Japanese–American media franchise, produced by Japanese toy company Takara Tomy and American toy company Hasbro
POPULARITY
Categories
Leadership Lessons from Show Business In this episode, Tom and Adrienne chat with Steven Puri and trace his unexpected path from a “code monkey” in Northern Virginia to an Academy Award–winning visual-effects producer and later a tech entrepreneur. Steven shares how he bridged left-brain engineering and right-brain creativity on films like Independence Day, Braveheart, and several David Fincher projects. He reflects on lessons learned in Hollywood—managing creatives, nurturing “lightbulb” moments, and building culture—that carry over into hybrid and remote leadership. Long before remote work became a buzzword, Steven was orchestrating VFX teams across studios in Los Angeles, London, and Sydney, balancing creative, financial, and logistical mindsets over distance—an early test of distributed leadership that today's managers face. Throughout the conversation, candid anecdotes like the famed “Bart” trailer story illustrate why inviting every voice can spark game-changing ideas. As our work (and often our brains) has scattered in today's culture, Steven is dedicated to bringing us the tools for intentional focus. Here are a few of the gems gleaned from this fun and flowing conversation: Embrace Diverse Talents: Success in both film and tech comes from uniting creatives, technical experts, and business minds around a shared goal, much like assembling a movie crew. Manage Creativity with Intention: Great leaders know how to create the right environment for creativity—sometimes by giving people more than one project, or by encouraging "rubber ducking" (talking through problems out loud). Best Idea Wins Culture: The most effective teams foster a safe space where anyone, regardless of role, can contribute ideas—echoing Steven Spielberg's approach of valuing input from everyone, even the “coffee boy.” Hire for Passion and Culture Fit: Skills can be developed, but passion and alignment with the team's mission are essential. Hiring the right people is more important than micromanaging. Purposeful Markers and Storytelling: Leaders should set clear markers and use storytelling to help teams understand where they are and where they're going, just as a film uses acts and foreshadowing. Active Listening is Key: The best leaders practice active listening, seeking feedback from users, team members, and even critics, and using it to improve. Leadership is a Practice: Leadership isn't just a set of concepts—it's something you do and refine every day, much like honing a craft in show business. Steven is the Founder and CEO of The Sukha Company with the mission to help millions of people find their focus, achieve more and have a healthy work life. Steven's career started as a newscaster/interviewer for the #1 youth news show in the DC/Baltimore market (on WTTG-TV) and then as a junior software engineer & Thomas J. Watson Scholar at IBM. After attending USC in Los Angeles, he began working in film production and produced computer-generated visual effects for 14 movies including Independence Day which won the Academy Award for Visual Effects. Steven's first tech company was Centropolis Effects that produced those CGI effects, and he eventually sold it to the German media conglomerate Das Werk when he was 28. Steven then produced some indie films and eventually went studio-side to develop and produce live-action features as a VP of Development & Production at 20th Century Fox (running the Die Hard and Wolverine franchises) and an EVP at DreamWorks Pictures for Kurtzman-Orci Productions where he worked on Star Trek, Transformers and more. After Fox, Steven returned to building tech companies and founded The Sukha Company - ‘sukha' means ‘happiness from self-fulfillment' in Sanskrit. The Sukha is a focus app that bundles all the tools necessary to have a focused experience and a healthy, productive workday. Steven lives in Austin, TX now. Connect with Steven: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-puri/. The Suhkha Company: https://www.thesukha.co A Leadership Beyond exists to support the alignment between the business strategy and people strategy - to drive results with people not at the expense of people (Talent Optimization). Subscribe to our podcast to join the Leadership Beyond Community of Conversation and hear insights from thought leaders and human development experts leading the way in the field of Talent Optimization. We are grateful to you and always eager to hear from you! To learn more visit https://aleadershipbeyond.com Adrienne & Tom
Missing Link Ultramagnus has been shown all posed and fancy like, the winning choice for Shockwave has been chosen and Flame Toys has a new Animated Optimus Prime.
The Comix crew swings back into action this week with a first look at the Spider-Man: Brand New Day suit, plus a flood of set photos and even some practical web-swinging stunts on display. Meanwhile, in the realm of the bizarre, comedian Matt Rife now owns the Annabelle doll—and we're not sure if that's flex or curse.Hollywood shakeups continue: Dave Bautista is officially joining the Highlander reboot as the fearsome Kurgan, Gina Carano takes a victory lap against the Mouse, and Daniel Kaluuya returns for a Spider-Punk film. Elsewhere, Dean Cain is still trying to stay in the headlines, while Michael Bay is back behind the wheel for another Transformers movie.Finally, Gotham fans rejoice—The Batman 2 has entered pre-production, with filming set to kick off in Spring 2026.Superheroes, horror dolls, reboots, and explosions—it's all packed into Episode 222!
Yasin's unfaltering love for the Transformers movies • The Fast and Furious movie that should have been made • Shah Rukh Khan always playing Raj or Rahul in 90's Bollywood• Khamzat Chimaev vs. DDP fight
Layne and Jon are back after a hiatus to cover the second issue of IDW's The Transformers (2010), and the first issue of the Bumblebee miniseries, spinning out of the events of the main book!
This week on the Toy Power Podcast; we are only a team of Three again. Unfortunately Scot is missing; but the show must go on! Keeping in the theme of 'Three' - that's exactly how many topics we have for you this Episode! Starting things off is a healthy chat around our Personal thoughts around: What it takes for a successful Crowdfunding Campaign. With Crowdfunding now the new norm; we review the past, present & future of this unique sales pitch option. Second Topic; is a Fun review of the New Lego Transformers Set - in the Form of Soundwave! Including his companion characters - Laserbeak & Ravage. This set really is impressive and the Sound Option is a welcomed point of difference too! Rounding out our Topics; is: 'State Of The Nation.' This is a Reality Check-in for us; to access our Collecting Journey and take note of our future plans. It turns into a bit of a therapy session, as we each give advise to one-another on assessment of our very addictive Toy Collecting Habits!! This honestly was a really fun episode as we get quite personal; and share a lot of our own distinctive opinions.Support the show: http://patreon.com/toypowerpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It's a trivia dream come true on Go Fact Yourself!Cooper Barnes is an actor, best known as the superhero Captain Man in the Nickelodeon “Danger Force” franchise. He'll tell us what it's like to have kids as fans, and why portraying a superhero is harder than it looks. (Hint: It rhymes with blandex.)Larissa FastHorse is an award-winning playwright – the first known female Native American to have a play produced on Broadway. She'll tell us why it earned her a level of fame she didn't expect. Plus, how she helped update some famous (and infamous) elements of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.Areas of Expertise:Cooper: Comic book artists of the 1990s comic boom, the 1986 Transformers movie, and monkeys.Larissa: The original play and 1954 musical Peter Pan, the movie The Sound of Music, and Pierre, South Dakota.What's the Difference: That's FairWhat's the difference between a carnival and a fair?What's the difference between just and fair?Guest Experts:Dr. Anne Bryant: Composer and producer of numerous songs for television, film and advertising – including the hit theme to Transformers.Cathy Rigby McCoy: Award-winning actor, producer, and gymnast, who played Peter Pan on stage in thousands of productions around the world.Hosts: J. Keith van StraatenHelen HongCredits:Theme Song by Jonathan Green.Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.Co-Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.Seeing our next live-audience shows by YOU!
We are joined by Cristopher Moore, a professor at the Santa Fe Institute with a diverse background in physics, computer science, and machine learning.The conversation begins with Cristopher, who calls himself a "frog" explaining that he prefers to dive deep into specific, concrete problems rather than taking a high-level "bird's-eye view". They explore why current AI models, like transformers, are so surprisingly effective. Cristopher argues it's because the real world isn't random; it's full of rich structures, patterns, and hierarchies that these models can learn to exploit, even if we don't fully understand how.**SPONSORS**Take the Prolific human data survey - https://www.prolific.com/humandatasurvey?utm_source=mlst and be the first to see the results and benchmark their practices against the wider community!---cyber•Fund https://cyber.fund/?utm_source=mlst is a founder-led investment firm accelerating the cybernetic economy.Oct SF conference - https://dagihouse.com/?utm_source=mlst - Joscha Bach keynoting(!) + OAI, Anthropic, NVDA,++Hiring a SF VC Principal: https://talent.cyber.fund/companies/cyber-fund-2/jobs/57674170-ai-investment-principal#content?utm_source=mlstSubmit investment deck: https://cyber.fund/contact?utm_source=mlst***Cristopher Moore:https://sites.santafe.edu/~moore/TOC:00:00:00 - Introduction00:02:05 - Meet Christopher Moore: A Frog in the World of Science00:05:14 - The Limits of Transformers and Real-World Data00:11:19 - Intelligence as Creative Problem-Solving00:23:30 - Grounding, Meaning, and Shared Reality00:31:09 - The Nature of Creativity and Aesthetics00:44:31 - Computational Irreducibility and Universality00:53:06 - Turing Completeness, Recursion, and Intelligence01:11:26 - The Universe Through a Computational Lens01:26:45 - Algorithmic Justice and the Need for TransparencyTRANSCRIPT: https://app.rescript.info/public/share/VRe2uQSvKZOm0oIBoDsrNwt46OMCqRnShVnUF3qyoFkFilmed at DISI (Diverse Intelligences Summer Institute)https://disi.org/REFS:The Nature of computation [Chris Moore]https://nature-of-computation.org/ Birds and Frogs [Freeman Dyson]https://www.ams.org/notices/200902/rtx090200212p.pdf Replica Theory [Parisi et al]https://arxiv.org/pdf/1409.2722 Janossy pooling [Fabian Fuchs]https://fabianfuchsml.github.io/equilibriumaggregation/ Cracking the cryptic [YT channel]https://www.youtube.com/c/CrackingTheCrypticSudoko Bench [Sakana]https://sakana.ai/sudoku-bench/Fractured entangled representations “phylogenetic locking in comment” [Kumar/Stanley]https://arxiv.org/pdf/2505.11581 (see our shows on this)The War Against Cliché: [Martin Amis]https://www.amazon.com/War-Against-Cliche-Reviews-1971-2000/dp/0375727167Rule 110 (CA)https://mathworld.wolfram.com/Rule150.htmlUniversality in Elementary Cellular Automata [Matt Cooke]https://wpmedia.wolfram.com/sites/13/2018/02/15-1-1.pdf Small Semi-Weakly Universal Turing Machines [Damien Woods] https://tilde.ini.uzh.ch/users/tneary/public_html/WoodsNeary-FI09.pdf COMPUTING MACHINERY AND INTELLIGENCE [Turing, 1950]https://courses.cs.umbc.edu/471/papers/turing.pdf Comment on Space Time as a causal set [Moore, 88]https://sites.santafe.edu/~moore/comment.pdf Recursion Theory on the Reals and Continuous-time Computation [Moore, 96]
This week we dive into a somewhat obscure line with Mummies Alive! We talk all about it! We also discuss MOTU 200X, MOTU x Transformers, WWE From The Vault, Scooby Doo, Frosty Frights, Epic Toys, WWE x Street Fighter Wave 3! And moreAlso check out The TB Toycast YouTube Channel!New Videos every week!https://youtube.com/@tbtoycast?si=hfIjd0ZAdb4Rl7H3
“We’re not talking Uncanny Valley, we’re talking Uncanny Grand Canyon.” In this week’s Star Trek: Lower Decks recap we discuss Dr. Migleemo’s attempt to cook for two food critics from Klowahka (…geddit? Cloaca? Bird butts? Cause they’re birds? It is a very silly episode) while Mariner tries to get her Klingon buddy Ma’ah’s captaincy back... The post Binary System Podcast #472 – Star Trek: Lower Decks and Wednesday season 2 premiere first appeared on Pixelated Geek.
All Hail Unicron: Episode 99: O Roberto, Roberto, wherefore art thou, Roberto? INTRODUCTION Anybody Get Anything? Movie/Show News TF live action movies seem to be heating up and taking shape... https://news.tfw2005.com/2025/08/13/michael-bay-transformers-return-update-scripts-to-reviewed-shortly-545035 And taking top priority at Paramount? https://news.tfw2005.com/2025/08/15/theatrical-transformers-films-to-be-a-priority-at-paramount-5450981 A sample look at the Nezha x Transformers cartoon https://news.tfw2005.com/2025/08/16/nezha-x-transformers-cartoon-video-sample-545195 Third Party DNA Designs digging up some old TF Animated Botcon feels https://news.tfw2005.com/2025/08/19/dna-design-dk-56a-legacy-animated-motormaster-powermaster-g1-deco-upgrade-kit-545350 The NewAge retool we all knew was coming is here and it's GRRRRRRREAT! https://news.tfw2005.com/2025/08/23/newage-toys-h74j-dartagnan-legends-scale-greatshot-color-prototype-545427 Official: Transform your professional camera experience with the crossover nobody saw coming... https://news.tfw2005.com/2025/08/13/smallrig-x-transformers-collaboration-announced-545013 Blokees-mania grows with a new Champion wave DOTM Jetwing Prime https://news.tfw2005.com/2025/08/13/blokees-transformers-champion-class-dark-of-the-moon-jetwing-optimus-prime-official-images-545049 TFOne Megatronus https://news.tfw2005.com/2025/08/13/blokees-transformers-champion-class-transformers-one-megatronus-official-images-544998 Blokess is on a roll with TFOne Action Edition Optimus https://news.tfw2005.com/2025/08/20/blokees-action-edition-transformers-one-optimus-prime-official-images-sample-545373 Is there no end to the Blokees news? https://news.tfw2005.com/2025/08/20/blokees-galaxy-version-wave-8-one-shall-fall-first-look-545378 Yolopark AMK mini G1 Wave 2 with extra Hound love https://news.tfw2005.com/2025/08/24/yolopark-amk-mini-g1-transformers-wave-2-official-images-pre-orders-545567 And lastly, a message from our non-existent sponsor. Are you tired of the funky smell you probably noticed at some TF conventions and conventions in general? Maybe you're the cause of said funk and don't know what to do? Well worry no more, Japanese company Fairy Tail has the eww da toilet for you! https://news.tfw2005.com/2025/08/25/officially-licensed-g1-transformers-perfume-545604 Questions? Discussion: Email your questions to: Hailunicroncast@gmail.com Special Shoutouts: Dustmightz for providing the beats for the theme song! Check the Realm of Collectors on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/groups/realmofcollectors Everyone who followed us from Shattered Cast Uncut, we are grateful to each and everyone of you for joining us on this journey! Hosts: T2RX6 http://www.youtube.com/user/T2rx6 Rich “Preordered” H. Oscar Alonso https://www.youtube.com/user/oscarnjboy Robert Duyjuy-sabado-gigante
The 2nd part of the look of the Dark of the Moon line, some of the big boi's this time round with Prime, Megs, Sentinel and Shockwave.
This week on the Toy Power Podcast; its another News heavy episode; as we take a snap shot of the Crowdfunding that's still in progress from the MOTU Snake Lair & the Star Wars GunShip. Then we look at some teaser images of the Transformers Missing Link Ultra Magnus... We have some questions if it will be as articulated as the previous releases? McFarlane has a new Batmobile on offer for everyone's garage & Blokees Galaxy Version 08 is a has a really neat roster of figures! Will the Figure Obscura: The Jersey Devil, be haunting your neighbourhood? Or is the Marvel releases of Deadpool, Doop & Mysterio sets more your desire? Star Wars Black series announces some long overdue classic figures as well as some Christmas designs that are so bad they are good?!? Then it gets more personal; as we plug our latest Scores! There's certainly a bit of Jealousy in the room - but also some love as Ben surprises Trent with a custom missing accessory. Frank surprises us all with some outstanding Comics - some of which are quite old - plus an awesome plan to display them! Rounding out the ep; its a bit of a round table chat about what we are Reading / Watching / Playing! All this & more - hope you enjoy!!Support the show: http://patreon.com/toypowerpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Join us for a message from Apostle Kyle Meyer.#EncounterPurpose #TakingDominionPartner with UsThank you for your generosity! Your support helps us spread the message of Christ. Give securely here:https://dominionchurches.com/givingConnect with Our iCampusJoin our iCampus for live streaming, resources, and more:https://icampus.dominionchurches.com/Made a Decision for Christ?If you've decided to follow Jesus, we'd love to celebrate with you and help you take your next steps:https://dominionchurches.com/decision/First Time Here?We want to connect with you! Let us know you're here so we can show you how important you are to us:https://dominionchurches.com/connect/Share Your TestimonyYour story matters! Share how God has worked in your life with us:https://dominionchurches.com/testimony/Register for BaptismTake your faith public! Sign up for baptism today:https://dominionchurches.com/baptism-...Don't forget to share this livestream and invite others to join! See you online!
This week: The crew dives into toys, tangents, and Transformers news. We have Walmart's new reset, the awesome new Wild King figure, “Dramatic Capture” set, and the much-anticipated Missing Link Ultra Magnus. All that and more on Radio Free Cybertron 950!
Transformers Chronicles: The Marvel Years - Episode 062Issue: Transformers #62 (Marvel)MALTESE you a little bit as to what this episode is about if you promise you'll FALCON listen to the start of the MATRIX QUEST right here on TRANSFORMERS CHRONICLES! (Writer's note: please laugh at my puns)Check out the Married with Cartoons Podcast at: marriedwcomics.libsyn.comLet us know what you think!Leave a comment by sending an email to: contact@longboxcrusade.comThis podcast is a member of the LONGBOX CRUSADE NETWORK:LINKTREE: https://linktr.ee/longboxcrusadeFollow on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/LongboxCrusadeFollow on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/longboxcrusadeLike the FACEBOOK page: https://www.facebook.com/LongboxCrusadeSubscribe to the YOUTUBE Channel: https://goo.gl/4LkhovSubscribe on APPLE PODCASTS at:https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-longboxcrusade/id1118783510?mt=2Thank you for listening and we hope you have enjoyed this episode of the Transformers Chronicles.Till then, see you next time and remember: Freedom is the right of all sentient beings!#transformers #autobots #decepticons #marvel #marvelcomics
Transformers Chronicles: The Marvel Years - Episode 062Issue: Transformers #62 (Marvel)MALTESE you a little bit as to what this episode is about if you promise you'll FALCON listen to the start of the MATRIX QUEST right here on TRANSFORMERS CHRONICLES! (Writer's note: please laugh at my puns)Check out the Married with Cartoons Podcast at: marriedwcomics.libsyn.comLet us know what you think!Leave a comment by sending an email to: contact@longboxcrusade.comThis podcast is a member of the LONGBOX CRUSADE NETWORK:LINKTREE: https://linktr.ee/longboxcrusadeFollow on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/LongboxCrusadeFollow on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/longboxcrusadeLike the FACEBOOK page: https://www.facebook.com/LongboxCrusadeSubscribe to the YOUTUBE Channel: https://goo.gl/4LkhovSubscribe on APPLE PODCASTS at:https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-longboxcrusade/id1118783510?mt=2Thank you for listening and we hope you have enjoyed this episode of the Transformers Chronicles.Till then, see you next time and remember: Freedom is the right of all sentient beings!#transformers #autobots #decepticons #marvel #marvelcomics
This week: The crew dives into toys, tangents, and Transformers news. We have Walmart's new reset, the awesome new Wild King figure, “Dramatic Capture” set, and the much-anticipated Missing Link Ultra Magnus. All that and more on Radio Free Cybertron 950!
Matt Farah and Zack Klapman tell of their drive in the incredible, carbon-fiber-constructed piece of unobtanium that is the Totem SuperGT. It's an homage to the legendary Alfa GTV/A cars. Does it do the original justice? Is it overpriced?Plus, Chrysler might make an off-road minivan.Patreon questions include:Should my teenager get a Miata or an EV?Have we hit peak "reimagine"?You're CEO of Porsche for a day: what would you change?What is the ultimate commuter car?Can I put a Transformers sticker on my car?Top 3 ultra-light carsWhy tires squeal on some freewaysWhat to do after my luxury SUV finally diesManual swap dream listWill the new Taycan depreciate less than the older ones?And more!Recorded August 25, 2025 Show Notes:DeleteMeGet 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to https://www.joindeleteme.com/TIRE and use promo code TIRE at checkout. HelloFresh Go to HelloFresh.com/smokingtire10fm now to Get 10 Free Meals + a Free Item for Life! One per box with active subscription. Free meals applied as discount on first box, new subscribers only, varies by plan. MudWtrStart your new morning ritual & get up to 43% off your @MUDWTR with code tire at mudwtr.com/tire! #mudwtrpod New merch! Grab a shirt or hoodie and support us! https://thesmokingtireshop.com/ Use Off The Record! and ALWAYS fight your tickets! For a 10% discount on your first case go to https://www.offtherecord.com/TST Want your question answered? Want to watch the live stream, get ad-free podcasts, or exclusive podcasts? Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thesmokingtirepodcast Instagram:https://www.Instagram.com/thesmokingtirehttps://www.Instagram.com/therealzackklapman Want your question answered? Want to watch the live stream, get ad-free podcasts, or exclusive podcasts? Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thesmokingtirepodcast Use Off The Record! and ALWAYS fight your tickets! Enter code TST10 for a 10% discount on your first case on the Off The Record app, or go to http://www.offtherecord.com/TST. Watch our car reviews: https://www.youtube.com/thesmokingtire Tweet at us!https://www.Twitter.com/thesmokingtirehttps://www.Twitter.com/zackklapman Instagram:https://www.Instagram.com/thesmokingtirehttps://www.Instagram.com/therealzackklapman
It's not quite G.I. Joe, it's not quite Transformers... it's M.A.S.K. Contact John on Bluesky or email Paul and John at transformersnitpickers@gmail.com. Full episode archive
Well if you know us you know we love some Night Vale horoscopes, except for the fact that Capricorn is ALWAYS getting the shaft. Luckily this week Capricorn made it out fairly unscathed, other than that whole accidental bear mauling thing. That’s just LIFE, man. After the recap we jump into the third episode of... The post Binary System Podcast #471 – WTNV #272 “Horoscopes”, and Lower Decks first appeared on Pixelated Geek.
We're cranking up the anthems for this week's Throwback Thursday with a very special guest—Stan Bush! Best known for “The Touch” (The Transformers: The Movie) and “Never Surrender” (Kickboxer), Stan has built a career around motivational rock anthems that have inspired fans across generations. In this episode (originally released on December 22, 2020), Paul and Del chat with Stan about his journey from Gainesville clubs to LA studios, from winning an Emmy to being inducted into the Transformers Hall of Fame. We dive deep into: ✨ The story behind “The Touch” (and how it almost landed in Cobra instead of Transformers) ✨ The making of his 2020 album Dare to Dream ✨ Writing “Born to Fight” for Netflix anime shows Baki and Kengan Ashura ✨ Why ‘80s movie soundtracks hit different—and how his songs keep that legacy alive ✨ The discipline and healthy living that have kept his voice strong after all these years And on a personal note, several of Stan's songs are staples on Paul's running playlist—fueling miles, races, and training sessions with pure motivational fire. The timing of this re-release couldn't be more perfect: Stan's brand-new album Born for Battle drops on September 5, 2025, with the lead single “Invincible” already out now. Don't miss this inspiring conversation with one of the true voices of ‘80s rock anthems. Connect with Stan Bush
Will, John and I watch the most violent 80s animated movie. We talk about the quality of the animation and the music. Why I love Hot Rod. Bah Weep Gran We Minny Bon. #Transformers
TFNation has been and gone for another year, so the (very tired!) team sit down to assess the many highs and the hauls of Europe's largest Transformers convention! But can Liam make it through the chat? If you enjoy our podcast then find more... much more than meets the ear at www.patreon.com/tripletakeover TONS of weekly exclusive content & perks, including bonus episodes, outtakes, early access and more! Sign up at 'Gold Box Classics' level today to get immediate access to: Over 100 'minisodes' on a wide range of topics (plus commission your own!) Over 70 'miniseries' chapters on ongoing topics, including toys & comics Early release of regular episodes - normally a week in advance! Our Patreon Discord server - the place to be! Bonus podcast artwork & more! And a big thank you to all the patrons in our top two tiers, including: Nick Danny Roberts Andy Chris Spider-Father Adam Shoemaker Bad Saturday Justin Masaru Dave Dalrymple Geokaiser Yusifer John Pearl Anthony Cars CapnRA Phil G Rotorstorm Puma The Hunter Peter Hammerson Shenry Jesse Moreno Nexis Aaron Svoboda Andy Gold Coldsquall Simon Elvin Joshles Cracktastic Plastic Danvastator Jeffrey Freije Ben Lewis Lucas Henkel Molluskoenig CNCRick56 Mythic Gears Zach Lawson Jason Murray David Shepherd esdeem Quickmixed Josh Bell Graeme Moffat Burke Perrotta Eric Hoyt Mike Loiacono Nihar Bhatt Chris Rodwell Steve Redman Jim Kinsey James Pascoe GhostPrime Jickel Godert Walter Charlie Shoppell Maya Entransta Alexis Taylor Jeremy Woodall Ross Jetfire James Duggertron squidcatfish Robert R Miguel Gonzalez Spider-Bob James Hooks Brandon Mahaffey Collecticon Chup Goldbolt Riley Lentz Emperor Galvartron Spencer Butler Allen Johnson Adam Brady James Turnham Simon EMH_Richard Robin Hunt RhA James Clarke Frank Colosimo Dave Beckett Jeremy Canceko Ben Erickson Evilplopdisease Klarque Clint Gaming Tony Hayward DJ Convoy Private Random Rob Franklin Digbysaurus Menastreaker Darj ThePerfectPixl Andrew Bentley Marc Bairstow obadiahstarbuck Toy Pocket Dylan TFormers2002 Rob S 01 Forever0ne kingliamthegood Dustimus Primal Scott Dickinson Andy TFtheShow aggresive bread Elliot Wright Hugh Mckinney Jay_too Chris Carnage Coy Gojiprime Rahdimus Tarngaryan Kazh Here'sWhyIt'sCool Jetstorm Spencer Ellsworth gestaltgeek gareth4foot30 SkywarpSCS StarSaberFan39 Mikey Quetzalcoatlus northropi tfgrandaddy Turbine027 (Bobby Allen) Jamesyplays Michael Wigert Vicente Taboada The 20-Sided Theatre Andrew Nickson Justin Slayden Matthew Shortt Simon Goodall Don Lubecki Connor Ross Rob Schwarze (Swarez) Trent gdinero sh00k3th qweywey William Scott Iliana Meagan Chapa Jamie Price NICK MALATO Kevin Isomorphic Prime gray's counter attack Matt Dennett Daniel Procko gwunky TilAllAreOne Joe Buccelli Stepposhows THEDASHFOX lee taylor Eric zachary olson Mattroplex Jordan Jennings J jasonhohoho demoman0121 Matt Barrett George the Robot Sauropod Mini-Con Madness Jacer528 Crazy Wehrd bullfroglover64 Siege Maximo Big Fat Dynamo Jon R And the Mapes Brothers (who you might recognise)
Boo and Evan get into what is leading into the final issue of the premier team of the Skybound Transformers book we've all come to love. The sacrifices, the missteps, and the carnage are on full display!If you'd like to contact the guys, they'd love to hear from you!Edhatestransformers@gmail.comMorethanmeetstheseguys@gmail.com@mtmtgpod on Twitterhttps://www.facebook.com/MoreThanMeetsTheseGuys/https://discord.gg/sKr8jwaAvhIf you'd like to toss a buck or more per episode, we'd adore and say nice things about you. You don't have to, as we'll still gladly hang out with you guys and gals every week, but we appreciate any help! patreon.com/user?u=69144181
Rich reacts to Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson's comments following Caleb Williams less-than-stellar final preseason game. In ‘Overreaction Monday' Rich weighs in on the Cleveland Browns' decision to keep 4 quarterbacks on their active roster heading into the regular season, Cowboys LB Micah Parsons, Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson, the Titans, Falcons, 49ers, Steelers, Mariners slugger Cal Raleigh, and the blockbuster #1 Texas vs #3 Ohio State game. Actor Josh Duhamel joins Rich in-studio to discuss his upcoming ‘London Calling' movie, what to expect from his beloved Minnesota Vikings with JJ McCarthy taking over QB1 duties, shares his favorite memories from the ‘Transformers' movies, and more. Please check out other RES productions: Overreaction Monday: http://apple.co/overreactionmonday What the Football with Suzy Shuster and Amy Trask: http://apple.co/whatthefootball The Jim Jackson Show: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jim-jackson-show/id1770609432 No-Contest Wrestling with O'Shea Jackson Jr. and TJ Jefferson: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-contest-wrestling/id1771450708 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Super Summer Round-Up! Batman! Transformers! Supergirl! What were the biggest hits of the summer season? Retail & Convention Guru, Jimmy Jay joins us to break it all down! What hit, what missed?
So time for a new catch up and oh boy lets talk about Bay coming back, what is “Activate Your Alt Mode” and more 3rd party stuff.
Summer rewind: Hydro Ottawa recently unveiled its largest investment plan ever, with a five-year focus on modernizing and strengthening the grid. The way we're consuming energy is changing, and this investment plan focuses on four key areas that highlight why Hydro Ottawa is taking action, and how they plan on doing it. Hydro Ottawa's Chief Operating Officer, Guillaume Paradis, joins thinkenergy to dive a little deeper into those focus areas, and why they matter, with host Trevor Freeman. Related links ● Guillaume Paradis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guillaume-paradis-30a47721 ● Trevor Freeman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-freeman-p-eng-8b612114 ● Hydro Ottawa: https://hydroottawa.com/en To subscribe using Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thinkenergy/id1465129405 To subscribe using Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7wFz7rdR8Gq3f2WOafjxpl To subscribe on Libsyn: http://thinkenergy.libsyn.com/ --- Subscribe so you don't miss a video: https://www.youtube.com/user/hydroottawalimited Follow along on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hydroottawa Stay in the know on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HydroOttawa -- Transcript: Trevor Freeman 00:00 Hi everyone. Well, summer is here, and the think energy team is stepping back a bit to recharge and plan out some content for the next season. We hope all of you get some much needed downtime as well, but we aren't planning on leaving you hanging over the next few months, we will be re releasing some of our favorite episodes from the past year that we think really highlight innovation, sustainability and community. These episodes highlight the changing nature of how we use and manage energy, and the investments needed to expand, modernize and strengthen our grid in response to that. All of this driven by people and our changing needs and relationship to energy as we move forward into a cleaner, more electrified future, the energy transition, as we talk about many times on this show. Thanks so much for listening, and we'll be back with all new content in September. Until then, happy listening. Trevor Freeman 00:55 Welcome to think energy, a podcast that dives into the fast changing world of energy through conversations with industry leaders, innovators and people on the front lines of the energy transition. Join me, Trevor Freeman, as I explore the traditional, unconventional and up and coming facets of the energy industry. If you have any thoughts, feedback or ideas for topics we should cover, please reach out to us at think energy at hydroottawa.com. Trevor Freeman 01:19 hi everyone, and welcome back. A few episodes back I talked about some of the important work that happens at the distribution level to maintain and expand our grid, and I tried to connect the dots between that work and the broader societal energy transition that is happening at all levels. How the work we do at the distribution level is really important and tied to some of those larger projects that may get a little bit more news and attention that energy transition, which, as you're hopefully aware by now, is ongoing right now. It's not something of the future. It's happening today. That energy transition is multifaceted, but from an electricity and electrification perspective, the distribution utility, ie the Hydro Ottawa, of whatever jurisdiction you're in, is at the very leading edge of many of the changes we need to see within our electricity system to support that transition. So today, I'd like to go a little bit further with that topic and focus on Hydro Ottawa's next five year investment plan, which covers the 2026 to 2030 period. This will be the largest investment plan in our history as a company. And I wanted to dig into what we have identified as key focus areas for investment in the coming five years, with more than 100 years of operating a large, complex distribution network, Hydro Ottawa is embarking on a pretty significant journey to modernize and strengthen our grid for the challenges and opportunities ahead of us. We have filed our 2026, to 2030, Electricity Distribution rate application, as it's called, with the Ontario Energy Board, and this is a standard practice for all local distribution companies in Ontario. That's what we have to do. As a reminder for our listeners, the Ontario Energy Board, or OEB, as we often call it, is our independent regulator. Their mission in this process is to strike a balance between ensuring the financial health and operational needs of utilities like Hydro Ottawa, while also safeguarding the affordability and reliability of the service for the customer. So they want to make sure that we're spending enough to tackle the right projects on the grid, to make sure it stays operational while not spending too much. They meticulously scrutinize every detail of these applications to ensure that the proposed rates are just and reasonable, and that all investments are prudent and really in the public interest. So we have gotten a number of questions about the plan and specifically around where is the money going to go? What are you going to actually spend these dollars that you're requesting on? And why are these investments necessary? What benefits are they actually going to bring to our community? And often we get the question of, does this mean less outages or shorter outages? So I want to dig into that. I want to talk a little bit about what we've got planned and what the impact will be, and what the impact would be if we don't do those things, and to help me walk through that energy roadmap, that plan that we've put together. I've got Guillaume Paradis joining me today. Guillaume is the Chief Operating Officer of generation and distribution here at Hydro Ottawa, and he's going to join me, and we're going to talk through this. Guillaume and his teams are responsible for the planning, design, operation, construction and maintenance of our electrical power distribution system, and in his role, he leads the teams that are directly accountable for ensuring the safe, efficient and reliable delivery of electricity to our customers. Today, I'm going to ask Guillaume, really, to walk us through the details of. Our investment plan, how it was shaped, how we came up with these specific areas, and what benefits are going to be realized by our community and the broader energy landscape. Guillaume, Paradis, welcome to the show. Pleasure to be here. Trevor, okay, so, Guillaume, this is Hydro Ottawa's largest investment plan ever, and I'd like you to start by talking us through the primary drivers behind what our five year investment plan is. Guillaume Paradis 05:29 Yeah, so as you've heard, as you've seen, we're in a historical, or historically, you know, unique point in the evolution of our industry. Electricity underpins most of our societal aspirations with respect to creating, you know, a more sustainable future, creating the future we want to leave for the next generations. And our distribution system underpins a lot of those aspirations in simple ways and in more complex ways. So, you know, a simple way is that essentially, for, you know, the well being of our society, for our customers, the residents of Ottawa, and really any area, to live the lives they're hoping to live, to, you know, enjoy the benefits of modern life. Electricity is a critical underpinning in any way you can imagine and you know, think about so. Our service has always been very important. It's just become even more critical as a foundational block for you know, the lives that we're hoping to live and we're living today in our modern society. So that, combined with other aspirations related to where we can reducing our carbon footprint and integrating more renewable energy resources within our footprint, it creates a situation where there's a significant need for us to invest, continue to invest and reinvest in our infrastructure to deliver those outcomes for customers. Trevor Freeman 07:16 Yeah, I think, I mean, we talk a lot about the energy transition on the show, and if, if you think about, you know, let's say our previous rate application five years ago, the energy transition was a thing we knew about it, but it was like a thing of tomorrow where, hey, that's going to come soon. The difference now, I assume, and maybe you can speak to this, is we're seeing that. We're seeing the change now. Guillaume Paradis 07:40 Yeha, you're exactly correct, like we're in it now. So we've been talking about it for some time, both from a like a general societal aspiration standpoint, but also from a technological standpoint. For a very long time, we talked about electric vehicles having an impact and becoming more commonplace. We talked about leveraging automation to deliver our services. We talked about two way power flows. So we've been building toward this moment, and now we're essentially in it, if you will, and we're seeing all those things, the confluence of all those longer term trends, sort of manifest themselves in real demand for our system, in real changes in our customers want to use energy, and we're in the middle of that, and we're, you know, to enable those things happening in our community here in Ottawa. Trevor Freeman 08:36 Yeah. So it's like the business as usual, a lot of the same things, and we're going to talk about some of this. About some of the specifics, but a lot of the same thing, things we would normally do just a lot more of at the same time, as like also pivoting a little bit to meet some of these new needs, like charging transportation and like heating our spaces, more of electricity, like some of these new needs that didn't exist are not to the same extent. So it's like more of the same plus other new stuff, and we're gonna talk about that in a minute. Guillaume Paradis 09:11 Yeah. So, you know, we always would say that the future of the energy sector was very exciting, and things were coming and like, change was upon us, and now, essentially, we're, we're living it, right? So you have to carry on with the responsibilities that you always had, and meanwhile, figure out how to deliver those new outcomes, those new services that previously weren't required or expected, right? Trevor Freeman 09:39 So let's, let's kind of get into some of the details here. So there are four key capital investment categories in this plan, so growth and electrification, aging, infrastructure, grid modernization and grid resilience. So we're going to dive into the specifics of these in a minute, but we're. To start off with why these four? How did we land on these four as the main categories? Guillaume Paradis 10:07 Yeah, so there's, there's various ways you can categorize investments. There's a lot of drivers that will lead us to invest in an area or replace some infrastructure somewhere in our system, these categories capture quite well. What is at the core of various investments. So for one specific investment, there will be multiple drivers, but these ones sort of in an elegant way, I would say, capture. You know why investments are occurring, what the primary driver is for those investments, and they help translate that for folks who are not involved day to day in planning the electricity system, that's our responsibility. What we're trying to communicate is why we're taking action where we're taking action. So those categories, in my mind, capture that really well. They also tie our investments to broad trends that people should be aware of, and they're a way to make sure that we have, you know, a clear baseline for a conversation as we proceed with those plans. Trevor Freeman 11:18 Yeah, one thing I find, and you know, in my role, I talk to customers a lot, and I find these are fairly easy to explain, or at least, I hope they are, if you're listening and you disagree, let us know. But people can kind of get their heads around why the utility needs to do each of these four things, and some, in some ways, they align with other sectors as well. So I think, and I hope, as we carry on our conversation here, it'll be easy to sort of build out the picture of what we're doing in each of those four areas. So why don't we? Let's dive right in then and look at the specifics. And starting with growth and electrification, what are the specific investments that are planned to support the growing energy needs of our community, you know. And we've already started talking about electric vehicles, other electrified aspects of our lives, like, what? What falls into this category? Guillaume Paradis 12:11 Yeah, so with respect to growth and electrification, um, there's a few underlying trends that drive the investment requirements. So as you've suggested, as you mentioned, you know, there's an evolution of how our customers use energy at home, day to day. EVS being obviously a primary example that everyone will be very aware of. Just, you know, driving around town, frankly, the difference in how regularly you'll see electric vehicles in our community relative to even five years ago is is pretty dramatic, and that is having a long term, you know, impact over time, likewise for technologies like heat pumps at home, and just generally, the growth of our community. So those elements just drive a longer-term trend of more demand being present in our community, within our system. And in addition to that, one big change that we've seen over the last few years is more large scale demand request coming into our service territory, typically, that will be large customers wanting to do something different with energy. So it could go. It could be driven by a few different kinds of corporate aspirations. What we're seeing a lot of are instances where large corporations decide, or institutions decide, to do away with more carbon intensive energy sources, so they will look to us and electricity to replace what previously would have been another fuel source that maybe is less green. So we're seeing that affecting choices some of those type of customers are making, and then at the same time, we're seeing just large requests related to a different type of energy demand. So companies wanting to, for example, bring back their R and D efforts to a data center that they operate and they control, so that they have more control over cybersecurity elements, and then, likewise, with where their data flows to and how it's being managed. So we're seeing large requests at a rate that we didn't previously, and that those requests are significant enough that they require us to make very major investments, like new substations, like building a. New feeders again at a pace that far outpaces what we've seen historically. So the underlying trend of more small demand creating an impact at the aggregate level, combined with those larger requests, that's creating a significant need for us to invest in responding to that growth in the electrification drivers within our system. Trevor Freeman 15:29 Yeah, so this is in response to what we're seeing our customers do. And that's it's something that has come up before in conversation here. Of you know, we we respond to what we see our customers doing and what our customers are asking us. They're asking for more power. We have to respond to provide that more power. So this, this kind of area of investment, is really just building out the grid and all of the assets and infrastructure that are that make up the grid to be able to meet the needs of our customers, which are growing faster than they were previously? Is that fair to say? Guillaume Paradis 16:05 Yeah, and for us, it's an interesting balancing act we have to find where we have to anticipate our customers' needs and the demand that's upon us, but we can't get ahead of it, because that would draw investments that potentially would, you know, later become stranded, or, you know, create a cost burden for our customers. So we have to know where the demand is going, and we have to be ready to respond and connect new customers, but we can't get too far ahead of it, because ultimately, you know, if we invest too soon, that's, you know, a burden for all our customers. So sometimes I, I would say there's that misconception that somehow, we're, we're creating our own forecast and believing our own forecast. And really, it's a bit simpler than that, we take in the request and we respond to those requests. We have to be able to look out a few years to make sure that we're not missing, you know, anything significant that would have an impact on our system, but we don't get too far ahead from an investment standpoint. Trevor Freeman 17:19 Okay, so Guillaume, we've been talking about the more traditional aspects of our grid, you know, pulls, wires, transformers, et cetera. But I know that we're also looking at how we can deploy what we call non wire solutions to also help manage capacity on our grid. Can you just explain what some of these solutions are and how we're going to use them in conjunction with our traditional assets to manage grid needs. Guillaume Paradis 17:43 Yeah, so normal alternatives are essentially the concept that without having to install traditional infrastructure, think poles, new Transformers, new cables, underground, you may be able to harvest existing resources within your footprint to help you manage operational needs. Be it like certain peaks that have a short duration, other scenarios of constraints where, rather than building net new infrastructure, which is expensive and time consuming, you might be able to optimize I'll call it the use of embedded resources in a manner that actually meets your operational objectives. So the way you would do that is by using combination of resources. Typically, you would look at small scale embedded storage. So if it exists in the system, you would actually leverage it if, if you could, otherwise, you might install some in a very targeted manner that helps you meet those operational needs. And then otherwise, you would leverage customer resources. So that's either existing generation that is owned by customers, or which is more typical, you know their ability to adjust their demand at certain times to meet your operational constraints. So the idea there is that you can do a business case, you can do an evaluation of what it would take to engage all these resources to get the same operational outcome as you would if you build the new infrastructure, and compare the two on a cost basis. And actually, in some instances, see scenarios where those non wire alternatives actually beat out large scale infrastructure upgrades from a financial standpoint. So it's, it's an evolving area. We have a few pockets within the city that we're targeting for programs like those ones, and we expect, over time, as more embedded resources proliferate, as more customer devices become controllable, we'll have a great. Greater opportunity, in fact, to leverage those non wire alternatives, or those non traditional solutions to meet our operational requirements. Trevor Freeman 20:08 Great. So this is a combination of you know, Hydro Ottawa is planning to invest in in some assets, you know, be they battery or otherwise, on our side of the meter. We call that in front of the meter to help manage grid needs, while also looking for opportunities to partner with customers you know in the aggregate, so you know 100 or 1000 customers at once, to say if we need to call on your devices to either inject into the grid or to ramp back your operations, that will help us manage grid needs while the customer still maintains control. Is that fair to say? Guillaume Paradis 20:47 Yeah, that's fair, and that's an emerging capacity we have. So if our ability to control and call upon a very large number of small devices and customer devices has grown and is growing and will be over the next few years. And with that, our capacity to then draw from those resources to respond to operational circumstances is also increasing and will give us options we just wouldn't have had in the past. So it's just a better way of utilizing available energy resources a more refined way, and one that probably wasn't available to us at scale 10 years ago. Trevor Freeman 21:29 Yeah, and the driver behind all this is what's the best, most cost effective way to address that grid need? Some cases it's going to be the poles and wires and transformers. In some cases, it's going to be these non wire solutions, and it's part of the planning of the grid to identify where does each technology make sense. Guillaume Paradis 21:50 Absolutely. So again, it's a more refined way of assessing options and ensuring that we identify the most cost effective strategies possible. Trevor Freeman 22:02 Perfect, great. Okay, so that's the growth and electrification section. Let's move to aging infrastructure, which is about a third of this investment plan. So this may seem like a softball to start with, but what are some of the challenges posed by aging infrastructure? Maybe talk to us a little bit about what that infrastructure is when it comes to utility grid, and then what are what are we doing with this investment plan to address that aging infrastructure? Guillaume Paradis 22:31 Yeah, so aging infrastructure is a very clear and appropriate descriptor here. So we invest in assets that are long lived, think 5060, years plus in some instances, and you know, eventually you use them, you leverage them over, you know, many decades. And at some point, those assets deteriorate beyond a point where they're no longer able to provide the service that our customers expect. So that would be failures, which leads to reliability issues in parts of our system. So one at one point or another in the life cycle of those assets, depending on how they're being used, what environment they are operated in, you have to replace them. What we try to do is assess them on a risk basis. And when we say risk, we mean, what impact can they have on our customers if they were to fail? Impacts can be things like safety risk. It could be, of course, reliability issues. It could limit our ability to service our customers. And so we assess risk on an ongoing basis, looking at those assets over decades. And eventually we get to a point where the risk has to be addressed, and that typically takes the form of or it can take the form of an outright replacement through the life cycle of all those assets, all of our assets. We do maintenance, we inspect them, we try to see if there are other things we can do before we replace them. But you get to a point ultimately, where the only option that's viable is to actually replace and then you have to go in and take action, physically in the field. Now what becomes a little complicated is, as you can imagine, it's one thing to put infrastructure up when a field being converted to a subdivision, or the city's growing and it's all brand new. You know, infrastructure being developed to support the growth, but decades later, when you come back, 60-70, years plus, in some cases, you're in someone's backyard. You're in the middle of an intersection where multiple utilities have installed their own infrastructure. So you have to coordinate that things have been moved over time. So getting access to the infrastructure is more difficult. Difficult, and so replacing many decades later is a lot more involved than putting up new infrastructure in the first place, and the type of infrastructure that we're talking about here probably falls into three major categories. So there's the overhead infrastructure you see around town. So really, when you and you shouldn't do that while you're driving, but if you're walking ideally, and you're looking at the beautiful hydro infrastructure around Ottawa, what you'll see are very old poles that need attention. So that's very visible, right? We have wood poles, you know, in a lot of the areas of our city, and you get to a point where structurally, they're not as strong as they used to be. They've weathered many storms, and they need attention. And then otherwise, it's the Transformers you might see on those poles. And that would be the boxes that are hanging from the poles, the ones that look like they, you know, predate the Cold War are the ones we're going after, and we need to give some attention to today. And then on the underground side, similar infrastructure, it's cables in in the ground, so in some instances, it's buried directly in someone's backyard. That was a an approach people took many decades back. Now, you can imagine it's very convenient when you're building it, but not so much when you're trying to get it out of the ground and put new cables into the ground. So there's cables that need replacing. They've, you know, been damaged or creating reliability issues. The transformers that go with that as well might need attention. And again, as I mentioned before, you know, decades later, that transformer may be right behind someone's pool in their backyard, and they've done some real nice landscaping, and accessing it for a replacement is a lot more complicated. So underground infrastructure, in fact, is one of the more complicated replacements to execute. And then, you know, if you move up from there, you're looking at substation equipment. So that's the stuff that's fenced in across the city where power is being delivered from to our customers across the city. And so those assets may be a bit less complicated in terms of managing sites and access, but certainly complicated in terms of logistics costs of the equipment. Those are very, very large assets that require a lot of planning to replace, because they're critical to our system, and we can't afford to have them be out of service too long. Trevor Freeman 27:49 Got you and just for our listeners, while Guillaume talking, I pulled up a few quick stats here. So we, Hydro Ottawa on our service territory, has over 6000 kilometers of conductor so of wires and just under 50,000 poles out in our service territory. So as you can imagine, a lot of that is in great shape, and some of it isn't, and some of it needs to be addressed, just like you're talking about here Guillaume. Guillaume Paradis 28:17 Yeah, and that's helpful. Trevor. The thing that we often forget, especially for electricity distribution, is the sheer number of assets that can create a risk. So it's one thing to manage one large transformer and make sure it doesn't fail, but when you're talking about 1000s of assets dispersed around a very large service territory like Ottawa, making sure that we keep an eye on all of them at all times, making sure that we intervene at the exact time prior to a failure, to make sure we deliver the best service possible for our customers. That's really the essence of our challenge and what makes distribution unique versus other parts of our business, where it's maybe more centralized and you may be looking at a smaller set of assets. Trevor Freeman 29:04 Yeah, absolutely okay, so obviously, it's important to maintain what we've got, in addition to building out that new stuff that we talked about earlier, maintaining and replacing what we have, so that you know our existing grid remains reliable. The next section of our investment plan is what we call grid modernization. Now that's something that we've talked about to varying levels of detail on this show before, but I'd like you to talk us through what is in this investment plan over the next five years. When we talk about grid modernization, what are we actually doing? What are some of the specific things that we're gonna put some of our investment towards? Guillaume Paradis 29:45 Yeah, so grid monetization is, is a category that gets talked about a lot, but maybe is, I would say, a bit misunderstood, I think, because it sounds futuristic, people assume we're doing a. And very different things. And ultimately, in my mind, it's better leveraging technology to get good outcomes for our customers. It's really that simple. So as you can imagine, you know, as I talked about, we're looking at assets that have expected life of 50- 60-70, years when some of our assets were first installed, things like communication technology, things like IT, operational technology, weren't as advanced as they are today. Our ability to collect data in real time was not what it is today, and so nada we're we have an opportunity to reinvest and replace all assets. It's important that we do so in a manner that will allow us to drive essentially more performance or better performance out of the assets we put in our system, so that can take various forms. As I mentioned, getting better real time information is one of those ways in which we can leverage technology, what that allows us to do is better respond to outages, offer a better service by being more aware of what's happening at any given point in time, getting better information in near real time as to what assets are posing a risk to reliability because they've been utilized heavily, or they've seen a lot of faults, for example. And so building in that technological infrastructure as a layer that enhances the traditional investments that we've always made is sort of the right thing to do in a context where you want to optimize where you spend your dollars, and you don't want to have to go back and reinvest on the same assets or in the same parts of our system multiple times, uh, over, you know, the coming years, in the coming decades. So the grid monetization portfolio, essentially is our opportunity to, you know, very strategically, identify where we can put in technology that will allow us to get more of our assets and provide a better service for our customers. So simple things like automated devices that would be automated switches that we install on our overhead infrastructure, underground infrastructure that gives us a capacity during an outage to shift demand around and resupply our customers more rapidly than we would have been able to otherwise, and that gives us a capacity to provide a better service under contingency scenario. So very simple, right? It's telemetry. It's communication to a device. And rather than have someone physically go in the field and, you know, switch customers and try to move demand around, we can do that remotely from our control center, likewise, in the control center, putting in more telemetry to identify and proactively suggest to our operators how to restore power to customers. Again, is a simple thing in by today's standard, right? It's not competent technology. It's not complicated software, but it's a layer that didn't exist previously, where we can have software, you know, model based. Its tool suggest how best to optimize the restoration of power. And as we do that, our trade operators get to review and take action in an informed manner. So grid, modernization, again, is about making the most of today's available technology while we reinvest in our distribution system to make sure that the quality of our service, and the breadth of the services we can provide align, well, going forward, with our customers aspirations, and provide a quality service for many decades to come. Trevor Freeman 34:15 Yeah, and I think it's important to remember, and you know this, this little saying has been out there in the industry, and I've used it before. Of the electricity grid is the world's largest machine. Like the grid itself is a piece of technology, and like any technology, we would not be happy if it stayed stagnant, like we want it to evolve with the latest and greatest and operate better and more efficiently, and the grid is no different, and so part of grid modernization is just keeping up with what's out there to make sure we are delivering the service that we deliver in the best way, in the most advanced way, in the most efficient way possible. With that. Guillaume, what about things like, you know, we hear a lot about more distributed energy resources, so more small-scale generation or storage out there on the grid that might be owned by the utility, but it might not be. It might be customer owned. What are we doing from a grid modernization perspective, to enable more distributed energy resources to utilize that those assets more on our grid? Guillaume Paradis 35:28 Yeah, so that's core to the evolution and we're proposing and working toward and and really, if you boil it down to, you know, simple kind of concept, it's really that traditionally, we've had a static model of how our grid needs to operate, and we planned accordingly. So, you know, power flows in one direction to certain size customers. They use electricity to use our energy, and then we protect, we coordinate, we control accordingly, and we're moving into an environment where customer behavior evolves in a dynamic fashion in near real time, depending on what prices are available in the electricity market, depending on what aspirations various Customers have, depending on what technology they want to deploy to manage their energy footprint, a customer may look different, really, from one day to the next, as far as the electricity system is concerned, because their demand might be less significant on a day where their solar panels are better able to generate energy on a day where they choose to leverage a large battery system that they've installed at their facilities to manage their demand. And so from an electricity system standpoint, we need a much better awareness of what is happening in near real time to be able to control and then respond and ultimately offer the right service for our customers. So that's a big change again, going back to the how we're going to enable that. It's again, the core elements of communication infrastructure, more telemetry, so that we can see what's happening in real time. Think sensors. Think smart meters. Think, you know, software system within our control room to take all that information, information in in real time and make sense of it, and then ultimately drive our decision making and support our customers in leveraging energy resources in an optimal way for their needs, by making sure that we're aware of what's happening and not create barriers that are artificial because we're not Sure, and when we're not sure, safety is paramount, and when you prioritize safety and you don't have information, you have to be very conservative in the decisions you make, and you may limit customers choices and behavioral, you know choices, by having to have that safety margin and that safety conscience kind of override everything else. So better telemetry, better real time information, more dynamic ways of controlling energy allow us to enable customers and support their aspirations ultimately, Trevor Freeman 38:38 I mean, it really comes kind of full circle back to our job is to let our customers do what they want to do when it comes to energy, enable that, and that may be just making sure the power is there and available, but it also may be making sure that our grid is set up to allow them to generate and store and sort of interact with energy in the way that they want to. So those two things are quite parallel. Okay, great. Last category here is grid resilience, and this is an important one, and especially in the eyes of our customers, because, you know, we're that unique industry where most of the time, people don't think of us when they really do think about us, it's because the lights have gone off, because there's some event that has resulted in an outage. And I just want to ensure our customers, we try very, very hard to make sure that doesn't happen as much as we can't control everything. So we have this category of grid resilience in our investment plan, and we know that we're going to be seeing and we have already started to see more frequent extreme weather events that is increasing. It's not going down. So what are we doing in our investment plan, or what are we planning to do in order to enhance grid resiliency and withstand those extreme weather event? Guillaume Paradis 40:01 Yeah, so the need for resilience, in my mind, comes from a couple places. So, you know, there are drivers that are external, so the operating environment is evolving to your point. We've seen a number of very impactful weather events over the last few years, whether it be historically impactful ice storms, we've seen tornadoes in our service territory in a way that we didn't previously. We saw derecho a couple years ago, which was, you know, by some measure, the most impactful storm in the history of our company. And so, we know what we plan to withstand has evolved, and we need to reflect that in the decisions we make when we invest in our infrastructure. That can take a few forms, but for grid resilience, we're targeting specific investments so we can identify, and have identified areas of our system that are more vulnerable. Imagine overhead infrastructure that is more exposed to stronger winds. And so, we can go in there and then target those areas, target those segments of our system and make them more robust, more resistant to those external factors. And so, we have assessed our entire service territory. We've studied, you know, our vulnerability to changing patterns, to changing weather events, and in a very targeted manner, identified areas where we'll take action over the next five years to boost resilience of our electricity system in those scenarios, and really just generally. The other element is, you know, while those external factors are evolving and creating a stress on our system, we're also seeing people's dependence on electricity is availability continue to grow, right? So, you know, we've been through this many times at this point, and I'm sure it's been covered on on this podcast a number of times. But you know, people's, you know, need for highly and readily available electricity continues to go up. Think, you know, remote work. Think our utilization of, you know, the internet and the technologies that support that people need access to power, you know, on an ongoing basis for a variety of reasons that support their lifestyles. And so, while the external factors have become and are becoming more challenging and creating a stress, we're also seeing customers relying more heavily on our service being available, and so those things combined make it sort of an imperative that we take action and ensure that our system is robust and can withstand those conditions that are upon us. So, we change our planning approach. We evolve our choices with respect to investments. It could be simpler things than you know, targeting areas and replacing specific infrastructure. It could be as simple as changing our standards so that when we install a new poll, we know that it can withstand harsher winds and heavier ice loading parameters, and we do that across all our investments. So that's a key point here, with respect to grid resilience. Yes, we have a targeted, sort of very strategic approach to building resilience, but we also do that across all our investment categories when we put money in our distribution system to make sure that, similar to the point we made about technology, you know, we invest in assets that will, you know, outlive many of us, and they need to be adequate and appropriate for the environment in which they will operate long term. So we change, you know, the choices we make. We change the materials we use to build the infrastructure that we put in our system, so that ultimately the service levels and service quality that our customers get to enjoy, you know, meets their expectations for decades to come. Trevor Freeman 44:47 I think the idea like it's good that we have called out specifically some activities targeted at group resilience, but some of the other stuff that we've already talked about all. Support resilience. And you mentioned in the grid modernization part, you know, part of that is restoring power to most customers quicker in our growth and electrification part, I mean making sure that our grid can handle the new loads also lends itself to resiliency. So, all of this is in service of making sure that power is there for our customers when they need it, how they need it, and done in a sort of safe and affordable way. That's the goal of all these categories together. Guillaume Paradis 45:33 Yeah, absolutely the you know, going back to the earlier point, the categories are helpful in identifying the major drivers. But ultimately, to your point, Trevor, they all support each other, and when our team plans the future of electricity system, they do so in an integrated manner that considers the various benefits that we can achieve by taking action and putting more money in our distribution system? Trevor Freeman 46:02 Yeah, great. So that's a nice segue into his next question, which is, of course, there's a cost for this, and this is why it is an investment plan. We're out there outlining, these are our targets. This is what we want to do, but there's a cost to that. And so if we don't do this. If we said, look, we just can't put that extra investment into these areas. What are the implications on the grid, on our service? And let's look at kind of like quality of service, reliability, safety, et cetera, if we don't make these investments that we are identifying right now. Guillaume Paradis 46:41 Yeah, so it's pretty direct, right? We what we've done for the in preparation for our rate application, in preparation for to develop our plans for 2026 to 2030 is we've considered all the needs. We've looked at how old the assets are, how quickly they're deteriorating, how many might require replacement over the next five years. What would be an appropriate race rate of replacement to ensure that we don't let let risk build up in our system, we don't cause reliability issues. We've looked at making how we make sure that we can provide service to our customers, that we can connect them in a timely, timely manner, that we can do all those things in a fashion that is safe and ensures the safety of the public, our customers. And so a lot of thought goes into what is required over the next five years, and then on top of those factors and considerations, we also look at what impact will this have financially on our customers, because we're mindful that our service does affect, you know, our customers lives, yes, in a positive manner When our services reliable and power is available, but also financially from a cost standpoint, we add to other pressures that everyone experiences in their lives. And so we want to be very judicious in setting the size of our programs the level of investments in managing those various factors, right? So we have a multifaceted responsibility, and we weigh all those factors in in our or in setting the plans for the future. So doing so looking five years out, as you can probably imagine, you know, if we didn't constrain the plans. If we just did everything our planning engineers would like to do, we would have spent probably another 50% more than what is in the current plan. So looking at old assets, looking at the service levels we want to deliver, we could have spent a significantly larger amount of money if it was purely based on, we'll call them planning, you know, drivers. But as I said, we are mindful that we're responsible for the quality of our service on behalf of all our customers. And we took a very deliberate, you know, extensive approach to adjusting the program size to match the various considerations and ultimately manage the impact on our customers from a financial standpoint. And so we landed where we are after some measure of restraint, some measure of adjustments, down to the plans that would otherwise have been put in place. So thinking about what the outcomes would be if we didn't take the actions we're proposing. You know, it's pretty direct, if you think about it, and we've covered most of them, but it. Just from difficulties in connecting and delivering power to new customers in a timely manner, so that can have impacts with respect to economic development and growth of our community so fairly direct, and frankly, it's our obligation to connect. So we would do everything we can to provide power, but it might just be more difficult take more time on the reliability front. Again, what happens when you don't replace old assets is the failure risks continue to build in your system. So an 80 year old wood pole doesn't get any younger and does it get any stronger if you wait five, six more years? And so as I said, we do a risk assessment before we choose to invest, and our risk assessments tell us that we need to take action on those type of assets. And, you know, take action in a timely manner. If we don't, what is likely to happen is that in a storm scenario, those polls that are deteriorated are more likely to fail, even in normal conditions, it's likely that we would see more failures that could lead to reliability issues, and so just a direct impact on the quality of our service for customers with respect to other outcomes like enabling customers and supporting them in integrating more embedded energy resources. That might just become more difficult, as I said earlier, when we're don't have good real time awareness, we have to err on the side of caution and be more conservative in our management of the system, and that might mean restrictions on where and how we can integrate renewable energy resources. And then ultimately, you know, the paramount consideration for us is always safety, and that's an area where we would just have to be even more vigilant if we couldn't reinvest so old assets, you know, are inherently more likely to create failure risks, and failures can lead to undesirable outcomes from a safety standpoint. So we would have to, and already do, but be very vigilant in monitoring those assets, looking at them, looking at what we can do from a maintenance standpoint to ensure that they don't fail in a manner that would be problematic. So we would be, and are always, very active in looking at those riskier assets, those older assets, to make sure they don't cause problems. But reducing investment levels from what is being proposed now, reducing them further relative to, as I said, the planning levels we would have liked to put forward would have real consequences, and of course, we would do everything we can to manage those consequences and ensure that, you know, we continue to deliver the best service we can. But that would become more difficult than it is today. Trevor Freeman 53:15 I appreciate that that context of you know, you like me, like energy, and we want to do all the cool things, and we want to have the system that is absolutely able to handle every eventuality, but we have to balance that with what is the right level of investment, what is the right pace to go at? And I think, you know, having seen the process, there's been a lot of work over the last year plus to find that balance, and I think we've, we've hit that balance in terms of being able to move the ball forward while trying to maintain that sort of affordability aspect for customers. Last question here to kind of wrap it all up, and we've touched on this a few times in some of the other questions, but how does our investment plan align with that broader energy transition that that we talk about? You know, decarbonizing, reducing emissions, increasing sort of customer flexibility when it comes to their own generation and storage. And what role do you see Hydro Ottawa playing moving forward in that? And I know that this has already gotten a little bit of attention, but I'll give you a chance just to kind of tie a nice little bow around it at the end. Guillaume Paradis 54:39 Yeah. So to your point, we did cover a few elements, how we enable those you know, sustainability aspirations. But you know it ranges from making it possible for large customers to shift a significant portion of their energy demand to a lower. A carbon source like electricity. So again, think a customer who would use natural gas for their facilities, and you know, for corporate reasons, decides to use electricity instead us connecting that extra demand and delivering power to them allows them to lower their foot their carbon footprint. So that would be on high end in terms of size and impact, all the way to enabling customers to install different technologies on their homes, within their homes, to reduce their carbon footprint and change how they use energy. So it could be as simple as buying EV and making sure that power is available within that neighborhood to supply demand from that EV. It could be them installing solar panels on their roof and try to export power back to us. And so that would tie to the earlier point around visibility and real time awareness that we need to have to make sure that we can make that possible. So again, you know the energy system, the electricity system is integrated in so many ways, and enabling our customers to achieve their sustainability outcomes, their desired outcomes in terms of energy use, comes from planning the energy system, the electricity distribution system, in a manner that supports that and that permits it. So again, going back to some categories, the grid modernization that we spoke about earlier fits right in there. So being aware allows us to allow and enable customers, and that becomes critical again, in an environment where things are very dynamic, and we want to support that dynamism, and we need to do so in a manner that's safe. So we need information, and we need technology that allows us to go get that information to support the decision making. So as we said, all the investments we're proposing in one way or another will support our supporting those decarbonization and emission reduction objectives that we all have. Trevor Freeman 57:26 Right, yeah, it really comes back to the idea of us being and this is something that I certainly talk to our customers about. A lot of us being partners with our customers when it comes to their energy journeys, and that can be very active partners in the sense of the word, where we are involved in helping make decisions together on technology or strategies, or it can be very passive in that kind of residential model that you talked about, of just making sure the grid can be there in the way that the customer wants it to be there, and that's still a partnership that that we need to lean into and that we are kind of through this investment plan. Guillaume Paradis 58:07 We're essentially underpinning people's aspirations when it comes to energy, and so we're there to make it possible for them to do what they're hoping to do. And you're absolutely right. We're seeing both ends of those conversations where some you know, go about their own choices and really don't need us involved, and our responsibility there is to make sure that we don't create a roadblock by not being prepared and not being equipped to respond to you know how they want to change their behavior, all the way to that partnership, where it's a very involved conversation, we're being brought in to fully explore all the options and work with stakeholders in essentially demystifying, or maybe more specifically, sort of see through some of the complexity that exists today in an environment that is much more dynamic again and offers a lot more options than people would have seen a few decades ago. Trevor Freeman 59:11 Fantastic. Well, Guillaume, I think we'll leave it there. This has been great, and I appreciate you taking the time to help pick apart you know what? What can be a pretty complex, lengthy plan, but really boils down to building out the grid, continuing to do the great work that that the folks at Hydro Ottawa do, while also preparing for the future. So I appreciate your insight into this. As our listeners know we always end these interviews with a series of questions, and you're no different. So I'm going to dive, dive right into that. So Guillaume, what is a book that you've read that you think everyone should read? Guillaume Paradis 59:54 Yeah, so I'm probably going to get his name wrong, or at least the pronunciation, but it's a book called How The World Really Works by Vaclav Smil. Essentially, you know, he's a very pragmatic thinker with respect to how systems work, how our world is integrated, from a supply standpoint, from a geopolitical standpoint, and how that leads to outcomes in the real world. And think things like energy, think things like food supply. And what I like with his approach is that he breaks thing that things down, sort of from a first principle standpoint, to try to help explain why certain things may or may not be possible, and in an environment where, and maybe that's just my perspective, but I think today, there's a lot of big picture, you know, broad opinions being shared by people who may or may not always be very knowledgeable or have the expertise in certain fields. It's nice to see someone kind of break things down to then try to support, or in some cases, dispel certain misconceptions. So really nice approach. He has a number of books that are similar in nature, some cases a bit dense to read through, frankly, but I would say the how the world really works, book is easier to digest and it's it's a good entry into kind of his works and his approach to his studies. The other thing that's a plus maybe, is that he's based out of Winnipeg in Canadians, so it's great to have a mind like his, you know, contributing to the discourse in Canada. Trevor Freeman 1:01:59 Awesome. So same question, but for a movie or a show, what's a movie or show that you think everyone should check out? Guillaume Paradis 1:02:05 Yeah, that's a little harder. I think maybe I'll go to an old classic. For me. I'm always impressed with extreme creativity, I'll call it - in whatever forms. I think it's neat to see how people can envision a world - or create a world. And so an example for me was the Grand Budapest Hotel movie by Wes Anderson, so I think people are familiar with his work by now. I just like the combination of humor color, color like the creation of a world that doesn't quite exist but resembles one we might know. And just, you know, it's, it's a way of expressing oneself that is so interesting, so different. He does it really, really well. And, you know, I find it sort of like awe inspiring to go back to those kinds of movies and look at, certainly, there's all sorts of good content these days that's being produced, but I think this one is kind of withstood the test of time so far and kind of brings you to a different place. So I'll point to that. Trevor Freeman 1:03:17 Yeah, it's one of those where it's not just about the story. Watching that movie is a bit of an experience. And all the ways that you just said, you know, there's like, an artificial aspect to it. There's that sort of mental, emotional side of it, and then there's the story itself, with the humor and everything. So yeah, that's a great one. I really like that. Guillaume Paradis 1:03:35 Always fascinating to think someone was able to come up with that, right? Like that. Yeah, totally have all like, the attention to details, the way in which the storylines are integrated, the way in which the decors, the images are graphed like it's just remarkable. And, and I think in anything, it's really cool to see people who are sort of masters at their art, right? And whatever for and there's all sorts of other examples. But that one, you know, came to mind. Trevor Freeman 1:04:09 Yeah, very cool. If you had a free round trip flight anywhere in the world, where would you go? Guillaume Paradis 1:04:13 I think for me, it'd be somewhere very far north. I think it's on the list somewhere for the next few years, but just getting access to lands scenery that you wouldn't otherwise is really cool concept, maybe even spaces that are a bit less impacted by human you know, behavior and presence. So I just think a flight to somewhere random that maybe doesn't even have a name, but is in between two small villages that can only be accessed by a plane. I think that would be cool. Trevor Freeman 1:04:58 Yeah, that does sound very cool. I like that. Who is someone that you admire? Guillaume Paradis 1:05:03 Yeah, so my wife, for sure, I think that's sort of the foundation of a healthy relationship. You should have some admiration for your partner, and I absolutely do more generally. I would just point to anyone in our lives, and I think we all know people like that who spend a large amount of their time making other people's lives better. I could pick, you know, a celebrity of some kind, or politician of some kind, or even a historical figure, but, you know, I think in general, it doesn't have to be that complicated, people who just invest a lot of their time making sure others lives are better. I think that's something we should all admire, aspire to, you know, emulate, if we can, and just recognize as well. Because a lot of the times people do that, the people who do it well, don't do it for recognition. It doesn't mean they don't deserve it. And I think we should kind of try to promote it, you know, recognize it in our lives, and encourage it and emulate it, if we can. Trevor Freeman 1:06:20 Fantastic. Well said. Last question, what is something about the energy sector or its future that you are particularly excited about? Guillaume Paradis 1:06:25 Yeah, so I've been in the sector for about 20 years now, in fact, longer than that. My father worked for Hydro Quebec for many decades. So think we spent a lot of time talking about the future and getting excited about a future that was to come, and just the fact that we're living it now that we're actually shaping it, is pretty exciting, maybe even not appreciated to its full extent. And I think having a chance to contribute now is really awesome, and to whatever extent we can as well, I'm trying to encourage as many people as possible to join our sector, bring various backgrounds, you know, expertise, knowledge to helping us make decisions about how energy is going to be used in our society going forward, and how we can make the most this confluence of factors that create the window of opportunity to change things and make them evolve. And so for those of us who are part of it, let's not take it for granted, and let's make sure that we contribute to the full extent of our capabilities. Trevor Freeman 1:07:45 Awesome, great, great way to wrap this up, I agree completely. Guillaume, thanks so much for your time. I really appreciate it. And sharing your thoughts with us. Really appreciate you coming on the show. Guillaume Paradis 1:07:56 Thanks. Trevor, pleasure. Trevor Freeman 1:07:59 Great take care. Well, there you have it everybody that was our last episode of the season before our summer break. Our regular listeners will know that we typically take a break over the summer to regroup and work on content and plan out the next year. But don't worry, we will be still releasing episodes every two weeks. They will just be rewind episodes, and we'll take a look back at some of our favorite episodes or things that we feel are particularly relevant for what's going on right now. So keep tuning in and listen to those, and we will be back with brand new content in September. Take care and have a safe summer. Thanks for tuning in to another episode of the thinkenergy podcast. Don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and it would be great if you could leave us a review and review. It really helps to spread the word. As always, we would love to hear from you, whether it's feedback, comments or an idea for a show or a guest. You can always reach us at thinkenergy@hydroottawa.com.
We welcome a local legend and all round swell guy Avon Fox to the show. His wealth of knowledge in all things robots (that AREN'T Transformers) has to be heard to be believed! With museum-level quality and attention to detail, Avon takes us through his collecting journey and his amazing website. Go-Bots, Rock Lords, Train Toys, Zybots and much much more. Learn more about this amazing dude at both the-liberator.net and his own show Screwhead AF Podcast. Support the show: http://patreon.com/toypowerpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week: The crew discusses the latest in Transformers collecting, including new Blockees figure sets featuring Unicron, Sludge, and Metroplex, and affordable Devastator combiner parts finally hitting the U.S. The team debates the Masters of the Universe x Transformers crossover potential, digs into the Liokaiser production timeline, and discusses the clever but divisive DNA Designs Animated Menasor kit. Plus: Paramount's new leadership under David Ellison raises questions for the future of the Transformers movie franchise.
This week: The crew discusses the latest in Transformers collecting, including new Blockees figure sets featuring Unicron, Sludge, and Metroplex, and affordable Devastator combiner parts finally hitting the U.S. The team debates the Masters of the Universe x Transformers crossover potential, digs into the Liokaiser production timeline, and discusses the clever but divisive DNA Designs Animated Menasor kit. Plus: Paramount's new leadership under David Ellison raises questions for the future of the Transformers movie franchise.
We head back to Cybertron with friend of the show, Nick Nager! Last year this movie snuck up on us as we didn't think much of it after the trailer, but after seeing it... wow! There is a LOT more here and some fantastic writing! This movie is so much better than it has any business being. Before we break the movie down, we pick our Top 5 Transformers franchise moments as well. So don't forget your cogs, mine for some energon, and transform and roll out... it's time for Transformers One on The Movie Defenders Podcast! Click here to listen and connect anywhere: https://linktr.ee/moviedefenders 00:00:00 Top 5 Transformers Franchise Moments 01:16:59 Transformers One Discussion Starts 01:36:35 Orion Pax in the Archives 02:02:14 Meeting B-127 02:14:27 Learning the Truth 02:38:22 The High Guard 02:56:22 D Drops Orion Pax 03:02:56 Megatron and Optimus Are Born 03:07:59 Ending Special thanks to our amazing Patreon supporters! Alex Kirkby Alexis Helman Barrett Young Bart German Brett Bowen Daryl Ewry Doug Robertson Ena Haynes Eric Blattberg Jason Chastain Josh Evans Joshua Loy Katherine Boulware Kevin Athey Mark Nattress Mark Martin Megan Bush Michael Puckett Nick Nagher Randal Silver Sean Masters Stephanie Ewry Attack of the Killer Podcast
This podcast description was blatantly written by AI... Join Clint, Meg, and Dan, with Ash London for a fun-filled episode of The Edge Breakfast Podcast! They launch into discussions about childhood crushes, featuring famous moments like Cameron Diaz in 'The Mask' and Megan Fox in 'Transformers.' Ash tries her best to join the Warriors bandwagon with some hard-hitting sports quizzes, and Dan reveals juicy details about an awkward encounter involving an elevator and music artist Ruel. Special guest Christopher Luxon joins to talk politics and the rising cost of groceries. Prepare for laughs, heart-to-hearts, and a mix of everything you love about the show! 00:00 Welcome to the Clint, Megan, Dan Podcast02:05 Throwback Song Debate06:16 Zoo Adventures and Animal Antics09:10 Dentist Training and Medical Mishaps16:00 Adoption News and Celebrity Gossip25:02 Sexual Awakenings and Movie Memories39:31 Bandwagon Warriors Fans and Ash's Challenge43:18 Michelle's Terminal Cancer Journey49:46 Dan's New Cash Contest and Christopher Luxon Interview01:04:03 Debate: Who Sits in the Front Seat?01:16:47 Pranking Lily with Ruel
We watched the series finale of Station Eleven this week, only three and a half years late, that’s a record for us! (Except for when we watched Mayor of Kingstown season three the same month it was released. Or Love Death and Robots the same week it came out. We’re bad at TV except when... The post Binary System Podcast #470 – Station Eleven Series Finale first appeared on Pixelated Geek.
TransMissions Podcast: Transformers News and Reviews! - All Shows Feed
On this episode we get detailed looks at the Masters of the Universe/Transformers crossover figures, Hasbro wants to activate your alt mode, and Blokees has a Transformers crossover of its own. All this and much, much more on this episode of TransMissions! Order our exclusive Skybound Transformers #1 comic with cover art by E.J. Su! Want some TransMissions swag? Check out our online shop, powered by Dashery! Show Notes: If you enjoy TransMissions, please rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! These ratings greatly help podcasts become more discoverable to other people using those services and is an easy way to help out our show. Contact us: Continue reading The post Masters Of The Collab – TransMissions Podcast 656 appeared first on TransMissions Podcast Network.
The Professor Frenzy Show Episode 371 I Was A Fashion School Serial Killer #5 from Image | Writer(s):Doug Wagner | Artist(s):Daniel Hillyard : $3.99 Blood Type #3 (EC Comics) from Oni Press | Writer(s):Corinna Bechko | Artist(s):Andrea Sorrentino : $4.99 Conan The Barbarian Vol 5 #23 from Titan Comics | Writer(s):Jim Zub | Artist(s):Fernando Dagnino : $3.99 Bug Wars #6 from Image Comics (W) Jason Aaron (A) Mahmud Asrar $4.99 MAD magazine #45 (W/A The Usual Gang of Idiots) $5.99 I Hate Fairyland Vol 2 #43 from Image | Writer(s):Skottie Young | Artist(s):Derek Laufman : $3.99 Blood & Thunder #4 from Image Comics (W) Benito Cereno (A) E.J. Su, Michele Msassyk Assarasakorn $3.99 Transformers #23 from Image Comics (W) Daniel Warren Johnson (A) Jorge Corona, Mike Spicer $3.99 [For fans of Ice Cream Man, be aware of, Superman The Kryptonite Spectrum #1 from DC Comics (W) W. Maxwell Prince (A) Martin Morazzo $5.99] Monster High Party Monster #1 (One Shot) from IDW Publishing | Writer(s):Heather Nuhfer | Artist(s):Kellee Riley : $3.99 Mercy Sparx Daddy Issues #1 from Devils Due Publishing | Writer(s):Josh Blaylock | Artist(s):Josh Blaylock Brian Rogers : $5.55 This Week's Best Comic Books G.I. Joe #10 from Image Comics (W) Joshua Williamson (A) Andrea Milana, Lee Loughridge $4.99 Los Monstruos #4 from Dark Horse Comics (W) Joshua Williamson (A) Andrea Milana, Lee Loughridge $4.99 This Ends Tonight #2 from Image Comics (W) Gerry Duggan (A) Jae Lee $4.99 Resident Alien Book Of Changes #1 from Dark Horse | Writer(s):Peter Hogan | Artist(s):Steve Parkhouse | $4.99 Exquisite Corpses #4 from Image | Writer(s):Che Grayson, James Tynion IV | Artist(s):Adam Gorham, Michael Walsh | $4.99 Seasons #7 from Image | Writer(s):Rick Remender | Artist(s):Paul Azaceta | $3.99 Archie Comics Digest Vol 2 #1 2025 Halloween Special from Archie Comics | Writer(s):Sy ReitFrank Doyle | Artist(s):Bob WhiteSteven ButlerDan DeCarlo | $9.99 Catacomb Of Torment #2 (EC Comics) from Oni Press | Writer(s):Matt Bors Evan Dorkin, Jeremy Lambert | Artist(s):KanoLukas KetnerFabiana Mascolo | $4.99 Eat Your Young #1 from Mad Cave Studios | Writer(s):Brian Buccellato | Artist(s):Mattia Monaco | $4.99 Post Malones Big Rig #2 from Vault Comics | Writer(s):Adrian Wassel PostMalone | Artist(s):Nathan Gooden | $9.99 Nostalgia Action Comics #345; cover dated Jan. ‘67; cover priced 12 cents Svengoolie - Horror of Dracula This week's that guy that was in that show is Lew Ayers Twilight Zone: Mute Season 4 Episode 5, Original air date January 31, 1963
On this episode we get detailed looks at the Masters of the Universe/Transformers crossover figures, Hasbro wants to activate your alt mode, and Blokees has a Transformers crossover of its own. All this and much, much more on this episode of TransMissions! Order our exclusive Skybound Transformers #1 comic with cover art by E.J. Su! Want some TransMissions swag? Check out our online shop, powered by Dashery! Show Notes: If you enjoy TransMissions, please rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! These ratings greatly help podcasts become more discoverable to other people using those services and is an easy way to help out our show. Contact us: Continue reading The post Masters Of The Collab – TransMissions Podcast 656 appeared first on TransMissions Podcast Network.
In this short podcast episode, Bryan breaks down the differences between split-phase and 3-phase power in HVAC systems. Split-phase is a form of single-phase power, and it's common in residential HVAC. Three-phase power is more common in commercial and industrial applications. Single-phase power uses only one of the three phases of power produced by the power company. When there is a neutral and two sides of 120V power, that is split-phase power. Transformers on power poles for residential service only have one line going into them (and only one sine wave). That power gets stepped down to ~240V. Most household appliances and electronics we use are rated for 120V or 240V power. However, we use split-phase power by tapping the center of the transformer secondary; there are two 120V halves. We can see the "differences" between split-phase and single-phase power with an oscilloscope. These halves may look like two different sine waves if we use neutral as a reference, but an oscilloscope will only show one 240V sine wave from leg to leg (without neutral). Therefore, split-phase power really is just single-phase power with a center reference point, and split-phase power doesn't matter to the HVAC unit. We get three-phase power when all three phases of power come in from the utility, not just one. Each individual phase is 120V, and all three can make up 208V power because the phases are 120 degrees out of phase. Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android
In this conversation, Neil Ashton interviews Prof. Johannes Brandstetter, a physicist turned machine learning expert, about his journey from academia to industry, focusing on the application of machine learning in engineering and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). They discuss the Aurora project, the challenges of integrating machine learning with engineering, and the importance of data in training models. Johannes shares insights on the use of transformers in modeling, the significance of resolution independence, and the role of open-source practices in advancing the field. The conversation also touches on the challenges of founding a startup and the need for multidisciplinary collaboration in tackling complex engineering problems.Links: Github: https://brandstetter-johannes.github.ioEmmi AI: https://www.emmi.aiGoogle scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=KiRvOHcAAAAJ&hl=deAB-UPT transform paper: https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.09692Chapters00:00 Introduction to Johannes Brandstetter07:10 The Aurora Project and Key Learnings11:15 Machine Learning in Engineering and CFD17:19 Challenges with Mesh Graph Networks20:16 Transformers in Physics Modeling31:14 Tokenization in CFD with Transformers39:58 Challenges in High-Dimensional Meshes41:08 Inference Time and Mesh Generation41:36 Neural Operators and CAD Geometry45:59 Anchor Tokens and Scaling in CFD48:40 Data Dependency and Multi-Fidelity Models50:32 The Role of Physics in Machine Learning54:28 Temporal Modeling in Engineering Simulations56:58 Learning from Temporal Dynamics1:00:58 Stability in Rollout Predictions1:03:48 Multidisciplinary Approaches in Engineering1:05:18 The Startup Journey and Lessons Learned
This week on Cartoon 1st, the Transformers went 3D in the 90s and we're checking it out, it's time for Beast Wars! Set on a mysterious, prehistoric planet, Beast Wars follows two factions of Transformers who have crash-landed and will have to battle each other for survival. To adapt to the planet's environment, the robots take on animal forms and must use them in order to survive. Hope you enjoy this review of Beast Wars! If you'd like to unlock bonus episodes from Talking Back every month, then check out our page on Patreon! Check out Tim's Youtube Channel Demo Dash! You can also support Talking Back by sending us a Coffee at Buy Us a Coffee! Please consider leaving a 5 star rating and review on Apple Podcasts! This helps make our Podcast easier for listeners to find. Feel free to drop us a line on Social Media at Instagram, and Facebook. Or drop us an email us at talkbackpod@gmail.com. This podcast is part of the BFOP Network
Roman, Jeff, and Django aren't ready to retire, but they are ready to rumble! First up we explore some Silver Age-y goodness, before touching on Bronze Age carnage, and finally the modern day twist on everything. We even have another Deniz Camp book! Just hit play, friends.0:02:40 - Roman's Brief Non-Spoiler Fantastic Four: First Steps thoughts0:04:20 - Well Welcome Wellmer!0:10:16 - Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #10:22:39 - Predator Kills the Marvel Universe #10:29:43 - Fantastic Four #20:36:41 - Batman: Dark Patterns #90:44:24 - Captain Planet #30:46:44 - The Ultimates #150:52:49 - Transformers #230:56:50 - Spider-Man & Wolverine #41:01:00 - The Avengers in the Veracity Trap!SPOILERS! Tread carefully dear listener, because we're going to talk about what happened in these books. So definitely pause this, read your comics, and come back. We'll still be here!And an enormous thank you, as always, to Andrew Carlson for editing this mess into something listenable.Subscribe to us on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to get your podcasts.Email us at jeff@thecomicsplace.com! We love hearing from you and there's a good chance we will read it on air!Cover art by Juan FerreyraVisit us at The Comics Place next time you're in Bellingham, Washington!
Dark of the Moon, the 3rd movie and the 3rd toyline, Andy and Big D talk about this line and the figures from it, will it be 3 parts again? Maybe
- R.I.P. Terrance Stamp- Alien: Earth TV review (FX)- Superman BTS scene goes viral- Anthony Mackie what are you doing?Comic Book Reviews- PREDATOR KILLS THE MARVEL UNIVERSE (2025) #1- ULTIMATES (2024) #15- Transformers #23- GREEN LANTERN CORPS (2025-) #7LIKE, SHARE, AND SUBSCRIBE! Audio link:linktr.ee/cbbpodcast
This week on the Toy Power Podcast; we finally get around to reviewing the much anticipated Fantastic Four Film! As it has been a few weeks between seeing it, and talking about it here; we decide to go head first in - with no holds back - Full Spoiler Talk! So please be mindful of that. Plus; with all the hype around Comic Book movies; we have a fun discussion around which Film did we think, did it best? Superman or FF4? Then we take a quick look at the latest news - with a pure focus around the three main Crowdfunding projects, all happening right now. The HasLab SnowCat which has actually just wrapped up. Mattel's rather ambitious Snake Lair; with a rather questionable price tag! Plus the other HasLab project, the Star Wars: Gunner Ship! This one looks like it needs a huge boost of backers! Then pivoting back to the Big Screen; we chat about the latest Radical Rewind screening that was: Wayne's World! From numerous Cosplay fun, to the upcoming hype around the Next Feature Film too! Then rounding out the ep; we have a quick chat about the incredible 'Weapons' film that sports a perfect mix of Thriller, Horror & Suspense! This movie has us just buzzing after seeing it! All this & more; enjoy!!Support the show: http://patreon.com/toypowerpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the summit of the Paramount mountain to the depths of Hollywood's biggest headlines, ITCAF is climbing higher than ever this week.The guys are diving straight into the Paramount/Skydance merger as David Ellison officially takes the reins, laying out a bold plan to restore the studio to its former glory. With Top Gun 3 soaring high on the priority list, and revivals of Star Trek, Transformers, and G.I. Joe on deck, Ellison's message is clear: great filmmakers make great movies, and theaters come first. And as long as Tom Cruise is in the mix, more high-octane blockbusters are guaranteed.But that's just the start! The Duffer Brothers could be bringing their storytelling power to Paramount, Cindy Holland is making her stance known: “Made-for-streaming movies are not a priority for me,” signaling a shift away from direct-to-streaming films, Taylor Sheridan, along with Paramount, is building a Texas-sized production empire, and Paramount Plus just locked a $7.7 billion UFC deal that will reshape fight nights forever. Add in a Scary Movie revival, The Running Man delay, and Wall Street going meme-stock wild with PSKY shares, and you've got one of the most game-changing mergers in years.Plus, we hit you with our Top 5 Films That Got Us Excited, a full box office recap, and the hottest movers on the IMDb Top Trenders list.It's big. It's bold. It's crazy. It's ITCAF.Chapters: News Tease 0:00Intro Music 2:00Show Open 2:21Paramount News and Discussion 4:13Top 5 Films That Got Us Excited 44:29Box Office 1:13:07IMDb Pro Top Trending 1:16:18Goodbyes 1:16:50Follow Us Here:Website: https://crazyantmedia.comMerchandise: https://crazyantmedia.com/crazy-ant-merchandiseOur first film, Deadlines: https://crazyantmedia.com/deadlinesPodcasts:ITCAFpodcast:Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/itcafpodcast/id1644145531Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1tf6L0e7vO9xnVtWaip67s?si=tYPrIVr_R36qpYns4qeZ8gEverything's Okay Podcast:Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everythings-okay/id1664547993Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0uMm80MW4K50f8uURgVUYp?si=9mF7mwf_Qe-ZDqKBhEovMgSocial Media:ITCAFpodcastTwitter: https://twitter.com/itcafpodcast?s=21&t=q0HdFq3CPkXBzVYHYdJW6wInstagram: https://instagram.com/itcafpodcast?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRLQ7hHn/Everything's OkayTwitter: https://twitter.com/everythingsokp?s=21&t=ckQqBvyxz3lYqKHLrI6peAInstagram: https://instagram.com/everythingsokp?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=Crazy Ant MediaTwitter: https://twitter.com/crazyantmedia?s=21&t=q0HdFq3CPkXBzVYHYdJW6wInstagram: https://instagram.com/crazyantmedia?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRLQP1c1/Logan (Left)Twitter: https://twitter.com/jloganaustin?s=21&t=ckQqBvyxz3lYqKHLrI6peAInstagram: https://instagram.com/jloganaustin?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@j.loganaustin?_t=8ZMB9Hp1yxf&_r=1Dustin (Right)Twitter: https://twitter.com/crazyantceo?s=21&t=ckQqBvyxz3lYqKHLrI6peAInstagram: https://instagram.com/crazyantceo?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crazyantceo?_t=8ZMB84k7BUM&_r=1
TransMissions Podcast: Transformers News and Reviews! - All Shows Feed
The Autobots struggle to defend Chicago as the Decepticons make their final push, in our review of Skybound's Transformers #23. All this and much, much more on this episode of TransMissions Alt Mode! Order our exclusive Skybound Transformers #1 comic with cover art by E.J. Su! Want some TransMissions swag? Check out our online shop, powered by Dashery! Show Notes: If you enjoy TransMissions, please rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! These ratings greatly help podcasts become more discoverable to other people using those services and is an easy way to help out our show. Contact us: Continue reading The post Alt Mode 455 – Transformers #23 Spoiler Review appeared first on TransMissions Podcast Network.
Horror movies are having a hell of a run, this time with the release of Zach Cregger's Weapons. Plus we talk all the latest on Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Matt Smith rejoining the Star Wars universe, Michael Bay back for Transformers and exiting a Will Smith movie, Tom Cruise's next movie gets dropped by Warner Brothers, trailers for One Piece Season 2 and The Paper, an update on The Batman Part II and more! Thanks for listeningNew bonus let's play video out now and it's a horny cat game! Plus entire back-catalogue of let's play videos, bonus podcasts, movie commentaries, early access and ad-free episodes all available on https://bigsandwich.coPLEASE be aware timecodes may shift up to a few minutes due to inserted ads.00:00 The Start04:28 Spider-Man: Brand New Day Reveals10:30 Matt Smith Joins Star Wars: Starfighter Movie17:05 Michael Bay's Transformers Return & Will Smith Exit22:31 Ana De Amas & Tom Cruise Movie in Deeper Trouble28:52 The Paper (The Office Spin-Off) Trailer31:44 One Piece Season 2 Trailer34:17 The Batman 2 & Superfamily Movie Latest36:05 New DCU Pitch & Resident Evil by Weapons Director39:36 Weapons Movie Review56:00 Weapons Spoiler Segment (timecodes may shift due to ads, skip extra mins)01:20:04 What We Reading, What We Gonna Read01:27:02 Letters, It's Time For Letters01:28:24 Star Wars Hot Scoop or Shot of PoopSUBSCRIBE HERE ►► http://goo.gl/pQ39jNJames' Twitter ► http://twitter.com/mrsundaymoviesMaso's Twitter ► http://twitter.com/wikipediabrownPatreon ► https://patreon.com/mrsundaymoviesT-Shirts/Merch ► https://www.teepublic.com/stores/mr-sunday-moviesThe Weekly Planet iTunes ► https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-weekly-planet/id718158767?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4The Weekly Planet Direct Download ► https://play.acast.com/s/theweeklyplanetAmazon Affiliate Link ► https://amzn.to/2nc12P4 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week's Bonus Bang is the fourth in our "I Love Lily" series titled "Love, Bridge". Award nominated actor Jack Quaid joins Scott to talk about his animated character from Star Trek: Lower Decks being live action in the new season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, how a Facebook video he made at 15 appeared in a Scream movie, and the Transformers universe. Then, author Bridget Jones returns to read new entries from her diary. Later, TV host The Crypt Keeper stops by to talk about his audition for Tales from the Crypt. Plus, the ghost of musician Dr. John returns in search of a lawyer for a big case. (Originally released as episode #816 on 6/11/2023) Get access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using this show link: https://siriusxm.com/cbb