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Ever feel like you're spinning your wheels in business, trying everything but seeing little return? The culprit might not be your strategy—it could be a lack of consistency. Contrary to popular belief, business success rarely comes from dramatic leaps or occasional bursts of activity. The real magic happens through small, consistent actions that gradually compound into significant results. In this episode, I break down why consistency creates confidence and how this powerful connection can transform your business outcomes.I share my personal journey with consistent email marketing—how what once took hours now takes just 10 minutes weekly, while delivering stronger audience relationships and steady sales. This illustrates a crucial truth: confidence isn't something you're born with or that magically appears before taking action. Rather, it's earned through the evidence you build by consistently showing up. Every time you follow through on a commitment to your audience or yourself, you strengthen your self-trust and business foundation.Think about fitness: would you rather exercise for 20 minutes three times weekly or endure a grueling three-hour workout every two months? The same principle applies to your business. Regular, manageable actions create sustainable momentum without the burnout cycle of intense pushes followed by inaction. Plus, these consistent efforts compound over time, multiplying their impact—but only if you're tracking the right metrics to see what's actually driving sales.Ready to build consistency into your business? Join our Insiders membership where "Consistency is Queen" is our focus this month. As a podcast listener, you'll receive $20 off monthly, gaining access to three training topics monthly plus group coaching calls to provide the accountability and support you need to turn small, consistent actions into remarkable business results.Support the show

https://thecommunists.org/2025/07/01/news/history/stalins-library-geoffrey-roberts-resume-book-review-pt3/ Stalin's library shows that his geopolitical outlook was global. As a Bolshevik internationalist he paid attention to revolutionary struggles all over the world. Contrary to the myths peddled by Khrushchev and Trotsky and repeated endlessly by anticommunist historians, Josef Stalin was a selfless, modest and devoted revolutionary, and a lifelong student of Marxist-Leninist science. Subscribe! Donate! Join us in building a bright future for humanity! www.thecommunists.org www.lalkar.org www.redyouth.org Telegram: t.me/thecommunists Twitter: twitter.com/cpgbml Soundcloud: @proletarianradio Rumble: rumble.com/c/theCommunists Odysee: odysee.com/@proletariantv:2 Facebook: www.facebook.com/cpgbml Online Shop: https://shop.thecommunists.org/ Education Program: Each one teach one! www.londonworker.org/education-programme/ Join the struggle www.thecommunists.org/join/ Donate: www.thecommunists.org/donate/  

Listen to Zooming In at The UnPopulist in your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | RSS | YouTubeLandry Ayres: Welcome back to Zooming In at The UnPopulist. I'm Landry Ayres.We find ourselves in a deeply troubling moment for American democracy, grappling with the stark realities of a political landscape increasingly defined by fear, performative cruelty, and a conscious assault on established norms and institutions.This special live recording from ISMA's “Liberalism for the 21st Century” conference features host Aaron Ross Powell, as well as longtime observer of the militarization of police and author of the Substack, The Watch, Radley Balko, and co-founder and former contributor of The Bulwark, Charlie Sykes, author now of the Substack To the Contrary. They explore the mechanisms of this assault, how a manufactured crisis of fear is being weaponized by law enforcement, and the profound implications for civil liberties and the rule of law in America.The discussion is insightful, if unsettling.A transcript of today's podcast appears below. It has been edited for flow and clarity.Aaron Ross Powell: Welcome to a special live recording of The UnPopulist's Zooming In podcast here at the “Liberalism for the 21st Century” conference in Washington, D.C. I am Aaron Powell and I'm delighted to be joined by Radley Balko and Charlie Sykes to talk about the situation we find ourselves in.To me, the most striking image of Trump's campaign, months before he was reelected, was from the RNC. Before that, there was the weird one of him in the construction vest. But the most terrifying image was the one depicting the “Mass Deportation Now!” signs and the sneering and cruel faces celebrating the culture that they were wallowing in. Those faces made me think, as I was looking at them, of the faces in photographs during the Civil Rights Movement of police officers about to inflict violence, turn on firehoses, let dogs loose, and so on. And it felt like what we are seeing now.The “Mass Deportation Now!” images characterize not just the policies of Trump 2.0, but the attitude that they're trying to inflict upon the country. It feels like a rolling back of what we achieved in the 1960s from the Civil Rights Movement—it feels like we're in a retreat from that. This is a conscious attempt to roll that back. So I wanted to talk about that.Radley, I'll start with you. We're sitting in D.C. right now as National Guard troops and members of all sorts of agencies are patrolling the streets. Is this surprising to you—the pace at which these nominally public servants, who are supposed to serve and protect, have embraced this role of violence and fear and chaos?Radley Balko: I'm surprised at how quickly it's happened. I've been talking to people about this day for the last 20 years. I've been warning about the gradual militarization of our police, which is something that has happened in conjunction with the drug war and then the war on terror over 40 or 50 years.That debate was always about, “How militarized should our police be? How do we balance safety, and giving police officers what they need to protect public safety, with civil liberties and constitutional rights?” The fear was always that another Sept. 11 type event would cause what we're seeing now—that there would be a threat, a threat that everybody acknowledges as a threat, that would cause an administration, states, mayors, to crack down on civil liberties. But it would at least be a threat that everyone recognizes as a threat. We would be debating about how to react to it.When it comes to what's playing out today, there's no threat. This is all manufactured. This is all made up.Your juxtaposition of those two images—the clownish image of Trump in the construction vest and the other one depicting this genuinely terrifying anger and glee a lot of his followers get from watching grandmothers be raided and handcuffed and dragged out of their homes—show the clownishness and incompetence of this administration juxtaposed with the actual threat and danger, the hate and vitriol, that we see from his followers.We always hear that story about Ben Franklin after the Constitutional Convention: a woman comes up to him and says, “So, what is it, Mr. Franklin, do we have a republic or a monarchy?” And he says, “A republic, if you can keep it.” That phrase, of course, has been echoed throughout the ages. If Franklin were alive today, he would say, “You know, when I said that, I was worried about a Caracalla or a Sulla or a Caesar.” Instead it's like, this guy, the guy that has to win every handshake, that's who you're going to roll over for?I saw a lot of libertarian-ish people making this point before the election—that Trump's not a threat, he's a clown, he's incompetent, he's not dangerous. And you know what? He may be incompetent, but he's put people around him this time who do know what they're doing and who are genuinely evil.So, on some level, this was the worst case scenario that I never really articulated over the years when I've talked about police militarization. This is actual military acting as police, not police acting as the military. But here we are and they're threatening to spread it around the country to every blue city they can find.Powell: He's a clown, he's rightfully an object of ridicule, he doesn't know anything, he's riddled with pathologies that are obvious to everyone except him. And yet it's not just that he won, but that he effectively turned, not all of the American right, but certainly a large chunk of it into a personality cult. Charlie, given that he seems to be a singularly uninspiring personality, what happened?Charlie Sykes: Well, he's inspiring to his followers.Let me break down the question into two parts.I was in Milwaukee during the Republican Convention, when they were holding up the “Mass Deportation” signs—which was rather extraordinary, if you think about it, that they would actually put that in writing and cheer it. It's something that they'd been talking about for 10 years, but you could see that they were ramping it up.But you put your finger on this culture of performative cruelty and brutality that they have embraced. Trump has made no secret of that. It's one of the aspects of his appeal. For many, many years he's been saying that his idea of law and order is to have cops who will break heads and inflict harm. He's talked about putting razor blades on the top of the wall that Mexico was going to pay for. He's told stories about atrocities. One of his standard stories—that I think the media just stopped even quoting—was about Gen. “Black Jack” Pershing in World War I taking Muslim terrorists and shooting them with bullets that had been dipped in pig's blood. Totally b******t—he made the whole thing up. But it was an indication of a kind of bloodlust. He's talked about extrajudicial killings. He has expressed his admiration for strongmen like Duterte in the Philippines who have done this. He's talked about having drug courts that would have trials and executions the same day. So this is not a secret.What is really remarkable is the extent to which he's communicated that to his base. I mean, there are Americans who legitimately have concerns about immigration and about the border. But what he's also tapped into is this really visceral hatred of the other and the desire to inflict pain and suffering on them. I think that that is one of the ugliest aspects of his presence in our politics, and we saw that with the “Mass Deportation Now!” signs.Now, the second part is how he is implementing all of this with his raw police state, his masked brute squads sent into the city streets. And, again, he's made no secret of wanting to put active military troops into the streets of American cities. He was blocked from doing that in Trump 1.0, but obviously this is something that he's thought about and wants to do. And one of the most disturbing parts about this is the embrace of these kinds of tactics and this culture by law enforcement itself. Radley's written a lot about this. Donald Trump has gone out of his way, not only to defend war criminals, but also to defend police officers who've been accused of brutality. So he's basically put up a bat signal to law enforcement that: The gloves are off. We're coming in. There's a new sheriff in town.What's happening in Washington, D.C. is just a trial run. He's going to do this in New York. He's going to do this in Chicago. He's going to do this in one blue city after another. And the question is, “Will Americans just accept armed troops in their streets as normal?”Now, let me give a cautionary note here: Let's not gaslight Americans that there's not actually a crime problem. I think Democrats are falling into a kind of trap because there are legitimate concerns about public safety. So the argument shouldn't be: There's no crime problem. The argument should be: This is exactly the wrong way to go about dealing with it. Having mass, brute squads on the street is one step toward really running roughshod over a lot of different rights—due process rights and other constitutional rights—that most Americans are going to be reluctant to give up. But we're going to find out, because all of this is being tested right now.Balko: I'd like to jump in on the crime point. I mean, crime is down in D.C. D.C. does have a comparatively high crime rate for a city of its size. There's no question. It's always been that way here. But the idea that there's something happening right now that merits this response is what I meant when I called it a manufactured crisis.I think it's important to point out that, like you said, he's always wanted to do this. This is just the reason that he's managed to put his finger on and thinks is going to resonate.“I've been talking to people about this day for the last 20 years. I've been warning about the gradual militarization of our police, which is something that has happened in conjunction with the drug war and then the war on terror over 40 or 50 years. That debate was always about, ‘How militarized should our police be? How do we balance safety, and giving police officers what they need to protect public safety, with civil liberties and constitutional rights?' The fear was always that another Sept. 11 type event would cause what we're seeing now—that there would be a threat, that everybody acknowledges as a threat, that would cause an administration, states, mayors, to crack down on civil liberties. But there would at least be a threat that everyone recognizes as a threat. We'd be debating about how to react to it. When it comes to what's playing out today, there's no threat. This is all manufactured. This is all made up.” — Radley BalkoI do think we need to talk about crime and about what works and what doesn't. But I think it's important to acknowledge that “crime” is just the reason that he's found right now. This is something that he's been planning to do forever. Like Kristi Noem said, it is basically about deposing the leadership in these cities. In Los Angeles, she said that their goal was to “liberate” it from the socialist elected leaders.Sykes: I agree with you completely about that. I'm just saying that there is a danger of putting too much emphasis on the idea that there is not a crime problem—because in Chicago, there's a crime problem, in New York, there's a crime problem. People feel it. And, I mean, didn't Democrats learn a lesson in 2024 when there was inflation and they said, “Oh no, no, no, there's not really inflation here. Let me show you a chart. You can't think that the cost of living is a problem because here are some statistics that I have for you. There's not really a problem at the border—if you think there's a problem of immigration, a problem at the border, here, I have a chart showing you that there isn't a problem.” Well, you can't.If the public honestly thinks that there is a problem at the border, that there's a problem with inflation, and that there's a problem with crime, it's politically problematic to deny it because as David Frum wrote presciently in The Atlantic several years ago: If liberals will not enforce the border—you could add in, “or keep the city streets safe”—the public will turn to the fascists. If they think you will solve this problem and you're pretending it does not exist or you're trying to minimize it, they'll turn to the fascists.Balko: I don't want to belabor this, but I just think it's dangerous to concede the point when the premise itself is wrong.So, Trump made crime an issue in 2016, right? Recall the American Carnage inauguration speech. When Trump took office in Jan. 2017, he inherited the lowest murder rate of any president in the last 50 years. And yet he ran on crime. I think that it's important to push back and say, “Wait a minute, no, Obama did not cause a massive spike in crime. There was a tiny uptick in 2015, but that was only because 2014 was basically the safest year in recent memory.”Trump is also the first president in 30 years to leave office with a higher murder rate than when he entered it. You know, I don't think that presidents have a huge effect on crime, but Trump certainly does.So, I agree with you that we can't say crime isn't a problem, but we can also point out that crime went up under Trump and that what he's doing will make things worse.Sykes: I think these are all legitimate points to make. It's just that, Trump has this reptilian instinct to go for vulnerabilities. And one of the vulnerabilities of the progressive left is the problem of governance. If there is a perception that these urban centers are badly governed, that they are overrun with homeless encampments and crime and carjacking, then the public will see what he's doing as a solution.By the way, I'm making this argument because I think that we can't overstate how dangerous and demagogic what he's doing is. But I'm saying that this is going to be a huge fight. He's going to go into Chicago where crime is just demonstrably a problem, and where I think the mayor has an approval rating of about 12 to 16%, and he's going to say, “I am here with the cavalry.”There's got to be a better answer for this. There's got to be a way to focus on the real threat to the constitutional order that he is posing, as opposed to arguing on his ground and saying, “No, no, don't pay attention to crime, inflation, the border.”And, again, I'm making this argument because this is one that I think the country really has to win. Otherwise we are going to see militarization and an actual police state.Powell: Let me see if I can pull together some of the threads from the conversation so far, because I think there's a nexus, or something that needs to be diagnosed, to see the way through.When you [Charlie] were mentioning the bullets covered in pig's blood, what occurred to me was ... I was a kid at the height of '80s action movies. And that's the kind of thing that the bad guys did in '80s action movies. That's the kind of thing that justified the muscular American blowing them up or otherwise dispatching them.There's been a turn, now, in that we're seeing behavior from Americans that they would have at one point said, “This isn't who we are.” The Christianity that many Americans hold to, this is not the way that Jesus tells them to act. There's been a shift in our willingness to embrace this sort of thing, and it's behavior that I would have expected to horrify basically everyone watching it happening.And it is—his approval readings are declining rapidly. It is horrifying a lot of people—but fewer than I would have hoped. One of you mentioned that, on the one hand, there's the cruelty, but there's also the fear—and those are feeding into each other. And what I wonder is, yes, there's crime, but at the same time, if your media consumption habits are those of a committed Trump supporter, you are being told constantly to be afraid that everybody outside your door, except for the people who you recognize, or maybe the people who share your skin color or speak with the same accent you do, is a threat to you and your family.I see this with members of my own family who are Trump supporters. They are just terrified. “I can't ride the subway. It's too scary to ride the subway.” Or, “I go out in D.C. and I see youths doing the kinds of things youths do, and now I don't feel safe having my family there.” We don't have a war. We don't have a crisis. But we've told a huge portion of the country, “You should be afraid of every last thing except your immediate family and that guy who now rules the country.” And the crime rates are part of it. It's like, “You should be scared of every single one of these cities.”Sykes: It's a story. One of the speakers today was talking about the power of stories, that demagogues will tell a story. And a story of fear and anger is a very, very powerful story that you can't counteract with statistics. You need to counteract it with other stories.“This culture of performative cruelty and brutality is one of the aspects of his appeal. For many years he's been saying that his idea of law and order is to have cops who will break heads and inflict harm. He's talked about putting razor blades on the top of the wall that Mexico was going to pay for. He's told stories about atrocities. He would tell the story about Gen. ‘Black Jack' Pershing in World War I taking Muslim terrorists and shooting them with bullets that had been dipped in pig's blood. He's talked about extrajudicial killings. He has expressed his admiration for strongmen like Duterte in the Philippines who have done this. He's talked about having drug courts that would have trials and executions the same day. What is really remarkable is the extent to which he's communicated that to his base. He's tapped into this really visceral hatred of the other and the desire to inflict pain and suffering on them. I think that that is one of the ugliest aspects, and we saw that with the ‘Mass Deportation Now!' signs.” — Charlie SykesPart of the problem is that Trump has made that narrative. So, for example, you have members of your family who are Trump supporters. My guess is that they could name the young women who had been raped and murdered by illegal immigrants. Because, I mean, on Fox News, this is happening all the time, right? On Fox News, illegal immigrants are criminals. “Look at the crimes they are committing.” They tell that story in the most graphic way possible, and then turn around and say, “If you oppose what Donald Trump is doing, you are defending these ‘animals'”—as Trump described them.It is deeply dishonest. It is deeply dangerous. But it is potent. And we ought to look at it in the face and recognize how he is going to weaponize those stories and that fear, which is really the story of our era now. We're living in this era of peace, prosperity, general safety—and yet he's created this “American carnage” hellscape story.Balko: Yeah, I also think there's this weird paradox of masculinity in the MAGA movement. It's not about masculinity—it's about projecting masculinity. It's about co-opting aspects of masculinity. And it's like, “We're the manly men. We need men to be men again. And that's why we support men who sexually assault and sexually harass women. And, at the same time, we're all going to genuflect and debase ourselves in front of this 79-year-old man, because he's our leader and we need to let him insult our wives. And we're also scared to take the subway.” I think there were 10 murders last year in the New York city subway. The subway is one of the safest public spaces you'll find anywhere. But you'll regularly see MAGA people go on Fox News and talk about how scared they are of it.I mean, I don't know how persuadable any of MAGA is, but I do think pointing out the sheer cowardliness might resonate. When Markwayne Mullin goes on the Sunday shows and says he doesn't wear a seatbelt anymore because he's afraid he'll get carjacked and he needs to be able to jump out of his car quickly ...Sykes: ... He actually did say that.Balko: Yeah. And, I don't know what the stats are, but it's something like you're 40 or 50 times more likely to die in a car accident than you are in a carjacking. So, you know, he's sealing his own fate, I guess.But I do think that maybe there's something to appealing to their lack of masculinity when they try to push some of these narratives.Sykes: Well, yeah, I do think there are narratives out there.We have National Guard troops here in Washington, D.C.—where were they on Jan. 6th? Why did the president not bring them in then? We had one of the greatest assaults on law enforcement. So we can call b******t on Donald Trump being the “law and order,” “back the blue” president.One of the first things he did when he took office was issue the blanket pardons to all the rioters and seditionists who not only assaulted the Capitol, but specifically the ones who attacked police officers. We can stand up and say, “I don't want to be lectured by the man who gave the Get Out of Jail Free card to the people who tased and bear sprayed police officers in this city. Not to mention,”—before he brings up the whole “defund the police” thing—“the man who right now is dismantling the nation's premier law enforcement agency, the FBI.” Because all of these FBI agents who are being gutted or tasked with hassling homeless people in Washington, D.C., you know what they're not doing? They are not investigating child sex trafficking. They are not engaging in any anti-terrorism activities.So, what you do is call them out, saying, “You are not making this country safer. You are not the ‘law and order' president. You are a convicted felon. You in fact have freed and celebrated people who actually beat cops.” If Barack Obama would have pardoned someone who had attacked police officers, the right would have been utterly incandescent. And yet Donald Trump does it and he's not called out on it.I understand that there are some who are reluctant to say, “Well, no, we're actually the party of law and order. We're actually the party of public safety.” But you hit him right in what I think is a real vulnerability.Balko: One of the guys who literally told Jan. 6 rioters to kill the police is now a respected senior member of the Justice Department, whereas the guy who threw a sandwich at a cop is facing a felony charge. That is Trump's approach to law enforcement.Sykes: I always hate it when people go on TV and say, “This should be a talking point.” But that ought to be a talking point. Don't you think everybody ought to know his name? We have the video of Jared Wise saying, “Kill ‘em! Kill ‘em!” and calling the police Nazis. And he is now a top official in Donald Trump's Justice Department.Powell: This is my concern, though—and this allows me to belabor my Civil Rights Movement point some more. One of the reasons that the anti-civil rights movement, the counter-movement, was as vicious and as ugly as it was is because it was a group of people who felt like they had a status level by virtue of being white, of being men. As they saw things, “If we help minorities and others rise up, that lowers the baseline status that I have.” So they wanted to fight back. It was, “I'm going to keep these people down because it keeps me up.” And when Radley said that they're “projecting masculinity,” I think that's a big part.A big part of the appeal is, “Now I'm seeing guys like me dominating. Now I'm seeing guys who are from my area or share my cultural values or dress like me or are into the same slogans or have the same fantasies of power as I do, or just aren't the coastal elites with their fancy educations and so on, dominating.” And my worry is if that's what's driving a lot of it—that urge to domination coupled with the fear, which I think then allows them to overcome any barriers they have to cruelty—if you marry, “I can have power” and “I'm scared of these people,” that to them justifies their actions in the same way that it does the action movie heroes killing the guys who put the pig's blood on bullets. It becomes justified to inflict cruelty upon those they hate.My worry is if you go after them in that way, it feels like, “Okay, now what you're saying is these guys who look like me, who were dominating, don't actually deserve it.” I don't think that means that we stay away from it, but I think it risks triggering even more of this, “What I want is for it to be my boot on people's necks and I want them to stop putting me down. And I want them to stop telling me that I'm not good, that I'm incompetent, that it's not okay for me to beat my wife” (or whatever it happens to be). Trump is like an avatar for very mediocre men.Sykes: Well, I wouldn't use that as a talking point.Balko: A few years ago, I wrote a piece about a Black police chief who was hired in Little Rock by a mayor who ran on a reform platform and this police chief had a good record. He was in Norman, Okla. before that—he was the first Black chief in Oklahoma. And he was not a progressive by any means, but he was a reformer in that he wanted things to be merit-based and Little Rock has a really strong white police union. I say that because they also have a Black police union, because the Black officers didn't feel like they were represented by the white union.One of the first things that Chief Humphrey did was make the promotional interviews, that you get to move up through the ranks, blind. So you didn't know who you're talking to. If you were white, you didn't know if it was a fellow white person you were interviewing. Most of the people in charge were. The result of removing race from that process was that more Black officers were getting promoted than before. And I wrote about him because he ended up getting chased out of town. They hit him with fake sexual harassment charges; the union claimed he was harassing white women. Basically, they exerted their power and managed to chase him out.But one of the things he told me when I interviewed him was—and other people have said different versions of this—that when your entire life you've been the beneficiary of racial preferences as a white person, as happened in this country for most of its existence, meritocracy looks a lot like racial discrimination. Because things that you got just simply because you were entitled to now you have to earn. And that looks like, “Hey, this Black guy is getting this job over me. And that's not right. Because my dad got that job over the Black guy and his dad got the job over the Black guy.”And I think this backlash that we're seeing against DEI—I'm sure there are parts of this country where DEI was promoting unqualified people just to have diversity, and I do think there's there's value in diversity for diversity's sake—is white people, who have been benefiting from our racial hierarchy system that's been in place since the Founding, were starting to see themselves passed over because we were now moving to a merit-based system and they saw that as discrimination. That's a big part of the backlash.I don't know what the solution is. I don't know that we just re-impose all of the former policies once Trump's out of power, if he's ever out of power. But I do think that there is value in diversity for diversity's sake. Obviously I don't support strict quota systems, but I do think it's important to make that point that addressing historical injustices is critical.We went to the art museum in Nashville the other day and they had a whole exhibit about Interstate I-40 going through Nashville. It was supposed to go through this industrial area where there were no neighborhoods or private homes. And the Tennessee legislature deliberately made it run through the wealthiest Black neighborhood in Nashville and destroyed about 80% of Black wealth in the city. That was 1968—that was not 1868. That's relatively recently that you're destroying a ton of wealth. And you can find that history in every single city.I think a big part of this backlash is not knowing that history—and only knowing what's happening now and experiencing it out of context. For those people, it feels like reverse discrimination.Sykes: So, yes, a lot of this is true. But it's not the whole story. In the state of Wisconsin, overwhelmingly white voters voted for Barack Obama, a Black man, twice in a row before voting for Donald Trump. So we do have that long, deep history of racism, but then also an America that I think was making some progress. I'm just going to put this out as a counterpoint: I think that if people were appealing to the “better angels of their nature,” a lot of these people would not be buying into the cruelty, the brutality, the racism. Instead, we're appealing to their sense of victimization.But let's be honest about it. We moved from a Civil Rights Movement that was morally based on fairness and the immorality of discrimination to one that increasingly was identity politics that morphed into DEI, which was profoundly illiberal. What happened was a lot of the guys we're talking about were thinking not just that they want their boots on people's head, but they're constantly being told that they were bad, that their contributions were not significant. There were invisible tripwires of grievance—what you could say, what you could do, the way you had to behave. In the before times, a lot of the attacks on free speech and the demands for ideological conformity on university campuses were not coming from the illiberal right—they were coming from the illiberal left.And as I'm listening to the speakers at this conference talk about the assault on liberalism, I think one of the questions we have to ask—and maybe this is a little meta—is why it was so brittle. Well, it was brittle because it was caught in a pincer movement by the illiberal left and the illiberal right. My point is that a lot of this reaction is in fact based on racial animus, but there's also a sense that I hear from a lot of folks, a sense of liberation that they feel, that the boot was on their necks and is now being taken off, that they're not having to go to these highly ideological DEI training sessions where they were told how terrible and awful they were all the time. And how, if you believed in a race-blind society, that was a sign you were racist. If white women actually were moved by stories of racism and wept, that was white women's tears. This was heavy handed.“I do think the people who signed off on extraordinary rendition and snatching people off the street and sending them to a literal torture prison in El Salvador, those people need to be criminally charged. But I also think there need to be civil society repercussions. There are so many people in media—pundits, politicians who know better—who have a long record of pointing out how dangerous Trump was and then turned on a dime and started supporting him. I don't wish any physical harm on those people. I don't think any of those people should be put in prison. But I think those people should never be trusted as public intellectuals.” — Radley BalkoSo there was a backlash that was going to be inevitable. What's tragic is the way that it has been co-opted by the people who have really malign motives, who are not acting out of good will—the Stephen Millers who have figured out a way to weaponize this. But that line that goes from the racism of 1957 to the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, to a broad-based civil rights consensus—and, again, there's caveats in all of this—to identity-based politics. Let's be honest about it. That was not without sin. That was not without problems.Balko: So, I agree that there was I guess what you could call an illiberal approach to a mutual exchange of ideas on college campuses. There was a lot of shouting down of conservative speakers. In some cases, there were invitations revoked to valedictory speeches. There was some cutting off of funding for conservative speakers. But I want to make sure we're not delving into false equivalences here. I mean, the boot that you're talking about, Charlie, was a metaphorical boot, and we're talking about a very literal boot now.Sykes: Absolutely. That distinction is a significant one.Balko: So, my preferred way of expressing my disagreement with someone isn't to shout them down. I will say, though, that protest is a form of speech. I think, even to some extent, interrupting speeches that are particularly problematic or extremist is a form of speech. It's not one that I personally would engage in. But the type of censorship we're seeing now is direct. It is government censorship. It is not a violation of the spirit of free expression that we were seeing on college campuses before.Sykes: Oh, it was more than just that kind of violation. You had universities that required people to sign a DEI statement where they had to make ideological commitments in order to get a job. I mean, this was very heavy handed. There were no literal boots, but ... I like Jonathan Rauch's analogy that the illiberalism of the left is still a real problem, but it's like a slow-growing cancer. Right now, what we're facing with the illiberalism of the right is a heart attack. We have to deal with the heart attack right now, but let's not pretend that everyone who objects to some of the things that were happening are doing so because they are just vile, white racists.This is part of the problem. People spent decades accusing others of being racist on flimsy grounds. If you support Mitt Romney, you're a racist. If you support tax cuts, you're a racist. You know what happened? I come from this world and there was a time when to be called a racist was the worst thing you could possibly say about somebody. And it got to the point where, literally, if you were in favor of school choice, you were racist; in favor of tax cuts, you were racist. If you voted for a Republican … John McCain was a racist, George Bush was a racist. So when the real thing came along, guess what people said? They just rolled their eyes, shrugged, and said, “We've heard this before.” I mean, it was crying wolf for decades.And I've had these conversations when I would say, “How can you support someone who is just espousing this raw, vicious racism about Haitians eating dogs?” You know what I would get? “Oh, we've been hearing this for 20 years. Literally everyone I know has been accused of being a racist.”So we need to come back to a consensus. If we're going to restore that liberal consensus, we're going to have to say, “This is acceptable behavior. And this is not acceptable behavior.” But we are not going to use these labels to vilify. The politics of contempt is just not helpful. It is not helpful to tell people, “By the way, I think you're an idiot. I think you're stupid. I think you're racist. Would you like to hear my ideas about taxes now?” It doesn't work. And I think that one of the things that, tragically, Trump has tapped into is the sense that these elites look down on you.So, Aaron, when you say that this is the revolution of mediocre men, not helpful. Now, some of them are mediocre. I certainly agree. I write about mediocre people all the time—but, again, the politics of contempt is not the way to get ourselves out of this.Powell: I think there's a distinction between messaging and diagnosis. And if we're to understand how we got here, or the kinds of beliefs or values that can lead someone ... and I don't mean, you've been a partisan Republican voter for your entire life, and you come from a family of this, and you pulled the lever for Trump, but you're mostly an uninformed voter, which is a lot of people—I mean, the people who are cheering on Stephen Miller, they're in a different category. So it might be that, if you have one of those people in front of you, the message is not to say, “There's a broken set of morals at play here,” or “there's a cramped view of humanity at play here,” because they're not going to hear that in the moment.But if we're to understand how we got here and what we're up against, I think we have to be fairly clear-eyed about the fact that the [Trumpian] values that we've discovered over the last 10, 15 years have much more appeal and purchase among a lot of Americans than I think any of us had really expected or certainly hoped, and then figure out how to address that. And, again, it's not everybody—but it's more than I would like. If those values are central to someone's being, and the way that they view others around them and the way they relate to their fellow man, then I think a lot of the less condemning arguments also won't find purchase because, ultimately, it's not a policy difference. It's a, “I want a crueler world.”Sykes: This is where I think the argument that says, “Let's look at this cruelty. Let's look at this brutality. Let's look at the Stephen Millers” ... believe it or not, I actually think it's potent to say to somebody, “Do you want to be like that? Is that really what you want America to be? You're better than that.” And then, “Let me tell you the story of decency.”The story that we heard earlier today about how neighbors who are Trump voters will be there if your house is burning down or your father dies ... you appeal to that innate decency and say, “Do you really want this cruelty?” This is what's lacking, I think, on the right and in the Republican Party right now: people who say, “Okay, you may want less taxes, smaller government, a crackdown on street crime, less illegal immigration ... but is this who you want to be?” Show them the masked officer who is dragging the grandmother away. I do think that there is the better angel that says, “No, that is really not the American story.” You have to appeal to them as opposed to just condemn them. I'm not sure we're disagreeing, but I actually think that that's potent.Balko: I think there is not only room for ridicule when you're up against an aspiring authoritarian, but a lot of history shows it's often one of the few things that works because they really hate to be disrespected.I agree with Charlie that I don't think it's necessarily productive to make fun of people who have been tricked or who have been lied to, but I also think it's worth pointing out that Trump has contempt for his own supporters. I mean, one of the great ironies of our time is that when Trump would need a boost of self-esteem, he would go hold a rally in a state that, before he ran for president, he would never have been caught dead in. He grifts from his own supporters. His lies about Covid got his own supporters killed at higher rates than people in states that didn't vote for him. But I agree that it doesn't serve much benefit to denigrate people.Sykes: But do ridicule the people who are doing it. I mean, don't get me wrong. South Park is doing God's work right now.Balko: Absolutely.Powell: What, then, is the way forward?“This is part of the problem. People spent decades accusing others of being racist on flimsy grounds. If you support Mitt Romney, you're a racist. If you support tax cuts, you're a racist. You know what happened? I come from this world and there was a time when to be called a racist was the worst thing you could possibly say about somebody. And it got to the point where, literally, if you were in favor of school choice, you were racist; in favor of tax cuts, you were racist. If you you voted for Republican. John McCain was a racist. George Bush was a racist. So when the real thing came along, guess what people said? They just rolled their eyes, shrugged, and said, ‘We've heard this before.' I mean, it was crying wolf for decades.” — Charlie SykesLet's assume that democracy survives this current moment and that we somehow put Trump behind us. We can't go back to the status quo before this. We can't just say, “We're going to go back to the kind of politics we had during the Biden administration.” That seems to be off the table. We need something new. We need a new direction. What does that look like?Sykes: I honestly do not know at this point. And I don't think anybody knows. But I do think that we ought to remember, because we throw around the term “liberal democracy” a lot, that democracies are not necessarily liberal. Democracies are not necessarily kind. And I think we need to go back to things like the rule of law.I think it's going to involve some kind of restoration of balance in society. The damage that's being done now is so deep and some of it is so irreparable that I'm hoping that there will be a backlash against it, that there will be a pendulum swing back towards fundamental decency. And even though we keep talking about democracy a lot, I think we need to start talking about freedom and decency a little bit more.You know, I was listening to the Russian dissident who spoke tonight and he asked us to imagine what it's like trying to create a democratic society in Russia with all of their history and all their institutions. As bad as things are for us, we have a big head start. We still have an infrastructure, compared to what he is up against. We still can restore, I think, that fundamental decency and sense of freedom and equality before the law.Balko: I also don't know exactly what it's going to look like. I will say this: I think one of the big reasons why we are where we are today is that there wasn't a proper reckoning, and no real accountability, after the Civil War and Reconstruction. It's been the same with Jan. 6. There was no real accountability. The Democrats waited too long for impeachment. The DOJ was slow.I do think there have to be repercussions. I'm not saying that we throw everybody in the Trump administration in prison, but I do think the people who signed off on extraordinary rendition and snatching people off the street and sending them to a literal torture prison in El Salvador, those people need to be criminally charged.But I also think there need to be civil society repercussions. There are so many people in media—pundits, politicians who know better—who have a long record of pointing out how dangerous Trump was and then turned on a dime and started supporting him. I don't wish any physical harm on those people. I don't think any of those people should be put in prison. But I think those people should never be trusted as public intellectuals. We shouldn't employ them in that realm. I think they should be able to earn a living. I don't think they should earn our trust.I have zero confidence that that's going to happen. But I can personally say that I have no interest in participating in events like this with those people. I have no interest in giving those people any kind of legitimacy because they tried to take our birthright away from us, which is a free and democratic society—the country that, for all its flaws, has been an exemplary country in the history of humankind. They literally are trying to end that. And I don't think you just get to walk away from that and pretend like it never happened.Sykes: I totally agree.Powell: With that, thank you, Radley. Thank you, Charlie.© The UnPopulist, 2025Follow us on Bluesky, Threads, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and X.We welcome your reactions and replies. Please adhere to our comments policy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theunpopulist.net

It's become the new orthodoxy: social media is the cause of the epidemic of anxiety amongst adolescents. So the way to fix this is by taking away their smartphones. But according to Pulitzer prize-winning New York Times writer Matt Richtel, things are actually a lot more complicated than blaming everything on digital technology. In fact, we may have got things a bit upside down. In his new book, How We Grow Up, Richtel argues that parents have, ironically, become what he calls "the social media" in their kids' lives. Smartphones enable parents to constantly observe not just their kids' movements but even their thoughts through constant surveillance of grades, texts, and location data. We are, indeed, creating a "surveillance state with our children," he warns - which could be one explanation (amongst many) why today's teens engage in significantly less risky behavior than previous generations. Understanding adolescents might actually require grown-ups to face up to their own parental anxieties. "Love, lead, let go," is Richtel's general advice for parents navigating our brave new world. Adolescence was invented in 1904, he notes, to help young people adapt to the economic complexity of the industrial age. A century later, we all risk becoming adolescents as we struggle to process the rapid change and information overload of our digital age. Everybody needs to learn to grow up. 1. Adolescence is a modern economic invention. Before 1904, there was no period between puberty and adulthood. People hit puberty, entered the workforce, married, and had children quickly. Adolescence emerged because complex economies required time to prepare young people for participation in sophisticated society.2. Parents have become "the original social media." When parents constantly share anxiety at dinner tables about college admissions, economic doom, and life's difficulties, they're flooding their children with the same kind of overwhelming information they criticize social media for providing.3. Technology has created involuntary parental surveillance. Modern tools allow parents to monitor grades, locations, and activities constantly. Richtel argues parents feel "irresponsible" if they don't use these capabilities, creating a surveillance dynamic that previous generations couldn't maintain even if they wanted to.4. Today's teens are actually less risky than previous generations. Contrary to crisis narratives, current adolescents drink less, have less sex, smoke less, and engage in fewer dangerous behaviors than teens in the 1980s and 90s. The anxiety epidemic coincides with decreased risk-taking, not increased recklessness.5. Simply removing phones won't solve the underlying issues. The research on social media's effects is mixed - some users become happier, others more anxious. The real problem may be that attention-grabbing technologies displace activities known to help brain development: sleep, exercise, and in-person community interaction.Keen On America is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

This episode uncovers the hidden misconceptions that silently sabotage digital banks from the inside. Contrary to popular belief, it's not external disruptors that pose the biggest risk—it's internal blind spots.Digital transformation isn't a one-off project; it's an ongoing journey. Yet too many banks still treat digital as just another channel instead of their core product. The result? Missed opportunities, frustrated customers, and a slow slide into irrelevance.The episode breaks down the 10 most dangerous misconceptions, from ignoring customer feedback and prioritizing speed over quality to underestimating the power of user-centric design. More importantly, we explore how banks can shift their mindset to build sustainable, innovative, and experience-driven growth.Find out:1. The internal blind spots holding digital banks back2. How to move from channel-centric to product-centric strategies3. Why continuous innovation is the only way to stay relevantRead the full article on UXDA's blog: https://theuxda.com/blog/10-misconceptions-killing-digital-banks-from-within* AI podcast on UXDA article powered by Google NotebookLM

Abel Police is transforming law enforcement efficiency through AI-powered report generation technology. With $5 million in funding, the company has developed a computer vision and natural language processing platform that automatically generates police reports from body camera footage, reducing officer paperwork time by up to one-third. In this episode of Category Visionaries, we sat down with Daniel Francis, Founder and CEO of Abel Police, to explore how a former data engineer with no policing background identified a massive inefficiency in law enforcement and built technology to address it. Topics Discussed: How a personal experience with domestic violence response times led to the founding of Abel Police The discovery that police officers spend one-third of their time writing reports Abel Police's approach to integrating with existing digital evidence management systems The unique challenges of selling technology to government agencies and police departments The company's evolution from attempting full record management system integration to standalone solutions The regulatory compliance requirements specific to criminal justice information systems (CJIS) GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Immerse yourself completely in your target customer's world: Daniel spent 32 ride-alongs with police officers across different departments, not just conducting interviews but observing their daily workflows for hours. He describes himself as "chief ride along officer" and emphasizes that he had to "creepily watch them work for hours" to understand their pain points. B2B founders should go beyond traditional customer interviews and embed themselves in their customers' actual work environment to identify problems that aren't immediately obvious through conversation alone. Start with mock data when real data is inaccessible: Unable to access actual body camera footage, Daniel created fake scenarios with friends, filming mock arrests and citations to train their AI models. This creative workaround allowed them to begin product development despite regulatory barriers to accessing real police footage. B2B founders facing data access challenges should find creative ways to simulate their target environment and data types to begin building and testing their solutions. Become an insider to overcome industry skepticism: Daniel secured a position as a "records intern" at Richmond Police Department when they wouldn't initially buy his solution, giving him access to real body camera footage and deeper understanding of police workflows. This inside access became crucial for product development and credibility. B2B founders entering unfamiliar industries should consider temporary or consulting arrangements that allow them to work alongside their target customers and gain credibility within the industry. Give away pilots strategically in government markets: Contrary to Y Combinator's advice to always charge for pilots, Daniel found that offering free trials was essential for police departments due to their complex procurement processes. He explains that "if they have to pay for something, that's a hassle" in government settings, but if they're willing to share their data with you, "they're serious about it." B2B founders selling to government should consider free pilots as a necessary investment to navigate bureaucratic purchasing processes. Build standalone solutions before attempting platform integration: Abel Police initially tried to integrate with every record management system, which significantly delayed their go-to-market timeline. They found success by building a standalone version first, then pursuing integrations. Daniel notes they "would have never sold anything" if they had stuck to their original integration-first approach. B2B founders should prioritize getting a working solution in customers' hands over achieving perfect system integration from day one. Leverage adjacent opportunities from your core market position: Once established with police departments, Abel Police identified additional problems like online citizen reporting and policy/law lookup tools. Their relationship with agencies made them "very open to new solutions" since "there's way more problems than there is solutions" in policing. B2B founders should view their initial market entry as a platform for identifying and addressing related problems within the same customer base.   //   Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe.  www.GlobalTalent.co   //   Don't Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire Senior GTM leaders share the tactical hiring frameworks they use to build winning revenue teams. Hosted by Andy Mowat, who scaled 4 unicorns from $10M to $100M+ ARR and launched Whispered to help executives find their next role. Subscribe here: https://open.spotify.com/show/53yCHlPfLSMFimtv0riPyM 

Get ready to dive headfirst into the wild world of Burning Man! We're peeling back the layers on the infamous Orgy Dome and sharing stories of some brave souls who have ventured into this bustling desert oasis. We take a detour to reminisce about the bonds forged in the hallways of high schools across St. Louis. Remember those awkward teen years... They might just hold the key to some of our adult relationships! And speaking of relationships, we'll be breaking down the latest dating trends that are shaking up the scene—think new terms like "shreking" and "hamstering" that will have you scratching your head. Grab your headphones, kick back, and join us for a rollercoaster of laughs, insights, and maybe a few "Aha!" moments with the Rizzuto Show.Show Notes:New vocalist plays it safe in Linkin Park's return to St. Louis after more than a decadeEx-UFC champ Rampage Jackson speaks out after son appears to assault pro wrestler in Sun ValleyMingus Reedus, Norman Reedus' son, charged with assaultThe story behind the St. Louis question: ‘Where did you go to high school?'The new dating term 'Shrekking' sounds innocent. It's not what you think---In this episode, we take a deep dive into the fascinating and chaotic world of Burning Man, specifically focusing on its infamous Orgy Dome. For those unfamiliar, Burning Man is an annual event held in the Nevada desert, where thousands gather to celebrate art, community, and self-expression. The Orgy Dome, a unique feature of this event, is not just a free-for-all; rather, it's a surprisingly organized environment where attendees can explore their desires in a safe and consensual space. Listeners will hear about experiences from those who have ventured into the Orgy Dome, including the rules and etiquette that govern this intriguing space. Contrary to what one might assume, entry requires a level of respect and understanding, with workshops on consent and guidelines in place to ensure that all participants feel safe and comfortable. But our discussion on The Rizzuto Show doesn't stop there. Rizzuto, Moon, Lern, Rafe, and King Scott also explore the cultural significance of high school connections in St. Louis. The question "Where did you go to high school?" serves as a common icebreaker, revealing much about a person's background and social standing. This unique aspect of St. Louis culture highlights how deeply intertwined our lives are with our formative years and the communities we come from. Additionally, the hosts delve into modern dating trends, introducing terms like "Shreking" and "hamstering," which reflect the complexities of contemporary relationships. These terms capture the nuances of dating in today's world, where individuals often find themselves navigating the murky waters of attraction, compatibility, and emotional connection. Join The Rizzuto Show for an engaging and entertaining episode that blends personal anecdotes, cultural commentary, and a touch of humor. Whether you're a Burning Man veteran or just curious about the festival's unique culture, this episode offers insights that resonate beyond the desert and into our everyday lives. Tune in and discover the connections that bind us all, from high school to the Orgy Dome! --- Follow The Rizzuto Show @rizzshow on all your favorite social media, including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and more. Connect with The Rizzuto Show online at 1057thepoint.com/rizzSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Contrary to what happens in many other parts of the world and within Trump's GOP, the Democratic Party leadership shuns street protests. In fact, discouraging street politics is part of the it's strategy of punching left. In the latest G&R, we talk about street protests, the corporate Democrats and how political parties and figures have used protest to their advantage in other parts of the world. -----------------------------Outro- "Street Fighting Man" by Carla Olson

This episode is a part 1 of sorts in a multi-part series in which Eli answers the study questions at the end of each of the chapters of the book "The Impossibility of the Contrary" by Greg L. Bahnsen.

Johanna Hager, DCFC, LCPC, FAPA, DCFI, CCFIT, joined Wake Up Tri-Counties to discuss Othmer Method Neurofeedback therapy and the equipment used to assist with talk therapy. About 25 years ago, Sue Othmer, a pioneer in neurofeedback, diverged from the standard practice by allowing the brain to guide its own process, rather than relying on statistical norms. Her approach, now known as the Othmer method, involves adjusting the ‘reward' frequencies based on individual client responses—tracking symptoms like fatigue, headaches, or improvement. This real-time feedback eliminates the need for expensive brain maps and often produces quicker, more comprehensive results. While many found success with this method, it hasn't gained universal acceptance, as most practitioners continue to use traditional neurofeedback assessment strategies. Interest in brain waves has dramatically grown since Hans Berger discovered electrical brain activity in the 1920s. Researchers now focus on how different mental states and brain diseases correlate with these electrical signals. Neurofeedback, an emerging area of biofeedback, allows individuals to target and modify their brain waves directly. By monitoring brain activity through sensors, users receive real-time feedback—often in the form of sounds or visual cues—to train their minds toward healthier patterns. This approach is being investigated as a potential treatment for disorders such as ADHD, anxiety, and epilepsy, offering new hope for non-invasive interventions. A pioneering shift in neurofeedback therapy is drawing attention as researchers embrace infra-low frequency (ILF) techniques. Originating around 12 years ago, Carl Shames and Sue Othmer were at the forefront, experimenting with frequencies lower than ever before, measured in millihertz rather than hertz. Contrary to expectations, these ultra-low frequencies produced quicker and more widespread benefits, with patients often noticing effects immediately after their first session. The Othmer Institute has reported a dramatic reduction in the average number of required sessions. The ILF approach is making neurofeedback more effective and increasingly accessible, offering hope for those seeking affordable brain training options. Researchers at the Othmer Institute have achieved remarkable breakthroughs using ultra-low frequency brain training. By working at frequencies measured in millihertz, between 0.01 and 0.1 Hz, participants reported rapid improvements in just their first session, feeling calm or tired almost immediately. Follow-up accounts after a second session included notable behavioral and cognitive changes. The overall number of sessions required has dropped dramatically, with many individuals experiencing core benefits in just 6-8 visits. This development has not only made neurofeedback faster and more effective but also far more affordable, paving the way for broader, more accessible mental health support. Johanna Hager is a member of the American Psychological Association and a certified trauma specialist. She recently moved into private practice and is working to get her new office fully established. The equipment and software are available at Bee Medic. Find more information on the equipment and software for ILF Neurofeedback here. There are webinars available if you would like to learn more about neurofeedback from Bee Medic. Johanna has been a therapist for about 35 years and has treated people of all ages and psychological needs. Johanna has experienced great success using neurofeedback. Neurofeedback is a tool used in conjunction with talk therapy, which allows the brain to slow down and relax, helping the patient break down the walls to heal. You can call or text 309-489-2195 with any questions or to ask what she still needs for her office. To make an appointment with Johanna Hager, call 309-489-2195 or book online. She has in-person and telehealth appointments, and most insurance is accepted through Alberto Minzer & Associates. Johanna Hager stands out as a leader in psychotherapy, providing hope and healing to those confronting trauma, mood disorders, chronic illness, and significant life changes. With more than three decades of practice, she personalizes every session, ensuring clients feel genuinely understood in a safe, supportive environment. Johanna employs innovative therapies, such as neurofeedback and EMDR, guiding individuals through recovery with empathy and expertise. Beyond the therapy room, she conducted forensic interviews and served as an expert witness, educating courts on trauma's impact throughout the area. Her commitment extends to mental health advocacy and community outreach, reflecting her dedication to nurturing strength and resilience in every client she meets.

By Robert Gardenhire - Colossians 2:16-17 and pertinent background is examined and explained as being a positive admonition to the Gentile church at Colossae. Contrary to the commentaries, they were doing the right thing by observing the Sabbath and Holy Days.

Send us a textFeeling the tension between generations in your workplace? You're not alone. The workforce currently spans Baby Boomers to Gen Z, each shaped by vastly different experiences—from Woodstock to COVID-19. These differences often create misunderstandings that can fracture teams and derail productivity.What's driving the alarming rate at which younger workers leave organizations? Contrary to popular belief, it's not entitlement or fickleness. When Gen Z and Millennials exit companies after short tenures, they're responding to environments lacking three critical elements: purpose, belonging, and growth opportunities. They're not just looking for quick promotions or fancy perks—they're seeking authentic connection.Human connection emerges as the universal bridge across generational divides. This means leadership that genuinely cares, transparent communication that explains the "why" behind decisions, and creating spaces where continuous learning thrives. Surprisingly, 65% of younger workers crave face-to-face interaction (though not necessarily in-person), debunking the myth that digital natives prefer isolation behind screens.The future belongs to organizations that view generational differences as opportunities rather than obstacles. By implementing both traditional and reverse mentoring, companies create powerful knowledge exchanges where wisdom and technological savvy flow freely between age groups. With Gen Z and Millennials projected to comprise 75% of the workforce by 2030, the businesses that thrive will be those fostering authentic leadership and meaningful growth today.Ready to transform generational challenges into your organization's greatest strength? Start by knocking down walls and building bridges of understanding. When you truly invest in people across all generations, both human connections and bottom-line results naturally follow. Support the show

In this episode we look at why we're commanded to flee from lust and what fleeing looks like for us on the practical level. Contrary to the world will tell you fleeing isn't cowardly, it's wise. We're not just running aimlessly, we're running towards something, we're running towards God. We look at the protection and safety we find in Him and why He's the only means of escape that can save us from the enemy and from ourselves!

Divorce rates are down, marriage rates are up, contrary to popular belief by BYU-Idaho Radio

In this episode, Eli covers the study questions of chapter 3 of the book "The Impossibility of the Contrary" by Greg L. Bahnsen.

The Phillies believe in the rest of their pitching staff to step up and fill the void left by Zack Wheeler's absence. The 94 WIP Morning Show plays a piece of audio from Bryce Harper last night where he confirms that the team believes that their pitchers can stand up to the task. Contrary to that point, Time's Yours callers are not happy with how Jordan Romano has looked out of the bullpen.

Send us a textThe profound mystery of divine foreknowledge unfolds in this thought-provoking exploration of what it truly means when Scripture declares "God knew you." Contrary to popular modern interpretations, we discover that God's foreknowledge isn't simply His awareness of future events but rather His eternal, electing love set upon His people before creation itself.Through careful examination of key passages in Genesis, Exodus, Amos, Jeremiah, and Romans, we uncover the beautiful truth that when God says "I know you," He means "I love you with an everlasting love." This understanding transforms our comprehension of salvation itself - not as something contingent upon our choices, but founded upon God's sovereign love established before time began.The discussion navigates the important distinction between common grace (God's general kindness to all humanity) and saving grace (His specific redemptive love for His elect). We explore why these once-common doctrines have become shocking to modern ears and why many churches now avoid these challenging yet biblically clear teachings.For believers, this revelation of God's foreknowledge as His "forelove" provides unshakable security and joy. When Romans 8:38-39 assures us nothing can separate us from God's love, it's because that love was established in eternity past. Even God's discipline, which always accomplishes its purpose in those He loves, flows from this same steadfast affection.Whether you're wrestling with questions of divine sovereignty, seeking deeper assurance of God's love, or simply hungry for biblical truth, this episode offers profound insights that will strengthen your faith and deepen your appreciation for God's unchanging love.Support the show

Batya Ungar-Sargon, Journalist and Author, calls into the show to talk about the significant developments from the recent summit held on Friday, where President Trump and Vladimir Putin showed willingness to consider security guarantees for Ukraine in exchange for territorial adjustments. Contrary to media reports, Batya emphasizes the importance of Putin's acceptance of Ukraine's security concerns as a major step toward peace. She revisits the dynamics of Ukraine's territorial integrity, Crimea, the Donbas region, and the potential impacts of these negotiations. Both Batya and Sid critique the mainstream media's portrayal of the summit, accuse them of biased reporting, and express skepticism about some European leaders' roles. They debate the capabilities and intentions of Russia and the leadership qualities of both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The episode touches on the broader implications of US involvement, NATO's role, and geopolitical strategies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this powerful discussion, Adam and the crew unpack the hunger for authentic faith among young believers today. Contrary to the narrative that Gen Z is running from God, this generation is seeking Him in His purest form. The conversation challenges us to strip away cultural adaptations of Jesus and instead present the raw, transformative power of the Gospel.A moving story of a young woman who broke down in tears after hearing the simple truth of salvation reminds us of Romans 1:16 — that the Gospel itself is “the power of God for salvation.” Together, the hosts reflect on how we can avoid diluting the message with unnecessary additions and instead boldly proclaim Christ's redemptive work. Inspired by Gen Z's boldness to take the Gospel to school quads and city streets, this episode calls us to cultivate the same passion and authenticity in our own walk with God.--Connect with:Pastor Adam Mesa https://www.instagram.com/amesa/Pastor Sammy https://www.instagram.com/samuelmrod/Chelsie Baham https://www.instagram.com/chelsiebaham/Vivi Diaz https://www.instagram.com/viviiidiaz/Allan Walters https://www.instagram.com/alllanwalters/Christian De La Rosa https://www.instagram.com/christian__delarosa/--Don't forget to stay connected with us:Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4OvpFp9OB9_DgVdVVbXhFgInstagram https://www.instagram.com/beyond.theletter/Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/discover/beyond-the-letter--Get Aaron Levy's book, JOHN: 21 Daily Drips of Dialogue: https://a.co/d/7lGB90i--Have a question? Submit it TODAY, by clicking the link below! ***SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION HERE: https://patria.church.ai/form/BeyondtheLetterQA--Get to know the team:@amesa https://www.instagram.com/amesa/@verlonbakerofficial https://www.instagram.com/verlonbakerofficial/@nancysnavas https://www.instagram.com/nancysnavas/@alizee.kayy https://www.instagram.com/alizee.kayy/@andytakesl https://www.instagram.com/andytakesl/

In this episode, we explore the "C" in our English Fluency ABCs series, highlighting essential vocabulary and phrases that start with C. Join me as I break down three practical phrasal verbs, a powerful sentence pattern, and an authentic glimpse into American culture through county fairs - all designed to elevate your English fluency.You'll learn: • How to correctly use the phrasal verbs "call off," "carry on," and "come across" in everyday conversations • The meaning of "comprehensive," "charismatic," and other C-words that will enhance your vocabulary • How to use the sentence pattern "Contrary to [belief/expectation]" to express contrasting ideas confidently • Fascinating insights about American county fairs and their cultural significance • Real-life applications through our integrated story featuring all the lesson componentsPlus, I'll walk you through a complete language adventure story that incorporates all these elements, giving you context for how to use these expressions naturally. Take your English skills to the next level with these practical language building blocks!Resource Available: FluencyPanion Notebook: https://shop.speakenglishwithtiffani.com/products/fluencypanion-your-english-fluency-notebook 365-Day English Study Plan: https://speakenglishwithtiffani.com/365planIf you want to sign up for the free English email newsletter, go to https://speakenglishwithtiffani.com/newsletter

https://thecommunists.org/2025/05/01/news/history/stalins-library-geoffrey-roberts-resume-book-review-pt2/ ‘Though overshadowed by Trotsky in historical memory, there were few Bolshevik leaders more important than Stalin in 1917.' Contrary to the myths peddled by Khrushchev and Trotsky and repeated endlessly by anticommunist historians, Josef Stalin was a selfless, modest and devoted revolutionary, and a lifelong student of Marxist-Leninist science. Subscribe! Donate! Join us in building a bright future for humanity! http://www.thecommunists.org http://www.lalkar.org http://www.redyouth.or Telegram: https://t.me/thecommunists Twitter: https://twitter.com/cpgbml Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/proletarianradio Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/theCommunists Odysee: https://odysee.com/@proletariantv:2 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cpgbml Online Shop: https://shop.thecommunists.org/ Education Program: Each one teach one! http://www.londonworker.org/education-programme/ Join the struggle! https://www.thecommunists.org/join/ Donate: https://www.thecommunists.org/donate/

As we launch into the new semester, we took a break from Genesis to talk about the importance of community. Contrary to popular belief, we are not anywhere randomly or purposelessly- God created us intentionally and has placed us where we are with purpose. We hope this sermon blesses you in the Lord. Originally August 17th, 2025. Hank Atchison.Covenant Church. Tuscaloosa, AL.

How do social movements arise, wield power, and bring about meaningful change? Renowned scholar Linda Gordon investigates these and other salient questions in this “visionary, cautionary, timely, and utterly necessary book” (Nicole Eustace), narrating how some of America's most influential twentieth-century social movements transformed the nation.Beginning with the turn-of-the century settlement house movement, the book compares Chicago's celebrated Hull-House, begun by privileged women, to a much less well known African American project, Cleveland's Phillis Wheatley House, begun by a former sharecropper. Expanding her highly praised book The Second Coming of the KKK, the second chapter shows how a northern Klan became a mass movement in the 1920s. Contrary to what many Klan opponents thought, this KKK was a middle-class organization, its members primarily urban and well educated. In the 1930s, the KKK gave birth to dozens of American fascist groups—small but extremely violent. Profiles of two other 1930s movements follow: the Townsend campaign for old-age insurance, named for its charismatic leader, Dr. Francis Townsend. It created the public pressure that brought us Social Security, which was considered radical at the time, as was the movement to bring about federal unemployment aid for millions.Proceeding to the 1955–1956 Montgomery bus boycott—which jump-started the career of Martin Luther King, Jr.—the narrative shows how the city's entire Black population refused to ride segregated buses; initiated by Black women, their years-long, hard-fought victory inspired the civil rights movement. Gordon then examines the 1970s farmworkers struggle, led by Cesar Chavez and made possible by the work of tens of thousands of the primarily Mexican American farmworkers. Together they built the United Farm Workers Union, winning better wages and working conditions for some of the country's poorest workers. The book concludes with the dramatic stories of two Boston socialist feminist groups, Bread and Roses and the Combahee River Collective, which influenced the whole women's liberation movement. Linda Gordon is professor emerita of history and University Professor of the Humanities at New York University. She is the winner of two Bancroft prizes for best book in American History.  Her previous work includes The Second Coming of the KKK and a biography of the photographer Dorothea Lange. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

In this second part of the podcast, Michael Barnard pursues his conversation Paul Martin and Emiel van Druten with explores emerging insights into the Netherlands' energy transition, addressing core assumptions around efficiency, hydrogen usage, and electrification.Building efficiency upgrades yield disappointing returns, with gas consumption often rebounding within 2-4 years post-renovation, limiting achievable reductions to about 50%. The recommended solution is a clear shift toward electrification-first strategies, emphasizing cost-effective insulation to properly size heat pumps, a strategy supported by Heat Geeks' methodology and monitored at heatmonitor.org.Tata Steel's ambitious hydrogen-based direct reduction of iron (DRI) plans illustrate the industrial challenge. The strategy begins with natural gas DRI combined with carbon capture by 2025, transitioning fully to green hydrogen by 2040. However, declining global steel demand, driven by China's reduced infrastructure spending and a shift to scrap-based electric arc furnace production, calls into question the economic viability of domestic hydrogen-based steelmaking. A preferred interim solution involves biogenic methane with CCS, progressing eventually to importing green iron pellets for local processing.Contrary to broader industry forecasts, Dutch hydrogen demand may collapse by as much as 80% by 2050, drastically reducing electrolysis capacity requirements from over 30 GW to around 3 GW, reserved primarily for refineries and biorefineries. This scenario eliminates hydrogen from previously expected uses, such as ammonia production, transportation, steelmaking, and electricity backup generation.Methanol emerges surprisingly as a preferred shipping fuel, surpassing ammonia due to safety advantages and ease of biological sourcing. In aviation, hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) derived from waste oils becomes the preferred fuel, driven by its simpler conversion process, though competition for limited feedstocks will favor aviation, pushing shipping toward methanol. Electrification projections for short-sea shipping and inland waterways see significant upward revisions, with long-haul shipping partially electrified due to soaring alternative fuel costs.Transportation electrification accelerates, with full truck electrification anticipated by 2035, eliminating earlier expectations for hydrogen trucks. Industry expert Johnny Ninehuis predicts no diesel trucks sold beyond that point, emphasizing battery technology overcoming heavy transport challenges.The chemical industry faces transformation, with methanol production pathways favoring gasification of waste plastics and biomass, particularly for chemical feedstocks and fuel applications. A smaller, cleaner petrochemical sector will remain viable, shifting to low-sulfur crude and significantly cutting hydrogen demand.System-wide rebalancing adjusts electricity demand growth forecasts downward from a previously projected fivefold increase to approximately 3.5 to 4 times current consumption. This adjustment significantly reduces offshore wind expansion targets, eliminating expensive distant and deep-water installations. Nuclear power is also excluded as non-economic, positioning the Netherlands as a future electricity exporter to neighboring markets, notably southern Germany. Direct air capture and synthetic fuel production are considered economically impractical within the Netherlands, and the fertilizer sector is projected to shift towards ammonia imports as local production becomes increasingly uneconomic. Highlighting broader electrification trends, Fortescue's recent $3 billion investment in electrified mining equipment illustrates a growing momentum towards electrification even in challenging, heavy industrial sectors.    

After using a Trump-stand-in during his first administration, South Park has come back from hiatus as vulgar and confrontational as ever, with its aiming firmly fixed on MAGA. Contrary to government sources, the show's enjoying a renewed cultural relevance in its 27th season. Guest:  David Mack, contributing writer to Slate. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After using a Trump-stand-in during his first administration, South Park has come back from hiatus as vulgar and confrontational as ever, with its aiming firmly fixed on MAGA. Contrary to government sources, the show's enjoying a renewed cultural relevance in its 27th season. Guest:  David Mack, contributing writer to Slate. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After using a Trump-stand-in during his first administration, South Park has come back from hiatus as vulgar and confrontational as ever, with its aiming firmly fixed on MAGA. Contrary to government sources, the show's enjoying a renewed cultural relevance in its 27th season. Guest:  David Mack, contributing writer to Slate. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After using a Trump-stand-in during his first administration, South Park has come back from hiatus as vulgar and confrontational as ever, with its aiming firmly fixed on MAGA. Contrary to government sources, the show's enjoying a renewed cultural relevance in its 27th season. Guest:  David Mack, contributing writer to Slate. Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over 75 years after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that launched America's entry into the Second World War, one persistent question remains unanswered: "Did President Franklin D. Roosevelt have foreknowledge of the attack---and did he (and his senior military leadership) then withhold that knowledge from his overseas commanders in Hawaii?" Douglas P. Horne, a former Naval Officer who recently completed 40 years of combined military-and-civilian service to the Federal Government, deals directly with this most difficult of all questions about World War II, in the first major "Revisionist" work about Pearl Harbor written in the last decade. Contrary to recent assertions by mainstream historians that the Revisionist hypothesis is now dead, Horne finds it to be more robust than ever. In the first known work that studies FDR's foreign policy "on the road to Pearl Harbor" as a timeline, or chronology (which assesses numerous factors---including codebreaking, diplomacy, military strategy, the unfolding events in Europe, and the personality and words of FDR himself), the author compellingly presents his own unique findings regarding the longstanding allegation by Revisionists that FDR used the impending Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor as a "back door to war." Horne concludes there is, indeed, persuasive evidence that once FDR's undeclared naval war against Hitler in the north Atlantic failed to provide the desired casus belli (which would have allowed him to request a declaration of war against Nazi Germany), then consequently, permitting the Imperial Japanese Navy to attack Pearl Harbor---without providing any specific advance warning to the Hawaiian field commanders (i.e., allowing the Japanese to "fire the first shot" and commit "an overt act of war")---became the last, best chance for FDR to get a united America into the Second World War. FDR's overriding goal throughout 1940-41 was the imperative to get America involved, as a belligerent, in the war against Hitler's Germany, and the Japanese attack accomplished that goal, as Roosevelt knew it would. Both the timing of when FDR apparently received his foreknowledge of the impending attack, and the mechanism by which it was likely delivered, are thoroughly considered in this work. Author Douglas Horne also provides a critical assessment of the most recent Revisionist works, and using a new approach to the "big question" about Pearl Harbor, provides a bold new interpretation of events that will surprise most readers.https://amzn.to/4owLBL2Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-opperman-report--1198501/support.

By Adam Turteltaub There is so much hype and drama when it comes to AI, that it's good to hear the voice of Mujo Vilasevic, Senior Compliance Officer, Raiffeisen Bank  International.  Contrary to most, he makes the case that the problem with AI is overdramatization.  Despite the fears, it's not going to take over the world or our jobs, as he sees it. So what should be doing when it comes to AI?  Educating ourselves is a very good start.  Also, look at AI both, as he describes it, outside in and inside out:  Look to see where it can be useful for the compliance department and how the business unit is putting it to use. Do so, he advises, recognizing that there is, as of yet, no global regulatory consensus.  While laws are emerging, there is still a patchwork out there. However, there are some principles of responsible AI use that do seem to have global relevance.  The EU law, for example, is based on the principles of integrity, data confidentiality, consumer data protection, personal data protection and the reliability of data used.  Few would argue against them. In sum, he argues for avoiding the easy temptation of fearing the unknown.  Instead, learn what you need to know to understand this technology (starting with this podcast), and be prepared for global regulations to provide helpful guardrails.

For many years, legal scholars have declared that the nondelegation doctrine is dead. Professor Cass Sunstein once quipped that the nondelegation doctrine had only “one good year” and more than 200 “bad ones.” But that has changed recently. In 2024, the en banc Fifth Circuit held that the Federal Communications Commision’s (FCC) Universal Service Fund is unconstitutional on nondelegation grounds. It was one of the only times since 1935 that a court has done so, and it appears that 2024 (and beyond) may turn out to be good years for the nondelegation doctrine. Contrary to the FCC’s argument, the en banc Fifth Circuit concluded that the Universal Service Fund operates as a tax, which only Congress has the power and authority to require. Regardless of the public policy that it seeks to advance, Congress cannot delegate this power to the FCC or to any other executive branch agency. The nondelegation doctrine has not been entirely dead for the last hundred years; courts often construe statutes so as not to invalidate them under the nondelegation doctrine. The en banc Fifth Circuit rejected that approach. Does the canon in the common law of agency, mentioned by the Fifth Circuit, known as delegata potestas non potest delegari (Latin for “delegated power may not be delegated”), have any impact on the original meaning of the nondelegation doctrine? Assuming the nondelegation doctrine is valid, what are the standards that courts should look to when determining whether a statute is sufficiently intelligible? Do words like “in the public interest” or instructions for the agency to “provide reasonable regulations” provide sufficient guidance to agencies? What kind of principles can be applied that are also judicially enforceable? If the Supreme Court affirms the Fifth Circuit, what will be the impact on other statutes? To discuss these important questions and others, Jeff Beelaert, a partner at Stein Mitchell, and Trent McCotter, a partner at Boyden Gray, will join us. Featuring: Jeffrey Beelaert, Partner, Stein Mitchell Trent McCotter, Partner, Boyden Gray PLLC Moderator: Devin Watkins, Attorney, Competitive Enterprise Institute

Send me a text! I'd LOVE to hear your feedback on this episode!My special guest today is Dr. William Davis.  He is a cardiologist and New York Times #1 bestselling author of the Wheat Belly book series. He is Medical Director and founder of the Undoctored program including the Undoctored Inner Circle. He is Chief Medical Officer and co-founder of Realize Therapeutics Corp. that is developing innovative solutions for the disrupted human microbiome and author of the book Super Gut.Get ready to have your understanding of cholesterol and heart disease challenged. Cardiologist Dr. William Davis, bestselling author of the Wheat Belly series, joins us to expose the fundamental flaws in how modern medicine approaches heart health.Dr. Davis reveals why the conventional focus on total cholesterol and LDL is dangerously outdated. These measurements are crude approximations developed in the 1960s that fail to identify the real culprits behind heart disease. Instead, he explains why small dense LDL particles and triglyceride levels are far more meaningful indicators, and why coronary calcium scores provide the most direct evidence of actual heart disease risk.What's truly eye-opening is learning what causes these dangerous small LDL particles. Contrary to popular belief, it's not fatty foods like eggs or butter, but rather grains and sugars. The amylopectin A carbohydrate in wheat (even "healthy" whole grains) triggers small LDL formation more effectively than table sugar. This revelation explains why so many people following conventional "heart-healthy" low-fat, high-grain diets continue developing heart disease.Beyond diet, Dr. Davis delves into how nutrient deficiencies common in modern life—particularly vitamin D, magnesium, iodine, and omega-3 fatty acids—contribute significantly to heart disease risk. He also explores the critical role of gut health, explaining how Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) affects approximately half the North American population and drives inflammation, insulin resistance, and heart disease.Perhaps most importantly, Dr. Davis empowers listeners with actionable knowledge about how to genuinely protect heart health without relying on statins, which he demonstrates provide minimal benefit while increasing diabetes risk. If you're concerned about heart health or have been told ySupport the showPlease rate & review my podcast with a few kind words on Apple or Spotify. Subscribe wherever you listen, share this episode with a friend, and follow me below. This truly gives back & helps me keep bringing amazing guests & topics every week.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandyknutrition/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/sandyknutritionTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandyknutritionYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIh48ov-SgbSUXsVeLL2qAgRumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-5461001Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyknutrition/Substack: https://sandykruse.substack.com/Podcast Website: https://sandykruse.ca

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky3VGO4AI-g Podcast audio: In this episode of The ARI Bookshelf, Tristan de Liège, Ben Bayer, Don Watkins, and Robertas Bakula discuss What Went Wrong with Capitalism by Ruchir Sharma. The book examines the history of government bailouts, Federal Reserve policy, and the growing reach of the regulatory state. Contrary to popular belief, Sharma argues, government intervention in America didn't shrink after Reagan — it kept growing. He also offers proposals for reversing these trends. The discussion covered: How Sharma refutes the myth that America has moved towards free markets in the last fifty years; How the government and the Federal Reserve created distortions and downturns; How the regulatory state expanded and decreased productivity; Why the book's treatment of inequality is self-defeating; How the book's views on capital misallocation and antitrust are contradictory; How the book lacks sufficient philosophical perspective. The video was recorded on July 17, 2025 and posted on August 8, 2025.

What happens when you read Lenin completely, chronologically, and in context? You discover a thinker far more complex and pragmatic than most portrayals suggest.In this illuminating conversation, Professor Alex Herbert shares insights from his ambitious "Lenin in 45 Volumes" project, where he's systematically reading Lenin's complete works in their original Russian. Herbert reveals how Lenin's ideas evolved significantly over time in response to specific historical conditions—a reality often obscured when revolutionaries and critics alike cherry-pick quotes without context.Contrary to how he's often portrayed, the Lenin that emerges from this chronological reading supported electoral participation throughout much of his early career while maintaining principled socialist positions. His approach to the national question developed in response to concrete debates within the Russian Empire about language rights and cultural autonomy. We learn how Lenin distinguished between theoretical disagreements and personal animosity, maintaining working relationships with those he fiercely criticized in print.The conversation explores fascinating historical specifics: debates about Ukrainian language in schools, the "liquidationist" trend within the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party, and Lenin's early recognition of China's revolutionary potential. Herbert helps us understand how political positions that might seem contradictory actually reflected a materialist approach to changing circumstances.Perhaps most valuable for contemporary leftists is the discussion of challenges Lenin couldn't fully anticipate—from modern environmentalism to the transformed nature of class in post-industrial economies. These areas require applying Marxist methods to new conditions rather than searching for ready-made answers in century-old texts.Join us for this thought-provoking exploration of revolutionary theory, historical context, and the continuing relevance of materialist analysis for today's political struggles.Send us a text Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesArt Design: Corn and C. Derick VarnLinks and Social Media:twitter: @varnvlogblue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.socialYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeCurrent Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon

Send us a textLanding a publishing deal often feels like an impossible dream for aspiring authors. What makes one manuscript stand out among thousands? How can you ensure your pitch letter doesn't end up in the rejection pile? In this revealing conversation, former book editor Jason Kuznicki pulls back the curtain on what really happens when editors evaluate submissions.Drawing from his experience reviewing hundreds of pitch letters at the Cato Institute, Jason dispels common myths about the publishing process. Contrary to what many writers believe, editors aren't looking for authors who can dazzle them with vocabulary or obscure references. Instead, they seek writers who can communicate clearly and connect with readers. "Can you talk about your book like a real person?" Jason asks, identifying this simple quality as the most crucial element of a successful pitch.The conversation explores the surprising reality that pitch letters serve multiple purposes beyond securing a publishing contract. They help authors clarify their thinking, provide a compass for the writing process, and ultimately become valuable marketing copy. This makes crafting a pitch letter valuable even for those planning to self-publish. Jason shares practical advice on structuring these letters, emphasizing brevity (just a couple of pages), clarity about your book's core argument or story, and the importance of identifying comparable titles.Perhaps most refreshingly, Jason reframes the author-editor relationship. Rather than viewing editors as gatekeepers or adversaries, he suggests seeing them as potential teammates who want your book to succeed. The best pitch letters demonstrate you understand not just your subject matter, but how to talk about it engagingly with different audiences—a skill that proves invaluable throughout the publishing journey.Want to transform your publishing prospects? Join our workshop on August 21st to learn how to craft pitch letters that open doors and set your work up for success. Whether you're writing fiction or non-fiction, this episode provides the insider knowledge you need to approach publishers with confidence.We're excited to announce the launch of our new website: 12weekyearforwriters.comTo celebrate, you can join the 12 Week Year Writers membership for 50% off the first three months.ABOUT TREVOR THRALL & THE 12 WEEK YEAR FOR WRITERS Subscribe to get our free Quick Start Guide at 12weekyearforwriters.com Join our community at 12weekyearforwriters.com/membership Register for a live workshop at 12weekyearforwriters.com/events Connect with Trevor on Linked In My team and I help writers get their writing done. If you're stuck, it's not a knowledge problem. It's not a skill issue. And it's not a motivation or willpower thing. You know what you need to do and how to do it. The problem is consistent execution: getting the writing done week in and week out. With the 12 Week Year for Writers system, you'll create a routine that helps you write more, and more happily, than ever before. Thanks for listening!

Let us know what you enjoy about the show!What truly separates high performers from everyone else? Contrary to popular belief, it's not just raw talent or relentless positivity—it's their ability to identify and manage the specific influencers that affect their performance.During our enlightening conversation, we dive deep into the six critical influencers that shape our ability to perform consistently at high levels: spiritual, mental, environmental, emotional, physical, and social. These factors create a complex web that either supports or undermines our performance capabilities. The fascinating revelation is that for most high performers, it's not their mindset itself that threatens their success, but rather the various elements that knock them out of alignment.We explore how creating your personalized "success formula" works as a practical tool—almost like having your own technical rider that travels with you through challenges. This formula helps you anticipate potential disruptions to your rhythm and make accommodations before they derail you. Instead of maintaining a restrictive tunnel vision of forced positivity, this approach encourages you to stay open while developing familiarity with your specific detractors.The most powerful moment comes when we discuss how recognizing these patterns transforms your relationship with obstacles. When challenges arise, you can meet them with calm recognition: "I've felt this before. I've seen this before. It's not going to kill me." This perspective shift turns potential threats into opportunities for growth and learning, maintaining your consistency even when outside stressors threaten to shake your foundation.Ready to discover your own performance influencers and create a success formula tailored specifically to you? Listen now and learn how to stay in your power, even when circumstances try to take you offline.If you are enjoying the show please subscribe, share and review! Word of mouth is incredibly impactful and your support is much appreciated! Support the show

Send us a textThe journey toward awakening isn't about denying our experiences, but seeing through them to the truth they reveal. In this profound episode of Wisdom Dialogues, Hope Johnson shares revelatory insights about how we use our bodies and what they're truly meant for.Hope begins by challenging our fundamental understanding of the body's purpose, explaining that it's meant solely for communication rather than obtaining worldly pleasure or status. This shift in perspective opens the door to examining how sexual desire and longing for special relationships actually substitute for the true union our spirits crave – union with God and the entire Sonship that transcends physical form entirely.Through personal reflections on her experiences since moving to Mexico, Hope reveals how observing patterns of desire in others helped her recognize her own seeking behaviors. She shares how purifying sexual desire led her to discover the masculine and feminine energies within spiritual practice – the masculine providing discipline and direction, the feminine offering receptivity and surrender. Both are essential on the path to awakening.Perhaps most liberating is Hope's exploration of the mind's harmlessness. Contrary to popular belief, our thoughts cannot harm us or create negative physical manifestations. The mind is 100% harmless in reality, only capable of projecting illusions. This understanding frees us from victimhood and self-blame, allowing us to recognize that in every moment we can choose to see differently and release ourselves from suffering.The conversation extends to addiction, judgment, and the power of seeing everything as helpful rather than harmful. Hope compassionately dismantles the belief that we must control our behaviors, showing how removing judgment allows natural transformation without struggle.Ready to experience true freedom? Join Hope in discovering how taking 100% responsibility for your perceptions becomes the path to liberation. Explore this wisdom-packed dialogue that will forever change how you view your mind, body, and spiritual journey.Support the show

The college landscape has transformed dramatically in a single generation. What once cost $7,000 annually now approaches $70,000, creating unprecedented financial pressure on families navigating the higher education maze. In this eye-opening conversation with Lee Norwood, founder of College Sharks, we unravel the complexities of finding the perfect college fit while managing costs.Contrary to popular belief, your child's most affordable option may not be that in-state university. Leigh reveals how merit scholarships can make seemingly expensive private colleges more budget-friendly than public alternatives. Her own experience attending Elon University for less than in-state Maryland tuition demonstrates this counterintuitive reality—a revelation that could transform your family's college search strategy.Beyond finances, we explore what college admissions officers actually evaluate first: curriculum choices. Before GPA or test scores, they examine whether students challenged themselves appropriately within their school's offerings. This insight, along with Leigh's guidance on extracurricular involvement (quality over quantity), provides a roadmap for application success.Parents of undecided students will find particular comfort in Lee's perspective that college remains a time of discovery, with excellent resources available for students still exploring potential paths. Meanwhile, homeschooling families receive specialized advice on documentation and transitioning to higher education. And for those questioning whether college remains essential, Leigh offers a balanced view acknowledging that while crucial for many careers, alternatives like trades or military service better suit some students.The college journey needn't overwhelm your family. By breaking the process into manageable monthly tasks over junior and senior years, you can navigate this pivotal time with confidence rather than anxiety. Visit CollegeSharks.com to access Lee's structured guidance programs and free resources like her comprehensive two-year planning calendar. Get a free mini lesson plus 52 prompts so your kids can practice every week here!Thanks for Listening to Speak Out, Stand OutLike what you hear? We would love if you would rate and review our podcast so it can reach more families. Also - grab our free mini lesson on impromptu speaking here. This is ideal for kids ages 6+.Interested in checking out our Public Speaking & Debate courses? Find more here!

What if the key to feeling better at 45 than you did at 25 isn't about accepting "normal" lab values, but about optimizing your hormones to their ideal levels? In this eye-opening conversation, Dr. Lauren Fitzgerald—a board-certified anesthesiologist who now specializes in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy—challenges conventional medical wisdom about hormone health.Dr. Fitzgerald breaks down the critical difference between bioidentical hormones and non-bioidentical versions. This distinction isn't just academic—it has profound implications for safety and effectiveness. While your doctor might tell you your hormone levels are "normal," those ranges often represent the average of an increasingly unhealthy population, not optimal levels for vitality and longevity.Contrary to lingering misconceptions from outdated studies, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy has been shown to decrease cancer risk, protect cardiovascular health, prevent osteoporosis, and support cognitive function. For both women navigating perimenopause and men experiencing age-related testosterone decline, properly administered bioidentical hormones can transform quality of life. Whether you're struggling with brain fog, fatigue, weight issues, or just don't feel like your vibrant self anymore, this conversation offers a roadmap to reclaiming your energy and zest for life through evidence-based hormone optimization.https://larimarmed.com/.  @worldlinkhttps://worldlinkmedical.com/education/conferences/academic-summit-2025Lies I Taught In Medical School : Free sample chapter- https://www.robertlufkinmd.com/lies/Complete Metabolic Heart Scan (LUFKIN20 for 20% off) https://www.innerscopic.com/Fasting Mimicking Diet (20% off) https://prolonlife.com/Lufkin At home blood testing (20% off) https://siphoxhealth.com/lufkinMimio Health (LUFKIN for 15% off) https://mimiohealth.sjv.io/c/5810114/2745519/30611 Web: https://robertlufkinmd.com/X: https://x.com/robertlufkinmdYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/robertLufkinmdInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertlufkinmd/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertlufkinmd/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@robertlufkinThreads: https://www.threads.net/@robertlufkinmdFacebook: ...

Send us a textAugustine and subsequent Medieval sexual theology have profoundly influenced modern Christian teachings on sexuality, often causing unnecessary shame and restrictions that aren't biblically based. During the Middle Ages, the influence of Augustine, with echoes of Greek philosophy, intensified into even more unnecessarily restrictive laws and unbiblical teachings about sex. Contrary to Augustine and classic Catholic doctrine, celibacy is not more holy than marriage. The Bible teaches that marriage and the pleasures of married sex are a gift from God.Please support these companies that support Intimate Covenant:Married Dance — https://marrieddance.com/?aff=29 We're a Christian-friendly, marriage-centered sex toy and marital aid store for couples that's nudity-free.  Shop from this link for special savings and part of your purchase will support Intimate Covenant.  Coconu — http://www.coconu.com Coconu is committed to helping people lead healthier, happier lives by offering 100% safe and organic personal care products.  Your purchase helps support Intimate Covenant AND you get 15% OFF. Coupon Code: intimateconvenantDating Divas — https://thedatingdivas.myshopify.com?sca_ref=6278443.H6eWDeXGfx Strengthening marriages one date at a time. Shop from this link and your part of your purchase will help support Intimate Covenant. Check out their Sexy Subscription Boxes!Honoring Intimates — https://www.honoringintimates.com/?ref=INTIMATECOVENANT Modest and classy premium lingerie, model-free. Get 20% off and support Intimate Covenant with your purchase.Ginger & Peach — https://www.gingerandpeachlingerie.com/ Ginger & Peach lingerie is a Christian husband and wife owned brand bringing classy, model-free lingerie to the market. Get 10% off your order and support Intimate Covenant with code: “INTIMATECOVENANT"  To send your comments, questions and suggestions, go to our website: www.intimatecovenant.com/podcast and click on the button: “Contact the Podcast” for an ANONYMOUS submission form. Or, send an email: podcast@intimatecovenant.com   Thanks for sharing, rating, reviewing and subscribing!  Cherishing,  Matt & JennPS — If you have been blessed by the message of this podcast, we would deeply appreciate your support by donating to our mission of spreading God's plan for intimate marriage and holy sexuality.Join us at Patreon: www.patreon.com/intimatecovenantConsider a one-time gift: www.intimatecovenant.com/donate www.intimatecovenant.com Intimate Covenant | Matt & Jenn SchmidtSupport the show

What if one of modern cosmology's greatest triumphs was built on a false story? In this talk from DemystiCon: Beyond the Big Bang, physicist and historian of science Dr. Andre Koch Torres Assis digs deep into the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the so-called “fingerprint” of the Big Bang, and uncovers a history that challenges the dominant narrative. Contrary to popular belief, George Gamow and the Big Bang camp never predicted the CMB's 2.7K temperature. In fact, their estimates were off by nearly an order of magnitude. Meanwhile, steady-state cosmologists consistently predicted the correct background temperature of space long before the CMB was discovered by Penzias and Wilson. The difference was that instead of searching for the birth of the universe, they were simply calculating the temperature of cold, rocky bodies absorbing and remitting distant starlight. Assis weaves together redshift anomalies, missing histories of radioastronomy, and overlooked insights from pioneers like Finlay Freundlich to show how a false myth of prediction has been used to cement the Big Bang as fact, rather than leaving open the possibility of the CMB being the signal of an eternal universe.PATREON https://www.patreon.com/c/demystifysciPARADIGM DRIFThttps://demystifysci.com/paradigm-drift-showMUSICCheck out our band's new album:https://secretaryofnature.bandcamp.com/album/everything-is-so-good-hereVinyl pre-orders available now: https://buy.stripe.com/14A5kC3Od5d21Ms7zPdEs09ANDRE'S EARLIER APPEARANCES ON THE PODCAST:DemystifySci #328 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upV3ZfCEISADemystifySci #233 https://youtu.be/kGHNKORQZK8DemystifySci #204 https://youtu.be/VGql2qiRjkYANDRE'S WEBSITE: https://www.ifi.unicamp.br/~assis00:00 Go! 00:06:06 Predictions of Cosmic Background Radiation 00:12:30 The Role of Stefan-Boltzmann Law 00:18:44 Cosmic Rays and Intergalactic Space 00:24:12 Red Shift and Its Implications 00:32:22 Observations of the Sun's Red Shift 00:36:04 Freundlich's Groundbreaking Insights 00:39:08 Connection to Radio Astronomy 00:40:58 Conclusion on Cosmic Background Radiation #cosmology, #astrophysics, #spacefacts , #quantumphysics, #physics, #darkmatter, #cosmicmicrowavebackground, #spaceexploration , #spacetime, #astronomy, #relativity , #philosophypodcast , #sciencepodcast, #longformpodcast ABOUT US: Anastasia completed her PhD studying bioelectricity at Columbia University. When not talking to brilliant people or making movies, she spends her time painting, reading, and guiding backcountry excursions. Shilo also did his PhD at Columbia studying the elastic properties of molecular water. When he's not in the film studio, he's exploring sound in music. They are both freelance professors at various universities. PATREON: get episodes early + join our weekly Patron Chat https://bit.ly/3lcAasBMERCH: Rock some DemystifySci gear : https://demystifysci.myspreadshop.com/allAMAZON: Do your shopping through this link: https://amzn.to/3YyoT98DONATE: https://bit.ly/3wkPqaDSUBSTACK: https://substack.com/@UCqV4_7i9h1_V7hY48eZZSLw@demystifysciBLOG: http://DemystifySci.com/blog RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/2be66934/podcast/rssMAILING LIST: https://bit.ly/3v3kz2S SOCIAL: - Discord: https://discord.gg/MJzKT8CQub- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DemystifySci- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DemystifySci/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DemystifySciMUSIC: -Shilo Delay: https://g.co/kgs/oty671

How do social movements arise, wield power, and bring about meaningful change? Renowned scholar Linda Gordon investigates these and other salient questions in this “visionary, cautionary, timely, and utterly necessary book” (Nicole Eustace), narrating how some of America's most influential twentieth-century social movements transformed the nation.Beginning with the turn-of-the century settlement house movement, the book compares Chicago's celebrated Hull-House, begun by privileged women, to a much less well known African American project, Cleveland's Phillis Wheatley House, begun by a former sharecropper. Expanding her highly praised book The Second Coming of the KKK, the second chapter shows how a northern Klan became a mass movement in the 1920s. Contrary to what many Klan opponents thought, this KKK was a middle-class organization, its members primarily urban and well educated. In the 1930s, the KKK gave birth to dozens of American fascist groups—small but extremely violent. Profiles of two other 1930s movements follow: the Townsend campaign for old-age insurance, named for its charismatic leader, Dr. Francis Townsend. It created the public pressure that brought us Social Security, which was considered radical at the time, as was the movement to bring about federal unemployment aid for millions.Proceeding to the 1955–1956 Montgomery bus boycott—which jump-started the career of Martin Luther King, Jr.—the narrative shows how the city's entire Black population refused to ride segregated buses; initiated by Black women, their years-long, hard-fought victory inspired the civil rights movement. Gordon then examines the 1970s farmworkers struggle, led by Cesar Chavez and made possible by the work of tens of thousands of the primarily Mexican American farmworkers. Together they built the United Farm Workers Union, winning better wages and working conditions for some of the country's poorest workers. The book concludes with the dramatic stories of two Boston socialist feminist groups, Bread and Roses and the Combahee River Collective, which influenced the whole women's liberation movement. Linda Gordon is professor emerita of history and University Professor of the Humanities at New York University. She is the winner of two Bancroft prizes for best book in American History.  Her previous work includes The Second Coming of the KKK and a biography of the photographer Dorothea Lange. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

How do social movements arise, wield power, and bring about meaningful change? Renowned scholar Linda Gordon investigates these and other salient questions in this “visionary, cautionary, timely, and utterly necessary book” (Nicole Eustace), narrating how some of America's most influential twentieth-century social movements transformed the nation.Beginning with the turn-of-the century settlement house movement, the book compares Chicago's celebrated Hull-House, begun by privileged women, to a much less well known African American project, Cleveland's Phillis Wheatley House, begun by a former sharecropper. Expanding her highly praised book The Second Coming of the KKK, the second chapter shows how a northern Klan became a mass movement in the 1920s. Contrary to what many Klan opponents thought, this KKK was a middle-class organization, its members primarily urban and well educated. In the 1930s, the KKK gave birth to dozens of American fascist groups—small but extremely violent. Profiles of two other 1930s movements follow: the Townsend campaign for old-age insurance, named for its charismatic leader, Dr. Francis Townsend. It created the public pressure that brought us Social Security, which was considered radical at the time, as was the movement to bring about federal unemployment aid for millions.Proceeding to the 1955–1956 Montgomery bus boycott—which jump-started the career of Martin Luther King, Jr.—the narrative shows how the city's entire Black population refused to ride segregated buses; initiated by Black women, their years-long, hard-fought victory inspired the civil rights movement. Gordon then examines the 1970s farmworkers struggle, led by Cesar Chavez and made possible by the work of tens of thousands of the primarily Mexican American farmworkers. Together they built the United Farm Workers Union, winning better wages and working conditions for some of the country's poorest workers. The book concludes with the dramatic stories of two Boston socialist feminist groups, Bread and Roses and the Combahee River Collective, which influenced the whole women's liberation movement. Linda Gordon is professor emerita of history and University Professor of the Humanities at New York University. She is the winner of two Bancroft prizes for best book in American History.  Her previous work includes The Second Coming of the KKK and a biography of the photographer Dorothea Lange. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

On In The Market with Janet Parshall this week we tackled the growing acceptance of the gay lifestyle as a dear friend to the program helped us understand how even in Christian circles the acceptance of same-sex relationships has infiltrated and caused rifts. He talked about a popular television couple whose inclusion of a same-sex couple on their new show has caused an uproar. He also warned us the challenges facing the church over this issue as the so-called “gay gospel” gains more and more acceptance. Contrary to what many of us have accepted as fact regarding the history of this continent, there were generations of people who populated this land long before the Pilgrims arrived from Europe. We spoke with a biologist who used DNA comparison research to uncover the true history of the indigenous people who once populated this land. He uncovered for us the origins of these people are their incredible journey to travel to this land and make their homes here. Have you ever longed for a deeper walk with the Lord? Our guest took us on a journey of exploration and understanding as she explained what biblical rest is really all about and how we can draw closer to the Lord through it. One of the biggest challenges in sharing the gospel with Jewish people is that the Jesus of the New Testament is indeed the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies about a coming Messiah. We spoke to a Messianic follower of Jesus who has spent his life leading his people to their Messiah. He opened up God’s word to show how in every instance Jesus IS the fulfillment of all the prophecies. His insights gave us practical guidance for sharing this good news with our Jewish friends and neighbors. Keeping up with the news today can be like drinking from a fire hose, there is just so much and so much that can easily confuse and mislead us. That’s why we invite you once again to examine some of the most important news of the week with our favorite husband and wife team as they continue to teach us how to measure what we see and hear against the unvarnished truth of God’s unchanging word.Become a Parshall Partner: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/inthemarket/partnersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Trump administration is trying to discredit the intelligence assessment that concluded Russian President Putin ordered a campaign to interfere in the 2016 election with the intent of helping elect Trump. Contrary to almost all intelligence findings, Trump and his aides allege a conspiracy by the Obama White House. Geoff Bennett discussed more with former CIA analyst Michael Van Landingham. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In this fiery breakdown, the hosts revisit dire economic forecasts made by mainstream media and financial institutions about Trump-era tariffs—warnings of "Tariffmageddon" and inevitable recession. Contrary to those predictions, they highlight real wage growth, particularly among blue-collar workers, and the strongest private-sector-led economic expansion in years. The discussion shifts to Trump's aggressive energy and trade strategy, including deals with the EU, India, and Pakistan, positioning U.S. natural resources as the cornerstone of global economic power. From rare earth minerals to energy dominance, they argue it's a fast-moving, genius-level plan unfolding in real time.

The Trump administration is trying to discredit the intelligence assessment that concluded Russian President Putin ordered a campaign to interfere in the 2016 election with the intent of helping elect Trump. Contrary to almost all intelligence findings, Trump and his aides allege a conspiracy by the Obama White House. Geoff Bennett discussed more with former CIA analyst Michael Van Landingham. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Kirk changes his tune on housing as he moves towards purchasing a new home. Today we explore how homeownership is often more of an emotional choice than a smart financial investment, with many people misunderstanding the real cost compared to renting. We talk about the burden of property taxes, why paying off a mortgage early might not always make financial sense, and the social pressures around owning a home. We shift gears to a surprising discovery in credit reporting systems—a “Human Trafficking Request” option—which leads us to reflect on the serious issue of human trafficking, especially in border areas, and how complex and unexpected some financial topics can be. We also talk property taxes, economic growth, and more! Today we discuss... Buying a home isn't just about numbers—it's emotional, from nesting instincts to worrying about what neighbors think. Contrary to popular belief, owning a home often isn't a great financial investment; it's mostly a personal expense. There's a sweet spot where owning beats renting, but for expensive properties, renting often comes out cheaper. Paying off a low-interest mortgage early might feel good, but financially, investing that money elsewhere often makes more sense. You never really “own” a home because ongoing costs like taxes and maintenance keep coming. A bizarre credit bureau feature for removing human trafficking info—raises a lot of questions about what's on our reports. Trying to freeze or check credit reports online turned into a frustrating experience with errors and security concerns. A “chart crime” was discussed involving misleading silver price charts that artificially suggest massive future price spikes. Everyone, including experts, has biases, and the best investing involves independent thinking free from crowd influence. Warren Buffett's investment strategy of avoiding Wall Street noise by focusing on fundamentals is highlighted, though his recent performance is debated. The US stock market has outperformed international markets over the past two decades, with Europe's regulatory environment hindering growth. Government remains the largest job growth sector in the US, followed by healthcare, while mining, logging, and wholesale trade experience declines. The overarching advice is to think independently and critically about economic and investment data rather than relying solely on common narratives or biased sources. Silicon Valley Bank's collapse risked systemic damage due to concentrated wealth in California's tech sector and the bank's insolvency. Banks face difficulty raising liquidity quickly without selling assets at steep unrealized losses, causing stress in both banking and real estate markets. Tech giants like Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia are performing well in earnings season, while healthcare and oil services sectors lag. Caution is advised against chasing recent market gains, with better opportunities expected in the fall after potential market pullbacks.   Today's Panelists: Kirk Chisholm | Innovative Wealth Douglas Heagren | ProCollege Planners Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moneytreepodcast Follow LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/money-tree-investing-podcast Follow on Twitter/X: https://x.com/MTIPodcast For more information, visit the show notes at https://moneytreepodcast.com/kirk-changes-his-tune-on-housing-731 

On Friday's Mark Levin Show, the Second Industrial Revolution unleashed American capitalism's potential, driving unprecedented economic growth and creating a prosperous middle class. Contrary to Marxist critiques, capitalism delivered widespread benefits through innovation, producing abundant food, housing, medical care, and modern conveniences like clean water and automobiles. These advancements raised life expectancy and living standards far beyond historical norms, showcasing capitalism's ability to foster prosperity and self-correction in open societies, unlike Marxist or autocratic systems. This is an answer to NYC Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani who said he doesn't support capitalism. When you understand capitalism it's very easy to defend.  Also, there were two big Supreme Court cases today. In a 6-3 Supreme Court decision written by Justice Barrett, the court ruled against universal injunctions, asserting federal courts lack authority to broadly oversee the executive branch. Barrett's opinion emphasizes courts must stay within Congress-granted powers, preventing judicial overreach that could undermine the presidency and constitutional framework. Justice Jackson's dissent is radical. The ruling protects the democratic processes. In addition, there was a 6-3 decision written by Justice Alito, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of parents in Montgomery County, Maryland, who challenged the school board's policy of mandating LGBTQ and related curricula in elementary schools without informing parents or allowing them to opt out. This decision reinforces protections for religious freedom and parental authority. Finally, Gianno Caldwell joins to talk about his new book, The Day My Brother Was Murdered: My Journey Through America's Violent Crime Crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices