Podcasts about Comparable

Le sujet fort de l'actualité foot du jour vu par Jérôme Rothen et la Dream Team.

Isaiah 66:1 describes the heavens as His throne, and the earth His footstool. This gives a picture of how great God is. Comparable to none. In this teaching, we learn that the opposite of God is blank, and because of how majestic God is we believe there is nothing impossible for him. This sermon lays emphasis on the greatness of God and the fearful application of this in our lives as His children.

4.14.25, Kevin Sheehan on what is another comparable sports moment to Rory Mcllroy finally winning the Masters Tournament.

8:00AM Hour 3 Jeremy White and Joe DiBiase continue to discuss the Ovechkin goal record. The guys question if there is another sports record that could be set that would compare to this one.

Can You Segway?Book 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.So exactly who was going to be sympathetic to their plight, who we cared about?Beyond my fevered dream of making a difference there was a pinch of reality. See, the Cabindans and the people of Zaire were both ethnic Bakongo and the Bakongo of Zaire had also once had their own, independent (until 1914) kingdom which was now part of Angola. The Bakongo were major factions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) -(formerly for a short time known as the nation of Zaire, from here on out to be referred to as the DRC and in the running for the most fucked up place on the planet Earth, more on that later)- and Congo (the nation) yet a minority in Angola. Having an independent nation united along ethnic and linguistic lines made sense and could expect support from their confederates across international boundaries.The Liberation Air ForceThe Earth & Sky operated under one constant dilemma ~ when would Temujin make his return? Since they didn't know and it was their job to be prepared for the eventuality if it happened tomorrow, or a century down the line, they 'stockpiled', and 'stockpiled' and 'stockpiled'.That was why they maintained large horse herds and preserved the ancient arts of Asian bowyers, armoring and weapons-craft. That was why they created secret armories, and sulfur and saltpeter sites when musketry and cannons became the new ways of warfare. They secured sources of phosphates and petroleum when they became the new thing, and so on.All of this boiled over to me being shown yet again I worked with clever, creative and under-handed people. The Khanate came up with a plan for a 'Union' Air Force {Union? More on that later} within 24 hours, and it barely touched any of their existing resources. How did they accomplish this miracle? They had stockpiled and maintained earlier generation aircraft because they didn't know when Temujin would make his re-appearance.They'd also trained pilots and ground crews for those aircraft. As you might imagine, those people grew old just as their equipment did. In time, they went into the Earth & Sky's Inactive Reserves ~ the rank & file over the age of 45. You never were 'too old' to serve in some capacity though most combat-support related work ended at 67.When Temujin made his return and the E&S transformed into the Khanate, those people went to work bringing their lovingly cared for, aging equipment up to combat-alert readiness. If the frontline units were decimated, they would have to serve, despite the grim odds of their survival. It was the terrible acceptance the Chinese would simply possess so much more war-making material than they did.Well, the Khanate kicked the PRC's ass in a titanic ass-whooping no one (else) had seen coming, or would soon forget. Factory production and replacement of worn machines was in stride to have the Khanate's Air Force ready for the next round of warfare when the Cease-fire ended and the Reunification War resumed.Always a lower priority, the Khanate military leadership was considering deactivating dozens of these reserve unit when suddenly the (Mongolian) Ikh khaany khairt akh dáé (me) had this hare-brained scheme about helping rebels in Africa, West Africa, along the Gulf of Guinea coast/Atlantic Ocean, far, far away, and it couldn't look like the Khanate was directly involved.They barely knew where Angola was. They had to look up Cabinda to figure out precisely where that was. They brought in some of their 'reservist' air staff to this briefing and one of them, a woman (roughly a third of the E&S 'fighting'/non-frontline forces were female), knew what was going on. Why?She had studied the combat records and performance of the types of aircraft she'd have to utilize... back in the 1980's and 90's and Angola had been a war zone rife with Soviet (aka Khanate) material back then. Since she was both on the ball, bright and knew the score, the War Council put her in overall command. She knew what was expected of her and off she went, new staff in hand. She was 64 years old, yet as ready and willing to serve as any 20 year old believer in the Cause.Subtlety, scarcity and audacity were the watchwords of the day. The Khanate couldn't afford any of their front-line aircraft for this 'expedition'. They really couldn't afford any of their second-rate stuff either. Fortunately, they had some updated third-rate war-fighting gear still capable of putting up an impressive show in combat ~ providing they weren't going up against a top tier opponents.For the 'volunteers' of the Union Air Force, this could very likely to be a one-way trip. They all needed crash courses (not a word any air force loves, I know) in Portuguese though hastily provided iPhones with 'apps' to act as translators were deemed to be an adequate stop-gap measure. Besides, they were advised to avoid getting captured at all cost. The E&S couldn't afford the exposure. Given the opportunity ~ this assignment really was going above and beyond ~ not one of these forty-six to sixty-seven year olds backed out.No, they rolled out fifty of their antiquated aircraft, designs dating back to the 1950's through the mid-70's, and prepared them for the over 10,000 km journey to where they were 'needed most'. 118 pilots would go (72 active plus 46 replacements) along with 400 ground crew and an equally aged air defense battalion (so their air bases didn't get blown up). Security would be provided by 'outsiders' ~ allies already on the ground and whatever rebels could be scrounged up. After the initial insertion, the Indian Air Force would fly in supplies at night into the Cabinda City and Soyo Airports.The composition,14 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 jet fighters ~ though she entered service in 1959, these planes' electronics were late 20th century and she was a renowned dogfighter. 12 were the Mig-21-97 modernized variant and the other two were Mig-21 UM two-seater trainer variants which could double as reconnaissance fighters if needed.14 Sukhoi Su-22 jet fighter-bombers ~ the original design, called the Su-17, came out in 1970, the first 12 were variants with the 22M4 upgrade were an early-80's package. The other 2 were Su-22U two-seat trainers which, like their Mig-21 comrades, doubled as reconnaissance fighters. The Su-22M4's would be doing the majority of the ground attack missions for the Cabindans, though they could defend themselves in aerial combat if necessary.6 Sukhoi Su-24M2 supersonic attack aircraft ~ the first model rolled off the production lines in the Soviet Union back in 1974. By far the heaviest planes in the Cabindan Air Force, the Su-24M2's would act as their 'bomber force' as well as anti-ship deterrence.8 Mil Mi-24 VM combat helicopters ~ introduced in 1972 was still a lethal combat machine today. Unlike the NATO helicopter force, the Mi-24's did double duty as both attack helicopter and assault transports at the same time.4 Mil Mi-8 utility helicopters, first produced in 1967. Three would act as troop/cargo transports (Mi-8 TP) while the fourth was configured as a mobile hospital (the MI-17 1VA).4 Antonov An-26 turboprop aircraft, two to be used as tactical transports to bring in supplies by day and two specializing in electronic intelligence aka listening to what the enemy was up to. Though it entered production in 1969, many still remained flying today.2 Antonov An-71M AEW&C twin-jet engine aircraft. These were an old, abandoned Soviet design the Earth & Sky had continued working on primarily because the current (1970's) Russian Airborne Early Warning and Control bird had been both huge and rather ineffective ~ it couldn't easily identify low-flying planes in the ground clutter so it was mainly only good at sea. Since the E&S planned to mostly fight over the land,They kept working on the An-71 which was basically 1977's popular An-72 with some pertinent design modifications (placing the engines below the wings instead of above them as on the -72 being a big one). To solve their radar problem, they stole some from the Swedish tech firm Ericsson, which hadn't been foreseen to be a problem before now.See, the Russians in the post-Soviet era created a decent AEW&C craft the E&S gladly stole and copied the shit out of for their front line units and it was working quite nicely ~ the Beriev A-50, and wow, were the boys in the Kremlin pissed off about that these days. Whoops, or was that woot?Now, the Khanate was shipping two An-71's down to Cabinda and somewhere along the line someone just might get a 'feel' for the style of radar and jamming the Cabindans were using aka the Swedish stuff in those An-71's. The Erieye radar system could pick out individual planes at 280 miles. The over-all system could track 60 targets and plot out 10 intercepts simultaneously. NATO, they were not, but in sub-Saharan Africa, there were none better.Anyway, so why was any of this important?Why the old folks with their ancient machines? As revealed, since the Earth & Sky had no idea when Temüjin would return, they were constantly squirreling away equipment. World War 2 gave them unequaled access to Soviet military technology and training.Afterwards, under Josef Stalin's direction, thousands of Russian and German engineers and scientists were exiled to Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan who were then snatched up (reportedly died in the gulags/trying to escape) and the E&S began building mirror factories modeled on the 'then current' Soviet production lines.So, by the early 1950's, the E&S was building, flying and maintaining Soviet-style Antonov, Beriev, Ilyushin, Myasishchev, Mikoyan-Gurevich, Sukhoi, Tupolev and Yakovlev airplanes. First in small numbers because their pool of pilots and specialists was so small.The E&S remedied this by creating both their own 'private' flight academies and technical schools. They protected their activities with the judicious use of bribes (they were remarkably successful with their economic endeavors on both side of the Iron Curtain) and murders (including the use of the Ghost Tigers).By 1960, the proto-Khanate had an air force. Through the next two decades they refined and altered their doctrine ~ moving away from the Soviet doctrine to a more pure combined-arms approach (the Soviets divided their air power into four separate arms ~ ADD (Long Range Aviation), FA (Front Aviation), MTA (Military Transport Aviation) and the V-PVO (Soviet Air Defenses ~ which controlled air interceptors).).It wasn't until the collapse of the Soviet Union and the independence of the various former SSR's that the E&S program really began to hit its stride. Still, while Russia faltered, China's PLAAF (Peoples' Liberation Army Air Force) began to take off. Since the Chinese could produce so much more, the E&S felt it had to keep those older planes and crews up to combat readiness. The younger field crews and pilots flew the newer models as they rolled off the secret production lines.Then the Unification War appeared suddenly, the E&S-turned Khanate Air Force skunked their PLAAF rivals due to two factors, a surprise attack on a strategic level and the fatal poisoning of their pilots and ground crews before they even got into the fight. For those Chinese craft not destroyed on the ground, the effects of Anthrax eroded their fighting edge. Comparable technology gave the Khanate their critical victory and Air Supremacy over the most important battlefields.What did this meant for those out-of-date air crews and pilots who had been training to a razor's edge for a month now? Their assignment had been to face down the Russians if they invaded. They would take their planes up into the fight even though this most likely would mean their deaths, but they had to try.When Operation Fun House put Russia in a position where she wasn't likely to jump on the Khanate, this mission's importance faded. The Russian Air Force was far more stretched than the Khanate's between her agitations in the Baltic and her commitments in the Manchurian, Ukrainian, Chechen and Georgian theaters.With more new planes rolling off the production lines, these reservist units began dropping down the fuel priority list, which meant lowering their flight times thus readiness. Only my hare-brained scheme had short-circuited their timely retirement. Had I realized I was getting people's grandparents killed, I would have probably made the same call anyway. We needed them.The KanateThe Khanate's #1 air superiority dogfighter was the Mig-35F. The #2 was the Mig-29. No one was openly discussing the Khanate's super-stealthy "Su-50", if that was what it was, because its existence 'might' suggest the Khanate also stole technology from the Indian defense industry, along with their laundry list of thefts from South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, the PRC, Russia and half of NATO.Her top multi-role fighters were the Su-47, Su-35S and Su-30SM. The Su-30 'Flanker-C/MK2/MKI were their 2nd team with plenty of 3rd team Su-27M's still flying combat missions as well.Strike fighters? There weren't enough Su-34's to go around yet, so the Su-25MS remained the Khanate's dedicated Close Air Assault model.Medium transport aircraft? The An-32RE and An-38. They had small, large and gargantuan transports as well.Bombers? The rather ancient jet-powered Tu-160M2's and Tu-22M2's as well as the even older yet still worthwhile turboprops ~ from 1956's ~ the Tu-95M S16.Helicopters? While they still flew updated variants of the Mil Mi-8/17 as military transports, the more optimized Kamov Ka-52 and Mil Mi-28 had replaced them in the assault role.Bizarrely, the Khanate had overrun several Chinese production lines of the aircraft frames and components ~ enough to complete fairly modern PLAAF (Peoples Liberation Army Air Force) FC-1 and J-10 (both are small multi-role fighter remarkably similar to the US F-16 with the FC-1 being the more advanced model, using shared Chinese-Pakistani technology and was designed for export,).They did have nearly two dozen to send, but they didn't have the pilots and ground crews trained to work with them, plus the FC-1 cost roughly $32 million which wasn't fundage any legitimate Cabindan rebels could get their hands on, much less $768 million (and that would just be for the planes, not the weeks' worth of fuel, parts and munitions necessary for what was forthcoming).Meanwhile, except for the An-26, which you could get for under $700,000 and the An-71, which were only rendered valuable via 'black market tech', none of the turboprop and jet aircraft the Khanate was sending were what any sane military would normally want. The helicopters were expensive ~ the 'new' models Mi-24's cost $32 million while the Mi-17's set you back $17 million. The one's heading to Cabinda didn't look 'new'.The Opposition:In contrast, the Angolan Air Force appeared far larger and more modern. Appearances can be deceptive, and they were. Sure, the models of Russian and Soviet-made aircraft they had in their inventory had the higher numbers ~ the Su-25, -27 and -30 ~ plus they had Mig-21bis's, Mig-23's and Su-22's, but things like training and up-keep didn't appear to be priorities for the Angolans.When you took into account the rampant corruption infecting all levels of Angolan government, the conscript nature of their military, the weakness of their technical educational system, the complexity of any modern combat aircraft and the reality that poor sods forced into being Air Force ground crewmen hardly made the most inspired technicians, or most diligent care-takers of their 'valuable' stockpiles (which their officers all too often sold on the black market anyway), things didn't just look bleak for the Angolan Air Force, they were a tsunami of cumulative factors heading them for an epic disaster.It wasn't only their enemies who derided their Air Force's lack of readiness. Their allies constantly scolded them about it too. Instead of trying to fix their current inventory, the Angolans kept shopping around for new stuff. Since 'new'-new aircraft was beyond what they wanted to spend (aka put too much of a dent in the money they were siphoning off to their private off-shore accounts), they bought 'used' gear from former Soviet states ~ Belarus, Russia and Ukraine ~ who sold them stuff they had left abandoned in revetments (open to the elements to slowly rot) on the cheap.To add to the insanity, the Angolans failed to keep up their maintenance agreements so their newly fixed high-tech machines often either couldn't fly, or flew without critical systems, like radar, avionics and even radios. Maybe that wasn't for the worst because after spending millions on these occasionally-mobile paperweights, the Angolans bought the least technologically advanced missile, gun and rocket systems they could get to put on these flying misfortunes.On the spread sheets, Angola had 18 Su-30K's, 18 Su-27, 12 Su-25's, 14 Su-22's, 22 Mig-23's, 23 Mig-21bis's and 6 Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano (a turboprop aircraft tailor-made for counter-insurgency operations), 105 helicopters with some combative ability and 21 planes with some airlift capacity. That equated to 81 either air superiority, or multi-role jet fighters versus the 12 Union Air Force (actually the Bakongo Uni o de Cabinda e Zaire, For as Armadas de Liberta  o, For a Area ~ Liberation Armed Forces, Air Force (BUCZ-FAL-FA) Mig-21-97's.It would seem lopsided except for the thousands of hours of flight experience the 'Unionists' enjoyed over their Angolan rivals. You also needed to take into account the long training and fanatic dedication of their ground crews to their pilots and their craft. Then you needed to take into account every Unionist aircraft, while an older airframe design, had updated (usually to the year 2000) technology lovingly cared for, as if the survival of their People demanded it.A second and even more critical factor was the element of surprise. At least the PRC and the PLAAF had contingencies for attacks from their neighbors in the forefront of their strategic planning. The Angolans? The only country with ANY air force in the vicinity was the Republic of South Africa (RSA) and they had ceased being a threat with the end of Apartheid and the rise of majority Black rule in that country nearly two decades earlier.In the pre-dawn hours of 'Union Independence Day', the FAL-FA was going to smash every Angolan Air base and air defense facility within 375 miles of Cabinda (the city). Every three hours after that, they would be hitting another target within their designated 'Exclusion Zone'. Yes, this 'Exclusion Zone' included a 'tiny' bit of DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) territory. The DRC didn't have an air force to challenge them though, so,Inside this 'Exclusion Zone', anything moving by sea, river, road, rail, or air without Unionist governmental approval was subject to attack, which would require neutral parties to acknowledge some semblance of a free and independent B U C Z. Worse for Angola, this 'Zone' included Angola's capital and its largest port, Luanda, plus four more of their ten largest urban centers. This could be an economic, military and humanitarian catastrophe if mishandled.The Angolan Army did not have significant anti-aircraft assets. Why would they? Remember, no one around them had much of an air force to worry about. The FAL-FA in turn could hit military convoys with TV-guided munitions 'beyond line of sight', rendering what they did have useless. It got worse for the Army after dark. The FAL-FA could and would fly at night whereas the average Angolan formation had Zip-Zero-Nadda night fighting capacity.Then geography added its own mountain of woes. As far as Cabinda was concerned, there was no direct land line to their border from Angola. Their coastal road only went as far as the port of Soyo where the Congo River hit the South Atlantic Ocean. Across that massive gap was the DRC where the road was not picked back up. Far up the coast was the DRC town of Muanda (with an airport) and though they did have a road which went north, it did not continue to the Cabindan border.Nope. To get at Cabinda from the south meant a long, torturous travel through northeastern Angola, into the heart of the DRC then entailed hooking west to some point 'close' to the Cabindan frontier before finally hoofing it overland through partially cleared farmland and jungle. Mind you, the DRC didn't have a native air force capable of protecting the Angolans in their territory so,In fact the only 'road' to Cabinda came from the Republic of Congo (Congo) to the north and even that was a twisted route along some really bad, swampy terrain. This had been the pathway of conquest the Angolans took 39 years earlier. The difference being the tiny bands of pro-independence Cabindan guerillas back then couldn't hold a candle to the Amazons fighting to free Cabinda this time around in numbers, zeal, training and up-to-date equipment.Next option ~ to come by sea. They would face a few, stiff problems, such as the FAL-FA having ship-killer missiles, the Angolan Navy not being able to defend them and the Unionists having no compunction to not strike Pointe-Noire in the 'not so neutral' Republic of the Congo if they somehow began unloading Angolan troops. It seemed the Republic of the Congo didn't have much of an Air Force either.Before you think the FAL-FA was biting off more than they could chew, Cabinda, the province, was shaped somewhat like the US State of Delaware, was half the size of Connecticut (Cabinda was 2,810 sq. mi. to Conn.'s 5,543 sq. mi.) and only the western 20% was relatively open countryside where the Angolan Army's only advantage ~ they possessed armed fighting vehicles while the 'Unionists' did not (at this stage of planning) ~ could hopefully come into play.Centered at their capital, Cabinda (City), jets could reach any point along their border within eight minutes. Helicopters could make it in fifteen. To be safe, some of the FAL-FA would base at the town of Belize which was in the northern upcountry and much tougher to get at with the added advantage the Angolans wouldn't be expecting the FAL-FA to be using the abandoned airfield there, at least initially.Where they afraid attacking Angolan troops in the DRC would invite war with the DRC? Sure, but letting the Angolans reach the border unscathed was worse. Besides, the DRC was in such a mess it needed 23,000 UN Peacekeepers within her borders just to keep the country from falling apart. Barring outside, read European, intervention, did "Democratically-elected since 2001" President (for Life) Joseph Kabila want the FAL-FA to start dropping bombs on his capital, Kinshasa, which was well within reach of all their aircraft?Congo (the country), to the north, wasn't being propped up by the UN, or anything else except ill intentions. In reality, it hardly had much of a military at all. Its officer corps was chosen for political reliability, not merit, or capability. Their technology was old Cold War stuff with little effort to update anything and, if you suspected corruption might be a problem across all spectrums of life, you would 'probably' be right about that too.If you suspected the current President had been in charge for a while, you would be correct again (1979-1992 then 2001- and the 'whoops' was when he accidently let his country experiment with democracy which led to two civil wars). If you suspected he was a life-long Communist (along with the Presidents of the DRC and Angola), you'd be right about that as well. Somehow their shared Marxist-Leninist-Communist ideology hadn't quite translated over to alleviating the grinding poverty in any of those countries despite their vast mineral wealth,At this point in the region's history, little Cabinda had everything to gain by striving for independence and the vast majority of 'warriors' who could possibly be sent against her had terribly little to gain fighting and dying trying to stop them from achieving her goal. After all, their lives weren't going to get any better and with the Amazons ability ~ nay willingness ~ to commit battlefield atrocities, those leaders were going to find it hard going to keep sending their men off to die.And then, it got even worse.See, what I had pointed out was there were two oil refineries in Angola, and neither was in Cabinda. Cabinda would need a refinery to start making good on their oil wealth ~ aka economically bribe off the Western economies already shaken over the Khanate's first round of aggressions.But wait! There was an oil refinery just across the Congo River from Cabinda ~ which meant it was attached to mainland Angola. That had to be a passel of impossible news, right?Nope. As I said earlier, it seemed the people of northern Angola were the same racial group as the Cabindans AND majority Catholic while the ruling clique wasn't part of their ethnic confederacy plus the farther south and east into Angola you went, the less Catholic it became.But it got better. This province was historically its own little independent kingdom (called the Kingdom of Kongo) to boot! It had been abolished by Portugal back in 1914.The 'good' news didn't end there. Now, it wasn't as if the leadership of Angola was spreading the wealth around to the People much anyway, but these northerners had been particularly left out of this Marxist version of 'Trickle Down' economics.How bad was this? This northwestern province ~ called Zaire ~ didn't have any railroads, or paved roads, linking it to the rest of the freaking country. The 'coastal road' entered the province, but about a third of the way up ran into this river, which they'd failed to bridge (you had to use a single track bridge farther to the northeast, if you can believe it). It wasn't even a big river. It was still an obstacle though.How did the Angolan government and military planned to get around? Why by air and sea, of course. Well, actually by air. Angola didn't have much of a merchant marine, or Navy, to make sealift a serious consideration. Within hours of the 'Union Declaration of Independence' anything flying anywhere north of the Luanda, the capital of Angola, would essentially be asking to be blown out of the sky.Along the border between Zaire province and the rest of Angola were precisely two chokepoints. By 'chokepoints', I meant places where a squad (10 trained, modernly-equipped troopers) could either see everything for miles & miles over pretty much empty space along a river valley and the only bridge separating Zaire province from the south, or overlook a ravine which the only road had to pass through because of otherwise bad-ass, broken terrain.Two.Zaire Province had roughly the same population as Cabinda ~ 600,000. Unlike Cabinda, which consisted of Cabinda City plus a few tiny towns and rugged jungles, Zaire had two cities ~ Soyo, with her seventy thousand souls plus the refinery at the mouth of the Congo River, and M'banza-Kongo, the historical capital of the Kingdom of Kongo, spiritual center of the Bakongo People (who included the Cabindans) and set up in the highlands strategically very reminiscent of Điện Biàn Phủ.Of Zaire's provincial towns, the only other strategic one was N'Zeto with her crappy Atlantic port facility and 2,230 meter grass airport. The town was the northern terminus of the National Road 100 ~ the Coastal Road. It terminated because of the Mebridege River. There wasn't a bridge at N'Zeto though there was a small one several miles upstream. N'Zeto was also where the road from provinces east of Zaire ended up, so you had to have N'Zeto ~ and that tiny bridge ~ to move troops overland anywhere else in Zaire Province.So you would think it would be easy for the Angolan Army to defend then, except of how the Amazons planned to operate. They would infiltrate the area first then 'rise up in rebellion'. Their problem was the scope of the operation had magnified in risk of exposure, duration and forces necessary for success.The serious issue before Saint Marie and the Host in Africa were the first two. They could actually move Amazons from Brazil and North America to bolster their numbers for the upcoming offensive. Even in the short-short term, equipment wouldn't be a serious problem. What the Amazons dreaded was being left in a protracted slugfest with the Angolan Army which the Condottieri could jump in on. The Amazons exceedingly preferred to strike first then vanish.There was reason to believe a tiny number could have stayed behind in Cabinda to help the locals prepare their military until they could defend themselves. They would need more than a hundred Amazons if Cabinda wanted to incorporate Zaire. The answer was to call back their newfound buddy, the Great Khan. While he didn't have much else he could spare (the Khanate was ramping up for their invasion of the Middle East after all, the Kurds needed the help), he had other allies he could call on.India couldn't help initially since they were supposed to supply the 'Peace-keepers' once a cease-fire had been arranged. That left Temujin with his solid ally, Vietnam, and his far shakier allies, the Republic of China and Japan.First off ~ Japan could not help, which meant they couldn't supply troops who might very well end up dead, or far worse, captured.. What they did have was a surplus of older equipment the ROC troops were familiar with, so while the ROC was gearing up for their own invasion of mainland China in February, they were willing to help the Chinese kill Angolans, off the books, of course.The ROC was sending fifteen hundred troops the Khanate's way to help in this West African adventure with the understanding they'd be coming home by year's end. With Vietnam adding over eight hundred of her own Special Forces, the Amazons had the tiny 'allied' army they could leave shielding Cabinda/Zaire once the first round of blood-letting was over.To be 'fair', the Republic of China and Vietnam asked for 'volunteers'. It wasn't like either country was going to declare war on Angola directly. Nearly a thousand members of Vietnam's elite 126th Regiment of the 5th Brigade (Đặc cáng bộ) took early retirement then misplaced their equipment as they went to update their visas and inoculations before heading out for the DRC (some would be slipping over the DRC/Cabindan border).On Taiwan, it was the men and women of the 602nd Air Cavalry Brigade, 871st Special Operations Group and 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion who felt the sudden desire to 'seek enlightenment elsewhere, preferably on another continent'.They too were off to the Democratic Republic of Congo, man that country was a mess and their border security wasn't worth writing home about, that's for damn sure, via multiple Southeast Asian nations. Besides, they were being issued fraudulently visas which showed them to be from the People's Republic of China, not the ROC/Taiwan. If they were captured, they were to pretend to "be working for a Communist Revolution inside Angola and thus to be setting all of Africa on fire!" aka be Mainland Chinese.There, in the DRC, these Chinese stumbled across, some Japanese. These folks hadn't retired. No. They were on an extended assignment for the UN's mission in, the DRC. OH! And look! They'd brought tons of surplus, outdated Japanese Self Defense Forces' equipment with them, and there just so happened to be some Taiwanese who had experience in using such equipment (both used US-style gear).And here was Colonel Yoshihiro Isami of the Chūō Sokuō Shūdan (Japan's Central Readiness Force) wondering why he and his hastily assembled team had just unloaded,18 Fuji/Bell AH-1S Cobra Attack helicopters,6 Kawasaki OH-6D Loach Scout helicopters,12 Fuji-Bell 204-B-2 Hiyodori Utility helicopters,6 Kawasaki/Boeing CH-47JA Chinook Transport helicopters and4 Mitsubishi M U-2L-1 Photo Reconnaissance Aircraft.Yep! 46 more aircraft for the FAL-FA!Oh, and if this wasn't 'bad enough', the Chinese hadn't come alone. They'd brought some old aircraft from their homes to aid in the upcoming struggle. Once more, these things were relics of the Cold War yet both capable fighting machines and, given the sorry state of the opposition, definitely quite deadly. A dozen F-5E Tiger 2000 configured primarily for air superiority plus two RF-5E Tigergazer for reconnaissance, pilots plus ground crews, of course.Thus, on the eve of battle, the FAL-FA had become a true threat. Sure, all of its planes (and half of its pilots) were pretty old, but they were combat-tested and in numbers and experience no other Sub-Saharan African nation could match.The Liberation Ground Forces:But wait, there was still the niggling little problem of what all those fellas were going to fight with once they were on the ground. Assault/Battle rifles, carbines, rifles, pistols, PDW, SMGs as bullets, grenades and RPG's were all terrifyingly easy to obtain. The coast of West Africa was hardly the Port of London as far as customs security went. They were going to need some bigger toys and their host nations were going to need all their native hardware for their upcoming battles at home.And it wasn't like you could advertise for used IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicles), APCs (armored personnel carriers) and tanks on e-Bay, Amazon.com, or Twitter. If something modern US, or NATO, was captured rolling around the beautiful Angolan countryside, shooting up hostile Angolans, all kinds of head would roll in all kinds of countries, unless the country,A) had an Executive Branch and Judiciary who wouldn't ask (or be answering) too many uncomfortable questions,B) wasn't all that vulnerable to international pressure,C) really needed the money and,D) didn't give a fuck their toys would soon be seen on BBC/CNN/Al Jazeera blowing the ever-living crap out of a ton of Africans aka doing what they were advertised to do and doing it very well in the hands of capable professionals.And politics was kind enough to hand the freedom-loving people of Cabinda & Zaire a winner, and it wasn't even from strangers, or at least people all that strange to their part of the Globe. If you would have no idea who to look for, you wouldn't be alone.That was the magic of the choice. See, the last three decades had seen the entire Globe take a colossal dump on them as a Nation and a People. They were highly unpopular for all sorts of things, such as Crimes Against Humanity and 'no', we were not talking about the Khanate.We would be talking about Република Србија / Republika Srbija aka Serbia aka the former Yugoslavia who had watched all their satellite minions (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo and Macedonia) slip away. Despite being reduced to a tiny fraction of their former selves thus fighting two incredibly brutal and bloody World Wars for nothing, Serbia insisted on maintaining a robust armaments industry.Mind you, they didn't make the very best stuff on the planet. That didn't stop them from trying though. Of equal importance was their geographic location and the above mentioned desire for some hard currency without asking too many questions. The geography was simple, you could move even heavy gear unnoticed from central Serbia to the Montenegrin port of Bar by rail and load them up on freighters and off to the Congo you went.The Serbians produced an APC called the BVP M-80A's which weren't blowing anyone's minds away when they started rolling off the production lines back in 1982, plus some over-eager types on the Serbian Army's payroll sweetened the deal by offering 'the rebels' some BVP M-80 KC's and a KB as well.Then they slathered on the sugary-sweet Maple syrup by upgrading a few of the M-80A's to BVP M-98A's. Why would they be so generous? The KC's and KB were the Command & Control variants, so that made sense (C = company & B = battalion commander). The -98A had never been tested in the field before and they were kind of curious how the new turrets (which was the major difference) would behave. 'Our' procurement agents didn't quibble. We needed the gear.Besides, these Slavic entrepreneurs gave them an inside track on some 'disarmed/mothballed' Czech (introduced in 1963) armored mobile ambulances and Polish BWP-1 (first rolled out in 1966) APC's which were either in, or could be quickly configured into, the support variants those ground-fighters would need. The 'disarmed' part was 'fixable', thanks to both the Serbians and Finland. The 'missing' basic weaponry was something the Serbians could replace with virtually identical equipment.It just kept getting better. Unknown to me at the time, the Finnish firm, Patria Hágglunds, had sold twenty-two of their 'most excellent' AMOS turrets ~ they are a twin 120 mm mortar system ~ then the deal fell through. Whoops! Should have guarded that warehouse better. Those bitches were on a cargo plane bound for Albania inside of six hours.The ammunition for them was rather unique. Thankfully, it was uniquely sold by the Swiss, who had no trouble selling it to Serbia, thank you very much! Twenty-two BWP-1's became mobile artillery for the Unionist freedom fighters, though I understood the ship ride with the Serbian and Chinese technicians was loads of fun as they struggled to figured out how to attach those state-of-the-art death-dealing turrets to those ancient contraptions.To compensate, the Serbians added (aka as long as our money was good) two Nora B-52 155 mm 52-calibre mobile artillery pieces and one battery of Orkan CER MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) for long-range artillery, two batteries of their Oganj 2000 ER MRLS for medium range carnage and six batteries of their M-94 MRLS for 'close support' as well. More field-testing new gear for the "freedom fighters" We also managed to 'purchase' ten M-84AS Main Battle tanks plus an M-84A1 armor recovery vehicle. It should have been twelve tanks, but two had 'loading issues'.Not to be deterred, our busy little procurement-beavers discovered four tanks no one was using, in neighboring Croatia. Why wasn't anyone immediately keen on their placement? They were two sets of prototypes, Croatia's improvements on the M-84; the M-95 Degman which was a 'failed redesign' and the M-84D, which was a vast up-grade for the M-84 line which had been sidelined by the 2008 Global economic collapse, after which the project stagnated.It seemed they were all in working order because late one night 'my people' exited a Croatian Army base with them, never to be seen again, until two weeks later when an intrepid news crew caught the distinctive form of the M-95 sending some sweet 125 mm loving the Angolan Army's way. Whoops yet again! At least they hit what they were aiming at and destroyed what they hit, right?By then, millions of other people would be going 'what the fuck?' right along with them as Cabinda's camouflage- and mask-wearing rebel army was laying the smack-down on the Angolans. That was okay; over a million 'free Cabindan Unionists' were in the same boat. Over a thousand Asians with their mostly-female militant translators were right there to prop up their 'Unionist Allies', but then they were the ones with the tanks, armored vehicles, planes and guns, so they were less worried than most.To pilot these tanks, APC, IFV and man this artillery, they had to go back to the Khanate. Sure enough, they had some old tankers used to crewing the T-72 from which the M-84's and -95 Degman were derived. They'd also need drivers for those BVP M-80A's and Polish BWP-1's and OT-64 SKOT's... who were, again, derived from old Soviet tech (just much better). The Serbian artillery was similar enough to Soviet stuff, but with enough new tech to make it 'more fun' for the reservists to 'figure out' how to use.More volunteers for the Liberation Armed Forces! More Apple sales, great apps and voice modulation software so that the vehicle commanders would be heard communicating in Portuguese if someone was eavesdropping. As a final offering the Turkish Navy spontaneously developed some plans to test their long range capabilities by going to, the South Atlantic.On the final leg they would have six frigates and two submarines, enough to give any navy in the region, which wasn't Brazil, something to think about. This was a show of force, not an actual threat though. If anyone called their bluff, the Khanate-Turkish forces would have to pull back. These were not assets my Brother, the Great Khan, could afford to gamble and lose.If someone didn't call that bluff, he was also sending two smaller, older corvettes and three even smaller, but newer, fast attack boats, a "gift" to the Unionists ASAP. The frigates would then race home, they had 'other' issues to deal with while the submarines would hang around for a bit. The naval gift was necessitated by the reality the Unionists would have to press their claim to their off-shore riches and that required a naval force Angola couldn't hope to counter.As things were developing, it was reckoned since a build-up of such momentous land and air power couldn't be disguised, it had to happen in a matter of days ~ four was decided to be the minimum amount of time. More than that and the government of the Democratic Republic might start asking far too many questions our hefty bribes and dubious paperwork couldn't cover. Less than that would leave the task forces launching operations with too little a chance of success.Our biggest advantage was audacity. The buildup would happen 100 km up the Congo River from Soyo, the primary target of the Southern Invasion, in the DRC's second largest port city, Boma. Though across the river was Angolan territory, there was nothing there. The city of roughly 160,000 would provide adequate cover for the initial stage of the invasion.There they grouped their vehicles & Khanate drivers with Amazon and Vietnamese combat teams. The Japanese were doing the same for their 'Chinese' counterparts for their helicopter-borne forces. Getting all their equipment in working order in the short time left was critical as was creating some level of unit dynamic. Things were chaotic. No one was happy. They were all going in anyway.What had gone wrong?While most children her age were texting their schoolmates, or tackling their homework, Aya Ruger ~ the alias of Nasusara Assiyaiá hamai ~ was getting briefings of her global, secret empire worth hundreds of billions and those of her equally nefarious compatriots. She received a very abbreviated version of what the Regents received, delivered by a member of Shawnee Arinniti's staff.When Aya hopped off her chair unexpectedly, everyone tensed. Her bodyguards' hands went to their sidearms and Lorraine (her sister by blood), also in the room on this occasion, stood and prepared to tackle her 'former' sibling to the ground if the situation escalated into an assassination attempt. No such attack was generated, so the security ratcheted down and the attendant returned her focus to her Queen. Aya paced four steps, turned and retraced her way then repeated the action three more times."How many people live in the combined areas?" she asked."The combined areas? Of Cabinda and Zaire?""Yes.""I," the woman referenced her material, "roughly 1.1 million.""What is the yearly value of the offshore oil and natural gas production?""Forty-nine billion, eighty hundred and sixty-seven million by our best estimates at this time,""How many live in Soyo City proper?""Roughly 70,000.""We take Soyo," she spoke in a small yet deliberate voice. "We take and hold Soyo as an independent city-state within the Cabindan-Zaire Union. From the maps it appears Soyo is a series of islands. It has a port and airport. It has an open border to an ocean with weaker neighbors all around.""What of the, Zairians?""Bakongo. As a people they are called the Bakongo," Aya looked up at the briefer. "We relocate those who need to work in Soyo into a new city, built at our expense, beyond the southernmost water barrier. The rest we pay to relocate elsewhere in Zaire, or Cabinda."By the looks of those around her, Aya realized she needed to further explain her decisions."This is more than some concrete home base for our People," she began patiently. "In the same way it gives our enemies a clearly delineated target to attack us, it is a statement to our allies we won't cut and run if things go truly bad.""In the same way it will provide us with diplomatic recognition beyond what tenuous handouts we are getting from Cáel Wakko Ishara's efforts through JIKIT. Also, it is a reminder we are not like the other Secret Societies in one fundamental way, we are not a business concern, or a religion. We are a People and people deserve some sort of homeland. We have gone for so long without.""But Soyo?" the aide protested. "We have no ties to it, and it backs up to, nothing.""Northern Turkey and southern Slovakia mean nothing to us now as well," Aya debated. "No place on Earth is any more precious than another. As for backing up to nothing, no. You are incorrect. It backs into a promise from our allies in the Earth & Sky that if we need support, they know where to park their planes and ships."Aya was surrounded with unhappy, disbelieving looks."The Great Khan is my mamētu meáeda," she reminded them, "and I have every reason to believe he completely grasps the concept's benefits and obligations."The looks confirmed 'but he's a man' to the tiny Queen."Aya, are you sure about this?" Lorraine was the first to break decorum."Absolutely. Do you know what he sent me when he was informed of my, ascension to the Queendom?""No," Lorraine admitted."We must go horse-riding sometime soon, Daughter of Cáel, Queen of the Amazons."More uncertain and unconvinced looks."He didn't congratulate me, or send any gifts. He could have and you would think he would have, but he didn't. He knew the hearts of me & my Atta and we weren't in the celebratory mood. No. The Great Khan sent one sentence which offered solace and quiet, atop a horse on a windswept bit of steppe."Nothing.Sigh. "I know this sounds Cáel-ish," Aya admitted, "but I strongly believe this is what we should do. We are giving the Cabindans and Bakongo in Zaire independence and the promise of a much better life than what they now face. We will be putting thousands of our sisters' lives on the line to accomplish this feat and well over two hundred million dollars.""What about governance of the city ~ Soyo?" the aide forged ahead."Amazon law," Aya didn't hesitate. "We will make allowances for the security forces of visiting dignitaries and specific allied personnel, but otherwise it will be one massive Amazon urban freehold.""I cannot imagine the Golden Mare, or the Regents, will be pleased," the attendant bowed her head."It is a matter of interconnectivity," Aya walked up and touched the woman's cheek with the back of her small hand. "We could liberate then abandon Cabinda with the hope a small band could help them keep their independence. Except we need the refinery at Soyo so the people of Cabinda can truly support that liberty.""So, we must keep Soyo and to keep Soyo, we must keep Zaire province. There is no other lesser border which makes strategic sense ~ a river, highlands, a massive river, an ocean ~ those are sustainable frontiers. You can't simply keep Soyo and not expect the enemy to strike and destroy that refinery, thus we must take Zaire province.""But the Bakongo of Zaire cannot defend themselves and will not be able to do so for at least a year, if not longer. That means we must do so, and for doing so, they will give us Soyo and we will be honest stewards of their oil wealth. We cannot expect any other power to defend this new Union and if we don't have a land stake we will be portrayed as mercenaries and expelled by hostile international forces.""So, for this project to have any chance of success, we must stay, fight and have an acknowledged presence, and if you can think of an alternative, please let me know," she exhaled."What if the Cabindans and Bakongo resist?""It is 'us', or the Angolans and they know how horrible the Angolans can be. Didn't you say the average person their lives on just $2 a day?""Yes.""We can do better than that," Aya insisted."How?" the aide persisted. "I mean, 'how in a way which will be quickly evident and meaningful?'""Oh," Aya's tiny brow furrowed. Her nose twitched as she rummaged through the vast storehouse of her brain."Get me in touch with William A. Miller, Director of the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service. He should be able to help me navigate the pathways toward getting aid and advisors into those two provinces ASAP.""I'll let Katrina know," the attendant made the notation on her pad."No. Contact him directly," Aya intervened. "We established a, rapport when we met. I think he might responded positively to a chance to mentor me in foreign relations.""Really?" Lorraine's brows arched."Yes," Aya chirped."Are you sure, Nasusara?" the attendant stared. She used 'Nasusara' whenever she thought Aya had a 'horrible' idea instead of a merely a 'bad' one."Yes. He owes me. Last time we met I didn't shoot him.""Didn't?" the woman twitched."Yes. I drew down on him with my captured Chinese QSW-06. I didn't want to kill him, but I felt I was about to have to kill Deputy National Security Advisor Blinken and he was the only other person in the room both armed and capable of stopping me.""Why is he still alive?""Cáel Ishara saw through my distraction and then took my gun from me, asked for it actually," she shyly confessed."Would you have shot him?" the aide inquired."What do you think?" Aya smiled.And Then:So, given t

In this hour, Adam Crowley, Dorin Dickerson and Pat Bostick address a comparison made by some fans. Also, Audacy, Pittsburgh's Dan Zangrilli and 93.7 The Fan's Jeff Hathhorn each come on The Fan Hotline. April 3, 2025, 9:00 Hour

En Fuera de Juego, la mesa analiza el alcance del actual Barcelona de Hansi Flick y discute si el desempeño que ha tenido en la actual temporada, en la que está en la pelea por el título de LaLiga, la Champions y la Copa del Rey luego de no tener expectativas para ninguna de estos torneos, hace del club azulgrana tener méritos suficientes para ser comparable con el Barça de Pep Guardiola y la mesa da razones a favor y en contra. Por otro lado, la mesa también habla de que en la Champions, mientras el Real Madrid siga con vida, será el máximo candidato para ganar el título, pero advierte que el PSG parece ser el único club capaz de impedir que los Merengues ganen "La Orejona" una vez más. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ben Criddle talks BYU sports every weekday from 2 to 6 pm.Today's Co-Hosts: Ben Criddle (@criddlebenjamin)Subscribe to the Cougar Sports with Ben Criddle podcast:Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/cougar-sports-with-ben-criddle/id99676

Aujourd'hui, Marie-Sophie Bufarull, Didier Giraud et Bruno Poncet débattent de l'actualité autour d'Alain Marschall et Olivier Truchot.

In this show we have Dr. Gregory Nicholson from Rush University (Chicago, USA) who presents a study where they used preshaped and predrilled bone grafts to address shoulder instability. Jörn Kircher from Germany is my SECEC expert today who will ask the right questions to get deeper into this topic - Enjoy!  Music under CC Licence: Artist: Malyssa Bellarosa Title: PretendArtist: Dr. Turtle Title: Which that is this? 

Cody and Alex preview the upcoming Senior Bowl Week in Mobile, Alabama. It will be RosterWatch's 14th season covering the event. Subscribe today to keep up to date!Timestamps0:00 - Intro1:27 - Cody's Must-Watch WRs in Mobile (Jalen Royals +)4:16 - Alex's Must-Watch WRs in Mobile (Savion Williams)8:20 - Projecting the Kupp / Dell Award for 2025...13:20 - Will Kyren Lacy Compete?15:15 - Finding a Comparable for Xavier Restrepo18:21 - What will Tez Johnson and Elic Ayonmanor do in Mobile?21:25 - Mini-Shrine Bowl Outlook (WR) - Nash, White23:30 - Mini-Senior Bowl Outlook (RB) - Skattebo, Hunter28:46 - Correcting the Ollie Gordon DisinformationJoin RosterWatch Nation TODAY!!Go PREMIUM for Weekly Rankings and DFS Tool -- https://rosterwatch.com/buy-rosterwatchFollow us on Twitter -- https://www.x.com/RosterWatch Follow on Instagram -- https://www.instagram.com/rosterwatch/---------------- RosterWatch is your year-round source for the best Fantasy Football analysis, including updates LIVE from Training Camp, The NFL Combine, Pro Days, and the Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl.----------------Subscribe to the podcast:iTunes -- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rosterwatch-podcast/id493875129?mt=2Spotify -- https://open.spotify.com/show/2jWDOZcppg9uYVaAWA7YdM?si=0b9aeaa77ae24316&nd=1&dlsi=1b5923c3f21b43c7iHeartRadio -- https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-rosterwatch-podcast-48874884/RosterWatch PRO offers the best toolset available to help you win your fantasy football league. What is RW PRO?* A full season of fantasy football power tools designed to make winning easy and fun.* Year-round NFL player analysis.* Exclusive live off-season coverage from all major NFL scouting events.----------------Underdog Fantasy is the ONLY place to get your NFL pick'em action. It couldn't be easier – just look at Underdog's stat projections for NFL players and choose higher or lower! Do you think Tyreek Hill is going to smash this week? Take the higher! Do you hate Saquon Barkley's matchup? Take the Lower. And if you don't know which to choose, here's the good news: RosterWatch is here for you in 2024. We have an all-new weekly Underdog pick'em show for each slate of the season starting in Week 1.It's time for RosterWatch Nation to dominate in the pick'em streets! Go to underdogfantasy.com and sign up using promo code ROSTER to claim your Special Pick plus First Time Deposit offer up to $1000 in bonus cash, and remember, you have to use the promo code ROSTER.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/rosterwatch-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Un peuple comparable à l'or (Chemot) by Rav David Touitou

On this episode of The Sick Podcast, former NHL coach Scotty Bowman joins Pierre McGuire and Jimmy Murphy to discuss Lane Hutson's incredible rookie season, striking similarities with legendary defenceman Phil Housley, how the Canadiens should handle Hutson's contract extension, the exciting race to the playoffs in the East, reminisce on a few Al MacNeil stories and much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason Kelce joins the Morning show and comments on the AJ/Jalen Hurts drama and talks all things Birds!

Comparaciones que Uds no sabían que ocupaban en sus vidas y esta…

En entrevista para MVS Noticias con Manuel López San Martín, Alejandro Moreno, Director de Encuestas y Estudios de Opinión de 'El Financiero', mostró los datos de una interesante encuesta que pone en la balanza el 70% de aprobación que tiene la nueva presidenta de México, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo. La encuesta de opinión hecha por 'El Financiero', fue realizada con una muestra de mil encuestados, de los cuales, la evaluación positiva estuvo marcada por los programas de apoyo social y los derechos de las mujeres que forman parte de la columna vertebral de este Gobierno. "Claudia Sheinbaum tiene un 70% de aprobación, lo cual es comparable con Vicente Fox en 2000 y ligeramente por debajo del 78% que tenía López Obrador en diciembre de 2018"; señaló Alejandro Moreno. Los apoyos sociales tienen un 70% de opinión favorable y los derechos de las mujeres un 66%. En contraste, la corrupción tiene un 60% de opinión negativa y el crimen organizado un 75% de opinión negativa. El desempeño en el gobierno de Sheinbaum Al 67% de las personas entrevistadas les gusta mucho o algo el estilo de gobernar de Claudia Sheinbaum, mientras que al 30% le gusta poco o nada. "Con el nuevo gobierno, difícil decirlo, a lo mejor es un nivel que pueda quedar un tiempecito o que se deslice a la baja, difícil preverlo siempre, pero 70% con 24% de desaprobación, bastante buen respaldo de la presidenta, no así en los rubros de evaluación por desempeño de gobierno, en donde hay pues claroscuros"; destacó Alejandro Moreno. ¿Cuál es el principal problema que ve la gente en México, según la encuesta? De acuerdo con los datos proporcionados por este director de encuestas, el principal problema es la inseguridad, con un 66% de las personas entrevistadas señalándolo como el problema más importante, y este porcentaje ha ido en aumento. Alejandro Moreno mencionó la necesidad de seguir monitoreando la aprobación de la presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum para ver si se mantiene o disminuye con el tiempo, y destacó que este alto porcentaje también se le conoce como "la luna de miel" de los nuevos gobiernos.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NotiMundo a la Carta - Juan Pablo Serrano, La Crisis Energética Del 2009, ¿es Comparable.. by FM Mundo 98.1

In this episode of What's New at CFI on FinPod, we dive into the latest addition to our course lineup, Comparable Valuation Fundamentals. Our expert instructors discuss designing the course specifically to make valuation concepts more accessible for learners without extensive finance backgrounds. You'll hear about the decision to use fictional companies for easier digestion of the fundamentals and the exciting new feature—Grade Your Progress—an innovative tool that guides learners through Excel models with real-time feedback. Tune in to learn about the challenges of valuation, the fundamentals of comparable valuation, and why it's a critical skill for financial professionals at any level! 

We managed to pull off a MAJOR surprise for Holly with a very special food-related guest in studio!

El periodista de Exitosa, Nicolás Lúcar, manifestó que la amenaza criminal que atraviesa el país en la actualidad solo es comparable con el terrorismo ejercido por Sendero Luminoso y el MRTA. Noticias del Perú y actualidad, política.

JMToWin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ from One Week Season walks us through the Week 3 DFS slate from a GPP perspective and builds a DraftKings lineup with Pete using some of his favorite building blocks. Topics discussed: value RBs, alpha WRs, and leverage ideas. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch the show on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠

Send us a textIn this episode of the Shekle Up Podcast, hosts Anthony, Kurt, Eric, and Hunter dive into a variety of sports topics, including their weekend betting experiences, analysis of UFC fights, and insights into college football performances, particularly focusing on teams like Notre Dame, Michigan, and USC. They also discuss the implications of upcoming games and the performances of notable players like Sean O'Malley and Shador Sanders. The conversation is lively, filled with humor, and showcases the hosts' passion for sports and betting. In this episode, the hosts dive into various upcoming NFL matchups, analyzing key games such as Oklahoma State vs. Utah, Patriots vs. Jets, and Chiefs vs. Falcons. They discuss betting strategies, player performances, and fantasy football insights, while also previewing Monday Night Football games featuring the Jaguars and Bills, as well as the Bengals against the Commanders. The conversation touches on the importance of team dynamics, coaching decisions, and the impact of injuries on game outcomes. The hosts also share their predictions and must-start players for fantasy football, providing listeners with valuable insights for the week ahead.00:00Introduction and Podcast Overview02:54Weekend Sports Recap and Betting Experiences05:59UFC Fight Analysis and Sean O'Malley's Performance08:51College Football Insights and Notre Dame's Performance12:02Michigan vs. USC Preview and Predictions15:14Ohio State vs. Marshall Betting Discussion17:47NFL Weekend Recap and Team Performances20:47UFC 306 Review and Fight Night Experiences24:08Shador Sanders and Colorado's Rise in College Football27:06Final Thoughts and Predictions for Upcoming Games50:33Analyzing the Upcoming Matchup: Oklahoma State vs. Utah57:42Thursday Night Football Preview: Patriots vs. Jets01:01:00Sunday Night Showdown: Chiefs vs. Falcons01:12:27Monday Night Football: Jaguars vs. Bills01:19:27Cincinnati Bengals vs. Washington Commanders Preview01:24:32Fantasy Football Insights and Must-Start Players01:27:20Game Predictions: Giants vs. Browns01:30:21Arizona Cardinals vs. Detroit Lions Analysis01:35:39Chicago Bears vs. Indianapolis Colts Breakdown01:40:29Pittsburgh Steelers vs. LA Chargers Preview01:42:44Eagles vs. Saints: A Critical Matchuphttps://linktr.ee/Shekeluppodcast https://twitter.com/shekeluphttps://www.facebook.com/ShekelUpPodcast https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVGLEl-SwjQ7xR-Ooh_9ARwhttps://discord.gg/FDrgEgwshttps://patreon.com/Shekeluppodcast?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkThe BetMGM sportsbook app brings you closer to the sports you love with real-time betting odds, enhanced offers, and tons of different betting formats from moneyline and point spread bets to parlays and futures. Not to mention the player props and live, in-game betting options!Experience the excitement of betting on major Football, Baseball, Basketball, Hockey, MMA, Soccer, and Tennis leagues including NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, MLS and UFC, as well as College Football, College Basketball, and College Baseball.https://www.pubtrack.comSupport the show

JMToWin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ from One Week Season walks us through the Week 2 DFS slate from a GPP perspective and builds a DraftKings lineup with Pete using some of his favorite building blocks. Topics discussed: stacking rushing QBs, TE values, getting up to the top WRs, and a RB/WR to pair together. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch the show on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠

August ends on the high side - (like July) and then gets knocked down hard (like August) and then Rips higher on Monday (like August) Rate cut bets are in place Market very skittish - September not the best month on average VIX hits 25 last week PLUS we are now on Spotify and Amazon Music/Podcasts! Click HERE for Show Notes and Links DHUnplugged is now streaming live - with listener chat. Click on link on the right sidebar. Love the Show? Then how about a Donation? Follow John C. Dvorak on Twitter Follow Andrew Horowitz on Twitter DONATIONS ? Warm Up - Another Rough Start to the month - Apple Event - market was - Last episode - ETF and Funds Education - lots of great comments on that! - DEBATE TIME - right in the middle of our show! Someone needs to look at our schedule Market Update - August ends on the high side - (like July) and then gets knocked down hard (like August) and then Rips higher on Monday (like August) - Rate cut bets are in place - Market very skittish - September not the best month on average - VIX hits 25 last week - Yen Carry trade issue not fully resolved - YIELD CURVE UPDATE Big News - Yield curve normalizes for 2/10's - Yield curve is not normal - this is what happened  in 2001 and 2008 Apple Event - Apple introduces Apple Watch Series X with a new design. - Largest most advanced display ever with 30% more screen area. - The display is larger than the Apple Watch Ultra. - Display will be 40% brighter. - Watch will be 10% thinner than Apple Watch 9. - Background noise will be surprised on phone calls. - Smart Stack will add widgets whenever you need them. - Adding translate application. -Apple Watch can track menstrual cycles. - Apple Watch can alert users to sleep apnea. - Starts at $399. - A few incremental updates otherwise and talk of AI to come - one day someday More Apple - Europe's top court on Tuesday ruled against Apple in the tech giant's 10-year court battle over its tax affairs in Ireland. - The Commission in 2016 ordered Dublin to recover up to 13 billion euros ($14.4 billion) in back taxes from Apple, at the time saying that the tech company had received "illegal" tax benefits from Ireland over the course of two decades. - So is this final this time? - How is this possible anyway - Ireland granted tax benefits for the purpose of benefiting jobs etc.... Apple Competition - Huawei's tri-fold phone receives over 4 mln pre-orders ($2,800 per) - Have you seen this? - VERY COOL device Palantir -  Palantir Technologies hits best levels since early 2021 following inclusion in S&P 500 - +15% on the  news Dell - Dell also is added to the S&P 500 - Etsy and American Airlines out Tech - Oracle Earnings - Oracle beats on some metrics and has some great outlook - Missed on EPS - Partnering with Amazon - The company said Oracle Database is thriving, and the multi-cloud agreements it has with Microsoft, Google, and now AWS make it easier for its customers to run their Oracle Databases in the cloud. - Stock at ATH NVDA - WORST DAY EVER for a stock - Slide last week took at $300 BILLION on market value in one day. - New DOJ probe in anti-trust case - The agency is asking questions about whether Nvidia makes it harder to switch to other suppliers of AI chips. - Nvidia has over 80% of the market for data center AI chips, according to industry estimates. Best Buy - People are buying... - Raising full year guidance - Comparable sales declined 2.3% during the quarter, compared with a 6.2% decline a year earlier. --- It is all about  the expectations... Glasses - Again? - Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon told CNBC the chip designer is working with Samsung and Google to explore a mixed-reality set of glasses linked to a smartphone - Last year, Google, Samsung and Qualcomm struck a partnership to develop mixed-reality technology. - This is supposed to be a smaller version of what is out the...

It's the summer in review! With the conclusion of the season, we're looking back across all the box office results compared against previous years, before diving into the exciting new season kickoff success of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Lauren Green joins us again to provide UK insights into the film's audience, and we discuss how best to market Beetlejuice Beetlejuice to capitalize on its opening success. Topics and times: The Summer In Review - 0:40 Beetlejuice Beetlejuice box office overview - 5:15 Beetlejuice Beetlejuice audience analysis - 7:15 Opportunities in the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice audience - 9:31 Beetlejuice Beetlejuice marketing recommendations in the UK and Europe - 12:12 Comparable titles insights - 15:04 Beetlejuice Beetlejuice audience reception - 18:45 Next week - 19:36 Find us at https://www.linkedin.com/company/vista-group-limited/, and follow lifeatvistagroup on Instagram Box Office Overview: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice debuted above expectations with $111M in the domestic market and $35M from 69 international markets for a global debut of $146M. Across the overall summer season, the domestic market saw a gross of $3.63B, down 10% from last year's enormous box office from Barbie and Oppenheimer.

Retired USF Political Scientist Dr. Susan MacManus is in Chicago with an analysis of the DNC so far.

William and guests discuss the issues around grieving for four-legged friends.

In this insightful episode, Dr. Lyndon Chang delves into the innovative world of minimal stimulation IVF, commonly known as mini IVF. He discusses its benefits for patients with diminished ovarian reserve or advanced maternal age. Dr. Chang explains how using lower doses of medication can result in more efficient and targeted cycles, potentially optimizing both the quality and quantity of eggs retrieved that make it to blastocyst as normal embryos. Beyond the medical aspects, he emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach to fertility, considering factors like stress management and overall health. Additionally, Dr. Chang addresses the controversy and skepticism surrounding minimal stimulation IVF, highlighting the need for more comprehensive research to validate its efficacy. Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of mini IVF and its role in modern fertility treatments.   Key takeaways: ●      Mini IVF uses lower medication doses to stimulate egg production, leading to more efficient cycles. ●      It optimizes egg quality and quantity, especially for those with diminished ovarian reserve or advanced maternal age. ●      Minimal stimulation aims to avoid ovarian overstimulation, enhancing the chances of success. ●      Comparable success rates to traditional IVF, but more research is needed for definitive evidence.   Dr. Lyndon Chang Bio: Dr. Lyndon Chang, Medical Director at Hanabusa IVF. Dr. Chang is a pioneer in the field of minimal stimulation (Mini IVF) in the United States. He specializes in a holistic approach to infertility and the use of low-stimulation IVF protocols.   Dr. Chang has helped facilitate live births with patients ranging between 45-49 years old. He has had live births with patients whose FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) ranges from 20 – 166 ml and who successfully conceived through In-vitro fertilization using their own eggs.     Where To Find Dr. Lyndon Chang:    Links to our pages on Mini IVF and DOR ●      Our Page on Mini IVF with a video and key points summarizing our approach ○      Mini IVF - https://www.hanabusaivf.com/unique-approach/mini-in-vitro-fertilization-ivf/ ●      Our page on Diminished Ovarian Reserve and how it works with Mini IVF – ○      Diminished Ovarian Reserve: https://www.hanabusaivf.com/unique-approach/diminished-ovarian-reserve/   Socials Below: ●      FB: https://www.facebook.com/hanabusaIVF/ ●      IG: https://www.instagram.com/hanabusaivf/ ●      YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hanabusaivf ●      LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hanabusa-ivf       How to connect to Lorne Brown online and in person (Vancouver, BC)   Acubalance.ca book virtual or in person conscious work sessions with Dr. Lorne Brown Lornebrown.com   Conscious hacks and tools to optimize your fertility by Dr. Lorne Brown: https://acubalance.ca/conscious-work/     Download a free copy of the Acubalance Fertility Diet & Recipes and a copy of the ebook 5 Ways to Maximize Your Chances of Getting Pregnant from Acubalance.ca   Connect with Lorne and the podcast on Instagram: @acubalancewellnesscentre @conscious_fertility_podcast @lorne_brown_official     DISCLAIMER: By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use it as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. This podcast offers information to help the listener cooperate with physicians, mental health professionals or other healthcare providers in a mutual quest for optimal well-being. We advise listeners to carefully review and understand the ideas presented, and to consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. Under no circumstances shall Acubalance, any guests or contributors to the Conscious Fertility podcast, or any employees, associates, or affiliates of Acubalance be responsible for damages arising from the use of the podcast.  

When we're representing a seller we have the responsibility to advise on a proper selling price. How we ascertain our recommendation is by using comparable properties.   Here's a clip of one of our Q&A Sessions where Raman explains Comparative Market Analysis. These Q&A Sessions happen weekly here at the Alberta Real Estate School and it's an important way for our students to learn and interact with each other. Start your career in Real Estate today! Our courses equip you with the skills needed to pass your licensing exam in Alberta. Link in the comments. We train tomorrow's top Real Estate Agents and Mortgage Associates in Alberta! : www.albertarealestateschool.com : 587-936-7779 #realestateschool #realestate #becomearealtor #albertarealestate

The Phillies skid is giving a few of us trepidations, or is it dejavu?

Jerome Powell's Statement: Rates left unchanged in the US. Possible rate cuts on the table for September. US MPC meeting on 19 September. Data needed: improving inflation and higher unemployment. Oil and Gold Market Update: Brent Crude: Under pressure, signaling weak global demand. Lower highs trend since June 2022. Support at $72.50 and resistance around $88. Brent Oil | 01 August 2024  Gold: Trading near all-time highs. Strong central bank buying. Uncertain targets, but bullish sentiment persists. Gold | 01 August 2024 Potential JSE Delistings: Criteria: Dividend yield > 0, market cap < 5 billion ZAR, NAV price > 100, P/E < 10, and profitable. Initial search yielded 53 stocks, refined criteria (dividend yield > 5%) narrowed it down to 25. Top candidates: African Media Entertainment, Argent, Combined Motor Holdings*, eMedia, Frontier Transport, Home Choice, Mustek, PrimeServe, Transpaco. Shoprite*: Trading at all-time highs. 12% revenue increase, 6.3% like-for-like growth, 5.8% inflation. Successful new store formats (PetScience, Checkers Outdoor, UNIQ Clothing, Little Me). Woolies: Disappointing trading statement. Comparable store sales up 6.9%, inflation at 7%, volume decline. Heps down 14-19%, market expectation miss. RSA Retail Bonds Update: New Rates: Two-year at 8.75%, three-year at 9%, five-year at 10.25%. Rates have been declining since June. Simon Brown * I hold ungeared positions. All charts by KoyFin | Get 10% off your order  

Packers Insider Jason Wilde joins the program and the Packers have locked down their Quarterback giving Jordan Love a $220 Million Dollar contract extension. So now that they've got their guy, how is he practicing? Also what's next for the Packers now that X's & O's are back on the forefront Wilde reports live from camp for the rest of the week!

"Le royaume des Cieux est comparable à une graine de moutarde, si bien que les oiseaux du ciel font leurs nids dans ses branches"Méditation de l'évangile (Mt 13, 31-35) par le Père Jean-Marie PetitclercChant Final : "Dans ton royaume" par le Choeur Du Monastère Sainte-Élisabeth De Minsk

In hour four we hear more from Mike McDaniel and we discuss if Tua is comparable to Trevor Lawrence 

This podcast summarises the article 'Objective movement asymmetry in horses is comparable between markerless technology and sensor-based systems' by Kallerud et al.

-It's really great that Mike Gundy and Sanders went on different days so we could have 2 good days of quotes from both interesting coaches. Prime Time said his wins are judged differently than others because of the status of who he is. Hmm….-Sanders also said he's mad at AD Rick George for scheduling North Dakota State off the bat as he wanted a ‘lay-up' game…not so much the case-What else stood out from the 2nd and final day of Big 12 Media Days in Vegas?Show sponsored by 1890 NEBRASKAAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Pastor Jose discusses how earthly problems are temporal and changing, not even comparable to the glory inside of us. Audio > 

Darren Waller officially informed the Giants of his decision to retire on Sunday. Waller began his NFL journey with the Ravens as a wide receiver after being drafted out of Georgia Tech in the 6th round. His early career was troubled by multiple suspensions due to substance abuse issues. Later the then-Oakland Raiders that Waller was converted to a tight end, and his career took off in 2019 with 1,145 yards, finishing 3rd in the comeback player of the year award. His best season came in 2020, where he posted 107 receptions for 1,196 yards and 9 touchdowns, earning him a Pro Bowl selection. Unfortunately, the last three seasons were plagued by injuries, particularly hamstring issues. The Raiders traded him to the Giants last offseason for a 3rd round pick, and in his lone season with the Giants, he posted 552 yards and 1 touchdown in 12 games. Over his career, Waller played 86 games, starting 63, and amassed 4,124 yards and 20 touchdowns.So, why did Darren Waller retire? In March, he told The Athletic, "It's really the idea of signing up for another journey. It's tough, it's long, it requires a lot. And if you're not fully bought into every single thing of the process, it's going to be tough." While his numerous health issues likely played a role, speculation about his divorce from WNBA star Kelsey Plum has also been considered a factor, though he mentioned retiring even before the divorce was publicized. Was it to pursue his music career? Some people have speculated he didn't want to play with Daniel Jones, but he would have just asked for a trade then.Waller's legacy varies depending on perspective. NFL fans might see him as a player with a short but impressive peak. Ravens fans likely remember him as the one who got away, while Raiders fans might see him as a great player hampered by injuries. Giants fans may view him as a wasted 3rd round pick. However, his story should also be remembered for his charity work and overcoming addiction.With Waller's retirement, is the tight end position downgraded? Short answer: yes, but perhaps not as severely as one might think. Theo Johnson has been looking good according to OTA reports, and Daniel Bellinger may also get more chances to shine. This move could allow young players to develop, which might benefit the team in the long run.Financially, the Giants gain $11.6M in cap savings this season with $2.5M in dead cap space. Next season, there will be a $4.9M dead cap hit.Looking ahead, should the Giants extend Darius Slayton? He's currently in the last year of his deal with a $7.75M cap number in 2024. Comparable players like Gabe Davis have signed deals around $13M per year. Is Slayton worth that to the Giants, or do they prefer to see how Jalin Hyatt performs this year first?There's also speculation about signing veterans like Stephon Gilmore or Calais Campbell. Gilmore, turning 34 in September, had a solid season with Dallas but might block younger players' development. Campbell, turning 38, could provide depth but similarly might impede younger talent.Alternatively, should the Giants wait to see which free agents appear later on? This strategy is risky, but mid-season cuts could provide valuable additions. However, there's no guarantee that impactful players will become available.#giants #nygiSupport the Show.All Episodes are shot LIVE with fan interactions on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, & TwitchSponsor the show at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/2giantgoofballsInterested in starting a podcast. We recommend using buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=2012368

This report contains an analysis of the latest financial reporting from BJ's Wholesale Club - BJ. The earnings report is for the first quarter of 2024, and the report was shared on an earnings call on May 23, 2024.Company Report & OutlookComp Sales Reporting in Q1 2024 Earnings CallDuring BJ's Wholesale Club's Q1 2024 earnings call, the company reported the following regarding comparable (comp) sales:Comp Sales Growth:* Comparable club sales, excluding gas sales, grew by 0.6% in the first quarter. This performance was noted as particularly significant given the tough comparison to last year's high inflation dynamics.Traffic Contribution:* Strong traffic was a major driver, contributing 3 percentage points to the comp sales in the quarter, maintaining a trend similar to the fourth quarter of the previous year.Inflation and Unit Volume:* Inflation was about flat during the quarter.* There was growth in unit volumes, especially in the perishables, grocery, and sundries divisions.Performance in Perishables, Grocery, and Sundries:* The perishables, grocery, and sundries division experienced comp growth of over 1%.* The strongest growth within this division was in perishables, particularly in unit volumes, led by categories such as fresh produce and dairy.General Merchandise:* The general merchandise segment delivered a slightly negative comp in Q1.* Weather-sensitive categories had a significant impact, with about a 10-point variance in performance across markets with different weather conditions.* Despite these challenges, specific categories like consumer electronics, apparel, and home textiles showed positive comp growth. Home categories, including home textiles, experienced nearly 7% comp growth, turning positive for the first time in a while.Overall, BJ's Wholesale Club highlighted continued momentum and strong comp sales growth, supported by robust traffic, unit growth, and strategic initiatives despite a challenging retail environment.AnalysisCurrent State of BJ's Wholesale ClubMembership and Market Share Growth:* Membership Fees: The company saw robust growth in membership fees by 8.6% year-over-year.* Market Share: Continued growth in market share, particularly in perishables, grocery, and sundries.* Renewal Rate: Exceptionally strong at 90%.* New Memberships: Growth was driven significantly by digital platforms.Sales and Traffic:* Comp Sales: Comparable club sales excluding gas grew by 0.6% in Q1 despite difficult comparisons due to last year's inflation.* Traffic and Unit Growth: Strong traffic trends contributed positively to sales, with a noted increase in unit growth particularly in perishables like fresh produce and dairy.* General Merchandise: Faced challenges due to weather-sensitive categories but reported positive comps in consumer electronics and apparel, with a notable 7% growth in home categories.Digital Engagement:* Digitally Enabled Sales: Continued double-digit growth in digital sales, with a 21% year-over-year increase in digitally enabled comp sales.* Convenience Initiatives: Enhanced digital capabilities like buy online, curbside pickup, and inventory management improvements to further assist shopping convenience.Gasoline Business:* Traffic Driver: Gas promotions and value offerings drove traffic, leading to a 6% growth in comp gallons sold, outpacing the down-trending broader U.S. market.* Profit Margins: Faced margin headwinds in Q1 due to rising costs, but expected to recover in Q2.Financial Performance:* Gross Margins and SG&A: Merchandise gross margin rate slightly decreased. SG&A increased year-over-year due to new openings and strategic investments.* Overall Financial Health: Ended the first quarter with strong inventory management, balancing new unit growth and strategic investments.Future OutlookStrategic Priorities:* Member Loyalty: Focus on increasing the quality and quantity of memberships, with an emphasis on high-spending, high-loyalty segments.* Shopping Experience: Continuous improvement through initiatives like Fresh 2.0 to enhance the quality and selection of fresh produce.* Digital and Convenience: Further development of digital tools to streamline shopping and increase member satisfaction.* Footprint Growth: Aggressive expansion with 11 new clubs expected in H2 of fiscal 2024 in both new and existing markets.Growth Projections:* Comp Sales Guidance: Expect comp sales growth to range between 1%-2% for fiscal 2024 with improved performance in the back half of the year.* Gross Margin Expansion: Anticipates a 20 basis point improvement in merchandise gross margin rate for the year driven by cost management and own-brand growth.* Membership Fee Income: Although Q1 showed high growth, the company expects a moderate but steady increase throughout the year.Industry and Economic Context:* Consumer Sentiment: Acknowledgement of consumer discretion in spending and a focus on high value and essential items.* Competitive Landscape: Awareness of competitive pricing actions but confidence in BJ's intrinsic value proposition and strategic promotional efforts.GuidanceThe leadership team at BJ's Wholesale Club provided the following specific guidance for investors regarding their business:* Comparable Sales: They expect fiscal 2024 comparable sales, excluding gas, to range from 1% to 2%. They anticipate an improving performance as the year progresses, with a particularly strong performance expected in the back half of the year.* Inflation: They are assuming a slightly inflationary year, with a robust consumable business led by traffic, units, and market share.* Membership Fee Income: The company noted that the year-over-year membership fee income increase of 8.6% in the first quarter will probably be the highest growth rate for the year. However, they anticipate it will continue to grow but at a more moderate rate.* Merchandise Gross Margin: They forecast an improvement in the merchandise gross margin rate by approximately 20 basis points for fiscal 2024, driven by strong cost management and continued growth in their own brands.* SG&A: Continued SG&A deleverage is expected as they invest in growth initiatives, particularly in unit growth as new club sales ramp up over a multi-year period. They are also lapping variable compensation tailwinds from fiscal 2023.* Tax Rate: They are planning for an effective tax rate of approximately 28% for the remaining three quarters of the fiscal year.* EPS Guidance: The company continues to expect to deliver adjusted earnings per share (EPS) in the range of $3.75 to $4.00.* Expansion: BJ's plans to open 11 more clubs in the back half of the fiscal year 2024 in both new markets like Louisville, Knoxville, Southern Pines, and Myrtle Beach, as well as existing markets like New York metro and Florida. They also mentioned ongoing investments into their existing footprint with upgrades and remodels.* Gasoline Business: While the first quarter faced margin headwinds due to rising costs, they expect the gasoline business to recover somewhat in the second quarter. They remain confident in the overall profitability and growth potential of this segment on an annual basis.This guidance provided the investors with a clear outlook on how BJ's Wholesale Club expects to perform financially in the coming months and outlined the strategic initiatives they are pursuing to ensure continued growth and return on investment.Change Since Last QuarterComparative Analysis of BJ's Wholesale Club Earnings ReportsThe recent earnings report shows continued growth in membership, digital sales, and market share, with a particular emphasis on digital engagement and convenience improvements. Challenges in general merchandise and gasoline margins were noted, but the outlook remains positive with strategic expansions and new club openings. The previous report emphasized membership growth and long-term value, with concerns about disinflation affecting perishables. Both reports highlight investments in digital capabilities and a steady focus on member loyalty and expanding the company's footprint.Analyst ResponseAnalysisKey Topics from Analysts' Questions* Membership Fee Income (MFI) Growth:* Analyst: Peter Benedict (Baird)* Topic: Why MFI growth is expected to step down after Q1 and whether BJ's leadership is considering increasing membership fees given the strong performance.* Inventory and Merchandising Margins:* Analyst: Peter Benedict (Baird)* Topic: Efforts in getting inventory in line, its progress, and expectations for merchandising margins through the year.* Promotional Environment and Pricing Actions:* Analyst: Kate McShane (Goldman Sachs)* Topic: Current promotional environment and how BJ's is addressing competitive pricing actions to maintain their competitive price gap.* Discrepancy between MFI Growth and Club Growth:* Analyst: Simeon Gutman (Morgan Stanley)* Topic: Drivers behind the high MFI growth and its sustainability, especially with new club openings throughout the year.* New vs. Existing Member Spending:* Analyst: Simeon Gutman (Morgan Stanley)* Topic: Comparison of spending habits across different product categories between new and existing members.* New Market Clubs Performance:* Analyst: Robby Ohmes (Bank of America)* Topic: Performance of new market clubs versus expectations and reasons behind any observed differences.* Fresh 2.0 and Coolers Initiative:* Analyst: Robby Ohmes (Bank of America)* Topic: Details about the Fresh 2.0 initiative and the impact of placing coolers at the front of clubs.* General Merchandise and Seasonal Categories:* Analyst: Chuck Grom (Gordon Haskett)* Topic: Dynamics within the general merchandise segment and the impact of seasonal categories, including services and ancillary products.* Gross Margin Expansion Drivers:* Analyst: Chuck Grom (Gordon Haskett)* Topic: Future drivers of gross margin expansion including inventory management, SKU rationalization, and own brand efforts.* Gasoline Segment Profits:* Analyst: Greg Melich (Evercore ISI)* Topic: Decline in gas profit margins and expectations for improvement.* Impact of Credit Card Transition:* Analyst: Greg Melich (Evercore ISI)* Topic: Effects of last year's credit card transition on current margins, overall sales, and SG&A.* Monthly Sales Trends:* Analyst: Michael Baker (D.A. Davidson)* Topic: Monthly sales trends within the quarter and their relationship to comp expectations throughout the year.* Income Cohort Performance:* Analyst: Edward Kelly (Wells Fargo)* Topic: Performance of different income cohorts, especially the improvement in spending among lower-income members.* Unit Improvement and Own Brands:* Analyst: Chuck Cerankosky (Northcoast Research)* Topic: Unit sales improvement indicating overall club performance and impact of own brand sales on comps and margins.Key ThemesHere are the key terms and phrases used by the BJ's Wholesale Club executives in the earnings call:* Membership fee income (MFI) - This refers to the revenue BJ's earns from membership fees, which is a key driver of their business.* Comparable club sales/comps - This measures the sales growth at stores open for at least 13 months, excluding the impact of gas sales.* Perishables, grocery and sundries - This is a key division of BJ's business focused on food and everyday household items.* General merchandise - This refers to the non-grocery/household items like electronics, apparel, home goods etc.* Fresh 2.0 initiative - This is a program to improve the quality, selection and presentation of BJ's produce offerings.* Own brands (Wellsley Farms, Berkley Jensen) - BJ's private label brands which they are focused on growing as they offer higher margins.* Digitally-enabled sales - Sales driven through online/app ordering and services like curbside pickup.* Merchandise gross margin - The profitability on the merchandise BJ's sells, excluding the gas business.* Strategic priorities - The four key focus areas for BJ's: member loyalty, unbeatable shopping experience, value convenience, and footprint growth.The executives highlighted the company's strong membership growth, gains in market share, improvements in merchandising, and continued investment in digital capabilities as key drivers of their business performance.Financial Reporting Summary* Net Sales: Approximately $4.8 billion, growing 4% over the prior year.* Comparable Club Sales: Up 1.6% year-over-year, led by gallons sold.* Merchandise Comp Sales (excluding gas sales): Increased by 0.6% year-over-year and by 6.3% on a two-year stack.* Digital Sales: Digitally enabled comp sales for the first quarter grew 21% year-over-year and 40% on a two-year stack.* Membership Fee Income (MFI): Grew 8.6% to approximately $111.4 million.* Gross Margins:* Merchandise gross margin rate (excluding gasoline) decreased by approximately 50 basis points year-over-year.* Expected merchandise gross margin rate improvement of approximately 20 basis points for fiscal 2024.* SG&A Expenses: Approximately $721.8 million, with a year-over-year increase attributed to new unit growth and other investments.* Adjusted EBITDA: $236.4 million for the first quarter.* Effective Tax Rate: 24.4% for the quarter.* Adjusted Earnings Per Share (EPS): $0.85, flat year-over-year.* Inventory: Ended the first quarter with inventory about flat year-over-year.* Net Leverage: Ended the first quarter with 0.6 turns of net leverage.* Share Repurchases: 405,000 shares for $30.2 million, with $159 million remaining under the current authorization.* Guidance for Fiscal Year 2024:* Comp sales, excluding gas, expected to range from 1% to 2%.* Merchandise gross margin rate expected to improve by approximately 20 basis points.* Effective tax rate of approximately 28% for the remaining three quarters of the fiscal year.* Adjusted EPS expected in the $3.75 to $4 range. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theearningscall.substack.com

6pm - Mike and Bulldog discus the Chiefs recent success and if it compares to the Patriots dynasty

Hour 1 in Full 

Thor Nystrom gave the Patriots an "F" grade for their recent draft class. He spoke on how he thinks Drake Maye is not good enough to start in the NFL yet, how Ja'Lynn Polk is not a second round talent, and how much of an it factor Javon Baker is going to be for the Patriots. He thinks that Polk was only a number three option in college. Sure, he may have great hands, but he does not stretch the defense like you would want from a round two guy. Do you agree with this new perspective or is he just a hater? Will Baker rise up the ranks in the Patriots WR room?

I'm sick of hearing October 7 mentioned in the same breath as Israel's incineration of Gaza as though they're equal or even comparable. A thousand Israelis dying (probably hundreds by indiscriminate IDF fire) is not comparable to tens of thousands of Palestinians (probably more) being deliberately exterminated by high tech war machinery, even if before you account for the fact that Israel was the aggressor and that the violence of the oppressed is not comparable to the violence of the oppressor in the first place.

Chad Parsons discusses Rashee Rice, the toughest to rank rookies in 2024, plus recent UTH content at UTHDynasty.com and Patreon.com/UTH. Support the show (no ads!) by becoming a UTHDynasty.com General Manager PLUS subscriber - getting 450+ premium shows each year, plus rankings, metrics, injury-away running back matrix, and more!Become a UTH Patron for even more bonus content from Chad Parsons, including a weekly feature show with Tim Torch, previews of upcoming UTH content, and a thriving VIP Chat with the best dynasty owners on the planet! Find information at www.Patreon.com/UTH

Hawks and United Broadcaster Mike Conti speaks about the early returns on Atlanta United's start, why the defense feels more complete right now, playing without a number of guys this week in Toronto, if Atlanta United has the best team since 2018, and the development of Jalen Johnson this season. 

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Cubs signing Cody Bellinger, Scott Boras's offseason, and what Bryce Harper's walk year could portend for Juan Soto's. Then (33:27) Ben and Meg talk to Ben Kramer and Robert Toner of the Anchorage Sports Association about the Fur Rendezvous Festival snowshoe softball tournament and the finer points […]

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found Click On Picture To See Larger PictureThe real scientist have looked at the research from the climate hoax scientist and found that CO2 does not change the temperature. Biden ready to change rule but doesn't want gas prices to up before the election. Home Depot sales drop. [ECB] pushing [CBDC], US countering the [CBDC]. The [DS] are moving all the cases against Trump forward, the need to put financial pressure on him until Super Tuesday, [NH] will stay in the race until then, hoping Trump is forced out, big fail. The patriots are now building the narrative for when [MO] comes into the mix. People will learn that [BO] is treasonous. The Calm Before The Storm.   (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); Economy Pure Junk Science': Researchers Challenge Narrative on CO2 and Warming Correlation UN claims that human-caused CO2 emissions are imperiling the planet are ‘totally garbage,' says scientist. ‘CO2 doesn't cause a change in temperature.' Each year from 2023 to 2030, climate change sustainable development goals will cost every person in economies such as the United States $2,026, the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development estimates. In lower-income economies, the per-person annual cost ranges from $332 to $1,864. In total, the global price tag comes to about $5.5 trillion per year. Separately, a report from the left-aligned nonprofit Climate Policy Initiative found that in 2021 and 2022, the world's taxpayers spent $1.3 trillion each year on climate-related projects. It also found that the “annual climate finance needed” from 2031 to 2050 is more than $10 trillion each year.   Source: theepochtimes.com    Biden Admin Reportedly Set To Greenlight Rule Change That Could Spike Gas Prices — But Not Until After The Election The Biden administration is expected to ease seasonal restrictions on ethanol-gasoline blends but has delayed the change until after the 2024 election to avoid a price spike, according to Reuters. The rule change stems from a 2022 request from the governors of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin to allow the sale of gasoline with 15% ethanol year-round, known as E15 gasoline, lifting current seasonal restrictions that aim to reduce smog in the summer months, according to Reuters. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had originally set an effective date of April 28, 2024, for the changes when the agency sent the proposal to the White House in December, but that is now expected to be pushed back to 2025.   Top oil refiners, including HF Sinclair Corp. and Philips 66, have warned against the change, saying that it would complicate fuel supply logistics and increase the risk of area shortages, possibly raising prices, according to Reuters. The ethanol industry has lobbied for the changes, saying that the environmental concerns are exaggerated.   Source: dailycaller.com Home Depot Sales Slide For Fifth Quarter On Weak Housing Demand  Home Depot's sales fell for the fifth straight quarter as the country's largest home improvement retailer felt the impacts of higher mortgage rates that have put a big freeze on the housing market. Fourth-quarter revenue came in at $34.79 billion, down from $35.83 in the prior-year period. The figure still beat $34.61 billion that analysts surveyed by Bloomberg expected. Comparable sales, a key indicator of a retailer's health, fell 3.5%. The retailer predicted a 1% decline in comparable reven...

In this episode, our guest is Katie Horwitch. She is the author of "Want Yourself, Shift Yourself," engaging in a captivating conversation. In this episode, we delve into self-discovery, personal development, and addressing negative self-talk. How did you develop the desire to be yourself and cultivate a sense of competence to progress in life? Explore the journey of turning dreams into reality as Katie walks you through tactical ways to make it happen. Without further ado, let's dive into the episode with Katie Horwitch [2:34] Why should I listen to you?  Being an introvert and a highly sensitive person, if I initiate a conversation with you, it's because I see the potential for meaningful interaction between us. [3:25] What are the things that are deeply important to you? That's a great question because, as someone with a contrasting personality – a gregarious introvert or what some might label an extroverted introvert – people often mistake me for an outgoing person. However, I tend to keep to myself not because I'm guarded but because I'm a professional observer, always absorbing data from people and the world. Meaningful conversations in this setting, not during a keynote or workshop, stem from something I've noticed in you and grown curious about. When it comes to making adult friendships, many find it daunting, assuming it involves constant small talk. I prefer to reverse-engineer the situation, considering the type of connection and feelings I want to cultivate. I'm genuinely invested in our conversation and our interaction, with a focus on the 'so what' – what happens afterward and beyond. [7:00] What sparked your intense curiosity in professional settings like NFL teams, and have you ever been perceived as stuck up for being a listener rather than an immediate talker? Both questions are intriguing, but the second one stands out. Regarding the first, people often talk about rediscovering their childhood free-spirited selves. However, I've been hypersensitive and a keen observer since birth, not just emotionally but to lights, noises, and people's moods. Thankfully, this trait wasn't discouraged overtly, though growing up in the '80s and '90s, societal expectations leaned toward being loud and confident, particularly for women. While I absorbed the world around me, the societal push for confidence without appearing narcissistic created a dynamic where I became a social chameleon. I adapted to avoid being labeled as off-putting or arrogant, honing this skill through life's ups and downs. Regarding the second point about being perceived as unfriendly for not talking much, I rarely encountered that due to my heightened awareness. Growing up in a talkative family, meeting my introverted husband highlighted my tendency to fill silence.  [13:02] How did you get to the point of finding that space between your husband where you could learn to be quiet? I found myself filling space in certain situations, driven by a desire for something specific. Your example of a group of seemingly self-centered individuals resonates – perhaps they seek acknowledgment or lack opportunities to express themselves elsewhere. As an internal processor in a world of external processors, I sometimes need to process aloud, and my husband, lovingly, called me out on this. I realized my tendency to fill space comes from a desire for connection, born out of being a recovered people pleaser.  [16:25] What was your journey to this point like?  As mentioned, I grew up with hypersensitivity and heightened observance. Navigating life, I faced a constant tug-of-war between my self-confidence, the subtleness within me, and societal expectations, especially for women. There was an unwritten rule against being too loud or taking pride in accomplishments, which wasn't conducive to embracing one's strengths. Reflecting on the mental health conversations prevalent today, it's clear that such discussions weren't part of the narrative during my upbringing as a child of the '80s and '90s. By the time I reached college, the struggle with control intensified. As a musical theater major at the University of California, Irvine, the facade I had maintained for connection and belonging crumbled. This led to a complex mix of eating and body-related disorders, an issue compounded by the limited discourse around mental health in 2006-2007. In those times, the conversation about these disorders was binary, lacking nuance. My personal struggle compelled me to turn my hyper-observant nature inward for self-reflection. Recognizing that something wasn't right, especially as someone in tune with my body like you as an athlete, was a pivotal moment. [21:30] How did you navigate that?  I underwent a journey driven by the pursuit of perfection, particularly as a musical theater major relying heavily on my voice and body akin to an athlete. The impact was tangible, affecting my voice to the extent that I lacked the necessary muscle and breath strength for singing. Instead of being overly critical, I started providing constructive feedback by observing how I responded to conversations, feelings, and thoughts. This introspection revealed the prevalence of what I call "casual negativity" – the habitual use of negative language, both internally and externally. Recognizing this internalized language, I realized the need to delve into its origins. To shift my self-talk, I understood the importance of addressing the underlying beliefs rather than merely affirming positivity on the surface. [24:15] How did that lead to this book?  The book, "Wanting Yourself: Shift Your Self-Talk and Unearth the Strength in Who You Were All Along," posits that self-talk is neither inherently positive nor negative; it's the interpretation and subsequent actions that carry weight. The central idea is that self-talk serves as information, and the book advocates starting with the "self" aspect rather than solely focusing on talk. Comparable to addressing the root cause of a persistent cough, the book provides a practical blueprint for understanding and transforming self-talk. With a foundation in 16 years of research, writing, and speaking on the subject, it dives into the reasons behind our self-conversations and emphasizes the crucial shift needed. It endeavors to empower readers with practical tools, enabling them to navigate the process independently and recognize the urgency and significance of this transformation in our society. [29:14] How does somebody shift their self-talk? I appreciate your emphasis on proof points, a crucial aspect. The initial step, as discussed in the book, involves redefining and reevaluating our self-talk practices. Often, people tend to categorize self-talk as either positive or negative, but I see it simply as self-talk, where our feelings about what we say to ourselves shape our self-perception and subsequent actions. Some claim they don't grapple with negative self-talk, similar to stating they never get tired. Acknowledging the inevitability of discomfort and negative self-talk is vital. Just as knowing how to respond when tired is essential, understanding the underlying message in uncomfortable feelings can guide meaningful actions. The process entails unraveling layers and discerning genuine events from emotional responses. Redefining positivity is another crucial aspect, focusing on sustained positivity rooted in proactive behavior rather than reactive responses. For instance, if someone frequently acts as a social chameleon, the feeling of inadequacy may be tied to a genuine desire for connection. Acknowledging and embracing one's true self in smaller, everyday moments serves as proof that authenticity is liberating, especially before significant moments that may feel high-stakes. [40:34] What happens to your identity when you've done this habit? There's a prevalent notion about thoughts becoming things, and in a podcast conversation, I explored the idea that thoughts, feelings, and beliefs define who we are. These elements are significant and often developed over time, as therapy sessions can reveal. Building a sense of self is an ongoing process, not a quick fix. Your focus on long-term self-building raises the question of the "so what" after forming good habits. I believe our self-talk is the narrative we tell ourselves and others, shaping how we engage with the world. In a complex world with ongoing challenges, our reactions are rooted in the self we've cultivated. When individuals lack a solid sense of self, harmful behaviors like othering or joining harmful movements can arise as a way to combat discomfort. In essence, building these habits goes beyond a mere desire; it's a necessity to be the positive change we want to see in the world.  [50:28] What promise did God make to the world when he created you?  She will be exactly who she needs to be  Key Quotes  [24:37-24:50] Self-talk isn't inherently good or bad; it is what we do with that information that informs what we do next and next.  [37:50-37:55] Self-trust can be built in small and everyday moments  How to connect with Katie Horwitch  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katiehorwitch Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katiehorwitch Website: https://www.katiehorwitch.com  

How much salt is too much salt? Most likely, the amount you're consuming. A new study published this week in the journal JAMA found that cutting one teaspoon of salt a day results in a decline in blood pressure comparable to taking medication. Plus, other science news from this week, like the oldest confirmed black hole and how climate change and pollution are causing a big imbalance in the sexes of turtles. Got other science news for us to consider? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.