executive order and the IRS notice and- It’s back to what we remember for the, for the last, ooh, 12, 13 years? Matthew Stead: Uh, yeah. I’m, I’m, I’m hopeful, and I, I agree with Yolanda. I think you, you said it really well. Um, I think this is a, a glimmer of hope in, um, a sometimes gloomy, um, environment. So I think that’s great. In terms of going back to where it was, um, I mean, I guess my observation has been that, [00:04:00] you know, things in the US were a bit, um, distorted. You know, distorted through the, the PTC, um, and the whole repowering thing after 10 years is quite a distortion. So I think, um, you’re not necessarily going back to the good old days, um, might be the way, what will happen. Allen Hall: I think there is a lot of people actively trying to dig holes at the moment, and I, I’m sure they’re gonna continue to do that. Yolanda, do you th- you think anybody’s gonna stop and kinda say, “Oh, we have the 5% rule. We’re, we’re good”? Do you think, or you think they’re gonna still go ahead and really start construction and then just keep things continually moving on site? Yolanda Padron: I don’t think they, they can really stop, right? Because you, you don’t know if, if anything strange happens. A lot of people didn’t think the, a lot of the provisions in the big beautiful bill were gonna, were gonna see the light of day, and they did. Um, but it does, I really hope it brings at least a little bit of breathing room for some people. I know it’s, it must be… I mean, I have some friends in development, and they’re, they’re q- a little [00:05:00] bit stressed right now just with everything going on. Um, so, so I really hope for them at least they, you know, if, if they’re a little bit behind schedule, then it, it’ll be, it’ll still be fine. Allen Hall: Delamination and bondline failures in blades are difficult problems to detect early. These hidden issues can cost you millions in repairs and lost energy production. CIC-NDT are specialists to detect these critical flaws before they become expensive burdens. Their nondestructive test technology penetrates deep into blade materials to find voids and cracks traditional inspections completely miss. CIC-NDT maps every critical defect, delivers actionable reports, and provides support to get your blades back in service. So visit cicndt.com because catching blade problems early will save you millions[00:06:00] Norway’s Storting has voted to pause the 35 billion Norwegian krone support program for floating offshore wind at Utsira Nord. The Conservative Party secured a parliamentary majority for the external quality assurance review, a socioeconomic analysis, and a technology development assessment, all before the Storting will authorize any commitments. Equinor and Vårgrønn, along with EDF and Deepwind Offshore, each hold allocated 500-megawatt areas and were preparing to compete for that subsidy. Equinor says the project will continue for now. I think everybody is saying that at the moment. But, uh, Equinor cannot rule out consequences as framework uncertainty compounds in the already challenging nature of floating offshore wind development. So Utsira Nord is a massive project. So it’s, it’s about three and a half billion US dollars [00:07:00] to go do this. We had Mads Furuseth and Anders Naslund about a year or so ago, maybe a little bit longer, talking about the project and how big it was and how important it was that Norway did this for floating offshore wind. But with this, uh, recent change in the parliament of Norway, it does seem like they’re slowly going to try to kill it by putting in a number of, uh, reviews, which is how bureaucracies tend to kill things. Is put it under six, seven, eight reviews, different committees. They all take time to get together. They have to put out a report. It could be two, three years from now. At that point, the world has completely changed, and everybody’s moved on. Does that seem like the outcome here at the moment? Matthew Stead: Yes. Allen Hall: In my mind, there’s really two big areas for floating offshore, which UK, right? That there, there’s some massive projects there, Green Volt being one of them, and then there was Sue & Nord. So between the two, I feel like the, the UK one was going to [00:08:00] happen. The question whether the world was gonna move towards floating offshore wind was gonna happen up in Norway. If Norway decided to do it and could get it developed, and it has the capability to do it because, because they have that skill set, uh, right there in Norway. If they could do it in Norway, everybody in the world would learn from it and figure out how to do it. Does this really set back floating offshore wind globally? Matthew Stead: Yeah. I mean, going back to what I said before, and I, I’ll defer to Rosie on this as well, but, um, when I was at, at Blades Europe, um, one of the, one of my long-term contacts, um, y- was in floating wind, um, and had, um, left the industry. He basically said i- in his view that the offshore wind industry was slowly, um, in decline or slowly dying. Um, so I’m just wondering if this is just evolution of viability of offshore wind. Rosemary Barnes: Is offshore wind in decline? I think if you look globally, it’s, it’s not in decline. I, I haven’t looked in, in depth at the figures just based on what, you know, [00:09:00] headlines I’ve seen and podcasts I’ve heard, but I think that globally it’s still on the rise. It’s just that- It’s only in Europe that things are really moving with speed, right? Like, people were expecting heaps of growth in the US and now no- nobody expects that. Floating offshore wind, it’s… I th- I still think it’s too early to say. There are plenty of countries that don’t have any good energy options besides, um, floating offshore wind, like Japan. What their energy transition looks like is gonna depend a lot on their culture and what people think, ’cause, like, if you go through, like, the engineering solutions that Japan could have, the ones that make the most sense from an engineering point of view are not popular at all, are not politically viable. Like, Japan could easily have a subsea cable connecting it with, um, with China, for example, or Korea, but I don’t think anybody, anybody thinks that that will ever happen because, you know, politically it’s, it’s very far from being possible. What else could they have? Geothermal. They’ve got heaps of [00:10:00]geothermal resources, like really good traditional geothermal resources, but my understanding is that it’s super unpopular because their onsen, um, community doesn’t want it. Uh, my understanding is that they’re worried that if you put geothermal, um, if you exploit geothermal resources, then the onsens will not be hot anymore, and again, my limited research understanding is that it’s not true. It’s different resources. The two aren’t connected in any way. Um, and yeah, there’s actually a community geothermal, um, facility near Fukushima. I’m trying really hard to get over there, but I’m, I’ve got a roadblock at the moment because, uh, n- no one there speaks English, so I need to find somebody to, to come with me and, you know, I’ll have one, one day to try and get there on the fast train and back to Tokyo in, in a single day. So it’s, it’s a bit of a stretch, but I’m gonna try. But anyway, so yeah, what have we… We’ve ruled out, like, subsea cables, ruled out geothermal. Floating wind is good. Allen Hall: Well, speaking of Fukushima, [00:11:00] there’s been a more recent push in Japan to start up some of the nuclear facilities. So after the tsunami, was that 2012, 2014 when that happened? It was a while ago. Uh, when the tsunami happened and h- had that, uh, nuclear accident, they, they s- shut down all the nuclear facilities in Japan, but it does seem like they’re trying to restart some of them And, and maybe it’s just the demand for energy and, and they’re trying to weigh that off with offshore wind or floating offshore wind. At what point, you know, which one do you choose? It has to be driven by cost and availability. Rosemary Barnes: Yeah. And so Fukushima, I just looked it up, it was 2011. Um, and yeah, so I mean, I think it is very fair that they had a reaction to that and they wanted to put the handbrake on nuclear at that time, or they did more than put the handbrake on, they did like a handbrake turn. Allen Hall: They shut it down. Rosemary Barnes: So, and it, you know, it’s gradually ramping up. I think that their target for nuclear now is to, to regain, um, 20% of their electricity from [00:12:00] nuclear by 2040, something like that. It was 30% prior to that incident. Um, so that will be part of it, but it’s not, um, it’s not all of it. And then even if you think of, uh, okay, so forget climate change, just, you know, we want, Japan just wants energy and they don’t care about climate change, you know, ’cause that, that, that could be true. What are their ch- choices for that? They import a whole bunch of… They, they import nearly all their energy. Everything that’s not nuclear basically is, is imported. Um, coal, but a lot of LNG, and, you know, that is not exactly an appealing prospect at the moment either. It’s not secure. Prices are very volatile. We’ve had, like, two fossil fuel shocks in the last, what, like four years or something like that, and how many more, how many more are we g- are we going to have? You know, like energy security is important, totally separate from climate change issues. So I don’t think we need to rely on Japan, like, you know, [00:13:00] steadfastly staying the course because their, their existing o- opportunities are not, are not great for fossil fuels either. Allen Hall: I don’t know what country’s gonna stay the course right now, really. Maybe the UK? Rosemary Barnes: Oh, I think it’s- Countries that have other reasons for going to renewables are the ones that are gonna stay the, stay the course. Um, and there are plenty of examples of countries where it just, it is by far the easiest, cheapest, fastest option to get more electricity. Um, you know, like all of Africa, for example, is, is facing that as a, uh, a better development path than trying to build big, um, fossil fuel power plants. But even that, you know, like in India, they’re making a huge transition, Pakistan, not to mention Australia, where now batteries are having more of an impact on electricity prices than gas is. So our electricity prices now finally are dropping, um, this year for the first time because of how many batteries have come on and are now, you [00:14:00]know… Like they’ve just flattened. The evening price peak used to be on average about, like, I think $400 or something dollars a megawatt hour, and now it’s like 100. In one year we had that, we had that change, yeah, just from the amount of batteries that have come on in the last year or two. Allen Hall: Why does that make such a big difference in the price of electricity, the battery aspect? Rosemary Barnes: Because, so the way that Australia… Australia’s electricity market is pretty similar to Texas, so if you understand that, then you can probably understand Australia’s. But, you know, at any five-minute interval, people, like, they know how much demand there’s going to be, and then people are bidding in how much they would supply electricity for in that five minutes, in real time as well. It’s not like day ahead or anything like that in Australia. The, like, last one they need is what everybody gets paid. So, like, solar power is gonna bid in at, like, you know, practically zero, um, or maybe negative prices actually if they’ve got power purchase agreements in place. And then, you know, wind a little bit more, and then coal, uh, you know, a, a bit [00:15:00] more than that, and then gas, the open cycle gas turbines, the peakers, they’re very expensive. They’re bidding in at 400, $400 a megawatt hour. If there’s enough batteries that that gas doesn’t need to bid in, then all of a sudden we don’t have the gas price that everybody has to pay. We have the battery price that everyone has to pay, and that is very, very cheap and will become cheaper as there’s more of them in the, in the system. So it’s like a threshold event. You, you know, um, even if you’re using only a tiny bit of gas, if you need any gas at all, even like, you know, one megawatt of gas, everybody gets paid the gas price. If you just get a little bit more battery in and you don’t need it anymore, bam, the price just falls. So that’s what we… We’ve passed that threshold now. Allen Hall: Isn’t that where the UK is trying to get, is to get past that threshold where renewables are that last addition to the grid and kick off peaker plants and some expensive other- fuel sources. That’s I, I [00:16:00] think where everybody’s gone because they have the same system where the, the last one in is what sets the price for everybody. Rosemary Barnes: Yeah. The UK’s a little bit different because one, they’re connected to Europe, and two, they’ve got nuclear, so they do have that kind of base load. Allen Hall: Let’s go down the rabbit hole just for a second. So if the peaker plants don’t come on, that means that the battery electricity supplying the grid is pretty low in price. It seems like they are losing money on their investment in the battery That they were hoping the price would be higher. Because if the peaker plants are still going on, that would be a $400 price and they’re gonna come in at, like, 350, so that would make sense. It, it helps pay off the battery investment. But if they’re dropping the price down from 400 to 100, it would seem like the battery investment may not be a, a wise decision. Rosemary Barnes: For sure they’re making less money, but it was– they were making crazy profits for the first little, the first few, few years of, you know, grid-scale batteries. And even [00:17:00] home batteries, people were making a l- a lot of money off that, and it was crazy. Like, I’m on some, um, some Reddit subreddits about, uh, you know, people with home batteries and- Allen Hall: Slash battery? Rosemary Barnes: Matt probably is too. Matt’s a Beta G enthusiast, so I’m sure that he is just as excited as me. But anyway, so on one of these subreddits, you know, people used to talk about, “Oh, I made 100 bucks last night,” um, or, or whatever, you know, just a household. And now all the posts are complaining about there’s been no price spikes all year. You know, I thought that I was gonna make heaps of money off my battery, but people are really change- changing how they think of it. And now it’s like… And l- like I want– used to want to do this. I don’t have solar panels yet ’cause we need a new roof, and I’ve been waiting a few years to, one, live in a house that I own, and then two, get a freaking new roof. Um, and I thought I’m gonna just, like, cover it in solar panels, get a huge battery, and I’m gonna be an energy trader in my free time and make heaps of money, and now that is [00:18:00] not the strategy anymore. The strategy is to just reduce your bills to the m- the minimum that you can. Um, that’s basically, that’s basically it. So you are right that some of this arbitrage is, um, the opportunity’s over, and that it will be less, um, exciting for, uh, opportunity for people to put more, more batteries in. Matthew Stead: Just to add to that, through the middle of the day quite often there’s, uh, negative pricing. So if you’ve got a battery, you’re being paid to charge through the middle of the day. So that actually takes away some of the pain from having a lower, a lower price, um, during the peak. Rosemary Barnes: But the thing about negative prices is that you need coal power plants for them to be… Like, the only reason we have such pervasive negative prices is not because solar plants have PPAs that are, you know, make it worthwhile for them to generate even when the price is slightly negative. The real thing is that coal power plants don’t want to turn down below, I don’t know, yeah, like 20, 30% during the middle of the day. They have to be on if they want to make money in the evening, and that means that they bid in at, like, [00:19:00] negative 50, um, so that people– so that they can stay running. And that’s where the bulk of our negative prices come from. So As coal power plants close, those negative prices will go away. Um, and when they close, we should get some better evening price spikes again. So, you know, like nothing ever stays the same for long, which is why it is such a fascinating hobby to have, being interested in the electricity market, because it’s never the same from one year to another. You’ll never understand it, ’cause it’s never, it never stays the same long enough to really get your head around it. Allen Hall: You need other hobbies. You really do. Matthew Stead: A friend of mine works in trading, and, uh, he said, “As long as there’s volatility, there will be progress.” So much like what Rosie was saying is the more volatile it is, the more opportunity there is for people to come in, um, and change it. Allen Hall: I just don’t know how the battery thing plays out once that threshold is reached. When you have more batteries on the system and you knock down the price that [00:20:00] much, I think battery sales, industrial batteries really slow down because they’re all looking for that quick ROI And they’re not gonna get it. Rosemary Barnes: You have to wait for all of the coal to close before you would find out what’s the right amount of batteries to have in the, in the grid. Allen Hall: Yeah, yeah, yeah. That, I totally agree there, yeah. Yolanda Padron: You’d still get, like in extreme weather events and stuff, you’d still get a big price spike, right, for all these batteries. Allen Hall: Back to Matt’s point, more volatility. Rosemary Barnes: If you want the market to respond, you need to give enough incentive to invest in assets so you’ll have enough when it’s needed. And because it’s really infrequent, then it has to be a super high price to, um, bring on enough investment. And will this system… The system has worked absolutely, you know, pretty well in Aus- Australia at least. Will it continue into the future with more variable prices and renewables? I, I don’t know, and the government is starting to do some things like, uh, you know, like a lot of [00:21:00] electricity markets have, um, not just energy markets but also capacity markets where you will pay a battery or a gas plant something to be on standby basically, um, so that if there is, um, if there’s a shortfall then they, then they have to respond. So in Western Australia they have that, but across the east of Australia th- they currently do not, do not have that. It’s energy only. Allen Hall: Really? How do you not have capacity payments? Rosemary Barnes: The majority of their profits are made in just a few hours a year when there are those price spikes, so that’s, that’s h- part of their business case. Allen Hall: I mean, there, there is arbitrage happening on the electricity grid. That’s not the best place to be arbitraging things because you will have players that won’t provide electricity just to drive up the price. Rosemary Barnes: Uh, and it happens in Australia too, but, um, you know, because batteries are such a distributed resource, it, it will become harder and harder to do that when, you know, the, um, the ownership of these batteries is, you know, households as well as, um, yeah, as well as [00:22:00] big companies. Matthew Stead: So offshore wind, I was talking to an OEM a, a little while ago and, uh, talking about blade repairs for offshore wind, you know, floating, floating wind. Um, so specifically floating wind. The OEM was extremely concerned about floating wind, um, because it makes it very, very, very hard to change blades. So the story was that if you’ve got an offshore floating platform, you’re basically gonna have to tow the wind turbine back to port to change a, a blade. Rosemary Barnes: They see that as a, as a pro, not a con though. Yeah. That, that’s because it’s very hard to… Like, it’s not only floating offshore wind where it’s very hard to remove a, a blade out at sea, like fixed bottom offshore wind, that’s incredibly expensive to remove a blade. So floating is like, well, you can just tow it back to shore and then you can do it all in the port. I, I, you’re looking skeptical, Matt, and I’m also skeptical about how it actually plays out. I know that, um, what was it? The, [00:23:00] the one- An EOL project off the coast of Scotland. I can’t remember what it’s called now. Like what, the first big one, the big wind farm, a floating offshore wind farm Allen Hall: HiWind Scotland Rosemary Barnes: They had a, a problem. I don’t know if it was a serial issue or also, like it’s the first big wind farm, and there might have been like some operating condition they weren’t aware of that caused some problems. They had to tow back everything to port, and they stayed there for months and months. So like maybe, maybe close to a year or over a year, I’m not sure. It was a really long time. And so, um, yeah. But then, you know, like what’s the alternative? If that had happened out at sea, it would’ve been more expensive. If, it still would’ve been shut down, not doing anything, and you would’ve had like helicopters out there every single day bringing teams and, um, you know, huge vessels with cranes and yeah. So like it’s, maintenance at sea is never good. Allen Hall: But the whole point of the HiWind project was to get some of these problems figured out, and one of them was just towing it back to port and [00:24:00] doing major repairs or component exchanges make sense. I think it’s a, it’s a lesson well learned, and we’ve moved on. I guess the question is, does offshore, floating offshore in particular, have much of a future if Norway’s not willing to do it? Matthew Stead: I think it’s a good comparison with, um, data centers in space. Rosemary Barnes: You know where else they’re planning to put data centers? Not just space and offshore, also like, um, underwater ones, like on the deep ocean floor, um, on the moon somewhat. Like there’s an actual company that is apparently developing a, a data center on the moon Allen Hall: As wind energy professionals, staying informed is crucial, and let’s face it, difficult. That’s why the Uptime podcast recommends PES Wind magazine. PES Wind offers a diverse range of in-depth articles and expert insights that dive into the most pressing issues facing our energy future. Whether you’re an industry veteran or new to wind, PES Wind has the high-quality content you need. Don’t [00:25:00] miss out. Visit peswind.com today. Well, in this quarter’s PES Wind magazine, there are a number of great articles, and if you haven’t downloaded your copy, you should do that at peswind.com. There’s a good article from Global Blade Services USA, and it’s talking about the technician problem and how it’s not gonna, it solve itself, obviously. But Global Blade Service is putting some numbers to it. And Rosemary, this is really directed at you. Blades represent roughly 20% of the total, total turbine capital cost and are the leading driver of unplanned downtime. Rosemary Barnes: Yeah, 40% of O&M. Allen Hall: Right, and 75% of all blade repairs are already handled outside OEM warranty. That number seems really high, but maybe after the warranty expires? Rosemary Barnes: Do you say 30% of, of repairs are repaired under warranty? That’s, uh, unexpectedly high from my point of view. [00:26:00] But, you know, how would I know? No one’s getting in touch with me if, you know, they’ve got a problem with their blades and it just got fixed under warranty. Then they’re not paying a consultant to come sort it out. I only, I’m, I’m only there when the warranty is nearly up or it’s already over. Allen Hall: So they, they’re saying that the, the ratio’s even gonna grow more towards out of warranty repairs. But the problem is having technicians. And the deeper problem is developing all those technicians in time as that need grows. Uh, reaching full structural repair competency takes a rope access technician eight to 10 years. A basket technician is five to seven, and a factory technician is four to five years, meaning the workforce, uh, the industry needs for the next decade has to start training now. I, I think we’re seeing this in full force. I- the issue is keeping good people in the industry as it fluctuates up and [00:27:00] down all the time and is very seasonal. Because there are really good rope technicians out there who know what they are doing, and it does take a, a minimum of three years to be competent. And then to be that lead person, it takes four or five solid. And to be, uh, the, the relied-upon person, especially for some of the more complicated repairs, it’s gonna be six, seven, eight years before you’re there. It’s just an exposure thing. Are we in a technician crisis? Rosemary Barnes: Crisis is maybe a little bit inflammatory, but, uh, we’re in a technician challenge Matthew Stead: But it’s a pretty, it’s a pretty basic topic, Allen, isn’t it? Like, um, you know, there’s more and more wind turbines, there have to be more and more technicians. It takes time to train. So, you know, it’s, it’s just, it’s pretty much basic maths and, um, you know, it’s like te- you know, tradies to build houses. Um, you know, unless you’ve got the tradies, you can’t build houses in a cheap way. Yolanda Padron: Part of the issue is that, you know, say there’s [00:28:00] 10 technicians that are available in the area, right? Then you … maybe they work under two different companies, and then one company goes bankrupt, so then they all work with the same company. Another company pops up, or someone gets kicked off site from the OEM side, and then a month later they’re back with the third party. And then it’s just really difficult to keep track of kind of who’s still there and who’s not, because some people have the certifications and maybe they’re not really, really great at what they do, or other people have a lot of training and a lot of experience, and it’s just difficult to track exactly, you know, where they are now. I know that the, the strategy here oftentimes is you’ll find one person that you like and you kind of follow him around, or follow them around whatever company they’re, they’re with at the moment, and then just use that company. Matthew Stead: The other point I was going to make is that there’s also the seasonality, isn’t there? So you know, if you’ve got a great, a great technician, when it’s cold, they can’t earn cash from [00:29:00] repairing blades. Rosemary Barnes: Aren’t they hired as, like, seasonal workers in America and they just don’t get paid for part of the year? That’s not how it’s done here. I mean, I guess we don’t have the climate where you have to, like, totally shut down, so they’re not, like, sitting around getting paid for nothing. But, like, that’s a really unim- unappealing feature of the of the, um, field, isn’t it? If you’re deciding what you wanna, what kinda job you wanna do, you want one where you can get paid for 12 months out of the year, not just, I don’t know, like eight or whatever it is. Matthew Stead: I know there’s been a lot of discussion between, like, Australian US repair companies of, like, shipping technicians down here during the Northern Hemisphere winter and vice versa, and it gives, you know, chance of exploring the world. But, you know, if you’ve got kids and family, you’re not gonna necessarily wanna do that either. Rosemary Barnes: It’s such a tiring job, though. I don’t… Like, there’s, um, I think it’s fine if people do it for, like, a hard 10 years and then, um, yeah, move on to… Because you obviously learn a lot as a technician, so y- you know, like, there’s a lot of office jobs that you would be really good at [00:30:00] because you had that physical experience. But yeah, like, I, I do think that there’s heaps of young people that are traveling the world being wind turbine technicians. Yolanda Padron: At least in Texas, I know a lot of rural areas where they don’t necessarily have a lot of opportunities to get higher education, and so going to be a technician is a good route for them to then go into a larger part of the industry, um, to, to kinda get a head start there. Um, and they get a lot of really valuable skills, and oftentimes, like you said, Rosie, they’ll, they’ll get picked up by, um, by the owners or the OEMs or someone, um, because of their experience there. But it, but it is quite a bit of, of hard work and, and physical, physical labor. I climbed one tower and I was sore for two weeks, so really, really not my cup of tea. Rosemary Barnes: I’m always, like, so excited to, to be climbing towers ’cause I only do it, like, you know, sometimes no times in a year, sometimes twice a year. Um, yeah, so, like, I’m really excited to go climb, and it’s really cool the first day, and then the second day it’s like, “Oh, this harness is [00:31:00] so heavy. Am I really putting this on again? Oh my God.” Yeah, so it’s, uh, it’s ob- obviously you get used to it if you, um, if you do climb a lot. The last, uh, last site that I was at, a lot of the technicians were just climbing the ladders so that they wouldn’t have to, you know, go to the gym afterwards. So there’s a lift there, but they use the ladder because then they get their cardio for the day. So, you know, they’ve obviously got some surplus energy. Allen Hall: I think it is kind of a myth outside the US, uh, uh, seasonal workers, uh, at least in Europe, I haven’t seen a lot of seasonal workers. It doesn’t mean they don’t exist, of course. But in the United States, there’s a lot of seasonal workers from construction and all kinds of other industries. People figure it out And it, it’s a lot more common than I think y- being an engineer you think it is, but there are a lot of seasonal workers. So being a, a wind technician is not a bad job. Rosemary Barnes: I guess they’re just getting [00:32:00] paid extra for the time that they’re working and they just know they’re used to budgeting to cover the few months off. Allen Hall: They have a winter job. They’ll, they have employment. They already have it lined up where when it gets cold outside, they have someplace else to go. Back into construction for a few months. They’re maybe driving a truck or doing other things that, that bring in income. They have it pretty well figured out. When– At least the technicians I’ve talked to seem to have a, a plan about it, and they’re not sitting by the television for six months. That’s not what’s happening. It, that there’s a lot of employment opportunities here in the States, and so they, they’re pretty nimble. So if you haven’t read this article or a number of our other great articles in PES Wind, you should go to peswind.com right now and download a copy today. That wraps up another episode of the Uptime Wind Energy podcast. If today’s discussion sparked any questions or ideas, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out to us on LinkedIn, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode. [00:33:00] For Yolanda, Rosemary, and Matthew, I’m Allen Hall, and we’ll see you here next week on the Uptime Wind Energy podcast.

Phil Jones Rumoured To Be Blades New Coach

acast blades new coaches phil jones rumoured

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2026 15:56

Nick reacts to reports that Phil Jones could be the Blades next coach...or more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So Many Levels - Blades '68 - Session 6 - inSPECTRE

Talking About Stuff / Survivor

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2026 106:23

Our dashing criminals do a little planning for their next job!

levels blades

IS RIGHTEOUS BLOOD RUTHLESS BLADES A POSTMODERN TTRPG?

BEDROCK PODCAST

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2026 26:31

I answer some Q&A's today including whether RBRB or WHOG are postmodernist in their design.

blood righteous blades ruthless ttrpg postmodern

The Fork In Your Ear Ep#215 Eternia of Games!

The Fork In Your Ear Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2026 202:53

The Fork In Your Ear Ep#215 Eternia of Games! - Podcast Show Notes Summary 6-13-26 Gaming News – Oops All Games Edition! Tim and Nate kick off with an "oops all games" episode packed wall-to-wall with fresh showcases. They open with the Xbox Games Showcase (June 7). Tim watched with Jessica while making breakfast; Nate and Cara ran it live in the Discord. Key highlights: Gears of War: E-Day (Oct 6, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Game Pass day one, Unreal Engine 5 built from the ground up by The Coalition). The prequel Emergence Day story stars Marcus and Dom. The Coalition's deep Unreal expertise and "from-scratch" approach have everyone hyped for performance and visuals. Tim and Nate debate third-person cover shooters (Nate's not a fan of the mechanic; Tim loves the destroyed world, underground critters, and chainsaw guns). Fable – New cinematic trailer confirms Haley Atwell (Agent Carter) as the long-teased villain Isabel. Jack of Blades gets a surprise tease, hinting at multiple villains. A 30-minute full gameplay video dropped days later showing a talking pig quest, romance options, UI, and systems in action. Delayed to February 23, 2027 (Xbox, PC, Game Pass, and still coming to PS5) to polish and avoid GTA 6. Tim is very excited; Nate is cautiously optimistic but holding judgment on open-world RPG scope. Halo: Campaign Evolved (July 28, Xbox, PC, PS5, Game Pass) – UE5 remake of Halo 1 with core Blam engine (physics/game logic pulled from Halo: Reach) for that authentic "spongy" feel. New Sergeant Johnson voice actor, prequel missions (Assault on the Control Room & Silent Cartographer) locked behind the main campaign, vehicle jacking, new weapons (energy sword, fuel rod, brute spiker), sprint, clambering, 40+ skulls, and a "Remix Mode" for wild enemy swaps/randomization. 4-player co-op (local split-screen + online). Previews are extremely positive; limited collector's editions sold out fast. Tim is all-in on the respectful-yet-improved remake treatment and wants to share it with new players. Other Xbox news: Persona 6 trailer reactions (mixed/underwhelmed), new Spyro game from Toys for Bob (Tom Kenny returning as Spyro, Dragonflight mechanics), Clockwork Revolution (InXile steampunk RPG, Xbox ecosystem exclusive vibes), S.T.A.L.K.E.R.-era title getting Unreal Engine help from The Coalition + Grounded-style cross-world system, new dark Metro game from the Ukrainian team (still developing in wartime conditions), Resonance (Plague Tale legacy?), Minecraft Dungeons 2, new Senua Hellblade-universe action game (Nate loved the first, mixed on the second; Tim was never a fan but this one looks more classic Ninja Theory), Crazy Taxi World Tour (2027, pure arcade nostalgia), and Castlevania: Belmont's Curse (Oct 15 – Tim is already hooked into his veins; Switch 2 version delayed, which upsets him).

#216 – Body Block and Tackle

Triangle Squared: A Playstation Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2026 19:09

We're continuing this new exploration of combat rules options with an episode dedicated to one that - we've been told - doesn't get used nearly as often as it should these days. So let's bring it back! This one is the rather brutal and insidious "Body Block & Tackle" move, found in at least two different places in the Ultimate Edition of Rifts. Drop us a line! You can follow us (sporadically) on Facebook, and we'd love to see you on our Discord Channel too. And let us know your thoughts by leaving a review on iTunes or any other podcast aggregate sites. For even more info and options, check out our main website or our low-bandwidth alternative feed site. Links of Note: Rifts RPG 1st Edition, Digital Rifts RPG Ultimate Edition, Digital Rifts Ultimate Edition, Hardcover A Cloak of Blades, by Isaac Sher Credits: Hosts: NPC, Just Jacob, and Matt Buckley Music: Opening is "8-Bit bass & lead" by Furbyguy, Closing is "Caravana" by Phillip Gross Sound Effects: Unless specified otherwise, all of our sound effects are either self-made, acquired under a Creative Commons Zero license, or sourced by attribution from Tabletop Audio Episode Length (We support chapters!): 19:09 Glitter Boys, Rifts, the Megaverse, and all other such topics are the property of Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books. Please buy all their stuff and help keep them in print and making more games! You can order directly at palladiumbooks.com, and their entire catalog is available digitally at Drive-Thru RPG as well. We release all of our public episodes simultaneously on: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuc8KbdMqx8ajWfm2OUTs7A Audio RSS: https://breakfastpuppies.com/feed/glitterbois Want to help us pay for hosting? We have a few options: Drop us a one-time donation or a recurring membership at our Ko-Fi page Follow this link to our Pinecast Tip Jar We've got a merch store if you're looking for some sweet Glitterbois swag. Check out our affiliate store and buy some of the various products we endorse. Support The Glitterbois by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-glitterbois Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/the-glitterbois/7ff373c7-e4f2-424b-b46a-b8a6bbb7dec8 This podcast is powered by Pinecast. Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-66e5ee for 40% off for 4 months, and support The Glitterbois.

body drop tackle bit blades pinecast caravana rifts drivethrurpg ultimate edition discord channel try pinecast palladium books kevin siembieda

Xbox Exclusives Are Back? Gears, Fable & Microsoft's Big Console Problem | Triangle Squared

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2026 137:46

Are Xbox exclusives officially back, or is this just another strange chapter in Microsoft's gaming strategy? This week on Triangle Squared: A PlayStation Podcast, we react to the latest Xbox Showcase and Nintendo Direct, breaking down the biggest reveals, surprises, and questions coming out of both events. Gears of War E-Day is now being positioned as an Xbox console exclusive, Clockwork Revolution looks genuinely fantastic, Fable brought back Jack of Blades, and Xbox suddenly seems interested in making exclusives matter again. But does any of this actually move the needle? We get into Xbox's identity crisis, whether Game Pass has changed the value of exclusives, what Asha Sharma's leadership could mean after Phil Spencer, and whether PlayStation players should believe these games are truly staying off PS5. We also discuss State of Decay 3, Halo Campaign Evolved, the Xbox 25th Anniversary console, Persona, Spyro, Final Fantasy, Nintendo's showcase strategy, and which company had the best showing overall. New episodes post every other Wednesday! This show is possible thanks to the support of our Patrons. Consider becoming one today: https://www.patreon.com/nartech JOIN OUR DISCORD! Talk PlayStation, gaming news, movies, music, and more with the Triangle Squared community: https://discord.gg/cEvKzqm Email/Tweet us your thoughts & suggestions: X: https://www.twitter.com/TriangleSqrd Email: trianglesquaredpodcast@gmail.com PSN ID's: Brett - Chaimera086 Chris - Figz21k ------------------------------------- 00:00 - Intro 02:10 - Gears of War E-Day Looks Great 09:49 - Xbox Makes Games Exclusive Again? 25:53 - Clockwork Revolution Actually Tempts Us 38:53 - Did Xbox Change After Phil Spencer? 47:29 - Could Xbox Win Us Over? 55:55 - Fable Brings Back Jack of Blades 59:15 - Xbox's 25th Anniversary Console Problem 1:06:08 - State of Decay 3 Comes to PlayStation 1:21:59 - Metro, Bad Magpie & Indie Surprises 1:27:18 - Crazy Taxi Returns & Xbox's Showcase Style 1:48:19 - Persona, Game Pass & Xbox's Identity Crisis 1:56:51 - Spyro, Ocarina & Final Fantasy Resonance 2:13:10 - Who Had the Best Showcase? ------------------------------------- #Xbox #PlayStation #GearsOfWar #Fable #XboxShowcase #PS5 #GamingPodcast

The Weekly Podcast no.338 – End of Fate, John Blanche Passes, TTRPG Crowdfunding and Unnumbered Worlds

Idle Red Hands

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2026 38:29

The Fate roleplaying game line, once the flagship system for Evil Hat Productions, may be nearing its end, highlighted by the release of the next game, Umdaar, as a PDF-only product. Since the record-breaking Fate Core crowdfunding campaign in 2013, the line has steadily declined to less than 5% of the company’s sales, replaced by Blades in the Dark and Monster of the Week as Evil Hat’s main sellers. Fate originated around 2000 as a hack of the Fudge RPG, developed by Evil Hat co-founders Fred Hicks and Rob Donoghue, who aimed for a system that modeled fiction rather than physics. Hicks sees the release of Umdaar as an experiment to determine Fate’s future in the 2020s, acknowledging its significant impact as a game from the previous decade. John Blanche, the legendary illustrator whose art defined the “grimdark” aesthetic of the Warhammer 40,000 setting, has died. Blanche was best known for iconic works, including his depiction of the Emperor on the Golden Throne, which he intended to show as a ceremonial facade for pilgrims rather than the “real” Emperor. He retired from Games Workshop in 2023 after an association beginning in the seventies, leaving behind an enormous legacy. Tributes from fans and writers confirmed his profound influence, stating that his art was the reason many became involved in Warhammer 40,000 and that he defined an entire sub-genre of SFF. TTRPG crowdfunding surged in Q1 2026, with the number of successful campaigns that raised $100,000 or more growing by 35% year-over-year. The 21 campaigns reaching this milestone collectively generated an estimated $8,058,431, about 25% more than Q1 2025. The period featured a major success with Pumpkin Spice -A Magical Cozy RPG, which reached over $1.5 million, and also saw the launch of highly anticipated projects like Numenera: The Amber Archive and Blades ’68. Notably, only six of the featured games used Fifth Edition mechanics, and Gates of Krystalia became the highest-funded TTRPG project to date whose creator admitted to using AI-generated images in the book. The Book of Unnumbered Worlds is a new Kickstarter campaign from Kevin Crawford of Sine Nomine Publishing known for the “Without Number” series. This project is a system-neutral sourcebook designed to aid Game Masters (GMs) in building fantasy worlds or fleshing out existing settings. It features organized frameworks and step-by-step procedures with tags and tables for creating elements like maps, nations, societies, and monsters, and does not reprint material from previous “Without Number” books. In a notable statement, the campaign explicitly guarantees that “All art, writing, and design in this book is entirely human-created and does not involve the use of AI”. #faterpg #johnblanche #crowdfunding #withoutnumber Rascal News: https://www.rascal.news/with-the-release-of-umdaar-we-might-be-at-the-end-of-fate/ Book of Unnumbered Worlds Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sinenomineinc/the-book-of-unnumbered-worlds Cyberpunk RED: Ready-to-Run Essentials Bundle: $33 https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/rEOrdG Free League BundleRPG Collection: $27.50 https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/zzrGdm The Book of Unnumbered Worlds: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sinenomineinc/the-book-of-unnumbered-worlds Demonic Grimoire on Backkit: https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/exalted-funeral/old-school-essentials-demonic-grimoire Hellblaster: Against the Cyberfiend: https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/bloodstar-productions/hellblaster-against-the-cyberfiends Warmachine on MyMiniFactory: https://mmf.io/upturned Mantic Companion App: https://companion.manticgames.com/ Use our Referral code: MCTXEE Support Us by Shopping on DTRPG (afilliate link): https://www.drivethrurpg.com?affiliate_id=2081746 Matt’s DriveThruRPG Publications: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Matthew%20Robinson https://substack.com/@matthewrobinson3 Chris on social media: https://hyvemynd.itch.io/ Jeremy's Links: http://www.abusecartoons.com/ http://www.rcharvey.com Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/upturnedtable Give us a tip on our livestream: https://streamlabs.com/upturnedtabletop/tip Donate or give us a tip on Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/2754JZFW2QZU4 Intro song is “Chips” by KokoroNoMe https://kokoronome.bandcamp.com/

ai monster dark shopping fate kickstarter worlds paypal chips emperor crowdfunding hicks notably blades referral warhammer ttrpg tributes games workshop sff fifth edition evil hat productions fate core evil hat kevin crawford dtrpg golden throne fred hicks john blanche umdaar

HTP BLADES IN THE DARK 5 SERIES WRAP & DISCUSSION - Releasing a Demon Wasn't Even the Worst Outcome

escape dark jump blades timon rogue traders purple planet music

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2026 56:29

After two actual play episodes, we finally sat down to answer the important questions. Why was there a demon in the basement? Why were people making drugs out of supernatural whale juice? Why did our cult immediately choose violence as a conflict resolution strategy? And perhaps most importantly, how many times can you accidentally make things worse before it becomes your crew's official business model? As it turns out, the answer is "a lot." And somehow that's exactly how Blades in the Dark is supposed to work. Show Notes We wrapped up our Blades in the Dark series by pulling back the curtain on everything that happened during the score. Randall finally revealed what was actually going on behind the scenes, explaining the Grey Cloaks, the corrupt Bluecoats, the illegal refinery, and the fact that our crew only uncovered about thirty percent of the mystery. Somehow, despite missing most of the conspiracy, we still managed to completely ruin everyone's plans. From there, we dug into the mechanics that make Blades in the Dark feel different from traditional fantasy RPGs. We talked about consequences, stress, trauma, healing, advancement, and how the game expects complications to drive the story rather than stop it. Coming from games like Dungeons and Dragons and Pathfinder, we spent some time discussing how strange it feels when success and consequences regularly happen at the same time. The downtime system ended up being one of the most interesting parts of the discussion. Recovering from injuries, indulging vices, reducing heat, building territory, and even potentially spending time in prison all create opportunities for new stories instead of simply resetting everything between adventures. Apparently prison gangs and ghost cults can coexist surprisingly well. By the end of the episode, we came away with a better appreciation for how tightly the mechanics and setting work together. Blades in the Dark constantly rewards messy stories, weird complications, and players who are willing to embrace disaster. Which is fortunate, because disaster seems to be our party's greatest strength. Key Takeaways The crew only uncovered a fraction of the conspiracy surrounding the illegal refinery The Grey Cloaks hired the crew to expose corruption tied to the Bluecoats The operation involved trapped spirits, electroplasm extraction, and an imprisoned demon Blades in the Dark expects consequences to create new stories instead of ending them Stress and trauma are resources that players are encouraged to spend and manage Downtime activities allow characters to heal, reduce stress, train, and pursue projects Heat and Wanted Levels create long-term consequences for reckless crews Prison and faction politics can become entire story arcs in longer campaigns Claims and territory expansion give crews long-term goals beyond individual scores Advancement is tied to roleplaying choices and embracing character flaws The setting and mechanics are deeply connected, making the world feel integral to gameplay Our cult somehow solved a major criminal conspiracy while understanding only about thirty percent of what was actually happening Releasing a demon may not have been the original mission objective, but it certainly made the score memorable Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Episode 306: Beyond Amazon - Reasons to Diversify Your Sales Platforms

The Pulp Writer Show

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2026 14:15

In this week's episode, we take a look at eight reasons to diversify your ebooks sales beyond just Amazon and Kindle Unlimited. This coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Dragonskull: Wrath of the Warlock, Book #7 in the Dragonskull series, (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills) at my Payhip store: WARLOCKJUNE The coupon code is valid through June 22, 2026. So if you need a new audiobook this summer, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 306 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is June 5th, 2026 and today we'll discuss eight reasons you should diversify your book sales beyond Amazon. We'll also talk about Coupon of the Week and give a progress update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. So let's start off with Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Dragonskull: Wrath of the Warlock, Book #7 in the Dragonskull series (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills), at my Payhip store. That coupon code is WARLOCKJUNE. As always, the coupon code and the links to my Payhip store will be available in the show notes for this episode. This coupon code is valid through June 22nd, 2026, So if you need a new audiobook for the summer as you go on a summer road trip, we have got you covered. Now let's talk about my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. As of this recording, I am 80,000 words into Blade of Thieves, which puts me in Chapter 17 of 25 of my outline. So we're closing in on the end. I think we're going to be about 110-115,000 words or thereabouts in the rough draft. So hopefully a couple more solid pushes and we'll get there to the end. I hope to be at 90,000 words by this point, but there is quite a lot to do in real life so we didn't quite get there, but 80,000 words is still better than nothing. For Cloak of Frost, as of this recording, I am now 9,000 words into it and that will be my main project once Blade of Thieves is done. I was hoping to have Blade of Thieves come out in June, but July is looking more likely at this point. Hopefully Cloak of Frost will come out the month after Blade Thieves comes out, whenever that is. In audiobook news, I'm pleased to report that Blade of Wraiths (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills) is now out at all audiobook platforms. Get it at Audible, Amazon, Apple, Google Play, Kobo Books, Chirp, my own Payhip store and all the usual audiobook stores. At the moment, I have no other audiobooks in active production, but once Blade of Thieves is done, Brad will also be recording that. Later this month, Hollis McCarthy is scheduled to start on Cloak of Worlds and in July, Leanne Woodward is going to record Dragon-Mage, the most recent Rivah book. So we don't have any audiobooks being produced right now, but we will in the future. So that is where I am at with my current writing, audiobook, and publishing projects. 00:02:32 Main Topic of the Week: Beyond Amazon: Reasons to Diversify Your Sales Platform Now onto our main topic this week, Beyond Amazon: Reasons to Diversify Your Sales Platform, which is something you know I do quite often given how often I talk about my links to my Payhip store on this very podcast. For a long time, the conventional wisdom has been that Amazon has 80% of the US book market and putting your ebooks into Kindle Unlimited was the best route of success because of that monopoly and some of the algorithmic benefits Amazon gives to KU authors. While it's true that certain genres (especially LitRPG and romance) are almost exclusively focused on Amazon and KU in the US, going exclusive with Amazon is not necessarily the best course of action for everyone, especially if you're interested in growing your international sales. Today we'll talk about reasons why putting your books in KU is limiting and in the interest of fairness, in two weeks, we will also be doing an episode later [about] when putting your book in KU is a good idea and some of the benefits of that. But today we're going to start with the benefits of diversification. Here are eight reasons you might want to consider moving beyond just Amazon, which is often called going wide in the Indie Publishing world. #1: Increasing your global reach. It may surprise you to know that the Kindle store is not available in every country and that other countries have a strong competitor to the Kindle store. For example, in Canada, Kobo is Amazon's main competitor and has traditionally a strong market share there, quite a bit larger than Amazon Canada based on my own sales data. Kobo is also very strong in many European markets. Additionally, because there are many more Android users internationally than there are in the US, Google Play Books is important in non-US countries. It's also an easy platform for users and integrates into the Google ecosystem as well. Data usually finds that while the iPhone [iOS] is dominant in the United States, Android tends to be the majority mobile operating system in the rest of the world. So if you want to access Android users in the Google Play Book Store, then you want to be on Google Play Books. #2: Some people are boycotting Amazon. There are many readers who boycott Amazon or American-led companies for a number of reasons. It is possible to overstate the strength of these. I've seen many people be alarmed about Amazon boycotts impacting their sales, but it never really seems to materialize. I suspect a lot of the boycotting thing is much louder online than it is in real life. That said, it is undeniable. There are people who will not buy ebooks or anything from Amazon for a variety of reasons. So if you sell your books only through Amazon, you're missing out on that group of readers. Some categories of romance have also been affected by Amazon boycotts, so it's worth investigating other options if you're an author in these categories. #3: Kobo Plus. Kobo offers a subscription program called Kobo Plus that unlike KU, does not require exclusivity to participate in it. Over three million ebooks and 100,000 audiobooks (quite a few of which are mine) are available to subscribers for less than the cost of a KU subscription. Kobo has been gaining popularity in the US in part due to their subscription program. I have to admit my own personal experience with Kobo Plus as an indie author has been almost entirely positive. When it first came out, I was a little leery of it, but then I decided to test it out by putting Frostborn into it and that did quite well and I was pleased enough with the results that now I just put everything in Kobo on Kobo Plus and that has paid off because the majority of my month to month Kobo revenue and the majority of my yearly Kobo revenue comes from Kobo Plus now. In March and April, I had two of my best months ever on Kobo in the 14 years I've been publishing with Kobo entirely off the strength of Kobo Plus. So my experience with it has been if you write a really long series like that that generates a strong read through (like Frostborn is 15 books, Sevenfold Sword was 12 books, Cloak Mage as of this point is up to 14 books), then it would be definitely advantageous to you to investigate Kobo Plus. #4: It gives you the chance to support independent booksellers through bookshop.org. This past year, bookshop.org made a deal with Draft2Digital that made it possible for indie authors to put their books on the bookshop.org platform. In the past, has not been particularly easy or straightforward for small indie bookstores to sell ebooks, so this is an opportunity for physical indie bookstores based in the US. For American readers who want to shop local but still read ebooks, it's nice to be able to offer them an option that benefits their local communities. It also gives these bookstores a way of supporting local authors without having to find physical space for them within the store itself. Bookshop.org is still in the early stages of accepting indie ebooks and there are some things that need to be worked out with features on their app, especially about user complaints about a lack of flexibility with DRM-free e-books. Still, romance and what the site calls "serious nonfiction" are growing rapidly on the platform, so it's definitely worth exploring, especially for authors in those categories. If they do succeed in their plans to put out their own ereader, that would make the platform even more attractive to many book buyers. #5: Direct sales equals greater profit, extras, price fixability, et cetera. Having your own sales platform (typically hosted on sites like Payhip and Shopify) gives you far more control over your sales platform. It also gives you a far greater cut of the profits. To give an example, if I do a coupon code for one of my audiobooks on my Payhip site to make it 50% off like I did earlier in this episode with the Dragonskull: Wrath of the Warlock coupon, I still earn a similar amount as if someone had bought it for full price on Audible. A direct sales platform also allows you to create discounts for sales far more easily than on other platforms. Additionally, you don't have to wait for ebooks or audiobooks to get through processing on a direct sales site like you do with ACX and the other sites, which makes when a book or audiobook is ready for sale far more predictable. You can also bundle things with ebooks like such as the book file in multiple formats or bonus items like maps, worksheets, or charts. On the other ebook sites, this isn't typically possible. Direct sales gives you a greater flexibility in terms of selling. You can include bonus items and it's also a good fallback position if one of the main sites isn't working. I first got into direct sales in 2021 because Barnes & Noble had its big ransomware hack then and for a while it was impossible to publish new things to the platform and I believe that was when Ghost in the Vault came out and since I couldn't publish that on Barnes & Noble until the ransomware problem was fixed, I directed people to the Payhip site instead. #6: Library sales and Kindle Unlimited. The popularity of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series and the Project Hail Mary audiobook made a lot of people aware of the fact that exclusivity agreements with Amazon and Audible have often been structured to leave out options for library ebook platforms or require maneuvering or additional deals in order to make it possible. The popularity of Libby in particular is growing here in the United States, especially as people are having to shift their leisure spending from things like books and entertainment to covering basic necessities like housing, transportation, fuel, and food costs due to the poor state of the economy. If library sales and library readers are important to you, then going wide is your best option for reaching the library market. Myself, I haven't particularly pursued the library market. I haven't refused it either. I usually, when the option is available, click on the toggle switch to publish it to a library service, but then don't think about it very much after that, but there are many indie authors who are very interested in getting in libraries and have pursued that quite a bit through these programs. #7: Vendor lock-in/user preference. There is a concept called vendor lock-in, meaning that ebook buyers have a particular platform that they default to when buying ebooks because that is where the ebook collection is based and they want to keep their books together instead of spread across several different apps. Many Barnes & Noble and Kobo users are not interested in ebooks from Amazon or KU for this reason and won't even follow a favorite author to another platform. It's important to have an option available for these readers. #8: DRM free. [Digital Rights Management] Having a DRM free copy of an ebook is extremely important to many readers and that is what makes an ebook purchase a true purchase instead of a highly conditional license. Sites like Kobo allow ebook buyers to limit their searches to only DRM free titles and many will not buy a book that is not available without DRM. My Payhip store, all the files you get from that when you buy an ebook or an audiobook are DRM free as well. For myself, a large portion of my sales come from outside Amazon, so that's why I've never been fully exclusive with Kindle Unlimited and instead rotate a small selection of my series in and out of KU. Over the years, I've experimented with having various books in KU and starting in 2023, what I settled on doing was that I would write three series ongoing. Two of those series would be available on all ebook platforms and one of those series would be available in Kindle Unlimited, which allowed me to pursue both markets at once. As of right now, the wide series are Blades of Ruin and Cloak Mage and the Kindle Unlimited series is Half-Elven Thief. Once Half-Elven Thief is completed, I will take it out of Kindle Unlimited and take it wide and start a new series for Kindle Unlimited. Overall, I found it's worthwhile to be wide even when pursuing Kindle Unlimited with some of my books because typically in an average month about 45 to 55% of my revenue comes from Amazon and the rest comes from all the other platforms put together. So while Amazon is typically half, that's not nothing, it's only half and the rest of the revenue comes from all these ebook platforms I've been cultivating over the years. So the conclusion is that the beauty of KU's current agreement is that you only have to commit to being exclusive for a short amount of time, specifically three months, and then can always return to it if you want to try going wide for a while. It's also important to note that growth on other platforms may be slow and if you're going to try them out, it's important to be patient and have realistic expectations. It's the benefit of being an indie author that we can experiment and make decisions quickly based on data and reader preferences. Going wide may not be the best decision for everyone, but the results may surprise you, especially over time. The cumulative effect of things is often easy to overlook, but it does add up over time. Part of the reason I think my books do so well with Kobo Plus is because they've been on the Kobo website for the last 14 years, which gives them time to accumulate reviews and additional word of mouth. So when someone is browsing Kobo Plus for something to read and they see this long book series with a bunch of good reviews, it becomes easy for them to try it through Kobo Plus. So that is it for this week. This week we talked about going wide. Next week I don't have time to record a full-time episode, so we're going to do another audiobook sampler roundup, which will be fun. The week after that, in two weeks from today, we are going to talk about the benefits of going to Kindle Unlimited as a contrast to this episode and I will talk about some of my Kindle Unlimited experiences (both good and bad). So thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the backups at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave your review on your podcasting and platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and we'll see you all next week.

HTP BLADES IN THE DARK 5 SERIES WRAP & DISCUSSION - Releasing a Demon Wasn't Even the Worst Outcome

RPGBOT.Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2026 56:29

ep #221 Blades Finale & The Brave and the Bold

The Bat-Pod

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2026 48:31

In this episode, Bill and Dave dive into three Batman issues and continue their in-depth journey through the epic Knightfall saga.They kick things off with a breakdown of Batman Legends of the Dark Knight #34, move on to Batman: The Brave and the Bold #17, and wrap it all up with a discussion of Batman #499, part of their ongoing “A Walk Thru Knightfall” series.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro02:58 – Batman Legends of the Dark Knight #3417:34 – Podcast Promo: Is It Jaws19:12 – Batman: The Brave and the Bold #1731:50 – Batman #499 (Knightfall continues!)45:31– What We LearnedGet in Touch:

batman finale dark knight blades batman the brave knightfall brave and the bold batman legends touch email

The Blades

RTÉ - Sunday with Miriam

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2026 13:18

Chat with Paul Cleary about the career highs for The Blades in the 1980s, his own songwriting for other artists and getting the band back together. They tour the country later this year. Instagram: @thebladesbandofficial (for copyright reasons the full tracks performed during this interview cannot be podcast)

chat blades

DS447 | Rogue Trader | Escape from Nullia | Part 1

Dicey Stories

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2026 59:37

Timon and Corille slip away from their posts in search of off-worlders. Scene 1 Scene 2 Notes If the names in this episode sound familiar, it's because a lot of them are pulled off the convenient names list from Blades in the Dark. Our music is from Purple Planet Music. Visit them at purple-planet.com. Need context? Jump to the start of the series!

#215 – Rules Talk: The Initiative Bubble Theory

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2026 27:51

We're back to another Rules Talk episode! This time, NPC presents a different take on handling the combat initiative flow in Palladium games, inspired by the "pair them off" concepts from the more recent rules books. Some of you may scoff at this, others may even already do this in their own games. We'd love to hear your thoughts, so please leave comments, or drop by Discord and let us know! Drop us a line! You can follow us (sporadically) on Facebook, and we'd love to see you on our Discord Channel too. And let us know your thoughts by leaving a review on iTunes or any other podcast aggregate sites. For even more info and options, check out our main website or our low-bandwidth alternative feed site. Links of Note: Rifts RPG Ultimate Edition, Digital Dead Reign RPG, Digital A Cloak of Blades, by Isaac Sher Credits: Hosts: NPC and Matt Buckley Music: Opening is "8-Bit bass & lead" by Furbyguy, Closing is "Caravana" by Phillip Gross Episode Length (We support chapters!): 27:51 Glitter Boys, Rifts, the Megaverse, and all other such topics are the property of Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books. Please buy all their stuff and help keep them in print and making more games! You can order directly at palladiumbooks.com, and their entire catalog is available digitally at Drive-Thru RPG as well. We release all of our public episodes simultaneously on: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuc8KbdMqx8ajWfm2OUTs7A Audio RSS: https://breakfastpuppies.com/feed/glitterbois Want to help us pay for hosting? We have a few options: Drop us a one-time donation or a recurring membership at our Ko-Fi page Follow this link to our Pinecast Tip Jar We've got a merch store if you're looking for some sweet Glitterbois swag. Check out our affiliate store and buy some of the various products we endorse. Support The Glitterbois by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-glitterbois Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/the-glitterbois/e5b94402-a47c-462e-a0bf-7933a9cc61a0 This podcast is powered by Pinecast. Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-66e5ee for 40% off for 4 months, and support The Glitterbois.

drop theory discord bubbles initiative bit blades npc pinecast palladium caravana rifts drivethrurpg discord channel try pinecast palladium books kevin siembieda

HTP BLADES IN THE DARK 4 ACTUAL PLAY - We Worship a Vampire Bat and We're Still the Good Guys

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2026 41:49

Every tabletop group eventually reaches a point where someone says, We should absolutely not do that. In this episode, that point arrives roughly every thirty seconds. Faced with a secret ghost-harvesting operation, a trapped demon, corrupt Bluecoats, and enough evidence to bring down an entire criminal enterprise, our heroes make a series of carefully considered decisions such as stealing haunted jars, feeding a paralyzed rival to a demon, and debating whether releasing an eldritch horror is a reasonable business strategy. Somehow, these are not even the worst ideas discussed. Show Notes The second part of our Blades in the Dark actual play drops us back into the depths beneath a seemingly ordinary apothecary, where Roper and Talon discover that the illegal leviathan blood refinery is hiding something far worse than drug manufacturing. What begins as a simple investigation quickly spirals into ghost prisons, demonic experiments, and the sort of moral decision-making that only a cult dedicated to a vampire bat god could justify. After encountering a mysterious hospital-like corridor filled with dying victims, the crew discovers that the entire area has been sealed off from the ghost field using occult runes. The situation becomes even stranger when a dead body fails to trigger the usual supernatural alarms, leading Roper to investigate through the ghost field and uncover evidence of a much larger operation at work. Following clues deeper into the complex reveals the refinery's true purpose. Rather than merely refining leviathan blood, the operation is harvesting spirits from dying people and draining them to produce electroplasm. Rows of trapped ghosts, spirit jars, and meticulous records provide the evidence the crew needs, but things become personal when Roper discovers that an old rival named Flint is directly involved in the scheme. The score reaches peak Blades in the Dark chaos when the crew encounters a captive demon being drained for its blood. Faced with an immobilized enemy, a suffering demon, and absolutely no adult supervision, Talon and Roper decide that feeding Flint to the demon is the most efficient solution available. The plan works far better than anyone expected, which immediately makes it everyone's problem. Armed with demon blood, stolen spirit jars, incriminating documents, and several future psychological scars, the cult narrowly escapes while the facility collapses into supernatural disaster behind them. The result is a perfect demonstration of how Blades in the Dark rewards bold decisions, terrible ideas, and players who are willing to embrace the consequences of both. Key Takeaways The score showcases how investigation, stealth, and horror can blend seamlessly in Blades in the Dark. Attuning to the ghost field reveals hidden truths while often creating entirely new problems. The refinery's true purpose is harvesting spirits from dying people and converting them into electroplasm. Spirit jars, hospital records, and captured ghosts provide concrete evidence of the criminal operation. Teamwork mechanics allow players to combine actions and improve their chances of success during critical moments. Talon's alchemical abilities repeatedly save the operation, from paralysis poisons to perfectly timed smoke bombs. Roper's professional hatred of Flint becomes a surprisingly effective motivator. The crew discovers a demon being harvested for its blood, adding another layer to the facility's horrors. Sometimes the easiest way to deal with a rival is letting a demon handle the problem for you. Whether that is a good idea remains debatable. The episode highlights one of Blades in the Dark's greatest strengths: success often comes from turning disasters into opportunities rather than avoiding disasters entirely. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Miss Liz Serves: Sebastien de Castell Our Lady Of Blades

Teatime with Miss Liz

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2026 67:49

Teatime with Miss Liz Serves: Sebastien de Castell TitleAdventure, Imagination & the Art of Becoming the Hero TaglineEvery great story begins when curiosity leads the way. DescriptionOn June 4th at 7 PM EST, Teatime with Miss Liz welcomes Sebastien de Castell — internationally bestselling fantasy author, musician, performer, adventurer, and creator of unforgettable worlds filled with courage, wit, swordplay, and heart. Before becoming a full-time novelist, Sebastien explored a remarkable collection of careers, including archaeologist, fight choreographer, actor, teacher, project manager, musician, interaction designer, and strategist. Each experience has helped shape the stories and characters that have captivated readers around the world. Known for his acclaimed Greatcoats and Spells linger series, Sebastien brings together adventure, philosophy, humour, music, and humanity to create stories that remind us that heroes are often flawed, growth is never easy, and the journey itself is where the magic happens. This Teatime explores creativity, storytelling, adventure, imagination, resilience, and the lifelong pursuit of discovering who we are. “Welcome everyone to Teatime with Miss Liz, where we serve real-life T-E-A through stories, experiences, and conversations that inspire us to see the world a little differently. Tonight, we welcome someone whose life feels like an adventure novel all on its own. From archaeology to music, sword fighting to storytelling, Sebastien de Castell has followed curiosity wherever it has led him. Through his books, performances, and travels, he reminds us that life is often less about finding the perfect path and more about embracing the journey. His stories are filled with adventure, humour, courage, and the belief that even the most unlikely heroes can change the world. Sebastien, welcome to Teatime with Miss Liz. ”Today's conversation reminds us that life rarely follows a straight line. Sebastien de Castell has shown us that every experience, every challenge, every unexpected detour can become part of a larger story worth telling. Through creativity, adventure, music, philosophy, and storytelling, he encourages us to remain curious, embrace uncertainty, and continue exploring what is possible. As we leave today's Teatime, consider this: What adventure might be waiting for you if you chose curiosity over fear? Because every great journey begins with a single step into the unknown. Sebastien de Castell is an internationally bestselling fantasy author, musician, performer, and speaker. Author of the acclaimed Greatcoats and Spells linger in Vancouver, Canada, with his wife and two cats. His T-E-ETranscending • Embracing • Envisioning Transcending limitations through creativity Embracing adventure and discovery Envisioning new worlds through storytelling Three Words That Describe His Life* Adventure* Romance* Travel Three Phrases That Share His Story* Travel, Adventure, Sword fighting, Music* Turning Life into Story* Curiosity Leads the Journey #teatimewithmissliz #SebastienDeCastell #FantasyAuthor #AdventureAndImagination #MakingADifferenceOneCupAtATime

canada art embracing adventure vancouver sword imagination serves blades spells tea time envisioning sebastien castell greatcoats

Kalvin Phillips: Blades Close in on Loan Signing

acast loans signing manchester city blades kalvin phillips

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2026 14:48

Nick reacts to news of United trying to sign Kalvin Phillips again from Manchester City. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

HTP BLADES IN THE DARK 4 ACTUAL PLAY - We Worship a Vampire Bat and We're Still the Good Guys

RPGBOT.Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2026 41:49

Kyle Walker To Be The Blades FIRST Signing?

acast signing blades oli kyle walker

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2026 15:47

Following big rumours about Kyle Walker returning to the Blades, Oli looks at the pros and cons of this potential signing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 358 - Blades of Valor Tour 2026: Inside Broward Sheriff's Office Part 3

The Hangar Z Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2026 60:37

Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Vertical Valor Plus.This three-part series comes to you from the hangar at Broward Sheriff's Office as part of the 2026 Blades of Valor Tour, where we had the opportunity to interview Sgt Paul Seda and pilot Carl Spear.The Blades of Valor Tour spotlights public safety aviation units recognized for outstanding service and celebrates those who go above and beyond. We aim to promote the good work these agencies do and highlight the standard of excellence they set.These teams serve as a benchmark for the public aviation community. Our mission is to share their stories of unwavering commitment, courage, innovative leadership, teamwork, and technological innovation from agencies setting the standard in public safety aviation.Thank you to our 2026 Blades of Valor Tour sponsor, Switlik Survival Products, for making this tour possible. Switlik Survival Products supports aviation, marine, military, and search-and-rescue with a wide variety of high-quality survival products. To learn more, go to Switlik.com Massif provides the flight suits that support our crew in the field.This Hangar Z episode, recorded on location at the Broward Sheriff's Office (BSO) in Fort Lauderdale, marks the second stop of the 2026 Blades of Valor Tour.The episode dives deep into the operational excellence of the Broward Sheriff's Office. Sgt Seda and Officer Spear explain the "hunt bad guys" philosophy that drives their mission and the transition from a multi-mission medevac/LEO hybrid to a dedicated, high-tempo law enforcement unit.The episode concludes with a tribute to Spear, who reflects on a 39-year law enforcement career. The crew discusses the "culture of consistency" and the passion required to sustain a long, successful career in the cockpit.This stop on the Blades of Valor tour highlights a unit built on trust, transparency, and a relentless commitment to supporting the men and women on the ground.Thank you to our sponsors Airbus, CNC Technologies and Dallas Avionics.

office tour sheriffs valor blades fort lauderdale airbus spear massif broward sheriff

ECP Buys TPI Blade Factories, GE Vernova Secures Blades

Talking About Stuff / Survivor

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2026 3:15

Allen covers how private equity firm Energy Capital Partners ended up owning wind blade factories, TPI Composites’ bankruptcy, and the decades-long GE Vernova relationship behind the rescue. Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly newsletter on all things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard’s StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show on YouTube, Linkedin and visit Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary’s “Engineering with Rosie” YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us! Speaker: Happy Monday, everyone. Well, there is a company most people have never heard of quietly positioning itself at the very center of America’s energy future. Its name is Energy Capital Partners. It’s a private equity firm headquartered up in Summit, New Jersey. But to understand how ECP ended up owning wind blade factories, you have to start with gas turbines and a power company called Calpine. See, back in 2001, Calpine placed one of the most audacious turbine orders ever recorded, 203 GE gas turbines. enough to power 50,000 megawatts of base load generation. GE did [00:01:00] not just sell Calpine turbines. The two companies co-developed power plants together. GE co-owned facilities. Calpine held options to buy them back. It was a less a vendor relationship and more of a marriage. In 2018, Energy Capital Partners bought Calpine, All 77 power plants, 26,000 megawatts of generation capacity, and every long-term GE service agreement that came with it. And for the next seven years, ECP was GE’s single most consequential private sector gas turbine customer in the Western Hemisphere. That relationship, built on decades of iron and service contracts, would soon reach far beyond gas. Because on the other side of the energy world, a very different kind of company was falling apart, and that was TPI Composites. For years, the world’s largest independent maker of wind turbine blades. [00:02:00] facilities in Iowa, in Mexico, in India, and in Turkey. More than 9,600 employees worldwide. But the cracks were forming long before anyone said bankruptcy. First came the debt. TPI had borrowed heavily from Oaktree Capital Management and by the time the end arrived, the company owed Oaktree $476 million, secured against substantially all of its assets. Then came the customers. Nordex walked away from its Matamoros facility, shutting it down at the end of the second quarter of 2024. Then came customs. US Customs and Border Protection launched a review of TPI’s Mexico facilities under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. TPI maintained its supply chain had no connection to forced labor, but the law did not care about confidence. Cared about proof, and while TPI worked to prove its innocence, a substantial portion of its Mexico-made blades could not cross the border into [00:03:00] the United States. The backlog told the story in numbers. At the end of 2024, there were $237 million in orders. One year later, $114 million in orders, cut nearly in half. On August 11th of last year, TPI filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, delisted from NASDAQ about eight days later. Now, when a company heads into bankruptcy, the first thing it has to solve is a very human problem. How do you keep the people who know how to run the place from walking out the door? Well, TPI’s board had an answer. Two months before the bankruptcy filing, the compensation committee approved retention bonuses for key executives, paid in cash within 30 days. The CEO, $1,225,000. The CFO, $518,000. The COO, [00:04:00] $487,000. And of course, the general counsel, $435,000. But there was one condition, you had to stay through restructuring. If you left early, you had to give it all back. Well, they stayed, at least most of them have. In the months that followed, TPI sold off its Turkish operations. Vestas moved quickly, claiming the India and Matamoros plants for roughly $24 million. And then the phone rang in Summit, New Jersey. GE Vernova needed its blade supply secured. It had a decades-long relationship with the firm on the other end of that call, a relationship forged not in composite factories, but in gas turbine halls. Through a newly formed entity called ECP Blade Holdings, Energy Capital Partners is acquiring TPI’s remaining North American assets , plants up in Newton, Iowa, down in Juarez, Mexico, for about $20 [00:05:00] million. The management team that had guided TPI through its darkest chapter came with it. And embedded in the transaction was a five-year supply agreement requiring GE Vernova to direct a defined share of its blade procurement exclusively to ECP-operated facilities. Well, if this deal had fallen apart, GE Vernova itself was contractually bound as a backup buyer, obligated to step in and at least purchase the Iowa plant for $21 million. GE Vernova was simultaneously ECP’s partner, its customer , and in this case, its buyer of last resort. Two companies, one relationship stretching back about 25 years through gas turbine orders, power plant co-ownership, long-term service contracts, and now wind blade factories rescued from bankruptcy court. A company laid low by debt, customs blockades, and lost contracts, its people paid to [00:06:00] stay, its factory sold for pennies on the dollar, and now rising again under new ownership to supply the very turbines powering America’s AI-driven energy future And that’s the state of the wind industry for the 1st of June 2026. Have a great week

united states america ceo ai mexico speaker new jersey turkey iowa engineering coo summit north american cfo newton turkish ge buys nasdaq blades juarez factories western hemisphere border protection cared matamoros us customs tpi vestas ecp oaktree capital management uyghur forced labor prevention act

So Many Levels - Blades '68 - inSPECTRE - Session 5

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2026 165:17

inSPECTRE does a little digging into the secrets behind the Blueraker rocket. Watch the video of this episode on YouTube!

levels blades

Al Salvitti, Regiment Blades: The Knife Junkie Podcast (Episode 673)

The Knife Junkie Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2026

Bob DeMarco welcomes Al Salvitti of Regiment Blades to Episode 673 of The Knife Junkie Podcast for one of the most grounded, experience-driven conversations the show has had in a long time. Salvitti brings 52 years of martial arts training, 15 years of real-world bouncing experience in Philadelphia and South Jersey, and a knife design built entirely around what actually works when fists are flying. This is not a conversation about what looks good in a video — it is a conversation about what kept a small guy standing in packed bars where fights broke out five times a night.Salvitti traces his path from taekwondo black belt to Philadelphia boxing gyms to Sayoc Kali under Tuhon Chris Sayoc, explaining how each layer of training changed his thinking about power, timing, and weapons. He developed a full-body power-striking system grounded in keeping both feet on the ground and using the skeletal frame instead of just the shoulder—a method that has been taught to Navy SEALs, Marine units at Camp Pendleton, and Border Patrol agents. He also shares what those experiences taught him about why complicated techniques fail under real stress and why simplicity wins every time. His LowViz punch blade at regimentblades.com came directly out of those lessons: a blade that deploys in the same motion as a punch, grips like a pistol, and rides flat on the belt in a sheath that Salvitti engineered himself, because every other option on the market failed to meet his standards.The big story of the episode is the connection between the Regiment Blade and bestselling thriller author Jack Carr. Salvitti sent Carr a custom LowViz and, months later, discovered that Carr had written the knife into his new novel, "The Fourth Option," with full credit to Salvitti by name. The main character carries the Regiment Blade. A chapter of the book covers a knife fight in the dark using the weapon. Carr described it in print as "designed to be an extension of your hand"—words that Salvitti said captured exactly what he built it to be. Salvitti and maker John Gray produced 175 custom Fourth Option editions with acid-etched finishes and pinned wood handles for the book launch, and a production version of the Fourth Option LowViz is currently in progress.The episode also covers Salvitti's approach to situational awareness and what he posts on the Regiment Blades Instagram: real street-violence footage, shared not for shock value but to show people what unscripted violence actually looks like. No flying kicks. No fancy blade work. Just speed, aggression, and whoever prepared better. His philosophy is direct: the wheel is always spinning, and training before it stops on you is the only option worth taking seriously.For full show notes, past episodes, and more from The Knife Junkie, visit theknifejunkie.com. Find the Regiment Blades lineup, including the LowViz fixed blade, the folder, and news on the Fourth Option production run, at regimentblades.com. Training videos and real-world fight analysis are posted regularly on the Regiment Blades Instagram.Be sure to support The Knife Junkie and get in on the perks of being a patron, including early access to the podcast and exclusive bonus content. Visit https://www.theknifejunkie.com/patreon for details. You can also support The Knife Junkie channel with your next knife purchase. Find our affiliate links at https://theknifejunkie.com/knives. Let us know what you thought about this episode and leave a rating and/or a review. Your feedback is appreciated. You can also email theknifejunkie@gmail.com with any comments, feedback, or suggestions. To watch or listen to past episodes of the podcast, visit https://theknifejunkie.com/listen. And for professional podcast hosting, use our preferred platform: https://theknifejunkie.com/podhost.

training philadelphia marine navy seals knife carr blades border patrol junkie john gray south jersey regiment jack carr camp pendleton sayoc kali

The Glitterbois Play Rifts 14: He's a Slurmph!

Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2026 110:44

You are probably wondering, what the heck is a Slurmph? Dustin is. He's a Slurmph. And he'll let you know, in case you forgot. It's time to meet Dustin and Edmundo, best friends forever! EDITOR'S NOTES: A couple of additional tech notes here. Ironically, although we all touted the great qualities of the alternate FX-heavy patron-exclusive renders at the end of this episode, there didn't end up being many moments worth adding sound effects to in this one. Additionally, due to some audio issues, this episode took a lot longer to edit than normal and I really wanted to get it out the door. So this time around, there is no alternate FX version. My apologies! If it's any consolation, since we just finished recording it, I can promise you that the next episode has a lot more effects. Also, due to the normal biological needs of the human body, Alex had stepped away from the table right before we closed out, and thus wasn't present when we were introducing ourselves. In case you were not aware, Henry is played by Alex. Thanks, Alex! Drop us a line! You can follow us (sporadically) on Facebook, and we'd love to see you on our Discord Channel too. And let us know your thoughts by leaving a review on iTunes or any other podcast aggregate sites. For even more info and options, check out our main website or our low-bandwidth alternative feed site. Links of Note: Official Campaign Wiki at Goblin's Notebook Rifts RPG 1st Edition, Digital Rifts RPG Ultimate Edition, Digital Rifts Ultimate Edition, Hardcover A Cloak of Blades, by Isaac Sher Bastard Quest Podcast Credits: GM: Kyle Players: NPC, Just Jacob, Alex, Sean Music: Opening is "8-Bit bass & lead" by Furbyguy, Closing is "Caravana" by Phillip Gross Sound Effects: Unless specified otherwise, all of our sound effects are either self-made, acquired under a Creative Commons Zero license, or sourced by attribution from Tabletop Audio Episode Length (We support chapters!): 1:50:44 Glitter Boys, Rifts, the Megaverse, and all other such topics are the property of Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books. Please buy all their stuff and help keep them in print and making more games! You can order directly at palladiumbooks.com, and their entire catalog is available digitally at Drive-Thru RPG as well. We release all of our public episodes simultaneously on: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuc8KbdMqx8ajWfm2OUTs7A Audio RSS: https://breakfastpuppies.com/feed/glitterbois Want to help us pay for hosting? We have a few options: Drop us a one-time donation or a recurring membership at our Ko-Fi page Follow this link to our Pinecast Tip Jar We've got a merch store if you're looking for some sweet Glitterbois swag. Check out our affiliate store and buy some of the various products we endorse. Support The Glitterbois by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-glitterbois Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/the-glitterbois/6bbf6242-26fd-4124-915d-9941cd95a847 This podcast is powered by Pinecast. Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-66e5ee for 40% off for 4 months, and support The Glitterbois.

drop fx bit ironically goblin blades pinecast caravana edmundo rifts drivethrurpg discord channel try pinecast palladium books kevin siembieda

Reacting to Unpopular Opinions Pt2

acast reacting blades unpopular opinions oli

Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2026 38:48

Andrew poses the Blades fans Unpopular Opinions to Nick and Oli to find out if they agree or disagree. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 357 - Blades of Valor Tour 2026: Inside Broward Sheriff's Office Part 2

The Hangar Z Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2026 60:52

office tour sheriffs valor blades fort lauderdale airbus spear massif broward sheriff

HTP BLADES IN THE DARK 3 ACTUAL PLAY - The Sewer Cult Learns About Police Corruption

dead blades simplecast sebastien morning minute

Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2026 57:51

Blades in the Dark is a game about daring criminals pulling off impossible heists. Our crew immediately used fire to escape the box we voluntarily hid in, assaulted two undercover cops, locked them inside our escape crate, stole accounting records, accidentally got high during evidence collection, and somehow convinced ourselves this was still a stealth mission. Honestly, I think the cult is thriving. Show Notes Part 3 finally dropped us into our first real score and the sewer cult wasted absolutely no time proving they were both competent and deeply concerning. Tasked with infiltrating an illegal leviathan blood refinery hidden beneath an apothecary, we chose the most sensible plan imaginable: smuggle ourselves inside in a supply crate. Naturally this immediately turned into an emergency fire escape situation because Talon solved confinement with alchemy and arson. Once inside, things somehow became more chaotic. We discovered the "guards" were actually Bluecoats running security for the operation, meaning our weird little cult had accidentally punched local law enforcement in the face before the score even properly started. Rather than murder them and summon ghost problems, we tied them up, stuffed them back into the crate, and continued the mission like this was all part of the plan. It absolutely was not. The score also gave us a chance to see Blades in the Dark really shine mechanically. Flashbacks let us retroactively prepare, clocks tracked rising danger, and the system constantly pushed us forward instead of letting us stall in planning mode. Every success created new problems and every problem somehow made the story better. Meanwhile Talon uncovered suspicious ledgers pointing to illicit operations while Roper discovered the drugs in the least scientific way possible by accidentally inhaling them and immediately becoming evidence. It was a perfect demonstration of why this game works so well. The mechanics encourage momentum, but the players create the disasters. By the end we had stolen evidence, infiltrated the operation, mildly traumatized two cops, and learned an important lesson. Never let the ghost guy do quality control on contraband. Key Takeaways The crew's first score involved infiltrating an illegal leviathan blood refinery hidden beneath an apothecary Smuggling themselves inside in supply crates immediately escalated into improvised arson Talon used alchemy and fire to escape confinement and start the mission The refinery operation appeared connected to illicit drug production The guards turned out to be Bluecoats acting as security for the site Killing enemies in Doskvol creates major problems because ghosts are very real Flashbacks allowed retroactive preparation without lengthy planning sessions Clocks helped track danger, progress, and rising alert levels Talon recovered ledgers that may contain coded evidence of illegal activity Roper accidentally sampled the contraband and became mildly intoxicated during evidence collection The score highlighted how Blades in the Dark rewards momentum over perfect planning The cult continues to be alarmingly effective despite having absolutely no business succeeding Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Blades Down (Ep. 141)

Surviving Golf

Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2026 42:35

It's been a couple weeks…and the most important question of the week — how do you load your dishwasher? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit survivinggolf.substack.com

blades

La mirada | Luis García Montero: "La patria no la definen los que suprimen a un pueblo"

Hoy por Hoy

Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2026 2:10

Luis García Montero conecta su reciente viaje a Panamá con la dimensión ética y libre de la cultura popular hispana. Tras participar en un festival cultural, destaca el legado de Rubén Blades al depositar el manuscrito de su canción "Patria" en el Instituto Cervantes. El autor concluye reivindicando este himno como un símbolo de identidad y esperanza frente a las dictaduras y la opresión.

tras rub pueblo blades panam montero patria la mirada no la luis garc definen instituto cervantes

Wyndham slaughters at Lanny's Craig Ranch, silent Don Rea dismissed, and the Blades Brown dilemma

The Shotgun Start

Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2026 73:14 Transcription Available

Brendan and The Boys return for a Monday recording recapping perhaps the biggest content week of the year! Now armed with a weekend of data following Friday's bonus Happy Hour episode, the three further unpack the absolute domination of Lanny Wadkins' $25 million renovation of TPC Craig Ranch by this week's field at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson. Wyndham Clark shot a final-round 60 en route to his first win in over two years, edging out Si Woo Kim and Scottie Scheffler atop the leaderboard. Joseph comes armed with stats showing that this might've been the easiest PGA Tour event ever and PJ is basking in the glow of a week that provided some of the most insane quotes possible regarding a host venue's ability to test the best players in the world. Brendan ponders whether Wyndham is back on track for a spot at this year's Presidents Cup as he seems to be in a better place after a "year of adversity" as was so often referenced on the broadcast. Blades Brown felt right at home during this week's birdie-fest, claiming that his time on the Korn Ferry Tour prepared him for tournaments like this. He secured his Special Temporary Membership on the PGA Tour with his top-15 finish, leading to a perplexing situation where he'll have to sacrifice much-needed KFT points in order to continue playing PGA Tour events. Brendan and Joseph argue that this should not be the case and wonder if this pathway will be adjusted moving forward. The three whip through the rest of this weekend's results, with PJ providing some exclusive on-the-ground nuggets from the Champions Tour stop in Morocco. They foray into a brief bit of news reporting from Eamon Lynch regarding the "Tier One" and "Tier Two" events on the 2028 PGA Tour schedule and whether the top-tier of players will be allowed to "move down" for a week and play "Tier Two" events. To close things out, Brendan, Joseph, and PJ follow up just a little bit on Friday's breaking news that Don Rea was dismissed from his post as President of the PGA of America. Don has stayed silent to this point, and so has the PGA despite promising a formal announcement on Friday afternoon. How long will this silence last? This podcast pledges to provide the most in-depth coverage possible regarding this ongoing situation. Visit BDraddy.com and use promo code SGS30 for 30% off your 2026 Presidents Cup gear!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

333: Wyndham Clark Goes LOW At TPC Craig Ranch + Blades Brown's Earns STM + Bryson's Decision: Pro Golf Or YouTube?

The Smylie Show

Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2026 73:50

Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme recap Wyndham Clark's win at the CJ CUP Byron Nelson, where Clark closed with a final-round 60 to reach 30-under par and win by three over Si Woo Kim — despite TPC Craig Ranch's much-discussed renovation. They break down why an unusual weather week in Dallas - with soft conditions and no wind - still kept the course vulnerable to low scoring.Smylie and Charlie also dive into Blades Brown earning PGA TOUR Special Temporary Membership, the pros and cons of chasing Korn Ferry Tour status versus PGA TOUR starts, Bryson DeChambeau's comments about possibly choosing content creation over professional golf, and the latest reports that LIV Golf is pitching a reduced 10-event international schedule while seeking new investment.Follow us on socials @thesmylieshow ⛳️ and don't forget to like, comment and subscribe!CHAPTERS:00:00 Weekend golf recap + Charlie's Biltmore Forest trip05:00 Smylie's 16-man game at Vestavia06:00 The yellow ball game explained12:00 TPC Craig Ranch renovation reaction14:15 Why 30-under still happened17:00 Zoysia, Bermuda, soft conditions + course setup21:50 Wyndham Clark's win and putting heater27:15 Why Wyndham could be dangerous again31:00 Wyndham's mental reset after Oakmont34:36 Blades Brown earns Special Temporary Membership36:15 How Blades should manage his schedule40:20 Blades Brown vs. the college golf route44:22 Why college golf and pro golf are so different51:52 Bryson DeChambeau's content creator comments 56:10 Bryson, LIV money, and what comes next 01:05:48 LIV's reported 10-event future 01:12:22 Closing thoughts#golf #pgatour #LIV #Bryson #bladesbrown #smyliekaufman #smylieshow

decision golf chapters pga tour bermuda blades liv golf earns bryson dechambeau wyndham wyndham clark tpc craig ranch smylie smylie kaufman charlie hulme

Episode 356 - Blades of Valor Tour 2026: Inside Broward Sheriff's Office Part 1

The Hangar Z Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2026 58:23

office tour sheriffs valor blades fort lauderdale airbus spear broward sheriff

Monday Morning Minute (05/25)

Book Reviews Kill

Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2026 65:44

Join Evan and Chad for the weekly Monday Morning Minute! An episode recapping the many nerdy things our hosts have delved into. Listen ad-free on Patreon Join the BRK Discord Preorder Evan's Book Anji In Shadow Buy Evan's book Anji Kills a King New Release Radar: Our Lady of Blades by Sebastien de Castell Pretend You're Dead and I Carry You by Julian Delgato Lopera Books Mentioned: Shroud - Adrian Tchaikovsky Manipulation - Sean Oswald Violence of Mind - Varg Freeborn Dungeon Crawler Carl - Matt Dinniman Batman: Year One - Frank Miller Batman: Court of Owls - Scott Snyder Absolute Batman - Scott Snyder Outlander - Diana Gabaldon Movies Mentioned: Send Help Shows mentioned: Waco Mindhunter Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Australia’s $17B Grid Expansion, Recycling Blades to Steel

Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2026 3:04

Allen covers Suzlon hitting 2 GW in a single Indian state, Nabrawind’s crane-free turbine install in Namibia, Antora’s South Dakota thermal battery, Australia’s $17 billion grid expansion, and Shimizu recycling old turbine blades into steel. Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly email update on all things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard’s StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Linkedin and visit Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary Barnes’ YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us! GOOD MORNING. The wind industry is not just getting bigger. It is getting smarter. And today … we have the proof. Let us start in India. SUZLON GROUP just crossed a milestone. Two gigawatts of wind orders … in a single Indian state. The latest deal … sixty-five turbines at three megawatts each for a company called SUNSURE ENERGY. SUNSURE is not a utility. It is an independent power producer building round-the-clock clean energy for data centers … electric vehicles … and heavy industry. Wind paired with solar and battery storage. Power that does not stop when the sun goes down. SUZLON is already building six hundred and sixty-four megawatts of additional commercial and industrial projects in the same region. And SUNSURE … backed by PARTNERS GROUP of Switzerland … has seven gigawatts in development across India with a target of ten gigawatts by two thousand thirty. That is not government-led. That is private capital chasing wind. Now … across the ocean to Africa. A Spanish company called NABRAWIND [NAH-brah-wind] just solved a problem that has plagued remote wind farms for years. How do you install a turbine when you cannot get a crane to the site? Their answer is a system called SKYLIFT. No heavy-lift cranes. None. A self-erecting tower combined with a blade installation tool they call the BLADERUNNER. They just put up a GOLDWIND six-megawatt turbine at a wind farm in NAMIBIA. And here is the part that changes the math. Traditional crane installation needs calm air. Six to eight meters per second. Maximum. NABRAWIND’s system works in fifteen meters per second sustained … with gusts up to twenty. That site blows hard. All the time. Which is exactly why they chose it. When complete … seven turbines … two hundred and thirty gigawatt-hours a year. About six percent of NAMIBIA’s entire electricity demand. NABRAWIND was acquired by Australia’s FORTESCUE last year as part of its industrial decarbonization push. So India is stacking private-sector wind orders. Africa is installing turbines without cranes. And in SOUTH DAKOTA … they are storing the wind itself. A California startup called ANTORA ENERGY just built a five-gigawatt-hour thermal battery at an ethanol plant in BIG STONE CITY. More than two hundred solid carbon blocks. When the wind blows at night and nobody needs the power … the blocks absorb cheap electricity and heat up. When the plant needs energy … the blocks release heat or generate electricity through special cells that capture light from superheated material. Think of it as a giant toaster oven battery. Full power expected by October. The plant’s president put it simply. Nobody has got a switch for the wind. It blows when it wants to blow. Now … down under. The AUSTRALIAN government just announced the biggest single expansion of its electricity grid. Nineteen renewable energy projects. Seven-point-eight gigawatts of generation. Seven-point-nine gigawatt-hours of battery storage. Seventeen billion dollars in private investment. Nineteen thousand construction jobs. Power for four million homes. Among the largest … RWE’s [arr-vay’s] THEODORE wind farm in QUEENSLAND. One-point-one gigawatts. Up to one hundred and seventy turbines. Three billion Australian dollars. RWE … the same company building offshore wind in England and Denmark … is now building onshore in AUSTRALIA. And the AUSTRALIAN government is not stopping. They just opened the next round of tenders. Another five gigawatts. Finally … JAPAN. Major contractor SHIMIZU [shee-MEE-zoo] CORPORATION has developed a way to recycle old wind turbine blades. Not into park benches. Not into landfill. Into steel. The blades are cut and crushed into a material that goes into electric furnaces to adjust the carbon content of steel … making it harder and stronger. JAPAN expects to replace one hundred to two hundred turbines a year by the two thousand thirties. That is two to three thousand tonnes of blade waste. Annually. SHIMIZU has built about twenty percent of the wind power facilities in JAPAN. They see this technology as a way to grow their entire wind energy business. So … let us step back. India stacks two gigawatts of private-sector wind orders. Africa installs turbines in gale-force winds … without a crane. South Dakota stores surplus wind in superheated carbon blocks. Australia backs nineteen projects with seventeen billion dollars. And Japan turns old blades into stronger steel. From the factory floor to the scrap yard … from the wind farm to the furnace … the industry is solving problems at every stage of a turbine’s life. And that's the state of the wind industry for the 25th of May 2026. Join us for the UPTIME WIND ENERGY PODCAST tomorrow.

#214 – TMNT Redux Game Play Retrospective

How to Market Your Horse Business with Denise Alvarez

Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2026 35:00

In this episode, the three of us take some time to collect our thoughts on the recent "Set the Scene" episode, in which we played the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness REDUX Edition (with Sean Roberson as a quest). We talk about how it worked, what we liked, and what we thought could have gone better. Drop us a line! You can follow us (sporadically) on Facebook, and we'd love to see you on our Discord Channel too. And let us know your thoughts by leaving a review on iTunes or any other podcast aggregate sites. For even more info and options, check out our main website or our low-bandwidth alternative feed site. Links of Note: TMNT & Other Strangeness Redux Edition at the Palladium Books store TMNT Transdimensional Adventures Redux Editon at the Palladium Books Store A Cloak of Blades, by Isaac Sher Credits: Hosts: NPC, Just Jacob, and Matt Buckley Music: Opening is "8-Bit bass & lead" by Furbyguy, Closing is "Caravana" by Phillip Gross Sound Effects: Unless specified otherwise, all of our sound effects are either self-made, acquired under a Creative Commons Zero license, or sourced by attribution from Tabletop Audio Episode Length (We support chapters!): 35:00 Glitter Boys, Rifts, the Megaverse, and all other such topics are the property of Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books. Please buy all their stuff and help keep them in print and making more games! You can order directly at palladiumbooks.com, and their entire catalog is available digitally at Drive-Thru RPG as well. We release all of our public episodes simultaneously on: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuc8KbdMqx8ajWfm2OUTs7A Audio RSS: https://breakfastpuppies.com/feed/glitterbois Want to help us pay for hosting? We have a few options: Drop us a one-time donation or a recurring membership at our Ko-Fi page Follow this link to our Pinecast Tip Jar We've got a merch store if you're looking for some sweet Glitterbois swag. Check out our affiliate store and buy some of the various products we endorse. Support The Glitterbois by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-glitterbois Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/the-glitterbois/fd1081d5-a5ba-475c-b849-8292bf8c84a1 This podcast is powered by Pinecast. Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-66e5ee for 40% off for 4 months, and support The Glitterbois.

drop retrospective bit teenage mutant ninja turtles redux tmnt blades gameplay pinecast caravana rifts drivethrurpg discord channel try pinecast palladium books kevin siembieda

What Most Equine Businesses Get Wrong About Advertising with Jillian Blades-Rice

Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2026 59:17

If you've just been boosting a post and crossing your fingers for a few inquiries to come in, this practical breakdown of digital advertising for horse businesses is for you. You'll learn why effective advertising isn't about throwing money behind a post and hoping it converts. It's about building trust and creating an intentional customer journey from the get-go.Stop wasting money and get a true ROI on your digital advertising to grow your equine business with these practical takeaways from Jillian Blades-Rice. Show Notes (also known as “Where to read a quick summary of what we talked about here and get links I mentioned.”) are over at Stormlily.com/217 ✨ FREE The Equine Entrepreneur's Roadmap to Grow a Sustainable Business Without Burning Out → Stormlily.com/roadmap

businesses roi advertising rice roadmap blades equine reins

HOW TO PLAY BLADES IN THE DARK 2 - How we accidentally created a sewer cult

Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2026 48:33

Character creation in most games is where heroes are born. In Blades in the Dark, character creation is where we accidentally founded a sewer cult dedicated to a giant vampire bat god, befriended ghosts, picked fights with spirit traffickers, and collectively agreed that getting high on our own alchemical supply was a perfectly reasonable life choice. This was not a descent into darkness. This was an enthusiastic sprint. Show Notes Part 2 of our Blades in the Dark How to Play series was supposed to be about character creation. It technically was. We built characters, chose backgrounds, picked special abilities, and put together our crew. We just happened to do it while derailing through Texas town names, cult theology, ghost smuggling economics, and whether a sewer hideout was the most cult appropriate headquarters possible. It was. Obviously. We dug into how character creation works in Blades in the Dark and immediately found one of the system's strengths. Building a character is fast, but every choice matters. Heritage, background, actions, rivals, friends, vices, and special abilities all tie directly back into the fiction. Instead of feeling like disconnected mechanics, everything pushes the story forward. Tyler leaned hard into the supernatural with a Whisper tied to ghosts and spirit trafficking, while Ash built an alchemical menace who absolutely should not be trusted around poisons, drugs, or open flames. Together they somehow arrived at the most natural conclusion imaginable and founded a strange sewer cult devoted to Camazotz, complete with ghost contacts, cultists, and a plan that will almost certainly end badly for everyone involved. What stood out most was how collaborative crew creation feels. The hideout, reputation, deity, allies, rivals, and upgrades all turned into worldbuilding on the fly. By the end we were not just holding character sheets. We had a weird little organization with history, enemies, goals, and enough red flags to concern every authority in Doskvol. Which means we are probably doing it right. Key Takeaways Character creation in Blades in the Dark is quick but tightly connected to the game world Heritage and background choices help define roleplay hooks and advancement opportunities Action ratings shape both character strengths and resistance mechanics Special abilities immediately establish each character's role and style Friends, rivals, and vices create built in story hooks from session one Tyler created a ghost focused Whisper with spirit themed connections and supernatural abilities Ash built an alchemical Leech centered around crafting, toxins, and chaos Crew creation adds shared worldbuilding through hideouts, reputation, contacts, and upgrades The group chose a Cult crew operating from a sewer hideout beneath the city Camazotz became the cult's chosen deity because apparently subtlety was never an option The episode accidentally became a masterclass in collaborative storytelling through character creation The cult may be strange, but at least everyone agreed the sewer lair was perfect Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

spotify amazon texas friends ai action building character created dark matrix cult lord of the rings dungeons and dragons heritage ash whispers rpg d d neo accidentally rpgs blades pathfinder sewer leech blades in the dark camazotz startplaying doskvol

Street Knight

Bulletproof Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2026 74:00

After the perfect start to his action movie career, Jeff Speakman returned in 1993's Street Knight! Join Chris the Brain, "The Toyman" Chris DePetrillo and Ryan Campbell as they discuss Speakman's sophomore effort. The nightmare situation that took Speakman's Jake Barrett out of the cop game, Barrett's butt-in-the-moonbeam walk, the gang tension between The Lords and The Blades, the competent villains who are doing everything they can to destroy any chance of a gang truce, and the possibility that many of them were theater kids, the multiple red herrings, and Jake's allies that include Lucinda, Rebecca, Carlos (Richard Coca) and Ray (Bernie Casey) are among the talking points! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

brain knight lords blades ryan campbell jeff speakman

Conference Recap, Suzlon Targets Europe

Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2026 33:11

Matthew Stead recaps WindEurope Madrid and Blades Europe Edinburgh. Plus Suzlon unveils its Blue Sky platform for Europe, Muehlhan consolidates six specialist firms, and Mingyang keeps hunting for a European home. Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly email update on all things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard’s StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Linkedin and visit Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary Barnes’ YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us! Speaker: [00:00:00] The Uptime Wind Energy Podcast, brought to you by StrikeTape. Protecting thousands of wind turbines from lightning damage worldwide. Visit striketape.com. And now, your hosts. Allen Hall 2025: Welcome to the Uptime Wind Energy Podcast. I’m your host, Allen Hall, and I’m here with Matthew Stead, who is back in Australia, but not at home. He’s up in Queensland. Or actually, not even on– in Queensland, technically. He’s on an island off the coast of Queensland. Where are you at, Matthew? Matthew Stead: Uh, Moreton Island. It’s, uh, like a resort island off, uh, off of Brisbane, so beautiful outside. Allen Hall 2025: Well, you need a little bit of resort time because you’ve been to two conferences, and you spent a good bit of time in Austria after that. So you were at WindEurope in Madrid, and then following that, you went right over to Scotland for Blades Europe. So I wanna hear your thoughts. We’ll start with, uh, WindEurope and what was going on at that conference. It did sound like there was a pretty [00:01:00] good attendance, and some people that I have talked to about it really en-enjoyed being in Madrid. It’s just Matthew Stead: a bigger city. Um, first time I’d ever been to Madrid, and, uh, yeah, the show was amazing, actually. I was, I was a bit blown away by, uh, I think the OEMs were back out in force. You know, so like the Vestas, Siemens were, um, really– and Nordexes and so forth were really back out in force, so that was really good to see. Um, the, some of the larger operators had really, really strong presence as well. So you could see that, you know, Iberdrola, Res, um, those sorts of companies were, um, really, you know, putting a big effort in and meeting their customers and, um, really showing, uh, the world who they were. So that was really, um, you know, really good to see. There were so many people seriously. Um, the queues for food at lunch were, were, um, one of the major problems. Um, so, um, yeah, it was really a lot of people, so that was really exciting. Um, and I mean, for me, I was [00:02:00]trying to catch up with, with partners and friends and, yeah, it was, it was jam, jam-packed just meeting people in the industry. Um, probably a few other things. So s- you know, SkySpecs and Aerones had a really strong, um, presence there. So, um, SkySpecs and Aerones were, were doing really well. Um, maybe one of the, um, surprises for me, and I know this has been a topic on a few other previous episodes, was there was a lot of interest in bird and bat detection. I, I, I think there had to be, like, five companies that were, were– had really big setups, and it was a really, really big topic around cameras and so forth. So, um, that was a, a big topic. And, um, then there, there was a really, really strong, you know, supply chain, you know, from, from vessels to cables to, you know, repairs. Allen Hall 2025: What was the ratio of offshore companies to onshore companies? I’m always curious. Matthew Stead: You’re looking through the, the list. Um- I would, I’m only guessing it [00:03:00] was probably about 40% had an offshore focus of some kind. So it was definitely a strong offshore focus. Um, obviously, you know, a lot of onshore, offshore combined companies. But yeah, definitely the word offshore kept on popping up a lot. Allen Hall 2025: Because Spain is mostly onshore. Like, um, like 99% onshore, right? I think it’s a couple of small projects going offshore. Does it look like the onshore business is gonna pick up, uh, just in terms of the activity on the floor in Madrid? Matthew Stead: Uh, yeah. Um, I, I think, you know, like I said, you know, those big operators like the REZAs and the Iberdrolas and, and the OEMs, I, I think it’s just a given that, um, you know, things are buoyant. Um, well, they appear to be definitely very buoyant. Uh, I think we’ve heard, you know, some of the positive, um, financial news from a few of the OEMs recently. So yeah, yeah, it seems like o- onshore is, is maturing further, further, further. And so you went straight Allen Hall 2025: from Madrid, right, to [00:04:00] Edinburgh, Scotland. That was a change in weather, I would assume. Uh, probably about a 20 degree Celsius difference. 25 down to 15, yes. Whoa. Okay. Yeah, that’s a good bit. Uh, but the Edinburgh conference, that’s the first time that Blades Europe has been to Edinburgh. I, at least I don’t remember them being there before. That tends to be a more technical conference than Wind Europe. Uh, the, the Blades conference is obviously focused on blades, and all the relevant experts in Europe do tend to show up there. What were some of the hot topics at Blades Europe this year? Matthew Stead: Yeah, I think it was, um, an interesting conference. Um, I, I’d been to Blades USA, so I was able to contrast, um, Blades USA a little bit. I think probably the differences here were, yeah, there was definitely some strong, strong, uh, experts there, like you say. Um, you know, Birgit, um, our friend was, was in attendance and a few of her colleagues from Statkraft. Um, I think, and or, uh, actually ORE Catapult, the, the [00:05:00] UK research, um, offshore renewable energy research, um, they did some great presentations. I really, um, they really shared some really good insights. So, um, ORE Catapult were talking about life extension and, um, you know, looking at the, the fatigue on blades and, uh, how they’re, how they’re going to perform and life extension. So some great stuff from ORE Catapult there. Probably another key topic that came up was around, uh, sort of related to life extension, but also recycling. The, there was a really good session on the new IEC standard. Um, um, to, you know, full disclosure, I was actually on the panel. So I, I thought it was a great panel. But, um, the new IEC standard for blade operations and maintenance, um, is really well a-advanced now in its development. Um, very strong risk focus, you know. So depending on the risk then drives your, your blade O&M program. [00:06:00] Um, so that was a, a great talk as well. Uh, and then maybe finally, um, something close to my heart, um, I think the, the, you know, the maturity of CMS companies. There actually, there were five blade CMS companies there, which is probably the biggest turnout I’ve seen around blade CMS, um, ever. And so it was good to see that sort of, um, interest and growth, um, and the need for, for blade CMS. Uh, and, um, obviously the last one, lightning. So lightning always an issue. Lots of discussions around lightning, um, you know, through Greece and a few of the, the, the Balkan go- Balkan states. On the blade recycling front, there’s a Allen Hall 2025: company in Scotland called ReBlade that is involved in some of the recycling efforts. Did they give a presentation of, of what they’re up to at the moment? Matthew Stead: Uh, yes, I think they did. Um, they’re talking about setting up a, a site in a, a [00:07:00] couple of sites, and I think Inverness was the, the location where they’re, where they’re setting up a site. The, um, the port is supportive, so they’re working through those, those, those challenges. You know, getting a site, getting transport and access to the blades. Um, working out when, when the, when the blades will come to them. You know, the storage of blades. Um, the, the end, end uses for those blades. Getting all that supply chain, um, lined up was, you know, yeah, it was, that was quite thorough and quite, um, yeah, inspiring. Allen Hall 2025: And on the CMS side, what are operators trying to monitor? ‘Cause usually have something in mind that they’re going after. Matthew Stead: For better or for worse, there’s still some serial, um, failure modes. Um, and so the industry is looking at very particular, you know, challenges that, um, certain make and model have. Um, so root insert failures was definitely one of those, um, one of those topics. Um, and that was actually one of the, the, the [00:08:00] roundtable discussions at, uh, Blades Europe. Some other, um, monitoring around, you know, lightning and- lightning damage and what’s happening with the LPS. That was also, uh, another big topic for, for monitoring. And then a few other sort of general, more, more general, um, you know, natural frequencies of blades and seeing if the natural frequencies are changing, indicating a change in stiffness, which relates to potential damage. So yeah, there was– it was quite a mix of the types of, um, CMS that was discussed. Allen Hall 2025: Has the digital twin finally died? Anybody talk about that? Matthew Stead: There’s actually a current call-out for a new research project in Europe around digital twins. So, um, yeah, one of the larger, one of the larger operators is, is putting, pulling together a team to talk about digital twins, so- Allen Hall 2025: I, I think this is one of the more difficult things to do, but just because you’re dealing with a variety of blades and blade factories and unique issues that pop up that are…[00:09:00] You, you really can’t model until after they happen. And after they happen, everybody knows about them anyway. So what’s the point of the digital twin if you can’t detect things early? It, it, it is a great concept, but hard to implement. Matthew Stead: Yeah. And why? Why would you do it? I mean, you, you’re only gonna do it if there’s a benefit, and what is the benefit? So, but I think, uh, actually at Blades Europe, digital twins was not really a topic. And maybe one thing I forgot to say is that the, um, Wind Power Lab did a, a good, um, presentation on carbon blades as well, so. Allen Hall 2025: The, the carbon blades are, is a very good discussion, just because the trend has been lately to scrap blades and bring new ones on site. And the carbon can be difficult to repair, or it takes a long time to repair, and you just don’t have the manpower or woman power to go out and fix it. So the, the fastest option is to build a new blade. But it does leave a lot of blade waste, which is where the industry is not going. Uh, recyclable blades, which is [00:10:00] in process at the moment, will make that easier, but you just don’t wanna be recycling blades. You like to be able to repair them. Composites are repairable. And it’s, it is so odd that they, they wanna continue on that pathway, but we’ll see. We’ll see. You don’t really learn the lesson until you do it. Matthew Stead: Um, however, you know, the, the presentation on carbon blades was, um, you know, highlighted a lot of the challenges, but also highlighted some of the positives and the, you know, how they do help. Um, and so there was a lot of support for carbon blades, but there’s a lot of unknowns and, um, and there was a lot of discussion around how do you even test if the LPS is working. Uh, it’s just impossible. So, you know, traditional methods on carbon blades, yeah, it just don’t work. So, um, but there was a lot of support that the carbon does bring benefit. But yeah, I agree with you. There’s a lot of challenges there. Allen Hall 2025: That’s one of the things we learned years ago back in the late ’80s, early ’90s when we, at least in, in the [00:11:00] States, started building a number of carbon fiber aircraft. And the repair situation and dealing with repairs in, in remote locations became difficult. And you’ve learned how much training it took to keep an industry running, and you’re starting from zero for a lot of places that all he had worked on was aluminum. It, it’s a completely different world. You’re, you’re training tens of thousands of technicians around the world. You weren’t planning to go do that, and now you are. So it just, it adds to the cost. Matthew Stead: It also ties into the OEM, um, you know, providing, you know, details on how to repair those blades because they’re not, they’re not just a standard item, so- Allen Hall 2025: No, you, you don’t wanna be grinding into a protrusion if you can avoid it. It- you’re just never gonna get it back into that original form because protrusions are in some part magic. And taking a grinder to them is not gonna… It’s breaking the magic. All the magic will be leaving that protrusion when you do that. Yeah, very [00:12:00]difficult. Delamination and bond line failures in blades are difficult problems to detect early. These hidden issues can cost you millions in repairs and lost energy production. CIC NDT are specialists to detect these critical flaws before they become expensive burdens. Their nondestructive test technology penetrates deep into blade materials to find voids and cracks traditional inspections completely miss. CIC NDT maps every critical defect, delivers actionable reports, and provides support to get your blades back in service. So visit cicndt.com because catching blade problems early will save you millions. Well, as we know, the wind industry has long been dominated by a handful of European and American turbine makers, uh, particularly in the, quote-unquote, “West.” Uh, but that landscape may be [00:13:00] shifting. Suzlon, the Indian turbine giant that nearly collapsed under about a $1.5 billion of debt just a few years ago, is back. The company has unveiled a new turbine platform aimed squarely at Europe, and says it will build its first factory on the continent if it wins enough orders. Vice Chairman Girish Tanti, uh, delivered the announcement at the WindEurope conference in Madrid, where Matthew was Signaling that Suzlon believes its time has come. And since you were there, Matthew, did you hear any news on the floor, any discussion on the show floor about Suzlon entering Europe? Matthew Stead: Well, actually, yes. So, um, um, there was actually a good, uh, contingent of Suzlon people at, uh, Blades Europe. So, uh, they attended, uh, Wind Europe and then Blades Europe. Um, and I, you know, I was able to have a bit of discussion with them. I think, I think, uh, they were quite optimistic about, um, [00:14:00] you know, moving back or moving into, into Europe in terms of manufacturing. Um, however, there was an element of skepticism. Am I allowed to say that? So they, uh, were, they were not completely, um, convinced that it’s gonna happen, but, uh, they were certainly excited by that. It was definitely a, a clear possibility, but not a given. Allen Hall 2025: Well, they have a, a new platform called the Blue Sky platform, um, which will have, I think, two turbines here, a 5 megawatt and a 6.3 megawatt, which is squarely aimed at Europe and also the United States, for that matter. And building a factory, though, doesn’t make a lot of sense if the cost driver for a factory in Europe is the European employees, which it tends to be when you hear the discussions about the cost structure, it’s about the employees. I’m not sure why Suzlon would make blades or nacelles in Europe unless they could avoid tariffs or taxation, because India is a very [00:15:00] cost, uh, driven, uh, manufacturing facilities writing country. So why would you wanna go build another expensive factory, probably in the realm of a couple hundred million pounds, uh, if you’re gonna go do it? It probably doesn’t make any sense to do that as well as just selling turbines into Europe. It seems like the easier path. Matthew Stead: Yeah. And then you’ve got all the, like, the quality control challenges and, you know, you get the cultural challenges. So yeah, to be honest, I don’t qu- I don’t quite understand the logic behind that either. Um, maybe there’s, there’s some things that we don’t know about behind the scenes in terms of tariffs and other, other incentives that we don’t know about. Allen Hall 2025: Would you see operators taking, uh, a Suzlon presentation and maybe even writing plans for developing with Suzlon turbines in the next couple of years? Is that a, a feeling that Europeans would, would do that, or is Vestas mainly and Siemens Gamesa so strong in Europe that it doesn’t make any sense unless [00:16:00] you’re in sort of the periphery countries of Europe? Matthew Stead: I mean, my first exposure to a wind turbine was a Suzlon turbine in Australia, and there are many, many, many Suzlon turbines in Australia. And they’re all, they’re all still working. They’re all still reliable. So I mean, from a reputation and reliability and, um Yeah, history point of view, I can’t see why not. I mean, you know, uh, the operators will see that, you know, they’ve proven themselves. They’re not new kids on the block. Um, and so why wouldn’t an operator think about it? Allen Hall 2025: Well, Matthew Stead: in Allen Hall 2025: this quarter’s PES Wind magazine, which you can download for free at peswind.com, there is a nice article from Muelhen Wind Services, and that is a growing company. A lot going on there. Our friends at AC883 just joined Muelhen a f- few months ago, and is being part of that conglomerate. And, and we know that obviously building wind farm used to mean [00:17:00]consulting with dozens of contractors, and this is where Mue- Muelhen has really s- stepped into the breach here. So from blade repair at one company and heavy lift cranes at another company, all that had to be managed separately. You’re calling s- different companies all the time. And watching asset managers and site supervisors do this, uh, it is a thankless job. Well, Muelhen’s trying to change that a little bit, uh, and they’re saying that that model no longer works, and I totally agree with them. It’s insane. Uh, but so Muelhen has consolidated six specialist firms under its one brand, and covering everything from port pre-assembly to long-term operations and maintenance across Europe, the US and Canada, uh, and Asia-Pacific. Its CEO, Søren Hoffer, uh, puts it plainly, “The next phase of wind will not be won by turbine size alone. It will be decided by the supply chain’s ability to execute.” Boy, [00:18:00]couldn’t say truer words. Uh, I’ve worked with Muelhen or my company, Weather Guard Lightning Tech, has worked with Muelhen on a couple of projects over the years, and we’ve always had, uh, great service from them, and we have talked to a number of operators that love them, that love using Muelhen. So it’s not a surprise that they’re trying to grow and expand and make life easier for the operators. Matthew Stead: Sounds like a brilliant move, really. I mean, you know, pulling all these sort of things together is, is a real challenge, isn’t it? I mean, coordinating all these subcontractors, um, getting to turn up at the right time, and yeah, I mean, it just sounds like a brilliant move, and I think that we need more, more, more efficient service companies to service the growing fleet. So the more they can get organized, the better. Allen Hall 2025: Yeah, the scale matters here, and the expertise matters. As we’ve have a couple hundred thousand turbines that are [00:19:00] operating in the, quote-unquote, “West,” it does make sense to have a larger player that has seen most of those turbines and has some experience with them. It’s always the scary scenario when you’re working with a new company. Have they been on this turbine before? Do they know what they’re doing? Do they know- Lockout tagout. Even simple things like that come to the forefront. And the, the trouble is on some of these smaller companies that are in that business is that, uh, you just don’t get the level of service, you don’t get the level of response, you don’t have the horsepower if something were to, to go wrong on site. They don’t have the cash to, to bring in a second crane or another crew to get this job done. It, it does become scale at some point. And, uh, for a long time in the wind industry, particularly United States, it, it has been a lot of, quote-unquote, “mom-and-pop operations,” and those are slowly getting acquired by the likes of Muehlhan. I, I, I think this is inevitable at some point. Uh, from the asset owner’s, uh, desktop watching this go on, [00:20:00] how do you see, you know, a large operator interfacing with Muehlhan? Are they gonna do just one-stop shopping at this point? They’re, they’re not gonna have three or four different companies to work with, that they’re just gonna lock into, uh, Muehlhan? ‘Cause, uh, that’s what I see. Matthew Stead: Yeah. I, I think, you know, from the, the WOMA Conference in, in Melbourne, we saw a bit of a, bit of a shift towards, um, outsourcing, at least in Australia Pacific region. And I mean, if, if you’re gonna outsource, um, you’re, you’re probably gonna join up with a, a Muehlhan, um, equivalent. So, you know, that way it just takes some of the risk out of, out of it, so it, it sort of makes sense. Um, the other observation I’ve heard is that, you know, because of the seasonality of blade repairs, it’s really hard to keep hold of, um, blade techs. And so if you’re a global company, you’ve got at least some opportunity of using the ses- seasonality and keeping hold of the good techs and, um, you know, so, you know, you know, summer in, in North, North, uh, America, and then, you know, summer in [00:21:00] Australia. So it, it, it allows these company, allows these companies to keep hold of their good people. Allen Hall 2025: Yeah. And that, that’s always been the yearly problem, right? That you have a, a crew of a couple good crews in the summertime, and you come back the next summer and it’s a whole different group of people and yeah, that, that, that’s trouble for the industry. Well, a- and it’s good. It’s fi- it’s finally good to see this happening, and I know, uh, we’ve talked about it internally here at Weather Guard of who to work with and who to partner with. We like working with companies that have scale, and I think we’re finally there. So it’s really interesting to see this article from Johan in PES Wind. So if you, if you haven’t read the article, you should go visit peswind.com and take a look. There’s a lot of great content in this quarter’s issue, and y- you don’t wanna miss it. So go to peswind.com today. As wind energy professionals, staying informed is crucial, and let’s face it, difficult. That’s why the Uptime podcast recommends PES Wind magazine. PES Wind offers [00:22:00] a diverse range of in-depth articles and expert insights that dive into the most pressing issues facing our energy future. Whether you’re an industry veteran or new to wind, PES Wind has the high-quality content you need. Don’t miss out. Visit peswind.com today. So when, when the energy prices spike like they’re happening right now, uh, the Iran war being one of the main drivers, and obviously gasoline prices have jumped quite a bit, here’s what happens. The China’s clean energy sector goes to work, and they’re racing to make connections and make sales. As electricity prices jump up, gas prices jump up, everybody wants to try to find a cheaper way to provide energy to their countries or locales. Uh, China’s there to offer it. So it’s solar panels, batteries, EVs, and even wind turbines are, are looking for homes out of China. Uh, for European wind professionals, [00:23:00] the most important part comes from Mingyang, right? So they were unable to get a production facility in Scotland, but they haven’t given up yet. They are still searching for a home somewhere in Europe. And as of today, I don’t think they’ve found it. They’re s- I think they’re still looking for some country to host them. But how long is that gonna go on, Matthew? I, I think with the domination of Vestas and Siemens Gamesa in Europe and Suzlon trying to make an entry, will Mingyang and other Chinese manufacturers eventually find a home? Matthew Stead: It’s interesting. I think, uh, if you look at the airline industry, you’ve always had premium providers, and you’ve always had low-end providers, and I think there’s always a place for all of them. And so I re- I reckon they’ll find, I think they’ll find their place in, in the market and just, you know, it might just take a while. But they’ve got the strength, haven’t they? They’ve got the product. They’ve got the strength. So it’s just a matter [00:24:00] of time. Allen Hall 2025: Yeah. I, I, I d- I do think eventually it will happen. But Vestas and, and Siemens Gamesa have done a pretty good job of controlling it, and wind Europe, honestly. Wind Europe has not been a proponent of a Chinese manufacturer in Europe, so that generally will help slow down any business plans they would have But at the same time, there’s a lot of opportunities around the world that’s not necessarily in Europe, right? South America has strong ties with China. They’re– And Chinese companies are, are starting production in China. There’s a lot th- things happening there. You’re gonna see that in Africa and other places. So it doesn’t necessarily have to happen in Europe, which is, I think Europeans and Americans think, “Well, we can’t have China in those locales.” Fine. But it isn’t like China doesn’t have other opportunities to, to sell turbines or solar panels or batteries. There are plenty places on the planet where Matthew Stead: people that Allen Hall 2025: need Matthew Stead: lower cost energy, and they’re gonna find them. Um, I did attend a, a panel [00:25:00] discussion on Türkiye, um, and the growth, and there was a lot of growth in Türkiye around onshore and offshore. And so maybe Mingyang, that might be a, a place, um, for them to, to start, you know, on the doorstep of, of Europe. The stepping stone, so to speak. Stepping country. Allen Hall 2025: Is there risk in that, uh, uh, if, uh, uh, Mingyang decided to put a plant in Türkiye? Is, does that come with some political aspect? Because I, I, I don’t remember. Türkiye t-tends to play, uh, uh, k- kind of like Switzerland in, in terms of working with different, uh, political systems over time. Yeah. Matthew Stead: I, I’ve had a bit more to do with a few, a few, um, sort of organizations in Türkiye recently and, um, you know, it’s highly professional, highly, you know, logical, and so I, I can’t see why it’d be a challenge. So I think, yeah, that stepping stone into Europe might be a, a logical way to go. Well, maybe Allen Hall 2025: we’ll see that in the next [00:26:00] couple of months. I don’t know. There’s gonna be a lot to happen there. There’s so much money being spent in Europe on renewables, wind, solar, battery, all the above, that there’s plenty of opportunity, and every company that has a product that’s gonna be trying to sell it in Europe right now. It’s a smart move. Absolutely. Matthew Stead: I think the other thing that we’ll probably be talking about a little bit more is EV trucks or, you know, electric trucks. Allen Hall 2025: You think so? Matthew Stead: I reckon we’ll be talking more and more about electric trucks. Allen Hall 2025: Does Europe even have a, a le- a real true EV tractor-trailer, large truck? What do they call… I guess they call it a lorry. Matthew Stead: I don’t think yet. But that’s why I’m saying I think this is a topic that’s gonna raise itself. Um, I’ve, I’ve seen some numbers recently which says that it’s a bit of a no-brainer to go from diesel to, um, to battery now. Allen Hall 2025: So is Tesla gonna be the, the winner there just because of their, I don’t even what they call it, the Tesla truck? Is that what they call that now? Matthew Stead: Not the Cybertruck, the, the truck truck. Allen Hall 2025: Electric semi-truck. There you go. [00:27:00] Thank you, producer Claire. Matthew Stead: I think you’ve gotta watch, you know, you’ve gotta watch BYD and a few of the other, the other, um, other companies. Allen Hall 2025: Do they have something as large as what, uh, Tesla is offering today? Because Tesla is offering a true semi or tractor-trailer Matthew Stead: I, I, I must admit I’m not a, a huge expert on the topic, but I’m sure Rosemary is. Allen Hall 2025: She drives the big rigs? Is that what she’s doing? Matthew Stead: But I think we– Yeah, I think, I think it’s an in-interesting thing to watch because, um, certainly fuel prices in Australia are definitely pushing, um, this idea of, um, electric trucks. Allen Hall 2025: Yeah, diesel prices are really high in the States. I- if they’re high in the States, I can’t even imagine what they are in Europe or Australia. They must be through the roof. So if you have a diesel vehicle, although they run forever and are pretty efficient, the price of fuel is insane right now. Matthew Stead: And, you know, if you, if you take that a step further into mining, so Twiggy Forest, um, and Fortescue, you know, switching to [00:28:00] electric, uh, trucks and electric mining, yeah, it makes sense. Allen Hall 2025: Does the math work out on that? Uh, obviously Fortescue is taking, uh, really a pretty significant risk in that they’re developing their own electricity generation sites via wind and solar and battery, the whole thing, and they’re converting some of their larger vehicles to electric. Does that hold a big risk, or is this just a financial no-brainer, particularly when diesel prices are so high? Matthew Stead: Yeah, I think it’s a financial no-brainer. Uh, and that’s why partly I think we’ll be talking about trucks because, you know, once the finances make sense, um, there’ll be a faster transition. And I think, you know, Fortescue is not a silly company. Allen Hall 2025: Fortescue is willing to dabble, right? So they’re willing to, to see where the technology is and spend a little bit of money and possibly it works out, right? I think there’s– you have to take a little bit of risk if you’re in that business because you are spending so much money on fuel. [00:29:00] You can spend a couple million dollars playing in different areas to pick an eventual winner. Obviously, they’re gonna– Well, it’s not obvious at the moment, but it, it seems obvious to us being on the electricity side. Electricity is gonna be the answer. Renewable energy is gonna be the easy way to do it, the lowest cost way to do it. There you go. Go do it. Well, American Clean Power’s event, uh, which is in Houston this year, will be happening June 1st through the 4th at the convention center downtown in Houston. It’s gonna be warm, everybody, so if you’re traveling from a cooler country like Denmark to Houston, bring something cool to wear. It will be warm in June. It, it– Houston is just a very warm place, and it’s quite humid, so it’ll, it’ll be a, a unique environment. However, it does sound like there’s gonna be a, a, an– A number of interesting companies and a lot of people that are attending that event this year, and one of them is gonna be Matthew and EOLOGIX-PING with Weather Guard Lightning Tech will [00:30:00] both be down at the event in a booth and seeing everybody and, and, and meeting a whole bunch of, of, uh, new people that are getting into the industry, which is, to me, is always the fun part. Like, we just meet so many really fun people. Uh, and Matthew, you know, we had a discussion internally about that, like, uh, our, our new, uh, chief commercial officer, Nikki Briggs, has been commenting. We’ve been talking to so many operators around the world, and after every, uh, little meeting briefing that we have, we do a post-briefing, and she goes, “They were so nice.” And I s- yes, Nikki, the wind industry people are fantastic to work with. Like, they’re all focused on doing something positive, and they’re trying to, to do it the best that they can. And there’s a lot of constraints to it, and they’re making a number of hard decisions. But when we all come together at American Clean Power here in the States, hey, we can kinda commiserate and [00:31:00] talk about what’s happening and catch up. And I feel like we need a little bit of catch-up time in this industry, particularly here in the United States. Matthew Stead: Yeah. Yeah. I, I think, um, I, I definitely agree. And I, I found, you know, previously I used to work in the construction industry and work with engineers and, you know, transport, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And actually, I found that the renewable industry, there’s a lot of really open people, really happy to have a discussion, um, not the big egos, so I completely agree. And, um, I’m thinking back, um, I first met people in the wind industry in, you know, around 2012, 2013, and, you know, I still know a number of those people and really appreciate catching up with them. Um, so actually, Berend van der Pol was probably one of the first, and, uh, Birgit Junker was, um, maybe one of the second, so yeah. And I’m definitely looking forward to ACP. Allen Hall 2025: If you’re, if you’re down in Houston at American Clean Power, definitely stop by a- and say hi to everybody from [00:32:00]EOLOGIX-PING and Weather Guard Lightning Tech, and hey, learn about all the things that are going on because both companies have new products that’ll, were gonna be announced at the site. Uh, we’re already getting inundated with requests on the Weather Guard side. It’s insane. We’re telling people, like, “Slow down, slow down, slow down. We’ll, we’ll, we’ll talk to you about it when we get to Houston.” But, uh, expect a very attentive audience this year, which is exciting. That wraps up another episode of “The Uptime Wind Energy Podcast.” If today’s discussion sparked any questions or ideas- We’d love to hear from you. Reach out to us on LinkedIn, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode. And if you found value in today’s conversation, please leave us a review. It helps other wind energy professionals follow the show. For Matthew, I’m Allen Hall, and we’ll see you here next week on the Uptime Wind Energy [00:33:00] Podcast.

Season 9 Episode 48- Kill the Necromancer!!!

Playing with Madness

Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2026 84:40

Will Pemberton get elected? Will the 7th Tower Crew overcome the Circle of Flame? Find out now, in the last episode of Playing With Madness: Season 9!Reza- LenaThe Magnificent Figaro- Danny DelucaGamemaster- Jared WitkofskyAl Key- Chris FrenchPerberton- Andrew Collins-AndersonKevin- Morgan JustTony 'The Toe' Tito- Chris ThielFeaturing music by Pressure Highway, Jordan Fickel, Danny Deluca and Motoshi Kosako This work is based on Blades in the Dark (found at http://www.bladesinthedark.com/), product of One Seven Design, developed and authored by John Harper, and licensed for our use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).

game ghosts gaming dark circle thief rpg thieves flame heist blades gameplay roleplaying ttrpg steampunk toe necromancers unported john harper blades in the dark one seven design

#213 – Beyond the Megaverse: Breachworld