Podcasts about Deeply

1. The Erosion of the Sacred Narrative and Economic Collapse In 92 AD, Gaius and Germanicus observe the 21st-century "Iranwar," a conflict they find deeply unsettling due to its lack of a clear *casus belli*. Labeled "Trump's war," it is presented as a preemptive strike born of fear rather than a defensive reaction, leaving the public and allies in a state of strategic confusion. This lack of clarity is mirrored by a global economic shock, with oil prices surging toward $150 per barrel and domestic gasoline prices jumping unpredictably, damaging consumer confidence. Germanicus argues that the U.S. has failed to invoke its "sacred narrative"—the national canon that defines the U.S. as a "redeemer nation" on a divine mission to liberate humanity and punish the wicked. Instead, the administration has offered only "code words and sound bites" rather than a coherent story, leaving the "why we fight" entirely missing. The rationale for the war has shifted inconsistently between liberating the Iranian people, stopping nuclear weapons, and simply labeling the enemy as "evil". This failure to lay the proper groundwork or establish a fixed war aim means the U.S. is embroiled in a conflict it cannot explain, while rivals like Russia exploit the chaos to achieve their own objectives in Ukraine. (2)BUNKER HILL 1790

Deeply flawed in his life, Samson’s greatest act was accomplished in sacrificing himself. He is a broken and flawed image of another who would sacrifice himself on a cross.Today's Bible verse is Matthew 16:24-25, from the King James Version.Download the Pray.com app for more Christian content including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Pray.com is the digital destination for faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Deeply flawed in his life, Samson’s greatest act was accomplished in sacrificing himself. He is a broken and flawed image of another who would sacrifice himself on a cross. Sign up for special devotionals at StoriesoftheMessiah.com. As we dive deeply into iconic Bible heroes' enthralling narratives, we find more than just stories of faith and miracles. We discover a recurrent theme, a spiritual undertone that connects each tale to the grandeur of the Gospel. They're not just standalone legends; they're threads in a divine tapestry, weaving a story that foreshadows Jesus Christ, the ultimate hero, the promised Messiah who brings light to the darkest corners of history. For more Bible stories download the Pray.com app. To learn more about Rabbi Schneider visit https://discoveringthejewishjesus.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

March 8 | Exodus 16:19-17:16, Matthew 22:23-33, Psalm 27:7-10, Proverbs 10:31-32 // Be sure to tune into New Song Nashville's Sunday gatherings each week to join our community for worship and the Word! Missed a Sunday? Check out our Sunday podcast at newsongnashville.com/podcasts.   

Giorgi Pipia is a Georgian DJ and selector originally from the western region of Georgia, now based in Tbilisi—one of Eastern Europe's most influential underground electronic music hubs. Deeply connected to the city's evolving club culture, he is a resident at the community-driven club Left Bank and a regular radio host on Rinse FM France, where he showcases his wide-ranging musical taste and experimental approach to DJing. Known for his curiosity and open-minded approach to sound, Giorgi Pipia builds sets that draw inspiration from multiple cultures and genres. His selections often move fluidly between techno, electro, breakbeat, and experimental electronic music, while incorporating rhythms and textures from diverse global scenes. This cross-cultural approach has become a defining element of his style, allowing him to craft sets that feel both exploratory and cohesive. We invited him to the series and the result is a long playing mix which demonstrates a deep understanding of flow.

I am so excited to announce that the next Brave Women at Work book is launching soon! I cannot believe we are on our fifth book in the women's anthology series! Yes, fifth!I do not say this lightly, but Brave Women at Work, this podcast, the book series, the coaching, the speaking, all of it – this is my purpose work. It is what gets me up out of bed in the morning, and it is my rocket fuel of motivation. I hope you either have or find something like this in your life. It also doesn't have to be like mine. Whatever it is, when you find it, it feels like time is in a flow state. Working doesn't feel like work. There is no slog, just joy and flow. And PS, it took me over 40 years to finally discover this purpose work, so there is no race to get to the finish line. If you have discovered or want to chat me about finding your purpose work, connect with me on LinkedIn, schedule a coaching discovery call, or send me an email at hello@bravewomenatwork.com. Speaking about purpose work, my guest today, Yalonda Brown, has found hers. Yalonda pours into young leaders and is a speaker, author, facilitator, and workshop leader. Something else very special about Yalonda is that she was a contributing author in the first Brave Women at Work book, Brave Women at Work: Stories in Resilience, and now she is participating in Brave Women at Work: Lessons in Authenticity! I am so excited that Yalonda has reconnected with the Brave Women at Work community, and I am pumped to have her on the show today.During our discussion, Yalonda and I chatted about:Why she decided to participate in Brave Women at Work: Lessons in AuthenticityAn overview of what her chapter is aboutHer work to foster up and coming youth leaders, and why that is important to herHer work in the workplace wellness fieldWhy Yalonda is encouraged by the Gen Z and Alpha generationsWe also touched on living loss and how shifts happenHere is more about Yalonda:Yalonda Brown is a visionary leader, speaker, and inclusion strategist with more than two decades of experience bridging the private and public sectors. Known for her intuitive leadership and heart-centered approach, she empowers others to lead with authenticity and purpose. Yalonda holds a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership and is a Certified Child and Youth Care Practitioner.In her nonprofit role, she champions the professional growth and well-being of Indiana's youth workers, cultivating partnerships that strengthen communities and amplify impact. As CEO of Just Say It, LLC, Yalonda facilitates courageous conversations that advance inclusive leadership, and belonging. An accomplished author and speaker, her insights have been featured in SHRM, DiversityQ, and Diversity Professional Magazine.Deeply committed to advancing women and girls, Yalonda actively serves on several boards. Now residing in Arizona with her husband Vincent, she continues to use her platform to inspire resilience, confidence, and purpose in every space she enters.

In a world more connected than ever, loneliness and isolation continue to rise—even within the Church. Pastor Keith Spurgin joins Dr. Saundra to talk about the hidden struggle of feeling unseen while leading, serving, and succeeding. Sign Up to Download A FREE E-Book Version of Keith's Book "Unknown"   I Choose My Best Life Podcast is one of the  Top 20 Christian Women Podcasts I Choose My Best Life Books: Being Fully Known, Colorful Connections, Sacred Rest, Come Empty, Set Free to Live Free Connect with Saundra: Twitter: @DrDaltonSmith Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/drdaltonsmith Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrSaundraDaltonSmith

Starting off talking about hole in one controversies — Tom Kim and Riggs. Then, the boys have a stunning one and done discussion before delving DEEPLY into life questions…SurvivingGolf.Substack.Com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit survivinggolf.substack.com

Deeply beautiful guided meditation and energy transmission with Keira Lani, a master energy healer and Mother Earth channel who guides people to connect with their true nature.https://www.facebook.com/keiralani.treegong“A Meditation a Day” is sponsored by Enlightened World. Our intention for our time together is to come together to surround the planet, humanity and ourselves with divine healing love. We know when two or more are gathered, that we then amplify the intention and energy for ourselves and for the collective.EWN Facebook: https://bit.ly/2tbQ9jdTo sign up for a newsletter to stay up on EWN events, sign up here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/2TRBaeG#angels #archangels #enlightenedworldnetwork #guidedmeditation #lightworkers #spirituality ===========================================Connect to Enlightened World's global network of lightworkers and enjoy our videos, articles and meditations. https://enlightenedworld.online**Click Below to SUBSCRIBE for More Videos:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4vYTrjMebqpKJNytJu-5dA?sub_confirmation=1===========================================#lightsourcing #energyhealing #energymeditation

Today, I'm excited to welcome my good friend, Dr. Allana Polo. She's a licensed naturopathic physician from Canada and the author of The Hunger Code. The Hunger Code is different. It's not another diet, and it's not a quick fix. It's about understanding the real reasons we eat—whether that's emotional triggers, hormone imbalances, or gut health issues. In this episode, we break down the five types of unhealthy hunger. We discuss why so many women struggle with their weight in perimenopause and menopause, and look at what actually works. Why you should pause before eating: It helps you become aware of why you're eating (true hunger vs. stress, boredom, fatigue, thirst) It allows you to reconnect with physiological hunger cues instead of eating by the clock It can reduce cravings  It can prevent impulsive eating Bio: Dr. Allana Polo, N.D Dr. Allana Polo, N.D., is a licensed Naturopathic Physician and passionate wellness advocate whose signature weight loss programs have helped transform the lives of thousands of patients. As the owner of Polo Health + Longevity Centre, an integrative health clinic in New Westminster, British Columbia, Dr. Polo is a trusted expert in healthy weight loss, nutrition, hormone imbalance, and the impact of stress on the body- particularly the link between stress and weight gain. She is regularly featured as an expert on various local news platforms. Her 15 years of clinical practice have brought in patients who turn to Dr. Polo for guidance and support in overcoming the difficult journey of weight loss and long-term wellness. For many, working together represents a final, hopeful step toward reclaiming their health. Deeply passionate about Naturopathic Medicine, Dr. Polo believes in the body's innate ability to heal and achieve balance. By identifying the root cause of illness, she creates personalized treatment plans tailored for each patient's unique health goals and stages of life. Her mission is to empower, inspire, and motivate her patients to reach their fullest state of wellness. She finds joy in life outside the clinic as a devoted wife and mother of two young boys, spending her free time outdoors at the beach, with friends and family, or staying active in the gym. In this episode: Dr. Polo outlines five unhealthy hunger types she's identified in practice Practical tips for managing hunger Why intermittent fasting works for some women and not for others How hormone imbalances, particularly in perimenopause and menopause, can lead to weight gain  Dr. Polo's personal diet and exercise routine Dr. Polo explains the framework and structure behind The Hunger Code and how it differs from traditional diet books Links and Resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sinus Support Use CODE BERBERINE to get 10% off ⁠⁠⁠Berberine Guest Social Media Links: Dr. Allana Polo on Instagram The Hunger Code on Instagram Polo Health on Instagram Relative Links for This Show: Follow Your Longevity Blueprint  On Instagram| Facebook| Twitter| YouTube | LinkedIn Get your copy of the Your Longevity Blueprint book and claim your bonuses here Find Dr. Stephanie Gray and Your Longevity Blueprint online   Follow Dr. Stephanie Gray  On Facebook| Instagram| Youtube | Twitter | LinkedIn Integrative Health and Hormone Clinic Podcast production by Team Podcast

Loneliness is quietly becoming one of the most serious struggles of our time, affecting even believers who are surrounded by people each week. Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar explore how social media, comparison, and fear of rejection have eroded meaningful fellowship, leaving many isolated despite constant digital connection. They explain that biblical community is not optional but part of God's design, rooted in shared purpose and labor in the gospel. Isolation creates space for lies to grow, while vulnerability and honest confession build trust and strength. The solution is not just busyness, but intentional, Christ-centered relationships formed through church involvement, service, and discipleship. When believers lift their eyes from themselves and unite with others, loneliness turns into joy, endurance, and lasting hope.Send a textThanks for listening! If you've been helped by this podcast, we'd be grateful if you'd consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro

All About the Girl host Jenny Craig-Brown sits down with Kat Lutze, founder and owner of Alley Kat's Curiosity Shoppe, a community-driven retail space that features local artists, curators, and small business owners! A Valparaiso native, Kat started her entrepreneurial journey in 2014 after purchasing the remaining inventory of a lampshade factory. What began as online and local resale quickly evolved into something much bigger. Jenny and Kat explore all this and so much more in this month's episode of AATG, along with a special announcement from Jenny!Biography: Kat Lutze is the owner and creative force behind Alley Kat's Curiosity Shoppe, a community-driven retail space in Valparaiso, Indiana that features local artists, curators, and small business owners.A Valparaiso native, Kat started her entrepreneurial journey in 2014 after purchasing the remaining inventory of a lampshade factory. What began as online and local resale quickly evolved into something much bigger. By reinvesting her profits through auctions and outlets, she built a thriving resale business rooted in accessibility and quality secondhand goods for her community.In 2016, Kat launched a membership program designed not just to rent space to vendors — but to mentor, support, and grow small businesses from the inside out. Today, Alley Kat's has grown from just 10 members to nearly 50, operating out of a building she purchased in 2018. Unlike traditional vendor malls, Kat's model centers on the people behind the products, offering mentorship, marketing support, and a true small business community.With a background in theater and film and a degree in Arts Administration from Augsburg College, Kat blends artistic vision with business strategy — helping creatives turn passion into sustainable success.Deeply committed to Valparaiso, she also hosts free community events including Kids Day Scavenger Hunts, reading programs, and interactive activities designed to bring people together.When she's not working at the Shoppe, you can find Kat reading a good book, playing board games with friends, hiking at the dunes, or developing her newest venture, “Unplugged Events,” a startup encouraging people to disconnect from their phones and reconnect in real life.Kat believes that small businesses thrive when people feel seen, supported, and connected — and she's building spaces where exactly that can happen.GreatNews.Life & Podcast Host Jenny Craig-Brown have transformed the All About the Girls annual event into a podcast! These monthly episodes feature incredible women giving the audience all the insight about what makes them happy, successful, and motivational. New episodes launch on Sundays to make sure to start your week on a positive note! The All About the Girls Podcast is brought to you by GreatNews.Life GreatNewsLife looks to form positive, online communities centered around the idea that, given the option, viewers prefer to see all the good things going on in their community, as opposed to negative news. Here you'll find exclusively positive, hyper-local stories, features, and news touting everything exceptional about the communities that make up Northwest Indiana. We invite you to partake in the Region's only source for all-positive news, all the time. Watch it. Love it. Share it.

This is a great, precise debate about the morality of the war in Iran, and is conducted by two men who share many of the same views.James Stevens Valliant is a philosopher, historian, and retired prosecutor. He is also author of The Passion of Ayn Rand's Critics, and Creating Christ.About Michael Liebowitz – Host of The Rational EgoistMichael Liebowitz is the host of The Rational Egoist podcast, a philosopher, author, and political activist committed to the principles of reason, individualism, and rational self-interest. Deeply influenced by the philosophy of Ayn Rand, Michael uses his platform to challenge cultural dogma, expose moral contradictions, and defend the values that make human flourishing possible.His journey from a 25-year prison sentence to becoming a respected voice in the libertarian and Objectivist communities is a testament to the transformative power of philosophy. Today, Michael speaks, writes, and debates passionately in defence of individual rights and intellectual clarity.He is the co-author of two compelling books that examine the failures of the correctional system and the redemptive power of moral conviction:Down the Rabbit Hole: How the Culture of Corrections Encourages Crimehttps://www.amazon.com.au/Down-Rabbit...View from a Cage: From Convict to Crusader for Libertyhttps://books2read.com/u/4jN6xjAbout Xenia Ioannou – Producer of The Rational EgoistXenia Ioannou is the producer of The Rational Egoist, responsible for overseeing the publishing, presentation, and promotion of each episode to ensure a consistent standard of clarity, professionalism, and intellectual rigour.She is the CEO of Alexa Real Estate, a property manager and entrepreneur, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Ayn Rand Centre Australia, where she contributes to the organisation's strategic direction and public engagement with ideas centred on reason, individual rights, and human freedom.Xenia also leads Capitalism and Coffee – An Objectivist Meetup in Adelaide, creating a forum for thoughtful discussion on Ayn Rand's philosophy and its application to everyday life, culture, and current issues.Join Capitalism and Coffee here:https://www.meetup.com/adelaide-ayn-r...(Capitalism and Coffee – An Objectivist Meetup)Follow Xenia's essays on reason, independence, and purposeful living at her Substack:https://substack.com/@xeniaioannou?ut...Because freedom is worth thinking about — and talking about.#iran#war#debate#morality

Today on Respect Life Radio, Jennifer and Emma are joined by Allison Auth, a Catholic author, wife, mother and regular contributor to the Denver Catholic, CatholicMom.com and other publications. Allison is the author of Baby and Beyond: Overcoming Those Postpartum Woes, a compassionate and practical guide for mothers navigating the often-overlooked challenges of the postpartum season.In this episode, Jennifer and Emma explore the realities of postpartum life and how it can deeply impact marriage, spirituality, physical and emotional health and a mother's sense of community. Allison offers encouragement and practical insight for women who may feel isolated or overwhelmed, while also challenging families and parishes to more intentionally support mothers during this vulnerable time. Tune in to discover how you can better accompany and uplift new moms in your own community. To learn more about Baby and Beyond, visit: https://sophiainstitute.com/product/baby-and-beyond/ And be on the lookout for the upcoming audiobook release as well!

All right folks, buckle in for a really, romantic tale!Darlene is someone who changes her world, as well as the worlds of those around her. And when I say that she is here to lift others up, SHE IS HERE TO LIVE OTHERS UP! Just look at her Returning Warrior Workshop, designed and implemented by Darlene, to help those returning from combat, as well as their spouses and other loved ones. She is someone who sees a need and then walks right in and creates a beautiful solution that helps everyone!Deeply compassionate and incredibly unstoppable, Darlene tells the story of how she met her beloved husband and the story of musical chairs and how they actually met captivated me! I just know you're going to love it!To check out Returning Warrior Workshop, click here! (it's a great FB video!)To dive on into Darlene's website and other work she is doing, click here!And finally, here is her FB! and Linkedin!Thanks you all for listening, and I would remind you that you know the way to my heart is with ratings and reviews...so please, if you could...Here is your bit of beauty this week, in a week of stress and bad news, I still keep suggesting this world is a good, beautiful place! I've lately had moths on the brain and so found this sweet and funny video about KYLE a sphinx moth, and his life cycle. Laugh, and then, understand how magical this world really is!

All right folks, buckle in for a really, romantic tale!Darlene is someone who changes her world, as well as the worlds of those around her. And when I say that she is here to lift others up, SHE IS HERE TO LIVE OTHERS UP! Just look at her Returning Warrior Workshop, designed and implemented by Darlene, to help those returning from combat, as well as their spouses and other loved ones. She is someone who sees a need and then walks right in and creates a beautiful solution that helps everyone!Deeply compassionate and incredibly unstoppable, Darlene tells the story of how she met her beloved husband and the story of musical chairs and how they actually met captivated me! I just know you're going to love it!To check out Returning Warrior Workshop, click here! (it's a great FB video!)To dive on into Darlene's website and other work she is doing, click here!And finally, here is her FB! and Linkedin!Thanks you all for listening, and I would remind you that you know the way to my heart is with ratings and reviews...so please, if you could...Here is your bit of beauty this week, in a week of stress and bad news, I still keep suggesting this world is a good, beautiful place! I've lately had moths on the brain and so found this sweet and funny video about KYLE a sphinx moth, and his life cycle. Laugh, and then, understand how magical this world really is!

Traditional service featuring our NPC Chancel Choir and one-of-a-kind authentic organ.

Jo takes us on a whirlwind tour of their recent reading, including Mary Helen Washington's Paule Marshall: A Writer's Life, and Charlotte explains why Susanna Moore's In the Cut is one of the most thrilling novels she's ever encountered. Then, the profoundly thoughtful Jamie Hood joins to explore the many boyfriends and political disappointments of Doris Lessing's The Golden Notebook. Jamie Hood is the author, most recently, of Trauma Plot: A Life, the hybrid pandemic diary how to be a good girl, the semi-monthly, Proust-infused newsletter, regards, marcel, and a book of love poems, forthcoming in 2026. She has written extensively on books, feminism, #MeToo, and other political matters for many publications, some of them even prestigious. She lives in Brooklyn.Please consider supporting our work on Patreon, where you can access additional materials and send us your guest and book coverage requests! Questions and comments can be directed to readingwriterspod at gmail dot com. Outro music by Marty Sulkow and Joe Valle.Charlotte Shane's most recent book is An Honest Woman. Her essay newsletter, Meant For You, can be subscribed to or read online for free, and her social media handle is @charoshane.  Jo Livingstone is a writer who teaches at Pratt Institute. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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Josiah Hesse recounts the psychological fear of his religious upbringing while observing how Donald Trump's populism continues to resonate deeply with modern Iowa evangelical voters. 161880 BEECHERS

In this week's podcast episode in the Nutrition After Breast Cancer: Just the Facts series, I bring up the study that sparked that concern. I don't ignore things like this. I don't pretend they don't exist. If there's research being talked about, I want you to know about it. But here are the actual facts. The study was done in mice. The mice were made to consume about 40% of their diet in olive oil. And the rest of their diet was an obesogenic, high-carbohydrate diet designed to promote weight gain and metabolic dysfunction. That is not a Mediterranean diet. That is not olive oil drizzled over vegetables and salmon. That is not real life. It was a laboratory model designed to stress metabolism. Context matters. Deeply.   Resources Mentioned: Guide to Essential Fatty Acids: https://www.thebreastcancerrecoverycoach.com/oil Episode #326 Simplifying Seed Oils and Fatty Acids After Breast Cancer https://www.thebreastcancerrecoverycoach.com/326   Work with Laura: https://www.thebreastcancerrecoverycoach.com/health      REFERENCES: Obesity and Low-Fat Diet History Trends in Obesity Among Adults in the United States, 2005 to 2014 (CDC) https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/su6001a15.htm Documents obesity prevalence: 15.0% (1976-1980), 23.3% (1988-1994) Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps (CDC) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9611578/ 30.9% obesity prevalence (1999-2000) Adult Obesity Prevalence, 2021-2023 (CDC) https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db508.htm Current obesity prevalence: 40.3% How the Ideology of Low Fat Conquered America https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18296750/ Historical analysis of the low-fat movement Heart Disease Mortality Explaining the Decrease in U.S. Deaths from Coronary Disease, 1980–2000 (Ford et al., NEJM 2007) https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa053935 ~51% decline in men, ~49% decline in women 47% from medical treatments, 44% from risk factor changes Obesity and diabetes offset gains by 8% and 10% Heart Disease Mortality in the United States, 1970 to 2022 https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.124.038644 89% decrease in heart attack deaths 81% increase in heart failure and other heart disease deaths Omega-3s, Inflammation, and Cancer Omega-6/Omega-3 Ratios and Modern Diets Ancestral ratios: 1:1 to 4:1 Modern Western diet: 15:1 to 20:1 Impact on eicosanoid metabolism and cellular inflammation DHA and Triple Negative Breast Cancer (Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 2019) DHA induced cell death in TNBC cells Mechanism: altered membrane composition, increased oxidative stress in cancer cells High-Fat Diets and TNBC Metastasis (Preclinical Studies) CD36-mediated fatty acid uptake in TNBC Oleic acid-rich diets promoting metastasis in mouse models Importance of tumor phenotype and metabolic flexibility   Let's Connect! If this episode helped you breathe a little easier, please share it with a friend or leave a review. Every share helps spread this message of hope, healing, and whole-person wellness.

Community link below! Having trouble switching off at night? This short breath work meditation is designed to help you release the tension and worries of the day so you can drift into deep, restful sleep. Inspired by how many of you tell me you like to listen to my meditations at night. This is the first of the Sleep Well Series — a collection of mini bedtime rituals to help you train your mind and body to unwind and sleep deeply. Each session is short enough to listen to in bed, just before you turn out the lights.  You could also use it for a mini break to relax whenever you wish. Press play, get comfortable, and let sleep come to you. Sweet dreams. Paul  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ About Me I'm Paul Sheppard, I am Coach who is on a mission to help people break free from overthinking and reconnect with a calmer, clearer and more confident way of being. Through simple insights, practical guidance and meditations, I will help you discover who you truly are and what you are capable of beyond the thinking mind.   Newsletter, contact and community link here

Owen was on holiday abroad when he received a disturbing message from a colleague: “The boss is looking to replace you.” Deeply upset, he prayed one morning at dawn and asked God: “Where are you?” Then, he went to the window to open the curtains—and spotted a huge, beautiful rainbow suspended above the lake outside. Immediately, a comforting warmth gushed over him. “It was as if God was simply telling me, ‘It’s okay, I’m here,’” he recounted later. In Genesis 9, God promised not to destroy the earth through a flood again. He promised, “Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth” (v. 16). This covenant was everlasting and unconditional. It depended totally on God’s protection and provision, not on humanity’s performance. And it was just the first of many promises God would make to His people. Jesus, too, said: “Surely I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20). God doesn’t promise that we won’t suffer. But He does promise His ever-present comfort and personal presence. We may not get “rainbow answers,” but we have His assurance that no matter what happens to us in life, He’s always there for us, and we can draw on His strength, comfort, and presence.

February 26th, 2026 - We welcome back Nicholas Cavazos to discuss the deep political divide currently plaguing America. Then, we welcome back His Excellency Bishop Joseph Strickland to discuss how that same divide has seeped into the Catholic Church. TheStationOfTheCross.com/ACT

I discuss my disagreements with Ayn Rand.About Michael Liebowitz – Host of The Rational EgoistMichael Liebowitz is the host of The Rational Egoist podcast, a philosopher, author, and political activist committed to the principles of reason, individualism, and rational self-interest. Deeply influenced by the philosophy of Ayn Rand, Michael uses his platform to challenge cultural dogma, expose moral contradictions, and defend the values that make human flourishing possible.His journey from a 25-year prison sentence to becoming a respected voice in the libertarian and Objectivist communities is a testament to the transformative power of philosophy. Today, Michael speaks, writes, and debates passionately in defence of individual rights and intellectual clarity.He is the co-author of two compelling books that examine the failures of the correctional system and the redemptive power of moral conviction:Down the Rabbit Hole: How the Culture of Corrections Encourages Crimehttps://www.amazon.com.au/Down-Rabbit...View from a Cage: From Convict to Crusader for Libertyhttps://books2read.com/u/4jN6xjAbout Xenia Ioannou – Producer of The Rational EgoistXenia Ioannou is the producer of The Rational Egoist, responsible for overseeing the publishing, presentation, and promotion of each episode to ensure a consistent standard of clarity, professionalism, and intellectual rigour.She is the CEO of Alexa Real Estate, a property manager and entrepreneur, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Ayn Rand Centre Australia, where she contributes to the organisation's strategic direction and public engagement with ideas centred on reason, individual rights, and human freedom.Xenia also leads Capitalism and Coffee – An Objectivist Meetup in Adelaide, creating a forum for thoughtful discussion on Ayn Rand's philosophy and its application to everyday life, culture, and current issues.Join Capitalism and Coffee here:https://www.meetup.com/adelaide-ayn-r...(Capitalism and Coffee – An Objectivist Meetup)Follow Xenia's essays on reason, independence, and purposeful living at her Substack:https://substack.com/@xeniaioannou?ut...Because freedom is worth thinking about — and talking about.#TheRationalEgoist #MichaelLiebowitz #JamesValliant #OPAR #LeonardPeikoff #AynRand #Philosophy #SelfImprovement #Reason #Volition #Individualism #PersonalDevelopment #HumanNature #Virtue #Productiveness

Sylvia Pizarroso is a finance veteran with over 30 years of experience in commercial and business banking. Known for her expertise in business development, client relationship management, and risk mitigation, Sylvia has a strong background in credit analysis, cash management, and SBA lending. She has served as a trusted advisor to businesses of all sizes throughout her career. Sylvia holds a bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in Finance. In April 2024, Sylvia joined the OCIE Small Business Development Center (OCIE SBDC) as the Finance Center Director. She came to the SBDC after a distinguished 14-year tenure at JP Morgan Chase, where she held several leadership positions, most recently as Executive Director in their Commercial Banking division. As Finance Center Director, Sylvia leads a team dedicated to providing critical financial support and guidance to small businesses. Her leadership extends to the community as demonstrated by her service as the 2022-2024 Board Chair of the Orange County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Deeply committed to empowering Latino youth, Sylvia is actively involved in mentoring and community outreach. She serves as the Mentorship Program Advisor for the Orange County Hispanic Youth Chamber of Commerce and is a board member of the Orangewood Foundation, an organization supporting youth transitioning out of the foster care system. An immigrant from La Paz, Bolivia, Sylvia's personal journey embodies the American dream. Her drive and dedication have fueled her success, and she is passionate about helping others achieve their professional and personal dreams. Sylvia is married and has two children, Michelle and Luke.   -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at REF Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com.

Watch this insightful presentation on the topic "Engaging Deeply With The Youth Of Today" delivered by the Youth Director of The Church of Pentecost and NGN Africa Co-Chair, Apostle David Nyansah Hayfron. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Edmund Fitton-Brown and Bill Roggio evaluate the limitations of air power against the Houthis and debate whether USstrikes could effectively decapitate or reform Iran's deeply unpopular and corrupt regime. 16.1915 SHAH AND AEROPLANE.CONSTRUCTION

What if thriving wasn't about having more, but about choosing differently? Rand Selig has spent a lifetime studying growth, leadership, relationships, and what it truly means to live well. With decades of global experience in business, service, and personal development, Rand believes thriving is not accidental. It's the result of intentional choices made over time. This episode explores how self-reflection, forgiveness, resilience, and personal responsibility shape the quality of our lives. Through thoughtful dialogue, Rand Selig and Chuck Thuss unpack why thriving starts with the relationship you have with yourself, how setbacks can become turning points, and what it takes to stop living on autopilot and start authoring your own story. Guest Bio Rand Selig holds an MBA from Stanford and dual undergraduate degrees in mathematics and psychology. For over 35 years, he has led his own financial services firm while living and working across Europe, Asia, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Deeply committed to personal growth, service, and environmental conservation, Rand created Thriving! to help others embrace meaningful, positive change. He lives in Mill Valley, California, with his wife of over four decades and remains actively involved in mentorship, community leadership, and global service.   You'll hear About What it really means to "thrive" in today's world Why the most important relationship you'll ever have is with yourself How forgiveness and letting go free emotional energy Reframing setbacks as opportunities for growth Becoming the author of your own life story   Chapters 00:00 Welcome and Introduction 02:40 Rand's Background and Global Life Experience 05:20 Defining Thriving and Its Four Core Pillars 08:10 Why Personal Thriving Comes First 11:30 Self-Sabotage, Forgiveness, and Letting Go 15:00 The Power of Personal Choice 18:20 Navigating Setbacks and Building Resilience 22:30 Pain vs. Suffering and Reclaiming Agency 26:00 Becoming the Author of Your Own Story 30:20 Words, Self-Talk, and Emotional Health 34:00 Small Steps Toward Lasting Change 38:00 Rand's Message to Anyone Feeling Stuck 41:30 Where to Find Thriving! and Additional Resources 44:30 Chuck's Closing Reflections Chuck's Challenge This week, identify one area of your life where you've been reacting instead of choosing. Pause and ask yourself, "Is this aligned with the life I want to be living?" Make one intentional choice,  even a small one, that moves you toward thriving rather than defaulting to habit. Connect with Rand Selig Website: https://www.randselig.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rand-selig-43525a6/ Connect with Chuck Check out the website: https://www.thecompassionateconnection.com/ Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-thuss-a9aa044/ Follow on Instagram: @warriorsunmasked Join the Warriors Unmasked community by subscribing to the show. Together, we're breaking stigmas and shining a light on mental health, one story at a time.

The Rational Egoist is back with another instalment in the self-improvement series built around Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand (OPAR).This week, host Michael Liebowitz is joined again by James Valliant to focus on the virtue of independence.A practical takeaway: how to translate abstract principles into day-to-day clarity and momentumExpect a direct, grounded discussion aimed at one thing: helping you think more clearly about what you are—and what that makes possible.About Michael Liebowitz – Host of The Rational EgoistMichael Liebowitz is the host of The Rational Egoist podcast, a philosopher, author, and political activist committed to the principles of reason, individualism, and rational self-interest. Deeply influenced by the philosophy of Ayn Rand, Michael uses his platform to challenge cultural dogma, expose moral contradictions, and defend the values that make human flourishing possible.His journey from a 25-year prison sentence to becoming a respected voice in the libertarian and Objectivist communities is a testament to the transformative power of philosophy. Today, Michael speaks, writes, and debates passionately in defence of individual rights and intellectual clarity.He is the co-author of two compelling books that examine the failures of the correctional system and the redemptive power of moral conviction:Down the Rabbit Hole: How the Culture of Corrections Encourages Crimehttps://www.amazon.com.au/Down-Rabbit...View from a Cage: From Convict to Crusader for Libertyhttps://books2read.com/u/4jN6xjAbout Xenia Ioannou – Producer of The Rational EgoistXenia Ioannou is the producer of The Rational Egoist, responsible for overseeing the publishing, presentation, and promotion of each episode to ensure a consistent standard of clarity, professionalism, and intellectual rigour.She is the CEO of Alexa Real Estate, a property manager and entrepreneur, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Ayn Rand Centre Australia, where she contributes to the organisation's strategic direction and public engagement with ideas centred on reason, individual rights, and human freedom.Xenia also leads Capitalism and Coffee – An Objectivist Meetup in Adelaide, creating a forum for thoughtful discussion on Ayn Rand's philosophy and its application to everyday life, culture, and current issues.Join Capitalism and Coffee here:https://www.meetup.com/adelaide-ayn-r...(Capitalism and Coffee – An Objectivist Meetup)Follow Xenia's essays on reason, independence, and purposeful living at her Substack:https://substack.com/@xeniaioannou?ut...Because freedom is worth thinking about — and talking about.#TheRationalEgoist #MichaelLiebowitz #JamesValliant #OPAR #LeonardPeikoff #AynRand #Philosophy #SelfImprovement #Reason #Volition #Individualism #PersonalDevelopment #HumanNature #Virtue #Productiveness

Does your anxiety or depression symptoms keep you from sleeping? Or maybe you are looking for the drowsy professor type voice that knocks you out.  The Deeply Unimportant podcast might be what you are looking for. Sometimes you need a specific type of voice to put you into the sleep zone.   Once upon a time there was a guy named Terrance McKenna. Very deep into psychoactive plants, mushrooms and alternative waves of being.   I didn't really understand what he was talking about. Not a clue. This was a good thing because within 15 minutes of listening to him I was asleep. Again, I didn't not understand anything. I just knew that if he was on the radio, I was going to be able to go to sleep. These days, I need something more "boring" than Mr. McKenna. No disrespect to Terrance. For those on his wave length he was the man. Now days, we have a lot of options from ASMR to stories but for me, Deeply Uniportant cuts through the mind yapping and slides me into sleepy town.  Resources Mentioned:  The main website is https://deeplyunimportant.com. You can listen to the ad supported version for free or if you need the full eight-hour version you can subscribe and become a member. You also have the option to listen on your favorite podcasting app. There is an audiogram introduction trailer on YouTube about the podcast.   There is a tribute site by Lorenzo called Psychedelic Salon that contains some of the recordings of Terrance McKenna. There is also an official archive site where you can purchase his work. The Simply Noise app can help you with finding the right sound for your needs, that could be a frequency noise or a sound of nature. Windows users can go to the download section of the website and select the items that will give them an audio balm. Emergency Resources:   The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community.    Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options.    National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.   Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.  

Hello Beautiful, I'm so grateful you're here with me.

Michael Morris and Nicholas Lorimer discuss the resignation of Colleen Makhubele and the state of South Africa's left-wing parties. They also discuss gambling adverts and the US Supreme Court's ruling on IEEPA. Website · Facebook · Instagram · Twitter

Throughout the meditation, Lauren repeats reassuring affirmations: *You have done enough for today. You are enough exactly as you are. Your body knows how to sleep. You can trust the process.* Listen as you lie down, allow the words to wash over you, and let your body remember how to rest and sleep. Here's a shorter, cleaner set of YouTube chapters for this meditation: 0:00 – **Welcome & Intention: You've Done Enough Today** 2:01 – **Getting Comfortable: Sitting or Lying Down** 3:40 – **Permission to Rest & Let Go of the Day** 4:50 – **Thoughts as Clouds in the Sky of the Mind** 7:00 – **Gentle Breath & Quiet Sigh Exhale** 14:24 – **Full Body Scan: Feeling Supported** 21:22 – **Belly & Chest: Releasing Worry and Emotion** 27:40 – **Shoulders, Arms & Hands: Putting Down the Backpack of Life** 29:45 – **Neck, Throat, Face & Head: Unspoken Feelings Soften** 32:24 – **Head-to-Toe Relaxation: You Are Allowed to Rest** 33:34 – **Safe Place Imagery: Beach, Forest, or Cozy Room** 37:45 – **Rowboat on the Lake: Gently Drifting** 40:17 – **Affirmations: You Have Done Enough, You Are Enough** 45:22 – **Deep Rest: It Will Be Okay** --- Come sit with me—let's slow down, sleep better, and feel more like ourselves. My courses (gentle, practical, cozy)

Traditional service featuring our NPC Chancel Choir and one-of-a-kind authentic organ.

President Donald Trump on Friday said the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that struck down his sweeping tariffs was "deeply disappointing" and that he was "absolutely ashamed" by the justices who ruled against him in the 6-3 decision. Trump announced that he will sign an order to "impose a 10% global tariff under Section 122."

This episode is brought to you by B2B Better. We turned down SaaS clients and e-commerce brands to become the only video-first podcast agency for service-based B2B businesses. Specificity is the strategy.  If you've ever said "we can do that" to every client who walks in, this episode is your wake-up call. Host Jason Bradwell breaks down why niching down is the fastest path to becoming the obvious choice, and why being a bit of everything for everyone means you're actually nothing for nobody. Jason's core point is clear: when he set out to build B2B Better, he committed to being specific on two levels - who they serve and what they do. Not just B2B, because B2B is a hemisphere. They went one layer deeper: service-based businesses. Consulting firms, agencies, system integrators, compliance specialists. Companies that sell expertise, not products. People, not software. Trust and relationships, not features and pricing. That's what lends itself to their service: video-first podcasts that turn your point of view into pipeline. Nothing else. The same principle applies to podcasts. When a client says they want to launch a show, Jason's first question is: what's your superpower? Here's the formula. "This is a podcast about X, and unlike other podcasts about X, only we do Y." Most B2B podcasts fail this test. They say "we're a podcast about technology" or "leadership" or "AI." So are thousands of others. There's no "and." There's no reason to choose you. Add the "and" and everything changes. One show in the B2B Better portfolio is Data and Biotech: "a podcast about data science, and unlike other data science podcasts, only we explore it through the lens of biotech manufacturing." Suddenly if you're a data scientist in biotech, there's only one show for you. That specificity drives 75% to 80% episode completion rates, nearly double the industry average because every listener is exactly the right person. The fear of niching down is real. Every founder worries about leaving money on the table. But saying yes to everyone dilutes your positioning, creates operational inefficiency, and kills pricing power. What actually happens when you niche properly: the funnel gets narrower at first, but the people who raise their hand are perfect fits. They convert faster, pay more, stay longer, and refer others in the same niche. Year one it feels limiting. Year three it feels like leverage. Year five it feels like a moat. The framework to choose your niche: look at your best clients, not biggest. Validate the economics. Test your thesis before announcing publicly. Then commit hard and communicate clearly—change the website, the LinkedIn, the pitch deck. Say who you serve and who you don't. Resonance over reach. Always. Chapter Markers 00:00 - The "we can do anything" agency problem 01:00 - Why B2B isn't a niche, it's a hemisphere 02:00 - Choosing service-based businesses as the core niche 03:00 - Selling expertise, not products: why podcasts fit perfectly 04:00 - Video-first podcasts and the full service offering 05:00 - The superpower formula for podcast positioning 06:00 - Data and Biotech: the power of the "and" 07:00 - 75 to 80% completion rates and what resonance looks like 08:00 - Deeply engaged beats loosely interested every time 09:00 - Addressing the fear of leaving money on the table 10:00 - How niching compounds: pricing, referrals, close rates 11:00 - Four-step framework to choose your niche 12:00 - Specialists compound, generalists reset to zero 13:00 - Resonance is a revenue metric, reach is vanity 14:00 - Direct, systematic, results-driven: the B2B Better approach 15:00 - Write your "and" statement this week Useful Links Connect with Jason Bradwell on LinkedIn Listen to Pipe Dream on Podbean Explore B2B Better website and the Pipe Dream podcast 

President Trump called Amy Coney Barrett a "disgrace" to her family because she dared to rule in a way that made his life slightly more difficult

Mark Shupe joins Michael Liebowitz on The Rational Egoist to discuss the principles of applied capitalism through the lens of Objectivism. Mark is an Objectivist, an author, and an investor who has developed a unique approach to wealth-building for everyday people. His work focuses on empowering the middle class to think rationally about money and investment strategies rather than chasing trends or relying on conventional “expert” wisdom.Mark is the author of The Moneyball Method: Investing for the Middle Class, which applies clear, objective principles to help investors make smarter decisions:https://www.amazon.com/dp/1696009111He also publishes The Moneyball Method on Substack, where he shares regular insights on investing, finance, and rational decision-making:https://moneyballmethod.substack.com/His website is: http://www.moneyballmethod.com/This episode explores how Objectivist principles—reason, self-interest, and long-range thinking—can be applied directly to the way we handle money, build wealth, and secure financial independence.About Michael Liebowitz – Host of The Rational EgoistMichael Liebowitz is the host of The Rational Egoist podcast, a philosopher, author, and political activist committed to the principles of reason, individualism, and rational self-interest. Deeply influenced by the philosophy of Ayn Rand, Michael uses his platform to challenge cultural dogma, expose moral contradictions, and defend the values that make human flourishing possible.His journey from a 25-year prison sentence to becoming a respected voice in the libertarian and Objectivist communities is a testament to the transformative power of philosophy. Today, Michael speaks, writes, and debates passionately in defence of individual rights and intellectual clarity.He is the co-author of two compelling books that examine the failures of the correctional system and the redemptive power of moral conviction:Down the Rabbit Hole: How the Culture of Corrections Encourages Crimehttps://www.amazon.com.au/Down-Rabbit...View from a Cage: From Convict to Crusader for Libertyhttps://books2read.com/u/4jN6xjAbout Xenia Ioannou – Producer of The Rational EgoistXenia Ioannou is the producer of The Rational Egoist, overseeing the publishing and promotion of each episode to reflect a consistent standard of clarity, professionalism, and intellectual integrity.As a CEO, property manager, entrepreneur, and lifelong advocate for capitalism and individual rights, Xenia ensures the podcast stays true to its core values of reason, freedom, and personal responsibility.Xenia also leads Capitalism and Coffee – An Objectivist Meetup in Adelaide, where passionate thinkers gather to discuss Ayn Rand's ideas and their application to life, politics, and culture.Join us at: https://www.meetup.com/adelaide-ayn-r...(Capitalism and Coffee – An Objectivist Meetup)Because freedom is worth thinking about—and talking about.Follow Life on Purpose – Xenia's thought-provoking essays at her Substack:https://substack.com/@xeniaioannou?ut...Hashtags:#Investing #Objectivism #RationalEgoism #WealthBuilding #MiddleClass #MoneyballMethod #AynRand #FinancialIndependence

Religious leaders and academic experts have faced a New South Wales parliamentary inquiry into a proposed law to combat right wing extremism. This, as the state government introduced the crime amendment bill following a neo-nazi protest outside state Parliament in November last year. The Law and Safety committee have been investigating the risks posed by certain groups, and are looking into the best ways to counter it. - दक्षिणपन्थी अतिवाद नियन्त्रण गर्न प्रस्तावित कानूनबारे न्यु साउथ वेल्सको संसदीय छानबिनमा विभिन्न धर्मगुरु र शैक्षिक विज्ञहरू यस हप्ता सहभागी भएका छन्। गत नोभेम्बरमा राज्यको संसद भवन अगाडी भएको एक नाजी समर्थक र्‍याली पछि सरकारले अपराध सम्बन्धि उक्त विधेयकमा संशोधनको प्रस्ताव गरेको थियो। कानून संशोधनका साथसाथै प्रभावकारी उपायहरूबारे छलफल गरिएको छ। एक रिपोर्ट।

Hello Beautiful, I'm so grateful you're here with me.

What reasons and justifications are you using to not move your body? Age, weight, money? It's not about judging what you haven't chosen; just choose something different and keep choosing! In this episode of Choice, Change and Action, Simone Milasas talks with crossfit champion, Adriana Olschewski, about her journey with her body. It doesn't matter what you do, just move your body, enjoy your body and be grateful for your body every single day. What can you do today to be more of you and have more of you? Questions And Tools: "What can I do to improve?"  "What can I do to recover faster?"  "Who can help me to improve?" "What can I be with everything I am choosing?" "What can I be today to create a better world environment for those willing to have it?" As Mentioned In This Episode: Access Bars: https://www.accessconsciousness.com/en/micrositesfolder/accessbars  Bars in Business: https://barsinbusiness.com  Bars for Athletes: https://barsinbusiness.com/access-bars-for-athletes  Body Processes: https://www.accessconsciousness.com/en/micrositesfolder/access-body  Useful Links: The Clearing Statement explained Access Consciousness Website Choice, Change & Action Podcast Instagram Follow Simone Milasas Simone's Website Simone's Instagram Simone's Facebook Simone's YouTube Simone's Telegram Simone's Contact Email  Follow Adriana Olschewski Adri's Instagram Adri's Facebook Play with Simone Milasas The Profit Club membership Getting Out of Debt Joyfully Taking Action online video course All Upcoming Classes with Simone Past Class Recordings

7:00 pm in the Sanctuary & online Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten season, a time of reflection, repentance, and spiritual growth leading up to Easter. We will begin the Lenten season with scripture, prayers, Communion, and for those who desire the imposition of ashes as a sign of our unity with Christ and with one another. We hope that you will join us as we begin this journey together, and that this season of Lent will be a time of deeper spiritual growth and closer relationship with God. May God bless you on this Ash Wednesday and throughout the Lenten season. If you cannot attend in person, please visit our Watch page to worship online.

On this episode, my guest is Leslie Kern, PhD, the author of three books about cities, including Gentrification Is Inevitable And Other Lies and Feminist City: Claiming Space in a Man-Made World. Her work provokes new ways of thinking about and creating cities that are more just, equitable, caring, and sustainable. Leslie was an associate professor of geography and environment and women's and gender studies at Mount Allison University from 2009-2024. Today, she is a public speaker, writer, and career coach for authors and academics.Show Notes* Gentrification and touristification* Naturalization of gentrification* The new colonialism* Intersectionality* Who's to blame: renter or landlord?* The hipster and the safety net* The invisible face behind gentrification and touristifcation* Transactionality or hospitality? The case of Airbnb* Commercial gentrification* The right to stay putHomeworkLeslie Kern - Website - InstagramGentrification Is Inevitable and Other Lies - USA - Canada Feminist City: Claiming Space in a Man-Made World - USA - CanadaHigher Expectations: How to Survive Academia, Make it Better for Others, and Transform the UniversityThe Tenant Class by Ricardo TranjanTranscriptChris: [00:00:00] Welcome, Leslie, to the End of Tourism Podcast. Thank you for taking time out of your day, to speak with me. Thank you. To begin, I'm wondering if you'd be willing to tell us where you find yourself today and what the world looks like there, for you.Leslie: Sure. I find myself in Cambridge, Ontario.It's a city of about 130,000 people. If I looked out my window right now, I would see a lot of blowing snow. It's about minus 27 Celsius with the windchill, or something hideous like that today, so taking the time to talk to you this morning means I don't have to go out and shovel anything just yet. So.Chris: Well, thank you. Thank you for joining us. it's a great honour and I'm really looking forward to this conversation that bears a great deal of complexity. So, I had invited you on the pod in part to explore your book, Gentrification is Inevitable and Other Lies. And [00:01:00] in it, Leslie, you write that“Gentrification has come to be used as a metaphor for processes of mainstreaming, commodification, appropriation, and upscaling that are not necessarily or directly connected to cities. In this story about gentrification, gentrification stands in for any sort of change that pulls a thing or a practice out of its original context and increases its popularity, priciness, and profit-making potential.”Given that some of our listeners might not have heard of the term “gentrification” before, although I doubt it, but given that those who have heard it might understand it also to be what you and others refer to as a “chaotic concept,” I'm wondering if you'd be willing to take a stab at defining it for us today?Leslie: Yeah, absolutely. If we [00:02:00] look to, I guess, a kind of typical scholarly definition of gentrification, it would be describing an urban process in which middle or upper class, or in some other way, privileged households start to move into a neighbourhood or area of the city that has historically been more working class, or perhaps an immigrant neighbourhood, perhaps more industrial, and begin to remake that neighbourhood, kind of in their own image, thus driving up housing prices both in the rental and ownership markets, driving up the cost of living in the area, and critically, as part of the definition, resulting in some level of displacement of the older inhabitants of that neighbourhood. “Displacement” meaning they've been kind of priced out or otherwise pushed directly or indirectly to leave and [00:03:00] move to some other neighbourhood.So, typically with gentrification, the definition is centred around it being a class-based process, but in more recent decades, many scholars, myself included, have wanted to broaden that and to acknowledge that other axes of power and privilege, for example, race, gender, ability, age, sexuality, and so on, also play a role in contributing to the kinds of forces that propel gentrification. And we can maybe get into some of that later.So for myself, in the book, I talk about gentrification as “any kind of process of taking over claiming space and remaking it in the image and for the interests and benefit of a more powerful group of people, or perhaps even corporations, to some extent.” So, [00:04:00] gentrification is really the process of taking and claiming space. And I also do include displacement as part of that process, although I also acknowledge that sometimes people can be kind of psychologically displaced, even if they aren't necessarily physically pushed out of their neighbourhoods.Chris: Mean it's something that I was noticing in Toronto before I left and moved and migrated here to Oaxaca. It's something that I think in the last five or ten years has become an unfortunate mainstay of city life in the vast majority of places, of urban places in the world.And this is also something that I've seen quite a bit here in Oaxaca, Mexico in a somewhat prolific tourist destination. And so, in places that have [00:05:00] been deemed “destinations” in this way, there's often a kind of reductionism, here anyways, and in other tourist destinations in which gentrification and what's sometimes called touristification is confused.And so one definition of “touristification” is simply “the process of transformation of a place into a tourist space and its associated effects.” So a kind of very vague and broad definition. But we also understand that gentrification can happen in places that aren't necessarily tourist destinations.And so, we've also discussed in the pod the possibility that a place doesn't necessarily need tourists in it to have touristic qualities or context what we might say. [00:06:00] And so I'm curious for you, do you think it's important to distinguish the two concepts, gentrification and touristification? And if so, why?Leslie: Yeah, great question. I think a distinction, to some extent, is important in that, yeah, there may be elements of touristification, for example, that are somewhat unique to that process, especially in terms of the kind of impact that it might have on local inhabitants who may not necessarily be displaced, but who may see their everyday lives kind of radically altered by the touristification of an area.And as you say, gentrification happens in all kinds of areas, many of which are not geared to tourism, although sometimes that is a kind of later effect of gentrification, is that tourists might be drawn to certain neighbourhoods or places that they would not have otherwise gone to in the past.As [00:07:00] you mentioned in your earlier question, there's been some concern in the gentrification literature that it's a bit of a chaotic concept, by which it is meant that it's maybe too broad of an umbrella [term], and so many different kinds of processes are kind of lumped together under that umbrella. I think it's a useful umbrella, but under that umbrella, we can try to be clear about what we're talking about when we look at particular locations, and try to articulate the impacts that these processes are having on the local community, economy, environment, and so on.Chris: Thank you, Leslie. Thank you for that. So your book is broken up into chapters that reveal the deeper realities behind the tropes or lies sometimes spouted about gentrification. And there are often many. And so I'm curious if after having done the research and writing for this book, and it was published in [00:08:00] 2022, so perhaps there's been some deeper reflection in that regard, I'm curious what you feel might be the most important lie about gentrification that requires our attention and why?Leslie: Ooh, really putting me on the hook to like pick a favorite child there. No, I'm joking. Ultimately, I mean, I guess the most straightforward answer would be the first one that I discuss in the book, which is right there in the book's title, which is the idea that gentrification is inevitable. And we can kind of unpack that a little bit further, as I do in the kind of first main chapter of the book, which is to say that in some accounts of gentrification, it's presented as a sort of natural process, right? As something that is just akin to evolution, for example. So there's this idea that if you kind of start with, for example, a working class or immigrant [00:09:00] neighbourhood, lower income community, with some other kinds of attributes that might not make it seem wealthy or desirable, that over time, just through, I don't know, a kind of mystical series of properties, the way that species evolve or human beings develop from fetus and baby to an adult through this series of difficult to trace impacts, that somehow it just happens. Right. And of course, the problem with that, again, is that if we think it's natural, then we don't really think there's any way to stop it.And also when we describe something as “natural,” we often imbue it with positive qualities. Well, if it's “natural,” it's just meant to happen. It's just the way things are. And why would we want to stand in the way of that process? From a kind of political standpoint, it becomes very problematic, because it means that there's not really a [00:10:00] willingness perhaps on the part of those who have some power and influence to slow down gentrification, to pause it, to use whatever tools they might have in their kind of legislative toolbox to create guardrails around the process happening or to try to prevent it altogether. And from a kind of community response standpoint, it can be very disempowering to believe that gentrification is inevitable, unstoppable, that once you see those first, white, middle-class families move into your neighbourhood, “boom, you're done. It's over. The clock is counting down to the time when it's not your neighbourhood anymore and you'll just have to leave, so why bother to do anything about it?”And as I also try to show in the book, you know, it's hard to fight gentrification, but there are examples around the world of communities that have pushed back and kind of “pumped the brakes on gentrification,” as one [00:11:00] activist described it to me. So, we, I think, don't want to fall into this trap of believing that communities themselves are powerless, or that our politicians and policy-makers have absolutely no tools that they can use to change this.So I would say that is probably the most important kind of first line myth or lie that we need to challenge. And then we can kind of go down the line and pick apart some of the other ones, which is how I've structured the book as you point out. Yeah.Chris: Thank you, Leslie. Yeah, I mean, that was a really jarring chapter for me, in part because of this notion that not only is quote gentrification inevitable or natural, but that the city is, according to different philosophers and thinkers, imbued with this kind of biological life and [00:12:00] and that it follows as you were mentioning certain processes that are “ natural” as far as evolution is concerned.And imediately, this brought me back to my research on what's often referred to as 19th century social evolutionist thought, these notions that were often created or maintained by kind of, elite, wealthy, white men in the 19th century, not all of whom were academics, some of them were bankers, for example, among other things, but essentially promoting this notion that certain races or genders or types of people had evolved along the natural processes of evolution either faster than others or got ahead in certain ways, and that, of course, this was a way for those people, not only the non-academics, but those in academia [00:13:00] to employ hypotheses theories as a way of justifying colonial histories and the ongoing conquests of different people around the world. And so, in that context, I'm curious if you imagine or think that gentrification understood or described as “natural” in this way is a kind of extension, a historical extension of that kind of colonial power play of the 19th century.Leslie: Yeah, I absolutely do. And there are many ways in which the power dynamics and even the language or the vocabulary around gentrification mirrors that around colonialism with all of the problematic tropes there of neighbourhoods or areas of the city being taken over where “there's really nothing there,” right?[It's the] same kind of justification for colonialism. “There's nothing there. [00:14:00] There's nobody there that we need to care about,” so European colonizers are entitled to this land. Similarly, with the way that many developers, for example, I think, rationalize or justify the kind of projects they engage in.“Oh, there's nothing really happening in that part of the city. There's not really a community there. It's just a space of problems or deviation from the norm or disorder. And so we, as developers, as city planners, we're going to bring order and light and civilization, quite frankly, to these neighbourhoods.”So I'm sure you're hearing in this, all those echoes around colonialism. And this point around the social evolution part of it, I think that is the kind of darker, maybe less acknowledged side of gentrification, is that when we start to talk about neighbourhoods as “nothing's happening there, there's nobody there.” [00:15:00] Who's “nobody,” right? Who falls into that category of “nobody,” right? It's poor people. It might be unhoused people, working-class people, people of colour, queer people, disabled people, sex workers, right?“All people who we don't really think of as kind of counting as citizens, people who we don't think have a legitimate voice in the city, people who we don't think have a right to the city or a claim on the city.” And they're just seen as disposable, as easily displaceable, as not really contributing anything to the community or to the city at large. So I think there's definitely a sense of kind of hierarchy in terms of, “who are the seemingly new people who are coming in, right?” And they're viewed as “bringing all of these kind of gifts and benefits to the neighbourhood, and in some ways, perhaps even uplifting the poor [00:16:00] or downtrodden inhabitants of the ghetto or the barrio or whatever. And the locals should somehow be grateful to receive gentrification similarly to the way that people were, say, ‘oh, you should be grateful to receive an education if you're from the lower-classes or working-classes.'”So, yeah, I think there's definitely echoes and traces of that same kind of logic, right? It's a logic of superiority, a logic of dominance, a logic of control that resonates, whether it's colonialism or social evolutionism. Um, yeah.Chris: Wow. Fascinating. Fascinating stuff. I mean, this is, I think, to a large degree culture or what we call culture or what culture might be is made on the tongue, and that the, the kind of unacknowledged ways in which we speak the world into being [00:17:00] is something that's been direly overlooked in our time. So thank you for speaking to that in that way. And I think it's something that we would properly kind of continue to wonder about as we speak and as we think, and perhaps before we speak as well.You know, you mentioned in there the different types of people that are often displaced as a result of gentrification. And this shows up quite a bit in your book. So I wanted to ask you about what you refer to as “intersectionality,” an intersectional approach to gentrification.Some of the conventional critiques that you mentioned in the book, including the economic critique (kind of follow the money), the aesthetic critique (the kind of clean lines and fancy bakeries that show up), as well as the class critique, which you mentioned kind of upward mobility, among others.That said, you focus a good portion of the book, I think, on this neglected importance of intersectionality. And so I'm curious, why do you think an intersectional approach has been ignored in the [00:18:00] past, and why might it be crucial for a cohesive or integral analysis of gentrification?Leslie: Hmm. I think an intersectional approach has been kind of sidelined, if you will, in part because most of the key kind of prominent gentrification scholars of the late 20th century and into the 21st century have been, honestly, white men probably themselves from middle-class backgrounds, or obviously university educated scholars and they've been, like neo-Marxist, or Marxist. That's their theoretical perspective. That's their training. They come from a kind of Marxist, political economy, background. That's the lens of analysis that they bring to whatever kind of problem they're looking at in the world, including gentrification.And they've done brilliant work, right, and created a lot of really foundational [00:19:00] concepts, gone and done really important empirical work so that we can actually see what the impacts of these processes are. And there's nothing I want to take away from that being a key voice within the field of gentrification studies, but I think too often either there's been kind of minimal lip service paid or kind of outright pushing to the side of feminist perspectives, anti-racist perspective, anti-colonial perspectives and more, because it's sort of seemed like, well, “class is the main driver and anything that maybe disproportionately impacts women or people of colour, or queer folks or elderly people, that's like a side effect, right? Like the main driver is class and those people are simply impacted because they also happen to fall into lower income brackets.”So it's a pretty neat and tidy [00:20:00] story and you can kind of see why it has some appeal. So I think, you know, those political economy, neo-Marxist scholars is not that they don't care about race or gender or other factors. They're just like, “well, it's all really rolled up under the umbrella of ‘class.' And if we just figure out the ‘class' piece, then those other things will kind of fall into place.” But for feminist scholars, critical race scholars, anti-colonial scholars and so on, they've wanted to point out that assuming that class is the primary driver behind things is maybe an assumption that we've held onto for too long without questioning it. And instead of seeing racial impacts and so on as something that's just happening off to the side through a class process, maybe we want to also look, especially in something like an American context, but in other places as well, at the deeply foundational layer of race to the development of cities, to the development of the [00:21:00] nation, and we can't kind of sideline the impacts of racial discrimination and the kind of hierarchy of race that has developed over many centuries in these locations and say, “oh, well it's a secondary factor.”For myself, I'm a feminist scholar. My background is in women's and gender studies before I kind of accidentally stumbled into being an urban geographer. And to me it was always kind of obvious, but I think I've had to argue this point so often that processes like gentrification, neoliberalism, urban revitalization, as it's called, doesn't just kind of impact women as a tangential side effect, but that gender inequality or assumptions about gender roles and so on are like part of what drives the process. And so I try to bring that out in the book by looking at different kinds of examples of the ways in which different sorts of [00:22:00] communities or people are impacted to hopefully show, to hopefully make a case for this idea that taking an intersectional perspective doesn't deny the class factor at all, but that it allows us to look at gentrification through a more nuanced lens and one that respects the fact that class is not the only, and not always the most salient marker of hierarchy and status in our societies.Chris: Hmm, hmm. Yeah, I did go to university a long time ago, and it seemed that what was offered up on the proverbial, kind of conceptual, bill, politically speaking was, here are your five major theories or perspectives and kind of like choose one and decide what you like the best and then argue for it or against it.But it does seem that the more apertures that we have onto the world, without necessarily needing [00:23:00] to collapse our considerations into a single one can broaden our understanding of the world deeply, right? Deeply, deeply. And it's something that I see anyways less and less of.I think there's more and more possibilities for experiencing that in our time, but I think there's a lot of processes that are happening in which there's less and less of it that's actually occurring - a kind of collapse of maybe ontological diversity or philosophical diversity.I don't know what to call it, but seems prevalent and at least from this little aperture. So.Leslie: Yeah, I would agree with that, as someone who, just in my own little brief lifetime here on this earth has been peddling my little feminist arguments for 30-plus years. And then we add on to that, the 30 years before that and 30 years before all of the previous generations. It seems like we are, [00:24:00] not just from a feminist perspective, but we are kind of constantly having to make these arguments for that ontological diversity, as you put it, or even just the idea that, oh, you can view things through different lenses and learn different things about whatever kind of process or force or issue that you're interested in.Chris: Hmm. Well, thank you for that. I'd like to, if I can, Leslie, there was something I've been wrestling with for a while and it was very much front and centre, this kind of inner wrestling when I was reading your book.And so, I'd like to share that with you at the moment if I can, and we'll see where it takes us. So part of the reason that I left Toronto a decade ago was that the housing crises, that perhaps for some wasn't yet a crisis in Toronto, has of course ballooned. But in the past five years I've watched that same housing crisis play out here in Oaxaca.[00:25:00] And what arose almost immediately in the, we'll say media sphere, the online world and certainly on the streets as well, was a kind of xenophobic campaign or campaigns blaming tourists, digital nomads, and “expats” for the rising cost of rentals and housing. Now, while not entirely misguided, the percentage of such people is insignificant in comparison to the total population of renters and homeowners here.And then I ask myself, well, “why isn't anyone questioning the role of homeowners and landlords, those who actually decide the price of rental units, those who decide to turn long-term rentals into Airbnbs, and those who are, some of them anyways, more often than not, part and parcel of the political ruling class in many places?” Why not blame them?And so, if you think about this enough, you can [00:26:00] begin to imagine that the willingness to blame specific people, types, classes, races, et cetera, can ignore the cultural, economic and structural elements of society that allow and encourage such dynamics to emerge. And it seems to me that you speak to this, to some degree, in your book writing, how“it is not helpful in a critique of gentrification to get overly stuck on the styles and preferences of a group, when, for many decades now, gentrification has been propelled by much stronger forces than aesthetic trends.”And in another part of the book, you write that “cultural factors cannot be hastily dismissed, not when their power is easily co-opted by capital. Trends in denim and facial hair are not responsible for gentrification, but when large groups of people are redefined as a class based on their tastes, occupations, and aesthetics, they become a market and a justification for urban [00:27:00] interventions.”And so my question has to do with what I might call, I don't know if this is something that shows up in your work or in your research, but a kind of “ecological analysis,” one that doesn't necessarily separate people into essentialist categories, but contends with how maybe the rules of the game produce the player's behaviour and beliefs.And so I'm wondering, you know, in your research, is that something that is tended to, a way of, “okay so, we're not going to only blame or ask the tourists to take responsibility or the digital nomads, et cetera, and we're not only gonna blame or ask the landlords to take responsibility, but understand that they live and inhabit a kind of web of relations that has, for a long time, created the context that allows them or even [00:28:00] encourages them to proceed in a particular way?Leslie: Yes, a hundred percent. I really love the way that you put that there and giving it that kind of label of like an ecological perspective there. I think it's so important to do in the book. You know, the first quote that you read there, I think has to do with this idea that, “oh, you know, hipsters were causing gentrification” kind of thing.And I wanted to kind of, not defend the hipster per se, but to just say, well, in a city like New York, for example, the takeover of midtown Manhattan and the absolute sort of pricing out of regular people, well, from Manhattan as a whole in many cases is not to do with artists and yoga teachers moving into those neighborhoods. It has to do with massive multinational corporations buying up housing, developing condos, like all of these other things that [00:29:00] are going on. And as you say, I mean, I think it is useful to question and critique landlordism for example, and even home ownership itself, but there's a reason why people engage in these practices and as you say, it's because of these all sorts of other like prior sort of conditions and causes this kind of web of possibilities that so much of our... the policy, the legislative world, our national context shapes for us.Like in Canada for example, home ownership is, as you well know, sort of seen as the ultimate goal in the housing market. Renting is seen as very much a kind of transitional stage for people. And the idea is to eventually, sooner rather than later, own your own home.And of course there's all kinds of cultural myths around that, of homeowners being like responsible people and better citizens and all this kind of stuff that is, maybe like [00:30:00] largely nonsense. But why, in this context, do people become homeowners? Well, this is the way that we've been told “you secure your retirement in the absence of a truly kind of robust old age security net.” Yes, we have some. We have pension, old age pension, but for many people, the home is ultimately their social safety net, and government policy has very much been set up to encourage us to treat our homes in that way and to rely on paying off a mortgage and having that home to be the basis of survival into our old age.Right. And there are many other things. That's just one example. So I think, as you say, it's really important to kind of look at that whole ecosystem. And that doesn't mean that we don't say, “well, okay, what are homeowners doing that might be potentially problematic and contributing to the problem?”Well, that could include things like turning units into Airbnbs or acting in NIMBY-ish (Not In My Backyard), kind of ways that limit, for example, the amount of affordable housing that might go up in their neighbourhood and other things. Of course, all of those dynamics have to be critiqued, challenged, pushed back against. But, keeping, at the same time that kind of zoomed out perspective of like what's going on on a larger scale, in the kind of corporate and investment world and the government policy-making world, I think at least helps us to understand why these different groups are kind of positioned in the way that they do and the kind of range of possibilities that they see for themselves within that web.Chris: Mm mm Yeah. Yeah. That reminds me of a moment that I had here in Oaxaca, maybe three or four years ago. There was a student group that had come down from a Canadian university, and they were here for a couple weeks, and I was having dinner with them. Not all of them, but there was maybe four of the women from the student group that I was having dinner with.And one of them was probably in her, I would say [00:32:00] mid-fifties, an indigenous woman from Ontario. And the other three were much younger, probably in their early twenties. And they were suddenly talking about the sudden or at least recent kind of housing crisis in their university town, we'll call it, maybe a small city, but big town. And how in previous years they could afford the rent, but suddenly, and of course this was 2021-2022, when a lot of these dynamics started changing extremely rapidly. And I was kind of moderating the conversation at first. And then it turned out, she wasn't so quick to out herself as a landlord. But the indigenous woman, the 55-year-old kind of alluded to it and then said, “well, you know, for a lot of people, it's a pension plan. “It's my retirement plan, essentially.” And it was this really interesting dynamic about how these four women, who had come to this place and were in the same program, studying the [00:33:00] same thing, that one of them had to perhaps, unbeknownst to her, undermine the economic life and possibilities of those younger women by virtue of requiring a retirement plan.Right. And I think at least in Canada, in countries that are very much still welfare states, that it speaks to a, the incredible degree in which the care that's offered, especially to the elderly, is almost entirely top-down. There's so little, if any, community care.And, you know, of course this is a very kind of small example, a very kind of minute example. I think maybe a common one. But of course you also have other examples of, as you mentioned before, corporations... is it BlackRock this massive mutual fund that I know in, in Europe and places like Barcelona and the major cities there end up buying entire apartment buildings or blocks even, and evicting [00:34:00] the residents and then setting up Airbnb buildings, essentially. So, I mean, there's this incredible kind of degree of difference and diversity in terms of how, as you mentioned landlordism and rent is affecting people.But I just wanted to mention that. It was a really kind of interesting moment for me to see this dynamic and the young women kind of complaining about, you know, I guess the future, the present and the future of their economic lives. And then, this older woman also not necessarily complaining, but very much concerned about her ability to live as well, economically and to thrive economically into her older age.Leslie: Yeah. And there's these kind of ironic situations popping up all over the place where so for example, someone might have a public pension. And as you point out, many public pensions are deeply invested in real estate income trusts. This is like a huge piece for example, in Ontario, of [00:35:00] Ontario public workers' pensions, but around the world as well, and I don't have the details, but a story that was in the news several years ago about a man somewhere in Europe who was being evicted from his apartment because that one of these real estate investment corporations was taking it over and was gonna redevelop it in some way. But his public pension was invested in that very same company. Right?So many people are kind of caught in these loops where it's like, we would very much like to not be like, displacing ourselves or our neighbours or community members, but we don't necessarily have control over how our pension funds are invested, right? Like you might have a choice like, “oh, I'd like to divest from fossil fuels, for example, or from tobacco or military, like arms deals.” Like, sometimes, you can opt out of those things in your pension funds, but there's not really a way to like opt out of real estate investment.My substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.It's such a huge part of those things now. So I think that's an area where there's increasing kind of research and critical perspectives on that in gentrification scholarship and so on that I think is really important to look at, because it's also very hidden, right? This is another aspect I think of contemporary kind of gentrification touristification even, is that there's no face to it, right? There's no face to this process. And maybe that's why it's tempting to take, as you put it a minute ago, that kind of like xenophobic perspective or to blame “expats” in the case of Oaxaca and touristification or in cities to be like, “oh, it's these urban hipsters, maybe these like trust fund kids” or whatever label people might want to put on someone, because there's a face, right? There you can look and be like, “that's the problem.” But the reality is there is no face, right? There's no individual or even group of individuals that's easy to identify. And people doing [00:37:00] research into some of this pension fund stuff that I'm talking about, they hit very opaque walls, even just trying to get the information about how these companies work, the kinds of decisions they make, what their rubrics are around what they call “socially responsible investing.”So it's very deliberately mystified and hidden from us, and I think that is part of the challenge now is like, how do you fight this monster that you can't see, that you can barely name?So yeah, that is I think one of the kind of frightening things, if you will, about, whether we call it “gentrification,” or we think about it in this broader sense of the housing crisis, who's the face of that, the cause of that crisis? Very hard to say in many cases.Chris: Wow. Yeah, I know that these mutual fund companies that end up buying, you know, whole city blocks or buildings, apartment buildings, and then tending to renovictions or whatever they [00:38:00] might use in order to get people out. Once the buildings are “ renovated” as Airbnbs, what happens is those corporations end up outsourcing all of the operational and cleaning duties to companies that they're not involved with at all. So, again, you could have this person who's in front of you, who might be a cleaner or who comes ou in and out of the building or who might run the reservation books or something like that, but they've never met anyone from that mutual fund company. Right. They just get a paycheck.Leslie: Yeah. And it's happening on this kind of global level. The people behind the company that's investing in that building in Oaxaca, like they may have never set foot there, and they may never set foot there. Right? So it's happening from around the world, from thousands of kilometers away from behind these kind of screens of, as you said, these kind of shell companies and these subcontracted, property management companies.I mean the story you were just telling about the woman who's a landlord, like on that small scale, not that [00:39:00] there's nothing problematic about it, but it is also like, you know, she's probably met her tenants, right? She probably occasionally sets foot in the property that she owns and that she rents out, and there's like some aspect of a relationship there. It's still, you know, a problematic power dynamic and all of that, but it's on a very different scale than the investor from London who's has a stake in a condo in Oaxaca. Like, it's a very different web of of relations that goes into that.Chris: Yeah. And even if someone like that, and I've had many, many landlords over the years and I've been blessed to have a number of them who are really incredible people and really incredible in terms of showing up when they're needed in that regard. But it's something, I discussed on a previous episode regarding the Airbnb-ization of the world, a couple years ago. And one of the themes that came up was around hospitality, right? [00:40:00] And even if you have people who are kind of really engaged and really excited and responsible about having a tenant in their home or in a particular building, the kind of transactional nature of that rent almost (and then of course the history of it) precludes, almost by default, the possibility of there being a kind of host-guest relationship, right? Instead of that we are “clients” and and, and “salespeople,” businesspeople to some degree.Right. So another layer of it is this question of like, “well, is it even possible within the dynamic or structure that renting implies and incurs, is it even possible to create a dynamic wherein a person can be understood as a guest in another person's home, and another person can be understood as a host to people who are coming to live in their home? Right? That that same [00:41:00] woman, the 55-year-old landlord said that she had tenants who refused to leave for, I dunno, a year and a half or two years, and once they finally did, left her with a $40,000 damage bill. So, I think there's just layers and layers that are extremely difficult to kind of get into, I shouldn't say in terms of dialogue, in terms of investigation, but in terms of the possibility of creating different dynamics that would maybe represent or produce the kinds of dynamics and worlds that, I think, a lot of people would want to live in.Leslie: Yeah, I totally agree. I mean, I think in a lot of cases, and you honestly don't have to dig very deep, you can open up CBC News and see some poor, sad landlord story most days of the week or listen to kind of corporate or larger scale landlords talk and they often see tenants as a nuisance.“The tenants themselves are a problem,” and if they could invest in real estate and still make [00:42:00] these returns without actually having tenants, that would probably be ideal. And I think that is also part of the push to an Airbnb is that with a temporary guest, you know, a week, a weekend or whatever, you don't have the same responsibility to them as you do to someone with a year lease or perhaps the right to stay there for a longer period of time. So, all you have to do is kind of provide this very basic amenity of the space. You can even impose all these rules on them that you maybe otherwise wouldn't be able to do if it was a longer-term rental.You know, the people who check-in have many fewer rights than actual tenants do. And so in some ways it makes that relationship even more transactional and even more hands off in many cases. And of course there's the quicker profit motive is really the main driving force behind that. But I think there's also this piece of it where it's like, “well, how can I maximize the profit potential of this space with as little actually dealing with other human beings and their needs [00:43:00] as human beings as possible.And yeah, I think that is really, again, from my kind of feminist perspective, that is also interested in thinking about how do we create systems of care in our cities, and what does “care” mean, and what are our responsibilities to one another that, when we look at something like Airbnbification and the touristification and gentrification more generally, those things, in many cases kind of act against the possibility of creating more caring and careful spaces.Chris: Hmm, hmm. Yeah. Thank you for that, Leslie. I have a couple more questions for you, if that's all right?Leslie: Yes, go ahead. Yeah.Chris: All right. Wonderful. So this next question maybe requires a bit of imagination, which I think you have a good amount of, and it has to do with rent.And so one of the lies that you highlight in your book is the belief that gentrification is natural and hence forth inevitable. [00:44:00] And of course, as we've been discussing, nothing is natural nor inevitable and you make an excellent case for that throughout the book. And I feel that there is an equally and perhaps more subtle incarnation of this myth, of this inevitability, in regards to rent, that we as urban people or modern people who grow up in contemporary societies often reinforce and even naturalize a kind of rent slavery that most people rarely see, that most people rarely see their lives as indentured to their landlords.And so, when we talk about gentrification, does this show up at all? Should it? You know, this notion that, “well, if we can come to gentrification and understand that it's in fact not natural and it's not inevitable, can we do the same thing for rent? Because, maybe I haven't read much of the research, but it doesn't seem to be something that [00:45:00] people are so quick to aim their arrows at, we'll say.Leslie: Yeah. I love that question. And I think A, you're right that there hasn't been enough conversation about that. There has not been nearly enough attempts to kind of denaturalize this and B, that that perspective is emerging and growing. If I could recommend a book called The Tenant Class by Ricardo Tranjan. It's also a Toronto-based author, and he does an amazing job in this very short book of basically laying out the case against landlordism, and it totally, as you say, kind of denaturalizing and pushes back on this idea that it's inevitable that there are a class of people that own property and a class of people that rent property, and that this is not inherently a deeply problematic relation. You know, this idea that it's not in some way akin to some kind of indentureship. And he really asks us to look deeply again at this [00:46:00] idea that, if you're a landlord, “well, I have a mortgage to pay, so it's somehow natural that this other person will pay my mortgage for me,” which, when you start to think about it, like it's really messed up in a way. And once you see it, you can't unsee it. So yeah, I think looking more closely at some of these ideas, these kind of statements that come out, and again, you can see it in news articles, these kind of horror stories, and not to diminish, I'm sure, what are very real, like economic and psychological impacts of the so-called kind of nightmare tenant and all of those kinds of things.But you'll hear those kinds of statements: “you know, I have a mortgage to pay.”Well, why is this other person paying your mortgage, then?And then we could probably take a step back and be like, “why do we have mortgages to pay?” But that's maybe another conversation.But yeah, so I definitely recommend that book, The Tenant Class, as a really quick, easy to read, and kind of unforgettable primer on this question. And [00:47:00] I really appreciate you asking it, and I hope your listeners will be like, “oh, yeah, I gotta dig into that a bit more too.”Chris: Yeah.Yeah. I mean, you know, in part because, as prices have risen in most western countries in the last four or five years, there's of course, of course, protests and backlash among people, and “oh, this bakery raised their prices” or “ my rent's going up,” and all these things. But specifically in terms of products and services, you know, people complain or they just accept the fact that prices have risen to a degree that's pricing a lot of people out of their lives, really. But, you know, in the conversations I've had with people and in the literature that I've read, there's no consideration, I think, that the businesses who are raising their prices have had their rents raised, that so much of a business' costs include rent, right? And that very few businesses actually [00:48:00] own the building that they're working out of.Leslie: Yeah, commercial rent is a whole other story because, you know, the protections on residential rent are not what they could be in most places around the world, but there's no protections on commercial rent, like no limitations there. So it's entirely possible that local bakery, their rent could go up by, like double. It could go up from $20,000 a year to $60,000 a year. There's no restrictions on that. There's nowhere to appeal that. There's nothing. So, they are, in some ways, even those small businesses, especially, independent businesses and so on, are very at risk of this. And there's a whole branch of kind of retail gentrification studies as well that kind of looks at the impacts on the local economic landscape of things like this as well. Yeah.Chris: Hmm. Wow. Thank you for unveiling that for us. I mean, uh, so much.So my last question, Leslie, has to do [00:49:00] with what is mentioned in your book, what you refer to as “the right to stay put.”And so,“the right to stay put is a common rallying cry in response to the dangers of displacement. Drawing inspiration from the broader notion of the right to the city, the right to stay put insists that communities are entitled to remain in the places they have contributed to. Furthermore, the right to dwell extends beyond simply having a home in an area, encompassing the right to continue using commercial, community, and public spaces and institutions, as well as the dignity of defending such rights. Importantly, it recognizes that agency is a critical factor. People do not want to be forced to move, nor do they want to be forced to stay in place. Rather, people value choice, the ability to participate in [00:50:00] decisions that affect their communities and the right to resist when they need to.”And so I'm curious what you think it would take for people, say, in urban environments to achieve or enshrine the right to stay put or the right to dwell in their places.Leslie: Yeah, I think we could talk about kind of two main avenues. One would be more of the top-down approach, which is to work to enshrine anti-displacement measures in neighborhoods, which can include everything from rent control or rent stabilization, to the right to return when there are redevelopment projects going on, to deeply affordable housing in new developments, to communities themselves taking on the role of becoming developers, but creating housing within the community for the [00:51:00] community. Not to draw in new residents or not to primarily draw new residents. Again, we're not trying to like, build a fortress around communities or anything, but rather to say, “this is housing that we're earmarking for people from the local community who are struggling with their rent or struggling to find housing, or who need perhaps entry-level home ownership opportunities and to kind of provide that.So there's the kind of top-down approach, really pushing our local governments to have things like community benefit ordinances when new developments are happening that force developers to actually pay attention to what the community needs and to provide those benefits and such.And then, from the kind of ground-up or more grassroots piece, the right to stay put is the the willingness, the ability to organize and come together in some of the places that I mentioned throughout the book. You know, it really [00:52:00] is community-level organization where people have really rallied to make it deeply difficult for planners or developers to kind of roll in and roll out their vision without any pushbacks, to the extent that their neighbourhoods become less of a target for gentrification, because it's like, “oh yeah, we wanna build something there. Oh, that's gonna be a real pain in the butt. The community is not gonna let us get away with what we wanna do.” And that means really making it possible for people to come out to meetings, organizing protests, that kind of right to resist. Sometimes taking... You know, we have long histories in many cities of squatters movements and perhaps we need to revitalize some of that old energy, as well. A kind of refusal to leave. And to find ways, you know, perhaps they don't always have to be kind of in-your-face protest ways, but what are ways to mobilize things like mutual aid to help make sure that our [00:53:00] neighbors are supported, for example, if they have to go before a landlord-tenant board, how can we use community resources and knowledge to actually support one another to stay in place?And that can be everything from addressing food insecurity to having a local rent bank, to partnering with nonprofits, churches, other religious institutions that may have an interest in building social and nonprofit housing to create some of those options.So I think it's about looking at the kind of wide range of alternative forms of housing and housing provision, looking at community mobilizing, community resources, and also tackling the local policy agenda to make staying put as possible, or to enshrine it as a right at a kind of higher level, as well.Chris: Hmm, hmm. Yeah, you go into [00:54:00] great detail about this in the book, and I'm very grateful for that. And the right to stay put kind of jumped out, the text jumped out of the page at me, because living here in Oaxaca, I came to know about this declaration that was created in 2009 by people in a number of communities here in the Mixteca region of Oaxaca who were meeting with their migrant kin who had gone to work in California and the people who had stayed in the community.And the declaration is literally translated as “the right to not migrate.” The way it was translated in English by the author of the book of the same name, was “The Right to Stay Home.” And so while there's a lot of differences between these contexts in terms of rural, indigenous communities here in Mexico and modern urban communities in the global north, there is this sense, [00:55:00] this kind of perhaps shared context wherein the ability to to stay in a place in order so that community can be conjured and maintained and of course enjoyed and lived in, seems to thread its way through these different social movements from the global north into the global south.So, I'm really grateful to see that and to know that there's similar understandings, of course not the same, but similar understandings that are even somewhat unorthodox and unexpected given the political context that sometimes challenge them or preclude something like that from coming up.So that's a little way of saying thank you for your time today, Leslie. On behalf of our listeners, I'd like to thank you for your willingness to join me and to speak to these often complex issues. And on behalf of them, I'd also like to ask you how they might find out more about [00:56:00] your work and your books: Gentrification Is Inevitable And Other Lies, Feminist City: Claiming Space In A Manmade World, and finally Higher Expectations: How To Survive Academia, Make It Better For Others, And Transform The University.Leslie: Yeah, thank you so much for this conversation. People can find out about me and my work at my website, which is just lesliekern.ca.If you just google my name, it will come up easily enough. Feminist City and Gentrification Is Inevitable And Other Lies. For an international audience, you can find those books through Verso books in the US and UK. There's also many translations of both of those books, so you may have the opportunity to read it in your local language if you want to do that as well.The more recent book, Higher Expectations is available from my Canadian publisher Between the Lines Books and in the US [00:57:00] from AK Books, as well. And there's also Epub versions and for the first two books, audiobook versions as well. And I've written lots of articles on these topics as well, in the Guardian and other places.So you can get a little snippet of my thoughts if you, again, Google my name and all of these things will come up in short order. So thank you for letting me share that as well.Chris: Yeah, of course. I'll make sure that the links to all those pages that you mentioned are available on the End of Tourism website and the Substack when the episode launches.And once again, Leslie, a really beautifully revealing conversation today. I think it's something that will not just provoke generally, but provoke a willingness in our listeners to reconsider some of the assumptions that they've had about gentrification.So, once again, thank you for your time today.Leslie: Thank you for having me. I really enjoyed the conversation. Appreciate it. Get full access to Chris Christou at chrischristou.substack.com/subscribe

Howie Kurtz on the continuing search for Nancy Guthrie and the efforts by TMZ founder Harvey Levin to assist the FBI investigation, the profile of California Governor Gavin Newsom, including details about his dyslexia, and the passing of acclaimed actor Robert Duvall at the age of 95. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey Framily! Welcome back to Virgo Season — where pop culture gets processed properly and personal decisions get respectfully interrogated.This week? Absolute chaos.Bad Bunny turned the Super Bowl into a cultural moment, a political statement, and a full Spanish-language flex — and somehow people are shocked that a Puerto Rican artist spoke Spanish. Benito said what he said, waved every flag, and let the numbers speak for themselves.Meanwhile, Cardi B told Stefon Diggs “good luck”… and that man proceeded to lose the Super Bowl and the relationship in the same week. The universe does have a sense of humor.We also get into:• Why grown men are still beefing on commercial flights• Why soap is NOT optional (and yes, we're judging)• Why everyone thinks they deserve a halftime show• And there's an update on Joyhdae's dating life… which Ryan believes is a terrible ideaYes. He's concerned. Deeply.Somewhere between chaos and clarity — that's where Virgo Season lives.⸻This Week's BreakdownBenito Bowl: Bad Bunny's Super Bowl TakeoverFirst Latino solo headliner.Full Spanish set.Puerto Rican symbolism.Political undertones.And certain people spiraling because the show wasn't centered around them.We break down why it mattered — and why it hit.⸻Cardi B & Stefon Diggs: “Good Luck” EnergyShe kept it cute.The internet did not.We talk breakup timing, karma discourse, and Cardi launching a haircare line while everybody else is still arguing online.⸻Am I Overreacting: The Soap SituationIf your partner says soap is optional…If he says hot water is enough…If he blames “cultural differences” for hygiene…We have thoughts. Strong ones.⸻Ja Rule vs. Tony Yayo (In Coach.)You're grown.You're allegedly rich.You're throwing pillows on Delta.We unpack the cornball energy.⸻Joyhdae's Dating UpdateThere's an update.Ryan thinks it's a setup.Joyhdae thinks it's character development.The debate gets… spirited.⸻This or That Is BackRisk it all or play it safe?Rewind life or hit pause?Knowledge or creativity?Cookies or cake?It got philosophical. Then petty. Then philosophical again.⸻Join The ConversationWas Bad Bunny's halftime show iconic or “too political”?Is soap ever optional? (Choose wisely.)Is Ryan right about Joyhdae's dating life?Drop your thoughts in the comments — we actually read them.⸻Subscribe, Like & ShareIf you enjoy smart, funny, culturally rooted conversations:    •    Subscribe to Virgo Season    •    Like this episode    •    Share it with your group chat, cousin, or favorite hot-take friendNew episodes drop weekly — stay tapped in.Connect With Us:Email: Virgoseasonshow@gmail.comWebsite: Virgoseasonshow.comYouTube, TikTok & Instagram: @VirgoSeasonShowRyan: @OhBlackRyanJoyhdae: @Joyhdae⸻CHAPTERS00:00 — Intro00:05 — First & Foremost11:51 — The Rundown12:49 — This or That29:31 — Am I Overreacting?38:38 — Ad Break38:43 — Benito Bowl55:19 — Good Luck: Cardi B, Stefon Diggs Drama58:07 — Mile High Beef: Ja Rule, Tony Yayo, Uncle Murda01:01:06 — Joyhdae's "Ready To Date"01:06:45 — Ad Break01:06:54 — Dad vs Auntie Jokes01:11:35 — Find Us On All The Things!01:13:22 — One More For The Road...01:13:51 — Outro

What does "trust recession," really mean for you and your business? Today's conversation pulls back the curtain on the ways trust has shifted in our modern age and what we can do to rebuild trust in not only ourselves, but with those we want to connect more deeply with. I walk you through what building trust looks like (it's not perfect, it's real), how to reclaim trust you've outsourced, and why congruency is the most valuable currency you can have as an entrepreneur. Now more than ever is the exact moment, the exact opportunity, you've been waiting for to show up authentically and connect with those you want to serve in 2026 and beyond!   HIGHLIGHTS 00:00 What is the trust recession? 03:15 What happens when we outsource our trust? 07:50 How to cultivate more self-trust + why it matters. 14:50 Ways to connect more deeply with those you want to serve. 17:10 Congruency is the new currency (here's why!) 24:25 How can we catch moments of incongruency when they come up?   RESOURCES + LINKS Want to be the first to know when applications for our Spring 2026 Expanders Retreat go live? DM us EXPANDERS on Instagram @powerhouse_women   Join the waitlist for the 2026 Powerhouse Women Event HERE!   FOLLOW Powerhouse Women: @powerhouse_women Lindsey: @lindseymarieofficial Visit the Powerhouse Women website: powerhousewomen.co Join the PW Community Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/powerhousewomencommunity