Podcasts about Germany

It's EV News Briefly for Thursday 30 July 2026, everything you need to know in less than 5 minutes if you haven't got time for the full show.Patreon supporters fund this show, get the episodes ad free, as soon as they're ready and are part of the EV News Daily Community. You can be like them by clicking here: https://www.patreon.com/EVNewsDailyBMW IX3 ORDERS NEAR 100,000BMW has taken nearly 100,000 orders for the iX3 since launch and is raising output at its Debrecen plant in Hungary, which built its 50,000th unit just nine months after opening — the fastest ramp-up of any new BMW plant. The Neue Klasse flagship uses sixth-generation eDrive tech and a 108.7 kWh battery, charges at up to 400 kW to add 373 km (231 miles) in ten minutes, and starts at €73,925 ($85,200) in Germany for the iX3 50 xDrive with up to 805 km (500 miles) of WLTP range.BMW TO BUILD IX5 BATTERY PACKS IN SOUTH CAROLINABMW will begin mass production of iX5 high-voltage battery packs in December at its new Plant Woodruff in South Carolina, near Plant Spartanburg where the iX5 is assembled, keeping pack assembly in-house to build a local supply chain, cut geopolitical risk and reduce logistics costs. AESC, now majority-owned by China's Envision Group, supplies the 120 mm cylindrical cells — which deliver 30% more usable energy than the iX3's 95 mm cells — giving the US iX5 a 144 kWh pack (141 kWh in Europe), an estimated 435 miles of range, 460 kW peak charging and a 10-80% charge in 22 minutes.ZEEKR 9X ARRIVES IN EUROPEZeekr has launched the 9X Ultra 6-Seater in Europe as a luxury SUV and its first Super Hybrid, pairing a 900V dual-motor system with a 2.0-litre turbo engine used purely as a generator for 897 horsepower, 0-100 km/h in 4.1 seconds, up to 737 km of range and a 10-80% DC charge in 9.5 minutes. Designed in Gothenburg with adaptive air suspension and CDC dampers, it offers reclining, massaging first and second rows, an onboard refrigerator, a ceiling-mounted 17-inch 3K OLED screen and a 32-speaker Naim system, and marks Zeekr's fifth European model in three years across 16 markets.SK ON AND FACTORIAL TARGET SOLID-STATE SCALESK On and Factorial Energy have partnered to push solid-state batteries towards production, combining Factorial's FEST cell technology with SK On's manufacturing network to tackle the scaling problem that has held back a chemistry promising higher energy density, longer range and faster charging than lithium-ion. Factorial is already testing cells in North America and has integrated them into Stellantis' Dodge Charger Daytona prototype, claiming 375 Wh/kg energy density, while its work with Mercedes-Benz produced a modified EQS that covered over 745 miles on a single charge.TESLA SHIP LOAD SETS SHANGHAI RECORDThe Chinese-built car carrier Glovis Nova loaded 7,738 electric vehicles — all Tesla Model 3 and Model Y cars — at Shanghai's South Port Terminal on Sunday, a domestic record for a single voyage, and set sail for Zeebrugge, Belgium, for distribution across Europe. The 10,800-car vessel and its sister ship Glovis Leader, which berthed the same day before heading to Busan, were built by Guangzhou Shipyard International, a China State Shipbuilding Corporation subsidiary, and rank among the largest of their kind in the world.NORWAY LEADS GLOBAL EV ADOPTION INDEXNorway tops the latest Global EV Adoption Index with 73.2 out of 100, ahead of Denmark on 64.7 and China on 64.5, backed by a 92% EV sales share in 2024, 32 public chargers per 1,000 battery vehicles and 41.9% fast-charger coverage. Denmark climbed 40 percentage points since 2020 to a 56% sales share with 73 chargers per 1,000 EVs, China recorded a 48% share and 103 chargers per 1,000 vehicles, and Tesla led brand interest across 75 countries with 71.6 million Google queries in the past year.MITSUBISHI RETURNS TO NORTH AMERICA WITH LEAF EVMitsubishi will re-enter the North American EV market with the 2027 Eclipse Sportback EV, on sale in the US and Canada by late summer or early fall of 2026 through around 300 dealerships. Billed as all-new, it is in fact based on the next-generation Nissan Leaf via the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, sharing its 75 kWh liquid-cooled battery, native NACS port, Supercharger access and 150 kW charging (10-80% in about 35 minutes) beneath new fascias, lighting and alloys, with range and pricing still undisclosed.LEPAS L8 TARGETS EUROPE ON VALUEChery has launched the Lepas L8, a D-segment family SUV priced from £34,900 to £37,900, using the upmarket Lepas brand to challenge BMW and Volkswagen on space, equipment and price alongside stablemates such as the Jaecoo 7, Omoda 7 and Chery Tiggo 8. Power comes from Chery's Super Hybrid system combining a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor and 18.4 kWh battery, while the cabin offers an upmarket feel, generous tech, vast rear legroom and headroom despite the panoramic roof, and a 507-litre boot comparable to a Nissan Qashqai's.KERBSIDE CHARGING SEARCHES JUMP AS EV COST SCRUTINY GROWSVertu reports that searches for "kerbside EV charging" rose 125% over the past three months while searches for "cheapest EV tariff" climbed 173%, suggesting buyers are weighing access and running costs together before switching. The trend matters because government figures published in 2024 found 40% of UK households have no access to off-street parking, leaving a large share of the market dependent on public charging and highly sensitive to the cost of every kilowatt-hour.PRINCE AL WALEED RAISES LUCID STAKEPrince Al Waleed bin Talal's investment office bought just over 19 million Lucid shares, lifting his stake to about 5% according to an SEC filing, with the prince saying he bought when Lucid's market cap was below $2 billion following speculation — since denied by Lucid — about bankruptcy or a take-private deal. The purchase, which Lucid welcomed as an independent vote of confidence, comes as the company restructures under new CEO Silvio Napoli after cutting 18% of staff in June on top of an earlier 12% lay-off, and adds to Saudi ownership alongside the Public Investment Fund's roughly 60% stake held since the 2021 SPAC merger.

This month, on Laura Flanders & Friends, we turn to the state of journalism—at a moment of deep disruption, consolidation, and consequence.  Across the country and around the world, newsrooms are shrinking, ownership is concentrating, and the very idea of a free and independent press is under pressure. But journalists aren't simply standing by—they're pushing back, reimagining their work, and, in many cases, taking matters into their own hands. This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate Description: Mainstream media has a lot to account for in 2024, but go back 90 years, and prestigious publications have often failed to see when things were so clearly wrong. In 1930s Germany, many journalists downplayed Adolf Hitler's ascension to power, with the New York Times writing “There is no warrant for immediate alarm…The more violent parts of his alleged program he has himself in recent months been softening down or abandoning.” But one young British journalist who, seeing what was happening, quit his job with The London Times and founded The Week, a newsletter that became famous for its opposition to fascism and the Western powers that were enabling it. His name was Claud Cockburn, and he's the subject of a newly-released biography by his son, Patrick Cockburn, “Believe Nothing Until It Is Officially Denied: Claud Cockburn and the Invention of Guerrilla Journalism,” out now via Verso Books. Patrick is an award-winning journalist himself, with a long expertise in the Middle East. And Patrick is Laura Flanders' uncle; Claud is her grandfather. How did mainstream media miss what Claud knew about the rise of Nazis, and how did his guerilla journalism make an impact? And why is Claud's story so relevant now? All that, plus a commentary from Laura. (anchor episode originally released November 15th, 2024) Guest: Patrick Cockburn, Journalist, and author including “Believe Nothing Until It Is Officially Denied:  Claud Cockburn and the Invention of Guerrilla Journalism”, Verso Books.   Watch the broadcast episode cut for time at our YouTube channel and airing on PBS stations across the country  Note- Full Conversation Release:  While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation.  The following is from our episode "Patrick & Claud Cockburn: A Legacy of Guerilla Journalism Against Media Complacency."    These audio exclusives are made possible thanks to our member supporters. Become a supporting member at https://LauraFlanders.org/Donate   Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes: •  Stephanie Flanders on A Trump Economy & What to Watch in The Ultimate Election Year, Watch / Podcast: Abridged, Uncut Conversation •  Arundhati Roy: Freedom, Fascism, Fiction and the Pandemic Portal, Watch / Podcast:  Abridged, Uncut Conversation • Laura's Commentary, F-Word:  Bodies, Borders, Resistance, Rebirth:  Arundhati Roy, Podcast •  Patrick Cockburn on Syria, Watch   Related Articles and Resources: • Opinion:  Is Trump a fascist?  Probably - but not like those of the 30s, by Patrick Cockburn, November 9 2024, iNews • Opinion:  Netanyahu knows the US can't restrain him now, by Patrick Cockburn, October 2, 2024, iNews •  Most political disasters are overstated - not this one, by Patrick Cockburn, November 6, 2024, iNews   Full Episode Notes are located HERE. They include related episodes, articles, and more. Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer; Sabrina Artel-Supervising Producer; Jeremiah Cothren-Senior Producer; Veronica Delgado-Video Editor, Janet Hernandez-Communications Director; Jeannie Hopper-Audio Director, Podcast & Radio Producer, Audio Editor, Sound Design, Narrator; Sarah Miller-Development Director, Nat Needham-Editor, Graphic Design emeritus; David Neuman-Senior Video Editor, and Rory O'Conner-Senior Consulting Producer. FOLLOW Laura Flanders and FriendsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraflandersandfriends/Blueky: https://bsky.app/profile/lfandfriends.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraFlandersAndFriends/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lauraflandersandfriendsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lgLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lauraflandersandfriendsPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/lauraflandersandfriendsACCESSIBILITY - The broadcast edition of this episode is available with closed captioned by clicking here for our YouTube Channel

Join us as Robert Balch shares what it was like to be the tip of the spear for the 14th Armored division during WW2. Beginning with a brutal baptism by fire in Gertwiller in November 1944, his platoon advanced as the spearhead column, crossing the German border at Wissembourg and conducting high-stakes scouting missions directly against the Dragon's Teeth of the Siegfried Line. The unit faced severe physical and psychological strain, enduring freezing foxholes during a tense "battle of nerves" near Bitche, before being forced into a chaotic, full-scale tactical withdrawal when hit by a massive German counter-offensive during Operation Nordwind, the last German counter offensive of the war. Robert reflects on their service during the post-war occupation of Germany, members of the platoon fiercely defended the purpose and conduct of the American GI, emphasizing that their resolve was permanently forged by the trauma of combat and the firsthand horrors of liberating concentration camps like Dachau and Buchenwald. Support the show

Next of Kin After Stroke: When Your 19-Year-Old Has to Decide For You Kylie Ralston was 56, living alone in Sofia, Bulgaria, and getting back into shape after a divorce. Three mornings a week she ran. On the morning everything changed, she was doing a local park run with her friend Rebecca when she slowed to a walk, then tried to run again and couldn’t. “It was like the message wasn’t getting through from my brain to my legs,” she says. No headache. No fatigue. Nothing that felt like an emergency. She finished the run, registered her time, and went home. It wasn’t until she collapsed getting out of the car that anyone understood what was happening. By the time Kylie reached hospital, she had suffered a left frontoparietal haemorrhagic stroke, a spontaneous brain bleed roughly 7.5cm across, with none of the usual risk factors. No high blood pressure. No cholesterol history. No aneurysm, no AVM. She was placed in an induced coma for four days. When she woke, she couldn’t move her right side, and she couldn’t speak. What “Next of Kin” Really Means When a Stroke Hits Abroad Kylie was a permanent resident of Bulgaria, not a citizen, divorced from her daughter’s father, and living on her own. When the hospital needed someone to authorise emergency surgery, there was exactly one person available to make that call: her daughter, then 19 years old, splitting her time between her separated parents’ homes. It’s a detail easy to skim past, but it sits at the centre of this episode: next of kin isn’t a role most of us think about until a hospital needs an answer immediately. Kylie hadn’t nominated her daughter out of any formal planning process; it simply fell to her, because she was the only adult relative in the country who met the age threshold. A 19-Year-Old Signing Consent-to-Operate Forms Kylie’s friends contacted her daughter directly. She rushed to the hospital, and unconscious, unable to advocate for herself, her mother’s care now depended on decisions made by a teenager under enormous duress. Kylie’s first memory afterward is her daughter arriving in the ICU in a hairnet and scrubs, holding her hand, telling her she loved her. It’s the kind of moment that rarely makes it into conversations about stroke recovery, because the focus so often lands on rehabilitation milestones: walking, speaking, returning to work. But before any of that, someone has to be legally empowered to say yes to surgery, and for Kylie, that someone hadn’t expected the responsibility for another few decades. The Gap Between Acute Surgery and Real Rehabilitation Bulgaria’s acute care, Kylie and her friend Nicole Nott both stress, was world-class surgery within roughly two hours of the stroke, the kind of outcome her friends still describe as a miracle given the size of the bleed. What came next was a different story. In the public hospital, physiotherapy visits totalled two sessions. There was no speech therapy. After 14 days, still unable to move her right side or speak, Kylie was expected to go home. Her partner, Guido, refused to accept it, and the couple began privately funding rehabilitation themselves. This is a distinction worth sitting with if you or someone you love is navigating stroke recovery in a country or even a region with limited public rehab funding: acute survival and functional recovery are not the same fight, and they are not always resourced the same way. When a Friend Becomes the Rehab Team Nicole Nott, an occupational therapist and Kylie’s friend since they were 16, found out about the stroke through a message she initially suspected was a scam. Within days she’d cleared her schedule and flown from Australia to Bulgaria. What she found in the private rehab hospital was a caring but under-trained care team, kind staff with, as Nicole puts it, “no rehab expertise.” Nicole spent close to two weeks restructuring Kylie’s room and routine around basic stroke rehabilitation principles: approaching from Kylie’s affected right side to address her spatial inattention, built-up cutlery to force use of her weaker hand, a balloon tapped back and forth for shoulder strength, word games layered on top for speech practice, pegs and curtains repurposed into arm exercises. She also pushed back hard against hospital staff who tried to stop her from helping Kylie transfer to a shower chair or toilet, at one point being told outright she wasn’t permitted because she was a woman. Her single goal before flying home: get Kylie toileting independently again, for dignity as much as mobility. Kylie called her from Dubai airport, mid-transit, to tell her it had happened. Living With Aphasia Fourteen months on, Kylie’s right-side weakness has largely resolved. What remains, she says, is the hardest part: expressive aphasia. “I can’t express myself like I used to.” It’s a small, telling detail of the condition that even the phrase “I can’t” is itself shaped by the aphasia; the words available to describe the loss are affected by the loss. The Unexpected Gains Both women point to what came out of the crisis alongside the hardship: Kylie’s relationship with her daughter deepened. Her circle of friends in Bulgaria proved itself in ways she hadn’t anticipated. And in the rehab hospital, her partner Guido proposed something; he told her he’d already decided before the stroke but simply hadn’t gotten around to asking. If this episode raises questions about who is legally positioned to make decisions for you and whether that person actually knows it, it may be worth a conversation with your own family before a crisis forces the issue. For a deeper account of navigating identity, recovery, and unexpected transformation after stroke, Bill’s book The Unexpected Way That A Stroke Became The Best Thing That Happened is available at recoveryafterstroke.com/book. If this show has helped you, you can support it at patreon.com/recoveryafterstroke. This blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your health or recovery plan. Kylie Ralston: Stroke, Bulgaria, and the Friend Who Flew Across the World When Kylie had a stroke abroad, her 19-year-old daughter became her next of kin, and a friend flew in to help her recover. Bill’s Book: The Unexpected Way That A Stroke Became The Best Thing That Happened Support the Recovery After Stroke On Patreon Highlights: 00:00 Introduction – Next of Kin After Stroke03:47 The Day of the Stroke08:55 Rehabilitation Challenges in Bulgaria16:32 Coping with Language Barriers22:08 Reflections on Healthcare Systems32:50 Setting Goals and Achievements38:29 Family Dynamics and Support Systems45:36 Finding Meaning in Recovery54:44 The Impact of Caregiving58:22 Reflections on Recovery and Gratitude Transcript: Introduction – Next of Kin After Stroke Bill Gasiamis (00:00)And one of my first horrible thoughts was, is this a dreadful hoax? Is someone, you know, is this some horrible scam? And it made me feel quite sick actually And then I rang her son who lives in Australia and he’s like, Yeah, I’m so sorry. I haven’t told you. Yes, it’s true, mum’s had a stroke. Bill Gasiamis (00:16)Welcome back to Recovery After Stroke. I’m Bill Gasiamis, and today I’m joined by two guests, Kylie Ralston and her friend Nicole Nott. Kylie was 56 living in Bulgaria when she suffered a left frontoparietal hemorrhagic stroke, a spontaneous brain bleed with none of the usual risk factors. Nicole is an occupational therapist and one of Kylie’s closest friends since they were teenagers. And when she found out what happened, she got on a plane to Bulgaria to help. In this episode, we get into what it means to have a stroke far from home in a country where you don’t speak the language, and public rehabilitation funding barely exists. We talk about who becomes your next of kin when you least expect it, what it’s like to advocate for a friend inside a hospital system that won’t always listen. And what recovery actually looks like 14 months on, before we get into it, if you want a deeper look at identity, recovery, and unexpected transformation after stroke, my book, The Unexpected Way That Stroke Became, the best thing that happened, is available at recoveryafterstroke.com/book. And if this show has helped you And you can support it to keep me on the path of getting to a thousand episodes, you can do so At patreon.com/recoveryafterstroke Bill Gasiamis (01:37)Kylie Ralston and Nicole Nott, welcome to the podcast. lovely to be here, Bill. Thanks for having us, Bill. Kylie, tell me a little bit about what life was like before the stroke. I was very active and I had a full life and I was working full time. and I was living in Sofia in Bulgaria, in my on my own, in my own apartment. I was renting, actually. and I was getting back to fitness. So I was g getting I was running regularly. So two two or three times a week I was hitting the gym and hitting the tr the treadmill. And that had been happening for like a few month like six months or something like that. but before that I was very fit and active. What kind of work were you involved in? I was a HR work. I was a ha HR leader and so I had my own consultancy I had a team of people that I’ve managed. I had thirty five people, so and that they were people in Germany, Poland, Czechia, Portugal, France, so everywhere in in Europe, basically. Yeah. Wow, how how does an Aussie end up in Bulgaria with staff or clients in that many countries? short answer is I came here with my family, so with my ex husband. and shortly after I arrived we separated and and ultimately got divorced. and I stayed on because my daughter is here. So she was only eleven at the time and I could just couldn’t leave her. The Day of the Stroke So you were living at home with your daughter? she was sharing her time between between us both. Yeah. got it. Okay. So both parents are there. So your daughter was going backwards and forwards. On the night of the stroke or on the day of the stroke, can you take us through that? What were you experiencing? Was there anything unusual that happened that made you think something was wrong? How did it go down? I was with my friend Rebecca. And she was running ahead of me as she she was faster than me, so sh and she often often ran ahead of me. and I’d slowed down to a walk and when I started to run again or try to run again, it it was like the message wasn’t getting through from my brain to my legs. And I thought, that’s strange, that’s that’s really odd. ‘Cause I didn’t feel like tired or anything and I didn’t have a headache and well stuff like that. and I just walked through the rest of the park run. And then when Rebecca saw me coming to the finish line, she waved me over and she said, come on, let’s go register your chip. and so I did that. and she said afterwards that there was a little bit of fumbling with with my phone and there’s a there was a little bit of fumbling when I put my jacket on, but other than that, I just seemed exhausted from a run. do you recall after the experience of feeling exhausted from the run where you ended up? Did you need help? Yeah, I do. So so she didn’t notice that I wasn’t talking because I n I’m normally an endless talker, so I she didn’t notice that I wasn’t talking. And she said that that that is one thing that should have alerted her to what was happening. but it it didn’t. And so I’d caught the bus to the park run and her husband was there and so he drove me home. And I j I remember the journey home and when when we when I went to get out, I just couldn’t. And so and Mark came around to my side of the car and help tried to help me out and I just collapsed against him. And so then that so then they said, quick, something’s wrong something’s I don’t remember what they  They they said, you know, they basically took me straight to the hospital. Yeah. And also rang Guido, my now fiance, but my partner at the time. Uh-huh. So you you went from the run, attempted to go home, and then from that attempt to get you out of the car, actually into your home, it was pretty clear that that wasn’t gonna happen and you ended up in hospital. so Did you guys drive to hospital? Do you recall that? Yes. Yes. We do how far is it from your home? it’s pretty close. I don’t know about kilometres or time, but it’s but it’s like ten or fifteen minutes. Yeah, so it’s not too far. But they didn’t know what was going on, of course. They just knew something wasn’t right and then they figured one of the best things to do is just get it to a hospital. You get to the hospital Do you know what happens after that? Do you get admitted? do you get tested for anything? I suppose what I’m asking is when is the first time you realise that that you’ve had a stroke? When do they report that back? When I came out of the coma. So I was put I was put into an an induced coma straight away. so I I obviously don’t remember anything of of that. and but Rebecca’s told me afterwards. so she’s filled in the f filled in the filled in the blanks for me. and by that stage her husband thought it was a stroke. So she’s he said he said to the staff at the hospital, we think she’s having a stroke. And so yeah. So how long were you in the coma, do you know? Has somebody told you how long it was? Yeah, four four days. Four days, okay. And do you know what kind of stroke you had? Yep. I had a left Frontoparietal hemorrhagic stroke. Wow, that’s a good effort. So you had a brain bleed. Yep. Do they know what caused it? No. It was spontaneous and I didn’t have any of the risk factors. So I didn’t have high blood pressure, a history of high blood pressure, but admittedly I’d hadn’t tested my blood pressure immediately before the stroke. but you know That’s un that’s unlikely to be the cause. And I didn’t have a hi a history of high cholesterol. and so they just and I didn’t have an aneurysm and I didn’t have like what’s the other thing? The An AV AVM. AVM, yeah, I didn’t have any of that. And how old were you? Fifty six. Okay. So you had a spontaneous Bleed in the brain. That happens. People do have that happen from time to time. And sometimes they don’t have any symptoms leading up to it or anything like that. and this is the bizarre nature of like there’s an unlimited number of ways, unfortunately, for people to have a stroke. Now, you woke up in hospital four days later. What kind of deficits did you have? I couldn’t move my right side and I couldn’t speak. Okay. Now I’ve got an idea of well, I haven’t got an idea, but my mind immediately kind of says like if you’re in hospital in Bulgaria, that’s not a hospital in Melbourne. That’s not the Royal Melbourne hospital where no shit is unreal, like it’s perfect and it’s got the highest technology and it doesn’t matter how many things we can bitch and moan about the system being here like compared to Bulgaria, my expectation is that we’re world class. Perhaps that’s not the case in Bulgaria. Would you agree with that statement? I would have agreed before and my my my expat friends here would have agreed before, but now we’re all saying maybe Bulgaria is better than we thought. That’s brilliant. Awesome. Okay, so Rehabilitation Challenges in Bulgaria As far as like medical interventions and all that type of stuff, you felt like that was handled like any other world class hospital would have handled it. Yeah. In that in that s it in that stage it was. but there’s no like that was a public hospital and there’s no there’s no public funded rehab after. or or very li very little. So so that’s where that’s where Australia is ahead. So when you knew you had deficits, was there any rehabilitation whatsoever? Did you get any of that while you were still in hospital? Minimal. So the the physio came to see me twice. and so that’s so that’s all and I got no speech therapy and stuff like that. and but when I was discharged from the public hospital here and went and so they they expected me to go home from the public hospital. And so Guido said she just can’t like like what what the fuck? After how many days? After how many days, how long? Fourteen. Wow, your right side was still offline and you still had problem. Yeah. Okay. So we we just paid for paid for private rehab. got it, right. Yeah. And how long were you in private rehab for? another like two months or something like that. Right. Okay, that’s pretty cool. So i even though you couldn’t access it publicly, you were still able to Access a private now. Are you a citizen in Bulgaria? Not a citizen, a permanent resident. Okay. So do you have are you as a result of the fact that you’re a permanent resident and not a citizen, do you have different things that you are able to access because of your status? No. no. I’m it’s I have the same rights as a citizen. The only one the only right I don’t have is I’m I’m not able to vote here and I’m not I’m not able to work in other EU countries. Got it. Okay. So that’s pretty traumatizing, the whole experience, and then to have to deal with overcoming your left side and your speech deficits after the two month mark, roughly where were you at where you where you are now? Because you kinda sound pretty good. Okay. No, yeah. no and and the other thing the other thing that I must say about Bulgaria is I don’t speak Bulgarian. very very little. So that was a problem. Yeah. I can imagine, yeah. so maybe you can come in here, Nicole, and and talk about where I was at when you came to see me, because that was very very very early on in my in in the private rehab hospital. Yeah, Nicole, tell me a little bit about what it’s like to receive a phone call to find out that your friend has had a stroke. I was absolutely hellish. the way I found out is I got a message through social media from someone saying, Hey, I’m a friend of Kylie’s and she’s in hospital in Bulgaria. And one of my first horrible thoughts was, is this a dreadful hoax? Is someone, you know, is this some horrible scam? And it really, you know, it made me feel quite sick actually thinking this is that’s not someone I know. It does look like a name I’ve seen in Kylie’s kind of social media world. And then I rang her son who lives in Australia and he’s like, Yeah, I’m so sorry. I haven’t told you. Yes, it’s true, mum’s had a stroke. and I was kind of beside myself because by training I’m an occupational therapist, but Kylie and I have known each other each other since we were about 16. and it was really hard to get the information that I wanted as a friend, but also as a health professional. I was wanting to understand what kind of stroke is it? Where is it? What’s the rehab? What can we do? How’s it going? And at that stage the information that I had was that you know, it was really seriously affected the speech part of the brain and obviously the hemiplegia, the weakness down the right side and knowing that Kylie was right handed. so, you know, it’s the friendship part that your heart’s breaking and it’s also the therapist part that’s wanting the information to be able to, you know, reconcile it for myself, professionally what that was going to look like as a consequence for Kylie. Yeah, and you’re so far away, so you really can’t do anything and kind of have to like take information second hand, third hand, and be kind of in a position which is really uncomfortable for, I imagine, a friend, but also a therapist, right? So as an occupational therapist, that’s not the information you work on. You work on actual facts, scans, reports, like a whole bunch of things. So are you also playing it out in your mind? Are you kind of Doom thinking it, like are you how does it affect you personally? I think for me I was all I was really very conscious of not stressing other people. So like friends, family, because sometimes when you are a health professional, you know, you have knowledge and information and you know, you sometimes you you’re keeping that to yourself to some extent because you do know what can happen to people and you do know what consequences can be. So I was really trying not to ask too many questions of people as well. but I was seriously desperate for information. And so I remember I’d gone to a party and I didn’t really want to go because I was actually, you know, upset and stressed for Kylie. And I did end up going to a party and during the party I was really kind of outside having a bit of a downer really by a campfire. but I got a phone call or a message to say that I think you’d said some words, Kylie, and were kind of waking up. so you’re still in the acute hospital then and that you’d been able to move your leg a little bit, I think. Yeah. And you know, joy in that moment. And yeah, I felt very, very far away. And then What happens over the next few days? Like do you guys continue to communicate somehow? Do you keep getting information? Are you being updated? Yeah. Yeah. I wasn’t able to get my into my phone or my any of my devices. So I wasn’t able to able to because I couldn’t remember my password, right? And so and and I tried like d different ones and I you know I just got locked out. So and when I was able to get in then that made it it made it easier t because I was able just text short messages. So so Nicole and I kept in touch that way. and before English-speaking Before you came, Nicole, I think I was talking, but not not not as well as I am now. Yeah. So was it, Nicole, in your mind, you were always going to fly over to Bulgaria and beath your friend? Or did you guys have to work that out? Like what happened now? It’s so cool that you get to have a somebody in your corner that is also a Fred, but also a medical professional in the exact field that you’re struggling with now. Right. Like how do you just drop everything and go overseas and be with your friend? Yeah, well, very grateful that I had an up to date passport. So that was that was a good thing. Kylie, it was interesting because the texting, like if I go back and look at that history, it’s like you can see the progress in the texts. So you can see that Kylie was using kind of more single words and having struggles with spelling and putting sentences together. And then over time, you know, they became more fluent. but the thing that happened was that Kylie and I were talking and she was able to you know, she got some speech back and we were talking. And she was just saying about the rehab care that the the the kind of caring staff just seemed to have no rehab expertise. So the physios were amazing. I think they were great. There was no active speech therapy for Kylie. I think we ultimately found an English speaking speech therapist but who still had Bulgarian as a first language. And there’s very few occupational therapists in Bulgaria, seems to be some expats. And Kylie was talking to me a jab about just you know, really basic things like not being taken to the toilet. and that’s probably what broke my heart. It’s like I cannot leave her in bed, not being able to go to the toilet. I just can’t do it. And so I just said to my partner, I think I just need to go to Bulgaria. And luckily I’m self-employed. So I just kind of cleared my schedule, got on a plane and yeah, I was just I suppose I’m incredibly grateful to have the skill. incredibly grateful to have the financial ability to do it. and yeah, and the skills to do it. And you know, you don’t always get an opportunity in life to do the right thing, or sometimes you don’t make that decision and later you think, Why didn’t I do X, Y, and Z? I try not to live my life like that. I try to actually do those things. So, yeah, I got on a plane and basically arrived at the airport, got on a train straight out to see Kylie at the Rehope Hospital. You’re a real superhero. I’m very grateful to Nicole. Yeah. I rec you know, my story is kind of well, it has a similar kind of thread to it. I one of my best friends is a radiographer and he was a radiographer at the Royal Melbourne Hospital where I was a patient for nearly two and a half years because I was in and out with a number of brain hemorrhages. I had three in total in the same spot, but over two and a half years, then I had brain surgery. And I can’t tell you how many scans I had, but being a radiographer, he was the one who was in the room taking the photos through the MRI. Yeah. And then he would come out. And he would tell us what he saw in the RI, which was against the rules. that’s why I won’t name him. But but that meant that we didn’t have to wait a month to get our results and the the meeting for the results was just more of we’ll go through the process and and have the meeting. Yeah. And and and it was like and I regretted my life when at school I used to throw his books on the roof of the canteen just to mess with him going to s to class late to get in trouble. and I’ve apologised profusely for that and thanked him every day for the fact that, you know, he was able to lend his well, you know, he was able to be in the room. He was able to have that conversation with us and he was able to ease our minds. over that two and a half year period and then you won’t believe it. Like his daughter had an AVM at seventeen. And she went through that and and has recovered from that somewhat now in the last few years. and I got to be I mean I hate that I had to be this guy, but I got to be the guy that supported him through that really acute phase and There is just nothing to describe what it’s like to be able to a repay the favor. and then but B, when I was in that situation to have somebody kind of well, you know, like put their arm around me and really walk me through every stage. Me and my wife and my family walk us through every stage of that part of it, other than intervening as a brain surgeon. But he was the one that put us in char in in touch with my brain surgeon. like Everything that happened was just the most amazing experience to be able to be guided like that. And I know it’s a privilege and many people don’t get that opportunity. so I see Chris, I haven’t told him this in person. I see him as like a bit of a superhero, but he doesn’t know that. I’ve told him I love him in the way men tell each other that they love each other by s abusing him and swearing at him and telling him that the team that he follows is terrible and all that kind of stuff. Reflections on Healthcare Systems so you arrived in Bulgaria. take me from the airport to the hospital. Like what happens? How is that? Actually the flight was really good. Customs was pretty easy. There was some annoying folk in front of me who I wanted to punch in the face and tell them to hurry up, but I was just, you know, needed to to get there. Kylie’s daughter met me at the airport. And then we got the train together out to the hospital. So, you know, obviously I’m seeing my first sight of Bulgaria. I’d never been there before. so not really taking a tourist route at this point. so went out to see Kylie. And, you know, when you just eyeball someone and I, you know, just thank God I’m here, I’m in front of her. Her she’d had a shaved head. she had some pretty spectacular surgical scars, a couple of very big scabs still on her head. she looked skinny, she looked pale, she had started doing a little bit of movement and the hospital room was really kind basic and crazy. Her friends had funded a pressure mattress for her that didn’t exist. And some of these things I had been liaising with Kylie’s friends in Bulgaria about what could we do, how you know, what do we want to prevent? So we want to prevent anyone pulling on from. Her weak shoulders and like don’t let anyone pull her by the arm. this is how I want, you know, to help her with posture in bed or in sitting. and you know, like speaking in single kind of actions at a time and just take your time, say something, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Just allow Kylie’s brain to, you know, take that information on board. Don’t speak for her. and when I got there, it was really clear that. She had an inattention to the right hand side as an effect from the stroke. So then I was a bit of a ball breaker, rearranging the whole room. No, no, no, no, no. Where, you know, everyone come from the right, everyone sit on the right. no cutler, you’re not allowed to have your phone in your left hand, you’re having your phone in your right hand. I’d taken some things with me from Australia to Bulgaria that I thought she might need. like some built-up cutlery, because I wanted her to use her right hand to feed herself. I took a couple of kind of activities that I thought we could do to look at some retraining for the right arm. what I’ll still bring with me, try to remember now. Benjamin. So yeah, just try kind of going into early stroke rehab principles. Yeah. Did you go there well you went there as a friend. But when you were there, were you able to be a professional and also have a conversation with the local team? Kylie and I laughing. Do you want to tell that story, Kylie? Which one are you thinking about? Where I got told off. No, I don’t remember that. well, Kylie was in act like, you know, there was still quite a lot of weakness, but she was also so determined for her own rehab. And in the system there their carers really don’t have a rehab focus. They have a I’ll provide you a meal focus and I’ll occasionally do some cleaning and I’ll occasionally change the bed linen and but really not a rehab focus. So I’ve personally found it quite easy to help Kylie to like stand move. And so the very first weekend I was there, it was a long weekend and what I didn’t realise later was that they were actually quite understaffed. Which worked in our favour because I was helping Kylie to get onto a shower chair, taking her to have a shower, us taking her to the toilet, because prior to that time they were just, you know, using pads for toileting because Kylie couldn’t stand up or move on her own. And because I’m trained, I found it very easy. She’s a lightweight person and she and I just work together and I could do that. I think it was the Tuesday, person who I refer to as Nurse Ratchet. remembering now kind of intercepted me bringing Kylie back from the bathroom to her room and just like, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope. What are you doing? Stop that, stop that, stop that. and you know, she and I are having a bit of a a discussion. And basically she’s refused and I’m allowed to move Kylie. So Kylie is sitting out in the corridor. I think I’d luckily kind of covered you up for privacy. and she’s like, No, you’re not allowed to move her. I’m gonna go and get the physio. I think at least forty minutes went by and then she comes back, well, okay, and I said, Look, I am a trained person, it’s easy, it’s safe. no, I’ll think about it. And then after I think another fifteen minutes she pushed your chair into the bedroom. And then I think it was probably another fifteen minutes where she just decided to move Kylie herself at that point. even though that was out of policy and the physios had to do it. And then it was all this discussion with me that you can’t do it. And in the end it was you can’t do it because you’re a woman. Not strong enough, you know. so yeah. Then Kylie and I kind of would go on clandestine missions because again, from a rehab point of view, being able to stand transfer, it’s putting all the weight through the leg, it’s giving feedback to the brain. I really wanted to make sure Kylie’s bladder and bowel were gonna work properly. And you know, sitting in bed and that’s just not ideal. So then Kylie’s like, Nicole, I want to go to the toilet. I was like, I’m banned, I’m banned, Mother Nurse Ratchet, I’m not allowed to take you. And I was like, shit. So I would go on a little mission, go look down the corridor, make sure she was nowhere to be seen. And then I quickly stole the shower chair and then I found a bucket. And so Kylie and I were doing secret Wii missions in the bedroom. until w on one of our missions I just hadn’t quite got the bucket in the right place. And so then I it was also then later on a cleaning mission. So it was it was a pretty crazy environment. yeah, just for that lack of t whole team approach to rehab. Whereas, you know, in Australia the nurses would all be rehab trained. They would be transferring someone physios would come in, speech would be coming, OTs would be coming. So I was kind of desperately trying to convince Kylie or to get her rehab to a standard where she’d be able to come back to Australia to get some more rehab. You know what’s good about this conversation other than the hilarious nature of it also is that I as an as a person who hadn’t had a stroke before my hadn’t known anyone who had a stroke before my experience, if I had come across somebody who had had a stroke, I wouldn’t have known what to look out for and what to say to support them in a situation where perhaps something was being neglected. Because I don’t know what I don’t know. I’m not a professional, right? Just like those nurses and therapists that weren’t specifically trained. Yeah. In certain things. I mean, you may as well be not only talking a different language, but you may as well be making it up as you go because as far as they know, now this is what we do for stroke patients. This is how we handle that. is it a lack of understanding of what r stroke rehabilitation requires, or is it a lack of resources, or is it a little bit of both? Do you feel in Bulgaria when you were there? I think I think it’s a lack of of all all of that but it’s the lack of maybe money. So it’s a lack of training. So th there’s there’s not enough there’s not the the nurses or the orderlies or whatever they’re called here, are are aren’t paid very much. So they so And t just like, even though I was in a private rehab hospital, so you would have expected that more. It’s you would have expected more, but I just think that they just don’t have the money to to train those people. Yeah. it wasn’t really a role, was it, Kylie? Like they really were more like housekeepers in a sense. It was more like cleaning a meals. I have to say the physios were excellent. and a lot of the physios had good English as well, which was for your rehab was so important. because again a lot of the carers they would come into the room and you know, again, just from a speech therapy point of view, in Australia, say if someone came into the room who was the person who did the menus or filled up the water bottles or the cleaners, Kyler could have spoken to all of those people and had   incidental communication the whole day in English. But because of all of those p incidental people coming in didn’t speak English, you know, reasonably in Bulgaria. it just for me, I was worried about the lack of just exposure to English language as well. So not even speech therapy, just incidental language through the day. Which is very helpful and people don’t realise how helpful it is to be able to speak to a nurse about how you’re feeling or what’s happening. Yeah. And all the usual stuff. And Kylie’s chatty and friendly and she would have just been having conversations galore, but it just it it it couldn’t be. Yeah. Yeah, it’s another another barrier. so you know when you go overseas, it’s your friend and you’re a professional. How do you handle that? Because you know, like are you emotional? Are you trying to put a lid on it? Are you allowing yourself to Gonna be emotional. How does that work? We had some killer laughs, didn’t we? I mean, I’m a joker anyway. And so, like the first time Kylie got to do a poo on the toilet, I just did a poo dance for her. So I I felt half my job was you know, cheering her up and keeping it light and having fun and chatting about stuff we would just always chat about. as well as doing as much rehab because it was very exhausting because, you know, p after a stroke, it’s very fatiguing. you know, so to Kylie was really tired and needed lots of rest. So and because I had just you know, obviously dropped tools to go over quickly, I was just working sometimes. So I just have my computer and if Kylie was asleep I’d just stay with her and and her partner Guido as well, who was there with her as well. So just, you know, emotional support wise. But Yeah, I do some work. And I stayed in Kylie’s apartment. So I w was I just stayed at her place and I I train out to see her each day at the hospital. W how many hours would you spend in hospital with her? What do you think, Kylie? you would often arrive at like ten in the morning and you wouldn’t go till like five in the evening or six in the evening. Yeah. So technically visiting hours kind of finished at six. So I just try and stay most of the day. A full shift. Yeah. Yeah. Unpaid. Unpaid labour. Slave driver. Yeah. yeah. But nah. That’s what friends are for. I very what I very much wanted to stay the whole day because I did really, really wanna like especially the toileting thing. I just really wanted that. Setting Goals and Achievements I had this bit of a goal for myself for Kylie that she would be able to take herself to the toilet before I left the country. So just from a dignity point of view, from a mobility point of view, transfers, you know, bladder control. So yeah, that was one of my big goals. And she rang me when I was in transit at Dubai Airport on my way back to Australia and said, Nicole, I just took myself to the toilet. Wow, that’s cool. Yeah. Yeah. And and I was having physio two physio sessions a d a wi a day. So I was having other than Nicole. So I was having like about one session about of about an hour in the morning and one session of about an hour in the in the afternoon. Got it. You Kylie seem like pretty mm chill, pretty calm. how are you handling it though, emotionally? How’s the aftermath Treating you because there’s a little bit of you know, there’s all that acute stuff. It’s awesome when your friend is there, but then your friend goes home, right? So how how does that transition kind of happen? Yeah, I might start crying. because I’ve just recently spent seven months in Australia. So I I went to Australia in October last year and I came back in just in May. and I had more rehab there. So I had I had student led rehab at at first and then I got in got accepted into Birch, which is the brain injury rehab community and home in Ad in Adelaide. so that’s that is is a whole team of people. So I had I had physio and I and a occupational therapist and a a e exercise physiologist and a speech therapist and stuff like that so I th that’s really good. now the most frustrating part for me is the aphasia so I I can’t I can’t express myself like I used to. Yeah. You know what I love about interviewing people who have aphasia is when they say I can’t in a sentence to describe something to me it triggers the part of the condition which doesn’t allow the words to come out. It’s so interesting. That happens so so often. And it’s just a for me, I noticed this I’m saying it just from a perspective is maybe I can’t is not the right word. I don’t know. You might remember this, you might not, but maybe I can’t is not the right word. Maybe the right word is Something that helps you get to the word that you need to get to. And okay, now that’s just me, the uneducated stroke survivor on a phasia guy. Like I don’t know about that. But it’s so interesting, it happens every time. but then Nicole goes home, you go home, your partner is kind of now taking over the caregiving role, and you still have some deficits. phage is one of them. what about your right side? How offline was it? I I also moved in with Guido after the after the stroke. So so that was that was a has was ha was and has continues to be a challenge because we’re still getting used to living together because we weren’t living together before. and I was very in very independent before. And I was living in Sofia and he and he and I now live in a in a village. So I live in in a village just outside of Sofia. And I’m not driving yet. but I was medically cleared to drive in Australia before I left. So I’m going through the process here. so anyway, all of all of those things together make it very challenging. don’t get me wrong, I I l I love him, but but you know, and and I d and and I made that decision because my apartment is was was on the fourth floor and th there was no lift. Wow. Yeah. So back to your question. When I was when I was when I came here, when I was discharged, I continued with as an outpatient and and the physio continued to come at home twice a week. So I was having more physio maybe like five times a week. and like it were ha had started to come my right side had was all already back online, but I would I was just working on building strength and and I would get still very tired. Yeah. And did your daughter end up coming to live with you as well? No. but she she at the beginning she she was my next of kin. So at the ripe old age of nineteen, she signed the consent to operate forms. yeah, so that was that was very difficult for her. I didn’t know that at the time, obviously. but yeah. And did that happen, did she become your next of kin because your former partner, her dad, and you had separated and then his that role wasn’t gonna be his anymore. It’s just passed down to the person who was the closest to you. Like how did that happen? Family Dynamics and Support Systems We’re divorced. I I’m divorced from her dad. Yeah. So he’s definitely not my next kin. Right. So that ha changed after the divorce and she was the only person you could nominate because she was over is there an age limit to the next of kin? Eighteen. Yeah. Okay. So she had hit that criteria, you nominated her and then at nineteen she got to make a decision. Which she never and you never would have expected ever for that to be a thing. I didn’t nominate her, it would just happen. So I was I I was unconscious at the time that she signed those forms. So yeah. So my friends actually contacted her. and she she rushed to the hospital. so it was all under duress. It was like this is what happened to your mum, you’re her Next of kin, whether you like it or not, you have to decide. Yeah. Far out. Okay, that’s pretty full on for a 19 year old. Yeah. Yeah, seems like she did a good job. How did she handle this whole mum’s not well situation, this stroke thing? Like how did she deal with it? she was very good. my first memory actually is of her coming into the ICU with with the with the whole, you know, the whole like the the hairnet and the mask and the and the and the what’s it called the scrubs. Scrubs, yeah. and she held my hand and said t that she loved me. so that was pretty special. And incidentally I have an a another memory of Guido coming into the ICU as well and singing singing to me. So he he said that he said that I always wanted him to sing and he refused before. And so did did I want him to sing to me now? And I squeezed his hand or on the on the left he’s was holding my left hand and I squeezed his hand and so he knelt down beside my bed and started singing. Wow. Can he actually hold the tune or is he hard to hear? Yes, see he’s he’s very musical. Okay. Thank God. If my wife had asked me to sing a w if I had asked my wife to sing, it wouldn’t have been a good experience at all for either of us. Yeah, he was he was a busker in i in his younger years. Yeah. and now he decided to come good. Fair enough. Well that that’s important. You know, things like that are important. It lightens the the mood and it makes Yeah. You kind of feel like your family’s around and that you know you know, maybe kind of things might be all right. Like it gives that glimmer of hope. Is that how you received it? Yeah, I did. yeah, but I’m also very, very determined. So I’m a I’m a very normally very strong woman and so everyone said to me that if if well not to me, but w we had a we had a group WhatsApp chat so and I was added to it later and everyone said in that that if anyone can get through this, Kylie can. Yeah. So you know when you’re told you’ve had a stroke, you wake up with all the deficits and everything. Are you like how do you take it? I woke up, couldn’t use my left side. I I did not for one minute. It did not cross my mind like for one minute that this is not a good thing. Like I mean, clearly I wasn’t able to move, etcetera. But it never kinda went a lifesaver, I’m fucked. Like I never had that happen. Me as well. yeah. I I’d I’ve never thought that. I don’t know whether I even thought that It was n like you said, that was not a good thing. I just put one foot in front of the other and or not literally, but the Yeah. Metaphorically. Yeah. Metaphorically. so one foot in front of the other and just got on with it. Yeah. Nicole, like you come across in your work, you come across a lot of different versions of patience, right? Like you get people who might just be by design more negative to a bad experience and then people that are half class full to a bad experience. Just from a professional perspective, what’s the difference like when you’re trying to rehabilitate somebody that has kind of that different mindset? From perhaps what Kylie and I described. Yeah, I mean I’m probably in the last half full camp as well. So as an OT, I suppose we always meet people where they’re at. because everyone is a combination of their past experiences, aren’t they? So and cultural things, like there’s a very significant cultural differences in how people respond to pain or disability and expectations of kind of family and I suppose cultural expectations in Australia are even about you know, what what what should be publicly available. So, you know, from an expectations point of view, I think a lot of it is based on, you know, previous experience. So as a therapist, we’re obviously there to support, you know, emotional well being, physical well being, and try and find the things for people that connect with them. So meaningful, like OTs are our absolute core is meaningful occupation. So how do we find something that’s meaningful to that person that we think is going to get them from kind of, you know, here to there and it’s gonna be very different different motivators, you know. Kylie is probably, you know, very self motivated as described. Sometimes it’s about people really have a d strong desire to get back to work, or people have a really strong family structure that they want to be able to get back to do something with their family. So finding the way or the thing hopefully that’s going to motivate them. But we certainly work with people who you know, have a high level of distress from what’s happened to them and and on an ongoing basis. One of the things I’ve got a little quote on my desk that you can’t see here, but it says, I’m still me, just a different version of me. And it’s what someone one of my clients told me recently who has MS. and often we find need to find the new version of someone. and the new meaning for someone if that, you know, needs to happen. So that’s our great challenge, I suppose. That’s a big job, especially very early on when identity is so tied up into who they were literally days ago. You know, like a week ago. The mobile person, the working person, the money making person, the father, the mother, the whatever. Finding Meaning in Recovery And then, you know, you’re dealing with a physical crisis, the existential crisis, the identity crisis, like you’re dealing with it all in the one moment, and you’re trying to get them to sort of see, well, you know, you’re still you and how we’re gonna move forward with the still you person, like we’re still gonna move forward with that person. And then later does come an adjustment of what that you looks like. did for me like it’s a massive adjustment into what me looks like. But my identity wasn’t so much tied up in a one label specifically, although, you know, I s I was the person who felt like they needed to be the main breadwinner, you know, that you know ran a business that did all these things. I I had a big strong identity. But I think one of the things this is going to sound weird or might even sound logical depending on like w who you are and why you’re listening to this podcast. But for me, the fact that my brain went offline was a really good thing because it and that allowed my emotional side to come to the fore. Like it really enabled me to see things with a different intelligence, you know, and access part of me that my emotional intelligence perhaps that I hadn’t that I perhaps suppressed previously, you know, and just battled through things. And that kind of allowed my identity to come with me, it allowed me to leave some stuff behind and allowed me to bring into my identity this emotional side of me, you know, which who cried, who got excited about new and different opportunities, you know, that my head didn’t convince me out of. You know, so there was a lot of silver linings that I didn’t I wasn’t able to iterate back then. I wouldn’t have been able to tell you that it was a silver lining. But now and a few years later, after it all happened, I was definitely able to talk about those silver linings. Kylie Do you you’re fourteen months or so out, right? So maybe you’re not there yet, I don’t know. But are there some silver and I know a hundred percent Nicole was one of those silver linings, I get it. but do you see some silver linings in this whole saga? Yep. I do. my relationship with my daughter got stronger. Yep. So that was all s that was definitely a silver lining. and you know, I I’m was very grateful before, but it cemented how g how grateful I am for my circle of friends. Yeah. Kylie’s friends were amazing. Yeah. Your friends were amazing. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Big family still in Australia is is there a big family in Australia, Kylie? Not not a big one, but my mum and dad are still still alive. So they’re they’re in Melbourne. and my sister is in on the Gold Coast and my brother is in Melbourne as well. Yeah. And my and my son is in Adelaide. Okay. So you still have some family here, but then you were able to create a community in the years before the stroke in Bulgaria. Yeah. you you were doing it a little bit tough after the stroke. Yeah. Correct. Yep. So that’s spot on. Did you Nicole tag team with some of those people as well? Yeah, so Kylie’s friends were beautiful and they were looking after me too. So When I was in Bulgaria, they were looking after me, you know, giving me dinner and what have you, and kind of giving me emotional support as well. And I think they were grateful that I was there from a skills point of view, like they were doing a beautiful job of supporting Kylie emotionally. But and I did kind of train them up a little bit in in some rehab as well, you know, how to help with approaching from the right and how to communicate and also just even doing some activities. Kylie and I had the balloon and we were tapping it back and forward to each other for strengthening up the right arm. And then we’d play some kind of word games as we were doing that for some speech therapy. So I was educating her friends around that kind of stuff. But the other thing, Kylie, that you and I have spoken about is, you know, after the stroke is knowing what’s important and how to let some sh shit go that would have been, you know, annoying or you know. focus on something and now it’s just you you just know it’s just not important. Yeah. Being able to just let crap go. Correct correct. and the other silver lining is that I got engaged. Yes. Did he propose soon after? Yes, in the in the rehab hospital. what a romantic Yeah. But he but he said that he’d already decided before the stroke that he wanted to marry be ma be married to me. So he just hadn’t got around to asking me yet. Yeah, fair enough. That stroke has a way of interrupting people’s plans and the things that they think they’re gonna do. so Nicole you normally treat your patients. They get to a stage. Usually they’re a lot better than they were when they first met you. And part of what you do is you send them off into the big wide world like a kid. I’ve grown you know, I’ve raised them, you know, like they know how to comb their hair now. And you kinda send them off and it’s kind of bittersweet, I imagine, but also a very important part that the people who you’re helping get better actually go off into the world on their own. And stop needing to be supported by you. I know there’s some people who need more support and that continues for longer and some people who don’t get enough and it and it’s never enough. But what’s it like knowing the job is not done, but you still have to leave and go home? that was heartache. I mean, Kylie and I both balled our lies out. it was a long flight home. Yeah. Yeah, it was a long flight home. with lots of reflections. I suppose the good thing at that point was Kylie was easily able to speak on the phone or message each other. So and also, you know, I think at that stage maybe I got to see the brain scan and I was just like, my god, how have you even survived this? ‘Cause I think was it about a seven centimeter bleed, Kylie? Yep. seven and a half. Yeah. To be precise. It truly felt like a a miracle. And again, full kudos to the surgeons in Bulgaria, truly, for that acute care. Because I think Kylie, I feel like you were in surgery in about within about two hours or something after the stroke, which is phenomenal. And, you know, your friends really saved your life. taking you straight to the hospital and prevented like, you know, more serious outcomes from the stroke. So yeah, so for me, I was proud of myself as well. and I, you know, I like to live my life by thinking I can look myself in the mirror. And I felt like I can really I’ve got a tear, really look myself in the mirror. Yeah. Doing the right thing. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. You came to the need of somebody who was in need and needed specifically not only your love and support as a friend, but also your skills. Like you had the complete package for them at that time. How long did you end up staying in total? Was I ra away about just under two weeks probably with the flights and everything like that? So yeah. so yeah, leaving was leaving was horrible. But the goal of being able to go to the toilet was met. and also just the skills for, you know, skilled up a few other people and Kylie, you know, had her good networks. I also went out to Kylie’s property out in the village to have a look at any home modifications. So that was another kind of OT type role that that was done. and she’s got an amazing property out there, but it is kind of needs a bit of love and so that was also just reassuring her partner too, like reassuring Guido that no, look, Kylie’s got this. There were a few times where it was like, Nicole, I don’t want her to do this. Like I’m like Guido, she’s safe. She can do it. She’s got sitting balance. She’s okay to sit over the side of the bed. She can wiggle sideways. But he was anxious. And so again, part of my job was to reassure him to make sure that he let her do things. and didn’t step in too quickly. And so as an O T, we’re all used to like sitting on our hands and taking time and letting people struggle a bit. And it was hard for him to let Kylie struggle. So to just encourage him to let her struggle a bit so that she could do it herself and just wait. Just take the time, especially with communication. so yeah, I I kind of obviously knew there was a lot more rehab to be done, but I also had seen Kylie’s determination and that, you know, she kind of knew what to do. and and so that was I I was grateful again for that. Kylie, what was it like when your friend had to leave? I was heartbroken. The Impact of Caregiving I felt like she was a lifeline and I felt like that that had been cut because obviously she speaks English and obviously like Obviously we have a really good relationship. and I felt like I was in a like how do I describe it? In a in a sea of not n of people not understanding. So yeah, not my friends, but the hospital staff, basically. So not the not the physios. Like Nicole said, the physios were exceptional. but, you know, just the hospital staff. Yeah, just generally speaking. So did you feel like she had put you on the right path? Were you more confident with kind of where she left you as opposed to where you guys started and was that enough to kind of give you the foundation for what you needed to take responsibility for when she left? Definitely. yeah, definitely. Yeah. Man, w what a kind of interesting whole situation. You know, if this was fifty years ago, there’s no way anyone’s going anywhere to help anyone with anything. you know, like your hospital s experience in country like Bulgaria after what they’ve been through would have been completely different. You know, your s the chance of surviving telling your story is probably s you know, very much decreased. I know this is gonna sound weird, but like it’s never been a better time to have a stroke in in most of the world. Like let’s face it. the the possibilities are just endless. I’m a miracle from all the medical professionals that put all their time and effort in. I am eternally grateful to my occupational therapists and physios and surgeons and people who invent X ray machines and people who make C T scanners and The plastic bottles where drips go in, like every single thing is just an an absolute miracle of God or medicine or science or I don’t care what, like whatever you want to call it. And it just to me, it you know, here’s a really terrible situation and here and and but look at all the amazing things that came out of it. Somebody from the other side of the planet to be able to come over and intervene in that way, train people up. Like, man, it’s the Perfect like feel good story, you know. Everything’s going okay, things turn shit, and then something good comes out of it and yeah hopefully there’s more good to come, you know. Like, man, it’s just an amazing experience. I just feel really privileged to be able to hear it and share it further. No, not not not me, personally. but now that you say that I will s I will think about it now. the most thing that that Nicole and I reflect on is, you know, like like we’ve already said, how good was that my friends got me to the hospital quickly? How good was the the surgeons the surgeons because it could have all gone wrong. or gone gone a different way. so that’s the stuff we reflect on more. and just just like my amazing recovery. Reflections on Recovery and Gratitude Because I recovered so quickly and so well, like I’ve thrown everyone away here. So so my new my neurologist, my my physios, ever everyone here is like well, back then was like really surprised. So we it’s when I first walked into the n neurologist, she said, like, wow, No one expected you to recover that quickly from such a severe stroke. Yeah. That’s such a good outcome. I like to I like to think that those things wouldn’t have been possible without your most amazing superhero friend Nicole. Nicole, your final thing I’d like to kind of run by you is that your whole career you’re working towards making things better. Yep. Like for people who are going through all really difficult times. have you had you ever dealt with a family member who needed your intervention or family friend or someone like that that needed an intervention with your specific skills before this? man. yes. So when I was quite a young therapist, probably in my early twenties, my dad told me that his One of his like great aunts or cousins elderly relative had had a stroke and she was in hospital and I didn’t really know her. Like she wasn’t someone in the family that I I had knew had known. And I said to Dad, I’ll go and visit her in hospital. And and so I went to the hospital and I found out she was in this room and I walk into the room and there were four people. And I see this gorgeous little old lady who is all crumpled in her chair and squashed and nearly falling out. And I I just walked in and I was horrified. And I just walked straight over to her. And I just said, look, can I help get you more comfortable, get you into a better position? And then I realized it was it was my own relative. and I said to her, I’m Nicole, I’m John’s daughter. you know, dad’s asked me to come and see you. And and she just said the most cutest thing ever. She said, when you walked into the room. You just look so lovely and I hoped you were here to see me, but I I wouldn’t have known what I could have done to deserve that or something something dead cute. anyway, she’d had a very dense stroke and they were basically saying that she wasn’t a candidate for rehab and that she should go straight to a nursing home. And her daughter was a nurse. And she said, Nope, Mum’s not going to a nursing home and she ended up taking her home and I used to go every night after work and do rehab with her. she ended up being able to walk quite with a pretty awkward gait and a and a stick. but she got back to, yeah, walking and living at home and I just again always think that if she didn’t have her daughter, the nurse and myself, she probably would have ended up not not walking. Yeah, being in a nursing home. It’s not that quality of life. So there’s people who definitely go through that. And what I love about you sharing that part of the story is there’s people listening and they’re paying attention and maybe they haven’t been given the amount of therapy that they feel they deserve or need. And maybe that’s going to trigger people to go, you know what, stuff this, I’m gonna find a way to get more therapy, I’m gonna ask. I’m gonna hassle some people, I’m gonna be a pain in the butt to some people, I’m gonna do more. for myself to get me further. I love that you shared that part of the story. That’s kind of the unique experience that a that a a seasoned occupational therapist can kind of impart on us who are early on in the recovery about like how you need to advocate for somebody or yourself for more physical therapy. And and even if you Can’t access that people listening and watching YouTube channels. Go to YouTube. There are a ton of awesome therapists on YouTube showing people how to do exercises at home. Yeah. And I mean, I just took some really basic things. We s I, you know, stole some things out of Kylie’s flat to take in. And Guido’s son gave me some toys and we use those like stacking things to, you know, do rehab with Kylie’s hand. I took some pegs from her house and we made an activity of pegging up the curtains to do shoulder and arm rehab. So you can often do a lot without, yo

The German Air Force is currently training in northern Australia, German pilots are being trained in Perth, and a space pact is in progress. Germany is now one of Australia's closest partners. However, the country falls short against Japan when it comes to billions of dollars in contracts. - Die deutsche Luftwaffe trainiert derzeit im Norden Australiens, deutsche Flugschüler werden in Perth ausgebildet, außerdem ist ein Weltraumpakt in Arbeit. Inzwischen ist Deutschland einer der engsten Partner Australiens. Trotzdem zieht das Land gegen Japan den Kürzeren, wenn es um Milliardenaufträge geht.

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, Spider-Man: Brand New Day picks up the pieces in a world that completely forgot Peter Parker exists. Tom Holland returns as a more mature, isolated wall-crawler dedicating every waking second to street-level protection. But the relentless pressure of fighting crime full-time—while watching his old friends move on—triggers a dangerous and unexpected physical evolution in his powers, setting the stage for a massive clash against high-level threats and a mysterious telepathic force. Fun Flix Fact: Tom Holland collaborated closely with director Destin Daniel Cretton to lean into the psychological toll of anonymity, purposely portraying a grittier, more frayed version of Peter Parker whose intense isolation begins manifesting in startling physical changes. Fun Flix Fact: The production utilised practical, street-level stunt coordination on location in New York and Atlanta to capture a grounded, gritty aesthetic that mirrors classic comic runs, distinguishing it visually from sprawling cosmic team-ups. To celebrate a decade of fractured friendships and high-stakes superhero politics, we are looking back at Anthony and Joe Russo's Captain America: Civil War (2016). We break down how this massive blockbuster successfully juggled a sprawling ensemble cast while redefining the emotional core of the MCU. Fun Flix Fact: The iconic, airport-tarmac battle sequence took over three weeks of night shoots to complete, utilising a massive blue-screen stage combined with practical hangar locations in Germany to ground the physics of the clash.Fun Flix Fact: Tom Holland's debut performance as Spider-Man in this very film was kept under such tight wraps by Marvel that he wasn't even allowed to tell his friends which movie set he was flying off to shoot!And if that's not enough entertainment for you, we've even thrown in new trailers to watch and what you can catch on streaming. Hit that subscribe button right now so you never miss an episode of The Flixters! We're here every week to bring you the best reviews, the wildest facts, and the greatest cinema talk in the business. 00:00 Intro 02:36 Shoutouts04:39 Movie News14:41 New on Streaming18:14 New Trailers31:13 Anniversary Corner33:57 Spider-Man: Brand New Day Review53:16 Outro This episode is proudly sponsored by Zencastr. Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr

For review:1. US Sec of State Rubio raised concerns about Cuba's ability to infiltrate and influence top-level U.S. institutions, detailing what he described as a dangerous Cuban spy network that is undermining American interests. 2. Secretary of State Rubio: Diplomatic Efforts in the Coming Weeks to Restart Moscow - Kiev Negotiations.3.  The Pentagon is giving up leadership of a U.S.-led NATO command in Germany that coordinates military aid to Ukraine. Another NATO member will eventually take over running the Security Assistance Group, according to a U.S official.4.  A deal is being mediated to return the United States and Iran to the memorandum of understanding the two countries signed last month, sources aware of the details told Israeli-outlet Channel 12 on Sunday. The deal would ensure that the Strait of Hormuz remains open for 60 days without fees and renew a ceasefire between the two sides, according to the report. 5.  Israeli airstrikes overnight Saturday and into Sunday killed at least 17 people, according to local health officials, and a senior Israeli minister vowed that strikes in the territory will not stop despite Hamas signing a US-backed disarmament plan and earlier reports that Israel agreed to halt attacks. The strikes followed similar heavy attacks on Saturday, which the IDF said targeted several Hamas weapon depots.6.  The U.S. Air Force's F-47 program has begun its engineering and manufacturing development phase and will fly in the coming years, a service official said.  The first Boeing F-47 is on track for its first flight in 2028. The Air Force plans to buy at least 185 F-47s, matching the size of the F-22 Raptor fleet it intends to replace. 7.  US Navy announced that it is awarding contracts for another round of ballistic missile and fast-attack submarines. The Defense Department is granting a collective $76.6 billion to General Dynamics Electric Boat for five Columbia-class submarines and to both General Dynamics Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding for nine Virginia-class submarines to be built in the coming years. 

The time seems right. It's now or never. This might be the end. We never know what tomorrow will bring, or next month or next year. Since that is the case, maybe I should start documenting my exploits sooner rather than later.TRANSCRIPTIt's funny...this week I sat down to think about what I was going to talk about, and I realized I don't actually have a lot of exciting training news.Which, I suppose, is exactly the point.I'm still in this maintenance phase. Three rides a week. Two VO₂ max sessions and one endurance ride. That's it.TrainerRoad is predicting I'll lose maybe two or three percent of my FTP over the next week or so. And I'm actually okay with that. If I lose five or six watts over a month, that's a small price to pay for getting some physical and mental recovery after a long season.Because the alternative is doing nothing.And if I stop riding altogether, I know what happens. I lose thirty, forty, maybe even fifty watts. Then it takes me three or four months to earn that fitness back again.So right now my goal isn't to get stronger.It's simply to stay close enough to where I finished this season that, when I start my next training block, I can hit the ground running.Which makes for a pretty boring podcast.There really isn't much to say.The workouts are getting done.Fitness is staying relatively stable.Everything is...fine.But then something happened this week that completely took over my attention.I bought a drone.Well...not just a drone.I bought the new DJI Neo 2.I bought a DJI Osmo Action camera.I picked up a chest harness so I can record rides from my perspective.I already had the DJI Mic Mini, so now I can actually narrate while I'm riding or running without sounding like I'm talking through a hurricane.And ever since these boxes showed up at my house, I've been like a kid with a new toy.I've been testing them.Learning how they work.Figuring out camera angles.Learning how the drone follows me.Seeing what kind of footage I can get while riding and running.And the interesting part is...I don't think this is actually about the cameras.It's about what the cameras allow me to do.For years this podcast has documented what's happening inside my head.You've listened to me talk about races.Training.Self-doubt.Confidence.Injuries.Motivation.Discipline.All of those things work incredibly well in an audio format.But this week I realized something.Audio only tells half the story.I've spent years saying things like..."I had an amazing ride today.""The climb was brutal.""The ocean was calm.""The sunrise was incredible."You hear those words......but you've never actually seen any of it.You've never seen the roads I ride every week.You've never seen the climbs.You've never seen the places where I run.You've never stood beside the ocean where I swim.You've only experienced them through my descriptions.And that's when it hit me.Maybe this journey deserves more than words.Maybe it deserves pictures.Maybe it deserves video.Not because I think video is somehow better than audio.It's just......different.There are things that video can communicate that words simply can't.Imagine watching a drone slowly pull away as I'm climbing one of my local hills.No narration.Just breathing.Wind.The sound of tires on pavement.Sometimes silence tells the story better than words ever could.Or imagine seeing the roads that I've talked about for years.Instead of picturing them in your imagination......you'd actually be there.You'd see where I train.You'd see what I see.You'd experience a little piece of the journey alongside me.And I find that incredibly exciting.Now...I don't know exactly what this becomes.I'm experimenting.I'm learning.I'm making mistakes.I'm trying different shots.Trying different editing styles.Trying to figure out what feels authentic.I don't even know where these videos will eventually live.I'm intentionally not overthinking that part.Right now the important thing is simply documenting.Capturing.Recording.Because I realized something else this week.One day...this version of me won't exist anymore.I'm fifty-eight years old.Hopefully my best race is still ahead of me.Hopefully Germany in 2027 is the peak.That's certainly what I'm training toward.But none of us really know.Maybe Germany will be the highest point of my athletic life.Maybe it won't.Maybe I'll surprise myself.Maybe life has other plans.I honestly don't know.But wouldn't it be incredible to have a visual record of this entire journey?Not just race day.Everybody records race day.I'm talking about the Tuesday morning interval session.The rainy ride when I didn't feel like training.The quiet endurance ride where nothing special happened.The run where I questioned everything.The swim where everything finally clicked.Those ordinary moments...Those are actually the story.The race is just the ending.The story is everything that happens beforehand.And maybe that's really why these cameras excite me so much.Because they're giving me a chance to preserve something that otherwise would disappear.Five years from now...I'll be able to look back and remember exactly where I was.Not because Strava says I rode 82 kilometres.Not because Garmin tells me my average heart rate.But because I'll actually be able to see it.I'll see the roads.The weather.My posture on the bike.The way I moved.The expression on my face.I'll remember things that numbers could never capture.And maybe that's something we all lose sight of as endurance athletes.We're surrounded by data.FTP.Power.Heart rate.Pace.Cadence.VO₂ max.Training Stress Score.Recovery scores.Sleep scores.We measure everything.But the numbers don't remember the experience.The numbers don't remember the sunrise.They don't remember the laughter with training partners.They don't remember the eagle flying overhead during an early morning ride.They don't remember the feeling of finally reaching the top of a climb.The numbers tell us what happened.They don't tell us what it felt like.And maybe...that's what I want these cameras to capture.Not better workouts.Better memories.Because this isn't just a training plan anymore.This is becoming a chapter of my life.It's my road to Germany.Or maybe...my Highway to Hamburg.I haven't decided what to call it yet.But whatever the title ends up being, I know one thing.I don't want to remember this journey only through graphs on Garmin Connect.I want to remember what it looked like.I want to remember what it sounded like.I want to remember how it felt.And maybe, someday, some of you will come along for that ride too.I don't know exactly what this is going to become. Maybe it's a video diary. Maybe it's a documentary. Maybe it's just a collection of moments that only I end up appreciating. But I do know this: if I'm going to spend the next year chasing one of the biggest goals of my athletic life, I don't want to remember it only through numbers on a Garmin screen. I want to remember what the roads looked like, what the water looked like, what the climbs looked like, and maybe even what I looked like. Because one day, this version of me won't exist anymore. And I think it's worth preserving while it does.Until then, I'm not replacing the podcast, not at all. I think audio works formany or you, most of you. It allows you join me on your commute, your own runs, or while doing dishes. Video is simply another window into the same journey.One where you might see a drone image of me cycling from behind up a steep hill, switching to a first person POV as I race down the other side, followed by me stading at a lookout and waxing poetic on the difficulties of rear derailluers or my favourite flavour of carb drink.That's it from me.Until next time, peace.

The time seems right. It's now or never. This might be the end. We never know what tomorrow will bring, or next month or next year. Since that is the case, maybe I should start documenting my exploits sooner rather than later.Join us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/thelonelytriathleteTRANSCRIPTIt's funny...this week I sat down to think about what I was going to talk about, and I realized I don't actually have a lot of exciting training news.Which, I suppose, is exactly the point.I'm still in this maintenance phase. Three rides a week. Two VO₂ max sessions and one endurance ride. That's it.TrainerRoad is predicting I'll lose maybe two or three percent of my FTP over the next week or so. And I'm actually okay with that. If I lose five or six watts over a month, that's a small price to pay for getting some physical and mental recovery after a long season.Because the alternative is doing nothing.And if I stop riding altogether, I know what happens. I lose thirty, forty, maybe even fifty watts. Then it takes me three or four months to earn that fitness back again.So right now my goal isn't to get stronger.It's simply to stay close enough to where I finished this season that, when I start my next training block, I can hit the ground running.Which makes for a pretty boring podcast.There really isn't much to say.The workouts are getting done.Fitness is staying relatively stable.Everything is...fine.But then something happened this week that completely took over my attention.I bought a drone.Well...not just a drone.I bought the new DJI Neo 2.I bought a DJI Osmo Action camera.I picked up a chest harness so I can record rides from my perspective.I already had the DJI Mic Mini, so now I can actually narrate while I'm riding or running without sounding like I'm talking through a hurricane.And ever since these boxes showed up at my house, I've been like a kid with a new toy.I've been testing them.Learning how they work.Figuring out camera angles.Learning how the drone follows me.Seeing what kind of footage I can get while riding and running.And the interesting part is...I don't think this is actually about the cameras.It's about what the cameras allow me to do.For years this podcast has documented what's happening inside my head.You've listened to me talk about races.Training.Self-doubt.Confidence.Injuries.Motivation.Discipline.All of those things work incredibly well in an audio format.But this week I realized something.Audio only tells half the story.I've spent years saying things like..."I had an amazing ride today.""The climb was brutal.""The ocean was calm.""The sunrise was incredible."You hear those words......but you've never actually seen any of it.You've never seen the roads I ride every week.You've never seen the climbs.You've never seen the places where I run.You've never stood beside the ocean where I swim.You've only experienced them through my descriptions.And that's when it hit me.Maybe this journey deserves more than words.Maybe it deserves pictures.Maybe it deserves video.Not because I think video is somehow better than audio.It's just......different.There are things that video can communicate that words simply can't.Imagine watching a drone slowly pull away as I'm climbing one of my local hills.No narration.Just breathing.Wind.The sound of tires on pavement.Sometimes silence tells the story better than words ever could.Or imagine seeing the roads that I've talked about for years.Instead of picturing them in your imagination......you'd actually be there.You'd see where I train.You'd see what I see.You'd experience a little piece of the journey alongside me.And I find that incredibly exciting.Now...I don't know exactly what this becomes.I'm experimenting.I'm learning.I'm making mistakes.I'm trying different shots.Trying different editing styles.Trying to figure out what feels authentic.I don't even know where these videos will eventually live.I'm intentionally not overthinking that part.Right now the important thing is simply documenting.Capturing.Recording.Because I realized something else this week.One day...this version of me won't exist anymore.I'm fifty-eight years old.Hopefully my best race is still ahead of me.Hopefully Germany in 2027 is the peak.That's certainly what I'm training toward.But none of us really know.Maybe Germany will be the highest point of my athletic life.Maybe it won't.Maybe I'll surprise myself.Maybe life has other plans.I honestly don't know.But wouldn't it be incredible to have a visual record of this entire journey?Not just race day.Everybody records race day.I'm talking about the Tuesday morning interval session.The rainy ride when I didn't feel like training.The quiet endurance ride where nothing special happened.The run where I questioned everything.The swim where everything finally clicked.Those ordinary moments...Those are actually the story.The race is just the ending.The story is everything that happens beforehand.And maybe that's really why these cameras excite me so much.Because they're giving me a chance to preserve something that otherwise would disappear.Five years from now...I'll be able to look back and remember exactly where I was.Not because Strava says I rode 82 kilometres.Not because Garmin tells me my average heart rate.But because I'll actually be able to see it.I'll see the roads.The weather.My posture on the bike.The way I moved.The expression on my face.I'll remember things that numbers could never capture.And maybe that's something we all lose sight of as endurance athletes.We're surrounded by data.FTP.Power.Heart rate.Pace.Cadence.VO₂ max.Training Stress Score.Recovery scores.Sleep scores.We measure everything.But the numbers don't remember the experience.The numbers don't remember the sunrise.They don't remember the laughter with training partners.They don't remember the eagle flying overhead during an early morning ride.They don't remember the feeling of finally reaching the top of a climb.The numbers tell us what happened.They don't tell us what it felt like.And maybe...that's what I want these cameras to capture.Not better workouts.Better memories.Because this isn't just a training plan anymore.This is becoming a chapter of my life.It's my road to Germany.Or maybe...my Highway to Hamburg.I haven't decided what to call it yet.But whatever the title ends up being, I know one thing.I don't want to remember this journey only through graphs on Garmin Connect.I want to remember what it looked like.I want to remember what it sounded like.I want to remember how it felt.And maybe, someday, some of you will come along for that ride too.I don't know exactly what this is going to become. Maybe it's a video diary. Maybe it's a documentary. Maybe it's just a collection of moments that only I end up appreciating. But I do know this: if I'm going to spend the next year chasing one of the biggest goals of my athletic life, I don't want to remember it only through numbers on a Garmin screen. I want to remember what the roads looked like, what the water looked like, what the climbs looked like, and maybe even what I looked like. Because one day, this version of me won't exist anymore. And I think it's worth preserving while it does.Until then, I'm not replacing the podcast, not at all. I think audio works formany or you, most of you. It allows you join me on your commute, your own runs, or while doing dishes. Video is simply another window into the same journey.One where you might see a drone image of me cycling from behind up a steep hill, switching to a first person POV as I race down the other side, followed by me stading at a lookout and waxing poetic on the difficulties of rear derailluers or my favourite flavour of carb drink.That's it from me.Until next time, peace.

Americans spend billions on healthcare products, from green powders and cold plunges to costly gym memberships. Last summer we asked: what good do they do? This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Matthew Billy, and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Visitors wear the Myblend myLEDmask2 "Anti-Aging" product at the FIBO trade show for health, fitness and wellness in Cologne, Germany. Photo by Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images. If you have a question, give us a call at 1-800-618-8545 or email askvox@vox.com.Listen to Explain It to Me ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Americans spend billions on healthcare products, from green powders and cold plunges to costly gym memberships. Last summer we asked: what good do they do? This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Matthew Billy, and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Visitors wear the Myblend myLEDmask2 "Anti-Aging" product at the FIBO trade show for health, fitness and wellness in Cologne, Germany. Photo by Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images. If you have a question, give us a call at 1-800-618-8545 or email askvox@vox.com.Listen to Explain It to Me ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode Coach Angie shares how to have the confidence to trust your training to go the distance on race day. This is how you finish 26.2 miles when your longest distance in training is only 20 miles. Plus, Trevor is back from a 45 day tour through Italy, Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Croatia, and Portugal. Hear his “pro tips” for traveling in these countries. Links Mentioned in This Episode Speak with a MTA Running Coaching about your goals! We are here to help you get to the next level. MetPro.co -get a complimentary assessment and consultation with a metobolic coach. Run the Athens Marathon with Angie, Trevor, and Dean Karnazes! See this page for details. Altra Running -Altra shoes are designed with the Altra Fit, with room for your toes for comfort, balance, and strength. Use code MTA10 for 10% off. And Stay Out There with Altra. The Richmond Marathon in Richmond, Virginia. Sign up for the Capital One 8k! Drury Hotels -where the extras are not extra! Use our link to save 10% on your stay or use the code RN2025.

The British view on aerial bombing over Germany held that area attacks on German cities were the only effective form of attack. The Americans preferred to target specific sites crucial to the German war effort, an approach the head of RAF Bomber Command dismisses as "panacea targets."

Questions are being asked about whether Morocco allowed mass migration to the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, in response to the Spanish prime minister visiting Algeria which opposes Moroccan annexation of the Western Sahara.Also in the programme: Two helicopters responding to wildfires in Greece have collided mid-air, killing both people on board one of the aircraft; and police in Germany are investigating death threats made against a theatre presenting a play about a stranded whale.(Photo: People stand during clashes between migrants and the military, following deadly mass crossings of migrants on foot and by sea from Morocco into Spanish territory, in Ceuta, Spain, 2 August 2026. Credit: Reuters/Violeta Santos Moura)

The boys are back as the countdown to the new season continues! Ray, Kevin and the team discuss the looming suspension hanging over Tonda Eckert, Gianni Infantino's latest FIFA proposal that failed to win support, and reflect on Saints' pre-season preparations, including the friendly at Eastleigh and the training camp in Germany, where Saints faced Eintracht Braunschweig, SC Paderborn and Preussen Munster. Attention then turns to the season ahead as the panel discuss Southampton's summer signings, the new third kit, and preview the Carabao Cup first-round tie at Colchester United. To round things off, it's prediction time as everyone puts their neck on the line with their forecasts for Southampton's season and the wider Championship campaign. As always, don't forget to like, subscribe and leave us a five star review wherever you get your podcasts! Join our Discord and get in on our Predictions League, FLP and Super 6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

fWotD Episode 3376: Old Frisian Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Sunday, 2 August 2026, is Old Frisian.Old Frisian was a West Germanic language spoken between the late 13th century and the end of the 16th century. It was spoken by Frisians who comprised a loose confederacy along the North Sea coast from around modern-day Bruges in Belgium to the Weser River in modern-day northwestern Germany. The vast majority of the surviving literature is composed of legal documents and charters, though some poetry, historiographies, and religious documents are attested as well. An early standard language for the Frisians, surviving texts show remarkable uniformity across time and space. Grammatically, Old Frisian generally marked for four cases, three genders, and two tenses, though more complex grammatical functions could be achieved through periphrastic constructions, where other words may be added to create different grammatical meanings. Its vocabulary had a variety of origins including loanwords from Celtic and Slavic languages. Latin loanwords and calques were relatively common as a result of Christianization. Word order in Old Frisian was varied; although its typical constituent word order was subject–object–verb, many different word orders are attested in the surviving texts. Old Frisian is the common ancestor of all modern Frisian languages except for the Insular North Frisian languages, with which Old Frisian shares a common ancestor called Pre–Old Frisian or Proto-Frisian. Old Frisian was closely related to and shared common characteristics with the forms of English and Low German spoken during the period. Scholars have argued that the term "Old Frisian" is somewhat misleading, since Old Frisian was contemporary with other Germanic languages during their "Middle" period, such as Middle English and Middle High German. Although earlier scholarship contended that Frisian and English had a closer relationship to each other than to Low German, this is no longer the prevailing view. By the 15th century, use of Old Frisian had begun to decline as the language was gradually displaced by Middle Low German as the language of trade in the North Sea. In the mid-16th century, a century-long internal conflict between two competing factions led to Frisia's subjugation by the Duchy of Saxony, which further displaced the language with Early Modern Dutch as the language of administration. No original Old Frisian compositions occur at all after 1450 and the last known work in the language was created in 1547, though writings made shortly thereafter suggest the Old Frisian used was probably already archaic by that point. Around the turn of the 17th century, the language is considered to have fully evolved into Middle Frisian, where it persisted mostly as a rural vernacular language.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:11 UTC on Sunday, 2 August 2026.For the full current version of the article, see Old Frisian on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Kevin.

When you are proud of your work, you want the whole world to see and know it. That’s how one employee of the Pinakothek der Moderne felt, The Pinakothek der Moderne is an art museum built by Stephan Braunfels in Munich, Germany, with approximately 20,000 art pieces, It is one of the world’s leading institutions for painting, sculpture, photography, and new media, But one employee thought something was missing. Despite being surrounded by works from Picasso, Magritte, and Dalí, this 51-year-old freelance artist believed the museum needed something else-his own painting, Surely, as people stared with wonder at some of the magnificent 20,000 art pieces in this museum, they would become equally enamored with this guy’s work, Pride usually doesn’t end well. But for those who follow Jesus, humility is not just helpful-it’s essential.” Well, he certainly got noticed, and he was promptly fired, It is unclear if he was fired for his bad art or the fact that he drilled two holes in a wall to hang his two feet by four feet picture. But one thing is clear: humility could have saved him from embarrassment and losing his job. His story is a funny reminder that pride usually doesn’t end well. But for those who follow Jesus, humility is not just helpful-it’s essential. The post ESSENTIALS FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING – A Humble Attitude (YOU-Sum’26, Study 2, Session 4) appeared first on YOU.

In this lesson, you'll learn the following phrases: I like to travel. / I want to visit Germany. / I enjoy visiting Italy. / Have you been to England? / I have never been there. / I was in France. / Have you ever been to Paris? / I went there on holiday last year.

Stock markets have had some stumbles recently, with selloffs in the technology sector followed by rapid recoveries, but the fundamentals of the AI rally have not changed, says Dr. Jacky Tang, the Private Bank's CIO for emerging markets. “The reality is these stocks have had incredible runs so far this year. So investors are constantly asking themselves whether they've become a little bit too optimistic,” Jacky says. “To me, this feels more like a market that's digesting the gains rather than a market that is losing its way.”In the week ahead, the US jobs report is likely to be the event to watch, particularly after recent debates around how much the Federal Reserve is willing to do to control inflation. “The market is obsessed with trying to figure out what the Fed would do next. And I think the jobs report is one of the biggest clues,” Jacky says. “The last payroll number came in softer than expected. So everyone is waiting to see whether it was just a temporary wobble or the start of a broader cooling trend.”For more investing insights, please visit wealth.db.comIn Europe, Middle East and Africa as well as in Asia Pacific this material is considered marketing material, but this is not the case in the U.S. No assurance can be given that any forecast or target can be achieved. Forecasts are based on assumptions, estimates, opinions and hypothetical models which may prove to be incorrect. Past performance is not indicative of future returns.Performance refers to a nominal value based on price gains/losses and does not take into account inflation. Inflation will have a negative impact on the purchasing power of this nominal monetary value. Depending on the current level of inflation, this may lead to a real loss in value, even if the nominal performance of the investment is positive. Investments come with risk. The value of an investment can fall as well as rise and you might not get back the amount originally invested at any point in time. Your capital may be at risk.The services described in this podcast are provided by Deutsche Bank AG or by its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in accordance with appropriate local legislation and regulation. Deutsche Bank AG is subject to comprehensive supervision by the European Central Bank (“ECB”), by Germany's Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) and by Germany's central bank (“Deutsche Bundesbank”). Brokerage services in the United States are offered through Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., a broker-dealer and registered investment adviser, which conducts investment banking and securities activities in the United States.Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. is a member of FINRA, NYSE and SIPC. Lending and banking services in the United States are offered through Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, member FDIC, and other members of the Deutsche Bank Group.The products, services, information and/or materials referred to within this podcast may not be available for residents of certain jurisdictions. © 2026 Deutsche Bank AG and/or its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. This podcast may not be used, reproduced, copied or modified without the written consent of Deutsche Bank AG. 030620 030121

Send us your feedback — we're listeningPsalm 46:1 (NIV) — God Is Our Refuge and Strength Live from London, England — where faith meets the world in daily prayer and global hope. United Kingdom • Germany • Austria • Belgium • France • Netherlands Refuge • Strength • Confidence Good morning. Before today begins to ask anything of you, pause for a moment and remember where your confidence truly comes from. Long before this day appeared on your calendar, the Lord was already present. He knows every conversation, every responsibility and every unseen challenge that lies ahead. You do not have to begin this morning relying upon your own strength, because God Himself is your refuge, your safe place and your constant help. Psalm 46:1 (NIV) “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Heavenly Father, thank You for being our refuge in every season of life. Lord Jesus, when unexpected situations arise today, help us to remember that You are greater than every fear and stronger than every difficulty. Holy Spirit, fill us with quiet confidence as we walk into this new day. Give us wisdom in our decisions, kindness in our conversations and patience in every circumstance. When we feel uncertain, remind us that You remain steady. When we feel weary, renew our strength. May our lives reflect Your peace and Your goodness, and may everyone we meet see something of Your love shining through us today. Today we declare that fear will not win, because the Lord is our refuge, our strength and our ever-present help. We pray for every listener joining us from the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, the Netherlands and across the world. May the Lord go before you, strengthen you and fill your heart with His perfect peace throughout this day. Señor Jesús, gracias porque Tú eres nuestro refugio y fortaleza. Amén. Senhor Jesus, obrigado porque Tu és o nosso refúgio e fortaleza. Amém. Panginoong Jesus, salamat dahil Ikaw ang aming kanlungan at kalakasan. Amen. Psalm 46, Morning Prayer, Refuge, Strength, Christian Prayer, DailyPrayer.uk, Faith, Hope, Bible, Jesus Psalm 46:1 NIV, Christian morning prayer, God is our refuge and strength, prayer for strength today, daily prayer podcast, DailyPrayer.uk Discover Hidden Treasures, inspired by Isaiah 45:3, and explore our growing prayer library at DailyPrayer.uk.Support the showDaily Prayer with Reverend Ben Cooper now reaches 185 countries and 3,012 cities worldwide through the Global Blend Radio network.This is a listener-funded global ministry. If these daily prayers strengthen your faith or help you through difficult seasons, would you consider becoming a monthly prayer partner for just £3 per month?Your support enables us to continue recording, hosting, and broadcasting daily biblical encouragement across the nations — keeping this ministry free and accessible to everyone who needs it.You can support today at GlobalBlendRadio.comTogether, we can keep prayer moving across the world.To submit a prayer request or connect with our global prayer community, visit DailyPrayer.ukBuy me a Coffee 

WarRoom battleground ep 1058: With George Weinberg, chairman of Republicans Overseas Germany; and Raise the Colours' RYAN THE LION

From February 26, 2025: On Feb. 24, Fiona Hill (Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy, Center on the United States and Europe), Constanze Stelzenmüller, (Director at the Center on the United States and Europe; Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy, Center on the United States and Europe; and Fritz Stern Chair on Germany and Trans-Atlantic Relations), Anastasiia Lapatina (Ukraine Fellow, Lawfare), Tyler McBrien (Managing Editor, Lawfare), and Benjamin Wittes (Editor-in-Chief, Lawfare) recorded a live discussion at the Brookings Institution on "Trump's return and the fate of Ukraine" and Lawfare and Goat Rodeo's new narrative podcast series on the U.S. and Ukraine, Escalation. To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Patrick Bet-David and the Home Team react after a known Islamist extremist allegedly attacked Berlin Pride, killing one and injuring 29 after receiving a suspended sentence and skipping deradicalization sessions. Did Germany's lenient justice system ignore warnings, and is Europe waking up too late?

The British Army in the Second World War is often judged through the lens of manpower shortages and a sense of being overstretched. Critics point to a force spread across too many theatres and suggest that this inevitably limited its effectiveness. But is that a fair assessment of an army that expanded from a few hundred thousand men into a global fighting force of over eight million, operating across Europe, North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Far East? In this episode, I am joined by Brian Walter to explore his argument that the British and Commonwealth armies emerged from the legacy of the First World War as a reduced force, entered the Second World War underprepared, but went on to adapt, expand, and ultimately play a decisive role in defeating Germany, Italy, and Japan across multiple theatres of war. Brian is the author of The Thin Khaki Line: An Operational History of the British and Commonwealth Armies during World War II.

Welcome to the 11th Anniversary of The Hold Up Podcast!  This month The Johns return to the realm of foreign language films to watch the 1998 German adrenaline rush, Run Lola Run.  Will Lola make it to the finish line?  Or will she fall on her face?  Listen and find out! 

This episode begins with the extreme heatwave that hit Europe in June 2026 — Paris at 40°C, a small French town at 43.8°C, the UK breaking a 50year record, and Germany shattering its alltime high three days in a row. As Europeans got creative about staying cool, a Chinese innovation began quietly rewriting the story of the summer: the portable splittype air conditioner. No drilling, no outdoor unit, no professional installation — it precisely bypassed Europe‘s most frustrating obstacles: heritage architecture, astronomical installation fees, and lengthy approvals. We explore three layers: why Europe doesn't have air conditioning (the triple challenge of history, architecture, and green ideals); how the Chinese solution broke through (the “nodrill” design and a 41% market share); and the deeper lesson — that true competitiveness lies not in defending ideals, but in solving problems. This is not a lowprice “Made in China” story, but a warm narrative about how “Intelligent Manufacturing in China” is engaging the world on equal terms.

We welcome Mavi Ferreira, a young Brazilian artist and content creator based in Düsseldorf, Germany whose viral videos elegantly shatter cannabis stereotypes and cliches. We dive into her travels, Brazilian cannabis culture, the differences between Spanish cannabis social clubs and Dutch coffeeshops, her love for schnitzel and much more. In the news segment we discuss a new Dutch campaign against blue hash and synthetic cannabinoids and the controversy surrounding Cronos acquiring weed experiment producer CanAdelaar. We review the 10th edition of Mary Jane Berlin, the biggest cannabis event on the planet, and break down troubling German political developments on clones and medical cannabis. Derrick shares Robert Connell Clarke's The Hashish Test in our history segment. Recorded live at the HomeGrown on Tour Weekender in Tilburg, July 19, 2026. Proudly sponsored by coffeeshop The Pink in Eindhoven. Shownotes: News segment Nieuwe VOC-campagne tegen blauwe hasj (!) en andere troep, column Derrick on CNNBS.nl (in Dutch), July 8, 2026 https://www.cnnbs.nl/nieuwe-voc-campagne-tegen-blauwe-hasj-en-andere-troep/ US tobacco giant moves into Dutch weed legalisation trial, DutchNews, June 8, 2026 https://www.dutchnews.nl/2026/06/us-tobacco-giant-moves-into-dutch-weed-legalisation-trial/ Mary Jane Berlin • Blow, praat, loop, chill, lach, werk en bewonder, column Derrick on CNNBS.nl (in Dutch), June 16, 2026 https://www.cnnbs.nl/mary-jane-berlin-blow-praat-loop-chill-lach-werk-en-bewonder/ German Courts Draw Line Over Cannabis Cuttings Amid Legal Uncertainty, Forbes, June 30, 2026 https://www.forbes.com/sites/dariosabaghi/2026/06/30/german-courts-draw-line-over-cannabis-cuttings-amid-uncertainty/ Endgültig! GKV-Erstattung eingeschränkt | DHV-News # 515 about the developments around medical cannabis reimbursement (in German), July, 10, 2026 https://youtu.be/jaOb-BU6f3I?si=Y_k4NXVHsjcUyGZr History segment The Hashish Test by Robert Connell Clarke, published in ‘Cannabook, the cannabis discount book', GreenWay Publications Amsterdam/Colorado, 1996 High Tea Potcast Grow Corner Some useful information and advice on light deprivation from Growdiaries.com: https://growdiaries.com/journal/light-deprivation-for-cannabis-grow Listener Feedback Have a question, a guest suggestion, or a cannabis adventure you'd like to share with us? Email us at info@highteapotcast.nl, reach out on Insta @highteapotcast or leave your comment below. In every episode, we reward one listener response with a plant-related prize! Tune Our theme tune is ‘Mary You Wanna' by Mooon. Website: http://www.mooonband.com/

This episode covers real-life horror far more extreme than usual, including a Russian professor arrested in 2011 for keeping the mummified corpses of 29 women and girls in his apartment, each one fitted with a hidden music box. It also includes the story of a 19th-century whiskey heir who paid six handkerchiefs for a 10-year-old girl so he could watch cannibals kill and eat her, and the theory that Alexander the Great was declared dead nearly a week before he actually died. Content is more graphic than usual, so listener discretion is advised.EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/necropolystREAD or DOWNLOAD the full transcript of this episode: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8e5emeCHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = The Foreboding00:00:47.354 = Show Open00:01:58.356 = Alexander the Great00:05:52.710 = The Ravenous Beast of Gévaudan00:09:41.943 = The Rape and Burial of Jessica Lunsford ***00:11:55.911 = The Dyatlov Pass Incident00:15:29.080 = The Torture Dungeon of Leonard Lake and Charles Ng00:19:10.197 = Robert The Doll00:23:08.785 = The Disappearance and Eerie Return of Bobby Dunbar ***00:26:33.271 = Albert Fish – The Brooklyn Vampire00:30:06.498 = The Strange Disappearance of the Sodder Children00:34:28.570 = Anatoly Moskvin, The Russian Who Mummified Dead Girls00:38:41.505 = The Jameson Whiskey Cannibal ***00:42:29.572 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakLISTEN ON PODCAST APPS: Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://weirddarkness.com/wdapps*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*SOURCES and RESOURCES:“Real-Life Horror Stories More Freaky Than Fiction” by Marco Margaritoff for AllThatsInteresting.com:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8p9c72(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.Originally aired: March 2022Weird Darkness this episode gathers real-life horror too extreme for scripted television, spanning from ancient Macedonia to the Congo basin and landing, along the way, in a Russian apartment stacked with mummified girls.It opens with Alexander the Great, who collapsed in Babylon in 323 B.C. after a 24-hour drinking binge triggered a sudden fever, a stabbing pain in his back, and creeping paralysis that eventually left him speechless; doctors pronounced him dead at 32. His body reportedly stayed "pure and fresh" for six days afterward, evidence ancient Greeks took as proof of his divinity. In 2019, Dr. Katherine Hall of New Zealand's University of Otago proposed in the Ancient History Bulletin that Alexander actually suffered from Guillain-Barré Syndrome, an autoimmune disorder that paralyzes the body while leaving the mind fully intact; since fourth-century-B.C. doctors checked for breath rather than a pulse, Hall's theory suggests Alexander may have been declared dead nearly a week before he actually died, and was buried alive.From there, the story moves to 18th-century France, where a wolf-like creature killed or mauled close to 300 people across three years in the Gévaudan region, most of them women and children. Fourteen-year-old shepherdess Jeanne Boulet was the first confirmed victim in 1764; a fifteen-year-old girl killed a month later survived long enough to describe her attacker as "a horrible beast". Militia leader Jean-Baptiste Duhamel organized a 30,000-strong hunting party, and King Louis XV eventually dispatched his own bodyguard, François Antoine, who killed a large wolf in September 1765; the attacks resumed within months regardless. A farmer named Jean Chastel is credited with killing the actual beast using silver bullets, reportedly after finding human remains inside its stomach.Next, the episode turns to the 2005 murder of nine-year-old Jessica Lunsford in Homosassa, Florida. Convicted sex offender John Evander Couey broke into her family's home, took her to his trailer, raped her over three days, sealed her inside garbage bags, and buried her alive in his yard while she still clutched a stuffed dolphin her father had won her at a state fair. Prosecutors later determined Jessica may have still been alive in the house during Couey's first police interview. Couey was convicted of first-degree murder and kidnapping in March 2007 and died on death row of natural causes in 2009.From Florida, the episode jumps to the Ural Mountains and the Dyatlov Pass incident of January 1959, when hiking leader Igor Dyatlov and eight fellow students from the Ural Polytechnic Institute died during an expedition toward Otorten Mountain. Investigators found their tent slashed open from the inside and shoeless footprints leading nearly a mile into the forest; the first bodies recovered, dressed only in underwear despite temperatures near negative 20 degrees Fahrenheit, were ruled hypothermia deaths. Two of the last four bodies found, Lyudmila Dubinina and Semyon Zolotaryov, were missing their eyeballs, Lyudmila was also missing her tongue, and both had clothing that tested positive for radioactivity. More than sixty years later, no single explanation, from avalanche to secret Soviet weapons testing, has been confirmed.The episode then moves to a cabin in California's Sierra Nevada foothills, where Leonard Lake and Charles Ng tortured and killed as many as 25 people between 1983 and 1985. Lake, a Vietnam veteran discharged for psychological reasons, built a cinderblock bunker behind a one-way mirror where he and Ng held women as sex slaves before killing them, dismembering the bodies, and dissolving the remains in acid; investigators eventually recovered twelve victims' remains along with roughly 40 pounds of charred bone. The pair was caught in June 1985 after Ng tried to shoplift a bench vise; Lake swallowed a cyanide capsule sewn into his jacket lining and died in custody before trial, while Ng was convicted of eleven murders in 1999 and remains on death row at San Quentin.Next comes Robert the Doll, manufactured by Germany's Steiff Company in 1904 and given to a Key West boy named Robert Eugene "Gene" Otto, who reportedly carried the doll everywhere and spoke of it in the first person. After Gene died in 1974, new owner Myrtle Reuter said the doll continued moving through her house with no explanation and eventually donated it to the Fort East Martello Museum, where curator Cori Convertito now oversees a steady stream of visitors who claim their cameras stop working in Robert's presence.From there, the episode circles back to 1912 Louisiana and the disappearance of four-year-old Bobby Dunbar from Swayze Lake. Eight months later, authorities found a boy matching his description traveling with a man named William Cantwell Walters, who insisted the child was Bruce Anderson, son of field hand Julia Anderson; the Dunbar family claimed the boy as their own anyway. It took until 2004, after years of research by Bobby's granddaughter Margaret Dunbar Cutwright, for a DNA test to prove the man raised as Bobby Dunbar shared no blood relation to the Dunbar family, meaning the real Bobby likely died in 1912 and the family had unknowingly raised Julia's son instead.The story turns next to Albert Fish, born in 1870 and later known as the Brooklyn Vampire, who spent decades torturing, killing, and cannibalizing children after enduring severe abuse in a New York orphanage as a boy. In 1928, posing as a farmer named Frank Howard, Fish lured ten-year-old Grace Budd away from her family and killed her; he wasn't identified until November 1934, when a letter he sent to Grace's mother describing the murder in graphic detail was traced back to him. Fish was executed in the electric chair at Sing Sing Prison on January 16th, 1936.Following that, the episode covers the unresolved 1945 Sodder children case in Fayetteville, West Virginia, where a Christmas Eve house fire killed, or apparently killed, five of George and Jennie Sodder's nine children. No bones were ever recovered from the wreckage despite a coroner attributing the deaths to the blaze, and the family spent decades chasing tips and alleged sightings after strangers had made ominous threats about the house burning down in the months before the fire. George and Jennie erected a billboard along Route 16 asking for information and died in 1968 and 1989, respectively, without ever learning their children's fate.From there, the story turns to Anatoly Moskvin, a Russian journalist and college professor fluent in thirteen languages who dubbed himself a "necropolyst" and visited 752 cemeteries around his hometown of Nizhny Novgorod. Moskvin was arrested in 2011 after police investigating the desecration of Muslim graves found him painting over photographs of the dead; a search of the apartment he shared with his parents turned up the mummified remains of 29 women and girls, dressed, made up with buttons for eyes, and fitted with music boxes inside their chests. Moskvin told investigators he dug up the bodies because he was lonely and confessed to 44 counts of abusing graves and corpses.The episode clos

Today's guest is Liaquat Ahamed, the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World, one of the greatest financial history books ever written. His new book is called 1873: The Rothschilds, the First Great Depression, and the Making of the Modern World. In today's episode, Liaquat shares the story of the world's first truly global financial crisis. He walks through the Rothschild-led bond boom that funded railroads on three continents, the German IPO mania sparked by French war reparations, and the monetary blunder of abandoning silver that turned a crash into twenty years of deflation. (0:00) Starts (1:03) The 1873 financial crisis: causes and global impact (3:25) Railroads and the rise of the Rothschilds (6:37) Stock market mania and bubbles in Germany (10:58) The role of precious metals (15:20) The economic, political, and societal effects of deflation (26:05) Comparisons to modern financial crises and populist movements (32:48) Lessons from history: Lords of Finance (36:46) Modern currency systems ----- Follow Meb on X, LinkedIn and YouTube For detailed show notes, click here To learn more about our funds and follow us, subscribe to our mailing list or visit us at cambriainvestments.com ----- Follow The Idea Farm: X | LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok ----- Interested in sponsoring the show? Email us at Feedback@TheMebFaberShow.com ----- Past guests include Ed Thorp, Richard Thaler, Jeremy Grantham, Joel Greenblatt, Campbell Harvey, Ivy Zelman, Kathryn Kaminski, Jason Calacanis, Whitney Baker, Aswath Damodaran, Howard Marks, Tom Barton, and many more.  ----- Meb's invested in some awesome startups that have passed along discounts to our listeners. Check them out here!  ----- Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lukas is a professional Firefighter in Germany. He is also a husband with two children. He recently completed a very demanding diver training program for his fire department. He was one of the oldest participants but easily kept up with the younger guys. This is his story.

Twice a month Charlie Robinson and Ryan Cristián join forces to discuss the madness that is partisan politics, and the chaotic nature of the world today. They discuss current events, political machinations, foreign policy blunders, and just good old fashioned two-party illusion naivety. The conversations will be focused on whatever is most current in their minds as they do their best to decipher "what the hell is happening?" !function(r,u,m,b,l,e){r._Rumble=b,r[b]||(r[b]=function(){(r[b]._=r[b]._||[]).push(arguments);if(r[b]._.length==1){l=u.createElement(m),e=u.getElementsByTagName(m)[0],l.async=1,l.src="https://rumble.com/embedJS/u2q643"+(arguments[1].video?'.'+arguments[1].video:'')+"/?url="+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+"&args="+encodeURIComponent(JSON.stringify([].slice.apply(arguments))),e.parentNode.insertBefore(l,e)}})}(window, document, "script", "Rumble");   Rumble("play", {"video":"v7bcq1g","div":"rumble_v7bcq1g"}); Source Links: (21) AIPAC Tracker on X: ".@AIPAC ♥️s Netanyahu" / X (21) The Last American Vagabond on X: "Just like the last time. And remember the MSM/MAM tried to play it off like it was an insult. It was special treatment." / X (21) Parody Jeff on X: "Why is Miriam Adelson taking part in official meetings with foreign leaders? https://t.co/uPiAZQp5BU" / X (21) Shadow of Ezra on X: "Benjamin Netanyahu tells Christian Zionists in America that his bloodline comes directly from the original Hebrews in Jerusalem. He says his bloodline provided the world with freedom and faith and is now under attack by antisemites. Netanyahu wants Christian Zionists to "fight, https://t.co/zcLQvbSgBv" / X (21) Zo Brown on X: "Israelis loot all the homes before razing the village. https://t.co/86Q3OknzIY" / X (21) Parody Jeff on X: "A tour guide raises the German flag for his own group right in the middle of Germany. ISRAELI tourists who are also in the area completely lose it. They claim it evokes Nazi supremacy and drag the police into it. Germany has completely lost the plot. https://t.co/CyK6DfSrqu" / X New Tab President Trump Participates in a Roundtable on ANTIFA - YouTube (21) The Last American Vagabond on X: "Here is Trump in 2015, and then again in 2024, saying ‘stupid people' when speaking of those pointing out how both of his below suggestions are unquestionably unconstitutional. #FreeSpeech https://t.co/gEjfJx86AV" / X New Tab (21) The Last American Vagabond on X: "Every. Time. The real question is will people continue to fall for the games of the #TwoPartyIllusion or decide to strike a new path. Jump off the left/right political hamster wheel and you'll find there are far more options than you've been trained to believe." / X (21) The Last American Vagabond on X: "As I told you was coming (watch as it's self amplifying mRNA). We can still stop this if we see beyond the false party lines and realize who we're actually fighting. I personally think that is more possible right now than it's ever been, in my lifetime at least." / X (21) Aaron Rupar on X: "Reminder that on his last day of his first term, Trump awarded a commendation to Dr Fauci "in recognition of his exceptional effort on Operation Warp Speed" https://t.co/qhrPAkoCDz" / X (21) End Tribalism in Politics on X: "Tucker Carlson says people like Fauci and Bill Gates may never end up in prison. But their lives will be misery forever. “He's still alive, but in some very obvious sense, he's already in hell.” “None of them are getting away with anything.” “Justice is real.” “Wrongdoers https://t.co/mGK0NZ7Oag" / X Obama Granted Bill Gates Top Secret Clearance At Energy Department - AOL (21) Cuckturd on X: ""There would have never been a Covid vaccine with out me!" Donald J Trump. He also gave Big Pharma full immunity, has been vaxxed 16 times, and commended Dr. Fauci. If Maga has a problem they need to take it up with their Daddy. https://t.co/SgRfP0exio" / X New Tab (21) Alex Jones on X: "Roger Stone says he just filed for divorce against me. The problem is, we were never married. I am very excited that Trump and the people in his orbit have figured out that I want nothing to do with them. They have become nothing but globalist puppets and are on a sinking ship. https://t.co/2NdSjmorYZ" / X Why Alex Jones says Trump should be removed from office (21) The Last American Vagabond on X: "What did I tell ya?" / X   Bitcoin Donations Are Appreciated: www.thelastamericanvagabond.com/bitcoin-donation (3FSozj9gQ1UniHvEiRmkPnXzHSVMc68U9f)

Many thanks to SRAA contributor Dan Greenall, who shares the following recording and notes:Broadcaster: Deutsche Welle and Radio Berlin International 1970'sDate of recording: Circa 1971Reception location: Ancaster, Ontario, CanadaReceiver and antenna: Hallicrafters S-52 using a longwire antennaNotes: During the height of the Cold War, shortwave broadcasts from both West and East Germany could be heard here in southern Ontario, Canada.Deutsche Welle, the Voice of Germany from Cologne in the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany). Heard here with their familiar interval signal and sign on in English circa 1971. Deutsche Welle (Interval Signal): Circa 1971 Dan Greenall Download

I am Rolf Claessen and my co-host Ken Suzan and I are welcoming you to episode 177 of our podcast IP Fridays! Today's interview guest is Dr. Ernst-Peter Heilein, who is a German and European patent attorney, the founder of HEILEIN IP LAW, and a long-time IP leader at BSH Home Appliances. He is the mastermind behind the BSH v. Electrolux decision of the European Court of Justice about long-arm jurisdiction in Europe that has the whole patent world stirring in Europe at the moment! But before we jump into this fascinating interview, I have news for you! Emboline v. AorticLab (UPC Court of Appeal) The UPC Court of Appeal has clarified for the first time how a conditional revocation counterclaim should be handled, in a dispute over Emboline’s embolic protection patent EP 2 129 425 against AorticLab. A defendant can validly make its revocation counterclaim conditional on infringement being found first, meaning no ruling on the counterclaim is needed if the infringement claim fails, as the Munich Local Division had held. The Court of Appeal also closed a related gap: if the claimant appeals a non-infringement finding, the counterclaimant may conditionally appeal the unresolved counterclaim too. AorticLab missed its own appeal deadline and can now at best seek re-establishment of rights, while Emboline has already appealed the non-infringement finding. FujiFilm v. Kodak (UPC Court of Appeal) Following the closely watched long-arm jurisdiction ruling of June 2, the UPC Court of Appeal, chaired by Rian Kalden, has now granted FujiFilm an injunction against Kodak in a second proceeding. The Court upheld the limited printing plate patent and found that Kodak’s Sonora XTRA 3 plate infringes it. Kodak can no longer sell or use that plate in Germany. OpenAI v. EUIPO (General Court of the EU, T-555/25) The General Court’s Eighth Chamber dismissed OpenAI’s action against the EUIPO decision to partially cancel the OPENAI trademark. The partial refusal for classes 9, 42, and 45 rests decisively on Article 7(1)(c) EUTMR, the descriptiveness ground. For a significant part of the English-speaking public, “OPENAI” directly conveys that the goods or services are provided using freely accessible artificial intelligence. Dental Monitoring v. Align Technology (CAFC) On July 7, 2026, the Federal Circuit confirmed that AI and deep-learning patent claims covering dental image analysis are not patent-eligible under Section 101. Simply training a “deep learning device” on a specific dataset does not amount to a patent-eligible technical solution. Publisher v. Google (Munich I Regional Court) The Munich I Regional Court issued a preliminary injunction barring Google from spreading false factual claims about a publishing company in its AI Overviews. A search query combining the company’s name with the German term for “fraud scheme” had triggered an AI-generated summary containing entirely fabricated accusations of subscription traps. KPN v. Oppo (Federal Court of Justice, X ZR 103/24) On July 1, the Federal Court of Justice dismissed KPN’s appeal against the revocation of a central claim of its LTE patent EP 2 291 033. Oppo had successfully challenged the claim, leaving KPN’s infringement action against Oppo’s German distribution entity without a legal basis for now. BSH v. Electrolux: What the ECJ Ruling Means for Your Company’s Patent Enforcement Strategy A vacuum cleaner from 2001 has reshaped the European patent landscape. That sounds like an overstatement. It isn’t. For IP Fridays, I spoke with Dr. Ernst-Peter Heilein, founder of HEILEIN IP LAW and long-time Senior IP Leader at BSH Home Appliances. He guided the case BSH v. Electrolux from its first strategic idea all the way to the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Justice, a case that earned the 2025 Managing IP Award as “Europe Impact Case of the Year.” For managing directors, IP heads, and R&D leaders at German Mittelstand companies, this case is not a legal footnote. It changes where you can enforce your patents, and it changes where you yourself can be sued if your company operates across several European markets. That is what this article is about. Background: How a Patent Dispute Became an ECJ Case The invention dates back to 2001 and concerns a new vacuum cleaner technology. In 2006, BSH identified what it believed was an unauthorized use of that invention and contacted Electrolux to clarify the situation. The European patent was granted in 2009 and validated in a number of European countries. Nobody, Heilein says, could have imagined at the time that this matter would eventually reach the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Justice almost twenty years later. In late 2018, BSH successfully defended the patent through opposition and appeal proceedings before the European Patent Office. In 2019, the Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf found that certain Electrolux vacuum cleaner models infringed the patent. A classic milestone win, the kind that occurs regularly in patent practice. Except the patent had been validated in many countries. Winning in Germany did not solve the enforcement problem everywhere else. Heilein describes the starting point in very concrete terms: how do you enforce a patent that exists in many countries without filing a separate lawsuit in every single one? And how do you prevent claims from becoming time-barred while you work that out? Running parallel proceedings in multiple countries is not just legally complex. It consumes time, personnel, and money that a mid-sized company rarely has in that quantity to spare. This is exactly where the real value of this case for you begins. From the outset, this was never an academic debate about jurisdiction. It was a question that every company holding rights in more than one country eventually faces: how do you enforce your rights efficiently without burning your budget on ten parallel proceedings? Brussels Ia Regulation: The Underrated Article 4 While searching for a solution, the BSH team came across Article 4 of the Brussels Ia Regulation. The underlying idea is simple: a person can generally be sued in the country where that person is based. In the BSH case, that pointed toward the Swedish home court, because Electrolux is headquartered in Stockholm. For a long time, this rule played no real role in patent practice. The widely held view was that cross-border patent litigation in Europe was effectively dead the moment a defendant challenged the validity of the patent. Anyone wanting to enforce a patent across several countries appeared to have no choice but to litigate country by country. Heilein and his team questioned that assumption instead of simply accepting it. This is the point I find most instructive: challenging accepted assumptions in your own field is often the difference between a standard solution and a strategic one. In 2020, the team decided to file the action in Sweden, aware that they were looking at a possibility, not a guarantee. Cross-Border Enforcement: The Three Questions Referred to Luxembourg After Electrolux challenged the validity of the patents, the Swedish home court declared itself not competent to hear the case. BSH appealed, and the Swedish Court of Appeal agreed to refer three questions to the European Court of Justice. The first question addressed the core problem: does a home court that would otherwise have jurisdiction over an infringement claim lose that jurisdiction simply because the defendant argues the patent is invalid? The second question concerned a feature common to many legal systems, including Germany’s, where infringement and validity are decided in separate proceedings. The third question originally concerned Turkey. Today, most people immediately think of the United Kingdom, and some even think of US patents. Originally, the question was simpler: do the same jurisdiction rules apply to patents from countries outside the European Union? The fact that the ECJ first assigned the case to a Chamber of seven judges and later referred it to the Grand Chamber of 15 judges already signaled how much weight the Court placed on these questions. The Judgment: What the ECJ Actually Decided A home court does not automatically lose jurisdiction simply because the defendant argues the patent is invalid. For many years, the opposite was widely assumed to be settled law. The ECJ made clear that this reading was too narrow. The court where the defendant is based can generally continue to hear the infringement case. One point matters for how you read this ruling: questions concerning the validity of a European patent still fall to the national courts of the country for which the patent was granted, as provided in Article 24(4) of the Brussels Ia Regulation. What is new is that the infringement case does not automatically collapse the moment validity is challenged. The home court keeps control of the overall proceeding. For patents from EU Member States, the home court does not automatically lose jurisdiction. It assesses the validity challenge. If it looks strong, the home court may stay the infringement case. If it looks weak, the home court may proceed. For patents from non-EU countries, the home court may stay the case if a validity proceeding is already pending there, drawing on Articles 33 and 34 of the Brussels Ia Regulation. The result is a considerably more flexible system than most observers expected . Patents from Outside the EU: Long-Arm Jurisdiction The part of the judgment with the greatest international reach concerns patents from countries outside the EU. The ECJ ruled that the special jurisdiction rule for patent validity generally does not apply to non-European patents. That means the general rule can apply instead, opening the door for infringement claims based on non-European patents to be brought before a home court where the defendant is based in the EU. Commentators quickly started calling this “long-arm jurisdiction.” One clarification matters here, because it tends to get lost in the public discussion: the ECJ did not say that a European home court can revoke or invalidate a foreign patent. That remains a matter for the authorities and courts of the country that granted it. What the ECJ said is that a European home court may assess the claims between the parties. That distinction is essential to how you should read this ruling. Consequences in Practice: Fujifilm, Regeneron, and Onesta Three recent cases show how quickly practice is already adapting to the new possibilities. Fujifilm v. Kodak: the Düsseldorf Local Division of the Unified Patent Court accepted jurisdiction over the UK part of a European patent even before the ECJ delivered its judgment, building on reasoning the Advocate General had already signaled in the BSH case. In June 2026, the UPC Court of Appeal further developed that approach based on the principles confirmed in BSH. Regeneron v. Formycon: the Munich home court applied the BSH framework and granted a Europe-wide injunction based on a European patent, one of the first examples of a national home court putting the BSH logic into practice. Onesta v. BMW: this case shows the debate has moved well beyond Europe. After Onesta attempted to assert two US patents before the Munich home court, BMW obtained an anti-suit injunction from a Texas federal court. Judge Albright took the view that US patents should generally be decided by US courts. The injunction was directed against Onesta, not against the Munich court, and Onesta has appealed the Texas decision. The Munich home court stayed the proceeding but did not reject its own jurisdiction. Whether a European home court can ultimately decide infringement claims based on US patents remains an open question, one that has turned from a European jurisdiction issue into an international jurisdiction conflict. What This Means for Your Company Heilein sums up twenty years of litigation in three lessons, and I share this assessment without reservation when advising my Mittelstand clients. First: patent enforcement has become more international. National litigation still matters, but companies should think across borders from the very beginning, not only once the first cease-and-desist letter has been sent. Second: choice of forum now carries real strategic weight. Where you bring a case can matter just as much as the legal arguments themselves. Third: long-term commitment pays off. Major developments rarely result from a single filing or a single hearing. They come from pursuing a clear strategy consistently over many years. For you as a managing director, R&D lead, or Head of IP at an innovative Mittelstand company, this translates into two concrete points. First, if you hold rights in several European countries and a competitor infringes them, you no longer necessarily have to fund five or six parallel national proceedings. A single action at the infringer’s home base can be the economically smarter option. Second, and this side of the ruling gets less attention in public discussion, if your company is based in Germany and operates across several countries, you can now be sued at your own home base over patent infringement claims tied to activities in other countries. That risk belongs in every freedom-to-operate analysis and in every assessment tied to acquisitions or market entry. Here is the full transcript of the interview: Host Today's interview guest is Dr. Ernst-Peter Heilein. If you don't know Ernst-Peter, he is a German and European patent attorney, the founder of HEILEIN IP LAW, and a long-time IP leader at BSH Home Appliances. Thank you for being on IP Fridays. Answer Yeah, great to be here! BLOCK 1 – THE PERSON BEHIND THE CASE Host When looking at your career, one thing stands out: you never really followed the traditional path of either private practice or industry. Er, how did your professional journey begin, actually? Answer My professional roots are actually in private practice. After qualifying as a Patent Attorney, I worked in private practice and fairly early founded my own law firm, which later became HEILEIN IP LAW. Host So you never completely left private practice behind? Answer Exactly. In 2005, I had the opportunity to take on additional responsibilities on the BSH side. There, I was able to build and lead a new unit within the IP organization. The team was responsible for patents in the small appliances business, as well as global design and trademark protection. At the same time, I helped build an international network of internal and external IP counsel and coordinated their work. Host That still sounds fairly like traditional IP work. When did international disputes become part of your career? Answer Over time, my focus gradually shifted from traditional IP protection to strategic enforcement. That included anti-counterfeiting activities, global trademark and design matters, and cross-border patent disputes. Host So your work became more about enforcing rights rather than simply obtaining and managing them, right? Answer Exactly. And that development eventually led me to play a strategic role in the case BSH Home Appliances versus Electrolux, a case that still accompanies me today. Host Looking back now — from private practice, to building an international IP organization, and eventually becoming involved in a case before the European Court of Justice — did you ever imagine that path? Answer No, not at all. Looking back, this combination of private practice, responsibilities on the business side, and international enforcement experience turned out to be very useful when our case eventually reached the European Court of Justice. BLOCK 2 – HOW IT ALL STARTED Host Yeah, talking about this case. The case BSH versus Electrolux started long before it reached the European Court of Justice. When did the story actually begin? Answer The story actually begins much earlier than most people would expect. The invention itself dates back to 2001 and concerns a new vacuum cleaner technology. In 2006, we identified what we believed to be an unauthorized use of the invention and contacted Electrolux to clarify the situation. The European patent in suit was granted in 2009 and validated in a number of European countries. At the time, nobody could have imagined that this would eventually lead to a decision of the European Court of Justice almost twenty years later. Host Wow, 20 years! That's a long time. So, at first this was simply a normal patent dispute? Answer Yes, absolutely! After many years of opposition and appeal proceedings before the European Patent Office, we were finally able to defend the patent successfully in late 2018. Less than one year later, in the summer of 2019, the Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf found that certain Electrolux vacuum cleaner models infringed the patent. Host Er, at that point, one might think, that the patent owner had achieved its goal, right? Answer That is what many people would think. But that judgment did not bring the dispute to an end. A new challenge emerged. The patent had been validated in many European countries. Winning in one country, like Germany, did not automatically solve the enforcement issue in all the other countries. Host What was the practical problem then? Answer We were facing a very simple question: How do we enforce a patent that exists in many countries? And how do we prevent claims from becoming time-barred without filing separate infringement actions in every single country? Doing that would not only be legally complex. It would also require a huge amount of time, effort, and money. Host That sounds less like a major legal question and more like a business problem. Answer Exactly. At the beginning, this was not an academic discussion about jurisdiction. It was a very practical business question. How can we enforce our rights efficiently without running parallel lawsuits all over Europe? That was the real challenge we were trying to solve. BLOCK 3 – THE IDEA OF A CENTRAL ACTION Host So, how did the idea of one central action emerge? Answer While looking for possible solutions, we came across Article 4 of the Brussels Ia Regulation. The idea behind that rule is very simple. In general, a person can be sued in the country where that person is based. In our case, that pointed us toward the Swedish home court because Electrolux is based in Stockholm. Host That sounds like a fairly ordinary jurisdiction rule. Answer Yes. And that was exactly what made it interesting. Article 4 is the general rule. The question was whether that rule could also be used for patent infringement claims covering several countries. Host Was that a common approach at the time? Answer No. Quite the opposite. Many people believed that cross-border patent litigation in Europe was effectively dead. Host That sounds rather dramatic. Why did people think that? Answer Because there was a widely held view that a central patent case could be stopped as soon as the defendant challenged the validity of the patent. As a result, many companies assumed they had no real choice but to litigate country by country. Host Yet you decided to look at the issue differently. Answer Yes. Sometimes it is worth taking a fresh look at accepted assumptions. We felt that Article 4 might play a much more important role than many people believed. Host So at that point, you already saw an opportunity, right? Answer Yes, we saw a possibility! Not a guarantee. But we believed there was a strong legal basis for bringing all claims before the Swedish home court. Host And that eventually led to the lawsuit being filed in Sweden, right? Answer Exactly. In 2020, we decided to file the action in Sweden. That followed our success before the European Patent Office in late 2018 and in the Düsseldorf infringement proceedings in 2019. At that stage, our objective was very practical. We were simply trying to find an efficient way to enforce rights that exist in many countries. Host At that point, you already think the case might end up before the European Court of Justice? Answer No. Not at all. We were focused on solving a business problem. The idea that the case would eventually reach the European Court of Justice came much later. BLOCK 4 – THE OBSTACLE: GAT v. LuK Host You mentioned that, er, many people believed cross-border patent litigation in Europe was no longer a realistic option. Why was that? Answer The main reason was an earlier decision of the European Court of Justice known as GAT versus LuK, decided in 2006. For many years, that decision was understood to mean that a home court could lose its ability to hear a patent infringement case as soon as the defendant challenged the validity of the patent. In practice, that understanding made many cross-border patent cases extremely difficult. As a result, many people believed that cross-border patent litigation was not effective. Host And yet you decided to follow exactly that path, right? Answer Yes. Sometimes it is worth questioning assumptions that have been accepted for many years. We believed that Article 4 of the Brussels Ia Regulation played a more important role than many people thought. That is why, in 2020, we decided to file the case in Sweden. Host And at that point, did you already realize that the case might eventually reach the European Court of Justice? Answer No. Not at all. Our goal was simply to find a practical solution to a real enforcement problem. The idea that this would eventually become a case before the European Court of Justice was far from our minds. BLOCK 5 – THE QUESTIONS REFERRED TO THE EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE Host So, how did the case eventually reach the European Court of Justice then? Answer After we filed the lawsuit in Sweden in 2020, Electrolux challenged the validity of the patents. The Swedish home court then concluded that it could not hear the case and declared itself not competent to proceed. We appealed that decision, because the issues were important and affected far more than just our case. We suggested that several questions should be referred to the European Court of Justice. The Swedish Court of Appeal agreed and sent those questions to Luxembourg. Host So, what were these main questions? Answer At the heart of the case, there were three questions: First: if a home court has jurisdiction over a patent infringement case, does it lose that jurisdiction simply because the defendant argues that the patent is invalid? Second: Does it make a difference if the national legal system requires validity issues to be decided in a separate proceeding? And third: Do this jurisdiction rules also apply to patents from countries outside the European Union? Host The third question sounds particularly interesting. Answer Yes, at the time, the discussion in our case focused on Turkey. Today, many people immediately think about the United Kingdom, and some even think about US patents. But originally, the question was much simpler. We wanted to know, whether the same jurisdiction rules also apply when patents from non-European countries are involved. Host And, did you realize how important that third question might become? Answer No, certainly not to that extent. At the beginning, most of the discussion focused on the relationship between the different jurisdiction rules within Europe. Only later did it become clear that the European Court of Justice’s answers might have consequences far beyond the European Union. Host So, how did the European Court of Justice react then? Answer That was actually quite interesting. The European Court of Justice first heard the case before a Chamber of seven judges. Later, it referred the case to the Grand Chamber of 15 judges. That already showed that the European Court of Justice considered the issues to be important. And when the judgment finally came out, some of the answers were very different from what many observers had expected. BLOCK 6 – THE DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE Host Let’s talk about the European Court of Justice’s answers. What was, in your view, the most important part of the decision? Answer The most important point was this: A home court does not automatically lose jurisdiction just because the defendant argues that the patent is invalid. For many years, many people believed exactly the opposite. The European Court of Justice made it clear that this understanding was too narrow. The home court where the defendant is based can generally continue to hear the infringement case. That is really the key message of the decision. Host Why is that so important? Answer Because it gives new momentum to cross-border patent enforcement in Europe. Before this decision, many people assumed that a defendant could effectively stop a central infringement case simply by challenging the validity of the patent. The European Court of Justice made clear that this is not automatically the case. Host Does that mean the home court hearing the infringement case will now also decide whether the patent is valid? Answer No, and that is a very important point. The European Court of Justice confirmed that questions about the validity of a European patent should still be decided by the national courts of the country for which the patent was granted, as provided for in Article 24(4) of the Brussels Ia Regulation. What is new, is that the infringement case does not automatically fall apart because of a validity challenge. The home court can keep control of the overall case. Host So, how does that work in practice? Answer The European Court of Justice gives the home court some flexibility. For patents from Member States of the European Union, the home court does not automatically lose its power if the defendant says the patent is invalid. The home court can look at the validity challenge. If it seems strong, the home court may stay the infringement case. If it seems weak, the home court may continue the infringement case. For patents from countries outside the European Union, the home court may also stay the case if there is already a validity case pending in that country. In such situations, Articles 33 and 34 of the Brussels Ia Regulation may apply. That creates a much more flexible system than many people expected. Host Er, we have discussed the implications for patents from Member States of the European Union, but a lot of attention has been given to another part of the decision, that we already talked about briefly, namely patents from countries outside the European Union. Answer Absolutely, and that may be the part of the judgment with the biggest international impact. Host Why? Answer Because the European Court of Justice decided that the special jurisdiction rule for patent validity does not generally apply to patents from non-European countries. In simple terms, that means the general rule can still apply. And that opens the possibility of bringing infringement cases based on non-European patents before the home court where the defendant is based in the European Union. Host That sounds like a very far-reaching statement. Answer It is. That is why many commentators started talking about what is often called “long-arm jurisdiction.” In other words, a European home court may, under certain circumstances, deal with infringement claims relating to patents from countries outside the European Union. Host So, many listeners may now wonder: Can a Swedish or a German home court really decide a dispute involving a British or Turkish patent? Answer Ah, we need to be careful here. The European Court of Justice did not say that a European home court can cancel or revoke a foreign patent. That remains a matter for the authorities and national courts of the country that granted the patent. What the European Court of Justice said is that a European home court may assess the claims between the parties in a dispute. That is an important distinction. Host Did you realize during the proceedings how important this part of the decision might become? Answer Not to this extent. We started with a very practical enforcement problem. Only later did it become clear that the European Court of Justice’s answers might have consequences far beyond the original case. Today, the decision is discussed not only in connection with Turkish patents, but also British patents and even possible claims involving US patents. Host If you had to summarize the decision in one sentence, and I know, this is a very difficult task, what would that sentence be? Answer The European Court of Justice did not re-invent cross-border patent enforcement in Europe. But after many years, it clearly gave it much more room to develop. BLOCK 7 – THE REACTION OF THE IP COMMUNITY Host So, how was the decision received after it was published? Answer Ah, the reaction was very strong. It quickly became clear that many people saw the decision as much more than just another patent case. Many articles and commentaries described it as an important development in European patent litigation. Host Did that surprise you? Answer To some extent, yes. Of course, we knew that the questions referred to the European Court of Justice were important. But I was surprised by how quickly the decision became a major topic of discussion across the European patent community. Host Er, you later presented the decision at several conferences yourself, right? Answer Yes. The discussion started right away. I had the opportunity to discuss and present the case at several conferences and events, including the annual VPP conference in Germany and the Ingolstadt Patent Symposium. I recently received an invitation to serve as a panel speaker on cross-border litigation at the AIPPI World Congress 2026 in Hamburg. What struck me most was that both internal and external IP counsel were trying to understand the practice consequences of the decision. Host So, what was the question you were asked most often? Answer Almost always the same one: How far does this decision really go? People wanted to know whether this was simply a correction of earlier case law or whether it marked the beginning of a new phase in cross-border patent enforcement. Host And what did you say? Answer I would describe it as: neither a revolution nor a minor adjustment. The European Court of Justice did not rewrite the system. But it clearly changed the balance between the different jurisdiction rules. That is why I believe the decision will continue to be discussed for many years, both in practice and in academia. Host Er, one year later, the case received the Managing IP Award as the “Europe Impact Case of the Year.” What did that recognition mean to you? Answer First of all, it was a great honor for everyone involved. But for me, the most important thing was the message behind the award. The award showed that the decision affects much more than the parties involved in the case. It has an impact on European patent practice as a whole. And it also shows that the underlying jurisdiction questions reach far beyond patent law. They are relevant whenever companies have to enforce rights across borders in an increasing international world. That is what makes this case special. Host You often describe this case as a team effort. Answer Absolutely. A case of this size is never the work of one person. Many people contributed over many years. On the BSH side, team members from different functions played an important role throughout the proceedings. And we worked closely with external advisors in several countries. So I see the award as recognition of a shared achievement rather than an individual success. Host Looking at the discussions today, would you say the debate is over? Answer Not at all. I actually think we are only at the beginning. There are still many practical questions that home courts will have to answer in the coming years. That is exactly why the decision remains so interesting. BLOCK 8 – WHAT DOES THE DECISION MEAN IN PRACTICE? Host Let’s move from legal theory to practical business implications. What does this decision mean for patent owners and companies? Answer In my view, the biggest change is strategic. Patent owners now have better opportunities to bring cross-border disputes together in one central proceeding. At the same time, companies need to be aware that they may face claims at their European headquarters covering activities in several countries. So the decision creates opportunities, but it also creates new risks. Host That sounds really like a significant shift; right? Answer I would call it a rebalancing rather than a revolution. The European Court of Justice did not create a completely new system. But it made clear that the general rule — suing a defendant where it is based — plays a much bigger role than many people had assumed. As a result, the court at the defendant’s home base becomes much more important strategically. Host In the patent community, people often talk about cases such as Fujifilm v. Kodak, or Regeneron v. Formycon or Onesta v. BMW. Why are those cases attracting so much attention now? Answer Because they show how quickly practice is already adapting to the new possibilities. Fujifilm was important because it was one of the first UPC cases to test the logic that was later confirmed in BSH. At that time, the BSH case was already pending before the European Court of Justice, and the Advocate General had expressed a view that pointed in that direction. Against that background, the Düsseldorf Local Division accepted jurisdiction over the UK part of a European patent even before the European Court of Justice delivered its judgment. In June 2026, based on the principles confirmed in BSH, the UPC Court of Appeal further developed that approach. Host And what happened in Regeneron v. Formycon ? Answer In the Regeneron case, the Munich home court applied the approach confirmed in BSH and granted a Europe-wide injunction based on a European patent. That was one of the first examples of a national home court using the BSH framework in practice. That demonstrates that the decision is not just an academic discussion. It already has practical consequences. Host And what about the Onesta case? Answer The Onesta case shows that the debate has moved beyond Europe. After Onesta attempted to assert two U.S. patents before the Munich home court, BMW obtained an anti-suit injunction from a Texas federal court. Judge Albright took the view that U.S. patents should generally be decided by U.S. courts. The Onesta case therefore illustrates that the limits of the BSH logic are now being tested internationally. Host Did that end the proceedings in Munich? Answer Not necessarily. What makes the case interesting is that the Texas injunction was directed against Onesta, not against the Munich home court. At the same time, Onesta appealed Judge Albright’s decision in the United States. The Munich home court therefore decided to stay the case for the time being. Importantly, however, the Munich home court did not reject its own jurisdiction. So, at least for the moment, the underlying question remains open. Host Can a European home court ultimately decide infringement claims based on U.S. patents? Answer That question has not yet been answered. But the case has already shown that such an attempt can trigger strong reactions outside Europe. In that sense, the debate has moved from a European jurisdiction question to an international jurisdiction conflict. Host For our audience of internal and external IP counsel, what are the main lessons from this decision? Answer For me, there are three key takeaways. First: Patent enforcement has become more international. National litigation remains important, but companies should think across borders from the very beginning. Second: The choice of forum is becoming more important. Where you bring a case may be just as important as the legal arguments themselves. And third: Long-term commitment matters. This case shows that major developments rarely happen because of a single filing or a single hearing. They usually result from pursuing a clear strategy consistently over many years. Host Do you think this decision will also influence the Unified Patent Court, the UPC? Answer Yes, I believe so. The decision fits into a broader trend toward more centralized patent litigation. Both, the UPC and the BSH decision are driven by the same idea: Handling cross-border disputes more efficiently and more consistently. What is interesting is that many of the questions were faced in BSH versus Electrolux are now reappearing in a new form before the UPC. Cases like Fujifilm versus Kodak show that the discussion about jurisdiction, scope, and cross-border effects is far from over. Institutions may be new. But the underlying challenge remains the same: How do we enforce patents effectively across borders? Host Some commentators even see this as a step toward a more independent European patent judiciary. Do you agree? Answer To some extent, yes. Professor Hanns Ullrich, who supervised my doctoral studies on the legal protection of a then new semiconductor technology many years ago, recently observed that the UPC is gradually developing its own European case law.[DH1] I think that is — again — a very accurate observation. If you look at the developments since BSH and the first UPC decisions, you can see that European patent litigation is becoming more connected. National courts will remain important. But at the same time, we are seeing a more integrated European patent system taking shape. How far that development will go remains to be seen. Host Looking back on the entire journey — from a vacuum cleaner patent, through litigation in several countries, all the way to the European Court of Justice and an award-winning decision — what is your personal conclusion? Answer My main conclusion is that innovation needs effective legal protection. But it also requires the willingness to challenge established assumptions and explore new approaches. For me, the BSH versus Electrolux case shows that persistence, teamwork, a willingness to challenge accepted assumptions, and a long-term strategic view can sometimes lead to developments that go far beyond the original dispute. BLOCK 9 – THE PERSON BEHIND THE DECISION Host Ernst-Peter, today we have talked a lot about jurisdiction, patent enforcement, and European case law. When you look back at this journey, which has lasted almost twenty years, what impressed you most? Answer Probably the realization that major developments rarely follow a straight line. When we started thinking about the case, we were dealing with a very practical problem. Nobody said: Let’s create a landmark decision of the European Court of Justice. We were simply looking for a reasonable and practical solution for a company. The fact that this would eventually lead to a decision with Europe-wide impact was something nobody could foresee at the time. Host Were there moments when you thought the case might fail? Answer Of course. Whenever a case lasts many years, there will be setbacks, new questions, and unexpected developments. That is exactly why persistence is so important. In the end, success is often not about one filing or one hearing. It is about staying focused on a clear objective over a long period of time. Host You often talk about teamwork. Is that one of the main lessons from this case? Answer Absolutely. A case of this size requires commitment from many people and institutes over many years. On the BSH side, my role was to help maintain the strategic direction and long-term commitment that such a case requires. At the same time, experts from different functions within BSH contributed technical expertise, testing, documentation, and practical support throughout the proceedings. On the legal side, Roman Sedlmaier and his team at IP-Counsels Gigerich & Sedlmaier (IPCGS) helped develop the cross-border litigation strategy and the overall case architecture. Our Swedish litigation team then carried the arguments through all stages of the proceedings. Looking back, it was the combination of institutional commitment, technical expertise, strategic leadership, well-designed case architecture, and consistent execution that made the difference. Host One final question. What advice would you give to young internal or external IP counsel? Answer Stay curious: Don’t be afraid to question accepted assumptions. Be patient: Intellectual property is usually a marathon, not a sprint. And never forget that every patent dispute involves an invention, a business, and many people who have worked hard to bring that innovation to market. For me, that connection between technology, law, and strategy is what still makes this profession so fascinating today. Host Ernst-Peter, thank you very much for joining us today on IP Fridays. Answer Thank you. It was a pleasure to be here.

Connor O'Neill is joined by Chris Beesley for the latest episode of the Royal Blue Podcast as they break down The Friedkin Group's £38m cash injection into Everton, Alistair Johnston transfer speculation and Iliman Ndiaye's potential move to Al-Hilal! EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/efc Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee. On Today's Show: The Friedkin Group's £38m cash injection: Everton have received a £38million cash injection from owners The Friedkin Group to cover the club's compensation payment to Burnley after The Clarets claimed damages for losses caused by relegation from the Premier League. Everton's move for Alistair Johnston: The Canadian right-back is thought to be of interest for The Toffees with rumours suggesting that Everton are preparing a bid. Latest on Iliman Ndiaye: Reports suggested that Everton's No.10 had agreed personal terms with Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal but Iliman Ndiaye's father has since squashed those rumours and revealed that the forward has no intention of leaving Everton. Everton vs Hamburg: The boys look ahead to Everton's trip to Germany and their clash with Hamburg on the weekend, hoping for a better performance than the one we seen at Stoke on Tuesday night.

Sophie Chen Keller joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest novel, LITTLE WONDER, which was published by Jenna Bush Hager's imprint, Thousand Voices. It is an Oprah's Book Club pick and a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Song, a migrant worker, and her 11-year-old piano prodigy son, River, are separated in a massive crowd at a Beijing train station on the busiest travel day of the year. The story follows both characters over the years as they search for each other while building separate lives. Sophie describes LITTLE WONDER as being about motherhood, music, and the love between a mother and a child. She shares that she was born in rural northeastern China, was raised in the US, lived in Beijing, and is now residing in Germany. Her own experiences as a mother and a pianist deeply informed the novel. Carol and Sophie's conversation also touches on themes of longing, stage fright, social inequality in China, and the COVID-19 pandemic as portrayed in the book. And yes, Sophie explains what she was doing when she got the call from Oprah. The interview that Oprah taped with Sophie was her first real exposure to reader reactions. She found the audience's questions to be surprising and insightful as they made connections she had not anticipated. Our Latest "Bookreporter Talks To" Interviews: Ben Reeves: https://youtu.be/Jsr5c3WQPuQ Rachel Beanland: https://youtu.be/6Piw8q7pGkc Lisa Scottolin: https://youtu.be/9MsfXILFZ_Y John Searles: https://youtu.be/LA2gXPoc_zk Jenny Jackson: https://youtu.be/V116A5eBBBE Beatriz Williams: https://youtu.be/d554V2bGHSQ Lori Foster: https://youtu.be/C2xlNPgKjm0 Lisa See: https://youtu.be/5UpTJ_YAnxE Our Latest "Bookaccino Live" Book Group Events: Bruce Holsinger: https://youtu.be/wwQjtlPePBQ Wally Lamb: https://youtu.be/-eMtMznKoVE Laura Dave: https://youtu.be/RRWrSjdxyrc Lisa Ridzén: https://youtu.be/dleYdLoh0bY Patrick Ryan: https://youtu.be/keazeWK1lto Lily King: https://youtu.be/_yo2x2ZA0B0 Sign up for newsletters from Bookreporter and Reading Group Guides here: https://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/ FOLLOW US on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter Website: https://www.bookreporter.com Art Credit: Tom Fitzgerald Edited by Jordan Redd Productions

- Tesla Denies Rumored China Business Sale Plan - Analyst Predicts Big Stock Rally for Ford - Toyota Creates New Units to Fast-Track Reforms - Chinese Automakers Capture 23% Of Brazil Market - Zoox Wins Approval for Paid Driverless Robotaxi Rides - Momenta Gets Germany Approval for L4 Testing - Over 70% Of Chinese Cars Feature ADAS - China Faces Severe Talent Shortage for AV Engineers - Rivian Narrowed Losses Despite Massive Negative Cash Flow - Expert Warns U.S. Lacks Key Battery Manufacturing Tech

Floppy Days 165 - The Sphere Computer, Part 2 with Ben Zotto Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays Sponsors: 8-Bit Classics - https://www.8bitclassics.com/?ref=Floppydays  Arcade Shopper - https://www.arcadeshopper.com  and https://thekeep.net  FutureVision Research - https://www.fvresearch.com/  Tuc's Workbench - https://shop.tucs-workbench.com  Hello and welcome to episode 165 of the Floppy Days Podcast, for July, 2026.  My name is Randy Kindig and I'm your host for this audio and video tribute to vintage computers and computer history. For those of you listening to these podcasts in order, this month's episode is the second part of the 2-part series on the Sphere, which was introduced in 1975; the same year as the Altair and even before the Apple 1. Once again, I want to reiterate what the Sphere was and why do we care?  The Sphere was the first "personal computer," defined as such by Byte Magazine due to its consumer focus and built-in keyboard and monitor.  Many computers can claim the moniker of first "personal computer", and rightly so, but this one has the endorsement of an early, well-respected, long-running computer magazine and they have good reason for feeling this way about the Sphere.  Once you hear the details, you'll see just how ground-breaking this machine was at a very early period of computer history. Not only that, some of the personal stories behind the machine are simply downright fascinating. Ben Zotto is the undisputed expert on the Sphere in these times, after finding an abandoned machine sitting on the sidewalk and deciding to adopt it and learn more about it.  He recently wrote a comprehensive book on the Sphere called "Go Computer Now!" that Ben and I spent a lot of time talking about in the last episode -- which again was the first episode on the Sphere.  This episode series actually serves two purposes: first as an interview with Ben to learn more about him and his book, and secondly as an overview of a computer I didn't cover back when I started this podcast back in 2013 with the Altair 8800 and the Apple 1. So, as I said earlier, this will be the second part of a 2-part journey on the Sphere.  Last month we talked in great detail with Ben Zotto about how he ended up going down the Sphere rabbit hole and all the great things he's done to promote an important machine that was forgotten in the annals of history.  This month, Ben and I go through all the usual topics about the Sphere: history, tech specs, using the machine, current Web sites and a great deal more. I really hope you enjoy hearing more about the Sphere and all the things that Ben has done to fill in the gap in history that used to be occupied by the Sphere! Vintage Computer Shows Silly Venture SE (Summer Edition) - July 30-Aug. 2 - Gdansk, Poland - https://www.demoparty.net/silly-venture/silly-venture-2026-se  Southern Fried Gaming Expo and VCF Southeast - July 31-Aug 2, 2026 - Atlanta, GA - https://gameatl.com/  VCF West - August 1-2 - Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA - https://vcfed.org/events/vintage-computer-festival-west/  Long Island Retro Gaming Expo - August 7-9, 2026 - Cradle of Aviation, Garden City, NY - https://liretro.com/  ABBUC Summer Camp - August 26-30 - Winterberg-Elkeringhausen, Germany - https://abbuc.de/summercamp  Vintage Computer Festival GB 2026 - September 11-13 - Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, United Kingdom - https://www.facebook.com/events/25457837877216829/  Vintage Computer Festival Midwest - September 12-13 -  Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg, IL - https://vcfmw.org/  Tandy Assembly 2026 - October 2-4, 2026 - Cincinnati, Ohio - https://www.tandyassembly.com/  Portland Retro Gaming Expo - October 9-11 - Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR - https://retrogamingexpo.com/  Chicago TI International World Faire - October 24 - Evanston Public Library, Evanston, IL - https://www.chicagotiug.org/home  VCF Montreal - November 7-8 - Champlain College Saint-Lambert, Saint-Lambert, QC - https://cvcfed.org/vcf-montreal-2-0/  Schedule Published on Floppy Days Website - https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSeLsg4hf5KZKtpxwUQgacCIsqeIdQeZniq3yE881wOCCYskpLVs5OO1PZLqRRF2t5fUUiaKByqQrgA/pub  Tech Specs BASIC - https://sphere.computer/news/2026-03-28-the-secret-minicomputer-inside-your-sphere.html  Using the Machine/Tips https://sphere.computer/articles/sphere-bringup-guide.html  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFOKQoWlpGk  Popular Magazines/Newsletters Byte Magazine - https://archive.org/details/1982-10-byte-magazine-october-1-byte-magazine-21533/1975%2009%20BYTE%2000-01%20The%20Worlds%20-%20Byte%20Magazine_21693/  Sphere Global News newsletter; put out by Sphere Corp. - https://archive.org/details/bitsavers_spherenews_1063041  Sphere Microcomputer Users' Newsletter - August 1977 - letter from Programma - https://archive.org/details/bitsavers_spherenews7_5204616  Books Stan Veit's book - https://archive.org/details/stan-veits-history-of-the-personal-computer  Stan Veit Podcast: https://www.classiccomputing.com/CCPodcasts/Stan_Veit/Stan_Veit.html  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?app=desktop&list=PLUOGYbuIdClP9KoaDfHXqLvqOeaqTATQK  Fire in the Valley - https://www.amazon.com/Fire-in-Valley-audiobook/dp/B071YYZJG5  Bill Gates' memoir "Source Code: My Beginnings" - https://www.amazon.com/Audible-Source-Code-My-Beginnings/dp/B0D5KHFN6C  Digital Deli - https://archive.org/details/digitaldelicompr0000unse  Ben's book - https://gocomputernow.com/  Software Games & Cassettes! on the 1975 Sphere computer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AISsrGfb9n0  Ads "Why not go computer now?" - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sphere_Personal_Computer_Ad_January_1976.jpg  Modern Upgrades https://sphere.computer/shop.html  Emulation https://sphere.computer/emulator/  Community Forums AtariAge - https://www.atariage.com  VCFEd - https://forum.vcfed.org/index.php  Current Web Sites and Videos Very old SPHERE computer doing very silly tricks, for SPHERETEMBER!!! - Ben Zotto - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHALstVxdPI  Sphere repository at bitsavers.org - https://bitsavers.org/pdf/sphere/  Home repository for the Sphere-1 reconstruction by Andrew Shapton - https://github.com/Sphere-Corporation  https://hackaday.com/2023/03/11/a-love-letter-to-the-sphere-computer/  VCF West: Sphere 1: The First Modern Microcomputer — Ben Zotto - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GilFixu4KY  References Ben's site - https://sphere.computer/  Ben's book "Go Computer Now!!!" - https://shop.gocomputernow.com/products/go-computer-now  Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphere_1 

- Tesla Denies Rumored China Business Sale Plan - Analyst Predicts Big Stock Rally for Ford - Toyota Creates New Units to Fast-Track Reforms - Chinese Automakers Capture 23% Of Brazil Market - Zoox Wins Approval for Paid Driverless Robotaxi Rides - Momenta Gets Germany Approval for L4 Testing - Over 70% Of Chinese Cars Feature ADAS - China Faces Severe Talent Shortage for AV Engineers - Rivian Narrowed Losses Despite Massive Negative Cash Flow - Expert Warns U.S. Lacks Key Battery Manufacturing Tech

PARIAHLORD, a power trio from Hagen, Germany, has been creating a unique blend of stoner rock, doom, and progressive metal since 2019. Known for their heavy riffs, intricate rhythms, and atmospheric style, they've released the EP "Embrace the Misery" (2020) and the acclaimed album "Vultures" (2022). Their 2024 album "Mirrors," produced by Martin Buchwalter, explores darker, more progressive sounds. Live performances are intense and hypnotic, mixing heaviness with melancholy. The band is currently working on their third studio album.Official Links:Bandcamp: https://pariahlord.bandcamp.com/musicOfficial: https://pariahlord.com/Passionate about metal? You'll want to tune in to Flamekeeper™, the show that's electrifying the airwaves. As the host, MRJ brings an unparalleled enthusiasm and deep knowledge of the genre, captivating listeners with every episode. With a penchant for spotlighting up-and-coming artists and hosting insightful interviews, MRJ has cemented Flamekeeper™'s reputation as a must-listen for metal aficionados. And the best part? By rating, reviewing, and sharing the show, you're not just supporting great content – you're also helping Flamekeeper™'s sponsors, ensuring the continued success of this heavy-hitting program.Links to our Sponsors & Partners:Ageless Art Tattoo & Piercing - Clarksville/New Albany:http://www.agelessartclarksville.comhttp://www.agelessartna.comPizza DoNisi/MAG BAR:https://pizzadonisi.com/http://magbaroldlouisville.comShadebeast:http://shadebeast.comand use PROMO CODE: "SITH LORD" at check out for a 10% Discount!Creeping Death Designs:http://www.creepingdeathdesigns.comand use PROMO CODE: "METALFORGE10" at check out for a 10% Discount!Record Labels:Unchained Tapes:http://www.unchainedtapes.bigcartel.comand use PROMO CODE: "METALFORGE10" at check out for a 10% Discount!Mercenary Press:http://www.mercenarypress.bigcartel.comand use PROMO CODE: "METALFORGE" at check out for a 10% Discount!Other shows you can listen to:Night Demon Heavy Metal Podcast:http://www.nightdemon.nethttps://open.spotify.com/show/2ozLCAGQ4LdqJwMmeBYJ7k?si=OvvfZsNYRPqywwb86SzrVAZines:Soulgrinder Zine:http://www.facebook.com/soulgrinder.zineOFFICAL LINKS OF THE METAL FORGE®/FLAMEKEEPERhttp://www.metalforgeradio.comhttps://www.flamekeeper.vip FB/IG/YouTube - @metalforgeradioFlamekeeper Podcast Network: http://www.youtube.com@flamekeeperpnThe Metal Forge®Ossont & Battery™Unsleeved™All Rights Reserved. Any unauthorized reproduction/duplication is expressly forbidden without prior written consent and is punishable by law. Metal Forge Intro I copyright 2020 The Metal Forge® Published by UNTIL I GET IT RIGHT MUSIC/ASCAP. Metal Forge Intro II copyright 2023 The Metal Forge® The Metal Forge® Published by UNTIL I GET IT RIGHT MUSIC/ASCAP. Metal Forge Intro III copyright 2025 The Metal Forge® Published by UNTIL I GET IT RIGHT MUSIC/ASCAP. The Metal Forge®, please contact metalforgeradio@gmail.com for any and all other info. All other music is owned by writers/publishers respectively and is used with permission for means of promotion.©2019-2026 The Metal Forge®

For decades, people have been addressing love letters to an oak tree deep in the Dodauer Forest in Germany called the Bridegroom's Oak. The hope is that a passerby might find their letter, write back and form a connection. Journalist Elliot Stein visited this romantic post office box and talked to the mail carrier who used to deliver these letters and who one day, found a letter that was addressed to him.  If you would like to address your own love letter to the Bridegroom's Oak, the mailing address is:  Bräutigamseiche, Dodau 99 Dodauer Forst, 23701 Eutin, Germany Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Colonel Tiffany Bilderback joins MWI's Charlie Faint to discuss a career defined by coalition building, strategic leadership, and service alongside partner forces from countries like Germany, Iraq, South Korea, and Ukraine. She also describes working in the special operations community and at the Pentagon, and providing military medical assistance to the COVID-19 national response. The bulk of the episode focuses on her time as the J5, or joint plans officer, for Security Assistance Group–Ukraine. Drawing on experiences advising Iraqi forces, supporting whole-of-government pandemic operations, commanding a multifunctional medical battalion, and helping develop Ukraine's corps-level command structure during an active armed conflict, Tiffany reflects on the importance of humility, empathy, professional military education, and building trust with allies. She shares firsthand observations of Ukrainian resilience, explains why leader development remains essential even in the midst of combat, and offers practical leadership lessons on accountability, lifelong learning, and choosing opportunities that open more doors than they close. Chapters (00:00:02) - The Spear(00:00:31) - Colonel Tiffany Bratley on Her Love of History(00:01:54) - Branch in the Medical Service Corps(00:02:27) - Combat Medical Platoon Leader on Deployment(00:05:37) - Being the S9 in Afghanistan(00:08:02) - Post-Second Deployment Medical Service Officer(00:11:16) - Post-9/11 soldier experiences in Korea(00:15:11) - Post-Basic Training: Medical Plans in Afghanistan(00:20:09) - Post-Combat Experience: Leading the Army's Warfighter Plans(00:27:21) - Steve Bannon on Jared Kushner's Pizza comment(00:27:55) - Commanding the 61st Multifunctional Medical Battalion(00:31:17) - NATO's Security Assistance Group Ukraine (SAGYU)(00:33:50) - Assistance to the Ukrainian Corps in the Donbass(00:37:18) - What was your day to day life(00:39:27) - The Business Cycle: The J5(00:40:21) - Serviceman in the Ukraine War(00:43:47) - Senior Advisor to the Ukrainian Army(00:46:04) - Looking back on my time in the Ukraine(00:48:53) - Pre-Command Course(00:51:18) - Colonels on Accountability and the Investigation Culture(00:56:01) - SGT Majors in the Course(00:57:46) - Colonel Tiffany Sullivan on Leading With Purpose(00:59:12) - The Spear

This episode tells the dramatic story of an Army veteran who served in three wars, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Al Ungerleider's first taste of combat came on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. He went on to march towards Germany, liberating a Nazi concentration camp along the way. Brig. General Al Ungerleider retired from the Army after 36 years of service. His final active-duty assignment was commanding the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. Al Ungerleider is a true American hero. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Europe's wildfires reach the outskirts of major cities, plans to curb Germany's Freedom of Information Act, and what police knew about Berlin's Pride killer. Then: a place for senior queer people in Lyon, an interview with the president of George Soros' Open Society Foundations, and statue squabbles: Prague's controversial colossus.

Pete and Gary continue their new series as they follow the story of heroic WWI officer Hubert Rees.This week is the fighting swings north to the Ypres Salient as the Germans desperately try to break through.Presenters: Peter Hart and Gary BainPublisher: Mat McLachlanProducer: Jess StebnickiPete and Gary's latest book, Beggar Me! I'm a Prisoner!: British POWS in Germany, 1914-18, is available now.Visit Gallipoli with Pete and Gary! Go to https://phbt.uk/ for more information!Join a river cruise to the battlefields of Waterloo, WW1, WW2 and Vietnam: https://historycruises.com/Become a member to listen ad-free and receive special bonus content for only £2 per month: https://plus.acast.com/s/pete-and-garys-military-historySupport the show with a one-off contribution: https://buymeacoffee.com/pgmhFind out everything Pete and Gary are doing at https://linktr.ee/pgmhFor more great history content, visit www.LivingHistoryTV.com, or subscribe to our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/LivingHistoryTV Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would Britain have surrendered if Germany had destroyed its army at Dunkirk? This week, Joe and Jon explore one of the classic "what ifs" of the Second World War.Join us every Thursday this summer for new pop quizzes and on Mondays for rebroadcast episodes!

with Brad Friedman & Desi Doyen

An ousted former opposition leader started a new party—called the New Party. We assess its chances at the ballot box, and under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's thumb. A surrogacy scandal in Germany has prompted a government reshuffle, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz left holding the proverbial baby. And how traditional career advice is falling short for Gen Z.  Guests and host:Piotr Zalewski, Turkey correspondentVendeline von Bredow, senior Germany correspondentTom Wainwright, culture correspondentJason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”Topics covered: Turkish politics, New Party, Recep Tayyip ErdoganGerman politics, Jens Spahn, Friedrich MerzGen Z, careersListen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to The Economist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thaddeus McCotter and Judy Dempsey discuss Ukraine's strike on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea, which complicates global energy security for Europe. This inland sea is a vital source of non-Russian energy. Dempsey reports that Germany is carefully observing the implications of this new front. The strike underscores the deep military connection between Russia and Iran regarding equipment exchanges. Meanwhile, recent polls show seven out of ten Americans oppose the Iran war. (3)1903

SCHEDULE THE MAKING OF THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 7-28-26.1900 IDAHOLiz Peek reports the US economy remains robust, driven by strong consumer spending in rural areas like Connecticutand Lancaster County. Peek highlights rising small business and consumer confidence despite increasing gasoline prices. Attention shifts to new Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh, who may end "dot plot" forecasting. Warsh aims to be more "taciturn," forcing markets to rely on incoming data rather than Fed projections. (1)Liz Peek examines the Michigan Democratic Senate primary as a national test for the party's ideological direction. Moderate Haley Stevens faces Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, a candidate favored by the Democratic Socialists of America. Peek notes the "shocker" UAW endorsement of El-Sayed, highlighting a shift toward "woke" politics among union members in higher education. This race evaluates if a far-left candidate can win a statewide swing-state contest. (2)Thaddeus McCotter and Judy Dempsey discuss Ukraine's strike on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea, which complicates global energy security for Europe. This inland sea is a vital source of non-Russian energy. Dempsey reports that Germany is carefully observing the implications of this new front. The strike underscores the deep military connection between Russia and Iran regarding equipment exchanges. Meanwhile, recent polls show seven out of ten Americans oppose the Iran war. (3)Thaddeus McCotter and Judy Dempsey turn to a deadly ramming attack at a Berlin parade that has put Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the defensive regarding his security credentials. The populist AfD party is exploiting the tragedy to criticize "uncontrolled immigration" ahead of crucial state elections. While Merz responded with calls for law and order, the incident underscores the difficulty police face in monitoring numerous terrorist suspects. The AfD utilizes these crises to offer simple solutions. (4)Mary Kissel notes diplomatic efforts with Iran currently involve "shuttling messages" through intermediaries like Omanand Qatar. Kissel argues that the Islamic Republic is a revolutionary regime with no interest in genuine strategic peace. The administration's lack of a cohesive strategy has led to declining public support for military action. Meanwhile, the Houthi threat in the Red Sea remains a dangerous Iranian-backed tool for disrupting international shipping. (5)Mary Kissel observes President Zelenskyy is receiving a warmer reception in Washington due to Ukraine's increasing military leverage. Innovative long-range drone strikes on Russian energy nodes have demonstrated Ukraine's utility to USstrategic interests. Unlike the situation with Iran, the US maintains active diplomatic channels in Moscow to discuss potential conflict resolutions. Kissel notes that influential voices on the right are beginning to shift their views on Ukraine. (6)Jonathan Schanzer reports the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East are merging as Russia, Iran, and Chinacoordinate their efforts. Schanzer notes that Ukraine's Caspian Sea strike has clarified this global partnership. The US is currently attempting to "keep a lid" on Israel to prevent a regional escalation. However, the US military faces a depletion of missile interceptors, making it difficult to sustain a long, high-intensity conflict. (7)Jonathan Schanzer discusses new UK–US talks focused on a maritime coalition to secure the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has an opportunity to reset the relationship with Donald Trump. The Iranian-backed Houthi threat remains a top concern for global oil analysts and regional powers like Egypt. Meanwhile, the US is signaling that Lebanon is "too big to fail" to counter Hezbollah's regional influence. (8)Gregory Copley reports the Trump administration has imposed tariffs on Australia, alleging "forced labor" practices—a claim Copley describes as spurious. This move antagonizes a loyal ally that has fought alongside the US for over a century. Consequently, Australia and Canada are beginning to lessen their strategic dependence on the US. Copley warns that such unilateral protectionism could weaken the long-term structure of the Western alliance. (9)Gregory Copley describes Cuba's total implosion as its infrastructure collapses and major blackouts occur. Copley describes a strategic failure in the Caribbean, where China has built significant influence over the last 20 years. The USmust decide whether to facilitate a rapid collapse or a managed transition of the regime. While the Cuban people suffer, the wealthy expatriate community remains ready to fund reconstruction. (10)Gregory Copley reports Xi Jinping faces significant internal opposition from Communist Party elders at the Beidaiheretreat. Despite his titles, Xi's operational power is waning as the Chinese economy evaporates and social unrest grows. A recent ballistic missile launch served as a show of strength before a state visit to the US. Copley notes that youth unemployment is high, and the PLA may eventually act independently. (11)Gregory Copley turns to the UK, where following the rise of Prime Minister Andy Burnham, the country faces political uncertainty as Labour struggles with a lack of growth. Copley highlights King Charles III's vital role as a unifying force, focusing on British national identity and values. While the Burnham government is viewed as sclerotic and ideological, the King remains an egalitarian figure. His efforts to preserve heritage, like Dumfries House, bolster his standing. (12)Joseph Sternberg criticizes Prime Minister Andy Burnham's economic policy as ineffective against the cost-of-living crisis. Sternberg argues that the UK is trapped by net-zero regulations that prevent the use of vast North Sea oil and gas reserves. Burnham finds it politically difficult to cut taxes or reverse climate policies despite potential economic benefits. This paralysis makes his government a target for future replacement. (13)Joseph Sternberg notes Chairman Kevin Warsh is moving the Federal Reserve toward a "taciturn" style, ending the practice of "forward guidance." This reform aims to prevent the Fed from becoming locked into policies that may become inappropriate as data shifts. Sternberg suggests that saying less may protect the Fed from political conflict with the White House over tariffs. Markets must now interpret raw data rather than Fed signals. (14)Thaddeus McCotter describes the Michigan Democratic Senate primary as a "civil war" between establishment candidate Haley Stevens and progressive Dr. Abdul El-Sayed. The candidates are sharply divided over AIPAC funding and support for Israel. Stevens is endorsed by high-profile figures like Gretchen Whitmer and Barack Obama. The result will indicate if the Democratic Socialists of America can succeed in a statewide race in a swing state. (15)Thaddeus McCotter notes Dr. Abdul El-Sayed denies being a socialist, claiming he merely wants to regulate "capitalism run amok." However, his platform includes radical proposals such as abolishing ICE. Haley Stevens frames him as a "celebrity candidate" and questions his appeal to women voters. McCotter notes that while the DSA lacks a ground model, identity politics may drive a high turnout among Michigan's large Muslim population. (16)Corrections applied throughout as directed: Thaddeus McCotter and Liz Peek.

An ousted former opposition leader started a new party—called the New Party. We assess its chances at the ballot box, and under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's thumb. A surrogacy scandal in Germany has prompted a government reshuffle, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz left holding the proverbial baby. And how traditional career advice is falling short for Gen Z.  Guests and host:Piotr Zalewski, Turkey correspondentVendeline von Bredow, senior Germany correspondentTom Wainwright, culture correspondentJason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”Topics covered: Turkish politics, New Party, Recep Tayyip ErdoganGerman politics, Jens Spahn, Friedrich MerzGen Z, careersListen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to The Economist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.