Podcasts about galapagos islands

Join us as we speak with ornithologist David Wiedenfeld from the American Bird Conservancy about the formation and the importance of the Habitats Watch List -- a list that keeps track of specialized habitats and the bird species each habitat supports throughout the United States. David received his PhD from Florida State University. His work has focused on bird population ecology and conservation biology. He served for five years as Director of Research at the Sutton Avian Research Center, working primarily on prairie-chickens. He was also Head of the Department of Vertebrate Ecology at the Charles Darwin Research Station in the Galapagos Islands. His work was primarily with bird populations, but also included projects on invasive species, including predators, diseases, and parasites. .Join Catherine Greenleaf, a certified wildlife rehabilitator with 25 years of experience rescuing and rehabilitating injured wildlife, for twice-monthly discussions about restoring native habitat and helping the birds in your backyard. Send your questions about birds and native gardening to birdhuggerpodcast@gmail.com. (PG-13) St. Dymphna Press, LLC.

Acclaimed poet and philosopher David Whyte has come to believe a single line of poetry is enough to change your life. David grew up amongst the moors and fields of West Yorkshire, with an English father and an Irish mother who had a gift for lyricism and language.He started writing poems at just seven years old, but it wasn't until he was working as a guide in the Galapagos Islands that David truly understood what poetry was and what it could do for us.A near-death experience there prepared him for life as a poet by teaching him to pay attention to what lay right in front of him at any given time.For David, the power of poetry lies in its unmatched ability to meditate and focus on what's right in front of us, whether it's a mountain, a loved one, or our own reflection.First broadcast in 2025Further informationDavid's latest collection of poems and essays is Consolations II, published by Canongate.This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris, the Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney.It explores, poetry, poems, near death experiences, mothers, sons, family, Ireland, meditation, Zen, love, heartbreak, anxiety, time, happiness, the Galapagos Islands, family, grief, memory, spirituality, Christianity, language, England.To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Enjoy this full chapter about working on Monkey Island, from Jeff's newest book. Monkey Farm: A Summer Among the Macaques  Audiobook: Libby Libro.fm Spotify Amazon  Audible  Apple Books  Google Play  Kobo  Barnes and Noble eBook (DRM-free): Bookshop.org  Kobo  Kindle Barnes and Noble  Canadian friends: I set the retail price at par - $10CAD and $10USD. Anything more is bullshit. Keep looking if a site (like Amazon) is charging exchange rate.  It's the least I can do to make up for our bad behavior down here.  International (list created with gemini):  Rakuten Kobo (Global / Ireland) E-Book (EPUB 3) Ireland / European Union €8.99 Retail / Pre-order Rakuten Kobo Ireland Listing   Rakuten Kobo (Belgium / French) Digital Audiobook Belgium / France Direct Purchase Rakuten Kobo Belgium Audio Listing   Rakuten Kobo (Netherlands) E-Book Netherlands Direct Purchase Rakuten Kobo Netherlands Listing   Rakuten Kobo (Denmark) E-Book Denmark Direct Purchase Rakuten Kobo Denmark Listing   Rakuten Kobo (Turkey) E-Book Turkey Direct Purchase Rakuten Kobo Turkey Listing   Rakuten Kobo (Belgium / Dutch) E-Book Belgium Direct Purchase Rakuten Kobo Belgium Dutch Listing   Booktopia E-Book Australia Direct Purchase (AUD) Booktopia Product Listing   Storytel (Indonesia Storefront) Digital Audiobook Global / Southeast Asia Monthly Subscription Streaming Storytel Indonesia Listing   Storytel (France Storefront) Digital Audiobook France / Europe Monthly Subscription Streaming Storytel France Listing   Storytel (Iceland Storefront) Digital Audiobook Iceland Monthly Subscription Streaming Storytel Iceland Listing   Bol.com Digital Audiobook Netherlands / Belgium Kobo Plus Subscription / Purchase Bol.com Product Listing   Rakuten Books Japan Digital E-Book Japan Direct Purchase (JPY) Rakuten Japan Product Listing   Nextory E-Book & Audiobook Switzerland / Europe Monthly Subscription Streaming Nextory Product Listing The full chapter follows, enjoy and let me know what you think... Chapter 11 - Monkey Island My summer among the macaques ended with a hangover, fresh stitches and a new tattoo. The story of how that happened began before dawn at a boat dock on Saint Helena Sound.  The skills I'd acquired at the Yemassee clinic, specifically treating lacerations and fight wounds, had qualified me to work on Morgan Island when needed. The Monkey Farm maintained a colony of rhesus macaques on the island under a contract with the government. The macaques had been relocated to South Carolina from a government breeding facility in Puerto Rico fifteen years prior, after monkeys carrying the Herpes-B virus escaped into the community.  After my boss recommended me to the Morgan Island team, the occupational health lab tested me for tuberculosis and hepatitis. The monkeys on the island were disease-free, and the humans who worked there were screened to make sure they didn't infect the animals. The lab also re-tested me for Herpes-B virus, carried by many of the macaques I worked with. Herpes-B was harmless to the monkeys, but could kill me. The re-test confirmed I hadn't been infected by an accidental needle stick the month before. After I stuck myself with that used needle, I rushed back to the clinic and scrubbed the wound with iodine and a stiff brush for ten minutes, then flushed the wound with water for another twenty minutes. Either the monkey hadn't carried B virus or the infection-control procedure worked. Good news! With blood tests out of the way, I was given the dates I would work on Morgan Island and instructions to take the morning boat from Eddings Point. My boss dictated directions. "Take the Carteret Street bridge from Beaufort on the mainland to Lady's Island. Continue on the Sea Island Parkway. Pass Datha, Distant, Warsaw and Polawana Islands. Keep going on to Saint Helena Island. Turn left on Eddings Point Road, go a couple miles across the causeway to Eddings Point Landing. Boat leaves at 6:30 am sharp. Be early because they'll leave you at the dock if you're one minute late." A winding pre-dawn drive across the archipelago of Saint Helena Sound got me to the dock just after 6:00 am. A car and two pickup trucks were already parked in an oyster shell lot between the narrow causeway and the salt marsh. The trucks lit the marsh with their headlights. The beams followed a walkway of planks laid between pilings out to open water where I could just make out a boat tied to a floating dock. Three people I'd never met were ferrying boxes of supplies and bags of Purina Monkey Chow from the trucks to the boat. I got out of my own truck with a duffel bag holding my coveralls and boots. Unsure what do do next, I went and stood next to the walkway, thinking maybe I could help. The three men ignored me as they sleepily went about their stevedoring.  The veterinarian I was to assist that day climbed out of a nearby station wagon and trudged slowly over, a bag similar to mine slung over her shoulder. We exchanged sleepy good mornings. She wore a dark knit watch cap. It was September, and the air was thankfully cool after a shatteringly hot Lowcountry August. That heat pushed me down with a heavy weight from dawn to dusk. It was hardest in coveralls, boots and a mask, but even on my days off I stayed indoors in the air conditioning. That August was the first time in my life I didn't want to go outside, even to swim since the body temperature water did nothing to cool me down. Thankfully, September broke the spell. That morning the breeze off the salt marsh was brisk and fresh. We stayed out of the way while the crew finished loading the boat. The one in charge, a big man I hadn't met, turned off the headlights in one, then the other truck. Big Man motioned to us to follow as he crossed the walkway to join the two people already on the boat. His heavy steps made the planks bounce gently between the pilings. I stepped down a short ramp from the fixed walkway to the floating dock. I followed the veterinarian who had already climbed aboard the boat.  Free from the glare of headlights, my eyes started to adjust to the pre-dawn light. The simple workboat was sturdily built of white fiberglass. It had a windshield on top of a tiny cabin in the bow. The steering wheel and throttle were mounted next to a ship's compass bolted to the top of the cabin. The letters and numbers of the compass glowed from a soft yellow light inside the compass housing. I could see that we were pointed roughly north. The inboard motor repeated a quiet rumble under an engine box piled with supplies. Big Man quickly untied the lines, bow and stern, and climbed into the boat to take the wheel.  He pushed the throttle forward and spun the wheel to the left. The boat rose smoothly on plane as we motored into Jenkins Creek. My eyes now fully adjusted, I could see the glow of sunrise build in the sky to our right, and there was enough ambient light to see our surroundings. We looked up at the top of tall marsh grass speeding by on either side of the Creek. Five months earlier in May, the grass was a green fringe barely above the tidal marshes at the confluence of the Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto rivers. The three rivers gave their water and their names to the ACE Basin, a pristine 350,000 acre nursery estuary in Saint Helena Sound.  Smack dab in the middle of the ACE Basin sat Morgan Island, the only completely undeveloped island in the estuary. Undeveloped, but not uninhabited.  The others on the boat didn't say much as we wound through the creeks and rivers on our way to Morgan Island. Between the early hour and the routine of what was regular duty for everyone else, I was left to watch and wonder. We shot out of Jenkins Creek into the wider Morgan River then turned east. Our bow was pointed toward the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean beyond. The top edge of the sun broke above the watery horizon. A dorsal fin broke the surface of the water in front and to the right of the boat. A shark! No, sharks don't surf. It was a porpoise. The sleek marine mammal caught a ride on the wave of water pushed aside by our bow until we turned to head north up Parrot Creek next to Morgan Island.  Morgan Island is technically six square miles, but only one square mile is high and dry. The rest is marsh. We motored in a long clockwise loop around the island's northern perimeter. At a buoy with a flashing green light, we turned south into the mouth of an unnamed tidal creek that led to the interior. After ten minutes winding through the creek, Big Man pulled back on the throttle. The boat slowed and we putted slowly toward the forested upland of Morgan Island. I pushed to the front of the cockpit to spot the throngs of free-range macaques that must've been gathered on shore to greet us. But weren't. Instead, a sleepy woman took our lines and tied our boat to a simple wooden pier that jutted out of bushes and trees that lined the shore beyond. A second boat was tied up on the other side of the dock, nearly identical to ours but older and more weathered. It was covered in morning dew and had been there all night. The veterinarian motioned me to climb out so the crew could unload. The tide crested during the trip out, so it was a short step up from the boat to the dock. We carried our duffel bags down the dock, walking alongside the woman who'd come to meet us. She wore the dark blue coveralls of an animal care technician. She seemed to wake up and nodded a greeting to me.  "Welcome to Monkey Island son! I'm Dianne, you're in for a big day today!" I still didn't know what I was in for, only that my clinical skills had improved to the point where I could 'go out to Morgan for census.' The low morning sun lit the dock, but it was still dark under the trees on shore. I stepped off the pier onto the island proper. The ground was sand mixed with bits of dry organic matter fallen from a dense canopy above. When we stepped into the shadows of the trees we also stepped onto a dense mat of dead leaves, palmetto fronds, and pine needles. The branches of the pine and live oak trees above interlocked with each other to provide support against strong ocean winds. This mesh of branches was a distinguishing characteristic of the island's maritime forest. A perfect habitat for the rhesus macaques I had yet to see.  We walked up a trail to a decrepit cabin with a low, sagging metal roof. A tall radio antenna shot straight up from the peak of the roof. It's thin outline was visible against the large white plastic tank of an improvised water tower behind the cabin. The cabin itself was painted a drab light brown that blended with the forest. More so because the paint peeled up in places as if to mimic leaves. A screened porch spanned the front of the building. Through its dusty screen I could see an old plaid couch and a worn yellow vinyl recliner. The veterinarian stepped on to the porch through a crooked screen door. I followed her past the junky furniture through a weathered wood doorframe into the cabin. Its old door was propped open by a rusty metal bucket full of sand bristling with cigarette butts. Most of the cabin was one big room. A slightly less decrepit couch and recliner stood against the back wall next to a kitchen area that held a round wooden table and a few matching chairs.  A makeshift office area was to the right of the door. A dented gray metal desk under a cracked sliding glass window held a serious looking two-way shortwave radio set. A thick wire snaked out of the window to the antenna on the roof. The transmitter was surrounded by stacks of paperwork and binders. Above it was a map of the island marked with circles and squares. To the left, open doors led to two small bedrooms on either side of a bathroom. An ancient toilet, the kind with a long chain dangling from a tank on the wall was visible through the bathroom door. The place looked and felt like a remote ranger station on a wildlife preserve, which it sort of was.  A weathered man who could've been forty or sixty sat at the kitchen table with a mug of coffee. He looked up from a piece of paper on the clipboard in front of him as the veterinarian walked over.  "Mornin' doc. I see you brought the new kid. Hey kid, I'm Jack. Well, I went out this morning and another ten monkeys jumped in the corral last night. That makes 182. Looked like about a third don't have tattoos, but I couldn't get an exact count." Jack's voice held the soft lilt acquired by someone who'd lived here for a while, but wasn't from the Deep South. The veterinarian acknowledged his update and told me to go into the bathroom and change into boots and coveralls. I came out to find Jack gone from the cabin and the vet in her coveralls waiting for me by the door. We walked out to where two of the crew from the boat stood with Diane and Jack between a couple of ancient vehicles I hadn't noticed earlier. The sun shone through the trees on an ancient flat-fender jeep. I loved it at first sight. Either Army surplus or an early civilian model. It was protected from the salt air by multiple coats of whatever leftover paint had been on hand at the time. Where the last coat of beige flaked off, I could see light orange and hints of robins egg blue beneath that. Its windshield frame was long gone. A hole gaped where one headlight had fallen out. There was no roll bar or rear seat. Stuffing poked through the cracked vinyl upholstery of a driver's seat behind a wide metal steering wheel. The passenger had to make do with an old couch cushion set on the floor of the vehicle. A surplus Army trailer painted the same leftover kaleidoscope was hitched to the jeep. It's pickup truck-sized bed held boxes of veterinary supplies.  The other vehicle was an old pickup truck so dented and rusted I couldn't tell you more about it. I admired it anyway. As I stood wondering at the make of the truck, a movement back by the jeep caught my eye. I had to stare for a moment before I could spot the young adult rhesus macaque. He crept across the forest floor, halfway to the jeep trailer from the nearest tree trunk. Big Man was in a nearby storage shed even more decrepit than the cabin, where he stowed the last of the supplies from the boat. Everyone else had their backs to the monkey. The macaque crept steadily closer to the trailer, eyes wide, mouth open. I didn't know any better so I just watched. When he got to the trailer, he stood on his hind legs and peered over the side. A hand darted out and snatched a packet of sterile gauze just as Big Man came out of the shed, saw him and yelled. "Yo! Monkey! Git!"  The macaque streaked away from the trailer in a three-legged dash, the white paper packet of gauze held to his chest with one hand. I continued to stare dumbly as the other four turned around and watched the thief disappear up into the tree canopy. Big Man chuckled as he walked toward our group.  "That one's still at it, huh? Guess he didn't jump into the corral last night."  I finally found my words and asked if that was something to look out for the rest of the day.  Big Man replied. "Not really. Every so often one of 'em gets more curious than scared and hangs around the cabin. They love to get their hands on anything new and different, so the census trailer is better 'n bananas. No big deal so long as they don't steal anything sharp. You put the syringes and scissors on the bottom, right Jack?" Jack nodded, a smile on his face. Big Man stopped next to Jack who handed him a clipboard. Big Man started the morning briefing. He introduced me as Jeff, there to help the veterinarian. No other introductions as everyone knew everyone except me and it was clear I was the vet's problem.   "Ok, me and Karl are on island the next three nights. Jack and Dianne are good to stay overtime this morning, but'll take the day boat back this afternoon as soon as we're finished with census. Dianne, how's everything doing?" "Batteries are at eighty percent this morning, generator ran fine last evening. Propane is good, water tank's three quarters full, next water delivery in a week. The water transfer pump is still on the fritz, but I know what part it needs and'll pick that up before I'm out here next. Did a radio check this morning with Yemassee. Y'all brought plenty of food so you're good for three days." He nodded his thanks, then looked down at the clipboard.  "Ok, Monkeys are in Corral C on the southwest side of the island. As of Jack's final check this morning, a total of 182 animals jumped in over two days." He flipped the top sheet over and went through a checklist on the second page. "Ok, cages, sawhorses and plywood are already staged out at the corral. Lights, scales and measuring tapes are in the pickup. So are census records, tattoo equipment and portable generators. Trailer's loaded with vet supplies, gauntlets, and gloves." He looked at his watch, then at us.  "It's 7:45, we need to set up by 8:30 so we can census all 180 macaques before noon. 1:00 at the latest if there are hiccups. It's cool now, but the temp is gonna get into the eighties later this afternoon. We don't wanna add heat to the stress they're already under. No breaks, lunch after, ok? Everyone good?" Heads nodded, mine included even though I didn't know what would come next.  "Ok, boat crew with me in the truck, last night's island crew in the jeep. We'll go on ahead and set up." Big Man looked at me and the veterinarian. "Y'all walk and meet us there. Take the loop trail and you can't miss it. We'll have your station set up by the time you get there. " I was bummed to not get a ride in the old Army jeep. As I watched it pull away down the rough trail, it bounced over a deep rut. The jeep's rear corner hopped violently because the leaf spring was broken and the body sat hard on the rear axle. Maybe a walk in the woods was better.  The veterinarian used the walk to fill me in. Our black rubber boots were nearly silent on sand mixed with pine needles as we walked next to a rutted vehicle trail that looped around the perimeter of the island. The veterinarian started with background. "Pretty crazy place, huh? The government put a breeding colony of 1,400 rhesus macaques on this island in the 80's. It's more than self-sustaining because now there're about 3,000 of them. I say 'about' because they live free-range in dozens of social groups. There's no way to do a complete count when they roam freely over hundreds of acres. There are four corrals around the island, A, B, C and D. We do census in March, June, September and December. The island staff bait one of the corrals with fruit and biscuits for two days. Monkeys living in the area jump down into the corral for fruit and can't climb back out. Take today's census. 182 macaques jumped into Corral C. We treat that group as a sample from all the monkeys living on the island. Then we use statistics to estimate the total population." She looked up from the ground ahead to see if I followed. I nodded in understanding. "Ok, great. During the census today, the staff will inspect, weigh and measure each monkey that jumped into the corral. Every monkey with a chest tattoo has its own census chart in a binder where its weight and such are recorded each time it's captured. If a monkey doesn't have a tattoo, it means it's never been seen in the census. The animal gets a tattoo and a new census chart with its first weight, length, sex, age and health exam. When it's caught again in a future census, its information is recorded on the same chart. Get why it's called a census?" I got it. The official census in the United States worked sort of the same way. Every ten years, census takers go door to door in a neighborhood and record a bunch of information. Not every door, but enough to create a reliable sample. Experts then do the math to estimate the population of the neighborhood, the state and the whole country. I said as much to the veterinarian.  "Yes! Exactly! Now, I'm not involved because this is primatology stuff, but as I understand it, data we gather today is sent to Yemassee to be entered into the computer database. From that the population on the island gets estimated pretty accurately. Growth and especially replacement rate too, because animals are shipped out to supply federal research labs." I followed what she was saying, but had questions. I asked if the monkeys ever escaped from the island, and most important to me, why I was there.  "Escapes happen but they're rare. Macaques swim, but don't like to cross open water. They're often on the beach or in the marsh hunting for crabs. If they see something floating out in the water their curiosity means they might swim out to it. They've been spotted riding tangled up mats of marsh grass. One was spotted floating on a tree trunk that fell from the island in a storm."  The image of an adventurous monkey riding a floating log made me smile. That was one theory for how the remote Galapagos Islands were populated by tortoises and iguanas.  We walked past a big corral situated on the inland side of the vehicle trail. A big letter "D" was stenciled in black spray paint on the galvanized metal wall. A huge set of double doors stood open on one end. The corral was empty except for a few broken branches and a feeder stand. We were closer to our destination at Corral C. The veterinarian walked a bit faster while she explained my duties for the census.  "When the monkeys jump into the baited corral, they come from different family groups. The  monkeys today could be from five, six different troops. That means they're gonna fight. You're here to treat fight wounds. I'll check the animals for disease, teeth issues, joint problems, skin conditions and reproductive health. The rest of the crew will tattoo, weigh, measure and update census charts in the binders. If there aren't many fight wounds, you're gonna work the tattoo table. How's that sound?" That sounded intense but doable. Except for the tattoo part. I told her I knew nothing about tattoos. She smiled and reassured me that if I could stitch up three layers of tissue I could use a tattoo gun.  Now I understood why the head vet complimented my suture technique by telling me I was ready to go out to the island. I was going to be a field medic that morning. But one macaque at a time was one thing. 180 was quite another, especially with the time pressure I could sense building in the operation. The dull gray metal of another corral appeared through the trees ahead. So did a flurry of human activity. I inhaled sharply and felt my eyes grow wide in a surge of nervous anticipation.  **** Corral C stood on the southwest side of the island in an area dense with pine trees instead of the mix of oaks elsewhere. The trees were mature, two or more feet thick at the base. Their ramrod-straight trunks were spaced wide apart like columns in a giant warehouse. The trunks supported an interlocked roof of pine needles above. The ground was covered in a thick, uniform mat of fallen pine needles. The forest was shadowy and mysterious. A complete lack of underbrush indicated we would stay in the shade even when the sun was high overhead.   The low light combined with the sound-deadening effect of the pine forest made the scene next to the corral surreal. The island crew moved through the quiet, dim woods with a quick economy of motion, feet silent on the carpet of pine needles. They had just finished setting up the census equipment and were returning boxes and crates to the truck and trailer parked off to one side.  A single long table stretched between the tree trunks. The table was made of four foot by eight foot sheets of plywood laid across a row of tall sawhorses. The table stood above my waist, chest high on the shorter members of the crew. The veterinarian led me toward one end of the table.  Mobile exam lights were clamped to the end closest to us, off for now. 25 yards away at the opposite end of the table, a row of three ring binders stood upright like books on a shelf. Hanging scales were suspended from a metal bar mounted above the table next to a collection of measuring tapes and a stack of metal clipboards. Electric hair clippers and a half dozen ink-stained electric tattoo guns were plugged into a long industrial power strip in the middle of the table. A thick yellow extension cord ran from the power strip to portable generators off among the trees. The veterinarian stepped up to the section of table under the lights. It was covered in a sheet of translucent plastic. A crate held dozens of clipboards, each with a blank form. A wire mesh basket held two dozen 100 milliliter bottles of ketamine. Boxes of 50 milliliter syringes stood next to the basket. 50 milliliters was bigger than I was used to for injectables. The veterinarian checked over her section of the table and directed me to do the same the next section over.  "Ok Jeff, I'll do triage here under the lights, you'll be right next door treating fight wounds. If there's something you can't handle, or that needs both of us, I'll step over. I want you to make sure your table has all the supplies we use in the operating room back in Yemassee. You think anything's missing, you tell me."  My section held a neat arrangement of clinical supplies, already laid out by the island crew. Boxes of sterile surgical gloves in white paper wrappers. Squeeze bottles of iodine, alcohol and sterile water. A pile of blue and white absorbent pads. A deep stainless steel tray held scalpels, surgical scissors, clamps and forceps submerged in alcohol. Boxes of different kinds of individually-wrapped sutures, needle threaded and ready to go in each handy packet. Bottles of injectable antibiotics and one milliliter syringes. A dozen tubes of topical antibiotic ointment. Electric hair clippers plugged into the power strip the next section over. The island team didn't miss a thing as far as I could tell. In fact, I noticed there were many multiples of each item, more than could possibly be required. The redundancy held for the rest of the equipment. Six tattoo guns, two lights, two scales, two generators. We were a fifteen minute drive away from the base camp. An hour by boat and car from Yemassee. Census of 180 monkeys had to happen in four hours or less. Once we started, we couldn't afford to have something break. I shared my realization with the veterinarian who walked me through what was going to happen.  "Yeah, you got it. Once this train leaves the station it doesn't stop for any reason. Monkeys'll get run into the cages. You chemically restrain 'em two cages at a time. Once they're unconscious, the crew'll bring em over to me for triage and a health exam. You'll stitch up any fight wounds I find. We pass them to tattoo, then they get weighed, measured, and charted. I'll tell you when to anesthetize the next two cages. We don't stop until we're through all 182." I looked at the long table again. It made more sense. The table was an assembly line for the census process. Clinical evaluation under the lights at one end, then on to stitches, tattoos, weight, height, and record keeping at the other end.  "You focus first on anesthetizing monkeys when I tell you, second on treating any fight wounds. Fresh sterile gloves for every monkey, do your best to maintain a sterile field but we're out here in the woods so… be practical. There'll be a ton of activity around you, so don't get distracted. Ok, looks like it's go time."  I followed her gaze to where Jack stood next to Corral C. I'd barely noticed the corral while I took in the census assembly line. Next to Jack, one end of a long line of metal cages was bolted to the corral wall. The cages were attached end to end in a single row that extended about fifty yards from the hatch in the corral into the trees. Each rectangular cage was about two feet tall, eighteen inches wide, and three feet long. A pair of vertically-sliding metal doors at the junction between the cages stood open. With the doors between the cages lifted up into the open position, the row of cages formed a fifty yard long continuous tunnel, one end secured to the hatch into the corral, the other end closed off.  With a nod from Jack, Dianne pulled the starter cord on a generator. It roared to life with one pull and she walked back toward the census table. As the electricity began to flow, both exam lights came on. An electric hair trimmer buzzed and vibrated on the tattoo table, its switch stuck in the on position. I quickly stepped over and turned it off. The veterinarian and I readied ourselves by putting on blue rubber exam gloves. She told me to set up the ketamine.  "Fill a syringe so you're ready. Check the concentration on the bottle, should be 10 milligrams of ketamine in every milliliter. I know you know this, but we always cross check right? Dose at 10 milligrams of ketamine per kilogram of body weight. That means one milliliter of ketamine in the syringe for every kilogram the monkey weighs. No time to change needles between animals, administer multiple doses from the same syringe. Every macaque on the island has an identical serotype, they all carry the same viruses. Watch your technique, you don't want a needle stick all the way out here."  As I drew 40 milliliters of ketamine into each of two big syringes, Big Man walked to the closed-off end of the cage tunnel. He walked back toward the corral, double-checking the cage-to-cage connections. When he got to Jack, he looked at his watch, then over at the rest of us where we stood by our stations. He yelled over the noise of the generator. "Ok! Everybody ready?" I nodded and assumed the rest of the team did too because Big Man nodded at Jack. Jack reached down and grabbed a loop of rope on the hatch in the corral wall. He jerked it and the hatch slid straight up. Now there was an opening from the corral into the tunnel of cages. For a moment nothing happened. Then a single monkey shot through the hatch and ran down the cage tunnel at full speed.  Three heartbeats later, the remaining 181 monkeys streamed through the hatch in a continuous head-to-tail line. The hole in the side of the corral was their way out, they had no idea it led to confinement instead of the forest. The metal cages rattled from the force of this freight train of monkeys running as fast as they could down the tunnel. When the macaque leading the train reached the end of the line, he came to a stop next to the solitary monkey that ran out first. The rest piled up behind them, shoving them together into an awkward embrace. The momentum of the monkey train pressed the 182 macaques into a solid column of red fur, limbs, and angry faces. The rattle of metal on metal stopped as suddenly as it started. Jack pushed the hatch closed to cut off the possibility of retreat back into the corral. He and Big Man gently pushed the sliding doors closed at each junction between cages, sometimes giving quiet encouragement to the monkeys to "get out of the way." When they got to the end, the 182 monkeys were divided three or four at a time in each of the 50 cages. I looked over at the veterinarian at her station. She'd taken off her watch cap and tied her hair up. Her face was all business in the harsh white of the exam lights. She nodded back at me.  "Two cages. One milliliter per kilogram intramuscular. Go."  My hyper focus kicked in. I started to estimate weight and calculate doses as I walked over to the two cages at the end of the row. I was sure a small young female was three kilograms. That meant three milliliters. I uncapped the needle, pointed the syringe up and flicked it with an index finger. A bubble rose to the top. I pushed the plunger until the air bled out and a droplet of ketamine sparkled at the tip of the needle.  The female rhesus was squeezed into a cage with three others. She helpfully squirmed away to hide her vulnerable face and belly from me, so it was straightforward to inject three milliliters into the muscle of her thigh. Next was a medium sized male, nine kilograms. After injecting nine milliliters, the plunger was at 27. A smaller male looked to weigh seven kilograms so his dose of seven left 20. The fourth macaque in the cage was another young female. Four kilograms, four milliliters. I finished the first cage with 16 milliliters of ketamine left in my syringe. The three kilogram female, the first monkey I'd anesthetized, was already getting drowsy so I kept going through the second cage. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.  Somewhere behind me somebody yelled out the time.  "8:40! We have until 9:00!" It was Big Man over at the census table next to the scales. He called out the time I finished anesthetizing the first macaques. This let everyone know how much time we had to get them through the census process. Anthony, one of the crew from the boat appeared next to me. "Go on, head back and get ready. I'll watch 'em and bring them over when they're unconscious." Back at my fight wound station, I ran my eyes over the supplies one last time, plucked a packet of sterile surgical gloves out of the box and spread a blue and white pad on the table in front of me. Back at the cages Anthony unfastened two latches on the top edge of the cage and folded the whole side down. A random unconscious arm and a leg or two flopped out when the cage opened up. He gently picked up the little three kilogram female and carried her over to the veterinarian, then hustled back to shuttle the remaining macaques from cage to table. The vet did a thorough check for wounds and broken bones. Finding none, she proceeded with the health exam, jotting down quick notes about teeth, eyes and skin on a clipboard taken from the crate next to her. She raised her voice a bit to be heard over the generator. "Young adult female, no fight trauma, no tattoo." Someone, maybe Jack, took the clipboard and whisked the monkey away to the tattoo table. I heard a shaver start to buzz. The veterinarian was through the next monkey in a flash. This one already had a tattoo so was taken to the scales. The third monkey had been in a fight. "Young adult male, fresh laceration on right rear upper thigh, no health issues, no tattoo." She beckoned for me to come take the animal. I carried him to my table and gently laid him down on the pad. The wound on his rear thigh meant he'd been running away from a more aggressive male when he got it. It'd been about five minutes since I knocked him out, so I needed to move quickly. The laceration was new, through the top layer of skin, about an inch and a half long. A small amount of blood had just begun to clot at one end. I used my electric clippers to shave the hair away from the cut. I squirted iodine on the wound and the skin around it, then wiped it away with gauze. Next, I opened up the appropriate suture packet and set it next to the monkey.  Time to get mostly sterile. I put fresh surgical gloves on over my blue rubber exam gloves. I chose a pair of forceps from the metal tray full of alcohol and set about stitching up the wound. I don't remember the details of suturing, only that at the time I was proud of my ability to close a wound leaving only neat knots under the skin. The absorbable suture material would hold until the wound healed, then dissolve into the surrounding tissue. The macaque couldn't tear his stitches out. This was a big deal, since Monkey Island was no place for the cone of shame you see on a dog or cat. The wound wasn't deep or old enough to warrant injectable antibiotics, so I finished with a smear of topical ointment. The vet saw me strip off the surgical gloves.  "Good job Jeff. One down, but we gotta keep moving, I have another one here for you."  Someone from the tattoo table appeared and took  the young male to get his first ink. I put down a fresh absorbent pad and picked up my next patient from the veterinarian's table.  This one was in worse shape but would be ok. The wound was a deep tear with three flaps of skin instead of a simple laceration. It was on his left shoulder, which meant he faced his foe when it happened. The wound was older too, probably from a full two days ago when the corral was first baited. I had to shave away clumps of hair matted together by thick clots of blood before I could tell if there were signs of infection. Some of the tissue was dead, necrotic, so I used scissors to trim it away. The tear was wide at the surface, but had made a small hole in the deepest third layer of skin. I could see muscle and tendons through the opening. I used different kinds of sutures to close each of the three layers, starting with the deepest subcutaneous and working my way back up.  By the time I finished stitching up the monkey with the bad tear in his shoulder, two more were in line behind it. The veterinarian joined me at my station and we took care of those two together. Half of the initial eight monkeys had fight wounds. If that kept up it was going to be a long day. As it turned out, less than a quarter had some sort of wound, none of them worse than the tear I'd just treated and most required only a few stitches. Thankfully no broken bones. Still, that was forty macaques, so the rest of the morning was a blur of ketamine injections and wound closures.  A couple of times the action slowed enough for me to step over to the tattoo table. I wasn't qualified to give a young monkey its first chest tattoo, but they let me freshen up the faded letters and numbers on older animals. I shaved away the soft hair and disinfected the monkey's skin with alcohol. The tattoo guns seemed ancient, but they all worked. A small electromagnet vibrated a needle up and down in a guide. I dipped the tip of the gun in black ink then gently ran the buzzing needle over the skin and wiped away the small amount of blood that rose to the surface. It was harder than it looked. The unconscious monkeys seemed to always be in an awkward position. Their elastic skin moved around easily. I don't know how many tattoos I made better, but I didn't make any worse. A few years later I got my own first tattoo. The artist used exactly the same equipment and procedure we used on Monkey Island. The five person island crew took turns doing all the jobs. They busily weighed each monkey, measured bodies, arms and legs. They noted evidence of recent pregnancy. The sexual maturity of young monkeys was observed and logged. Whoever was doing the measurements calmly called out a constant stream of information to record keepers who listened and wrote it down on the correct chart. Every macaque went through the census process in less than twenty minutes. That meant they still had some time to sleep off their chemical restraint before rejoining the family group they left when they jumped into the corral for a banana days before.  When a macaque had been through the entire process, it was still unconscious from the ketamine. Or at least in the immobile and dissociated state ketamine causes. The animal was carried out into the forest and laid gently on its side in a warm spot of sunshine. Still close enough to keep an eye on, but far enough away from the census table so they wouldn't freak out when they woke up. Since the animals were in a vulnerable state, each monkey was placed a safe distance away from other macaques also recovering from anesthesia. At the peak, there must've been forty monkeys spread across the soft pine needles of the forest floor. I did my best not to anthropomorphize the macaques in my time with them. I followed the policy against seeing them as primate relatives. My colleagues had a harder time keeping their emotional distance. Animal care and more so behavioral care technicians interacted with the macaques when they were more endearing. Hungry. Curious. Nurturing. Annoyed. Caring. Playful. I was a veterinary technician. We interacted with the macaques when they were defensive or aggressive. When their behavior was closer to what you think of as 'wild animal.' It was easier for me to see them that way.  But the one time I felt kinship with my fellow primate? When I watched them wake up from anesthesia in the forest. It was quite the scene. A young male monkey, let's call him Chad, slept peacefully on his right side on a bed of soft pine needles in a spot of warm sunlight. Chad was big for his age and his muscular arms and legs had been arranged gently to one side. His head rested at a comfortable angle, though his mouth was open and his tongue drooped out. He was perfectly still for many minutes, as if he would sleep forever. Then movement. A leg extended slowly, almost a stretch. An arm pulled in and curled against his chest. After a moment, Chad lifted his head an inch off the ground, eyes closed, tongue still out, then laid it back down. Head back up, this time mouth closed and eyes half open as he became aware of his situation. Chad lifted his head higher and opened his eyes all the way. He pulled his arm under him to push himself up. His head and torso wobbled unsteadily, propped on that arm. A groggy expression of surprise came over Chad's face as if he had no idea where he was or how he got there. His eyes rolled from side to side.  After a long moment propped on one arm, Chad shifted his weight onto his butt. Monkeys usually sit on their haunches with their legs gathered underneath, so he looked silly with his legs splayed out to the sides. He planted his other arm and clumsily pulled one leg at a time underneath his butt, still supporting himself with his arms planted on the ground. Chad stayed in this 'dude where am I' position for a while as the fog wore off. His expression drifted between drugged, confused and a grimace of distaste from his dry mouth.  When he picked his hands up off the ground and could balance upright, Chad started to come around cognitively. He could take in his surroundings, though still he still wobbled unsteadily at times. His face took on a very clear 'where the hell am I and how did I get here?' expression. The ketamine wore off faster now. Chad looked down at his chest where it stung from the tattoo gun. His face grew concerned as he lifted a hand to touch his fresh ink.  Chad looked up with a pained almost regretful expression as he processed the fact he had a new tattoo. His hand went from his chest up to his left shoulder. He turned his head to peer down at fresh stitches in a two inch laceration. Chad seemed less puzzled about the fight wound than the tattoo. At this point the acute effects had faded. Chad wasn't wobbling any more, at least while he remained seated. He looked around again, this time he noticed the half dozen other unconscious monkeys nearby. His eyes grew wide. That was not good. At all. Time to get out of there. Chad lurched up on all fours. The sudden transition to vertical caused him to sway left, then right.  He evened out, and after one last look back at his unconscious cousins, Chad walked off into the forest with a hangover, fresh stitches, and a new tattoo.  ***** Find out what happened next in the full book Monkey Farm: A Summer Among the Macaques!        

The August 15, 2026, Dirt Doctor Podcast with Howard Garrett answering listener questions and discussing photos sent in to illustrate the problems they asked about. The site is being adjusted so photos can be added to the Ask Howard page. A big question - how to successfully transplant trees and shrubs in high summer plus a look at sucking insect pests such as aphids and scale. After a few teasers through the podcast it concludes with a short slideshow from the trip the Garrett family made to the Galapagos Islands some years ago. Podcast highlights: Tea recommendation Speaking Event in AugustSPCASuccessful transplanting in summerWhite scale and sooty moldSick Tree TreatmentPorganic preemergent - corn gluten mealPreemergent date for turf Neem shelf-life (AzaSol)Spinosadoak wiltpoison ivy/ 20% vinegarmealy bugs mound drenchMealybug destroyerGalapagos trip slideshowAdvertisers:Crazy Water is the only mineral water bottled in Texas. Rich with Mother Nature-infused minerals, which are more readily absorbed by your body. https://drinkcrazywater.com/ Dr. Ohhira probiotics have been part of the Garrett family health regimen for years. https://drohhiraprobiotics.com/dr-ohhira-probiotics/Essential Formulas  https://essentialformulas.com/https://www.dirtdoctor.com

This week's featured story comes from the The Willowbee Tree collection. It's called "Being Yourself." It is summertime, and the Willowbee children are enjoying a visit from their cousins. Piper and Little Ty love how their cousins like to play rowdy, noisy games, but Clancy does not. He tries to be more like the others, but it is difficult and tiring. When the willow tree takes him to the Galapagos Islands and introduces him to the many strange and unique animals there, Clancy learns the value of being himself. If you enjoyed that story, there are hundreds and hundreds more where that came from. Try a Sparkle subscription now - for free. Go to www.sparklestories.com and click the button at the top that says "Start Free Trial," then you can listen to our giant library as much as you like, anytime you like. Each week on the Sparkle Stories Podcast, we share a free story from one of our original story series! For many many many more stories like this one, visit the Sparkle website: www.sparklestories.com Questions?  Ideas?  Requests? Email us!  info@sparklestories.com Enjoy!

Part One- Dan Werb, author of "Our Wild Familiars: How Animals are Adapting to Cities and Reshaping the Natural World." The book examines the ways in which more and more wild animals are living within urban settings. Werb examines special instances of this- the raccoons of Toronto, the rats of New York City, the bats of Boston, and more. Part Two:- from 2009- Michael D'Orso, author of "Plundering Paradise: The Hand of Man on the Galapagos Islands."

Catch Giles live - 'Let's Talk' - Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday - from 10.00CET...on tre.radio

It's July, so we have a great beach read! It's a new novel by debut author Lindsay Goldstein. In GAP YEAR, within one evening Jane's marriage has suddenly ended and her daughter has gone off to Spain for a Gap Year. With the dissolution of her marriage, Jane makes a spontaneous decision to take a gap year of her own and accomplish her lifelong dream of climbing Cotopaxi, the Ecuadoran volcano, and also of visiting the Galapagos Islands. Sounds like a great plan. Except, of course, things don't go according to plan. This is a fun, funny book that looks at whether it's possible to recapture the dreams of youth when you're no longer young. We learn a lot about the Ecuadorian volcano, Cotopaxi, which neither Linny nor Nancy had heard of. In the context of GAP YEAR, we discuss exotic travel dreams, parenting, empty nesting, and friendships.

It's July, so we have a great beach read! It's a new novel by debut author Lindsay Goldstein. In GAP YEAR, within one evening Jane's marriage has suddenly ended and her daughter has gone off to Spain for a Gap Year. With the dissolution of her marriage, Jane makes a spontaneous decision to take a gap year of her own and accomplish her lifelong dream of climbing Cotopaxi, the Ecuadoran volcano, and also of visiting the Galapagos Islands. Sounds like a great plan. Except, of course, things don't go according to plan. This is a fun, funny book that looks at whether it's possible to recapture the dreams of youth when you're no longer young. We learn a lot about the Ecuadorian volcano, Cotopaxi, which neither Linny nor Nancy had heard of. In the context of GAP YEAR, we discuss exotic travel dreams, parenting, empty nesting, and friendships.

There are destinations in this world that every travel advisor talks about. And then there are destinations that stop you in your tracks and make you go quiet – because no words feel big enough. The Galapagos Islands is that place. Where else can you stand on black lava rock while a marine iguana stares […]

Time for our weekly travel segment Heading Off. Your chance to experience some amazing adventures without leaving the comfort of your home. We'd love to hear from you if you have a tale to tell .. doesn't need to be exotic .. just memorable. Text us on 2101 or afternoons@rnz.co.nz Today we're heading off to the Galapagos Islands in South America, with journalist and travel writer Mike Yardley.

A 19th-century island experiment founded by two nature-loving Germans goes from Gilligan's Island to Lord of the Flies when an entitled and eccentric heiress moves in. Sources for this episode include: Satan Came to Eden: A Survivor's Account of the "Galapagos Affair by Dore StrauchFloreana by Margaret WittmerThe Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden (Documentary)“An Unsolvable Mystery: Captain Hancock and the Case of the Quarrelsome Castaways” (PBS) Keep up with Killer Stories! Instagram: @killerstoriespodTikTok: @killerstoriespodX: @killerstorieshq Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Supreme Court ruling banning race-based affirmative action is almost three years old, and almost nothing has played out as expected. Black and Hispanic enrollment dropped at the country's most elite universities, but rose at the vast majority of colleges across the US. And in a twist nobody planned for, the end of race-based admissions may have quietly accelerated the rise of class-based affirmative action.  Plus, scientists have discovered what may be one of the world's largest deep-sea coral reefs off the coast of Argentina, an ecosystem that is home to 40 species new to science. A golf ball-sized, bright blue octopus near the Galapagos Islands has just been confirmed as a brand new species. NASA has unveiled its renderings for a permanent moon base, with three missions targeting launch before the end of 2026. Additionally, researchers in the Czech Republic are racing to climate-proof the Saaz hop, the backbone of Czech pilsner, before droughts and heatwaves do the unthinkable. What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and Kaleidoscope. For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.org Subscribe to our (FREE) Substack newsletter: https://theprogressnetwork.org/newsletter/ Watch the podcast on YouTube: / theprogressnetwork Follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk Follow Emma on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heyemmavarv/

To celebrate 10 years in podcasting, we're spending the summer going back in time and both highlighting key episodes and telling the stories behind them; you'll get new behind-the-scenes information about what was happening in life, in various investigations, and in the world that impacted these important episodes and their podcasts. You'll learn how Josh started podcasting, how he started investigating Israel Keyes, some hilarious and terrifying stories from the road, and some really vulnerable and personal stories.We start our first retrospective at, duh, the beginning. Josh shares how both his podcasting journey and Keyes obsession began. He discusses his time in Seattle and on the Olympic Peninsula, how he ended up on the East Coast, his first deep-dive investigation (not Keyes) and how that led to his second (Keyes).And this kicks off an early episode of his very first show, Our Americana, entitled Van Life. TROVA TRIP to The Galapagos Islands:https://trovatrip.com/trip/south-america/ecuador/ecuador-with-josh-hallmark-jan-2027Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-bullsh-the-israel-keyes-investigation--3588169/support.

To celebrate 10 years in podcasting, we're spending the summer going back in time and both highlighting key episodes and telling the stories behind them; you'll get new behind-the-scenes information about what was happening in life, in various investigations, and in the world that impacted these important episodes and their podcasts. You'll learn how Josh started podcasting, how he started investigating Israel Keyes, some hilarious and terrifying stories from the road, and some really vulnerable and personal stories.We start our first retrospective at, duh, the beginning. Josh shares how both his podcasting journey and Keyes obsession began. He discusses his time in Seattle and on the Olympic Peninsula, how he ended up on the East Coast, his first deep-dive investigation (not Keyes) and how that led to his second (Keyes).And this kicks off an early episode of his very first show, Our Americana, entitled Van Life. TROVA TRIP to The Galapagos Islands:https://trovatrip.com/trip/south-america/ecuador/ecuador-with-josh-hallmark-jan-2027

The World's Largest Loyalty Programs™ research report from Let's Talk Loyalty is now available.Download it by subscribing to our newsletter on the World's Largest Loyalty Programs™ now.---------------In this episode we are delighted to interview Rory Sutherland and Dan Bennett, respectively the President Emeritus and the Senior Partner, Lead of Behavioural Science, for Ogilvy Consulting.Rory has a fascination with the vagaries of human decision making – he sees the world of advertising, marketing and loyalty as a sort of Galapagos Island for behavioural science. An accidental TikTok star as well as a celebrated speaker and writer, Rory has found his blend of wit and behavioural insight resonates with audiences far beyond the boardroom. It's this same passion that inspired him to found Ogilvy's Behavioural Science Practice and to write his Book Alchemy: the Surprising Power of Ideas that don't quite make sense. His 12-week CPD accredited MAD//Masters course helps marketers make sense of accelerated disruption and use a tried and tested mix of creativity, innovation and behavioural science to their competitive advantage.Dan is the global lead of behavioural science at Ogilvy Consulting, pioneering the creative application of behavioural science to solve complex challenges. He has managed over 1000 behaviour change projects with a portfolio spanning 100+ major brands. He also curates Nudgestock, the world's largest behavioural science festival.In this episode, Rory and Dan share their insights on loyalty, behavioural science and cover hot topics from their favourite programmes, to generosity to subscriptions to partnerships and more. We'll also be learning about their favourite books and highlights and key learnings from the many sectors and programmes they have worked on.Hosted by Charlie HillsShow Notes:- 1) Rory Sutherland2) Dan Bennett3) Ogilvy Consulting4) Nudge Stock5) MAD//Masters6) Obvious Adams (Book Recommendation)7) Creativity (Book Recommendation)8) Alchemy (Book Recommendation)9) Positioning: The Battle of Your Mind ( Book Recommendation)10) Reimagining Cinema Loyalty: Polly Jones on Digital, Data & the Future of ODEON (#739)

In his first teaching document, Pope Leo warns AI risks accelerating war and threatens humanity. It was published at an event in the Vatican attended by AI experts including the co-founder of Anthropic. Also: Muslims begin annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca as Saudi city hits 42C; the “revolutionary” gene editing therapy that could lower bad cholesterol by up to 62% for life; a new species of tiny blue octopus found 1,800 metres beneath the Galapagos Islands off Ecuador; the Japanese businessman who transformed the 7-Eleven chain, Toshifumi Suzuki, dies aged 93; and British pensioner, Harry Heasman, becomes world's oldest wing walker.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

Blair Thielemier, a pharmacist, and PQS Customer Success EQUIPP Copilot Specialist, shares her experience leading a group of 12 healthcare professionals on a nine-day Healing Medicine Retreat through Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, a trip designed to help providers unplug, recharge, and reconnect with themselves.This episode, hosted by PQS Associate Director of Pharmacy Accounts Nick Dorich, covers why providers struggle to truly unplug, how the retreat is intentionally structured to address that (private villa, customized meals, wildlife excursions, yoga, and meditation), and how the experience can carry over into healthier daily habits back home. Blair also touches on the group dynamic — like-minded professionals vetted through 1:1 calls — and announces upcoming retreats in November 2026 and April 2027. https://www.linkedin.com/in/btpharmacyconsulting/

Notes from James:I wish I had been Kolin Jones when I was 18 years old.When Colin was 19, during COVID, he set up his own private jet brokerage out of a college dorm room. No investors. No jets. No connections. Just a GoDaddy website, an email address, and an obsessive willingness to send 2,500 cold emails a day.Amalfi Jets is on track to do $120 million in revenue this year. And he still doesn't own a single plane.I love how he thought about competition. He literally calculated: my competitor sends 400 emails a day, I'll send 2,500 — that means I'm doing six of his days in one of mine. Do that for a month and I'm four months ahead. That was the whole strategy at the start. Beautiful.And then TikTok changed everything. One video about a client who chartered two jets — one for his wife, one for his mistress — got a million views. 150,000 people hit their website. 15,000 flight requests in a single day. The entire trajectory of the company shifted because of a free video.He also talked about losing money on purpose on his first sale — selling a $24,500 flight for $20,000 to lock in loyalty. Pure Amazon thinking. I love that.And there's a story about a client stranded on the Galapagos Islands whose plane broke down. The client's assistant asked about bribing customs officials. Listen for how Kolin handled it.This is a great template if you're an entrepreneur, a creative, or anyone trying to build something from nothing. Please listen.Episode description:Kolin Jones was 19 years old, in his college dorm during COVID, when he noticed something: commercial flights were grounded, but private jets were surging. He got his pilot's license at Van Nuys Airport — the busiest private jet airport in the world — and launched Amalfi Jets with nothing more than a website, a cold email strategy, and a plan to out-hustle every competitor through sheer volume.James and Kolin break down exactly how the private jet charter brokerage model works, why you can legally set one up today with zero certification or licensing, why Amalfi turns down roughly $1M/week in deals over safety concerns, and what separates a legitimate broker from the hundreds of unregulated players flooding the market. They also get into the social media strategy that transformed the company — why Kolin was initially against TikTok, what changed his mind, and how one viral video created 15,000 flight requests in a day.Plus: what it actually costs to own a private jet, the real economics of flying private vs. first class, why the richest clients show up in jeans and an Uber, what happens when a client punches the pilot mid-flight, and the watch Kolin bought himself the first month Amalfi crossed $2M in revenue.What you'll learnHow a private jet charter brokerage works — and why it requires zero licensing or certification to startThe cold email strategy Kolin used to out-hustle every competitor from his college dormWhy Kolin intentionally lost money on his first few sales — and why it paid offThe real cost of owning a private jet (it's about $800K/year just to park it)Why Amalfi turns down ~$1M/week in business due to safety and legal concernsHow one TikTok about a client's mistress generated 150,000 website visitors and 15,000 flight requests in a single dayWhy Kolin tracks which shirt color makes his videos go more viral (black = +36%)When flying private is actually cheaper than first class — and the math behind itThe Galapagos breakdown story: a stranded client, a broken jet, and a customs bribe requestWhat ultra-high-net-worth clients actually look like vs. the Instagram versionKolin's plans for Amalfi: acquisitions, possible PE partnership, and why he won't go publicTimestamps:00:00 Why flying private ruins you for commercial forever06:00 What Amalfi Jets actually is — and how the charter brokerage model works09:00 The real cost of owning a private jet13:00 The wild west of jet brokerage — zero regulation, zero licensing required16:00 The Galapagos story: broken jet, stranded client, and a near-bribe20:00 Colin's origin story: COVID, flight school, and cold emailing 2,500 people a day26:30 The first sale: losing $4,000 on purpose and the Amazon strategy that built loyalty30:00 How one TikTok about a mistress changed everything36:00Inside Amalfi's content machine — and the clients who punch pilots41:00 When private is actually cheaper than first class — the real math46:00 The tech behind Amalfi: AI fleet optimization, 72K-member app, and social listening50:00 Burying competitors with relevance — and what's next for Amalfi57:00 The first splurge: an Omega Seamaster and what it representsAdditional Resources:Amalfi JetsKolin's InstagramKolin on TikTokAmalfi Jets on TikTokSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

(00:00-35:02) Happy St. Patty's Day everyone. No green in this room. Land Ho!! Are there any St. Patty's movies? Not really into the WBC. Radko Gudas. Smelly hockey equipment. The life of a museum curator. Doug can't stop watching Yellowstone. Beating adults up at the Lake. Outdoors guys. Mountain lions and coyotes. Doug's still not happy with ticket prices. First Four games tonight.(35:10-56:34) Dropkick Murphys, Doug. Martin Scorsese doesn't miss on soundtracks. Matt Damon often plays a cuckold. A professional cuck. Galapagos Islands. Cam and Chairman running with the bulls in Spain. Miami's head coach Jai Lucas talking about playing Mizzou in St. Louis in the first round. Which coach would you want to start a program: Gates, Schertz, or Underwood? Alabama's player in trouble for having a pound of weed.(56:44-1:12:01) Look, Doug, it's Brody. Brody's fired up today. March Madness. Brody's got SLU beating Georgia. WHY WHY WHY? Miami beating Mizzou. Who is Brody's pick to win it all? Fired up for the WBC Finals. Some Blues questions for Cam. Seamless transition to NBA Draft talk.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Learn how Cara came out as queer while living abroad and built community, belonging, and solidarity with Palestine. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE In Part 2 of this conversation, Cara Laban reflects on the intersections of queer identity, Jewish history, and political solidarity while living and traveling around the world. She shares how coming out as queer while living abroad helped her find community and belonging across cultures, while a deeper engagement with Jewish history and contemporary politics shaped her journey toward anti-Zionism and solidarity with Palestinians. Cara also recounts navigating male-dominated digital nomad spaces, attending feminist protests, and encountering police violence. She then tells travel stories from Italy, the Dominican Republic, the Galapagos Islands, attending Carnival in Rio and seeing pink dolphins in the Amazon. Cara reflects on how living between cultures can expand the way we think about identity, community, and collective liberation. And finally, she shares lessons from Jewish history about our collective responsibility to confront the rise of fascism in the U.S. and around the world. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU: See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that's not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ============================ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally You can buy me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

Keith breaks down where the U.S. housing market appears to be headed and which regions and states are quietly winning or losing in the population shuffle since 2020—and what that could mean for real estate investors.  You'll also hear about an intriguing cash-flow play in single-family rentals in select Southern markets. Then, Keith is joined by financial strategist and comedian Garrett Gunderson, who challenges the usual "scrimp and save" advice. Together, they explore how to build real wealth without sacrificing your life today, how high-net-worth individuals often get money wrong, and a different way to think about financial independence, freedom, and investing in yourself. Resources: Get Garrett Gunderson's Killing Sacred Cows audiobook free: DM @GarrettBGunderson on Instagram with the words "Keith Cows." Episode Page: GetRichEducation.com/595 For access to properties or free help with a GRE Investment Coach, start here: GREmarketplace.com GRE Free Investment Coaching: GREinvestmentcoach.com Get mortgage loans for investment property: RidgeLendingGroup.com or call 855-74-RIDGE  or e-mail: info@RidgeLendingGroup.com Invest with Freedom Family Investments.  For predictable 10-12% quarterly returns, visit FreedomFamilyInvestments.com/GRE or text  1-937-795-8989 to speak with a freedom coach Will you please leave a review for the show? I'd be grateful. Search "how to leave an Apple Podcasts review"  For advertising inquiries, visit: GetRichEducation.com/ad Best Financial Education: GetRichEducation.com Get our wealth-building newsletter free— GREletter.com  Our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/c/GetRichEducation Follow us on Instagram: @getricheducation Complete episode transcript:   Keith Weinhold  0:01   Keith, welcome to GRE. I'm your host. Keith Weinhold, is the future direction of the housing market trending up or trending down? Which states have seen the most population growth? Then powerful wealth mindset tactics with a financial comedian today on get rich education   Speaker 1  0:20   since 2014 the powerful get rich education podcast has created more passive income for people than nearly any other show in the world. This show teaches you how to earn strong returns from passive real estate investing in the best markets without losing your time being a flipper or landlord. Show Host Keith Weinhold writes for both Forbes and Rich Dad advisors, and delivers a new show every week since 2014 there's been millions of listener downloads and 188 world nations. He has a list show guests and keep top selling personal finance author Robert Kiyosaki, get rich education can be heard on every podcast platform, plus it has its own dedicated Apple and Android listener phone apps build wealth on the go with the get rich education podcast. Sign up now for the get rich education podcast or visit get rich education.com   Keith Weinhold  1:04   the same place where I get my own mortgage loans is where you can get yours. Ridge lending group and MLS, 42056, they provided our listeners with more loans than anyone because they specialize in income properties. They help you build a long term plan for growing your real estate empire with leverage. Start your prequel and even chat with President chailey Ridge personally. While it's on your mind, start at Ridge lending group.com that's Ridge lending group.com   Speaker 2  1:38   You're listening to the show that has created more financial freedom than nearly any show in the world. This is get rich education.   Keith Weinhold  1:54   Welcome to GRE from Mount Rainier to Mount Rushmore and across 188 nations worldwide. I'm Keith Weinhold, and this is get rich education. I am not a Lambo driving influencer that will take any brand deal just to shill a gambling platform instead. Our core strategy at GRE is aging. Well, I've spoken with a lot of LP investors with capital calls and deals that lost all their money. Well, we approach wealth building with discipline and consistency. It doesn't sound dazzling, but it really shines when things go wrong elsewhere, because at least for the core of our portfolios, we get long term fixed rate debt for income property get paid five ways and win the inflation triple crown, and we do it all with a high degree of passivity. Right before I took the mic today, I got a two sentence email from a property manager that said an air conditioning unit's air handler board had to be replaced for $420 I don't even know what an air handler board really is. Now, the manager sent some photos in a written estimate. I quickly checked chat GPT, and I saw that the price was about right, and replied to my manager to go ahead and have that done. That's it an example of relative passivity. US residential real estate has nominally appreciated over every single 10 year period in modern history, despite some occasional short term downturns, even those are not common. Well, we recently had a guest mention that it's 20 years at the longest like 20 years or less is the period of time between which real estate never goes down. He was right. But you actually can't find any 10 year period where home values fell. What about the 2008 global financial crisis, I think that's the first place that the mind goes. Well back then, home values bottomed out at 208k in 2009 before they started growing again. And 10 years before that, the median price it was 157k in 1999 so even when home values hit their GFC low at that point, they were still up 32% from the previous 10 years. So you can confidently say then that over any 10 year period, home prices are up nationally. Now, how about the future? Well, for the future, there is more evidence of rising home prices. Building permits for new homes have fallen to their lowest level since 2019 that's according to the census bureau. So fewer single family homes are being built. Now we plan to discuss that more on. Next week show when we dive deep on does America really have a housing shortage? But this week, more reasons for future home price bullishness is that the labor market now, it's not doing that great. It sure isn't white hot, but unemployment, which was already low, that recently dropped a touch lower to just 4.3% inflation has fallen to 2.4% and wages are rising faster than that. In fact, our own Fed Chair recently remarked at how he's surprised at the strength of the economy. The property market analytics firm kotality, they now expect home prices to appreciate another four and a half percent this year. They and other firms continue to believe that the Midwest will be the hottest area of home price growth even more than that four and a half percent in that region. That is because not only is the Midwest underbuilt, it's that the prices are so affordable that it's attracting young people. The other factor is that mortgage rates recently dipped just below six into the high fives again, and that can release this pent up housing demand, and think about where we've come from. In late 2023 mortgage rates were about 8% and now lower mortgage rates also reduce the lock in effect, so it can create both more sellers and more buyers. The thing to remember is that 70% to 80% of home sellers are also home buyers because they've got to live somewhere. And first time homebuyers, of course, they buy only, they don't sell anything. In fact, former GRE guest in housing wire lead analyst Logan modeshami and Barry Habib were just positing on this at housing wire's latest summit on how the volume of home sales has been depressed for so long that lower rates could very well trigger a rush of buyers, these kind of people that have been delaying purchasing for years, this pent up housing demand being released if indeed rates go lower. People think they know the future, but we don't really know that that's going to happen for sure. But a lot of optimism about this phase of the housing market supported by not great, but decent economic conditions. Of course, that new housing demand is going to manifest unevenly across the nation. So let's talk about the places that have seen the most population growth from 2020 to today, basically the states that support that housing demand. Well, between 2020 and today, the US has grown by about 10 million people. That's over 3% nearly every state grew. But the bigger story is where that growth is happening. And really, here's the jaw dropper as a region, the South, gained more people than all of the other regions combined, about 7.6 million new residents in the south since 2020 the South's population is up 6% the West's almost 2% the Midwest population is up more than 1% and The Northeast up seven tenths of 1% again, this is not per year. This is total population growth from 2020 to today, Florida and Texas, they led the nation among the big states, both up almost 9% sprinting like they just found out that income tax is optional. The Carolinas in Tennessee are big southern growers too. People clearly keep moving toward warmer weather, a lower cost of living, lower taxes and job markets. Nothing new there. California in New York are the biggest losers in absolute numbers, California losing half of 1% of population in New York, a full 1% people keep moving away from these traditionally expensive, high tax coastal states like a buffet when the crab legs run out, people just getting up and leaving. That's not any sort of news story there, either. These trends help cash flow residential real estate investors like us, because the south aligns with that favorable landlord tenant law and those high ratios of rent income to purchase price. Luckily for us, that's where people are moving too. The Midwest has those phenomena as well, although their growth has been slower.    Keith Weinhold  9:39   Now a few Midwest highlights for you. Since 2020 the population of Indiana is up 2.8% quietly benefiting from Illinois. Escape Velocity, Missouri up almost 2% and that's growing mostly in Kansas City and St Louis suburbs. Ohio at almost 1% that's pretty modest growth overall, but Columbus up 5% that is flexing like it just landed a semiconductor plant there in Columbus, the intermountain west has bicep bulging growth, but it rarely works for us, because rents are only a little higher, but property prices are way higher. Yes, those pretty Rocky Mountain states, great Instagram, tough cash flow now Louisiana, it is a state that confounds people. It's a warm place, and it has a low cost of living, you would think Louisiana would be attracting people in droves for those reasons. Well, then why is its population following Louisiana down nine tenths of 1% since 2020 Well, you've got bleak job prospects that make Louisianans leave its tax competitiveness ranks 31st property insurance costs are high thanks to environmental risk. Louisiana has more swamps than beaches. Even the NFL saints were six and 11, and if they had made the playoffs, that wouldn't have made people move back. And hey, no personal shade here, I enjoy going to the New Orleans investment conference in Cajun culture, in Airboat Tours through the alligator filled Bayou, fun stuff, but for income producing property, you got to seek out different characteristics than just vacation Glee or how Good the gumbo tastes keep emotion separate from investing, Hawaii is America's biggest percentage loser. Its population is down one and a half percent since 2020 its cost of living is stratospherically high, with a median home value of just a little over a million dollars. That results in net outmigration to the mainland parts of the Aloha state now experience natural decrease. That means that deaths exceed births. Natural decrease. That's mostly a phenomenon on the Big Island. That's not where Honolulu is. That's where you have Kona and Hilo when young people can't afford to stay demographic gravity kicks in population loss. Hawaii is also highly dependent on tourism, meaning more volatility in recessions. It has contractor availability issues and higher repair costs, partly due to shipping materials to the remote islands. What about the upsides of Hawaiian real estate? Well, you're just going to have this inherent, strong, long term land scarcity and lifestyle desirability overall. Hawaii isn't bad. It's just hard. And I like Hawaii as a place to vacation, so the best times in my life were in Hawaii. Now, with all this said, These are broad generalities about states which are big places themselves right now. There are certainly Missouri real estate investors listening to me that are actually losing, and Hawaii real estate investors that are winning, and even cash flow positive. I'm talking general trends here, and this is with respect to long term rentals, not short term rentals. If your rent to price ratio is as low as point three or point four, like it often is near the coasts, well then you are speculating on appreciation. That's what that means. All 50 states have opportunity. All 50 states have no go zones. People keep moving south. That's a trend that the pandemic accelerated six years ago. More opportunity is concentrated there. That's got nothing to do with vacation excitement. That is population math, and I'm talking about swimming with the tide here in our Don't quit your Daydream newsletter I recently sent you that colorful population change map that I was describing some of there. More recently, I also emailed you that great and rare map of landlord friendly versus tenant friendly states mapped out and a lot of other great stuff.    Keith Weinhold  14:17   Before we bring in our firebrand guest, Garrett Gunderson, I just learned about a really strong opportunity for a provider of single family rentals and duplexes in Memphis and Little Rock. They're providing a locked in 5% interest rate and 5% property management for five years. Yeah, that's not a throwback to 2020 it's what mid south homebuyers calls their triple five program. They are the oldest and most trusted, maybe turnkey investment provider in the country, operating since 2002 and what they do is they offer these fully renovated, occupied rental properties in Memphis and Little Rock, two of the strongest cash flow markets in the South. With financing and management and rates that make the math work like it hasn't in years. So again, 5% interest, 5% property management fees for a full five years. You know those markets, they already had these investor advantage numbers with rent to price ratios mere point eight in Memphis and Little Rock. But yeah, that low 5% mortgage rate, even for renovated properties, not just new build. That's the kind of spread that turns a good deal into a great one. So to give you an idea, if you get a 30 year fixed rate mortgage loan amount of 125k with a 7% mortgage rate, your principal and interest payment is 832, at a 5% rate, it's just 671, so that's $160 more cash flow right there, and it's made a tad sweetener than that with just a 5% Property Management rate. And I don't know how long that offer is going to last, but it is available now and for the next little while, you can ask about it. When you visit mid southhomebuyers.com that's mid southhomebuyers.com and you can ask them about their triple five program. More next. I'm Keith Weinhold. You're listening to Episode 595, of get rich education.    Keith Weinhold  16:19   Flock homes helps you retire from real estate and landlording, whether it's one problem property or your whole portfolio, through a 721 exchange, deferring your capital gains tax and depreciation recapture, it's a strategy long used by the ultra wealthy. Now Mom and Pop landlords can 721, the residential real estate request your initial valuation, see if your properties qualify@flockhomes.com slash GRE, that's F, l, O, C, K, homes.com/gre. You know, most people think they're playing it safe with their liquid money, but they're actually losing savings accounts and bonds don't keep up when true inflation eats six or 7% of your wealth. Every single year, I invest my liquidity with FFI freedom family investments in their flagship program. Why fixed 10 to 12% returns have been predictable and paid quarterly. There's real world security backed by needs based real estate like affordable housing, Senior Living and health care. Ask about the freedom flagship program when you speak to a freedom coach there, and that's just one part of their family of products, they've got workshops, webinars and seminars designed to educate you before you invest start with as little as 25k and finally, get your money working as hard as you do. Get started at Freedom family investments.com/gre, or send a text. Now it's 1-937-795-8989 Yep. Text their freedom coach directly. Again, 1-937-795-8989,   Dani-Lynn Robison  18:08   this is freedom family investments. Co founder, Danny Lynn Robinson, listen to get rich education with Keith Weinhold, and don't quit your Daydream. You Brenda.   Keith Weinhold  18:24   Today's guest is someone that America knows as the long haired, bearded money guy in the past, he's drawn physical appearance comparisons to Jesus Christ. He's a prominent financial strategist. Founded an eight figure company, hit the Inc 500 he's both a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. He is just an electric speaker, including appearances in front of dozens of billionaires. And he's just got this great way of speaking to financial freedom that hits you differently. He even has a comedy special that's great to welcome back to the show. Garrett Gunderson,   Garrett Gunderson  19:02   that's good to be back. Man. Is really good. Love your energy. Has a nice intro.   Keith Weinhold  19:07   Well, you give a lot of like, nice guidance to people that's somewhat different than they're used to hearing. You know, Garrett, I think a lot of the conventional guidance is, you know, it's not very far above Elementary School advice like, put your credit card in the freezer so you don't use it too often, but a lot of times you speak to either business owners or people that have already had some success, and I think a lot of your underlying mantra is, hey, you better live your best life now   Garrett Gunderson  19:35   I kind of feel like you are your greatest asset, and if you starve out that asset because you don't feed it with knowledge, or you don't invest in yourself, or you don't gain the skills that really matter because you're so addicted to scrimping and sacrificing and building your balance sheet right, trying to build savings accounts and retirement plans and doing all you can to pay off that mortgage. Yeah, you could become a millionaire on paper. But will you live like one? Will you enjoy your. Life. What about all the memories that you miss along the way? What about having quality of life today and creating a life you don't want to retire from? The wealthy people, they didn't get that way because they shrunk their way there. They didn't get that way because they were amazing budgeters. They built businesses. They created value. They learned how to, you know, sell or speak or market or have business acumen that grow business or to hire people, and having those systems that actually impact more people or more deeply impact the people that they serve, because it's about value creation and their value creators. And I think this notion of just thinking, Oh, I could just trade time for money and set money aside. Man, that's a really painful way to get to a million dollars, but Northwestern Mutual, they just put out an article that said, 32 or 34% of millionaires don't feel wealthy, because if you have money tied up in an account that isn't kicking off cash flow, it doesn't feel like wealth. You can't spend that net worth. It's just a statement if you don't learn how to create cash flow. And I love financial independence, where people have cash flow from assets to cover their expenses now their lifestyle is covered from that cash flow. Now they can reinvest every active dollar into themselves and their quality of life, into more cash flowing assets, into taking trips along the way, not just waiting until they're too old to enjoy it.   Keith Weinhold  21:13   You work with business owners all the time, and you've even worked with some ultra high net worth people that still seemed to scrimp and save. Do you think really, what is that the function of? Is it more of the wrong mindset or the wrong tactics when someone acts that way?   Garrett Gunderson  21:32   It's a mindset that's really kind of handed down to them? Yeah, maybe from their parents or grandparents or from a different era, like there's people that were, you know, in the Great Depression, that then tells stories to their family about how tough it was, and you never know when that money could go away. So you got to hold tight, and it's a scarcity mindset. So one of the wealthiest clients I ever had, I mean, this was a guy who he was worth a lot of money, but you would never know it. I saw him on TV one day. I was like, Dude, he needs new clothes, and we found a strategy to save him a bunch of money. He was just buying his inventory with cash or like, let's buy it on a plum card, and you'll get cash back. I just said, Just take 10% of that cash back, which was over $100,000 a month, and spend it on yourself. He's like, Well, I wouldn't know to spend it on I'm like, Well, how about some new clothes to start with? He's like, Okay. And then the next month, he bought a nest system for his house. The next month he bought a sound system. Eventually, saved up enough money to buy a Tesla, which he really wanted, like it was money that was there for him, but it changed his entire paradigm, because now he had a quality of life. He was very philanthropic and donated money. He built massive businesses, but he never treated himself well. He'd never felt like it was okay to spend that money because of his upbringing, because the way that his parents viewed money and the way that their parents viewed money, and it was always something that felt scarce. So it felt like, okay, will this go away? And the reality was, we just found money in your couch cushions, essentially. So why not enjoy it along the way? He eventually bought a home that he loved on the water, that he loves the garden. I mean, it was like a total transformation with that one simple thing to help him heal his relationship with money, overcome scarcity, because he was already highly productive. He just had to break free from this budgetary mindset.   Keith Weinhold  23:09   That's great. It was almost like, Dude, I can see it in you. Before we even talk. You got that code off the rack at Burlington. I swear you can do better than this. Come on, now   Garrett Gunderson  23:17    30 years ago, 30 years ago too. You know, it doesn't even fit anymore.   Keith Weinhold  23:23   Well, you know, I recently dedicated a complete episode Garrett to the way I put it is that the risk of delayed gratification is denied gratification. Now, there are some good things to be said for delayed gratification, I think, especially when you're younger, or you're just starting out in the working world, and you just tried to cover rent for your apartment and you don't have much else. Delaying some gratification is good. You need to form capital. You need to get liquid. I try to avoid saying stacking savings, because that gets people in the mindset of becoming super savers sometimes, and they miss out on returns. But what I mean about the risk of delayed gratification, being denied gratification, if it's taken too great of an extent, is, you know, I'm talking about the guy where, when he was 24 he used to say, Oh, I'm going to visit the Galapagos Islands someday. That's what I want to do. But you can just tell by the time you talk to the dude, when he's 48 he begins to use the past tense for things he wanted to do, for example, then he might start saying, Oh, well, I guess I never did visit the Galapagos Islands. You know, you can tell with people when they use the past tense, and that's when you know that their future is not bigger than their past, and a lot of that is the reflection of their financial status.   Garrett Gunderson  24:40   I got married at age 23 and the first two years, well, it was really like the first year and a half, maybe I was just such a miser. I gave my wife a $400 a month budget for an apartment, and we found out that there's places you don't want to live in Utah. I didn't know it, but she's like, is this what you want? And I was like, This doesn't feel like a safe neighborhood. And then you. Know, I was like, All right, maybe $600 I was still kind of really scarce. And my parents were like, Why don't you just live in our basement, rent free, and my wife's like, sex free. If you think that's where we're living, I'm gonna live in my parents basement, you know? Because I just thought money was something to save. So I saved me over 50% of my income. And a lot of people were like, that's amazing. Congratulations. Great job. And so I felt really good about it, and then I realized that my business wasn't growing as fast as this other person my age. I met him at an event, and a year later, he was doing better. And I was like, Dude, what's going on? I could hear it in your voice. I could hear like, you're just a different person. He goes, Oh, I'm doing two things. One, I just hired this guy, Steve D'Annunzio, and he changed my entire life. And I was like, I need to meet him. He's like, he happens to be here in Vegas. He's from Rochester. Introduced me. I hired him as my coach right away. I'm hearing all these people talk about strategic coach at the same event, and they had a booth. So I signed up for Strategic Coach, which meant I had to part with some of my money. Think it was $7,500 I hired Steve as a one on one mentor, and all of a sudden I was investing in myself, yeah. And I broke free from those chains of like, reduction and restriction into the game of production. And then I even had a situation where a woman called me out at the same event. This was a life changing event where she's like, I wonder what it's like living in a financial prison you built for your wife. It's like, Oh, see, that's what happened. I thought I was responsible, and building that responsibility that's actually building walls. And when I came home for that event, my wife and I started looking for our home. Within a few months, we found one. I bought a home. It was very easily within my means. I basically made as much as I paid for this house that we loved. We lived there for nine years. We built so many memories. You know, we had our two kids while we were there, I started host study groups, and that year, I grew my income by $170,000 with the coaching of strategic coach, Steve dnunzio And this woman, Nancy, calling me out. The next year, it grew by even more because the skills started to compound. I decided from that moment forward, I would spend at least $40,000 a year, which I might be able to reach for some people, but at least $40,000 a year on mentors. Is a guy named Alan. He writes my meal plans and my workouts, and I'm at 10% body fat because he knows exactly what they do. I do what he says. It was worth this $10,000 investment, because now I pay attention what I pay for, and I look at like if I'm my greatest asset, how can I create more energy? How can I create more value? How can I feel better about myself? How can I show up the very best version of I am, so I can deliver the most to the other people. And so I've always just been in amazing groups. I just got back from two different events in Beverly Hills around amazing people, learning incredible things that allow me to grow. I haven't spent a huge amount of money on a mentor last year to figure out something that I hadn't been able to figure out to this point. It's the same thing I did to become a speaker, to become a writer or even learn how to sell or market, you've got to invest in the skill, not just in the savings account. You grow yourself first, and then you grow your money. If you starve yourself out because you're in that miserly mindset, you're going to stunt your growth and never be fully fulfilled.   Keith Weinhold  27:56   You're your own best investment. And yes, this stuff is the varying definition of investing in yourself. Don't live below your means. Grow your means and all of that.   Garrett Gunderson  28:05   Grow your means and be more efficient within your means. I mean, the best way I know how to save is not overpay on tax, which 98% of business owners are doing that today. You know, don't overpay on interest, because you either restructure your loans, renegotiate your interest rates, reallocate underpouring funds to pay it off, or you remove investment drag. A lot of people have unnecessary fees and hidden commissions that drag on their investments. Or just design your insurance properly so it's more efficient. Those four i's, IRS, interest, investments and insurance show you how to keep more of what you make, take some of that money, build up your foundation so you have a peace of mind fund, so you have staying power, at least six months of liquidity and then invest more into yourself or learn how to create cash flow. This is the game the wealthy play. But the poor middle class, they think it's about paying off a mortgage and funding the retirement plan, and they will argue about it until it's too late, when they get there and now their homes paid off, but the property taxes are higher than their mortgage was 20 years ago, you know. Or they have home maintenance they have to take care of, or inflation has destroyed the value. Like if someone were to put away 100 grand and they wait for 30 years if they got 10% which the market did the last 30 years, if you reinvest dividends, they're going to have right around $1.7 million but if they have to pay 2% in fees, fiduciary fees, 12 b1 fees, which are marketing fees for the fund expense ratio, you know, the fees of maybe a retirement plan, and they now have 2% fees. It only goes to 1.1 million. Huge difference. And that 1.1 million if we account for inflation, even if we said inflation was low, like 2.7% over that 30 years. Well, by the time we pay for inflation and tax, guess what? The purchasing power value is like, 300 grand $300,000 that's a problem, and it's because they didn't learn to create cash flow. It's because they didn't learn to invest in themselves. It's because they relied completely on a market they don't control. I'm not saying the market is completely something to avoid. I'm saying we go in sequence. How do you grow your income for. First, then how do you keep more of the income you make with? You know, financial savvy and plugging leaks. Then learn to grow your money, but maybe growing your money. For some I like to think of like three dimensional assets, like real estate's three dimensional. It can grow in equity, it can create cash flow, and it has tax advantages. But my business is three dimensional, the more my business creates cash flow, without me, the more equity it has, and that business has major tax advantages. So most people are one dimensional, pay off a loan, put a money in retirement account. That's the poor, middle class. Wealthy people build a system where they've got three dimensional assets, equity, cash flow and tax savings. And that is a complete game changer, because then they can employ the buy borrowed I strategy, if you have assets like, you know, an individual stock, or if you have assets, like a piece of real estate or a business, you could borrow against it. There's no tax on that five for life, right? You keep refinancing. Or you can even do charitable trust to avoid the taxes upon the sell of those paying no tax when there's gains. Or you can pass it on to the next generation with a step up in basis, which means they get it at the full value and not have to pay the difference. And if you have life insurance, the life insurance will pay back the loan that tax free as well. So buy, borrow, die. I mean, it's a completely different thought process of defer taxes. If you defer taxes, I get it. You could do a Roth IRA or Roth 401. K Sure, that'll let you put after tax money in and grow it. But where's the cash flow? What's the underlying investment? How does it help you create financial independence? How does it help you does it help you grow your skills to become a better investor? We've been taught to be lazy, not that people are lazy. We've just been taught to be lazy with our money. We've been fed a narrative. I don't have the time, I don't have the skill, I don't have the interest, but I want to have it, so I just hand it over. And who do we hand it over to Keith Wall Street. Wall would you trust Wall Street? Like you flew to Frankfurt not long ago. Would you get on Wall Street airlines where they're like, hey, sometimes our planes go up, sometimes they go down. That would brand, and he'd feel inspired, right? Would you go to Wall Street, you know, hospital? Or like, hey, he lost one of your kidneys, and by loss, we stole it and resold it. You know, like, Wall Street doesn't have a brand. That's good. It's boiler room. It's Wolf of Wall Street. It's the movie Wall Street with Michael Douglas. You know, greed is good like yet that's what people put their money into. And you can go to any downtown and any major city, and guess who has the biggest buildings, insurance companies, banks and Wall Street investment companies. So you're taking the size of your home and shrinking it to build up their building and put money in their pocket. And their story is, it's because they're Ivy League, they're smart. They try to make it complicated, but you don't have to know most of the things you think you need to know about finance. The foundational things are important, how to protect your assets, how to design insurance, to transfer risk, how to have some liquidity, how to automate your savings. And then you focus like Warren Buffett would teach. He said, You know how people would become a better investor if they only had 20 investments they could make over their lifetime? He says, I don't diversify because I'm in the know. He's like, I'm a good businessman, therefore I'm a good investor and I'm a good investor because I'm a good businessman. I don't separate the two. Yeah, most people think he's a stock market investor. No, he buys out the companies in the stock market. Rarely does he have minority stakes in it. He does have some of that, maybe with Coca Cola and apple, but he bought a lot of companies outright, whether it was Geico, whether it was See's Candies, whether it was like he buys these companies, he's so far outperformed the stock market by billions of dollars from an index fund like what he has, versus someone that put the same money in an index fund, Warren has billions more from his investments than the person that put all their money in the index fund, even if it was the same amount. It's completely about strategy, not about luck.   Keith Weinhold  33:30   Yeah, it's the Andrew Carnegie, put all your eggs in one basket and then watch your basket. Yeah? Watch that basket like a hawk. Totally. Yeah. I mean, stacks mutual funds, they have what I call those five simultaneous drags. If you think you're getting a 10% long term return over time, subtract out inflation, emotion, taxes, fees and volatility. What do you have left? Not much. But there's no friction there. It is just the easiest thing to do ever since decades ago, 401 K contributions begin to become automated throughout your paycheck, sometimes even automatically, automated   Garrett Gunderson  34:04   values your permission opt out. It's easy. You have to opt out, right? It's Big Brother. You don't know what's best for you. And by the way, how crazy are four one K's. Part of the reason the market has gone up in value is because people consistently fund for one case, whether the market's going up or down, they're told $8 cost average. So that's artificially fueling the market. When we see the numbers, there's a buffet index, and it's like 2.9 times higher than what he's comfortable with, with the stock market, because of how overinflated the market is, partially due to inflation, partially because people put money in. But let's remember, why did 401, K's even come about? Because pensions failed. And by the way, these pensions failed and they had world class money managers managing these multi billion dollar pensions, but they didn't know about something called disinvesting, or didn't know enough about it. When the market goes down and pension money is owed, they still have to pull money out of the pension to pay the employee which disinvests, which pulls more money out of the account. So now instead of just being 10% down, they might be 17% down. And so even if the market comes back 10% it's 10% of only 83% of the money. So not even back to square one. And if it goes down a second year in a row, they're in real trouble. It starts to chip away at the principal, and they can't recover. And that happened to pensions, and they said, Oh, here, we can't handle these. We're going bankrupt. We're going to get rid of pensions. You take care of it. Well, guess what? Vanguard says, the average balance in a 401, k right now is $148,000 how someone's supposed to live on $148,000 even if you could get 10% that's $14,800 a year taxable, that's not going to do it. Even if you have a million dollars, where are you going to put the million dollars to get the return without risking it going down? Maybe you're going to be in treasuries at 5% that's $50,000 taxable per year. You're a millionaire on paper, but living poorly. That's why I'm here to call these things out. I think that my book Killing Sacred Cows, which was my original New York Times bestseller, which is probably how we met. Yeah, I rewrote it. I rewrote it, rereleased it in 2024 and I'll give people the audiobook. They just have to DM me on Instagram. Garrett B Gunderson and DM the word cows with Keith's name, cows and Keith or Keith and cows. I'll hook you up with the book for free, so you can learn about the nine financial myths. We're talking about some of them here, but there's also some comedy in there, so they can laugh after each chapter. I threw some comedy in there. You know, if you like my comedy, I'm not the funniest comedian. I'm just the funniest money comedian. That's the reality.   Keith Weinhold  36:33   When we had the very inventor of the 401 k plan, Ted benna, come onto the show, he revealed to us that when 401 K plans rolled out, they were first called salary reduction plans. They had to scrap that name in order to foster participation. But reducing your salary is still principally what it does to you. You got to think about it that way and blow up some of these myths. But Garrett, you've already given a lot of great technical information about what someone can do, how someone can think differently. Bigger pictures, we're sort of winding down here. You know, when I'm thinking about this whole delayed versus denied gratification thing, how do you meter it out right throughout your life? I mean, what's your earmark your family legacy? How do you meter it out, right so you don't have too much or too little at the end of your life?   Garrett Gunderson  37:15   I like to see this strategy of, like, what would the rockfellers do that I wrote about is, you know, the beginning before that strategy is you pay yourself first, which has always been around Richest Man in Babylon. Tons of books talk about it. My argument is you want to pay yourself at least 15% of your personal income, off the top, to a separate account. Once you get six months in that account, now you start to invest that money, but you build your stability with that peace of mind. And we want 15% because the luxury once enjoyed becomes a necessity. So you want more money in the future, not the future, not less propensity to you know, there's also, just like planned obsolescence, things break down. You have to repair them. Technological change, we're buying new technology that doesn't even exist. I have now subscriptions to a bunch of AI things that help me out, right? But I'm spending more money. There's also taxes, those could go up in the future, or 38 trillion in debt as we film this, which is a crazy number. And there's also inflation. If we give 3% to each of those five factors, that's 15% now again, use the four i's, IRS, interest, investments and insurance to find that money, not just budgeting. But then here's the magic. At least 3% of your income should go to a separate account called the Living wealthy account. That's your guilt free spending, value based spending account, so you enjoy some money along the way. These are the things that are the finer things in life that people might say are wasteful. You know, there's a book called unreasonable hospitality that talks about this, 11 Madison Avenue was the number one rated restaurant in the world. And, you know, will who wrote the book talked about they had 3% of their budget to just go wild on their customers dream making money, right? So to create the special experience in the restaurant, and even the bear, I think was season three, showed some of that process of how they do that. So I highly recommend taking a certain percentage. You get to enjoy along the way. It could be higher than 3% but start there, and you're going to feel better, you're going to have different energy, you're going to show up in a different way. And then from there, I just believe in having trust, so that your money's outside of your estate, and protecting financial predators so you own nothing but control everything. And I personally use life insurance. I use just standard over, you know, like basically properly structured, optimally funded whole life, so that death benefit will come in after I die. It allows me to spend more of my money and then have it replenished so I can enjoy more of my money along the way, because I know that death benefit will be there for my wife or even for my family trust after I'm gone, so I don't disinherit the people that I love.   Keith Weinhold  39:31   Garrett Gunderson, he can take you through these steps, which he calls financially fit, to financially independent, and then finally to financially free. Tell us a little more about that going through those steps.   Garrett Gunderson  39:44   So financial fitness means your financial house is in order. You've got everything handled properly, car insurance, homeowners, liability, disability, medical life insurance, your corporate structures as a business owner, how you pay yourself, your taxes the last three years and move. Moving forward your investments. It's like, you know what it's going on. You've improved your cash flow, and you're dialed in. You're as safe as you could possibly be. Then financial independence is, how can we create income, especially from a business that comes in when you don't, that's people, that's processes, that's technology, so that you can be involved, but you don't have to be involved. This is the part most people miss, yeah, and I think it's crazy. A lot of people have this notion they're just going to work so hard so they can sell their business one day, I'm like, What about just creating a business that you love so much you don't want to sell it? What about giving up the things that are burning you out and have the employees that can take care of that so you do the things that you love and then just enjoy life along the way, take some little trips, take some time off and come back in. The business grows up when you're away, they learn how to do things without you, and then you can still create value into that business. I sold the business in 2021 and really regretted it, because I kind of was so removed from the business. I kind of felt like it lost its soul and I didn't feel connected to it. So this time around, I started a business in July of 2024 I'm like, I'm only going to work with the P with the people I love, building things that I love, and I'm not going to let myself get burned out by doing too much. We're going to take two weeks in Hawaii coming up here in April, just enjoy some time together as a family. We do quarterly family retreats with my wife and kids. We do traditions with my family up at my cabin, like I want to have this great life where it's blurs the lines between work and play. I have a little quote from someone else that talks about that art of life is blurring the lines between work and play, but also just having complete play sometimes that there is no work. So I come back refreshed, relaxed, rejuvenated and ready to create. And so really, that financial independence gives you permission to swing for the fences and what you do, knowing your foundation is handled, knowing that your lifestyle is covered, from assets to create cash flow gives you work optional freedom. But instead of retiring, think, what could your biggest impact be like? Create the life you don't want to retire from. Create a vision so compelling you can dedicate your life to it and find that the win is actually in the work, not just the outcome. I think that is the elegance of we win when we play, and when we have more play in our life. We don't try to escape from something. And when you start something, you might have to do things you hate, but you can eventually delegate it, and then life becomes great. I mean, one of my early coaches, Dan Sullivan, who I mentioned, a strategic coach. He's in his 80s, still behemoth of creating value in the in the market. To listen to him, you know, he's phenomenal. He's made such a huge difference in my life, and he has no intent of retiring. He just gets smarter every year, adds more value, builds more infrastructure, and he's the one that taught me the merit of free days, just taking time off, taking time away. So, yeah, that's financial independence. Is cash flow, and then financial freedom is a state of mind. It's when money is no longer the primary reason or excuse you would do or not do something. It's a consideration, but it's no longer the consideration means that you have a healthy relationship with money. Money is an asset and an ally, not an enemy. You don't come from a place of scarcity. You come from a place of abundance. You can be more present with your family and doing what you do without feeling distracted. I think wealth is our ability to be present, not necessarily how much money we have in a bank account. I think we have a good amount of money in a bank account, and we can be present. That is like true wealth.   Keith Weinhold  43:12   It harkens back to the John D Rockefeller, he who works all day has no time to make money. Rockefeller would have said, you can architect a wealth plan if your head is down on the assembly line, that means gradually move your offer. It's from trading your time for dollars over to owning assets that pay you to own them. Garrett's comedy special is called the American Ream. There's no D in that word, R, E, A, M. You can look that up, Garrett. It's been enlightening as always. Thanks so much for coming back onto the show.   Garrett Gunderson  43:43   Hey man, good to be back.   Keith Weinhold  43:51   Always. A lively conversation with Garrett, besides some great mindset perspective, he's really good at saving you tax and setting you up with asset protection. Though he's not as real estateish as me, he's pretty savvy. For example, He's aligned on the fact that, for example, say you have an 80k debt. Well, it doesn't necessarily mean that it makes sense for you to pay that off sometimes it does, but what happens to your net worth anytime you pay off an 80k debt, well, let's see. You've reduced your asset side by 80k and you've reduced your debt side by 80k so your net worth is the same, and retiring the debt means that you might have lost leverage, lost cash flow and lost tax advantages, all at the same time on Instagram, send a DM with the two words, Keith Cows to Garrett B Gunderson, and he'll hook you up with his book for free next week on the show, we go deep on does America really have a housing shortage with an expert analyst. Until then, I'm your host. Keith Weinhold, don't quit your Daydream.    Speaker 4  45:01   Nothing on this show should be considered specific, personal or professional advice. Please consult an appropriate tax, legal, real estate, financial or business professional for individualized advice. Opinions of guests are their own. Information is not guaranteed. All investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss. The host is operating on behalf of get rich Education LLC, exclusively   Keith Weinhold  45:29   The preceding program was brought to you by your home for wealth. Building, get richeducation.com  

US President Donald Trump has imposed a new 10% global tariff to replace ones struck down by the Supreme Court, calling the ruling "terrible" and lambasting the justices who rejected his trade policy as "fools".Also on the programme, French President Emmanuel Macron has appealed for calm ahead of a march in Lyon remembering a right-wing student activist who was killed by suspected left-wing extremists earlier this month; and, conservationists are celebrating the reintroduction of giant tortoises to one of the Galapagos Islands -- nearly two centuries after the sub-species was wiped out. (Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Solicitor General D. John Sauer attend a press briefing at the White House, following the Supreme Court's ruling that Trump had exceeded his authority when he imposed tariffs, in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 20, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

Before SURVIVOR was popular, people in the 1920's would find themselves on an isolated, inhospitable island, driven by survival and searching for that one piece of personal peace and salvation.Ron Howard's EDEN kinda does that with a bunch of sexy actors enacting the true story of a group of people setting up life in the Galapagos Islands. What ensues is a pinch of madness. A crumble of humanity and plenty of foul behavior.Depending on who you speak to, this is either "not bad" or "straight down the middle". That equates to a whole bunch of mediocrity. But it's coming out near Valentine's so, all is forgiven!

This week's featured story comes from The Willowbee Tree collection. It's called "Being Yourself." It is summertime, and the Willowbee children are enjoying a visit from their cousins. Piper and Little Ty love how their cousins like to play rowdy, noisy games, but Clancy does not. He tries to be more like the others, but it is difficult and tiring. When the willow tree takes him to the Galapagos Islands and introduces him to the many strange and unique animals there, Clancy learns the value of being himself. If you enjoyed that story, there are hundreds and hundreds more where that came from. Try a Sparkle subscription now - for free. Go to www.sparklestories.com and click the button at the top that says "Start Free Trial," then you can listen to our giant library as much as you like, anytime you like. Each week on the Sparkle Stories Podcast, we share a free story from one of our original story series! For many many many more stories like this one, visit the Sparkle website: www.sparklestories.com  Questions?  Ideas?  Requests? Email us!  info@sparklestories.com Enjoy!  

Send us a textLet us help you plan your vacation!167 - Join hosts Rob and Kerri Stuart—award-winning travel agents, agency owners, former TV hosts, and best-selling authors—as they uncover the world of small ship cruising and why savvy travelers are choosing intimate vessels over massive ocean liners. Drawing from their extensive industry expertise and firsthand travel experiences, Rob and Kerri explore the growing trend of boutique cruise experiences that offer access to hidden harbors, remote destinations, and authentic cultural encounters that larger ships simply can't reach.In this episode of Travel Inspired, discover what makes small ship cruising so special—from personalized service and carefully curated itineraries to Instagram-worthy destinations off the beaten path. Whether you're dreaming of navigating the Croatian coastline, exploring the Galapagos Islands, or discovering secluded Greek islands, small ship cruising offers a unique blend of adventure and luxury that's transforming how travelers experience the world's most beautiful waterways.In this episode, you'll discover: ✓ The key differences between small ship cruising and traditional ocean cruises ✓ Exclusive destinations and ports only accessible to smaller vessels ✓ What to expect onboard: amenities, dining experiences, and passenger capacity ✓ Top small ship cruise destinations around the world ✓ Insider tips for choosing the right small ship cruise for your travel style ✓ Budget considerations and best value cruise lines ✓ Sustainable travel benefits of smaller vesselsPerfect for adventure seekers, luxury travelers, and anyone looking for unique travel experiences beyond typical tourist attractions. Whether you're planning your next international vacation or simply seeking travel inspiration for future adventures, this episode will open your eyes to a whole new way of exploring the world's coastlines, rivers, and remote island destinations.Subscribe to Travel Inspired for weekly episodes packed with expert travel tips, destination guides, and insider advice from industry professionals to help you plan unforgettable journeys around the globe.Keywords naturally incorporated: small ship cruising, travel agents, travel experts, travel inspiration, travel tips, international travel, unique travel experiences, travel destinations, adventure travel, luxury travel, cruise tips, Instagram-worthy destinations, travel ideas, sustainable travel, boutique cruises, travel planning, vacation ideas

Tell us about your Adventure!The Galapagos Islands have long captivated the hearts of nature lovers and adventure seekers. Recently, Cindy and I, embarked on an unforgettable journey to this remarkable archipelago, expertly guided by Andres Cadena from Galapagos Outdoors. www.galapagosoutdoors.com The day was packed with incredible experiences like witnessing giant tortoises strolling freely in their natural environment. We were amazed at the beauty of the islands and the wild life everywhere.  

Send us a text166 - Discover the hottest travel trends shaping 2026 and beyond! Join travel agents and best selling authors Rob & Kerri Stuart as they reveal where savvy travelers are heading, from European river cruises to the Galapagos Islands.In this episode, they share their personal 2025 travel highlights—including Alaska land tours, Montana dude ranches near Yellowstone, Danube river cruises, and Disney sailings—plus our exciting 2026 itinerary featuring Amsterdam, Portugal's Douro River, and more.What You'll Learn:Why small ship experiences (200 guests or less) are exploding in popularityHow solo travel is becoming easier with reduced single supplementsThe rise of wellness cruises focused on longevity and healthWhy experiential travel trumps traditional sightseeingMulti-generational and group travel opportunitiesSingle-focus trip planning (building entire vacations around one unique experience)River cruise insider tips for Europe and Southeast AsiaFeatured Destinations: ✈️ European river cruises (Danube, Rhine, Douro River Portugal) ✈️ Alaska cruise tours combining land and sea ✈️ Yellowstone & Montana dude ranch experiences✈️ Galapagos Islands expedition cruising ✈️ Amsterdam, Budapest, Vienna, Marseille ✈️ Antarctica small ship adventuresWhether you're planning a family vacation, romantic getaway, solo adventure, or group trip with friends, this episode delivers actionable travel inspiration and expert tips from professional travel agents who practice what they preach.Ready to travel inspired? Subscribe for weekly travel ideas, destination guides, cruise reviews, and insider travel planning tips. Let's collect passport stamps, not things!Alternative Title Options:2026 Travel Trends: Small Ships, Solo Adventures & Experiential TravelWhere to Travel in 2026: Expert Predictions & Hidden Gem DestinationsTravel Trends 2026: From River Cruises to Wellness Retreats

Quebec's premier resigned abruptly today; we'll find out what that means for the upcoming provincial election -- and the prospect of yet another Parti Quebecois-initiated referendum on independence. Several top prosecutors resign over the US Justice Department's refusal to investigate the ICE agent who killed Renee Good. We'll hear from a veteran of the department who quit last year to apply pressure from the outside. Months before Rosa Parks, and at just 15 years old, the late Claudette Colvin refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus; a close friend honours a quiet hero of the civil rights movement. Today's big White House meeting does not seem to have diminished Donald Trump's troubling yearning for Greenland -- but the government of Denmark is still very keen on dissuading the president. Health inspectors give a Michelin-starred restaurant in Wales a one-star rating for hygiene -- but the chef says the grossness is grossly exaggerated. A biologist introduces us to the sea lions in the Galapagos Islands known as "supersucklers" -- which, as you may have already figured out, are called that because they milk their mothers for all they're worth. As It Happens, the Wednesday edition. Radio that takes you on an uncomfortable stroll down mammary lane.

Discover why I left my dental practice to work for free on a dental humanitarian trip and how this experience reshaped my definition of success in dentistry. In this episode of the Lifestyle Practice Podcast, Dr. Steve Vandegraaff shares a powerful and personal story about dentist humanitarian work, freedom, and building a lifestyle dental practice that supports family, travel, and purpose-driven dentistry. Dr. Vandegraaff reflects on a life-changing dental mission trip to the Galapagos Islands, where he volunteered on an Ecuador dental mission providing care to underserved communities. This experience highlights the impact of humanitarian dentistry, practicing dentistry without money or insurance, and rediscovering the purpose behind becoming a dentist. If you are a dentist, dental practice owner, or dental student feeling burned out or chained to the chair, this episode will show you how dentists can take time off work, avoid burnout, and design a dental career around their life. Learn how building a well-run dental practice allows dentists to step away from daily chairside dentistry and pursue dentist freedom lifestyle, travel, and meaningful experiences with family. This conversation explores dentistry with purpose, choosing memories over production numbers, and why purpose-driven dentistry leads to a more fulfilling dental career. From a family dental mission trip to global dental outreach, this episode proves dentistry can be about more than production—it can be about impact. Connect with us: • Learn more about 1 on 1 coaching • Get access to TLP Academy • Subscribe to The Lifestyle Practice Podcast • Email Derek at derek@thelifestylepractice.com • Email Matt at matt@thelifestylepractice.com • Email Steve at steve@thelifestylepractice.com

Have you ever heard the story of The Galapagos Affair? If not, buckle up, because you're in for a wild ride of intrigue, possible murder, and unsolved mysteries in this all new mini episode.SOURCESAssociated Press. “Marooned Savant and Wife Saved.” Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), February 9, 1930. www.newspapers.com.Bird, Carol. “The Mystery-Tragedy of Island Eden.” The Lincoln Star (Lincoln, Nebraska), December 30, 1934. www.newspapers.com.“Floreana Island.” Galápagos Conservancy, May 30, 2022.https://www.galapagos.org/about_galapagos/the islands/floreana-island/. The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden. Https://Www.Youtube.Com/Watch?v=Wf2txEIcg6E, 2014. Kisor, Henry. “Some Odd Adventures in Paradise.” Newsday (New York, New York), October 25, 1983. www.newspapers.com.Klyman, Julius. “A German Scientist Seeks the Life of Contemplation in the Galapagos Islands.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, Missouri), March 16, 1930. www.newspapers.com.“Margret Wittmer.” Wikipedia, August 21, 2025.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margret_Wittmer. Meares, Hadley. “An Unsolvable Mystery: Captain Hancock and the Case of the Quarrelsome Castaways.” PBS SoCal, June 21, 2022. https://www.pbssocal.org/shows/lost-la/an-unsolvable-mystery-captain-hancock-and-the-case-of-the-quarrelsome-castaways.Minster, Christopher. “The Unsolved Murder Mystery: The Galapagos Affair.” ThoughtCo, April 29, 2025.https://www.thoughtco.com/unsolved-murder-mystery-the-galapagos-affair-2136125.“Seeking A Paradise They Found Death On A Lonely Isle.” The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Missouri), December 9, 1934. www.newspapers.com.Wittmer, Margret. Floreana: A Woman's Pilgrimage to the Galapagos. New York, New York: Beaufort Books, 1989. SOUND SOURCESAl Jolson. “I'll Say She Does.” www.pixabay.com/music.Lucille Hegamin and The Dixie Daisies. “Cold Winter Blues.” www.pixabay.com/music.Sophie Tucker. “Reuben Rag.” www.pixabay.com/music.

The incredible comeback of native animals on the Galapagos island, Floreana.

460 - Discover Disney destinations beyond the theme parks! Rob and Kerri Stuart reveal two incredible Disney partners - National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions - that offer luxury expedition cruises to bucket-list destinations like the Galapagos Islands and European Christmas Markets. Let's work together to plan your Disney Vacation - Get Started Here In This Episode: ✨ BREAKING NEWS: Updated "Just Add Water: Your Guide to the Ultimate Cruise Vacation" book is now available on Amazon - perfect Christmas gift for cruisers and travel agents!

A leader in marine education and youth development, Jorge shares his journey from the Galapagos Islands to the United States, where he now works with vulnerable youth through AMI Kids. He explores the importance of experiential learning, positive role models, and the transformative power of education. Jorge emphasizes the need for community engagement and the role of volunteers in breaking barriers between different societal groups. He also highlights the mission of AMI Kids and its impact on youth development.

Send us a textI love to travel and today I am sharing one of my favorite travel stories. When I went to Ecuador twelve years ago, I had the opportunity to snorkel twice with blowfish, sea turtles and sea lions. The first day was amazing, but the second was a little scary .Today's story is mostly in the first-person plural (pronoun “we”) and the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: boat, snorkel, tortoise/turtle, shark, and sea lion. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2025/11/24/simple-stories-in-english-my-trip-to-the-galapagos-islands/ Thank you for listening, and a HUGE thank you for your support! I really enjoy creating and sharing simple, comprehensible stories. If you would like to help me in that endeavor, consider buying me a taco at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SpanishTeacher or donating to Small Town Spanish Teacher on Venmo or PayPal.

Explore the four worlds of Ecuador!

Ron Howard's latest is set among German colonists on the Galapagos Islands between the wars of the last century, with Sydney Sweeney, Ana de Armas and Vanessa Kirby (not to mention Jude Law) falling out in the Equatorial sun. What could possibly go wrong? Presented by J.R. Southall, with Jon Arnold and Ryan Blake

In 2012, while swimming in the Galapagos Islands, Delphine Kelly suffered an aortic aneurysm and drowned.On Free State today, Julia Kelly talks about her extraordinary memoir Still which is a conversation to her mother, built around the cold and austere language of the post mortem.She talks about her troubled relationship with her father the Fine Gael politician John Kelly who died when she was 21 and how to repair relationships after death.Julia explains too how, during the book's most difficult stage, she used microdosing to sharpen her focus. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ellen comes along for the ride with Galápagos tortoises. We discuss how giant tortoises crossed 600 miles of ocean, the superpowers built into their DNA that let them live for over a century, extinction and restoration, Charles Darwin's boat snacks, Kung Fu Panda lore, and so much more.Links:Follow Poison Oak and find more of her work on Instagram: @poison.oak.nycFor more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on BlueSky!

The finches of the Galapagos Islands are famous in the history of evolutionary theory. But Charles Darwin spent four years studying other birds as well, as the Beagle circumnavigated southern South America before reaching the Galapagos in 1835. It was not just the birds, but a lifetime of attending to all the wild things in his path that brought Darwin to his great idea.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible. 

Hear about travel to the Galapagos Islands as the Amateur Traveler talks to Michael from Rochester about doing this bucket list trip as a budget traveler. Why should you go to the Galapagos? Michael says, "It is a world location that should not be missed. And you do not have to be an animal enthusiast or safari adventure type person. That certainly helps to have an open mind about ecology and conservation. The animals, the marine life, and their ecosystem. If you have the opportunity to witness it firsthand, it truly is something that should not be missed. It is a marvel." This version is land-based (with Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island as the base) rather than a cruise, making it more budget-friendly while still offering access to iconic wildlife and landscapes. Fly from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra Airport, then transfer by ferry and taxi to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. Check into your hotel (e.g., Hotel Fiesta, Puerto Ayora). Stroll along Avenida Charles Darwin: shops, galleries, and restaurants. Visit the Puerto Ayora fish market to watch fishermen unload their catch while sea lions, pelicans, and frigatebirds compete for scraps. Evening walk along the Malecón (boardwalk) where reef sharks can sometimes be spotted under the lights. 7-Day Galápagos Itinerary (Land-Based, Puerto Ayora Base)Day 1 – Arrival in Puerto Ayora ... https://amateurtraveler.com/budget-travel-to-the-galapagos-islands/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ron Howard's filmography is diverse, a product of a four decades-long career in Hollywood. He has directed Oscar-winning dramas such as A Beautiful Mind, audience pleasing comedies including Splash and more recently, documentaries. Yet, despite his vast filmmaking career, Howard's newest film Eden, still manages to offer something different from the director. Based on a true story, the film follows a group of German settlers in the 1930s who travel to the Galapagos Islands looking for escape. Escapism soon turns to survival and a struggle for power. The film stars, Jude Law, Vanessa Kirby, and Ana De Armas. Director and producer, Ron Howard, joins Larry Mantle on FilmWeek to discuss the film Eden and how it fits into Howard’s larger legacy as a filmmaker. Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency!

A parole board rejected Erik Menendez's request for release, saying he has not shown proper remorse for killing his parents 36 years ago. His brother, Lyle Menendez, faces his own hearing today. Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill that could give Democrats an advantage in California's congressional races, saying it is meant to balance a similar measure in Texas that helps Republicans win extra seats. Two years after wildfires destroyed Lahaina and King Kamehameha III Elementary, teachers Janeen Tempo and Darice Garcia are helping students find stability at a temporary school built in less than 90 days. Attorneys general in 14 states and Washington, D.C., accuse TikTok of designing its app to keep users hooked. Court-released edited video shows some company staff discussing the toll it can take on children and teens. Ron Howard joins "CBS Mornings" to talk about "Eden," his new movie based on the real story of European settlers in the Galapagos Islands after World War I. In a conversation with Anthony Mason, Riz Ahmed reflects on starring in the new action thriller "Relay," his beginnings in London theater, his breakout roles in "Nightcrawler" and "The Night Of," and how family life has reshaped his artistry. Registered dietician Megan McNamee, co-author of the New York Times bestseller "Feeding Littles Lunches," joins "CBS Mornings" with stress-free, protein-rich lunch ideas for kids heading back to school. Beloved "Sesame Street" star Sonia Manzano, known for her role as Maria, joins "CBS Mornings" to talk about her new bilingual children's book "Alma's Great Idea," which encourages imagination and independence. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Want even more exclusive travel deals emailed straight to your inbox? Join Travel Deal Insiders at sunshinetravelers.com/deals and use code PODCAST to unlock your membership for just $50/year. Click here to see all the deals in one place! Deal 1: Let's start this week with a deal from Sandals. You may have some reservations about going during this time of year, but Sandals has recently added: Free Weather Protection Plan if you travel between August and October Up to 65% off Up to $1500 Instant Credit Book online and get $100 off Stay 5+ nights and get a $250 Spa Credit Sandals Royal Curacao (Below the hurricane belt) 55% Off Rack Rates $1500 Instant Credit $250 Dining Out Credit Book online and get $100 credit • ⁃ Starting at $342 PP/PN Sandals and Sandals Royal Curacao with Hurricane Protection Deal 2: ✨ Celebrity Cruises Spotlight Celebrity has redefined ocean cruising — now they're bringing that same elevated experience to Europe's iconic rivers in 2027. From locally inspired cuisine to breathtaking views from your room, every moment is designed to immerse you in the journey.

Tamara is just back from a 5-night Galapagos Islands cruise on board the Galaxy Yacht. She was hosted on this trip by Galaxy Expeditions but all opinions are her own. Galaxy Expeditions operates a number of yachts in the Galapagos and also can arrange for land travel in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. The Galaxy Yacht has eight cabins for a maximum of 16 passengers. Episode Highlights You need to fly to the Galapagos from either Quito or Guayaquil in Ecuador (1.5 - 2 hours) At the airport before leaving the mainland, you need to purchase your tourist card and have your luggage inspected and zip tied to protect the islands from bringing in invasive species A delegate from Galaxy Expeditions met her at the airport to walk her through the process Once you arrive in the Galapagos, you need to pay an entrance fee to support the National Park ($200 per person) and they reinspect luggage, which takes about an hour on arrival You then meet your group and take a bus to the port where you load onto zodiac boats to get to the yacht A 5-night cruise was a nice amount of time to reach many of the islands and see a ton of wildlife but longer would be more tiring and could get a little repetitive Most of the cruises in the Galapagos are 16-32 or maybe 50 passengers If you are prone to motion sickness, you will feel it, especially at night as they moved from place to place The engines are also loud so bring ear plugs or a sound machine to help drown it out I'd recommend bringing Dramamine or seasickness meds as well as sleep aids On board, there were two solo travelers, a few couples and a mother-daughter duo from Germany, Switzerland, Spain, and the USA The food was really good and breakfast was usually a buffet and lunch was a buffet or served and there were usually two options for a dinner entree They also served light snacks and fresh juice or tea after excursions Excursions and meals are included (alcohol is not) Excursions start early and stay busy all day. The first excursion of the day is usually at 6 - 7 am There are typically two hikes per day and one to two snorkeling excursions per day They provide wet suits and snorkel gear on board The week started busy and got a little less so towards the end, which was appreciated Tamara saw sea turtles, fish, penguins, frigate birds, blue, red, and brown-footed boobies, sea lions, iguanas, and Galapagos tortoises There is a naturalist guide on board that leads every excursion and provides so much information about the wildlife and ecosystem The islands Tamara visited on Galaxy Yacht itinerary C are: Santa Cruz, North Seymour, Bartolome, Santiago, Genovesa, South Plazas, and San Cristobal Related Episodes Land-based trip to the Galapagos Mother daughter trip to Machu Picchu Atacama desert in Chile

In this episode of the Fire You Carry podcast, Nole and Kevin are joined by Ben Steele, a former Marine officer turned entrepreneur. The conversation explores Ben's journey from military service to the world of filmmaking and marketing, discussing the challenges of leadership, the transition to civilian life, and the importance of maintaining physical and mental health. Ben shares insights on identity shifts, the value of diverse experiences, and the necessity of finding purpose after leaving structured environments like the military and religious institutions. Ben Steele breaks down the importance of planning and time management, and how these practices contribute to his success as a self-employed individual. He reflects on navigating personal beliefs and relationships, particularly in the context of leaving the LDS church. Ben shares insights into his creative projects with Stag Media, including collaborations with various brands and his passion for storytelling. The discussion also delves into the prevalent culture of nicotine use in the fire service, contrasting personal experiences with broader societal trends. Finally, Ben recounts his travel experiences in the Galapagos Islands and emphasizes the significance of strategic partnerships in business.Sign up for this year's 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/911-memorial-climb-tickets-1302529443629?aff=oddtdtcreatorBig thank you to My Epic and Facedown Records for the use of their song "Hail" in our podcast!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz2RZThURTU&ab_channel=FacedownRecordsStag Media on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/stagmediacreative/Stag Media https://stagmedia.us/Send us an email: thefireupprogram@gmail.comSign up for a class at The Fire Up Program!https://www.fireupprogram.com/programsMyZone facility code for The Fire You Carry: CALIFUS001Get $60 off a MZ-Switch Heart Rate Monitor!https://buy.myzone.org/?lang=enUS&voucher=CALIFUS001-60The Fire Up Progam video.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I__ErPW46Ec&t=12s&ab_channel=FireUpProgramThe Fire You Carry Instagram.https://www.instagram.com/thefireyoucarry/Donate to The Fire Up Program.https://www.fireupprogram.com/donateThe Fire Up Program Instagram.https://www.instagram.com/fireup_program/Kevin's Instagram.https://www.instagram.com/kevinpwelsh/?hl=enNole's Instagram.https://www.instagram.com/nolelilley/?hl=en

What IS an island? How do birds and plants and mammals GET there? What happens when they stay? Dr. Andy Kraemer studies how life populates and survives on hunks of remote rock and chats all about the Galapagos Islands -- where he does his research. We address the smallest island in the world, the largest, some bananas biological adaptations, Darwin's finchy mistakes, shrinking skeletons, and of course, pirates.Donations went to islandconservation.org and ecologyproject.orgFull-length (*not* G-rated) Island Ecology episode + tons of science linksMore kid-friendly Smologies episodes!Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!Follow Ologies on Instagram and BlueskyFollow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTokSound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, and Steven Ray MorrisMade possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Jacob Chaffee, Kelly R. Dwyer, Aveline Malek and Erin TalbertSmologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

In 2012, Lonesome George, the last tortoise of his species died.George, from from Ecuador's Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean, was a global symbol of conservation and brought to the attention of the world the reality of extinction.James Gibbs, vice president of science and conservation at the Galapagos conservancy knew George well. He looked after the tortoise in life, and in death. James says: “You know, moving Lonesome George across the islands by truck, people were asking, what's in the box? I said it's Lonesome George and people were crying and it was just very moving".He tells Gill Kearsley how time ran out for Lonesome George and about the legacy he left.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic' and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy's Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they've had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America's occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.(Photo: Lonesome George. Credit: Rodrigo Buendia /AFP via Getty Images)

Tensions escalate in LA as 2,000 National Guardsman arrive, and crowds protest for a third day against raids on undocumented migrants. Also: Palestinians shot dead near an aid site, and the Galapagos Islands' postman.