Podcasts about exciting

With a PetaPixel Membership, not only can you support original PetaPixel reporting and in-depth reviews, but you can also remove ads from the website and gain access to some seriously great perks, too. Members get $15 off the Moment Store, 5% off certified pre-owned gear from KEH, 25% off the PetaPixel Merch Store, and now can download full-resolution RAW files and JPEGs from the latest cameras and lenses. It costs just $3 per month or $30 per year. Join today!Now saving when you shop for your favorite gear at B&H Photo is even easier with the B&H Payboo Credit Card which lets you Save the Tax — you pay the tax, and B&H pays you back instantly! (Save the Tax on eligible purchases shipped to eligible states.) OR you can pay over time with our 6 & 12 month financing (on minimum purchases of $199 for 6 months, and $599 for 12 months). Terms apply, learn more at http://bhphoto.com/payboo. Credit card offers are subject to credit approval.Payboo Credit Card Accounts are issued by Comenity Capital BankThis week on The PetaPixel Podcast, the team is joined by mobile expert Ted Kritsonis who shares his opinion on why Samsung might be afraid to take risks with its smartphone hardware and, more importantly, why it doesn't seem to matter how far behind Chinese brands its devices are. Check out PetaPixel Merch: store.petapixel.com/ We use Riverside to record The PetaPixel Podcast in our online recording studio.We hope you enjoy the podcast and we look forward to hearing what you think. If you like what you hear, please support us by subscribing, liking, commenting, and reviewing! Every week, the trio go over comments on YouTube and here on PetaPixel, but if you'd like to send a message for them to hear, you can do so through SpeakPipe.In This Episode:00:00 - Intro w/ mobile specialist Ted Kritsonis11:10 - Apple finally replaced the Pro Display XDR and it's pretty good18:37 - Apple announced a new MacBook Pro Powered by M5 Max22:04 - Peak Design has a bunch of new travel bags and the 2-in-1 makes some necessary improvements30:25 - Jaron is using the new Shure MVX2U Gen 233:24 - Fujifilm introduced some new lens ideas42:12 - Yashica announced the Tank47:30 - Samsung's Phones Aren't Exciting... But Does That Matter?1:15:37 - What have you been up to?1:27:43 - Tech Support1:30:42 - Feel good story of the week

A rush of new competition is flooding into areas like space and nuclear. We take a look at what is real, and what is hype. Tyler Crowe, Matt Frankel, and Lou Whiteman discuss: - What space investments look exciting - Areas of the sector that are overcrowded - Why they are cautious about buying into the nuclear hype - Investing stories they are following right now Companies discussed: MOG.A, SES, OKLO, SMR, HHH, JOBY, ACHR Host: Tyler Crowe Guests: Lou Whiteman, Matt Frankel Engineer: Dan Boyd 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

Today's Sports Daily covers March Madness has officially begun, craziness in the conference tournaments, the WBC is off the charts exciting and already has one player rethinking is his decision, and Dak Prescott's wedding called off after the joint Bachelor/ette party.    Music written by Bill Conti & Allee Willis (Casablanca Records/Universal Music Group)  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The 2026 F1 season kicked off with a dramatic race in Melbourne, showcasing new regulations and fierce competition. In this episode, Chief Editor Kevin Turner is joined by Autosport writers Jake Boxall-Legge and Stuart Codling to analyse the race highlights, technical insights, and emerging contenders, giving you a comprehensive breakdown of the first race of the year. Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction to the 2026 Melbourne GP and race highlights 02:24 - Weekend impressions from trackside reporter Stuart Codling 03:52 - Public perception and driver comments on regulations' impact 05:46 - Race start chaos: battery issues and safety concerns 07:36 - Exciting overtakes and early battles between Russell, Leclerc, and Hamilton 09:44 - Deployments, energy management, and qualifying insights 11:43 - Race pace, tyre longevity, and strategy missteps 13:02 - Safety and reliability of new energy deployment systems 15:02 - Team strategies, mistakes, and potential safety issues 18:08 - Mercedes' performance gap and customer engine concerns 21:04 - End-of-race performances and up-and-coming drivers 25:00 - Strategic calls during virtual safety cars and their outcomes 27:49 - Ferrari's performance and predictions for Monaco and beyond 29:23 - Rookie driver Isaac Hadjar's impressive debut and team progress 32:37 - New teams Audi and Cadillac: performances and future prospects 36:15 - Aston Martin's technical issues with Honda power and future outlook 40:03 - Preview of the China GP and the introduction of the sprint race 41:23 - Final thoughts and season expectations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's conversation sits right at the edge of what many consider the next era of medicine — regenerative, precision-based, and centered on restoring function at the cellular level rather than simply managing symptoms.To guide us through this rapidly evolving field, I'm joined by Dr. Jeff Gross. Dr. Gross is a spine fellowship-trained neurological surgeon, an internationally recognized speaker in regenerative and biohacking medicine, and the founder of ReCELLebrate. With a background spanning biochemistry at UC Berkeley to a medical degree from George Washington University, he has spent years working at the intersection of surgical medicine, stem cell science, and cutting-edge biologics.We're diving into exosomes — tiny extracellular vesicles that act as biological messengers, carrying proteins, lipids, RNA, and signaling molecules between cells. Once dismissed as cellular debris, exosomes are now recognized as key regulators of inflammation, tissue repair, immune modulation, and possibly even aging itself. In other words, they don't just participate in healing — they help coordinate it.In this episode, we explore how exosomes differ from stem cells, what the current evidence actually shows, where they're being used clinically — from sports injury recovery to chronic inflammatory conditions — and what their role may be in extending health span, not just lifespan. We also discuss safety considerations, dosing questions, regulatory realities, and the future trajectory of regenerative therapeutics as patient demand for non-pharmaceutical solutions continues to grow.If you're a clinician, a biohacker, or simply someone interested in where medicine is heading over the next decade, this is a conversation you don't want to miss.

He agrees to be her focus group for demoing toys in the adult toy store.By Norweger. Listen to the ►Podcast at Steamy Stories.Can I help you?I glanced aside from the colourful products on display right in front of me, blushing mildly. The shopkeeper had done the rounds, and I, being lost in thought in front of the Toys; male, solo shelf hadn t noticed her approaching. Well, I could hardly deny I was thinking of buying a Fleshlight, as I held one; well, a securely wrapped one, luckily; in my hands as I met her friendly gaze.I, ah Fuck. Going to an adult toy shop shouldn t be embarrassing, should it? My cheeks and earlobes grew pretty pink. Well, I m just browsing, to be honest, IShe nodded. ‘Those are real good, by the way. She giggled. Well, good quality. Easy to keep clean. Rugged. For obvious reasons, I haven t taken one for a test drive myself.I chuckled, feeling my awkwardness recede a bit. That s one way of putting it. For obvious reasons I thought before answering Well, I could hardly expect you to have, could I? That being said, shops like this are quite particular, no? Normally, asking the shopkeeper for recommendations and whether she d used the product herself would be reasonable, but here, I guess it would get me me-too d right away? How do you actually reply if someone holds up something and asks, well, is this one any good?I smiled weakly while feeling my cheeks getting rosier again, hoping I hadn t overstepped any bounds. I got a chuckle for my trouble. Well, please try to keep the exciting images out of your mind, but to tell you the truth, we do test quite a lot of the stuff we sell.She blushed a little, herself. Well, we must buy them, of course, though at a steep discount. She turned her gaze down as the sentence trailed off, giving me a chance to look her over without being too obvious about it as the images she d been warning me about started to manifest themselves to my inner eye. I guessed she could be in her early thirties, a few years younger than me. Quite cute, slender, narrow hips, a loose-fitting, turquoise sweater doing its best to hide her ample bosom I d already undressed her in my mind, trying to imagine her testing the huge dildos in the glass display cabinet right behind her.Oh no, I hadn t been blushing earlier. Now; NOW I was blushing.She lifted her gaze again and giggled. Let me guess. Exciting images?I could hardly deny it, and she could hardly take affront, either. I turned my own gaze down, intensely studying my rather rumpled leather boots. There was no way in hell I d be able to meet her stare while saying it. Oh, guilty as charged. I made a helpless gesture with my arm towards the toys on display I imagined both this and that, I ll admit.Well, there s a reason we don t have fitting rooms, you know! Her giggle turned to a quick laugh which she stifled as quickly. I felt my mood rise just by hearing it; it had a chirping quality, sounded almost like a bird s cry. In improving spirits; and, frankly, quite turned on; this young, cute woman had more or less told me that she test ran a lot of the toys in the store. Now my eyes wandered around the room, desperate not to meet her stare, while every time I saw something titillating I imagined her using it on herself. Not that there was anything extraordinary about a woman in her thirties enjoying herself, but the mere thought, as she was standing two feet away from me Fuck. I was rock hard. I hoped it wasn t too obvious.Here goes nothing. Had I first said A, I might as well say B, too. I felt a bit braver, thinking we could spin a bit on this, while still keeping it innocent. She looked amused, too. That s kind of unfair, though, isn t it? Any woman walking into this store can get, ah, expert advice, whereas I, as a man, will have to take your word for it Oh, this one is good; I haven t tried it, but it is good, believe me!She laughed. Loud. I swear to all that s holy, had we ever had a male shop assistant here, he d be loaded down with all the male solo toys we could muster and be told to test the hell out of them; and take notes while he was at it! She turned serious. Wouldn t do you much good, though; I d be most surprised if there s even a single man in town who d casually ask another if that sex toy of his was any good or not.I d have to give her that. Chitchatting about sex did come a lot easier when I did it with a woman.Just that. There s a reason we re all women working here, she smiled. Women sell better to both men and women than, say, a fifty-something, balding, pudgy male in a soiled T-shirt and sweat pants. She chuckled. Beg your pardon for letting my prejudices shine through, by the way.I laughed out loud again, realizing I was getting close to asking her what she did once she d closed shop; she had, in a few minutes since I d become aware she even existed, shown herself to be one of those all too rare people who could get me in a good mood simply by being there; and that she could quip about sex and seemingly be at ease was an added bonus. Plus, of course, she was incredibly cute. I caught the warm, brown eyes peering out under her unruly mop of reddish hair, trying to come up with a suitable response before the silence became awkward or she trotted on through the shop, ending our moment.She glanced down at her watch, and my heart sank like a stone; opportunity wasted, I thought; until I heard what she had to say.Look Now I want you to be real careful; not getting the wrong idea as to what I am suggesting, okay? You are not going to have sex with me, capisce? Well, she had my full and undivided attention, even if I wouldn t get to sleep with her. I nodded, firmly. No fucking her. OK.I m about to close shop, now. If you, ahem, would like to test the fleshlight before you buy it, you can do so, okay? But, you re going to have to buy it afterwards, obviously. The lube is on the house.I gawked at her. Wow. I nodded, numbly. This couldn t be, could it? But I wouldn t want to miss this for the world. I nodded again, vigorously. She smiled a quick smile, then went to the entrance to lock the doors, glancing over her shoulder at me as she did so, throwing me another smile.Returning, she grabbed a bottle of lube from a shelf, and motioned for me to follow her as she walked past. As if I needed any prodding. It d probably be best to use our office, rather than have you go at it here under the bright lights, she suggested softly. I just shrugged. I d follow her anywhere. My cock was rather a simpleton.As we exited a door with a 'staff only sign at the back of the shop, we entered the kind of storeroom you ll find somewhere in any shop in the world; shelves stocked with all kinds of goods, except Well, these goods were very much adult toys. Darting past a crate packed to the gunwales with inflatable dolls; inflated!, she giggled Meet last year s Christmas decorations; we couldn t sell them, but neither could we bring ourselves to throw them away I shook my head, dumbfounded.She nodded towards a green door near the corner of the storeroom That s where you ll get to find out if the fleshlight is any goodShe opened the door, hinges groaning. I ve been meaning to grease those for ages, wonder if I can use this lube? she mused as we entered a small-ish, run-down office. Lots of papers were covering just about any horizontal surface; a desk with a computer and a phone on it and a small coffee table in front of a battered old sofa tucked into a corner; piles of merchandise along the far wall.Nodding towards the sofa, she suggested I take a seat before seating herself on the office chair by the desk. I hope you don t mind me watching. After all, I have a certain, um, professional interest in seeing how you get along with it, you know. , throwing me another smile; a warm, seemingly genuine one. She didn t appear to be wholly untouched, herself.I fumbled with the packaging. What sadist had invented welded plastic? Probably a good thing when it came to protecting sex toys on display, but when you were about to unwrap it to try it out? Not so much. My audience reached for a pair of scissors and motioned for me to lob her the fleshlight. You get out of your jeans, I ll get this out, OK? she suggested. I nodded, still not trusting my voice to bear.I hardly needed any more encouragement. I tugged at my belt, seconds later dropping my jeans to the floor, stepping out of them. My briefs were unceremoniously shoved down my thighs, and as I rose again, my almost painfully erect cock pointed arrogantly at the ceiling, the shopkeeper raising her eyebrows a little and giggling softly as she took the sight in while cutting open the packaging separating me from instant bliss.With a satisfied Hah! Finally! she pulled the fleshlight from its by now shredded plastic cover and reached over to hand it to me. I shamelessly ogled her cleavage before reverting to holding her gaze. As I said, this is good shit. You won t be able to destroy this one during normal use She proceeded to explain how important it was to clean it after use, stressing that they had both suitable toy cleaner and disinfectant in the store. Most gentle for the silicone, that stuff; unlike the dish soap most people tend to useHer sentence trailed off, apparently she got struck by the same thing I had; that this was an absurd time to discuss maintenance. My apologies, I got a bit carried away. Here.Accepting the toy, I glanced over at the bottle of lube perched on the edge of her desk. Turning around, she reached the bottle and spun back to present it to me. There you go, put lots in the fleshlight, some around the entrance and a little on your johnson, and you re good to go.Nodding, I did as she had suggested; an ample spurt of lube into the pale, pink thingy, then a little around the sculpted pussy lips. Bah, in a way it would have been better if they hadn t tried so hard to make it look like the real thing. Seeing as you wanted my observations, I think it would have been better if it was just an opening, not modeled to look like a real pussy; you know, no matter how good this may turn out to be, it can t possibly compare to the real thingDoh, she exclaimed as she rolled her eyes. I should have mentioned that, there s a neutral version, too; and, believe it or not, a few which are supposedly modeled after famous porn stars pussies, whether you believe it or not. Anyway, they probably all feel the same; just look at something, anything else while you re using it.I d be lying if I claimed I thought it would matter much what it looked like once it was wrapped around me. Squirting a wee bit of lube in the palm of my hand, I stroked myself a couple of times, ensuring I got some on the purplish, swollen head, too; unless I slipped in unhindered, I d be sore afterwards, of that I was certain.Positioning the fleshlight against the glans, I looked over at the shopkeeper. She stared back, eagerly anticipating my next move; not that she d have to be a rocket scientist to figure out what that would be. Gently pressing the fleshlight towards me, I slid into my first silicone pussy. It was just tight enough to feel natural-ish, I d hand the designers that; but it felt rather cold and, well, dead.What s it like? she asked, voice quivering slightly. Oh, not too bad, I replied Though it does feel a bit cold and. ah, dead, if I may say so at the moment, but that should improve shortly Giving it a couple of strokes, I could already feel it begin to warm up.She raised her stare from my fleshlight-wrapped member to meet mine. Fuck me, I really am not doing my job properly, now; I just remembered that the manufacturer recommend that you put it in warm water for a few minutes before use, precisely to avoid that corpse bride-feeling. My apologies.I nodded. That d probably do the trick, I m sure. However ; I let it slide back and forth a few times, feeling the soft silicone caress my oh-so-erect cock; it does feel really good, don t get me wrong; and it keeps getting warmer by the second!Having said that, I stroked myself in silence for a few moments, slowly, deliberately; pulling it off me until my cock emerged from it, exposing the swollen, lube-glistening head for my very attentive audience, then shoving myself into it again. Oh yes, it felt better and better. While no one would ever mistake it for the real thing; well, no one who had ever had the good fortune to have the real thing wrapped around oneself, anyway; it definitely felt good, much better than a simple handjob.It keeps getting better, I grunted. Would work better still if one could take it out of the casing, though; you know, to adjust the pressure, using it as a sleeve over my cock; would feel more alive, then.She nodded. I ll keep that in mind, in case someone asks. I believe you can take it out for cleaning, by the way; so you could probably, um, go au-naturel on it, if that s your preference. ; before again staring at my cock sliding in and out of the toy, mesmerised.I felt like I was being on display; quite naturally, seeing as that was just what I was; but caught myself enjoying it. My audience was really cute and sexy as hell; well, truth be told, I d probably find even Margaret Thatcher hot as fuck if she had stared at my masturbating with that sultry look my watcher now sent me; but I digress. I was turned on, way beyond what I would have been had I been doing the deed at home, alone.I coughed softly, then slowing the pace a bit as I caught her stare again. Uh, I know there won t be any actual sex, that s not what I m fishing for now, but Would you mind, ah, could I Well, have a little glimpse of your charms? Some bare skin? Just to help me over the edge? I must have looked like a pleading puppy, as she burst into laughter, luckily a good-natured one.After first shaking her head, she apparently had second thoughts and nodded. I swallowed. This intensely erotic moment was about to become even hotter. Grabbing the hem of her sweater, she pulled it over her head and revealed a black, low-cut bra and ample cleavage. Lovely, pillowy, full breasts. My pace picked up.Don t you think about touching me, don t even reach for me, OK? she said, sternly. I nodded, hoping I looked like I d be true to my word. God knows how reliable one looks when masturbating to the sight of the girl asking you to keep your hands off her.She apparently found my promise good enough, and, after reaching behind her back for a second, the bra fell into her lap and her breasts swung free. I swallowed again, almost in disbelief. They were really beautiful; round, full and pillowy, large, but not so large as to be saggy; they proudly stood form her chest, slightly pear-shaped, milky white and crowned by the largest, weakly drawn areolas I d ever seen, pale pink, crested with nipples looking as if you d be able to cut glass with them, so hard were they.She was amazing, and I wasted no time telling her so as my cock hardened further still inside the silicone wrapper I was now doing my best to fuck the daylights out of while keeping my eyes locked on the shopkeeper, occasionally falling to her wonderful breasts, but mostly maintaining eye contact.She leant back in her chair, her breasts gently parting. My turn to be mesmerised. I could already feel the familiar tingling telling me my strokes were numbered and my orgasm forthcoming; I d be done for shortly.The fleshlight was now at body temperature, and felt much, much more lifelike, albeit still no match for a woman, I grunted through clenched teeth no muscles milking me, no body thrust against mine, no hands feverishly stroking over my back, hugging me close as orgasm approaches; but it does feel pretty pretty damned good!Nodding absentmindedly, she stroked a hand over her right breast, cupping it, then pinching her nipple between her thumb and index finger, moaning softly.I m about to cum, I grunted, snapping her back to reality. Oh, please do it in that one, huh? , she nodded to an empty mug on the table between us. I want to see you cum. I nodded, feverishly working my cock with the latest addition to my meagre sex toy collection. Lean forward, please , I snapped I want to see those lovely tits swaying under youLaughingly, she obliged, leaning forward, then rocking side to side. Like this, huh? she teased, smiling warmly at me as the heavy globes swayed back and forth under her.Yes. Just like that. There was no use trying to hold back. Two more strokes, and I could feel my orgasm erupting, a tad before I d expected it to. And here I was, figuring I had it under controlI jerked the fleshlight off my cock, throwing it on the floor, sending spurt after spurt of cum over the table, grasping for the mug, missing, shooting another spurt halfway across the room towards her; at least it felt like it; before finally grabbing the mug and shooting the last, feeble spurt into it. I felt my earlobes glow with embarrassment as I came in for landing after the massive orgasm, only to see the mess I d made; cum streaks over invoices, a pack of cigarettes, the table itself, a lighterMy companion laughed, totally losing it in a fit of laughter, her breasts jiggling as she shook You should ve seen yourself!!! , she eventually gasped, regaining some control over herself. It was the most absurd sight I ve ever seen, so incredibly hot, you in the midst of such an orgasm, frantically trying to grab my old mugI joined her, a bit hesitantly at first. It had indeed been comedy hour. I hoped there wasn t a surveillance camera here, for if it did, I d be bound to find myself on some amateur blooper reel shortly.Never mind, though, she giggled. I ll get that cleaned up in no time. Without getting her sweater back on, she left the room. Seconds later I heard the tell-tale sound of water pouring from a faucet and paper being torn from a roll. She returned, hand full of tissue paper, and handed me some. Here, clean yourself up; then I ll show you how to clean your latest conquest afterwards.She leaned in over the table and cleaned up any trace of my little indiscretion. I really had to fight the urge to reach out and touch the lovely form right in front of my eyes; but managed. I d promised, after all; and I d had a wonderful experience, I wouldn t want to ruin it by doing anything which might scare or offend her in any way. I leaned back in the sofa while cleaning most of the lube off my semi-erect cock, softly caressing it as I stared hungrily at her, finishing up the table.I followed her to the cupboard next to the office; standing close to her; still dressed like Venus of Milo, only with arms; in the tiny room, I could feel the warmth of her body against mine as she fumbled the fleshlight open, taking out the silicone innards. Just hold it under lukewarm water, first, to get rid of your cum and the lube, then wipe it clean with a little bit of the toy cleaner I ll give you when we re back in the shop and it ll be ready for its next outing.She glanced up at me, noting my attention was on her, rather than on the most useful instructions she were supplying. Better leave it outside its sheath overnight to allow it to dry properly, she said. Well, unless you find you prefer to use just the inner sleeve, of course. Quick smile.With that, she handed the toy back to me. Just head back out in the shop, you. I ll be with you in a minute, just need to get dressed. I was treated to a smile too cute to be believed, and I was bright enough not to overstay my welcome by asking for just a few more glimpses of her.I threw a last, longing glance at her beautiful, curvy shape, met her gaze; a rather lustful one at that!; and smiled at her. I ll do some window shopping, then, see if I find more playthings catching my fancy. I then turned and briskly headed back into the shop, again passing the surreal pile of inflatable dolls, one still sporting a santa s cap.She sure took her time getting dressed; I imagined she d figured she needed

He agrees to be her focus group for demoing toys in the adult toy store.By Norweger. Listen to the ►Podcast at Steamy Stories.Can I help you?I glanced aside from the colourful products on display right in front of me, blushing mildly. The shopkeeper had done the rounds, and I, being lost in thought in front of the Toys; male, solo shelf hadn t noticed her approaching. Well, I could hardly deny I was thinking of buying a Fleshlight, as I held one; well, a securely wrapped one, luckily; in my hands as I met her friendly gaze.I, ah Fuck. Going to an adult toy shop shouldn t be embarrassing, should it? My cheeks and earlobes grew pretty pink. Well, I m just browsing, to be honest, IShe nodded. ‘Those are real good, by the way. She giggled. Well, good quality. Easy to keep clean. Rugged. For obvious reasons, I haven t taken one for a test drive myself.I chuckled, feeling my awkwardness recede a bit. That s one way of putting it. For obvious reasons I thought before answering Well, I could hardly expect you to have, could I? That being said, shops like this are quite particular, no? Normally, asking the shopkeeper for recommendations and whether she d used the product herself would be reasonable, but here, I guess it would get me me-too d right away? How do you actually reply if someone holds up something and asks, well, is this one any good?I smiled weakly while feeling my cheeks getting rosier again, hoping I hadn t overstepped any bounds. I got a chuckle for my trouble. Well, please try to keep the exciting images out of your mind, but to tell you the truth, we do test quite a lot of the stuff we sell.She blushed a little, herself. Well, we must buy them, of course, though at a steep discount. She turned her gaze down as the sentence trailed off, giving me a chance to look her over without being too obvious about it as the images she d been warning me about started to manifest themselves to my inner eye. I guessed she could be in her early thirties, a few years younger than me. Quite cute, slender, narrow hips, a loose-fitting, turquoise sweater doing its best to hide her ample bosom I d already undressed her in my mind, trying to imagine her testing the huge dildos in the glass display cabinet right behind her.Oh no, I hadn t been blushing earlier. Now; NOW I was blushing.She lifted her gaze again and giggled. Let me guess. Exciting images?I could hardly deny it, and she could hardly take affront, either. I turned my own gaze down, intensely studying my rather rumpled leather boots. There was no way in hell I d be able to meet her stare while saying it. Oh, guilty as charged. I made a helpless gesture with my arm towards the toys on display I imagined both this and that, I ll admit.Well, there s a reason we don t have fitting rooms, you know! Her giggle turned to a quick laugh which she stifled as quickly. I felt my mood rise just by hearing it; it had a chirping quality, sounded almost like a bird s cry. In improving spirits; and, frankly, quite turned on; this young, cute woman had more or less told me that she test ran a lot of the toys in the store. Now my eyes wandered around the room, desperate not to meet her stare, while every time I saw something titillating I imagined her using it on herself. Not that there was anything extraordinary about a woman in her thirties enjoying herself, but the mere thought, as she was standing two feet away from me Fuck. I was rock hard. I hoped it wasn t too obvious.Here goes nothing. Had I first said A, I might as well say B, too. I felt a bit braver, thinking we could spin a bit on this, while still keeping it innocent. She looked amused, too. That s kind of unfair, though, isn t it? Any woman walking into this store can get, ah, expert advice, whereas I, as a man, will have to take your word for it Oh, this one is good; I haven t tried it, but it is good, believe me!She laughed. Loud. I swear to all that s holy, had we ever had a male shop assistant here, he d be loaded down with all the male solo toys we could muster and be told to test the hell out of them; and take notes while he was at it! She turned serious. Wouldn t do you much good, though; I d be most surprised if there s even a single man in town who d casually ask another if that sex toy of his was any good or not.I d have to give her that. Chitchatting about sex did come a lot easier when I did it with a woman.Just that. There s a reason we re all women working here, she smiled. Women sell better to both men and women than, say, a fifty-something, balding, pudgy male in a soiled T-shirt and sweat pants. She chuckled. Beg your pardon for letting my prejudices shine through, by the way.I laughed out loud again, realizing I was getting close to asking her what she did once she d closed shop; she had, in a few minutes since I d become aware she even existed, shown herself to be one of those all too rare people who could get me in a good mood simply by being there; and that she could quip about sex and seemingly be at ease was an added bonus. Plus, of course, she was incredibly cute. I caught the warm, brown eyes peering out under her unruly mop of reddish hair, trying to come up with a suitable response before the silence became awkward or she trotted on through the shop, ending our moment.She glanced down at her watch, and my heart sank like a stone; opportunity wasted, I thought; until I heard what she had to say.Look Now I want you to be real careful; not getting the wrong idea as to what I am suggesting, okay? You are not going to have sex with me, capisce? Well, she had my full and undivided attention, even if I wouldn t get to sleep with her. I nodded, firmly. No fucking her. OK.I m about to close shop, now. If you, ahem, would like to test the fleshlight before you buy it, you can do so, okay? But, you re going to have to buy it afterwards, obviously. The lube is on the house.I gawked at her. Wow. I nodded, numbly. This couldn t be, could it? But I wouldn t want to miss this for the world. I nodded again, vigorously. She smiled a quick smile, then went to the entrance to lock the doors, glancing over her shoulder at me as she did so, throwing me another smile.Returning, she grabbed a bottle of lube from a shelf, and motioned for me to follow her as she walked past. As if I needed any prodding. It d probably be best to use our office, rather than have you go at it here under the bright lights, she suggested softly. I just shrugged. I d follow her anywhere. My cock was rather a simpleton.As we exited a door with a 'staff only sign at the back of the shop, we entered the kind of storeroom you ll find somewhere in any shop in the world; shelves stocked with all kinds of goods, except Well, these goods were very much adult toys. Darting past a crate packed to the gunwales with inflatable dolls; inflated!, she giggled Meet last year s Christmas decorations; we couldn t sell them, but neither could we bring ourselves to throw them away I shook my head, dumbfounded.She nodded towards a green door near the corner of the storeroom That s where you ll get to find out if the fleshlight is any goodShe opened the door, hinges groaning. I ve been meaning to grease those for ages, wonder if I can use this lube? she mused as we entered a small-ish, run-down office. Lots of papers were covering just about any horizontal surface; a desk with a computer and a phone on it and a small coffee table in front of a battered old sofa tucked into a corner; piles of merchandise along the far wall.Nodding towards the sofa, she suggested I take a seat before seating herself on the office chair by the desk. I hope you don t mind me watching. After all, I have a certain, um, professional interest in seeing how you get along with it, you know. , throwing me another smile; a warm, seemingly genuine one. She didn t appear to be wholly untouched, herself.I fumbled with the packaging. What sadist had invented welded plastic? Probably a good thing when it came to protecting sex toys on display, but when you were about to unwrap it to try it out? Not so much. My audience reached for a pair of scissors and motioned for me to lob her the fleshlight. You get out of your jeans, I ll get this out, OK? she suggested. I nodded, still not trusting my voice to bear.I hardly needed any more encouragement. I tugged at my belt, seconds later dropping my jeans to the floor, stepping out of them. My briefs were unceremoniously shoved down my thighs, and as I rose again, my almost painfully erect cock pointed arrogantly at the ceiling, the shopkeeper raising her eyebrows a little and giggling softly as she took the sight in while cutting open the packaging separating me from instant bliss.With a satisfied Hah! Finally! she pulled the fleshlight from its by now shredded plastic cover and reached over to hand it to me. I shamelessly ogled her cleavage before reverting to holding her gaze. As I said, this is good shit. You won t be able to destroy this one during normal use She proceeded to explain how important it was to clean it after use, stressing that they had both suitable toy cleaner and disinfectant in the store. Most gentle for the silicone, that stuff; unlike the dish soap most people tend to useHer sentence trailed off, apparently she got struck by the same thing I had; that this was an absurd time to discuss maintenance. My apologies, I got a bit carried away. Here.Accepting the toy, I glanced over at the bottle of lube perched on the edge of her desk. Turning around, she reached the bottle and spun back to present it to me. There you go, put lots in the fleshlight, some around the entrance and a little on your johnson, and you re good to go.Nodding, I did as she had suggested; an ample spurt of lube into the pale, pink thingy, then a little around the sculpted pussy lips. Bah, in a way it would have been better if they hadn t tried so hard to make it look like the real thing. Seeing as you wanted my observations, I think it would have been better if it was just an opening, not modeled to look like a real pussy; you know, no matter how good this may turn out to be, it can t possibly compare to the real thingDoh, she exclaimed as she rolled her eyes. I should have mentioned that, there s a neutral version, too; and, believe it or not, a few which are supposedly modeled after famous porn stars pussies, whether you believe it or not. Anyway, they probably all feel the same; just look at something, anything else while you re using it.I d be lying if I claimed I thought it would matter much what it looked like once it was wrapped around me. Squirting a wee bit of lube in the palm of my hand, I stroked myself a couple of times, ensuring I got some on the purplish, swollen head, too; unless I slipped in unhindered, I d be sore afterwards, of that I was certain.Positioning the fleshlight against the glans, I looked over at the shopkeeper. She stared back, eagerly anticipating my next move; not that she d have to be a rocket scientist to figure out what that would be. Gently pressing the fleshlight towards me, I slid into my first silicone pussy. It was just tight enough to feel natural-ish, I d hand the designers that; but it felt rather cold and, well, dead.What s it like? she asked, voice quivering slightly. Oh, not too bad, I replied Though it does feel a bit cold and. ah, dead, if I may say so at the moment, but that should improve shortly Giving it a couple of strokes, I could already feel it begin to warm up.She raised her stare from my fleshlight-wrapped member to meet mine. Fuck me, I really am not doing my job properly, now; I just remembered that the manufacturer recommend that you put it in warm water for a few minutes before use, precisely to avoid that corpse bride-feeling. My apologies.I nodded. That d probably do the trick, I m sure. However ; I let it slide back and forth a few times, feeling the soft silicone caress my oh-so-erect cock; it does feel really good, don t get me wrong; and it keeps getting warmer by the second!Having said that, I stroked myself in silence for a few moments, slowly, deliberately; pulling it off me until my cock emerged from it, exposing the swollen, lube-glistening head for my very attentive audience, then shoving myself into it again. Oh yes, it felt better and better. While no one would ever mistake it for the real thing; well, no one who had ever had the good fortune to have the real thing wrapped around oneself, anyway; it definitely felt good, much better than a simple handjob.It keeps getting better, I grunted. Would work better still if one could take it out of the casing, though; you know, to adjust the pressure, using it as a sleeve over my cock; would feel more alive, then.She nodded. I ll keep that in mind, in case someone asks. I believe you can take it out for cleaning, by the way; so you could probably, um, go au-naturel on it, if that s your preference. ; before again staring at my cock sliding in and out of the toy, mesmerised.I felt like I was being on display; quite naturally, seeing as that was just what I was; but caught myself enjoying it. My audience was really cute and sexy as hell; well, truth be told, I d probably find even Margaret Thatcher hot as fuck if she had stared at my masturbating with that sultry look my watcher now sent me; but I digress. I was turned on, way beyond what I would have been had I been doing the deed at home, alone.I coughed softly, then slowing the pace a bit as I caught her stare again. Uh, I know there won t be any actual sex, that s not what I m fishing for now, but Would you mind, ah, could I Well, have a little glimpse of your charms? Some bare skin? Just to help me over the edge? I must have looked like a pleading puppy, as she burst into laughter, luckily a good-natured one.After first shaking her head, she apparently had second thoughts and nodded. I swallowed. This intensely erotic moment was about to become even hotter. Grabbing the hem of her sweater, she pulled it over her head and revealed a black, low-cut bra and ample cleavage. Lovely, pillowy, full breasts. My pace picked up.Don t you think about touching me, don t even reach for me, OK? she said, sternly. I nodded, hoping I looked like I d be true to my word. God knows how reliable one looks when masturbating to the sight of the girl asking you to keep your hands off her.She apparently found my promise good enough, and, after reaching behind her back for a second, the bra fell into her lap and her breasts swung free. I swallowed again, almost in disbelief. They were really beautiful; round, full and pillowy, large, but not so large as to be saggy; they proudly stood form her chest, slightly pear-shaped, milky white and crowned by the largest, weakly drawn areolas I d ever seen, pale pink, crested with nipples looking as if you d be able to cut glass with them, so hard were they.She was amazing, and I wasted no time telling her so as my cock hardened further still inside the silicone wrapper I was now doing my best to fuck the daylights out of while keeping my eyes locked on the shopkeeper, occasionally falling to her wonderful breasts, but mostly maintaining eye contact.She leant back in her chair, her breasts gently parting. My turn to be mesmerised. I could already feel the familiar tingling telling me my strokes were numbered and my orgasm forthcoming; I d be done for shortly.The fleshlight was now at body temperature, and felt much, much more lifelike, albeit still no match for a woman, I grunted through clenched teeth no muscles milking me, no body thrust against mine, no hands feverishly stroking over my back, hugging me close as orgasm approaches; but it does feel pretty pretty damned good!Nodding absentmindedly, she stroked a hand over her right breast, cupping it, then pinching her nipple between her thumb and index finger, moaning softly.I m about to cum, I grunted, snapping her back to reality. Oh, please do it in that one, huh? , she nodded to an empty mug on the table between us. I want to see you cum. I nodded, feverishly working my cock with the latest addition to my meagre sex toy collection. Lean forward, please , I snapped I want to see those lovely tits swaying under youLaughingly, she obliged, leaning forward, then rocking side to side. Like this, huh? she teased, smiling warmly at me as the heavy globes swayed back and forth under her.Yes. Just like that. There was no use trying to hold back. Two more strokes, and I could feel my orgasm erupting, a tad before I d expected it to. And here I was, figuring I had it under controlI jerked the fleshlight off my cock, throwing it on the floor, sending spurt after spurt of cum over the table, grasping for the mug, missing, shooting another spurt halfway across the room towards her; at least it felt like it; before finally grabbing the mug and shooting the last, feeble spurt into it. I felt my earlobes glow with embarrassment as I came in for landing after the massive orgasm, only to see the mess I d made; cum streaks over invoices, a pack of cigarettes, the table itself, a lighterMy companion laughed, totally losing it in a fit of laughter, her breasts jiggling as she shook You should ve seen yourself!!! , she eventually gasped, regaining some control over herself. It was the most absurd sight I ve ever seen, so incredibly hot, you in the midst of such an orgasm, frantically trying to grab my old mugI joined her, a bit hesitantly at first. It had indeed been comedy hour. I hoped there wasn t a surveillance camera here, for if it did, I d be bound to find myself on some amateur blooper reel shortly.Never mind, though, she giggled. I ll get that cleaned up in no time. Without getting her sweater back on, she left the room. Seconds later I heard the tell-tale sound of water pouring from a faucet and paper being torn from a roll. She returned, hand full of tissue paper, and handed me some. Here, clean yourself up; then I ll show you how to clean your latest conquest afterwards.She leaned in over the table and cleaned up any trace of my little indiscretion. I really had to fight the urge to reach out and touch the lovely form right in front of my eyes; but managed. I d promised, after all; and I d had a wonderful experience, I wouldn t want to ruin it by doing anything which might scare or offend her in any way. I leaned back in the sofa while cleaning most of the lube off my semi-erect cock, softly caressing it as I stared hungrily at her, finishing up the table.I followed her to the cupboard next to the office; standing close to her; still dressed like Venus of Milo, only with arms; in the tiny room, I could feel the warmth of her body against mine as she fumbled the fleshlight open, taking out the silicone innards. Just hold it under lukewarm water, first, to get rid of your cum and the lube, then wipe it clean with a little bit of the toy cleaner I ll give you when we re back in the shop and it ll be ready for its next outing.She glanced up at me, noting my attention was on her, rather than on the most useful instructions she were supplying. Better leave it outside its sheath overnight to allow it to dry properly, she said. Well, unless you find you prefer to use just the inner sleeve, of course. Quick smile.With that, she handed the toy back to me. Just head back out in the shop, you. I ll be with you in a minute, just need to get dressed. I was treated to a smile too cute to be believed, and I was bright enough not to overstay my welcome by asking for just a few more glimpses of her.I threw a last, longing glance at her beautiful, curvy shape, met her gaze; a rather lustful one at that!; and smiled at her. I ll do some window shopping, then, see if I find more playthings catching my fancy. I then turned and briskly headed back into the shop, again passing the surreal pile of inflatable dolls, one still sporting a santa s cap.She sure took her time getting dressed; I imagined she d figured she needed

WELCOME BACK TO PURGATORY...with Kevin Costner...in hell!!! This month the boy's travel into the seven layers of hell...watching Kevin Costner epic movie failures! Fun! Exciting! Mesmerizing!  We start off with 1994's Wyatt Earp! Directed by Lawernce Kasdan and written by Dan Gordon & Lawrence Kasdan. The movie stars Catherine O'Hara, Jobeth Williams, Mare Winningham, Isabella Rossellini, Annabeth Gish, Tea Leoni, Joanna Going, Tom Sizemore, Jeff Fahey, Dennis Quaid, Gene Hackman, Linden Ashby, Michael Madsen, Mark Harmon, David Andrews, Bill Pullman, Rex Linn and Adam Baldwin oh and Kevin Costner!!! Thanks for checkin us out, you cand find our past and most recent episodes on Podbean.com and where most other podcasts are found!!! Intro & outro tracks from the Wyatt Earp soundtrack/score composed & conducted by James Newton Howard 1. Main Theme https://youtu.be/3g6QlnjMQUw?si=f5cA0MX3VYhrHokh 2. Dodge City https://youtu.be/CQQPcKeQwcI?si=hVpI-yQF5YFnfNNa  

03/06 Full Show: Hour 1 - 1:00 Hour 2 - 43:00 Hour 3 - 1:27:00 Hour 4 - 2:08:00 The Sports Junkies break down the top storylines surrounding DC sports. Today's guests were Chase Hughes, Randolph Childress, and Brandon Servania.

From 03/06 Hour 2: The Sports Junkies break down Trae Young's debut for the Washington Wizards.

In the final hour of the show, the guys are joined by Jamie Little, as she talks about 23XI's early season success in NASCAR, the guys preview a big weekend in hoops, with the Hornets playing two big games, & Duke/UNC set to renew their rivalry, Sir Loin calls in for a pep talk, they read funny texts, & more See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Marcus discusses the 6 most exciting young players in this young MLS season, and what they're doing on the field. And then a bunch of other young players in MLS too. Marcus on X: https://x.com/USSoccerColl Marcus's website, where he posts substantive articles about what he's seeing: https://www.ussoccercollective.com/ Skip the ads! Subscribe to Scuffed on Patreon and get all episodes ad-free, plus any bonus episodes. Patrons at $5 a month or more also get access to Clip Notes, a video of key moments on the field we discuss on the show, plus all patrons get access to our private Discord server, live call-in shows, and the full catalog of historic recaps we've made: https://www.patreon.com/scuffedAlso, check out Boots on the Ground, our USWNT-focused spinoff podcast headed up by Tara and Vince. They are cooking over there, you can listen here: https://boots-on-the-ground.simplecast.comAnd check out our MERCH, baby. We have better stuff than you might think: https://www.scuffedhq.com/store Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Who dares to make predictions in the current landscape? We do!  Our Predictions are back. Will our track-record continue on a high or will we be fundamentally wrong? Listen in to our Predictions for 2026 Navigation: Intro What will 2026 be all about? AI, AI and … more AI The big Hardware movements Of Start-ups and VCs Regulatory & Geopolitical Headwinds… and the Wars Fintech, Crypto and Frontier Tech Conclusion Our co-hosts: Bertrand Schmitt, Entrepreneur in Residence at Red River West, co-founder of App Annie / Data.ai, business angel, advisor to startups and VC funds, @bschmitt Nuno Goncalves Pedro, Investor, Managing Partner, Founder at Chamaeleon, @ngpedro Our show:   Tech DECIPHERED brings you the Entrepreneur and Investor views on Big Tech, VC and Start-up news, opinion pieces and research. We decipher their meaning, and add inside knowledge and context. Being nerds, we also discuss the latest gadgets and pop culture news Subscribe To Our Podcast Bertrand Schmitt Introduction Welcome to Tech Deciphered Episode 74. That would be an episode about some predictions about 2026. What will be 2026 all about? I guess this year is probably starting with a bang. We saw the acquisition of xAI by SpaceX. We saw an acquisition from Grok by NVIDIA. What’s your take about what would be the big themes in 2026? I guess it would be for sure about AI and space. Nuno Goncalves Pedro What will 2026 be all about? Yeah. I predict a year that will be a little bit more of a year of reckoning in some way. There will be a lot of things that I think we’ll start seeing through. The fact that we are in the midst of an amazing transformational era for technology, the use of AI, but at the same time, obviously, a ridiculous bubble that is going alongside it as we’ve discussed in previous episodes. I think that we’ll start seeing some early reckonings of that, companies that might start failing, floundering, maybe a couple of frauds along the way, etc. I’ll tell you what I will not make many predictions about today, which is geopolitics. Geopolitics, I will not make predictions at all. Who the hell knows what’s going to happen to the world this year in 2026? I don’t dare making any predictions on that. Back to things where I would make predictions. I think on AI, we’ll have a little bit of reckoning. We’ll talk about it a little bit more in detail during this episode. Interesting elements around the hardware and physical space. Physical space, we just dedicated a full episode to it. We won’t go into a lot of details on that, but definitely on the hardware side, we’ll talk a little bit more about it. The VC landscape is going through an incredible transformation. We’ll talk about it today as well and some of our predictions for this year. What will happen to the asset class? It seems to be transforming itself dramatically. Obviously, that has a very direct impact on startups, so we’ll talk about that as well. And then to close a little bit the chapter on this, we will address some regulatory and geopolitical, let’s call it, headwinds without making maybe too many complex predictions. We shall see. Maybe by that time of the episode, we will be making some predictions. You guys should stay and listen to us, and maybe we will actually make some predictions about the geopolitical transformations that we will see this year in the world. Then last but not the least, we’ll talk about fintech, crypto, frontier tech, and a couple of other areas before concluding the episode. A classic predictions’ episode. We normally have a pretty good track record on some of these, but right now, the world is going a bit interesting, not to say insane. Bertrand Schmitt Yes, and going back to some news, Groq technically was not acquired, but, practically, it’s as if it got acquired. I’m talking about Groq, G-R-O-Q. The AI semiconductor company focused on inference AI, and it was late December. It was a way to end the year. This year, we started again with an acquisition of xAI by its sister company, SpaceX. I guess that’s where we are starting. AI, AI and … more AI We are going to start on AI. That’s definitely the big stuff. Everything these days, I guess, is about AI or has to have some connection with AI, or it doesn’t matter. I think every company in the world has seen that. You have to have the absolute minimum on AI strategy. You better execute on this strategy and show results, I would say. For the companies that were not AI native, you truly have to have a way to transform yourself. I guess at some point, the stretch might be too much, and it’s not really reasonable. Then you maybe better stay on what you are doing, especially if you’re in tech, you better be moving faster to AI. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Just to highlight, and I think throughout the episode, you’ll see that there’re obviously a lot of implications that would manifest themselves into capital markets. I mean, we’ll specifically talk about VCs and startups later on. But the fact that everything needs to be AI, the fact that there’s so much innovation happening right now, in my opinion, and this is maybe the first pre-topic to AI, is we’ll see a tremendous increase in M&A activity this year across the board. I mean, we’ve seen already some big acquihires we mentioned in some of our previous episodes, but we’ll see a lot more activity on M&A this year. Normally, that’s a precursor to the opening of capital markets. I predict also that there will be a reopening of the IPO market that never really reopened last year, to be honest. M&A, a lot more, reopening of the IPO market. Normally, it happens in the second or third quarter of the year. That’s what my M&A friends tell me. First quarter of year, everyone’s figuring out stuff. Then last quarter of the year, things should be more or less closed. Maybe the third quarter is the big quarter. We shall see. But definitely, as a precursor to our conversation today, I think we’ll see a lot of M&A, and we’ll see reopening of the IPO mark. Bertrand Schmitt I guess last year was not as big as you could expect on M&A given the tariff situation announced in April and May. I mean, it became quite tough to do IPO in such market conditions. Definitely, we can hope for something dramatically different in 2026. I guess talking about public markets and IPO, I guess the big one everyone is waiting for is SpaceX. SpaceX getting even more interesting with its xAI acquisition. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Do you think that because of the acquisition, it’s more likely that it will happen this year, or because of the acquisition, it’s less likely that it will happen this year? Bertrand Schmitt That’s a good question. My guess is the acquisition of xAI is all about xAI needing more financing and cheaper financing. This acquisition is a pathway to that. SpaceX being a much bigger company, a company that is also making much more revenues. I could bet that there is higher probability that, actually, SpaceX will go public in order to finance itself. At the same time, will it have enough time to prepare itself for the IPO given this acquisition just happened? Can they do that in 6 months? I mean, if anyone can do it, I guess it’s Elon Musk. It’s a strategy to present an even more attractive company with an even more interesting story, a story of vertical integration from AI to space. I guess the story as it’s presented itself right now, it’s one about having your AI data centers in space. Because in space, you have much better solar energy production with solar panels. You have a perfect cooling situation because you are in space. Thanks to Starlink, you have the mean to communicate between the satellites and with Earth itself. I think if someone can pull up a story like AI data center in space, I guess Elon Musk can. There is, of course, a lot of questions about is it practical? Is it economical? Yes. I certainly agree. I’m not clear on the mass, and can you make it work? Again, I mean, Elon Musk single-handedly, with SpaceX, managed to transform the space market on its head. I mean, they are the biggest satellite launching company in the world. They have the most satellites in the world. I mean, I’m not sure I would bet against him, and I guess I would probably believe that he could pull up something. Time frames, different story. The 2-3 years data center in space for AI as cheap as on Earth, I have more trouble with that one. I mean, it’s a usual suspect with Elon Musk. You promise something unachievable in a few years, but, ultimately, you still manage to reach it in 5 or 10. Again, I would not bet against the strategy. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Yeah. I’ve talked to a couple of space experts, people that have launched rockets, and have worked JPL, NASA, and a couple of other places, etc. For what it’s worth, their feedback is, “No way in hell, and we’re decades away.” We’ll see. I mean, to your point, Elon has pulled very dramatic stuff. Not as fast as he normally says he’s going to pull it, but within a time span that we all see it. Difficult to bet against him. In terms of actually the prediction, maybe to respond to the prediction as well, will SpaceX IPO? I’m going to make a prediction that has a very high likelihood of missing the mark, but I think Tesla’s going to buy and merge them both into it. It’s going to become a public company through Tesla. That’s my hypothesis. Bertrand Schmitt No. That’s supposed to be it. That’s how you solve that. Nuno Goncalves Pedro And Elon controls the whole universe. X, xAI, Tesla, SpaceX, all under one umbrella beautifully run. And SolarCity is well in there, of course, so wonderful. Bertrand Schmitt That’s possible. Certainly, you are not the only one thinking Tesla will acquire or merge with SpaceX. To remind everyone, Tesla is around 1.3, 1.5 trillion market cap. Depending on the day, SpaceX seems to be valued at similar range, 1.2, 1.3 trillion. It looks like it’s the most valued private company at this stage. These are companies of similar size, so that’s one piece of the puzzle. When you think about the combined company, we could be talking about a 3 trillion entity. Playing right here with the biggest companies in the marketplace today. Nuno Goncalves Pedro With a couple of tweets from Elon, it will rapidly get to 4 to 5 trillion. Bertrand Schmitt That’s so tricky. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Yes. On AI and back to AI, one thing I think that we’re about to see is this will probably be the year of agentic AI. Obviously, we predict a lot of growth on that side of the fence, in particular on the enterprise B2B side. We see a lot of opportunities coming through. From our perspective, at least at Chamaeleon, we generally believe that there’s going to be a lot of movements on agentic AI. It’s also going to be probably the year of the first big fails of agentic AI that will be newsworthy. There will be some elements about that loop and how it gets closed that will happen. I think we might see some scandals already. We’re already seeing the social network of bots talking to bots. We will see other scandals going on this year even in the consumer space and in the bot to bot space, which we now can talk about or in the AI agent to AI agent space. My prediction is we will see some move forwards. There’ll be some dramatic funding rounds along the way. We’ll see a couple of really cool things out of the gates coming out that are really impressive, but we’ll also see the first big misses of the technology stack. I don’t think we’ll go fully mainstream yet this year, so it’s probably maybe something more for 2027 along the way. That would be my prediction again. I think enterprise will lead the way. We’ll definitely see a lot of stuff on consumer as well that is cool. Then we’ll all have our own personal assistance in our hands, basically, literally in our phones. Bertrand Schmitt Going back to agentic AI, we also started the year with some pretty dramatic move. I mean, the launch of Clawdbot, renamed OpenClaw. I mean, this stuff took fire in like a week or 2. It was coded by just one person who actually didn’t even code the product but used AI to build the product, 100% used AI, proposing some new ways also to leverage AI to do coding. He has a pretty unique approach. It’s not vibe coding. I would say it’s a better way to do that. Then the surprising evolution with the launch of a social network for AI agents, Moltbook. I mean, this stuff, probably there is some fake in it. But at the same time, I think it’s quite impressive because it’s the first time we see truly 100,000 plus agents communicating directly to each other. Yeah. I mean, that’s the first time we see surfacing the possibility of some sort of hive mind on the Internet. It’s pretty surprising. Right now, all of this is a hack done in a few days. By end of year, by 2 years, 3 years, we might discover that, actually, the best approach to AI might not be the AI assistant like we are doing today, but a combination of hundreds of thousands of AI working closely together. We might be witnessing the first sign of new intelligence in a way. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Things like this social network might either be Skynet, the beginning of Skynet. They might be the beginning of Her, or they might just be a fad and nothing really happens. It’s just interesting to see what these agents are doing. Bertrand Schmitt Totally. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Obviously, there are real and clear and present dangers of some of the integrations of AI we’re seeing in the market. Interesting enough, and I’ll ask you for your prediction a bit, Bertrand. I think we’ll probably see the first big mishap of AI being used in some infrastructural decision in the age of AI. I mean, we’ve seen AI issues in the past and software issues in the past. We talked in previous episodes about that as well. Mishaps of software that have led to people dying. But I think probably the first big mishap will happen this year as well. Very public mishap of the use of AI and serve its interactions with infrastructure or something that’s very platform related, etc, that will have big impact that everyone will notice. That’s my prediction for the year as well. We’ll have the first big oops moment, as I would call it, for AI in this new age of full on AI. Bertrand Schmitt I would say first some perspective. I think today, people are not using AI directly for life and death decision, at least not that I’m aware. We’re not going to let AI fly a plane, for instance, tomorrow so you can be, reassured. At the same time, given there is such a race to AI, there definitely might be some mistakes. We were talking about the social network for AI agents, Moltbook. Apparently, all the keys used to secure the AI were shared by mistake because it was not properly locked down. We can see that indirectly, mistakes will be made for sure. Two, it’s highly probable that some people will trust AI too much to do some stuff, and this stuff might not work and might have some grave consequence. Hopefully, there is not so much of this. Hopefully, it’s mostly AI used for the good. But you’re right. I mean, at some point, the more we use the technology, the more there would be issue. I mean, it’s highly probable. Nuno Goncalves Pedro That will lead me to another prediction, which is, and we’ll talk about more of it later, but it probably will lead to the first significant movement in terms of regulatory environment certainly in the US at some point if it happens in the US in particular, where there will be some movement that will be like, “Hey, you guys can’t do this anymore.” Because this will probably emerge from mismanaged interfaces. From systems having access to stuff that they shouldn’t have access to in the first place. Talking a little bit more about what’s happening in AI. You’ve already mentioned some of the issues that relate actually to security and cybersecurity. We keep talking about AI. We keep talking about all these infrastructure pieces and platforms that are being built. I think we’ll have a lot more incidents like the one you just mentioned where things will be shared that shouldn’t have been shared, where people will break systems and get into it, etc. Let’s see where that takes us, which is a little bit ironic because, obviously, with AI, the promise is that cybersecurity becomes more robust as well because there’re agents working on our behalf on the cybersecurity side. There’s also agents working on the other side. Bertrand Schmitt It’s a constant race. It’s the attackers, defenders. Each time you have new technology, you have a new race to who is going to attack or defend the best. Each new wave of technology, it’s an opportunity to challenge the status quo. Nuno Goncalves Pedro The attackers have been winning, and I feel they’ll continue winning in 2026. I think it’s going to still be a year of attack. We’ll see more and more breaches, more and more stuff that will happen. Bertrand Schmitt I don’t know if they will win. I mean, it’s normal that they win once in a while. For sure, some infrastructure is not updated as it should. Some stuff are not managed as it should, so there will always be breaches. I don’t know if things are dramatically going to change because, again, everyone who cares who is going to update his infrastructure with AI for defense. There is no question that you have no choice. We will see. That I don’t know. For sure, AI will be used to attack directly with AI. Maybe you’re able to do bigger, larger scale attack. Or thanks to AI, you are simply able to create new type of attacks more easily. AI can be used behind the scene as a way to prepare and organise new type of attacks, even if it’s not used directly live in the battle. Nuno Goncalves Pedro One topic that we’ll come back to later is the geopolitics of everything, but maybe more broadly. On the geopolitics of AI, it’s very clear that we have an arms race going on. Obviously, the US on the one hand, China on the other hand is the two extremes, putting tremendous amount of capital into data centers just at the base of that infrastructure. Chipset development, chipset access, a huge theme in terms of the export restrictions, etc, that are being forced by the US. I think it will continue. From a European standpoint, obviously, they’re stuck between a rock and a hard place, to be very honest. Let’s see what happens on that side of the fence. My view of the world is that certainly from a US and China perspective, we’re going to see a lot more movements in 2026, like big movements. The Chinese movements we always see in delay.  It takes us a couple of months, sometimes even more than that to understand exactly what’s going on. I think we’re going to see some huge moves this year in terms of the States, the United States of America, and China really pouring capital into the creation of the next big winners around AI. I think the US is obviously more visible. We see a lot of these companies. We’ve just discussed xAI and its acquisition by SpaceX or merger. I don’t know what they’re calling it exactly. Effectively, on the China side, the movements I think are already very big. As I said, it will take a while to figure out exactly what those moves are. One thing that I propose is that at some point, China will have very little dependency on chipsets from the US. I’m not sure it’s going to happen this year, but I think the writing is on the wall. Irrespective of any other geopolitical issues that is coming to the fore at this moment in time. That’s one of the key areas or in arenas of fight. Bertrand Schmitt It makes sense. If you are China, you will look at what happened. You would think that you cannot just depend on the largest of one country. It makes rational sense, the same way it makes rational sense for the US to limit exports to China because there is value to delay some peer pressure that could use these technologies for good but also for bad. If you were an ally of the US, that would be one thing. But when you are not an ally of the US, that certainly should be a different perspective. Maybe one last point concerning agents, I think there will be a lot that will revolve around coding. We can see OpenAI with Codex. We can see Cloud with code. There was, of course, [inaudible 00:18:28] that was trying to be big on agentic coding. I think agentic coding was one of the big transformation in 2025 and is going to get bigger in 2026. I think for a lot of people who do coding, there was a radical transformation in terms of what you can achieve, what you can do, how much you can trust AI to help you code. I start to think we might see this year, the replacement of not just one AI replace one coder, but one AI replace a full team because of the new ability to manage that at scale. Coding might be a common activity where you are going to think about outcomes, think about objective, think about how you organise, but not really coding by itself anymore. A big change, like you used to code, directly your hand on the stuff, but step by step, everyone is going to become a manager of agent. I think in one year, we saw enough transformation to think that in the coming year, the transformation can be even more dramatic. Nuno Goncalves Pedro The big Hardware movements Now switching gears to hardware. Obviously, a lot of movements in 2025 and over the last few years. One piece of thesis that we’ve had long-standing at Chamaeleon is that we will see the emergence of AI devices. Some of them have been tremendous failures as we discussed in the past. I predict that we’ll have a couple of really interesting full stack AI devices in the market this year. Why does that matter? Because, as many of you know, obviously, there’s compute that can happen in data centers and cloud infrastructure all over the world, but also there’s compute that can happen at the edges. The more you can move to the edges and the more you can create devices that actually allow you to have user experiences that are very distinctive at the edge, the more powerful some of these devices might become. I predict Apple will not be the first to launch anything on this. I predict probably OpenAI, after the acquisition of IO, will maybe not launch something this year, but will announce something this year. I’ll step back on that prediction. They’ll announce something this year, but maybe not launch. But we’ll start seeing some devices that have some interesting value in the market, probably devices that are AI devices, but they are very focused on very specific user flows, and so very much adequate to specific activities. I won’t make a prediction on that, but I think areas that would make sense for that to happen would be obviously around fitness, health, et cetera, et cetera, where we already have the ascendancy of products like Oura Ring and others out there. Definitely, that’s one area that might have quite a lot of developments. I think AI-first devices, devices that are very focused on compute at the edges, providing user flows that are AI-enabled to end users, we’ll see a lot more of that and a lot more activity this year. Again, I don’t think Apple will be necessarily ahead of the game. Again, maybe OpenAI will give us something to at least think about and look forward to. Bertrand Schmitt First, I’m not sure it will be that transformational because if it’s not in your phone, in your pocket, there is only so much you can do with it, and there is only so much computing power you will have. I’m doubtful it would be really impactful this year. Nuno Goncalves Pedro I feel we’ve been discussing this shift of paradigm in input and output. For me, some of these devices could lead to that shift. Because, again, a mobile phone is not a great long-term paradigm for the usage that we have because it’s really constrained by the screen. The screen is really what takes most of the battery life away. If we didn’t have that screen, what could we do? If we have the block that is as big as a mobile phone, and it didn’t have a screen, it was just compute, that’s a mini computer, a microcomputer. Bertrand Schmitt That’s a fair point, but I don’t see that transformation this year. That’s really more my point. I can see that you can have AI-enabled smart glasses, and it’s clear there is a race to AI-enabled smart glasses. My point is more to go beyond the gadget, it would take quite a while. It would need to have cameras. It would need to analyse what you see. It would need to hear what you hear. Again, it might come, but then at some point, it would be okay, what do you do with it? We have the example of the movie Her. That’s showing Her what it could be. There are definitely possibilities. It’s clear that if you take the big VR headset like the Apple Vision Pro, there is a failure from that perspective in the sense that I think it’s a great, amazing device. The big problem is that it’s doing way more that makes sense. I think there will be a clearer separation between your smart AR glasses that has to be light, that has to be always unconnected, and that’s primarily there to help you make sense of the world around you. The true VR headset that doesn’t really require much in terms of AI, and it’s just there to immerse you in a different world. For this, we know, unfortunately, in some ways, that there is not a lot of demand for it. Maybe there is little demand because you are too hidden in your own world. The technology is not working well enough yet. There are a lot of reasons. But I think Apple trying to do both at the same time, AR and VR, with the Vision Pro, was a pretty grave structural mistake. I think we would see a clearer line of separation between the two. There is bigger market opportunity for AR glasses. That, I certainly agree. There is opportunity to connect that to a computing device. As you talk about, your glasses are your screen, your phone becomes something in your pocket connected to your glasses. Nuno Goncalves Pedro For me, Apple has their way of doing things. From the perspective of what you said, they normally really plan their devices. Even if it’s a big shift in terms of a new area, like they tried with the Vision Pro, and we criticised them for launching it as a device that should have been more of a dev device that they really launched as a full-on device, but that’s their playbook, classically. I think Apple needs to change how they put products out and how they experiment with those products, et cetera. I think they have enough money to be doing everything all the time and figuring it out. If they don’t want to put it out, then they need to do a lot more hell of testing internally with their silos, but they should be playing across all these arenas, VR, AR, everything. They just should put devices out that are either ready for prime time, or they should call it something else. They should call it like this is a dev device or whatever it is. Bertrand Schmitt I agree with you. My complaint is more that it was marketed as a consumer device when it was not. It was a true developer device. Two, they tried to mix the two at once, and it made no sense. No one is going to walk in their home or in the street with their Vision Pro on their head. You have to be deranged, quite frankly, to have use cases like this. I think that for me is a crazy mistake from a company like Apple that prides itself in pure UI, pure user interface, very well-designed device for one specific use case, not mixing the two use cases. We still don’t have Macs with a touchscreen, you know?  We still don’t have an iPad with a good OS that makes use of this great hardware. For some strange reason, they decided to mix everything in the Vision Pro with a device that weighs a ton on your head and is so uncomfortable. That’s why, for me, I’m like, “Guys, what is wrong? Why did you let this team run crazy?” I hope at some point, Apple will go back to the drawing board. My understanding is that that’s what they are doing. They are going to have two devices, one smart glasses, an evolution of the Vision Pro, just focus on VR. They might actually abandon the concept of the pure VR-oriented headset. Because, from a market size perspective, it might not be big enough for Apple, quite frankly. Nuno Goncalves Pedro I read on all of the above, and people at this point was like, “Why are then players like Samsung and others not doing it. LG, et cetera?” Because those players historically have not invented new categories. They’re amazing at catching up once the category is invented, and then they scale the hell out of it, and that’s what these companies have been exceptional at. I wouldn’t see a dramatic innovation, I think, in terms of devices coming from any of the big ones on that side of the fence. Not to disrespect them in any way, but I think that’s not been their playbook ever. Again, if the origination doesn’t come from a start-up or from an Apple, I don’t see those guys going after it. My bet is that we’ll see some start-up activity and, again, hopefully, some announcement from IO now within the OpenAI world. Bertrand Schmitt I would slightly disagree with you. I see where you are coming from. But take the Samsung Galaxy Note, that sudden much bigger headphone that no one was doing that was launched by Samsung, at some point, it forced Apple to launch an iPhone Max. Let’s look at the Z Fold that Samsung launched 7 years ago, copied by everyone. Now Samsung launching a trifold. Apple has still not launched their foldable phone. I think there is a mix, actually, of sometimes- Nuno Goncalves Pedro For me, that’s not a proper new category. It’s still a mobile phone. It just happens to have a screen that folds in half. Bertrand Schmitt The iPhone was still a mobile phone, you could argue.  Nuno Goncalves Pedro No. I think the iPhone was…  I could actually agree with you on that point. Maybe Apple is not as innovative in that case. I think what Steve Jobs was exceptionally good at in terms of his ability as this master product manager was to be an exceptional curator of user flows and user experiences, and creating incredible experiences from devices based on that. That was his secret sauce. Could you say, “Wasn’t all of this stuff already around?” It was. You just put it all together very neatly and very nicely. But if you’re talking about significant shifts in how a category is done, the iPhone was a significant shift in how the category was done. The Fold is still an interesting device. I actually have a Fold right now in front of me. The 7 that you highly recommended to me that we both got, the Z Fold 7. I think they do amazing devices. I don’t think they normally are the most innovative players. Then, when they come to innovation, it comes from technology edges. Obviously, they have Samsung Display, there’s a bunch of other things. They had the ability to do foldable screens in-house themselves. Bertrand Schmitt I don’t disagree with you. I think there is an interesting situation where some companies have some strengths, another one has some strengths. My worry with Apple is that this was not demonstrated with the Vision Pro. The Vision Pro was a hot pot of technologies barely integrated together, with use cases absolutely not well-defined and certainly not something that makes sense for most of us. There is a question of has Apple lost it? While Samsung actually keeps doing their own stuff, that, yes, might be more minor improvements, but at least they are doing it. Because it looks like Apple is missing the train on even the minor improvements. By the way, you might not be aware, but Samsung launched its Vision Pro competitor. Interestingly enough, it might be a better product in some ways, being much lighter and much more comfortable. Nuno Goncalves Pedro We should play around with that and report back to our listeners. Of Start-ups and VCs Moving to venture capital and the startup ecosystem and what’s happening there, I think it is very much a bifurcated environment, and it’s bifurcated for both VCs and for startups. If you’re a startup in the AI space, and you have the hottest team since sliced bread, and you can create FOMO at the speed of light, you can raise ridiculous rounds. Five hundred million at the $3 billion, or $4 billion, or $5 billion valuation, and you still haven’t really even started. First round, you can raise 500 million. That’s back to the whole discussion on Bubble and where are we, et cetera. Some of these companies might actually become huge, some of them might not. But definitely, we are seeing really the haves and have-nots on the startup ecosystem with incredible teams raising a lot of money very, very early on or mid-stage if they’ve already existed for a while, and then the rest not being able to raise. We see a lot of non-necessarily AI sectors, some of the areas of SaaS that don’t necessarily have AI in it, or fintech, or the consumer space that are really, really struggling. If you don’t have an AI story for your startup right now, it’s extremely difficult to raise money unless your numbers are just the best numbers ever. That’s, I think, the first part of the element of bifurcation that we’re seeing today. The second element of bifurcation that we’re seeing today in terms of fundraising is for VCs themselves, and really propelled by the large VC firms raising more and more capital in recent orbits, announcing 15 billion across funds raised. Lightspeed, I think, had made an announcement a couple of weeks ago as well. They’ve raised a bunch of money as well. The big guys are all raising a lot of money. At some point in time, the question some of you might ask is, “These VCs are redeploying more and more money if they have a couple of billion for a VC fund. How does that look like? Is that still VC?” My perspective, I’ve shared before in some of our previous episodes, is that that’s no longer venture capital. At that point in time, we’re talking about something else. Private equity hedge funds, if you want to call them, maybe funds that are really driven by growth investment or late-stage investment. If you have a couple of billion under management, you’re not going to make your returns by writing a $3 million check in a series seed and leading that round.  That has implications for everyone in the ecosystem. It has implications for smaller funds that obviously have a lot more difficulty in raising capital. It’s difficult to differentiate. Last but not least, also for startups that really continue searching for that capital that is out there. Andreessen Horowitz, for example, runs Speedrun, which is a great program for companies around consumer in particular. Initially, it was a lot for gaming. But at some point in time, Andreessen Horowitz could decide that they don’t want to invest more in you. They just put money from Speedrun, which is obviously a very small check compared to the very large checks they could write mid to late stage and that will have an effect on you as a startup. What happens at that point in time if Andreessen Horowitz is not backing you up in later stages? More than that, what happens if I can’t get these big funds interested in me? Are the small funds still valuable to me? Punchline, my view is yes. Obviously, we’re a smaller fund, so there’s parochial interest in what I’m saying. Small funds can still create a ton of value for you, also in terms of credibility, ability to accompany you in those first stages of investment, and the ability to bring other larger investors later down the road as well. There’s definitely a big movement happening in terms of the fundraising for VC funds, which we shouldn’t neglect, which is the big guys are raising a lot more capital and are therefore emptying the market to smaller funds that are having more and more difficult raising at this point in time. We had discussed that there would be a need for concentration in the industry, that micro funds would need to concentrate, and we didn’t have the space for so many micro funds as we had around. But the way it’s happening is extremely dramatic at this moment in time. I think it will continue through 2026. Bertrand Schmitt Remember a few years ago, with the rise of AI, there was more and more of the question about, “What’s the point of SaaS at this stage?” Because SaaS was around for 15 years. Basically, how do you come up with something new that was not already tested, validated by the market? How do you bring something new? We say this was reinforced to the power of 10. If your product is not clearly built from the ground up for a new use case enabled by AI, anyone could then might have built your product 5, 10 years ago, and therefore, why now has no clear answer, and it’s a big problem. I’m still surprised myself to still see some entrepreneurs where you talk to them about AI because you don’t see them in the deck, and they explain to you, “It’s not yet there,” and you’re like, “What’s wrong with you guys?” Fine. Do whatever you want. Do a small business and whatever, but don’t think you can come up pitch and raise without an AI story. The second category is people who come with an AI story, but you can feel very quickly, I guess you saw that many times, Nuno, where just a story layered on top with little credibility. It’s not better. It’s not enough to just have a story. Your business needs to be radically built differently or radically proposing some brand-new use cases that were impossible to solve 5 years ago. Nuno Goncalves Pedro To stack up on that, absolutely in agreement. If you’re just adding to the story, and it’s an afterthought, and you’re just trying to make the story somehow gel, once you go into one or two layers of due diligence, your investors will very quickly realise that you’re not really AI-first or dramatically AI-enabled or whatever. It’s just you’re sort of stacking something on top of another thesis. It needs to make sense from the product onwards. It’s not just, let’s just put it together with chewing gum, and magically, people will give you money. It was true also if we remember the good old crypto blockchain days, where everyone’s investing in crypto. A lot of stories that didn’t make much sense. In that sense, it’s not very different. I would go one step further. I think in the world of the VC winter that we’re a little bit in, where it’s more and more difficult if you’re a smaller fund to raise your fund at this moment in time, there’s a lot of sources of distinctiveness still talked about, like proprietary networks, access to deal flow, fast track record, all that stuff that really, really matters. But our bet continues at Chamaeleon continues being that you need to be AI-first as a VC fund yourself. You need to have core advantages in using not only readily-available AI tools or third-party available AI tools, data sources, technology stacks, but actually building your own stack over time, which is what we did with Mantis at Chamaeleon. Again, just to reinforce that, I think we’re at the beginning of that stage. We, Chamaeleon, are ahead of the game, but we think that the rest of the market will have to move towards that as well. Still, to be honest, very surprising to me to see that many significant large players are doing very little still around some of these spaces. They have data scientists. They’re running some tools. They’re running some analysis and all that stuff, but it’s still, again, back to the point I was making for startups, all glued up with chewing gum. It doesn’t all come together nicely, which it does need to from a platform standpoint. Bertrand Schmitt It’s quite surprising. I agree with you that some VC funds might think that they can do business as usual in that brand-new world. It’s difficult to believe. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Maybe moving a little bit toward the capital formation piece. We already discussed the M&A space really accelerating. We’ve also discussed the IPO market and some predictions on that. Secondaries, there’s obviously a lot of liquidity coming from secondaries from mid to late stage. I think it will continue throughout the rest of 2026. A lot of activity in buying, selling in secondaries as some asset managers are becoming more distressed, as some very high net worth individuals and family offices are becoming more distressed as well, at the same time, where there’s a lot of opportunities to potentially arbitrage around some investments. I believe a lot of money will be made and lost this year by decisions made this year, just to be very, very clear in terms of equity, purchases, et cetera. Exciting year ahead of us. Definitely a very, very interesting market ahead of us. Secondaries, M&A, growth, and late-stage investing, also, early-stage investing will continue just for those that were wondering. Last but not least, the public markets, the IPO market as well. Bertrand Schmitt One of the big questions for the IPO market would be, will SpaceX go public? Would it be good for the startup ecosystem? Because suddenly that they go public, it would be to raise money. If they raise money, will there be any money left for anybody else? That would be an interesting test of the market. For sure, it would be proof that market are risk on financing a new IPO like this one. Or as you said, maybe there is no IPO, and it’s a merger with Tesla. Time will tell. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Regulatory & Geopolitical Headwinds… and the Wars Moving maybe to our topic of regulation and geopolitical headwinds, as we’re seeing … definitely not tailwinds. The Google antitrust verdict and, obviously, the remedies are expected to come forward now, and a lot of people are saying, “There are some risks of structural separation.” What do you think? Is it cool, but nothing will happen in the end dramatically? Alphabet or Google? I’m not sure, actually. It’s Google LLC. I think that’s the case. It’s The United States versus Google LLC. Bertrand Schmitt I’m not sure. Personally, I’m not a big fan. I think there needs to be a better way to manage some anticompetitive behavior. I’m not a big fan. There was this temptation to do that for Microsoft 25 years ago. Look at what happened. No one needed to buy Microsoft to leave space for others. I see the same with Google, and I guess they are happy to not be the number 1 in AI today, but to have an open AI in front of them. Even if they are doing a great job, by the way, to move forward and go faster and faster. Personally, quite impressed now with some of what they have released. Gemini 3 is doing great from my perspective. I’m not a big fan of this. I think to be clear, it’s important that bigger companies don’t behave anticompetitively, but at the same time, we need to find the right approach where it’s not about breaking these companies, and it’s also not about forbidding them to do acquisitions. Because then you end up with what NVIDIA just did with a $20 billion acquihire IP licensing type of acquisition, because they didn’t want to have the uncertainties. They didn’t want to wait 1–2 years in order to acquire the people and the technology, so they organised it in a different way. But I don’t like that. I think they should be able to acquire companies without facing so much uncertainty. To be clear, it’s not new. Uncertainty when you are Google, NVIDIA, or others, it happens. It has happened for a decade plus, 2 decades. I think there needs to be, for sure, some safety valves. At the same time, we want an efficient capital market. An efficient capital market need companies that can acquire other companies. If you don’t do that efficiently, it will be worse for the entrepreneurs, it will be worse for the investors, it will be worse for everybody. I think we have not reached a good equilibrium from my perspective. We need more efficient acquisition process. And at the same time, we need to also enforce faster anticompetitive behavior. Because what you talk about concerning Google, this is a case that was what? That is 10 years old. You see what I mean? This is way too long. If you’re a startup, you are dead by then. It’s like the story of Netscape facing Microsoft. They were dead long after the fact. I think we need a different approach. I’m not sure the best answer. I’m not sure we’ll get a better approach. There are probably too many vested interest. My hope is that it will get better with this current administration because, certainly, the past administration was very anti acquisition and efficient markets. Nuno Goncalves Pedro We’ve talked about the European Union AI Act a bunch of times, so I don’t want to spend too many cycles on that. The only effect that I would say is we are seeing in very slow motion the splitting of the Internet. I once had Tim Berners-Lee, by the way, shouting at me that we were going to break the Internet when we were applying for the .mobi top-level domain. I was part of that consortium that eventually did get the .mobi top-level domain, and I had him shouting at us. But, apparently, this is going to split the Internet, Tim. So in case you’re listening. Because it will create all these different rules. If your data is relating to consumers there, then it’s treated in a different way, and The US is… Well, obviously, we have the case of California with its own rules and laws. I don’t know. I feel we’re having a moment of siloing that goes beyond economic and geopolitical siloing. It will also apply to the digital world, and we’ll start having different landscapes around it. We’ll see how this affects global expansion of services, for example, around AI, particularly for consumer, but I don’t foresee anything dramatically positive. Recently, we had the whole deal around TikTok finally having a solution for their US problem where there’s now a US conglomerate magically that owns it. The conglomerate doesn’t magically own it, they just straight up own it for the US. But it was driven by many of these concerns around data ownership. Where’s the data? Where is it based? I think a lot of other concerns that have to do with the geopolitics of China, obviously, being the basis of ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, that still is a significant owner, by the way, in TikTok in US. Then also the interest in the economics of making money out of something as powerful as TikTok, to be honest, in The US. Just to be clear, I don’t think this was all about the best interests of consumers. It was also about money. Just follow the money. Bertrand Schmitt There are for sure, some powerful interest at play. But let’s be clear. I think one is data, as you rightfully said, but the other one is algorithm. It’s not as if China is authorising any competitor on its territory. They have blocked access to most of the Internet platforms from the US, either finding new rules or just trade blocking them. So I don’t think it’s fair competition. You don’t want some of that data in China about the US or European consumer. Three, it’s about the algorithm. If suddenly, you are a foreign power, and you can as we know in China, you better follow what’s required of you from the Chinese Communist Party. You cannot take a chance with influencing other stuff like elections in other countries. It’s fair from the US perspective. One could even argue it’s fair from a Chinese perspective to want that. I think the only one in the middle who doesn’t really know what they want is Europe because on one side, they want to benefit from American platforms, on the other end, they want to have some controls. On the other end, they don’t create the environment for startups to flourish. So in that weird situation where they have to accept some control by the big US providers and either provider of underlying infrastructure or provider of consumer business facing services. Then they try to regulate them. But I think they are misunderstanding the power relationship, and I think some of this regulation would get some blowback, at least by the current administration. Just, I believe, this morning, there was some news around X being under a criminal investigation in France. This is not going to end well for the French startup and VC ecosystem. This is not going to end well for France and Europe when you depend so much from your American friends. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Regulation will be weaponised. Regulation constraints around exports, all of this will be weaponised geopolitically, and the bigger guys will normally win. I think that’s normally what we’ve seen. Just on TikTok just to… And you guys, if you’re listening to us, just see if you see a pattern here, but obviously, 19.9% still owned by ByteDance of the TikTok entity in the US. It was initially said that 80% of the TikTok entity is owned by non-Chinese investors. Initially, people were saying US investors, and then they changed it to non-Chinese because MGX, I think, has 15% of it. MGX is based in the UAE, connected obviously to Mubadala, the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund. Silver Lake is in there, I think, with 15% as well. Oracle as well with 15%. Those three are the big bucket owners together, 45%. Silver Lake having collaborated with MGX before, and I’m sure a lot of connectivity there. Then you still see a pattern in this in terms of shareholders. If you don’t, then just Google it. Dell Family Office, Vastmir Strategic Investments, which is owned by billionaire Jeff Yass, Alpha Wave Partners, obviously involved with a bunch of things like SpaceX and Klarna, Virgoli, Revolution, which is Steve Case’s, a former founder of AOL, is also in there. Meritway, which is managed by partners, I think, of Dragonair. Vinova from General Atlantic, an affiliate of General Atlantic. Also, NJJ Capital, which I believe is Xavier Nil, the French billionaire that founded Iliad. Mostly American, I think, if the math is correct. 80% non-Chinese, which was what mattered, I think, in many cases. But do see if you saw a pattern in most of those investors. I won’t say anything more than that. Maybe moving to other topics, maybe just to finalise on regulation and geopolitics. In geopolitics, we should talk about wars if we predict anything. Not that we are nasty and one want to be negative, but what the hell is going on? Will we have ending to the wars we already have ongoing or not? But before that, the struggles on the App Stores, I think, will continue both for Apple and for Google Play Store. The writing’s on the wall, the EU keeps pushing it dramatically and Apple keeps just doing stuff. I’m on the board of an App Store company. Apple just creates all these things that basically make you not really… It doesn’t work. You can’t provision then an App Store on Apple devices. On iPhones, et cetera. We’ll see how that will continue going, but I feel the writing’s on the wall. Both Apple and Google will have to open up a bit more of their platforms. I’m not sure it will have a huge impact in the medium to long term, but definitely we need to see more openness in access to apps as given by the two big platform owners, Apple and Google, out there. Bertrand Schmitt Let’s be clear. Google is way more open than Apple. We both have Android devices. You can install alternative app stores. It’s a different ballgame by very far. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Google does other nasty stuff. It’s public. You can check which board I’m a part of. You can see what that company has done towards Google over time. But to your point, yes. It is true that Google has been more open than Apple, but Google has done their own things. Just to be very clear, so I’ll just leave that caveat bracketed there for people to think about it and maybe read a little bit about it as well. Bertrand Schmitt I can say that, me, from my perspective, that path of total control that Apple has been going through on all their devices, that includes macOS, pushed me to, over the past 2, 3 years, to completely live and abandon the Apple ecosystem. I just couldn’t accept that level of control, that golden handcuff approach of the Apple ecosystem, each their own obviously, they are golden, their handcuffs, but they are still handcuffs. Personally, that pushed me way more to Linux, Android, Windows, back to Windows after all these years. I just couldn’t stand it anymore. I want to pick my devices. I want to pick what I install on them, and I don’t want to be controlled like this by just one entity for all my tech devices. For me, at some point, it was just not acceptable anymore. It’s still very warm, very golden handcuffs, but for me, they were just handcuffs at this stage. Yes, what they are doing with the App Store is very typical of that mindset. I think it’s quite sad because I think it started with good intention in some ways. “We need a new computing paradigm, we need to make things smoother and safer,” but it has really become a way to control your clients. For me, it has reached a point where it’s just way too much. Nuno Goncalves Pedro There’s obviously the great power comes great responsibility that uncle Ben told Spider-Man or Peter Parker. But there’s also with great power comes shitload of money, and control. So it’s like, “Yeah. Should we open the server? Do we want to delay opening it up?” “Yeah.” Anyway, it is what it is. Maybe let’s end on the more difficult note of the episode, which is going to be around wars. What’s our prediction? Will we have an end to the Gaza situation with Israel? Will we have an end to Ukraine and, obviously, Russia? What will happen in Iran? Those are the three big, big conflicts right now. Then, obviously, if we want to add just bonus points, what’s going to happen to Greenland, and what’s going to happen to Taiwan, and what’s going to happen to Venezuela? Let’s throw the whole basket in there. We’ve never had like… Let’s talk about all these territories and all these countries. At some point in time, I’m saying this in a light manner, but it’s obviously more tragic than it should be light, and people are dying, and there’s a lot of implications of all of that that is happening right now. Do you have any predictions, Bertrand, for this year? Bertrand Schmitt No. It’s tough to predict on an individual basis. I think on a more bigger picture basis is on one side, obviously, the rise of China on one side. You have also the rise of other countries like India, while very indirectly connected to some of these conflicts are still part of the game, buying oil from Russia, for instance. At the same time, I think overall, the US is more clear about with the sheriff in town. I think it’s good because in some ways, you cannot pay for the goods, you cannot have such a massive advantage versus nearly every other country on earth and just not be clear about who is the boss in some ways. As a result, what are the rules of the game and how it should be played? The US is not alone, obviously, you have China, you have Russia, you have India, you have Europe. You have different other countries. But at some point, it’s not good when countries are not rational and are not clear. I think I prefer the current situation where things are more clear and where you have to assume responsibilities about what you are doing. It’s time to be rational again about how the world behave. Yes, the concept of power and balance of power. I think there has been that dream, maybe mostly coming from Europe, about the end of history. I think that’s simply not the case. It’s not the end of history. It’s still about the balance of power. It has always been about the balance of power. If you are dumb enough to think it was not about that anymore, I just have a bridge to nowhere to sell you. I don’t have specific prediction, but I think it’s clear there is a new sheriff in town. There is a new doctrine about the Western Hemisphere that has been in some ways resurrected on the [inaudible 00:51:35] train, and I think we’ll see more of it. I think at this point, the biggest question is for the Europeans. What do they want to do? Because right now, their position of being a dwarf militarily while being a pretty big giant economically, I don’t think it works. Nuno Goncalves Pedro I agreed on everything that you said. I do have predictions. I’ll stick a flag on the ground just with my predictions. Bertrand Schmitt Good luck. Nuno Goncalves Pedro They are mostly positive. I do think we’ll see an end or, for the most, end to the two big conflicts, the one in Gaza and the one in Ukraine. I think Ukraine will end up in readjustment of territory and splitting between Russia and the Ukraine, but the end of hostilities, I think that we will see an end to the conflict in Gaza also with a readjustment on what that will mean for the Palestinian territories and the Palestinians in general. That I’m not sure, but I feel that there will be an end to those two big conflicts. Iran, I have no clue. I will not put a stick on the ground that I have no clue. There are so many things that could go wrong there. I’ve been reading some really interesting thoughts about even some aggressive thoughts that this might be the time to really change regimes in Iran and for the US to have a bit more of an aggressive stance. I really don’t have a perspective. Obviously, there’s a lot at stake there. Then, if we talk about the other parts, Greenland, I will not opine too much on. Maybe we’re done for now. Maybe there’ll be some other concessions to the US that weren’t already there in the ’50s. Taiwan, I won’t bet either. I’m sad to say I think it might happen at some point in time, but I’m not sure when and what would drive it. Last but not the least, Venezuela is my only really negative prediction. I feel it will continue to be a significant dictatorship as it was before managed enough by other people with the difference now that it has a tax to be paid to the US in the form of oil of some sort, etcetera, and maybe gas, maybe other things as well that it didn’t have before. That’s probably my most negative prediction for the coming year on the geopolitical side. Bertrand Schmitt Without going into detail, I would mostly agree with what you shared. At least that makes sense. But as we know, it’s not always what makes sense, but what might happen. I can tell you 100% I would not have guessed this operation against Maduro. This was so well done, well executed, and shocking at the same time that it’s… I think it shows that it’s hard to guess some of this stuff because there are certainly some new ways to wage limited war, for instance. So it’s certainly interesting, and we certainly need to get used to pretty bombastic statements. But for Venezuela, I don’t think it can be worse than what it was before. I’m probably more optimistic that gradually it can get better. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Just to put perspective on why we’re not making predictions on some of these elements, I think this is a funny story, but I was in Madeira. Actually, first time I was in Madeira, although I’m originally from Portugal. I’ve never been to the islands. Obviously, as you guys know, or some of you might know, there’s a lot of connection between Madeira and Venezuela. There’s a lot of immigration from Madeira Islands to Venezuela. One of my Uber or Bolt drivers there in Madeira was Venezuelan. Was born in Venezuela, but Portuguese descent, et cetera. He was telling me this was still last year. Late last year. Because I told him I lived in US, et cetera, and he was like, “Oh, hopefully, Trump will get Maduro out of there.” In my mind, I was like, “Dude.” No disrespect to the gentleman, but it’s like, “Okay. Mike, your perspective on geopolitics is maybe a little bit exaggerated.” And a couple of days later, we know what happened. When geopolitical decisions are better predicted by some probably very astute Uber drivers, you’re like, “Maybe I shouldn’t make a bet. I have no clue what’s going to happen, no clue what’s going to happen in Greenland, et cetera.” Anyway, a couple of predictions on that element. Bertrand Schmitt That’s why it’s so right. You have to be careful with the prediction, but it doesn’t remove the fact that I think nations and companies that have to play a global game have to understand in some ways what is the game, what are the powers in place, what could happen potentially, but also be realistic. Not be about wish and dreams, but more about, what’s the power relationship? Who has the money? Who has the means? Who has the capacity to do this or that? Because if you start that way, at least the scope of what’s possible, what’s reasonable is more and more clear more quickly. Some stuff like happened with Maduro, I would never have predicted, but for sure, if there’s one country that can do this sort of stuff, it’s the US. I’m not sure anyone has a technology and the means in terms of support infrastructure to do something like this. It’s tough to predict what will happen a year from now for any specific country, but I think that even trying to get a better understanding about the forces in play and their capacity and understanding and accepting that at some point, it’s all about real politic and relationship of power, the more your eyes would be wide open about what’s possible versus simple, wishful thinking. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Fintech, Crypto and Frontier Tech Moving maybe to our last section around fintech, crypto, and frontier tech. For me, just two very quick predictions, views of the world. I think on the frontier tech side, I won’t make a prediction. I will just tell you all to go and listen to our episodes, the one on infrastructure, which is immediately prior to this one, and the episodes that we’ve had around a couple of other topics including AI, what’s the future of your children, because I think they illustrate a lot of the points that we’re seeing and manifesting themselves over the next year and over the next 2 or 3 years as well beyond that. I feel those tomes are complete in and out of themselves, so you can just go and listen to them. Then my second comment is on crypto. I feel crypto has become of the essence, particularly under the current administration in the US, very favored. Obviously, we are now in a world where crypto is just part of the economic system, and I think we’ll see more and more of that emerging, and in some ways, crypto is becoming mainstream. Question is what blockchains will be the blockchains of the future? Obviously, there’s a bunch of bets put out there. We, ourselves, as Chamaeleon, have one investment in one of the significant bets in the space. But besides that, who’s going to win or not, we feel that we’re past the crypto winter. It’s now mainstream days, and we’ll see a lot more activity in there. Bertrand Schmitt I must say with crypto, I’m a bit confused. As you say, we are past the crypto winter. There is much less uncertainty in regul

Send a textKaren Ferguson welcomes back Sandra Kay Chambers, the founder and original host of 5-Minute Parenting! In this episode, Sandra shares exciting life updates and a teaser for a new book that's coming soon! Sandra has had some important life changes since last being on the podcast, but what hasn't changed is her passion for books and writing. Listen in as she shares the heart behind her soon-to-be-published children's book Nana's Piano. Sandra also continues to partner with 7Homes, a foster and adoption agency, with her book Fingerprint Devotions. Click the link below and donate a copy to support this important ministry!  7Homes (Fingerprint Devotions Book Donation): https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/28RHN75099DNP?ref_=wl_share&utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAdGRleAPnU1lleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAaeRwrRd_ZWtHqYrmzKSRrL0q3_7Lvo6vaEEwv8xMe3AUPxsQ5joMfXq0X93RQ_aem_zfC1WYlz-V4c8zVSaASyuASign up for Sandra's Quarterly Newsletter by visiting her website: https://sandrakaychambers.com/  Book 3 in the Questions for Kids picture book series is now available! Check out Guess Why God Made the Rainbow on Amazon or your favorite book retailer!

Exciting news! Greenberg Traurig's E2 Law Podcast has relaunched! In this Energy Horizon series episode, host Bill Garner, co-chair of the firm's Global Energy Practice, delves into the emerging world of natural (geologic) hydrogen exploration and production in the United States. The episode highlights key regions for potential development, the startups leading exploration efforts, and the potential for natural hydrogen to be a game-changer in clean energy—alongside valuable byproducts like helium. Tune in for insights on how natural hydrogen could shape America's energy future.

Scott and Josh discuss the week's biggest news stories, including an update on the next God of War game, Bloodborne's cancelled remake, Marathon impressions and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the Exciting & New podcast, Jason, Andy and Dana welcome Mac and Dan back on the show to discuss the 1986 drama River's Edge.  In this seminal 80s flick, John Wick and George McFly take opposing stands on how to help their friend deal with a problem down by the "river's edge".  Meanwhile, a doll goes missing, sending this small California town into manhunt mode.  Truly a classic of the era, watch what made Gen X so cynical, and enjoy the podcast (by a bunch of Gen Xers).Jason, Andy and Dana will discuss a 1986 movie weekly, breaking down all the nonsense there within. The 3 hosts all work together and everyone else around them was getting really annoyed at all the movie talk, so they decided to annoy the world in podcast form.Check out previous seasons to hear them discuss 1982, 1983, 1984 & 1985 movies, as well as a full season of Love Boat episodes (if that is your thing). Plus one-off specials and a weekly mini "what are we watching" podcast.#jezoo74 #aegonzo1 #danacapoferri #exciting_new

0:00: Rex with a Bay Hill-related mea culpa 04:00: Breaking down the announcement that Luke Donald is running it back for 2027 15:00: Jon Rahm doubles down in his standoff with the European tour 23:00: Bay Hill storylines: Scottie's Thursday thuds, other players to watch this week 31:00: Exciting things on the horizon! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Exciting news - pre-order my debut book https://linktr.ee/HealthySBTH?utm_source=linktree_profile_share

In this episode, we explore the exciting yet risky landscape of AI in human resources. Lisa McConnell shares insights on how HR professionals can effectively implement AI tools while maintaining a people-first approach. Listeners will learn about the ethical considerations, the importance of human connection, and practical strategies for leveraging AI to enhance workplace efficiency without compromising employee relationships. Listener Takeaways Understand the balance between AI efficiency and human connection in HR. Identify ethical questions to consider when implementing AI tools. Learn how to define clear goals for AI usage in organizations. Recognize the importance of critical thinking and oversight in AI applications. Explore training and development as a key area for AI implementation. Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction to AI in HR 00:34 – Exciting aspects of AI for HR 01:15 – Risks of over-reliance on AI 02:16 – AI in employee investigations 04:13 – Building forethought in AI implementation 05:41 – Survey insights on AI concerns 06:50 – Defining ethical approaches to AI 08:00 – Questions to safeguard ethics in AI 09:12 – Importance of understanding AI algorithms 10:36 – Skills needed alongside AI development 17:16 – Best areas for AI use in HR 19:19 – Risks and opportunities of AI in HR Guest(s): Lisa McConnell is the founder of Steeped Leadership, specializing in helping leaders navigate AI and modern leadership decisions with an ethics-first, people-first approach. Keywords: AI in HR, ethical AI, human connection, employee investigations, critical thinking, AI implementation, training and development, AI risks, HR technology, workforce trends

Exciting news! After 22 years of broadcasting Healthy Vision on KFNX Radio, there will be new changes to make Healthy Vision better than ever! Healthy Vision will now be hosted on Live Stream! HealthyVision.us is the show to keep you healthy and to help you have clear vision! Ask Dr. Kondrot a question is your opportunity to find proven alternative ways to improve your health and vision, and to see if you are a candidate for the Kondrot Restore Vision Program. Are you new to alternative therapies for restoring lost vision? https://bit.ly/Healingtheeye Info on the Kondrot Restore Vision program www.KondrotProgram.com

We were delighted to receive an email last week from the Mohua Marine Trust, one of Afternoons' Critter of the week t-shirt fund recipients They wanted to share their progress on their latest project, so Secretary of the Trust Neil Wilson joins Jesse with an update.

Jim Daly and John Fuller introduce this Adventures in Odyssey® radio drama about a former school bully, Dion, who returns to the town of Odyssey after a long absence. Dion seems to have a complete change of heart. Two friends, Buddy and Zoe, try to discover why Dion is so different. Adventures in Odyssey has a new animated film project, Journey into the Impossible, coming soon. Exciting things are happening with Adventures in Odyssey, and you can be a part of it all! Your gift will help finish and launch the new Adventures in Odyssey animated film called Journey into the Impossible! Any support you give will be a big help in this seemingly impossible mission … and will be DOUBLED through our $1 million matching opportunity! Get More Episode Resources If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, please give us your feedback.

BECOME A MEMBER HERE: ⁠https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/thelatashajames/subscribe⁠You'll get ad-free episodes of Freelance Friday each week, along with bonus episodes whenever I have vulnerable + valuable insights to drop (at least once per month).

Bulldog opened the show today praising this Sabres team for putting themselves into the talks of finally breaking the 14 year drought and could even be fighting for First in their division when its all said and done. Bulldog shares what has changed for him since the Sabres have been on the Warpath and haven't looked back. Why Bulldog loves this hockey team and isn't nervous about them missing the playoffs and calls from fans with their thoughts on the Sabres season and how much fun they are having watching it.

Are your habits helping or hijacking your brain? This clip explores how learned routines like toothbrushing, with oral health linked to heart disease and dementia, contrast with habits we never learned for our minds.This segment examines why calorie-rich foods and constant phone access exploit evolved instincts, why Christmas grazing happens, and how removing cues helps. Practical ideas include keeping junk food and phones out of reach, placing your phone in another room for meetings or class, and exercising daily despite excuses unless you're genuinely ill. Watch the FULL podcast here: https://youtu.be/HHvG8HEYdjAAnders Hansen in conversation with Sarah Ann Listen to the full episode⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch the full episode on YouTube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠***This episode is sponsored by:NOWATCH: The compassionate health trackerConnecting body and mind with unique stress recovery insights so you can live fully today15% off with code LWBW15 at https://nowatch.com/Mojo: the app for expert-led courses in better sex.Learn from world-class sex therapists and relationship experts with courses tailored to your needs.15% off with code LiveWell15 at mymojo.com/livewellbewell***The Great British Veg OutHow to support your gut, energy, and hormones by eating more — not less.

141 | When Growth Stops Feeling Exciting | Salarah Kacey Starre What happens when growth… stops feeling exciting?In this episode, I'm speaking to the phase no one really talks about in personal development, the moment when the old drivers switch off, but the new self hasn't fully landed yet. That uncomfortable space between becoming and being.If you've built your identity around evolution, reinvention, pushing forward and expanding… stillness can feel deeply unsettling. The journaling feels flat. The vision boarding doesn't spark. The urge to reinvent yourself again just isn't there.You start wondering: What's wrong with me?We explore the idea that this may not be apathy or depression at all, but the quiet death of the striving identity. The part of you that once had to push, prove and perform in order to feel safe or valuable.I also unpack the hormonal layer for both women and men, how shifts in oestrogen, testosterone and dopamine can soften drive and reveal what was previously masked by stress chemistry. Sometimes hormones don't create the shift. They reveal it.This episode is about integration, maturation and nervous system recalibration.We talk about:The difference between expansion and integrationWhy safety can feel unfamiliar after years of strivingPowerful self-inquiry questions to uncover whether your drive is desire or conditioningThe “death of reinvention” as a rite of passageSomatic tools to help your nervous system learn that stillness is not a threatMaybe this season isn't about who you are becoming.Maybe it's about learning how to experience who you already are.If you're in that in-between space where growth has stopped feeling exciting, this conversation will meet you there.Links & Resources:Download your free guide: Your Energetic ResetListen to my guided meditations on Insight TimerExplore one-to-one coaching at salarahstarre.comThanks for your presence in my life. Even though we may not sit across from each other physically, there's a shared field here, of growth, honesty, and courage. I'm grateful you're part of it.Love Salarah xx Copyright 2026 Salarah Kacey Starre The Salarah Kacey Starre Podcast website

2026.03.02 OA Life in Fukuoka "English" #309 LOVE FM 76.1MHz http://lovefm.co.jp/

Episode 279-Bang or Bong. Maybe both. Also Available OnSearchable Podcast Transcript Gun Lawyer — Episode Transcript Page – 1 – of 11 Gun Lawyer — Episode 279 Transcript SUMMARY KEYWORDS Supreme Court case, marijuana user ban, Second Amendment rights, ACLU, NRA, New Jersey, Hughes amendment, West Virginia, machine guns, loopholes, gun rights, felon restoration, Epstein files, Michael Bloomberg, gun violence prevention. SPEAKERS Speaker 2, Evan Nappen, Teddy Nappen Evan Nappen 00:16 I’m Evan Nappen. Teddy Nappen 00:18 And I’m Teddy Nappen. Evan Nappen 00:20 And welcome to Gun Lawyer. So, we have some exciting things coming in the future here. I want to make sure the listeners are well aware. In the Supreme Court, we have a case coming up that is going to look at the prohibitor for firearm possession concerning marijuana use, if you’re a user of marijuana. And the case is U.S. versus Hemani. This is very interesting, because it is widely believed that the Court is going to strike down the gun ban for marijuana users. Regardless of how you feel about marijuana use, I’m looking forward to seeing this opinion, because it may be useful in knocking down other gun disqualifiers. Because, folks, gun disqualifiers, such as the gun ban for marijuana use, is an area of exploitation by the gun rights oppressors. Evan Nappen 01:38 So, if they can’t just get a flat out gun ban through, which they try to do all the time, if they can piece meal gun bans to various classes of individuals, then they get the job done that way. That’s why you see the ever expanding list of persons who they try to get disqualified from being able to exercise their Second Amendment rights. And this case has, I believe, potentially very far reaching implications as to subverting that anti-gun rights, that gun rights oppression tactic. So, we want to look at it at as more than just the marijuana. It will be fascinating to see it be a victory, because we have parties in support of this ban going away as diverse as, on the same side now, the ACLU and the NRA. Both. The ACLU is in favor of getting rid of the marijuana user gun ban, because it is, of course, beneficial to in their view, I’m sure, legalization of marijuana, which is something that they would be in support. The NRA is in favor of it going away, because it is consistent with The NRA’s position of supporting Second Amendment rights. So, this has created the classic strange bedfellows situation. (https://www.marijuanamoment.net/aclu-attorney-confident-supreme-court-will-strike-down-gun-ban-for-marijuana-users-after-oral-arguments-next-week/ ) Page – 2 – of 11 Evan Nappen 03:28 But ultimately, what we see coming from it should be a victory for gun rights. And I believe and hope it will be even further reaching than simply addressing the marijuana question. It’s going to be, I believe, very helpful in fighting other disqualifications. Remember, New Jersey is one of the states that tries to always have an expansive list of what disqualifies a person from being able to exercise their Second Amendment rights. They love to create disenfranchisements of our rights because they are rights oppressors, and this tactic, hopefully, will be taking a hit here. So, we’ll keep you informed about the progress and what occurs under the Hemani decision. Teddy Nappen 04:30 I will say, just from the ACLU, just to be clear, they are heavily backed by the Democrat for their super PACs. I’m just saying. Like that is the, and I can’t wait to see all the individuals of the ACLU all out in mass as they’re about to help win a pro-gun victory as well. Yeah. Evan Nappen 04:55 I guess they’re looking at it more as a pro-marijuana victory and ending prejudice toward marijuana users. But whatever their motivation may be, we are going to be consistent in our support for Second Amendment rights. Getting rid of disqualifiers is getting rid of disqualifiers that are disenfranchisements to our Second Amendment rights. So, hey, at least they’re on the right side on this one, and maybe we can get them to continue to see the light on other disqualifiers. Such as restoration of rights for felons and such, right? I mean, this is something you would think they would be in favor of, as well, for restoration of rights. You paid your dues. You served your time. And if you’re not a violent felon, why are you disenfranchised of your rights? I mean, even violent felons, when you get right down to it. I mean, there’s, I missed that in the Second Amendment, where it says we have a right to keep and bear arms, unless you’re a felon, you know, or any of these exemptions. They aren’t there. So, to what degree we tolerate them, to what degree we may think they’re even valuable, I don’t know, but we need to. I’d rather be seeing us pull back on every type of ban and maximize freedom and maximize our Second Amendment rights. Evan Nappen 06:31 Also, in regards to maximizing our rights, there is a really interesting I just love this. I love this. There is an attempt, now, a very shrewd attempt on the pro-rights side to create the ability to get around, yes, a loophole, folks. Because you know what loopholes are. Loopholes are freedom finding a way. And this. Teddy Nappen 07:08 I thought it was a hole in a Castle. Evan Nappen 07:10 Yeah. Right, exactly. Loopholes were the hole in the castle that you would fire your arrows from, because you would still be protected. You could still fire through those, those square, rectangular hole. They’re the loopholes. So, that’s why they’re called that. But, anyway. The key loophole here is in the Hughes Amendment. What there’s an attempt to do, particularly in West Virginia, who has taken the lead here with a bill in West Virginia, which is SB 1071. This is right from AmmoLand, by the way. Page – 3 – of 11 (https://www.ammoland.com/2026/02/contact-chairman-willis-now-sb1071-could-restore-machine-gun-rights-in-west-virginia-if-it-gets-a-hearing/) It could restore access to modern machine guns. That’s right. Evan Nappen 08:00 What they’re doing, what they’re attempting to do is a bill that will create a state run Office of Public Defense within the West Virginia State Police. To procure and sell modern, select-fire machine guns directly to qualified, law-abiding citizens. That’s right. You know how some states have State liquor stores. This will become the state machine gun store. That’s right. It can operate via the Hughes Amendment. Now, the Hughes Amendment was the law back in ’86 that prohibited the, I mean, actually the Hughes Amendment prohibited the new, the sale of new manufacture of machine guns. Okay? So, that created this situation we have now where it’s legal for a citizen to obey the NFA and acquire a machine gun and pay the $200 tax. But the problem is no new machine guns could be put into registration, you see. And that created this essentially, artificially, ridiculously high, crazy prices to own full auto. So, this bill takes the Hughes Amendment and essentially flips the script on the Hughes Amendment by stating that, and this is under Title 18 922(o), that the Hughes Amendment. Here’s, the key loophole language. “. . . does not apply with respect to a transfer to or by, or possession by or under the authority of, a State or any department or political subdivision thereof.” Evan Nappen 10:20 So, in other words, the bill will create a State agency that purchases machine guns and transfers them by quote, right in the law, “by or under the authority of”, the State of West Virginia. The transfers are therefore fully compliant with federal law and critically exempt from the National Firearms Act $200 transfer tax because they’re government facilitated. It’s brilliant. It’s brilliant. It’ll make it so that qualified persons, any adult, who can legally possess firearms under federal and state law, they’d undergo a background check at state police, state police troop headquarters. The office would, where possible, prioritize West Virginia manufacturers, operate distribution points using existing facilities, and issue official state certificates of transfer. Subsequent transfers between qualified citizens would require a simple $275 re-transfer fee through the office, which is waived for heirs. A $250 surcharge per gun plus a modest administrative fee capped at 50 bucks, would flow to the new Public Defense Fund to cover costs, generating revenue for the state without raising taxes. Evan Nappen 11:48 And it was GOA (Gun Owners of America) that drafted this bill. This is really cool. And now I think Kansas is putting a bill forward, and I’m sure we’ll see other pro-gun states moving to create this. This way we can gut the Hughes Amendment and open up the market for new full auto. And by doing that, they’ll become even more commonly owned and become an even greater argument for the Second Amendment and their protection. Eventually, with enough exploitation of loopholes, laws themselves that created the original ban become useless and in fact, go away. We’ve seen this happen. We’ve seen this happen. For example, when it came to NFA Trusts, to purchase NFA, you had to get, at one point, what was called a chief law enforcement officer to sign off. And if your chief didn’t sign off on that, you could not appeal it. You were just dead in the water and could not acquire NFA. Then along comes the idea of setting up a trust where trusts do not require a chief law enforcement to sign off. So, everyone started doing NFA Trusts to acquire NFA, because it avoided the Chiefs sign off. And Page – 4 – of 11 because of that, there were about 10,000 trusts at ATF on NFA. So many just got around it that they finally just repealed the rule and said, guess what? You don’t need to have your chief law enforcement approve it. They just have to get notice of it. But they got rid of the sign off. Why? The loophole defeated it. Evan Nappen 13:50 We see that even going on with switchblades. We’ve seen how there’s been a huge expansion in knife rights based on the ability to work the loopholes for interstate sale and for state sales to be independent. And how the federal prohibition was simply affecting very specific transactions under federal law. To the point where the federal government, in trying to uphold the federal switchblade law, said, as one of their justifications, well, the law isn’t even enforced anymore. That’s right. Why? Loopholes! Loopholes. Freedom finding a way. And so this is exciting to see this taking place on machine guns. Finally going at the NFA. Not shying away from taking on the big stuff. Not letting them get away with claiming that any firearm is somehow intrinsically evil, wrong or bad. We’re finally fighting back with offense. Offense for once. Not just totally on the defense. Evan Nappen 15:07 Speaking of which, you may encounter a new group called “Bridging the Divide”. (https://bridgethedividenow.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Brief-Policy-Outline.pdf) Bridging the Divide on Firearm Policy. Oh yeah, they’re claiming that there’s some bipartisan, that they have taken pro-gun folks and anti-gun and uniting them on principles that everybody believes in. They’re claiming to do this. And here’s their wonderful policies. Lo and behold, when you look closely at this so-called, you know, “Bridging the Divide”, which is, you know, bridging the gap, which is more of laying a trap, my friends. Laying a trap. What you see are their policies that they’re claiming is, you know, they have this bipartisan, so to speak. This is pro-gun and anti-gun right oppressors. Gun rights oppressors and gun rights people. Evan Nappen 16:08 And of course, here’s their policies. They have eight of them, eight of them. This so-called “Bridging the Divide.” One, Prohibiting Factors for Firearm Purchase and Possession. This is right from their “Firearm Policy Outline.” They want to prohibit gun possession by those convicted of violent crime at the misdemeanor level while removing state restrictions on those non-violent felonies. So, they want to expand prohibitions to misdemeanors. Claiming, of course, non-violent felonies, right? Yeah. And then remove prohibition of gun purchases by persons who use marijuana. Well, yeah, guess what? The Court’s already going to kill that. So, they’re throwing this in. They want to, essentially, what they’re looking to do is expand prohibitions to misdemeanors. Who’s kidding who? Come on. Give me a break. Evan Nappen 17:04 Two, Background Checks. Create state level background checks for private sales. Oh, so, in other words, Universal Background Checks, and they want to impose it state by state. More of that. So, end private sales. But they want to have “logical exemptions”? Well, it’s the same, so-called logical exemptions. Let’s just instead of logical, we’ll call it “narrow”, narrow exemptions. No. Private sales should remain private sales. It is more of an intrusion, more of oppression, on our gun rights. How about three? What’s the third thing? Extreme Risk Protection. Oh, seriously? Red flag. We have seen, Page – 5 – of 11 experienced, and are currently experiencing the unbelievable denial of due process that takes place from that garbage. Evan Nappen 17:55 Four, Dealer Registration and Gun Trafficking. They want to focus on the small number of dealers from whom the majority of traced crime guns originate. Oh, really? Well, guess what? What creates those statistics? Anytime they’re run – when guns are seized. And if you’re seizing guns the way New Jersey does, at the drop of a hat and those guns are run, that raises dealer numbers as quoting “crime guns”, even though they’re not crime guns. It is absolutely a flawed basis, and they want to focus on that. Five, Child Firearm Access Prevention. Oh, lock up your safety. That’s what that’s called. Lock up your safety to protect the children. Here we go again. Six, Firearm Suicide Prevention. Ah. In states where murder rates are low, well, let’s go at suicide. Anything we can do to go at the guns, right? And what happens with suicide prevention? Oh, well, that’s the wellness check. You know what’s going on in New Jersey with wellness checks? Anybody calls on anybody, and the police come. They take you away. They take your guns. They hold you for about three days to see if you’re okay. And even though you’re fine, now we got to fight to get your rights back. Fight to get your guns back. There’s a million ways to kill yourself, folks. Focusing on the gun isn’t the answer. Focus on actual causes. But no, it’s just an excuse. Teddy Nappen 19:34 I think the biggest issue with this whole concept of “Bridging the Divide” is take a step back and let us, let us be on equal terms. Here’s the problem, they cannot define what an assault firearm is. They are. Evan Nappen 19:50 Wait, wait, Teddy. I haven’t even gotten to that yet. I haven’t gotten to that. Teddy Nappen 19:54 All right. Evan Nappen 19:54 Number seven, Firearm Injury Prevention Education. They want to tie public health to firearm injuries. Why? Because that goes to healthcare so they can regulate it. Get it regulated back through the health, federal health agencies. Get it back to the CDC. Get them back on it. Cranking out anti-gun nonsense. That’s the game. Eight, Community Violence Intervention. Oh, that gets funding to who? Anti-gun groups. That’s what it’s about. Evan Nappen 20:33 So, we’re looking at these policies and then who’s on it? Well, their board is chock full, chock full of all former and bunch of all anti-gun rights folks. Then they sprinkle in a few that are supposedly pro-gun. So, who’s one of them? Rob Pincus. Rob Pincus is on there, proudly on there. They have listed him as a gun rights advocate. Except here’s a little article from Lee Williams back in March 29, 2021, from thegunwriter.com. (https://thegunwriter.substack.com/p/huh-rob-pincus-supports-expanded?utm_source=publication-search) It says, “Huh? Rob Pincus calls for expanded background checks, gun control and then says he didn’t.” Oh, really? Interesting. You can read that article and see. Page – 6 – of 11 The people they’re getting on board. There’s no major player there that is truly an advocate of our gun rights that I could find, and plenty that aren’t. Evan Nappen 21:30 Nowhere in their policy does it say repeal assault firearm bans, repeal large capacity magazine bans, repeal sensitive place prohibitions, or enact national reciprocity. All the things that we’re fighting for, for our rights. No. All it is is more, more, more. Just a subterfuge of more bans, more back doors to taking away rights. I didn’t see a damn thing here that expands our rights. Nothing. It’s just take, take, take. And package it as some kind of compromise. Their compromise is always us giving up our rights. Forget it, folks. Just forget it. Evan Nappen 22:18 And finally, let me point out, right from The Trace, right from The Trace. Sent out in an email blast, and I just want to read you this from The Trace. (https://mailchi.mp/thetrace/inside-the-loosely-regulated-world-of-gun-manufacturing-4869976?e=a13774efb8) This is fascinating. “Since the Trump administration snatched. . . ” This is The Trace. Snatched. They think of the Mel Brooks. You know, sees snatched, right? But anyway. “Since the Trump administration snatched funding from gun violence prevention . . .” Oh, in other words, let’s decode that. Since Trump took away all the money going to gun rights oppression groups, “. . . the field’s practitioners have had to confront an uncertain future.” Oh, they’re no longer getting the money from the Government. Huh. “Without federal dollars, state and local governments will have to decide whether to pick up the tab. It’s far from a sure thing. Gun violence intervention programs have long had to fight to prove the value of their work. The problem, however, is that it’s difficult to measure. Studying gun violence is expensive, and the nature of violence makes it a uniquely challenging subject to pull apart.” In other words, to propagandize into an anti-gun policy, to take away our rights. “And while gun violence research has seen a resurgence in recent years, the Trump administration cut funding for that field, too.” Yeah, isn’t that cute? I love it. “. . . meaning the available evidence for these programs could grow slimmer.” Evan Nappen 23:46 So folks, The Trace is bitching and moaning about losing their money, and who took it from them? President Trump. And it’s about time. There’s no reason our tax dollars need to go to oppression of our gun rights, and it’s the Trump administration that ended this funding. Keep that in mind. Teddy Nappen 24:10 Just to kind of going back to the whole issue. Whenever the Left try to present themselves like no, no, we need to find these common sense issues. Okay. Let’s define our terms, because the Left does not see the Second Amendment as a right. We know this because the Left wing nut case of a judge, Jackson went and broke down her entire descent of Bruen, describing how it is not a right. It’s a privilege. Arguing that when we deal with gun cases, you have to consider the victims of gun violence rather than looking to the law and the Constitution. That is where they’re coming from. They’re coming from the stupidity and suicidal empathy when they say they’re bridging the gap. That is their argument. Page – 7 – of 11 Evan Nappen 25:01 Just don’t fall for it. Don’t fall for it. But here’s something that you would, that you would like to do, something that you should do, something that you would enjoy doing. And that is going to WeShoot. WeShoot is an indoor range in Lakewood, New Jersey. It’s the range where Teddy and I shoot and where we get our training. You will love WeShoot. And WeShoot is offering some great deals on guns. As a matter of fact, they have a Troy A4 Defender. It’s compact, balanced, and NJ compliant. This platform delivers serious capability in a maneuverable package. It shoulders naturally, runs smoothly, and feels purpose built. They also have a Sig Sauer P365 AXG Fuse. This is where innovation meets metal. The AXG alloy grip module gives you the premium weight and control, while the longer slide and enhance sight radius makes fast, accurate shooting effortless. Try out that SIG P365 at WeShoot. Evan Nappen 26:16 They’re also offering a Smith & Wesson CSX. Now, this is a micro-compact with an aluminum frame and a very crisp single-action trigger feel. It’s slim. It’s refined, and it’s built for discrete carry without sacrificing shoot ability. It has that classic metal construction in a defensive, ready size. Also, you can see Julianna and the MAC 5. This is a retro-inspired style with modern execution. The MAC 5 delivers iconic roller-delayed energy, and Juliana brings the confidence to match. So, check that out as well. Go to weshootusa.com, weshootusa.com. Check out the guns, check out Julianna, and check out the great things that are offered there. Fantastic training, top training. You can get your CCARE certificate so you can get your carry and have a great time in their pro shop. The service you’ll receive is second to none. Go to weshootusa.com. Evan Nappen 27:37 Also, please, please make sure you are a member of the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs. They are the premier gun rights group in New Jersey. They are the umbrella organization of gun clubs in New Jersey. They are fighting for our rights. My good friend and colleague, Dan Schmutter, is there in federal court. He’s doing a great job. We’re waiting for some more results to report. Exciting times. We’re going to have some, I feel, excellent results over “sensitive places”, the magazine ban and the assault firearm ban, as we keep fighting and slogging through it. Getting our rights back. Plus the Association is on guard at the courts, at the legislature and the courthouse, both. We have a full-time paid lobbyist and, man, New Jersey is always a challenge. So, make sure you’re a member. Go to anjrpc.org and join today. You’ll get news sent right to your email. You’ll get a beautiful newsletter, and you’ll know that you’re part of the solution. You want to be part of the solution. The solution to the problem. The problem is gun rights oppressors, and the Association fights them in the belly of the beast, New Jersey, right there. ANJRPC.org. Evan Nappen 29:04 And don’t forget to get a copy of my book, New Jersey Gun Law. It’s the bible of New Jersey gun law. It is the book you need to navigate through the insanity that is New Jersey gun law. I try to make it as easy as possible. Question and answer format with 120 topics. It’s a book everybody uses, and you need one. Just go to EvanNappen.com and order yours. And when you get it, don’t lend it out, because you’ll never get it back. I hear that complaint all the time. So, make sure you keep your hands on it, or you’ll lose it. Go to EvanNappen.com and get a copy of New Jersey Gun Law today. Now, we have Press Checks with Teddy. Teddy, what do you have for us today in Press Checks? Page – 8 – of 11 Teddy Nappen 29:50 Well, as you know, Press Checks are always free, and I just want to preface this on this one. Where you see in the news media, they’ve been pushing the whole Epstein thing. All right? They’ve been trying to push that. And of course, the Left ended up destroying themselves, as they’ve lost multiple power players who have been implicated in the whole, in the whole surroundings that it comes with the Epstein files being released. And one of the individuals who, by the way, this individual had close ties to Jeffrey Epstein since, like, the early days, Michael Bloomberg. You know, maybe it was because he had a, you know, big gulp in his hand, and that’s why, you know, he’s like, Oh, how dare you. But, yeah. Teddy Nappen 30:41 So, we go to AmmoLand, where this was a wonderful article written up by Alan Gottlieb. (https://www.ammoland.com/2026/02/ccrkba-demands-bloomberg-come-clean-about-epstein-relationship/) Regarding the fact that now we are demanding that all the anti-gun groups, including Everytown, including all of his multi anti gun right the gun rights oppressors groups cut ties with Michael Bloomberg. You know, the money. And there was, I actually went. And funny enough, anyone can do this. You can go on to the Epstein files on the government website, and they have the entire files library. You can type in word searches. So, you type in “Michael Bloomberg”. I went and read through the different documents on it. Now, to preface this, there was no showing of wrongdoing in what was discovered by the fact he was. However, he was invited with Michael Bloomberg, George Stephanopoulos, Eric Schmidt, all these individuals, to a cocktail party with Jeffrey Epstein to watch The Imitation Game. You know, that movie about Alan Turing where he broke the German Enigma. Okay. Bear in mind, this is 2015. Jeffrey Epstein had already been convicted of the first initial charges back in 2000. Evan Nappen 32:05 He was a felon, you know. So, hey, they love to make a point that they shouldn’t have guns. Epstein kept trying and trying and trying to get his rights back so he could get guns. Yet, here he is with the king of anti-gun funding, Bloomturd. Teddy Nappen 32:25 Yeah. Evan Nappen 32:26 What’s that all about? Teddy Nappen 32:27 There was also a letter. Now, again, there was no direct correspondence with Michael Bloomberg. However, there was a letter from Maxwell, Jillian’s mother, basically inviting him to attend a premiere, apparently, this was a movie, Power of Good. I’ve never heard of this one. But this very clearly shows that there was direct information going back and forth. There was also, it seemed to be, there was a massive invitation, and Jeffrey Epstein was trying to create this almost investor group. I want to tell you. Like he wanted to make this online new media. He was naming these board of directors, one of which was Michael Bloomberg, the Rothschild, Lee Rothschild, Alan Goodman. So, various individuals. He Page – 9 – of 11 seemed to be almost like a financial advisor or a bank roller for Jeffrey Epstein. Again, there’s no showing of wrongdoing, but it’s just, clearly, he had a relationship with him. Even highlighted to the articles where, in 2011 the Palm Beach Daily News, Epstein’s address book included Michael Bloomberg. In 2013, there were multiple pictures taken with Bloomberg and Maxwell together having book parties at the Four Seasons restaurant in New York City, where I guess they were reading gender queer, but also the level. Evan Nappen 33:51 Well, the way they brought in the Clintons to the committee, they need to bring Bloomberg in. I mean, you know, this is. The Left kept pushing and pushing and pushing about the Epstein files. Hoping against hope, that they could somehow get President Trump on this, when, in reality, what we’re seeing is it blowing up in the Left’s face, aren’t we? Teddy Nappen 34:12 Yeah. Also, here’s a really big one. Epstein was invited to a Bloomberg hosted fundraiser for Plaskett. Congresswoman Plaskett. You know, the woman who took direct funding from Jeffrey Epstein, actually got donation money. So, not only was he hosting the dinner, cordially inviting Epstein to come on down. Even writing a letter. Please join our host. Michael Bloomberg. Dear Jeffrey Epstein, please join our host, Michael Bloomberg, to the dinner. So, very clearly he was running in these circles. There’s a very clear tie relationship. Again, no showing of wrongdoing. There wasn’t a direct correspondence with him in the emails. And if you actually go through a lot of the emails, he would email news articles. That’s why you know Bloomberg News. And he would email them to others. So, that did also come up. It just shows the very clear ties. This is the one that really sticks out to me. Documents release revealed he was interested in gun politics and Bloomberg’s work. They don’t show direct donations to EveryTown. However, in 2013 there’s an email soliciting Epstein for a donation to American for Responsible Solutions, which is run by Gabby, Gabby Giffords, who later became Giffords. Evan Nappen 35:34 That’s right. But all they care about with Epstein is Trump. And how does that all relate? Is Trump in the Epstein files, Teddy? Teddy Nappen 35:46 Oh, very much. Yes, yes, Trump is in the Epstein files. Okay, I’ve got to tell this to everyone here. The black pillars, all those out there, we do not have all the information. We know that for a fact. Okay? Has it been mishandled? Absolutely. Pam Bondi should resign. Fall on her sword. Because she has damaged the administration on Trump for the mishandling with the stupid binder gate, all the stupidity of, oh, I have the client list on my desk. That was a lie. And the whole situation there. However, if you actually look at the timeline, you can go see the articles. See the full breakdown of it for Donald Trump. Teddy Nappen 36:24 Here’s the timeline, 2004 to 2005, there was reported abuse by a 14-year-old girl by Epstein. Then Trump immediately ended the relation with Jeffrey Epstein. Banned him from Mar a Lago. In 2008, Epstein was convicted with the help of Donald Trump, who cooperated with the victims of Jeffrey Epstein’s lawyer, who fully deposed himself to the lawyers. As opposed to all the other people that are Page – 10 – of 11 implicated, who just stayed away. He actually went in to help the victims. Imagine that. And going in next 2000, after Maxwell is convicted as well, where she trafficked to Epstein. Also in 2019, he’s later arrested again. Guess who’s President in 2019? Donald Trump. He was arrested for sex who invested arrested Epstein for sex trafficking, and then he’s later dead in 2019. So, not only does it exonerate, where, after he was convicted, Trump broke off all relationships with Epstein. He helped get Jeffrey Epstein. That is all that they have on Donald Trump when it comes to Jeffrey Epstein. Teddy Nappen 37:32 All the fake news, all the fake and you know why he said hoax? He wasn’t saying the Jeffrey Epstein whole pedo ring was a hoax? No, he is saying hoax, as in talking about the Dems whole plot to directly connect Trump to the pedophile ring. That is their plot. That was the hoax. Was it misspoken? Yes, Trump fires from the hip. Sue him. That’s how it goes. But actually looking at the facts of what came down, this is what he should have said. Under four years of Biden, not one committee was formed to go at the Epstein files, to go after the Epstein files. The Dems didn’t even want to touch it, which, by the way, all the people that were running in Epstein circles, Schumer, all the, all the heavy donators, Bill Gates, all these individuals are running in Michael Bloomberg, running heavily donations, including Jeffrey Epstein, who heavily donated to the Democrats. So, it’s the level of insanity that goes into it. Teddy Nappen 38:37 By the way, for everyone to remember. Did you know? Did you also know the fact that all of a sudden, the victims who never spoke out during the four years under Biden are now taking Super Bowl ads saying, release more files. Okay, what happened to we have our list. We’re making our list. Just say it. Are you worried about defamation? Musk said he’ll pay for defamation. And good luck as trying to go after women of victims of sexual abuse. I’m sure a go fund me will be immediately formed and covered. So, what are you waiting on? Oh, that’s right, these are just political cudgels for you to abuse. Okay? That is a fact, and that’s what I’m saying to the victims who, all of a sudden, will not name names. So, that it’s one of the big things, like, very clearly, it’s being used as a political tool. They don’t actually want to release the names. Evan Nappen 39:28 Well, I think it’s interesting that it’s come around to Mr. Bloomberg, and that has major effect in terms of funding of further gun rights oppression. He needs to explain the way they’re looking at it. Forced it to be opened up. Hey, guess what? You’re there. You need to explain it now. At least do that. Teddy Nappen 39:52 Also this. Evan Nappen 39:53 There you go. Teddy Nappen 39:54 Proof in concept. Peter Mandelson, who was directly connected to Jeffrey Epstein. He was Keir Starmer’s Cabinet Minister, who just recently resigned. He resigned in shame. So, the proof is in the Page – 11 – of 11 proof is, in fact, that this has the effect. If we could break up Bloomberg from EveryTown. I mean, there is their money. They have nothing aside from. Evan Nappen 40:17 Well, they’re not getting funding anymore from the Government. Yeah, from USAID killed all that. Yeah, so that’s good. Well, let me tell you, Teddy, about this week’s GOFU. That is a Gun Owner Fuck Up, where you learn about expensive mistakes that others have made so that you don’t make them. Now this week’s GOFU that I want to talk about, might even be considered a future GOFU. But it applies still today. If West Virginia, Kansas, or any of these places end up creating State machine gun stores, if you will, which I believe they will, and this ends up taking off, make sure that you do NOT, as a non-resident of those states, acquire a machine gun from those states and then, no less, bring it to New Jersey. In other words, the GOFU, in the big picture, is you have to be cognizant of your jurisdiction and what you’re doing in your jurisdiction, and when you’re in another jurisdiction, what you can and can’t do. Evan Nappen 41:34 We see the jurisdictional problem arise all the time. Whether it’s in carrying a gun where you’re allowed to carry in one state and not in another, whether it’s purchase or possession of a firearm in any given state versus another, people bringing guns or accessories or other things that were legal in one place and illegal in another. The burden is on you to know this. I am constantly seeing cases where people make that very critical error. So, the GOFU, in a general term, my friends, is make sure you know your jurisdictions laws and do not inadvertently violate them because you are in another jurisdiction, and you are coming into this other jurisdiction, this is where the trouble can begin. It can be quite serious. So, be very cognizant of this when dealing with guns. Evan Nappen 42:40 This is Evan Nappen and Teddy Nappen reminding you that gun laws don’t protect honest citizens from criminals. They protect criminals from honest citizens. Speaker 2 42:51 Gun Lawyer is a CounterThink Media production. The music used in this broadcast was managed by Cosmo Music, New York, New York. Reach us by emailing Evan@gun.lawyer. The information and opinions in this broadcast do not constitute legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney in your state. Downloadable PDF TranscriptGun Lawyer S5 E279_Transcript About The HostEvan Nappen, Esq.Known as “America's Gun Lawyer,” Evan Nappen is above all a tireless defender of justice. Author of eight bestselling books and countless articles on firearms, knives, and weapons history and the law, a certified Firearms Instructor, and avid weapons collector and historian with a vast collection that spans almost five decades — it's no wonder he's become the trusted, go-to expert for local, industry and national media outlets. Regularly called on by radio, television and online news media for his commentary and expertise on breaking news Evan has appeared countless shows including Fox News – Judge Jeanine, CNN – Lou Dobbs, Court TV, Real Talk on WOR, It's Your Call with Lyn Doyle, Tom Gresham's Gun Talk, and Cam & Company/NRA News. As a creative arts consultant, he also lends his weapons law and historical expertise to an elite, discerning cadre of movie and television producers and directors, and novelists. He also provides expert testimony and consultations for defense attorneys across America. Email Evan Your Comments and Questions  talkback@gun.lawyer Join Evan's InnerCircleHere's your chance to join an elite group of the Savviest gun and knife owners in America.  Membership is totally FREE and Strictly CONFIDENTIAL.  Just enter your email to start receiving insider news, tips, and other valuable membership benefits.   Email (required) *First Name *Select list(s) to subscribe toInnerCircle Membership Yes, I would like to receive emails from Gun Lawyer Podcast. (You can unsubscribe anytime)Constant Contact Use. Please leave this field blank.var ajaxurl = "https://gun.lawyer/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php";

Jif Paines | 10 Percent True | EP82ChaptersGet the full episode:https://www.10percenttrue.com/pricing-plans/listIn this episode, former RAF Harrier pilot and X-35B test pilot “Jif” Paines explains how the F-35B's revolutionary STOVL flight control system was born.From early Harrier night attack operations to experimental fly-by-wire research on the VAAC Harrier, Jif traces the technical and philosophical battle that led to Unified Flight Control — the system that made the F-35B dramatically easier to fly.Along the way he discusses:• Auto-eject systems and pilot safety philosophy• The lift-fan mechanics behind the F-35B's STOVL capability• The X-35 concept demonstrations and engineering decisions behind them• Why automation can “de-skill” pilots — and why that may be necessary• How test pilots and engineers negotiate control authority• And why automation forces a fundamental rethink of the human role in combat aviationThis conversation provides rare insight into test pilot culture, engineering decision-making, and the future of autonomous airpower.0:00 “A stupid question?”1:15 Welcome Jif1:38 Auto-eject subscriber question (Sedlo)4:24 Thanks to Super for the introduction4:48 Jif's introduction11:40 Transferring TPS knowledge and skills to testing in the X-3514:00 What decisions had been made before joining the program?17:12 VAAC Harrier control laws and pilot resistance to the concepts being developed20:15 Unified Flight Control explained25:15 Engineering the “feel” for the pilot — reversion and safety features, de-skilling31:10 “A stupid question?”32:16 Integration of the control laws into the X-3534:19 Lift-fan dynamics and operating process37:00 Differences between flying the VAAC Harrier and the F-3538:10 STOVL initially implemented in Harrier style — why?40:22 Flying characteristics and aircraft feel43:16 Exciting?44:40 Transferring expertise to the X and F variants and defending Unified Flight Control49:40 The Farley climb53:50 The future of the pilot in military aviation57:30 Thanks Jif (please return!)

Good evening. Welcome back to Dial P for Podcast, Patrick Ripoll's year-long chronological voyage through the films of Alfred Hitchcock. Every month Patrick will be watching four Hitchcock features and talking about them here, from The Pleasure Garden to Family Plot, all across the year of 2026, examining the life and work of England's most famous cinema pervert.For episode 2 we see Hitchcock break free of his silent era and break ground by producing the first* British sound film. In Easy Virtue (1928) a fallen woman finds new love (and hate) among an upperclass family, in Champagne (1928) a playgirl heiress loses everything and is forced to work a regular job, in Blackmail (1929) a woman kills her rapist and gets blackmailed for it and finally in Murder! (1930) a famous actor turns amateur sleuth to unpack a whodunnit murder mystery.This is the era where Hitchcock goes from British film wunderkind to bonafide national celebrity, with even royalty visiting his sets to see how sound films are made. And his ascent isn't even close to done! Exciting!0:00 - 0:40 - Intro music0:41 - 26:52 - Easy Virtue (1928)26:53 - 57:02 - Champagne (1928)57:03 - 1:50:22 - Blackmail (1929)1:50:23 - 2:11:19 - Murder! (1930)2:11:20 - 2:12:10 - Outro music

This Week on the Toy Power Podcast; we welcome our first Guest of 2026 - our great Canadian Friend: Colin Betts! Touching on some Latest News Topics, we hit the ground running highlighting an Incredible Custom Project - called: Ultimate Beasts! A re-imagining of the 80's Hasbro / Takara Battle Beasts Toys. (These Newly styled Figures are up for grabs via website bellow.) Then we touch on some of more News & Reveals from New York Toy Fair. First up are the fantastic offering of New Micronauts figures from Super7. Then we go though the Exciting selection of G.I. Joe offerings, boh from Super7 as well as Hasbro's Classified line-up. Then Colin covers some News a lot closer to his home - namely an update on the status & concern of ToysRus in Canada. Unfortunately the Famous Geoffrey the Giraffe, looks like he will be hanging up his hat sooner than later..... Find out more about the custom: 'Ultimate Beasts' Line.Instagram: @UltimateBeasts_ToysWebsite: www.alstoyfarm.etsy.comSupport the show: http://patreon.com/toypowerpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Accunet Mortgage & Realty Show 2-28-26Mortgage rates finally did the thing everyone's been waiting for, and naturally the internet immediately got it wrong. Brian and David Wickert are here to clean up the mess.This week on the Accunet Mortgage & Realty Show, they tackle the age-old client question of “I saw a rate online!!!” — and walk through exactly why those online headlines are mortgage clickbait. Realistic? Not especially. Exciting? Sure.On the refi front, there's a case study in why combining two loans into one isn't always the power move it sounds like, and a deep dive into the ARM-to-ARM shuffle — where one client is absolutely, definitely maybe possibly going to take a 30-year fixed — but next time.Then there's the purchase market, which remains competitive in a very Milwaukee way. One story: 50 showings, 22 offers, and a genuinely useful framework for helping buyers figure out the number they can lose on and still sleep at night — because there is one, and knowing it matters.Smart, practical, occasionally ridiculous. Just like the mortgage market itself.

Exciting news! We’ve announced a bunch of new tour stops for this spring! Learn more about the show and get tickets here! Mar 7............MILWAUKEE Mar 8..................ST PAUL Mar 28..............ATLANTA Mar 29.....FT LAUDERDALE Apr 11......CHATTANOOGA Apr 12.................DURHAM Apr 25.....SAN FRANCISCO Apr 26.............PORTLAND May 30...............BUFFALO May 31..............TORONTO Jun 6.............ANN ARBORGet tickets at brainson.org/events -- hope to see you there!!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do anxious and avoidant partners keep finding each other? Often, we're drawn to familiar dynamics and hope to solve old problems as adults. This clip explores the anxious-avoidant pattern, repetition compulsion, and why styles rarely change but can be managed. We discuss dialing conflicts down, naming your pattern early, and setting firm boundaries such as asking for regular check-ins. It also considers choosing calmer relationships over intense fireworks to support your nervous system. Watch the FULL podcast here: https://youtu.be/eTbA81qNYt4Alain De Button in conversation with Sarah Ann Listen to the full episode⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch the full episode on YouTube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠***This episode is sponsored by:NOWATCH: The compassionate health trackerConnecting body and mind with unique stress recovery insights so you can live fully today15% off with code LWBW15 at https://nowatch.com/Mojo: the app for expert-led courses in better sex.Learn from world-class sex therapists and relationship experts with courses tailored to your needs.15% off with code LiveWell15 at mymojo.com/livewellbewell***The Great British Veg OutHow to support your gut, energy, and hormones by eating more — not less.

Big Al got a very exciting email… and it might bring him and the sender big joy and happiness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gil Villegas is the alderperson of Chicago's 36th ward and has focused on generating opportunities for economic and business development to best serve the constituents of his ward! Alderman Villegas starts by discussing how zoning changes can be utilized to create win-win situations for investors and members of a community or ward! He talks about how he and his fellow members of City Counsel were able to influence the city's approved budget with the needs of their constituents at the forefront. Alderman Villegas breaks down why he chose to withdraw his Ward from the Northwest Housing Ordinance. He closes with an extremely bullish outlook on Chicago leaving us motivated to continue doubling down on our great city! If you enjoy today's episode, please leave us a review and share with someone who may also find value in this content! ============= Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com Properties for Sale on the North Side?  We want to buy them. Email: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com Have a vacancy? We can place your next tenant and give you back 30-40 hours of your time. Learn more: GCRealtyInc.com/tenant-placement Has Property Mgmt become an opportunity cost for you? Let us lower your risk and give you your time back to grow. Learn more: GCRealtyinc.com ============= Guest: Alderman Gil Villegas, City of Chicago's 36th Ward Link: Alderman Villegas' Facebook Link: Alderman Villegas' Instagram Link: The 48 Laws of Power (Book Recommendation) Link: NBOA Chicago (Network Recommendation) Guest Questions:  03:31 Housing Provider Tip - Understand lease renewal notices to remain compliant! 05:28 Intro to our guest, Alderman Villegas! 07:19 Zoning changes to create affordable housing. 18:48 City council's involvement with the city's approved budget. 25:45 How Aldermen work together to make positive impacts! 35:05 Drawbacks of the Northwest Housing Ordinance. 43:34 How Aldermen utilize facts and community input to make decisions. 45:39 Exciting developments in the 36th ward! 48:28 Alderman Villegas' outlook on Chicago. 51:41 What is your competitive advantage? 52:11 One piece of advice for new investors. 54:26 What do you do for fun? 55:46 Good book, podcast, or self development activity that you would recommend?  56:08 Local Network Recommendation?  56:31 How can the listeners learn more about you and provide value to you? ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2026.

Forget the usual suspects—we're taking you off the beaten path with the top five most exciting wine destinations for 2026. From Portugal's incredible diversity beyond Port to Germany's underrated food scene, Argentina's high-altitude Malbecs in Mendoza, California's dynamic Paso Robles, and the UK's surprising sparkling wine regions, these are the places where wine, food, and culture collide in the best possible way. Whether you're planning your first wine trip or looking for your next adventure, this solo episode is packed with firsthand insights, travel tips, and why visiting wine regions beats any classroom education. Plus, we share what makes each destination uniquely exciting—and why now is the time to go. 2021 Catena Zapata Catena Alta Malbec Historic Rows Mendoza

Aston Villa have granted the 1897 Group space inside Villa Park to help boost the atmosphere for the remainder of the league season. The fan group will be visible inside Villa Park with flags and banners during the final five home league games of the campaign, after the club's football staff - including Unai Emery and Damian Vidagany - encouraged efforts to enhance the matchday atmosphere.

Wow, 11 NBA games today and it was kinda AWESOME!? We saw a Cavs demo job, the Sixers roaring back to life, the Hawks showing Trae some love and the Lakers cooking… a chance to win. The NBA IS BACK! Today's NBA Straya also looks at the FIVE MOST EXCITING NBA TEAMS RIGHT NOW… as we launch the Anti-Tank Brigade! SO we wrap up all 11 games from today in the NBA Straya Game Wraps, along with That's Not a Knife, Spud of the Night, Old Mate No Mates & Better Than Lonzo Ball…   We've also got YEAH NAHs, Unpopular Opinion of the Day & OUTBACK TAKE, where we're serving up a flame grilled take.  Plus - there's an Andrew Gaze Grey Mamba Award combined with a Shane Heal Shooter Shooter Light Em Up Award! And a look at what ALL THE NBA AUSSIES GOT UP TO TODAY! Cos ALL of them had a game! Plus there's a preview of all the NBA games tomorrow, Thursday February 26.Plenty to cover & talk about, strap in, lean back & enjoy! … and remember to rate, review & subscribe! Cheers legends, and thanks for tuning in to the #bestNBApodcast in the world!!Onyas...  Love ya guts ledges!!

This week on the Exciting & New podcast, Jason, Andy and Dana welcome Brady back on the show to discuss the 1986 thriller Manhunter.  In this Michael Mann-directed prequel (but not really) to The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal Lecter (or Lecktor (?) for some reason) is asked by the FBI to help track down a serial killer (RIP to Tom Noonan).  Hannibal should really be charging for all the killers he tracks down  We dive deep into the history of Lecter and the difference between this moive and Red Dragon (the real prequel to Lambs).  Enjoy the podcast!Jason, Andy and Dana will discuss a 1986 movie weekly, breaking down all the nonsense there within. The 3 hosts all work together and everyone else around them was getting really annoyed at all the movie talk, so they decided to annoy the world in podcast form.Check out previous seasons to hear them discuss 1982, 1983, 1984 & 1985 movies, as well as a full season of Love Boat episodes (if that is your thing). Plus one-off specials and a weekly mini "what are we watching" podcast.#jezoo74 #aegonzo1 #danacapoferri #exciting_new

Exciting news - pre-order my debut book https://linktr.ee/HealthySBTH?utm_source=linktree_profile_share

Hour 4 - This will be exciting + A big opportunity for Mizzou full 2750 Tue, 24 Feb 2026 19:57:14 +0000 SLu0EwnMRNbZwL4pw7M7rUNINXgpRr0Y nfl,college basketball,mlb,kansas city chiefs,kansas city royals,society & culture Cody & Gold nfl,college basketball,mlb,kansas city chiefs,kansas city royals,society & culture Hour 4 - This will be exciting + A big opportunity for Mizzou Hosts Cody Tapp & Alex Gold team up for 610 Sports Radio's newest mid-day show "Cody & Gold."  Two born & raised Kansas Citians, Cody & Gold have been through all the highs and lows as a KC sports fan and they know the passion Kansas City has for their sports teams."Cody & Gold" will be a show focused on smart, sports conversation with the best voices from KC and around the country. It will also feature our listeners with your calls, texts & tweets as we want you to be a part of the show, not just a listener.  Cody & Gold, weekdays 10a-2p on 610 Sports Radio.  2024 © 2021 Audacy, Inc. Society & Culture False https://player.amperwavepodcast

Lucas Swisher co-leads the growth fund at Coatue where he has partnered with iconic companies like OpenAI, Harvey, Deel, Canva, Openevidence, Anthropic, and others. Prior to Coatue, he was on the investment team at Kleiner Perkins, where he focused on growth stage software businesses.  AGENDA: 04:23 Why Public SaaS Is Getting Crushed in the AI Wave 06:01 How to Find Value in the Deluge of Public SaaS 10:34 Durability of Revenue in AI 17:42 Market Size vs. Founder Quality: What Wins? 19:04 Why Price is the Last Thing to Matter 24:58 Mega-Funds Math: Can $5B+ Funds Still Generate Venture Returns? 28:04 What Returns Are 'Enough'? Why 3x Isn't Exciting at Growth 30:34 When Double-Downs Go Wrong: Overestimating TAM and Multi-Product Expansion 33:03 Margin Matters… But at Scale: AI Gross Margins, Cost Curves & Efficiency 36:42 Why it has never been harder to be a seed investor 39:25 Is 'Kingmaking' a Myth: When Capital Helps (and When It Hurts) 44:12 Is Canva Really a Platform Company? Multi S-Curves and Leaning into AI Early 46:05 Lessons from Mary Meeker: Modeling, Storytelling with Data, and Not Missing the Forest 48:27 Lessons from Mamoon Hamid: Spotting Inflection Points with Minimal Data (Figma Story) 49:54 LP 'Pick One' Games: Mamoon Hamid, Mary Meeker, Insight Partners 51:41 OpenAI vs Anthropic: Who Wins? 56:52 Most Memorable Founder Meeting: Harvey and Founder-Market Fit 59:00 Career Decisions & Misses: Leaving Insight, Missing Anduril, and Looking Ahead  

Exciting episode of the podcast with my friend Sam Parker, owner of My Credit Guy Credit Restoration widely regarded as #1 in the mortgage industry. Sam was in town, so we laid a track and broke down the fundamentals: • Credit scores • Credit repair vs. reality • VA Home Loans • Mortgages • Bankruptcy • How lenders actually look at your file This was an entry-level, no-BS conversation designed to educate and empower. Sam is an absolute nerd when it comes to credit and I mean that as the highest compliment. If you've ever wondered how your credit actually impacts your buying power, this one's for you.

  Investing and cultural differences with Remco Coerman Remco Coerman is a Strategic Advisor in Wealth Protection & International Investment Structures, specializing in helping internationally mobile individuals and families safeguard assets across jurisdictions. In this episode, we explore how investing and cultural differences shape financial decision-making, risk perception, and long-term planning strategies. Remco explains that successful cross-border structuring is not just about tax efficiency or legal vehicles, but also about understanding how investing and cultural differences influence trust, governance, and intergenerational wealth transfer. Drawing on decades of experience, he outlines practical frameworks for aligning strategy with mindset, demonstrating why mastering investing and cultural differences is essential in a globalized financial landscape. His tips to become more culturally competent are: Listen to the other person (we're both Dutch and we're right), keep your mouth shut. Keep your own opinion to yourself. "If you ask me..." but nobody wants to hear this, and nobody is asking you. Look for a life partner outside your own country. It will give you a wealth of experience. Links mentioned in the podcast: https://www.epicedges.group https://www.linkedin.com/in/remcocoerman/ Want to avoid the most common mistakes when working internationally? Read this article. Investing and cultural differences with Remco Coerman More stories and culture can be found here. Culture Matters The Culture Matters Podcast on International Business & Management Podcast Build your Cultural Competence, listen to interesting stories, learn about the cultural pitfalls and how to avoid them, and get the Global perspective here at the Culture Matters podcast on International Business. We help you understand Cultural Diversity better by interviewing real people with real experiences. Every episode there is an interview with a prominent guest, who will tell his or her story and share international experiences. Helping you develop your cultural competence. Welcome to this culture podcast and management podcast. To Subscribe to this Management Podcast, Click here. The Culture Matters Culture Podcast. Available on iTunes and Stitcher Radio Click here to get the podcast on Spotify Talk to your Amazon Alexa and listen to the Podcast Listen directly on Amazon If you have a minute, please leave me an honest rating and review on iTunes by clicking here. It will help the visibility and the ranking of this culture podcast on iTunes immensely! A BIG THANK YOU! Enjoy this FREE culture podcast! Music: Song title - Bensound.com More Ways of Listening: Get a Taste of How Chris Presents, Watch his TEDx Talk     Name Email Address Phone Number Message 2 + 2 = Send Call Direct: +32476524957   European Office (Paris) Whatsapp: +32476524957   The Americas (USA; Atlanta, GA; también en Español):  +1 678 301 8369 Book Chris Smit as a Speaker If you're looking for an Engaging, Exciting, and Interactive speaker on the subject of Intercultural Management & Awareness you came to the right place. Chris has spoken at hundreds of events and to thousands of people on the subject of Cultural Diversity & Cultural Competence. This is What Others Say About Chris: “Very Interactive and Engaging” “In little time he knew how to get the audience inspired and connected to his story” “His ability to make large groups of participants quickly and adequately aware of the huge impact of cultural differences is excellent” “Chris is a dedicated and inspirational professional” In addition, his presentations can cover specific topics cultural topics, or generally on Cultural differences. Presentations can vary anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours and are given worldwide. Book Chris now by simply sending an email. Click here to do so. Read more about what Chris can do for you. Percentage of People Rating a Presentation as Excellent 86% 86% Rating the Presentation as Practical 89% 89% Applicability of Chris' presentation 90% 90% About Peter van der Lende Peter has joined forces with Culture Matters. Because he has years and years of international business development experience joining forces therefore only seemed logical. Being born and raised in the Netherlands, he has lived in more than 9 countries of which most were in Latin America. He currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia (USA) with his family. You can find out more at https://expand360.com/ Or find out what Peter can do for you here.

Can the Patriots re-sign players and still spend this offseason? // Who's the favorite to be the Red Sox 5th starter? // Week in Review //

-Northern Illinois has had lots of success over the years in the MAC---remember when they played FSU in the Orange Bowl?---and now is headed to join the Mountain West this year-One slight problem---head coach Thomas Hammock left the school yesterday to take an assistant role with the SeattleSeahawks—that's just dandy!Our Sponsors:* Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy