Podcasts about Brazilian

In our 36th episode of This F*cking Guy, Erin and Crooked Media's Kendra James dive deep into the past of supermodel villain, Naomi Campbell. From her “feud" with Tyra Banks, to her unsavory taste in men, to her laundry list of assault charges, to her murky friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, this may be one of our most hostile, prima donna guys yet.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.Sources: Timeline https://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/topic/67521/ Daily Mail allegations about Epstein from 2019 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/lifestyle/article-7367825/As-model-unexpectedly-honoured-philanthropy-meet-Naomi-Campbells-rum-chums.html Now Campbell met Mike https://www.heristical.com/p/a-j-ayer-vs-mike-tyson Campbell response video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwgJzb7fllICampbell responds https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2019/08/21/naomi-campbell-addresses-her-ties-jeffrey-epstein/2077443001/ Another accounting of the denial https://www.the-independent.com/life-style/naomi-campbell-jeffrey-epstein-youtube-video-watch-sex-trafficking-a9074121.html Daily Mail write-up https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7382151/Naomi-Campbell-says-knew-Jeffrey-Epstein-denies-knowledge-sex-crimes.htmlVictoria's Secret Fashion Show https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria%27s_Secret_Fashion_Show Epstein Victoria's Secret NYT https://archive.ph/DjoBM2026 Epstein fileshttps://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15538709/Naomi-Campbells-role-helping-Jeffrey-Epstein-try-buy-luxury-flat-near-Kremlin.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPt-O_lkHZA Charity https://archive.ph/i7ZcV#selection-879.0-915.152 Hadn't read own book https://uk.style.yahoo.com/in-defence-of-zoella--why-it-doesn-t-matter-if-her-book-was-ghost-written-121449326.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9kdWNrZHVja2dvLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJ_swY1rJjJwhfuoMGZr3Ob-QLYx6XjAryJz5oZVEllHQrRu1LBfyoLokbR1VzpxTNQtu2-XbPBZhFwpD-sc_w3GberIT-b6CjkKa5u3RlAruE2TVlIZbOqIeIv_XW8qax057MR3rYe21kzQaWRKnjYOH5LaTL8yeGazHSOXQnCVAir ragehttps://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/06/20/campbell.court/index.html Abuse accusationshttps://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/crime/naomi-campbell-is-accused-of-abuse-for-the-eighth-time-421832.htmlLong legs, short fuse https://archive.ph/sz3qICampbell correcting the record https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibBE1akKRucDiddy on Campbell https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/the-naomi-factor-the-supermodels-friends-and-collaborators-on-how-she-became-an-icon Fashion for relief https://archive.ph/i7ZcV#selection-879.0-915.152 Elite model management dumps Campbell at the height of her career https://web.archive.org/web/20160413082507/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20106429,00.htmlMention of Troy Beher's fight https://www.upi.com/Archives/1992/12/15/People/4329724395600/ Another mention of the Beher fight https://archive.ph/QBL0c Campbell assault 1998https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1998/12/05/naomi-campbell-faces-assault-charge-in-toronto/ Ana assault https://archive.ph/sz3qISunshine Sachs editing wiki entries https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/23/business/media/a-pr-firm-alters-the-wiki-reality-of-its-star-clients.html Her album https://web.archive.org/web/20080507045326/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/the-worst-album-in-the-world-ever-471490.html Epstein files presence https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/15/style/epstein-files-naomi-campbell.htmlMore on Epstein  https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/celebrity/articles/naomi-campbell-gave-jeffrey-epstein-013602188.html?guccounter=1 https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/models/a1401/24-hours-with-naomi-campbell-0214/https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/specials/magazine4/articles/campbell.htmlhttps://www.interviewmagazine.com/fashion/naomi-campbell-1https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c361k687115ohttps://www.theguardian.com/observer/focus/story/0,6903,651663,00.htmlhttps://www.today.com/popculture/naomi-campbell-discusses-her-drug-addiction-wbna5962519Campbell did the vagina monologues in SF https://www.sfgate.com/performance/article/A-model-actress-Naomi-Campbell-says-painful-2886133.php Campbell wearing a Nelson Eandela hathttps://archive.ph/ZyzFj#selection-1621.0-1687.1https://archive.ph/1Mnuk  W magazine https://www.wmagazine.com/culture/naomi-campbell-probationhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibBE1akKRuc Assault https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/naomi-campbell-released-bail/531-e10146e8-769f-4975-99f9-9892a2bb9fc4 Phone at maid assault https://www.cleveland19.com/story/5944870/naomi-campbell-pleads-guilty-to-assault/Missing jeans assault https://www.today.com/popculture/naomi-campbell-sued-another-maid-1c9432812Campbell community service couture https://www.wmagazine.com/culture/naomi-campbell-probation Breach of contract lawsuit https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/sobe-perfume-maker-says-naomi-campbell-stinks/1847782/British Airways https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/naomi-campbell-escapes-jail-over-pc-assault-and-tirade-on-ba-jet-c2v09tlvr7rAmazed by Venezuela https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/2792/ Rumor of Chavez affair? https://observer.com/2008/01/naomi-campbell-model-interviewer-of-south-american-heads-of-state/ Animal rights group fires Campbell after appearing in fur https://www.upi.com/Archives/1997/03/11/Animal-rights-group-fires-Naomi-Campbell/2579858056400/ Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell https://www.papermag.com/hollyweird-naomi-kate-fidel Naomi gets in a slapfight at a Brazilian restaurant https://www.today.com/popculture/no-model-behavior-naomi-campbell-wbna8669444 Convicted of assault in Italy https://archive.ph/YEZp8 Badr Jafar dust up https://archive.ph/QBL0c#selection-1515.2-1515.137Tyra-Naomi confrontation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=516JwxaFVy4&t=256s Naomi talking about Tyra fight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMSWEdz5qo8Video: shady Naomi moments https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8DI7dcJyIoDisavowing Epstein https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwgJzb7fllI The Mirror's worst books of all time https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/7-worst-celebrity-books-you-36813997VIDEO: Barbara interviews her https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdprTCElJsg VIDEO: Wendy Williams compilation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3vnmnlf6N4VIDEO: Blood diamond walk out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT-6jzaVwkI VIDEO: Naomi's song Love And Tears, Live https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtb3Vj28vKk&list=RDmtb3Vj28vKk&start_radio=1Music video for Campbelll's Love and Tears https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdzfTJIa8_A&list=RDWdzfTJIa8_A&start_radio=1 Blood diamonds, Campbell turned over to police https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWlBHzd_rNQ Community service runway https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5IH61o3HPE 

It's Friday, March 20th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus Communist Cuban officials detain 16-year-old protestor Protests in Morón, Cuba, erupted the night of March 13 and lasted through the next day in response to a week of blackouts and shortages of medical and food supplies, reports International Christian Concern. Protestors ransacked and set fire to the Cuban Communist Party's headquarters. Among those arrested on March 16 were Evangelical Pastor Elier Ávila and his son, Jonathan. Though the pastor is now free, his 16-year-old son is still behind bars. While his son was accused of participating in the vandalism, some suggest that Cuban officials painted many of the law-abiding protestors of criminal mischief. Anna Stangl, the Director of Advocacy for Christian Solidarity Worldwide, said, “The detention of a 16-year-old child, with a serious medical condition, simply because he attempted to exercise his freedom of expression, is unconscionable.   “Despite the gravity of the situation on the island–with rampant hunger, scarcity of medicine, outbreaks of disease, and the failure of the power grid, the answer of President Miguel Canel, and the Cuban Communist Party, is to round up and imprison those who dare to call for change.”  Please send a 2-3 sentence letter to Ambassador Lianys Rivera urging Cuba to release Pastor Elier Ávila's son, Jonathan. Invite your children to send a letter as well. The address at the Cuban Embassy is 2630 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009. Trump's snappy rely to Japanese reporter During a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump was bold in his response to a provocative question from a Japanese reporter, according to Real Clear Politics. Listen. REPORTER: “Japan and U.S. are very good friends. But one question: Why didn't you tell U.S. allies in Europe and Asia, like Japan, about the war before attacking Iran? So, we are very confused about, we Japanese citizens.” TRUMP: “One thing, you don't want to signal too much, you know? When we go in, we went in very hard, and we didn't tell anybody about it because we wanted surprise. Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Okay? Why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor? (laughter) Okay? Right? “No, you believe in surprise, I think much more so than us. We had to surprise them, and we did. And because of that surprise, we knocked out, in the first two days, we probably knocked out 50 percent of what we and much more than we anticipated doing. So, if I go and tell everybody about it, there's no longer a surprise, right?” Joseph Duggar arrested for sexually abusing a minor Joseph Duggar, from the reality TV show "19 Kids and Counting," was arrested Wednesday on allegations of sexually abusing a minor during a family vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida, reports NewsNation.com. The married 31-year-old former reality star, who has three children of his own, was charged with lewd and lascivious conduct with a minor and molestation of a victim less than 12 years old. His arrest occurred years after his 38-year-old brother, Josh Duggar,  was convicted of child pornography charges. Officials say the victim identified Joseph Duggar as the abuser, saying he repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap. She said these incidents would allegedly progress into Joseph Duggar covering her with a blanket and touching her inappropriately. The victim reportedly stated that Joseph Duggar apologized for his actions, and the incidents stopped. Officials say the victim's father confronted him on Tuesday, and Joseph confessed his sins to both the father and detectives in Tonitown, Arkansas. In Matthew 18:6, Jesus said, “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” Late-term abortionist, who died, had no regrets Susan Robinson, one of America's most infamous late-term abortionists, died earlier this month, less than a year after being diagnosed with cancer, according to an Instagram post made by her fellow abortionist Shelly Sella. She wrote, “Susan was my friend and colleague in third trimester abortion …, both in Wichita and Albuquerque. Susan was drawn to abortion … by her sense of justice, which never wavered. … Together, we helped create a model of abortion.” LifeSiteNews.com reports that Shelly Sella emphasized that Susan Robinson had “no regrets” and that she was “very pleased about the whole business” before she died. Jonathon Van Maren wrote, “Reading the news about Robinson, my mind was immediately drawn to two videos I had seen her in. The first was After Tiller, a 2013 documentary featuring four late-term abortionists, which I reviewed over a decade ago. It struck me that two of the featured abortionists – Susan Robinson and Leroy Carhart – are now dead, while Warren Hern and Shelly Sella are retired.” The second was the video footage published by David Daleiden of the Center for Medical Progress in his bombshell undercover investigation exposing the abortion industry and the trafficking of baby body parts. At one point, the late Susan Robinson tells Daleiden, “The fetus is a tough little object, and taking it apart … is very difficult,” Robinson tells Daleiden at one point. “I mean, taking it apart on day one is very difficult.” Later: “You go in there, and you go, ‘Am I getting the uterus, or the fetus? Oh good, fetus. [Robinson made a stabbing sound] What have I got? Nothing. Let's try again.'” Van Maren concludes, “Translated: It is hard work to dismember and crush a baby. This was Robinson's sense of justice.” Micah 6:8 says, “[God] has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Actor Chuck Norris hospitalized And finally, Chuck Norris, the 86-year-old actor and martial arts icon, has been hospitalized in Hawaii following a medical emergency, reports NewsNation.com. The incident occurred on Wednesday on the island of Kauai, though the nature of the emergency has not been disclosed. The hospitalization appeared to be sudden. As recently as Wednesday of this week, Norris was on the phone with a friend while training on the island, cracking jokes, and showing no signs of distress. Norris had been actively training in Kauai in the days before the emergency. A black belt in karate, taekwondo, tang soo do and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Norris posted a video on his birthday, March 10, showing him sparring with a trainer. NORRIS: "I don't age. I level up." The caption read, “I'm 86 today! Nothing like some playful action on a sunny day to make you feel young. I'm grateful for another year, good health, and the chance to keep doing what I love.” Though largely retired from acting in recent years, Norris has remained active on screen. He had a cameo in “Hawaii Five-0” in 2020 and a lead role in the 2024 sci-fi action film “Agent Recon.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Friday, March 20th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

First released in December 2013, this live RISK! episode from Philadelphia's First Person Arts pairs two storytellers with a lot to say about losing control and getting it back. Dawn Jewel Fraser's "Brasilado" follows a young American woman deep into an immersive year in Rio de Janeiro, learning Portuguese street by street from her chain-smoking instructor Marcy, until a late-night taxi ride home unravels spectacularly when Brazilian police find weed in her bag and mistake her for a drug trafficker. Then Katie Samson tells "The First Time Again," the story of rebuilding a romantic and sexual life after a sledding accident left her with a spinal cord injury at 20. Her homecoming weekend story is tender, funny, and genuinely triumphant. Two women, two very different roads back to freedom. Full episode details and music credits at risk-show.com/podcast/live-from-philly-4-cre509  Support RISK! & Get Involved

Adam, David and Neil call MotoGP's superb pitlane report and presenter Jack Appleyard as the Brit shelters from another Brazilian deluge of rain in Goiânia. Jack tells us how the circuit is shaping-up, what are the wider impressions of the venue and predictions for the weekend.

3. Guest David Shed details China's global campaign of economic espionage and secret-stealing. Using Brazilian food delivery as a case study, he explains how the PRC leverages data and predatory acquisitions to dominate international markets. (3)1650

This week's new music pairs well with a glass of wine - or, at least, that's what Ana chose while taping this happy hour edition of Alt.Latino at Felix's dining room table. And the music on tap spans a huge breadth of styles. Yahritza y Su Esencia returns with a powerful sophomore album after a spell out of the limelight. Brazilian legend-in-the-making Lucas Santtana collaborates with his mentor Gilberto Gil. Ana Tijoux revisits her late-'90s hip-hop roots. Plus, Tejano master Ruben Ramos tells his life story through song. This podcast episode was produced by Noah Caldwell. Suraya Mohamed is the executive producer of NPR Music.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This week's new music pairs well with a glass of wine - or, at least, that's what Ana chose while taping this happy hour edition of Alt.Latino at Felix's dining room table. And the music on tap spans a huge breadth of styles. Yahritza y Su Esencia returns with a powerful sophomore album after a spell out of the limelight. Brazilian legend-in-the-making Lucas Santtana collaborates with his mentor Gilberto Gil. Ana Tijoux revisits her late-'90s hip-hop roots. Plus, Tejano master Ruben Ramos tells his life story through song. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

George Salazar (Be More Chill, Superstore) plays a wise-cracking waterborne vessel in this Brazilian story about the extraordinary things teamwork can bring. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.

What makes a character so compelling that readers will forgive almost anything about the plot? How do you move beyond vague flaws and generic descriptions to create people who feel pulled from real life? In this solo episode, I share 15 actionable tips for writing deep characters, curated from past interviews on the podcast. In the intro, thoughts from London Book Fair [Instagram reel @jfpennauthor; Publishing Perspectives; Audible; Spotify]; Insights from a 7-figure author business [BookBub]. This show is supported by my Patrons. Join my Community and get articles, discounts, and extra audio and video tutorials on writing craft, author business, and AI tools, at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn This episode has been created from previous episodes of The Creative Penn Podcast, curated by Joanna Penn, as well as chapters from How to Write a Novel: From Idea to Book. Links to the individual episodes are included in the transcript below. In this episode: Master the ‘Believe, Care, Invest' trifecta, how to hook readers on the very first page Define the Dramatic Question: Who is your character when the chips are down? Absolute specificity. Why “she's controlling” isn't good enough Understand the Heroine's Journey, strength through connection, not solo action Use ‘Metaphor Families' to anchor dialogue and give every character a distinctive voice Find the Diagnostic Detail, the moments that prove a character is real Writing pain onto the page without writing memoir Write diverse characters as real people, not stereotypes or plot devices Give your protagonist a morally neutral ‘hero' status. Compelling beats likeable. Build vibrant side characters for series longevity and spin-off potential Use voice as a rhythmic tool Link character and plot until they're inseparable Why discovery writers can write out of order and still build deep character Find the sensory details that make characters live and breathe More help with how to write fiction here, or in my book, How to Write a Novel. Writing Characters: 15 Tips for Writing Deep Character in Your Fiction In today's episode, I'm sharing fifteen tips for writing deep characters, synthesised from some of the most insightful interviews on The Creative Penn Podcast over the past few years, combined with what I've learned across more than forty books of my own. I'll be referencing episodes with Matt Bird, Will Storr, Gail Carriger, Barbara Nickless, and Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer. I'll also draw on my own book, How to Write a Novel, which covers these fundamentals in detail. Whether you're writing your first novel or your fiftieth, whether you're a plotter or a discovery writer like me, these tips will help you create characters that readers believe in, care about, and invest in—and keep coming back for more. Let's get into it. 1. Master the ‘Believe, Care, Invest' Trifecta When I spoke with Matt Bird on episode 624, he laid out the three things you need to achieve on the very first page of your book or in the first ten minutes of a film. He calls it “Believe, Care, and Invest.” First, the reader must believe the character is a real person, somehow proving they are not a cardboard imitation of a human being, not just a generic type walking through a generic plot. Second, the reader must care about the character's circumstances. And third, the reader must invest in the character's ability to solve the story's central problem. Matt used The Hunger Games as his primary example, and it's brilliant. On the very first page, we believe Katniss's voice. Suzanne Collins writes in first person with a staccato rhythm—lots of periods, short declarative sentences—that immediately grounds us in a survivalist mentality. We care because Katniss is starving. She's protecting her little sister. And we invest because she is out there bow hunting, which Matt pointed out is one of the most badass things a character can do. She even kills a lynx two pages in and sells the pelt. We invest in her resourcefulness and grit before the plot has even begun. Matt was very clear that this has nothing to do with the character being “likable.” He said his subtitle, Writing a Hero Anyone Will Love, doesn't mean the character has to be a good person. He described “hero” as both gender-neutral and morally neutral. A hero can be totally evil or totally good. What matters is that we believe, care, and invest. He demonstrated this beautifully by breaking down the first ten minutes of WeCrashed, where the characters of Adam and Rebekah Neumann are absolutely not likable, but we are completely hooked. Adam steals his neighbour's Chinese food through a carefully orchestrated con involving an imaginary beer. It's not admirable behaviour, but the tradecraft involved, as Matt put it—using a term from spy movies—makes us invest in him. We see a character trying to solve the big problem of his life, which is that he's poor and wants to be rich, and we want to see if he can pull it off. Actionable step: Go to the first page of your current work in progress. Does it achieve all three? Does the reader believe this is a real person with a distinctive voice? Do they care about the character's circumstances? And do they invest in the character's ability to handle what's coming? If even one of those three is missing, that's your revision priority. 2. Define the Dramatic Question: Who Are They Really? Will Storr, author of The Science of Storytelling, came on episode 490 and gave one of the most powerful frameworks I've ever heard for character-driven fiction. He explained that the human brain evolved language primarily to swap social information—in other words, to gossip. We are wired to monitor other people, to ask the question: who is this person when the chips are down? That's what Will calls the Dramatic Question, and it's what he believes lies at the heart of all compelling storytelling. It's not a question about plot. It's a question about the character's soul. And every scene in your novel should force the character to answer it. His example of Lawrence of Arabia is unforgettable. The Dramatic Question for the entire film is: who are you, Lawrence? Are you ordinary or are you extraordinary? At the beginning, Lawrence is a cocky, rebellious young soldier who believes his rebelliousness makes him superior. Every iconic scene in that three-hour film tests that belief. Sometimes Lawrence acts as though he truly is extraordinary—leading the Arabs into battle, being hailed as a god—and sometimes the world strips him bare and he sees himself as ordinary. Because it's a tragedy, he never overcomes his flaw. He doubles down on his belief that he's extraordinary until he becomes monstrous, culminating in that iconic scene where he lifts a bloody dagger and sees his own reflection with horror. Will also used Jaws to demonstrate how this works in a pure action thriller. Brody's dramatic question is simple: are you going to be old Brody who is terrified of the water, or new Brody who can overcome that fear? Every scene where the shark appears is really asking that question. And the last moment of the film isn't the shark blowing up. It's Brody swimming back through the water, saying he used to be scared of the water and he can't imagine why. Actionable step: Write down the Dramatic Question for your protagonist in a single sentence. Is it “Are you ordinary or extraordinary?” or “Are you brave enough to love again?” or “Will you sacrifice your principles for survival?” If you can't answer this with specificity, your character might still be a sketch rather than a person. 3. Get rid of Vague Flaws, and use Absolute Specificity This was one of Will Storr's most important points. He said that vague thinking about characters is really the enemy. When he teaches workshops and asks writers to describe their character's flaw, most of them say something like “they're very controlling.” And Will's response is: that's not good enough. Everyone is controlling. How are they controlling? What's the specific mechanism? He gave the example of a profile he read of Theresa May during the UK's Brexit chaos. Someone who knew her said that Theresa May's problem was that she always thinks she's the only adult in every room she goes into. Will said that stopped him in his tracks because it's so precise. If you define a character with that level of specificity, you can take them and put them in any genre, any situation—a spaceship, a Victorian drawing room, a school playground—and you will know exactly how they're going to behave. The same applies to Arthur Miller's Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman, as Will described it: a man who believes absolutely in capitalistic success and the idea that when you die, you're going to be weighed on a scale, just as God weighs you for sin, but now you're weighed for success. That's not a vague flaw. That's a worldview you can drop into any story and watch it combust. Will made another counterintuitive point that I found really valuable: writers often think that piling on multiple traits will create a complex character, but the opposite is true. Starting with one highly specific flaw and running it through the demands of a relentless plot is what generates complexity. You end up with a far more nuanced, original character than if you'd started with a laundry list of vague attributes. Actionable step: Take your protagonist's flaw and pressure-test it. Is it specific enough that you could place this character in any situation and predict their behaviour? If you're stuck at “she's stubborn” or “he's insecure,” keep pushing. What kind of stubborn? What kind of insecure? Find the diagnostic sentence—the Theresa May level of precision. 4. Understand the Heroine's Journey: Strength Through Connection Gail Carriger came on episode 550 to discuss her nonfiction book, The Heroine's Journey, and it completely reframed how I think about some of my own fiction. Gail explained that the core difference between the Hero's Journey and the Heroine's Journey comes down to how strength and victory are defined. The Hero's Journey is about strength through solo action. The hero must be continually isolated to get stronger. He goes out of civilisation, faces strife alone, and achieves victory through physical prowess and self-actualisation. The Heroine's Journey is the opposite. The heroine achieves her goals by activating a network. She's a delegator, a general. She identifies where she can't do something alone, finds the people who can help, and portions out the work for mutual gain. Gail put it simply: the heroine is very good at asking for help, which our culture tends to devalue but which is actually a powerful form of strength. Crucially, Gail stressed that gender is irrelevant to which journey you're writing. Her go-to examples are striking: the recent Wonder Woman film is practically a beat-for-beat hero's journey—Gilgamesh on screen, as Gail described it. Meanwhile, Harry Potter, both the first book and the series as a whole, is a classic heroine's journey. Harry's power comes from his network—Dumbledore's Army, the Order of the Phoenix, his friendships with Ron and Hermione. He doesn't defeat Voldemort alone. He defeats Voldemort because of love and connection. This distinction has real practical consequences for writers. If you're writing a hero's journey and you hit writer's block, Gail said, the solution is usually to isolate your hero further and pile on more strife. But if you're writing a heroine's journey, the solution is probably to throw a new character into the scene—someone who has advice to offer or a skill the heroine lacks. The actual solutions to writer's block are different depending on which narrative you're writing. As I reflected on my own work, I realised that my ARKANE thriller protagonist, Morgan Sierra, follows a hero's journey—she's a solo operative, a lone wolf like Jack Reacher or James Bond. But my Mapwalker fantasy series follows a heroine's journey, with Sienna and her group of friends working together. I hadn't consciously chosen those paths; the stories led me there. But understanding the framework helps me write more intentionally now. Actionable step: Identify which journey your protagonist is on. Does your character gain strength by being alone (hero) or by building connections (heroine)? This will inform every plot decision you make, from how they face obstacles to how your story ends. 5. Use ‘Metaphor Families' to Anchor Dialogue and Voice One of the most practical techniques Matt Bird shared on episode 624 is the idea of assigning each character a “metaphor family”—a specific well of language that they draw from. This gives each character a distinctive voice that goes beyond accent or dialect. Matt explained how in The Wire, one of the most beloved TV shows of all time, every character has a different metaphor family. What struck him was that Omar, this iconic character, never utters a single curse word in the entire series. His metaphor family is pirate. He talks about parlays, uses language that feels like it belongs in Pirates of the Caribbean, and it creates this incredible ironic counterpoint against his urban setting. It tells us immediately that this is a character who sees himself in a tradition of people that doesn't match his immediate surroundings. Matt also referenced the UK version of The Office, where Gareth works at a paper company but aspires to the military. So all of his language is drawn from a military metaphor family. He doesn't talk about filing and photocopying; he talks about tactics and discipline and being on the front line. This tells us that the character has a life and dreams beyond the immediate scene—and it's the gap between aspiration and reality that makes him both funny and believable. He pointed out that a metaphor family sometimes comes from a character's background, but it's often more interesting when it comes from their aspirations. What does your character want to be? What world do they fantasise about inhabiting? That's where their language should come from. In Star Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a spiritual hermit, but his metaphor family is military. He uses the language of generals and commanders, and that ironic counterpoint is part of what makes him feel so rich. Actionable step: Assign each of your main characters a metaphor family. It could be based on their job, their background, or—more interestingly—their secret aspirations. Then go through your dialogue and make sure each character is consistently drawing from that well of language. If two characters sound the same when you strip away the dialogue tags, this is the fix. 6. Find the Diagnostic Detail: The Diagonal Toast Avoid clichéd character tags—the random scar, the eye patch, the mysterious limp—unless they serve a deep narrative purpose. Matt Bird on episode 624 was very funny about this: he pointed out that Nick Fury, Odin, and eventually Thor all have eye patches in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Eye patches are done, he said. You cannot do eye patches anymore. Instead, look for what I'm calling the “diagonal toast” detail, after a scene Matt described from Captain Marvel. In the film, Captain Marvel is trying to determine whether Nick Fury is who he says he is. She asks him to prove he isn't a shapeshifting alien. Fury shares biographical details—his history, his mother—but then she pushes further and says, name one more thing you couldn't possibly have made up about yourself. And Fury says: if toast is cut diagonally, I can't eat it. Matt said that detail is gold for a writer because it feels pulled from a real life. You can pull it from your own life and gift it to your characters, and the reader can tell it's not manufactured. He gave another example from The Sopranos: Tony Soprano's mother won't answer the phone after dark. The show's creator, David Chase, confirmed on the DVD commentary that this came from his own mother, who genuinely would not answer the phone after dark and couldn't explain why. Matt's practical advice was to keep a journal. Write down the strange, specific things that people do or say. Mine your own life for those hyper-specific details. You just need one per book. In my own writing, I've used this approach. In my ARKANE thrillers, my character Morgan Sierra has always been Angelina Jolie in my mind—specifically Jolie in Lara Croft or Mr and Mrs Smith. And Blake Daniel in my crime thriller series was based on Jesse Williams from Grey's Anatomy. I paste pictures of actors into my Scrivener projects. It helps with visuals, but also with the sense of the character, their energy and physicality. But visual details only take you so far. It's the behavioural quirks—the diagonal toast moments—that make a character feel genuinely alive. That said, physical character tags can work brilliantly when they serve the story. As I discuss in How to Write a Novel, Robert Galbraith's Cormoran Strike is an amputee, and his pain and the physical challenges of his prosthesis are a key part of every story—it's not a cosmetic detail, it's woven into the action and the character's psychology. My character Blake Daniel always wears gloves to cover the scars on his hands, which provides an angle into his wounded past as well as a visual cue for the reader. And of course, Harry Potter's lightning-shaped scar isn't just a mark—it's a direct connection to his nemesis and the mythology of the entire series. The rule of thumb is: if the tag tells us something about the character's interior life or connects to the plot, it's earning its place. If it's just there to make the character visually distinctive, it's probably a crutch. Game of Thrones takes character tags further with the family houses, each with their own mottos and sigils. The Starks say “Winter is coming” and their sigil is a dire wolf. Those aren't just labels—they're worldview made visible. Actionable step: Start a “diagonal toast” notebook. Every time you notice something strange and specific about someone's behaviour—something that feels too real to be made up—write it down. Then gift it to a character who needs more texture. 7. Displace Your Own Trauma into the Work Barbara Nickless shared something deeply personal on episode 732 that fundamentally changed how I think about putting pain onto the page. While starting At First Light, the first book in her Dr. Evan Wilding series, she lost her son to epilepsy—something called SUDEP, Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy. One day he was there, and the next day he was gone. Barbara said that writing helped her cope with the trauma, that doing a deep dive into Old English literature and the Viking Age for the book's research became a lifeline. But here's what's important: she didn't give Dr. Evan Wilding her exact trauma. Evan Wilding is four feet five inches, and Barbara described how he has to walk through a world that won't adjust to him. That's its own form of learning to cope when circumstances are beyond your control. She displaced her genuine grief into the character's different but parallel struggle. When I asked her about the difference between writing for therapy and writing for an audience, she drew on her experience teaching creative writing to veterans through a collaboration between the US Department of Defense and the National Endowment for the Arts. She said she's found that she can pour her heartache into her characters and process it through them, even when writing professionally, and that the genuine emotion is what touches readers. We've all been through our own losses and griefs, so seeing how a character copes can be deeply meaningful. I've always found that putting my own pain onto the page is the most direct way to connect with a reader's soul. My character Morgan Sierra's musings on religion and the supernatural are often my own. Her restlessness, her fascination with the darker edges of faith—those come from me. But her Krav Maga fighting skills and her ability to kill the bad guys are definitely her own. That gap between what's mine and what's hers is where the fiction lives. Barbara also said something on that episode that I wrote down and stuck on my wall. She said the act of producing itself is a balm to the soul. I've been thinking about that ever since. On my own wall, I have “Measure your life by what you create.” Different words, same truth. Actionable step: If you're carrying something heavy—grief, anger, fear, regret—consider how you might displace it into a character's different but emotionally parallel struggle. Don't copy your exact situation; transform it. The emotion will be genuine, and the reader will feel it. 8. Write Diverse Characters as Real People When I spoke with Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer on episode 673—Sarah is Choctaw and a historical fiction author honoured by the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian—she offered a perspective that every fiction writer needs to hear. The key message was to move away from stereotypes. Don't write your American Indian character as the “Wise Guide” who exists solely to dispense mystic wisdom to the white protagonist. Don't limit diverse characters to historical settings, as though they only exist in the past. Place them in normal, contemporary roles. Your spaceship captain, your forensic scientist, your small-town baker—any of them can be American Indian, or Nigerian, or Japanese, and their heritage should be a lived-in part of their identity, not the sole reason they exist in the story. I write international thrillers and dark fantasy, and my fiction is populated with characters from all over the world. I have a multi-cultural family and I've lived in many places and travelled widely, so I've met, worked with, and had relationships with people from different cultures. I find story ideas through travel, and if I set my books in a certain place, then the story is naturally populated with the people who live there. As I discuss in my book, How to Write a Novel, the world is a diverse place, so your fiction needs to be populated with all kinds of people. If I only populated my fiction with characters like me, they would be boring novels. There are many dimensions of difference—race, nationality, sex, age, body type, ability, religion, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, class, culture, education level—and even then, don't assume that similar types of people think the same way. Some authors worry they will make mistakes. We live in a time of outrage, and some authors have been criticised for writing outside their own experience. So is it too dangerous to try? Of course not. The media amplifies outliers, and most authors include diverse characters in every book without causing offence because they work hard to get it right. It's about awareness, research, and intent. Actionable step: Audit the cast of your current work in progress. Have you written a mono-cultural perspective for all of them? If so, consider who could bring a different background, perspective, or set of cultural specifics to the story. Not as a token addition, but as a real person with a real life. 9. Respect Tribal and Cultural Specificity Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer on episode 673 was emphatic about one thing: never treat diverse groups as monolithic. If you're writing a Native American character, you must research the specific nation. Choctaw is not Navajo, just as British is not French. Sarah described the distinct cultural markers of the Choctaw people—the diamond pattern you'll see on traditional shirts and dresses, which represents the diamondback rattlesnake. They have distinct dances and songs. She said that if she saw someone in traditional dress at a distance, she would know whether they were Choctaw based on what they were wearing. She encouraged writers who want to write specifically about a nation to get to know those people. Go to events, go to a powwow, learn about the individual culture. She noted that a big misconception is that American Indians exist only in the past—she stressed that they are still here, still living their cultures, and fiction should reflect that present reality. I took a similar approach when writing Destroyer of Worlds, which is set mostly in India. I read books about Hindu myth, watched documentaries about the sadhus, and had one of my Indian readers from Mumbai check my cultural references. For Risen Gods, set in New Zealand with a young Maori protagonist, I studied books about Maori mythology and fiction by Maori authors, and had a male Maori reader check for cultural issues. Research is simply an act of empathy. The practical takeaway is this: if you're going to include a character from a specific cultural background, do the work. Use specific cultural details rather than generic signifiers. Sarah talked about how even she fell into stereotypes when she was first writing, until her mother pointed them out. If someone from within a culture can fall into those traps, the rest of us certainly can. Do the research, try your best, ask for help, and apologise if you need to. Actionable step: If you're writing a character from a specific culture, identify three to five sensory or behavioural details that are particular to that culture—not the generic version, but the real, researched, lived-in version. Consider hiring a sensitivity reader from that community to check your work. 10. Give Your Protagonist a Morally Neutral ‘Hero' Status Matt Bird was clear about this on episode 624: the word “hero” simply means the protagonist, the person we follow through the story. It's a functional role, not a moral label. We don't have to like them. We don't even have to root for their goals in a moral sense. We just have to find them compelling enough to invest our attention in their problem-solving. Think of Succession, where every member of the Roy family is varying degrees of awful, and yet the show was utterly compelling. Or WeCrashed, where Adam Neumann is a narcissistic con artist, but we can't look away because he's trying to solve the enormous problem of building an empire from nothing, and the tradecraft he employs is fascinating. As I wrote in How to Write a Novel, readers must want to spend time with your characters. They don't have to be lovable or even likable—that will depend on your genre and story choices—but they have to be captivating enough that we want to spend time with them. A character who is trying to solve a massive problem will naturally draw investment from the audience, even if we wouldn't want to have tea with them. Will Storr extended this idea by pointing out that the audience will actually root for a character to solve their problem even if the audience doesn't actually want the character's goal to be achieved in the real world. We don't really want more billionaires, but we invested in Adam Neumann's rise because that was the problem the story posed, and our brains are wired to invest in problem-solving. This connects to something deeper: what does your character want, and why? As I explore in How to Write a Novel, desire operates on multiple levels. Take a character like Phil, who joins the military during wartime. On the surface, she wants to serve her country. But she also wants to escape her dead-end town and learn new skills. Deeper still, her father and grandfather served, and by joining up, she hopes to finally earn their respect. And perhaps deepest of all, her father died on a mission under mysterious circumstances, and she wants to find out what happened from the inside. That layering of motivation is what turns a flat character into a three-dimensional one. The audience doesn't need to be told all of this explicitly. It can emerge through action, dialogue, and the choices the character makes under pressure. But you, the writer, need to know it. You need to know what your character really wants deep down, because that desire—more than any external plot device—is what drives the story forward. And your antagonist needs the same depth. They also want something, often diametrically opposed to your protagonist, and they need a reason that makes sense to them. In my ARKANE thriller Tree of Life, my antagonist is the heiress of a Brazilian mining empire who wants to restore the Earth to its original state to atone for the destruction caused by her father's company. She's part of a radical ecological group who believe the only way to restore Nature is to end all human life. It's extreme, but in an era of climate change, it's a motivation readers can understand—even if they disagree with the solution. Actionable step: If you're struggling to make a morally grey character work, make sure their problem is big enough and their methods are specific and interesting enough that we invest in the how, even if we're ambivalent about the what. 11. Build Vibrant Side Characters Gail Carriger made a point on episode 550 that was equal parts craft advice and business strategy. In a Heroine's Journey model, side characters aren't just fodder to be killed off to motivate the hero. They form a network. And because you don't have to kill them—unlike in a hero's journey, where allies are often betrayed or removed so the hero can be further isolated—you can pick up those side characters and give them their own books. Gail said this creates a really voracious reader base. You write one series with vivid side characters, and then readers fall in love with those side characters and want their stories. So you write spin-offs. The romance genre does this brilliantly—think of the Bridgerton books, where each sibling gets their own novel. The side character in one book becomes the protagonist in the next. Barbara Nickless experienced this firsthand with her Dr. Evan Wilding series. She has River Wilding, Evan's adventurous brother, and Diana, the axe-throwing research assistant, and her editor has already expressed interest in a spin-off series with those characters. Barbara described creating characters she wants to spend time with, or characters who give her nightmares but also intrigue her. That's the dual test: are they interesting enough for you to write, and interesting enough for readers to demand more? As I wrote in How to Write a Novel, characters that span series can deepen the reader's relationship with them as you expand their backstory into new plots. Readers will remember the character more than the plot or the book title, and look forward to the next instalment because they want more time with those people. British crime author Angela Marsons described it as readers feeling like returning to her characters is like putting on a pair of old slippers. Actionable step: Look at your supporting cast. Is there a side character who is vivid enough to carry their own story? If not, what could you add—a specific hobby, a distinct voice, a compelling backstory—that would make readers want more of them? 12. Use Voice as a Rhythmic Tool Voice is one of the most important elements of novel writing, and Matt Bird helped me think about it in a technical, mechanical way that I found really useful. He pointed out that the ratio of periods to commas defines a character's internal reality. A staccato rhythm—lots of periods, short sentences—suggests a character who is certain, grounded, or perhaps survivalist and traumatised. Katniss in The Hunger Games has a period-heavy voice. She's in survival mode. She doesn't have time for complexity or qualification. A flowing, comma-heavy style suggests someone more academic, more nuanced, or possibly more scattered and manipulative. The character who qualifies everything, who adds sub-clauses and digressions, is a different kind of person from the character who speaks in declarations. This is something you can actually measure. Pull up a passage of your character's dialogue or internal monologue and count the periods versus the commas. If the rhythm doesn't match who the character is supposed to be, you've found a mismatch you can fix. Sentence length is the heartbeat of your character's persona. And voice extends beyond rhythm to the words themselves. As I discussed in the metaphor families tip, each character should draw from a distinctive well of language. But voice also encompasses their relationship to silence. Some characters talk around the thing they mean; others say it straight. Some are self-deprecating; others are blunt to the point of rudeness. All of these choices are character choices, not just style choices. I find it useful to read my dialogue aloud—and not just to check for naturalness, but to hear whether each character sounds distinct. If you could swap dialogue lines between two characters and nobody would notice, you have a voice problem. One practical test: cover the dialogue tags and see if you can tell who's speaking from the words alone. Actionable step: Choose a key passage from your protagonist's point of view and read it aloud. Does the rhythm match the character? A soldier under fire should not sound like a philosophy professor at a wine tasting. Adjust the ratio of periods to commas until the voice feels right. 13. Link Character and Plot Until They're Inseparable Will Storr made the case on episode 490 that the number one problem he sees in the writing he encounters—in workshops, in submissions, even in published books—is that the characters and the plots are unconnected. There's a story happening, and there are people in it, but the story isn't a product of who those people are. He said a story should be like life. In our lives, the plots are intimately connected to who we are as characters. The goals we pursue, the obstacles we face, the same problems that keep recurring—these are products of our personalities, our flaws, our specific ways of being in the world. His framework is that your plot should be designed specifically to plot against your character. You've got a character with a particular flaw; the plot exists to test that flaw over and over until the character either transforms or doubles down and explodes. Jaws is the perfect example. Brody is afraid of water. A shark shows up in the coastal town he's responsible for protecting. The entire plot is engineered to force him to confront the one thing he cannot face. Will pointed out that the whole plot of Jaws is structured around Brody's flaw. It begins with the shark arriving, the midpoint is when Brody finally gets the courage to go into the water, and the very final scene isn't the shark blowing up—it's Brody swimming back through the water. Even a film that's ninety-eight percent action is, at its core, structured around a character with a character flaw. This is the standard I aspire to in my own work, even in my action-heavy thrillers. The external plot should be a mirror of the internal struggle. When those two are aligned, the story becomes irresistible. Will also made an important point about series fiction, which is where most commercial authors live. I asked him how this works when your character can't be transformed at the end of every book because there has to be a next book. His answer was elegant: you don't cure them. Episodic TV characters like Fleabag or David Brent or Basil Fawlty never truly change—and the fact that they don't change is actually the source of the comedy. But every episode throws a new story event at them that tests and exposes their flaw. You just keep throwing story events at them again and again. That's a soap opera, a sitcom, and a book series. As I wrote in How to Write a Novel, character flaws are aspects of personality that affect the person so much that facing and overcoming them becomes central to the plot. In Jaws, the protagonist Brody is afraid of the water, but he has to overcome that flaw to destroy the killer shark and save the town. But remember, your characters should feel like real people, so never define them purely by their flaws. The character addicted to painkillers might also be a brilliant and successful female lawyer who gets up at four in the morning to work out at the gym, likes eighties music, and volunteers at the local dog shelter at weekends. Character wounds are different from flaws. They're formed from life experience and are part of your character's backstory—traumatic events that happened before the events of your novel but shape the character's reactions in the present. In my ARKANE thrillers, Morgan Sierra's husband Elian died in her arms during a military operation. This happened before the series begins, but her memories of it recur when she faces a firefight, and she struggles to find happiness again for fear of losing someone she loves once more. And then there's the perennial advice: show, don't tell. Most writers have heard this so many times that it's easy to nod and then promptly write scenes that tell rather than show. Basically, you need to reveal your character through action and dialogue, rather than explanation. In my thriller Day of the Vikings, Morgan Sierra fights a Neo-Viking in the halls of the British Museum and brings him down with Krav Maga. That fight scene isn't just about showing action. It opens up questions about her backstory, demonstrates character, and moves the plot forward. Telling would be something like: “Morgan was an expert in Krav Maga.” Showing is the reader discovering it through the scene itself. Actionable step: Look at the main plot events of your novel. For each major turning point, ask: does this scene specifically test my protagonist's flaw? If not, can you redesign the scene so that it does? The tighter the connection between character and plot, the more powerful the story. 14. The ‘Maestra' Approach: Write Out of Order If you're a discovery writer like me, you may feel like the deep character work I've been describing sounds more suited to plotters. But Barbara Nickless gave me a beautiful metaphor on episode 732 that reframes it entirely. Barbara described her evolving writing process as being like a maestra standing in front of an orchestra. Sometimes you bring in the horns—a certain theme—and sometimes you bring in the strings—a certain character—and sometimes you turn to the soloist. It's a more organic and jumping-around process than linear writing, and Barbara said she's only recently given herself permission to work this way. When I told her that I use Scrivener to write in scenes out of order and then drag and drop them into a structure later, she was genuinely intrigued. And this is how I've always worked. I'll see the story in my mind like a movie trailer—flashes of the big emotional scenes, the pivotal confrontations, the moments of revelation—and I write those first. I don't know how they hang together until quite late in the process. Then I'll move scenes around, print the whole thing out, and figure out the connective tissue. The point is that discovery writers can absolutely build deep characters. Sometimes writing the big emotional scenes first is how you discover who the character is before you fill in the rest. You don't need a twenty-page character worksheet or a 200-page outline like Jeffery Deaver. You need to be willing to follow the character into the unknown and trust that the structure will emerge. As Barbara said, she writes to know what she's thinking. That's the discovery writer's credo. And I would add: I write to know who my characters are. Actionable step: If you're stuck on your current chapter, skip it. Write the scene that's burning in your imagination, even if it's from the middle or the end. That scene might be the key to unlocking who your character really is. 15. Use Research to Help with Empathy Research shouldn't just be about factual accuracy—it's a tool for finding the sensory details that create empathy. Barbara Nickless described research as almost an excuse to explore things that fascinate her, and I feel exactly the same way. I would go so far as to say that writing is an excuse for me to explore the things that interest me. Barbara and I both travel for our stories. For her Dr. Evan Wilding books, she did deep research into Old English literature and the Viking Age. For my thriller End of Days, I transcribed hours of video from Appalachian snake-handling churches on YouTube to understand the worldview of the worshippers, because my antagonist was brought up in that tradition. I couldn't just make that up. I had to hear their language, feel their conviction, understand why they would hold venomous serpents as an act of faith. Barbara also mentioned getting to Israel and the West Bank for research, and I've been to both places too. Finding that one specific sensory detail—the smell of a particular location, the specific way an expert handles a tool, the sound of a particular kind of music—makes the character's life feel lived-in. It's the difference between a character who is described as living in a place and a character who inhabits it. As I wrote in How to Write a Novel, don't write what you know. Write what you want to learn about. I love research. It's part of why I'm an author in the first place. I take any excuse to dive into a world different from my own. Research using books, films, podcasts, and travel, and focus particularly on sources produced by people from the worldview you want to understand. Actionable step: For your next piece of character research, go beyond reading. Watch a documentary, visit a location, talk to someone who lives the experience. Find one sensory detail—a smell, a sound, a texture—that you couldn't have invented. That detail will make your character feel real. Bonus: Measure Your Life by What You Create In an age of AI and a tsunami of content, your ultimate brand protection is the quality of your human creation. Barbara Nickless said that the act of producing itself is a balm to the soul, and I believe that with every fibre of my being. Don't be afraid to take that step back, like I did with my deadlifting. Take the time to master these deeper craft skills. It might feel like you're slowing down or going backwards by not chasing the latest marketing trend, but it's the only way to step forward into a sustainable, high-quality career. Your characters are your signature. No AI can replicate the specificity of your lived experience, the emotional truth of your displaced trauma, or the sensory details you've gathered from a life of curiosity and travel. Those are yours. Pour them into your characters, and they will resonate for years to come. Actionable Takeaway: Identify the Dramatic Question for your current protagonist. Can you state it in a single sentence with the kind of specificity Will Storr described? Is it as clear as “Are you ordinary or extraordinary?” or “Are you the only adult in the room?” If you can't answer it with that kind of precision, your character might still be a sketch. Give them a diagonal toast moment today. Find the one hyper-specific detail that proves they are not an imitation of life. And then ask yourself: does your plot test your character's flaw in every major scene? If you can align those two things—a precisely defined character and a plot that exists to test them—you will have a story that readers cannot put down. References and Deep Dives The episodes I've referenced today are all available with full transcripts at TheCreativePenn.com: Episode 732 — Facing Fears, and Writing Unique Characters with Barbara Nickless Episode 673 — Writing Choctaw Characters and Diversity in Fiction with Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer Episode 624 — Writing Characters with Matt Bird Episode 550 — The Heroine's Journey with Gail Carriger Episode 490 — How Character Flaws Shape Story with Will Storr Books mentioned: The Secrets of Character: Writing a Hero Anyone Will Love by Matt Bird The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr The Heroine's Journey by Gail Carriger How to Write a Novel: From Idea to Book by Joanna Penn You can find all my books for authors at CreativePennBooks.com and my fiction and memoir at JFPennBooks.com Happy writing! How was this episode created? This episode was initiated created by NotebookLM based on YouTube videos of the episodes linked above from YouTube/TheCreativePenn, plus my text chapters on character from How to Write a Novel. NotebookLM created a blog post from the material and then I expanded it and fact checked it with Claude.ai 4.6 Opus, and then I used my voice clone at ElevenLabs to narrate it. The post Writing Characters: 15 Actionable Tips For Writing Deep Character first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Several Brazilian women have come forward describing how a modeling recruiter connected to Jeffrey Epstein allegedly attempted to recruit them while they were teenagers pursuing careers in the fashion industry. According to accounts gathered by journalists, French modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, a longtime associate of Epstein, approached young women in Brazil and other parts of South America with offers of modeling opportunities abroad. One Brazilian woman said Brunel visited her family home when she was 16 to persuade her mother to allow her to travel for a modeling contest in Ecuador. At the time, the family believed the opportunity was legitimate, unaware of Brunel's connections to Epstein. Investigators later found evidence that modeling agencies tied to Brunel were used to identify and recruit young women from South America and help arrange visas for them to travel to the United States.The accounts form part of a broader picture of how Epstein's network allegedly used the international modeling industry as a recruitment channel. Several women said they were approached with promises of fashion work, travel, or contests that could launch their careers, only later realizing they had been targeted by people linked to Epstein's circle. Brunel, who worked closely with Epstein and received financial backing from him for the agency MC2 Model Management, was later arrested in France on accusations including rape of a minor and trafficking-related offenses. He denied wrongdoing but died in a Paris prison in 2022 before standing trial, leaving many of the allegations about his role in recruiting young women for Epstein unresolved in court.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.com

We speak with Brazilian musician Lucas Santtana about his new album, ‘Brasiliano’, an ode to the unique language spoken in Brazil, featuring collaborations with the likes of Gilberto Gil and Rachel Reis.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We have a massive week of cosmic movement ahead with mercury (finally) headed direct, the equinox and the astrological new year beginning! We also have Dr Cris to walk us through healing and detox practices to help us reset and recalibrate with eclipse season. Dr. Cris's name resonates with refinement, expertise, and unwavering dedication to the art of health, wellness and transformation with a holistic approach to aesthetics . Recognized as a pioneer in facial balance and rejuvenation in Río de Janeiro Brazil, her career spans continents, blending Brazilian charisma with American innovation.   get 20% off with code CARDSYB when you book with Dr Cris Studio: https://www.drcrisstudio.com/   Hex and the City x Dr Cris Studio Giveaway follow https://www.instagram.com/dracrisstudio/ and https://www.instagram.com/cardsyb like our Hex and the City x Dr Cris Studio post, tag a friend to win a Dr Cris Studio detox, chamomile cleansing foam, vitamin C serum, and a reading with me *winner will be announced March 31st   Cardsy B Equinox Sale 20% off readings with checkout code EQUINOX https://www.cardsyb.com/virtual-readings 20% off giftcards with checkout code EQUINOXGIFT https://www.cardsyb.com/gift-cards *can be booked for anytime, must be purchased by midnight March 21st to receive discount          

Episode 601 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Elsa Garrison, a Sport staff photographer for Getty Images based in New York and New Jersey. Garrison has been with Getty Images for nearly 30 years and is the photographer behind the viral photo of Jack Hughes following the U.S. gold medal win over Canada in men's hockey at the Milan-Cortina Olympics. In this podcast, Garrison discusses why her photo connected with so many people; how the photo has impacted her life; how she was able to procure the image; her current assignments including shooting many New York area teams, including the Knicks, Nets, Yankees, Mets, Liberty, Devils and Sirens; some of her other famous images such as a photo she took of Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade celebrating on the podium with Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles during a Medal Ceremony at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games; her career with Getty; the growth of women sport photographers during her career; her meeting with Hughes after taking the photo, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tom is listening to Brazilian funk and Molly is listening to some smut. Then Tom is taking a half-body bath and Molly defends ballet and opera.LINKS:Brazilian funk Half-body bath Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing, Steve Hutton manager of Kid Rock, Meat Loaf, Better Than Ezra, All That Remains, Seu Jorge, The Heavy, Bebel Gilberto, Freddie McClendon, and many more! We dive deep and go Behind The Curtain with Steve on his career. How did he go from lawyer to music manager? What artists sparked his love of music? How did he collaborate with and influence Kid Rock's early career from independent album releases to the Mega-Hit 14+ Million unit selling Devil Without A Cause? How does he reflect upon the ground-breaking mash-up of genres (Rock/Hip-Hop/Country) on that album and it's influence on today's music? What are the key ingredients Steve believes one has to have in order to be a successful manager? How did he end up on the roof of the Sydney Opera House with Brazilian actor and music superstar Seu Jorge? What was his experience working with Rock Legend Meat Loaf towards the end of Meat Loaf's career? All of this and more from a true Rock 'N Roll insider! Plus, I put Steve on the hot seat and ask him 10 questions as first made famous by Bernard Pivot and then James Lipton on Inside The Actor Studio! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CW: Spoilers for The Secret Agent.Writer and podcaster Gus Lanzetta joins us from São Paulo for a deep dive into two recent works of the great Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho.We explore how the northeastern coastal town of Recife serves as a lifelong muse for the director, starting with his 2023 personal "audio-visual essay," Pictures of Ghosts, which maps the fading movie palaces of his youth.That film sets the stage for his newest period piece, The Secret Agent, a “hangout thriller” set in 1977 starring Wagner Moura as a man on the run in Recife during the military dictatorship. Gus helps decode the local nuances for the non-Brazilians in the audience, explaining the historical "mischief" the film depicts, its powerful themes of memory, family and resistance and why Kleber is a director you just have to trust.Plus: is Toronto's Matt Johnson Canada's answer to Kleber?Over 30% of all Junk Filter episodes are only available to patrons of the podcast. To support this show directly and to receive access to the entire back catalogue, consider becoming a patron for only $5.00 a month (U.S.) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/junkfilterFollow Gus Lanzetta on Bluesky.Trailer for Pictures of Ghosts (Retratos Fantasmas - Kleber Mendonça Filho, 2023)North American trailer #1 for The Secret Agent (O Agente Secreto - Kleber Mendonça Filho, 2023)

Several Brazilian women have come forward describing how a modeling recruiter connected to Jeffrey Epstein allegedly attempted to recruit them while they were teenagers pursuing careers in the fashion industry. According to accounts gathered by journalists, French modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, a longtime associate of Epstein, approached young women in Brazil and other parts of South America with offers of modeling opportunities abroad. One Brazilian woman said Brunel visited her family home when she was 16 to persuade her mother to allow her to travel for a modeling contest in Ecuador. At the time, the family believed the opportunity was legitimate, unaware of Brunel's connections to Epstein. Investigators later found evidence that modeling agencies tied to Brunel were used to identify and recruit young women from South America and help arrange visas for them to travel to the United States.The accounts form part of a broader picture of how Epstein's network allegedly used the international modeling industry as a recruitment channel. Several women said they were approached with promises of fashion work, travel, or contests that could launch their careers, only later realizing they had been targeted by people linked to Epstein's circle. Brunel, who worked closely with Epstein and received financial backing from him for the agency MC2 Model Management, was later arrested in France on accusations including rape of a minor and trafficking-related offenses. He denied wrongdoing but died in a Paris prison in 2022 before standing trial, leaving many of the allegations about his role in recruiting young women for Epstein unresolved in court.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Clinton Griffiths hosts AgDay: Farmers are looking ahead when it comes to planting. We check in with an Indiana producer who is faced with some difficult decisions. Plus, why Cargill isn't moving Brazilian soybeans to China right now.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Iran boosts cyberattacks VENON targets Brazilian banks England Hockey investigates breach Get links to all the stories in our show notes: https://cisoseries.com/cybersecurity-news-iran-boosts-cyberattacks-venon-targets-brazilian-banks-england-hockey-investigates-breach/ Huge thanks to our sponsor, Dropzone AI If you are heading to RSAC next week, here are three things worth seeing at the Dropzone AI Diner. Booth 455, South Expo Hall.   One: watch their AI SOC agents investigate real alerts live, with every reasoning step exposed. Two: meet the AI Threat Hunter, the newest agent joining the team. Three: enter the investigation competition and go head to head against the AI.   Schedule your stop at dropzone.ai/rsa-2026-ai-diner.

Introducing, Steve Hutton manager of Kid Rock, Meat Loaf, Better Than Ezra, All That Remains, Seu Jorge, The Heavy, Bebel Gilberto, Freddie McClendon, and many more! We dive deep and go Behind The Curtain with Steve on his career. How did he go from lawyer to music manager? What artists sparked his love of music? How did he collaborate with and influence Kid Rock's early career from independent album releases to the Mega-Hit 14+ Million unit selling Devil Without A Cause? How does he reflect upon the ground-breaking mash-up of genres (Rock/Hip-Hop/Country) on that album and it's influence on today's music? What are the key ingredients Steve believes one has to have in order to be a successful manager? How did he end up on the roof of the Sydney Opera House with Brazilian actor and music superstar Seu Jorge? What was his experience working with Rock Legend Meat Loaf towards the end of Meat Loaf's career? All of this and more from a true Rock 'N Roll insider! Plus I put Steve on the hot seat and ask him 10 questions as first made famous by Bernard Pivot and then James Lipton on Inside The Actor Studio! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Olimus London-based, Brazilian-born DJ and producer Marco Túlio Oliveira—better known as Olimus— has rapidly evolved into a sophisticated force within the international House scene. Now a fixture in the UK capital for over three years, he has solidified his reputation through commanding performances at premier venues, including three standout appearances at the prestigious E1 London. Olimus's sonic signature—a refined blend of driving House rhythms and infectious energy—has seen him share the booth with global heavyweights such as Andrea Oliva, Syreeta, Neverdogs, Iglesias, and Jesse Calosso. His technical prowess and stage presence have made him a sought- after name for those seeking a balance between underground seriousness and dancefloor vibrancy. His dedication to the craft extends seamlessly into the studio. Olimus's growing discography features a notable EP on Spain's Artema Records and a single on Love Style Limited, alongside a repertoire of bespoke mashups and remixes. Constantly innovating and absorbing the influence of the world's electronic elite, Olimus continues to carve a distinct path across the European ⚡️Like the Show? Click the [Repost] ↻ button so more people can hear it!

On the latest edition of Caught Offside, Andrew and JJ go through the Champions League Round of 16 first leg matches including Fede Valverde's sensational performance vs Manchester City and PSG exposing Chelsea late in a 5-2 win. Plus, Tottenham suffer through yet another embarrassment in a season that has been full of them; we share our thoughts on Antonin Kinsky's nightmare in the Spanish capital and if Igor Tudor did the right thing in pulling him so early on.For even more Caught Offside content, get on over to Caught Offside Plus right now!In our most recent PLUS episode, we're discussing the concerning negativity leading up to this summer's World Cup, Neymar's chances of making the Brazilian squad, gambling issues in MLS and more.To sign up, just go to https://caughtoffside.supercast.com! Once you have access to the premium feed, be sure to go back and check out our special "welcome episode" from June 24th, 2024 (we don't think you'll be disappointed)!And for all the latest merch, get over to https://caughtoffsidepod.com/ - IT'S COLD OUT! GET A BEANIE! ...... Well, it's not actually THAT cold out anymore but we here at Caught Offside are proud advocates of wearing beanies even in slightly warmer weather. So still get one anyway.---Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/CaughtOffsidePod/X: https://twitter.com/COsoccerpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/caughtoffsidepod/Email: CaughtOffsidePod@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joe's Premium Subscription: www.standardgrain.comGrain Markets and Other Stuff Links —Apple PodcastsSpotifyTikTokYouTubeFutures and options trading involves risk of loss and is not suitable for everyone.

We focus heavily on the turbulent history of the physical temple lot in Independence, Missouri, and the controversial figure of apostle Otto Fetting. Daniel Malone, a Sunday school teacher for the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) gives his insights. https://youtu.be/xqRZPoyaUqk Don't miss our other conversations on Hedrickites: https://gospeltangents.com/denominations/Hedrickites/ Copyright © 2026 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved The 1920s Influx and a Changing Church During the 1920s, the RLDS Church experienced a major schism over “supreme directional control,” which led to a massive influx of former RLDS members joining the Church of Christ. This sudden growth swelled the Independence congregation from roughly 250 to nearly 600 members. Amidst an era of intense theological debates, the Church of Christ made a monumental organizational change in 1925: they completely abolished the office of a presiding elder (or president), choosing instead to be led collectively by a Quorum of Twelve Apostles. However, Malone candidly admits that the early church had a “horrible track record” of electing apostles, resulting in numerous leaders leaving and taking factions of the church with them. Otto Fetting and the Masonic Blueprints One of the most notable apostles from this era was Otto Fetting, who joined around 1927 and claimed to receive a series of revelations from John the Baptist. Fetting instructed the church to build a temple and provided blueprints for a massive 180-by-90-foot structure that Malone describes as looking like a Masonic lodge. This directly contradicted Joseph Smith’s earlier instructions to build the Independence temple to match the dimensions of the Kirtland temple, which was much smaller. Fetting’s revelations eventually commanded that members be rebaptized, which was a bridge too far for the church. The Church of Christ ultimately rejected Fetting, redacted all of his revelations, and considers them non-binding8. Ironically, the 180-by-90-foot dimensions proposed by Fetting are the ones still marked out on the temple lot today. The Cornerstone Controversy While excavating the foundation for Fetting’s temple, workers unearthed cornerstones that are currently housed in the church’s visitor center. Malone expressed deep personal suspicion regarding these artifacts. While he acknowledges the possibility that Joseph Smith could have originally placed them there to mark the spot, Malone finds it highly convenient that they were discovered right as Fetting was attempting to legitimize his massive temple project, suggesting they could potentially be forgeries planted by Fetting. Current Temple Plans and “Closed Communion” Despite owning the property, the Church of Christ has absolutely no current plans to build a temple. They have money strictly earmarked and set aside for a temple, but they refuse to move forward unless they receive a direct, divine revelation from God commanding them to do so. We also addressed a rumor regarding a Brazilian restoration group attempting to merge with the Church of Christ to gain voting rights over the temple lot. Malone dismissed the likelihood of this, explaining that the church practices “closed communion” and requires all new members to be rebaptized directly into their organization. In fact, they stopped accepting priesthood and baptismal transfers from the RLDS Church back in the 1920s or 1930s due to stark differences in belief. Don't miss our other conversations on the Temple Lot group: https://gospeltangents.com/denominations/Hedrickites/ Copyright © 2026 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved 0:00 Otto Fetting/Temple Cornerstones 15:11 Brazil Group

Topics Include Suez Canal  Currency fluctuations, especially the Brazilian real and US dollar Brazilian domestic policy and its effect on coffee exports Market volatility driven by geopolitical and logistical factors Tariff refunds Part of The Covoya Coffee Podcasting Network TAKE OUR LISTENER SURVEY Visit and Explore Covoya!

"Brazilian Tales" is a collection of six short stories selected by Isaac Goldberg as best representative of the Brazilian Literature of his period - the end of the 19th century. His comprehensive preface aims at familiarizing the reader with a literature that was - and still is - virtually unknown outside the boundaries of its own land, and the pieces chosen by Goldberg to be translated belong to writers that reached popularity and appreciation while still alive. This "pioneer volume", as the translator himself puts it, still keeps its charm and interest as a way of offering to the English speaking public some "sample cases" of Brazilian Literature. Translated by Isaac Goldberg.1 - The Attendant's Confession2 - The Fortune Teller3 - Life4 - The Vengeance of Felix5 - The Pigeons6 - Aunt Zeze's TearsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

"Brazilian Tales" is a collection of six short stories selected by Isaac Goldberg as best representative of the Brazilian Literature of his period - the end of the 19th century. His comprehensive preface aims at familiarizing the reader with a literature that was - and still is - virtually unknown outside the boundaries of its own land, and the pieces chosen by Goldberg to be translated belong to writers that reached popularity and appreciation while still alive. This "pioneer volume", as the translator himself puts it, still keeps its charm and interest as a way of offering to the English speaking public some "sample cases" of Brazilian Literature. Translated by Isaac Goldberg.1 - The Attendant's Confession2 - The Fortune Teller3 - Life4 - The Vengeance of Felix5 - The Pigeons6 - Aunt Zeze's TearsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

"Brazilian Tales" is a collection of six short stories selected by Isaac Goldberg as best representative of the Brazilian Literature of his period - the end of the 19th century. His comprehensive preface aims at familiarizing the reader with a literature that was - and still is - virtually unknown outside the boundaries of its own land, and the pieces chosen by Goldberg to be translated belong to writers that reached popularity and appreciation while still alive. This "pioneer volume", as the translator himself puts it, still keeps its charm and interest as a way of offering to the English speaking public some "sample cases" of Brazilian Literature. Translated by Isaac Goldberg.1 - The Attendant's Confession2 - The Fortune Teller3 - Life4 - The Vengeance of Felix5 - The Pigeons6 - Aunt Zeze's TearsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Owen Healy has spent five years matching blockchain talent with crypto projects around the world - and he's built a 50,000-follower LinkedIn following doing it. In this episode, Aaron sits down with the Ireland-based recruiter to explore how the blockchain talent market actually works: how recruiters get paid, how candidates can trust a headhunter is acting in their interest, and why referrals still beat job boards every time.Owen shares why Brazilian developers and blockchain professionals are increasingly in demand globally, what skills make candidates hireable regardless of location, and how the remote work pendulum is swinging back toward hybrid models. He also breaks down his "multi-chain" approach to job searching - why one-click LinkedIn applications rarely work, and how building genuine relationships inside target companies is the real edge in today's AI-saturated hiring landscape.------------------------------------------------------------------Figment is the leading independent provider of staking infrastructure with $18B assets under stake and provides the complete solution for over 1000 institutional clients in Latin America and globally. Through its enterprise-grade infrastructure, Figment enables clients such as banks and exchanges, to earn rewards on Proof-of-Stake assets such as Ethereum and Solana, while maintaining the highest standards of security, compliance, and performance.Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠figment.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠-------------------------------------------------------------------

Ahead of the 2026 Oscars, Claire and Gavia review three Best Picture contenders featuring Oscar-nominated performances: 1950s sports drama Marty Supreme (starring Timothée Chalamet), Brazilian political thriller The Secret Agent (starring Wagner Moura), and the dark comedy thriller Bugonia (Emma Stone's latest project with director Yorgos Lanthimos). Check out our Patreon soon for a more wide-ranging Oscars episode with Morgan and Gavia!

Dak Prescott's wedding is off, Logan Paul backed out of a $1 million fight with an NFL player, and a soccer match in Brazil somehow ended with 23 red cards. Just another normal week in sports. This week on Craft Brewed Sports, we dive into the report that Dak Prescott and his fiancée called off their wedding after a massive fight at their joint bachelor/bachelorette party in the Bahamas. Did Dak dodge a bullet? We also break down Logan Paul pulling out of a proposed $1M boxing match with Le'Veon Bell, NFL free agency rumors, and Joe Burrow being spotted with Jessica Alba which sends the show down a dangerous 90s crush rabbit hole. Plus: • Team USA somehow still doesn't have a home run celebration in the WBC • Randy Arozarena is furious after Cal Raleigh snubbed his handshake • The Tokyo Dome ice cream sandwich might be the greatest stadium food ever • A woman is suing the Dodgers after allegedly getting hit with a flying BuzzBall • The NBA shuts down the Hawks' Magic City Monday promotion • Did NIL ruin March Madness upsets? • A Brazilian soccer match erupts into chaos with 23 red cards and police intervention • Scott only knows the Romelu Lukaku chant when soccer comes up And of course: beer reviews, degeneracy math, and the usual nonsense. Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/jvY9dgX8Sf Jump to your favorite topic: 00:00:00 Introduction | How was your sports weekend? | Mookie shows us a Schefter tweet 00:05:21 What's in your mug? | Mike DeWine still sucks 00:12:09 Dak Prescott and his fiancee call off their wedding 00:18:19 Luke's here, take a drink 00:18:48 Did Dak actually dodge a bullet here? 00:19:56 We finally found the bill that Scott will pay 00:22:39 The Anthony Edwards payment plan 00:28:02 Logan Paul backed out of his $1M fight with Le'Veon Bell 00:30:58 Mike calls out Mookie's prep work 00:32:18 The Ravens go back on the Maxx Crosby trade 00:36:14 Mookie shoehorns in a CFB 26 clilp 00:37:24 Joe Burrow spotted with Jessica Alba 00:38:34 90s crush rabbit hole 00:53:00 WBC home run celebrations are elite | Team USA not having one is the biggest of disappointments 00:56:40 Arozarena and Cal Raleigh were beefing after Big Dumper snubbed Randy's handshake 01:04:05 The Tokyo Dome's ice cream sandwich looks amazing 01:08:06 Mookie Shoehorns another CFB 26 clip 01:09:15 NC woman is suing the Dodgers after getting hit with a BuzzBall at an August game 01:12:59 NBA cancels the Hawk's Magic City Monday promotion 01:16:43 Did NIL ruin upsets? 01:18:15 Miami finishes the season undefeated | Miami U's hot cop 01:24:08 Mookie gives us a degen math lesson 01:25:18 RIP Lou Holtz 01:33:04 23 red cards handed out in a soccer game in Brazil | Scott only knows the Romelu Lukaku song when soccer comes up 01:38:25 Is Tottenham purposely getting relegated so nobody talks about Arsenal winning the Prem? 01:39:25 Beer recap 01:41:47 This was a show 01:42:05 Outro #SportsPodcast #DakPrescott #NFLFreeAgency #LoganPaul #LeVeonBell #MLB #WBCBaseball #MarchMadness #NBA #Soccer #AtlantaHawks #Dodgers #SportsNews #SportsComedy #CraftBrewedSports

James Lord speaks of his mentor and inspiration Roberto Burle Marx, the painter, sculptor, musician, and botanist who found in Brazil's native plants the basis for a new style of landscape architecture and a language to celebrate the distinctive beauty of his homeland.

On this day, 11 March 1975, there was an attempted far right coup in Portugal, known as the March 11 Intentona. This happened in the context of the revolutionary period that Portugal which began with the fall of the right-wing dictatorship on 25 April 1974. After the resignation of president António Spínola in September 1974, a left-wing government took power headed by prime minister and Communist Party-sympathiser, Vasco Gonçalves. Seeking to reverse the growing radicalisation of the revolution, Spínola led an attempted military coup, which failed due to the massive popular support of the MFA (movement of the armed forces — a movement of soldiers and junior officers that overthrew the dictatorship) and forced him to flee to Francisco Franco's dictatorship in Spain. In the cars of the Spinolist officers, massive amounts of money and cheques were found, signed by Espirito Santo (bankers of BES) and António Champalimaud, the richest man in Portugal at the time, with a fortune of around 9 billion euro (in 2020 equivalent), half of the Portuguese GDP in 1974. This counterrevolutionary threat, financed by the Portuguese capitalist class and supported by the Spanish and Brazilian military dictatorships, further spurred the revolution. Workplace and land takeovers accelerated under the slogan "land to those who work on it" and compelled Vasco Gonçalves, in cooperation with unions and the workers, to order the nationalisation of almost 70% of the Portuguese economy, including the financial empires of the Espirito Santo and Champalimaud families, who fled to Brazil where they also possessed vast wealth. During the attempted coup one soldier died and 15 people were injured during the bombing of a military garrison near the Lisbon airport. Learn more about the Portuguese revolution in our podcast episodes 41-42. Find them on every major podcast app or our website: https://workingclasshistory.com/2020/08/13/e41-42-the-portuguese-revolution/Our work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

In this episode of The Consummate Athlete Podcast, Peter and Molly answer listener questions on: • How to maintain endurance fitness while focusing on other sports like Brazilian jiu-jitsu, soccer, or strength training • What endurance tests (like Zone 2 or MAF tests) can tell you about your aerobic fitness—and what they can't • Why heart rate and power don't always improve at the same rate during base training • Mountain bike racing etiquette: when to let riders pass, when to hold your line, and how tactics play into racing dynamics

Remains found in 2004 are identified as a Birmingham man who disappeared in 1988 Brazilian au pair receives 10-year term in the killing of Joseph Ryan linked to plot targeting a lover’s wife New Jersey man convicted in the deaths of his brother and family, then accused of setting fires to conceal the crime Minnesota shooting involving a Venezuelan man draws scrutiny as video evidence challenges ICE’s account See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Jordan, Commish, Pitt Girl and our VP of Podcast Production Arthur. We spring forward and Linear Time was a mistake, Happy International Women's Day, the Heinz Remix Machine, Take Me Out to the Ball Game is about a lady???, Paralympics Curling Heist, service dogs, College Football news, Arkansas gets a Tyson Chicken patch and we try to figure out what other companies will do jersey patches, UMass and Hawaii cancelled nooooooooooooooooo, Louisiana Tech fighting with CUSA to leave early and a judge says no, AKRON IS ELIGIBLE TO BE BOWL ELIGIBLE AGAIN, Grambling gets a Power G trademark after many decades, College Basketball - Miami 31-OH, FINS up for LIU, More auto bids clinched, College Baseball news, TAMUCC and the challenged game forcing an entire replay, Kennesaw State's Waffle House Home Run, WBC allowed instruments, Fargo Woodchippers, Sickos FC news, stolen VAR cables, a sperm bank sponsor and Brazilian soccer fight and oh so much, much more!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Brazilian poet and film editor Maria Rezende reads a poem about a man who could not forgive her. Dr. Rita de Cacia Oenning da Silva and Kurt Shaw speak about how the poem made them think about national issues of reconciliation and justice. Songwriter Pedro Mann speaks about a difficult relationship with his father, and shares a song on forgiveness called "Perdoa."SongWriterPodcast.comInstagram.com/SongWriterPodcastFacebook.com/SongWriterPodcastTikTok.com/@SongWriterPodcastYouTube.com/@SongwriterPodcastSongWriter is a music and songwriting podcast that turns stories into songs. Host Ben Arthur invites writers, poets, and musicians to share a story or poem, then pairs it with an original song written in response. Along the way, the show explores the creative process through intimate conversations and performances. Guests have included Questlove, Susan Orlean, David Gilmour, David Sedaris, George Saunders, and many more. Distributed by PRX, SongWriter also appears on the syndicated radio program Acoustic Café and in Paste Magazine. Learn more at SongWriterPodcast.com. Season seven is made possible by a grant from Templeton World Charity Foundation

Listen to JCO OP's Art of Oncology Practice article, "When Cancer Becomes a Headline: Reflections from the Clinic" by Dr. Carlos Stecca. The article is followed by an interview with Stecca and host Dr. Mikkael Sekeres. Dr Stecca reflects on the impact of the public illness and death of Brazilian singer and actress Preta Gil on his patients with colorectal cancer and on his own practice as a medical oncologist. TRANSCRIPT Narrator: When Cancer Becomes a Headline: Reflections from the Clinic, by Carlos Stecca, MD Dr. Mikkael Sekeres: Welcome back to JCO's Cancer Stories: The Art of Oncology. This ASCO podcast features intimate narratives and perspectives from authors exploring their experiences in oncology. I'm your host, Mikkael Sekeres. I'm Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Hematology at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami. What a pleasure it is today to have Dr. Carlos Stecca, a medical oncologist at Evangelical Mackenzie University Hospital, to discuss his JCO Oncology Practice article, "When Cancer Becomes a Headline: Reflections From the Clinic". Dr. Stecca and I have agreed to call each other by first names. Carlos, thank you for contributing to JCO Oncology Practice and for joining us today to discuss your article. Dr. Carlos Stecca: So great to be here. Thank you so much for having me. Dr. Mikkael Sekeres: I wonder if we could start off by asking you to tell us about yourself. Where are you from and what led you to this point in your career? Dr. Carlos Stecca: So I am Brazilian. I was born in Brazil in a small town in the south of Brazil, and I did my medical training all in Brazil. So I did medical school here, internal medicine, and medical oncology. My residency period ended in early 2018. I did my residency at the AC Camargo Cancer Center, which is in Sao Paulo. And then right after that, I moved closer to my parents to start my journey as a medical oncologist. And I stayed here in the south for two more years. And then I was lucky enough to be accepted for a clinical research fellowship in genitourinary malignancies at the Princess Margaret Cancer Center. And I had the pleasure to work with Dr. Kala Sridhar for two years. So this was during the pandemic, so 2020, 2021. And then right after that, I moved back to Brazil. And I've been here for the past four years working as a medical oncologist specialized in genitourinary malignancies. But also, well, unfortunately here in Brazil most of us cannot do only one site, so we have to do a little bit more, so I'm doing gynae and GI as well. And in a few days, I'm moving back to Canada. I was lucky enough again to be accepted for a position at the University of British Columbia, so I'm moving in a few days. Dr. Mikkael Sekeres: Oh, my word. We caught you just in time then. Dr. Carlos Stecca: Yeah, yeah. I'm moving in four days now. Dr. Mikkael Sekeres: I can't imagine what it's like to be going between those extremes of weather from Canada down to Brazil. Did your teeth crack when you did that? Dr. Carlos Stecca: Something like that. Yeah, it was like, I moved in December. So in December we have summer here in Brazil, and it was like 35, 40 degrees Celsius when I left Brazil at the airport. And when I arrived, it was close to minus 20 when I went to Toronto. Yeah. Dr. Mikkael Sekeres: Oh, my word. Dr. Carlos Stecca: It was rough. Dr. Mikkael Sekeres: Well, those of us who live at or near the Southern Hemisphere, I will tell you, I've started to wear puffy jackets and snow caps when it drops into the 60s. Good luck with reacclimating to Canada. I wonder if we could talk a little bit about the story that sparked this terrific essay. It was so interesting. The Brazilian singer and actress Preta Gil died of rectal cancer in July of 2025 at the age of 50. And she went public with her diagnosis. What is it that she communicated to the public about colorectal cancer? Dr. Carlos Stecca: So she was very open about her diagnosis since the beginning. So this was very interesting. She is very famous here. She had tons of followers on Instagram and social media, and she was very outspoken about her diagnosis since the first beginning. So she was diagnosed with an early stage disease, and she did a great job raising awareness for this condition, for colorectal cancer. She had a beautiful journey discussing the specifics of her case. Dr. Mikkael Sekeres: So she talked both about her diagnosis and some of the treatments she was undergoing, but also about symptoms of cancer, right? Dr. Carlos Stecca: She really engaged in this discussion about her diagnosis and how she found out about her cancer. So rectal bleeding, this was disclosed in her stories on Instagram, and so she was very open about this. And it really helped people understand the condition, and it really increased the number of screening tests that Brazilians were doing. And of course, we saw this increasing uptake of the screening tests, which was amazing. Dr. Mikkael Sekeres: In a way, I think she did a real public service, I think, both for early detection of colorectal cancer with symptoms, also for screening, so asymptomatic people who would undergo colonoscopies, and also demystified a little bit the treatment of colorectal cancer. In the US, we saw a similar phenomenon when the actor Chad Boseman of Black Panther movie franchise fame died of colorectal cancer in 2020 at the age of 43. These deaths have also sparked an international conversation about cancer in younger adults. Are you seeing that in your clinic? Dr. Carlos Stecca: Yes, definitely. We're seeing many more cases of cancer diagnosed in the younger population, right? So yeah, this discussion was very important to have, not only because the screening tests increased in patients after the age of 50 years old without any symptoms, but also raised awareness for those symptoms that should trigger the proper investigation. Dr. Mikkael Sekeres: I wonder if you could speculate a little bit about why it is that we're seeing more cancer in younger adults. Do you think it has anything to do, for example, with diet and people eating more ultra-processed foods? Is it a phenomenon? I've even heard people talk about microplastics and whether that could be contributing. Also, recently, there was an article that came out that speculated that while we're seeing more cancers in younger adults, we're not seeing more deaths in younger adults, so we may just be picking these up earlier as more people are going to be screened or for additional testing at a younger age. Dr. Carlos Stecca: Yeah, I think so. I think this is definitely the case. I think younger adults are eating more processed foods, and we know that this is an obvious risk factor for colorectal cancer and other cancers as well. And maybe obesity as well, we are seeing this as a pandemic now in the world, right? So we are seeing this especially in developing countries. And here in Brazil, of course, we are seeing this as a phenomenon. Dr. Mikkael Sekeres: It's so fascinating. I feel like we won't really know the answer about the uptick in cancers in younger adults for years until some of the data settle out, including the data about people during the COVID pandemic not going for screening and testing as often and whether we're now starting to see the downstream effects of that. Dr. Carlos Stecca: For sure, I think this is- well, during the pandemic I was in Canada, but shortly after the pandemic was coming to an end, I came back to Brazil, and I saw that. I saw that a lot of patients came to the clinic with more advanced cancers because they missed those opportunities of being seen by a physician during the pandemic, because of course, for obvious reasons, people were not coming to the clinic. And we saw that, a huge number of patients being diagnosed with late-stage disease because of that. Dr. Mikkael Sekeres: It's fascinating. There's a named phenomenon called the Angelina Jolie effect. I don't know if you remember following the actress's 2013 opinion piece about genetic testing for hereditary cancers such as BRCA1 and following her prophylactic mastectomy. She is a carrier of a mutation. There was a wave of testing that occurred thereafter. So some good can come from celebrities going public with their cancer diagnosis. Dr. Carlos Stecca: Oh, definitely, definitely. I think that more good can come from their diagnosis and them being verbal about this than the downsides. Of course, the positive side of it is definitely outweighing the negative effect. Dr. Mikkael Sekeres: You write a really thoughtful essay. You mention downsides, and there can be some downsides. One of the things you wrote in your essay was, "Yet for others already living with colorectal cancer, the same story had the opposite effect. Instead of empowerment, it fueled anxiety, guilt, and resignation. Some patients grew silent, fearing their treatment was futile as they compared themselves to a celebrity who had access to the best hospitals, specialists, and resources, and still passed away. Others questioned why they had not caught their cancer earlier, internalizing blame." Can you talk a little bit more about some of the unintended consequences of a celebrity who goes public with his or her cancer diagnosis? Dr. Carlos Stecca: That was exactly it, right? I was witnessing this in my clinic. I work in a public hospital here, and I would see those patients coming to me and voicing their concerns about their diagnosis, colorectal cancer, that was now in the spotlight because of that famous person that battled with colorectal cancer and unfortunately passed away after two years of starting her journey. And that was something quite difficult for the patients because, as you mentioned, and as I wrote in the text, some of those patients were in the public system and they were comparing themselves, comparing their diagnosis with the diagnosis of someone who had endless resources. And in fact, she even went to the United States and took part in a clinical trial. She participated in a clinical trial. And yet she was not able to overcome this diagnosis, and sadly she passed away. So, most of our patients were coming to the clinic and voicing their fears, like, "If even she couldn't get through this, how can I? I'm a simple person and I'm here in this world of limited resources." And here in Brazil, we do have the public system and the private system, and there is a huge gap between what we can do in one system and another. That was a concern that they voiced. Dr. Mikkael Sekeres: I'm sorry she passed away. How did you deal with that? So how did you respond to patients who said, "Gee, if this famous actress with unlimited resources dies from her cancer, what hope do I have?" Dr. Carlos Stecca: Yeah, so I think this is very difficult, right? And this is something that I was learning to understand now. Because as you mentioned, Chadwick Boseman and Angelina Jolie, we heard of those stories, but I never felt that this would be impactful in my clinic, that there would be patients voicing their concerns about their diagnosis being in the spotlight. And this is something that happened to me now. I would often see those patients, and I started to think about the downsides of a cancer being on a headline for those already living with cancer, and already living with that cancer and having their cancer in the spotlight. And so that was something that I needed to hear and address their concerns more actively than before, right? So this is something that is really important. And sometimes it is as important as discussing toxicity related to chemotherapy or other things related to the treatment itself. But addressing their concerns, it would be a way to alleviate the burden that the patients are experiencing from that. Dr. Mikkael Sekeres: So what would you say to them? If somebody said to you, "How can I do well when this famous actress didn't do well?", what would you say? Dr. Carlos Stecca: The first thing is to talk to the patient that every diagnosis is different. So we do have differences in staging, we do have differences in biology of the tumor. And as we study more those diseases and every type of cancer, but here, especially colorectal cancer, we are seeing that those differences are very important in the treatment and they will be part of the prognosis as well. So no disease is the same as other disease. So your experience is unique. So your diagnosis is in a certain way unique. Your treatment might be different, right? Dr. Mikkael Sekeres: I like how you personalized that for each patient. I really love how you end this essay. You write, "In those quiet moments after a headline, when fear enters the exam room, my responsibility is clear. I must not only prescribe treatment, but also restore perspective, dignity, and courage. Sometimes that is the most difficult, yet most essential part of being an oncologist." I remember, Carlos, one of my patients once described what we do as being almost pastoral. He himself was a minister and said this. And an important part of our job is to provide that context, but also a space where people can feel forgiveness for what they perceive as their fault. I wonder if you could reflect on that a little bit. How is it that, it almost sounds like it's too extreme, but we provide a sanctuary where patients can forgive themselves for the guilt they've been carrying around. Dr. Carlos Stecca: Yeah. No, I think this is very important. As medical oncologists, we are more than just physicians. We become friends with the patients, right? So most of the time I do create this relationship, this strong bond with the patient, because I worked as a family doctor before, so I treated patients very intimately as well. But nothing compares to being an oncologist now, because I think that the emotional burden associated with the profession is extremely high. And it's very difficult for the patient, for the family. And so we become part of their families and part of their story and their journey throughout their whole journey with the cancer. So it can be very emotional. I think that it's much more than being a physician and treating patients and prescribing treatments and discussing the biology of the tumor. And it's much more than that. And I think that being an oncologist entails all that, entails being part of their story and engaging in an emotional journey that they are having with the cancer. Especially here in Brazil, I think that the diagnosis of cancer has always been challenging. And I think that a patient's experience is unique and addressing the emotional part of it is very important. Dr. Mikkael Sekeres: Well, what a beautiful way to sum up what we do. We become part of our patients' stories and journey, and they become part of ours, and I think that's why we write about it. It has been such a pleasure to have Dr. Carlos Stecca to discuss his essay, "When Cancer Becomes a Headline: Reflections From the Clinic". Carlos, thank you so much for submitting your article and for joining us today. Dr. Carlos Stecca: Thank you so much for having me. It was a pleasure. If you enjoyed this episode, consider sharing it with a friend or colleague or leave us a review. Your feedback and support helps us continue to have these important conversations. If you are looking for more episodes and context, follow our show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen and explore more from ASCO at asco.org/podcasts. Until next time, this has been Mikkael Sekeres for JCO's Cancer Stories: The Art of Oncology. The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions. Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience, and conclusions. Guest statements on the podcast do not express the opinions of ASCO. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity, or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement. Show notes:Like, share and subscribe so you never miss an episode and leave a rating or review. Guest Bio: Dr Carlos Stecca is a medical oncologist at Evangelical Mackenzie University Hospital.

What is fasting for? What biblical precedent do we have for the practices of fasting and abstinence? And how can preachers steer between the two extremes of self-punishment and loophole hunting? “Preach” concludes its Lent 2026 series on the three classical pillars of the season with a conversation on fasting.  Host Ricardo da Silva, S.J. is joined by James Keane — senior editor at America and a writer who has spent some time reflecting and writing on what fasting is and what it's for. Timecodes: 0:00 What's fasting for? 2:00 The Brazilian loophole to abstinence during Lent: capibara  3:55 What does the church teach on fasting and abstinence? 6:53 Fasting is meant to bring you closer to God 8:35 Biblical citations of fasting 11:05 Fasting evolved alongside seasons of food scarcity and abundance 14:10 St. Ignatius' fervour for fasting 16:10 Avoiding the two extremes of self-punishment vs.  loophole hunting  18:58 Pope Leo XIV's message this Lent James Keane's articles on fasting: On fasting: The difference between our preaching and our practice 7 things you never knew about fasting --- Support this podcast by becoming a subscriber. Visit ⁠⁠⁠americamagazine.org/subscribe⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

[REBROADCAST FROM December 2, 2025] The film "The Secret Agent" tells the story of a former professor, played by Wagner Moura, who finds himself attempting to fight back against the persecution of the authoritarian Brazilian dictatorship in 1977. Moura and writer/director Kleber Mendonça Filho discuss the film, which is nominated for Best Picture, Best International Feature Film, and Best Actor for Moura, at this year's Academy Awards. Image courtesy of the film

Scott, cofounder of SideSwap, joins the show to talk about what his team has been quietly building in the Liquid ecosystem. We cover SideSwap's atomic swap markets, their peg-in/peg-out service, and how partners like Aqua Wallet are plugging into their infrastructure. Scott breaks down the new Liquid Connect feature, their first Simplicity based binary outcome contracts on Swaption, and the roadmap toward Bitcoin native prediction markets on Liquid. We also get into Liquid's privacy advantages over Tron and Ethereum for Tether users, the surprising growth of the Brazilian stablecoin dePix, the federation trust model debate, and why liquid adoption has been slow but may finally be turning a corner.Sideswap: https://sideswap.ioSwaption: https://swaption.ioLiquid Explorer: https://liquid.networkTether Stats: https://usdt.networkSideswap on X: https://x.com/side_swapEPISODE: 194BLOCK: 940011PRICE: 1452 sats per dollar(03:00) Introducing Scott and Sideswap(05:01) Non‑custodial swaps, peg‑in/peg‑out, and order books(08:08) Liquidity on Liquid: USDT vs. dePix in Brazil(10:03) Market making tools and dealer participation(11:58) Why Liquid adoption lagged and what may change(14:08) Confidential transactions, Tether on Liquid, and privacy gains(18:10) USDT on Liquid: issuance, custody patterns, and censorship resistance(21:08) Prediction markets on Liquid: vision and building blocks(24:46) Designing binary contracts and oracle models(28:54) Trust models: Liquid federation vs. alt L2s(33:29) Pragmatism in scaling: Spark, Phoenix, and layered ledgers(36:33) Liquid Wallet Connect and Swaption MVP(41:13) Ecosystem growth, integrations, and Brazil network effects(43:19) Simplicity on Liquid: why it matters for Bitcoiners(46:26) Calls to action: try swaps, order books, and Swaption(50:31) User experience: Lightning vs. Liquid in practice(52:41) AI agents and potential Liquid use cases(54:46) Roadmap: Satoshi Dice, oracles, and a Polymarket‑style proof of conceptmore info on the show: https://citadeldispatch.comlearn more about me: https://odell.xyzmonitor the situation: https://citadelwire.com

“…and today we're talking about a friendly sky rat. But more on that later.” Picture a dusk-drenched desert sky where the horizon starts to move. A clear evening gives way to a tornado. But it's not the weather, it's a living, breathing, leathery blizzard pouring out of caverns deep within the rocky substrate. That's right, […]

On this episode, Harry Symeou discusses all the latest Arsenal news. We cover off Edu's sacking as Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has called an end to the Brazilian's time as his global director of football. What was he thinking when he decided to leave Arsenal? Surely, he'll be full of regret! We'll talk about whether a quadruple is actually possible and begin our build up to Arsenal's trip to Germany in the UEFA Champions League round of 16. Donate to Gooners vs Cancer here: https://goonersvcancer.com/ To sign up as a Patreon, get additional episodes, ad-free episodes and become a part of our discord server, click the link below. https://patreon.com/thechroniclesofagooner?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Listen to 'The Rise of Pafos FC' on Apple podcasts or Spotify: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rise-of-pafos-fc-with-harry-symeou/id1334407316?i=1000746012823 Live event tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-gooner-talk-live-an-evening-of-arsenal-2026-tickets-1984454995311?aff=oddtdtcreator #arsenal #afc #premierleague Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hear all the best bits of Graeme Souness' Off the Ball appearance. His regret at not keeping Davie Cooper at Rangers, what it was like lining up next to the Brazilian team at WC 82, being caught up in the Middle East, trying to discipline Ally McCoist... and failing, he tells us Maurice Johnston wasn't the first Catholic he tried to sign for Rangers and much much more.

dossel | otto | vitrola sintética | andré prando | luiz caldas | saulo duarte e a unidade | rodrigo mancusi | dupla 02 | yago opróprio | os garotin | biltre | curumin | vitrolla 70 | comanches | jadsa | russo passapusso | rogê | vicente barreto | josyara | marcelo pretto e swami jr | urucum | leo leobons | tequila bomb | marcio oliveira | eddie | mira reggae | sonantes | skarimbó | pipo pegoraro.

Hosted by Joe Piscopo, this radio broadcast of Sundays with Sinatra serves as a nostalgic tribute to the legendary singer's diverse musical catalog, specifically highlighting his 1971 album, Sinatra and Company. Piscopo explores the Bossa Nova movement, detailing how Sinatra pivoted his style to collaborate with Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim and create timeless tracks like "The Girl from Ipanema." Beyond the Latin influences, the program features a wide array of "esoteric" selections, including Sinatra's unique covers of John Denver folk songs and poignant arrangements by Don Costa from the Watertown project. The show functions as an interactive community space, blending listener requests and phone calls with historical anecdotes about musical giants like Nelson Riddle, Stan Getz, and Luciano Pavarotti. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A niche service turns into a masterclass in boundaries, business, and belly laughs. We kick off with studio chaos, ADHD resets, and a brutally honest look at how “even keel” feels when the captions, meds, and momentum won't cooperate. Then we detour into the wild world of male Brazilian waxing—technique, consent, cleanup, unhelpful physics, and the unspoken rules that keep awkward moments professional. It's hilarious and unusually useful, especially if you've ever wondered how real pros navigate anatomy, timing, and client comfort. From there we pitch a live brosilian for a future guest and hash out the ethics: where spectacle ends and respect begins, why reaction shots can be enough, and how to keep comedy from crossing lines. Home life barges in with a different kind of heat—clean houses, sick days, and a yard full of sticks—spark a sharp debate about invisible labor, parenting expectations, and the difference between being outside and actually getting things done. If you've ever felt audited for not “doing it all,” you'll hear yourself in this one. We zoom out to the clock everyone shares: daylight saving time. Expect straight talk on sleep loss, accident spikes, stress, and the strange math of “more evening” that still leaves bodies off-kilter. Then the medical system takes a turn under the microscope with ear tubes, missed reminders, and the blame game, raising practical rules for follow-ups, advocacy, and building your own safety net when providers don't. Our advice segment doesn't flinch. One letter begs for spark in a reliable marriage; another flirts with a cashier while the guilt piles up. We push for agency over fantasy: plan the date, initiate the change, redirect that energy home, and stop outsourcing your desire. Finally, the minefield of telling a friend about suspected cheating gets the strategic treatment—proof, timing, and the very real risk that truth bombs miss their target. It's raw, funny, and weirdly actionable—from waxing tables to kitchen tables to clocks we'd like to smash. If you laughed, learned, or yelled back at your phone, tap follow, share with a friend, and leave a review with your favorite one-liner so we can read it on the next show. Find us on our socials! Just Google My Wife My Ex-Wife and ME and you'll find us....OR....go to our website:https://thankgodcancersavedourdivorce.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Inside Inter Miami's new episode discusses the club's stadium naming rights deal with Brazilian financial firm, Nu, plus Messi's first goals of 2026 and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our third installment of calming songs includes Max Richter's tribute to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ambient sounds from Ryuichi Sakamoto, Brazilian jazz from Wayne Shorter and more.Note: This episode originally ran in April, 2025Artists and songs featured on this episode:(00:00) Intro(02:20) The Choir: “You Don't Have To Smile,” from ‘Translucent'(05:58) Orbital Patterns: “Can't Tell If I'm Awake,” from ‘Extended Impostor Syndrome'(10:11) Ryuichi Sakamoto & Alvo Noto: “Logic Moon,” From ‘Insen'(15:46) Lea Bertucci: “Vapours,” From ‘Of Shadow And Substance'(20:25) Hayden Pedigo: “Long Pond Lily,” From ‘I'll Be Waving As You Drive Away'(25:57) Max Richter: “All Human Beings,” from ‘Voices'(31:17) Wayne Shorter: “Tarde,” From ‘Native Dancer'(36:15) Mabe Fratti: “El Sol Sigue Ahí,” From ‘Pies Sobre La Tierra'(41:08) Ida: “Don't Get Sad,” from ‘Will You Find Me?'(46:10) David Zinman, Dawn Upshaw & London Sinfonietta:  “Lento,” from Henryk Górecki's ‘Symphony No. 3, Op. 36 - Symphony Of Sorrowful Songs'Support the show with a review on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. And tell a friend!Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.orgTo manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy