Podcasts about Downstream

The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in 2026 is roughly the same as when, in the very, very distant past, the Earth was between 6 and 8 degrees warmer. If the Earth were to reach those temperatures again, the majority of mammals would go extinct. While we're not at those temperatures now, the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could cause the climate to accelerate towards planetary conditions that pre-date the dinosaurs. This is the stark warning of this week's guest, Bill McGuire. A geologist and volcanologist by training, he has spent time as an expert and government advisor on extreme weather events, before becoming an author. According to him, there is no plan for the extreme climactic upheaval that is to come.

The genocide of Palestinians, carried out by the Israeli army with backing from the US and the British state, has lead to an almighty breakdown in public trust in the West. Now more than ever, citizens are turning away from establishment media sources in search of journalism that more closely resembles the world as we see it.  This week on Downstream, Ash Sarkar sits down with Amy Goodman, veteran journalist and founder of Democracy Now!, one of the leading independent media organisations in the US. Goodman is the subject of a new film, Steal This Story, Please!, which documents her storied career covering some of the most consequential moments in American living history. She has confronted sitting presidents, bore firsthand witness to 9/11, survived a firing squad in East Timor and exposed major corporate crime in the Niger Delta. What drives Amy to do the work she does – shining light on humanity's darkness, decade after decade? How did her Jewish upbringing in Brooklyn inform her work? What does good journalism look like to her? Why does she believe we all need to re-learn the lost art of disagreement? And does she think American democracy can survive? 

A newly published fragment of the Gospel of Thomas is causing major problems for traditional biblical scholarship.In this episode, we break down:Why this second-century Greek manuscript is so explosiveHow it interweaves sayings from Matthew, Luke, and ThomasThe two major theories (Upstream vs. Downstream) and what they mean for the age of ThomasWhy this discovery makes it very difficult to maintain ideas of biblical infallibility and sola scripturaSeveral sayings from the Gospel of Thomas that surprisingly align with Latter-day Saint beliefsIf you've ever been told the Gospel of Thomas is “late and Gnostic,” this episode will challenge that narrative.Does this discovery make you more or less confident in the Bible as we have it?#GospelOfThomas #BiblicalManuscripts #EarlyChristianity #WardRadioChapter Markers / Timestamps:00:00 - Intro: The Gospel of Thomas & A Brand New Discovery02:51 - History of the Gospel of Thomas (Oxyrhynchus & Nag Hammadi)04:36 - Why Scholars Called It “Gnostic”06:29 - Thomas Is a Sayings Gospel (Not Narrative)07:43 - The Weird Beginning and Ending of Thomas10:57 - The New Fragment: P.Oxy. 5575 (Second Century Greek)13:57 - How Scholars Dated This Manuscript So Early18:24 - This Fragment Predates Most New Testament Manuscripts20:57 - The Fragment Combines Matthew + Luke + Thomas22:40 - The “Upstream” Theory (Thomas Is Older)23:10 - The “Downstream” Theory (Compiled From All Three)27:37 - What This Does to Ideas of Biblical Infallibility29:53 - Sayings From Thomas That Align With LDS Beliefs31:59 - “Where Two or Three Are Gathered…”34:11 - “A City Set Upon a Hill” – A Deeper Meaning36:43 - Fasting From Sin, Not Just Food40:02 - Why This Discovery Matters for Continuing Revelation42:42 - Was the “Woman Becoming a Man” Line Added Later?44:47 - Final Thoughts: We Need a Living ProphetJoin this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnmsAFGrFuGe0obW6tkEY6w/joinAmazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1AQLMTSMBM4DC?ref_=wl_shareVisit us for this and more at: WardRadio.comTo subscribe to "The Women of Ward Radio" Youtube Channel, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbu-wpRztV-8TYXClhUZhhwTo Subscribe to Cardon Ellis' Adventure Channel, please visit: http://www.youtube.com/@CardonEllisAdventuresThe following authors and/or sponsors are generously offering discounts on their gospel-related publication to Ward Radio listeners.⚡For free trial of Scripture Notes please visit the following link!: https://scripturenotes.com/?via=wardradio⚡For a discount on Tiny 3D Temples, Save 15% with code WARDRADIO at checkout or visit tiny3dtemples.com/wardradio⚡Family: A Rhyming Proclamation for Kids book visit the following linkhttps://plainandpreciouspublishing.com/products/family-a-rhyming-proclamation-for-kids . Use the code "Ward Radio" for 10% off. ⚡To Order Jonah's Book, “Lost Gems of Genesis” visit the following link and use coupon Code: WARDRADIO https://plainandpreciouspublishing.com/products/coming-soon-the-lost-gems-of-genesis-how-apocryphal-texts-prove-joseph-smith-fixed-the-bibleFor 10% off Plain and Precious Publishing Books, visit plainandpreciouspublishing.com and use Coupon Code: WARDRADIOFor a 5% discount on Go and Do Travel, visit goanddotravel.com and use the promo code WARDRADIO5#christian #mormon #exmormon #latter-daysaints #latterdaysaints #latterdays #bible #bookofmormon #archaeology #BYU #midnightmormons #jesus #jesuschrist #scriptures #sundayschool #biblestudy #christiancomedy #cardonellis #kwakuel #bradwitbeckTo support the channel:Venmo @WardRadio or visit: https://account.venmo.com/u/MidnightMormonsPaypal: paypal.me/@midnightmedia CashApp: $WardRadioFollow us at:Instagram: @cardonellis @kwakuel @braderico @boho.birdyFacebook: @WardRadioWorldwideTwitter: WardRadioShowTikTok: WardRadioWorldwide

Why the FCC Drone Ban Could Ground More Than You Think The FCC may be laying the groundwork for a drone ban that goes far beyond DJI and if you fly drones for business, this could change your entire operating model. We break down what the proposal really says, why the definition of "military grade" is so broad, and what every drone pilot needs to do before the comment window closes.The headline sounds simple, but the details are anything but. This proposed action could affect thermal imaging, LiDAR, docking stations, swarming drones, spray platforms, drone light shows, and even aircraft over 55 pounds. We unpack why the language matters, where the loopholes are, and why "already owned" drones may still fly while parts, imports, marketing, and future replacements get squeezed. We also discuss: Why not all thermal or LiDAR systems should be treated as military tech How the proposal could impact real estate, utilities, construction, inspections, agriculture, and public safety Why docking stations may be the highest security risk in the entire discussion What "swarm" should actually mean, and why that definition matters Why air-gapped systems may be the smarter alternative to blanket restrictions How product lifecycle support, batteries, firmware, and replacement parts could be affected We then discuss what it takes If you want to influence the FCC, and how these rules could slow infrastructure work, raise costs, and limit the use of drones across the U.S. economy. Tune in today whether you manage a fleet, train pilots, or rely on UAS for inspections, mapping, spraying, or security. The clock is ticking, and the wrong move here could cost the industry far more than most pilots realize. 5-Day Free Course: Thriving Drone Real Estate Business Transform your drone operations into a thriving real estate-focused business. Learn client management, pricing for profit, and creating high-value deliverables. Grow My Drone Business Get your questions answered: https://thedroneu.com/. If you enjoy the show, the #1 thing you can do to help us out is to subscribe to it on iTunes. Can we ask you to do that for us real quick? While you're there, leave us a 5-star review, if you're inclined to do so. Thanks! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-drone-u/id967352832. Click here for access to Skywatch for all your drone insurance purposes ! Become a Drone U Member. Access to over 30 courses, great resources, and our incredible community. Follow Us Site – https://thedroneu.com/ Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/droneuADU 1382: Build my own drone to do photogrammetry work? Instagram – https://instagram.com/thedroneu/ Twitter – https://twitter.com/thedroneu YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/droneu Timestamps: [0:29] — Why the FCC ban matters for drone operators and businesses [4:18] — What the FCC proposal actually says [5:12] — The broad “military grade” definition and why thermal/LiDAR are controversial [7:04] — Why even existing drones may still be affected indirectly [12:14] — Downstream impact on utilities, construction, infrastructure, and the economy [23:46] — Performance-based standards vs blanket restrictions [31:18] — Docking stations as a major security risk [33:13] — Swarming drones and multi-aircraft operations [43:53] — Summary of what should go into a comment [51:04] — Comment deadline and what is still allowed [58:21] — Final advice: don't use a copy-paste comment

The summer of 2026 will go down in history books as the hottest, driest and most deadly set of heatwaves Britain has ever experienced. This weather isn't normal – but it is predictable according to a global consensus of scientists. And yet this summer, according to the science, will be one of the coolest summers we ever have again. Things will only get hotter from here. Beginning his career as an oil-rig engineer before retraining as a climate scientist, Kevin Anderson's career has been an extraordinary journey. On Downstream this week, Aaron Bastani sat down with him to discuss what has become his life's work: sounding the alarm on man-made climate change, and on the fossil fuel industry that gave him his start. Just how much has the planet heated, and why? Is the Paris Agreement's aim of keeping heating to beneath 1.5°C still achievable, or delusional cope? What are the political obstacles to tackling the issue? Having worked with Andy Burnham in Manchester, what does Kevin think he will do on climate, as PM? Is avoiding catastrophe still possible, and if so, how much time have we got to act, before it's too late?

Episode 235 - How To Help Your Team Feel Heard   Summary Most leaders understand the importance of listening, but far fewer understand what great listening actually looks like. Discover the research behind high-quality listening and why helping people feel genuinely heard can improve trust, engagement, wellbeing, and retention.   Transcript Hello and welcome to episode 235 of the Leadership Today podcast, where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we explore the research behind high-quality listening and why helping people feel genuinely heard can improve trust, engagement, wellbeing, and retention. Most leaders would agree that listening is important. In fact, if you ask people to describe the best leaders they've worked with, listening often appears near the top of the list. And yet, listening is one of those skills that can be easy to talk about and surprisingly difficult to do well. Part of the challenge is that we often think of listening as a communication technique. We focus on maintaining eye contact, nodding, paraphrasing, and asking questions. While those behaviours can be helpful, research suggests that what matters most is whether the other person genuinely feels heard and understood. What we're after instead is high-quality listening. Researchers who reviewed more than two decades of listening research identified three key elements of high-quality listening. First, giving someone your full attention. Second, genuinely seeking to understand what they mean, not just the words they're saying. And third, approaching the conversation with openness and curiosity rather than judgement. When people experience this type of listening they become less defensive, more reflective, and more willing to share information and ideas. In other words, good listening doesn't just help people feel better - it changes the quality of the conversation itself. Other recent research has also found that improving listening skills as a leader can reduce burnout and decrease people's intentions to leave an organisation. That's a useful reminder that listening can have a meaningful impact on wellbeing, engagement, and retention. So what can leaders do? First, focus on understanding before solving. Many leaders hear a problem and immediately jump to advice or solutions. Instead, try asking a question that checks your understanding. Something like, "So if I've understood correctly, the real challenge is…" This not only helps clarify the issue, it also demonstrates that you've genuinely been listening. Second, remove distractions whenever possible. If you're having an important conversation, put your phone away, close unnecessary applications, and give the other person your full attention. People notice very quickly when you're only partially present, and it often changes what they're willing to share. Third, become more comfortable with silence. Most of us feel pressure to respond immediately. Yet some of the most valuable insights emerge after a pause. When someone finishes speaking, resist the urge to jump in straight away. Give them a little space. You may find there's more they want to say. Remember that listening isn't just about gathering information - it's about helping people feel understood. And when people feel understood, they're more likely to trust, engage, contribute, and collaborate. As leaders, one of the most valuable things we can offer isn't a solution or an answer. Sometimes it's simply our full attention.   Research references: Kluger, A. N., & Itzchakov, G. (2022). The Power of Listening at Work. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 9, 121 to 146. https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-012420-091013   Itzchakov, G., et al. (2023). Learning to listen: Downstream effects of listening training on employees' relatedness, burnout, and turnover intentions. Human Resource Management, 62(5), 731 to 752. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/hrm.22103   Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to www.leadershiptoday.com and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription. Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader. Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including: - Five online courses with workbooks - Five five day challenges with workbooks - Nineteen recorded webinars - A searchable library of 170+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week.   Get Connected Find out ways to get connected here: https://leadership.today/connect

In the years since October 7th, the world has been bitterly polarised over how to make sense of the violence. While polling shows that a majority of people do believe Israel's actions amount to genocide – having witnessed it with their own eyes via their smartphones – it has been woefully hard to find mainstream media outlets in the West prepared to use this language. On Downstream this week, Aaron Bastani sat down with Indian essayist and novelist Pankaj Mishra. His most recent book, ‘The World After Gaza' takes stock of a world order shattered by the genocide, and a media class unprepared to recognise the truth. In response to these crises, Mishra and colleagues have just launched Equator magazine, pulling together leading writers from across the globe who are unafraid to tell the truth. When did the so-called West first begin to lose standing in the eyes of the rest of the world? Why is the British media class positioned so uniquely close to power, so delusional, and so compromised over Gaza? Will China replace America, in the coming century, as the new hegemonic power? Has it already?

Welcome to a new episode of ASMR Sleep Recordings. In this episode, you will hear the water flowing downstream. Improve your health and happiness.The sound you hear in this episode creates a calm atmosphere and at the same time blocks out disturbing noises. This will help you de-stress, unwind, and rest. Enjoy two hours of relaxing sounds to help you relax, focus, study and fall asleep.About ASMR Sleep Recordings:The purpose of ASMR Sleep Recording is to help you sleep and concentrate better. This particular episode lasts two hours and has no ads in the middle, so you won't be woken up or disturbed while focusing or relaxing. When you listen to ASMR Sleep Recordings, you can lock your phone, so you won't get any bothersome stimuli from notifications and other sounds from your phone. You can switch between apps while studying or working without pausing the ambient sound.About our sounds:Water creates a natural white noise. Infused with the relaxing quality of nature and the sound-masking properties of white noise, listening to running water is an ideal way to turn off all the stressful things life brings, and to de-stress. Some of our most popular sounds include a river, flowing creek, babbling brook, gentle waves on a lake, and a bamboo fountain. Rain also creates a natural white noise. Infused with the relaxing quality of nature and the sound-masking properties of white noise, listening to rain is an ideal way to switch off all the stressful things life brings and to de-stress. Some of our most popular sounds are rain on an umbrella, hailstorms, hard rain, soft rain, gentle rain, wind and rain, rain on a car.White noise helps babies and children to get a better and deeper night's sleep. This is because external sounds are masked by the noise. With white noise in the background, your child will not hear annoying cars driving by or dogs barking in bed. This allows your little one to sleep better. And it also saves you as a parent a lot of hours!Pink noise is more common in nature than you might expect. It can be compared to continuous rainfall or wind. In addition to white noise, pink noise is also increasing in popularity, especially in business environments. Because it can increase productivity, concentration and creativity.Brown noise can be compared to waves of the sea, a river current, strong winds or the sound of thunder during a storm. Like pink noise, brown noise is very similar to white noise. However, the frequencies have been lowered even further and a lot more concentrated. This gives it a rougher/coarse tone than pink noise. It sounds a bit deeper and a bit bass-like. The benefits of brown noise are the same as the other types of noise. It provides relaxation, increased focus and improved deep sleep.DISCLAIMER: Be aware that loud noises can damage your hearing. If you can't carry on a conversation without raising your voice while playing one of our spheres, the sound may be too loud for your ears. Do not place the speakers directly next to a baby's ears. If you have trouble hearing or ringing in your ears, stop listening to the white noise immediately and see an audiologist or your doctor. The sounds provided by ASMR Sleep Recordings are for entertainment purposes only and are not a treatment for sleep disorders or tinnitus. Consult your doctor if you regularly have severe sleeping problems, experience fitful/restless sleep or feel tired during the day.ASMR Sleep Recordings is the white noise and nature sounds podcast to help you sleep, study or soothe a baby. ASMR Sleep Recordings has uploaded more than 400+ episodes in the 4 years that the podcast has been online. You can listen to all episodes of the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. People use white noise for sleep, focus, sound masking or relaxation. This podcast has the sound for you, whether you're using white noise to study, to soothe a baby with cramps, to fall asleep, or to just enjoy a quiet moment. You don't need to buy a white noise machine if you can listen to these sounds for free.

Let me start off by saying that fly fishing downstream is not my method of choice. It is harder. It is a lower probability approach. It is less than ideal. But sometimes it is necessary. Today I talk through three situations that might demand a downstream presentation. Even though all those caveats are probably still in play, fishing from an upstream position might be the only play at a particular fish. And all that said, there are better ways to do it if you must. *Note* My dislike of fly fishing downstream is pragmatic, not wrapped up in ethics or tradition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode Summary Senior IT change and adoption consultant Janie McNeil joins host Justin Lake to talk about why new technology so often goes unused, and what it actually takes to change that. She makes the case that adoption is a people problem long before it's a technology problem: when workers aren't brought in early, tools that cost millions sit idle and the damage trickles downstream for months. Janie digs into using data to prove adoption is working, why frontline teams learn by doing and watching rather than reading dense documentation, and why change management and learning teams get the best results when they're pulled in from the start instead of the eleventh hour. She closes on AI, arguing that the way to get people to embrace it is to show them their worth, not warn them about restructuring, and she shares a simple task list anyone can use to see where AI helps and where a human is still the answer. It's a practical, empathetic look at keeping people at the center of technological change.   Key Topics The operational cost of poor technology adoption Downstream effects of adoption failure Bringing change management in early Measuring adoption with data The product manager's role in system success How frontline workers actually learn Change management and L&D working together Building trust to get involved sooner Supporting AI adoption without fear   Episode Chapters 00:00  Introduction to the episode and guest 00:30  Janie McNeil's background and expertise 01:02  The operational impact of failed technology adoption 01:35  The importance of early stakeholder engagement 02:00  The cost of unused tools and systems 02:47  Downstream effects of poor adoption 03:25  The prolonged impact of adoption issues 04:25  Measuring adoption through metrics and data 05:24  The role of product managers in system success 06:21  Aligning success metrics with organizational goals 07:17  The importance of user behavior and process adherence 08:00  Challenges faced by product managers 09:07  Diverse user groups and their needs 10:01  Including change management early in projects 11:12  The late involvement of change management teams 12:24  The undervaluation of change management 13:32  The power of data literacy in adoption 14:54  Using data storytelling to demonstrate value 16:04  Microsoft's investments in adoption tools 18:06  The ongoing challenge of software adoption 19:50  Supporting frontline workers through community and education 22:21  Effective learning methods for frontline teams 24:36  The strategic role of L&D and change management 26:43  Defining responsibilities of change management vs. L&D 28:45  Streamlining project delivery with integrated teams 30:56  The risks of delaying documentation and training 32:40  Building relationships and trust in change initiatives 36:50  Managing overwhelm and delegation in change projects 39:03  Supporting AI adoption and addressing fears 44:52  The importance of human value in technological change 47:02  Embracing AI as a tool for growth and development 48:38  Closing remarks and key takeaways   About Janie McNeil Janie McNeil is a senior IT change and adoption consultant who helps organizations turn new technology into lasting behavior change, working at the intersection of people and the tools meant to support them. She grew up in one of the world's largest manufacturing communities, and that experience shapes how she thinks about supporting frontline and deskless workers through change. Her work spans organizational change management, learning and development, product adoption, and using data to show that adoption is actually taking hold.   Resources Frontline Innovators Podcast: https://skyllful.com/podcast Connect with Janie McNeil on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janie-rosales-mcneil Microsoft adoption resources: https://adoption.microsoft.com Prosci change management resources: https://www.prosci.com

A new consensus has emerged in Westminster, seemingly overnight: we need more defence spending, and we need it now. But the Ministry of Defence has a record for waste that would put Tony Soprano to shame. £13 billion down the drain, since 2010, at the very least. Aircraft carriers that come in late, overbudget, and beset by mechanical failures. IT systems that cost millions, and are wildly out of date. No other government department could get away with it. But the arms trade spends billions of dollars on greasing the wheels of political consent. They employ armies of lobbyists, print reams of analysis, and bribe politicians the world over to keep the war machine funded. The result isn't just a crisis of corruption. It's a threat to our survival as a species. Andrew Feinstein is a former-minister in the South African government, turned investigative reporter. He is the executive director of Shadow World Investigations, and serves on the board of Declassified UK. And in 2024, he stood against Keir Starmer in Holborn and St Pancras. He joins Ash Sarkar on Downstream to lift the lid on how the arms industry really works, and tell us about his political journey.

fWotD Episode 3369: Nile Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Sunday, 26 July 2026, is Nile.The Nile is a major north-flowing river in northeast Africa which empties into the Mediterranean Sea. At 7,088 kilometers (4,404 mi) long, it is the longest river in the world, although the volume of water it carries is much smaller than other major rivers such as the Amazon or the Congo. The Nile has played a central role in the environmental, economic, and cultural history of Africa for millennia.The Nile has two major tributaries: the White Nile and the Blue Nile. The White Nile is longer and is considered to be the headwaters, yet the Blue Nile contributes over twice the volume of the White Nile. The White Nile begins near Lake Victoria and flows through Uganda and South Sudan; while the Blue Nile begins near Lake Tana in Ethiopia and flows into Sudan from the southeast. The two rivers meet at the Sudanese capital of Khartoum. From there, the Nile flows north through the Nubian Desert to Egypt's capital, Cairo, and finally empties into the Mediterranean Sea near Alexandria, where it has formed a large river delta.Geologically, the Nile is a young river and has followed its present course for about 15,000 years. Its drainage basin extends across eleven countries. Most of the water in the Nile comes from rainfall in the upstream countries Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Downstream countries – Egypt, Sudan, and South Sudan – are primarily desert and withdraw river water for irrigation. Other countries that lie wholly or partly in the Nile Basin are Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, and Rwanda.The Nile was the foundation of the Ancient Egyptian civilization, which relied on the river for nearly every aspect of life. The annual flooding of the river deposited nutrient-rich silt along the riverbanks. This soil supported crops that enabled a sophisticated society to thrive in an otherwise inhospitable desert. The Nile facilitated trade, communication, transportation, and governance. South (upstream) of the second Nile cataract lay Nubia, the historical home of the ancient Kerma culture and the Kushite Empire. Many Europeans were fascinated by the Nile, and their explorations around Lake Victoria in the late 19th century located the source of the river. Among the cultures that live along the Nile in the modern era are the Nilotic peoples, semi-nomadic cattle herders who practice nomadic pastoralism, moving their cattle seasonally in response to the Nile's floods. In the modern era, the Nile plays a critical role in the economies of Egypt and Sudan, which rely on it to irrigate extensive croplands. Since the late 20th century, over a dozen dams have been built in the Nile Basin to provide for irrigation and to generate electricity. The dams have altered the river's annual flood cycle and restricted the transport of silt downstream, causing the Nile Delta to shrink. Some dams – such as the Aswan High Dam and Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam – have been the source of international political disputes about water scarcity, safety, food security, and forced displacement of peoples.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:02 UTC on Sunday, 26 July 2026.For the full current version of the article, see Nile on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm long-form Danielle.

A century-old tech company just took a gut punch from Wall Street. A century-old oil giant hasn't had an exciting headline in years. Ten years from now, which one do you actually want to own?In this episode, Greg takes the long view on two very different dividend payers. The first is IBM ($IBM), a stock that ran from the low $200s to a high near $325 over the past year as its quantum computing story caught fire. It then dropped back to around $205 after disappointing contract delays spooked the market. Greg walks through why the selloff isn't the end of the story: IBM's debt has improved, revenue is growing again after years of stagnation, and at roughly 17 times earnings, he argues investors are no longer paying for the quantum computing option.The second is Chevron ($CVX), a stock with none of IBM's drama and, in Greg's view, almost all of the certainty. Diversified across exploration, refining, and chemicals, with a dividend track record that held even when oil prices went negative in 2020, Chevron represents a different kind of long-term bet. It's not a call option on a breakthrough, but a compounding cash flow machine that is also a quiet beneficiary of AI.Two very different companies, one shared idea: real wealth is built by holding through the boring years, not by chasing the exciting ones.TOPICS COVERED[00:41] Introduction: Two Long-Term Stories, Two Different Bets [03:04] IBM ($IBM): From Story Stock to Speed Bump [04:47] Inside IBM's Business: Software, Consulting, and Red Hat [08:41] The Quantum Computing Bet Behind the Stock [13:44] IBM's 10-Year Dividend Growth Math [16:24] Chevron ($CVX): The Cash Flow Machine [18:17] Chevron's Dividend Track Record and Financial Strength [20:40] Diversification: Upstream, Downstream, and Chemicals [21:15] Chevron as a Natural Gas and AI Play [23:49] Why Chevron Over Exxon ($XOM)? [25:45] Two Long Views, One Lesson in Patience [28:02] Final Takeaway: It's All About the Waiting ________ 

Sarah waited ten years for the promise God gave her — then took matters into her own hands. Her scheme with Hagar worked exactly as planned, and it wrecked her marriage, her household, and her walk with God. Pastor CJ Armstrong traces the downstream cost of trying to force God's timetable, and what it looks like instead to commit our way to the Lord while we wait. Scripture referenced: Genesis 16:1-5; Genesis 11:29-30; Genesis 12:1-4; Psalm 37:3-5; James 1:3-4; Genesis 1:27-28; Matthew 19:4-6; 1 Corinthians 11:28,31; Genesis 21:8-9

We live in times of crisis. But perhaps none of the crises affect so many people in the here and now, as the housing crisis. Solving it could provide the skeleton key to unlocking so many of society's problems. Despite this, decades of successive governments in the UK have failed to bring housing under control. The social contract which told us that if we worked hard all our lives, we can own a home and be secure in retirement, has been completely broken. To discuss the crisis in Britain and beyond, Aaron Bastani sat down with Peter Apps. He is an award-winning journalist who knows the field of housing – its failures and its potential fixes – better than almost anyone. He wrote an article about the threat of flammable cladding a month before Grenfell caught fire. How has housing policy shaped Britain in the last 50 years? Who did more to damage the housing system, Labour or the Tories? Is more housing supply always the solution? And why is no one talking about the crisis facing our ageing population, one million of whom will be in housing insecurity and poverty by 2030?

This episode we are taking a quick break from our overall story of Uno no Sarara (aka Jito Tenno) and we are focusing on Ise Shrine and Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess. There is a lot, for a bit more, check out our podcast blogpost at:  https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-153   Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua, and this is Episode 153:  Ise and the Sun Goddess.   In the newly built hall of the Fujiwara Palace, the nobles of the court were gathered for a grand banquet.  Snow-white walls were off-set by bright crimson pillars and trim, highlighted by bright green windows.   The nobles themselves were a rainbow of colors, arranged as they were by rank.   At the head of it all, on a dais, sat the Queen herself, Uno no Sarara.  However, the attention was no longer on her.  Instead, it was on another figure, standing in front of the assembled audience.  A quiet spread throughout the hall, the court listening as Hieda no Are began to tell the story of the Sun Goddess in the Plain of High Heaven.  They listened to the story of her and Susano'o, and of the backward flayed horse.  They heard the tale of the Heavenly Rock Cave, and of all that came after, including the sending of the August Grandchild, Ninigi.  They listened to the story—the story of Yamato.   Last episode, we talked in more detail about Uno No Sarara—starting from her early years as the daughter of Naka no Ohoe, granddaughter of Soga no Kurayamada, and child-bride to her uncle, Ohoama.  I'll admit we didn't look too hard at that last bit, and I don't have enough information to confirm what exactly "marriage" entailed in that context, but it is still something that I find tremendously creepy and, unfortunately, anything but unique.  So I'm not going to dive too much further into it right now but… ew. We talked about how she gave birth to her son, Kusakabe, in Kyushu, during the war on the continent, and how she eventually left for Yoshino with her husband when he retired from court, presumably to outsmart his court rivals, who were positioning him to be taken out.  She also is said to have played a part in the planning and execution of the resulting Jinshin no Ran, later helping her husband govern the realm.  And now, she was on the throne, overseeing the completion of many of the projects started in the reign of her husband.  This included the completion of the Kiyomihara code, the Fujiwara palace, and the support given to the institution of Ise Grand Shrine. This episode, I want to dive into that last topic: the emphasis in Uno no Sarara's reign on  Ise Shrine and its focus, the Great God, Amaterasu no Ohokami.  Although the Chronicles talk about Amaterasu as one of the founding deities of the Yamato royal line, there is plenty of evidence that this story was grafted into the tales at a later date, and that worship of Amaterasu, at least as anything more than a minor deity, likely also started relatively late.  Some have even suggested that Ise Shrine itself wasn't even built until the late 7th century.  So, all of this focus on Ise and Amaterasu appears to be part of the larger effort to structure the physical, cultural, and spiritual landscape of the new Yamato state. Last episode we mentioned how, according to the Nihon Shoki,   Ohoama turned to worship towards Ise.  Well, specifically, he worshipped Amaterasu Ohokami.  So let's take a moment and talk about what we know of the history of this Great God of Heavenly Brightness. Unfortunately, most of that history is based on what we know of the kami from works like the Nihon Shoki, the Kojiki, and the Sendai Kuji Hongi, all of which came out in the 8th century or so.  As such, it can be hard to know what things were actually like, earlier on, as opposed to what was added or removed later. Much of what I'm going to be talking about, today, I'm going to be pulling from a book written in 2017 by Mark Teeuvwen [Tayvin?] and John Breen titled "A Social History of the Ise Shrines", as well as Michael Como's work "Weaving and Binding: Immigrant Gods and Female Immortals in Ancient Japan", published in 2009, along with other sources.  In their book, Breen and Teeuwen point out that for those who do not take the events of the Nihon Shoki and Kojiki at face value, there are two primary theories for the origin of the worship of Amaterasu: an early theory and  a late theory.  The early theory places the development of the worship of Amaterasu in the 5th and 6th centuries, during the reigns of such figures as Wakatakeru no Ohokimi, aka Yuuryaku Tennou.  The Late Theory places the development in the 7th century, largely at the feet of such figures as Ohoama and Uno no Sarara herself.  We'll take a look at the evidence and see what it says. I would note that compared to the official history, both of these would be very late theories.  According to Ise Grand Shrine even today, Amaterasu arrived in Ise in the 26th year of Ikume Iribiko, aka Suinin Tennou, as stated in the Nihon Shoki, which corresponds to 4 BCE if you take the dating of the Nihon Shoki to be accurate. Of course, we've already spent plenty of time talking about the problems with the Nihon Shoki prior to the 6th century CE, as well as how the political nature of the text affected what it contained. So to kick things off, let's address the biggest question of all: why don't we believe that Amaterasu no Ohokami was always the primary deity of the pantheon of Yamato, at the very least, if not all of the Wa people of the archipelago?  After all, isn't she a sun goddess, and isn't sun worship fairly well documented among the ancient Japanese?  Just take a look at words like "Hiko" and "Hime", referring to rulers as sun man and sun woman.  Also note that early on, worship seems to have centered around places such as mountaintops, which focused worship towards the sky and the highest point.  In fact, as wet rice paddy agriculture became the dominant economic factor driving the engine of the archipelago in the Yayoi and early kofun period, early shrines were very likely about bringing the spirit of the mountain from the mountaintop and giving them a home amongst the rice fields.. And then we have the stories.  Don't the ancient stories all tell about Amaterasu as the ruler of Takama no Hara, the Heavenly Plain?  And isn't it her grandchild that then descends to the earth to pacify the Land of the Reed Plains—aka the Japanese archipelago? Well let's take a look at those same stories, which we've covered in earlier episodes of the podcast.  The first deities mentioned in the Chronicles are deities like Ama no Minaka Nushi, Lord of the August Middle of Heaven; Takami Musubi, High August Growth; and Kami Musubi, Divine August Growth.  There are other deities, like Kuni Toko Tachi, but they are barely mentioned again. Later we get Izanagi and Izanami, the masculine and feminine, who create the world and give birth to numerous deities from that point on.  Among the children of Izanagi are said to be Amaterasu, Tsukiyomi, and Susano'o.  Amaterasu, Heaven's Brightness, represents the sun while Tsukiyomi represents the dark of the moon.  Susano'o is then the god of the storms and seas, and was sent to the Nether Land, the Ne no Kuni. Right away we see that there are numerous different stories listed in the Nihon Shoki for just about everything.  Only the Kojiki gives everything as a single, coherent narrative, but surely the readers in the 8th century would have known some of these other stories, and thus the Nihon Shoki gives the alternates as well. Now the main narrative of the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki tells us that Ama-terasu no Oho-kami was born to rule over everything.  In the Nihon Shoki, Izanagi and Izanami specifically mention that divine destiny in Amaterasu's creation—although actually, in that part of the text, the deity they are creating is named Oho-hiru-me no Muchi; the Great Sun Female Holder.  And in the next entry they call Amaterasu: Ama-terasu Oho-hiru-me.  Tsukiyomi, the deity of the moon, is made to be her consort, and they are supposedly sent to rule the plain of Heaven, Takama no Hara. The problem is that there are other entries that suggest that Takama no Hara already had a ruler:  Taka-mi-Musubi.  Reading the sections on Taka-mi-Musubi, we see a deity who is said to have produced 1500 children, himself—no mention of Izanagi and Izanami.  Some of his children are mentioned as Omohi-kane:  the Thought-Combining deity, and Sukuna-bikona: the Little-Prince-Named deity. Amatsu Hiko Hiko Ho Ninigi no Mikoto, the August Heavenly Prince, Prince Ho-ninigi, is not just a grandson of Amaterasu no Ohokami, but also a grandchild of Taka-mi Musubi.  In at least one story, Takami Musubi is the one who wants Ninigi no Mikoto to become the ruler of the Central Land of the Reed Plains.  Towards that end, he gathers the various kami and chooses someone to go down and prepare the way—Ama-ho-hi no Mikoto—who was to quote-unquote "expel and subdue" the evil gods of that land.  We covered this story in episode 21 and 22.  When that doesn't work, he gathers them again, sending others to try and do the same.  Eventually he sends Takemikazuchi and Futsunushi down.  All of this sounds like Taka-mi Musubi, whose name appears to refer to being the "high" deity, was the one in charge. In addition, we have the court ritual from sources like the Engi Shiki, which illustrates the deities that were invoked for the protection of the palace and the royal family.  These were:  Kami-musubi, Takami-musubi, Iku-musubi, Taru-musubi, Tamatsume-musubi, Oomiya-no-me, Oomiketsu-no-kami and Kotoshironushi.  One might notice a lot of the "musubi" names among the deities, and a distinct lack of appeal to Amaterasu.  If Amaterasu were the central deity and ancestral deity of the royal family, why is she not invoked in the rituals of the court itself? The thought, here, is that these rituals are likely much older than the worship of Amaterasu, and while Amaterasu would come to prominence in the stories that the court would tell, it was much more difficult for them to rearrange the traditional rituals to put her front and center.  Those rituals were maintained by ritualist families like the Nakatomi, and they weren't likely to change the rituals willy-nilly, even for a sovereign.  That was playing with supernatural fire, after all—if you changed the rituals, would they still even be effective?  Granted, rituals do change, so it isn't a perfect argument; perhaps it was just not considered to be important enough to make the change since it was not something that anyone except the court ritualists needed to worry themselves over.  Either way, it appears that we do have a list of deities that may have been the deities of the ruling elite prior to the rise of Amaterasu and Ise shrine more generally. We have a few other clues of what was going on in the narrative.  For instance, we see the story from the reign of Mimaki Iribiko, aka Sujin Tennou, also called the First Sovereign of Yamato, despite the legendary figures inserted prior to his reign.  It is in this chapter that we see a note that Ama-terasu no Oho-kami and Yamato no Oho-kuni-dama, which is to say the Spirit of the Country of Yamato, were both worshipped together in the hall—that is in the royal palace itself.  And yet apparently Mimaki Iribiko feared these deities residing with him in the palace, and he had their worship moved to locations outside of the palace.  Amaterasu's worship was given to Toyosuki-iri-bime, one of Mimaki Iribiko's daughters, and established in the district of Shiki, in Yamato.  Yamato no Ohokunidama, on the other hand, was given over to Nunaki-iri-bime no Mikoto, another daughter through a different wife. but we are told that she was lean, and her hair was falling out, and so she couldn't perform the rites.  Turning our attention back to Ama-terasu—in the reign of Ikume-Iribiko, aka Suinin Tennou, son and heir of Mimaki Iribiko, the worship of Ama-terasu would pass from Mimaki Iribiko's daughter, Nunaki Iri Bime to Ikume Iribiko's daughter, Yamato Hime.  She would move the worship site from Shiki to Uda, in the shadow of Mt. Miwa, and then proceed over to the upper banks, or Kawakami, of Isuzu, in the district of Watarai.  Here, in one of the alternate stories about this episode, we get the Great God of Yamato—Ohoyamato no Ohokami—speaking through a medium to warn the sovereign that he had better be careful.  Mimaki Iribiko had not been quite thorough enough in his worship, so he had not had a long life, and if Ikume Iribiko didn't do the same, he would suffer a similar fate. And so, in a record eerily similar to what we see in the previous reign, the worship of the "Great God of Yamato", the Oho-Yamato no Oho-kami, is given to Nunaki-waka-hime—as opposed to Nunaki-Iri-bime—who also fails in the task because of her emaciated body.  This also introduces Fukayu nushi, an ancestor of the Nakatomi, who was the one who divined what should be done. There is so much to unpack in these stories.  For one, the kami bring power, but also danger.  One can try to placate the kami, but it isn't like a ritual will always work, and the story is of the sovereign being actively afraid of what they might do, so they were removed from the palace.  Then there is the fact that we see two seemingly similar names—Ohoyamato no Ohokami and Yamato no Kunidama both seem like we are talking about the same spirit of Yamato, though some would point out that one is the spirit of the country and one is the great kami of the country, so, clearly different. Both are also being given to someone named "Nunaki—something-something—Hime", and in both cases Nunaki seems to fail in her task because she is apparently not hot enough for the kami.  She's described as too thin and emaciated or balding.  We aren't given the lineage of Nunaki Waka Hime, but Nunaki Iri Bime is connected with the land of Owari.  Nunaki Iri-bime is said to be the daughter of Mimaki Iribiko and Ohoama Hime, ancestor of the Owari no Muraji.  Owari was the land that supported Ohoama during the Jinshin no Ran. Finally, in both cases, we see the worship of the spirit of Yamato being given over to someone name "Nagochi", later identified as Nagochi no Sukune, ancestor of the Yamato no Atahe. One more note—closely on the heels of moving these two kami out of the palace, we see that the court brings in the worship of Oho-mono-nushi, the god of Mt. Miwa, under Ohotataneko, the ancestor of the Miwa clan. So the stories here account for Ama-terasu being moved to Watarai and why she isn't worshipped in the palace.  It also places Oho-mono-nushi at the center of worship in Yamato.  Oho-mono-nushi and Miwa continue to dominate the narrative from here on out, with a few notable exceptions, such as with Okinaga Tarashi Hime, aka Jingu Tennou and her mythical conquest of the Korean peninsula.  I'm sure that had no political implications at all given everything that had happened with Baekje, Silla, and the Tang dynasty in the latter half of the 7th century.  Other than scenes like that, however, the Miwa clan and worship of the Miwa deity appear frequently in the narrative.  It is clear that Mt. Miwa, and its deity, were important, and when Breen and Teeuwen hypothesize that when Naka no Ohoe, which is to say Tenji Tennou, took the drastic step of moving the capital up to Ohotsu, in the land of Afumi, he also brought the Miwa deity with him.  Those Afumi court rituals were conducted under the auspices of the Nakatomi, and particularly the auspices of Nakatomi no Kane, who would become one of the chief opponents of Ohoama during the Jinshin no Ran in 672.  After that conflict, Ohoama and his wife, Uno no Sarara, were building new traditions using Ise and constructing new legends.  Legends that would be under their control and influence and which would further bolster their rule from the city that they had designed to fit inside of this newly constructed cosmological framework. And yet this also brings up what seems like an obvious question.  If Ise Shrine and the worship of Amaterasu were so central to Ohoama and Uno's plans, then why would they put it so far away?  Proponents of the "early" theory of the development of Amaterasu and Ise Shrine suggest that the answer lies in the text of the Chronicles.  That there is some truth to the idea that there was worship in Yamato and that, for various reasons, it moved out to Watarai district early on and developed into Ise Shrine.  Those who hold to the "late" theory of development see all of those stories as later inserts meant to explain away why Ise Shrine was so far away—and perhaps why Amaterasu was not included in the cool-kami club of court ritual.   Teeuwen and Breen mention a few of the theories, from Naoki Koujiro stressing Ise as a strategic gateway between Yamato and Eastern Japan to Tanaka Takashi proposing that the movement of Amaterasu to Ise is actually a stand-in for one or more military campaigns to that area to bring it under Yamato control. And before we move too much further in the narrative, let's talk about how Ise is physically and geographically situated.  Ise is part of modern Mie prefecture, on the eastern edge of the Ki peninsula.  It is at the southern end of a series of adjoining alluvial plains that follow the coastline north to the modern prefectures of Aichi and Gifu—the ancient provinces of Owari and Mino.  The capital of Ise Province used to be in Suzuka, near the the two Tsubaki shrines which both lay claim to the title of Ise no Ichinomiya, the First shrine of the land of Ise, and the pass that served as one of three major routes from eastern Japan into the Home Provinces and beyond.  This puts Ise about as far away as you can get from the capital of the province without going over the mountains, themselves.  It also puts it a good deal south of most major travel routes.  If you are going to Ise shrine then it is pretty clear you were going to Ise shrine, as there isn't a lot of evidence for anything else in the area. The Shrine itself is actually made up of two primary shrine complexes.  There is the Naiku, the inner shrine, and the Geku, or outer shrine.  The Naiku, or inner shrine, is probably the area most people think about.  It is at the foot of the mountains where the Shimamichi River joins the Isuzu River and both flow out of the mountains.  The Naiku contains the shrine to Amaterasu no Ohokami, and is famous for its layout, where there are actually two shrine enclosures, one next to the other.  The main shrine is then rebuilt in the empty enclosure every 20 years, at which point the worship is moved to the new shrine, the old shrine is torn down, and the cycle is started once again. The Outer Shrine, or Geku, is further north, and probably not as well known to foreigners.  The Geku is said to enshrine the spirit of Toyouke-bime, a kami dedicated to food.  According to the traditions of the Geku itself, Toyouke-bime was enshrined in the Geku at the command of Wakatakiru no Ohokimi, aka Yuuryaku Tennou, based on a dream. Regarding the history of why the Shrines—both Inner and Outer—are located here, archaeological evidence doesn't give us a lot to suggest that these might be the case.  Despite the presence of the Miya River near Ise Shrine, we haven't found evidence of a large harbor or port, like we might expect if it was the jumping off point for crossing Ise Bay—or even the center of another large polity.  Instead, the areas to the north—around Fujikata and Matokata inlets, for instance—show much more evidence of occupation and, presumably, use.  Heck, the modern district of Fujikata is in the town of "Tsu", which literally means "port".  And the capital area of Suzuaka and the Ichinomiya of Tsubaki Grand Shrine is even farther north, still.  So who, if anybody, was living down in the area of Ise Shrine?  If we look at the progression of tomb mounds in the area in previous centuries, we see that they start in the Matokata region in the 5th century and work their way down towards the south, with late 5th century tombs found in the district of Taki, the district bordering on Watarai and modern Ise City to the northwest.  It is also where you can find the Saikuu, the site of the old purification palace for the Shrine Princesses.  Grave goods seem to show close ties with Yamato, in the Nara basin.  While the tombs expanded to the south through the 5th century, they appear to have stopped altogether in the 6th century—or at least we haven't found any.  This may indicate that the political situation had changed and there was no group in the area that could organize the labor for such an undertaking.  Whether that was because Yamato was taking it as corvee labor or just that population had dwindled due to war, famine, or something else, I don't know that we could say. Around the year 600, at the opening of the 7th century, we do see a large grave mound erected in the core area of what would later become Ise Shrine, on the east side of the Miya River, overlooking what would become the Geku, the Outer Shrine of the Ise complex.  For those who aren't aware, Ise Grand Shrine is a large complex of shrines, and it is divided into two main areas.  The "inner shrine", or Naiku, is where most people go, and it is the site of the famous shrine building that is supposed to be rebuilt every 20 years.  The Geku is the "outer shrine" complex, technically dedicated to Toyouke hime, a kami of agriculture.  The kofun overlooking the outer shrine is known as the Takakurayama kofun.  This is a round kofun, about 35 to 40 meters in diameter, with a horizontal stone chamber.  It is the largest in the Ise region.  It has been mentioned in records going back to at least the Kamakura era, and even though most of the grave goods are gone, there is evidence that it was richly appointed.  Given its shape and location, there were even those in later centuries who connected it with the Heavenly Rock Cave in which Amaterasu hid according to the ancient stories. The fact that there was nothing around this area and suddenly we see a giant tomb mound is pretty puzzling.  Why was it built here?  Is it connected to the founding of the Outer Shrine in some way, or is that just coincidental?  Teeuwen and Breen point out that it is pretty rare for a large tomb mound to be build in the precincts of an active shrine, which suggests that whatever was happening there, that area was not part of the shrine grounds.  That said, I have to wonder if the ritual worship at the kofun might not have later been transformed or coopted into something else.  There also is no other indication that the Outer Shrine area was used for ritual purposes any earlier than the kofun would have been built.  In contrast, around the Inner Shrine area, several kilometers away, there are caches of beads dated to the 5th, 6th, and 7th centuries in a small valley where a brook runs down from Mt. Asama, not too far from the current shrine complex.  Teeuwen and Breen suggest that this may relate to the "upper reaches of the Isuzu River", mentioned in the Chronicles, and that it may have had to do with rituals related to water supply—hence being found at the point where the water was coming down from the mountains.  And yet, despite these finds, there really aren't any large scale archaeological remains that have been discovered east of the Miya river, though there are modest signs of dwelling and habitation, and some minor burials mounds. Compare this to Tsubaki shrine, the home of Saruta Hiko no Kami, and the main shrine of Ise, situated in the ancient capital of Ise no Kuni.  Downstream from there are numerous tomb mounds and indications of habitation.  So this was probably the center for early sun worship in the region. Teeuwen and Breen conclude that all of this indicates that the region of Taki and areas east of the Miya river were probably more of an outpost—no major powerful chieftains or large polity had set up in the region.  In the late 6th century, some power had to move in to build Takakurayama kofun, but that was an outlier.  Maybe this area just largely fell under Yamato hegemony.  And perhaps that was the key.  Perhaps initially this wasn't a place to center power and authority, but rather it was more like a prison.  It was a place far away from the court, where a deity that was more of a threat could be kept away from the palace and the sovereign.  Perhaps Amaterasu, or whoever the kami was at the time, was placed out here because of the threat they posed, much as the Chronicle seems to suggest—just not necessarily at the time that is suggested. One of the aspects of the mythmaking that we see in the Chronicles appears to be the stress on the Amatsu kami and Kunitsu Kami—the Heavenly deities and the Earthly deities.  The Heavenly deities are those in Takama no Hara, and they are the progenitors of the royal line.  On the other hand are the earthly kami, the Kunitsu Kami, those dwelling on the earthly plane.  In the stories that were recorded in the Nihon Shoki, before the August Grandchild of Takami Musubi and Ama Terasu descended to take control of the Central Land of the Reed Plain, they sent down heavenly kami as warriors to subdue the earthly kami.  On the one hand, this may have been driven by some kind of deep memory of early conquests of the archipelago by various forces.  However, these legends also served another purpose, in that they set up the royal family's right to rule, and appear to establish a de facto hierarchy between those families descended from the Heavenly Kami and those descended from the earthly Kami. Another thing that Teeuwen and Breen point out and that is that Amaterasu is not necessarily a female deity, to start with.  In fact, Amaterasu was probably easily overlain atop the worship of Oho-mono-nushi of Mt. Miwa, at least early on.  To that point, they note stories where Oho-mono-nushi and other deities were commonly depicted as arrows, snakes, or similarly phallic imagery finding or even penetrating women who were thought to have a connection with them.   This suggests a context of these priestesses being married to the kami, and even fits in with early descriptions of individuals like the famous Queen Himiko being a spiritual leader as well as a political one.  If the original Amaterasu was conceived of as a male deity, then this could also explain the tradition of the Saigu, the consecrated shrine princess.  We only see a few royal princesses designated to the position up to this point in the narrative, and, beyond Tokosuki Iri bime and Yamato hime, we don't necessarily learn much more.  One wonders if there weren't other royal princesses likewise sent elsewhere to serve other deities.  We know about Nunaki Iri Hime, and presumably Nunaki Waka Hime.  There was also Yamato Totohi Momoso Hime, who was married to Oho-mono-nushi.  Presumably there were others who just never ended up in the stories that were passed down. The idea of a kami taking a "wife" and connecting that to the idea of women holding these priestly positions seems to fall in line with much of what we see, though, as I said, we only hear occasionally about the appointment of royal princesses to the position until the reign of Ohoama.  That's when we see specifics about appointments, the purification palace in Hase, and other arrangements.  It makes you wonder more than a little bit if Royal Princess Ohoku was, perhaps, the first royal princess to actually be appointed.  It would have been easy enough to add in previous "shrine princesses" into the lineage, especially far enough back that nobody could really fact check it.  We also see Royal Princess Taki journey to Ise with her companions, Princess Yamashiro no Hime and Lady Ishikawa. It is intriguing that this practice was temporarily interrupted during the reign of Uno no Sarara, as I mentioned last episode.  Could this have something to do with a female ruler on the throne and a corresponding lack of urgency about having a female representative at Ise? And in stories about Amaterasu, she is frequently shown with certain masculine qualities.  When she confronts her younger brother, Susano'wo, she is concerned that he might try to take her authority from her, so she meets him decked out in armor, her hair tied up in a typical male fashion, with a bow, ready for a fight.  It would be just as easy to imagine that Amaterasu and Susano'wo were brothers, contending over rulership.  Add to all of that the idea that kami were often personifications of various natural phenomena or ideas, and Japanese is not a naturally gendered language, and there are those that believe that the stories of Amaterasu were not necessarily about a female deity in the beginning, but a male deity, similar to Ohomono Nushi and others, who then took on a feminine persona.  On the other hand there are passages in the old stories recounted in the Chronicles that clearly make Amaterasu out to be a woman. To start with the activities she is associated with, such as weaving, are often associated with women as something they do in the home.  This is a tradition carried over from the continent, along with silk and the techniques to weave it.  In the lands where silk production started, there are silkworm goddesses and the gendered nature of silk production and weaving appears to have come over to Japan as well.  There is also the fact that Amaterasu is said to have another name:  Oho-hiru-me no muchi.  In this case, it would seem to mean something like Great Noontime Female Possessor.  And in the weaving hall it is sometimes Amaterasu that is weaving and sometimes Waka Hirume.  "Hirume" certainly feels like a feminine name. There is the distinct possibility that the stories of Amaterasu as recorded were actually about two or more different kami, so Amaterasu and Ohohirume could have been separate deities having to do with the sun that were rolled into a single kami.  As mentioned before, it is also possible that Amaterasu ended up with some stolen valor taken from the other Ise deity worshiped at Tsubaki, Saruta-hiko no Kami.   Teeuwen and Breen also note that the name "Amaterasu" is hardly unique, noting at least ten other shrines with a kami called "Amateru" or "Amaterasu", mostly in Yamato, but some as far away as Kyushu and Tsushima.  Nine of those shrines were dedicated to Ame no Hoakari, an ancestor deity of the Owari lineage who was also closely tied to metalworking.  It is worth remembering that it was Owari who helped support Ohoama during the Jinshin no Ran, and who may have even fostered Ohoama for a while when he was just a young prince.  All that to say there may have been several different traditions that were all contributing different elements to the story. And then there is the connection between Amaterasu and Uno no Sarara. Herman Ooms, in his book: "Imperial Politics and Sybmolics in Ancient Japan", notes the similarities between Amaterasu and Uno no Sarara, talking about the differences between the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki, both of which had events that mirrored Uno no Sarara's own life.  According to Ooms, "The Kojiki's Amaterasu is a transparent double of the female tennou Jitou".  He points out that Uno no Sarara, besides her posthumous title of Jitou Tennou, also had a title making reference to Takamanohara:  Takama no Hara Hirono no Hime—the Princess High-Heaven-Plain.  But beyond that, we also see other linkages between the stories.  For instance, it isn't Amaterasu's son, Ame no Oshihomimi who is given the realm, but rather her grandchild, Ninigi.  This parallels the way that Uno no Sarara's son, Kusakabe, didn't ascend to the throne, but instead Uno no Sarara was holding the seat for his son, her grandson.  So one sees how Uno no Sarara could be seen as Amaterasu, and her grandson, Prince Karu, could be seen as Ninigi, the August grandchild.  Teeuwen and Breen also note that during this same time, we see the rise of a new institution: the Jingikan.  Again, we touched on this last episode, so just a quick recap:  The Jingikan was a government organization set up specifically to oversee the shrines, rituals, ceremonies, and other such things pertaining to the kami matters.  It does not appear in the initial stand-up of the new, bureaucratic government, wherein is created the bureaus, ministries, or departments, depending on your chosen vernacular, which make up the Dajokan, the Great Council of State.  Instead, the Jingikan is a separate organization, specifically organized around kami matters. The term "Jingi" is also a shorthand for "Ama-tsu-kami, Kuni-tsu-kami", or the kami of Heaven and the Kami of the earth.  "Ama-tsu-kami", meaning Kami of Heaven, was written with two characters meaning "Heaven" and "Kami", pronounced "Tenjin".  "Kuni-tsu-kami", or the Kami of the Earth, was written as "Earth" and "Earth Spirit", which was then pronounced "Chigi".  By taking the last character of each compound Tenjin-Chigi becomes just Jingi, for short.  Throughout the Chronicles, this term, "Jingi" is thrown around when they want to quickly note all the kami, together, though sometimes it is fully written out as "Tenjin Chigi", as well.  Interestingly, "Tenjin" or "Ama tsu Kami", sometimes appears alone, especially in the chapters on the Age of the Gods.  However, "Chigi" seems to only be used in the whole phrase.  There are a few instances, however, of "Chijin" being used, but they are few. That said, the term "Jingikan", also read as "Kami Tsukasa" or even "Kan Zukasa",  doesn't appear until 690, in the reign of Uno no Sarara.  This probably means that it was part of the reforms encompassed by the Kiyomihara codes.  The head of the Jingikan is known as the Jingihaku or "Kan-zukasa no Kami".  This term actually shows up well in advance of the Jingikan itself, initially referring to an unnamed official or officials in charge of kami worship at the court.  Nakatomi no Kamatari is said to have been offered the position in the first reign of Takara, aka Kougyoku Tennou, though the first confirmed individual appears to be Nakatomi no Ohoshima, during the reign of Uno no Sarara. This appears to be a distinctly Yamato invention in the bureaucratic system.  It leverages the language and structure of the Tang dynasty, but in its own way.  There was a Tang department of shrines, but it was described differently, as befits a different spiritual environment focused on ancestor worship and Confucian and Taoist ideas.  The Jingikan system  seems to have been a deliberate re-organization of the indigenous kami worship, incorporating what was probably traditional roles into the new bureaucratic system.  In so doing, however, it also gave the court greater control, and given that this was happening at the same time as the establishment of various stories and myths around Ise and the foundation more generally, it appears to be part of a concerted and deliberate effort to construct a new narrative. All of this points to them architecting much of what was going on, from the stories to the landscape.  Ohoama likely built the inner shrine as we know it.  If it really was an obscure, out-of-the-way shrine, perhaps that also meant that there weren't any other powerful court factions that were enhanced by it.  And then, over time, the Ise shrine and the deity there could be better incorporated into the overall myths and stories that surrounded the formation of Yamato.  A new Yamato, one that would soon enough be referring to itself as the origin of the Sun:  Nippon, a name often attributed to Ohoama and Uno no Sarara, though not found in the record of their reigns in the Chronicles. Another aspect to all of this, however, is what happened immediately after Uno no Sarara's reign, and into the 8th and early 9th centuries.  In the 8th century—the Nara period—Buddhism started to merge with a lot of the local practices.  This was not uncommon.  Buddhism had been born in a land with myriad deities and styles of worship, and it had the means to incorporate local deities into its cosmological worldview.  Kami were just other beings, stuck in the cycle of rebirth, who, as sentient beings, could equally benefit from the Buddha's teachings.  They became guardians of Buddhist institutions, and the lines between shrines and temples were often blurred.  At the same time, kami worship was also taking on various concepts from continental worship, such that even today we find a lot of what we might consider Taoist practices influencing Shinto worship. Had this continued, worship of the kami may have been completely subsumed into the Buddhist ritual practices, but there were areas where kami worship remained distinct.  One of these was at Ise. Early on, there was an attempt to build a temple at Ise, but it didn't last long.  The temple was eventually moved out of the shrine complex, and then eventually it was removed altogether.  Later writings from the Shrine would include certain Buddhist terms among the things that were taboo within the shrine grounds, considering Buddhism as something of a corrupting or polluting influence.  Shrine Princeses, during their tenure, had to devote themselves to the kami, and though they might retire as nuns, later in life, during their appointment they were to be free of any Buddhist influences.  In many ways this would make Ise a prime example of what would eventually be termed "Shinto", which gave it, and the worship of Amaterasu, a certain pride of place.  Of course, it didn't hurt that it was also intertwined with the State and the founding myths of the nation.  As such, Ise Shrine and its worship would become a template for many others to follow, helping to shape what we know as "Shinto" today. There are still a lot of questions.  We don't exactly know what Uno no Sarara did on her trip to Ise Shrine, and we don't know how things surrounding the worship at Ise and of Amaterasu herself changed in the intervening years between when these events happened and when, about two to three decades later, the Chronicles were finalized and published.  Certainly some of this seems tied to the Fujiwara capital, which was no longer populated at that point, the move to Heijo-kyo, in Nara, occurring between 708 and 710, two years before the Kojiki and a decade before the Nihon Shoki would come out.  And yet, the three sacred mountains that were incorporated into the plan of the Fujiwara Capital, Mt. Kagu, Mt. Miminashi, and Mt. Unebi, seem to continue to be important.  This is especially true of  Mt. Kagu, whose heavenly counterpart, Ame no Kaguyama—literally Heavenly Mt. Kagu— continues to play a major role in the stories surrounding Amaterasu and the Heavenly Rock Cave.  In addition,Mt. Unebi is closely tied to the story of Iware-biko, aka Jimmu, conquering and settling the land—perhaps to draw attention away from the stories about Mimaki and Ikume iribiko, aka Sujin and Suinin, who were both associated more with Mt. Mimoro, aka Mt. Miwa.  So even though the physical presence was moved, by that point we know that foundation of many of these stories were likely laid down around the time that the Fujiwara capital was in operation.  What does seem clear is that, just as there were clear efforts to set up the new State government, including the new capital, the court were also taking control of other levers of power and influence.  We previously talked about how they had created National Temples and included government positions to oversee Buddhist affairs more generally.  With Ise and the creation of the Jingikan, it appears as though that trend continued with the traditional kami worship. Many of the elite families still had connections to their own shrines, with their own kami.  Through the stories collected and written down—with a few editorial additions to help place them in an approved context—they were able to construct a narrative from separate or divergent traditions.  These traditions had already accreted to themselves various stories and culture-ways, some of them with clear links to the continent and others with overlapping portfolios.  The kami, and the ability to intercede with them for their blessings or to avert their wrath, were a form of power that was being structured for the purpose of supporting the new State.  A state now under the control of one Uno no Sarara. And we don't exactly have to wonder about this… the preface of the Kojiki all but says it.  They put the words in the mouth of Ohoama, or, as they call him, the Sovereign of the Kiyomihara Palace.  But the words are pretty clear: "I hear that the Imperial Records and Ancient Writing handed down by the various houses have come to differ from the truth and that many false hoods have been added to them. If these errors are not remedied at this time, their meaning will be lost before many years have passed. This is the framework of the state, the great foundation of the imperial influence. Therefore, recording the Imperial Records and examining the Old Writings, discarding the mistaken and establishing the true, I desire to hand them on to later generations." With that, 28 year old Hieda no Are was given the command to learn all the stories and presumably to recite them for the court.  And several decades later, Oho no Yasumaro was given the task to take Are's stories and write them down.  I imagine that Hieda no Are, or perhaps someone else who had learned the stories well enough, would be called into court or banquets to present some of the stories, or would be asked questions if there was any need for precedence.  Thus creating a single source for truth, according to the administration.  At the same time, the court had a problem.  They couldn't control all of the sources of written material, with all of the various contradictions, so we also would eventually get the more comprehensive—but also less narratively direct—Nihon Shoki as well.  After all, the game of propaganda was being played at many levels, and while the royal household had their motivations—primarily to support the legitimacy of their claim to power and the system within which that claim was validated— other families wanted to ensure that they were properly recorded as having connections to traditional nexuses of power—be that the ancient kami of Heaven or Earth, or their relationship to the royal family.  This is because precedence was important, even as new traditions were being created.  Like the way that the Mononobe and the Nakatomi played important roles in Uno no Sarara's ascension ceremony despite the actual individuals using new or different names, like Isonokami or Fujiwara.  See Episode 151 for the explanation, there.  And new traditions were much easier to justify if you could connect them with older traditions—whether those older traditions were truly ancient or newly made inventions. And all of this suggests that this was not an accident and it wasn't simply being imposed from the top down.  One could be charitable and suggest that those involved felt that this got them closest to what the truth actually was, given that they had now been inculcated in a new worldview and they were trying to view the ancient stories through the interpretive lens of that worldview.  On the other hand, they were ultimately doing it to structure power and authority that favored them and the government they had created.  A government that they hoped would outlast them, and be passed on to their descendants. Next episode, we will continue our discussion of Uno no Sarara's life and reign and the incredible steps she took to ensure that her line would continue to rule Yamato for decades. Until then if you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

In a post-AGI world, can a country without access to frontier AI even be considered sovereign anymore?Anton Leicht says once frontier AI becomes a core economic input, the countries that own it will pull further and further ahead. Everyone else stays a customer… or worse. Maybe the dominant power wants your land, or a military base, or a resource. Without economic leverage, there's very little you could do about it.Anton — Carnegie fellow and writer of the blog Threading the Needle — thinks middle powers should band together and build their own frontier models.He's costed it out: something like $500 billion over four years for a band of allied democracies. That's not absurd money for the G7 minus the US. The problem is you'd be asking treasuries to take on sovereign debt for a speculative venture with no business case, wide open to US coercion and domestic backlash.So despite its promise, Anton's verdict is that it probably won't happen. His backup is for countries to ask themselves: if intelligence becomes abundant, what stays scarce?Upstream, that's everything that feeds the supply chain: ASML's lithography machines, chipmaking, exclusive training data — all of it gets more valuable as AI does.Downstream, “a country of geniuses in a data centre” still can't cure cancer without someone building the production plants and running the trials. The Europeans, Japanese, and South Koreans are good at exactly these real-world bottlenecks.It's an imperfect fix. The US would still hold more leverage, plus an incentive to re-industrialise and cut you out. The prize is avoiding the worst outcomes: a gradual but irreversible decline, waiting to be either annexed or discarded as the US and China race ahead.In this episode, Anton and host Tom Reed look at what middle powers should start doing now to keep a seat at the table.Learn more, video, and full transcript: https://80k.info/AL This episode was recorded on June 19, 2026.Chapters:Cold open (00:00:00)Who's Anton Leicht? (00:00:43)Most countries face bleak AI futures (00:01:06)How middle powers can strike AI deals (00:06:10)The $500 billion AI moonshot (00:12:16)Would the US crush allied AI? (00:24:54)When to launch the AI moonshot (00:31:56)Why AI dominance is forever (00:35:45)Is AI dependence catastrophic? (00:37:42)What's left to sell in an AI-dominated world? (00:42:45)Policies to avoid mass AI-layoffs (00:47:47)Who really governs Anthropic? (01:08:29)Why “pausing superintelligence” fails (01:10:52)Is American AI monopoly safe? (01:21:08)Explaining AGI to the world (01:28:40)Is Anton bullish or bearish on Germany? (01:31:05)Our production team includes:Video editors: Josh Alward, Dominic Armstrong, Ollie Bignell, Andrés Escobar, Jasper Luithlen, Milo McGuire, Luke Monsour, and Simon MonsourProducers: Elizabeth Cox and Nick StocktonCoordination and support: Katy Moore and Lou MoranCamera operator: Jeremy ChevillotteMusic: CORBIT

The idea of a wealth tax has never been more popular in Britain, and while many have campaigned for it, none have done more to boost the demand than one man: Gary Stevenson. The former city trader first joined us on Downstream four years ago. A lot has changed since then. This week, after a bruising round of media including attacks from Piers Morgan and the Guardian, Gary sat down to give his side of the story to Novara Media's Aaron Bastani. What are the fair critiques of a wealth tax, and how does Gary engage with them? What would he say to Andy Burnham? What does he think needs to be done to keep out Farage and Reform? And do the recent spate of attacks in the media show that Gary's actually winning the argument?

Ray White speaks to Ali Siddiqi, Chief Financial Officer at ADNOC Distribution, about the company's definitive agreement to acquire Shell Downstream South Africa in a deal valued at approximately $1 billion (R16 billion). The acquisition includes Shell's network of 580 fuel stations, as well as its wholesale fuel, aviation and lubricants businesses, and forms part of ADNOC Distribution's strategy to expand its footprint across Africa. The Money Show is a podcast hosted by well-known journalist and radio presenter, Stephen Grootes. He explores the latest economic trends, business developments, investment opportunities, and personal finance strategies. Each episode features engaging conversations with top newsmakers, industry experts, financial advisors, entrepreneurs, and politicians, offering you thought-provoking insights to navigate the ever-changing financial landscape.    Thank you for listening to a podcast from The Money Show Listen live Primedia+ weekdays from 18:00 and 20:00 (SA Time) to The Money Show with Stephen Grootes broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj and CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show, go to https://buff.ly/7QpH0jY or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/PlhvUVe Subscribe to The Money Show Daily Newsletter and the Weekly Business Wrap here https://buff.ly/v5mfetc The Money Show is brought to you by Absa     Follow us on social media   702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702   CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/Radio702 CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last year, Zack Polanski's Green Party suggested changes could be made to Britain's prohibitionist approach to drugs – and felt the full force of the mainstream media's indignation. But all over the world, the War on Drugs is shifting shape. Drugs are being legalised and commercialised. America now has its first legal weed-selling billionaire, while others serve out huge prison sentences for possession. Ash Sarkar sat down with Professor Kojo Koram, to discuss his latest book The Next Fix: The Winners and Losers in the Future of Drugs, which travels from a plantation-turned-prison in Louisiana to the psychedelic boom of Silicon Valley. So what does a drug policy fit for the 21st century actually look like?

What Does America's 250th Birthday Mean for Its Future and Our Faith?   To celebrate America's 250th birthday, Curtis Chang is joined by his The After Party partners David French and Russell Moore to ask how Christians should think about patriotism, democracy, and national identity in a divisive age. Comparing the optimism of the 1976 Bicentennial with today's fractured political climate, they explore America's founding ideals, the promises and failures of liberty and equality, the relationship between Christianity and the American experiment, and the dangers of Christian nationalism. Together, they answer listener questions and offer a vision for faithful civic engagement — one marked by gratitude without idolatry, honesty without despair, and allegiance to Christ above every nation.   00:34 - Introduction to America's 250th Birthday 02:07 - Comparing the 250th with the Bicentennial 09:18 - America's Gifts to the World 16:16 - Was America Founded as a Christian Nation? 25:13 - The Pull of Christian Nationalism 29:29 - Project 2025 & What True American Renewal Requires 36:07 - A Bottom Up Christian Influence on Government 40:30 - Politics is Downstream from Culture 45:14 - Guidance for Pastors on the 250th 48:24 - America's Historical Role in the World 52:22 - Defining Christian Patriotism 58:03 - A Closing Prayer For Our Country   Sign up for The After Party   More to Listen to: Good Faith 199 – David French asks: What the Heck Is a Christian Nationalist? Good Faith 181 – Can the Church Resist Political Extremism Again? With Paul D. Miller Good Faith 36 – The Religion of American Greatness Good Faith 207 – N.T. Wright Explains Ephesians: The Church, Christian Nationalism, and the Armor of God Referenced in the Episode: Remembering the American Bicentennial Celebration Remembering Operation Sail Remembering the Miracle on Ice Article: Christian Nationalism's Dark Forebears by David French Ben Rhodes' All We Say: The Battle for American Identity: A History in 15 Speeches Jon Meacham's American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House Legal Philosophy and the Founding Fathers James Madison's Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments Who was the minister, Roger Williams? John Locke's influence and Christian faith & legal philosophy of the American founding The story of Thomas Jefferson & Rev. John Leland Understanding Frederick Douglass and the Constitution Article: How Viktor Orbán's Hungary Eroded the Rule of Law and Free Markets PEPFAR: President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief Who is Freddy, the German?   Scriptures Referenced: 1 Timothy 2:1–6 (ESV) John 18:36 (ESV)  Colossians 1:15–17 (ESV)  Micah 6:8 (ESV)  Luke 3:12–14 (ESV) Philippians 3:20 (ESV)   More From David French: David French's New York Times pieces HERE Follow David French on Threads   More From Russell Moore: Sign up for Russell Moore's weekly newsletter Moore to the Point Listen to The Russell Moore Show (podcast)   Follow Us: Good Faith on Instagram Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter) Good Faith on Facebook   The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.

Mariana Mazzucato is a towering figure in contemporary economics, best known for her work on the entrepreneurial state and mission-oriented economics. Her congregation is broad, ranging from an ascendant Andy Burnham, to the Pope, to Marco Rubio. Ash Sarkar sat down with her in front of a live audience at EartH Theatre in Hackney to test the ideas in her new book, The Common Good Economy. Support

Pastor Dan Brenton | Ezekiel 47:1-12 | GI Free Church

Daniel Levy is a British-Israeli analyst, commentator, and former Israeli government negotiator whose biography reads like a map of the peace process’s rise and fall. Ash Sarkar sat down with him as a new Iran deal is announced, with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz set to reopen and the US-Iran ceasefire extended for 60 days. In this conversation, Daniel picks apart what these peace negotiations are really about. What does Israel really want? Who blinked first, the US or Iran? And how does a ceasefire announcement from the Oval Office differ fundamentally from long and lasting peace? Help us build people-powered media: https://novara.media/support

Asia's energy security has always rested on a difficult bargain -- deep reliance on Middle Eastern crude in exchange for scale, proximity and established commercial relationships. The recent conflict tested that bargain in real time, forcing refiners, traders and governments to reroute supply, reassess risk and confront the true cost of dependence. As risk premiums fade and markets move from crisis response to post-war recalibration, the bigger question is no longer just where the next cargo comes from -- it is whether Asia can build a more resilient energy supply system. In this  episode of Platts Oil Markets podcast by S&P Global Energy, Asia Energy Editor Sambit Mohanty discusses with Calvin Lee, head of Asia content at Platts, and Nick Sharma, head of global upstream insights at CERA, how the supply shock is reshaping Asia's crude sourcing and refining economics, as well as building a case for more investment in domestic oil and gas production.

Felipe Trujillo, vicepresidente downstream de Ecopetrol by Diario La república

Walter Murch, one of the greatest film editors who ever lived, doesn't fix bad footage. He decides what the film actually is, from hundreds of hours of raw material that could tell a dozen different stories. Rick Rubin, one of the most successful and iconic record producers in history, famously describes his role as just listening. He sits on a couch, hears what's true and what isn't, and tells the artist. Artists pay enormous sums for that. Your clients now have the camera. They have the recording equipment. AI is giving them raw material faster and cheaper than ever before. What they don't have is the ear and the eye. The judgment about what to do with all of it. In this episode, I make the case that this judgment is where your real value lives, and that it lives in two places: before the work starts, and after it's done. Both are underpriced by most writers. Both are in growing demand. What You'll Learn Why the film editor and record producer are the right mental models for where your value sits in an AI-shaped market What "upstream judgment" actually means and why writers have been giving it away for free for years The specific decisions that happen before content is created that AI genuinely cannot make well Why the demand for downstream editorial judgment is growing as AI content floods the market How to identify where your judgment is most needed inside your existing client relationships Key Ideas & Takeaways 1. Your clients have the raw material. They need the judgment. AI is making content production faster and cheaper than ever. What it's not providing is the editorial eye that decides what's worth making and what's worth keeping. That's the gap you can fill. 2. The most important decisions are made upstream. Before a word gets written, someone has to decide what's worth creating, for whom, with what angle, and why. Those decisions require context that doesn't exist in any dataset: the client's internal politics, their buyer psychology, the competitive landscape, what leadership will actually approve. That's where experienced writers have enormous value they rarely charge for. 3. You've been doing advisory work your whole career. Every time you asked a clarifying question that changed a project's direction, pushed back on a brief that didn't make sense, or flagged an angle that wouldn't land with the audience, that was advisory work. It was just embedded invisibly in your writing process. The move is to make it visible and price it separately. 4. Downstream judgment is in growing demand. The more content AI helps produce, the more critical it becomes to have someone with real editorial judgment reviewing it before it ships. Companies that skipped this step are learning the hard way what it costs to publish without a quality filter. That's a real and growing opportunity for writers who position themselves as that filter. 5. You don't have to stop writing. Moving into judgment-focused work doesn't mean giving up the craft. Most writers who've made this shift still write. They do it alongside upstream strategy work and downstream editorial review that puts them closer to the decisions where the real value lives. Action Steps Think of one current client and ask: what decisions are they making before they produce content that my experience gives me an opinion about? Ask the same client: what content are they shipping that nobody with real editorial judgment is reviewing first? Write down one upstream service you could offer this client based on what you know about their strategy, their audience, and their blind spots. Write down one downstream service based on the content quality issues you've noticed in their recent work. Pick one of those two and draft a one-paragraph description of what it would look like as a packaged offer.

The War on Terror ended in 2021, with the US and British militaries' catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan. But the consequences of that decade of conflict in the Middle East continue to play out both overseas and at home. On Downstream this week, Aaron Bastani sits down with investigative journalist and author Matt Kennard, to discuss the updated findings in his book Irregular Army: How the US Military Recruited Neo-Nazis, Gang Members, and Criminals. Matt is the founder of Declassified UK, and an expert on the US and British war machines. What happened to the US military when recruitment standards were abandoned, in the early 2000s? What do Pete Hegseth's tattoos tell us about his fanatical far-right beliefs? How did such a person rise to become Secretary of War (formerly Defense)? What do the Trump administrations’ actions in the Middle East tell us about the status of the US empire? And how has the US government been captured by Netanyahu, in his pursuit of a so-called Greater Israel?

Sunday June 7th, 2026: Welcome to the beginning of a brand-new series, Abba's Table.At its heart, this series is an exploration of what authentic New Testament culture actually looks like. In a time when many beautiful Kingdom words have become cliché at best and triggering at worst, we want to rescue the language of family, honor, community, belonging, sonship, and spiritual fatherhood from the distortions of religion, performance, and unhealthy expressions.But before we talk about how family functions around the table, we must first remember whose table it is.In Week One, we begin where Jesus always began: with the Father. Through Scripture, the life of Jesus, and the story of Luke 15, we discover that the first thing we inherit at the Father's table is not purpose, ministry, calling, culture, or even community—it is a revelation of the Father.Because everything in our lives flows from how we see God. And when we see the Father rightly, we begin to see ourselves, one another, and the world around us rightly as well.This is Abba's Table — and it all starts with seeing Him.

Dr. Tom Curran talks about the effects of sin on the intellect, will and desires. Tom explores the concupiscence of sin, particularly the sins of pride and anger. What are the promises of pride? How is stubbornness and boastfulness connected to pride? How can we grow in humility? What's the difference between righteous indignation and anger? Referenced Movie:Sacred Heart: His Reign Has No End (Fathom Entertainment) Get Tickets Near You!

It has been a year since Aaron Bastani first met with AI investigative journalist Karen Hao, to discuss her book Empire of AI.  A year is a long time, in the fastest growing sector on the planet. To bring us up to date, Aaron and Karen sat down again to discuss the major shifts in the empire – and their impacts on us all.  Billions of people now use, AI as it has become more integrated into our lives, from chatbots, Google searches, predictive text, and beyond. At the same time, there has been a groundswell of fear and even anger about the arrival of the most disruptive technology of the 21st century: its impact on jobs, its use of resources, and the reckless behaviour of its billionaire founders. What have been the changes at the top of the major AI companies: OpenAI, Google, xAI and Anthropic? As Elon Musk approaches trillionaire status, how is he making this much money? What impact is the rollout of AI at such speed and scale having on the economy? What forms of resistance to this form of AI are emerging?  And why are billionaires all choosing to build their bunkers in New Zealand?

The TENE crew zooms out from Bovino's attendance (among others) at the recent far-right "Remigration Summit" in Portugal and follows the various threads and shadows of recurring characters on the show, who are unfortunately very real. Music Credits: Kaleidoscope - Girmitiya --- Subscribe to https://patreon.org/tenepod https://bsky.app/profile/tenepod.bsky.social https://x.com/tenepod

The TENE crew zooms out from Bovino's attendance (among others) at the recent far-right "Remigration Summit" in Portugal and follows the various threads and shadows of recurring characters on the show, who are unfortunately very real.

Take the free Predictable Income Map quiz at predictableproducer.com/quiz. Five questions, two minutes. Find out exactly which of the 5 stages you are in and what is keeping you there. Most loan officers think they have an activity problem.They don't.They have an identity problem.In this episode, Steve unpacks one of the most important concepts behind building a predictable business: Be. Do. Have.Too often, we try to do more in hopes of having better results. But lasting success comes from first becoming the person who consistently does the activities that create the outcome.Steve shares personal stories from his early struggles in the business, the lessons learned from rebuilding, and why motivation alone will never create a predictable income. You'll discover why decisions are more powerful than choices, how limiting beliefs quietly sabotage performance, and why identity is the foundation that makes every other strategy work.  Ready to build a predictable production system? The 5-Day Predictable Producer Challenge walks you through identity, the math, your warm list, your calendar, and the exact ask, one day at a time. On demand. Start today at predictableproducer.com/challenge. 

Take the free Predictable Income Map quiz at predictableproducer.com/quiz. Five questions, two minutes. Find out exactly which of the 5 stages you are in and what is keeping you there. Most loan officers think they have an activity problem.They don't.They have an identity problem.In this episode, Steve unpacks one of the most important concepts behind building a predictable business: Be. Do. Have.Too often, we try to do more in hopes of having better results. But lasting success comes from first becoming the person who consistently does the activities that create the outcome.Steve shares personal stories from his early struggles in the business, the lessons learned from rebuilding, and why motivation alone will never create a predictable income. You'll discover why decisions are more powerful than choices, how limiting beliefs quietly sabotage performance, and why identity is the foundation that makes every other strategy work.  Ready to build a predictable production system? The 5-Day Predictable Producer Challenge walks you through identity, the math, your warm list, your calendar, and the exact ask, one day at a time. On demand. Start today at predictableproducer.com/challenge. 

The far right holds power in the US, inflaming tension along racial lines. ICE agents terrorise the streets, while Black history is erased from school curricula. In the UK too, Nigel Farage's far right party Reform is on the ascendancy, riding a tide of anti-immigrant sentiment that he himself helped to stoke. Our guest on Downstream this week is Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw, civil rights advocate and legal scholar. Crenshaw is known for coining the term ‘intersectionality' to describe the ways different forms of discrimination combine or intersect, and is a leading figure within the field of Critical Race Theory.  Born into segregation, her new memoir Backtalker (2026) tells her life story, tracking 60 turbulent years of American history in the process. How have the forces of race, class and gender shaped Crenshaw's own life? What is Critical Race Theory – the academic field Crenshaw founded – really about? Was Kamala Harris' presidential campaign a failure because she was a weak candidate, or because she was a victim of the forces of misogynoir? And in these times of rising fascism, should progressives put their efforts into tackling inequality based on race, or class?

In this episode of Chemical Conversations, Argus' James Elliott speaks with global polyurethanes editor Laura Tovey-Fall and US polyurethanes reporter Catherine Rabe to discuss the latest developments and what they could mean for the market in the months ahead. Ahead of Europur's annual conference on 9 - 11 June 2026, the team discuss: What is the latest in terms of the European isocyanate supply and demand balance? How are the new MDI and TDI trade flows between Europe and the US driving market change? What is the global isocyanates outlook for the second half of 2026? Laura Tovey-Fall will be presenting on 'The Flexible PU Foam Market Outlook: Upstream & Downstream' at Europur's conference on Wednesday 10th June 2026. Click here (chemicals@argusmedia.com) to request a meeting or find out more about Argus Isocyanates. 

We're here to talk about fishing angles. Are you wading upstream or down? And are you casting upstream or down? What's your preference? Why do you make that decision? When, if ever does it change? And does your casting direction always follow your wading direction?Sometimes, these preferences seem regional, while other times it's specifically about the tactic -- meaning that swinging wet flies, for example, suits a downstream approach best. But sometimes, angle choice seems more like tradition, and many anglers simply fish a certain way because their Dad did.Most of us at Troutbitten look at things objectively. We all went through a period of time where we tore everything down that we thought we knew and rebuilt the database from the ground up. We want to know what really works best.My good friends Matt Grobe and Bill Dell join me to answer these questions.ResourcesREAD: Troutbitten | The Downstream Fisher Yields to the Upstream FisherVIDEO: Troutbitten | Riverside: Fishing Direction - Should You Work Upstream or Downstream?READ: Troutbitten | Face Upstream, Fish UpstreamREAD: Troutbitten | The Advantages of Working UpstreamVisitTroutbitten WebsiteTroutbitten InstagramTroutbitten YouTubeTroutbitten FacebookThanks to TroutRoutes:Use the code TROUTBITTEN for 20% off your membership athttps://maps.troutroutes.com Thanks to SkwalaUse the code, TROUTBITTEN10 for 10% off your order athttps://skwalafishing.com/

Too many leadership problems get solved downstream, after the mess has already happened. Strong leaders work upstream. In this episode, Chad shares four upstream investments that prevent a hundred downstream messes you'd otherwise have to clean up. Audio Production by Podsworth Media - https://podsworth.com 

A wealth tax on the very richest people in our society has never been more popular. Recent polling puts the plan at 90% approval, a figure almost unheard of for any policy proposal. This week's guest, Gabriel Zucman, is a French economist who has done the most comprehensive work on what such a tax could accomplish. And he’s also a key inspiration for the UK's leading wealth tax advocate – and friend of the show – Gary Stevenson.

Sandesh Patnam of Premji Invest joins Nick to discuss The Downstream Effects of SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic Soaking Up $3T in the Public Market, Who Is Netscape and Who Is Google in the AI Era, and the Impact of Private Credit Redemption Requests on PE and VC. In this episode we cover: Themes and Dynamics of the Current AI Shift Investment Opportunities and Challenges Thesis and Focus at Premji Invest Advice for AI Companies and Public Markets Impact of Mega IPOs on Private Markets Challenges in Private Equity and Private Credit Listening as a Secret Weapon Guest Links: Sandesh's LinkedIn Sandesh's X Premji Invest's LinkedIn Premji Invest's Website The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. We're proud to partner with Ramp, the modern finance automation platform. Book a demo and get $150—no strings attached.   Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.

Google I/O revealed a lot about Google's future in artificial intelligence. Not only did the company release a new model, updated search, and launched new AI glasses. We discuss what we learned, whether this is a real normie moment for AI, and what the impacts will be outside of Alphabet.Travis Hoium, Lou Whiteman, and Rachel Warren discuss:- Google I/O- Is this AI for normies?- Downstream impacts for investors.Companies discussed: Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL), NVIDIA (NVDA).Host: Travis HoiumGuests: Lou Whiteman, Rachel WarrenEngineer: Kristi Waterworth Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement. We're committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It has been a seismic week in British politics. The two-party system has collapsed. Keir Starmer is digging in at Downing Street, while Labour leadership contenders line up outside, and Reform clouds gather overhead. Now: the most important by-election in more than a century looms. How did we get here? And what happens next? On this week's Downstream, Aaron Bastani is joined by James Butler, contributing editor at the London Review of Books and co-founder of Novara Media, to make sense of the paradigm shift underway in British politics. How has first past the post, long promoted as a source of political stability, become the background for systemic chaos? Why is there such a democratic deficit in Britain, and what can be done about it? Have two lost decades on the economy simply killed both historic parties? And where should progressives position themselves, as we now begin the slow march towards the final general election of the 2020s?

Our experts discuss how the Iran conflict and AI-driven demand affect the outlook for oil, commodities, inflation, and energy security. 2:10 – Pre-war oil outlook 3:35 – Revised outlook for oil 7:00 – AI and an oil supercycle 9:50 – Critical importance of the Strait of Hormuz 11:30 – Downstream effects across supply chains 14:50 – Oil and energy market volatility 16:45 – Geopolitical implications 21:00 – Fertilizers, metals, and LNG 25:30 – Effects on the energy transition 28:10 – What to watch Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

British politics is in turmoil. The two party system has collapsed, the far right has won huge gains across the country. Crises of this scale can create huge opportunities for socialists too, but only when the left is organised and ready. Peter Mertens is the general secretary of the Workers' Party of Belgium. If recent years in British politics have had a manic-depressive quality, with extreme highs and extreme lows, the Workers' Party of Belgium under Mertens takes a very different approach. They might be relatively unknown in the UK, but as we speak, they're fourth in the national polls, and leading in Brussels. They've got 15 parliamentary seats – not bad for out and proud Marxist-Leninists. How have they done it? By growing cautiously and deliberately. They run community health clinics, organise locally, and impose strict internal discipline. Their party prioritises unity and strategy. But how well-placed is it to take on the overlapping crises of the 21st Century? What advice does Mertens have for Zack Polanski? How can we stop middle class people taking over and dominating the left? And how is politics like football?

The two-party system has defined British politics for centuries, but the status quo is under attack from Nigel Farage's Reform UK and an insurgent Green party – both looking to clean up in the local elections on 7 May. This week Aaron Bastani speaks to economist James Meadway about the disruptive new progressive party on the block. Meadway was an economic advisor to John McDonnell during Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of Labour, and is now chief economist of Verdant, a new think tank set up to craft the Green party's strategy for 2029. But who are the Greens? What is their vision for Britain? How can they build a broad coalition of voters, big enough to win elections? And what mistakes can Zack Polanski learn from the Corbyn era? Help us build people-powered media: https://novara.media/support

Fri, 01 May 2026 23:30:00 GMT http://relay.fm/downstream/117 http://relay.fm/downstream/117 Jason Snell It's time to say goodbye. But before we go, we read some final letters, Steven hides in Sports Corner, and Jason answers a bit of podcast lore. Thank you all for listening to Downstream. It's time to say goodbye. But before we go, we read some final letters, Steven hides in Sports Corner, and Jason answers a bit of podcast lore. Thank you all for listening to Downstream. clean 2269 It's time to say goodbye. But before we go, we read some final letters, Steven hides in Sports Corner, and Jason answers a bit of podcast lore. Thank you all for listening to Downstream. Guest Starring: Steven Schapansky Links and Show Notes: Submit Feedback The Town with Matt Belloni Insiders: The TV Podcast The Rest is Entertainment Radio Free Skaro The Grill Room Podcast Upgrade

On this, our 323rd Evolutionary Lens livestream, we discuss vultures, politics, and complex systems. Vultures, which have evolved multiple times (like mangroves, poison frogs, and “trees”), specialize on carrion. In India, a painkiller commonly used in people but toxic to vultures, diclofenac, came out of patent, began to be used in cattle, and the vast majority of vultures in India died. Downstream effects include the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, and tens of billions of dollars in economic losses. Now in Africa, vultures are being poisoned intentionally, and a similar devastation is likely to happen. Vultures are ugly, smelly, and gross…and utterly central to the health of not just their ecosystems, but the people who live in and near them. Welcome to complex systems. Also: Katie Wilson, the mayor of Seattle, seems to be engaged in a kind of “scientific socialism,” akin to “scientific racism,” in which quasi-scientific ideas are used to justify (bad) policy.*****Our sponsors:Lovebird: Delicious, nutritious cereal made with real ingredients. Go to http://lovebirdfoods.com/darkhorseand use code DARKHORSE for 25% off your first order.Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club: Scrumptious & freshly harvested. Go to http://www.GetFreshDarkHorse.com to get a bottle of the best olive oil you've ever had for $1 shipping.Xlear: Xylitol nasal spray that acts as prophylaxis against respiratory illnesses by reducing the stickiness of bacteria and viruses. Find Xlear online, or at your local pharmacy, grocery store, or natural products store.*****Join us on Locals! Get access to our Discord server, exclusive live streams, live chats for all streams, and early access to many podcasts: https://darkhorse.locals.comHeather's newsletter, Natural Selections (subscribe to get free weekly essays in your inbox): https://naturalselections.substack.comOur book, A Hunter-Gatherer's Guide to the 21st Century, is available everywhere books are sold, including from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3AGANGg (commission earned)Check out our store! Epic tabby, digital book burning, saddle up the dire wolves, and more: https://darkhorsestore.org*****Mentioned in this episode:Frank & Sudarshan 2024. The social costs of keystone species collapse: evidence from the decline of vultures in India. American Economic Review 114(10): 3007-3040: https://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/171014/13/WRAP-twerp-1433-Sudarshan-24.pdf Anoosh Moonka tweet: https://x.com/anishmoonka/status/2049394252573004057On the Origin of Species: https://dn710801.ca.archive.org/0/items/darwin-online_1859_Origin_F373/1859_Origin_F373_text.pdfKatie Wilson clip from Brandi Kruse: https://x.com/BrandiKruse/status/2049562844862324861Support the show

The 21st century runs on batteries: from phones and laptops to electric vehicles, drones and clean energy. Embedded in these batteries are rare earth minerals, drawn from a brutal supply chain that begins in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The race to electrify the global energy system is underway, but most people know almost nothing about how the necessary batteries are made – even those of us with green politics. Aaron Bastani finds out more with Nicholas Niarchos, author of The Elements of Power: A Story of War, Technology, and the Dirtiest Supply Chain on Earth. Help us build people-powered media: https://novara.media/support

As the American empire teeters, China gains dominance, and war spreads across Eastern Europe and West Asia, questions arise as to Europe's place in this rapidly changing world order. On Downstream this week, Ash Sarkar speaks to Roderick Beaton, former Koraes Professor of History at King’s College London, about his latest book Europe: A New History.  How did the boundaries between Europe and Asia come to be drawn in the first place? How were immigration and borders managed by the ancients in Greece and Rome? How do the stories we tell about our collective history in Europe shape contemporary political thought? And in an age of mass migration, who gets to be European today – and why?