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WHO IS YOUR SOURCE? WITH MAURY ABREU | MAN OF PEACE PODCAST
In this episode, Mark Ledlow is joined by Robert Guillot, owner and founder of CenterPoint Security Solutions, talks about his extensive career in security and law enforcement. Rob shares his journey, which includes service in the Border Patrol, the ATF, and his role as a Chief Security Officer in the oil and gas industry. They delve into topics like the complexities of border security, the strategic implementations in oil and gas security, and the support from organizations like ASIS. Rob also discusses his transition from law enforcement to the private sector, his recent ventures, and the camaraderie within the security sector. Tune in for insights into the challenges and experiences faced in different facets of the security field.Learn about all this and more in this episode of The Fearless Mindset Podcast.KEY TAKEAWAYSGuest Introduction: Rob Guillot, with a rich background in law enforcement and security. Career Journey: Rob transitioned from federal law enforcement to private sector security, ending up in a key role within an oil and gas company. Values Networking: Importance of networking and organizations like ASIS in career growth. Security Challenges: Discusses the complexities and risks in oil and gas security management. Industry Insights: Highlights the critical role of teamwork and the extensive effort required in the oil and gas industry.QUOTES"The security industry, the true professionals, they want to help people." "Stopping the bleeding means reducing the amount of people coming into the country that we have no idea who they are." "The oil and gas industry is fascinating, and I don't think people appreciate how many smart people it takes to figure out where to drill and extract crude." "The totality of everything going on in oil and gas is pretty overwhelming."Get to know more about Robert Guillot through the link below. https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-guillot/To hear more episodes of The Fearless Mindset podcast, you can go to https://the-fearless-mindset.simplecast.com/ or listen to major podcasting platforms such as Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc. You can also subscribe to the Fearless Mindset YouTube Channel to watch episodes on video.
#036 – In this next episode, I was joined by Erin Grippo, Senior Manager of Product Operations at Brivo, who brings nearly a decade of experience in the security industry across marketing, business strategy, partnerships, and product operations.Today's conversation explored Erin's career journey and how she navigated major transitions across roles, companies, and countries. We discussed her philosophy about career growth, overcoming early career challenges, and her advice for aspiring professionals. Erin also shared her perspective on leadership development, the value of networking, and why mentorship is important in our careers. I think you'll find this to be an honest and inspiring discussion!After graduating from DePauw University with a degree in Communication, Erin launched her career at Allegion in the U.S. and later relocated to Toronto to lead multifamily and PropTech initiatives for Allegion Canada. She continued to expand her expertise at Latch, managing partnerships and launching new products and programs before joining Brivo in 2023.Erin is active in the security industry's professional community, serving on the Security Industry Association's RISE Steering Committee and previously on the Foundation for Advancing Security Talent (F.A.S.T) board from 2020 to 2024. She was recently named one of the 2024 Women in Security Forum Power 100. Erin is passionate about mentoring early-career professionals and building stronger pathways for the next generation of security leaders—and it was a pleasure having her on the podcast.-- Get the resources and show notes mentioned in this episode --https://thesecuritystudent.com/shownotes
On this episode of the Ontic Connected Intelligence Podcast, Ryan Schoenfeld explores his transition from law enforcement to founding Hivewatch, sharing insights into modernizing corporate security operations and integrating cutting-edge technology like AI. His conversation with host Manish Mehta uncovers the challenges of transitioning from public to private sectors and the evolving role of GSOCs in leveraging automation to reduce manual inefficiencies. Schoenfeld also sheds light on balancing human expertise with technology to create smarter, scalable solutions that enhance security without compromising safety.You'll learnHow Schoenfeld transitioned from a law enforcement career to revolutionizing corporate security operations with innovative, tech-driven approaches at HivewatchAdvice for navigating the shift from public to private sector roles, including the importance of mentorship, adapting to corporate culture, and effectively translating skills and experiencesHow AI and automation are reshaping GSOCs, merging technology and human oversight to optimize operations and tackle inefficiencies in the security spaceLearn more in Ontic Resources.
In this episode, Mark Ledlow and Fred Burton, Executive Director of Protection and Intelligence at Ontic and a best-selling author, discuss the surrounding potential threats posed by an open border policy and the presence of terrorist cells. The discussion delves into the analytical evidence of terrorism threats linked to transnational entries, highlighting that no domestic terror acts have been documented as originating from the southern border. The conversation touches on broader security issues, including high-profile plots thwarted in the past, school shootings, and the impact of geopolitical events on domestic safety. They emphasize the importance of analytical rigor and logical decision-making in the security and protective services industry, comparing different attitudes toward personal protection across regions and discussing the implications of various security measures for high-profile individuals.Learn about all this and more in this episode of The Fearless Mindset Podcast.KEY TAKEAWAYSThe importance of proactive surveillance and intelligence gathering in security.Lessons learned from historical security breaches and attack plots.The significance of cultural fit and adaptability in security teams.Challenges faced by security personnel in adjusting to different operational environments.The necessity to constantly update and share intelligence within the security community.The evolving methods of threat actors and their preparedness.Fred Burton's involvement in upcoming TV and film projects based on his books.QUOTES"The scope of detail that some of these threat actors are engaged with is just frightening.""Intelligence is powerful when done correctly.""You can't run a program without intelligence today.""If you've got a good security team, trained in observation skills, you should be able to spot threat actors ahead of time.""Getting people in and out without being hassled is the kind of value add that we routinely do in this business.""It's amazing what you can do if you just try to blend in and ask questions.""Some degree of protection at public venues is essential, especially for controversial issues.""Surveillance is critical before you get the bodies out there. Get that team out there moving around snooping."Get to know more about Fred Burton through the link below.https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefredburton/To hear more episodes of The Fearless Mindset podcast, you can go to https://the-fearless-mindset.simplecast.com/ or listen to major podcasting platforms such as Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc. You can also subscribe to the Fearless Mindset YouTube Channel to watch episodes on video.
In this episode, Mark Ledlow and Fred Burton, Executive Director of Protection and Intelligence at Ontic and a best-selling author, discuss the surrounding potential threats posed by an open border policy and the presence of terrorist cells. The discussion delves into the analytical evidence of terrorism threats linked to transnational entries, highlighting that no domestic terror acts have been documented as originating from the southern border. The conversation touches on broader security issues, including high-profile plots thwarted in the past, school shootings, and the impact of geopolitical events on domestic safety. They emphasize the importance of analytical rigor and logical decision-making in the security and protective services industry, comparing different attitudes toward personal protection across regions and discussing the implications of various security measures for high-profile individuals.Learn about all this and more in this episode of The Fearless Mindset Podcast.KEY TAKEAWAYSSecurity Concerns on Open Borders: Despite the high number of migrants, there has not been a domestic act of terror directly linked to transnational terrorists from the southern border.Domestic vs. Geopolitical Threats: Domestic threats such as school shootings are more frequent and concerning compared to geopolitical and international threats.Historical Predictive Failures: The U.S. has historically struggled to predict major geopolitical events, regardless of advancements in intelligence.Adaptation and Responsiveness: The executive protection industry often operates reactively, highlighting the need for better proactive measures and adequate resourcing.Regional Differences in Security Perception: Security needs and perceptions differ greatly across the U.S., with coastal regions being more open to private security compared to more self-reliant attitudes in middle America.QUOTES"To the best of my knowledge, there never has been a domestic act of terror directly linked to a transnational terrorist coming from the southern border.""Trust me, you'll be the first one to know if I uncover something that you really need to be concerned about for you or your family.""Our nation seems to always be surprised... I want to believe that we're better today at anticipating surprise, but history has shown we're not.""Most CEOs today are almost more receptive to that kind of low-key protection."Get to know more about Fred Burton through the link below.https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefredburton/To hear more episodes of The Fearless Mindset podcast, you can go to https://the-fearless-mindset.simplecast.com/ or listen to major podcasting platforms such as Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc. You can also subscribe to the Fearless Mindset YouTube Channel to watch episodes on video.
Whether you're considering a career change, debating how to get more involved in your industry, or want to connect more thoroughly with community stakeholders about your security program, this SM Highlights episode has something for you. Security leadership recruiter Kathy Lavinder outlines pathways—and pitfalls—on the journey into private security careers. To celebrate ASIS International's 70th anniversary, former ASIS presidents Eduard Emde, CPP, and Godfried Hendriks, CPP, share the history of the association and how volunteerism helps move the industry forward. Then, Domingo Ibarra explains how he leveraged community partners to demonstrate security's value to the organization beyond traditional “guns, guards, and gates” perceptions. Additional Resources Learn more about career transitions in this collection of Security Management articles: https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/articles/2024/09/career-transition/ ASIS members can access a new eBook about career transitions for free as part of the 2025 ASIS Member Appreciation Month here: https://store.asisonline.org/how-to-boost-your-career-transition-potential-ebook.html?_gl=1*x4hi*_gcl_au*MTc4NTk0Njc0OS4xNzM3MzgyNDE0*_ga*MjEyODY5NzQ4MC4xNjY3NDE3ODkw*_ga_0ZPVSP549B*MTc0MTAxNTI0NC4yNDA2LjEuMTc0MTAxNzQzNS4wLjAuMA.. Read research from The Clarity Factory about hiring: https://www.clarityfactory.com/blog/effective-transitions-from-public-to-private-sector-security Learn more about ASIS career resources: https://www.asisonline.org/professional-development/career-hq/ Learn more about ASIS certification: https://www.asisonline.org/certification/why-get-certified/ Join the ASIS Mentoring Program: https://community.asisonline.org/resources/mentoring?_gl=1*devdb1*_gcl_au*MTc4NTk0Njc0OS4xNzM3MzgyNDE0*_ga*MjEyODY5NzQ4MC4xNjY3NDE3ODkw*_ga_0ZPVSP549B*MTc0MTAxNTI0NC4yNDA2LjEuMTc0MTAxODI1OS4wLjAuMA.. Want to learn more about how to make security a value-generator rather than a cost center? Read the latest research from ASIS International. https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/articles/2025/02/asis-research-security-trends/measuring-security-business-role/ Learn about the National Landlord Training Program here: https://www.cdri.com/library/CDRI_LTP_National_5_4.pdf
In this episode, Mark Ledlow is joined by Fred Burton, Executive Director of Protection and Intelligence at Ontic and a best-selling author. They discuss the evolving threat landscape under the new U.S. administration, the impact of social media on security, and the importance of protective intelligence. Learn about the dynamic changes in the security industry and discover how businesses can prepare for the next four years. Don't miss this fascinating conversation with one of the industry's leading experts.Learn about all this and more in this episode of The Fearless Mindset Podcast.KEY TAKEAWAYSGuest Introduction: Fred Burton, Executive Director of Protection of Intelligence at Ontic, a bestselling author with extensive experience in the intelligence space.Fred's Admiration for Mark: High respect for Fred Burton who introduces key figures such as Jack.Importance of Adaptability in Security: Security programs need to be tailored to the clients' needs and cultures; no one-size-fits-all approach.Evolving Threat Landscape: Historical context of the threat landscape and its evolution, noting present challenges like social media and insider threats.Focus on Protective Intelligence: Emphasis on the importance of protective intelligence in assessing and mitigating threats; the balance of general awareness and specific threat signals.Community Building: The importance of a supportive community and the role Ontic plays in fostering thought leadership in the security industry.QUOTES"There's never really one model that fits all when it comes to security programs.""The threat landscape today is so dynamic and so fluid.""The 24/7 social media platforms provide an endless and constant stream of adverse intelligence signals.""It's our job in this space to put together a security package to allow you to do whatever it is that you would like to do within reason.""The challenge is there's so much noise that protective intelligence analysts almost get paralyzed because they don't know what signals to capture.""You need to have general awareness collection but then also have to capture those adverse intelligence signals that directly impact your unique protective mission."Get to know more about Fred Burton through the link below.https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefredburton/2To hear more episodes of The Fearless Mindset podcast, you can go to https://the-fearless-mindset.simplecast.com/ or listen to major podcasting platforms such as Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc. You can also subscribe to the Fearless Mindset YouTube Channel to watch episodes on video.
In this episode of the Fearless Mindset Podcast, we engage with renowned figures in security, business, and entertainment leadership. Discussions include the evolving landscape of security leadership, the importance of mentorship, and being approachable for those new in the industry. Key points include transitioning from a cost center mindset to business acumen in security, assessing value and pricing in high-value problem-solving, and the increasing demand for women in executive protection roles. The conversation extends to challenges, ethical considerations, technology's impact, and the critical role of AI and machine learning in being proactive rather than reactive in security. The episode highlights valuable insights on mentorship, career progression, and the importance of building relationships within the industry.Learn about all this and more in this episode of The Fearless Mindset Podcast.KEY TAKEAWAYSAdaptability in Security Leadership: Emphasizes the need for new security leaders to be adaptable, humble, and collaborative to achieve success.Importance of Mentorship: Mentorship seen as invaluable for individuals navigating the security industry.Business Acumen in Security: Critical for security professionals to understand and speak the language of business for better integration within organizations.Respect for Client Privacy: Advises caution with social media to protect client confidentiality.Value of Diverse Skills: Encourages professionals to take on tasks that allow skill development rather than passing them off.Predictive Risk Management: Future advancements in technology, particularly AI and machine learning, will enable security to be more proactive than reactive.QUOTES"One of the biggest lies...is that we're a cost center. We really provide no value here. We're just security.""You have to be cautious with social media... Watch what you post because your clients look at it.""If I'm weak somewhere, I know Tim is strong somewhere... and be humble.""AI without machine learning is just Alexa."To hear more episodes of The Fearless Mindset podcast, you can go to https://the-fearless-mindset.simplecast.com/ or listen to major podcasting platforms such as Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc. You can also subscribe to the Fearless Mindset YouTube Channel to watch episodes on video.
Today on the Social-Engineer Podcast: The Security Awareness Series, Chris is joined by Peter Warmka. Peter is a Former Senior Intelligence Officer with the CIA with over 20 years' experience in breaching the security of organizations overseas. Peter is the founder of the Orlando-based firm Counterintelligence Institute, LLC and an Adjunct Professor at Webster University's Masters Cybersecurity Program. Peter is passionate about using his expertise in helping city, state, and federal government entities, non-profits, academic institutes, private companies, and individuals safeguard their sensitive proprietary and/or personal data. He is also the author of two books. [Feb 17, 2025] 00:00 - Intro 00:21 - Intro Links: - Social-Engineer.com - http://www.social-engineer.com/ - Managed Voice Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/vishing-service/ - Managed Email Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/se-phishing-service/ - Adversarial Simulations - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/social-engineering-penetration-test/ - Social-Engineer channel on SLACK - https://social-engineering-hq.slack.com/ssb - CLUTCH - http://www.pro-rock.com/ - innocentlivesfoundation.org - http://www.innocentlivesfoundation.org/ 02:25 - Peter Warmka Intro 03:14 - Getting Recruited 12:11 - Working Above Cybersecurity 21:33 - Identifying Potential Candidates 23:20 - Tip to CISO's: Learn About AI 25:17 - The Importance of Guardrails 28:37 - Peter's Books - Confessions of a CIA Spy - Peter Warmka - Why Are You Messing With Me? - Peter Warmka 31:10 - Find Peter Warmka online - LinkedIn: in/peterwarmka - Website: counterintelligence-institute.com 32:18 - Wrap Up & Outro - www.social-engineer.com - www.innocentlivesfoundation.org
In this episode of the Fearless Mindset Podcast, Mark Ledlow kicks off the new year with a thought-provoking discussion featuring Brittnee Gilmore, a Dallas-based barber, and Kris Coleman, a Founder & CEO of Red 5 Holdings, Inc., and an author of “Raise Your Resiliency”. They delve into the emotional and economic struggles faced by Generation Z, especially in the wake of recent high-profile events. Brittnee provides firsthand insights into the anxieties and survival mentality prevalent among her peers, while Kris offers a professional outlook on protective intelligence and executive security. Together, they explore the importance of resiliency, effective information validation, and the evolving needs of corporate security in an increasingly volatile world.Learn about all this and more in this episode of The Fearless Mindset Podcast.KEY TAKEAWAYSChallenges of Modern Generation: Gen Z faces significant challenges, such as financial instability, high cost of living, lack of affordable healthcare, and mental health issues.Survival Mode Mentality: Many young people feel they are in "survival mode" due to economic pressures and societal chaos.Corporate Responsibility: Companies need to address their societal impact and ensure they provide true value to their customers, not just profits for shareholders.Threat Management: In light of recent tragedies, corporations must enhance their security measures, including intelligence and threat management programs, to protect their executives.Resiliency and Adaptation: Both individuals and businesses need to be resilient and adaptable in the face of changing environments and risks.QUOTES"You may fall 7 times, but get up 8. Don't give up.""Change drives risk.""The future of EP (Executive Protection) is in protective intelligence and really good advance work.""We need the industry to evolve, think about cyber, think about online threats.""As long as the individual, the organization is validating the streams and corroborating the information that the others there can be value in each of those."Get to know more about Kris Coleman.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kris-coleman-5359466/To hear more episodes of The Fearless Mindset podcast, you can go to https://the-fearless-mindset.simplecast.com/ or listen to major podcasting platforms such as Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc. You can also subscribe to the Fearless Mindset YouTube Channel to watch episodes on video.
MIRACLES AND BECOMING A BETTER HUSBAND/FATHER – MAURY ABREU (CHAPTER 2) | MAN OF PEACE PODCAST
This week on Hacker And The Fed former FBI agent Chris Tarbell and ex-black hat hacker Hector Monsegur talk hector's much-needed vacation in the rainforest, and onto the major cybersecurity stories they missed while away. They discuss the recent pardon of Ross Ulbricht, second chances in life, and the complexities of law enforcement and the justice system. The conversation covers everything from insider threats, corporate security risks, personal attack surface reduction and even a recent high-profile crypto kidnapping. Send HATF your questions at questions@hackerandthefed.com.
MASCULINE DEVELOPMENT FOR SUCCESS – MAURY ABREU (CHAPTER 1) | MAN OF PEACE PODCAST
#036 — In this episode, I'm joined by Amanda Bruner, a crime analyst and adjunct professor with a rich background in crime analysis, intelligence, and law enforcement. We discuss how crime analysts support their organizations, key skills for success, advice for aspiring practitioners, and more.Amanda currently works at CNA's Center for Justice Research and Innovation, providing training and assistance to nearly two dozen U.S. law enforcement agencies. Previously, she served as the first crime analyst for the Matthews Police Department, implementing the Stratified Policing Model, and as a corporate intelligence specialist for Bank of America.A Michigan State University graduate with criminal justice and law enforcement intelligence degrees, Amanda has contributed to publications, conferences, and podcasts on automation, dashboards, and data analytics. She also leads professional organizations as President of the International Association of Crime Analysts and the Carolinas Crime Analysis Association. Recognized with industry awards, Amanda's impact on the field is significant, and it's an honor to speak with her.--Follow Amanda here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandabrunermsu/Carolinas Crime Analysis Association 2025 Annual Training Conference, March 25-28, 2025, Wilmington, North Carolina: https://www.carolinascrimeanalysis.org/page-18075-- Get the resources and show notes mentioned in this episode --https://thesecuritystudent.com/shownotes
In this episode of the Fearless Mindset Podcast, hosted by Mark Ledlow from the Global Security Exchange conference in Orlando, Tim Wenzel shares his journey into the security space, offering advice on career planning, leadership, and the importance of integrity. Additionally, Renee Stringer speaks about her inspiring journey as a woman in executive protection, juggling roles as a mom, wife, and business owner, and emphasizes resilience, continuous learning, and collaboration as keys to success in the industryLearn about all this and more in this episode of The Fearless Mindset Podcast.KEY TAKEAWAYSAdversity is an inevitable part of life and career; handling it with a fearless mindset is essential.Success in security and executive protection comes from perseverance, despite facing many challenges and setbacks.Building a career in security often involves unexpected paths and requires adaptability.True leadership in the security industry involves challenging assumptions and embracing change.Networking and collaboration are invaluable for achieving resilience and overcoming obstacles.Personal integrity and staying true to oneself are crucial for long-term success and credibility.Continuous learning, mentoring, and nurturing relationships are pivotal for personal and industry growth.Personal experiences and stories of overcoming adversity can serve as powerful sources of inspiration.QUOTES"Plan your human progression so that you become the person you want to become.""The truly successful people are quite collaborative. They elevate those around them.""You should always be learning, right? You should always be growing yourself.""Be honest with yourself and hand off to somebody that's a better fit for them.""Knowledge is my best weapon.""Respect isn't given, it is earned.""This work requires a thick skin and a strong mindset.""Stay focused, stay driven, and always keep learning."Get to know more about Tim Wenzel.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/relevant-perception/Get to know more about Renee Stringer. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lionesstactics/To hear more episodes of The Fearless Mindset podcast, you can go to https://the-fearless-mindset.simplecast.com/ or listen to major podcasting platforms such as Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc. You can also subscribe to the Fearless Mindset YouTube Channel to watch episodes on video.
Richard Chasdi discusses his book “Corporate Security Crossroads” and how to respond to corporate terrorism and cyber-threats. Richard is professor and associate director of the Center for Complex and Strategic Decisions at Walsh College. He serves on the editorial board of Armed Forces & Society and Perspectives on Terrorism. He received his master's from Boston College and his doctorate in political science from Purdue. Listen for three action items you can use today. Host, Kevin Craine Do you want to be a guest? DigitalTransformationPodcast.net/guest Do you want to be a sponsor? DigitalTransformationPodcast.net/sponsor
UnitedHealthcare Shooter Prompts Talks of CEO Hotline: Public Outrage Ensues The December 4 murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson sent shockwaves through New York City, not only for its brazen nature but for the political and public firestorm that followed. The alleged perpetrator, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, was apprehended after a multi-day manhunt, and the case has since escalated into a broader debate about corporate privilege, public safety, and the allocation of government resources. Initial Reaction to the Murder In the aftermath of Thompson's death, sources revealed that Governor Kathy Hochul's office had considered creating a hotline specifically for CEOs to report security concerns. This alleged proposal ignited widespread outrage, particularly after details emerged that Mangione had been charged with terrorism for what Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg called a “frightening, well-planned, targeted murder.” As the state's political leadership scrambled to address the incident, questions swirled about whether protecting wealthy executives was being prioritized over addressing broader public safety concerns. According to reports, Hochul's administration was contemplating measures to reassure corporate leaders in the wake of the attack. Sources told CNN that these measures included a hotline for executives to directly report threats or security concerns to state authorities. Kathy Wylde, CEO of the Partnership for New York City, confirmed that a meeting with 175 companies and their security personnel had taken place, facilitated by Hochul's Director of Operations Kathryn Garcia. “It's a demonstration that New York really has the most prepared and informed counterterrorism capacity in the country,” Wylde said, emphasizing the state's commitment to protecting corporate interests. Public Backlash and Controversy However, the backlash was swift. Hochul's press secretary, Avi Smalls, denied the existence of a hotline proposal, stating, “There is no CEO hotline, and that proposal was never under consideration by this Administration.” Despite this denial, the mere suggestion of such a measure drew ire from critics who saw it as emblematic of a system skewed in favor of the wealthy and powerful. On social media, users expressed outrage at what they perceived as a misuse of taxpayer dollars. “Why the f*** would my tax dollars go to helping protect people who are more than capable of hiring private security? F****ng NY is so stupid....” one user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. Another commenter quipped, “I don't seem to remember this kind of state response and resources going to NYC when the homicide rate spiked around 2022, but I guess that was just regular people.” The sentiment echoed across the platform, with others questioning why the state appeared to prioritize corporate security over protections for schools and public spaces. The Murder and Its Implications This public outcry forced a closer examination of the December 4 incident and its broader implications. Mangione's alleged actions were chilling in their precision. According to authorities, he targeted Thompson outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel in a calculated attack designed to intimidate and shock. District Attorney Bragg described the murder as “one of the most bustling parts of our city,” and emphasized its implications for public safety, noting that it endangered “local residents, tourists, commuters, and businesspeople just starting out on their day.” The arrest of Mangione, a University of Pennsylvania graduate from a prominent Maryland family, added another layer of intrigue to the case. Police have yet to release a clear motive, but some reports suggest Mangione may have been grappling with personal issues, including a chronic back injury. His background and alleged actions have sparked widespread curiosity, particularly as his legal team, led by high-profile attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo, prepares for a defense that will undoubtedly capture national attention. Agnifilo, whose husband Marc Agnifilo is representing embattled rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs in a separate legal matter, is no stranger to high-stakes cases. Corporate Security vs. Public Safety Amid the unfolding drama, the meeting with corporate leaders facilitated by Hochul's office has raised critical questions about the balance between corporate security and public safety. Wylde, speaking to Politico, framed the meeting as a necessary step in fostering collaboration between businesses and state counterterrorism officials. “[Hochul] understood how serious the impact of both the killing and the hateful reaction to it is, and she wants to make sure that the state resources, specifically the domestic counterterrorism resources, are focused on being supportive, sharing information,” Wylde said. Yet, this rationale has done little to mollify critics who argue that such measures disproportionately benefit the wealthy. “So I just file an LLC and get a special hotline and privileges?” one critic sarcastically remarked online. Others pointed to the broader societal implications, questioning why similar resources were not mobilized during previous spikes in crime that primarily affected lower-income communities. Broader Societal Response The broader societal response has been no less revealing. For many, the idea of a hotline dedicated to CEOs—even if it was never formally proposed—has become a symbol of the disconnect between government priorities and the needs of ordinary citizens. In a city where economic inequality has become increasingly visible, the very notion of such a measure struck a raw nerve. Advocacy groups have seized upon the controversy to demand greater transparency and accountability in how public resources are allocated. For Mangione, the legal battle ahead will likely delve into his psychological state and potential motivations. The charges against him include not only murder but also terrorism, a designation that Manhattan DA Bragg said was warranted given the attack's intent to “cause shock, attention, and intimidation.” Mangione's defense team faces an uphill battle in a case that has already attracted national attention and polarized public opinion. With the weight of public scrutiny on both the case and the political response, the stakes could not be higher. Media Coverage and Public Discourse Adding further complexity to the situation is the role of media coverage. The murder and its aftermath have been the subject of extensive reporting, with news outlets dissecting every angle of the story. From the specifics of the crime to the broader societal questions it raises, the case has become a focal point for discussions about privilege, security, and governance. For some, the incident has highlighted the need for systemic change in how public safety is approached. For others, it has underscored the enduring challenges of balancing corporate interests with the well-being of the general population. Unresolved Questions As the legal proceedings continue, the broader questions raised by this case remain unresolved. Who deserves the protection of state resources in a society grappling with rising inequality? How should governments balance the needs of corporate entities with the safety and well-being of the general public? And what does this incident reveal about the intersection of privilege, security, and public trust? These questions strike at the heart of a debate that extends far beyond New York. They touch on the systemic inequities that define modern governance, the perception of who benefits from public resources, and the psychological toll of living in a society where safety often feels like a privilege rather than a right. As the story unfolds, it offers a stark reminder of the tensions that underlie efforts to address security in an increasingly divided world. Challenges for Policymakers The evolving narrative also poses a challenge for policymakers, who must grapple with the complex realities of public safety in a diverse and unequal society. While the outrage over the alleged hotline has drawn attention to broader systemic issues, it has also highlighted the difficulties of addressing security concerns in a way that feels equitable and just. For Governor Hochul, the controversy represents both a political liability and an opportunity—a chance to demonstrate leadership in navigating the delicate balance between corporate interests and public welfare. Impact on Families and Communities Meanwhile, the families and communities affected by the December 4 murder continue to grapple with the immediate aftermath of the tragedy. For them, the broader debates about privilege and resource allocation are deeply personal, underscoring the human cost of a system that often seems to prioritize the few over the many. As they await justice, their voices serve as a poignant reminder of what is at stake in this ongoing saga. Looking Ahead In the coming months, the case against Luigi Mangione will likely take center stage, providing further insights into the circumstances surrounding Brian Thompson's murder and the motivations behind it. The trial will undoubtedly be closely watched, not only for its legal implications but also for what it reveals about the broader societal issues that have come to define this case. As the story continues to unfold, it promises to remain a powerful lens through which to examine the complexities of modern governance, the challenges of public safety, and the enduring quest for justice in an unequal world. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, The Menendez Brothers: Quest For Justice, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, The Murder Of Sandra Birchmore, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
The December 4 murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson sent shockwaves through New York City, not only for its brazen nature but for the political and public firestorm that followed. The alleged perpetrator, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, was apprehended after a multi-day manhunt, and the case has since escalated into a broader debate about corporate privilege, public safety, and the allocation of government resources. Initial Reaction to the Murder In the aftermath of Thompson's death, sources revealed that Governor Kathy Hochul's office had considered creating a hotline specifically for CEOs to report security concerns. This alleged proposal ignited widespread outrage, particularly after details emerged that Mangione had been charged with terrorism for what Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg called a “frightening, well-planned, targeted murder.” As the state's political leadership scrambled to address the incident, questions swirled about whether protecting wealthy executives was being prioritized over addressing broader public safety concerns. According to reports, Hochul's administration was contemplating measures to reassure corporate leaders in the wake of the attack. Sources told CNN that these measures included a hotline for executives to directly report threats or security concerns to state authorities. Kathy Wylde, CEO of the Partnership for New York City, confirmed that a meeting with 175 companies and their security personnel had taken place, facilitated by Hochul's Director of Operations Kathryn Garcia. “It's a demonstration that New York really has the most prepared and informed counterterrorism capacity in the country,” Wylde said, emphasizing the state's commitment to protecting corporate interests. Public Backlash and Controversy However, the backlash was swift. Hochul's press secretary, Avi Smalls, denied the existence of a hotline proposal, stating, “There is no CEO hotline, and that proposal was never under consideration by this Administration.” Despite this denial, the mere suggestion of such a measure drew ire from critics who saw it as emblematic of a system skewed in favor of the wealthy and powerful. On social media, users expressed outrage at what they perceived as a misuse of taxpayer dollars. “Why the f*** would my tax dollars go to helping protect people who are more than capable of hiring private security? F****ng NY is so stupid....” one user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. Another commenter quipped, “I don't seem to remember this kind of state response and resources going to NYC when the homicide rate spiked around 2022, but I guess that was just regular people.” The sentiment echoed across the platform, with others questioning why the state appeared to prioritize corporate security over protections for schools and public spaces. The Murder and Its Implications This public outcry forced a closer examination of the December 4 incident and its broader implications. Mangione's alleged actions were chilling in their precision. According to authorities, he targeted Thompson outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel in a calculated attack designed to intimidate and shock. District Attorney Bragg described the murder as “one of the most bustling parts of our city,” and emphasized its implications for public safety, noting that it endangered “local residents, tourists, commuters, and businesspeople just starting out on their day.” The arrest of Mangione, a University of Pennsylvania graduate from a prominent Maryland family, added another layer of intrigue to the case. Police have yet to release a clear motive, but some reports suggest Mangione may have been grappling with personal issues, including a chronic back injury. His background and alleged actions have sparked widespread curiosity, particularly as his legal team, led by high-profile attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo, prepares for a defense that will undoubtedly capture national attention. Agnifilo, whose husband Marc Agnifilo is representing embattled rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs in a separate legal matter, is no stranger to high-stakes cases. Corporate Security vs. Public Safety Amid the unfolding drama, the meeting with corporate leaders facilitated by Hochul's office has raised critical questions about the balance between corporate security and public safety. Wylde, speaking to Politico, framed the meeting as a necessary step in fostering collaboration between businesses and state counterterrorism officials. “[Hochul] understood how serious the impact of both the killing and the hateful reaction to it is, and she wants to make sure that the state resources, specifically the domestic counterterrorism resources, are focused on being supportive, sharing information,” Wylde said. Yet, this rationale has done little to mollify critics who argue that such measures disproportionately benefit the wealthy. “So I just file an LLC and get a special hotline and privileges?” one critic sarcastically remarked online. Others pointed to the broader societal implications, questioning why similar resources were not mobilized during previous spikes in crime that primarily affected lower-income communities. Broader Societal Response The broader societal response has been no less revealing. For many, the idea of a hotline dedicated to CEOs—even if it was never formally proposed—has become a symbol of the disconnect between government priorities and the needs of ordinary citizens. In a city where economic inequality has become increasingly visible, the very notion of such a measure struck a raw nerve. Advocacy groups have seized upon the controversy to demand greater transparency and accountability in how public resources are allocated. For Mangione, the legal battle ahead will likely delve into his psychological state and potential motivations. The charges against him include not only murder but also terrorism, a designation that Manhattan DA Bragg said was warranted given the attack's intent to “cause shock, attention, and intimidation.” Mangione's defense team faces an uphill battle in a case that has already attracted national attention and polarized public opinion. With the weight of public scrutiny on both the case and the political response, the stakes could not be higher. Media Coverage and Public Discourse Adding further complexity to the situation is the role of media coverage. The murder and its aftermath have been the subject of extensive reporting, with news outlets dissecting every angle of the story. From the specifics of the crime to the broader societal questions it raises, the case has become a focal point for discussions about privilege, security, and governance. For some, the incident has highlighted the need for systemic change in how public safety is approached. For others, it has underscored the enduring challenges of balancing corporate interests with the well-being of the general population. Unresolved Questions As the legal proceedings continue, the broader questions raised by this case remain unresolved. Who deserves the protection of state resources in a society grappling with rising inequality? How should governments balance the needs of corporate entities with the safety and well-being of the general public? And what does this incident reveal about the intersection of privilege, security, and public trust? These questions strike at the heart of a debate that extends far beyond New York. They touch on the systemic inequities that define modern governance, the perception of who benefits from public resources, and the psychological toll of living in a society where safety often feels like a privilege rather than a right. As the story unfolds, it offers a stark reminder of the tensions that underlie efforts to address security in an increasingly divided world. Challenges for Policymakers The evolving narrative also poses a challenge for policymakers, who must grapple with the complex realities of public safety in a diverse and unequal society. While the outrage over the alleged hotline has drawn attention to broader systemic issues, it has also highlighted the difficulties of addressing security concerns in a way that feels equitable and just. For Governor Hochul, the controversy represents both a political liability and an opportunity—a chance to demonstrate leadership in navigating the delicate balance between corporate interests and public welfare. Impact on Families and Communities Meanwhile, the families and communities affected by the December 4 murder continue to grapple with the immediate aftermath of the tragedy. For them, the broader debates about privilege and resource allocation are deeply personal, underscoring the human cost of a system that often seems to prioritize the few over the many. As they await justice, their voices serve as a poignant reminder of what is at stake in this ongoing saga. Looking Ahead In the coming months, the case against Luigi Mangione will likely take center stage, providing further insights into the circumstances surrounding Brian Thompson's murder and the motivations behind it. The trial will undoubtedly be closely watched, not only for its legal implications but also for what it reveals about the broader societal issues that have come to define this case. As the story continues to unfold, it promises to remain a powerful lens through which to examine the complexities of modern governance, the challenges of public safety, and the enduring quest for justice in an unequal world. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? 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In this episode of the Fearless Mindset podcast, host Mark Ledlow interviews Tim Wenzel, a top 40 life safety and security thought leader, about his journey in the security industry. Tim shares his experiences transitioning from corporate tech to Kroll, the challenges and accomplishments in becoming a recognized leader, and how he overcame initial fears of public speaking. The conversation sheds light on the significance of creating joyful and respectful environments in a field often marked by fear and conformity. Tim also discusses his philosophy of true leadership and the importance of developing strong, cohesive teams. This episode provides valuable insights for anyone interested in leadership and the security industry.Learn about all this and more in this episode of The Fearless Mindset Podcast.KEY TAKEAWAYSTransition to Security Industry: Tim Wenzel shares his journey from corporate tech to becoming a recognized leader at Kroll in the security and life safety field.Overcoming Challenges: He highlights overcoming initial fears of public speaking and navigating the challenges of establishing credibility in a new industry.Leadership Philosophy: Tim emphasizes the importance of creating joyful, respectful environments in a field often marked by fear and conformity.Team Development: He advocates for building strong, cohesive teams as a cornerstone of effective leadership.Valuable Insights: The conversation provides actionable advice for aspiring leaders and professionals in the security industry.QUOTES"Usually, they're throwing you under the bus to make themselves look good because the ego is in the way.""It wasn't a ‘how to,' it was a ‘how to think about it.' And this is what you're responsible for, even if you don't think you're responsible for it.""Man, I was nervous. Sweating profusely. But the coolest thing I did was switch to projection mode and started drawing live during the presentation—it entertained and instructed.""We started this thing called the problem-solving mindset and came back to teach it. The response was overwhelming—people kept returning to learn more.""From an introvert who never dreamed of public speaking, to running workshops with 150 people in the room. It's crazy how far it's come.""Man, I was nervous. Sweating profusely. But the coolest thing I did was switch to projection mode and started drawing live during the presentation—it entertained and instructed."Get to know more about Tim Wenzel:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/relevant-perception/To hear more episodes of The Fearless Mindset podcast, you can go to https://the-fearless-mindset.simplecast.com/ or listen to major podcasting platforms such as Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc. You can also subscribe to the Fearless Mindset YouTube Channel to watch episodes on video.
Promises To Keep. In 25 parts, edited from the works of FinalStand. Listen and subscribe to the ► Podcast at Connected.. Note to readers: There is a bit of mangling of the Iliad going on. My apologies to Homer and the countless singers before him who carried the Iliad down through the dark centuries until the Greeks figured out how writing works. “Never judge a friend by what they give, but of how much of themselves they give.” (From the floor of Katrina's office) First thoughts, I was on the floor where I had fallen, surrounded and being manhandled in the tenderest way. That was a romantic means of relating to my mummification. Those little Band-Aids that had been applied when I woke up from my coma had failed the 'Cáel is a Smeckle-head' test. All the crud they had pumped into my system and amperage they had channeled through my muscles was not the same as eating and exercise. Having a sexual romp with two ladies? My Goddess made plans for my body that my caloric bank account couldn't afford, thus me passing out. Unlike my time with Miyako and Estere, I had a feeling my two sofa-buddies were ovulating. Fatherhood was on the way. How my infant would survive the continuous poisonous assault on the augur's lymphatic system was beyond me. Her guardian, let's just say I dealt with sneaky bitches/Dot on a regular basis and leave it at that. "He is awake," Tadêfi alerted the room. "You must leave so I can deliver my message to him in the privacy he requested." "I am almost done," a different Amazon voice stated. She was the medico dealing with my wounds. By the aroma, she had slathered on two coats of the healing goo that was becoming as comfortable to my nostrils as my soap-on-a-rope. A few more rounds of adhesive tape and the exodus from the room began. I hadn't opened my eyes because I was unprepared for the looks of anger, disappointment and concern surely leveled my way. The door shut and my eyes opened. "The Conqueror, the Champion, the Friendless and the Foe have all escaped the Land of the Endless Black Sands and returned to the Sunlit Realm," Tadêfi whispered upon my lips. Huh? That was it? Seriously, four freaking titles without, And here came the rest, faces. Faces with eyes and eyes with a purpose. Names, not names I wanted to hear at the moment. Bad fucking news all around. It couldn't be something helpful like the identity of the next High Priestess, No, that would be good fucking news. Okay, time to turn this frown upside down. I could make this work for me. How, I wasn't sure. "Thank you," I responded to Tadêfi's plea of understanding. Outside of having impregnating sex with me, the Sex-Master, Timothy was going to Nerf-shoot me for that, she'd endured spiritual, mental and physical grief and torment to be with me here today. She waited, kneeling beside my head. "Kiss me," I requested. It was a moist act, full of compassion and understanding. I racked my mind for the names and their importance. "Who was Shammuramat?" "I don't know, but this helps, right?" Tadêfi expressed her need to make the reward for the sacrifices to make sense. Five dead sister-augurs. They had to find that son-of-a-bitch! "Tadêfi, we are back in the fight," I grinned. "You and your sisters have given the Host a mighty weapon in the upcoming struggle." I knew that to be true because I knew who and where the Conqueror was, I knew he wasn't ready to be revealed, his enemies were closing in and he was ignorant of that fact. I was going to have to rain on his parade to save his life. The five augurs hadn't died futilely. The Weave of Fate had shielded the man and it took the augers' fanatical devotion to cut the threads and expose the truth the Host needed most. The Champion, hell, I knew who he was. I chuckled. Tadêfi was confused. The Champion was coming to kill me, me and a bunch of other Amazons, because blood feuds tend to run both ways. The Foe. He was easy enough. Granddad. The Bastard just wouldn't stay dead. I had a clue to what was going on now. I wasn't sure how useful that knowledge would be. Still, knowledge is knowledge. That thing crawling around inside my brain? No help there. That left Shammuramat. That name was familiar. Even when I finally placed it, I didn't understand her role in things. Why her? "Krasimira," I called out. I struggled to sit up and with Tadêfi's help, I did so. The Keeper and two guardians entered as well. One, Sikia, hovered over her companion/augur. "What is the link between Shammuramat and the Host?" I inquired. I saw no recognition in the Keeper's eyes. "She was the first ever "independent" queen of a nation-state, Assyria." Krasimira sat on the sofa and retrieved her tablet from inside her robes. She began working with the electronic history of the Amazon race. "9th Century BCE," I added. Slowly others migrated back into the room. Buffy, Katrina (not good and not happy), Elsa (really not good) and Desiree. Pamela leaned against the door sill, neither in nor out. Katrina sat behind her desk. The phone came out and whispered conversations began in earnest. I had shoved us straight into a war which looked like a free for all at the moment. No one trusted anyone. No one could afford to. I had to change that. The only saving grace was that it appeared no Secret Society had planned for the Protocols to abruptly end a week and a half ago. "Ah, I found it," Krasimira spoke up. Because I'm me, it was at that moment I finally realized that someone had put me in my biking shorts in an effort to provide me a modicum of modesty, with the benefit of blood being smeared on the inside. "She abandoned the Host, she was put under a death sentence for killing her twin sister who was chosen to lead House Anat over her." "Anat?" I queried. "The other dead First House," Krasimira sighed. "They were renowned for their berserkers. Some would drape themselves in the entrails of their enemies in the midst of battle to increase their ferocious appearance." "Oh, how sweet, what was Ishara known for?" I was surprised I'd never asked. "Ishara were the emissaries of the Host," Krasimira informed me. With the Amazon practice of killing embassies sent their way, the extinction of my house made much more sense. "What does this mean?" Desiree took charge of matters since Katrina was still busy on the phone. In a few short weeks, Desiree's prestige had definitely increased. Katrina was her sister in more than name now. "Where to begin, Fine, why don't we refer to the Mycenaeans by their proper Amazon name?" Everyone but Buffy was glancing about nervously. "You used the name, didn't you?" Elsa rubbed the bridge of her nose, dreading the response. "Yes, " I answered. "Because no one warns him of shit," Pamela huffed. "You assume an Amazon education with no basis in reality. You act like he grew up with our fairy tales and phantasmal histories. Everyone in this room, but Buffy," she acknowledge my First, "knew he spoke our language and the accompanying risk. Still, no one warned him." "You didn't warn him," Desiree skewered Pamela with a glance. "Not my job, Buttons," Pamela chuckled. "I relish the rest of you being made to look like idiots too much to be useful to Cáel unless it really matters. So he invoked an ancient malediction. What is the worst that could happen?" "I'm going to make a huge deductive leap, am I the reason the Achaean hero Ajax and his boys are back from the dead and coming after us for some Ako-level vengeance?" I groaned. (That's the 47 Ronin for us Westerners) Silence. "That's not your fault, Sport," Pamela snorted. "Mano-man, was I a dumbass for doing nothing. I'll take the blame for that one ladies. Damn Cáel, you would have to pick the Unconquered One, wouldn't you?" "Who is this guy and why does he hate us?" Buffy interjected. Pause. "Our ancestors poisoned his wine so that, in his angry haze, he mistook his own men for his enemies and slaughtered them all, back during the Trojan War. Afterwards, he committed suicide in anguish over his crime, Death opened his eyes at the last, he saw our treachery and managed to curse us as he died," Krasimira informed the lot of us. "And my using that word brought him back? That sounds, weak," I grunted. "The word would not have been enough," Tadêfi comforted me. "There must have been some sort of rift in the curtain of Reality that allowed the others to slip through. I don't understand how, oh no," she gasped as the pieces came together. "I'm willing to believe that was the price of doing business," I petted Tadêfi's cheek. "Please enlighten us," Elsa grumbled. "I need to find the Earth and Sky ambassador and set up a new meeting. Using what Tadêfi has gifted me with and the sacrifice of her fellow augurs, I can secure an alliance for us if only I can make up for the whole stunt Troika played," I grinned. "Any ideas?" "We could call them," Pamela produced my phone. "Seems some lady named Hana Sulkanen has been trying for days to get in touch with you. She hunted down the owner of the necklace, they talked about your current physical state, courtesy of Odette, and the owner of the necklace has expressed a continued interest in meeting you, and only you. It would appear that they really don't trust the rest of our merry little band since your first disappearance." Hana, and here I had killed her step-brother, the one she despised. An unexpected benefit of civil discourse, my People's chance of survival had doubled. Pamela lobbed my phone and I caught it. "What of the other two?" Tadêfi pushed down on my euphoria. "Was the Foe dead as well?" A quick look at Pamela told me she knew the answer to that. "The Foe is complicated," I lied. "His return was an inevitability, so we count that as a draw. The Champion, bad news. Let's put Shammy in the 'maybe' column and the Conqueror is a win for our side." A Berserker Queen, fresh from the Underworld, who we were honor-bound to kill, or the 'other lost heir to a dead House' that was going to make us cobble together some nonsense to bring her back into the fold. If I wasn't the male leader of a spiritually significant All-Girls social club/paramilitary outfit, I might have been daunted by my prospects of achieving the latter. "The thing going on inside your head?" Elsa asked. That explained her presence. My mental capacity was still suspect. Was I still me? Could I flip out with no warning? "It is still there. I still have no idea what happened to me, or what the results might be. This means I'm going into battle wounded and that's that," I stated. "Are you acting in the best interest of the Host," Elsa studied me. "I am not sure," I confessed after half a minute's introspection. "So many of you are fuck-nuts; I'm not sure what acting responsible is for this set," I added jokingly. "As it stand, you lack the authority to pass judgment on me, Elsa. I promise you that if I feel I'm losing control, I will turn myself in." "Saint Marie would feel better if you stayed here," Elsa insisted. "Is the SD declaring war on House Ishara?" Buffy rose to the challenge. "We (by that she meant my fellow Isharans) have discussed the matter and talked to our best neuroscientist. She cannot definitively tell us Cáel isn't Cáel, so there is no reason to constrain him." Whoa. In our best prospect's educated opinion I was not-not me. Legions of English teachers weren't going to like that. "I have the answer for that," Katrina spoke up. "I owe Cáel and I would pay that debt now. He expressed a desire to see my niece, Aya. Do you still wish that Cáel Ishara?" "More than ever, but the Council is meeting," I sighed. "Buffy is your (dead word spoken), your apprentice," Katrina suggested. "Appoint someone to stand with her." That was more than good advice. Buffy was a woman and, to those who knew of her, as fierce an Amazon as ever lived. That was what Katrina was telling me without telling me. "I choose Daphne Pile, if she will accept, to stand by Buffy's side," I announced. Buffy would need someone who was passionate for my cause and who spoke Old Kingdom Hittite. Buffy still didn't, and the chance of the Council speaking English on her behalf was non-existent. "That is Daphne of House Cotyttia," Pamela corrected me. Who Cotyttia was? I had no idea. I was stupid to think Daphne's actual Amazon surname was Pile. Daphne wasn't even around. Executive Services was functioning fine without me and that meant Daphne had a work queue. "The Thracian Goddess of Sex, Orgies, War and Slaughter," Krasimira gracefully filled in my ignorance. Another whoa, why wasn't she my matron goddess? Tadêfi hauled off and slapped me. The action seemed to take everyone, Tadêfi included, by surprise. "I don't know why I did that," Tadêfi wailed out in despair. I did. It didn't take telepathy to figure out what I had been thinking. To prove my point, Pamela laughed. I cupped Tadêfi's jaw. "Worry not," I cooed. "I had that coming, Dot Ishara," I dodged another one, "isn't happy with me right now." Recall, Tadêfi was hooked up to an old-fashioned party line with the Beyond. "Animaniacs," Pamela snorted. "I so love you. It is my deep and abiding pleasure to have you as my Grandson." "I'm not your grandson," I countered. "Well, I say you are. Now be quiet and accept the shame," Pamela's eyes danced with amusement. "That makes me, Daphne and Brielle incest," I pointed out. "Amazons don't have an incest taboo," Pamela retorted. Duh. They are all women, no chance of seven fingered, Cyclops babies. "Ah, women, misunderstanding and pain, Buffy, would you check out Quebec and see if I'm still wanted in that province for bestiality. It could be important later," I commanded. "Bestiality?" only one woman failed to mutter, sputter or exclaimed. "The complainant in question is not that pissed at you anymore," Katrina's rolodex mind kicked in. "I believe she expressed a desire to question you about some missing accoutrements though." My splitting headache meant I had to think about that, ah yes, her dress uniform. It was/had been Canada Day, thus her having an official function and thus me cheating with the girl from across the hall in the Mountie's bed. I'm an idiot alright and my ability to keep an eye on the clock needs improvement. My last image of her, frothing at the mouth (she was a tad more possessive than I had anticipated) as she screamed out insults in Quebecois French concerning my lineage, personality failings and the treasured parts of my anatomy. She punctuated various parts of that deranged episode by hurling articles of her clothing over the border at me as I turned (once I had good Ole US soil/pavement under my feet) and tried to get us back together. Yes, I had them, just not in my Box of Failed Romances. Acting on hopes of reconciliation, I had the uniform dry cleaned, placed in a dress bag, and the boots polished; both currently occupying space in my closet. At least the Alburgh-Noyan Crossing guards (it is a dual Canadian-American post) appreciated me evading/begging forgiveness long enough for them to see her in only her bra and panties. I imagine they didn't normally get much excitement there. "Katrina, " I began. "Yes, Maya forgives you too, though she scored an 'At Risk' for reliability. Anais sounded genuine," Katrina related. Anais was the Mountie. Maya was the Guyane Française university student from across the hall, the one I was caught cheating with. I had told her I was Anais's brother. Maya was also a super-exceptional cook. "Cáel Ishara, who are these women we are talking about?" Sikia demanded. 'We', that didn't take long. We were now a 'we', which in Amazon meant 'male, you're my property'. "I have a sideline job as an Amway distributor," I replied. "I give crappy customer service." "You give awesome customer service," Katrina riposted. "That's the problem." "Sikia, you are not the first Amazon Cáel has stuck his dick into. You are probably not the tenth," Elsa dripped with frustration. Quick count: Rhada, Buffy, Oneida and Gael, I was only going to count the penile-vaginal penetrations. "They are only numbers five and six, thank you very much," I defended myself. "So much for your 'intern, no sex' policy," Desiree muttered. "Cut me some slack, I work with stone-cold, Olympic level athlete foxes 24/7," I griped. "I am a sexual being too, I have needs." "What about the 'End of Internship' hunting shindig?" Desiree pulled a flawless 'Katrina'. "Oh, it is still on. With my 'do or die' learning curve, it is going to be so much more fun," I grinned. "And, okay, no more Amazon sex until then, sorry Rachel." "Except for house members," Buffy insisted. "No exceptions," Elsa demanded. "I'll keep an eye on him," Pamela resolved the issue. "No more Amazon boinking for him." She was such a liar. She was also a highly accomplished liar because everyone bought it. On with my life. Stage one: exit Katrina's office. Done deal, no problems. Stage two: set up meeting with the Earth and Sky. They wanted to meet on their ground. Since I was the uncertain factor in these negotiations, I agreed. I was bringing one, Pamela raised four fingers, four people with me. Who? Outside of Pamela, I had no idea. Stage three: going to medical and putting on my business suit, it was a new one and very, very nice. I was moving up into serious majestic magnate territory. I also picked up buddy number two, FBI Special Agent Virginia Maddox. Why had I chosen a federal agent to accompany me to a meeting between two secret societies? I hadn't a clue. Sometimes you have to roll with these things. In the lobby, I picked up number three, Delilah, Mom's MI-6 operative/baby-sitter. Compassionate, caring people were surrounding me all the time. It gave me this sensation of a 'down home' environment no matter where I went, if down home was Gaza, or Donetsk. I think my entourage/lifestyle observation teams had grown to encompass six cars. I was in no condition for riding my bike, so that recourse was denied me. Taxi? One, most were hard-working stiffs like my family who didn't deserve to be caught in a noontime, drive-by assassination attempt. Besides, with my luck I'd meet the guy from Qatar again, the one with the sister with cute eyes. That reminded me, I gave Nicole a call. "How are you doing?" she quickly inquired. "Good," I lied to a past master of shattering perjury. Pause. "I'm surrounded by girls with guns, tailed by your clients, some part of a Federal Task force and some people who I don't know yet. Hold on." I put my hand over my phone. "Delilah, are you packing heat?" I asked softly. She opened her jacket revealing paired revolvers in shoulder holsters. I didn't recognize them so the Brit gave me the 4-1-1. "Ruger Alaskans," she grinned. Bing! Now I recalled them. The girl who taught me to shoot once read some reviews of that beast on her laptop while I gave her a slow, passionate screw from behind. She became all hot and bothered, wiggling, squirming and generally having a grandiose time with my cock deep within. I repeat, this girl really loved guns, a huge cerebral G-spot for her. Oh yeah, the Ruger Alaskan is what you get if you are worried about Grizzly bears popping their heads through the tent flaps late at night. Delilah was probably packing 4 80's. Her guns would turn 250 kilograms of pissed off ursine into an excellent throw-rug in about two shots. In an urban environment, well, maybe she thought the New York Giants were actually giants, or something like that. Two were overkill, unless you expected someone needing to borrow one. "Just checked. I remain the only one unarmed in my personal carnival of carnage, " my words trailed up to an unintelligible mumble. I was mumbling because suddenly four handguns were casually offered up for my use (Tiger Lily was holding one over her shoulder as she drove), in the same way you'd offer up some Nicorette to a man jonesing for a smoke. Rachel was kind enough to hand me my familiar Glock-22 and Ruger 38 caliber with their accompanying holsters. Two spare clips followed, then I stashed the lot. I scratched my calf. It took me a second to realize I was reaching for my pistol. No, not the one at my hip, or my ankle, but the one, in my boot? "Now that you've been handed firearms of dubious origin, can I get back to questioning you," the FBI agent intruded upon my ruminations. "We were discussing that list of people that are visiting a morgue instead of a court room. What can you tell me?" "Bye Nicole. Miss you. Being interrogated by a blonde FBI lady with a whips scar on her eyebrow and eyes that could scare a badger back into its hole. Later," I cut of my lawyer's fierce demand that I keep my mouth shut. "Nothing useful that wouldn't implicate myself and others in a criminal conspiracy," I answered her. "There is no way I'd name anyone else I suspect of involvement. I feel no guilt over what has happened, so no remorseful confession, and that is based on my belief that cosmic justice has been achieved." "You can't create lists of people for execution," Maddox persisted. "That negates the whole justice system and the principle of innocent until proven guilty." Wow! Except for the two of us, every other person in the car snorted their derision of Maddox's presumptive naiveté. "Do you even believe the tripe spilling from your pie-hole?" Delilah mocked Maddox. "I'm in law enforcement. That means I enforce the laws, not interpret them, or choose which ones I want to obey and which ones to ignore," Virginia fought back. "Love, that's crap and you know it. You are an agent of the US government. You bomb, drone-strike, overthrow lawfully elected governments and assassinate in your nation's best interests," Delilah countered. "You selectively enforce your Constitution when it suits you." "I'm law enforcement, not the military or foreign affairs. Know the difference," Maddox glared. "The pay master is the same, you willingly collect your thirty pieces of silver; get off your high horse because you are in the shat now, Agent Maddox. I haven't known this crowd an hour and I know for a fact that you are the only US citizen onboard," Delilah chortled. "I don't know their bleeding nationality, but I doubt it is on the UN Charter." Maddox turned to me. "That was succinct and rather accurate," I murmured. "Special Agent Maddox, I have the sneaking suspicion that you are with us because FP (federal prosecutor) Castello feels you can handle this, Umm, unusual set of circumstance. I promise you this, it is going to get worse." "Why don't we test this quaint theory?" FBI Lass challenged us. "Jail, bail, and I'm waking up in Rio de Janeiro in two days," I sighed. "I have a few thousand in the bank, live in a hole and own my father's home, when it clears probate. Only you know I'm flight risk. A dozen people will vouch/lie about my character and that's that. All you've succeeding in doing is making enemies when you need friends." "There is still a matter of multiple people dead under suspicious circumstance," she said. "Imagine for a second that Cáel admits to creating a hit list," Pamela began. "He would never give up the names of the other people involved. He didn't kill anyone, or say 'kill them'. Now what? You still have an abysmal case to put before a judge. Add to that, the mitigating factor of a raped girl. You get to break her down until she's a cooperating witness because she's the only one who can provide you with Cáel's motive," my mentor continued. "Good for you and your team. She gets to betray the man who tried to save her. Cáel promised horrific retribution if any of those in the now-dead crowd hurt her. That is rather unlike him, he normally forgives when given the least excuse. I don't give a damn about women's rights, or the rights of rape victims. I really could give a shit about human rights for that matter. Wronging me is the surest way to early retirement. It is not a matter of strong versus weak, or right versus wrong. What matters to me is who I can trust. I don't know you, thus I don't trust you. I trust your government to be so much chicken shit. I base this on the lack of public torture and execution. I want the families of dying criminals paraded in front of those cock-suckers before the condemned finally perish in agony. I want to see thieves get their forearms hacked off, trial by combat, and respect for your elders. I want to see public officials being sacrificed upon the altar of Jehovah when they leave office. I want to see a system of justice with a soul, not law books thicker than an aircraft carrier's hull. A government 'of the People, by the People, for the People' should be the sole guiding force for your culture and we both know that's never going to happen. I admire your soldiers; not because they are brave and combat effective, they are. I admire them because they are fighting and dying for elected officials and a population that can't locate Afghanistan, or Iraq on a map, can't tell the difference between a Sikh and a Muslim, and thinks 'Pashtun' is an exotic piece of furniture. I admire them because they are better human beings despite you, not because of you," Pamela was coming to her crescendo. "Basically you people, by that I mean most of the human race, are dangerous in your idiocy, arrogance and pride in your ignorance. Not one of you should be allowed to use weapons, or play with fire. For you, unrestricted voting is a crime right up there with inventing, disease prevention, bilingualism and anything that perpetuates your educational system." "Lady, why are you so angry with the world?" Maddox studied Pamela intensely. I wished her luck with divining and then unwrapping that lady's mind. "I hold dear to my heart anyone's hunger to learn, honesty when it hurts and love no matter what the cost, so I find myself alone most of the time," Pamela grinned. "Above even those, I adore humor in the face of ridicule, condemnation and adversity. You can dodge bullets and parry knives. Humor always strikes home," she finished. "It is the perfect weapon." "Liar," I smiled. "You like high performance automobiles too." Did she? I didn't know. "Only with a 2X4 pressing the accelerator as it races toward the lip of a canyon," Pamela bantered back, "with Ursula K. Le Guin strapped in the back seat." "Who?" I inquired. "She's an author. I take exception to some of her work and unwillingness to appreciate the fusion of exceptional feminine characteristics with power positions," Pamela answered. "And your critique of her life's work is an exploding car at the bottom of a cliff?" I smiled. "Starting uncontrolled wildfires and littering, two of my favorite activities," she laughed. "I'll stick with blondes and brunettes, and red- and raven-haired, bald has its own appeal, green and purple have their own kink going on, " I joked. "Wait! We were talking about people being murdered and you two are cracking jokes?" Maddox rumbled. "I had a dream about tying them together with nylon cord and tossing them off the back ramp of a transport aircraft, and watching them fall, and fall," Rachel sighed dreamily. "Atta girl," I play-punched Rachel's shoulder. "What is your part in all of this?" Maddox turned to Rachel. "I'm the head of his bodyguard detail," Rachel gave her confession of the damned. "And you want to kill him, " Virginia struggled to keep up. "Given time, you will too," Rachel promised. "According to his pre-employment records, only one woman he's had a sexual relationship with hasn't wanted to at least hurt him," glaring at me, "badly." "The nun doesn't want me dead!" I vocally protested. "It is so wrong that you are proud that of over 200 women you've slept with, TWO have not, at some point in knowing you, wanted to maul you and one of those is in the 'forgiving' business," Rachel chastised me. Virginia had an answer for my madness. Her phone came out and she hit speed-dial, work. "Ms. Castello, this is Special Agent Maddox, do you have a moment?" Virginia calmly asked when she finally wrangled my current-favorite fed's attention. "You do now? Thank you. I'd like to know what the fuck have you done to me? This assignment is nuts. Either I'm part of some elaborate prank, or I'm in an S U V with escapees from the looney bin." Ten seconds later Maddox gave me the phone. "Stop it. I've upheld my end of the bargain, so behave," Javiera ordered. Man, she'd shot me straight to the core and we hadn't even slept together yet. Clever, clever girl. "Yes Ma'am," I swore. "I'll do my best to buffer Special Agent Maddox from the truth." "I'll have to accept that," Javiera conceded. "Give Maddox the phone back." A brief conversation later and Maddox was no better off than when she started. Thankfully we parked in front of the Kazakhstan Consulate in New York, giving us all an excuse to face facts. Maddox was feeling compelled to ask questions she didn't want the answers to, and that we didn't want to answer. Saved by work. "Kazakhstan Consulate? Why are we here?" both Virginia and Rachel asked. "Oh! This is going to be good," Pamela leaned forward excitedly. "Change the course of human history," I answered with a great deal of confidence I didn't feel. See, I had knowledge critical to the Earth and Sky. That knowledge was also something they wanted kept compartmentalized, so they might take exception to it being possessed by an outsider. Oh, so that's why Pamela earlier insisted on four ladies being with me, so we could shoot our way out if things turned ugly. I hugged my mentor. "Thank you, Pamela." "You are coming along nicely, Mr. Potter," Pamela patted my cheek. "Your praise leaves me suspicious, Professor Snape. Besides, if I'm going to die, it helps me to know you'll go first ." "That was uncalled for," Pamela chided me. It was the 'Snape' role she rejected. "Snape gave up his life for Harry, Dumbledore died for Draco," I countered. "Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that," Pamela shone with joy and pride. "You act like I have a choice," I sighed. "Touché," Pamela nodded. "I see what you mean about these two," Maddox addressed Rachel. "Oh my God," Delilah laughed. "You wove Harry Potter into a life and death conversation and it made sense. I am probably going to die, but I'll die knowing I have lived." "Not you too?" Maddox glared at Delilah. Rachel just shook her head. We exited the car, settled ourselves out. Rachel took point, Delilah took one flank while Pamela took the other. By happenstance, I ended up in the middle, yeah right, with Virginia covering my back. "You stay here," Pamela put a hand on Rachel's shoulder. "You'll need to lead the team in if someone 'pumps up the volume'." Interesting euphemism for 'when people start killing people'. "What are we doing today?" Miyako 'appeared'. She'd been walking down the sidewalk toward us, the Kazak Consulate was a townhouse, but her presence hadn't registered. "I require your pledge of silence on what is to transpire. No death is intended," I stated calmly to Miyako. "I didn't know you were versed in ninja contracts, much less spoke Japanese?" Miyako responded. Blink. "I didn't know I spoke it either, " I mumbled. "No sweat," Pamela tried to hustle us along. "He's a quick study." Yeah. I didn't feel it apropos to point out I hadn't heard myself speaking Japanese, or understood that my words had some secret meaning. "How important is this to my people?" Miyako asked. Now that I was paying attention to it, I could make out that she was speaking in her native tongue. "If they don't think we can be trusted to not speak of what is to transpire for a week, they are going to kill us," I related my suspicions. "My mind and heart are joined in this decision." "I give you my pledge," Miyako nodded. She looped her arm in mine. "Does anyone care to enlighten me?" Maddox prodded. Whoa. It seemed that, beside me and Miyako, only Pamela spoke Japanese. "Special Agent Maddox, no matter what, don't give up your gun, when we say run, run, and shoot to kill because they will be trying to kill us," I informed her. "Does the term 'extraterritoriality' mean anything to anyone here?" Maddox snapped. Her nervousness was totally understandable. I stopped at the top of the steps, looking over my shoulder. I nodded. Pamela, Delilah and Miyako nodded as well. "Hold on, I can't believe I'm saying this. Does anyone have a back-up I can use?" Maddox groaned. Rachel quick-stepped forward and handed over a 22 automatic pistol then a spare clip with a smooth, practiced motion that suggested that SD swapped weapons all the time. Maddox didn't miss the casualness of the gesture. The firearm and magazine disappeared. "Fine, we will never discuss the laws we just butchered, ever, and if I die and any of you make it out alive, I will seek revenge at whatever cost FROM WHEREVER I AM," FBI girl growled. "One of us," Pamela smirked at me as I touched the doorbell. It opened promptly. We weren't on a crowded street, we were on their stoop and a security camera was pointed right at us. We were invited in and two rather Caucasian-looking gentlemen (Kazaks are a mixed bag of Turks and Cumans) were waiting with the doorman. They looked tough in that they took personality lessons from saddle leather. "You will place your weapons there," the more charismatic of the two spoke up. He was pointing to a side table that looked large enough for the task. "No," was the most courteous response I could muster. He didn't look surprised. He didn't look much like he was breathing, or blinking either. "Go," he pointed to the door. I looked to Pamela. "Well, that didn't take long," I grinned. I felt out the necklace under my shirt and pulled it over my head. "Please return this to its owner in the spirit it was given." He took it. The doorman opened the door and out we went. Rachel was back in our GL550, using the door as possible cover. She said we could take our seats and away we rolled. Maddox looked apoplectic. She had prepared herself for the Wild, Wild West, not a doe-see-doe at the door. In her mind, I had wound her up for nothing. My phone rang. "Cáel Ishara, there seems to have been a diplomatic miscommunication," a male native Turkish-speaker said in heavily accented English. "The person you are meeting must be approached in the spirit of peace." "No, I understood you perfectly," I assured him. "We aren't the Brownies, or the Girl Scouts, Buddy. I don't know, or trust you and you don't know, or trust me, yet. I will compromise though. I will respect your traditions. I will enter your home unarmed. In turn, everyone in the building will line up outside on the street except for the person I'm supposed to meet. Is that acceptable?" Pause. "Do you hate these people, or like them?" Maddox grumbled. "With you, I can't quite tell." "That would not be acceptable," the man finally responded. "Perhaps an alternative. You come in, alone yet armed." "Nope. Due to the efforts of people far smarter than me, I know pretty much who I am meeting, so I am either very rude, insane, or bear a message that is worth my life," I countered. "Your personal safety is guaranteed," was the counter-offer. "That is a false promise, not because you lack honor, or respect for me, but because you are from a wise and noble lineage with a historical propensity of cutting to the heart of any problem." By that, I meant they'd cut my heart out. "What I expect is for every one of you to hold the future of the Earth and Sky above any such concepts as personal promises, hospitality, and honor. I am even putting my faith in your willingness to put the survival of the Earth and Sky over your own well-being," I riposted. "If the message is so crucial, you should be willing to come alone," back at me. "It isn't important to me," I stated. "Listen, a war is about to break out. Unless we both want to be found all alone in the outhouse masturbating when the headsman comes, one of us has to blink. Today, it is you. Tomorrow you may be able to return the favor and mess with my head." Pause. "Your koumiss is getting warm." "We'll be right there. We apologize for the delay. Traffic is murder these days, or a close facsimile thereof," I gave a little back in the humility department. "Tiger Lily, " "On it, Ishara, Wakko Ishara. I've been circling the block," Tiger Lily had anticipated my antics. Sure, I acted like I had no game plan, but I never wasted people's time. Maybe if I developed an actual game plan I could do even better. "Wakko Ishara?" it was Delilah's and Maddox's turn to share a 'what the?' moment. "May I explain the sacred names?" Rachel requested of me. "I have a feeling these two might become a fixture." "By all means, Rachel. Our trust runs deep," I trusted Rachel with more than my life; I trusted her with my future. "Wakko, as in you're the nutty one?" Delilah made a stab at our arcane nomenclature. If you use small words does that make it gnomenclature? Pamela winked at me, psychic twin grandmother powers activate! "We need complementary rings," Pamela remarked. Sweet! "Cáel Ishara is differentiated as Wakko Ishara, Ishara, first of House Ishara, is Yakko Ishara, and, " Rachel began. "The Animaniacs? Your code names are the Warner Brothers and their sister Dot?" Maddox gasped. "You are beyond nuts." "And the Goddess Ishara is named, by House Ishara and House Ishara alone," Rachel made some warding appeal against divine punishment, "as Dot Ishara." Maddox's face shown with disbelief. "Following Cáel Ishara into battle has been one of my greatest pleasures," Rachel stared at Maddox. "I never knew insanity could be so liberating, or that laughing at death could be such an aphrodisiac." "When did you two go into battle?" Delilah wondered. "In a morgue, fighting to retrieve the body of his fallen father so that our enemies could not desecrate it," Rachel explained. Ah, the walls of Troy, fighting over the spoils of the dead. "You mean when I face-planted?" I grinned at Rachel. "Even without a weapon, your instincts were good, forcing our enemy to commit to multiple angles of coverage even though your efforts were foiled by a footing failure. Your rushing their leader was even more heroic in that you were unarmed and using your body as a decoy, knowing your enemy's superior skill would stop him from shooting you," Rachel smiled my way, sex. "Let me get this straight," Miyako finally spoke up. "You charged an enemy unarmed then stumbled and failed. They were armed?" "Yes, with a 3 57 Magnum revolver and a 10 gauge sawed-off automatic shotgun, in tight confines and close range, oh, and no cover." Maddox replied, then to me, "I read the report." "Then you repeated the action a few minutes," Miyako. "Less than a minute later," Maddox clarified. "A minute later, wow! You are as fearless as we've heard. Please don't die before we have a baby," Miyako gave me a quick hug. If you cover a zeppelin with uranium paint, can it still fly, or does it sink to the center of the Earth? Ninja babies, We had returned to the stairs at the Consulate. This time the door swung open upon our approach. "Is there some drug you are all taking to bask in this shared fantasy life?" Maddox mumbled. "One of us," Pamela retorted. "One of us." "One of us," I joined in. It helped cut the tension. The bodyguards were present right where we'd them last time. They ushered us up the stairs to a second floor sitting room that ate up half the floor. There were two men there; radiating that subtle assurance that a half-dozen killers were close by. The man standing was Iskender, the E and S emissary from Dad's funeral. I broke all decorum, strode to the man, locked arms, hugged him tight and patted him on the back. "Thank the spirits you are here," I whispered, "all this lack of dick is making me a bit stir-crazy." "Ah, yes, it is good to see you again too," Iskender imparted as we broke our embrace. His boss, the guy on the sofa, shot me and my Kyrgyz buddy a sharp look. The Main Man was clearly Mongolian and must have thought blank, white walls exhibited too much empathy. "Koumiss," the boss offered. I sipped it from a simple, yet regal drinking mug that probably hit the kiln 200 years ago. "Mare, or yak?" I inquired as I handed the cup around. Iskender came first, but it was clearly my intention that we all partake. It was more a matter of the host's pledge of sanctuary than me wanting to share the koumiss. It tasted like thin, lightly chilled, bitter beer with a vanilla-almond milk shake-chaser. "Mare, of course. Please sit," he offered. He defined the suggestion by slipping off the sofa onto the layered carpet rug. He was semi-reclined, so we followed suit. "We should pray for the protection of the spirits," was the suggestion that wasn't a suggestion. It was his itinerary. He clapped his hands and from beyond a curtained partition came this really sensual Mongolian chick carrying a large brass bowl. She flicked her eyes at me and an instant connection was formed. She liked to bark like a dog under the full moon, okay, I'm not sure where that came from. "Nice woman," I told the leader. "She looks like she has seen many winters." Whoa! Where the fuck did that come from? I got a shocked reaction from Iskender. The Leader looked pissed, if a flake of paint on the white wall indicated anger. The girl blushed like what I said was an incredible turn on. "She is my daughter," the Leader pointed out. Way past swallowing my foot. My ankle was tasty. "My name is Oyuun Tömörbaatar. My faithful Iskender, you know. This is my daughter T. Sarangerel. She is studying at N Y U and is not entertaining marriage proposals at this time," he slapped down his boundaries. Somehow 'I only want to sleep with her' didn't sound like the right response. Wait! Saying his 'daughter had many winters' was a marriage bargaining opening move. What the fuck! "What I meant was that surely many men have died trying to come before you," I back-pedaled. More happy looks from the daughter. More paint peeling from the dad. Pamela made sure more koumiss was going around. Getting drunk could hardly hurt at this juncture. Sarangeral placed the bowl between us. It was filled with clear, cold water undoubtedly collected from a mountain-fed glacier. "Let us cleanse our hands in the water so that we may speak with clarity," O. Tömörbaatar said. We dipped our fingers and, for a second, I saw him. Not 'O', but HIM. "It is good to finally meet you Ferko Ishara Cáel Nyilas," the man said. My Spidey senses told me he was feeling less 'good' about this meeting every second. "How can your people and mine better get along?" 'Let me impregnate your daughter', would probably get my skull split open. "No time for that," I replied. "I know where HE is. The Seven Pillars have found a way to search the Weave and are closing in. You must act with haste." Whether it was disbelief, or old schooled Ku Chun in the art of gambling, the older man gave no outward reaction. "Where is he?" O. Tömörbaatar asked in a gentle tone. "I can do you one better," I steeled myself for the unknown forces I was invoking. I put my hands on the bowl's lip and looked in. Several seconds later, he did as well. For a moment, nothing. It was like a ripple in reverse. The first earth tremor I barely noticed. The ripples grew and grew until I felt the whole row of townhouses would come crashing down. Wind snapped the locks on the windows, flinging them wide open and tearing at the curtains like streamers in a hurricane. Then we saw HIM clearly. HE stopped driving this old, beat-up Peugeot and was pulling to the side of a desolate stretch of highway. HE could sense something yet couldn't pinpoint the source of his unease. We definitely got the impression this wasn't his first taste of this experience, the Seven Pillars. He was young, maybe my age. He looked like an educated man turned vagabond/boundless traveler. HIS eyes, his eyes had a depth that were a microcosm of what I'd glimpsed in Ishara, Dot Ishara's unshielded glance when we first met. All lingering doubts vanished in my mind. "I know that place," O T muttered, his eyes fixated on the only feature in the vacant expanse, a road sign, in Chinese. Yikes. "I know that place." The image faded. Our meeting venue was intact. Whatever I felt transpire, I had shared with O. Tömörbaatar alone. "You have work to do," I stated as I cleared my throat. "I will leave you to it." I stood. "What do you wish for this gift?" O T reached out and touched my sleeve. "When the time comes, maybe you can help us," I replied. "A man who asks for nothing can expect anything," O T smiled for the first time. "Go." I did not take a fear-free breath until the cars started up and we pulled away. He'd let us live. Even with that priceless piece of magical insight, he'd let us live. "I'm still stunned we got out alive," I sighed. "I wasn't really sure he'd take the news as well as he did." No one said anything for a minute. "Why would he have killed us?" Delilah inquired. "You, I understand. I don't know what you communicated to that young lady, but the old guy wasn't happy about it. He was going to kill us over that?" Pause. "What did the rest of you see and hear?" I looked around the cabin. Pamela appeared worried. "I didn't know you spoke Chagatai," Miyako smiled at me. "You are full of surprise. I only caught a word, or two, and none of it made sense." "MRI," I groaned. "Magnetoencephalography," Pamela said in the same breath. "Mine is better, Boyo." "What is going on?" Rachel upped her alertness level. "We need to take Cáel to a hospital that has a Magnetoencephalography device," Pamela insisted. "He's spontaneously speaking languages he didn't know moments earlier, " Maddox put things together first. The rest nodded at her assessment. "We'll need to have his records from Havenstone sent over as a baseline." Poor Virginia, the absurdity of my life was sucking her in. "I'll call Katrina," Rachel informed us. I was a mental case once more. At least my input was still being solicited. "How many guns do you have on you?" Pamela zinged me. The answer was obvious, two. My Glock and my back-up. That didn't seem right. "Ah, two?" I responded. "Yeah, something is happening to your muscle memory as well," Pamela shook her head. "What exactly does that mean, and what's wrong with Cáel's brain?" Delilah studied the group. "It means he could spontaneously pull out his gun and start shooting us?" Pamela confessed her uncertainty. "I don't know. We'd better figure out which impulses are his guiding light right now before that happens." "I don't even know how to begin reporting this," Maddox muttered. "Cheer up. Our Cáel is still currently in charge. Did you appreciate how he lured in that young Mongolian girl? That's classic Cáel," Pamela comforted the crowd. I was saved from a straightjacket because I was a 'Playa'. (Meadowlands Medical Center in far off New Jersey) I'm not political. For me, that means I am completely and utterly dedicated to whatever doctrine that the cutest political campaigner in front of me endorses. Fifteen minutes on the internet and you can fake it like a pro. Be careful to be with the winning team when the results come in. Nothing makes a political chick go wild like sneaking into the candidate's office and screwing her on the newly elected/re-elected figure's desk. Let her scream out her idol's name. Odds are neither of you will be welcomed back afterwards anyway. Why politics now? Javiera called some people. I had a sneaking suspicion that someone I knew and trusted got in touch with my 'Aunts' as well. All I knew for sure was the Hospital's Administrator's phone began ringing off the hook and I'd become the hospital's number one priority. The hospital staff was visibly irritated with the clout raining down on their heads for about an hour. Once they digested my Havenstone records, all of that changed. Holy 'Published in The New England Journal of Medicine', someone had drilled a micro-surgical hole in my skull in the middle of a wrestling match with no resulting cerebral scarring. THEN this unknown device shot into my skull with pinpoint accuracy and pumped a ghastly amount of energy into my cerebrum. They were fascinated. They were so fascinated I heard two medical technicians mutter about where the Zombie Survival Guide could be found. They triple checked my vital signs, again. I was still as much alive as when I checked myself in. There was a rumor that a fire ax disappeared from a stairwell close by, but not one confessed to the deed. I was speaking in languages I had no reason to know? They were surprised I could contain my mouth drool. It was somewhat disheartening to hear three seasoned physicians discuss what probable scenarios could explain me still being in a non-vegetative state, or alive for that matter. Some poor nurse had to ask. "Do you feel an unnatural, interest in human brains?" she whispered when she though no one was close by. "I'm not sure what you mean," I whispered back. "I always respect a woman's intelligence. Sex is a cerebral passion. What's the point if you can't communicate with your partner?" Pamela slapped me upside my head. That disturbed just about everybody else in the vicinity and my mentor was promptly exiled from the room. I was curious about what havoc she was perpetrating on this establishment. My condition had gotten her past all the heavy security and I knew without seeing that someone high ranking had misplaced their ID badge. Maybe Pamela was the love-child of Batman and Cat woman. Before you think that's comic fanboy talk, recall what my life was like at that moment. Tests ensued. The staff decided that Havenstone employed a bunch of quacks and snake charmers. Two hours later, they found out they were wrong. Larger battery of tests, same results. I was the second coming of Christ, back from the dead, or a zombie living in a convincing state of denial. Some folks wouldn't let that go. Pamela had proved to be prophetic. Her pet gizmo finally provided a new picture of what my neural pathways were up to. If there is any doubt, 'I've never seen that before' is not what you want to hear one of North America's experts in the field of neuroscience say. The first educated opinion was that I suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, that meant I was hit in the head a lot. Normally that diagnosis comes in the midst of an autopsy. I was having paralytic seizures. They had me juggle a squeeze-ball, then two and finally three. My perfect performance frustrated them. Women find relatively simple carnival tricks to be seductive. Pluck a card from a girl's bra gets you both to some dark corner, hungrily looking for the rest of the deck, I speak from experience. Next up at bat: 'I was possessed', I shit you not. Holistic medicine was right on board with the team. Was I influenced by a supernatural power? Yes I was. So claimed the majority of people on Earth. Did I receive specific instructions? Yes, and so did practitioners of Voodoo/Vodun on three continents. I added that I attempted to evade said instructions when I could. Did I have 'evil' impulses to hurt myself, or others? Huh? For starters, my matron goddess was more of a 'fucker' than a 'fighter' and her instructions were always suitably vague, the same way a Philosophy professor would give you a ten word pointless sentence on Friday and expect you to have a 250 page doctrine on Monday morning. That hit home. Too many normally smart people take a philosophy class in college hoping for an easy-A. Some teachers love dissolving those delusion, sitting back and watching your hopes and dreams of task-free weekends go down the drain. The more obscure the discipline, the more perverse the desire. That is why you always pick a teacher of the opposite gender (if in doubt, use a gay/lesbian test) and keep 'sex for grades' on the menu. Was I suffering from optical illusions, or phantom noises? Straight to the point, yes, I saw and talked with ghosts. So did the Long Island Medium, the casts of Ghost Hunters, Paranormal Witness plus George Anderson and Chip Coffey. To my credit, I didn't do it for profit, or in order to influence people. Was I seeing ghosts now? I was in hospital, so odds weren't bad. I had every non-ghost raise their left hand. No ghosts. Was my paranormal dementia pre- or post-brain trauma? Did seeing a college student being called before his class and successfully accused of plagiarism on his senior thesis, turning him into one of the Restless Dead count? No? My 'disputed' abilities were all post-college employment, thank you very much. Did the ghosts possess me/tell me to do things? I was not possessed and, discounting sexual bondage and my current work venue, had never been possessed. From my limited exposure, ghosts wanted to not be alone in the afterlife, to be guided to a final resting place with others of their kind/family/friends. None had taught me languages, asked me to steal something, or kill anyone. Had any done so, I would have denied them. Such actions were immoral and I could still freely differentiate between right and wrong. I preferred to commit wrong on my own initiative and making me do good was a chore most sane people abandoned after a few days. I took a Rorschach test. The results were predictable because I had taken old 'R' several times before. Just like every other time, I'd mixed up sexual innuendo with a psychological test to seduce the test-giver, everything reminded me of intercourse. I changed it up with this girl. I gave her numbers. Sometime after I was long gone, they were going to figure out the ink blots were numbered after whichever erotic positions from the Kama Sutra I was reminded of at the time. I knew that wasn't being helpful and I was certain I wasn't a brain specialist. I also knew Rorschach wasn't the key to solving my woes. Final remaining hypothesis, I was utilizing 30 % of my brain capacity with three independent patterns emerging, not the usual 5 %. For that to work, my brain had to be oozing out my ears because brains generate a terrific amount of heat. My temperature was a steady 37.3 C (99 F) and my ear channels were free of obstruction. Hey man, cleaning your ears is quick and easy. Don't risk turning off a date with misfortunately located ear-hair and wax. How was my brain shedding the heat? Their solution, let's do a Spinal Tap. No way. I'd seen that band and they were all extremely fucked up, even for old guys. I wasn't going down that road. They insisted. I suggested that I consent to the procedure with the condition that I received no pain killers/sedatives of any kind and I got to grab and hold onto the testicles of my two, current, least favorite doctors. When they realized I was deadly serious and immovable on the issue, they came up with a new plan, no Spinal Tap. Gutless sissies. Into this vacuum of information, a brainstorm emerged (besides my inexplicable one). They would talk to me, no more interrogations, an actual verbal exchange. They couldn't come over and start flapping their gums like some punk rock band with no talent. They were suddenly worried about 'concerning' me and 'agitating my unstable state'. I pray to Goddess Ishara that one day soon they play back the tapes of their early hours working on me and pay close attention to my facial expressions of shock, horror, fear and depression as they clearly and openly talked about me as if I was the Fiji Mermaid. But hey, a few of them were kinda cute, so in the final analysis all that emotional trauma worked its way out. Hospital highlights: (Understand, I was lying on a table while various specialists prodded and talked about me as if I wasn't there. To strike back at reality, I throbbed my penis every time this cute Parasitologist looked at it. Finally ) Female Chief of Neurosurgery: "Did anyone think to study changes in is body's nervous system?" (Guilty looks all around) Neuro Surgeon: "What are all these needle marks?" Havenstone Medico, "Those are muscle stimuli insertion sites. They kept his musculature from atrophying while he was in a coma." Neuro Surgeon: "Let me get this straight. This man had a lightning bolt go off in his head and part of your healthcare regimen was to run a constant current of electricity throughout the rest of his body." (Scathing looks at the Medico from everyone else, jackals) HM: "He has retained excellent muscle tone." Neuro Surgeon: "Have you even taken the Hippocratic Oath?" HM: (offended) "Of course not, he's Greek." Neuro Surgeon: "What does my patient being Greek have to do with anything?" HM: "Not him (pointing at me). Hippocrates, he was a Greek. Cáel is Magyar/Irish Gaelic." Neuro Surgeon: "Helpful, that's not. He seems to have a great deal of bruises and scarring, some of it certainly received over an extensive period of time. Is this your work?" HM: (in a positive note) "No. It has not been my pleasure to spar with Cáel yet." Neuro Surgeon: "Isn't he a bit, big for you?" &
In this episode, Mark Ledlow is joined by Martin Culbreth, a former Marine and FBI agent who now holds a leadership role in corporate security at Smithfield Foods. They delve into handling workplace violence and the impact of remote work on security. Martin discusses the decline in workplace incidents due to remote work, transitioning from military and law enforcement to corporate security roles, and the challenges of maintaining security in various industries. The episode also explores the importance of aligning with company culture and the necessity of understanding risk acceptance within the corporate environment. The conversation offers invaluable advice for security professionals and corporate leaders alike.Learn about all this and more in this episode of The Fearless Mindset Podcast.KEY TAKEAWAYSThe conversation emphasizes dealing with adversity and maintaining resilience in various sectors, including security, business, and entertainment.The shift to remote work due to COVID-19 has reportedly decreased instances of workplace violence but introduced new challenges and risks.Effective communication and understanding the company's goals and culture are crucial for security professionals transitioning from military or government roles to corporate environments.The necessity of educating the C-suite on the importance of security and the potential risks associated with being complacent.Security experts should be both knowledgeable advisors and effective communicators to influence company policies and decisions.CSOs need to be adaptable, as corporate roles and environments can vastly differ from government or military positions.QUOTES"Don't get enamored with the process. Make sure you're thoughtful about where you're going to land.""We all love being invited to the prom. But then when the limo shows up, you're like, Ooh, is that really who I wanted to go with?""Be the one telling my boss what the risk is. If my boss decides that they're willing to accept that risk, I can't be so married to my project and to my department that I fight with them.""The biggest thing is to continue to try to educate our C-suite away from the idea that it's not going to happen.”Get to know more about Martin Culbreth:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-culbreth-8930034a/To hear more episodes of The Fearless Mindset podcast, you can go to https://the-fearless-mindset.simplecast.com/ or listen to major podcasting platforms such as Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc. You can also subscribe to the Fearless Mindset YouTube Channel to watch episodes on video.
Topic: How the FBI builds cases against prominent organized crime figures Book: https://www.amazon.com/Mafia-Takedown-Incredible-Story-Devastated/dp/1510783164/ref=sr_1_1?crid=GEADC1OMFGLO&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.1ZrHOln8TJQ3wMNaSZp3SRb7sO0G8KDZP0aWV4hPMZ7hsqxMZWbmxwKcx27uIzSuffptFRYDQp5A1IBoKdP8CorXWDD7-mSHqxLxmckV_oXW1hTiZOlI0cXW3FgTLMhq00ey3u6i6axNfiDKojd_ntYdXfzcieJW8rDfvO2T0IxQOzDLQFTlefU2keh5JGErJ4doTpgv5OdsMRxmsEmx1e6N2e5cUNHWMnFnVOplJv0.U4kpJtIJIuQO5gqMo3RZZPTfe_aYhe3SYAVOprwCR1I&dib_tag=se&keywords=Mafia+takedown&qid=1730136664&sprefix=mafia+takedown%2Caps%2C88&sr=8-1 Bio: Mike Campi's exceptional career as an FBI agent with the New York Division spanned both white-collar and organized crime, including financial fraud, labor racketeering, and political corruption. His main focus was the Genovese crime family, the most powerful and secretive organized crime family in the country. His investigations resulted in multiple devastating convictions of the Genovese family hierarchy, crippling this most sophisticated criminal enterprise. Campi retired as the Coordinator of the Organized Crime branch of the New York Division where he managed over 150 agents in the FBI's largest and most successful OC program. He was later recruited by a Swiss bank to be a vice president of Corporate Security for the Americas region. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Cáel's tombstone: For the love of women, women put him here.In 25 parts, edited from the works of FinalStand.Listen and subscribe to the ► Podcast at Connected..
Join us as we explore the dynamic shift from reactive to proactive corporate security leadership with Dave Komendat, former Vice President and Chief Security Officer for Boeing. In this episode, Dave shares his insights on building trust with business leaders through proactive risk management and the importance of employee safety in shaping company culture. Discover how integrating advanced tools and strategic leadership can transform your organization's approach to security.Tune in to learn:Strategies for proactive risk management and leadership trust-buildingThe role of employee safety and cultural fit in post-COVID workplace dynamicsThe benefits of the International SOS and Ontic partnership for corporate securitySimilar episodes:Aligning Security with Business Goals: Insights from Scott LindahlThe Evolution of Risk Management with Tristan FlanneryThe Future of Talent in Corporate Security with Kathy Lavinder and Rachel Briggs
In this episode, Mark Ledlow is joined by Martin Culbreth, a former Marine and FBI agent who now holds a leadership role in corporate security at Smithfield Foods. From Las Vegas, Mark discusses with Martin his journey into corporate security, focusing on physical security challenges, integration of technology, budget management, and the importance of information in security strategies. Martin shares his experiences transitioning into his role, establishing a security department, and handling budget constraints. The conversation delves into the complexity of proving the value of security measures, the necessity of constant communication with the C-suite, and how to maintain security standards across diverse manufacturing facilities. Martin addresses the impact of inflation on corporate budgeting and highlights proactive measures like collaboration with law enforcement and conducting site surveys to enhance security, even during tight budget cycles.Learn about all this and more in this episode of The Fearless Mindset Podcast.KEY TAKEAWAYSEvent Recap: Mark talks about attending a security practitioner event in Las Vegas and introduces Martin Culbreth, former Marine and FBI agent, now in a security leadership role.Martin's Role: Martin outlines his responsibilities in physical security at Smithfield, including information gathering, setting security standards, and collaborating across departments.Technology in Security: Martin discusses integrating technology like Ontic for information gathering and case management, and the challenges of implementing such technology.Building a Security Program: Martin shares his journey from starting a new security department, handling budgets, and developing a comprehensive strategic security plan.Security Challenges: Both speakers discuss challenges like justifying security expenses to the C-suite, comparing security to revenue-generating functions, and educating the corporate world on the importance of security investment.Proving Security's Value: The difficulty of proving security's ROI with hypothetical "prevented incidents" and the need to constantly communicate security's importance.Budget Negotiations: The process of working with finance and other departments to justify security expenditures and prioritize security projects.Economic Impact: The impact of inflation and corporate budgeting constraints on security investments and strategies to adapt during tight financial periods.Coordination with Law Enforcement: Emphasizing the importance of collaborating with law enforcement for emergency preparedness and crisis response training.QUOTES"We have to understand coming into corporate security that it's a sales, right? They expect everything to have a solid and apparent and immediate return on investment.""Our job is to sell products and make as good a profit as we can while still keeping our prices where we should. So I get that.""In the military, the trick was to make sure you spend what you were budgeted for. Otherwise, your budget dropped to that new level.""You have to be almost like the communications guy. Because you're selling the program. All the time and trying to explain why this is important.""In the military, I always remember, okay, it was set, right? And you had your budget. Whereas here, it's almost a fight year over year to almost reestablish that budget."Get to know more about Martin Culbreth:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-culbreth-8930034a/To hear more episodes of The Fearless Mindset podcast, you can go to https://the-fearless-mindset.simplecast.com/ or listen to major podcasting platforms such as Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc. You can also subscribe to the Fearless Mindset YouTube Channel to watch episodes on video.
#035—In this next episode, I was once again joined by Jeff Donaldson, PhD, to continue the conversation on emergency preparedness, this time discussing it in the context of enterprises and business continuity. This episode starts by looking at the topic from a business perspective. Specifically, we covered a range of ideas, including adaptive business continuity compared to the traditional approach, empowering business leaders to support planning and response, prioritizing people over technology, and so much more.Jeff brings a tremendous amount of experience and education directly relating to preparedness and business continuity to the podcast today, from his experience as a military officer in the Canadian Army (28 years!) leading logistical operations, as the principal researcher at Preparedness Labs Incorporated, and as an Associate Faculty member at Royal Roads University. Plus, he's earned his MA in Disaster and Emergency Management and his doctorate in Public Policy. I'm excited to bring you all his expertise.He even hosts a highly acclaimed podcast on preparedness and leads training sessions where he communicates (as he says), "Non-Apocalyptic evidence-based strategies for rational people with dreams."-- Get the resources and show notes mentioned in this episode --https://thesecuritystudent.com/shownotes
Join us in this episode where Chuck Randolph sits down once again with Lou Silvestris, the dynamic leader of the Risk Intelligence and Investigations Team at American Family Insurance. With an impressive career spanning the Central Intelligence Agency, Department of Homeland Security, and multinational corporations, Lou shares his experiences in adapting traditional intelligence techniques to the corporate world. Discover how his expertise in counter-terrorism, geopolitical risk, and operational analysis helps safeguard businesses from global threats. Tune in to explore the fascinating intersection of national security and corporate risk management.Tune into Chuck Randolph's conversation with Lou Silvestris to hear: How traditional intelligence methods are being adapted to meet the unique challenges of corporate risk management.How geopolitical analysis helps businesses navigate and mitigate global threats.The application of counter-terrorism strategies in safeguarding corporate interests and enhancing operational security. Additional Resources:Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience (CISA)Is China's Huawei a Threat to U.S. National Security?The 5G FutureODNI Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community, February 2024How Companies Can Navigate Today's Geopolitical Risks (Harvard Business Review)What is Open-Source Intelligence (ASIS)Learn more in Ontic Resources. Want to be on the podcast? Email us at podcast@ontic.co.
Sy Alli, a security executive and ordained Minister/Chaplain, stands as a protector. He pioneered the first Corporate Security program in the Cannabis industry and shielded figures like Al Gore, Colin Powell, and Desmond Tutu. Beyond personal protection for diplomats and CEOs, he assumed a vital role in 2020: The Spiritual Protector. An Ordained Minister, Sy aids those battling suicide, depression, and PTSD – battles he's faced himself. Known as the "Chiseled Chaplain," he openly discusses mental health. He serves as a Chaplain for VTC and an Elevo Site Success Manager. Sy's journey leads him to The Spiritual Protector's mantle.
#034 - In this next episode, I was joined by Jeff Donaldson, PhD to kick off a new topic we haven't discussed on the podcast yet — emergency preparedness. This episode starts with a look at the topic from a micro perspective, personal preparedness, and future episodes will touch on the macro, such as corporate or public-level preparedness and resiliency.Jeff brings a tremendous amount of experience directly relating to preparedness to the podcast today, from his experience as a military officer in the Canadian Army (28 years!), as the principal researcher at Preparedness Labs Incorporated, and as an Associate Faculty member at Royal Roads University. Plus, he's earned his MA in Disaster and Emergency Management, along with his doctorate in Public Policy. All that to say, he's a wealth of knowledge for us on the subject.He even hosts a highly acclaimed podcast on preparedness and leads training sessions where he communicates (as he says), "Non-Apocalyptic evidence-based strategies for rational people with dreams."Today's conversation focused on the philosophy of preparedness, the critical role of social capital and how it increases your ability to survive and thrive, personal responsibility, and systematic thinking/planning/considerations for you and I.--- Learn more about Jeff and his projects here ---Preparedness Labs Inc: https://preparednesslabs.ca/Inside My Canoehead (Podcast): https://insidemycanoehead.ca/-- Get the resources and show notes mentioned in this episode --https://thesecuritystudent.com/shownotes
From Private Military Contractors to Mall Cops, the field of security is full of misconceptions, egos, and opportunities to find yourself hung out to dry for other's safety. But when we look behind the curtain into what goes in to threat prevention, we see a much deeper picture. Rob Rawson of Rozin Security joins the show to teach us about the ideas behind effective security, from red teaming, to security breaches, to threat detection and deterrence. Whether on the level of the nation state, a company, community, family, or the individual, we have something to learn about understanding the skills behind securing a location or persons from potential harm, whether it be man made or natural.Rozin Security and their courses can be found at rozinsecurity.com For more from Rob Rawson follow him on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rob-rawsonThis episode has been sponsored by Obsidian Arms, a manufacturer of tools, parts and firearms, as well as operating as an OEM shop for those looking to bring excellence to the market. Their Minnesota-based shop builds and cuts parts out of U.S.-sourced materials. Their gunsmith tools, custom firearms, and capabilities can be found at www.obsidianarms.comSupport the REDACTED Culture Cast at redactedculture.locals.comSSP and boutique products at redactedllc.comFollow us on Instagram at @redactedllc
In this episode, Mark Ledlow and William “Bill” Presson, Director of Operations for Security at Oracle, discuss the evolving landscape of security, technology, and business with industry leaders. The conversation covers the booming tech industry in locations like Florida and Silicon Valley, the impact of AI, and the shifting corporate headquarters for tax benefits. They also delve into the security industry, the importance of protective intelligence, and the emerging countries in the tech space. Through it all, insights are shared on the significance of learning from the ground up, mentorship, and the necessity for diversification in services to thrive in today's competitive environment.Learn about all this and more in this episode of The Fearless Mindset Podcast.KEY TAKEAWAYSTech Boom and New Economies: The rapid growth of technology is creating new economies, especially in tech hubs like Miami and Silicon Valley.Business Relocation Trends: Many companies are relocating to states with better tax benefits, such as Texas, Florida, and Tennessee.Protective Intelligence: The future of security lies in protective intelligence, requiring companies to diversify their offerings beyond traditional security measures.Mentorship and Growth: Mentorship is crucial for nurturing the next generation of leaders in the security industry.Adaptability in Business: Companies need to be agile and diversified in their services to thrive in the evolving market.QUOTES"AI has exploded and is regenerating parts of Silicon Valley in California.""Protective intelligence is a key area that people need to include in their advanced work and client travel considerations.""This is a service industry. Every industry is customer service with a security edge to it."Get to know more about William “Bill” Presson:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamppresson/ To hear more episodes of The Fearless Mindset podcast, you can go to https://the-fearless-mindset.simplecast.com/ or listen to major podcasting platforms such as Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc. You can also subscribe to the Fearless Mindset YouTube Channel to watch episodes on video.
In this episode, Chuck Randolph is joined by two experts in the field of corporate security: Kathy Lavinder and Rachel Briggs. Kathy Lavinder, Founder and Executive Director of Security & Investigative Placement Consultants, LLC., brings over 20 years of experience in high-level security management and talent acquisition. Rachel Briggs, a leading security expert and an Ontic Summit keynote speaker, has consulted with FTSE and Fortune 100 companies, influencing both private sector strategies and government policies.Discover how emerging technologies like AI and Gen AI are reshaping corporate security functions, and learn about innovative talent development and retention strategies employed by successful CSOs. They also explore effective approaches for fostering diversity and inclusion within security teams, highlighting the critical skills future CSOs will need to thrive in an evolving threat landscape. Whether you're a business professional or a security enthusiast, this episode offers valuable insights into the dynamic world of talent in corporate security and its future trajectory. Tune into Chuck Randolph's conversation with Kathy and Rachel to hear about: How AI and Gen AI are transforming corporate security functions with practical examples.Innovative strategies for talent acquisition, development, and retention to build robust security teams.Effective methods for fostering a diverse and inclusive environment within security teams. Additional Resources: Complete the survey on the future of talent in security hereThe Clarity Factory: ‘Corporate Security: Future Talent'Tips from the Top: Corporate Security Leaders Share How to Build a Team Today That's Fit to Tackle Tomorrow's Risks‘Mission First, People Always:' A Mantra for Security TalentWant to be on the podcast? Email us at podcast@ontic.co.
#033 - In this next episode, I was joined by Ben Hosking, executive protection leader, and Business Manager with Panoptic Solutions, who serves as clients' go-to provider in Australia, Asia, and the Pacific. Ben contributed great insights to this episode from his about 2 decades of experience, ranging from serving as a Territory Response Group Operator supporting Dignitary Protection, Tactical Medicine, Search And Rescue, and more. Plus, his experience on the security service provider and business operations side with Panoptic Solutions.Today's conversation focused on Ben's career path, moving from law enforcement and protective services to the private side, his thoughts on what makes one successful in close protection roles, the role of emergency medical training, and so much more.Also, everyone listening is welcome to join Ben and I for a beer at the Executive Security Operations Conference next week at the JW Marriot Indianapolis (June 19-21), tickets are still available.-- Connect with Panoptic Solutions --Wheels Up Safety and Security Podcast (LinkedIn)Wheels Up Safety and Security Podcast (Apple Podcasts)Wheels Up Newsletter (LinkedIn)-- Get the resources and show notes mentioned in this episode --https://thesecuritystudent.com/shownotes
In this episode, Mark Ledlow interviews William “Bill” Presson, Director of Operations for Security at Oracle. Bill shares insights from his extensive background, spanning roles with Intel, the U.S. Marshals, and Gavin DeBecker Academy. They discuss the evolving landscape of executive protection, including the impact of COVID-19, rising demand for security professionals, and new challenges from technological advancements and geopolitical changes. Bill emphasizes the importance of advanced planning, protective intelligence, and adapting to industry shifts to succeed in providing effective security services.Learn about all this and more in this episode of The Fearless Mindset Podcast.KEY TAKEAWAYSEvolving Threat Landscape: Understanding the shift in threats post-COVID, including organized protests and increased anti-Semitism.Importance of Advance Work: Effective advance work is crucial for the success of executive protection operations, particularly in international contexts.Protective Intelligence: The role of protective intelligence in mitigating risks and the necessity for security teams to stay ahead of potential threats.Technological Vulnerabilities: The risks posed by modern technology, including cyber attacks and the misuse of personal devices.Adaptability in Security: The need for security professionals to continually adapt to new threats and evolving industry standards.QUOTES"When it comes to building relationships with people, especially when you're selling millions and billions of dollars worth of sensitive technology, they want to see your face. Trust is built face to face.""In this business, things are constantly changing. Technology is constantly changing. The ability to do things is constantly changing.""If your advance is done properly, you're going to have a successful trip. If not, you're going to have a bad trip.""Protective intelligence is something that we're starting to utilize a lot more. It helps us pivot and plan for new threats effectively."Get to know more about William “Bill” Presson:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamppresson/To hear more episodes of The Fearless Mindset podcast, you can go to https://the-fearless-mindset.simplecast.com/ or listen to major podcasting platforms such as Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc. You can also subscribe to the Fearless Mindset YouTube Channel to watch episodes on video.
In this latest episode, I'm excited to welcome Island Influencer Carol Ann Kinley-Smith, an extraordinary force in criminology, forensic science, and investigative security. Carol Ann is committed to leveraging her diverse experiences to enrich society. She brings a wealth of expertise from her extensive career, operating at the highest levels in both investigative and intelligence capacities. Originally from the Isle of Man, Carol Ann returned from the UK in 2021 after a distinguished career that included heading Corporate Security and Investigations at the BBC and leading the Royalty Protection Command Team within the Metropolitan Police Service. Her roles have ranged from safeguarding the British Royal Family to spearheading teams assessing threats to high-profile figures. Currently, Carol Ann shares her wealth of knowledge as a lecturer at University College, where she teaches Forensic Science and Criminology. Her dedication to empowering students with industry insights promises to inspire future generations of professionals. Carol Ann's academic achievements are remarkable, especially as she admits she wasn't academically inclined during her school years. She earned a Distinction in an MSc in Legal and Criminological Psychology from Cumbria University. Her dissertation, which has recently been published and focuses on the experiences of policewomen navigating menopause, underscores her strong advocacy for women's support and resilience in demanding professional settings. Here is episode 111 with Island Influencer with Carol Ann Kinley-Smith.
Guest: Cassie Crossley, VP, Supply Chain Security, Schneider Electric [@SchneiderElec]On LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassiecrossley/On Twitter | https://twitter.com/Cassie_CrossleyOn Mastodon | https://mastodon.social/@Cassie_Crossley____________________________Hosts: Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine [@ITSPmagazine] and Host of Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast [@RedefiningCyber]On ITSPmagazine | https://www.itspmagazine.com/sean-martinMarco Ciappelli, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine [@ITSPmagazine] and Host of Redefining Society PodcastOn ITSPmagazine | https://www.itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/marco-ciappelli____________________________Episode NotesThis discussion shed light on various aspects of cybersecurity, technology, and the evolving role of IT professionals in addressing the challenges of the digital age.The conversation kicked off with Sean Martin providing a warm welcome to the audience as he introduced the topic of software supply chain security. Cassie Crossley shared insights from her extensive experience in cybersecurity at Schneider Electric, emphasizing the critical importance of safeguarding product security and supply chain integrity.Embracing Innovation and Resilience in CybersecurityThe discussion dive into the concept of resilience in cybersecurity and the need for proactive risk management strategies. Both speakers emphasized the importance of leveraging AI-driven decision-making processes to enhance efficiency and reduce false positives in security operations. They also highlighted the role of machine learning and behavior analytics in strengthening cybersecurity posture.Bridging the Gap between IT and Business ObjectivesCrossley and Martin discussed the evolving role of IT professionals in bridging the gap between technical cybersecurity measures and broader business objectives. They stressed the significance of aligning cybersecurity initiatives with the overall strategic goals of the organization and fostering communication between C-suite executives and security professionals.Navigating the Complexities of Hardware Development and CybersecurityThe conversation also touched upon the complexities of hardware development and the unique challenges faced in securing chipboards and other hardware components. Crossley highlighted the nuances of cybersecurity in defending against a myriad of potential threats and underscored the need for robust verification processes in hardware security.Empowering Businesses with GRC Controls and Cybersecurity Best PracticesAs the discussion progressed, Crossley shared practical insights from her book on software supply chain security, emphasizing the essential GRC controls and cybersecurity best practices that organizations can implement to enhance their security posture. She highlighted the need for startups and companies to prioritize cybersecurity measures despite budget constraints.Concluding Thoughts and Looking Towards the FutureIn wrapping up the conversation, both speakers expressed optimism about the future of software supply chain security and the potential for innovation in AI-driven cybersecurity technologies. They encouraged businesses to prioritize cybersecurity education, resilience planning, and proactive risk management to stay ahead of emerging threats.The engaging discussion between Cassie Crossley and Sean Martin at RSA Conference 2024 provided valuable insights into the evolving landscape of software supply chain security and the key challenges facing cybersecurity professionals. As organizations navigate the complexities of the digital age, proactive cybersecurity measures and a strategic alignment with business objectives are essential for safeguarding critical assets and maintaining a strong security posture.Be sure to follow our Coverage Journey and subscribe to our podcasts!____________________________Follow our RSA Conference USA 2024 coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/rsa-conference-usa-2024-rsac-san-francisco-usa-cybersecurity-event-infosec-conference-coverageOn YouTube:
On this episode of the Threat Intelligence Podcast with Derrick T. Dortch, Dr. Richard J. Chasdi, a renowned scholar of terrorism and counterterrorism will be talking about his book and the topic of Corporate Security Surveillance. Dr. Chasdi is a Professorial Lecturer at George Washington University, a Senior Fellow at the Global Peace Institute in London, and an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research in Singapore. He has published extensively on these topics, including four books and numerous articles and book chapters.
#032 - In this next episode, I was joined by Shawn Abelson, physical red teamer, business owner, and graduate faculty member with the University of Minnesota's Security Technology Program. Shawn's led and developed Red Team programs and he has a ton of great insights for those interested in the red team philosophy and how to develop red teaming skills. His experience spans diverse roles in the public and private sectors. Shawn has earned his Master of Science in Security Technologies from the University of Minnesota and now instructs in that same program.Today's conversation focused on what red teaming is, what a typical client engagement looks like, how an aspiring professional could get into physical red teaming, and much more.-- Get the resources and show notes mentioned in this episode --https://thesecuritystudent.com/shownotes
Close Quarter Tactics with Maury Abreu of Omega Protective Concepts (Protector Nation Podcast
We are delighted to catch up with incoming ASIS International EP Chair Kevin Palacios to look at priorities for the coming year and also explore his wealth of regional experience. Join us as we ask:What career pathways are available for EP within the wider Corporate Security ecosystem?Where do operational and managerial standards converge and diverge?What should we expect to see from ASIS International this coming year in the field of EP?How has your regional experience informed your passion for EP modernization?About Kevin:LinkedInMore about the Circuit:The Circuit Magazine is written and produced by volunteers, most of who are operationally active, working full time in the security industry. The magazine is a product of their combined passion and desire to give something back to the industry. By subscribing to the magazine you are helping to keep it going into the future. Find out more >Newsletter:If you liked this podcast, we have an accompanying weekly newsletter called 'On the Circuit' where we take a deeper dive into the wider industry. Opt in here >The Circuit team is:Jon MossShaun WestPhelim RoweElijah ShawConnect with Us: Circuit MagazineBBA ConnectNABA ProtectorBritish Bodyguard Association
#031 - In this next episode, I was joined by Sean Salomé, who has a very unique career that's spanned from 0311 and special operations as a MARSOC Operator to leading intelligence programs in the US Marine Corps. Plus, his work on the private side in intelligence and physical security. Additionally, Sean studied international relations at UT Austin.Our conversation today was focused on project management and leadership. It was fascinating to hear Sean's thoughts and experience on this topic since he's taken the road less traveled through small unit leadership, leading intelligence teams, leading physical security projects, and so much more.It was a great honor to have Sean as a guest!-- Get the resources and show notes mentioned in this episode --https://thesecuritystudent.com/shownotes
It's no secret that relationships are a foundational element for other areas of the business to understand the value of security. However, to be effective as a function security needs to be connected on a multitude of levels, and relationships need to root deeper than watercooler conversations. Rachel Briggs, CEO and Founder of The Clarity Factory, returns to the podcast to discuss her latest research on what this level of connectedness truly entails and why it's critical to preventing threats that can often slip through the cracks between functions.Briggs is a leading expert on security and has advised governments and multinational corporations on security, resilience, terrorism, and responses to extremism. In this episode, she discusses the following topics with host Chuck Randolph:Why connectedness needs to happen on three distinct levels - within the risk function, within the organization, and between the organization and the outside world.The biggest takeaways (and surprises) from her latest research in collaboration with Ontic and what it means for security professionals.Advice for leaders on implementing organizational changes from the report into their team and why the ability to collaborate cannot be assumed. Check out the Clarity Factory's latest report (in partnership with Ontic) here: Connected Corporate Security: How to Manage Threats and Risks with a Unified Model.Briggs has also published reports on empowering diversity, equity, and inclusion in corporate security and the business value of security. (Report links included below)Empowering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion In Corporate Security (ASIS)The Business Value of Corporate Security
DOMINATING BAD SITUATIONS WITH MAURY ABREU PROTECTOR NATION PODCAST
On this episode, I had the honor of interviewing Tyler Schmoker. Tyler is a retired Army Combat Arms Senior Noncommissioned Officer, former Paramilitary Advisor, and Strategic Projects Consultant to Fortune 500s. He has worked in Corporate Security, Strategy, Project/Program Management, & Tech. Tyler is an avid Alpine Climber & Endurance Athlete. He is also the Founder & Principal at Winsly LLC, a High-Performance Coaching, Consulting, and Advisory Services Firm. When the going gets tough, the tough choose Winsly
Join Mark Ledlow in a riveting conversation with Daniel Weil as they dive deep into the current situation in Israel. From military strategies to the impact on businesses, Daniel shares his insights on what it's like to be on the frontlines and the challenges faced by both the military and civilians during times of conflict. Gain a firsthand perspective on the importance of preparation, resilience, and the need for global support.Learn about all this and more in this episode of The Fearless Mindset Podcast.KEY TAKEAWAYSThe podcast explores how individuals and businesses can prepare in advance for unforeseen challenges, especially in regions prone to conflicts like Israel.Daniel emphasizes the significance of international support and solidarity during challenging times.Insights into the preparedness of the Israeli military, debunking misconceptions about the region's safety.The discussion touches on the impact of conflicts on businesses and the measures taken to ensure continuity.Understanding the complexities of the situation and the need for accurate information dissemination.QUOTES"War is an unpleasant situation, and our military maintains high moral standards to minimize harm to innocents.""In times of crisis, be it war or pandemics, businesses should have SOPs and commitments from vendors in place.""International support and awareness play a crucial role in navigating conflicts and fostering global unity.""Preparation is key; it's not a matter of if, but when something like this happens, having resources in place is crucial.""It's not just a local war; it's something bigger than the Middle East and requires a global response."Get to know more about Daniel Weil:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-weil-111b10128/To hear more episodes of The Fearless Mindset podcast, you can go to https://the-fearless-mindset.simplecast.com/ or listen to major podcasting platforms such as Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc. You can also subscribe to the Fearless Mindset YouTube Channel to watch episodes on video.
In today's episode we speak to Dr. Maria Robson-Morrow and Holden Triplett about the fascinating world of corporate espionage.Dr. Maria Robson-Morrow is the Program Manager at the Harvard Kennedy School's Intelligence Project. She worked as a global security intelligence analyst at Nexen Energy in Canada and then as an independent security intelligence consultant before returning to academia to study public-private intelligence cooperation. She earned a PhD in Political Science in 2021 from Northeastern University and holds a Master's in Military and Strategic Studies from the University of Calgary and a BA in International Relations, Economics, and History from the University of Toronto. Maria's research has been published in Intelligence and National Security, Harvard Business Review, and the Journal of Intelligence History. She teaches courses on Intelligence at Johns Hopkins University. Maria serves on the Board and Education Committee for the Association of International Risk Intelligence Professionals.Holden Triplett is the founder of Trenchcoat Advisors, where he advises clients facing sophisticated nation-state risks. He spent nearly 15 years with the FBI and has extensive international and domestic risk intelligence and security experience. He also spent several years in overseas assignments, notably leading the FBI's offices in Russia and China. Holden is conversant in Mandarin and Russian, and has unique understanding of the objectives, capabilities, and methodologies of the Chinese and Russian intelligence services. During his time in Russia, Holden coordinated U.S. government security efforts of the Sochi Winter Olympics, including establishing a first of its kind joint threat intelligence unit with the Russian security services. While in Beijing, he worked closely with People's Republic of China security services to plan for the joint security of the Beijing Winter Olympics. Upon his return to the United States, he served as the Director for Counterintelligence at the National Security Council, at the White House. In his last government position, Holden was the FBI Faculty Chair at the National Intelligence University, where he taught courses in Counterintelligence, National Security Law and Intelligence, and Chinese Intelligence and Information Warfare. He is currently an adjunct professor at Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service.Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EncyclopediaGeopolitica
Join Mark Ledlow as he interviews Daniel Weil, an executive protection expert from Israel, amidst the recent upheaval in the region. They discuss the challenges faced by corporate security teams, the impact of conflict on operations, and navigating the complexities of conducting business in Israel during heightened tensions.Learn about all this and more in this episode of The Fearless Mindset Podcast.KEY TAKEAWAYSAdaptability in Crisis: Learn about the critical need for adaptability when conducting executive protection operations during times of conflict.Regional Impact: Understand the regional implications of the conflict beyond Israel and its potential to escalate into a larger-scale crisis.Media's Role: Explore the media's portrayal of the situation and its influence on public perception versus ground reality.Humanitarian Perspective: Gain insights into the balance between zero tolerance for threats and maintaining a humane approach in handling crises.QUOTES"If you operate here, you need to be ready in advance, not to start dealing with the situation when it's already here.""It's bigger than us. Something needs to be done, and there's no place here for privileges.""We're doing something for the good of the human race, for freedom, and this is the price we have to pay to get that back.""We have zero tolerance for games. If you want to do troubles when we're in this situation, you're going to pay for that."Get to know more about Daniel Weil:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-weil-111b10128/To hear more episodes of The Fearless Mindset podcast, you can go to https://the-fearless-mindset.simplecast.com/ or listen to major podcasting platforms such as Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc. You can also subscribe to the Fearless Mindset YouTube Channel to watch episodes on video.
Unfortunately in today's threat landscape, a Google search - even a few pages deep - won't capture nearly enough information to grasp the risk a company faces. That's why Welton Chang, Co-Founder and CEO of Pyrra Technologies, set it upon himself to go after the content on fringe sites because of the threats that continue to emerge out of these nearly unmoderated social conversations.Pyrra Technologies is a threat intelligence company that scans unmoderated social media with AI. Most recently Chang was the first Chief Technology Officer at Human Rights First and founded HRF's Innovation Lab. Prior to joining HRF, he was a senior researcher at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory where he led teams and developed technical solutions to address disinformation and online propaganda. Key topics of Chang's discussion with host Fred Burton include:Inspiration behind developing Pyrra Technologies and his research on disinformation and online propaganda. Challenges emerging from generative AI that corporate security will face in 2024 Advice for corporate security on confronting the lack of trust their audience faces due to the uptick in generative AI online
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