Podcasts about Central America

In this episode, we dive into the shocking murder of Alberta Meadows by Clara Phillips, a glamorous showgirl whose jealous rage turned deadly. After killing Alberta with a hammer, Clara staged a sensational escape, fleeing 4,000 miles through Central America before her capture in Honduras. We unravel Clara's troubled marriage, the dramatic courtroom showdown, and the scandalous prison life that followed.   Thank you to this week's sponsors! Right now, Skylight is offering our listeners $30 off their 15 inch Calendars by going to Skylightcal.com/MOMS.  We've worked out a special deal with Hiya for their best selling children's vitamin. Receive 50% off your first order. To claim this deal you must go to hiyahealth.com/MOMS. This deal is not available on their regular website.  Go to Suvie.com/Moms to get 16 free meals with your risk free trial. Save time, eat better with Suvie. Start your risk-free Greenlight trial today at Greenlight.com/moms.  Listen and subscribe to Melissa's other podcast, Criminality!! It's the podcast for those who love reality TV, true crime, and want to hear all the juicy stories where the two genres intersect. Subscribe and listen here: www.pod.link/criminality    Check-out Moms and Mysteries to find links to our tiktok, youtube, twitter, instagram and more. Sources:   https://www.newspapers.com/image/623196031/?match=1&terms=clara%20phillips https://www.newspapers.com/image/623196035/?terms=clara%20phillips https://www.newspapers.com/image/380572671/?fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjM4MDU3MjY3MSwiaWF0IjoxNzUwMzcwNjMwLCJleHAiOjE3NTA0NTcwMzB9.ka_hI2eyGuWChs_ElDBohGG_W_6_VCgDwQZRFXckwwY https://www.newspapers.com/image/380572177/?terms=clara%20phillips Clara Phillips won the jury with her smile https://www.newspapers.com/image/380468376/?match=1&terms=clara%20phillips https://www.newspapers.com/image/380468369/?terms=clara%20phillips https://www.newspapers.com/image/380572630/?terms=clara%20phillips https://www.newspapers.com/image/380505667/?match=1&terms=clara%20phillips https://www.newspapers.com/image/380505644/?match=1&terms=clara%20phillips https://www.newspapers.com/image/380505667/?terms=clara%20phillips ​​https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/241607856/clara-phillips https://www.newspapers.com/image/380505635/?terms=clara%20phillips Clara Phillips will leave prison today Clara Phillips, The Tiger ​​https://www.newspapers.com/image/678202912/?match=1&terms=%22clara%20phillips%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/608332674/?match=1&terms=%22clara%20phillips%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/605876799/?match=1&terms=%22clara%20phillips%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/622989771/?terms=clara%20phillips https://www.newspapers.com/image/622989802/?terms=clara%20phillips https://www.newspapers.com/image/622988129/?match=1&terms=%22clara%20phillips%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/622125668/?match=1&terms=%22clara%20phillips%22 https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-08-08-me-24759-story.html https://www.nytimes.com/1926/04/24/archives/hammer-murderess-to-see-dying-mother-clara-phillips-will-be-allowed.html https://www.facebook.com/homesteadmuseum/videos/955035611672864 https://www.newspapers.com/image/678181419/?match=1&terms=Clara%20Phillips https://www.newspapers.com/image/678181468/?terms=Clara%20Phillips https://www.newspapers.com/image/678187014/?match=1&terms=Clara%20Phillips https://www.newspapers.com/image/678204113/?terms=Clara%20Phillips https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-bernardino-county-sun-clara-phil/1305750/?locale=en-US https://www.newspapers.com/image/970685467/ https://www.newspapers.com/image/380443505/?match=1&terms=Clara%20Phillips https://www.newspapers.com/image/608109793/?match=1&terms=Clara%20Phillips https://www.newspapers.com/image/380444832/?match=1&terms=Peggy%20Caffee https://www.newspapers.com/image/678179588/?match=1&terms=Peggy%20Caffee https://www.newspapers.com/image/1097511427/?match=1&terms=clara%20phillips https://www.newspapers.com/image/586278395/?fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjU4NjI3ODM5NSwiaWF0IjoxNzQ5OTMzMjg4LCJleHAiOjE3NTAwMTk2ODh9.2CUhKmDOnTkZmd5ZFuJ1a5fXrNrefxU2SCXC39EWFew&terms=clara%20phillips&match=1    

It's Friday, July 4th, A.D. 2025. 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 Muslim mob disrupts Christian retreat in Indonesia On June 27, a mob of 200 Muslims stormed a Christian youth retreat at a home in Indonesia, driving out participants and damaging property, as police and soldiers looked on reports Morning Star News. Ironically, after praying at the mosque that Friday, they carried banners and shouted, “Destroy that house, destroy that house.” – referring to the home in Cidahu District in the West Java Province. They damaged windows, toilets, a gazebo, and garden. Claiming that a house should not be used as a place of worship, the Muslim mob also threw a motorbike into a nearby river and damaged the main gate. Videos circulating online show a man climbing a wall and removing a wooden cross attached to it, which he then uses to break a window. House sends Big Beautiful Bill to Trump's desk On July 3, the House of Representatives passed the One Big Beautiful Bill to implement President Donald Trump's agenda, sending it to the president's desk, reports The Epoch Times. The bill cleared the House in a 218–214 vote, following an all-night session as Republicans scrambled to win over holdouts who had derailed an earlier attempt to advance the 940-page measure. House Speaker Mike Johnson was exuberant. JOHNSON: “This is the vote tally card. We're gonna frame this one. Okay? 218-214.” The vote also came after Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries held the floor — for what C-SPAN confirmed was a new length record — to lambast the bill for more than eight hours. The only two Republicans who voted against it were Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, alongside the entire House Democratic Caucus. House Speaker Johnson said the Republicans knew they had to get Trump's bill passed in light of the gift of unified government. JOHNSON: “We believed in the election cycle last fall that we were going to be given this great blessing of unified government, that we would have the White House and the Senate and the House aligned -- unified government. “We had a tough four years before this last election cycle. America was in, we were in deep trouble. We knew that if we won, and we believed we would, we knew that if we got unified government, we'd have to quite literally fix every area of public policy. Everything was an absolute disaster under the Biden-Harris radical, woke, progressive Democrat regime.” The legislation enacts many of Trump's domestic policy initiatives, including tax cuts as well as boosting spending for the border and defense. The passage marks a major victory for Republican leadership and Trump, who had to contend with a diverse group of holdouts who objected to the Senate's version of the bill for various reasons, including its effect on the deficit and deeper cuts to Medicaid. House Speaker Johnson, an Evangelical Christian, expressed his gratitude to God. JOHNSON: “We took the best effort that we could, in One Big, Beautiful Bill, to fix as much of it as we could. And I am so grateful to God that we got that done as we did. “I do believe in God. I believe in that motto that is what has made our nation the greatest in the history of the world. And some people shake their heads and they think that's old fashioned or something. That is a fact. “When the framers put this together. They stepped out in faith. They did something that no nation had ever done before. The great statesman, philosopher G.K. Chesterton of Great Britain, said, ‘America is the only nation in the world that was founded upon a creed. And he said it's listed with almost theological lucidity [or clarity] in the nation's birth certificate: the Declaration of Independence.' “We hold these truths to be self-evident. We recognize, we boldly proclaim the self-evident truth that her rights do not come from the government. They come from God Himself.” Psalm 9:1 says, “I will give thanks to You, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonderful deeds.” The bill will head to Trump's desk ahead of a self-imposed July 4 deadline. He is expected to sign it at 5 p.m. ET today. 4 killed and 14 wounded in Chicago drive-by at rapper party On Wednesday night, four people died from gunshot wounds and 14 others were hospitalized following a drive-by shooting in Chicago, reports The Associated Press. At least three were in critical condition. Three shooters fired out of the SUV before they drove away. No suspect is in custody. Pastor Donovan Price talked to Channel 8 News. PRICE:  “An SUV pulls up and just opens fire on a crowd of people. It was absolute chaos, from people screaming to blood on the streets to people laying on the streets. Just a massive police presence. Horrific. More than I've ever seen.” The shooting took place in Chicago's River North neighborhood, a popular nightlife destination with many restaurants and bars. It was outside a restaurant and lounge that hosted an album release party for a profane rapper named Mello Buckzz, whose actual name is Melanie Doyle. Hip hop lyrics are filled with calls to violence. Ironically, her boyfriend was one of those shot. Thirteen women and five men, ranging in age from 21 to 32, were shot. The dead included two men and two women. On his X account, Pastor Price wrote, “Just sitting in my car crying for some of the people I held tonight.” Psalm 11:5 says, “The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, He hates with a passion.” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said that the violence “has left our city in a state of grief.” RFK Jr. cites link between Hepatitis vaccine and autism Appearing on Tucker Carlson's podcast, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. talked about the link between the Hepatitis vaccine for babies and autism, reports LifeSiteNews.com. He referenced a Centers for Disease Control study that was buried. KENNEDY: “They looked at children who had received the hepatitis vaccine within their first 30 days of life, and compared those children to a children who had received the vaccine later or not at all, and they found a 1,135% elevated risk of autism among the vaccinated children. It shocked them. They kept the study secret, and they manipulated it through five different iterations to try to bury the link.” Secretary Kennedy also referenced 100 other studies and the new studies at the Health and Human Services Department which will be completed by September. KENNEDY: “The external literature is showing over 100 studies that indicate that there is a link. “But we're going to do real science. The way that we're going to do that is we're going to make the databases public for the first time. We have already put out grant requests. Any scientists with credentials can apply for a grant and tell us how they want to go about studying these. We're going to get real studies done for the first time.” (You can watch the entire 90-minute interview on a variety of topics here) Worldview listeners in Nicaragua and Mexico speak up And finally, Bob Kelly wrote me at Adam@TheWorldview.com. He said, “Hello from rural Nicaragua [in Central America,] the 30th most difficult country worldwide to be a Christian, [according to Open Doors.] We like your emphasis on our brothers and sisters who are suffering for Christ.” And Hannah Van Kirk in Mexico said, “My three kids -- Tessa, Reese, and Lincoln -- and I have been listening to The Worldview for a year. We include it as part of our homeschool day. We enjoy the update and prayer reports about the persecuted Christians. And we appreciate that you occasionally suggest that we send get well cards to Christian leaders who are sick or cards of encouragement to others who are standing up against the world. We also enjoy the uplifting stories.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Friday, July 4th, in the year of our Lord 2025. 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.

The following article of the Tech industry is: “Gen AI: The Future of Personalized Mobile Engagement” by Hector Cobo, Regional Vice President Mexico, Caribbean, and Central America, SAS.

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Alvin and German conduct a great conversation with licensed landscape architect and Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner®, Anita Bueno '90. A lifelong learner with a passion for connecting mind, body, and environment, Anita has dedicated her career to exploring the relationship between thought, movement, and our inner and outer worlds. Through the Feldenkrais Method®, Anita uses movement to help people activate and reorganize their nervous systems—empowering them to think clearer, feel better, and show up as their most creative, fully embodied selves. She integrates this work with her practice as a landscape architect, designing spaces that foster connection to nature and sustainable living. For ten years, Anita designed recreation areas for the US Forest Service, and for another decade she founded and directed BuenoLuna Landscape Design (now Cummings Landscape Architecture), a residential design/build firm focused on mitigating climate change through ecologically responsible landscapes. Beyond her professional work, she has lived in India studying yoga and Carnatic dance and music, traveled her ancestral lands of Hispaniola and Central America, and taken on countless creative pursuits—from watercolor painting and playing guitar to sewing her own clothes, figure skating professionally, commercial fishing in the Bering Sea, and bike touring in Mexico and New Zealand. At Colgate, Anita was a proud member of the Women's Rugby team, setting the stage for a life defined by curiosity, resilience, and a fearless spirit of exploration. She holds a Master of Landscape Architecture from UC Berkeley and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Religion from Colgate University.

In this episode, co-hosts Shé and Anna share their 2025 summer reading list—13 unforgettable books that move across cultures, borders, and languages. Whether you're traveling, lesson planning, or just in need of some inspiration, this curated collection will offer powerful perspectives on migration, memory, identity, and resistance.

Welcome back to The Richer Geek Podcast! Today's guest is Stephen Petasky, CEO and Founder of The Luxus Group. For the past 17 years, Steve and his team have helped deliver over 20,000 luxury vacations across North and Central America, the Caribbean, and Tuscany. Steve shares how The Luxus Group creates a high-end, consistent travel experience and works with global luxury brands to deliver real value.Whether you're a real estate investor, a vacation rental owner, or just love traveling in style, this episode gives you real insights into the future of luxury travel and hospitality. In this episode, we chat about… How It Started: The personal story that led to building a luxury vacation rental business, before Airbnb. Solving Inconsistency: How The Luxus Group delivers hotel-level standards in vacation homes. Syndication Strategy: Using early investments to buy high-end properties and offer better experiences. Luxury Tiers Explained: What “accessible luxury” vs. “ultra-luxury” means in today's rental market. Regulations Impact: How short-term rental laws in places like Las Vegas and Maui affect property owners. Professional Management Wins: Why expert property management leads to higher income and fewer headaches. Key Takeaways Demand for Certainty: There's a strong need for consistent, hotel-like experiences in vacation rentals. Luxus Group tackles the inconsistency found in major platforms by enforcing strict brand standards, from linens to kitchen amenities, boosting customer loyalty and repeat bookings. Professional Management Benefits: Self-managing rentals can lead to pitfalls in a changing market. In contrast, expert property management by Luxus Group uses revenue optimization strategies and thorough property care to protect assets and can generate 10-40% or even up to 50-60% higher revenue. Regulations Create Opportunity: Increasing short-term rental rules in places like Las Vegas and Maui reduce overall supply. For legally compliant properties, this shift can drive higher revenues and property values, emphasizing the importance of adhering to local regulations.   Resources from Stephen      LinkedIn | The Luxus Group   Resources from Mike and Nichole      Gateway Private Equity Group |  Nic's guide   

Join us on this captivating episode as we delve into the remarkable journey of Austin Berner. From his enduring aspiration to serve in the military since age five, through his unexpected path into the world of combat documentation, Austin's narrative is a unique blend of ambition, service, and creativity. Listen in as Austin recounts his time documenting military operations in Afghanistan, the camaraderie with fellow soldiers, and the crucial role of combat cameramen in capturing history. Discover his candid insights into the filming battlefield dynamics and his contributions to missions ranging from humanitarian efforts in Central America to commemorative jumps on historic World War II sites. Also, take a leap with Austin as he transitions from military service to soaring the skies with Delta Airlines, sharing stories from both the battlefield and the cabin. This episode is a tribute to resilience, dedication, and the enduring spirit of service across different arenas. ___________ Please leave us a review on Apple/Spotify Podcasts: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mentors-for-military-podcast/id1072421783 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3w4RiZBxBS8EDy6cuOlbUl #mentors4mil  #mentorsformilitary #173rdInfantry #comcam Mentors4mil Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Mentors4mil Patreon Support: https://www.patreon.com/join/Mentors4mil  Intro music "Long Way Down" by Silence & Light is used with permission. Show Disclaimer: https://mentorsformilitary.com/disclaimer/

In this week's message, we were honored to hear from guest speaker Mark Graham of Agape International Missions (AIM). Mark shared about the powerful, Christ-centered work AIM is doing to combat human trafficking and bring healing in Southeast Asia and Central America. His message highlighted stories of hope and transformation, reminding us of the impact the global Church can have when we come together in mission.Speaker: Mark GrahamDate: 6-22-2025Find out how you can connect or partner with us: wcconline.org/connectFollow us on social media: @wcconlinechurch

Send us a textIn this episode of Temperature Check: Coastal Edition, host Natalia Sanchez Loayza shifts the focus inland to explore the profound impact of climate change on North Carolina's farm workers. She speaks with Mario Vargas, coordinator of the North Carolina offices of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) and the Campaign for Migrant Worker Justice (CMWJ).Born in Tamaulipas, Mexico, Vargas began working in the fields at age 12, joining his mother and eight siblings in the seasonal migration circuit that stretched from Florida to Michigan. For 15 years, he picked crops like tomatoes, onions, peaches, apples—and tobacco, one of North Carolina's most demanding and dangerous harvests. Vargas reflects on the harsh realities of farm work—from unpaid wages to threats of deportation—and how those experiences propelled him into organizing. Now, as a leader in migrant labor justice, he sees the effects of climate change accelerating: extreme heat, flooding, and unpredictable growing seasons are disrupting harvest schedules and leaving workers without jobs—or worse, endangering their lives.Vargas shares how workers sleep ten to a trailer and how lack of language access and fear of retaliation compound already dangerous conditions. He shares how he and his team took it upon themselves to translate storm alerts into Spanish and distribute them by text and WhatsApp when Tropical Storm Debbie struck—because they worried no one else was going to do it.10 Facts About Farm Labor and Migrant Workers in North CarolinaNorth Carolina is one of the top agricultural states in the U.S., producing major crops like sweet potatoes, tobacco, cucumbers, and Christmas trees.Over 80,000 farmworkers labor in North Carolina's fields each year, many of whom are seasonal and migrant workers.Roughly 90% of North Carolina's farmworkers are foreign-born, and most are from Mexico and Central America.The majority of farmworkers in NC earn below the poverty line, despite working long hours in physically demanding conditions.More than 40% of North Carolina farmworkers live in substandard housing, often in overcrowded, poorly ventilated trailers or barracks.Tobacco remains one of the most hazardous crops to harvest, exposing workers to heat stress and nicotine poisoning—called “green tobacco sickness.”Farmworkers are excluded from many federal labor protections, including the right to overtime pay and, in many states, collective bargaining.Climate change is shortening harvest windows, making it harder for workers to plan migration routes and secure consistent wages.North Carolina is one of the top states using H-2A guestworker visas, bringing in tens of thousands of temporary agricultural workers annually.Organizations like FLOC play a critical role in advocating for farmworker rights, offering mediation, translation, food assistance, and health information during extreme weather events and public health crises.Support the showwww.shoresides.org

Please remember to rate and review our podcast!Check out your YouTube channel @comadresycomics  CHISME DE LA SEMANA:  Spaceballs Sequel in the works!ON MY RADAR:  Comics Of The Movement #1 (One Shot) Cover A Regular Domo Stanton Cover By Good Trouble Productions by Courtland Cox Jennifer Lawson Alfred Hassler Benton Resnik Art by Jennifer Lawson Unknown Artist Release Date 7/2/2025HORA DE LA CERVECITA:  SoCal Cerveceros We ❤️ L.A. - West Coast IPA @socalcerveceros @welovelabeerBOOK REVIEW:  Octopus: A Memoir of Flailing created by Richard Fairgray @richardfairgrayauthorEN LA LIBRERIA: Wrath Month - Stories of Queer Rage-The punk anthology where queer rage kicks down the doors of fantasy, science-fiction and horror.   http://kck.st/4dQJUn4JUNTOS Y FUERTES: CHIRLA's mission is to achieve a just society, fully inclusive of immigrants.CHIRLA was founded in 1986 to advance the human and civil rights of immigrants and refugees. CHIRLA became a place for organizations and people who support human rights to work together for policies that advance justice and full inclusion for all immigrants.CHIRLA's first director was Father Luis Olivares, the pastor at Our Lady Queen of Angels Church. As a leading voice of the Sanctuary movement, Olivares used his church to protect refugees fleeing human rights abuses in Central America in the 1980s.CHIRLA has since become one of the largest and most effective advocates for immigrant rights, organizing, educating and defending immigrants and refugees in the streets, in the courts, and in the halls of power.  www.chirla.orgDESGRACIADOS: Trump, ICE & Christie Shinn. Follow us on socials @comadresycomicsVisit our website comadresycomics.comProduced by Comadres y Comics Podcast

A Dharma Conversation about sacred activism and environmental justice as a Bodhisattva practice with Rev. Chelsea MacMillan and Matthew Menzies  Chelsea MacMillan is an interspiritual minister, the Senior Organizer at GreenFaith, and founder of Brooklyn Center for Sacred Activism. Between 2019-2021, she led direct actions and facilitated regenerative culture with Extinction Rebellion. You can find her writing in Order of the Sacred Earth by Matthew Fox, and at revchelseamac.substack.com. Matthew—born in Harlem in ‘93, by way of Belize, Central America—is an indigenous Yucatac Mayan Activist-Organizer. Through his spiritual animist roots, formal training in Soto Zen Buddhism, past experiences working on our local farm market food distribution systems and the NYC Compost Project, to most recently focusing non-violent civil disobedience campaigns with Extinction Rebellion NYC, Matthew finds his life purpose, on lenapehoking: to live for the benefit of all beings, and preserve the Earth's animals, soils, and waters for the future generations to come.

After a record performance in 2024, U.S. beef exports to Central America have continued to climb this year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Juan Martinez to the Restorative Works! Podcast. Juan joins us and shares his experience as a dedicated yoga instructor innovating with inclusive yoga practices in unconventional spaces. We explore how yoga and meditation foster compassion and wellbeing within challenging environments, including prisons and centers for vulnerable populations. Juan shares his journey from the corporate world to becoming an accredited teacher, spreading the healing benefits of yoga through programs like Yoga Inclusivo Costa Rica and collaborations across Central America. Through poignant anecdotes and reflections, Juan illustrates how yoga is more than physical exercise—it's a tool for empowerment, agency, and self-discovery. Learn how Juan navigates logistical challenges to bring yoga to prisons, creating safe spaces for inmates to find peace and inner strength.  Juan is a seasoned advertising and design professional, with over a decade of experience in advertising agencies across Costa Rica. In 2001, he was introduced to the practice of yoga. Today, Juan is an accredited Yoga teacher with the Costa Rica Ashtanga Association, the European Yoga Institute, Yoga 10, AccessibleYoga.org, the Prison Yoga Project, and the Trauma Center.  Juan has extensive experience as an instructor with a specialization in working with disabled and prison populations. His approach goes beyond postural practice and seeks to show a sanctuary, a laboratory, an opportunity, a place for contemplation and expression of compassion, and respect for ourselves as well as for life itself through yoga.  Tune in to hear firsthand accounts of transformation and resilience as individuals find solace and hope through yoga, reshaping their lives amidst adversity.

Joe McGrath caught our attention on Twitter where he shares his experience slow traveling and driving from Alaska to Argentina. In this podcast we catch up with him at the halfway point and ask what it's like to do vanlife in Mexico and Central America.

We've got something a little different but very special for you today. This episode comes from Winging It, a travel podcast hosted by my friend James Hammond, who you'll hear from shortly. He takes us on an immersive, on-location audio adventure through San Salvador, El Salvador – and trust me, it's a journey worth tagging along for. James has a brilliant way of mixing practical travel tips with rich, ambient storytelling. Think the vibe of a Lonely Planet guide meets the easygoing chat you'd have with a mate at the hostel. You'll hear the real sounds of the city—markets, cafés, public squares—plus firsthand insight into what it's actually like to travel in El Salvador today.

It takes determination to dive into hospitality and come out with a boutique hotel that is successful, and that is what Chris Lenz, Founder and CEO of La Compania Hotels and Resorts. Chris shares his journey from opening 37 restaurants to creating extraordinary hotels in Panama. They explore his passion for hospitality, his uncompromising vision, and the meticulous planning that goes into building unique hospitality experiences. Learn about Chris's journey from restaurateur to hotelier, his innovative trifecta perfecta concept, and his ambitious plans for redefining luxury travel in Panama.Takeaways: Always strive to create unique and memorable experiences that differentiate your property or service from others. Focus on curating personalized touches and special features in your establishment that guests will remember and talk about.Maintain an uncompromising vision and execute it with passion. The team must understand and align with this vision to consistently deliver the intended guest experience.Consider partnerships with larger brands for access to their distribution networks, loyalty programs, and market reach. Ensure the partnership aligns with your property's unique and boutique characteristics to maintain brand integrity.Enhance the guest journey by minimizing travel hassles. For example, offering private transportation or concierge services that streamline and personalize the guest's travel experience.Even with growth, maintain high standards for service, safety, and uniqueness. This is critical for retaining your brand's value and ensuring guest satisfaction.Quote of the Show:“I'm gonna build the best historic landmark hotel in Central America. I'm gonna change the tourism of this country.” - Chris LenzLinks:Website: hlcpanama.com https://www.hyatt.com/unbound-collection/en-US/ptyub-unbound-hotel-la-compania Shout Outs:2:02 - Mikey Dobin https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikey-dobin-04308468/ 2:02 - Diana Dobin https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-dobin-319108b5/ 4:25 - Journey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journey_(band) 4:26 - Arnel Pineda https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnel_Pineda 9:36 - Setting the Table by Danny Meyer https://www.amazon.com/Setting-Table-Transforming-Hospitality-Business/dp/0060742763 10:10 - Union Square Cafe https://www.unionsquarecafe.com/ 10:15 - Gramercy Tavern https://www.gramercytavern.com/ 11:52 - McDonald's https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us.html 13:14 - Rafael Nadal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafael_Nadal 25:27 - Holiday Inn https://www.ihg.com/hotels/us/en/reservation 26:25 - UNESCO https://www.unesco.org/en 37:27 - Marriott https://www.marriott.com/default.mi 37:53 - Hyatt https://www.hyatt.com/ 43:41 - booking.com48:08 - Omni Hotels https://www.omnihotels.com/ 1:06:42 - Amtrak https://www.amtrak.com/home.html?msockid=13e7d50d81a968200de9c1bb80596956 

Send us a textIn this compelling episode, host Chasity Owens delivers a solo intro while Scott Kuhlman attends Marine Fire Investigation training through IAAI. This special episode features inspiring stories from Guatemala and engaging conversations with dedicated podcast listeners, showcasing the global reach and impact of fire investigation.Key HighlightsBreaking Ground in Guatemala: Gretel's remarkable story of becoming Guatemala's first and only certified fire investigator after starting as a technology coach for struggling firefighters in 2014. Despite having no prior fire investigation knowledge, her engineering background and passion for learning led her to pursue training across multiple countries, paying out of pocket to build the expertise her country desperately needed.Building a Fire Investigation Program: Learn how Gretel established her own fire investigation company, handling approximately 100 cases annually across Guatemala and Central America while training new investigators and maintaining her volunteer firefighter duties. Her work fills a critical gap where no public fire investigation services existed.The Construction Connection: Both Braden and Dale emphasize the crucial importance of understanding building construction in fire investigation. Their backgrounds in code enforcement and construction provide invaluable insights into how buildings are designed, and built, and how fire travels through different structural systems.International Training Efforts: The episode explores ongoing efforts to bring fire investigation training to underserved regions, including recent IAAI fundamentals training in Guatemala and upcoming programs in Colombia, Paraguay, and Chile.Training AnnouncementsArizona Annual Training Conference: July 23-25 in Prescott, ArizonaGeorgia ATC: July 28-31 in Savannah, Georgia (featuring EV fires, solar panel investigations, and serial arsonist profiling)California Conference of Arson Investigators: October 6-9 (includes live burn day)Sponsor SpotlightThe episode features Clean Space respiratory protection systems, highlighting improved visibility, comfort, and safety for fire scene investigations. Contact Tim Costa at 401-573-5341 or tim.costa@itl.us for more information.Episode TakeawaysThis episode powerfully demonstrates the universal need for fire investigation expertise and the dedication required to build these capabilities from scratch. Gretel's story serves as an inspiration for investigators worldwide, while the listener segment reinforces the importance of networking and continuous learning within the fire investigation community. The diverse backgrounds of all guests underscore how different professional experiences enhance fire investigation capabilities.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the individual hosts and guests and do not necessarily represent official positions of affiliated organizations.Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed the episode, give us 5 stars, hit the follow button, and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and anywhere you are listening in from. Follow us on social media!Instagram: @infocus_podcastLinkedIn: INFOCUS podcastFacebook: INFOCUS podcastTikTok: @infocus_podcast

Quaranteam – Book 1: Part 11 The girls suggest to Andy who to bring in. Based on a post by CorruptingPower, in 25 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Eric's house now stood with seven women in it, and Andy had agreed that he would try to learn all of their names eventually, just as Eric did for Andy's household, although both of them agreed that the task would definitely take some time. The two men and Phil had all planned to meet up for dinner on Thursday, as they usually did. It was good to keep a routine. Also on that Sunday, Ash had commandeered the pool house, giving each girl the chance to pitch to her twice, once in the midday and then again in the evening, allowing them to improve and refine upon their pitch. That had kept the entire house occupied, and allowed Andy to spend all of his time writing, although he did make an exception for lunch, when he'd tended to Jenny and Katie's needs. In a move that had surprised him, Jenny had insisted Katie ride his cock until he came inside of her, then sucked her share out of her partner's cunt afterwards. It had proven an excellent test, and Katie had still gotten her fix out of the experience. She'd described it to Andy as "filthy in the best possible way." Other than that, Andy went two days without engaging in any sex, a sort of chance to recharge his batteries. He suspected he might have a bit on Monday, but also acknowledged to himself that he was going to be booked wall to wall with the meetings, hearing the girls pitches, so it might even be a third day off from sex. Monday morning he awoke in bed alone, an absence he definitely noted, but it let him get his morning workout in, followed by a shower. After he got out of the shower, when he went to get dressed, he found a printed schedule of his day on top of his dresser. 10 11: Asha, Emily, Hannah, Jenny 11 12: Katie, Lauren, Nicolette, Niko 12 1: Lunch 1 2: Piper, Sarah, Sheridan, Taylor 2 3: debrief with Aisling Ash had decided to just organize the girl's pitches in alphabetical order, so that Andy wouldn't see any prejudgment on her part. On the schedule, there was also a map of the house's lower level, a room marked with an X and a note from Ash that read simply "See you there!" The house was the quietest it had ever been, even his two cats seeming a little perplexed at the lack of people moving around. Andy wandered down to the marked room at about fifteen minutes to 10, finding Aisling already in the room, which had been set up as a little conference room, a large television on the wall doubling as a computer monitor. On the screen was a black screen with the words "Project Pair Up" in friendly white lettering. "Hey love," she said to him with a smile. She was dressed in professional looking attire, the most dressed up he'd ever seen her. With the quarantine, everyone had been completely casual, and Andy suddenly felt wildly underdressed, wearing just a pair of jeans and an old, faded Jesus Jones t shirt. She saw his look and immediately grabbed his arm. "Relax. You're the one everyone's pitching to, so you're allowed to dress however you like. It's good to be the king," she giggled. "You've heard all the pitches already, Ash," he said to her, as she led him to the head of the table, making him sit down. "Anything truly shocking?" "I told you I wasn't going to make decisions for you, babe, so you'll just have to wait and see." "I wasn't asking you to make a decision, Ash," Andy laughed, "simply whether or not you thought this was a good idea or not." "Oh, aye," she nodded. "There's some truly remarkable women up on offer for you today, and I'm certain there will be some hard decisions in your future, in more ways than one. A few dodgy ones too, by my reckoning, but I'm not the final say in the matter, am I?" She moved to sit down next to him, at his right hand spot, the television screen on the wall opposite him. "There are pros and cons to all of them. But all the girls have agreed nobody will be upset at you, no matter what you decide." "And you think they're all going to hold to that?" "I told them if they couldn't then they shouldn't bother pitching anyone at all. That sort of got them in line." Andy nodded sagely. "Where are they?" "Everyone's hanging out in the pool house right now, and they'll come up when we text them, one at a time, so if anyone runs short, or needs to run long, nobody will get interrupted." "Okay then, let's get to it, I suppose." Ash nodded, and then picked up her iPhone from the table, sending Asha a text to come to the room. A few minutes later, the half Indian half French girl strolled into the room in a powder blue power suit, her hair done up in a bun, wearing bright red 1950s librarian glasses. "Thanks for letting us pitch ta ye, Andy," she said, moving to sit down on the chair at the opposite end of the table from him. "Going first is a bit of a pisser, but I s'pose I'll set the bar high for the lot of'em." She picked up the little remote from the table and clicked it, as the monitor behind her sprung to life, an image of a bright, bubbly blonde girl appearing on it. "This is Olivia Shoemaker, my bestie from me London days. Now I know what you're thinkin', that she's young, and you're nervous or whateva about bringin' too many young birds into the house. But Livvy's a doll. She's a student down at UCSD, so she could just transfer up here and go ta UCSF or Berkeley or Stanford or whateva." Asha clicked the button and the screen advanced, showing Olivia in a colorful yellow sundress, standing on the Santa Monica pier. "She's also a right big social media influencer, with half a million followers on Insta and about as many on TikTok. They were tryin' to get her to appear on Love Island back home, but she said she wanted to wait until she was a bit older for that. She's 19, she's fit and she's a babe. We've been friends since we was toddlers, an' I know she'd likely fall for you like I have." "What's she going to school for?" Andy asked. "She's undecided right now, but she's thinking she might get into international finance. Banking, stocks, that lot. She changes her mind about that all the time, though, so who knows where she'll end up. Girl's got a mind that goes a kilometer a minute, you ask me." "You think I'd be her type?" Andy asked, a touch of doubt in his voice. "I have trouble imagining someone like her being satisfied with someone older like me. I'm not particularly social media savvy, and she looks like the kind of girl who would take one look at me and think 'old man.' And that's no judgment on her,  I'm just saying, you want to make sure this is someone who you think is going to be happy here, and with me. Simply because I can request anyone I want to doesn't mean that I necessarily should." "She and I have been friends since we were wee high, so if I tell her she'll like you, she'll trust me on tha', and once she gets to know you, she'll fall for you like e'eryone does, Daddy." He still wasn't entirely comfortable with her calling him that, but he'd learned that telling Asha no just made her do the thing twice as much, so he was hoping she'd get it out of her system eventually. "And part of the pitch process was also you identifying what the challenges might be if I were to extend her an invite to our family. So what do you think those would be?" "Um," Asha said, looking down at the table a moment. "I'm not gonna lie ta ye, Andy. She can be a mite tad possessive. Her last relationship imploded because her boyfriend gave another girl a ride home after a party, and she thought he'd cheated on her." Andy winced a little bit. That struck him as more than a challenge. "So you think that's not going to be a problem here, where she has to share me with all of these other women?" "She'll get over it!" Asha pouted. "She just needs to be shown that not all men are lads, and that she doesn't have to have someone's complete attention all the time to get by in the world." "Do you know what she likes and dislikes sexually?" Ash asked her, cutting straight to the point. "Are you sure she's compatible with Andy?" "She's a bit more reserved than I am," Asha sighed. "More reserved than she oughta be, you ask me, but I don' like the idea of her just fallin' in with some bloke who won't do right by her. She deserves better'n that. The prude walls hafta come down sooner or later." "But do you think she and I would make each other happy?" Andy asked. "I'd like to think so, Andy," Asha said, "but I'm no' sure one way or the other. I'm just tryin' to look out for her." "Okay, Asha. You're the first one we've talked to today, so obviously we have a lot more pitches to hear, so we'll keep your friend in mind." Asha nodded, standing up again. "An' if you decide she's not for you, Andy, I'd understand, but, y'know, maybe pass her on to one of your friends around the town as a thought? It'd just be nice to have one of me mates around here." Andy smiled. "I'll see what I can do." Asha walked over, leaned down and gave Andy a soft kiss. "Thanks, Da. I'll see you at dinner, yeah?" Before Andy could answer, Asha was already heading out the door, closing it behind her. Aisling pushed the button and the screen moved to a simple black background with "next: Emily" in white letters on it in a classy font. He turned to look at Aisling, not entirely sure what to say, which made Ash giggle. "They're all very different, Andy, so you'll just have to decide for yourself." She sent a text message on her phone to Emily, letting her know to start heading to the conference room. "An influencer, though?" Andy said, rolling his eyes. "I still don't get how anyone can think that's a real job." He sighed, seeing the smirk on Ash's face. "I think it's more likely that I'll recommend her over to Eric or Phil, but I'll try to keep an open mind." "That's all anyone's asking, love." "Emily's pitch isn't also for a social media influencer, is it?" he asked, caution plain on his face. "Olivia was the only one, silly, so you can relax." He nodded, hearing a knock at the door. "C'mon in, Emily!" Emily entered the room, and it seemed as though all the girls were going to be in their best professional wear today. She had a modest dress than hung nearly to her ankles and a bright red silk blouse that was almost entirely buttoned up. She looked like was planning to meet the head of some movie studio more than simply talking to Andy and Aisling. She gave a warm, impish little smile and wave, then pulled the door closed behind her. "Hey love. Ash. This is so exciting!" she giggled. "How did Asha do?" Andy was about to say something when Ash put her hand on his wrist to quiet him. "He's not going to talk about any of the pitches to anyone other than me until he's heard them all, Emily, so I don't know why you're asking." The blonde Brit giggled again, flashing a little wink. "I asked because I almost got him to spill the goss." Emily moved to sit down in the pitcher's chair, and picked up the remote. "But it's fine, it's fine. Andy darling, let me present to you Summer Steele." She clicked on the remote and the screen behind her flickered and turned into an image of a woman in her late 30s sitting behind a camera, clearly on a set somewhere. Summer was fit, although not overly muscular, with hair a deep dark brown, like a freshly cut walnut tree. Her nose was slightly crooked, like it had been broken and reset at least once. Her skin had a natural tan to it. Andy suspected her heritage was either Jewish or Palestinian. She looked focused on whatever she was working on. She was certainly lovely, but also had a tough, street fighter kind of vibe to her. She was dressed in leather pants and a leather jacket over some kind of t shirt, as she peered at the camera's monitor. "Her real first name is Maya, but professionally she's been Summer Steele for nearly a decade now. I think you can call her either." Click. The image turned to show the woman on set of one of the Daggerfall Academy movies with Emily, one of the later ones clearly, judging by Emily's age in the picture. It looked as though Maya was teaching Emily some moves for an upcoming scene. "We first met when she was the stunt coordinator and 2nd AD for 'Power Taken: Daggerfall Academy IV.' We've been friends since then, but she's gone on to direct episodes of all sorts of shows: 'The Last Garrison,' 'Everyone Dies At Midnight,' 'Uprising From Below,' and even a couple for Disney+, although she obviously can't tell me about any of those." Click. The image shifted and was replaced by an image of current Hollywood it guy Scotty Jansen with his arm around her, as she sipped from a beer, probably at some afterparty in the Hollywood hills. "She was with Scott Jansen up until January of this year when they split after Scotty got drunk and put his foot in his mouth one too many times. There were lots of reasons they were never going to work out, but this was the final straw." Click. A new image appeared, with Maya in between Sarah and Emily, the three women clearly out for a night on the town, although based on the buildings behind them, Andy would've guessed they were somewhere in central Europe. "So, she knows Sarah and I rather well, and we can both vouch that under her occasionally crass veneer, she's a sweetheart with a kind spirit. Many of the things some lesser men would find turnoffs,  her tendency to drink and swear, her sometimes lacking sense of tact, her habit of acting first and thinking later,  those are all things you like in a woman, so that's delightful." "Well, as long as she isn't sloshingly drunk all the time, Emily," Andy said. "I don't want to bring in a dangerous alcoholic we're going to need to check into rehab all the time." Emily flapped a hand dismissively in his direction. "Nothing so coarse, my love. While she can attack a bottle with a gusto I've yet to see rivaled, she does keep those benders to a manageable number, and never lets them affect the rest of her life." "Alright, carry on." "She likes the same kind of sex you do, Andy,  she's a talker, and she enjoys both the softer and harder sides of it. She's very professional and you've made a point to tell all of us that if we want to continue working and chasing our dreams, we should do it, something she would very much appreciate, as she's certainly making headway. She directed her first film last year, 'The Secret In The Shadows,' and while it didn't win any awards, it came in under budget and over performed expectations by a sizable amount, so she's in talks to do another movie after the pandemic has passed." "Where's she from?" Ash asked her. Click. Andy suspected this was the most recent photo of the woman, and she'd undergone a drastic haircut. The left side of her head was shorn down to almost a buzz, while the front had a large flop of hair dyed bright green hanging over one eye, a look Andy had been told was called an undercut. She was wearing a white tanktop and he could see the woman had tattoos on each of her shoulders, epaulets of ink depicting fighting fish in a lake, done in a Japanese style. "Upstate New York. Her father was a rabbi and a jeweler, her mother ran a deli. Dad passed away last year from a heart attack, so her mom's running both businesses now. No brothers or sisters. Maya's got a few friends in the L A area, but for the most part, she's on the go so much that she really never settled anywhere. I'd like for her to settle with us." "What sort of challenges do you anticipate?" Andy questioned. He had a yellow legal pad of paper in front of him, and he'd been keeping small notes during the presentations, mostly so he could keep everything straight in his head at the end. "Two, but both I think aren't deal breakers. First, she's going to want to continue working so there may come a time when Andy might need to do a bit of travel to accommodate Maya's schedule, or Maya will simply need to ensure that most of her work as a director is done relatively local to here. I know that there have been some sound stages built in Oakland for the purpose of doing more film work here, so we will simply need to remind her of that." "And the other?" "The other is a little more of a challenge, but mostly just for you, love," Emily said to Andy, her coy smile widening a little. "Maya isn't at all bi curious. She is absolutely, positively, 100% heterosexual, meaning that you would need to tend to her needs without anyone else as company. I know this because both Sarah and I have made passes at her, only to be told that she's very much 'men only.' She would be completely aware of the rest of us, but simply wouldn't want to partake in any group activities. That also might mean you would need to share a bed with just her every once in a while, so she feels like she has as much a stake in you as everyone else, but you're clever, so I think you would do fine. Like you told me, constraints are simply gifts to creativity." "Do you think I would make her happy? Do you think she would make me happy?" Emily nodded. "It wouldn't be without minor complications, naturally, but I think you two would get along like a house on fire, and she would fit into the house much like Lauren does,  present and eager with you when she's spending time with you, and self reliant and capable when she isn't. She started as a stuntwoman before she got into directing, so she has always had an uphill climb in her life. We aren't best mates, but she'd thrive here, she'd adore you and I think she'd make you happy as well." The tiny Brit clicked the button and the screen advanced to black once more, with white letters reading "next: Hannah" in the center of it. "No matter what you decide, love," Emily said, getting up from her chair, making her way over to Andy, "I just want to say that all of the girls are thrilled you're asking us for our opinions on this, and it means the world to the lot of us that you're letting us have a say in who we want to join the family. You didn't have to ask anyone for their opinion, so the fact that you are, well, it shows even further that you're quite the good man, Andy Rook." Emily leaned in and kissed him, soft and tender, but backed with a lot of love, before she finally pulled away and gave him and Ash a little wave goodbye, slipping out of the room, closing the door behind her. Ash smirked as he looked over in her direction. "They're all probably going to say something like that, just so you know, love," she told him. "They've all been getting stories from Niko about how things are on the base, or from the girls involved in the poker game, and so they know what a weird place the world is in right now, and everyone's delighted how you're handling this." "Hell, if I was handling it my way, I'd probably just have stopped here, Ash, and not added anyone else to the family, but based on what Phil's told me, I'm going to spend the next five years hearing that I need to help usher in a new generation to save this one." The Irish girl giggled and offered him a little shrug. "It's such a hard life, isn't it, having beautiful women constantly throwing themselves at you, begging for sex." Andy scowled, although the expression was done with amusement. "Agreed, Alcatraz it ain't, but it's still quite the change from my life six months ago." "Which reminds me, you have to be sure and call Xander tomorrow and fill him on all the changes that have happened here in the last week. He texted you yesterday offering his condolences about Matty, but hell, he doesn't know about how quickly your house has exploded. Maybe we should send him a picture of you in bed, surrounded by all your women, like a modern day Hugh Heffner." Andy started laughing at that, shaking his head. "Oh god, he's gonna fucking kill me. He had quite the crush on Emily a few years back, although I think he grew out of that. Lord, I'm never going to hear the end of it." "Well, it'll be something you two can use to keep your spirits up when you talk. Are you ready for Hannah to make her pitch?" He nodded. "Sure, she's the one who got this all started. Let's see who she thinks we should bring into the house." A few minutes later, Hannah strolled into the room confidently, although Andy was surprised to see her in her cheerleading outfit again, the first time she'd worn it again since she'd shown up to the house a few days ago. Andy found the outfit choice odd, but decided not to remark on it. "Two days enough time for you to think it over, Hannah?" he asked the Asian cheerleader, who smiled and nodded. "Totes, but I didn't know I was gonna have hella competition at the end of it!" Over the past few days, the one thing Andy had determined first and foremost about Hannah was that she was always operating at 110% energy. That's simply who she was. "It's all good, though. I think you'll vibe with my candidate, even if she's not immediately your type." Hannah picked up the remote from the table and clicked it, as a picture sprung to life behind her. The minute the image popped onto the screen, Andy was taken back a bit. "I'm fairly certain that taking on an entire cheerleading team would be well over the limit of you suggesting one person, Hannah," he laughed. The image behind her must have been from the spring of this year, as it was Hannah and her entire cheerleading team over at Woodside High, where she'd graduated from in May. There were fourteen girls in the photo, in addition to the coach, and they were completely varied in terms of size, shape and race, although he couldn't deny, they all seemed lovely. It took him half a second to find Hannah as her hair lacked the blonde highlights in the photo. "Not the team, sir," she said, clicking the button again, as the screen shifted, this time the only person on the screen being the cheerleading coach. "Just the woman running it. Tabitha Jefferson." Without all the other people on the screen, Andy could focus on the woman being suggested. She was an African American woman with milk chocolate colored skin around Andy's age, although she was in far better shape than he was. In the picture, she was in black gym shorts with an orange stripe and a large orange t shirt with the word "Wildcats" in highly stylized lettering across the front of it. She had straightened hair drawn back in a short ponytail that hung to the nape of her neck, and a friendly face, although her expression was one of shouting. "Coach Jefferson has been the cheerleading coach and P.E. Teacher for Woodside High for the last five years. She's whip smart, funny and really cares about us girls. When I was kinda a troublemaker, she'd pull me aside and give me a good talking to, tell me that she thought I was super smart, and that I was capable of anything if I'd stop fucking around and quit self sabotaging my own life. And she never gave up on me, and never let me focus just on cheerleading or the petty drama and shit a bunch of wound up girls get into with each other." Hannah pushed the button and the image changed again, showing a slightly younger Tabitha with her arm around a good looking African American man with much darker skin in military fatigues. "Just before she moved to Woodside, she was an Army wife, until her husband, Nicky, was killed in action in the Middle East. They'd only been married for about two years, and only together about four, but it still broke her heart. She moved across the country to live out here, closer to her mother, only for her moms to die last year due to lung cancer." Hannah pushed the button again. The new image also had to have been taken in the spring, just before the pandemic had set in. Tabitha had her arm around Hannah, and both of them were smiling, both of them in formal wear, this time with the blonde highlight in Hannah's hair. "She was one of the chaperons for senior Prom, and when she found out I didn't have anyone to go with, she made me go on my own, and I still had a great time. She drove by my parents house to drop off my diploma and told me to call her Tabby from now on, since I wasn't a student of hers any more, and that she hoped school would start back up soon, because she was feeling a little lost." The Asian girl sighed a little, her face contracting in sadness. "She's had a really rough go of it, Andy, between losing Nicky then her mom and now her ability to teach and be around people. I don't know a thing about what she likes sexually, so I dunno what to say about any of that, but she's a good person, the best person I know, and if I can give her just one little bit of happiness, then I fucking owe that to her." Hannah looked like she was about to cry, so Aisling reached over and took the girl's hand in her own, giving it a little squeeze. "Thanks Ash, I'm okay," she said, smiling a bit as if it might help her make it more true. "The person you most reminded me of when we were first met, Andy, was Tabby. You could've just fucked my brains out and not given a fuck about my feelings, but you didn't. You talked to me first, made sure I knew what I was getting myself into, when you so didn't have to, hell, I wasn't even expecting you to. I wanted to get back at that little shit Benny so fuckin' badly, but you wouldn't let me just charge into it without us talking it out first. That's the kind of thing Tabby did for me all the time, not letting me just leap into the first idea that popped into my head, but really making me think it all out. So I want to give something back to her, and I think that something could be her hooking up with you." "This whole polyamory thing isn't for everyone, Hannah," Ash said. "You think she'll be up for sharing Andy with all of us?" Hannah laughed a little, rolling her eyes. "Her last relationship was part of a throuple, so I totally wouldn't worry about it, Ash, although this one would be a little different." "Oh yeah?" Andy asked. "How so?" "Well, she was in a relationship with two bi guys, so she was used to having cock on tap." The busty cheerleader giggled a little bit. "But I know she's into girls too, because she refused to come into the locker room when we were changing. Said it was only respectful, but I saw that glimmer in her eyes that said she desperately wanted to peek, but wasn't going to, because that's what us girls deserved." "What ended their relationship?" "The two guys decided to move to Portland, and Tabby's mother hadn't passed yet, so she refused to leave her. They were all kinda in different headspaces anyway, I think, since Tabby never said another word about them after they left, so maybe she was kinda okay with it? Maybe it was just an easier way to end it than ending it? I dunno. It was all spring of my junior year." "Challenges you foresee?" Aisling asked. "Well, I dunno how she likes to fuck, so I dunno if you two can make that work for you or not, but I think you'd be okay. And I don't know if you're her type, so I don't even know that she'll say yes. You're a little less,” Hannah trailed off, trying to find a way to phrase what she wanted to say. "Less what?" Andy asked. "Less butch, I guess," Hannah giggled. "Dom and Mike were ultra cut, and Nicky was pretty buff himself, so I guess her type is a bit more ripped than you are, but it's not like I know everything about what kinda dudes she likes to bone. But without her being able to teach until, like, at least a year from now, I wanted to make sure she's not getting stuck inside her own head too much." Hannah clicked the button and the screen behind her changed to say "next: Jenny" on it. "Anyway, if I was you, I'd totally wanna fuck Tabby. Hell, I kinda wanna fuck her myself, if she's down for that. And she's a good person, and good people deserve to have good things happen to them in the world, so that's why I think you should invite her here. Thanks for letting me tell you all this, Andy. I didn't know how much I needed to tell someone this whole story about this amazing woman who changed my life, and I'm glad it's to the man who did the same thing." She stood up, came over and gave Ash a hug, then one to Andy as well followed by a sloppy kiss, before pulling back and heading out of the room, almost skipping in her step, making the skirt flutter a little each time. "So I know I said I wasn't going to offer you any opinions on all of this, love," Aisling said, "but I do want to make two exceptions. First, I think you should invite Tabby here. It means a lot to Hannah, maybe more to her than to any of the other girls involved, and I think Tabby seems like a fine match for you, based on what Hannah's told me." Andy nodded. "She was speaking very strongly from the heart, so I don't blame you. I won't commit to 100% saying yes right now, but I'll mark her down as a very strong likely, if that's okay." "Natch love," she said, squeezing his arm. "The other exception I want to make is to set you up for Jenny's pitch, and to tell you to tread lightly. Her pitch is for a staff person, but I suspect the person being pitched might want something more than that from you, and I think you should probably give it to her, but at her own pace. Jenny's got quite the tale to tell, and her friend has had a very rough life. I think even Jenny knows that if you bring this girl on, she's going to grow from staff to family member eventually, but that's okay with me, and all the rest of the girls, so keep all that in mind when she's talking, that we all know it's unsteady waters, and we're all okay with it, awright love?" He wasn't entirely sure what to make of that, so he simply nodded, giving himself a second to get his words in order. "She's the first staff pitch I'm hearing, but if you're telling me in advance that it's going to be different than all the rest, then that's good to know, and I'll keep it in mind." Ash smiled, kissing him on the cheek. "I think you'll like who she's pitching anyway. Has a completely different tone than anyone else you're gonna hear about today, and if I'm honest, I'd love ta meet her myself." Just as she was saying that, Jenny opened the door and made her way into the conference room, moving to sit down opposite them, her warm comforting smile well set on her face. Jenny hadn't chosen to dress up more than her usual attire, looking like a plump Martha Stewart, as she folded her hands on the table, just over the remote. "Thanks for letting us do this, sir. None of us had even thought about this until you and Ash told us about it, and the fact that you're letting the staff pitch as well, gosh, that's just the sweetest thing. My story's gonna be a little bit of a rollercoaster, so I hope you don't mind, sir." Andy chuckled, leaning back in his chair a little bit. "Fire away, Jenny." Jenny picked up the remote and clicked on it, as the image behind her changed to a much younger one of her and another woman, really more of a girl at that point, what had to be at least a decade ago. Jenny was thinner then, wearing an oversize P!nk t shirt, with her arm around a Latin girl, a little less thin, with massively blown out hair, wearing a red tanktop with a sheer mesh black shirt over it. The two girls were laughing in the picture, each holding up a red Solo cup that Andy suspected held alcohol that neither was old enough to be drinking at the time of the photo. "This is me with my college roommate, Alexis Coleman, better known as Lexi. We were both freshman at UCLA when we were randomly paired together to share a dorm room together at Hendrick Hall." The image changed again, and showed the two girls playing beer pong at some Greek event. "I'd just moved out here from Cleveland, and she'd just moved here from D.C., and so we became best friends." "You didn't go to culinary school?" Andy asked. "You're such an excellent cook, I find that impossible to believe." Jenny blushed a little. "Thank you, sir, but I did, after I got my Bachelor's degree in art history. I had wanted to become an art custodian, but couldn't seem to make it work, so I went to culinary school in SF after giving up on the art world." "And Lexi?" Ash asked. "What was she majoring in?" "Criminal justice," Jenny said, clicking the button again to show an image of Lexi, a little older, in a bikini out on the Santa Monica boardwalk, on roller skates that she looked a little unsteady on. "I know she looks like a Victoria's Secret model, but she was determined to get into law enforcement during college. She also minored in political science and theory, as well as picking up several languages along the way. I know she speaks Spanish, French, German, Russian and Portuguese, and knowing her, she's probably picked up a few more since then." "All of this has to be a while ago, though, Jenny," Andy said. "What year did you two graduate?" Jenny pushed the button again to show a graduation of the two of them together, holding up their diplomas with big smiles. "2007 sir, and I realize I'm giving you a bunch of background, but I think it's very important that I do, so you understand who Lexi is, and how she's a sweet, adorable person, despite the rest of what I'm about to tell you." Andy leaned forward a little bit. "As a professional storyteller, Jenny, let me tell you that's a hell of a way to perk your audience's interest. Go on." "Yes sir," she said, clicking the button to advance the image again. This time, Lexi was a few years older, dressed in more of jungle wear,  thick pants, a heavy shirt with a vest on, and her hair pulled back tightly. The background was thick trees and dirt, with sunlight peeking through. Of more note, however, was the AK 47 slung over her shoulder. "In her last year of college, Lexi was recruited to join the CIA. My details about this period of her life are very unreliable, but I think she was training with the agency for another year or two, and then served as a combination of analyst and field agent for most of the next decade, primarily in South and Central America, until 2017." The next image took Andy a little aback, although Ash had clearly seen it before. It was relatively recent, Jenny and Lexi together, in the kitchen of some restaurant or hotel. Both of the women were older than they were in the earlier photos, and most notably, Lexi had some significant scarring along part of her neck and the bottom left part of her chin line, although it looked as though the scarring was at least a few years old. "I don't know what happened to Lexi in 2017, but it must've been particularly gruesome. She couldn't tell me how she got the scars, only that she got them in the service of her country, and that she regretted how they were keeping her out of field work, because they were too identifiable. She'd been saddled with desk duty, and in 2018, she finally quit the CIA." The image jumped again, and this time Lexi was in a dark suit with sunglasses, opening a door for some Middle Eastern shiek. "She tried her hand at personal protection for a while, but eventually gave up on that and just became a mercenary, drifting through private security firms, independent contractors who go where the money and the work is. Just before the virus set in, she'd returned to her place in Los Angeles from a six month tour as part of a PMC in Afghanistan, and she was shaken. She said she felt like her life was a mess, she didn't know what she was doing with it, and felt like she was just a giant burden on her friends and family." With another click of the button, a new image of Lexi popped on the screen, her at a gun range, the whole image practically the still from an action movie. "What I'm suggesting is this, sir. I think you should bring Lexi into the house to be your driver and personal security." Andy was about to say something when Jenny raised her hand to silence him. "I know what you're about to say, sir, and frankly it's bullcrap, pardon my French. With the small population of men remaining left in the United States, every single one of you has suddenly become a V I P, and you need to think not just of your own health, but the health of all the women who are dependent on your health for their own health. If something happens to you, you have over a dozen women right now alone who suddenly run the very real risk of dying. Being that my health is fundamentally based on yours for the time being, I know I would feel safer having Lexi watch out for you." Andy scratched his goatee for a long moment, realizing that every single thing Jenny had said to him was true, making him a little ashamed of how cavalierly he'd been treating his own health, the ramifications of it not having fully sunken in until this very moment. "You are completely justified in that thought, Jenny, and you are right, I had not been giving it the diligence it deserved." "Lexi has some heavy scars from whatever accident sidelined her at the CIA. They cover just a bit of her face, but almost a third of her neck and down to her collarbone. In spite of that, I think she's still a stunning woman, and I still wish she was bisexual, because I would do her in a heartbeat, but she only likes men. I know, because we fooled around together freshmen year, and the next morning, we woke up with very different perspectives on it. It's never gotten in the way of our friendship, though, so you don't have to worry there." "Scars only add character, they never remove it," Andy said, quoting a line from one of his books. "They're a point in her favor, not against it." Jenny's smile widened a bit more at that, as if she was proud of Andy for saying it. "That's how I feel too. She was pretty adventurous sexually in college, so I don't think there would be any deal breakers between the two of you there. The two red flags I feel obligated to bring up are these. First, she has a bit of PTSD, so she can tend to be a little jumpy from time to time, and likes to keep as much of her life as she can to routine, because it helps her feel organized about all of it. I don't worry about her having a full breakdown, but she gets stressed by firecrackers on the fourth of July, so there's clearly some strain still going on there." "I think New Eden is about as far from a warzone as you can get, Jenny." "Sure, but we won't be locked in here forever, sir. And your family already includes two women who are actresses known to love doing action films, so if you go to visit them on sets, you'll need to be aware of Lexi's elevated stress levels when you do." "That's entirely manageable," Andy said. "What's the other red flag?" Jenny frowned a little bit, looked to Ash, who nodded, then looked back to Andy. "The other red flag is that I suspect she's going to want more than a staff relationship with you at some point. I don't know that for certain, but Lexi is a diehard romantic, and when she finds out that so many men have died, it's going to hit her very hard, because she's always dreamed of having her own prince charming, someone who will love her for her, through thick and thin. I think she'll be able to get past the idea of sharing you with lots of other women, I think she'll be okay with you dividing your time or having multiple people in your bed, but I think she's going to want to forge that emotional connection with you like your partners do, and that's more than what you asked us for in terms of suggesting staff. She will absolutely be the best bodyguard you could ask for, and I don't think there's a better driver I know. But the terms Ash laid down were pretty clear,  staff should only recommend staff, not partners, and I think Lexi might well end up being both, so I'm hoping that's okay." "As I told ya when you pitched her t' me, Jenny," Ash said, "sometimes exceptions have to be made for exceptional people, and Lexi seems like a hell of an accomplished and talented woman. If Andy's okay with it, the rest of the house will be okay with it." Andy smirked a little bit. "No pressure or anything, but it's fine. And you're right, I hadn't been thinking about how much my health impacted so many people until right now, so it's important that I give that consideration. She seems like a lovely woman, and you speak of her very fondly, so while I'm not making any final decisions until I've heard from everyone, I think you wouldn't be wasting your time if you wanted to start crafting a video invite for Lexi." Jenny jumped up and ran around the table to hug Andy tightly, crying a little bit. "Thank you so much, sir. When I talked to her on the phone last week, she told me how much she wished she could meet a nice man just like you, so I just know she'll say yes. I already know she thinks you're cute." "Don't tell anyone else about this, though," Ash said. "All the staff decisions are being made independently from the family member ones, and while I know all the girls were rooting for Lexi to be brought here in some regard, not a word to anyone, not even Katie, until it's final, yeah?" Jenny pulled back and wiped the tears from her face, nodding so quickly Andy was afraid her head would roll off. "Yes. Got it. Very clear. Understood, ma'am. Sir. And thanks again." The portly girl made her way out of the room without even remembering to push the button to advance the screen to the next person, leaving Andy and Ash alone in the room. "Okay, Mr. Rook," Ash said to him, "five minute break. Stand up, walk around, stretch a bit. I'd ask if you wanted to squeeze in a quick shag, but I had me turn yesterday, so I'm good to wait a few more days. Wouldn't want to deprive some of the other girls of getting their itches scratched." Andy stood up, pulling one arm behind his head, then the other, stretching out. "Four presentations down, eight to go,” Chapter 25 After a handful of minutes stretching, Ash sent a text message for the next girl to make her way up. Andy had turned his notes over so that Aisling couldn't look at them, and he smirked a little, noticing her frowning at the back of the legal pad. "You said you didn't want to influence my decision, so I don't know why you should want to look at my notes, Ash." They had built a wonderfully natural teasing rapport with each other over the past few months, so Aisling knew he was joking with her, but was willing to roll with him. She grinned up as she reached across the table to push the button and advance the slide. "Next: Katie." The redhead moved to sit back in her chair, and shrugged in his direction. "I'm mostly just curious how you're reacting to what you've heard so far, and how your opinions differ from mine, which I'm sure they will, here and there. I've heard all these pitches a couple of times, so it'll be interesting to see how many predictions I get right." "Did you write them down?" "Well, no," Ash said. Andy grabbed his yellow legal pad and ripped out a single sheet from the bottom of it, sliding it and his pen across to her. "Alright, predictions then. Write them down now. Don't show them to me, but fold up the paper when you're done. We can have whoever's after Katie bring us an envelope to seal it up. Just around the time that Aisling was folding up the sheet of paper, Katie walked into the room, confident in her stride. Andy cocked his head to one side as she walked in the room. The Hispanic woman was, as it seemed she always was, wearing a button up shirt underneath jean overalls. "Do you own other clothes besides overalls, Katie?" he asked her. She stuck her tongue out at him, which made Ash giggle again. "I can be girly and shit, sir, but I mostly keep that for Jenny. How're the presentations going so far?" "You know the rules, Katie," Aisling politely scolded, "no talking about anyone else's pitch until the very end." Katie winked at her, shrugging a little. After Andy had settled her nerves about keeping a level of removal between him and her and her wife, Katie had relaxed massively and grown into a more comfortable relationship with the rest of the house. "Had to try. Anyway, let's get this fucking show on the road!" She grabbed the remote in her calloused hand and clicked the button as the screen behind her changed to an image of a slightly matronly looking woman in her early 40s, dark chocolate hair up in a bun, skin just slightly olive, some mix of European heritage that surely had to include either Italian or Spanish. The woman on screen wasn't overweight, but was certainly the most bulky woman that had been on the screen thus far, not fat, simply hefty. "This is Doctor Morgan Fitch. She's a general practitioner in Los Altos who also dabbles in pediatrics. In talking with everyone in the house, it's clear at some point, you are going to be in dire need of a nanny around this place, and having one who's also a damn doctor just seems like smart thinking to me. By this time in a couple of years, this house is practically gonna be a little city, so you need to make sure all the major staples are taken care of. Some of the girls will wanna be full time mommies, no doubt, but for the rest, you're going to want to have child care. If you need that anyway, why not have that person be a doctor?" "How do you know Dr. Fitch?" Andy asked. Katie blanched a little bit. "She's kinda an ex of mine." She raised her hand immediately, a sheepish smile on her face. "We didn't part on bad terms, promise! At the end of the day, she was into the whole polyamory thing, and I wasn't, so we split, but remained good friends. That was five years ago, just before I met Jenny, so it all worked out okay in the end. She's had relationships on and off since then, but nothing's stuck. She's mostly a lesbian, but doesn't mind the occasional bit of cock here and there, so I think she might be a good fit for a staff member. She once told me that she likes to fuck men, but never gets emotionally attached to them the way she does to women, and what with her being staff, she'd be okay to pursue a female partner to take care of her emotional needs." "What makes you think she'll want to join the household?" Ash queried. "Morgan loves constantly shifting problems, and this house is like nothing I've ever seen before. Even before you start spawning, you're gonna need a doctor to make sure your family is in the best condition possible. Until you're having kids, she can staff a clinic in town on a volunteer basis, so she's getting settled here in the mean time. She's bored with the people in Los Altos, and we've always been good friends, so I think knowing I'm here would make her more likely to come aboard." "Challenges you anticipate?" he said. "She'd be the oldest person in the house at 46, but I think it gives her wisdom. Also, you might find her a bit, blunt, until you get used to her." "How blunt?" Katie tried to hide a little smile, shrugging, as she pushed the button to advance the slide to a screen reading "Next: Lauren" in friendly white letters. "Subtle she ain't, sir. I have never met anyone more direct in my life. I've always been a little thankful that she wasn't my doctor, because her bedside manner is more than a bit lacking. But sometimes you need someone to just slap you upside the head. Sir. We all do. Morgan would fill that role. And if she ever gets too blunt for your liking, you can tell her, and maybe she'll dial it down a little bit, or realize that she might've once gone too far. She's direct, but she's never intentionally mean. And even if you don't think Morgan's a good fit for here, and I can completely respect that if that's what you decide, I still want to stress that you're going to be in dire need of a nanny here at some point soon, so to keep that in mind moving forward." "Point taken and noted, Katie. Anything else you wanna say?" Katie brought her finger to her lips, considering for a moment, then slowly stood up. "Just one thing. I know Jenny brought you her old roommate Lexi as a candidate, and I want to throw my weight behind that, even if it's at the cost of my own candidate. I would've not pitched someone else if I could've pitched Lexi twice, y'know what I mean? Lexi's had a shitty go of it and I desperately want her to be happy, and I really think she can be here." Andy chuckled a little. "Unorthodox, but sure, I'll keep it under advisement. Alexis did seem like an excellent candidate, so we'll see how it goes." "Thanks sir! Enjoy the rest of the cunt parade!" she laughed, heading out of the room. Ash shook her head at him with a smile. "I have no idea how you can be such a good poker player with a poker face like that." He grinned, giving her a saucy wink. "It's easier when you don't give a shit about your opponents. This is family, so I don't have to stay so stoic. Besides, I know Jenny and Katie are close, so it's okay to let them share a little secret on my behalf." "Oh we've all got our little secrets, Andy. If you're nice, maybe I'll even let you in on one eventually." He tsked her in jest, waggling a finger in her direction. "My girls are keeping secrets from me? Heaven forbid, what next?" "What's next is Lauren, and frankly, I will probably be spending this entire presentation with my hand over my mouth, desperately trying to stay quiet, and likely failing miserably." Aisling had a strange grin on her face that told Andy this next one might be a little unusual. He didn't have long to consider it, though, as the door opened and the statuesque Lauren strode into the room decked out in a workout track suit with the 49ers logo on it. "Hey Andy, Ash. Thanks for letting all of us do this. I can't tell ya if I'm presenting my candidate to you on a lark, because I think she's actually a good idea or because of the girl herself. Maybe some combination of all three. So let me just get right down to brass tacks," the Aussie said, as she moved to sit down across from them. She picked up the remote and clicked the button as the screen sprung to life. On the screen was an image of a 49ers cheerleader, a fit woman with a large blonde mane of hair like sun dried grass, bubblegum pink lipstick and a smile that was so wide Andy wondered if it hurt when she finally let her face relax. She was pretty in a sort of pageant kind of way, although he suspected she didn't look quite so forced in regular photos that weren't taken from the 49ers website. "This is Jade Dillon. She's been a cheerleader for the 49ers for about three years now, and is literally the most optimistic person I have ever met in my entire life. She is bubbly and chipper and all smiles even at the worst of times. When the pandemic set in, she sent the entire 49ers organization an email reminding them that adversity is simply opportunity in disguise. No lie, Andy, she is completely unflappable in every way possible. She's, she's like a golden retriever in a person! Peppy and enthusiastic and always full of confidence." Andy looked over and saw that Ash had, indeed, both of her hands over her mouth, trying to hold in her desire to laugh, but he could still hear tiny giggles threatening to escape. He looked back to Lauren, a slightly quizzical expression on his face. "I can't tell if you admire her for that or if it drives you crazy." "Both!" Lauren said, throwing up her hands, laughing at herself. "It's infuriating! Even when she was kneeling in protest alongside Colin Kaepernick, she was still smiling about it. I don't know what to do with her! I mean, I get it. She's a kindergarten teacher as her day job, so pennies on the dollar that's what helps her keep all that energy up, but strewth, I just don't know how she does it! I mean, she comes from money, so I imagine that's gotta help." "Oh yeah?" The tall blonde tanned Aussie nodded, pushing the button to show Jade in a more normal setting, in an evening dress standing next to an older gentleman who Andy knew he'd seen somewhere before. "Her daddy is Cormack Dillon, one of the cofounders of Bindr, that teleconferencing tool everyone's using these days, but she's sort of tried to distance herself from 'er daddy over the last few years. An', in a 'ain't it a small world' moment, Cormack Dillon was the guy Katie used to work for before she came here, so she and Jade know one another already." "I could've asked Katie about her then," Andy lamented. "Shame she was just here." Jade looked much more lovely without the pancake makeup, her blonde hair a waterfall of curls, although Andy was also taken aback for a moment, reflexively trying to estimate how much that necklace she was wearing must have cost. After a second, Andy recognized where the photo was taken “ at the prestigious Palace of Fine Arts, where every year the Silicon Valley elite held their own private high end gala. Lauren pushed the button again and the image changed to Jade in more casual clothes, sitting with a handful of other girls in some sidewalk cafe overlooking the Pacific ocean. She had to be under thirty. There was no denying she was fit and lovely, although Andy did wonder if growing up steeped in money had warped her in some way. "Well, you kin ask her before make your mind up. She might have some things to say to sway your mind one way or another, but I simply gotta tell you this one thing, because it is first and foremost the reason I want to bring her to you,” Aisling looked like she was ready to turn blue, trying to hold in her breath and her laughter, her face scrunched up, actual tears rolling down her cheeks, all to Andy's confusion. Lauren pushed the button again and the photo zoomed in, showing just Jade now, laughing and smiling. "Jade Dillion,” She pushed the button again and the image of Jade suddenly had a very large cartoon cherry resting on top of her head. "...is an honest to god twenty six year old virgin." At that, Aisling couldn't help herself, and started laughing furiously, which only made Lauren grin even wider as Andy kept looking between the two of them, wondering desperately if they were putting him on. "It's not for religious reasons, an' it's not something she goes out of her way ta advertise, hell, I doubt very many people even know that she's cherry. But I went out drinking with her and the rest of the Gold Rush girls one night after an away game, and Jade got pretty hammered so I had to help her back to her hotel room. And when I was holding her hair back while she chundered in the dunny, she told me that she'd never lost her virginity, and that boys suck, and sh

In this inspiring episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we set sail with Dr. Sheridan Lathe, aka Dr. Sheddy — a wildlife veterinarian, sailor, YouTuber, and passionate advocate for both animal and human wellness. After years of working with domestic and exotic animals in Australia and rescuing bears in China, Dr. Sheddy took her expertise to the seas. Now based on her 37ft sailboat Chuffed, she delivers free veterinary care to animals in remote coastal communities across Central America and Mexico — reaching places where traditional care simply doesn't exist. She funds her work independently through Patreon and YouTube while living full-time on the water with her partner Jim. In 2024 alone, Vet Tails helped over 450 animals across 13 communities, offering everything from vaccinations to life-saving surgeries. From sailing storms to working on polar bear rescues, dealing with typhoid, and building a life outside of convention — Dr. Sheddy is redefining what it means to live a life of purpose and impact. If you've ever dreamed of combining adventure, service, and personal freedom — this episode is for you.  Tune in to hear her story, the lessons she's learned, and how you can support her mission — or maybe even start your own.  New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time)! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women pushing boundaries.  Do you want to support the Tough Girl Mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media in the world of adventure and physical challenges? Support via Patreon! Join me in making a difference by signing up here: www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.  Your support makes a difference.  Thank you x Show notes Dr Sheddy Veterinarian and living on her sailboat in Mexico Delivery veterinary care to remote communities  Growing up in a small beach town in rural Australia  Having an affinity for animals Wanting to be a vet from a young age  Vet school in Australia  Graduating high school at 17 Becoming a vet at 23 Being interested in birds Wanting to specialist in the animals that no one else is seeing Wanting to focus on exotic animals Getting into sailing later on  ‘Chuffed' the boat 37ft mono hull, only 8 boats, made in 1990 Paying for everything Patreon and YouTube  Funding via social media  Animals on the boat Working with local veterinarians Sailing over the past few years Sailing for 8 months of the year Doing a major refit of the boat which took 2 years Buying the boat in Panama  Meeting her partner - Jim The covid years Working on a Polar Bear! (Mixed with a bit of grizzly - a golden bear!) Living and working in China at a bear rescue centre Where to next? Working with local communities and setting up a longer term solution Work life balance  Working at a rural town in Australia  Starting off as a new vet and the hours worked…. Superhero culture Moral injury Giving the best care available  Eating animals Getting typhoid fever in Mexico Not being able to gain the weight back Heading to small remote islands Wifi and keeping connected  VHF Radio for emergency Starlink on boats and in remote communities  How to support the work Dr Sheddy is doing Final words of advice for other women who want to follow their passions and interests Wanting to live life on your terms Using a Purpose Venn diagram The plan for the next few years Dreaming big Wanting to expand    Social Media Website www.vettails.com Instagram @dr.sheddy_the.sailing.vet Patreon - www.patreon.com/ChuffedAdventures    

With over a decade of experience in Office and Industrial Real Estate Tenant/User Representation across Costa Rica and Central America, Alvaro has worked closely with leading multinational companies such as Roche, Microsoft, Penumbra, Pfizer, Auxis, DHL, and others with operations in the region.He has collaborated both within his global firm and alongside competing firms that lack a direct presence in these markets—always respecting the source of business and prioritizing strong, long-term broker-to-broker relationships, regardless of the CRE firm involved. His specialties include site selection, buyer representation, build-to-suit (BTS) projects, and lease negotiations, all with the goal of helping companies secure the right space to support their growth and operations.Recognized as a top producer in the region, he is actively expanding his network and building partnerships with brokers and companies interested in nearshoring to Costa Rica and Central America.Connect with Alvaro:LinkedIn: https://cr.linkedin.com/in/ajcortes--

Fundraising expert Lara Sepanski Pimentel, founder of OSA Philanthropy and former Peace Corps volunteer, joins me to unpack what makes a nonprofit—and any mission-driven venture—truly resilient. Drawing on field lessons from community-development work in rural Central America and a decade inside U.S. nonprofits, Lara explains why “capacity” — the people, processes, and systems behind the programs — must come before the next big grant push. In this conversation you'll learn: Peace Corps principles in practice – how asset-based thinking, local ownership, and radical resourcefulness translate into stronger donor relationships and staff culture. The “capacity first, cash second” framework – diagnostic steps to spot operational gaps before chasing new money. Fast vs. slow money – a pragmatic playbook for raising six figures quickly through warm individual donors while laying groundwork for longer-cycle institutional funding. Reframing the ask – shifting from “begging for help” to “offering investment” so donors see themselves as partners, not patrons. Running a location-independent consultancy – Lara's approach to managing global contractors, Zoom-first client work, and family life across continents. Nonprofit earthquake preparedness – why diversified revenue and data-driven dashboards are the new insurance policy in a volatile funding landscape. Rust Belt Startup · A Sustainable Fundraising Playbook for Non-Profits with Lara Sepanski Pimentel (Osa Philanthropy)

Rog is joined by Reynoso and Soltero of the Give N Go Podcast for Part 2 of our Gold Cup Preview. Together, they offer an insightful and energetic breakdown of the tournament's key contenders, standout players, and emerging dark horses. From Javier Aguirre's formidable Mexico to the polarizing presence of Miguel Herrera on Costa Rica's sidelines, and Panama's pursuit of a historic first title. The discussion spotlights rising talent throughout Central America and the Caribbean as well as winner and runner-up predictions.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Twelve years ago, few outside Latin America knew of Nayib Bukele, then the young mayor of a small town outside San Salvador. Today, the media-savvy Bukele proudly calls himself the "world's coolest dictator" as president of El Salvador. He and his Nuevas Ideas (New Ideas) party control all the levers of power. His regime has a horrendous human rights record, exemplified by the massive CECOT prison that has room to incarcerate 40,000 people. In April, Bukele was warmly welcomed into the Oval Office by President Trump, who lavishly praised the Latin American autocrat because of, not despite, his dictatorial excesses. In this episode, historian Gema Kloppe-Santamaria explains Bukele's meteoric political rise in a country once ravaged by civil war and gang violence. Gema Kloppe-Santamaria is a sociologist and historian specializing in violence and crime, focusing on Central America and Mexico. She is a Lecturer in Sociology at University College Cork and an Associate Research Professor of Latin American History at George Washington University.

She started hiking at the southern tip of South America and has made her way through Central America and Mexico. Now she's joining us from Montana! Please welcome Lucy Barnard to the podcast as she shares from her adventures and thousands of miles that she has hiked.

What if you’ve always wanted to live somewhere else? What if you did it, once, and you remember the freedom and the energy released by fresh places, by a different culture, a true restart. What if you’re looking at your post-work act and you’re thinking, would the pressure be less? Would the joy be multiplied? Would my dollar go further? Would my wanderlust be sated. If I… lived somewhere else. What would it be like? Would you be lonely? Would you be safe? Would you feel like a new version of yourself? We’ve got someone we’d like you to meet. Maggie Lazarre is American. Three years ago she moved, alone, to Panama, in Central America, and she was so bombarded with questions of how she did it - how she retired alone to another country, that she started a community called Single Women Retiring Abroad. Whether you’re single or not, and wherever you might be dreaming about heading off to when you don’t have to go to work every day, you’re going to like Maggie’s energy and honesty. Her stories of what’s working, what’s not, what she loves about her choice, what she’d do differently… Learn more about Aware Super here. To follow Maggie’s work, Single Women Retiring Overseas, start here. For more info about retiring overseas: https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/before-you-go/activities/retiring-overseas https://nationalseniors.com.au/news/latest-news/what-to-know-before-you-retire-overseas THE END BITS: Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au Follow us on Instagram @MidbyMamamia or sign up to the MID newsletter, dropping weekly here. Mamamia's new podcast BIZ is rewriting the rules of work with no generic advice - just real strategies from women who've actually been there. Listen here. CREDITS: Host: Holly Wainwright Executive Producer: Naima Brown Producer: Tahli Blackman Audio Producer: Jacob Round Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FIFA VP and CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani live in-studio!GUEST: Victor Montagliani, Vice President of the FIFA Council and President of CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football) B.C outsources ferry construction to China: risky or practical? GUEST: Richard Zussman, Global B.C Legislative Reporter  Another extortion attempt on a South Asian businessman in Surrey GUEST: Staff Sgt. Lindsay Houghton, Senior Media Relations Officer for the Surrey Police Service  Will B.C take further steps towards more municipal oversight?GUEST: Ravi Kahlon, B.C's Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephanie Malakie, founder of Empress Travel Club, discusses a business model that's gaining serious traction in the luxury travel world: memberships! The same concept behind your favorite wine club or go-to subscription service is now helping travel advisors lock in dream clients and keep them for the long haul. Stephanie shares why today's ultra-wealthy travelers are craving more than just beautiful vacations. They're looking for trusted partners who get them, know their preferences before they say a word, and can pull off flawless, one-of-a-kind experiences all year long. You'll hear the magic behind her high-touch approach, how she structures her membership model without overcommitting, and how to grow your client base through authentic relationships and high-value referrals. If you're curious about adding more exclusivity, ease, and long-game strategy to your business, this episode is a must-listen! Connect with Stephanie Malakie: Growing up on the west coast of Canada with a family who loved to travel, Stephanie developed an appreciation for international destinations from a young age. Her early adventures to places like Egypt, Europe, Central America, and Asia ignited her passion for exploring the world. After completing her degree in Business Management from the University of British Columbia in Canada and the University of Melbourne in Australia, Stephanie moved to Hawaii. There, she joined a management program at Four Seasons Resorts, working across various operational hotel management roles. She eventually managed a VIP client program for years before transitioning to a luxury travel agency and concierge firm. After gaining further experience in the industry, Stephanie founded Empress - a company catering to discerning clients looking for seamless, unique and luxurious travel experiences across the globe. She is based in Kona, Hawaii leading a team that spans from Hawaii to Portugal, allowing Empress to provide 24 hour client coverage. empresstravelclub.com Today we will cover: (02:55) Stephanie's background; building Empress Travel Club (08:10) The psychology behind membership models (14:35) Why luxury clients are drawn to membership models (22:30) Structuring a membership model; pricing and services (32:40) Navigating the points game (40:00) Project management systems and tools; building a strong team (47:45) Handling high-stakes situations (53:40) Tips for positioning yourself in front of ultra-high-net-worth clients → SOP TEMPLATE & CHECKLIST Consider this your secret weapon for creating clear, step-by-step processes that eliminate guesswork, save time, and make delegation effortless. JOIN THE NICHE COMMUNITY An interactive membership for travel advisors wanting the community, education, & support to grow their business. VISIT THE TEMPLATE SHOP Create an enjoyable booking experience for every one of your travel clients. EXPLORE THE PROGRAMS Self-paced style courses for the modern travel advisor. FOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM @TiqueHQ

At just 27, Richard Blank took a leap that would shape the rest of his life — relocating to Costa Rica to train over 5,000 employees at one of San Jose's largest call centers. That bold move sparked a journey filled with unexpected turns, cultural challenges, and remarkable growth. Today, Richard is the CEO of Costa Rica's Call Center (CCC), a company he founded in 2008. With a background in communication and Spanish from the University of Arizona — and a language proficiency certificate from the University of Sevilla — Richard combines motivational leadership with tactical communication strategies to empower his team. Over the years, he's personally trained more than 10,000 bilingual telemarketers. Beyond the headset and call metrics, Richard brings a unique twist to company culture: gamification. CCC boasts the largest private collection of restored American pinball machines and Rock-Ola jukeboxes in Central America — a reflection of his belief that fun, connection, and shared experiences are key to building strong teams. A passionate mentor and educator, Richard is also a keynote speaker and scholarship donor at his alma mater, Abington Senior High School, where he supports students pursuing world languages at the university level. This episode is packed with insight on leadership, resilience, and how culture can transform performance. You can learn more about Richard and his Costa Rican call center on their website: https://costaricascallcenter.com/en/costa-ricas-call-center-2/. While you're there, check out the Gallery and images of the Arcade with some of Richard's antique pinball machines and jukeboxes. You can also connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/costaricascallcenter/ ******************************************** Want to learn how to attract, hire, and retain top-tier employees? Interested in learning how to scale your business to increase revenue and profit while working less? Then join my Business Success Mastermind group. A new cohort is starting. Now accepting applications: https://ib4e-coaching.com/mastermind ******************************************** Please support this podcast: https://ib4e-coaching.com/podinfo #leadership #leadershipcoaching #business #success #clarity #richardblank #costarica #callcenter #culture #gamification #ib4ecoaching ******************************************** If you like this podcast, consider supporting the effort. Every little bit helps. Thanks.

The US has condemned a decision by the British government, alongside Canada, Norway, New Zealand and Australia, to sanction two far-right Israeli cabinet ministers. Foreign Minister David Lammy says Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich will both be banned from entering the UK and will have any assets in the UK frozen over "repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian communities". The US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, told this programme that the move was ill-timed and said the US would respond appropriately to what he described as an incredible overreach.A second night of rioting has erupted in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. Last night a peaceful protest turned violent after the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl. Earlier on Monday, two teenage boys appeared before Coleraine Magistrates' Court. They spoke through an interpreter in Romanian to confirm their names and ages.And Greenland's national football team has expressed disappointment after being rejected from competing in Concacaf, which governs North and Central America and the Caribbean. We hear from the team captain.

Thanks to Trech for suggesting this week's topic, the red-eyed tree frog! Further reading: Tadpoles hatch in seconds to escape predator The colorful red-eyed tree frog [photo by Geoff Gallice]: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I'm your host, Kate Shaw. This week we're going to have a short little episode about a little frog, suggested by Trech. The frog in question is the red-eyed tree frog, which is native to Central America, including parts of Mexico, and northwestern South America. It lives in forests, always around water. You might be thinking, “of course, frogs live in water,” but remember that this is a tree frog. It lives in trees. But it still needs water for its babies, just not quite in the way most frogs do. Before we learn about that, let's learn about the frog itself. A big female can grow about 3 inches long, or 7.5 cm, while males are smaller. It's a cute frog, of course, because frogs are always cute, but it's also brightly colored. It's bright green with red eyes, blue and yellow stripes on its sides, and orange feet. Ordinarily, a frog with such bright colors would warn potential predators that it's toxic, but the red-eyed tree frog isn't toxic at all. Its bright colors have a different purpose. When it's sitting on a leaf, the bright colors are hidden and only the frog's smooth green back is showing, which makes it look like just another leaf. Only its eyes are bright, but it closes its eyes when it's resting. But if a predator approaches, the frog opens its eyes suddenly and jumps up, revealing all those bright colors. The predator is startled, and maybe even hesitates because it thinks the frog might be toxic, and by the time the predator decides it should try eating the frog after all, the frog is long gone. Oh, and if you're wondering, the red-eyed tree frog can see through its eyelids. They're actually not eyelids like we have, but a membrane that it can move over its eyes. The frog is nocturnal and eats insects like mosquitoes, crickets, and moths. It has a good sense of smell, which helps it find insects in the dark. The tree frog also has suction cups on its toes that help it stay put on smooth leaves. During the day it sticks itself to the underside of a leaf to sleep where it's more hidden. The female also lays her eggs on the underside of a leaf. This protects them from heavy rain, since the frogs breed during the rainy season, and it also helps hide them from predators. The female chooses a leaf that's growing above water, and if the leaf isn't very big she'll lay eggs on both sides of it and fold the leaf to help hide all the eggs. The eggs stick to the leaf with a type of jelly that also helps keep them from drying out. The eggs hatch in about a week, but they can hatch a few days early if a predator approaches. The embryonic tadpoles in their eggs can sense vibrations, and if a predator like a snake shakes the leaf as it approaches the eggs, the tadpoles can hatch within seconds. They drop straight down into the water below the leaf. Hatching early when in danger is called phenotypic plasticity, and it's really rare. It's especially unusual because the embryonic tadpoles can actually tell the difference between a typical predator of frog eggs and vibrations caused by other animals or the wind. They can hatch so quickly because the stress reaction causes the pre-tadpoles to secrete an enzyme from their little noses, which weakens the egg wall and allows them to push and wiggle their way out. Tadpoles stay in the water for several weeks, or sometimes several months depending on conditions, during which time they eat algae and other tiny food in the water. As they grow bigger, the tadpoles can eat bigger food, including other tadpoles. They switch to tiny insects after they metamorphose into froglets. At some point during its development, a red-eyed tree frog needs to eat enough food containing carotenoids in order to develop...

We've been to a lot of Central American countries, but Panama might have surprised us the most. In this episode, we break down our three weeks exploring everything from Boquete's coffee farms to Panama City's impressive skyline. We talk about why most overlanders rush through this country (and why they shouldn't), the uncomfortable social dynamics we witnessed, and how Panama compares to Costa Rica. Plus, we share the story of accidentally walking into the Panamanian president's house and why Chris thinks the food here is ten times better than anywhere else in Central America.

Most folks know the Clint Eastwood movie, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Well this is The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly in population trends among species of waterfowl through time. Why do some species populations do well (The Good), why do some species cycle so strongly (The Bad), and why did some species populations tank and then never recover (The Ugly). First and foremost, we live on an amazing continent with a diversity of waterfowl species to pursue, harvest, and eat. From Canada to the US, and into Central America and beyond, our waterfowl are a conservation success story. We should be thankful for that. Period. But what makes some waterfowl species populations grow, others decline but rebound, and others tank. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. DrMike again digs deep into these data to talk waterfowl population trends through time.

In this episode, we feature a conversation with international mediator Julian Portilla. For the past three years, Julian has been one of the instructors of our successful Winter Term class at the college, “Conflict Transformation Skills.” A graduate of Vassar College and George Mason University, Julian works with international organizations and local communities on environmental and social issues. He previously served as director of the Master's in Mediation program at the Woodbury Institute at Champlain College.   As a practitioner and teacher, Julian discusses both the personal and professional aspects of mediation and conflict transformation. Some of the themes the conversation: the role of family conflict and a bicultural upbringing in fostering perspective-taking skills how to work within diverse groups, not just bridging opposing sides de-escalation and harm reduction as initial steps in transformation the critical role of calm, perspective-taking, and an understanding that conflict can be useful   We mention two resources: 1.      Hector Black is one of the role models we suggest to students. His Moth Radio Hour talk is here. 2.      Paul Wehr and John Paul Lederach's model of insider and outsider mediators is discussed in their essay, “Mediating Conflict in Central America.” Journal of Peace Research, 28:1 (February 1991): 85–98.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.theflyingfrisby.comLet me quickly flag three things: * There is a short note at the end of this piece on the subject of bitcoin treasury companies, which I know is of interest to some of you. * We now have a video version of last week's thought piece about the housing market. * I am in Palm Springs, California, all next week. If any readers from that neck of the woods fancy meeting up, I'll be performing at the Punching Up Comedy Night with Adam Carolla, Thai Rivera and Lou Perez, and also doing various panels at Freedom Fest on gold and bitcoin. You should be able to find me via this QR code. Or send me an email or message.Right, gold … today we ask: Should you invest in gold collectibles?The gold at the Museo del Oro in Bogotá, Colombia, is one of the most stunning collections you will ever see – diadems, helmets and crowns, rings, necklaces and bracelets, beads and breastplates, even fishhooks and penis covers. The smiths of ancient South and Central America were quite brilliant artisans. The Spaniards who saw their work said Aztec goldsmiths were more skilled than their European counterparts.In Mexico, the conquistadors found life-size figures of men and women, great jars and pitchers, half pottery-half gold vases sculpted in relief with birds, animals and insects, and more. In Peru and Ecuador, the conquistadors found miniature gardens made of gold – earth of gold granules, gold cornstalks, and gold figures of men and llamas.Unfortunately, what sits in the Museo del Oro is just a fraction of what was made. The Spaniards valued bullion on weight alone, ascribing no value to art, beauty or workmanship. Most got melted down before being sent home. What they sent to their king intact got melted down once back in Europe. “What was being destroyed was more perfect than anything they enjoyed and possessed,” said a young priest travelling with the conquistador Francisco Pizarro.The conquistadors were by no means alone in this. It has happened repeatedly through history. Though gold may last, art made from gold rarely does. People always seem to melt it down. That should mean ancient gold workings should command an even higher premium for their antiquity, because they have survived the meltdown risk. But for some reason, it doesn't seem to work like that.You can't destroy gold, as I'm sure you know. It lasts forever and never loses its shine. It was present in the dust that formed the solar system, and sits in the Earth's crust today, just as it did when our planet was formed some 4.6 billion years ago.That means that little bit of gold you may be wearing on your finger or around your neck is actually older than the Earth itself. In fact, it is older than the solar system. Who knows? It might once have adorned a pharaoh or sat in a conquistador's treasure chest. Gold may be antique, but it's very rare that you get vast premiums for its antique value.Buying gold or silver? The dealer I use and recommend is the Pure Gold Company. Pricing is competitive, quality of service is high. They deliver to the UK, the US, Canada and Europe or you can store your gold with them. Find out more here.The gold coinage that never wasIf you buy a gold sovereign minted recently, you would typically pay £600 to £630. For a Victorian sovereign minted 150 years ago or more – which has the same gold content – you would pay £660 to £680. So, for all that history and antique value, you pay just 10%. Sovereigns are not uncommon. A billion are thought to have been struck. So you get little rarity value. But even so, you'd think you would get more of a premium.The main exception is the 1937 sovereign struck for Edward VIII. Since he abdicated a few weeks before the coins were struck, they were never circulated. They are often called the “coinage that never was”, and only a few were ever minted. One sold in 2020 for £1 million. That's quite the premium. But this is rare.About ten years ago, I picked up a Justinian solidus, minted in 600AD – the solidus was the dominant coin of the Mediterranean after the Roman aureus. I got it for a 20% premium to the spot value of the metal. And I bought it from a shop in W1, so I was paying the Mayfair premium too.An ingot recovered from the SS Central America, which famously sank off the Carolina coast in 1857 carrying Californian gold to New York (and triggered a financial panic because so much bullion was lost), recently went up for auction. It weighed 649 ounces, but it was only 21-carat gold (.875 purity). If melted down, you would have 568 ounces of pure gold, which, at today's price of $3,300 per ounce, would have a spot value of $1.9 million. It sold for $2.1 million, including the buyer's premium – little more than the spot value, in other words.Antique gold very rarely catches the huge premium you might think it deserves. Beware graded coinsUnscrupulous coin dealers will often try to flog you graded coins. If a dealer tells you that some recent sovereign, for example, is extremely rare, that it was one of the last coins minted under Queen Elizabeth II, or some such, and that it has been graded and has a special certificate and blah blah... and it therefore carries a huge premium, they are trying to pull a sly one.The reality is that the extra premium paid is almost impossible to claw back when you come to sell. In almost all cases, they are trying to rip you off. Don't pay a premium for graded coins.A dealer might buy a large stock of coins from the Royal Mint. Coins are often of a slightly different quality. Dealers then send them off and pay a small fee to get them graded according to their “Mint State”. The scale ranges from MS-60 to MS-70, with MS-70 being a perfect, flawless coin. They then charge a large premium for coins with high grades, even though they barely paid any premium when they bought the coins.The margins when dealing in gold are on the slim side – sometimes just a few percent. But if they get an additional premium for the rarity, that margin can rise to 100%. No wonder there are so many unscrupulous salesman trying to flog graded coins.Fractional coins – quarter or half sovereigns, for example – or older coins do trade at a higher (though not enormous) premium. These can trade for 15 - 20% above the spot value of the gold content. But you are likely to get that back when you sell.You are not buying gold to try and be clever and hope that your coin gets some kind of rarity value. In most cases, that will not happen. There are clever people who know this market better than you already playing this game. Don't get involved is my advice. Your priority is to get as much gold for your money as possible. You are buying gold to preserve purchasing power, not to lose it.This article was first published in MoneyWeek's magazine. Some developments in the bitcoin treasury company story - a new kid on the block

629. Chad Adams returns to the podcast to discuss his new novella, Rapacity. “A desolate young girl finds herself trapped in rising floodwaters after her little brother is tragically killed in a hit and run accident during a catastrophic hurricane. As she and her mother fight to overcome their grief and the wrath of the storm, her faceless assailant sits out of harm's way with callous disregard for their struggles.” “Born and raised in Southeast Louisiana, Chad Adams has a love for the outdoors that dates back to early childhood fishing trips with his dad along the state's beautiful gulf coast. His articles about duck hunting can be found in Louisiana Sportsman” (Amazon). Now available: Liberty in Louisiana: A Comedy. The oldest play about Louisiana, author James Workman wrote it as a celebration of the Louisiana Purchase. Now it is back in print for the first time in 221 years. Order your copy today! This week in Louisiana history. June 7. 1892. Homer Plessy is arrested for taking a seat on a train that was marked "Whites Only." This week in New Orleans history. On Tuesday, June 7, 1983, the B-52's performed aboard the S.S. President steamboat river cruise. The show began at 9 p.m. for a $12.00 admission. This week in Louisiana. The Audubon Zoo 6500 Magazine St. New Orleans, LA 70118 Open Thursday – Monday 10AM – 5PM Last entry at 4:30PM Closed Tuesday & Wednesday (800) 774-7394 Website World-renowned Audubon Zoo is a 58-acre beautifully landscaped setting in historic Uptown New Orleans with award-winning natural habitat exhibits and a wide variety of more than 1,700 striking, rare and endangered animals representing more than 350 species of Africa, Central America, the Louisiana Swamp, and more. This AZA-accredited Top 10 zoo provides an unforgettable and authentic New Orleans experience. Cool Zoo with a lazy river, water soakers and slides is open seasonally. Postcards from Louisiana. Louisiana Book Festival Band. Listen on Apple Podcasts. Listen on audible. Listen on Spotify. Listen on TuneIn. Listen on iHeartRadio. The Louisiana Anthology Home Page. Like us on Facebook. 

A century ago, a portal opened over Central America and giant monsters known as the Tetza came through, changing everything we knew. Now the world bends all its effort to build the Iron Kings — great mechs driven by pilots — that battle the Tetza in gladiatorial combat for humanity's continued survival. War has turned to sport. After a difficult first battle together, Anita begins to uncover and understand the unusual connection forming between herself and the experimental new Iron King, Dawnrunner. As the Tetza threat grows, Anita, Dawnrunner, and their secrets will become mankind's last hope. Are we doomed or will dramatic revelations push Anita and Dawnrunner to transcend into something new? News 00:45 Dawnrunner 8:05 Back Matter Matters 40:00 The Pull-List 44:25 Linktr.ee/tradewaiters Follow Us!

If you're wanting to see big change in your company, here's a question: are you willing to change, too? Gui Loureiro, regional CEO of Walmart for Canada, Chile, Mexico, and Central America, shares what it took to lead a digital and cultural overhaul at Walmart Mexico—and why he had to evolve as a leader to make it happen. This episode is a powerful reminder that the big transformations you want for your team and company will also mean some transformation for you personally.  You'll also learn: A powerful question to ask in meetings that'll keep your work customer focused Specific strategies that help your team feel valued How to shift to a more agile process for implementing ideas An insight you need to hear before your next career talk with your boss Take your learning further. Get proven leadership advice from these (free!) resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The How Leaders Lead App⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: A vast library of 90-second leadership lessons to stay sharp on the go  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Daily Insight Emails⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: One small (but powerful!) leadership principle to focus on each day Whichever you choose, you can be sure you'll get the trusted leadership advice you need to advance your career, develop your team, and grow your business.

Jacinda Fuller is an international educator and aspiring freelancer who's passionate about living life abroad. After spending three lovely years in Spain, she knew that living abroad was meant for her. Now based in Guatemala, Jacinda is enjoying the warm hospitality and Latin American culture. Cepee catches up with Jacinda, who speaks about why she left Spain, her temporary return to the US, and the teaching opportunity that led her to Central America.This conversation isn't just about changing countries; it's about Jacinda's journey of resilience, adapting to bureaucracy and cultural differences, and her plans to keep evolving her career as a long-term expat.In this episode:Why Jacinda returned to the US after three years as a language assistant in SpainHow Jacinda found a teaching job at an international school in GuatemalaHer favorite things about Spain and her new home of GuatemalaAdvice on overcoming challenges and fears when moving abroadAbout Jacinda:In her free time, she enjoys baking, exploring nature, and spending time with friends. Still figuring things out, always open to new experiences, and excited for whatever comes next.Connect with Jacinda on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/jacinda.fuller.9Mentioned in this episode: Creating the Change You Want to See in Your Life with Jacinda Fuller | Ep 46 Amisa (American International Schools in the Americas)THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR, INTERNATIONAL LIVING!

FREE THIS MONTH First published in 1871, Ancient America delivers the earliest comprehensive English‑language survey of North America's prehistoric past. Baldwin synthesizes scattered accounts—from the fluted‑point hunters of the Paleo‑Indian era to the monumental earthworks of the Mississippi‑Valley “Mound Builders,” and onward to the pyramidal cities of Mexico and Central America—into a single, lucid narrative....

Stacey Hollis (@stacebird) lives in Bocas del Toro, Panama. She has a background in field biology and now takes tourist on various eco-tours like snorkeling and birdwatching. Stacey is from the Washington D.C. area and carries a lifelong, innate passion for birds. This passion only increased as she grew up enough to begin to become aware of the sad fact that birds and ecosystems in general are threatened by human impact. The biodiversity, (specifically that of bird species) of the New World American Tropics is what lured her down into Central America and instantly gave her a clear idea of what she hoped for her future. We talk about Stacey's journey through field biology to becoming an eco-tour guide, birds, fish, coral, sponges, coral bleaching, the Ngöbe indigenous people and their struggle to survive, the underwater enviroment in Bocas del Toro, coral-reef ecology, symbiosis, mangrove habitats, French angelfish, peregrine falcons, and more. Photos and links can be found on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon 

In summer, the thick tangles of streamside vegetation in many canyons echo with an uncanny sound — the Yellow-breasted Chat. You may find it in willow thickets, brushy tangles, and other dense, understory habitats, usually at low to medium elevations around streams. The male Yellow-breasted Chat may sing all night during breeding season. The chat winters in Mexico and Central America.Support for this episode is provided by Sarah Merner and Craig McKibben from Seattle, Washington, and generous listeners around the world.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible. 

In This Episode:Join hosts Helen and Rob Bee as they chat with Anna Cass, the rising star who's taken the voiceover world by storm in just two years. Fresh from winning Best Newcomer at the One Voice Awards, Anna shares her inspiring journey from musical theatre performer to award-winning voice actor.This episode is perfect for aspiring voice actors and those curious about breaking into the industry. Anna's authentic insights into the realities of starting a VO career, combined with her infectious enthusiasm for the craft, make this a must-listen for anyone on their own voiceover journey.About Our Guest:Anna Cass is a voice actor from Hertfordshire now based in London, with a background in acting and musical theatre. Despite being relatively new to the industry, she's already made her mark by winning 'Best Newcomer of the Year' at the One Voice Awards in May 2024. When she's not behind the mic, Anna loves travelling (she's just returned from six months exploring South and Central America!), attending music festivals, and caring for her pet turtle, Squirtle.What We Covered:Anna's transition from musical theatre to voiceover work and what initially drew her to the industryThe VO heroes and inspirations that shaped her approach to voice actingHer experience of the voiceover community and how it's welcomed newcomersThe biggest challenges she's faced in her first two years in the businessWhat winning Best Newcomer at the One Voice Awards means to her careerHer long-term goals and where she sees herself in the next decadeThe genres and types of work that excite her mostHer biggest learning moments and "lightbulb" realisations so farHow she approaches skill development through coaching and practiceThe most surprising discoveries about the VO industryEssential advice for anyone considering a career in voiceoverWebsite - https://www.annacass.uk/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/annacassvoice/Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-cass-718a09b8/How to find Anna:Website - https://www.annacass.uk/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/annacassvoice/Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-cass-718a09b8/For more information about The Voiceover Social visit:⁠⁠The VO Social Website⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the VO Social Email List⁠⁠⁠⁠VO Social Events⁠⁠⁠⁠VO Social local groups⁠⁠⁠⁠VO Social Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠VO Social Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠VO Social LinkedIn⁠⁠ About B Double E:Rob Bee and Helen Bee run B Double E - together we help voiceovers to be seen and heard.⁠⁠B Double E website⁠⁠⁠⁠B Double E email list⁠⁠⁠⁠B Double E events⁠⁠⁠⁠B Double E blog⁠⁠⁠⁠B Double E services⁠⁠Podcast sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠B Double E⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Theme tune by Rob Bee.All audio production by Rob Bee.

This is the Testimony of Dumitry Duduman. He was brutally tortured protecting the work of the Lord, and God gave him a message for America. The Angel Gabriel told him, “The Fall of America will start with an internal revolution in America, started by the communists. Some of the people will start fighting against the government. The government will be busy with internal problems. Then, from the oceans, Russia, Cuba, Nicaragua, Central America, Mexico, and two other nations which I cannot remember, will attack! The Russians will bombard the nuclear missile silos and America will burn.” The nuclear missiles will land in California, Las Vegas, New York, and Florida.

This is the Testimony of Dumitry Duduman. He was brutally tortured protecting the work of the Lord, and God gave him a message for America. The Angel Gabriel told him, “The Fall of America will start with an internal revolution in America, started by the communists. Some of the people will start fighting against the government. The government will be busy with internal problems. Then, from the oceans, Russia, Cuba, Nicaragua, Central America, Mexico, and two other nations which I cannot remember, will attack! The Russians will bombard the nuclear missile silos and America will burn.” The nuclear missiles will land in California, Las Vegas, New York, and Florida.

A new regional alignment of in the Middle East, signalling a shift in power away from Iran's weakened Axis of Resistance. Moderate Sunnis now have friendly governments in Beirut, Damascus, and Baghdad, creating an “Axis of Cooperation.” Also: today's stories, including a look at current strains on and shortages faced by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); how USAID cuts have affected governments in Central America; and why some teachers are once again turning to blue books in the classroom. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins for today's news.

Discover powerful strategies to maximize your rental property returns and minimize costly vacancies. Learn how top investors are transforming their approach to property management, from tenant retention techniques to smart staffing solutions. Key Insights: Master the art of keeping great tenants and reducing turnover Understand when to scale your property management approach Explore innovative investment opportunities beyond traditional real estate Market Trends Spotlight: Rental demand is on the rise Emerging investment options offer unique wealth-building potential Strategic diversification is key to long-term financial success Explore alternative investment opportunities like sustainable teak forestry - a generational wealth strategy that offers: Low entry point Long-term growth potential International diversification Whether you're a seasoned investor or just starting out, these insights will help you make more informed, profitable real estate decisions. Resources: Learn more about the teak tree investment opportunity at Gremarketplace.com/teak Show Notes: GetRichEducation.com/555 For access to properties or free help with a GRE Investment Coach, start here: GREmarketplace.com GRE Free Investment Coaching: GREinvestmentcoach.com Get mortgage loans for investment property: RidgeLendingGroup.com or call 855-74-RIDGE  or e-mail: info@RidgeLendingGroup.com Invest with Freedom Family Investments.  You get paid first: Text FAMILY to 66866 Will you please leave a review for the show? I'd be grateful. Search “how to leave an Apple Podcasts review”  For advertising inquiries, visit: GetRichEducation.com/ad Best Financial Education: GetRichEducation.com Get our wealth-building newsletter free— text ‘GRE' to 66866 Our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/c/GetRichEducation Follow us on Instagram: @getricheducation Complete episode transcript:   Automatically Transcribed With Otter.ai    Keith Weinhold  0:01   Welcome to GRE. I'm your host. Keith Weinhold, learn how to reduce a giant operational expense that you'll have over time your tenant vacancy and turnover, including how many units you must own before you hire your own on site property manager as your employee. Whatever happened to agent commissions in light of last year's NAR settlement, then a timely update on teak tree investing today on Get Rich Education.   Mid South home buyers. I mean, they're total pros, with over two decades as the nation's highest rated turnkey provider. Their empathetic property managers use your ROI as their North Star. So it's no wonder that smart investors just keep lining up to get their completely renovated income properties like it's the newest iPhone. They're headquartered in Memphis and have globally attractive cash flows and A plus rating with the Better Business Bureau and now over 5000 houses renovated their zero markup on maintenance. Let that sink in, and they average a 98.9% occupancy rate, while their average renter stays more than three and a half years. Every home they offer has brand new components, a bumper to bumper, one year warranty, new 30 year roofs. And wait for it, a high quality renter. Remember that part and in an astounding price range, 100 to 180k I've personally toured their office and their properties in person in Memphis. Get to know Mid South. Enjoy cash flow from day one. Start yourself right now at mid southhomebuyers.com that's mid south homebuyers.com   You're listening to the show that has created more financial freedom than nearly any show in the world. This is get rich education.   Welcome to GRE from Manchester, New Hampshire to Manchester, England and across 188 nations worldwide, I'm Keith Weinhold, and you are back inside one of America's longest running and most listened to shows on real estate investing. This is get rich education. What's all that stuff really mean? I'm just another slack jawed and snaggletooth podcaster, a shaved mammal with a microphone. I'm joining you from here in London, England this week for the first time ever on the show. More on that later. Let's talk about reducing the biggest operational expense that you're ever going to have as a real estate investor, at least the one that you can exert a good measure of control over. That is reducing your tenant vacancy and turnover, that constant menace. Now, I suppose you might say that property tax is your biggest ongoing ops expense, but you've got less control over your property tax rate. So yeah, we're talking about increasing your net income by lowering your VIMTUM operating expenses. Vacancy is the V in that acronym. This is big because this can make or break your ability to have your property create positive cash flow and getting tenant turnover right both increases your income and reduces your expenses. It is springtime currently, and it's soon going to be summer, so it is the right time to talk about this. It's when there is more tenant turnover. The goal here is for you to really move the dial in increase the likelihood that your tenant is going to renew their lease. Now, sure if your tenant gets a new job out of town, they're going to move out. But if they're moving because of too many maintenance issues, well then that's something that you could have fixed. The average tenancy duration in the US over time is two to three years. And of course, that's going to be longer in single family rentals and shorter in apartments. And how long your tenant stays is driven by three factors, the price of your unit, the quality of your maintenance and the quality of your management. Let's say that your tenant moves out. To be conservative, that your vacancy period is two months between tenants. Okay, that's the turnover and the time to lease. It two months is a somewhat longish vacancy period. But come on, it happens sometimes, especially if you're going to make upgrades between tenancies and you're busy with other things in your life, if you have a move out every year at that rate, well, that is too often. That would amount. To a vacancy percentage of 14% you might think it's 17% but it isn't, because it's a 12 month vacancy plus two vacant months, all right, but if instead that tenant moves out every two years, that's just 8% vacancy, and every three years that's just 5% vacancy. Of course, if you keep your vacancy period to only one month rather than two, you can have all those numbers. You can really see how you are increasing your income by retaining the tenant. The most vital thing for you to keep in mind is that fast quality maintenance and good communication are by far the best forms of customer service that a property manager can provide, so prompt, quality maintenance. That's a retention strategy. Being a proactive helps. One strategy you can engage in is to reach out to the tenants two months before their lease is set to renew, and that's the time to give them the new lease price and ask them if they intend to stay. If they say, No, they're not, ask them why. And occasionally, you can sway them if there's been a misunderstanding in your relationship, for example, a lingering maintenance issue that hasn't been addressed, and perhaps they didn't bother to contact you about that, if nothing else, I think I mentioned this to you one time before offering a small reward, like a gift card helps. I mean, creating this sense of reciprocation is really one of the best retention tactics out there, even if the items being reciprocated aren't anywhere near equal value, like the value of a 12 month lease versus you giving them, say, a $50 gift card now, say you've tried those strategies, and none of that works, and your tenant does decide to leave, perhaps 45 days from now, but you know that you've got time in your life to turn over the unit now, and You know that you're going to be really busy with other things in 45 days. One thing that you can do then is shift your strategy to pay the tenant. Say you can pay them as little as 10 or 20 bucks a day to leave early. This way they'll vacate during a period where you've got the time to devote to the vacancy and the turnover and the showings to prospective new tenants, and that way, it's not going to linger vacant as long now, a technique like this is a little similar to an eviction, where if a tenant has violated their lease or becomes non paying, without you having to go through the length of Your court driven formal eviction process, you can pay them a lump sum to leave early. Hopefully that's not your situation, but that can come up. And I think you've heard of it before. This is known as the Cash for Keys strategy. That means to get a tenant that's made some violation against their lease, and you want to have them vacate the unit sooner. This means that you get the keys in your hand and the right to enter when you pay them to leave, rather than having to go through the not so fun eviction process and see a tenant wants to avoid a formal eviction as well, because that goes on their record, and then it can make it tough for that tenant to get rental housing elsewhere. But I dislike the Cash for Keys strategy in order to hold off from a formal eviction, because what that does is that rewards a person that violated a lease, although we know that that might also shorten your economic vacancy period, and it could actually be economically beneficial to you, Cash for Keys. It's just not ethical, though. I know it might be tempting for you, the landlord, the cash for key strategy. It rewards societally immoral behavior. Now, of course, you might be using a professional property manager that does all of this stuff for you, like I do today, but still, these are often the best practices for your manager. And I started out self managing, just like a lot of real estate investors do in the beginning, and that's where I learned strategies and techniques like this for reducing your tenant vacancy and turnover. Now, here's a really interesting question that you may not have had to ask yourself yet, but you may down the road, if you've grown your portfolio to a certain size and you're serious about reducing your vacancy and turnover expense, it might be time to ask yourself one big question, and that is for your management and maintenance. Should you use contractors, or should you start to hire your own employees? Now, if you have a small portfolio, it won't be enough work for you to keep an employee busy, so you should go with contract. Contractors. On the other hand, if you have an apartment complex with on site property management, I would definitely recommend having a make ready crew on site, because it's just so easy for them to get to and from a job site. Now, you should still maintain relationships with contractors as a backup, of course, and you should also have specialists like plumbers, electricians and HVAC people ready to call now, most investors are small and they use off site management, but if you grow big enough someday, or maybe it's two day, the important point about employees is that you really need to stay on them, because every extra hour costs you. You don't want anyone out there who's thinking that speed isn't essential, because they're like, ah, you know, I get paid by the hour. Contractors, on the other hand, they quote you or your manager a job up front. So while an extra day hurts because it's one more day you can't lease the unit, it hurts less than it does if you have your own employees. One problem with contractors is they often can't start right away, and this tends to be more true if you're self managing. See if you use a professional manager. They might have their own in house people so you can leverage their employees without having to manage employees yourself, even if your manager brings in an off site contractor, like an electrician or a plumber. Well, that contractor probably gets a lot of business from your property manager, and they have some sense of loyalty to your property manager, therefore, they're incentivized to show up on time faster than if you're trying to self manage, say, your small portfolio of five properties, and you or your tenant are the ones that call the electrician or the plumber. Well, those contractors are going to be less likely to prioritize you and your infrequent requests, and this is just another reason that I like to employ professional management and not self manage. Now, virtually no new real estate investor is going to hire their own employees, and most are never going to at all. All right, but how do you know? How would you know when it's time to hire your own property manager or your own contractor, and have them on your own payroll and you are their boss, if you've got under 20 to 30 units, all right, typically third party property management or self management with contractors, that's going to make more sense, because having a full time, dedicated employee, it's just not financially justifiable. Below 20 or 30 units, you're not going to be able to keep that employee busy. And I'm generally talking about if you have one apartment building here, or a bunch of single family rentals, only if they're in small, close proximity to each other. What about if you grow up to 30 to 60 units? All right now you're in a gray area. If the property is something that's pretty management intensive, like high turnover, or you own an older building, or you generate a lot of work orders, or you're in a challenging area. Well, at 30 to 60 units, you might justify a part time on site person. So how that could practically work in this 30 to 60 unit gray area, what you can do is have a resident manager that gets free rent, plus perhaps a small stipend from you. Okay, so that's a strategy that you can play in this gray area zone. That way they can be responsive to tenant requests, and you can keep your vacancy and turnover costs down. All right, how about when you're going even bigger and you reach 60 to 100 units. Now you're in the range where a full time on site manager or a maintenance person, starts to make financial and operational sense, because here it's 60 to 100 units. Your staffing model, it might be that you have one full time manager, they do the leasing, the tenant relations, in the admin stuff, and you'll also have a second person, a full time maintenance tech if they're needed, all right? And the final tier here, if you reach more than 100 units, oh, okay, now it is standard for you to have a full on site team. You could be in the hundreds of units. So we're talking about a property manager, a leasing agent, a maintenance lead, a groundskeeper and sometimes also a part time assistant manager. So that's it. That's the hierarchy of how, based on your portfolio size and where they're located, how you can serve tenants well and reduce your vacancy and turnover expense. Yes. All right now, what are some things that can shift those thresholds, those unit counts? Well, high rent or luxury buildings, they often need on site staff at a smaller unit count, very low rent or section eight properties, they may need more intensive oversight, buildings that have amenities, like some of these newer apartment buildings that have a pool and a gym, okay, that can trigger some more staffing needs. And if you own multiple properties that are nearby to each other, well, then you can share employees across those properties. And you've got to look at local labor costs in places like New York City, northeastern New Jersey, parts of New England, Miami or LA, those high cost places. Then breaking even on staffing. That probably takes a bigger property than those numbers that I talked about. But here, we tend to invest in those investor advantage areas, the inland northeast, the South, in the southeast, in the Midwest. Now, if you've got, say, even 50 smaller properties, but they're scattered all over the place, in multiple states, well then of course, you're not going to hire employees. A good general metric to leave you with here is that one on site employee for every 50 to 80 units that you own in the same area, that is common, that is a common industry practice in market rate multifamily apartments right now, these are pretty timeless strategies I've been talking about with you here.    As for what's happening in The market lately, I continue to slowly get more optimistic about the long beleaguered apartment market. A few weeks ago, I talked about how there's finally been greater apartment rent increases, although those rent increases are still historically low. What recently we learned that apartments are seeing a longer duration of tenancy and today, per real page, every single one of the 50 largest apartment markets has posted month over month occupancy gains, and then that's somewhat commensurate with what we're seeing on the one to four unit side, because the home ownership rate has fallen. It just fell from 65.7% down to 65.1 quarter over quarter. Now that doesn't sound like much, but that's actually a substantial drop in the home ownership rate in just one quarter. And fewer homeowners means more renters. So this basically means that the percent of Americans, renting has gone up because you just take the flip side of those numbers. So the rentership rate has essentially risen from 34.3 up to 34.9 in just one quarter. Something that completely makes sense, because we all know that home ownership affordability, especially for that first time, home buyer is lower, more renters. Is good for rental property owners. It's bringing more rental demand, more occupancy and more future pressure on rising rents. Now I want to follow up with you on a story from last year that made a lot of waves in the larger real estate world, but not so much for real estate investors. You surely remember this. That is the NAR settlement that a lot of people thought would result in lower real estate agent fees. Lowered commissions were coming. That's what everybody thought last year. Stories about that were all over the place that realtor fees are about to shrink. What's happened since then? Well, not much realtor fees, they still haven't fallen in any significant way, although the settlement was more than a year ago and this went into effect nine months ago. So to back up for a moment, in case you missed it, what happened is that a group of sellers accused the NAR, the National Association of Realtors, of inflating home costs by letting buyer side and seller side agents communicate about commission rates on the MLS home database, which only agents can see. And a jury agreed, so the NAR settled the lawsuit for over $400 million in damages, and it barred agents from sharing commission rates on those MLS databases. So that was a huge change that was expected to extinguish the globally high five to 6% realtor fee in the United States, because global averages are between one and 3% so as a result, the US real estate industry, they were bracing themselves for up to a 30% drop in the commissions that Americans pay annually in fees. But the new rules. Things have been nothing other than a big nothing burger. It only took a matter of weeks, really, for most agents to realize, you know, what did the agents do? They just simply moved their conversations off the NAR website and over to phone, text and email. That's it. Yes, that's all they did. So since that time, the average commission for buyers agents has barely budged. It ticked down less than 110 of 1% so for example, it ticked down less than 500 bucks on a 500k home that's per Redfin. So agents still expect sellers to pay five to 6% now I'm not against agents. Not only can an agent guide you through the process, what they can do is get you a higher sale price than they could have otherwise, because they really know how to market and advertise your property and reach a greater pool of buyers, but their commission rates have hardly budged. And of course, here at GRE marketplace, we typically use a direct model where agent compensation isn't priced into your properties anyway.    To review what you've learned so far today, being proactive can help reduce your tenant vacancy and turnover expense and increase your income. Prompt, quality maintenance, that is a retention strategy in itself, as can having one on site employee for every 50 to 80 apartment units. And one year later, changes at the NIR really haven't reduced aging commissions appreciably. I'm coming to you from London, England today, taking in all the top sites, Buckingham Palace and watching the changing of the guard over there, Big Ben a Thames river cruise and the London Bridge, which is actually called Tower Bridge. The real estate transaction that I'm currently involved in here is paying $550 a night to stay here at a nice hotel in the center of the city. It's right near the Thames, kind of a steep rate, and I sure didn't have to stay right in the city center, where everything is more pricey. But that's the experience that I want to have. Next week, I'll bring you the show from Edinburgh, Scotland, where I'll be paying even more for a well located hotel right on the Royal Mile, and I'll tell you how much more then I am here to boost their economies, I suppose more next, including a really timely update. I'm Keith Weinhold. You're listening to Episode 555, of get rich education.    The same place where I get my own mortgage loans is where you can get yours Ridge lending group NMLS, 42056, they provided our listeners with more loans than anyone because they specialize in income properties. They help you build a long term plan for growing your real estate empire with leverage. Start your pre qual and even chat with President Chaley Ridge personally while it's on your mind, start at Ridge lendinggroup.com. That's Ridge lendinggroup.com.    You know what's crazy? Your bank is getting rich off of you. The average savings account pays less than 1% it's like laughable. Meanwhile, if your money isn't making at least 4% you're losing to inflation. That's why I started putting my own money into the FFI liquidity fund. It's super simple. Your cash can pull in up to 8% returns and it compounds. It's not some high risk gamble like digital or AI stock trading. It's pretty low risk because they've got a 10 plus year track record of paying investors on time in full every time. I mean, I wouldn't be talking about it if I wasn't invested myself. You can invest as little as 25k and you keep earning until you decide you want your money back. No weird lockups or anything like that. So if you're like me and tired of your liquid funds just sitting there doing nothing. Check it out. Text family to 66866, to learn about freedom. Family investments, liquidity fund again. Text family to 66866.   Tom Wheelwright  24:21   this is Rich Dad advisor, Tom wheelwright. Listen to get rich education with Keith Weinhold, and don't quit your Daydream.   Keith Weinhold  24:37   Welcome back to Episode 555, of get rich Education. I'm your host, Keith Weinhold, with an episode number like 555, you would expect me to go deep with you on real estate pays five ways, but we did that five weeks ago on episode 550 with your audio masterclass right here on the show today, we're talking about something with less upside. Than say that or the inflation triple crown, and instead on reducing your downside, vacancy and turnover expense, next week here on the show, I expect to sit down with a guest that's a highly regarded financier and author of a fairly hot new finance book, Christopher Whelan, and next week's show could get really interesting, because I've heard Chris say something about how real estate prices could fall back to 2020 levels. In my opinion, that is so many levels of unlikely that happening is about as likely as your grocery bills falling back to 2020 levels. So we'll see it could turn into a debate next week with Christopher Whelan and I. He is a sharp, well informed guy that also used to work at the New York Fed. That's next week down the road, longtime and former co host of the real estate guys radio show, Russell gray will join us again here, and we'll see what he's been up to in his post real estate guys, radio life that's coming up in a few weeks. Lots of great future content here, monologs, yes, those slack jawed monologs For me, repeat guests and new guests joining in as well. Back to this week now, there's an intriguing and potentially lucrative investment that we've discussed on the show here before, and I do have a timely and crucial update about it. A little while back, I sat down with the teak operations principle when we were in New Orleans together. These are yes, those Panama teak tree plantations that so many of you have already invested in. Yes. So as it is here. I am an American in London today talking about teak trees in Panama and I interviewed our upcoming guest here when we were in New Orleans together, the teak investment has a long time horizon, because trees have to grow. There's also a low cost of entry and no loans available. This is a real estate investment. You can own the land with the title to it and the trees that grow on top of them. Historically, teak returns have been five and a half percent, which doesn't sound like much, but see it grows in board foot volume at the same time that the unit price grows. And if inflation runs high over the next 25 years, your return might be higher. But the reason that we're discussing this now is because the principal, Mike Cobb here meeting with me, he is going to mention a price, and this is key two weeks from today, on June 9, the price for the teak parcels increases substantially. I'll tell you about that shortly. So for GRE followers, you can get locked into the lower price for just two more weeks. Here's my chat from a little while back with the teak tree investment principle, and then I'll return to bring you more.    Hey, did you know that you can own a quarter acre parcel of a producing teak plantation, you own the title to the land, and you get the growth in the trees. On top of that, this is something that you can do as an investor. And teak trees are a valuable hardwood that you own, typically in Central America. So there's a very low cost of entry to this investment, and that's what attracts a lot of people to it. And I am with Mike Cobb, the CEO. He's also the author of the new book how to buy your home overseas and get it right the first time. But Mike, a lot of people are interested in the teak investment because it is so approachable. Tell us about it. Give us a general overview.   Mike Cobb  28:42   absolutely, you know, thanks for having me on. It's always nice to be with you. We're, we're having some fun here in New Orleans, which is terrific, you know, yeah, the teak plantation is something that I envisioned back in 1998 so what's that like 26 years ago? Right? And in 1999 we planted our very first 100 Acre teak plantation. Because what we thought about at the time, which has now proven true 25 years later, is that, you know, I was either going to need the money in 25 years and be really glad I did this, or I wasn't going to need the money in 25 years and I was going to be really glad I did this. You know what? I don't really need the money now, but I'm really glad I did this. And 25 years comes. And I think that's been really the challenge for a lot of people looking at teak. They're just like, ah, 25 years. It's too long, but 25 years comes. 25 years will come, and you can either have planted the trees and be ready to take this huge windfall of return, or you won't be getting a windfall return. So I think that's the challenge, the mental challenge, I think maybe an average investor has, but I know you work with superior investors because they're paying attention to what you're writing, they're watching your podcast, they're reading your newsletter. You have far superior investors than I would say, the average investor. So I think this is a great thing for folks to check out.   Keith Weinhold  30:00   All right, so you're talking about the investment timeline, from the time a tea tree seed is planted until the harvest time that can feel like quite a while. You have been doing this over 25 years, and that is key when you as an investor go offshore or go overseas to have trust in a stable company that's been around for a long time. That's why, really, you're one of the few people that I work with who are outside of the United States real estate like the teak trees.   Mike Cobb  30:25   Thank you. Yeah, we've been around for 31 years. I've been working in the region. 31 our development company is 28 years old. Our plantation is now 26 years old. 25 with the trees, but we bought the land 26 years ago. But the bottom line, you're right and and the other thing that we should care about. And you brought this up earlier, when we're kind of chatting, is country, what country are you planting trees in that you got to wait 25 years for them to mature and harvest? By the way, the Panama. By the way, Panama, and of all the countries in the region where I feel the most comfortable as an investor, Panama's yet, because Panama's got the canal. And I know people say, oh, yeah, that's right. It's a vital strategic US interest. It's a vital world interest. The Chinese care about it as much as we do. The Europeans care about it. Anybody who wants commerce to happen cares about that canal being open. And so you've got this country, Panama, that has the canal stable, economically stable, politically stable. And when starting to talk about 2550 7500, year time frames, because you own the land, you get the harvest in 25 years, you replant, and then your children get the next harvest, and your grandchildren get the next harvest. It is truly generational wealth. Stewardship   Keith Weinhold  31:41   Panama is a little bit like investing overseas with training wheels on their well developed, first Central American nation. They even use the United States dollars. They do is that familiar? Absolutely well. But as the investors thinking about investing in teak plantations, just tell us about the properties of teak wood, of all wood types. Why teak? Tell us about the value there.    Mike Cobb  32:00   Yeah, teak has been grown in plantations, starting with the British back about 400 years ago. And so you've got centuries of plantation growing of teak as a crop, right? And so you've got this incredible longevity of information and things like that. And I know some of the stats off the top of my head, since 1972 the average price of teak lumber has has risen about five and a half percent a year over a 52 year period. Talk about track record, centuries of growing as a crop, right? 52 years as a lumber commodity. Look, people been using it to make ships. Its hardness is its most valuable characteristic is an extremely hard wood. It's resistant to rot fungus, so it's used in outdoor furniture, for example, right? Some of the stuff on the Titanic they pulled up from the bottom of the ocean, you know, chairs made a teak, right? Teak. But ship builders fine furniture, outdoor furniture and and they're cutting teak down. This is so important, they are cutting teak down eight to 10 times faster than anybody in the world is replanting it. So just imagine what that does to supply and demand and prices based on just basic economics, right?   Keith Weinhold  33:13   Yeah, that is some scarcity. That is a really good point. Tell us about what you're surely interested in. What do the investor returns look like.   Mike Cobb  33:21   Yeah. So you know, to own one of these quarter acre parcels, by the way, you said it before you own the land, you get title to the land you own the trees. $6,880 that's your that's your entry. Gosh. So for less than $7,000 you own a quarter acre of teeth trees that in 25 years projected returns. We all projections right about $94,000 a little over $94,000 so 7000 turns into $90,000 over 25 years, harvest, plant the trees again, and in 25 years, your kids or your grandkids will get the next harvest, and so on and so on. It is a powerful generational wealth stewardship. In fact, right now we have what we call give the gift of teak because look, you know, you got kids, you got grandkids. What are you gonna get them? Right? I mean, they got everything they want, presumably, right? You buy them a teak parcel, right? Buy that kid, buy that grandkid, a teak parcel. What a cool idea. Oh my gosh, in 25 years, you might be gone, right, but they're gonna get this big windfall, and they're gonna thank grandma or grandpa, right for for thinking of them 25 years into the future?   Keith Weinhold  34:27   Yeah? Oh, I love that. And you're so proud about what you do. You regularly offer investor tour so that they come and see the teak. But maybe you know, for you, the investor, you're wondering, okay, if you're used to investing in us real estate, you might be making two leaps here. You'd be going from residential real estate to agricultural, and you'd also be investing in a nation outside your home country. And when it comes to those sort of questions, I think any savvy investor asks, okay, what are the risks involved with this investment? Can you tell us about that?   Mike Cobb  34:59   Yeah, sure. Look, you've got political risk, country risk, political risk, which, I think again, of all the countries in the region, Panama, dollar, economy, canal, safe, stable. So the political risk is minimal. It's there. It's real. You know, fire risk is an issue, right? Trees burn. The good thing about teak is that after about year three, they're up. And you keep them trimmed, trim all the low branches off. So fire risk really drops incredibly low after about year three or four. But ultimately, it's about professional management. We have a company called Heyo Forrestal that we hired 25 years ago, 26 years ago, actually, to help us find the land, do the analysis of the land, make sure it was good for teak. And when you hire professionals, you get professional results. I mean, we stayed with this company for 26 years now, and the guy that we met early on, a little forestry engineer, is now General Manager and partner in the business. So we've watched that business grow up alongside ours at the same time. Those relationships, you know, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers have a song you can't make old friends. So here we are with Jacobo and some of the Luis that we've worked with for, you know, 26 years, and the relationships matter, especially in that part of the world, but professionalism and professional management is the key, and you have that alongside the relationships. Both are important.   Keith Weinhold  36:20   yes. So we're talking about how the property manager is such an important part of your team, and you think about your single family homes or your apartment buildings. And Mike here is talking about the importance of professional management, because teak trees need a little management and pruning, and sometimes there are thinnings which can give you some income so that you don't have to wait 25 years. Correct another way in which you might not have to wait 25 years for the full harvest cycle is at times you can buy trees that are, say, already seven years old, so you can only be waiting 18 years, or that are teens, so you might only be waiting 10 years, or some things about that, those are some of the options. But Mike, before I ask you if you have any last word, if you want to learn more about this, get some information, learn more about it, and learn how to connect with Mike's team. He is one of our GRE marketplace providers, and he's the owner of that company. You can do that at gre marketplace.com/teak, any last thing someone should know about teak before they consider investing? Mike?    Mike Cobb  37:16   Yeah, well, two things you mentioned the tour. So we do run discovery tours. We have one coming up in January, end of January, two days, we go out to the plantation, the teenage teat plantation, by the way, oak, which is eight or nine more years to harvest. Then we're going to the sawmill, because all of our logs go through a sawmill to convert to lumber, which enhances the return to the investor.    Keith Weinhold  37:36   Do the teens sleep until noon? Or can we visit them   Mike Cobb  37:38   and then they're on their phones all day If we're gonna go visit them. We'll wake them up and, like, get on their phones. But here's, here's the last parting word. I think it's scary for a lot of people. It is scary. You're going overseas, you're outside of, you know, residential you're going into a new industry. You're going to a new country. The reason this works for so many people, over 1000 now, have done this, is it's such a small bite, $7,000 and if that's maybe one or 2% of your portfolio, what I hate to say, put it on the table and roll the dice, but you'll be happy you did. I'm happy I did. It's a small bite, but that international diversification is so important. And then you put it in something that's absolutely not correlated to the market. It's not correlated to us real estate. I mean, in 2008 to 2012 when real estate was dying in the US, our trees just kept growing. So non correlated, non US, right? And non residential. I think that's the reason you want to take a little tiny piece of your portfolio and put it overseas in something like teak.    Keith Weinhold  38:42   We know over the long term that it has grown in value 5.5% a year, but at the same time, it grows in volume, in the amount of board fees you're getting a crease, an increase in both unit value and volume. It's really growing a couple ways. At the same time, you've had over 1000 different individual investors invest in the teak now, several dozen, maybe even more than 100 of those have been you the get rich education follower. So again, thanks for joining me, Mike. If you want to learn more, start at gre marketplace.com/teak. I'm Keith Weinhold. I'll see you next time.    Yeah, good information from Mike there again for GRE followers, that 6880 price deadline is Monday, June 9, and then it goes to 8680, that is a 26% price increase, and this is because land and planting costs have skyrocketed. And you know, I have long wondered about when they were going to change that same lower price that they've had for a lot of years. The provider recently added a sawmill to convert logs to lumber, and that enhances investment returns. So when you inquire for more info, you can ask about that, and that could very well put them above the 94k per part. Possible projected payout. Teak, hardwood, it just has some amazing physical properties. It's not your run of the mill. Backyard. Maple, it is a real asset. Think of it as a forest that fights back against Fiat and the provider reputation and continuity are almost impeccable. They've even had the same forestry manager, yeah, sort of like a property manager for trees, because trees take things like prunings and thinnings, the same manager for all 26 years of the teak operation. In the future, I might join one of their teak investor tours in Panama, and if I do, I'll be sure to let you know so that we can meet up that might even be a GRE exclusive tour. What you really need to know now is that, again, the lower price is good until Monday, June 9, to get started or simply learn more, visit gre marketplace.com/teak, that's t, e, a, k, until next week, I'm your host. Keith Weinhold, don't quit your Daydream.   Unknown Speaker  41:10   Nothing on this show should be considered specific, personal or professional advice. Please consult an appropriate tax, legal, real estate, financial or business professional for individualized advice. Opinions of guests are their own. Information is not guaranteed. All investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss. The host is operating on behalf of get rich Education LLC exclusively.   Keith Weinhold  41:34   You know, whenever you want the best written real estate and finance info, oh, geez, today's experience limits your free articles access and it's got pay walls and pop ups and push notifications and cookies disclaimers. It's not so great. So then it's vital to place nice, clean, free content into your hands that adds no hype value to your life. That's why this is the golden age of quality newsletters. And I write every word of ours myself. It's got a dash of humor, and it's to the point because even the word abbreviation is too long, my letter usually takes less than three minutes to read, and when you start the letter. You also get my one hour fast real estate video. Of course, it's all completely free. It's called the Don't quit your Daydream letter. It wires your mind for wealth, and it couldn't be easier for you to get it right now. Just text gre 266, 866, while it's on your mind, take a moment to do it right now. Text, GRE to 66866.   The preceding program was brought to you by your home for wealth, building, getricheducation.com  

LATE SUNDAY NIGHT, police in El Salvador arrested one of President Nayib Bukele's sharpest critics, Ruth Eleonora López, an anti-corruption attorney who has spent years exposing government abuses. “[She] is one of the strongest voices in defense of democracy,” says Noah Bullock, her colleague and the executive director of Cristosal, a human rights group operating in northern Central America, including El Salvador. López, a university professor and former elections official, heads Cristosal's anti-corruption unit. She has also been an outspoken critic of Bukele's crackdown on gang violence that has resulted in “arbitrary detentions, human rights violations,” and the imprisonment of people not connected to gangs, according to Cristosal. The organization has documented widespread abuses in the country's prison system. “There's a clear pattern of physical abuse, and on top of that, a clear pattern of systematic denial of basic necessities like food, water, bathrooms, medicine — medical care in general," says Bullock. “Those two factors have combined to cause the deaths of at least 380 people” in custody in recent years. That's a prison system “that's been contracted by the U.S. government,” Bullock adds. This week on The Intercept Briefing, Bullock speaks to host Jessica Washington about López's continued imprisonment and what her work and detention reveals about the Trump administration's interest in El Salvador's prison system. Facing vague corruption charges, López has seen her family and lawyer but not yet a judge. “The type of jails and the prison system that the United States has contracted is one of a dictatorship — one that operates outside of the rule of law,” says Bullock. But El Salvador isn't the only country the U.S. is looking to partner with to outsource immigration detention. “Now in addition to El Salvador, the U.S. has reportedly explored, sought, or struck deals with at least 19 other countries,” says Nick Turse, national security fellow for The Intercept. “Many of these countries,” says Turse, “have been excoriated by not only human rights groups and NGOs, but also the U.S. State Department.”“ These policies did not leap fully formed from the head of Donald Trump,” says Turse. They have a legacy largely stemming from the post-9/11 counterterrorism policies of the George W. Bush administration. “The Trump administration has expanded the Bush and Obama-era terrorism paradigm to cast immigrants and refugees as terrorists and as gang members,” says Turse.Listen to the full conversation of The Intercept Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nature Boy is now in Central America, where he weaponizes the power of Instagram's algorithm to trick rubes into flying out to join him and handing over all their money.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.