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Those Fantastic Flying Fools (1967)   aka Blast-Off  AIP Production #6706 Jeff and Cheryl prepare for a one-way trip to the moon with Those Fantastic Flying Fools. Original Story by Peter Welbeck (Harry Alan Towers)  inspired by the writings of Jules Verne   Screenplay by Dave Freeman   Produced by Harry Alan Towers  Directed by Don Sharp Starring:  Burl Ives as Phineas T. Barnum  Troy Donahue as Gaylord Sullivan  Gert Frobe as  Professor Siegfried von Bulow  Hermione Gingold as Angelica  Lionel Jeffries as Sir Charles Dillworthy  Dennis Price as The Duke of Barset Daliah Lavi as Madelaine  Stratford Johns as Warrant Officer  Graham Starke as Grundle   Terry-Thomas as Captain Sir Harry Washington Smythe  Jimmy Clitheroe as General Tom Thumb  Judy Cornwell as Electra  Joachim Teege as Bulgeroff  Edward De Souza as Henri  Joan Sterndale Bennett as Queen Victoria  View TV spots for Those Fantastic Flying Fools trailer here.  You can rent Those Fantastic Flying Fools on Amazon Prime. Visit our website - https://aippod.com/ and follow the American International Podcast on Letterboxd, Instagram and Threads @aip_pod and on Facebook at facebook.com/AmericanInternationalPodcast  Get your American International Podcast merchandise at our store. Our open and close includes clips from the following films/trailers: How to Make a Monster (1958), The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962), I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957), High School Hellcats (1958), Beach Blanket Bingo (1965), The Wild Angels (1966), It Conquered the World (1956), The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971), and Female Jungle (1955) 

Jess here. My guest this week is Jeff Selingo, an author and speaker I've admired for a long time. His work on college, college admissions and the transition to work and life in emerging adulthood are essential reads for anyone looking to understand what want and need in higher education and life. His books, There is Life After College, Who Gets In and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions and his forthcoming book, Dream School: Finding the College That's Right for You are all essential reads for teens and emerging adults as well as parents of teens and emerging adults. I adore all three, but I wanted to talk with Jeff about a few aspects of his writing: how he created a speaking career, finds his topics, and how on earth he gets people to talk about topics that tend to be shrouded in secrecy behind very high walls (such as college admissions). Check out Jeff's newsletter, Next, and Podcast, Future UKJ here, as you probably know, to tell you that if you're not listening to the Writing the Book episodes Jenny Nash and I have been doing, you should be. Jenny's working on her latest nonfiction, and I'm working on my next novel, and we're both trying to do something bigger and better than anything we've done before.We sit down weekly and dish about everything—from Jenny's proposal and the process of getting an agent to my extremely circular method of creating a story. We are brutally honest and open—even beyond what we are here. Truly, we probably say way too much. And for that reason, Writing the Book is subscriber-only.So I'm here saying: subscribe. That's a whole 'nother episode a week, and always a juicy one—plus all the other good subscriber stuff: the First Pages: BookLab, Jess's From Author to Authority series, and whatever else we come up with. (It varies enough that it's hard to list it all.) Plus, of course, access whenever we run The Blueprint—which, I don't know, might be soon.That's all I've got. So head to amwritingpodcast.com, get yourself signed up, and come listen to Writing the Book. Then talk to us. Tell us—tell us about your book writing and what's going on. We really want to hear from y'all.Thanks a lot. And Subscribe!Transcript below!EPISODE 465 - TRANSCRIPTKJ Dell'AntoniaHowdy, listeners—KJ here, as you probably know—to tell you that if you're not listening to the Writing the Book episodes Jennie Nash and I have been doing, you should be. Jennie is working on her latest nonfiction, and I'm working on my next novel, and we're both trying to do something bigger and better than anything we've done before. We sit down weekly and dish about everything from Jennie's proposal and the process of getting an agent to my extremely circular method of creating a story. We are brutally honest and open—even beyond what we are here. Truly, we probably say way too much, and for that reason, Writing the Books is subscriber-only. So I'm here saying: subscribe. That's a whole other episode a week, and always a juicy one—plus there's all the other good subscriber stuff: the First Page Booklab, Jess' From Author to Authority series, and whatever else we come up with, which kind of varies enough that it's hard to list out. Plus, of course, access to whenever we run the Blueprint, which—I don't know—it's going to be soon. That's all I got. So head to AmWritingpodcast.com, get yourself signed up and come listen to Writing the Book, and then talk to us. Tell us—tell us about your book writing and what's going on. We really want to—we want to hear from y'all. Thanks a lot, and please subscribe.Multiple SpeakersIs it recording? Now it's recording. Yay! Go ahead. This is the part where I stare blankly at the microphone. Try to remember what I'm supposed to be doing. All right, let's start over. Awkward pause. I'm going to rustle some papers. Okay. Now, one, two, three.Jess LaheyHey, it's Jess Lahey, and welcome to the Hashtag AmWriting Podcast. This is a podcast about writing all the things—short things, long things, poetry, proposals, queries, nonfiction, fiction—all the stuff. In the end, this is the podcast about getting the work done. And in the beginning of this podcast, our goal was to flatten the learning curve for other writers. So I am super excited about who I have today. Oh—quick intro. I'm Jess Lahey. I'm the author of The Gift of Failure and The Addiction Inoculation, and you can find my work at The New York Times, The Atlantic and The Washington Post, as you can find the work of my guest there too. So my guest today is someone that I have looked up to for a long time, and someone I use as sort of a—to bounce things off of and to think about how I do my work and how to do my work better. Jeff Selingo, thank you so much for coming to on the show. Jeff is the author of a couple of books that I'm a huge—In fact, I can look over at my bookshelf right now and see all of his books on getting into college, why college is not the end point. He has a new book coming out that we're going to be talking about—really; it's coming out real as soon as this podcast comes out. And I'm just—I'm a huge fan, Jeff. Thank you so, so much for coming on the pod.Jeff SelingoJust the same here—and I'm a huge fan of this podcast as well. It's on my regular rotation, so...Jess LaheyOh yay.Jeff SelingoI am thrilled, as always, to be here.Jess LaheyIt's—it's changed over the years, and now that we have four different, you know, co-hosts, there's sort of different takes on it. We've got, like, Sarina—the business side, and Jess—the nonfiction geek side, and KJ—the fiction side, and Jennie—the nuts-and-bolts editor side. So it's been really fun for us to sort of split off. But what I wanted to talk to you about today are a couple of different things. Your book Who Gets In and Why is—um , on the podcast, we talk about dissecting other people's work as a way... In fact, I was talking to my daughter about this yesterday. She's writing a thesis—what she hopes will be one chapter in a book. And I was saying, you know, one of the things you can do is go dissect other books you think are really well constructed—books that are reaching the same, similar audience. And your book, Who Gets In and Why, I think, is essential reading for anyone who's writing interview based, and specifically nonfiction around attempting to get their arms around a process. And a process that—for you—what I'm really interested about in this book is a process that's usually, you know, guarded and kind of secret. And no one wants to let you in for real on all the moving parts and how the decisions are made, because the college admissions process is—it's an inexact recipe. It depends on where you are, it depends on the school, but everyone wants the secret. Like, Jeff, just get me the secrets of how to get in. So how do you approach people who are, in a sense, some ways, secret-keepers and guardians of the secret sauce—to mix metaphors? How do you get those people to agree to be a part of a book—not just to be interviewed, but to actually put themselves out there and to put the sausage-making out there in a book, which can be a huge leap of faith for any organization or human being?Jeff SelingoYeah, and I think it's definitely harder now than it was when I did Who Gets In and Why. I think it's harder than when, you know, other people have been inside the process—whether it's, you know, Fast Food Nation, with the, you know, the fast food industry, which is a book that I looked up to when I was writing, Who Gets In and Why. I think it's—people just don't trust writers and journalists as much as they used to. So I think that's—a lot of this is really trust. First of all, you have to approach organizations that trust their own process. When people ask me, “Why these three schools?” You know, I approached 24 schools when I wrote, Who Gets In and Why, and three said yes. Twenty-one said no. And when I describe the people who said yes and why they said yes, they trusted their own process. And they also trusted me. But the first thing they did was trust their own process.. And so when I heard later on from people who had said no to me—and I would, you know, talk to them, you know, off the record about why they said no—there was always something about their process, their admissions process, that they didn't trust. They were getting a new, like, software system, or they had new employees that they didn't really quite know, or they were doing things—it's not that they were doing things wrong, but that, you know, it was at the time when the Supreme Court was making a decision about affirmative action, and they didn't quite know how that would play, and so they didn't quite trust it—and then how that, obviously, would be used by me. So the first thing you have to do is think about organizations that really believe in themselves, because they're going to be the ones that are going to talk about themselves externally. And then you just have to build trust between them and you. And that just takes—unfortunately, it takes time. And as a book author or a reporter, you don't always have that on your side.Jess LaheySo when—were some of these cold? Like of the 24, were all of these cold? Were some of these colder? Did you have an in with some of these?Jeff SelingoI had an in with most of them, because I had been covering—I mean, that's the other thing. You know, trust is built over time, and I had been covering higher ed for almost 25 years now. So it was just that they knew me, they knew of me, they knew of my work. I had other people vouch for me. So, you know, I had worked with other people in other admissions offices on other stories, and they knew people in some of these offices, so they would vouch for me. But at the end—so, you know, it ended up being Emory, Davidson and the University of Washington. It was really only Davidson where I knew somebody. Emory and University of Washington—I kind of knew people there that were the initial door opener. But beyond that, it was just spending time with them and helping them understand why I wanted to tell the story, how I thought the story would put play out, and getting them to just trust the process.Jess LaheyThere's also something to be said for people who have some enthusiasm for the greater story to be told—especially people who have an agenda, whether that's opening up admissions to the, quote, “whole student” as opposed to just their test scores, or someone who feels like they really have something to add to the story. Both of the people who I featured in The Addiction Inoculation and who insisted on having their real names used said, you know, there's just—there's a value for me in putting this story out there and finding worth in it, even though for these two people, there was some risk and there was embarrassment, and there's, you know, this shame around substance use disorder. But these two people said, you know, I just think there's a bigger story to be told, and I'm really proud to be a part of that bigger story. So there is a selling aspect also to, you know, how you position what it is you're doing.Jeff SelingoAnd there's—so there's a little bit of that, and that was certainly true here. The admissions deans at these places were longtime leaders who not only trusted their own process but understood that the industry was getting battered. You know, people were not trusting of admissions. They felt like it was a game to be played. And there was definitely a larger story that they wanted to tell there. Now truth be told—and they've told this in conferences that I've been at and on panels that I've moderated with them—there was also a little bit of they wanted to get their own story out, meaning the institutional story, right? Emory is competing against Vanderbilt, and Davidson is a liberal arts college in the South, when most liberal arts colleges are in the Northeast. So there was a little bit of, hey, if we participate in this, people are going to get to know us in a different way, and that is going to help us at the end—meaning the institution.Jess LaheyDo you have to? Did you? Was there a hurdle of, we really have, you know, this is some PR for us, too. So did that affect—I mean, there's a little bit of a Heisenberg thing going on here. Did the fact that you were observing them change, you think, anything about what they did and what they showed you?Jeff SelingoIt's an interesting thing, Jess. It's a great question, because I often get that. Because I was—you know, originally, I wanted to do one office. I wanted to be inside one institution. And when all three of them kind of came back and said, yes, we'll do this—instead of just choosing one of them—I thought, oh, this is interesting. We have a small liberal arts college. We have a big, private urban research university. We have a big public university in the University of Washington. So I wanted to show—kind of compare and contrast—their processes. But that also meant I couldn't be in one place all the time. There's only one of me, and there's three of them, and they're in different parts of the country. So clearly I was not there every day during the process. And somebody would say to me, oh, well, how do you know they're not going to do X, Y, and Z when you're not there? And I quickly realized that they had so much work to do in such a short amount of time that they couldn't really—they couldn't really game the system for me. After a while, I just became like a painting on the wall. I just was there. And in many cases, they didn't even notice I was there—which, by the way, is where you want to be—because they would say things, do things, without realizing sometimes that a reporter was present. And there's the opening scene of the book, which is just a fantastic—in my opinion, one of my favorite scenes in the book—right where they're talking about these students and so forth, and in a way that is so raw and so natural about how they did their work. If they knew I was in the room at that point—which of course they did—but if they really perceived my being there, that would have been really hard to pull off.Jess LaheyDid they have, did you guys have an agreement about off the record moments or anything like that? Or was there and speaking of which, actually, was there any kind of contract going into this, or any kind of agreement going into this?Jeff SelingoI basically told them that there would be no surprises. So everything was essentially on the record unless they explicitly said that, and that was usually during interviews, like one-on-one interviews. But while I was in the room with them, there was really nothing off the record. There couldn't be because it was hard to kind of stop what they were doing to do that. The only thing I promised was that there would be no surprises at the end. So when the book was done, during the fact-checking process, I would do what The New Yorker would do during fact-checking. I wouldn't read the passages back to them, but I would tell them basically what's in there, in terms of it as I fact-checked it. And so they really kind of knew, for the most part—not word for word—but they kind of knew what was in the book before it came out.Jess LaheyI like that term—no surprises. It's a real nice blanket statement for, look, I'm not looking to get—there's no gotcha thing here.Jeff SelingoThere's no gotcha, exactly...Jess LaheyRight. Exactly.Jeff SelingoThis was not an investigative piece. But there were things that, you know, I'm sure that they would have preferred not to be in there. But for the most part, during the fact-checking process, you know, I learned things that were helpful. You know, sometimes they would say, oh, that's an interesting way of—you know, I would redirect quotes, and they would want to change them. And I said, well, I don't really want to change direct quotes, because that's what was said in that moment. And then they would provide context for things, which was sometimes helpful. I would add that to the piece, or I would add that to the book. So at the end of the day—again—it goes back to trust. And they realized what I was trying to do with this book. It's also a book rather than an article. Books tend to have permanence. And I knew that this book would have, you know, shelf life. And as a result, I wanted to make sure that it would stand the test of time.Jess LaheyYeah, I've been thinking a lot about your new book—your book that's just coming out as this is getting out into the world—called Dream School. And by the way, such a great title, because one person's dream school is not another's. But like, my daughter happens to be at, I think, the perfect school for her, and my son went to the perfect school for him—which, by the way, wasn't even his first choice. And in retrospect, he said, I'm just so glad I didn't get into that other place—my, you know, early decision place—because this other place really was the perfect match. And I think that's why I love that title so much, because I spend a lot of time trying to help parents understand that their dream may not necessarily be their child's dream. And what makes something a dream school may, you know—in fact, in terms of time—my daughter was applying to colleges just coming out of COVID. Like, she had never been to a school dance. She'd never—you know—all that kind of stuff. So for me, the dream looked very different than maybe it would have four years prior, thinking I was going to have a kid that had the opportunity to sort of socially, you know, integrate into the world in a very different way. So I love that. And is that something that—how did—how do your ideas emerge? Did it emerge in the form of that idea of what is a dream school for someone? Or—anyway, I'll let you get back to...Jeff SelingoYeah. So, like many follow-up books, this book emerged from discussing Who Gets In and Why. So I was out on the road talking about Who Gets In and Why. And I would have a number of parents—like, you know when you give talks, people come up to you afterwards—and they say, okay, we love this book, but—there's always a but. And people would come up to me about Who Gets In and Why, and they would be like, love the book, but it focused more on selective colleges and universities. What if we don't get into one of those places? What if we can't afford one of those places? What if we don't really want to play that game, and we want permission? And this—this idea of a permission structure came up very early on in the reporting for this book. We need to be able to tell our friends, our family, that it's okay, right? You know how it is, right? A lot of this is about parents wanting to say that their kid goes to Harvard. It's less about going to Harvard, but they could tell their friends that their kid goes to Harvard. So they wanted me to help them create this permission structure to be able to look more widely at schools.Jess LaheyI like that.Jeff SelingoSo that's how this came about, and then the idea of Dream School—and I'm fascinated by your reaction to that title. Because the reaction I've been getting from some people is—you know—because the idea, too many people, the idea of a dream school, is a single entity.Jess LaheyOf course.Jeff SelingoIt's a single school; it's a single type of school. And what—really, it's a play on that term that we talk about, a dream school. In many ways, the dream school is your dream, and what you want, and the best fit for you. And I want to give you the tools in this book to try to figure out what is the best match for you that fulfills your dreams. It's kind of a little play on that—a little tweak on how we think about the dream and dream school. And that's really what I'm hoping to do for this book—is that, in some ways, it's a follow-up. So you read Who Gets In and Why, you decide, okay, maybe I do want to try for those highly selected places. But as I tell the story early on in in Dream School. A. It's almost impossible to get into most of those places today—even more so than five or six years ago. And second, many of the students that I met—young adults that I met in reporting Dream School—ended up at, you know, fill-in-the-blank: most popular school, brand-name school, highly selective school, elite school—whatever you want to put in that blank—and it wasn't quite what they expected. And so that's another story that I want to tell families in this book—is that, hey, there's a wider world out there, and there is success to be had at many of these places.Jess LaheyThere's something I say occasionally, that I have to take the temperature of the room, just because I—you know, you and I speak at some fairly similar places, like, you know, the hoity-toity private schools that—you know, everyone's just go, go, go, do, do, do, achieve, achieve, achieve. And every once in a while, I like to insert—I like to, number one, tell them that my college was, I think, perfect for me. I went to my safety school. I went to the University of Massachusetts and had an extraordinary experience. But I'm a very certain kind of person, and maybe for another—like, for example, my daughter, when we were looking at schools, our state school was just too big for her. It just—she was going to get lost. It wasn't going to work very well. But the thing I like to say when I can, when I feel like the audience is ready to hear it is: What if it's a massive relief if you don't have an Ivy kid? If you have a kid who's not going to get into an Ivy school, isn't it a relief to say that's not what we're aiming for here, and we can actually find a place that's a great fit for my kid? And that sometimes goes over really well. For a few people, they'll come up and thank me for that sort of reframing afterwards. But for some people, that is just not at all what they want to hear.Jeff SelingoAnd it's—you know, it's really hard. And I think you go back to audience, and—you know—most people make money on books kind of after the fact, right? The speaking, as you mentioned, and things like that. And it's interesting—this book, as I talk to counselors about it, high school counselors—oh, they're like, this is perfect. This is the message I've been trying to get through to parents. Then I talk to the parents—like, I'm not quite sure this message will work in our community, because this community is very focused on getting into the Ivy League and the Ivy Plus schools?Jess LaheyYes, but that's why your title is so brilliant. Because if you're getting—and I talk a lot about this, I don't know if you've heard, I've talked about this on the podcast—that with the substance use prevention stuff, it's hard for me to get people to come in. So I use The Gift of Failure to do that, right? So you've got this title that can get the people in the seats, and then you, in your persuasive and charismatic way, can explain to them why this is a term that may—could—use some expanding. I think that's an incredible opportunity.Jeff SelingoAnd it's important, too—early on, my editor told me, “Jeff, don't forget, we're an aspirational society.” And I said—I told, I said, “Rick,” I said, “I'm not telling people not to apply in the Ivy League. I'm not saying they're terrible schools. I'm not saying don't look at those places.” All I'm saying is, we want to expand our field a little bit to look more broadly, more widely. So we're not saying don't do this—we're saying, do “do” this. And that's what I'm hoping that this book does.Jess LaheyWell, and the reality is, people listen to the title. They don't read the subtitle, because subtitles are long, and they have a great use—but not when you're actually talking about a book with someone. And so what they're going to hear is Dream School, and I think that's a fantastic way to position the book. But since you opened up the topic, I also—I am right now mentoring someone who is attempting to sell a book while also planning for a speaking career, which, as you know, is something that I did concurrently. How did you—did you know you wanted to do speaking when you were first writing your books? Or is this something that sort of came out of the books themselves?Jeff SelingoIt just came out of the books. You know, the first book, which was College (Un)bound, which was 2012, sold better than I expected, but it was aimed at a consumer audience. But who ended up reading that were college leaders, presidents and people work at colleges. So I had a very busy schedule speaking to people inside the industry. Then I turned my—you know, the second book, There Is Life After College— really turned it to this parenting audience, which was a very new audience to me, and that really led to me to, you know, Who Gets In and Why, and now this book. The difference—and I'm always curious to talk to parenting authors like you—is that college, you know, people—even the most aspirational people in life, I understand, you know, people in certain cities think about preschool, what preschool their kid's going to get into to get into the right college—but in reality, they're going to read a college book when their kids are in high school. And that is the more challenging piece around, you know, I—unlike most parenting authors who have a wider audience, because a lot of the issues that face parents face parents when they have toddlers, when they have pre-teens, when they have teens. Obviously, some parenting authors just focus on teens, I get that.But this book really has kind of a short life in terms of the audience. And so what we're trying to do—so think about it: Who Gets In and Why— it's still in hardcover. Has never been published in paperback, largely because there's a new audience for it every year, which is fantastic...Jess LaheyYeah, I was going to mention that. That is the massive upside. And for me, it's usually a four-year sort of turnover in terms of speaking anyway.Jeff SelingoYeah, you're right. And so the nice thing on the speaking front is that I have almost a new audience every year, so I could continue to go back to the same schools...Jess LaheyRight.Jeff Selingo...every year, which has been really helpful—with a slightly different message, because the industry is also changing, and admissions is changing as a result. So, no, I—the speaking came afterwards, and now I realize that that's really kind of how you make this thing work. I couldn't really have a writing career without the speaking piece.Jess LaheySince figuring that out—and I guess assuming that you enjoy doing it, as I hope you do—is that something that you're continuing to market on your own?Jeff SelingoYes. So that's what we're doing. You know, one of the big changes from the last book is that we have developed a—you know, we built a customer relationship management system under our newsletter. So we use HubSpot, which is, you know, like Salesforce. It's something like that And so we've now built a community that is much stronger than the one that I had five years ago. That's a community of parents, of counselors, of independent counselors. So we just know so much more about who we serve, who our readers are, and who will ask me to come speak to their groups and things like that. So that, to me, has been the biggest change since the last book compared to this book. And it has enabled us—and it's something that I would highly encourage authors to do. I don't think they have to go out and buy one of these big, robust systems, but the more you know about your readers and build that community, the more that they're going to respond to you. They really want to be with you in some way. They want to read your books. They want to come to your webinars. They want to listen to your podcasts. They want to see you speak. They want to invite you to speak. And building that community is incredibly important to having that career, you know, after the book comes out.Jess LaheyIt's also for marketing purposes. So Sarina Bowen—again, brilliant at this. he way she does that is, she slices and dices her mailing list into all kinds of, like, where the reader came from—is this someone who's, you know, more interested in this, did I—did I meet them at this conference, you know, how did I acquire this name for my list? And she does a lot of marketing very specifically to those specific lists, and that information is amazing. And I think so many of us tend to think just—and I have to admit that this is where I spend most of my time—is just getting more emails in your newsletter. Owning, you know, the right—because it's an honor of being able to reach out to those people and have them be interested in what you have to say. But that's your—I may have to have you come back to talk specifically about that, because it's increasingly—as we're doing more of the marketing for our books—I think that's the future for people who want to keep things going.Jeff SelingoAnd that's—you know, that is the reality today. That's why proposals sell. Because people—you know, publishers really want people with platforms. And if you're not a superstar, there are very few of those out there, you need to figure out another way to build that platform. And so marketing yourself is critically important, and I've learned that from book one. You know, people would say, “Well, you're always just selling your book.” And I said, “Well, if I don't sell it, no one else,” right? So at some point, the publisher—you know, there's only so much the publisher is going to do. And they don't really have the tools that you do. And more than that, Jess, like, you understand your audience. Sarina understands her audience, right? Like, we understand our audiences in ways that publishers, who are doing, you know, dozens and dozens of books a year, just don't get.Jess LaheyRight. No, absolutely.Jeff SelingoLike, no offense against them. I think they're doing really good work. But it's just—it's hard for them, I think, to really understand, well, who's going to really read this book?Jess LaheyAnd I love the idea of using the questions you get. As you know, I tend to take the questions that I get and turn them into videos or—and I do answer all the emails—but I keep a spreadsheet of what those questions are so that I can slice and dice it in various ways. And they're fascinating. And that shapes like, oh wow, I had no idea so many people—like, I had no idea that so many kids were actually interested in knowing whether or not the caffeine—amounts of caffeine that they're drinking—are healthy, or how to get better sleep. Because if you ask their parents, they're like, “Oh no, they don't care about sleep,” or, “They just drink so much coffee and they don't care.” And yet what you hear from the kids is such a different story. And the thing that I also love is the idea of, you know, what that dream school concept means to the actual kid applying. You've probably heard this before, but I needed some symbolic way to let my kids know that this was not, in the end, my decision, and how important this decision was for them in terms of becoming adults. And so I said, the one thing I will never do is put a sticker for a school on the back of my car. Because your choice of where to become a young, emerging adult is not—I don't—that's not my currency to brag on as a parent. It's too important for that. And so people go nuts over that. They're like, “But that's what I really want—is that sticker on the back of the car!” And so I have to be careful when I talk about it, but for my kids, that was my one symbolic act to say, this is about your growth and development, and not my bragging rights. And I think that's a hard message.Jeff SelingoI think that's really important—especially, I have two teens at home. And I think this is a whole topic for another conversation around, you know, most parenting authors are also parents at the same time that they're doing this—advice out to everybody else. And I—I'm very aware of that. I'm also very aware of the privacy that they deserve. And so that's an—it's a fine line. It's a hard line to walk, I will say, for authors, because people—they want to know about you. And they ask you a lot of questions—like, especially around college—like, “Well, where are your kids applying? Where are they going to go?” Like, “Oh, I bet you—especially this book, where I'm encouraging parents to think more broadly—well, you're probably giving that advice to everybody else, but you're not going to follow that, surely, right?” So it's—you just have to—it's hard when you're in this world that you're also part of every day.Jess LaheyIt's really tough. And things have gotten a lot more complicated—as listeners know, I have a trans kid, and that means that everything that I've ever written about that kid is out there. Some of it changeable, a lot of it—most of it—not. And would I do it again? I don't—I don't think so. And that—you know, that's been a journey. But it's also been—you know, we can't know what we don't know. I don't know—it's a tough one. But I really admire your—that's why I throw my safety school thing out there all the time. I'm like, “Look, you know, I went to the place that saved my parents a boatload of money and allowed me to do stuff like traveling that I never would have had the ability to do if I hadn't gone to my state school. And my priorities were big, and adventures, and lots of options.” And I'm very, very clear that standing up for myself was something that I wanted to learn how to do more. On the other hand, that's not been the priority for both of my kids, so... Can I just—I want to ask one quick college question, just because it's—in reading all of your books, this comes up for me over and over again. How do you help parents see the difference between their dream and their kid's dream—or their goals and their kid's goals? And how do you dance that line, which I think is a very easy place to lose readers, lose listeners, because they just shut down and they say, “That's not something I want to mess with. This is too important to me.”Jeff SelingoIt's a fine line. It's a difficult line to walk. At some point I have to realize who's the you that you're speaking to. And I even say this in the introduction of the new book—it's largely parents. They're the readers. I know that—I hope their kids will read it. Maybe—maybe they will, maybe they won't, and maybe they'll read it as a family. But I'm really speaking to the families, and I want them to understand that college especially is an emotional good. It's something many of us—you're talking about your undergraduate experience. I'm not going to ask you how long ago that was, but my undergraduate experience...Jess LaheyI'm 55. So it's been a long time ago.Jeff SelingoAnd I'm 52, right? So same here. But we have this—you know, most people, because of the audiences I tend to speak to, they're not first-generation students, right? They're mostly parents. You know, most of the parents in the audience went to college themselves, and for many of them it was a transformative experience, like it was for me.People met their—they met their lifelong friends, they met their partners, they decided what they wanted to do in life. It was— it was this experience we all think it is. And as a result, I think a lot of parents put that then on their kids. “Well, this was a transforming experience for me, so it definitely has to be a transformative experience for you. Oh, and by the way, these are all the mistakes I made in doing that. I want to make sure you don't make any of those.”Jess LaheyAnd, by the way, no pressure, but this is going to be—this is where you're going to meet your best friends, your spouse. It's the best years of your life, so don't sacrifice even a second of it.Jeff SelingoYeah. And then I...Jess LaheyNo pressure.Jeff SelingoNo pressure. And not only that, but it is—it is something we bought a very long time ago. I'm always amazed when—sometimes we go to the Jersey Shore on vacation, and I'll be out on a walk on the beach in the morning, and I'll see people wearing, you know, college shirts, sweatshirts. And, you know, some of these people are old—much older than I am. And I say, “Oh”—you know, we'll start to have a conversation, and I'll say, “Oh, so does your grandkid, you know, go to X school?” Terrible assumption on my part, I know. But they say, “No, that's where I went.” And it's amazing to me—these are people in their 70s and 80s—because I'm the only other person out that early walking—and they love this thing so much that they're still kind of advertising it. But it was so different back then. And that's the thing that I—going back to your question—that's the thing I try to explain to parents. You can guide this. You can put guardrails up. You might have to put guardrails up about money and location and all that other stuff. But college has changed so much that—don't try to make this your search. You had your chance. You did your search. It worked out. It didn't work out. You would have done things differently. I think that's all great advice to give to your kids. But this is their life. This is their staging ground. They have to learn. And again, it's also different. Like, part of what I hope my books do is to try to explain to people—who, you know, kind of dip in and dip out of higher ed just when their kids are applying—that it's very different than when they applied and went to college.Jess LaheyThe thing I like to mention a lot is that people in admissions read so many applications that they can tell when something is sincere and something is personal and smacks of a kid, as opposed to when something smacks of a parent. That is a very different application. It's a very different essay—which is the thing that I guess I have the most experience with. But—so I am just so incredibly grateful to you for this book. I'm so grateful that there's evidence that people will actually agree to be interviewed, even in thorny situations like college admissions, which—I don't know. I'm still in awe of the fact that you got anyone to say yes. But—and I heavily—I heartily, heartily recommend Dream School to anyone who's listening. I just—I don't even have anyone applying to college, and I think it's just a fascinating topic, because the idea of where we become who we're going to be, and how we prime lots of other stuff that's going to happen later on in our life—I think that's a fascinating topic. So thank you so much for writing about it. Thank you for writing about it with such empathy and such interest. That's the other thing—is you can tell when someone really is interested in a topic when you read their book. And thank you for providing a book that I recommend all the time as a blueprint—as a dissection book—for people writing nonfiction, heavily interviewed nonfiction. So thank you, so, so much. Where can people find you if they want you to come speak, if they want you—if they want to find your books—where can people find you?Jeff SelingoPretty simple. Jeffselingo.com is my website, and you can also follow me on most social—handle is @jeffselingo, as in Jeff. And I just love hearing from readers. As you know, books change lives, and I love hearing the stories when readers tell me they read something in a book and they acted on it. It's just the most beautiful thing.Jess LaheyYeah, it's the best. I get videos occasionally; too, of like little kids doing things their parents didn't think they could do. And—“Look! Look! They did this thing!” It's just—it's an amazing and place of privilege. You have a newsletter also…Jeff SelingoI do. Called Next. It comes out twice a month.Jess LaheyIt's Fantastic!Jeff SelingoOh, well, thank you. And I have a podcast also called Future U— that's more around the kind of the insider-y nature of higher ed and how it works. But a lot—I know a lot of families listen to it to try to understand this black box that is college. So that's called Future U as in U for university.Jess LaheyThe reason I love the podcast so much is, a lot of what parents get exposed to when they're doing the college admissions process are those graphs—scatter graphs of like, where do your numbers intersect with the expectations of this school—and it's a real human version of that. It's a human version of how that black box operates.Jeff SelingoAnd at the end of the day, as I always remind parents, it's a business. You might have this emotional tie to college, but if you don't—if you don't—and you know a mutual friend of ours, Ron Lieber, who writes for The New York Times around...Jess LaheyHe's the best! The best!Jeff SelingoCollege finances, right? He always reminds people of this too. I don't remind them as often as he does, and I probably should. It's this—you're buying a consumer product. And you have to act as a consumer. Yes, you can have an emotional tie and a love for this place, but this is a big purchase, and you have to approach it like that.Jess LaheyDid you see his most recent piece about, yeah, taking some time and seeing—seeing what kind of offers you can get? I loved it. I love Ron's approach to—he's just a great guy. And his books are fantastic. Thank you again, so much. I'm going to let you get on with your day, but I'm always grateful for you. And good luck with the launch of Dream School.I will be out applauding on pub day for you.Jeff SelingoAppreciate it. Thank you, Jess.Jess LaheyAll right, everyone—until next week, keep your butt in the chair and your head in the game.NarratorThe Hashtag AmWriting Podcast is produced by Andrew Perella. Our intro music, aptly titled Unemployed Monday, was written and played by Max Cohen. Andrew and Max were paid for their time and their creative output—because everyone deserves to be paid for their work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

In this introductory episode to their new series on the Parables of Jesus, Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb explore the profound theological significance of Christ's parables. Far from being mere teaching tools to simplify complex ideas, parables serve a dual purpose in God's redemptive plan: revealing spiritual truth to those with "ears to hear" while concealing these same truths from those without spiritual illumination. This episode lays the groundwork for understanding how parables function as divine teaching devices that embody core Reformed doctrines like election and illumination. As the hosts prepare to journey through all the parables in the Gospels, they invite listeners to consider the blessing of being granted spiritual understanding and the privilege of receiving the "secrets of the kingdom" through Christ's distinctive teaching method. Key Takeaways Parables are more than illustrations—they are comparisons that reveal kingdom truths to those with spiritual ears to hear while concealing truth from those without spiritual illumination. Jesus intentionally taught in parables not to simplify his teaching but partly to fulfill Isaiah's prophecy about those who hear but do not understand, confirming the spiritual condition of his hearers. The ability to understand parables is itself evidence of God's sovereign grace and election, as Jesus states in Matthew 13:16: "Blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear." Parables vary in form and function—some are clearly allegorical while others make a single point, requiring each to be approached on its own terms. Proper interpretation requires context—understanding both the original audience and the question or situation that prompted Jesus to use a particular parable. Parables function like Nathan's confrontation of David—they draw hearers in through narrative before revealing uncomfortable truths about themselves. Studying parables requires spiritual humility—recognizing that our understanding comes not from intellectual capacity but from the Spirit's illumination. Understanding Parables as Revelation, Not Just Illustration The hosts emphasize that parables are fundamentally different from mere illustrations or fables. While modern readers often assume Jesus used parables to simplify complex spiritual truths, the opposite is frequently true. As Tony explains, "A parable fundamentally is a comparison between two things... The word parable comes from the Greek of casting alongside." This distinction is crucial because it changes how we approach interpretation. Rather than breaking down each element as an allegorical component, we should first understand what reality Jesus is comparing the parable to. The parables function as a form of divine revelation—showing us kingdom realities through narrative comparison, but only those with spiritual insight can truly grasp their meaning. This is why Jesus quotes Isaiah and explains that he speaks in parables partly because "seeing they do not see and hearing they do not hear nor do they understand" (Matthew 13:13). The Doctrine of Election Embedded in Parabolic Teaching Perhaps the most profound insight from this episode is how the very form of Jesus' teaching—not just its content—embodies the doctrine of election. Jesse notes that "every parable then implicitly teaches a doctrine of election," because they reveal spiritual truth to some while concealing it from others. This isn't arbitrary but reflects spiritual realities. The hosts connect this to Jesus' words in Matthew 13:16: "Blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear." This blessing comes not from intellectual capacity or moral superiority but from God's sovereign grace. Tony describes this as "the blessing in our salvation and in our election that we are enabled to hear and perceive and receive the very voice and word of God into our spirit unto our salvation." The parables thus become a "microcosm" of Reformed doctrines like election, regeneration, and illumination. When believers understand Jesus' parables, they're experiencing the practical outworking of these doctrines in real time. Memorable Quotes "The parables are not just to illustrate a point, they're to reveal a spiritual point or spiritual points to those who have ears to hear, to those who've been illuminated by the spirit." - Tony Arsenal "Jesus is giving this message essentially to all who will listen to him... And so this is like, I love the way that he uses that quote in a slightly different way, but still to express the same root cause, which is some of you here because of your depravity will not be able to hear what I'm saying. But for those to whom it has been granted to come in who are ushered into the kingdom, this kingdom language will make sense." - Jesse Schwamb "But blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear. There's a blessing in our salvation and in our election that we are enabled to hear and perceive and receive the very voice and word of God into our spirit unto our salvation." - Tony Arsenal About the Hosts Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb are the regular hosts of The Reformed Brotherhood podcast, where they explore Reformed theology and its application to Christian living. With a conversational style that balances depth and accessibility, they seek to make complex theological concepts understandable without sacrificing nuance or biblical fidelity. Transcript [00:00:45] Introduction and New Series Announcement [00:00:45] Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 460 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse. [00:00:54] Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony. And this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey brother. [00:00:59] Jesse Schwamb: Hey brother. New series Time, new series. Time for the next seven years that, that's probably correct. It's gonna be a long one. New beginnings are so great, aren't they? And it is. [00:01:10] Jesse Schwamb: We've been hopefully this, well, it's definitely gonna live up to all the hype that we've been presenting about this. It's gonna be good. Everybody's gonna love it. And like I said, it's a topic we haven't done before. It's certainly not in this format. [00:01:23] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And you know what, just, um, as a side note, if you are a listener, which you must be, if you're hearing this, uh, this is a great time to introduce someone to the podcast. [00:01:33] Tony Arsenal: True. Uh, one, because this series is gonna be lit as the kids say, and, uh, it's a new series, so you don't have to have any background. You don't have to have any previous knowledge of the show or of who these two weird guys are to jump in and we're gonna. [00:01:53] Tony Arsenal: Talk about the Bible, which is amazing and awesome. And who doesn't love to talk about the Bible. [00:01:58] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, that's correct. That's what makes these so good. That's how I know, and I could say confidently that this is gonna be all the hype and more. All right, so before we get to affirmations and denials, all the good ProGo, that's part and parcel of our normal episode content. [00:02:12] Jesse Schwamb: Do you want to tell everybody what we're gonna be talking about? [00:02:16] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I'm excited. [00:02:17] Introducing the Parables Series [00:02:17] Tony Arsenal: So we are gonna work our way through, and this is why I say it's gonna take seven years. We are gonna work our way through all of the parables. Parables, [00:02:25] Jesse Schwamb: the [00:02:25] Tony Arsenal: gospels and just so, um, the Gospel of John doesn't feel left out. [00:02:30] Tony Arsenal: We're gonna talk through some of the I am statements and some of that stuff when we get to John. 'cause John doesn't have a lot of parables. Uh, so we're gonna spend time in the synoptic gospels. We're gonna just walk through the parables one by one. We're taking an episode, sometimes maybe two, sometimes 10, depending on how long the parable is and how deep we get into it. [00:02:47] Tony Arsenal: We're just gonna work our way through. We're gonna take our time. We're gonna enjoy it. So again, this is a great time to start. It's kinda the ground floor on this and you thing. This could really be its own podcast all by itself, right? Uh, so invite a friend, invite some whole bunch of friends. Start a Sunday school class listening to this. [00:03:04] Tony Arsenal: No, don't do that. But people have done that before. But, uh, grab your bibles, get a decent commentary to help prep for the next episode, and, uh, let's, let's do it. I'm super excited. [00:03:14] Jesse Schwamb: When I say para, you say Abel Para, is that how it works? Para? Yeah. I don't know. You can't really divide it. Pairable. If you jam it together, yes. [00:03:24] Jesse Schwamb: You get some of that. You can say, when I say pair, you say Abel p [00:03:27] Tony Arsenal: Abel. [00:03:31] Jesse Schwamb: And you can expect a lot more of that in this series. But before we get into all this good juicy stuff about parables, and by the way, this is like an introductory episode, that doesn't mean that you can just skip it, doesn't mean it's not gonna be good. We gotta set some things up. We wanna talk about parables general generally, but before we have that good general conversation, let's get into our own tradition, which is either affirming with something or denying against something. [00:03:54] Affirmations and Denials [00:03:54] Jesse Schwamb: And so, Tony, what do you got for all of us? [00:03:58] Tony Arsenal: Mine is kind of a, an ecclesial, ecclesiastical denial. Mm-hmm. Um, this is sort of niche, but I feel like our audience may have heard about it. And there's this dust up that I, I noticed online, uh, really just this last week. Um, it's kind of a specific thing. There is a church, uh, I'm not sure where the church is. [00:04:18] Tony Arsenal: It's a PCA church, I believe it's called Mosaic. The pastor of the church, the teaching elder, one of the teaching elders just announced that he was, uh, leaving his ministry to, uh, join the Roman Catholic Church, which, yes, there's its own denial built into that. We are good old Protestant reformed folks, and I personally would, would stick with the original Westminster on the, the Pope being antichrist. [00:04:45] Tony Arsenal: But, um, that's not the denial. The denial is that in this particular church. For some unknown reason. Uh, the pastor who has now since a announced that he was leaving to, uh, to convert to Roman Catholicism, continued to preach the sermon and then administered the Lord's supper, even though he in the eyes, I think of most. [00:05:08] Tony Arsenal: Reformed folk and certainly historically in the eyes of the reformed position was basically apostate, uh, right in front of the congregation's eyes. Now, I don't know that I would necessarily put it that strongly. I think there are plenty of genuine born again Christians who find themselves in, in the Roman Catholic, uh, church. [00:05:27] Tony Arsenal: Uh, but to allow someone who is one resigning the ministry right in front of your eyes. Um, and then resigning to basically leave for another tradition that, that the PCA would not recognize, would not share ecclesiastical, uh, credentials with or accept their ordination or any of those things. Um, to then just allow him to admit, you know, to administer the Lord's Supper, I think is just a drastic miscarriage of, uh, ecclesiastical justice. [00:05:54] Tony Arsenal: I dunno if that's the right word. So I'm just denying this like. It shows that on a couple things like this, this. Church this session, who obviously knew this was coming. Um, this session does either, does not take seriously the differences between Roman Catholic theology and Protestant theology, particularly reformed theology, or they don't take seriously the, the gravity of the Lord's supper and who should and shouldn't be administering it. [00:06:22] Tony Arsenal: They can't take both of those things seriously and have a fully or biblical position on it. So there's a good opportunity for us to think through our ecclesiology, to think through our sacrament and how this applies. It just really doesn't sit well and it's not sitting well with a lot of people online, obviously. [00:06:37] Tony Arsenal: Um, and I'm sure there'll be all sorts of, like letters of concern sent to presbytery and, and all that stuff, and, and it'll all shake out in the wash eventually, but just, it just wasn't good. Just doesn't sit right. [00:06:48] Jesse Schwamb: You know, it strikes me of all the denominations. I'm not saying this pejoratively. I just think it is kind of interesting and funny to me that the Presbyterians love a letter writing campaign. [00:06:56] Jesse Schwamb: Like that's kind of the jam, the love, a good letter writing campaign. [00:07:00] Tony Arsenal: It's true, although it's, it's actually functional in Presbyterianism because That's right. That's how you voice your concern. It's not a, not a, a rage letter into the void. It actually goes somewhere and gets recorded and has to be addressed at presbytery if you have standing. [00:07:17] Tony Arsenal: So there's, there's a good reason to do that, and I'm sure that that will be done. I'm sure there are many. Probably ministers in the PCA who are aware of this, who are either actually considering filing charges or um, or writing such letters of complaints. And there's all sorts of mechanisms in the PCA to, to adjudicate and resolve and to investigate these kinds of things. [00:07:37] Jesse Schwamb: And I'd like to, if you're, if you're a true Presbyterian and, and in this instance, I'm not making light of this instance, but this instance are others, you. Feel compelled by a strong conviction to write such a letter that really you should do it with a quill, an ink. Like that's the ultimate way. I think handwritten with like a nice fountain pen. [00:07:54] Jesse Schwamb: There's not, yeah. I mean, you know what I'm saying? Like that's, that is a weighty letter right there. Like it's cut to Paul being like, I write this postscript in my own hand with these big letters. Yeah, it's like, you know, some original Presbyterian letter writing right there. [00:08:07] Tony Arsenal: And then you gotta seal it with wax with your signe ring. [00:08:10] Tony Arsenal: So, and send it by a carrier, by a messenger series of me messengers. [00:08:14] Jesse Schwamb: Think if you receive any letter in the mail, handwritten to you. Like for real, somebody painstakingly going through in script like spencerian script, you know, if you're using English characters writing up and then sealing that bad boy with wax, you're gonna be like, this is important. [00:08:30] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, this, even if it's just like, Hey, what's up? Yeah, you're gonna be like, look at this incredible, weighty document I've received. [00:08:36] Tony Arsenal: It's true. It's very true. I love it. Well, that's all I have to say about that to channel a little Forrest Gump there. Uh, Jesse, what are you affirming or denying tonight? [00:08:44] Jesse Schwamb: I'm also going to deny against, so this denial is like classic. [00:08:49] Jesse Schwamb: It's routine, but I got a different spin on it this time, so I'm denying against. The full corruption of sin, how it appears everywhere, how even unbelievers speak of it, almost unwittingly, but very commonly with great acceptance. And the particularity of this denial comes in the form of allergies, which you and I are talking about a lot of times. [00:09:09] Jesse Schwamb: But I was just thinking about this week because I had to do some allergy testing, which is a, a super fun experience. But it just got me think again, like very plainly about what allergies are. And how an allergy occurs when your immune system, like the part of your body responsible for protecting your body that God has made when your immune system mistakes like a non-harmful substance like pollen or a food or some kind of animal dander for a threat, and then reacts by producing these antibodies like primarily the immunoglobulin E. [00:09:36] Jesse Schwamb: So here's what strikes me as so funny about this in a, in a way that we must laugh. Because of our, our parents, our first parents who made a horrible decision and we like them, would make the same decision every day and twice in the Lord's day. And that is that this seems like, of course, such a clear sign of the corruption of sin impounded in our created order because it seems a really distasteful and suboptimal for human beings to have this kind of response to pollen. [00:10:03] Jesse Schwamb: When they were intended to work and care in a garden. So obviously I think we can say, Hey, like the fact that allergies exist and that it's your body making a mistake. [00:10:13] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. [00:10:13] Jesse Schwamb: It's like the ultimate, like cellular level of the ubiquity of sin. And so as I was speaking with my doctor and going through the, the testing, it's just so funny how like we all talk about this. [00:10:25] Jesse Schwamb: It's like, yeah, it's, it's a really over-indexed reaction. It doesn't make any sense. It's not the way the world is supposed to be, but nobody's saying how is the world supposed to be? Do you know what I mean? Like, but we just take it for granted that that kind of inflammation that comes from like your dog or like these particles in the air of plants, just trying to do a plant stew and reproduce and pollinate that, that could cause like really dramatic and debilitating. [00:10:49] Jesse Schwamb: Responses is just exceptional to me, and I think it's exceptional and exceptional to all of us because at some deep level we recognize that, as Paul says, like the earth, the entire world is groaning. It's groaning for that eschatological release and redemption that can only come from Christ. And our runny noses in our hay fever all prove that to some degree. [00:11:09] Jesse Schwamb: So denying against allergies, but denying against as well that ubiquity of corruption and sin in our world. [00:11:15] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I just have this image in my head of Adam and Eve, you know, they're expelled outta the garden and they, they're working the ground. And then Adam sneezes. Yes. And Eve is like, did your head just explode? [00:11:28] Tony Arsenal: And he's like, I don't know. That would've been a, probably a pretty terrifying experience actually. [00:11:33] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, that's that's true. So imagine like you and I have talked about this before, because you have young children, adorable. Young children, and we've talked about like the first of everything, like when you're a child, you get sick for the first time, or you get the flu or you vomit for the first time. [00:11:45] Jesse Schwamb: Like you have no idea what's going on in your body, but imagine that. But being an adult. [00:11:49] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, where you can process what's going on, but don't have a framework for it. [00:11:52] Jesse Schwamb: Yes, exactly. So like [00:11:54] Tony Arsenal: that's like, that's like my worst nightmare I think. [00:11:55] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. It's like, to your point, 'cause there, there are a lot of experiences you have as an adults, even health wise that are still super strange and weird. [00:12:01] Jesse Schwamb: But [00:12:02] Tony Arsenal: yeah, [00:12:02] Jesse Schwamb: you have some rubric for them, but that's kind of exactly what I was thinking. What if this toiling over your labor is partly because it's horrible now because you have itchy, watery eyes or you get hives. Yeah. And before you were like, I could just lay in the grass and be totally fine. And now I can't even walk by ragweed without getting a headache or having some kind of weird fatigue. [00:12:23] Jesse Schwamb: Like I have to believe that that was, that part of this transition was all of these things. Like, now your body's gonna overreact to stuff where I, I, God put us in a place where that wouldn't be the case at all. [00:12:35] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Sometimes I think about like the first. Time that Adam was like sore or like hurt himself. [00:12:42] Tony Arsenal: True. Like the, just the, just the terror and fear that must have come with it. And sin is serious stuff. Like it's serious effects and sad, sad, sad stuff. But yeah, allergies are the worst. I, uh, I suffered really badly with, uh, seasonal allergies. When I was a a kid I had to do allergy shots and everything and it's makes no sense. [00:13:03] Tony Arsenal: There's no rhyme or reason to it, and your allergies change. So like you could be going your whole life, being able to eat strawberries and then all of a sudden you can't. Right? And it's, and you don't know until it happens. So [00:13:14] Jesse Schwamb: what's up with that? [00:13:15] Tony Arsenal: No good. [00:13:16] Jesse Schwamb: What's up with that? So again, imagine that little experience is a microcosmic example of what happens to Adam and Eve. [00:13:24] Jesse Schwamb: You know, like all these things change. Like you're, you're right. Suddenly your body isn't the same. It's not just because you're growing older, but because guess what? Sins everywhere. And guess what, where sin is, even in the midst of who you are as physically constructed and the environment in which you live, all, all totally change. [00:13:40] Jesse Schwamb: So that, that's enough of my rants on allergies. I know the, I know the loved ones out there hear me. It's also remarkable to me that almost everybody has an allergy of some kind. It's very, it's very rare if you don't have any allergies whatsoever. And probably those times when you think you're sick and you don't have allergies could be that you actually have them. [00:13:57] Jesse Schwamb: So it's just wild. Wild. [00:14:02] Tony Arsenal: Agreed. Agreed. [00:14:03] Theological Discussion on Parables [00:14:03] Tony Arsenal: Well, Jesse, without further ado, I'm not, I, maybe we should have further ado, but let's get into it. Let's talk about some parable stuff. [00:14:13] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, let's do it again. When I say pair, you say able pair. [00:14:17] Tony Arsenal: Able. [00:14:20] Jesse Schwamb: When I say [00:14:21] Tony Arsenal: para you say bowl. [00:14:24] Jesse Schwamb: That's what I was trying to go with before. [00:14:26] Jesse Schwamb: It's a little bit more, yeah, but you gotta like cross over like we both gotta say like that middle syllable kind of. Otherwise it's, it sounds like I'm just saying bowl. And [00:14:34] Tony Arsenal: yeah, there's no good way to chant that. Yeah, we're work. This is why Jesse and I are not cheerleaders. [00:14:39] Jesse Schwamb: We're, we're work shopping everybody. [00:14:40] Jesse Schwamb: But I agree with you. Enough of us talking about affirmations, the denials in this case, the double double denial. Let's talk about parables. So the beauty of this whole series is there's gonna be so much great stuff to talk about, and I think this is a decent topic for us to cover because. Really, if you think about it, the parables of Jesus have captivated people for the entirety of the scriptures. [00:15:06] Jesse Schwamb: As long, as long as they were recorded and have been read and processed and studied together. And, uh, you know, there's stuff I'm sure that we will just gloss over. We don't need to get into in terms of like, is it pure allegory? Is it always allegory? Is it, there's lots of interpretation here. I think this is gonna be our way of processing together and moving through some of these and speaking them out and trying to learn principally. [00:15:28] Jesse Schwamb: Predominantly what they're teaching us. But I say all that because characters like the prodigal son, like Good Samaritan, Pharisees, and tax collector, those actually have become well known even outside the church. [00:15:40] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. And [00:15:40] Jesse Schwamb: then sometimes inside the church there's over familiarity with all of these, and that leads to its own kind of misunderstanding. [00:15:46] Jesse Schwamb: So, and I think as well. I'm hoping that myself, you and our listeners will be able to hear them in a new way, and maybe if we can try to do this without again, being parabolic, is that we can kind of recreate some of the trauma. In these stories. 'cause Jesus is, is pressing upon very certain things and there's certainly a lot of trauma that his original audiences would've taken away from what he was saying here. [00:16:13] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. Even just starting with what is a parable and why is Jesus telling them? So I presume that's actually the best place for us to begin is what's the deal with the parables and why is this? Is this Jesus preferred way of teaching about the kingdom of God. [00:16:30] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, and I think, you know, it bears saying too that like not all the parables are alike. [00:16:35] Tony Arsenal: Like true. We can't, this is why I'm excited about this series. You know, it's always good to talk through the bible and, and or to talk through systematic theology, but what really excites me is when we do a series like this, kind of like the Scott's Confession series, like it gives us a reason. To think through a lot of different disciplines and flex like exercise and stretch and flex a lot of different kinds of intellectual muscles. [00:17:00] Tony Arsenal: So there's gonna be some exegetical work we have to do. There's gonna be some hermeneutical work we're gonna have to do, probably have to do some historical work about how the parables have been interpreted in different ways. Yes, and and I think, so, I think it's important to say like, not every parable is exactly the same. [00:17:14] Tony Arsenal: And this is where I think like when you read, sometimes you read books about the, the parables of Christ. Like you, you'll hear one guy say. Well, a parable is not an allegory. Then you'll hear another guy say like, well, parables might have allegorical elements to it. Right. Now if one guy say like, well, a parable has one main point, and you'll have another guy say like, well, no, actually, like parables can have multiple points and multiple shades of meaning. [00:17:37] Tony Arsenal: And I think the answer to why you have this variance in the commentaries is 'cause sometimes the parables are alleg. [00:17:44] Jesse Schwamb: Right. And [00:17:44] Tony Arsenal: sometimes they're not allegorical. Sometimes they have one main point. Sometimes there's multiple points. So I think it's important for us to just acknowledge like we're gonna have to come to each parable, um, on its own and on its own terms. [00:17:57] Tony Arsenal: But there are some general principles that I think we can talk about what parables are. So parables in general are. Figurative stories or figurative accounts that are used to illustrate, I think primarily used to illustrate a single main point. And there may be some subpoints, but they, they're generally intended to, uh, to illustrate something by way of a, of a narrative, a fictional narrative that, uh, helps the reader. [00:18:27] Tony Arsenal: Uh, or the hearer is just, it's also important that these were primarily heard, these are heard parables, so there are even times where the phrasing of the language is important in the parable. Um, they're helping the, the hearer to understand spiritual truth. And this is where I think it's it's key, is that this is not just. [00:18:48] Tony Arsenal: When we're talking about the parables of Christ, right? There's people tell parables, there's all sorts of different teachers that have used parables. Um, I, I do parables on the show from time to time where I'll tell like a little made up story about a, you know, a situation. I'll say like, pretend, you know, let's imagine you have this guy and he's doing this thing that's a form of a parable when I'm using. [00:19:08] Tony Arsenal: I'm not, it's not like a makeup made up story. It's not asaps fables. We're not talking about like talking foxes and hens and stuff, but it's illustrating a point. But the parables of Christ are not just to illustrate a point, they're to reveal a spiritual point or spiritual points to those who have ears to hear, to those who've been illuminated by the spirit. [00:19:29] Tony Arsenal: And I just wanna read this. Uh, this is just God's providence, um, in action. I, um, I've fallen behind on my reading in The Daily Dad, which is a Ryan Holiday book. This was the reading that came up today, even though it's not the correct reading for the day. Uh, it's, it's for September 2nd. We're recording this on September, uh, sixth. [00:19:48] Tony Arsenal: Uh, and the title is, this is How You Teach Them. And the first line says, if the Bible has any indication, Jesus rarely seemed to come out and say what he meant. He preferred instead to employ parables and stories and little anecdotes that make you think. He tells stories of the servants and the talents. [00:20:03] Tony Arsenal: He tells stories of the prodigal son and the Good Samaritan. Turns out it's pretty effective to get a point across and make it stick. What what we're gonna learn. Actually that Jesus tells these stories in parables, in part to teach those who have spiritual ears to hear, but in part to mask the truth That's right. [00:20:24] Tony Arsenal: From those who don't have spiritual ears to hear, oh, online [00:20:26] Jesse Schwamb: holiday. [00:20:27] Tony Arsenal: So it's not as simple as like Jesus, using illustration to help make something complicated, clearer, right? Yes. But also, no. So I'm super excited to kind of get into this stuff and talk through it and to, to really dig into the parables themselves. [00:20:42] Tony Arsenal: It's just gonna be a really good exercise at sort of sitting at the feet of our master in his really, his preferred mode of teaching. Um, you know, other than the sermon on the Mount. There's not a lot of like long form, straightforward, didactic teaching like that most of Christ's teaching as recorded in the gospels, comes in the form of these parables in one way or another. [00:21:03] Tony Arsenal: Right. And that's pretty exciting to me. [00:21:05] Jesse Schwamb: Right. And there's so many more parables I think, than we often understand there to be, or at least then that we see in like the headings are Bible, which of course have been put there by our own construction. So anytime you get that. Nice short, metaphorical narrative is really Jesus speaking in a kind of parable form, and I think you're right on. [00:21:25] Jesse Schwamb: For me, it's always highlighting some kind of aspect of the kingdom of God. And I'd say there is generally a hierarchy. There doesn't have to be like a single point, like you said. There could be other points around that. But if you get into this place where like everything has some kind of allegory representation, then the parable seems to die of the death of like a million paper cuts, right? [00:21:40] Jesse Schwamb: Because you're trying to figure out all the things and if you have to represent something, everything he says with some kind of. Heavy spiritual principle gets kind of weird very quickly. But in each of these, as you said, what's common in my understanding is it's presenting like a series of events involving like a small number of characters. [00:21:57] Jesse Schwamb: It is bite-sized and sometimes those are people or plants or even like inanimate objects. So like the, yeah, like you said, the breadth and scope of how Jesus uses the metaphor is brilliant teaching, and it's even more brilliant when you get to that level, like you're saying, where it's meant both to illuminate. [00:22:13] Jesse Schwamb: To obfuscate. That is like, to me, the parable is a manifestation of election because it's clear that Jesus is using this. Those who have the ears to hear are the ones whom the Holy Spirit has unstopped, has opened the eyes, has illuminated the hearts and the mind to such a degree that can receive these, and that now these words are resonant. [00:22:32] Jesse Schwamb: So like what a blessing that we can understand them, that God has essentially. Use this parabolic teaching in such a way to bring forward his concept of election in the minds and the hearts of those who are his children. And it's kind of a way, this is kind of like the secret Christian handshake. It's the speakeasy of salvation. [00:22:52] Jesse Schwamb: It's, it's coming into the fold because God has invited you in and given you. The knowledge and ability of which to really understand these things. And so most of these little characters seemed realistic and resonant in Jesus' world, and that's why sometimes we do need a little bit of studying and understanding the proper context for all those things. [00:23:12] Jesse Schwamb: I would say as well, like at least one element in those parables is a push. It's in, it's kind of taking it and hyping it up. It's pushing the boundaries of what's plausible, and so you'll find that all of this is made again to illuminate some principle of the kingdom of God. And we should probably go to the thing that you intimated, because when you read that quote from, from Ryan Holiday, I was like, yes, my man. [00:23:34] Jesse Schwamb: Like he's on the right track. Right? There's something about what he's saying that is partially correct, but like you said, a lot of times people mistake the fact that, well, Jesus. Is using this language and these metaphors, these similes, he speaks in parables because they were the best way to get like these uneducated people to understand him. [00:23:57] Jesse Schwamb: Right? But it's actually the exact opposite. And we know this because of perhaps the most famous dialogue and expression and explanation of parables, which comes to us in Matthew 13, 10 through 17, where Jesus explains to his disciples exactly why he uses this mode of teaching. And what he says is. This is why I speak to them of parables because seeing they do not see and hearing, they do not hear they nor do they understand. [00:24:24] Jesse Schwamb: So, so that's perplexing. We should probably camp there for just a second and talk about that. Right, and, and like really unpack like, what is Jesus after here? Then if, like, before we get into like, what do all these things mean, it's almost like saying. We need to understand why they're even set before us and why these in some ways are like a kind of a small stumbling block to others, but then this great stone of appreciation and one to stand on for for others. [00:24:47] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, and I think you know, before we, before we cover that, which I think is a good next spot. A parable is not just an illustration. Like I think that's where a lot of people go a little bit sideways, is they think that this is effectively, like it's a fable. It's like a made up story primarily to like illustrate a point right. [00:25:09] Tony Arsenal: Or an allegory where you know, you're taking individual components and they represent something else. A parable fundamentally is a, is a, a comparison between two things, right? The word parable comes from the Greek of casting alongside, and so the idea is like you're, you're taking. The reality that you're trying to articulate and you're setting up this parable next to it and you're comparing them to it. [00:25:33] Tony Arsenal: And so I like to use the word simile, like that's why Christ says like the kingdom of God is like this. Yes. It's not like I'm gonna explain the kingdom of God to you by using this made up story. Right on. It's I'm gonna compare the kingdom of God to this thing or this story that I'm having, and so we should be. [00:25:49] Tony Arsenal: Rather than trying to like find the principles of the parable, we should be looking at it and going, how does this parable reflect? Or how is this a, um, how is this an explanation? Not in the, like, I, I'm struggling to even explain this here. It's not that the cer, the parable is just illustrating a principle. [00:26:10] Tony Arsenal: It's that the kingdom of God is one thing and the parable reveals that same one thing by way of comparison. Yes. So like. Uh, we'll get into the specifics, obviously, but when the, when the, um, lawyer says, who is my neighbor? Well, it's not just like, well, let's look at the Good Samaritan. And the Good Samaritan represents this, and the Levite represents this, and the priest represents this. [00:26:32] Tony Arsenal: It's a good neighbor, is this thing. It's this story. Compared to whatever you have in your mind of what a good neighbor is. And we're gonna bounce those things up against each other, and that's gonna somehow show us what the, what the reality is. And that's why I think to get back to where we were, that's why I think sometimes the parables actually obscure the truth. [00:26:53] Tony Arsenal: Because if we're not comparing the parable to the reality of something, then we're gonna get the parable wrong. So if we think that, um, the Good Samaritan. Is a parable about social justice and we're, we're looking at it to try to understand how do we treat, you know, the, the poor people in Africa who don't have food or the war torn refugees, you know, coming out of Ukraine. [00:27:19] Tony Arsenal: If we're looking at it primarily as like, I need to learn to be a good neighbor to those who are destitute. Uh, we're not comparing it against what Jesus was comparing it against, right? So, so we have to understand, we have to start in a lot of cases with the question that the parable is a response to, which oftentimes the parable is a response to a question or it's a, it's a principle that's being, um, compare it against if we get that first step wrong, uh, or if we start with our own presuppositions, which is why. [00:27:50] Tony Arsenal: Partially why I think Christ is saying like, the only those who have ears to hear. Like if you don't have a spiritual presupposition, I, I mean that, that might not be the right word, but like if you're not starting from the place of spiritual illumination, not in the weird gnostic sense, but in the, the. [00:28:07] Tony Arsenal: Genuinely Christian illumination of the Holy Spirit and inward testimony of the Holy Spirit. If you're not starting from that perspective, you almost can't get the parables right. So that's why we see like the opponents of Christ in the Bible, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, constantly. They're constantly confused and they're getting it wrong. [00:28:26] Tony Arsenal: And, and even sometimes the disciples, they have to go and ask sometimes too, what is this parable? Wow, that's right. What is, what does this mean? So it's never as simple as, as what's directly on the surface, but it's also not usually as complicated as we would make it be if we were trying to over-interpret the parable, which I think is another risk. [00:28:44] Jesse Schwamb: That's the genius, isn't it? Is that I I like what you're saying. It's that spiritual predisposition that allows us to receive the word and, and when we receive that word, it is a simple word. It's not as if like, we have to elevate ourselves in place of this high learning or education or philosophizing, and that's the beauty of it. [00:29:03] Jesse Schwamb: So it is, again, God's setting apart for himself A, a people a teaching. So. But I think this is, it is a little bit perplexing at first, like that statement from Jesus because it's a bit like somebody coming to you, like your place of work or anywhere else in your family life and asking you explicitly for instruction and, and then you saying something like, listen, I, I'm gonna show you, but you're not gonna be able to see it. [00:29:22] Jesse Schwamb: And you're gonna, I'm gonna tell you, but you're not gonna be able to hear it, and I'm gonna explain it to you, but you're not gonna be able to understand. And you're like, okay. So yeah, what's the point of you talking to me then? So it's clear, like you said that Jesus. Is teaching that the secrets, and that's really, really what these are. [00:29:37] The Secrets of the Kingdom of God [00:29:37] Jesse Schwamb: It's brilliant and beautiful that Jesus would, that the, the son of God and God himself would tell us the secrets of his kingdom. But that again, first of all by saying it's a secret, means it's, it's for somebody to guard and to hold knowledge closely and that it is protected. So he says, teaching like the secrets of the kingdom of God are unknowable through mere human reasoning and intuition. [00:29:56] Jesse Schwamb: Interestingly here though, Jesus is also saying that. He's, it's not like he's saying no one can ever understand the parables, right, or that he intends to hide their truth from all people. [00:30:07] Understanding Parables and God's Sovereign Grace [00:30:07] Jesse Schwamb: Instead, he just explains that in order to highlight God's sovereign grace, God in his mercy has enlightened some to whom it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. [00:30:17] Jesse Schwamb: That's verse 11. So. All of us as his children who have been illuminated can understand the truth of God's kingdom. That is wild and and that is amazing. So that this knowledge goes out and just like we talk about the scripture going out and never returning void, here's a prime example of that very thing that there is a condemnation and not being able to understand. [00:30:37] Jesse Schwamb: That condemnation comes not because you're not intelligent enough, but because as you said, you do not have that predisposition. You do not have that changed heart into the ability to understand these things. [00:30:47] Doctrine of Election and Spiritual Insight [00:30:47] Jesse Schwamb: This is what leads me here to say like every parable then implicitly teaches a doctrine of election. [00:30:53] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, because all people are outside the kingdom until they enter the Lord's teaching. How do we enter the Lord's teaching by being given ears to hear. How are we understanding that? We have been given ears to hear when these parables speak to us in the spiritual reality as well as in just like you said, like this general kind of like in the way that I presume Ryan Holiday means it. [00:31:12] Jesse Schwamb: The, this is like, he might be exemplifying the fact that these stories. Are a really great form of the ability to communicate complex information or to make you think. [00:31:21] The Power and Purpose of Parables [00:31:21] Jesse Schwamb: So when Jesus says something like The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, wow, we, you and I will probably spend like two episodes just unpacking that, or we could spend a lot more, that's beautiful that that's how his teaching takes place. [00:31:34] Jesse Schwamb: But of course it's, it's so much. More than that, that those in whom the teaching is effective on a salvation somehow understand it, and their understanding of it becomes first because Christ is implanted within them. Salvation. [00:31:46] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. [00:31:48] Parables as More Than Simple Teaching Tools [00:31:48] Tony Arsenal: I think people, and this is what I think like Ryan Holiday's statement reflects, is people think of the parables as a simple teaching tool to break down a complicated subject. [00:32:00] Tony Arsenal: Yes. And so, like if I was trying to explain podcasting to a, like a five-year-old, I would say something like, well, you know. You know how your teacher teaches you during class while a podcast is like if your teacher lived on the internet and you could access your teacher anytime. Like, that might be a weird explanation, but like that's taking a very complicated thing about recording and and RSS feeds and you know, all of these different elements that go into what podcasting is and breaking it down to a simple sub that is not what a parable is. [00:32:30] Tony Arsenal: Right? Right. A parable is not. Just breaking a simple subject down and illustrating it by way of like a, a clever comparison. Um, you know, it's not like someone trying to explain the doctrine of, of the Trinity by using clever analogies or something like that. Even if that were reasonable and impossible. [00:32:50] Tony Arsenal: It's, it's not like that a parable. I like what you're saying about it being kind of like a mini doctrine of election. It's also a mini doctrine of the Bible. Yes. Right. It, it's right on. [00:33:00] The Doctrine of Illumination [00:33:00] Tony Arsenal: It's, it's the doctrine of revelation. In. Preached form in the Ministry of Christ, right? As Christians, we have this text and we affirm that at the same time, uh, what can be known of it and what is necessary for salvation can be known. [00:33:19] Tony Arsenal: By ordinary means like Bart Iman, an avowed atheist who I, I think like all atheists, whether they recognize it or not, hates God. He can read the Bible and understand that what it means is that if you trust Jesus, you'll be saved. You don't need special spiritual insight to understand that that is what the Bible teaches, where the special spiritual. [00:33:42] Tony Arsenal: Insight might not be the right word, but the special spiritual appropriation is that the spirit enables you to receive that unto your salvation. Right? To put your trust in. The reality of that, and we call that doctrine, the doctrine of illumination. And so in, in the sense of parables in Christ's ministry, and this is, this is if you, you know, like what do I always say is just read a little bit more, um, the portion Jesse read it leads way into this prophecy or in this comment, Christ. [00:34:10] Tony Arsenal: Saying he teaches in parable in order to fulfill this prophecy of Isaiah. Basically that like those who are, uh, ate and are apart from God and are resistant to God, these parables there are there in order to confirm that they are. And then it says in verse 16, and this is, this is. [00:34:27] The Blessing of Spiritual Understanding [00:34:27] Tony Arsenal: It always seems like the series that we do ends up with like a theme verse, and this is probably the one verse 16 here, Matthew 1316 says, but blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear. [00:34:40] Tony Arsenal: And so like there's a blessing. In our salvation and in our election that we are enabled to hear and perceive and re receive the very voice and word of God into our spirit unto our salvation. That is the doctrine of of election. It's also the doctrine of regeneration, the doctrine of sanctification, the doctrine. [00:35:03] Tony Arsenal: I mean, there's all of these different classic reformed doctrines that the parables really are these mic this microcosm of that. Almost like applied in the Ministry of Christ. Right. Which I, I, you know, I've, I've never really thought of it in depth in that way before, but it's absolutely true and it's super exciting to be able to sort of embark on this, uh, on this series journey with, with this group. [00:35:28] Tony Arsenal: I think it's gonna be so good to just dig into these and really, really hear the gospel preached to ourselves through these parables. That's what I'm looking forward to. [00:35:38] Jesse Schwamb: And we're used to being very. Close with the idea that like the message contains the doctrine, the message contains the power. Here we're saying, I think it's both. [00:35:47] Jesse Schwamb: And the mode of that message also contains, the doctrine also contains the power. And I like where you're going with this because I think what we should be reminding ourselves. Is what a blessing it is to have this kind of information conferred to us. [00:36:01] The Role of Parables in Revealing and Concealing Truth [00:36:01] Jesse Schwamb: That again, God has taken, what is the secrets that is his to disclose and his to keep and his to hold, and he's made it available to his children. [00:36:08] Jesse Schwamb: And part of that is for, as you said, like the strengthening of our own faith. It's also for condemnation. So notice that. The hiding of the kingdom through parables is not a consequence of the teaching itself. Again, this goes back to like the mode being as equally important here as the message itself that Christ's teaching is not too difficult to comprehend as an intellectual matter. [00:36:27] Jesse Schwamb: The thing is, like even today, many unbelievers read the gospels and they technically understand what Jesus means in his teaching, especially these parables. The problem is. I would say like moral hardness. It's that lack of spiritual predilection or predisposition. They know what Jesus teaches, but they do not believe. [00:36:47] Jesse Schwamb: And so the challenge before us is as all scripture reading, that we would go before the Holy Spirit and say, holy Spirit, help me to believe. Help me to understand what to believe. And it so doing, do the work of God, which is to believe in him and to believe in His son Jesus Christ and what he's accomplished. [00:37:02] Jesse Schwamb: So the parables are not like creating. Fresh unbelief and sinners instead, like they're confirming the opposition that's already present and apart from Grace, unregenerate perversely use our Lord's teaching to increase their resistance. That's how it's set up. That's how it works. That's why to be on the inside, as it were, not again, because like we've done the right handshake or met all the right standards, but because of the blood of Christ means that the disciples, the first disciples and all the disciples who will follow after them on the other hand. [00:37:33] The Complexity and Nuances of Parables [00:37:33] Jesse Schwamb: We've been granted these eyes to see, and ears to hear Jesus. And then we've been given the secrets of the kingdom. I mean, that's literally what we've been given. And God's mercy has been extended to the disciples who like many in the crowds, once ignorantly and stubbornly rejected God and us just like them as well in both accounts. [00:37:49] Jesse Schwamb: So this is, I think we need to settle on that. You're right, throughout this series, what a blessing. It's not meant to be a great labor or an effort for the child of God. Instead, it's meant to be a way of exploring these fe. Fantastic truths of who God is and what he's done in such a way that draw us in. [00:38:07] Jesse Schwamb: So that whether we're analyzing again, like the the lost coin or the lost sheep, or. Any number of these amazing parables, you'll notice that they draw us in because they don't give us answers in the explicit sense that we're used to. Like didactically instead. Yeah. They cause us to consider, as you've already said, Tony, like what does it mean to be lost? [00:38:26] Jesse Schwamb: What does it mean that the father comes running for this prodigal son? What does it mean that the older brother has a beef with the whole situation? What does it mean when Jesus says that the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed? How much do we know about mustard seeds? And why would he say that? Again, this is a kind of interesting teaching, but that illumination in the midst of it being, I don't wanna say ambiguous, but open-ended to a degree means that the Holy Spirit must come in and give us that kind of grand knowledge. [00:38:55] Jesse Schwamb: But more than that, believe upon what Jesus is saying. I think that's the critical thing, is somebody will say, well, aren't the teaching simple and therefore easy to understand. In a sense, yes. Like factually yes, but in a much greater sense. Absolutely not. And that's why I think it's so beautiful that he quotes Isaiah there because in that original context, you the, you know, you have God delivering a message through Isaiah. [00:39:17] Jesse Schwamb: Uh. The people are very clear. Like, we just don't believe you're a prophet of God. And like what you're saying is ridiculous, right? And we just don't wanna hear you. This is very different than that. This is, Jesus is giving this message essentially to all who will listen to him, not necessarily hear, but all, all who are hear Him, I guess rather, but not necessarily all who are listening with those spiritual ears. [00:39:33] Jesse Schwamb: And so this is like, I love the way that he, he uses that quote in a slightly different way, but still to express the same root cause, which is some of you here. Because of your depravity will not be able to hear what I'm saying. But for those to whom it has been granted to come in who are ushered into the kingdom, this kingdom language will make sense. [00:39:54] Jesse Schwamb: It's like, I'm going to be speaking to you in code and half of you have the key for all the code because the Holy Spirit is your cipher and half of you don't. And you're gonna, you're gonna listen to the same thing, but you will hear very different things. [00:40:06] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And you know, the other thing I think is, is interesting to ponder on this, um. [00:40:12] The Importance of Context in Interpreting Parables [00:40:12] Tony Arsenal: God always accommodates his revelation to his people. And the parables are, are, are like the. Accommodated accommodation. Yeah. Like God accommodates himself to those he chooses to reveal himself to. And in some ways this is, this is, um, the human ministry of Christ is him accommodating himself to those. [00:40:38] Tony Arsenal: What I mean is in the human ministry of the Son, the parables are a way of the son accommodating himself to those he chooses to reveal himself to. So there, there are instances. Where the parable is said, and it is, uh, it's seems to be more or less understood by everybody. Nobody asks the question about like, what does this mean? [00:40:57] Tony Arsenal: Right? And then there are instances where the parable is said, and even the apostles are, or the disciples are like, what does this parable mean? And then there's some interesting ones where like. Christ's enemies understand the parable and, and can understand that the parable is told against them. About them. [00:41:13] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. So there, there's all these different nuances to why Christ used these parables, how simple they were, how complicated they were. Yes. And again, I think that underscores what I said at the top of the show here. It's like you can't treat every parable exactly the same. And that's where you run into trouble. [00:41:28] Tony Arsenal: Like if you're, if you're coming at them, like they're all just simple allegory. Again, like some of them have allegorical elements. I think it's fair to look at the, the prodigal son or the, the prodigal father, however you want to title that. And remember, the titles are not, generally, the titles are not, um, baked into the text itself. [00:41:46] Tony Arsenal: I think it's fair to come to that and look at and go, okay, well, who's the father in this? Who's the son? You know, what does it mean that the older son is this? Is, is there relevance to the fact that there's a party and that the, you know, the older, older, uh, son is not a part of it? There's, there's some legitimacy to that. [00:42:02] Tony Arsenal: And when we look at Christ's own explanation of some of his parables, he uses those kinds, right? The, the good seed is this, the, the seed that fell on the, the side of the road is this, right? The seed that got choked out by the, the, um, thorns is this, but then there are others where it doesn't make sense to pull it apart, element by element. [00:42:21] Tony Arsenal: Mm-hmm. Um, and, and the other thing is there are some things that we're gonna look at that are, um. We're gonna treat as parables that the text doesn't call a parable. And then there are some that you might even look at that sometimes the text calls a parable that we might not even think of as a normal parable, right? [00:42:38] Tony Arsenal: So there's lots of elements. This is gonna be really fun to just dig stuff in and, and sort of pick it, like pull it apart and look at its component parts and constituent parts. Um, so I really do mean it if you, if you're the kind of person who has never picked up a Bible commentary. This would be a good time to, to start because these can get difficult. [00:42:59] Tony Arsenal: They can get complicated. You want to have a trusted guide, and Jesse and I are gonna do our, our work and our research on this. Um, but you want someone who's more of a trusted guide than us. This is gonna be the one time that I might actually say Calvin's commentaries are not the most helpful. And the reason for that is not because Calvin's not clear on this stuff. [00:43:17] Tony Arsenal: Calvin Calvin's commentaries on the gospel is, is a harmony of the gospels, right? So sometimes it's tricky when you're reading it to try to find like a specific, uh, passage in Matthew because you're, you, everything's interwoven. So something like Matthew Henry, um, or something like, um, Matthew Poole. Uh, might be helpful if you're willing to spend a little bit of money. [00:43:38] Tony Arsenal: The ESV expository commentary that I've referenced before is a good option. Um, but try to find something that's approachable and usable that is reasonable for you to work through the commentary alongside of us, because you are gonna want to spend time reading these on your own, and you're gonna want to, like I said, you're gonna want to have a trust guide with you. [00:43:55] Tony Arsenal: Even just a good study bible, something like. The Reformation Study Bible or something along those lines would help you work your way through these parables, and I think it's valuable to do that. [00:44:06] Jesse Schwamb: Something you just said sparked this idea in me that the power, or one of the powers maybe of good fiction is that it grabs your attention. [00:44:15] The Impact of Parables on Listeners [00:44:15] Jesse Schwamb: It like brings you into the plot maybe even more than just what I said before about it being resonant, that it actually pulls you into the storyline and it makes you think that it's about other people until it's too late. Yeah. And Jesus has a way of doing this that really only maybe the parable can allow. [00:44:30] Jesse Schwamb: So like in other words, by the time you realize. A parable is like metaphorical, or even in a limited case, it's allegorical form you've already identified with one or more of the characters and you're caught in the trap. So what comes to my mind there is like the one Old Testament narrative, virtually identical, informed to those Jesus told is Nathan's parable of the You lamb. [00:44:52] Jesse Schwamb: So that's in like second Samuel 12, and I was just looking this up as you were, as you were speaking. So in this potentially life and death move for the prophet Nathan confronts King David. Over his adultery with, or depending on how you see it, rape of Bathsheba, and then his subsequent murder of her husband Uriah, by sending him to the front lines of battle. [00:45:10] Jesse Schwamb: So he's killed. And so in this parable that Nathan tells Uriah is like the poor man. Bathsheba is like the Yu a and the rich man obviously represents David. If you, you know what I'm talking about, go back and look at second Samuel 12. And so what's interesting is once David is hooked into that story, he cannot deny that his behavior was unjust as that of the rich man in the story who takes this UAM for himself and he, which he openly. [00:45:38] Jesse Schwamb: Then David openly condemns of course, like the amazing climax of this. And as the reader who has. Of course, like omniscient knowledge in the story, you know, the plot of things, right? You're, you're already crying out, like you're throwing something, you know, across the room saying like, how can you not see this about you? [00:45:53] Jesse Schwamb: And of course the climax comes in when Nathan points the finger at David and declares, you are the man. And that's kind of what. The parables due to us. Yes. They're not always like the same in accusatory toward us, but they do call us out. This is where, again, when we talk about like the scripture reading us, the parable is particularly good at that because sometimes we tend to identify, you know, again, with like one of the particular characters whom we probably shouldn't identify with, or like you said, the parable, the sower. [00:46:22] Jesse Schwamb: Isn't the Christian always quick to be like, I am the virtual grounds? Yeah. You still have to ask like, you know, there is not like a Paul washer way of doing this, but there is like a way of saying like, checking yourself before you wreck yourself there. And so when Jesus's parables have lost some of that shock value in today's world, we maybe need to contemporize them a little bit. [00:46:43] Jesse Schwamb: I, and I think we'll talk about that as we go through it. We're not rewriting them for any reason that that would be completely inappropriate. Think about this though. Like the Jew robbed and left for dead. And you know the story of the Grace Samaritan may need to become like the white evangelical man who is helped by like the black Muslim woman after the senior pastor and the worship leader from the local reformed church passed by like that. [00:47:05] Jesse Schwamb: That might be the frame, which we should put it to try to understand it whenever we face a hostile audience that this indirect rhetoric of compelling stories may help at least some people hear God's world more favorably, and I think that's why you get both like a soft. And a sharp edge with these stories. [00:47:20] Jesse Schwamb: But it's the ability to, to kind of come in on the sneak attack. It's to make you feel welcomed in and to identify with somebody. And then sometimes to find that you're identifying entirely with a character whom Jesus is gonna say, listen, don't be this way, or This is what the kingdom of God is, is not like this. [00:47:35] Jesse Schwamb: Or again, to give you shock value, not for the sake of telling like a good tale that somehow has a twist where it's like everybody was actually. All Dead at the end. Another movie, by the way, I have not seen, but I just know that that's like, I'll never see that movie because, can we say it that the spoiler is, is out on that, right? [00:47:54] Tony Arsenal: Are we, what are we talking about? What movie are we talking about? [00:47:56] Jesse Schwamb: Well, I don't, I don't wanna say it. I didn't [00:47:57] Tony Arsenal: even get it from your description. Oh. [00:47:59] Jesse Schwamb: Like that, that movie where like, he was dead the whole time. [00:48:02] Tony Arsenal: Oh, this, that, that, that movie came out like 30 years ago, Jesse. Oh, seriously? [00:48:06] Jesse Schwamb: Okay. All right. [00:48:06] Tony Arsenal: So Six Sense. [00:48:07] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. That movie came out a long time ago. [00:48:10] Jesse Schwamb: So it's not like the parables are the sixth sense, and it's like, let me get you like a really cool twist. Right. Or like hook at the end. I, and I think in part it is to disarm you and to draw you in in such a way that we might honestly consider what's happening there. [00:48:22] Jesse Schwamb: And that's how it reads us. [00:48:24] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And I, I think that's a good point. And, and. It bears saying there are all sorts of parables all throughout the Bible. It's not just Jesus that teaches these, and they do have this similar effect that they, they draw you in. Um, oftentimes you identify it preliminarily, you identify with the wrong person, and it's not until you. [00:48:45] Tony Arsenal: Or you don't identify with anyone when you should. Right. Right. And it's not until the sort of punchline or I think that account with Nathan is so spot on because it's the same kind of thing. David did not have ears to hear. [00:48:58] Jesse Schwamb: Right. Until he had That's good point. Ears [00:49:00] Tony Arsenal: to hear. [00:49:00] Jesse Schwamb: Good point. [00:49:01] Tony Arsenal: And he heard the point of the parable. [00:49:03] Tony Arsenal: He understood the point of the parable and he didn't understand that the parable was about him, right? It's like the ultimate, I don't know why you're clapping David, I'm talking about you moment. Um, I'm just have this picture of Paul washer in like a biblical era robe. Um, so I think that's a enough progam to the series. [00:49:20] Preparing for the Series on Parables [00:49:20] Tony Arsenal: We're super excited we're, we'll cover some of these principles again, because again, different parables have to be interpreted different ways, and some of these principles apply to one and don't to others, and so we'll, we'll tease that out when we get there next week. We're gonna just jump right in. [00:49:34] Tony Arsenal: We're gonna get started with, I think, um, I actually think, you know, in the, the providence of, of the Holy Spirit and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and then obviously the providence of God in Christ's ministry, the, the parable that kind of like frames all of the other parables,

On this episode of Mega Dads Live Antonio is raving about the totally-normally-named Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster!

Welcome to Watch. Review. Repeat. This is the podcast where two best friends discuss the latest in film and television and then do it all over again the following episode! Colton, Andrew, and special guest Henrique Jaime launch into Earth 828 to witness the heroism of Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, The Human Torch, and The Thing in 'The Fanastic Four: First Steps'! 00:00:00 - Intro 00:05:23 - Andrew's Totally Embarrassing Dad Joke of the Episode! 00:07:42 - Henrique and Colton's Fun Facts About 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' 00:13:20 - Sony and Nintendo Reveal Zelda and Link Casting in 'The Legend of Zelda' Live-Action Film 00:20:16 - Sony Unveils New Spider-Suit in 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day'; Jon Bernthal and Mark Ruffalo Join Cast 00:32:01 - 'Project Hail Mary' Official Trailer 00:41:19 - 'Tron: Ares' Official Trailer 00:50:41 - 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' Official Trailer 00:59:15 - 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' (Non-Spoilers and Recommendation) 01:50:04 - 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' (Spoilers) 02:36:43 - Catching Up With Henrique (The Martian by Andy Weir,   'Superman', Nintendo Switch 2, 'KPop Demon Hunters', 'Dandadan', 'My Hero Academia', 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba', 'Call of the Night', 'Delicious in Dungeon', 'My Dress-Up Darling', 'The Summer Hikaru Died', 'Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai') 02:55:14 - Catching Up With Andrew (Magic: The Gathering, 'Eyes of Wakanda', Dad Life) 03:06:17 - Catching Up With Colton ('Fantastic Four' (2005), 'Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer', 'The Fantastic Four' (1994), 'Silver Surfer: The Animated Series', 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story') 03:17:58 - Conclusion/Outro Visit our website! Support us on Patreon! Thank you for listening, and please send any feedback to watchreviewrepeat@gmail.com! Intro/Outro Credit: Mechanolith Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

A good book can save your life - so dive deep into literature! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

My fellow pro-growth/progress/abundance Up Wingers,In 1976, America celebrated 200 years of independence, democracy, and progress. Part of that celebration was the release of To Fly!, a short but powerful docudrama on the history of American flight. With To Fly!, Greg MacGillivray and his co-director Jim Freeman created one of the earliest IMAX films, bringing cinematography to new heights.After a decade of war and great social unrest, To Fly! celebrated the American identity and freedom to innovate. Today on Faster, Please! — The Podcast, I talk with MacGillivray about filming To Fly! and its enduring message of optimism.MacGillivray has produced and directed films for over 60 years. In that time, his production company has earned two Academy Award nominations, produced five of the Top 10 highest-grossing IMAX films, and has reached over 150 million viewers.In This Episode* The thrill of watching To Fly! (1:38)* An innovative filming process (8:25)* A “you can do it” movie (19:07)* Competing views of technology (25:50)Below is a lightly edited transcript of our conversation. The thrill of watching To Fly! (1:38)What Jim and I tried to do is put as many of the involving, experiential tricks into that film as we possibly could. We wrote the film based on all of these moments that we call “IMAX moments.”Pethokoukis: The film To Fly! premiered at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, at the IMAX Theater, July 1976. Do you happen know if it was it the 4th of July or. . . ?MacGillivray: No, you know, what they did is they had the opening on the 2nd of July so that it wouldn't conflict with the gigantic bicentennial on the 4th, but it was all part of the big celebration in Washington at that moment.I saw the film in the late '70s at what was then called the Great America Amusement Park in Gurnee, Illinois. I have a very clear memory of this, of going in there, sitting down, wondering why I was sitting and going to watch a movie as opposed to being on a roller coaster or some other ride — I've recently, a couple of times, re-watched the film — and I remember the opening segment with the balloonist, which was shot in a very familiar way. I have a very clear memory because when that screen opened up and that balloon took off, my stomach dropped.It was a film as a thrill ride, and upon rewatching it — I didn't think this as a 10-year-old or 11-year-old — but what it reminded me upon rewatching was of Henry V, Lawrence Olivier, 1944, where the film begins in the Globe Theater and as the film goes on, it opens up and expands into this huge technicolor extravaganza as the English versus the French. It reminds me of that. What was your reaction the first time you saw that movie, that film of yours you made with Jim Freeman, on the big screen where you could really get the full immersive effect?It gave me goosebumps. IMAX, at that time, was kind of unknown. The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum was the fourth IMAX theater built, and very few people had seen that system unless you visited world's fairs around the world. So we knew we had something that people were going to grasp a hold of and love because, like you said, it's a combination of film, and storytelling, and a roller coaster ride. You basically give yourself away to the screen and just go with it.What Jim and I tried to do is put as many of the involving, experiential tricks into that film as we possibly could. We wrote the film based on all of these moments that we call “IMAX moments.” We tried to put as many in there as we could, including the train coming straight at you and bashing right into the camera where the audience thinks it's going to get run over. Those kinds of moments on that gigantic screen with that wonderful 10 times, 35-millimeter clarity really moved the audience and I guess that's why they used it at Great America where you saw it.You mentioned the train and I remember a story from the era of silent film and the first time people saw a train on silent film, they jumped, people jumped because they thought the train was coming at them. Then, of course, we all kind of got used to it, and this just occurred to me, that film may have been the first time in 75 years that an audience had that reaction again, like they did with first with silent film where they thought the train was going to come out of the screen to To Fly! where, once again, your previous experience looking at a visual medium was not going to help you. This was something completely different and your sense perception was totally surprised by it.Yeah, it's true. Obviously we were copying that early train shot that started the cinema way back in probably 1896 or 1898. You ended up with To Fly! . . . we knew we had an opportunity because the Air and Space Museum, we felt, was going to be a huge smash hit. Everyone was interested in space right at that moment. Everyone was interested in flying right at that moment. Basically, as soon as it opened its doors, the Air and Space Museum became the number one museum in America, and I think it even passed the Louvre that year in attendance.Our film had over a million and a half people in its first year, which was astounding! And after that year of run, every museum in the world wanted an IMAX theater. Everyone heard about it. They started out charging 50 cents admission for the 27-minute IMAX film, and halfway through the season, they got embarrassed because they were making so much money. They reduced the admission price to 25 cents and everyone was happy. The film was so fun to watch and gave you information in a poetic way through the narration. The storytelling was simple and chronological. You could follow it even if you were a 10-year-old or an 85-year-old, and people just adored the movie. They wrote letters to the editor. The Washington Post called it the best film in the last 10 years, or something like that. Anyway, it was really a heady of time for IMAX.An innovative filming process (8:25)It was one of those things where our knowledge of technology and shooting all kinds of various films prior to that that used technology, we just basically poured everything into this one movie to try to prove the system, to try to show people what IMAX could do . . .I may have just read the Washington Post review that you mentioned. It was a Washington Post review from just three or four years later, so not that long after, and in the conclusion to that piece, it said, “You come away from the film remembering the flying, the freedom of it, the glee, the exaltation. No Wonder ‘To Fly' is a national monument.” So already calling it a national monument, but it took some innovation to create that monument. This isn't just a piece of great filmmaking and great storytelling, it's a piece of technological innovation. I wonder if you could tell me about that.We've worked with the IMAX corporation, particularly Graeme Ferguson, who is gone now, but he was a filmmaker and helped us immensely. Not only guiding, because he'd made a couple of IMAX films previously that just showed at individual theaters, but was a great filmmaker and we wanted three more cameras built—there was only one camera when we began, and we needed three, actually, so we could double shoot and triple shoot different scenes that were dangerous. They did that for us in record time. Then we had to build all these kind of imaginative camera mounts. A guy named Nelson Tyler, Tyler Camera Systems in Hollywood, helped us enormously. He was a close friend and basically built an IMAX camera mount for a helicopter that we called the “monster mount.” It was so huge.The IMAX camera was big and huge on its own, so it needed this huge mount, and it carried the IMAX camera flawlessly and smoothly through the air in a helicopter so that there weren't any bumps or jarring moments so the audience would not get disturbed but they would feel like they were a bird flying. You needed that smoothness because when you're sitting up close against that beautifully detailed screen, you don't want any jerk or you're going to want to close your eyes. It's going to be too nauseating to actually watch. So we knew we had to have flawlessly smooth and beautiful aerials shot in the best light of the day, right at dawn or right at sunset. The tricks that we used, the special camera mounts, we had two different camera mounts for helicopters, one for a Learjet, one for a biplane. We even had a balloon mount that went in the helium balloon that we set up at the beginning of the film.It was one of those things where our knowledge of technology and shooting all kinds of various films prior to that that used technology, we just basically poured everything into this one movie to try to prove the system, to try to show people what IMAX could do . . . There are quiet moments in the film that are very powerful, but there's also these basic thrill moments where the camera goes off over the edge of a cliff and your stomach kind of turns upside down a little bit. Some people had to close their eyes as they were watching so they wouldn't get nauseated, but that's really what we wanted. We wanted people to experience that bigness and that beauty. Basically the theme of the movie was taking off into the air was like the opening of a new eye.Essentially, you re-understood what the world was when aviation began, when the first balloonists took off or when the first airplane, the Wright Brothers, took off, or when we went into space, the change of perspective. And obviously IMAX is the ultimate change of perspectiveWhen I watched the entire film — I've watched it a few times since on YouTube, which I think somebody ripped from a laser disc or something — maybe six months ago, I had forgotten the space sequence. This movie came out a year before Star Wars, and I was looking at that space sequence and I thought, that's pretty good. I thought that really held up excellent. As a documentary, what prepared you to do that kind of sequence? Or was that something completely different that you really had to innovate to do?I had loved 2001: A Space Odyssey, the Kubrick film, and one of the special effects supervisors was Doug Trumbull. So we called Doug and said, “Look, I want to make the sequence. It's going to be short, but it's going to pay homage to space travel and what could happen in the future.” And he guided us a little bit, showed us how to make kind of the explosions of space that he'd done in 2001 using microscopic paint, so we had to develop a camera lens that fit on the IMAX camera that could shoot just a very small area, like half an inch across, where paint in a soluble mixture could then explode. We shot it in slow motion, and then we built a Starship, kind of like a Star Wars-looking — though, as you mentioned, Star Wars had not come out yet — kind of a spaceship that we then superimposed against planets that we photographed, Jupiter and Saturn. We tried to give the feeling and the perspective that that could give us with our poetic narrator, and it worked. It kind of worked, even though it was done on a very small budget. We had $690,000 to make that movie. So we only had one SAG actor who actually got paid the regular wage, that was Peter Walker.Was that the balloonist?Yeah, he was the balloonist. And he was a stage actor, so he was perfect, because I wanted something to obviously be a little bit overblown, make your gestures kind of comically big, and he was perfect for it. But we only had enough money to pay him for one day, so we went to Vermont and put him in the balloon basket, and we shot everything in one day. We never actually shot him flying. We shot him hanging in the balloon basket and the balloon basket was hanging from a crane that was out of the picture, and so we could lift him and make him swing past us and all that stuff, and he was terrific.Then we shot the real balloon, which was a helium balloon. We got the helium from the Navy — which would've been very costly, but they donated the helium — and went to West Virginia where the forest was basically uncut and had no power lines going through it so we could duplicate 1780 or whatever the year was with our aerial shooting. And we had a guy named Kurt Snelling, who was probably the best balloonist at that particular moment, and he dressed like Peter in the same costume and piloted the balloon across. And balloons, you can't tell where they're going, they just follow the wind, and so it was a little dangerous, but we got it all done. It was about a week and a half because we had to wait for weather. So we had a lot of weather days and bad rain in West Virginia when we shot that, but we got it all done, and it looks beautiful, and it matches in with Peter pretty well.Just what you've described there, it sounds like a lot: You're going to Maine, you're in West Virginia, you're getting helium from — it sounds like there were a lot of moving parts! Was this the most ambitious thing you had done up until that point?Well, we'd worked on some feature films before, like The Towering Inferno and Jonathan Livingston Seagull, and things like that, which were involved and very complicated. But yeah, it was very much the biggest production that we put together on our own, and it required us to learn how to produce in a big fashion. It was a thrill for us. Essentially, we had about 10 people working on the film in Laguna Beach, and none of them, except for maybe Jim and I, who we'd worked on feature films and complicated shoots with actors and all that, but a lot of our team hadn't. And so it was an adventure. Every day was a thrill.A “you can do it” movie (19:07). . . we were celebrating 200 years of democracy, of individual freedom, of individual inspiration, getting past obstacles, because you can do it — you have that belief that you can do it.There's a version of this podcast where we spend a half hour talking about The Towering Inferno. I just want you to know that it's very hard for me not to derail the conversation into talking about The Towering Inferno. I will not do that, but let me ask you this, the movie is about flight, it's about westward expansion, but that movie, it came out for the bicentennial, we'd gone through a tumultuous, let's say past 10 years: You had Vietnam, there's social unrest, you had Watergate. And the movie really must have just seemed like a breath of fresh air for people.As you put the movie together, and wrote it, and filmed it, did you feel like you were telling a message other than just about our connection with flight? It really seemed to me to be more than that, a movie about aspiration, and curiosity, and so forth.It was, and pretty much all of our films have been that positive spirit, “You can do it” kind of movie. Even our surfing films that we started with 20 years, maybe 10 years before To Fly!, you end up with that spirit of the human's ability to go beyond. And obviously celebrating the bicentennial and the beginning of democracy here in this country and the fact that we were celebrating 200 years of democracy, of individual freedom, of individual inspiration, getting past obstacles, because you can do it — you have that belief that you can do it.Of course, this was right there when everyone had felt, okay, we went to the moon, we did all kinds of great things. We were inventive and a lot of that spirit of invention, and curiosity, and accomplishment came from the fact that we were free as individuals to do it, to take risks. So I think To Fly! had a lot of that as part of it.But the interesting thing, I thought, was I had one meeting with Michael Collins, who was the director of the Air and Space Museum and the astronaut who circled the moon as Neil and Buzz Aldrin were on the moon walking around, and here he is, hoping that these two guys will come back to him so that the three of them can come back to Earth — but they'd never tested the blast-off from the moon's surface, and they didn't know 100 percent that it was going to work, and that was the weirdest feeling.But what Collins told me in my single meeting that I had with him, he said, “Look, I've got a half an hour for you, I'm building a museum, I've got two years to do it.” And I said, “Look, one thing I want to know is how much facts and figures do you want in this movie? We've got a little over a half an hour to do this film. The audience sits down in your theater, what do you want me to do?” And he said, “Give me fun. Give me the IMAX experience. I don't want any facts and figures. I don't want any dates. I don't want any names. I've got plenty of those everywhere else in the museum. People are going to be sick of dates and names. Give me fun, give me adventure.” And I said, “Oh gosh, we know how to do that because we started out making surfing films.” and he goes, “Do that. Make me a surfing film about aviation.” It was probably the best advice, because he said, “And I don't want to see you again for two years. Bring me back a film. I trust you. I've seen your films. Just go out and do it.” And that was probably the best management advice that I've ever received.So you weren't getting notes. I always hear about studios giving filmmakers notes. You did not get notes.The note I got was, “We love it. Put it on the screen now.” What they did do is they gave me 26 subjects. They said, “Here's the things that we think would be really cool in the movie. We know you can't use 26 things because that's like a minute per sequence, so you pick which of those 26 to stick in.” And I said, “What I'm going to do then is make it chronological so people will somewhat understand it, otherwise it's going to be confusing as heck.” And he said, “Great, you pick.” So I picked things that I knew I could do, and Jim, of course, was right there with me all the time.Then we had a wonderful advisor in Francis Thompson who at that time was an older filmmaker from New York who had done a lot of world's fair films, hadn't ever done IMAX, but he'd done triple-screen films and won an Academy Award with a film called To Be Alive! and he advised us. Graeme Ferguson, as I mentioned, advised us, but we selected the different sequences, probably ended up with 12 sequences, each of which we felt that we could handle on our meager budget.It was delightful that Conoco put up the money for the film as a public service. They wanted to be recognized in the bicentennial year, and they expected that the film was going to run for a year, and then of course today it's still running and it's going into its 50th year now. And so it's one of those things that was one of those feel-good moments of my life and feel-good moments for the Air and Space Museum, Michael Collins, for everyone involved.Competing views of technology (25:50)Our film was the feel-good, be proud to be an American and be proud to be a human being, and we're not messing up everything. There's a lot that's going right.When rewatching it, I was reminded of the 1982 film Koyaanisqatsi by Godfrey Reggio, which also had a very famous scene of a 747 looming at the camera. While yours was a joyous scene, I think we're supposed to take away an ominous message about technology in that film. That movie was not a celebration of flight or of technology. Have you wondered why just six years after To Fly!, this other film came out and conveyed a very different message about technology and society.I love Koyaanisqatsi, and in fact, we helped work on that. We did a lot of the aerial shooting for that.I did not know that.And Godfrey Reggio is an acquaintance, a friend. We tried to actually do a movie together for the new millennium, and that would've been pretty wild.Certainly a hypnotic film, no doubt. Fantastic.Yeah. But their thesis was, yeah, technology's gotten beyond us. It's kind of controlled us in some fashions. And with the time-lapse sequences and the basic frenetic aspects of life and war and things like that. And with no narration. That film lets the audience tell the story to themselves, guided by the visuals and the technique. Our film was absolutely a 100 percent positive that the 747 that we had was the number one 747 ever built. Boeing owned it. I don't think they'd started selling them, or they were just starting to use them. Everyone was amazed by the size of this airplane, and we got to bolt our IMAX camera on the bottom of it, and then it was such a thrill to take that big 747.The guy took off from Seattle and the pilot said, “Okay, now where do you want to go?” I said, “Well, I want to find clouds. And he goes, “Well, there's some clouds over next to Illinois. We could go there,” so we go two hours towards Illinois. And I'm in a 737 that they loaned us with the IMAX camera in a brand new window that we stuck in the side of the 737, just absolutely clear as the sheet of glass, just a single pane, and the camera's right up against that piece of plexiglass and with the 40-millimeter lens, which is a 90-degree lens.So I said, “We've got to fly the 737 really close to the 747 and through clouds so that the clouds are wisping through, and so the 747 is disappearing and then appearing and then disappearing and then appear, and we have to do this right at sunset in puffy clouds, these big cumulus clouds.” And so they said, “We can do that, let's go find it!” The two guys who were piloting were both military pilots, so they were used to flying in formation and it was a delight. We shot roll, after roll, after roll and got some of those moments where that 747 comes out into light after being in the white of the cloud are just stunning. So we made the 747 look almost like a miniature plane, except for the shot from underneath where you see the big wheels coming up. So it was a really cool, and I don't know what it cost Boeing to do that, but hundreds of thousands, maybe.Another public service.But they got it back. Obviously it was a heroic moment in the film, and their beautiful plane, which went on to sell many, many copies and was their hero airplane for so many years.Yeah, sure.It was a fun deal. So in comparison to Koyaanisqatsi, our film was the exact opposite. Our film was the feel-good, be proud to be an American and be proud to be a human being, and we're not messing up everything. There's a lot that's going right.I feel like there's a gap in what we get out of Hollywood, what we get out of the media. You don't want just feel-good films. You don't want just celebrations. You want the full range of our lives and of human experience, but I feel like, Koyaanisqatsi is about being out of balance, I think we've gotten out of balance. I just don't see much out there that has the kind of aspirational message with To Fly! I'm not sure what you think. I feel like we could use more of that.Yeah, I'm hopeful that I'm going to be able to make a movie called A Beautiful Life, which is all about the same thing that I was talking about, the freedom that the individual has here in America. I was hopeful to do it for the 250th anniversary, but I'm not going to get it done by that time next year. But I want to do that movie kind of as a musical celebration of almost a “family of man” sort of movie located around the world with various cultures and positive spirit. I'm an optimist, I'm a positive person. That's the joy I get out of life. I suppose that's why Jim and I were perfect to make To Fly! We infused beauty into everything that we tried to do.On sale everywhere The Conservative Futurist: How To Create the Sci-Fi World We Were PromisedMicro ReadsPlease check out the website or Substack app for the latest Up Wing economic, business, and tech news contained in this new edition of the newsletter. Lots of great stuff! Faster, Please! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fasterplease.substack.com/subscribe

A SPECIAL TREAT THIS WEEK, REFINER!!We're having so much fun talking to 'Severance' production people, we're taking another week off from the re-watch to get in a FANTASTIC interview. Kick back and enjoy a really fun discussion with Tansy Michaud from the 'Severance' graphics department. Tanys is the lead designer for 'Severance.' She's been doing this since before there were any Lumon hallways. She created the Lumon Logo!! (plus DOZENS of other iconic items from the show).We'll get into the tall weeds talking about graphic design and the indelible mark Tansy has left on the show!  ***A BIG 'thank you' to Research Volunteer/Producer Refiner Vinny P. Vinny has been providing outstanding research and information during the Season Two Rewatch Episodes.Huge thanks to Adam Scott, star of 'Severance' and host of the Severance Podcast for recording a custom intro for "Severed." Make sure to check out 'The Severance Podcast w/Ben Stiller & Adam Scott" wherever you found this one!A big 'thank you' to friend of the pod Kier Eagan, er I mean Marc Geller! Marc both sat for an interview (make sure to check it out) AND recorded some great bumpers as Kier himself. Follow Marc on Instagram @geller_marc.Support the show on Patreon! (Click here)APPLE PODCAST LISTENERS: If you are enjoying "Severed: The Ultimate 'Severance' Podcast" please make sure to leave a 5-star rating (and, if you want, a review telling others to give it a try). Higher rated podcasts get better placement in suggestion lists. It helps more "Severance" fans find the show. Thanks!!! (Unfortunately, I can't respond to any questions or comments made in Apple Podcast Reviews. Send those to: SeveredPod@gmail.com)Season 2 of "Severance" kicked off 1/17/2025 and ran through 3/20/2025. The Second Season of the "Severed" Podcast Rewatch Episodes kicked off on April 24th, 2025. To support the Severed Podcast: (www.patreon.com/SeveredPod) Join the fun on our Facebook page @SeveredPod. I always try to keep page followers  updated on news about the show. Also, let's talk!! Comments? Theories? Corrections? I LOVE 'EM!! Send to: SeveredPod@gmail.comPLEASE MAKE SURE TO SHARE THE PODCAST WITH YOUR FRIENDS WHO ARE 'SEVERANCE' FANS. THE SHOW GROWS THROUGH WORD OF MOUTH!!Needing your own copies of the Lexington Letter and Orientation Booklet? I've got you covered with downloadable PDFs of both documents:LETTER: LEXINGTONLETTER-TheLetter.pdf HANDBOOK: LEXINGTONLETTER-MDROrientationHandbook.pdfYou haven't completely watched 'Severance' until you've listened to 'Severed'.

Modular SFX SAMPLES FANTASTiC | 11 September 2025 | 99.21 MB Modular SFX is a collection of 60 samples that are intended to build Bass House, Tech-House, Techno, Afro House, […]

The discourse at hand delves into the intricacies of DragonCon, a paramount cultural event that transcends the traditional confines of a comic convention, embracing a plethora of genres and communities. Central to our discussion is the exploration of characters such as Riri Williams, also known as Ironheart, alongside iconic figures like Iron Man, Doctor Doom, and Black Panther, as we navigate the Smartest Marvel Character Tier List. We engage in a profound analysis of the artistry and dedication exhibited by cosplayers, particularly highlighting the talents of individuals like Renee for Atlanta, whose Ironheart costume exemplifies the intersection of creativity and fandom. Furthermore, we scrutinize the evolving narratives within the Marvel Universe, contemplating the intellectual prowess of characters like Mr. Fantastic and Blue Marvel, while also acknowledging the cultural significance of representation in contemporary storytelling. Join us as we unravel these multifaceted themes, shedding light on the vibrant tapestry that is the world of comic conventions and their far-reaching influence.First up, NavyMontel is back fresh from DragonCon

On this week's episode of Little Talks, Roop and Claudia are back from HubSpot's INBOUND 25 marketing conference in San Fransisco, and boy oh boy do they have updates! Everything from new HubSpot products to a new marketing playbook for the AI age called Loop Marketing, it's a LOT. Plus their favorite speakers, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and friend of the podcast, Jay Schwedelson (who had a special message for Sam, since he wasn't able to go this year).So where to begin? Well, this week we just try to unpack what they saw and heard from a high level. In the coming weeks you'll get breakdowns on new HubSpot offerings ranging from Breeze Agents (HubSpot's AI platform) to Smart CRM (their data enrichment tool that is truly next level), as well as a deeper dive into The Loop (HubSpot's reimagined playbook for staying in front of customers where they are in the age of AI.Think of this episode as a "preview" of what's to come. Going to catch our breathes, see you again next week!—Roop, Claudia, Sam and ChelseaP.S. Pre-order Jay Scwedleson's new book, Stupider People Have Done It: Marketing Truths, Career Moves, and Life Advice for Doers! All proceeds go to V Foundation for cancer research.Tell us what you think!

In episode 10, Scott, Paul and Tom take you on a tour of the four pre-tournament sites for 2026 WJC. Rochester, Mankato, Bemidji and Duluth!  Join us on ITHSWpodcasts.Podbean.com, or wherever you get your favorite podcast! For more, click like and subscribe and go to ITHSWpodcasts.podbean.com Episode 10 of 26 episodes  

The cost of alcohol abuse in this country is absolutely phenomenal. Worldwide, I can't even imagine what it would be, but here in this country it's bad enough. A report that came out last year from the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, the first of its kind since 2009, found that: The cost of alcohol abuse in terms of alcohol harm based on disability adjusted life years is $9.1 billion. $4.8b associated with disability-adjusted life years from Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) $1.2 b associated with disability-adjusted life years from alcohol use disorder $281m - intimate partner violence (for alcohol use disorder alone) $74m - child maltreatment (for hazardous drinking alone), $2.1b in societal cost of road crashes where alcohol was a factor $4b in lost productivity associated with alcohol use, including FASD, crimes and workplace absenteeism $810m, predominantly in health and ACC spending. Peter Dunne, in an article in Newsroom this week, argues that these costs are a result of a decades-long failure in policy. He says when he was working for the Alcoholic Liquor Advisory Council way back in the late 70s, they undertook the first national survey of New Zealanders' alcohol consumption and drinking patterns. The most dramatic finding, he says, was that 9% of drinkers were responsible for two-thirds of the alcohol drunk. Of all the alcohol consumed in the country, 9% of drinkers drink two-thirds of it. He says that told you there were binge drinkers, problem drinkers, who made up a minority of the population, and a minority of the drinking population, but consumed the most, and that's where education and policy should have been directed. However, around the same time that survey came out, the World Health Organisation came up with its own policy and advised that government interventions should focus on reducing alcohol consumption levels overall to reduce the number of alcohol-related problems, rather than focus on specific groups. So you've had broad-brush, once over lightly programmes, you know, general, ‘hey guys, you know, it's not what you drink, it's how you're drinking', the general programs. And that, he says, has failed. Most people do know how to drink sensibly. They'll enjoy a glass or two of wine occasionally, and that'll be that. A couple of beers on a hot day after a surf. Fantastic. Then there are those of us who board a sky-sailing pirate ship to whiskey Valhalla and it's hoots way hay and off as Caitlin Moran put it. And sometimes that's fine, and sometimes that's not. When you set out to lose control, chuck everything in the air and see where it all lands, sometimes it lands you in a police cell, or hospital, or in the bed of someone you shouldn't be with. And that's when the trouble starts. Peter Dunne argues that we need to do away with the broad-brush approach and focus on the binge drinkers, the problem drinkers. Targeted policies for that 9 to 10% of the population who cannot drink sensibly, who do not drink moderately, and who are causing all of the harm. Do you need to be told how much you should drink, when you should drink it, like not when you're pregnant? Do you need to be told that? Do you just switch off when you drink and think, oh for heaven's sake, who on earth are they talking to? I know all of this stuff. Do we need to be focusing on the people who need to hear the message, all that money going into general education, redirected to those groups who need to hear the message most, and putting more of the money into the rehabilitation and the turning around and the changing of dangerous drinking behaviours? That is a hell of a lot of money to spend on disordered drinking, on problem drinking. And it's not you, probably, or you. But over there in the corner, it's us. And we're the ones that need to hear the message, not them. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a message! On episode 312, famously fun facilitating or Iron Maiden F Songs!Support the show

The Fantastic 4 have long been one of Marvel's most beloved super-groups. With a plethora of poor films about the group Marvel has once again rebooted the team following its merger with Disney. Despite mixed reviews, it has been one of this summer's hottest films at the box office. Tune in as J. Mac & Ryder break down the movie and where it ranks among Marvel's post-Endgame films.

Why DEAD RATS make GREAT weapons ■ How Beverly Hills destroyed a shitty neighbor ■ Why fences are FANTASTIC neighbors ■ Larry rewrites Robert Frost ■ Agencies that can help you wreck a neighbor!

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Pat and Kyle talk about the Marvel Movie "Fantastic Four: First Steps" and play songs from their favorite bands that only have 4 members!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Just Play It watched 3 Fantastic movies so far this year, so why not make it a Fantastic 4th trip to the Baxter Building to round out 2025. This time though, we had to search the corners of the internet to find this hidden, no buried, gem of Roger Corman's unreleased Fantastic Four movie from 1994. Or as the Chief Corndog himself would call it, The Fantastic 199FOUR. We get into the complicated origins of this project, the story on and off the screen, our reactions, our breakdown, and ultimately it's lasting legend in the underworld of Hollywood. Get ready kernels, it's CLOBBERIN' TIME (again). Thanks for tuning in. For more, follow us on Instagram & YouTube @justplayitpodcast & X (fka Twitter) @justplayitpod

“Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of money and a ring of gold. And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. He had also seven sons and three daughters.”- ‭‭Job‬ ‭42‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Watch Us On YouTube! This week on Miles to Go, Ed and Richard reminisce on Episode 400 of the podcast! Richard settles into the new recording location of New York City, and Ed battles the Vegas dayclub scene from his room at the Venetian. Milestones discussed: Episode 50: Richard Kerr was a special guest in his first appearance on the pod. The topic? What's Going Right In the World of Miles and Points Episode 100: Gary Leff was on to discuss the change to Peak and Off-Peak Hyatt redemptions as well as Scott Kirby joining United as CEO. Ed and Richard discuss if the changes are good years later.  Episode 168: The one where they Richard and Ed recorded at Daddy Joe's  Episode 200: Richard was a guest on the show after a Disney marathon charity event. They talk about the credit cards mentioned in that episode: Venture X and the Hyatt Business card.  Episode 300: The "Fantastic 4" of Ed, Richard, Julian, and Summer discussed Marriott's Bonvoy Brilliant card and how Richard would never get the card.  Get hydrated like Ed in Vegas with Nuun: Use my Bilt Rewards link to sign-up and support the show! If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you'll take a moment to leave us a rating. That helps us grow our audience! If you're looking for a way to support the show, we'd love to have you join us in our Travel Slack Community.  Join me and other travel experts for informative conversations about the travel world, the best ways to use your miles and points, Zoom happy hours and exciting giveaways. Monthly access Annual access Personal consultation plus annual access We have witty, funny, sarcastic discussions about travel, for members only. My fellow travel experts are available to answer your questions and we host video chats multiple times per month. Follow Us! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milestogopodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@milestogopodcast Ed Pizza: https://www.instagram.com/pizzainmotion/ Richard Kerr: https://www.instagram.com/kerrpoints/    

This week on The Nerdpocalypse Podcast the guys return after a long break to discuss Eyes of Wakanda, Fantastic Four: First Steps, Alien: Earth, Weapons, new season of Peacemaker so far, Nicholas Cage in talks to star in True Detective season 5, how Sony royally screwed up and sold K-Pop Demon Hunters to Netflix, Bryan Singer trying to make a Hollywood comeback, Noah Centineo set to play a young John Rambo in a series prequal, trailers for Nuremberg, All of You, Is this On?, and much more!CHECKED OUTEyes of WakandaFantastic FourAlien: EarthWeaponsPeacemakerTOPICS - Section 1Nicholas Cage in talks for True Detective - Season 5K-Pop Demon Hunters is the biggest movie in Netflix historyTNP STUDIOS PREMIUM (www.TheNerdpocalypse.com/premium)$5 a month Access to premium slate of podcasts incl. The Airing of Grievances, No Time to Bleed, The Men with the Golden Tongues, Upstage Conversation, and full episodes of the Look Forward political podcastTOPICS - Section 2Brian Singer is trying to make a comebackNoah Centineo Attached to Play Rambo in Prequel Movie ‘John Rambo'TRAILERSNurembergAll of YouIs This Thing On?

"When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before! Then all his brothers, sisters, and former friends came and feasted with him in his home. And they consoled him and comforted him because of all the trials the Lord had brought against him. And each of them brought him a gift of money and a gold ring."‭‭- Job‬ ‭42‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In episode nine, Scott, Paul and Tom revisit back to back gold medals, and hear from this year's expected leader James Hagens!  Join us on ITHSWpodcasts.Podbean.com, or wherever you get your favorite podcast! For more, click like and subscribe and go to ITHSWpodcasts.podbean.com

fromatoarbitration.com

Dr. Lynn Banis is an Expert Transformational Coach, Speaker, Grief Mentor, Founder and Owner of “Widows Rising Together,” a vibrant and compassionate community dedicated to empowering widows navigate their new realities.  Lynn helps widows transform loneliness into connection to create a vibrant and fulfilling new life as she supports them through their challenging new chapter of life so they can be assured they have truly transformed into their best self and life.  Lynn had her own grief experience, when she lost her mother, her younger brother, and her husband, all in a three-year time span. Feeling like the rug had been pulled out from under her, she found herself in a free fall. She discovered that grief isn't just sadness; it's disorienting. She explains that no number of degrees, education, or coaching experience could have prepared her for the depth of grief that hit her like a tidal wave and left her wondering if she would ever recover.  After months of struggling for months I struggled with pain, loneliness and lack of motivation to do anything, she began to put her education as a psychologist and years of coaching to use on herself. She Identified her self-limiting beliefs and changed them to empowering ones. Then she did the same for mindset and thought patterns.  She persisted in using various tools and techniques until she came out the other side of grief and built her new life.  It was at that moment of rebuilding that she truly stepped into her power and decided that I would help other grieving widows with their grief, their struggles, and their self-doubt into stepping-stones for something greater by creating a new life, a life that they love and a life worth living through connection, abundance, love, and self-worth.   Download this positive and informative episode with its powerful message of hope and healing, along with valuable tools and tips that all of us can apply to every aspect of our life to create a life of abundance, connection, and love. Fantastic episode!   Connect with Lynn:      https://web.actionera.com/widowsrisingtogether https://www.facebook.com/lbanis https://www.instagram.com/banislynn/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynn-banis-36987b2aa/  

Fail forward and don't expect things to work out the first or 20th time. Find your superpower and put it to work in the church. We need your light and the gifts that God placed in you! 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 A Family Forged in Crisis Romans 12:4-5 You have to be ready for crisis by belonging and participating in the community of God. Isaiah 41:10 Revelation 21:3-4 Facing Cosmic Fear Together Staying in the fold of God keeps us safer together in numbers. Psalm 78:4-7 Acts 2:39 2 Timothy 1:5 Plant Hope in the Next Generation Ephesians 2:19 Galatians 3:28-29 A Chosen Family by Grace not by Genes Acts 4:32-35 Hebrews 10:24-25 Guarding our words in order to build others up and not tear them down Ephesians 4:29-32 Galatians 5:13-15 Colossians 3:12-14The post Fantastic 4 and Belonging in Christ first appeared on Living Hope.

“And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of money and a ring of gold.”‭‭- Job‬ ‭42‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭ESV‬

The 209 boys are back and they are feeling Fantastic! Fantastic 4 that is. The fellas catch up and talk about the latest Marvel adventure. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the show! and until the next time.... we will see you in the 209!

What a special episode we have for you today. First, we discuss the charming, riotous, bawdy new Spanish film "The Fantastic Golem Affairs," and then we have a conversation with the filmmakers: Burnin' Percebes (Juan González and Fernando Martínez). Listen to the whole episode! Or skip to the conversation with Burnin Percebes (that's the really important part)! Keep an eye out for a screening of "The Fantastic Golem Affairs" near you. And keep a close watch on these brilliant, funny filmmakers. The Fantastic Golem Affairs trailer Support Why Does the Wilhelm Scream Keep in touch and read more at whydoesthewilhelmscream.com on instagram and threads @whydoesthewilhelmpod  Find out more about upcoming Fort Worth Film Club screenings and events at fortworthfilmclub.com and @fortworthfilm Support the next generation of film lovers at reelhousefoundation.org and on facebook reelhousefoundation Artwork by @_mosla_

(00:00:00) Episode ONE (00:14:58) Episode TWO (00:30:29) Episode THREE (00:56:24) Episode FOUR (01:22:34) Episode FIVE

It's Galactus sized episode where we talk about Fantastic 4, the first of the beatitudes from  Matthew 5:3 and get to meet author E. J. Kitchens from the Realm Makers' community.  Author E. J. Kitchens' website: https://www.ejkitchens.com Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/nerdyfolks Website: https://www.nerdyfolks.com Support Nerdy Folks: Tax Deductible Gift: http://www.globalstudentinc.com/seipel-anderson Buy me a coffee: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=U8AU6JNDRH6KN Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NerdyFolks

Joel, and Stephen review Fantastic Four: First Steps, and KPop Demon Hunters, share recommendations for anime, and some favourite Kdramas. Plus, bonus bully tail wags.Show notes for The Citadel Cafe are here:http://www.thecitadelcafe.com/2025/08/31/the-citadel-cafe-497-fantastic-kpop-demon-hunters/Join The Citadel Cafe Discord community!http://Patreon.com/TheCitadelCafeThe Citadel Cafe YouTube:https://youtube.com/thecitadelcafe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Without Your Head Podcast: Nasty Neal with Burnin' Percebes (Juan González and Fernando Martínez) creators of The Fantastic Golem Affairs in theaters now!The story begins with Juan and David playing a movie guessing game on a rooftop. During an animated round, David strips naked, mimics a monkey and accidentally falls to his death. However, instead of a conventional fatal impact, his body inexplicably shatters into ceramic-like fragments. Juan, devastated and confused, attends David's funeral, where his remains are treated with eerie indifference. As Juan attempts to process his grief, he is bombarded with bureaucratic nuisances, including funeral expenses and insurance claims for the damaged car David landed on. Determined to uncover the truth behind his friend's bizarre demise, Juan embarks on an investigation.

Not a fork. Not a knife. Not a spork (though underrated). We're talking Spoon -- the legendary indie rock band from Austin, Texas, that's been stirring up perfect soundscapes since the early '90s. With more than 1.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Spoon has slipped their sharp, stylish tracks onto the charts and even into movie soundtracks over their 30+ year career. Never heard of them? Even better -- this is your perfect crash course in Spoonology™. Already a devoted fan? Fantastic -- you'll finally get to hear us wrestle with the eternal mystery: why on earth did founding frontman Britt Daniel name the band after, yes, a piece of silverware? Spoiler: the answer comes from an iconic '70s song, and we're serving up a tasty snippet. To guide us through the Spooniverse, Team Derringer (Laura, Alton, and Paul) are joined by our good pal Dan Friedman -- a Durham-based musician, eco-warrior, and mastermind behind The Music and Planet Project. Dan brings his indie chops and environmental wisdom to the table as we dish out the very best of Spoon. So pull up a chair, grab your beverage of choice, and let's talk Spoon—because this isn't just a band. It's a lifestyle. WANT TO JOIN THE SHOW? Be a Special Guest Want to be a Special Guest like Dan? All you need is enthusiasm and a love for Derringer Discoveries! (Plus, subscribing to our newsletter and listening regularly helps!) Be a Featured Music Artist To be featured as a Musical Artist on Derringer Discoveries, you'll need 10,000+ monthly listeners on Spotify. How to Get Involved Want to be a Special Guest? Drop us a line at feedback@derringerdiscoveries.com with the major artist you'd like us to feature, plus your Top 5 favorite songs by that artist. Want to be a Featured Music Artist? Send us an email and include a Spotify link to your music at feedback@derringerdiscoveries.com. INFO & SHOW NOTES: www.derringerdiscoveries.com/088 SPOTIFY PLAYLIST: SPOON INSPIRED This episode features a Spotify playlist celebrating songs from the episode, plus other global artists who inspire us. If you're an artist inspired by this episode, send us a Spotify link to your song - if it fits the format and is a solid track, we'll add it to the playlist (as long as you're a regular Derringer Discoveries listener!). FOLLOW US & STAY CONNECTED Website: www.derringerdiscoveries.com Theme Song: Your Sister's Room by Ho Jo Fro. Episodes: www.derringerdiscoveries.com/episodes. Social Media: Instagram, Facebook, Threads, X, and BlueSky. Newsletter: Stay up to date by signing up for our newsletter.  Thank you for listening to Derringer Discoveries!   

Join the hosts as they take you through all the news from around the world and across the UK.  In this week's show we have the Airbus vs Boeing race, Qantas gets slapped with a fine and we talk about an A319 Air Canada Rouge incident.  In the military, a passenger accidentally ejects from an F-15 and we look back at the life of John Cruickshank, the last recipient of a World War II Victoria Cross.  And we have a FANTASTIC interview to play out for you from the Bray Air Display. This week, we interview Aer Lingus Captain Frank Lawless who flies the A330 and also the Chipmunk DHC-1! Take part in our chatroom to help shape the conversation of the show. You can get in touch with us all at : WhatsApp +447446975214 Email podcast@planetalkinguk.com or comment in our chatroom on YouTube.

Summary: Adam J Purcell, Fake Keith, the Real Keith Dunn and Scott Fuller review Doctor Who: Logopolis and the 2025 film Fantastic Four: First Steps, find some general news and a variety of other stuff, specifically: 00:00 – Intro and theme tune. 00:56 — Welcome! 01:22 – News: 01:32 — Doctor Who: BBC pledge support. […]

Not a fork. Not a knife. Not a spork (though underrated). We're talking Spoon -- the legendary indie rock band from Austin, Texas, that's been stirring up perfect soundscapes since the early '90s. With more than 1.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Spoon has slipped their sharp, stylish tracks onto the charts and even into movie soundtracks over their 30+ year career. Never heard of them? Even better -- this is your perfect crash course in Spoonology™. Already a devoted fan? Fantastic -- you'll finally get to hear us wrestle with the eternal mystery: why on earth did founding frontman Britt Daniel name the band after, yes, a piece of silverware? Spoiler: the answer comes from an iconic '70s song, and we're serving up a tasty snippet. To guide us through the Spooniverse, Team Derringer (Laura, Alton, and Paul) are joined by our good pal Dan Friedman -- a Durham-based musician, eco-warrior, and mastermind behind The Music and Planet Project. Dan brings his indie chops and environmental wisdom to the table as we dish out the very best of Spoon. So pull up a chair, grab your beverage of choice, and let's talk Spoon—because this isn't just a band. It's a lifestyle. WANT TO JOIN THE SHOW? Be a Special Guest Want to be a Special Guest like Dan? All you need is enthusiasm and a love for Derringer Discoveries! (Plus, subscribing to our newsletter and listening regularly helps!) Be a Featured Music Artist To be featured as a Musical Artist on Derringer Discoveries, you'll need 10,000+ monthly listeners on Spotify. How to Get Involved Want to be a Special Guest? Drop us a line at feedback@derringerdiscoveries.com with the major artist you'd like us to feature, plus your Top 5 favorite songs by that artist. Want to be a Featured Music Artist? Send us an email and include a Spotify link to your music at feedback@derringerdiscoveries.com. INFO & SHOW NOTES: www.derringerdiscoveries.com/088 SPOTIFY PLAYLIST: SPOON INSPIRED This episode features a Spotify playlist celebrating songs from the episode, plus other global artists who inspire us. If you're an artist inspired by this episode, send us a Spotify link to your song - if it fits the format and is a solid track, we'll add it to the playlist (as long as you're a regular Derringer Discoveries listener!). FOLLOW US & STAY CONNECTED Website: www.derringerdiscoveries.com Theme Song: Your Sister's Room by Ho Jo Fro. Episodes: www.derringerdiscoveries.com/episodes. Social Media: Instagram, Facebook, Threads, X, and BlueSky. Newsletter: Stay up to date by signing up for our newsletter.  Thank you for listening to Derringer Discoveries!   

Bills talks about being in the future right now, ppl living to 200 years old, Michael Douglass being underrated, how he would change Fantastic 4 and remembering how are it is to break up

the big NFL news isn't so fantastic for SamSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The second installment of Fresh Immigrants, Rotten Fascists focuses on Adenoid Hynkel - the familiar looking authoritarian played by Charlie Chaplin in THE GREAT DICTATOR. Of course, there's more to Chaplin's masterpiece than Hynkle's fascist antics, including a showstopper of an ending that remains as relevant today as it was in the middle of World War II.Thank you for checking this new project out, whether you are a long-time Contrarians fan or someone who's just trying to listen to people talking positively about immigrants and negatively about fascism. If you have any recommendations for future entries in the series, let us know!- Many thanks to the amazing Jordan Cooper for composing our intro and outro. Fantastic collaborator to work with - and he has a They Might Be Giants podcast: DON'T LET'S START.- Interested in more Contrarians goodness? Join THE CONTRARIANS SUPPLEMENTS on our Patreon Page! Deleted clips, extended plugs, bonus episodes free from the Tomatometer shackles… It's everything a Contrarians devotee would want!- Our YouTube page is live! Get some visual Contrarians delight with our Contrarians Warm-Ups and other fun videos!- Our buddy Cory Ahre is being kind enough to lend a hand with the editing of some of our videos. If you like his style, wait until you see what he does over on his YouTube Channel.- THE LATE NIGHT GRIN isn't just a show about wrestling: it's a brand, a lifestyle. And they're very supportive of our Contrarian endeavors, so we'd like to return the favor. Check out their YouTube Channel! You might even spot Alex there from time to time.- Hans Rothgiesser, the man behind our logo, can be reached at @mildemonios on Twitter or you can email him at mildemonios@hotmail.com in case you ever need a logo (or comics) produced. And you can listen to him talk about economy on his new TV show, VALOR AGREGADO. Aaaaand you can also check out all the stuff he's written on his own website. He has a new book: a sort of Economics For Dummies called MARGINAL. Ask him about it!

For many investors, they start their journey by connecting with a real estate agent who doesn't match their values or understand their goals.  In this episode of the #DoorGrowShow, property management growth expert Jason Hull sits down with Andrew Rhatigan from Rhatigan Real Estate to go deep into the intersection of strategy and psychology and property investment, from navigating relocations and high-value deals to uncovering the mindset shifts that drive success in real estate. You'll Learn [04:21] Using Psychology to Figure out Investors' Motivations [09:07] The New Model of Selling: Empathy [13:16] The Property Management Industry in Ireland [21:09] Saving Investors 80 Hours Per Month and Retaining Value Quotables “Most people's end goal is not to have rental property. There's a reason why.” “If the investment vehicle isn't going to help them achieve their why or their purpose, then it's probably not a good idea.” “I think that's really the crux of actual, valuable, true selling. It's not about trying to force people or convince people to buy a product or a service or to get into something. It's about figuring out, do they even need what maybe I could offer them?” Resources DoorGrow and Scale Mastermind DoorGrow Academy DoorGrow on YouTube DoorGrowClub DoorGrowLive Transcript Andrew Rhatigan (00:00) instead of just being sold something for the sake of transacting,   Jason Hull (00:00) And instead of just being sold something for the sake of transacting,   Andrew Rhatigan (00:03) they've been guided to something that's going to suit their risk tolerance, their life now, and also the future if they chose to rent it in time to come.   Jason Hull (00:03) they've been guided to something that's gonna suit their risk tolerance, their life now, and also the future if they chose to invest in the   All right, I am Jason Hull, the founder and CEO of DoorGrow, the world's leading and most comprehensive coaching and consulting firm for long-term residential property management entrepreneurs. For over a decade and a half, we have brought innovative strategies and optimization to the property management industry. At DoorGrow, we have spoken to thousands of property management business owners, coached, consulted, and cleaned up hundreds of businesses, helping them add doors, improve pricing, increase profit, simplify operations, and build and replace teams.   We are like bar rescue for property managers. In fact, we have cleaned up and rebranded over 300 businesses and we run the leading property management mastermind with more video testimonials and reviews than any other coach or consultant in the industry. At DoorGrow, we believe that good property managers can change the world and that property management is the ultimate high trust gateway to real estate deals, relationships, and residual income. At DoorGrow, we are on a mission to transform property management business owners   and their businesses, we want to transform the industry, eliminate the BS, build awareness, change perception, expand the market, and help the best property management entrepreneurs win. Now, let's get into the show. And today, my guest is Andrew Rhatigan Welcome, Andrew.   Andrew Rhatigan (01:24) Pleasure to be here, thanks for having us.   Jason Hull (01:26) It's good to have you. So Andrew, we're going to go deep into the intersection of strategy and psychology and property investment from navigating relocations and high value deals to uncovering the mindset shifts that drive success in real estate and business and learn how your innovative approach helps investors save over 80 hours a month and retain up to 10 % more value in their property transactions. All right, so   Hopefully that's got some people ears perked up and their attention peaked and they're interested. So Andrew, give us a little background on you and how you kind of got into business and entrepreneurism and started into real estate investing and all of this stuff.   Andrew Rhatigan (02:09) So firstly, great to be here. And even from your introduction, it made me want to get involved in what you're doing. So it was a fabulous insight into the value you drive for your clients and potential clientele. So essentially, I suppose I've always had an entrepreneurial spirit and by virtue of life's experience, I've gone from every different avenue. And I suppose the backdrop to my life was that my family are and were in property in a very variety of ways. My late father was a developer and I have other family members that are still in development to this day. And   I suppose as I grew up, I was always interested in people and sales, but I ran away a little bit from the property side of things to go forge my own path and explore what I felt, you know, my version of winning was. And I originally studied psychology because at the time I thought it would sound good at a dinner party. I'm happy to say that now at the age of 40, that at the age of 18, guess what? Mic drop. I had no idea what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. So I studied what I thought would sound good at a party.   Jason Hull (02:47) explore what I felt my version of winning was. And I originally studied psychology because at the time I thought it would sound good at a dinner party. I'm happy to say that now at the age of 40, that at the age of 18, guess what? Mic drop. I had no idea what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. So I studied what I thought would sound good at a   party.   Andrew Rhatigan (03:06) But how it benefited me was that I understood more about myself, my inner workings, my drivers. And as I grew, I had different businesses throughout my life, but it all centered around two things, sales and people. And I suppose that was built on a foundation of authenticity, trust, and really seeking to build relationships for the long term rather than transactions. And I was in property, been in property for the last 10 years. And when COVID hit, I saw an opportunity to build a business.   Jason Hull (03:07) But how it benefited me was that I understood more about myself, my inner workings, my drivers. And as I grew, I had different businesses throughout my life, but it all centered around two things, sales and people. And I thought that was built on a foundation of authenticity, trust, and really seeking to build relationships for the long term rather than transactions. And I was in property, been in property for the last 10 years. And when COVID hit, I saw an opportunity to build a business   based on my   Andrew Rhatigan (03:36) based on my personality   Jason Hull (03:37) personality type and a niche in the market that was booking the trend of generic real estate agency. So as opposed to simply transacting, charging a simple fee and of rowing in with the rest of the property agency around the world, I decided to create a consultative business that was client first. I advocate for clients and independent. And I suppose I add that layer of   Andrew Rhatigan (03:37) type and a niche in the market that was booking the trend of generic real estate agency. So as opposed to simply transacting, charging a simple fee and kind of rowing in with the rest of property agency around the world, I decided to create a consultative business that was client first. I advocate for clients. I'm independent. And I suppose I add that layer of   Almost sports management to it, you know, so a big part of what we do is we were a fixer for a lot of our clients that come to us with almost a plastic bag full of a jumbled mixture of receipts at account season. And they come to us with a problem or an idea, and then they ask us to fix it or find a solution. And essentially we've become that advisor or that advocate for people who are looking to either put their money to work or who are looking to source a property in Ireland as a base for an investment or for supporting family or themselves going forward.   Jason Hull (04:02) almost sports management to it. know, so a big part of what we do is we're a fixer for a lot of our clients that come to us with almost a plastic bag full of a jumbled mixture of receipts at account season. And they come to us with a problem or an idea and then they ask us to fix it or find a solution. And essentially we've become that advisor or that advocate for people who are looking to either put their money to work or who are looking to source a property in Ireland as a base for an investment or for supporting family or themselves going forward.   Well, let's get into the topic at hand then so how How have you sort of applied this psychology background that sounded cool at a party You know to you know what you're doing now with real estate investing   Andrew Rhatigan (04:46) I think the best way to describe it   is life. You'll often have that you have a different, let's say a room of people at a variety of age brackets and they all have a different view on the world by virtue of what they've experienced, the way they see the world now and obviously their disposition to what they want from life. So I suppose what we do when we're assessing a potential client is instead of me taking Jason's budget and just finding something for the sake of it, I front load the conversation by asking what is it Jason wants from life?   Jason Hull (04:58) I've decided.   So I suppose what we do...   of me taking Jason's budget and just finding something for the sake of it, I front load the conversation by asking what is it Jason wants from life?   Andrew Rhatigan (05:15) What is his appetite to risk? What does he think he wants in a property? And what would that mean if we were to work through that hypothetical? And I suppose what I found quite unique is the way we work with people is I'm quite challenging to what people want to do because I'm asking the question before they've had to buy it because   Jason Hull (05:15) What is his appetite to risk? What does he think he wants in a property? And what would that mean if we were to work through that hypothetical? And what I found quite unique is the way we work with people is I'm quite challenging what people want to do because I'm asking the question before they're fired. ⁓   Andrew Rhatigan (05:32) that advisory piece needs to come into play. So I'm quite like an parent. So if Jason said, let's say if we looked at it from a car point of view, I need a two door sports car that goes from zero to one hundred.   Jason Hull (05:33) advisory piece needs to commit to play. So I'm like a parent. So if Jason said, let's say if we looked at it from a cardboard view, I needed two doors sports card that goes from zero to   100, know, lickety split. I just wanted because I wanted. And I said, okay, but do you have, and I know each other before, do you have dogs? Do you like to play them out a lot? Do you have kids? Do you play golf? Right. asking those questions.   Andrew Rhatigan (05:43) You know, lickety split and I just wanted because I want it. And I say, okay, you know, do you have, and I know we chatted before it. Do you have dogs? Do you like to take them out a lot? Do you have kids? Do you play golf? Am I asking those questions?   We're then essentially creating a foundation where I've challenged someone before they've spent money at that level to really understand what their motivations are. So property, when we're working on it, it's probably 90 % mental and then 10 % execution.   Jason Hull (05:56) We're then essentially creating a foundation for our challenge, some before they spent money at that level to really understand what their motivations are. So property, what we're working on is probably 90 % mental and then 10 % execution.   Yeah, got it. So I love that you're kind of asking them what they want out of life first, because I mean, most people's end goal is not to have rental property. There's a reason why behind, you know,   these decisions and why they have these things. And if the investment vehicle isn't gonna help them achieve their why or their purpose, then it's probably not a good idea. So, cool. So this is kind of how you start with people.   Andrew Rhatigan (06:31) Yeah, people are paying for it right   now. Yeah.   Jason Hull (06:35) So then what do feel like would be the next step?   Andrew Rhatigan (06:38) So essentially when someone has either referred to us or reaches out to us through our various websites or offerings, a big part of what I try and understand is someone's potential profile. So I could have someone that's abroad and let's say they've had a windfall from maybe a bereavement or a financial award. There may be something in that where they maybe need an hour of my time so I can guide them through why they shouldn't be making an investment, especially in the Irish market, because it is quite contentious. Supply is a challenge.   Jason Hull (06:55) something   especially in the Irish market because it is quite contentious, supply is   a challenge. ⁓   Andrew Rhatigan (07:06) And when people are looking   at Ireland from an international stage, they probably don't understand the nuances of it. But a big part of what I lean into with people is I will often tell people no, because I'm coming from a place that I want to make them, I want them to go away from meeting us and having that conversation, knowing that we've given the best advice for what they want from life rather than a paint by numbers that everyone can do.   Jason Hull (07:09) they probably don't understand the nuances of it. But a big part of what I lean into with people is I will often tell people no, because I'm coming from a place that I want to make them, I want them to go away from meeting us and having that conversation knowing that we've given the best advice for what they want from life rather than a paint by numbers that everyone can   do. It's everyone's version. I go back to everyone, version of winning is different. And I originally got it from Gary Vaynerchuk about 10 years ago, which was   Andrew Rhatigan (07:29) because everyone's version, I go back to everyone's version of winning is different and I originally got it from Gary Vaynerchuk about 10 years ago, which was one   person wants to work a 30 hour work week, they want to play video games at night and take two holidays a year. Another person wants to have every door in an apartment block and they want to build a special purpose vehicle and build for the next three to five generations, let's say. What drives both of those is inherently different. There's only one Jeff Bezos for a reason.   Jason Hull (07:38) One person wants to work a 30 hour work week, they want to play video games at night and take two holidays a year. Another person wants to have every door in the apartment block and they want to build a special purpose vehicle and build for the next three to five generations, let's say. What drives both of those is inherently different. There's no jet-flazed off for a   reason. So when we're working with people or potentially working with people, we really want to understand what it is they want. So by asking key questions, we understand...   Andrew Rhatigan (07:58) So when we're working with people or potentially working with people, we really want to understand what it is they want. So by asking key questions, we understand   their background, their motivators, their appetite to risk their life cycle as well. Because if someone makes a lot of money, they maybe want to put it to work rather than leave it in a bank. But if someone is not equipped to have, I suppose, the wherewithal to understand when you're putting money into, into real estate, what the implications are, they maybe need someone to tell them not to do it.   Jason Hull (08:06) their background, their motivators, their appetite to risk, their life cycle as well, because if someone makes a lot of money, they maybe want to put it to work rather than leave it in the bank. But if someone is not equipped to have, I suppose, the wherewithal to understand when you're putting money into real estate, what the implications are, they maybe need someone to tell them not to   do it, to put the money somewhere safe and to take a percentage of it and maybe go into some sort of a fractional ownership scheme.   Andrew Rhatigan (08:26) to put the money somewhere safe and to take a percentage of it and maybe go into some sort of a fractional ownership scheme. So   someone who may be able to invest in a larger fund that they can weather the cost and they get a more nominal return in the long term. So I suppose a big part of how I look at it is giving people the advice they need. And then I also have a lot of people who are looking at Ireland now as a place to build a lifestyle. So we have a lot of people who are international looking at Ireland because of the lifestyle, the language and the location.   Jason Hull (08:32) So somebody may be able to invest in a larger fund that they could weather the cost and they get more normal return in long term. So I suppose a big part of how I look at it is giving people the advice they need. And then I also have a lot of people who are looking at Ireland now as a place to build a lifestyle. So we have a lot of people who are international looking at Ireland because of the lifestyle, the language and the location.   Andrew Rhatigan (08:56) So lifestyle because it's quite a relaxed setting, language because English is the first language   Jason Hull (08:56) So lifestyle because it's quite a relaxed selling language because English is the first language.   Andrew Rhatigan (09:01) and location being a jumping off point for the rest of Europe. So we see a lot of ⁓ entrepreneurs, expats, musicians, sports people who are looking at Ireland as a base even for themselves from a personal perspective as well.   Jason Hull (09:01) and location being a jumping-on point for the rest of Europe. So we see a lot of entrepreneurs, ec-pats, musicians, people who are looking at Ireland as a face, even from themselves from a personal perspective   as well. Yeah, I like it. Well, I love what you said about the sales process, that you're not trying to shove them or push them into a particular vehicle. You're trying to figure out what would be best for them. And I think that's really the crux of actual   valuable, true selling. It's not about trying to force people or convince people to buy a product or a service or to get into something. It's about figuring out, do they even need what maybe I could offer them? And if they do need it, do they want it from me? Instead of trying to push them. And I think there's been a huge shift I've noticed in the last, I guess since COVID, we're kind of in this post trust era.   Everybody got kind of burned by COVID because they realized, hey, we were kind of all duped and tricked to some degree. then we're like, especially in the States here in the U.S., we're figuring out, well, voting sort of been fake and food's been fake and everything politically we're lied to and medical stuff is all this stuff is coming out as fake. And right now it seems like now the stuff talked about on the news is the weather's fake. so.   We're like, we feel so manipulated and we feel like we've been lied to in so many ways that trust is at this all time low. The one thing that I've noticed that people trust though, is they trust themselves. And so I think that there's a new model of selling that's really come about as a result of this. If you're trying to be effective and that's being more empathetic, it's allowing them to figure out what they want and what they need rather than just pitching and pushing.   like the old school strategies that you've gotten from all these sales gurus and trainers that have existed for the last decade or two.   Andrew Rhatigan (10:51) Absolutely. I couldn't agree   more. And I think another side of it when you're in property or real estate is you are already a level below general viewpoints on selling because I was in the car business and in the car business, people are anxious. They're wondering if they're going to be sold something that doesn't suit. Are you telling them the truth? And I suppose some great lessons I learned from a wonderful book by Chris Voss called Never Split the Difference. I'm sure anyone in properties read it or listen to it is   Jason Hull (11:04) anxious.   I'm telling them the truth. And I suppose some great lessons I learned from a wonderful book by Chris Voss called Never Split the Difference. I hear anyone in properties register or listen to it.   Andrew Rhatigan (11:17) I really lean into all the fears that people have and I don't use them as a tool to sell them. I use them as a tool to say, look, I know what you're thinking. And, you know, a real estate agent is going to sell you any deal under the sun just to get a deal. So I suppose how I actually booked the trend of that,   Jason Hull (11:17) I really lean into all the fears that people have and I don't use them as a tool to sell them. I use them as a tool to say, look, I know what you're thinking. then, know, I read a sad agent just going to sell you any deal under the sun just to get a deal. So I suppose how I actually booked the trend of that.   Andrew Rhatigan (11:33) the way we price things and our fee is actually you pay us upfront. And the reason you do that is it turns the volume down on the opinions of others around you. rather than me doing a deal for a potentially high fee,   Jason Hull (11:34) the way we price things that our fee is actually you pay us upfront. And the reason you do that is it turns the volume down on the opinions of others around you. So rather than me doing a deal for a potentially high fee   and frantically searching for something to shoehorn you into, I understand what your needs are. We price the package up from day one. It's fixed and you either can pay it all upfront or pay it in monthly installments. But two things that does, it enables.   Andrew Rhatigan (11:45) and frantically searching for something to shoehorn you into. I understand what your needs are. We price a package from day one. It's fixed and you either can pay it all upfront or pay it in monthly installments. two things that does, it enables and empowers   me to say, look, Jason, we found you three deals. I actually don't like two of them because they don't make sense. One here is interesting, but I don't think it's for you just yet. There's no incentive for me not to put you into it. But by paying me upfront,   Jason Hull (12:01) Yeah   Andrew Rhatigan (12:13) you're paying me to tell you no. And I suppose I'm trying to really lean into that trust factor with people, which is trust me enough to pay me, but then you're going to benefit because I'm going to see you right rather than see you do a deal for the sake of closing a fee and a hope for moving on and you lose   my number. No interest. I prefer long-term relationships. And I would prefer, especially in this world now, I mean, if you gave me what 13 hours, I could be sitting in that cool room of yours talking to you. So the world is so small that   Jason Hull (12:29) No interest. prefer long-term relationships and I would prefer, especially in this world now, mean, if you gave me what, 13 hours, I could be sitting in that cool room of yours talking to the world is so small,   Andrew Rhatigan (12:42) build a relationship for the long term. And it means that it then lives beyond our interaction for other people to be referred to, to enjoy, to get some value from. And I love that. It just goes back to the old school way of building trust.   Jason Hull (12:43) but build a relationship for the long-term. And it means that it then lives beyond our interaction for other people to be referred to, to enjoy, to get some value from. And I love that. It just goes back to the old school way of building trust. Yeah, I love it. I think that's a unique model to have them pay you upfront.   then you said it turns down the volume around you. Yeah, because the challenge is a lot of people's first starting point, they will go to real estate agents, which they have a very strong incentive to get a commission out of any sort of investment or real estate deal. And they're usually not really well versed in giving you good investment advice anyway, and let alone having an incentive to do so. And so this is why a lot of   Smart investors will actually usually start by talking to a property manager first, like what properties, what areas are good to have, what sort of property would be a good investment, because they're actually living in it, you know, they're actually living with that property and managing it, making sure that it can cash flow and is effective. And they're doing this for lots of different properties in that market. And so finding a good property manager is a resource. With the stuff that you do over there in Ireland,   property manager's piece of the puzzle.   Andrew Rhatigan (13:59) Yes, so I think we're probably in the grand scheme of how Ireland works. We're probably about 15 to 20 years behind the states in a number of ways. So I suppose you're still going to have a mixture of localized property managers who are very, you know, it's a hobbyist, it's a lifestyle piece where they get, let's say up to maybe 80 to a hundred doors and they can manage it themselves with a certain level of admin, but it becomes more of a practical lifestyle piece for them. But I suppose the other side of it is   Jason Hull (14:25) I suppose the other side   of it is you can then suddenly become a busy fool and you're not able to continue building relationships with people. Servicing clients becomes a challenge. So we're seeing a layer of both technology and I suppose a need for those who want to support larger funds. you have a lot of the investment funds coming in from all over the world and they're looking at Ireland or they're working at Ireland as a good base to be able to buy or build.   Andrew Rhatigan (14:27) you can then suddenly become a busy fool and you're not able to continue building relationships with people. ⁓ Servicing clients becomes a challenge. So we are seeing a layer of both technology and I suppose a need for those who want to support larger funds. So you have a lot of the I-Res, know, the investment funds coming in from all over the world and they're looking at Ireland or they were looking at Ireland as a good base to be able to buy or build purpose-built   Jason Hull (14:52) purpose-built rental facilities. So when you look at Ireland   Andrew Rhatigan (14:52) rental facilities. So when you look at Ireland now,   Jason Hull (14:56) now, you are seeing a prominence of people seeing value in having that layered system of a service you can log an issue in, a ⁓ one-tier contact system where you don't have to forget that Mary looks after accounts, but she doesn't look after facilities, and John looks after X and not Y. And I think people are looking   Andrew Rhatigan (14:56) you are seeing a prominence of people seeing value in having that layered system of, know, a service you can log an issue with. I suppose a one tier contact system where you don't have to forget that Mary looks after accounts, but she doesn't look after facilities and John looks after X and not Y. And I think people are looking at that   as an opportunity to streamline a service for people. But I suppose to be honest with you as well, the challenge for us historically is   Jason Hull (15:17) to streamline the service for people. And I suppose to be honest with you as well, the challenge for us historically   is those who want property managed, understanding the value involved and having someone, like you said, who does it every day, knows exactly how to deal with people, who understand the nuances of it, and paying them to do so on an ongoing basis so they can outsource that whole process and that support going forward. Got it. All right, we're gonna have a quick word from our sponsor, which is Blanket. So Blanket,   Andrew Rhatigan (15:24) those who want property managed understanding the value involved in having someone like you said, who does it every day, who knows exactly how to deal with people, who understands the nuances of it and paying them to do so on an ongoing basis so they can outsource that thought process and that support going forward.   Jason Hull (15:47) is a property retention and growth platform that helps property managers stop losing doors and add more revenue and increase the number of properties they manage while your clients with a branded investor dashboard and an off-market marketplace, while your team gets all the tools they need to identify owners at risk of churning and powerful systems to help you add more doors. So check out Blanket, I think it's a really cool platform. So, all right, back to you, Andrew. So Andrew, what?   Do you feel like you would like the rest of the United States investment world and property managers to know about Ireland? Like what, what don't we know about it? Cause we're kind of in our bubble here in the unit US a lot of times. So.   Andrew Rhatigan (16:28) You know, I think it's   probably amazing when you look at the history of Ireland's role in the world. We're quite a new country in the grand scheme of the value we've driven internationally. And I suppose we've got obviously a very long standing historic and positive relationship with the states generally by virtue of, I suppose, our connections with the United States and that history that we have obviously going over there for a long time. But I suppose what's happening now in the last two decades is we have a lot of companies that have really shown their muster. We've had a lot of   Jason Hull (16:49) street.   But I suppose what's happening now in last two decades is we have a lot of companies that have really shown their muster. We've had a lot   of growth from an economic perspective and we have companies and people that are probably making the most money they've ever made and they're going to put it to work. I suppose another challenge or I see challenges as opportunities as well is the Irish market at the moment is in dire need of more supply and we have some stringent planning laws that are going through.   Andrew Rhatigan (16:58) growth from an economic perspective. And we have companies and people that are probably making the most money they've ever made and they're looking to put it to work. But I suppose another challenge or I see challenges as opportunities as well is the Irish market at the moment is in in dire need of more supply. And we have some stringent planning laws that are going through.   I suppose that they're going through the ringer at the moment because you have developers who want to build and they want to grow.   Jason Hull (17:20) I suppose that they're going through the ringer at the moment because you have to have developers who want to build and they want to   grow and they've been stymied by a system that it can be clunky and quite slow. But I suppose when I look at Ireland from the perspective of an international platform, it's very easy to overlook everything we have that we don't have extreme heat, don't have extreme...   Andrew Rhatigan (17:26) and they've been stymied by a system that it can be clunky and quite slow. But I suppose when I look at Ireland from the perspective of an international platform, it's very easy to overlook everything we have that we don't have extreme heat. We don't have extreme climate   events. I suppose when it comes to being central, a lot of companies have chosen Ireland because it's a good HQ for their employee base. You're going to get great talent, but you can also travel around Europe. But when people look at Ireland from an international point of view, we still have so much land.   Jason Hull (17:40) I think there   is scope in the future to take a longer term view as to what Ireland could become from a development point of view. I think internationally there's a lot of points we could take from   Andrew Rhatigan (17:55) that is undeveloped, that I think there is scope in the future to take a longer term view as to what Ireland could become from a development point of view. And I think internationally, there's a lot of points we could take from   clever use of building, repurposing commercial developments, repurposing commercial buildings into residential, and also taking a view to exponential growth of these large companies that will need somewhere to grow and adapt and obviously as the population grows.   Jason Hull (18:08) Clever use of building, repurposing commercial developments, repurposing commercial buildings into residential and also taking a view to exponential growth of these large companies that will need somewhere to grow and adapt and obviously if the population   grows. But I think the opportunity for international people is to take a view as to unique building practices, potentially the next iteration of life at let's say data centers. At the moment they're in flux in Ireland, but I also   Andrew Rhatigan (18:23) But I think the opportunity for international people is to take a view as to unique building practices, potentially the next iteration of the likes of let's say data centers. At the moment they're in flux in Ireland, but I also think that people   Jason Hull (18:38) think that people can sometimes be overwhelmed by the concept of the perceived challenges and not seek out the unique opportunities. It's often like many business people who set up in the recession would say that was the best time to set up because it gave them the most opportunity.   Andrew Rhatigan (18:38) can sometimes be overwhelmed by the concept of the perceived challenges and not seek out the unique opportunities. And it's often like many business people who set up in the recession would say that was the best time to set up because it gave them the most opportunity.   I think this unique position Ireland is in is we have all this space, we haven't used it, building is in flux, but I do think if someone came in with a long term view, there is great scope for growth, but it's just about taking an outside eye and having the patience and the determination to see it through.   Jason Hull (18:53) I think this unique position our own disease we have all this space we haven't used it building is in flux but I do think if someone came in with a long-term view there is great scope for growth but it's just about taking an outside eye and having the patience and the determination to see it through.   Okay, so maybe some listening will have that long-term vision. there's no extreme client, good talent, people speak English there, which is great for us Americans, right? Europe travel hub, there's plenty of undeveloped land, so there's investment opportunities and maybe some potential data centers being built there, stuff like this. So it sounds like there's a lot of good things that could be potentially happening in Ireland.   So this is a really dumb random question, but how do the Irish in Ireland view the state celebrating St. Patrick's Day and kiss me I'm Irish and drinking green beer and all that?   Andrew Rhatigan (19:48) Well, I can, I can only speak for myself and those I know. I suppose the, one of the things that's very profound as an Irish person is you can overlook everything we have when you're here all the time. So the exact example, let's say someone who lives in New York, Times Square is just there and they just assume it's, always going to be there. The, know, if you're in Paris, the Eiffel Tower, et cetera. When you think of the impact and the relationships Ireland has with so many countries, much like the States, it can actually   Jason Hull (20:14) it can   actually, it puts manners on you quite quickly when you take a good grant because you realise...   Andrew Rhatigan (20:14) It puts manners on you quite quickly when you take it for granted, because you realize that this large   country that isn't Ireland, that doesn't have to love us the way it does, or doesn't have to embrace it the way it does, I suppose, engineers a wonderful experience for people to appreciate all things Irish, whether that be the connection to Ireland, the appreciation of having been here on holidays. And I suppose one of the things that is amazing every year is seeing that, I suppose, collection of nations that come together for a day that   Jason Hull (20:19) that isn't Ireland, that doesn't have to lovus the way it does, or doesn't have to embrace it the way it does, really, I suppose, engineers a wonderful experience for people to appreciate all the things Irish, whether that be the connection to Ireland, the appreciation of having been here on holidays. And I suppose one of the things that is amazing every year is seeing that, I suppose, collection of nations that come together for   a day that oftentimes people might overlook in general terms by virtue of holidays. But I think probably what it stands for is more that   Andrew Rhatigan (20:42) Oftentimes people might overlook in general terms by virtue of holidays, but I think it's probably what it stands for is more that camaraderie   openness. You know, Ireland has changed a lot in the last number of years. ⁓ And I suppose there is like everything there's always going to be the cheesy factor of people who, you know, do the kiss me I'm Irish and whatever else. But I would rather people embrace what it is we are as a very small country and they appreciate that. Like that's that's a phenomenal thing to me. And the fact that it just continues to grow each year and it's still quite amazing.   Jason Hull (20:49) I mean it's a popular thing. We wear green just to celebrate your   country.   You know, really kind of. So, help me understand this idea of this innovative approach that's saving investors 80 hours a month and retaining 10 % or more value in their property transactions. So, explain this to   Andrew Rhatigan (21:32) So oftentimes in Ireland, just to give you a backdrop as to how real estate agency works here, we have a very small number of buying agents. So let's say we're one of only, I would say between three and five buying agents in the entirety of Ireland. There may be more that I'm not aware of, but ones that would be more prominent. And when you look at how people tend to view a real estate transaction, it tends to be very DIY. So people in a residential setting, it's not a standard practice to...   Jason Hull (21:54) So people in a residential setting, it's not a standard practice   to hire a buying agent and then the buying agent splits the fee with the selling agent. Oftentimes you'd have someone that meets, let's say us, and they could say, oh, I have to pay you upfront before you buy me a house. I could just do it myself, much like some partners. Right. when we're working with people and the structure we've put together is we want people, especially at the level we work with, you know, they're investors, they're C-suite executives, they're ex-paths, high net worth.   Andrew Rhatigan (21:58) hire a buying agent and then the buying agent splits the fee with the selling agent. Oftentimes you could have someone that meets, let's say us, and they could say, I have to pay you upfront before you buy me a house. I can just do it myself, much like someone deciding to paint the garden gate. So when we're working with people and the structure we've put together is we want people, especially at the level we work with, know, they're investors, they're C-suite executives, they're ex-paths, high net worth.   They're busy building their own lives and their own, ⁓ their own vision of what they want in a different area of life. So essentially by understanding what people want, we then set about and do everything else for them. So we're searching on the ground. We're sending them deals. We're putting together an overview of what life and business and property potential is like on the ground while they're living life. And the idea being that they don't have to spend time communicating with eight or nine different agents to understand an area.   Jason Hull (22:23) They're busy building their own lives and their own vision of what they want in a different area of life. So essentially by understanding what people want, we then set it out and do everything else for them. So we're searching on the ground, we're sending them deals, we're putting together an overview of what life and business and property potential is like on the ground or their living life. And the idea being that they don't have to spend time communicating with eight or nine different agents to understand an area.   Andrew Rhatigan (22:51) we are the one single point of contact. So when   Jason Hull (22:51) We are the one single point of contact.   Andrew Rhatigan (22:53) someone signs with us, part of the deal they have to agree to is, and the reason we do it is we become the one person, the one conduit that they can ask a question to. And much like you said with your St. Patrick's Day question, there's no such thing as a dumb question. So when you have one person that's advocating for you, you could say to me, Jason, let's say, I've heard that such and such is this big issue in this part of the country. You ask us the question and then we find you the answer rather than.   Jason Hull (22:53) So when someone signs with us, part of the deal they have to agree to is, and the reason we do it is, we become the one person, the one conduit, that they can ask a question to. And much like you said with your St. Patrick's Day question, there's no such thing as a dumb question. So we have one person that's advocating for you. You can say to me, Jason, let's say, I've heard that such and such is this big issue in this part of the country. You ask us the question and then we find you the answer, rather than   Andrew Rhatigan (23:19) you asking someone else who maybe doesn't understand your situation, doesn't   Jason Hull (23:19) you asking someone else who maybe doesn't understand your situation.   Andrew Rhatigan (23:22) care enough to do the due diligence that you require. And a big part of why we do that is it simplifies the process for people. It provides one simple channel of communication, but it also buffers them from the market itself. Because if I'm looking at different deals, I might have 10 or 15 clients at any given time. And the agents who see me, they know me, they see me coming.   Jason Hull (23:22) doesn't care enough to do the due diligence that you require. And a big part of why we do that is it simplifies the process for people. It provides one simple channel of communication, but it also buffers them from the market itself. Because if I'm looking at different deals, I might have 10 or 15 clients at any given time. And the agents who see me, they know me, they see me   coming, and they know that I'm acting on behalf of someone who, as Bonafides, owns in place.   Andrew Rhatigan (23:44) and they know that I'm acting on behalf of someone who has a bona fides funds in place.   And it means that you're not going to get marketed to, you're not going to have someone that goes around me to contact Jason to try and do a deal. But it also means that when you're working with us, you've paid us to do what matters most for you and not try and do and deal with any agents. So we don't split fees with agents. No one can incentivize me to make it interesting. And I suppose where that freedom is for other people. And I suppose the education for people internationally is   Jason Hull (23:50) And it means that you're not going to get marketed to, you're not going to have someone that goes around me to contact Jason to try and do a deal. But it also means that when you're working with us, you paid us to do what matters most for you and not try and do a deal with any agent. So we don't split fees with agents. No one can incentivize me to make it interesting. And I suppose where that freedom is for other people and I suppose the education for people internationally   is they're paying me like a consultant in a surgery in a doctor's suite that's advocating for them.   Andrew Rhatigan (24:13) They're paying me like a consultant in a surgery or in a doctor's suite that's advocating for them and   not what they can get along the way. who can incentive, you know, make me the best offer and I'll throw them your way. No interest. And then when it comes to savings, what we do is the Irish property market is also very nuanced. So we don't have, you know, seven day closings or escrow accounts that have a binding contract in the space of a couple of days. Ireland's sales process can be very protracted.   Jason Hull (24:20) and not what they can get along the way. who can incentive, know, make me the best offer and I'll throw them your way. No interest. And then when it comes to savings, what we do is the Irish property market is also very nuanced. So we don't have, you know, seven day closings or escrow accounts that have a binding contract in the space of a couple of days. Ireland's sales process can be very protracted.   Andrew Rhatigan (24:42) So when we're involved and we understand the nuances of a sale, we can save people time and money because the seller has different motivations. One   Jason Hull (24:42) So when we're involved and we understand the nuances of the sale, we can save people time and money because the seller has different motivations.   Andrew Rhatigan (24:49) person may need time, so they may want less money, but more time in a property. Another person may have financial commitments that they have to adhere to, and we might be able to put something together. Other people, could be a bereavement where they have to offload a part of their property portfolio for tax reasons or for personal reasons. So because we can understand and get to the crux of a sale background quite quickly,   Jason Hull (24:50) One person may need time, so they may want less money but more time on the property. Another person may have financial commitments that they have to adhere to and might be able to put something together. Other people it could be a bereavement where they have to offload a part of their property portfolio for tax reasons or personal reasons.   So because we can understand and get the crux of the sale background quite quickly,   Andrew Rhatigan (25:10) I can save people time by telling them there's no point engaging in this because it's an illegal battle. It's going to take time. Or I might say, look, they're asking X, but they'll take Y. They just want Christmas in the house until we take over the sale. And by understanding that you can find that sweet spot and capitalize and save them the money where it matters most.   Jason Hull (25:10) I can save people time by telling them there's no point engaging in this because it's an illegal battle. It's going to take time. Or I might say, look, they're asking X, but they'll take Y. They just want Christmas in the house until they take off the sale. And by understanding that, you can find that sweet spot and capitalize and save them the money where it matters most. Got it. Yeah. So you're this advocate that helps them kind of balance the negotiation between time.   money, all the needs of the buyer and the seller and make sure that this is working. You're advocating for them. You're advocating for them. So what else would you like to share before we wrap up? And then how can people connect with you if they're interested in maybe hearing more about investing in this in Ireland market?   Andrew Rhatigan (25:57) Yeah, so first and foremost,   suppose one of the challenges when you're coming from abroad is when you're not on the ground, it's very difficult to be heard. And I think oftentimes people will be SEO and Googled within an inch of their life, looking at properties or looking at areas that are sold as a particular dream to them via this lovely screen that's curated through carefully utilized marketing platforms. And I suppose when people, if they're looking from the States, one big thing I would say is an agent in Ireland, if you, if you   Jason Hull (26:15) that's curated through carefully utilized marketing platforms. Right. Because when people, they're looking from the States, one big thing I would say is an agent in Ireland, if you   request details from an ad, isn't going to tell you it's not going to suit your needs. They're just going to sell you what they have for sale. Yeah. But oftentimes, when I encourage anyone when they're assessing Ireland, even if you're only paying a small fee to understand whether this is a market that's going to suit your needs or not, it's important to reach out to someone. It doesn't have to be me.   Andrew Rhatigan (26:25) request details from an ad isn't going to tell you it's not going to suit your needs. They're just going to sell you what they have for sale. And oftentimes, when I encourage anyone when they're assessing Ireland, even if you're only paying a small fee to understand whether this is this is a market that's going to suit your needs or not, it's important to reach out to someone. It doesn't have to be me. That   will give you a practical on the ground look at what your money is going to do for you and if Ireland is going to suit. And a prime example would be today we had an American client   Jason Hull (26:45) that would give you a practical on the ground look at what your money is going to do for you and if Ireland is going to suit and a prime example would be today we had an American client   Andrew Rhatigan (26:54) very successful and they went through an ad to find a property in a certain part of Ireland that was absolutely not going to suit their needs. And it was a very high value property, all things considered. And by spending time with us, we showed them what they could have without skin in the game. And   Jason Hull (26:55) very successful and they went through an ad to find a property in a certain part of Ireland that was absolutely not going to suit their needs and was very high value property all considered and by spending time with us we showed them what they could have without getting the game   Andrew Rhatigan (27:10) we completely changed the narrative. So they would have been buying in a very industrial area. It would have been very imposing. They wouldn't have been getting what Ireland is all about. And then   Jason Hull (27:11) and we completely changed the narrative. So they would have been buying in a very industrial area. It would have been very imposing. They wouldn't have been getting what Ireland is all about. Wow.   Andrew Rhatigan (27:20) by showing them this and giving them the time they needed to kind of transition almost like, you know what, if you're up a mountain to acclimatize, we've now agreed them a property as of today that saved them 450,000 on their budget and has totally flipped the script on where they thought they wanted to buy. So instead of buying industrial, they're   Jason Hull (27:21) By showing them this and giving them the time they needed to kind of transition, almost like, you know what, if you're going up a mountain to acclimatise, we've now agreed them a property as of today that saved them 450,000 on their budget and is totally fit to script on where they thought they wanted to buy. So instead of buying industrial.   Andrew Rhatigan (27:39) buying by the ocean. And instead of buying something that's brand new, that looks great today, they're buying something that's got great pedigree. And instead of just being sold something for the sake of transacting,   Jason Hull (27:39) they're buying by the ocean and instead of buying something brand new that looks great today, they're buying something that's got great pedigree. And instead of just being sold something for the sake of transacting,   Andrew Rhatigan (27:48) they've been guided to something that's going to suit their risk tolerance, their life now, and also the future if they chose to rent it in time to come. So that's just a simple example of what we do regularly.   Jason Hull (27:49) they've been guided to something that's gonna suit their risk tolerance, their life now, and also the future if they chose to invest in the time to come. So that's just a simple example of what we do regularly. Nice, yeah. So instead of being manipulated by marketing, thinking you're buying some beautiful Irish property in Ireland,   and you end up in an industrial area with something shiny and new that maybe isn't going to really suit your needs, then it'd be better to have a conversation with somebody that's real solid boots on the ground that are going to take a look at things and help you figure out what's actually going to help you reach your goals. Exactly. And people tend to reach out to   Andrew Rhatigan (28:23) Exactly. And people tend to reach out to me through   either RRE.ie that's our website. And we also, I'm very active on LinkedIn. So anyone that wants to connect or ask questions or book a zoom or a virtual coffee is more than happy to do so. I suppose a big part of what I love about my business and it's, it's, suppose as an entrepreneur as well, as much like meeting people like you is I love interesting conversation and meeting people with dynamic outlooks and personalities. And that kind of layers in what I do in property. But first and foremost, I love meeting people as well.   Jason Hull (28:28) and we'll.   It's, I suppose it's.   Fantastic. What's ⁓   the website again?   Andrew Rhatigan (28:54) It's RRE.ie   so R if I'm putting an American twang on it, it would be RRE.ie.   Jason Hull (28:58) Yeah.   R R E dot I E.   Andrew Rhatigan (29:01) IE so Rhatigan real estate and the dot IE is the Irish   domain version of dot com.   Jason Hull (29:08) IE, okay,   got it, okay. It couldn't get IR, I guess, so.   Andrew Rhatigan (29:12) No, it   was IE. We also have Rhatiganrealestate.com, but RRE would be the original website that we had.   Jason Hull (29:16) Okay.   Got it. Okay. All right. Thank you. All right. Cool. Andrew, great having you on the show. Very interesting to hear what's going on across the pond, as they say, and appreciate you being here and sharing your insight and your wisdom with us. right. Cool. So for those of you that maybe felt stuck or stagnant in your property management business, reach out to us at doorgroot.com. We would love to see if we could help you out. You can also join our free   Andrew Rhatigan (29:32) Absolute pleasure, delighted to be here.   Jason Hull (29:45) Facebook community just for property management business owners at doorgrowclub.com. And if you found this even a little bit helpful, don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review. We'd really appreciate it. And until next time, remember the slowest path to growth is to do it alone. So let's grow together. Bye everyone.  

Welcome to the show folks! Dear friend AraluenRanger came by today for some great chats! We discussed subscriptions in weird places, the visa steam story, palworld v pokemon, love letters and tucked in for a story! Fantastic night and I am glad to be able to share it with all of you. Cheers!   ARALUENRANGER01: Twitch: (6) araluenranger01 - Twitch Palworld Podcast: Palworld Podcast - Podcast - Apple Podcasts   DISCORD https://discord.gg/p63Da7w  RUSSELL: Twitter: https://twitter.com/drjex0725  EGGMAN54: (1) EggTheEggiest - Twitch ELMMERFUDD Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/elmmerfuddgames  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/elmmerfuddgames  

Matthew Kressel joins us to discuss Fantastic Fiction at KGB, a monthly science fiction reading series in New York City. Support the Fantastic Fiction at KGB fundraiser over at www.gofundme.com/f/fantastic-fiction-reading-series-at-the-kgb-bar. Ad-free episodes are available to our paid supporters over at patreon.com/geeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

THE FANTASTIC POUR Brett welcomes fellow FW All-Star Ryan Daly to the Fantasti-Lounge to talk G.I. Joe! We enjoy a Summer Bourbon Cocktail and read G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero issue #16. Join us in the Fantasti-Lounge for a Battle-Sized episode as we discuss: What are Ryan's favorite G.I. Joe toys? Why is Torpedo wearing flippers in the city? Wait, the Weather Dominator in a nativity scene? And much, much more! Secret Pour-igins: Our Bourbon at War Cocktail: You Too, Scar Face! Ingredients 2 oz. Bourbon 1/2 oz. Lemon Juice 3 dashes Aromatic Bitters to 10 Mint Leaves 2 Lemon Wheels Ginger Beer Garnish Lemon Twist Mint Sprig Instructions In shaker, add five to ten mint leaves, 2 lemon wheels, ½ oz. lemon juice, and 3 dashes of bitters Gently muddle Add Bourbon and stir Strain into rocks glass or highball with ice already in it Top with ginger beer Garnish with lemon twist and mint sprig Non-Alcoholic You Too, Scar Face! Ingredients 1/2 oz. Lemon Juice 3 dashes Aromatic Bitters to 10 Mint Leaves 2 Lemon Wheels Ginger Beer Garnish Lemon Twist Mint Sprig Instructions In glass add five to ten mint leaves, 2 lemon wheels, ½ oz. lemon juice, and 3 dashes of bitters. Gently muddle. Add ice Top with ginger beer Garnish with lemon twist and mint sprig Comic: G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #16, Marvel Comics, 1983 Fantasti-Lounge House Band music: Neil Daly "Bullets & Beer" Check out his YouTube Page for more Have a question or comment? E-MAIL: fwpodcasts@gmail.com You can find The Fantastic Pour on these platforms: Apple Podcasts Amazon Music Spotify The Fantastic Pour podcast is a proud member of the FIRE AND WATER PODCAST NETWORK: Fire & Water website: http://fireandwaterpodcast.com Fire & Water Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FWPodcastNetwork Fire & Water on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fwpodcasts.bsky.social Fire & Water Podcast Network on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fwpodcasts Use our HASHTAG online: #FWPodcasts

https://ivdi.org/inv Transform your veterinary dental practice! Request an invite to the Veterinary Dental Practitioner Program today. Host: Dr. Brett Beckman, DVM, FAVD, DAVDC, DAAPM, Board-Certified Veterinary Dentist -------------------------------------------- In this episode of The Vet Dental Show, Annie Mills, LVT, VTS (Dentistry), answers pressing questions about nerve blocks, loupes, and instrument sharpening, providing practical tips to elevate your veterinary dentistry skills. What You'll Learn: ✅ The *exact* timing for nerve block administration to guarantee effective pain control. ✅ How to select the right loupes to eliminate eye strain and maximize precision. ✅ Simple, effective instrument sharpening techniques that save time and effort. ✅ Proven workflow optimizations to streamline your dental procedures. ✅ How your equipment purchases can support free dental care for shelter animals. Key Takeaways: ✅ Timing is everything: Administer nerve blocks *after* radiographs to target specific areas effectively. ✅ Loupes are an investment in your vision and your patients' well-being – choose wisely! ✅ Sharp instruments are safer, more efficient, and reduce fatigue. ✅ Dr. Brett's Pets is a valuable resource for equipment and education. ✅ A streamlined workflow benefits both your team and your patients. Stop guessing and start excelling! Request your invite to the Veterinary Dental Practitioner Program today: https://ivdi.org/inv -------------------------------------------- What are your biggest "aha!" moments from this episode? Share your thoughts and questions in the comments! -------------------------------------------- Veterinary Dentistry, Nerve Blocks, Dental Loupes, Instrument Sharpening, Veterinary Technician, Veterinary Continuing Education, Dr. Brett's Pets, Veterinary Dental Practitioner Program, Small Animal Dentistry, Dental Workflow, Veterinary Oral Surgery, Pain Management, Dental Instruments, Veterinary Education, Dental Techniques

We're seriously on a roll this year covering CURRENT films! This week, we're joined by a friend of show, Chett Eye Knight! He even told us about the time he met Alex Hyde White -- yes, the ORIGINAL Mr. Fantastic! The Geeks and Chett discuss Fantastic Four: First Steps, and if the length of this episode is any indication, we think it's safe to say this one was a unanimous hit!   TRACKLIST: 1:43 - Our guest, Chett, introduces himself! 10:42 - Geek of the Week - Chett: Killswitch Engage concert; Aliens vs Avengers; Jasmin: Mercy For None (2025, Netflix); Mark: Get Out (2017), Oasis concert at Wembley Stadium 23:45 - Film summary and fun facts 34:24 - Fantastic Four: First Steps review   You can follow us on X, Facebook and Instagram or if you would like to support us you can donate to our KoFi.

The Bandits are taking this week off, but in case you didn't catch our live YouTube special a few weeks ago, here it is in all its audio glory! It's a raw recording, so no intro or outro. But it's like what you get when we post uncut episodes on our new Patreon. Check it out: patreon.com/DollarBinBoosters!And we'll be back next week with more episodes, including a big one to kick us off next Wednesday! I know, it's a lot of exclamation points, but hey, we're excited!Support the show___________________Check out video versions of this and other episodes on YouTube: youtube.com/dollarbinbandits!If you like this podcast, please rate, review, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or wherever you found this episode. And if you really like this podcast, become a member of the Dollar Bin Boosters on Patreon: patreon.com/DollarBinBoosters.You can follow us @dollarbinbandits on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky, or @DBBandits on X. You can email us at dollarbinbandits@gmail.com.___________________Dollar Bin Bandits is the official podcast of TwoMorrows Publishing. Check out their fine publications at twomorrows.com. ___________________ Thank you to Sam Fonseca for our theme music, Sean McMillan for our graphics, and Pat McGrath for our logo.

Marvel's First Family is back and they are Fantastic! Our hosts Miles and James were not disappointed. In Fantastic Four: First Steps we see a functional family step up to protect the world. As the plot unfolds we find a sanctity of life parable, highlighting virtues of family, peacemaking and sacrifice. Watch the episode here. Chapters: 00:45 - Welcome & Summary 03:20- Popcorn Ratings 05:28 - Theology Ratings 09:00 - Subscribe, Share, Support 12:48 - SPOILER WARNING 12:58 - Popcorn Thoughts 30:37 - VALUE OF MARRIAGE/FAMILY 48:29 - The value and SANCTITY OF LIFE on Display 57:37 - Sacrifice 01:09:00 - Lightning Round Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE and click the notification bell. Follow & connect: https://linktr.ee/popcorntheology Support: https://www.patreon.com/popcorntheology Rate and review to get 2 FREE Popcorn Theology Stickers! Write a 5-star review and send a screenshot, along with your mailing address, to feedback@popcorntheology.com, and you'll receive 2 FREE stickers! #fantasticfour #pedropascal #VanessaKirby #EbonMossBachrach #JosephQuinn #RalphIneson #JuliaGarner #marvel #mcu #FaithAndFilm #MoviePodcast #FilmReview #ChristianPodcast #MediaLiteracy #ReformedTheology Intro Music by Ross Bugden: https://youtu.be/Bln0BEv5AJ0?si=vZx_YiHK3hNxaETA

A traveling carnival of strange, impossible creatures mysteriously appears in the charred remains of a wildfire. But when Seraphina sneaks inside to uncover its secrets, she discovers that its prized “one-of-a-kind” attractions are kept that way through murder—and one desperate mother is willing to kill to protect her newborn. This story was derived from ⁠⁠https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-6968 and is released under Creative Commons Sharealike 3.0. ⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/⁠⁠ * * * CONTENT DISCLAIMER: This episode contains explicit content not limited to intense themes, strong language, and depictions of violence intended for adults. Parental guidance is strongly advised for children under the age of 17. Listener discretion is advised.  #thescpexperience #scp #scpfoundation #scpencounters #securecontainprotect #scpstories Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices